Chapter 43: Seal? Battery!

"Teacher, how is Student Tenjou doing!?"

In a daze, Tenjou Hikari seemed to hear a girl's voice.

"I never thought even Tenjou Hikari would collapse? Dark Duels really are dangerous…" This was a male voice dripping with otaku excess.

"... Dark Duel..."

Tenjou Hikari forced his eyes open and looked toward the bedside.

"I've told you already—Student Tenjou is just exhausted. He passed out from fatigue. Dark Duels? Are you kids still believing that nonsense?" The school nurse, one hand on her hip, couldn't fathom the students' thinking.

"This..." Sanzawa Daichi didn't know how to explain to the teacher. He was about to speak when Judai, having noticed Tenjou Hikari's awakening, lunged forward and arrived at his side.

His brow was furrowed, his face stripped of its usual frivolity—he looked suddenly cold and serious as he stared at Tenjou Hikari and said, "Hikari, how do you feel?"

"See? I told you not to make so much noise—you woke up the patient," the teacher scolded, clearly annoyed.

Tenjou Hikari rubbed his head, slowly regaining his senses. He felt thirsty. He glanced left and right, and it was Asuka, the thoughtful girl, who reacted first, bringing him a glass of water.

"Thank you." Tenjou Hikari drank a sip, then said, "I feel fine. No serious issues?"

While drinking, the awakened Tenjou Hikari gradually pieced together the situation.

You know your own condition best.

He hadn't been knocked out by a Dark Duel. True, it had hurt terribly—but his body had been strengthened by Super Fusion. When the flames struck, even Bai Jing had protected him. The damage he suffered was nowhere near as severe as what Cheng Zhi Nei endured from the Divine Flame. There was no way he should have passed out.

He collapsed purely because the "fusion" energy overwhelmed him all at once.

Darkness had indeed summoned a low-level avatar—but even a low-level avatar was still the ultimate embodiment of darkness. For him now, even partial absorption of that energy was enough to knock him unconscious.

Of course, he couldn't tell anyone this.

The fact that he had crossed over into this world—and carried a genuine Super Fusion card—was something he could never casually reveal to anyone.

"What about you, Tenjou Asuka? How is your brother?"

"The teacher said his injuries aren't serious—he just needs rest for a while before he can move again," Asuka still looked shaken.

For some reason, she had done those things back then—things she would never do now. How could she have endangered others just to save her brother?

Once Judai realized Tenjou Hikari was unharmed, he exhaled in relief, then his expression grew even more serious. He turned to the classmates and said, "Everyone, let's leave. Let Hikari rest alone."

His voice was firm and resolute—nothing like his usual self. The classmates exchanged glances, understood that since Tenjou Hikari was fine, they shouldn't disturb him, and nodded in agreement.

"Hikari, get plenty of rest." Sanzawa Daichi brought him a small gift. Tenjou Hikari didn't refuse, accepting it politely.

Though they were desperate to know the details of the Dark Duel, they knew they could ask Asuka later. The classmates didn't press further, leaving behind some fruit and snacks before following Judai out.

But they all looked grim.

Even Tenjou Hikari couldn't withstand the power of a Dark Duel—even if he won, he ended up hospitalized. What about them?

Especially Yu City Judai. At this moment, his mind was flooded with "responsibility." He walked faster and faster, ignoring Yu Xiang calling out behind him.

Yet after everyone left, Tenjou Asuka remained behind—as if to stay as a caretaker?

Because he saved her brother, she was deeply grateful. With Marufuji Ryo tending to her brother, she didn't need to worry about him. Judai and Sanzawa had both wanted to help with Tenjou Hikari's care, but Asuka insisted, overriding their objections, and stayed herself.

"Tenjou Asuka, don't feel guilty about what happened before," Tenjou Hikari said, reaching for his Duel Disk and removing his deck. He glanced at Asuka and added, "If I'm right, that guy must have mind-control or memory-reading abilities. Otherwise, he couldn't have imitated your brother so perfectly—or known those private things about you and him."

As he spoke, Tenjou Hikari rapidly shuffled through his deck, checking each card one by one.

Halfway through, his eyes suddenly lit up. Midrash was half-complete! So fast—much faster than he'd imagined!

Besides that, his deck now held an 8-star Fusion Monster: Meteor Black Dragon...

But what use is this thing?

Wait—

It's useful! He suddenly remembered something.

"Huh?" Asuka blinked, then slowly forced a faint smile. "Thank you, Tenjou. I didn't expect you'd be so unexpectedly considerate..."

She still looked burdened with guilt.

Whatever.

Tenjou Hikari shrugged.

"What about that card the guy mentioned—the one that seals souls? Did you bring it back?"

"Ah, here—" Asuka hurriedly dug it out and handed it to Tenjou Hikari.

Tenjou Hikari took the card. It bore no text—only an image: Darkness's mask, bound by chains.

In the original story, Chui Xue could even use this card herself to enter her Dark Chui Xue state and wield Darkness's Crimson-Eyes deck.

In short, for Tenjou Chui Xue, once mastered, this card was essentially a "Kamen Rider transformation device."

But in Tenjou Hikari's hands? It was different.

Tenjou Hikari's face lit up with excitement—so much so that Asuka shivered involuntarily, rubbing her arms.

His grin was grotesque—like he'd just found a weapon capable of annihilating the world.

But in reality—

Exactly!

This was a fragment of Darkness!

Just dueling with it generated so much energy. Then what about this card?

To Tenjou Hikari, this wasn't a card—it was a battery. A "Philosopher's Stone." Material for his Super Fusion.

Worse—it might even be used to forge a "Crimson-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Tenjou Hikari stayed in the school infirmary for two days. Only after confirming he was fully recovered did he finally leave.

As soon as he left, he rushed straight back to his dormitory, ready to begin his great alchemy.

For several days straight, with the help of several Spirits, Tenjou Hikari struggled to craft cards.

And he clarified three things.

First, he could indeed use the Super Fusion card. Though his Spirit power was still insufficient, after days of effort and with Darkness's "kind" assistance, he gradually made progress—and hope emerged.

Second, if he tried to fuse cards manually, he could only produce low-level monsters. Whenever he attempted Fusion, Wan Rong would urgently stop him—so for now, he still had to rely on Super Fusion's random transformations.

Third, hand-crafting cards was fucking satisfying!

Watching his accumulated materials vanish, he felt immense pride as his freshly crafted "Carnivorous Plant Sundew Lizard" emerged.

Even if the card was currently useless.

Now, Tenjou Hikari could truly call himself an "Alchemist."

One day, crafting a Philosopher's Stone by hand won't be a dream!

He was practically beaming.

This was only the first "Seven Stars"!

Six more to go!

Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival—wishing everyone happiness in advance

Also, please recommend and vote for monthly tickets—it means everything to me!

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(End of Chapter)