Chapter 524: Influence (5k)

The duel ended; Akuma Ryouou lay on the ground, silent and lifeless.

His soul had been torn into fragments, with no possibility of survival.

At this moment, countless souls consumed by Red Lotus Nova returned to where they belonged—in hospitals, in the Lower Zones—countless people who had lost consciousness and souls due to the Fusion Army began slowly awakening.

Some spirits controlled by the Fusion Army were liberated; some didn't even know what had happened, vanishing hastily and hiding within cards in the dimension where their minds had recovered, while others sensed something, realizing that an unimaginable "Fusion" had finally freed them.

"Super Fusion?"

After the duel ended, the Goddess of Despair had departed, yet still pondered the previous battle.

Her face was beautiful, her skin silver-white, her attire based in black, blue, and purple, accented with yellow, orange, and white. From afar, she resembled a giant Purple Emperor butterfly, appearing noble and mysterious.

She was the "Darkness" of the X Dimension—the Goddess of Despair, Ye La, the shadow within light, the goddess who delivered despair to those whose hope had been shattered; whoever's despair and darkness drew her, she would cross dimensions to appear beside them.

Before encountering Akuma Ryouou, she had never chosen a vessel—not because she lacked candidates, but because she had far more options; she granted Akuma Ryouou power solely to spread despair to other dimensions, using this "war criminal" to generate even greater panic.

It was then that she learned the Fusion Army had another long-standing opponent: a "Absolute Fusionist" named Tenjo Hikari.

A duel is the projection of a duelist's will; cards are the manifestation of will and power. One who seeks fusion, super fusion, and ever more fusion is the purest and most direct duelist.

She watched the entire duel; though slightly turbulent, the rhythm was firmly held by Tenjo Hikari throughout.

At first glance, it seemed Akuma Ryouou was playing powerful monsters one by one to dominate the field, but in truth, Akuma Ryouou merely forced himself into a duel with Tenjo Hikari using cards strong enough to match him.

Powerful cards are indeed strong, but the duelist himself was utterly inadequate.

Moreover, the opponent was no weakling, and his cards were equally powerful.

When everyone's cards are extremely strong, deck construction and strategy become especially crucial.

Akuma Ryouou was nowhere near Tenjo Hikari.

Super Fusion?

She murmured to herself, certain she would never forget the fusion light that had enveloped the entire world.

But—

Precisely because of this, she grew even more excited.

With the birth of dimensional travel, different "dimensions" had been connected; she, the Despair God who had once been confined to the X Dimension, now had the chance to visit more worlds and create and spread more errors and despair.

This despair fed back to her, making her stronger in her own world, granting her greater dominance.

Just like the Tenjo Hikari she had encountered now!

This was true "feedback."

In her world, there existed a card comparable to that "Super Fusion"—the ultimate of "Xyz," the Source Number Power—but although the Source Number Power was immensely strong, not any being could approach or even touch it.

She and her companions sought to unseal the Source Number Power and destroy the Starlight Realm; relying solely on their world's power was far too unstable.

Now, a brand-new "feedback" appeared before her.

A card capable of altering the possibilities of their world!

Not a disciple of the 【God】, but a disciple of 【Fusion】—if such a person could be driven to despair, how powerful a Dark Duelist would he become?

At this thought, she turned back to glance at the S Dimension, swept her eyes over Ruri, and already had a string of schemes forming in her mind.

Wait. We will meet again, Absolute Fusionist.

"Hahaha, hahahaha, Super Fusion? That card seems to be the 【limit】 of Fusion?" Meanwhile, Red Lotus Nova directly tempted from within, "I can feel it—this card is on the same level as the 【Tuning】 on the Red Dragon's body, isn't it?

Hehehe, no wonder you've never been interested in the War Against the One God.

But that card seems to have a side effect: it darkens the heart and drives one to extremes. So even a duelist as devoted to Fusion as you daresn't use it in every duel, right?

If you support me, help me defeat the Red Dragon, you can obtain absolute control over that power—then—"

Tenjo Hikari looked down at Super Fusion, placed it back into his necklace, and replied: "Thanks, but no."

"Hehehe… you really think you don't need it?" Red Lotus Nova, transformed into a tiny flame figure, hovered beside Tenjo Hikari and said, "That Akuma Ryouou carried powers from multiple worlds, didn't he?

Now that he's dead, the malice clinging to him all witnessed your use of Super Fusion.

You're strong, but you're still human. Power on the level of Super Fusion will inevitably attract greed.

Look at this world—over millennia, countless beings with fists have bled and fought endlessly for 【Tuning】.

If we cooperate, hehehe—"

"No need for your concern," Tenjo Hikari replied politely.

"Get lost, get lost," Ye La scoffed coldly, "You, a creature barely alive, get out of the way. Tenjo Hikari has my help—he doesn't need extra power."

Ye La controlled the blue flames of the Infernal Realm, burning Red Lotus Nova into shrieks as it retreated.

Red Lotus Nova's words weren't entirely false.

