The students' laughter was deafening.
Indeed.
What sense does it make?
What could make someone abandon Tenjo Hikari, the pure Fusion Duelist, the first-year student who defeated the Integration Department's leader, the representative of the younger generation who would proclaim "Fusion is the most noble form of summoning" when dueling with other Other Dimension Humans, and go follow Akaba Leo?
To the eyes of ordinary students, this is a matter that requires no distinction at all!
If you truly wish to pursue Fusion Summoning and genuinely aspire to be a specialized Fusion Duelist, then Tenjo Hikari's Fusion Department is the Fusion Department.
As for the Integration Department... they might as well close the door and play by themselves!
Though Serena is Akaba Leo's daughter, it seems like she doesn't buy it at all!
"That's not right, Miss Serena!" a student quickly said, "You're Professor Akuma's daughter, so you should obviously join our Integration Department. We have many excellent teachers, far beyond what the petty Fusion Department can compare to!"
"Indeed, moreover, the Fusion Department is our Integration Department's arch-enemy. Going there would be aiding the enemy! At least consider it for the professor!"
"I just want to learn more powerful dueling skills!" Serena didn't think much either, "I've seen that person's duel, it's incredible!"
She always speaks her mind.
Would we not know if he was incredible?
A group of Fusion Army students glanced at each other, feeling somewhat helpless.
"Hey!" It was Manjome who astutely noticed amidst the argument, "What did you just say? Let the Integration Department's teachers teach this kid? Isn't she still a junior high student!
By the rules, she shouldn't stay on the island. Are you planning to confine her on the island for closed education—
No, it can't be, could it? Wouldn't Professor Akuma really do that to his own daughter..."
Manjome's voice trailed off as he considered a possibility, finding it increasingly unbelievable.
After his reminder, Tenjo Hikari remembered that in the original work, Serena was indeed "taken in" by Akaba Leo at the academy for three years, almost entirely preventing contact with anyone!
Rather than taken in, it was basically imprisonment!
Imprisoning his own daughter for a full three years!
Of course, in the original world, Akaba Leo didn't treat Serena as a daughter. Yet, in this world, Akaba Leo actually told others she was his daughter... it just makes it seem even more abstract!
Listening to Manjome's conjecture, their friends' eyes gradually sharpened.
Manjome, though sometimes over-the-top and occasionally silly, has a very prevailing talent—he is very adept at observation, and when he starts analyzing, he often hits the mark, making him a genius detective if he weren't a duelist. The conclusions from his mouth are simply too plausible.
"Miss Serena, think it over again, Tenjo Hikari..."
"What's there to think about?" Serena rubbed her arm and said directly, "Why not decide it through a duel."
"Duelists make decisions through duels; this is common sense!"
Common sense...
A group of Fusion Army students glanced at each other.
"You do it?" "No no, you do it—" "Oops oops, I'm a second-year, how can I bully a first-year!"
The group of Fusion Army students no longer pretended, shoving each other, and none wanted to stand out to duel Tenjo Hikari.
Timid before the battle, this no longer even needs a win-lose decision, with many students shaking their heads below.
This is it?
They were so high and mighty before, but once they saw Hikari, they cowered?
Indeed, these crazy and unrefined guys need Tenjo Hikari to thoroughly deal with them!
Suddenly, the leading Integration Department student spotted the Dark Magician Girl curiously observing the buzz from across, inspiration striking as he pointed in that direction: "How about her, Tenjo Hikari!
She just defeated Miss Serena. If you can beat her, we'll obediently make way!"
The Dark Magician Girl, surprised, pointed at herself: "Me?"
"Alright alright!" Seeing the scene, Shou quickly grabbed a megaphone and shouted, "Everyone would love to see the Dark Magician Girl duel once again!"
"Yeah!!"
"Totally, totally!"
The students grew excited.
Noticing the students' enthusiasm, the Dark Magician Girl couldn't help but giggle: "In that case, I'll join in too~"
Tenjo Hikari couldn't quite grasp the logic behind it.
In reality, the Integration Department students were merely trying to save face by randomly picking a duelist to escape pressure, yet unexpectedly, Serena seemed to acknowledge it with a nod: "I see, if one can defeat the person who beat me, then by the duelists' hierarchical relationship, they should indeed be above me, making it reasonable for mentorship?
Yes, yes, makes sense!"
"Hikari!" At this moment, Caesar suddenly came to Tenjo Hikari's side, whispering, "Be careful, that Dark Magician Girl is definitely authentic."
"That's right, Hikari!" Judai also became serious, "In case she's a seven-star... you need to be prepared!"
Asuka slowly nodded and added, "If allowing students to face a Darkness Duel directly, they might all become hostages!"
They're really overthinking it.
Who would play the antagonist, and how could the Dark Magicians be the antagonists?
But since they were worried, Tenjo Hikari simply shouted, "Are you a seven-star!?"
"Seven-star? I'm a six-star~~ My master is the seven-star."
"I knew it!" Judai tightened his Duel Disk, ready to charge in.
"No no no," Tenjo Hikari hurriedly stopped him, then asked the Dark Magician Girl, "Do you mean the star level?"
"What else?" she tilted her head, blinking curiously.
"So cute!!" Shou, along with a group of students, cheered.
"If that's the case, then it's actually good." Mitsuzawa Daichi nodded repeatedly on the side, looking rather comical in his tiger costume, "As they say, 'Two tigers cannot live on one mountain,' though Hikari has earned the Fusion Department's name, there's ultimately another rival.
If he can bring the Integration Department lead teacher's daughter under his division, even if the child is returned to junior high ultimately, spreading it later could hugely impact the Integration Department."
Tenjo Hikari quite agreed with this point.
From joining the Fusion Department to opening doors on his own, Tenjo Hikari bore malice towards the "Fusion Army."
Now, with another chance to oppress, he won't miss it.
Marufuji Shou quickly cleared the dueling field, placing the Dark Magician Girl back on the duel stage.
"Go for it, Master!" Serena cheered on the side, "Please teach me how to best use Fusion!"
How did it suddenly become Master?
Tenjo Hikari, puzzled, slotted his deck into the Duel Disk.
"Duel!"
Dark Magician Girl LP: 4000
Tenjo Hikari LP: 4000
On the other side, the Dark Magician Girl scrutinized Tenjo Hikari up and down, then glanced at Judai a few times, before knocking her forehead with her right hand: "Oh, it's you."
"!? " Tenjo Hikari was surprised, "You know me?"
"Yes, earlier chaos... my friend talked about you." The Dark Magician Girl, seldom stretching her muscles, primed a small punch on-the-spot, seemingly warming up, "Ah, I almost forgot this matter..."
Chaos... does she mean Black Luster Soldier?
Tenjo Hikari was a bit speechless.
Since she's the Dark Magician Girl, the likely candidate who approached her would be the Black Luster Soldier of the "Warrior's Domain" himself, right?
It seems, unlike the original, she came to the Human World at Black Luster Soldier's request?
But ended up tossing her work aside and enjoying a game with her fans.
"If so, it's a great opportunity then." The Dark Magician Girl winked her right eye, with golden stars flickering within, causing the surrounding students to exclaim, "If you win, I'll give you a very strong card!"
"Of course... I'll be serious too!"