Chapter 460: The Card That Matches the Phantom Gods!

Chi ——

The spaceship was surrounded by a massive burst of steam.

The accompanying spirits quickly stepped back; as the duel ended, the virtual projections began to fade slowly, and at that moment, everyone was astonished to discover that the damage caused by the thunder, lightning, and storms during the duel still remained on the ground.

This was true, tangible destruction!

Bakazami gasped for breath; after the duel ended, he felt as if all his strength had been completely drained, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stand up.

Patter—

At that moment, he heard footsteps, accompanied by a command: "Stand up!"

Gritting his teeth, he struggled to his feet and looked to the side.

"T…Master."

Seto Kaiba!

His master!

The true organizer of this match.

Seto Kaiba said nothing more; he glanced at Bakazami, then walked away without looking back toward Akihiko Tenjo.

Akihiko Tenjo's condition wasn't much better—he had been severely drained by forcibly using the card "Super Fusion."

This card symbolizes Yūri's "Fusion Power" from the original work, representing the act of consuming other clones; although Super Fusion gave him an OCGL version of this card, it seems to possess certain unique powers, albeit minor, but real nonetheless.

Of course, most importantly, this card forcibly drained 2000 Life Points, leaving him exhausted.

This dueling disk was indeed incredibly "realistic."

Seto Kaiba observed the dueling disk on Akihiko Tenjo's body; during the duel, the blue energy had been infused with Tenjo's power and turned purple.

He gave a barely perceptible nod.

He gathered his subordinates, ordered the duelists and spectators to disperse, and directed the ship to return to the venue.

By the time they returned to the venue, Akihiko Tenjo had nearly fully recovered; Bakazami, though still a bit weak in the legs, could now move normally.

The spaceship slowly landed on the ground, and the duelists disembarked one by one—even someone as inconspicuous as Sanzawa received cheers the moment he stepped off, and when Caesar and Bakazami appeared, the crowd erupted in deafening, ocean-like roars.

"Pity we didn't get to duel this time, Caesar."

"Heh, you aim to become a professional duelist someday—there'll be plenty of chances then."

Though both had lost to Akihiko Tenjo, and one of them was the runner-up, neither could be certain they'd definitively win against the other.

Of course—

The loudest cheers, naturally, belonged to only one—

The Champion!

Akihiko Tenjo descended the stairs, greeted by countless lights and thunderous applause; even Serena's powerful voice was drowned out by the deafening roar that shook the entire arena.

They chanted Akihiko Tenjo's name, and also the word "Fusion"; Tenjo smiled and waved to everyone.

Bakazami chuckled softly, nudged his companions, and signaled them to make way for Tenjo.

After a while, the award ceremony began immediately.

There was no waiting until tomorrow, no choosing an auspicious date—Kaiba Corporation never wasted time.

Kaiba Corporation first reviewed the overall performance of all students this semester and during this tournament, sharply criticizing those who hadn't earned even four seals, bluntly stating, "The CEO says that if things continue like this, they might as well graduate and transfer—do whatever they want."

Then, Kaiba Corporation especially praised several individuals in this tournament—those who had done what they were supposed to do, and even things beyond their duty that were profoundly noble.

This group was led by Akihiko Tenjo and Jaden Yuki, along with other students and professional duelists who had helped and rescued others during the demon attack incident, such as the Marufuji brothers, Dillano Kenzan, Jim, O'Brien, and many others.

According to Kaiba Corporation, these participating students would receive bonus points in their evaluations, and the most outstanding performers would receive special gifts from Kaiba Corporation afterward.

Finally, the award ceremony commenced.

"A card comparable to the Three Sacred Beasts…?"

"What card could it be!? I'm so excited!"

"I bet it's the Chaos Magician—"

"No, no, no—that's powerful, but still nowhere near the level of the Sacred Beasts, right?"

Akihiko Tenjo first picked up the trophy and delivered a speech, thanking his classmates, Professor Chronos, company colleagues, and others for their support, then stepped onto the podium to face Seto Kaiba directly.

