Chapter 352

Under the recommendation of Vampire Lady, Tenjou Hikari soon saw the Necro Duke and the Spirit Princess.

These two were cards released not long before Tenjou Hikari came to this world, but according to the Lady's account, they had existed for hundreds of years and were relatively ancient spirits.

Especially the Necro Duke, who had a small status in the "Undead World." Although his status was not as transcendent as the Dragon Blood Duke, who ruled the entire Vampire Empire, he was very famous among the Undead and Fiend tribes. He was the type who would be invited as a mediator when everyone had conflicts and fought each other.

Under his command, there were many lower-level spirits who looked like they had been isolated to this dimension due to accidents and, because they did not possess spirit abilities at the level of dimensional travel, could only stay here temporarily.

The Duke and the Princess provided shelter for them here, and they also had some dealings with the Vampire Empire.

Hearing that Tenjou Hikari wanted to challenge him to a trial, the Necro Duke almost agreed to it without thinking, but soon, he put forward a request.

It was possible, but there was one condition.

Regardless of whether he won or Tenjou Hikari won, if he wanted to conduct a trial duel with him, he must provide a residence for these subjects he sheltered.

"I see, that's too simple—" Tenjou Hikari smiled and picked up the "Book of Emerald" to show the two spirits.

"Is that the leader's book?!" Camula exclaimed on the side.

The book of the leader of the Seven Stars, the peerless alchemist, Professor Daitokuji.

In terms of recognition, for these Seven Stars spirits, this thing was more useful than any words.

"A gift from my teacher... It connects to a huge spirit dimension, the [Macro Cosmos Dimension]. That is an artificial dimension, and its boundaries are becoming larger and larger under the efforts of me and my friends. If they go there, they will definitely have plenty of space."

As soon as these words were spoken, some spirits behind the Necro Duke clearly showed expressions of relief. If there was a brand-new place to live, it would definitely be safer and more reassuring than their current location.

And as Tenjou Hikari brought this up, the Lady couldn't help but lower her head and ponder slightly.

If that was the case...

"Very good, truly an excellent young man." The Duke nodded continuously. "Then, this old man will accompany you in a duel ceremony, which can be considered repaying the kindness of Lord Dragon Blood Duke and Miss Lady."

Tenjou Hikari was immediately overjoyed.

The Duke's Fusion condition was very good.

How good was it?

"Fiend-Type/Undead-Type monster x2"!

Tenjou Hikari and the Necro Duke stood in front of the residence of this group of Fiend and Undead monsters, and then Tenjou Hikari directly unfolded his deck.

"Duel!"

Necro Duke, LP: 4000.

Tenjou Hikari, LP: 4000.

The first turn was taken by the Necro Duke.

"Then, this old man's turn." The Necro Duke looked very gentlemanly overall, with every word and action having a noble air. He drew a card, looked at it, and suddenly his expression changed, his aura shifting abruptly.

?

Unknown when, Tierra floated out and hovered beside Tenjou Hikari.

Dueling with spirits was always interesting, and she was very curious about what this Fiend was going to do.

The Lady on the side noticed "Winda" and instinctively widened her eyes.

This spirit...

It felt so dangerous.

After this year, what exactly had Hikari experienced and changed?

"Human, although I admire you and am very grateful that you are willing to provide a residence for my friends, but... in the sacred duel ceremony, there is no partiality."

"Ah, I certainly understand that."

"However, as a spirit, I have my own partialities."

??

Tenjou Hikari was a bit confused about what he was talking about for a moment.

"Over the past year, I have heard about the Lady's situation many times." The Necro Duke looked at the card in his hand and said, "I heard that in the human world, you defeated her, which made her return to this dimension but only able to sleep every day, and she can only wake up when there is an intruder.

Whenever I think of the Dragon Blood Duke entrusting me to take good care of the Lady before he left, I feel self-reproach."

"Eh—Uncle, no, there is no such thing." The Lady waved her hands hurriedly.

She had already chatted with Professor Daitokuji. There were naturally her reasons and causes for becoming one of the Seven Stars. Although she lost, she also exchanged it for some things she wanted—and she herself really wanted to put down her affairs and sleep.

Handing those trivial matters and work to the subordinates, the Blood Demons, and sleeping in a stupor was actually better for her.

But the Necro Duke clearly did not take these into account.

So he was still going on and on about this, making the Lady on the side quite embarrassed.

Tenjou Hikari understood this feeling.