Super Fusion does indeed subtly influence the mind—but that might be the "original" version.

Though it appears nearly identical to Judai's Super Fusion, Tenjo Hikari had lived with it for so long that he understood his own Super Fusion intimately.

It does not affect Tenjo Hikari's mind; it does only one thing: forces him to use Fusion.

It will persistently alter his deck, filling it almost entirely with Fusion cards—even if Tenjo Hikari now barely controls Super Fusion, any auxiliary cards he adds will turn into Fusion cards after one or two duels.

But this isn't malice; it's an unconscious, self-driven change.

It doesn't warp Tenjo Hikari's mind to make him extreme or more "Fusion"; rather, the more he focuses on using Fusion and believes in it, the easier his duels become, the more effortlessly he can turn thought into action.

It's symbiotic—not one overpowering the other, but mutual understanding and fusion.

Under these conditions, Tenjo Hikari has no fear of Super Fusion altering his mind.

Seeing Tenjo Hikari unmoved, with Ye La, the Three Phantom Demons, and the Earthbound Gods watching him warily, Red Lotus Nova lowered its hand and grunted twice.

It didn't matter; it had other duelists it favored greatly. Akuma Ryouou was merely a tool to restore its life.

The duelist it favored had endured suffering and torment, advancing toward the highest 【King】.

Super Fusion…

It thrilled.

What a heart-stopping, exhilarating power.

Tenjo Hikari ignored it. He approached Akuma Ryouou, checked him thoroughly, confirmed he was truly dead, then turned to examine Akuma Ryouou's machines.

Ye La instantly memorized the machines' structure; Tenjo Hikari nodded, picked up Akuma Ryouou's Duel Disk, only to find it had completely turned to powder, its cards vanished.

Hmm—

With Akuma Ryouou's defeat and Red Lotus Nova's fall, the souls returned to their owners' bodies; the fallen nobles and Fusion Army elites began awakening one by one.

Some were disoriented, others, upon regaining consciousness, stared at Tenjo Hikari in terror.

Since most people had already escaped the Elder Council, they didn't awaken inside it; thus, few revived—but every one of them had been closest to Red Lotus Nova and witnessed Tenjo Hikari's use of Super Fusion.

In that instant, the terrifying power of Super Fusion—reshaping the world, tearing reality, as if merging all things—left them unable to even feel envy or greed; only fear remained.

Outside the Elder Council, gunfire suddenly erupted.

"Aaah—"

"Guh!"

The newly revived nobles and Fusion Army members collapsed like wheat, as gunfire rained down outside; some had barely regained consciousness, their memories still clinging to fleeing for survival, yet now ran inward again.

But—

Outside, no mercy was shown.

Tenjo Hikari saw the last person collapse at the doorway.

Just as Tenjo Hikari was about to leave, a thud sounded behind him. He slowly turned and saw a familiar face—but wearing a strange smile.

Yūgi…

No, judging by the attire—it's Yūri.

He wore a Fusion Army uniform, a crimson cloak draped over his shoulders, a kind smile on his face as he waved gently at Tenjo Hikari: "Ah, Senior Tenjo Hikari, hello. I'm Yūri, of the Fusion Army. I've always been your fan~"

Tenjo Hikari raised an eyebrow, looking at Yūri—not with great malice, but asked: "Fusion Army? You're here to duel me?"

"No no no, no no no," Yūri held his hands up, shaking them gently to display his 【harmlessness】: "Even if I truly wanted to duel, the main course should be saved for last."

Tenjo Hikari frowned at Yūri.

He chuckled softly, picked up a USB drive with his right hand, and showed it to Tenjo Hikari: "But, Senior Tenjo Hikari, although you eliminated Professor's soul, that doesn't mean Professor vanished entirely—he's an incredibly brilliant scientist who long ago backed up his consciousness, just in case."

With that, he applied slight pressure with his right hand—*crack*—and crushed the USB drive.

Tenjo Hikari showed no reaction; Ye La, beside him, looked surprised.

Isn't that the Fusion Army's secret weapon? Why crush it? Is he defecting?

Tenjo Hikari sighed inwardly.

In the original story, Akuma Ryouou trained Yūri to be his "right-hand man," but one day, Yūri declared, "I want to turn everyone in the world except me into cards," shocking Akuma Ryouou into exclaiming, "How did you become like this?" Later, during his duel with Yūsha, he even said things like, "Zarc's avatar is truly evil."

Given his teaching methods, shouldn't Akuma Ryouou ask himself why Yūri turned out this way?

Yūri sighed as well: "I originally intended to make Professor my prey, but you eliminated him instead.

Still, I heard something far more interesting, and saw a far more fascinating duelist. Quite nice—"

He pulled out a card, inserted it into his Duel Disk, aimed it at Akuma Ryouou, and soon, Akuma Ryouou transformed into a card, which he held in his hand.

Now, body, soul, and consciousness—all gone.

"Well then, see you next time—oh, by the way, please say hello to my siblings for me~" With that, he drew a card—【Violet Flash】—emitting blinding violet light, and vanished from the room.

