A dense cloud of steam rose from around the Spaceship.
The accompanying Duel Spirits scattered, and as the Duel ended, the holographic projections faded one by one.
But then, everyone noticed something strange.
The scorch marks from the lightning, the impact craters from the explosions, the torn fragments of the arena floor...
They were all still there.
That destruction hadn't been virtual, it was real.
Chazz gasped for breath. His body felt completely drained, as if every ounce of energy had been ripped away by the Duel itself. Even standing was a struggle.
Clatter!
Footsteps echoed through the deck. Then came a sharp command;
"Stand up."
Chazz gritted his teeth, forcing his trembling body upright.
"Master."
It was Seto Kaiba.
The President of KaibaCorp. The host of this tournament. And Chazz's mentor.
Kaiba said nothing at first. His cold blue eyes flicked briefly toward Chazz, then moved past him, fixing on Amagi Hikaru.
Hikaru was also clearly exhausted. The sheer power of the card he had used, had pushed him to his limit.
That card was the embodiment of Yuri's "Fusion Devouring Power" in the original work. Even though it was technically the OCG version of Super Polymerization, it clearly carried an otherworldly resonance, something not just powerful, but dangerous.
Of course, it also came with a heavy cost.
Paying 2000 Life Points had nearly drained Hikaru's strength completely.
This new generation of Duel Disks… really did simulate the sensations of a real battle.
Kaiba examined Hikaru's Duel Disk closely. The bright blue circuitry that had glowed during the Duel was now tinged with streaks of violet, residual energy from Hikaru's Fusion.
Kaiba gave a subtle nod of approval, the kind of acknowledgment that meant more than words.
Then, he turned away, gathering his KaibaCorp staff and ordering them to escort the Duelists and spectators back to the arena.
By the time everyone returned to the venue, Hikaru had recovered most of his composure, though his Duel Disk still flickered faintly with energy.
Chazz could now stand on his own, though his legs still felt like lead.
The spaceship slowly descended, and the Duelists stepped off one by one.
Even someone as quiet as Bastion received applause from the crowd, but when Zane and Chazz appeared, the cheers exploded like a tidal wave.
"It's a pity," Chazz smiled, glancing toward Zane. "I didn't get to duel you this time, Zane."
Zane smirked back. "Heh. You're aiming to go pro, right? Then there'll be plenty of chances."
Though both had lost to Hikaru, neither man felt any shame.If anything, there was an unspoken respect between them, because both knew that their own limits had been tested by the same opponent.
But the loudest cheers, without question, belonged to the champion.
Hikaru Amagi.
He walked down the ramp beneath a storm of light and applause. The air itself vibrated with excitement. Even Serena's voice, bright and proud, was drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
They shouted his name.
They chanted "Fusion!" again and again, as if it were a sacred word.
Hikaru smiled and waved to them, a rare moment of warmth crossing his usually calm expression.
After a while, the awards ceremony began immediately.
KaibaCorp had never been one for unnecessary delays. There would be no waiting until the next day, no "official gala."
Everything would happen here and now.
First came the closing report:
KaibaCorp summarized the performances of all Duel Academy students this semester, especially in the grand tournament, and even singled out a few students who had failed to collect four seals.
"The President says," the announcer read from Kaiba's direct statement, "that if this trend continues, those students might as well graduate early and do whatever they want elsewhere."
A few nervous laughs rippled through the audience.
Then came KaibaCorp's commendations.
The company formally praised those who had gone beyond expectations, students who not only excelled in their Duels but had also acted with courage and honor during the Incursion Incident.
That list included Hikaru Amagi, Jaden Yuki, and a handful of others, Zane and Syrus Truesdale, Dino Kenzan, Jim Crocodile Cook, Axel Brodie, and more.
Duelists who had risked their lives and cards to protect others.
KaibaCorp declared that all of these participants would receive bonus credits toward their final evaluations, and the top performers would later be awarded exclusive KaibaCorp-developed cards and technology.
Finally, it was time for the main event, the championship presentation.
"A card said to rival the Three Egyptian Gods..."
"What kind of card could that be!?"
"I bet it's Chaos Magician!"
"No way, that's strong, but not quite on the level of the Gods!"
Speculation filled the air.
Hikaru stepped forward to accept the trophy. The lights converged on him as he turned toward the audience.
He spoke calmly, his voice steady despite his exhaustion.
"Thank you to my classmates, to Professor Crowler, to KaibaCorp, and to everyone who supported me. This victory isn't mine alone, it's ours."
Then he stepped up to the podium, and faced Seto Kaiba directly.
"Hmph... not bad."
Kaiba's sharp gaze swept over Hikaru from head to toe, assessing him with the precision of a man who saw Duelists as both assets and weapons.
Kaiba had been observing Hikaru closely throughout the entire tournament.
After all, Hikaru wasn't just a competitor, he was a candidate for Kaiba's next grand event: The KaibaCorp "KC Cup: Duel Across Dimensions."
For this championship, Kaiba had prepared two prizes. One represented himself, and the other…
If Chazz had won, Kaiba would have given his own card to him.But fate had chosen differently.
Still, Kaiba wasn't disappointed.
