Chapter 62

Slowly, a crowd gathered in the open space before the activity room.

Some were ordinary passing students, others were members of the Fusion Department who had heard of the event; they formed separate factions and stood on opposite sides.

"Is Shinrin going to duel Hikari?" Marufuji Ryo crossed his arms, standing beside Judai to watch the spectacle.

They had just returned from the Coliseum.

Although the lone duel with that strange female spirit had been terrifying, for Judai, this level of physical combat still felt childish, so they won easily.

Meanwhile, Mizusawa gradually came to his senses upon seeing his "crush" transformed into a "crush tiger."

"Spirits are truly strange…" Mizusawa Daichi sighed.

Even now, he couldn't forget the muscular female spirit—though she had reverted to her original form after losing a Dark Duel, leaving him struggling to accept it.

He shook his head: "A third-year senior dueling Hikari? Why would he accept?"

"Huh? What's wrong with that?" Judai scratched the back of his head. "I duel Caesar all the time."

"That's different," Mizusawa shook his head.

Within Duel Academy, students were permitted to duel each other—even gamble—but several actions were strictly forbidden.

First, card-gambling duels.

Second, duels between upperclassmen and underclassmen.

The former prevented bullying; the latter required strict approval for friendly sparring.

Though upperclassmen weren't necessarily stronger than underclassmen, the school overall preferred that first-years duel first-years, second-years duel second-years—even beyond Duel Academy, other colleges, branches, and even otherworldly institutions like Heart Garden Academy and Spade Academy followed the same rule.

Being crushed by a much stronger opponent on the path to growth could easily shatter one's mindset.

Logically, duels between club factions should also be between students of the same year.

But the Fusion Army exploited a loophole.

Duels between the "heads" symbolizing club status were nearly impossible for even the principal to stop.

Besides, seeing Tenjo Hikari's determined expression, Kuronos couldn't refuse.

"Then, in that case, I'll serve as referee. The duel's process and outcome will be witnessed by all students."

"The winner keeps the name 'Fusion Department.' The loser must change their club's name."

"Then, the duel begins—"

"Duel!" ×2.

Shinrin Yō LP: 4000.

Tenjo Hikari LP: 4000.

"I'll go first!" Shinrin Yō, with three years of hand-speed training and extensive experience from the Dimensional Realm, had far faster initiative than Hikari, who had only just begun practicing.

"So shameless…"

"A third-year senior stealing the first move…"

A group of Fusion Department students who had long wanted to defect to Hikari's side dropped their pretense and began pointing and whispering.

"Laughable! In a duel, giving it your all is the correct way!" Shinrin Yō retorted outright, drawing a card and immediately acting.

"Shinrin's deck… I recall, before joining the Fusion Department, it was probably an Ritual deck," Marufuji Ryo mused aloud. "But since he's now head of the Fusion Department, he must have switched decks. Could it be Ancient Machines?"

"My turn, draw." Shinrin Yō drew a card and immediately revealed it. "Heh, I activate the spell card, Pot of Greed, drawing two cards from my deck."

"My turn, draw." Shinrin Yō drew a card and immediately revealed it. "Heh, I activate the Spell Card, Greedy Urn, and draw two cards from my deck."

Tenjo Hikari watched as his opponent brazenly used a Super Forbidden Card, feeling helpless.

He'd long had the money to buy Pot of Greed, but had never used it.

On one hand, Pot of Greed might be fused away at any moment; on the other, he'd never drawn it.

"Next, I Normal Summon, Ancient Machine Hound."

Ancient Machine Hound, Level 3, Earth Attribute, Machine Type, ATK 1000.

Ancient Mechanical Hound, Level 3, Earth Attribute, Machine Type, ATK 1000.

"Huh, what's that?"

Kuronos muttered involuntarily.

Could there be an Ancient Machine card he didn't recognize?

How was that possible?

He was an expert on the Ancient Machine series!

"What? Even Professor Kuronos doesn't recognize this Ancient Machine card? Maybe it belongs better in the Fusion Department!"

"If you want to go back and face scorn, then go ahead!"

"Ancient Machine Hound," Mizusawa Daichi shook his head. "I don't recognize this card either. Probably a new Ancient Machine monster card discovered by upperclassmen in the Dimensional Realm?"