"What was that guy even here for?" Ye La asked casually.

Tenjo Hikari didn't respond to Ye La.

Yūri was a pure dueling maniac, obsessed only with duels.

Moments later, police officers began arriving in the room. After seeing Tenjo Hikari, they reported to Jack, then escalated up the chain, and finally escorted him out.

The nobles and Fusion Army were mostly dealt with by the police.

People from the Lower and Upper Zones had, for the first time, united against a common enemy, joining forces together.

As Tenjo Hikari left, he warned Jack not to get too carried away—but even Jack couldn't resist; unconsciously, Red Lotus Nova had somehow slipped into his deck.

Tenjo Hikari went back to check on Serena; due to the super fusion, her side had been unable to display any image until long after the duel ended, so what they finally saw was Yu Ri turning Chi Ma Chima Chima Lingwang into a card.

Thus, although Serena felt a faint sadness, upon learning that her "father" had truly died, she accepted it quickly.

After all, she had been an orphan since childhood.

And now, she had a "sister," a "brother," her most important Master, and Sister Tierra.

Under these circumstances, while everyone felt it was somewhat dreamlike and wondered, "Could this be too fast?"

Godwin reappeared before everyone in the S Dimension, listing the nobles' countless crimes, detailing the causes and consequences of the Fusion Army's invasion of this dimension, and then declared, "We have lived together for thousands of years; separation has lasted only decades—we have always shared the same blood, and we should not remain divided!"

"The perpetual motion machine can provide resources for all in our world; we should never have been like this!"

In short, he said, the Upper Zone would now reopen access to the Lower Zone; the Lower Zone could once again travel to the Upper Zone—for study, for work, freely—and from now on, there would be no more barriers between them.

In Yu Xing's base, Tenjo Hikari blinked, watching Godwin passionately shout inside: "Let our city become great again! Let our perpetual motion machine turn once more for all of us!"

And then—

He began his inauguration ceremony.

Yu Xing stared, mouth agape, at the scene.

Several "representatives" appeared on screen: rebels from the Lower Zone, nobles who supported Kelo, warriors wounded in the great battle between the Public Security Administration and the Fusion Army—all without exception had met Yu Xing, Kelo, and Jack in person, even fought alongside them!

After these individuals appeared, Yu Xing's earlier premonition was finally confirmed.

Another future, one he had never anticipated or imagined, had occurred.

At this moment, Kelo also realized the truth.

No wonder it had been so easy to find supporters among the nobles!

"That bastard Godwin!!" Jack's eyes blazed with fire as he slammed his fist onto the table in his Upper Zone villa.

"Congratulations to our great Public Security Administration Director!"

"Leading everyone to victory!"

"Living in peaceful harmony—"

"The first President of the city!"

"Rex Godwin!"

Countless lights flashed, countless camera clicks echoed.

He pressed his hands down, looked at the screen, and calmly outlined his future governance philosophy and strategy for connecting the two zones.

But beyond that, he uttered one more crucial sentence.

"Destruction is always easier than construction; because of the nobles and the invaders, our city lies in ruins, our roads pockmarked with craters—we may need months to repair our city, our nation."

"Therefore—I intend, after all reconstruction is complete, to host a WRGP tournament: a world-class duel competition!"

He looked into the camera, speaking words that reached certain groups but transformed into something else.

"Friendship, luck, passion, filled with hope and the future—science and cutting-edge duels—"

【Finally liberated Earthbound Gods, Dreamwalkers of the Ancient Gods, Chosen of the Fallen Angels, Rune Heirs of the Supreme Gods, Dragon Mark Bearers of the Red Dragon, and... the Owner of the Duel Dragon—all, or even more, the sole contenders for godhood in this world.】

"I hope this duel will allow the people of our world—and even those from other dimensions—to believe our world can become better, to believe our world will no longer have barriers—"

【I have built you the finest stage. If you wish to settle your rivalry, then await your arrival.】

With that, he bowed slightly, and then thunderous applause erupted.

Afterwards, he turned away, hands behind his back, thinking of something else.

Super fusion...

He marveled at that duel.

In recent times, the only thing beyond his expectations had been Tenjo Hikari.

On that day, he had planned to personally eliminate the more difficult individuals, but instead, he witnessed the 【Fusion】—a force capable of changing the world.

A power unlike anything in their world, indescribable and unbelievable.

It was this super fusion that instantly changed his mind, preventing him from turning on Jack and the others on the spot.

After all, Tenjo Hikari had inherited his brother's 【Netherworld Dragon Nangwang】 and possessed this fusion power, bringing entirely new possibilities to this world. It made him begin to ponder.

Could this power change his own world?

He hesitated.

Would his decision to wait a little longer be the right one?

5k5k, merged two chapters, thought all day, still felt some details needed adjustment—will revise those details later, and also tweaked the duel details with Chi Ma Chima Chima Lingwang to make the logic and content flow better.

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(End of Chapter)