He was genuinely impressed by Chazz's growth, the way he had dismantled XYZ-Hyper Dragon Cannon to revive XYZ-Dragon Cannon, and the climactic summoning of Light and Darkness Dragon.
However, only one Duelist stood at the summit today. And that Duelist was Hikaru Amagi.
"This card," Kaiba began, his deep voice resonating across the arena, "is a legendary dragon, reconstructed by Yugi Muto himself, based on his experiences across dimensions, recreated through KaibaCorp's most advanced Duel energy simulation technology."
At the mention of Yugi, the crowd collectively gasped.
Yugi Muto. The King of Games.
The one Duelist even Seto Kaiba acknowledged as his rival.And now, this was a card born from Yugi's power itself!
"Behold," Kaiba raised his hand, his coat fluttering as the platform before him split open with a hiss of air pressure, "the legendary dragon that rivals the Egyptian Gods."
A powerful gust swept through the arena, making spotlights flicker as a blue eye emerged from the light.
Then came scales. Armor. And the unmistakable shape of a dragon's jaw.
A golden nameplate glimmered under the lights:
Spell Card, The Eye of Timaeus!
Hikaru's breath caught. For a heartbeat, he couldn't even move.
"The Eye of Timaeus?" he whispered.
"A legendary dragon!?" he exclaimed aloud.
The audience erupted in astonishment.
"The legendary dragons of Yugi's era!"
"Then that means, this card's power really is on par with the Egyptian Gods!"
Hikaru stared in disbelief.
He had spent months painstakingly crafting The Claw of Hermos, and even then, his version was incomplete. Yet here, Kaiba had just revealed Timaeus as though it were destiny itself.
But when he thought about it, it made sense.
This wasn't a mere tournament card, it was the culmination of six months of GX's fiercest competition, Duel Energy research, and KaibaCorp's finest engineering.
Kaiba's voice carried again, deep and absolute.
"This version of the card was re-created by Yugi, simulated through KaibaCorp's Fusion Energy Network. It's not as powerful as the original, but it still contains formidable strength, the very essence of Fusion."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"The only limitation is that its transformations are restricted to Dark Magician-related cards."
Then Kaiba took a step forward, his coat sweeping behind him like a cape.
"So," he said, his gaze piercing Hikaru's, "do you have the courage to bear the power of this legendary dragon?"
Hikaru's answer came without hesitation.
"Of course."
He reached forward.
At once, a sharp resistance surged through his arm, an invisible force pressing against his hand. Hikaru's breath hitched; pain pulsed through his body as if the dragon itself was testing his worth.
For a moment, it seemed as though Timaeus was rejecting him.
Then;
A faint red light flared at Hikaru's waist. The spare Duel Disk card he carried began to glow.
Instantly, the resistance vanished. The pressure, the pain, all dissolved.
The path to Timaeus opened, and Hikaru's hand finally closed around the card.
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Hmm?"
'That shouldn't have been possible.'
'Was it resonance? Could it be that The Eye of Timaeus had recognized a familiar power within Hikaru?'
That shouldn't be possible. The legendary dragons acknowledged only their own kind.
And yet, Hikaru Amagi now held the card, effortlessly.
Kaiba's lips curled into a rare, faint smile.
"Interesting."
Hikaru raised the card high above his head. Blue light cascaded from the spell's surface, reflecting off the audience's eyes.
Cheers erupted once again as the champion stood there, holding a legend reborn.
And with that, the ceremony concluded.
As the lights dimmed and the applause faded, Hikaru turned to leave the stage. He finally exhaled, ready to rest after this long, grueling battle.
But before he could take a step, a low voice called from behind him. "You want Blue-Eyes, don't you?"
"That's right," Hikaru answered without a moment's hesitation.
Kaiba's expression sharpened into something between amusement and approval.
"What great courage," he said, the corners of his mouth tugging upward. "You're the first person in many years who's dared to make such a request."
Hikaru blinked, realizing the weight of what he'd just said. He cleared his throat and replied more carefully, "That's… truly an honor."
"Hahahahahaha."
Kaiba's low, resonant laugh rolled through the emptying arena.
"That's right. It is your honor."
The echo of his laughter faded, replaced by his usual cold authority.
"Still," he went on, "you've earned it. This championship victory of yours… was no fluke. It was well deserved."
Kaiba's eyes flicked sideways. Chazz Princeton, standing a short distance away, met that gaze for only half a second before instinctively lowering his head. The pressure from Kaiba's stare was more terrifying than any monster effect.
Then Kaiba turned back to Hikaru.
"Once everything is concluded," he said, "come to KaibaCorp headquarters. You'll receive the opportunity you're asking for...."
A pause. His voice dropped, colder and more deliberate.
"But it won't be that simple."
He took one step forward, his coat sweeping dramatically behind him.
"If you want to claim a Blue-Eyes, you'll have to earn it. Without my personal approval, you won't be able to take so much as a single scale of that dragon from my vault."
"'My' approval?" Hikaru repeated, blinking in confusion.
"What..." Hikaru muttered under his breath, brow furrowing, "you've developed another personality now?"
...
Bonus@300 PS