It was that kind of awkward expression when one's long-forgotten dark history was brought up in front of relatives during holidays.

Even the cold Lady was particularly embarrassed at this moment.

"During this time, I have also heard many things about you and the content of your duels. So, Lord Hikari, let me see if you can defeat me under these circumstances and gain our recognition—

I Normal Summon, Tour Guide From the Underworld."

A Fiend girl controlling a skull staff with one hand appeared with a giggle.

Tour Guide From the Underworld, Level 3, Dark Attribute, Fiend-Type, ATK 1000.

Although the true name was "Necro Duke," in reality, the Necro Duke was a genuine Fiend-Type monster. Therefore, Tenjou Hikari was not too surprised that he used Fiend-Type monsters to duel.

"If there is a monster with [Fiend] in its name on my field, this card can be Special Summoned."

Eh?

Crackle, yellow lightning struck down from the sky.

Boom!!

A Fiend familiar to Tenjou Hikari slowly appeared on his field.

Summoned Skull...?

Oh, it's "Archfiend Empress."

Archfiend Empress, Level 6, Dark Attribute, Fiend-Type, ATK 2500.

"This development?" Camula, who came to watch the battle, had a solemn expression.

The Lady also couldn't help but frown.

Some of the spirits behind the Duke also realized this development and couldn't help but cheer for the Duke.

"When Archfiend Empress is Special Summoned by its own effect, I must target 1 Fiend card on my field. Destroy that [Fiend] card of mine.

I destroy Tour Guide From the Underworld."

Tour Guide From the Underworld giggled and waved her hand. A thunderbolt struck down from the sky, dissipating her.

"The effect of Tour Guide From the Underworld: when this card is sent to the Graveyard by an effect or destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can activate it. Add 1 [Fiend] card other than [Tour Guide From the Underworld] from my deck to my hand. I add Archfiend Cavalry to my hand."

A Fiend deck, huh?

Tenjou Hikari didn't actually know much about Fiend decks. It wasn't until he saw the "Archfiend" series and that "Archfiend" didn't have an "Archfiend" column that he studied this series a little.

"I set one card and end my turn."

A very ordinary opening.

Tenjou Hikari took a look, felt there was nothing strange, and drew a card normally.

And just at this moment...

"Open the set card!"

The Duke raised his hand abruptly.

"Trap card, Eradicator Epidemic Virus!"

Huh!?

Tenjou Hikari was stunned, and then his pupils shrank sharply.

He's got a move!

"Tribute 1 Dark Attribute monster with 2500 or more ATK on my field, and declare a card type, Spell or Trap. Check the opponent's field, hand, and all cards drawn by the opponent for 3 turns, and destroy all cards of the declared type!"

Tenjou Hikari raised an eyebrow.

"This old man has already heard, Lord Hikari, that you are a duelist who pursues the ultimate Fusion, so your deck is basically a deck centered on [Fusion], and you even used this kind of deck to defeat the little Lady, right?

But—

Such a deck has one eternal, indestructible flaw, and that is, your deck requires Spell cards!"

"Come on, show your hand."

Tenjou Hikari heard this and silently revealed all six cards in his hand.

One Trap, two monsters, three Spell cards!

"Sure enough, there are many Spell cards!" Some Fiends watching the battle whispered.

"Is the Duke doing this on purpose to vent for the young lady?" Some Blood Demons also felt the Duke was venting for their leader.

But the Lady couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose.

The "old guy's" self-esteem.

The Lady could see that the Duke was very happy that Tenjou Hikari was willing to help his subordinates find a place to live, but as an ancient, old-school Fiend noble, he couldn't accept such a thing, so he wanted to appear even more powerful, a power that would make everyone admire him.

This was really unnecessary.

However, a duel is a duel. For spirits, there is no such thing as holding back in a duel ceremony, so the Lady couldn't blame him for wanting to appear more powerful.

It's just...

In this way, how would Tenjou Hikari duel?

"Interesting, he directly destroyed three of your hand cards." Tierra looked at the cards in Tenjou Hikari's hand and became a bit interested.

Tierra already understood how difficult it was to lose three cards in the hand at the start of a duel.

The number of cards in hand, the quality of individual cards, the scope of the lockdown, whether the disruption is effective, etc.—for Tierra, these things were no longer unfamiliar.

Now it seems that, in fact, the Necro Duke's lockdown had a considerable impact on Tenjou Hikari, and its scope was probably more powerful than the previous "Fusion Gate" and "Fusion Destruction."