"Hmph… Not bad," Seto Kaiba said, sizing up Akihiko Tenjo.

He had been observing Tenjo closely; Tenjo was one of the candidates he planned to select for his future interdimensional "KC Cup" duel.

For the final prize, he had prepared two cards—one representing himself, and the other…

If Bakazami had won, he would have given him that card—but unfortunately, he hadn't won.

Still, Bakazami's performance in this match had impressed him greatly, especially his dismantling of XYZ-Extreme Divine Dragon Cannon, summoning the XYZ Divine Dragon Cannon, and finally the Light and Dark Dragons.

"This card is a legendary card re-created by Yugi, based on his travels across dimensions and Kaiba Corporation's technology—"

Upon hearing it was connected to Yugi, countless people gasped in astonishment.

Was this truly a card re-created by the legendary Duelist King, the ultimate pinnacle of duelists?

"Behold—the legendary dragon, worthy of comparison with the Three Sacred Beasts—"

"Timaeus!"

He raised his hand; a fierce wind howled across the podium. As Seto Kaiba moved, the platform holding the card automatically opened. A blue eye first appeared before Akihiko Tenjo, then gradually, fangs and dragon scales emerged around it.

Spell Card: Eye of Timaeus!

Akihiko Tenjo was startled, then sharply drew in his breath.

"Legendary Dragon!?" he exclaimed.

"Legendary Dragon!!!" Immediately after Tenjo's cry, the live audience and viewers watching the broadcast echoed his astonishment.

The Three Legendary Dragons!

This was truly a card on par with the Three Sacred Beasts!

Akihiko Tenjo stared blankly at the prize.

He had poured immense effort into crafting the Claw of Hemo, and even now, he had barely completed half of it—yet here, right before his eyes, was this card, appearing so effortlessly.

But upon reflection, this card was the culmination of six months of GX Tournament competition; its cost and time investment far exceeded that of the Claw of Hemo…

"This card was simulated by Yugi, re-created using his dueling energy and Kaiba Corporation's technology—it's not as powerful as the original, and its potential modifications are limited to Black Magic cards," Seto Kaiba said slowly. "But it still contains immense power—the power of Fusion!"

"So—do you have the courage to bear this power?"

"Of course!" Akihiko Tenjo didn't hesitate—he reached out to take the card. A wave of resistance surged from it; Tenjo frowned, feeling pain in his body and an inexplicably rapid heartbeat.

But this sensation came quickly—and vanished even faster!

Just as Tenjo neared the Eye of Timaeus and felt the resistance intensify, the spare card at his waist suddenly glowed red; the resistance vanished instantly, allowing him to reach the card effortlessly.

As Tenjo reached out, Kaiba softly murmured, "Hm?"

This shouldn't have happened.

Why had the Eye of Timaeus sensed familiarity or calmness, thus lowering its suppression of Tenjo?

How was this possible?

Legendary Dragon cards should only respond to the Legendary Dragons themselves.

Akihiko Tenjo touched the card smoothly and effortlessly, carefully holding it as if it were something fragile.

"Fascinating…" Kaiba murmured.

Akihiko Tenjo raised the card, holding it above his head with both hands, gesturing toward the audience.

With that, the final ceremony concluded.

Just as Akihiko Tenjo was about to rest after everything ended, Kaiba suddenly cut off the microphone and communication, turning to him: "You want the Blue-Eyes, right?"

"Correct," Tenjo replied instantly.

"You've got guts. You're the first person in years to make such a demand."

Tenjo thought for a moment, then replied, "Then I'm truly honored."

"Hahahaha—yes, it's your honor… But you're impressive. This championship is truly deserved." Kaiba laughed, glanced at Bakazami, who immediately lowered his head, then turned back to Tenjo. "After everything's over, come to Kaiba Corporation headquarters—you'll get the opportunity you seek. But—"

"Getting the Blue-Eyes won't be easy."

"If you don't earn my approval, you'll never take the Blue-Eyes away from there."

"My"?

Tenjo was confused.

Wait, do you have multiple personalities now?

(End of Chapter)