"I'll be taking the first turn!"
Hikaru Amagi had wanted to call for first move, but his opponent—being a professional duelist—was faster by a margin. Before Hikaru could even speak, the man had already drawn his hand.
Not that it bothered Hikaru much.
After countless duels in this world, he'd stopped caring as much about going first or second.
Duel mechanics here weren't quite the same as the OCG back home.
Max – Fusion Army Pro Duelist
LP: 4000
Hikaru Amagi – Duel Academy Fusion Club
LP: 4000
"What's a professional duel really like…?" Bastion Misawa muttered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"This won't be a casual match. That pro duelist over there? He's definitely playing for real."
Jaden Yuki and his friends knew the Combine Club's style well enough. With a pro duelist in the mix, this wouldn't be a half-hearted duel like Aster's earlier light sparring.
Even Aster stayed put, silently observing instead of slipping away early like he'd planned.
This wasn't a high-stakes duel—there were no wagers—but he, more than the students around him, understood the real weight here.
The difference between pro and amateur duelists wasn't just in raw strength. After all, few pros had the guts to challenge Seto Kaiba himself.
The real difference? Mindset.
Professional duelists are duelists. It's their job, their livelihood. But ironically, that made them less pure. Because no matter what they say, in the end, it all comes down to one thing—
Money.
Aster hadn't gone pro for money. He became one to travel the world in search of his father's killer. But he knew the truth: professional dueling was never truly about passion.
"My turn—" Max drew a card, a wide grin forming on his face.
"I Normal Summon Alien Warrior!"
With a raspy shriek, a humanoid reptilian creature clawed its way onto the field.
Alien Warrior – Level 4 – EARTH – Reptile – ATK 1800
"Reptiles, huh? That's a rare archetype," Bastion noted with surprise.
"Yeah, you don't see a lot of people running Reptile decks," Chazz Princeton agreed.
"I Set two cards and end my turn."
Max's opening was deceptively simple—so much so that many onlookers hadn't even registered what happened before his turn ended.
"That's it?" one Combine Club student asked, confused.
"Silence." Gloria Tyler, hands on hips and wearing a sharp smile, spoke firmly. "The duel's just beginning. The real fireworks come next."
"Exactly," Grace Tyler added right on cue.
The Combine Club kids awkwardly zipped their mouths. The Tyler Sisters were elite students from Duel Academy's American branch—fusion prodigies in their own right. Though the Fusion Club there was new, under their guidance it was already gaining a reputation. Compared to their own Combine Club, who had suffered setback after setback, they were clearly on a higher tier.
The sisters were expected to transfer to the main campus soon. Their standing spoke for itself.
Gloria—the elder—had blonde hair and a more serious vibe, dressed in long-sleeved white with white gloves and black heels over white pants. Grace—the younger—had silver hair, a more gentle demeanor, sleeveless white top, black gloves, and a long lavender skirt over tight white leggings. Even from appearance alone, it was clear—they weren't just members of the Fusion Army. They were elites.
And the pro who led them here? More an escort than the star attraction.
Their real goal? Observe Hikaru Amagi.
"My turn," Hikaru said, drawing his card, then immediately playing one. "I activate Instant Fusion! I pay 1000 Life Points…"
Hikaru LP: 4000 → 3000
"Foolish." Max sneered as he flipped a trap card. "Continuous Trap – Fusion Restriction Zone!"
Hikaru narrowed his eyes.
"As long as this card is face-up, neither player can Fusion Summon!" Max declared with a smirk beneath his mask.
"So underhanded!" Sho Marufuji shouted indignantly. "Using that card against someone who runs a full Fusion deck like Hikaru!"
"Hey, Captain, that affects us too!" some Combine Club students said with surprise. "We won't be able to Fusion Summon either!"
Sho could only groan in disbelief.
"Looks like this pro came fully prepared to shut Hikaru down…" Bastion said, frowning.
He understood that kind of deck-building—preparing counters for specific duelists. Though nowadays he was more focused on his own hybrid beast strategy.
"Oh no… If Fusion's sealed off…" Jaden said worriedly, "Hikaru's whole deck…"
Hikaru simply raised a brow.
"Wanna borrow one of my cards?" Tierra grinned, suddenly floating beside him. She conjured a tiny imp-like devil that buzzed around his shoulder.
Aster's eyes widened as he finally recognized her—that Spirit Duelist he'd sensed earlier upon arriving on the island was Hikaru.
…Fate, huh?
"No way I'm using that card," Hikaru muttered. "And even if I did, I've only got one 'Satan'—fat lotta good that'll do."
He cleared his throat and raised his voice: "I Set a monster and one backrow. Turn end."
"Not so fast!" Max snapped, flipping a Quick-Play Spell. "Mystical Space Typhoon! I destroy your Set card!"
Hikaru's backrow flipped open—
"Blazing Sword Dance!?" Sho exclaimed.
"But wait, isn't that card useless if you can't fuse?" Hayato frowned.
"Draw. Battle Phase—Alien Warrior attacks your Set monster!"
"Too naïve!" Hikaru roared. "From the Graveyard, I banish Blazing Sword Dance! I tribute my face-down monster and Special Summon a monster whose name includes Flame Swordsman from my Deck or Extra Deck!"
"Wait," Sho blinked, "but only Black Flame Swordsman fits that, and he's a Fusion monster… but fusion's banned—"
"Wrong!" Hikaru shouted. "This isn't a Fusion Summon. It's a Special Summon of a Fusion Monster!"
"Let's go—make your return, Black Flame Swordsman!"
Black flames burst upward, laced with streaks of gold. A familiar figure emerged, blades blazing as he slashed his way onto the field!
Black Flame Swordsman – Level 6 – DARK – Warrior – ATK 2200
"He actually bypassed Fusion Restriction Zone to bring out a Fusion Monster!?" Gloria exclaimed.
Grace clapped her hands, smiling. "So fusion monsters can be summoned that way too? Fascinating!"
Max's grin stiffened. He coughed awkwardly, having just been completely outplayed.
"Battle Phase ends. I won't continue attacking."
"Nice one, Hikaru!" Chazz pumped his fist.
"Even with fusion locked down, he still brought out a Fusion Monster! That's our Bro Hikaru!"
Hikaru smirked and shot a look toward Aster.
"Fusion knows no limits. Let me prove it right now."
"No measly Fusion lockdown can seal off what Fusion truly means!"
—To be continued...