After all, most of Tenjou Hikari's Fusions still had to rely on Spell cards to be achieved.

Of course, it was only "most Fusions."

Tierra had not seen the duel between Vampire Lady and Tenjou Hikari, but roughly estimating, she could guess what Tenjou Hikari's deck was like at that time.

The Tenjou Hikari of that time could not be mentioned in the same breath as the Tenjou Hikari of today.

"I see... Indeed, without Spell cards, normal Fusion is difficult to achieve. However—Lord Duke, the current me is no longer the me of the past!

My Fusion, my duel, everything about me is evolving!"

He reached out and pointed to the Graveyard: "First, the effect of Brilliant Fusion in the Graveyard. If this card is in the Graveyard, return this card to the deck, shuffle the deck, and then draw 1 card."

"Fusion used in the Graveyard?" The Necro Duke looked at Brilliant Fusion and nodded silently: "However, if the card drawn is a Spell card, it has no meaning."

Tenjou Hikari did not respond; he just drew a card and glanced down.

Trap card.

Chain Material.

He revealed it and then put it back in his hand.

"Normal Summon, Level 2, Predaplant Sundew Kingii!"

A plant shaped like a lizard jumped out from Tenjou Hikari's hand.

A card I haven't seen before!

The Blood Demons were all surprised in their hearts.

"Monster card?" The Necro Duke asked suspiciously.

"Although it is a monster card, but... Predaplant Sundew Kingii can perform a Fusion Summon during the Main Phase, using cards from my hand or field that are determined by the Dark Attribute Fusion Monster!"

Monster Fusion...

"Hehehe—easily bypassing the lockdown to perform Fusion?" The Necro Duke looked at this scene and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "It seems that you are indeed as rumored, quite passionate about Fusion."

"Little purple cutie can now perform Fusion without even using Spell cards." In Camula's impression, Tenjou Hikari still needed teammates to assist in Fusion; she didn't expect that now, even with three cards missing, he could still perform a proper Fusion.

"The Fusion condition is Predaplant and a Dark Attribute monster." Tenjou Hikari said slowly, "I fuse the Predaplant Sundew Kingii on the field with the Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio in my hand!"

"Witness the plant that once contended with the world-destroying existence and the Pure White Dragon—

Fusion Summon!

Level 7, Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"

The ground began to roll, and branches and petals began to surge from the soil, enveloping the entire dueling field.

Predaplant Chimerafflesia, Level 7, Dark Attribute, Plant-Type, ATK 2500.

"Then, the effect of Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio will also be activated because of this—when this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can activate it. Add 1 Predaplant monster other than [Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio] from my deck to my hand.

I choose, Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra."

Tenjou Hikari opened his deck, selected one from it, and revealed it to the opponent.

Then he added it to his hand.

"In this way, the Fusion materials are available again..."

"And, it can attack directly!"

The Blood Demons discussed with each other.

These Undead spirits who had been closed off in the Vampire Empire for many years, either sleeping or practicing, rarely contacted the outside world because their own dimension was facing the crisis of shrinking and collapse, so they had no idea how many more tricks Tenjou Hikari's Fusion had.

Because of this, seeing Tenjou Hikari perform Fusion like this, these Blood Demons felt excited and curious.

Tenjou Hikari flicked his hand and pointed at the Necro Duke: "Chimerafflesia attacks the opponent directly."

The huge man-eating flower rolled its branches, like a whip, and lashed out at the Duke.

Necro Duke, LP: 4000 → 1500.

"He dealt 2500 damage in one go!"

"Too strong!"

The Necro Duke patted his clothes, still very calm, looking completely unperturbed.

"I set two cards and end my turn." Tenjou Hikari glanced at the cards in his hand, shook his head, and set them down.

"Although he dealt 2500 points of damage... but... in reality, it does not affect the situation." Vampire Lady looked at the scene and shook her head gently.

"Yes—" Camula followed up, "The Lady is right. The cards Tenjou Hikari set are Soul Fusion and Chain Material, so the monster fused out this way can only live for one turn; and there is only that Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra in his hand. If the card Tenjou Hikari draws next turn is another Spell card, it's equivalent to not drawing a card..."

As she spoke, many spirits gradually realized the dire situation Tenjou Hikari was in.

Admittedly, Tenjou Hikari dealt damage first, but in fact, Tenjou Hikari was only able to deal damage because the Necro Duke voluntarily stepped aside.

As time passed, the Duke's advantage would only become more and more obvious!