Marufuji Ryo nodded. "I've been in the academy three years and never seen this card."

Compared to others, Tenjo Hikari was not unfamiliar with this card.

It was a hound.

Looks like the Fusion Army is becoming more and more like the "Dog Walkers" from A5.

"When Ancient Machine Hound is summoned, inflict 600 damage to your opponent!"

The hound howled, leapt toward Tenjo Hikari, and bit his hand, forcing him to violently shake his arm to fling it off.

The hound let out a howl, leapt at Tenjou Hikari, and bit his hand, forcing Hikari to violently shake his arm and fling the hound away.

A real bite mark remained on his right hand.

He looked up at the Ancient Machine Hound, its eyes red, and understood.

The Dog Walkers were truly the Dog Walkers.

Tenjo Hikari LP: 4000 → 3400.

"It dealt damage right away?"

"But its ATK is only 1000…"

A few students wavered slightly but remained hesitant.

"Hmph, I activate Ancient Machine Hound's effect. Once per turn, it can use monsters on the field and in hand as materials to Fusion Summon one Ancient Machine monster."

"Fusion the Ancient Machine Hound on the field with the Ancient Machine Hound in my hand! Fierce hound, unite as the beast that guards the giant!"

"Fusion Summon, Ancient Machine Double Hound!"

Another hound flew from his hand; the two slowly merged and assembled into a two-headed hound!

Ancient Machine Double Hound, Level 5, Earth Attribute, Machine Type, ATK 1400.

"Oh my god, another card I've never seen!"

"It can Fusion itself!"

"But still, its ATK is too low."

Nearby, several students began shouting encouragement to Hikari: "Good, Hikari! Just summon a monster with around 1500 ATK to beat this one!"

Nearby, several students began shouting to Tenjou Hikari, urging him: "Great! Hikari-nii, just summon a monster with around 1500 ATK and you'll defeat this one!"

"Yeah, not hard at all."

"Hmph, naive." Shinrin Yō set a card face-down, smirked, and ended his turn.

"My turn, draw." Tenjo Hikari drew a card, didn't act immediately, but stared at the Double Hound. "Ancient Machine Double Hound… heh. Once per turn, when your opponent summons a monster, you can place an Acid Counter on that monster. When a monster with an Acid Counter enters the Battle Phase, you can activate its effect: destroy that monster. Am I right?"

"My turn, draw." Tenjou Hikari drew a card, didn't play it immediately, but stared at the two-headed hound. "Ancient Mechanical Two-Headed Hound... heh, once per turn, when your opponent summons a monster: place one Acid Counter on that monster. When a monster with an Acid Counter begins the Battle Damage Step, it can activate: destroy that monster."

How could—

How could Tenjo Hikari know this effect?

"Wow, look at the senior's face—Hikari must've guessed right?"

"No no no, this isn't guessing—he clearly knows this card!"

"Strange… why doesn't Professor Kuronos know it?"

"Could he be messing with us?"

As the students chattered, they turned to look at Kuronos, who forced a stiff, awkward smile onto his face.

Super oh my god, how did Hikari know?

A group of students murmured among themselves, then turned to look at Cronos; Cronos immediately forced a stiff, impolite smile onto his face.

"Phew—thank goodness Hikari knew the card's effect! Otherwise he'd have been at a disadvantage!"

"Hikari is a duelist who pursues the ultimate fusion—he'd definitely know it. The senior trying to trick him? Impossible!"

Several academy representatives behind Shinrin Yō couldn't help nodding at these words, then quickly straightened their posture when Shinrin Yō glared at them.

"Then… heh—Special Summon, Cyber Dragon!"

Several academy representatives behind Shinrin Yō involuntarily nodded at his words—until Shinrin Yō glared at them, and they quickly straightened their postures.

"Fusion your Ancient Machine Double Hound with my Cyber Dragon!!" Tenjo Hikari laughed heartily.

"Double Hound?"

"Cyber Dragon!?" Shinrin Yō stared, dumbfounded.

"Fusion!?" Countless onlookers gasped.

Original work note: None of the Dog Walker's fused hound monsters were O-carded in the original; noted here.

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In the original work, none of the hunting beast monsters from the dog-walking group underwent O-hua; noted here for reference.

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(End of Chapter)