Tch.
What the hell were these things?!
Viper narrowed his eyes, his gaze darting back and forth across the plushies.
Though they were placed around the Fusion Division's hall like casual decorations, Professor Viper could feel it: every time he took a step, these plushies seemed to come alive, their eyes rotating to watch him.
At first, he assumed it was just his imagination. After all, these dolls were hideous, clearly abnormal, and physically off-putting. Having that kind of psychological reaction wasn't strange.
These plushies were probably spirits!
As a branch campus professor, Viper was no stranger to spirits.
Most likely, these were spirits belonging to Hikaru, left here to guard the place!
Where had they come from? Why did they feel so sinister?
"Don't worry."
Yubel's voice echoed faintly in his ear.
"It appears they're dark gods from another dimension."
Yubel had noticed the Earthbound Immortals before Viper did, and understood the threat hidden within these dolls far better than he could.
Dark gods?
Viper's eyes narrowed further.
"I didn't expect other-dimensional dark gods to be hiding in this Fusion Division. How interesting."
Yubel ran a quick analysis.
Three dark gods. Two weak ones and one moderately strong. The first two were nothing special. The third might be able to hold its own against the Sacred Beasts in a rough comparison.
Dark gods of this caliber wouldn't have given her a moment's pause when she was alive.
Unfortunately, in her current state, she couldn't easily dispose of these three.
Of course, if they resorted to a direct duel, all bets would be off. But the problem was that right now, at this time and place, there was simply no way to duel these three directly.
If she tried, someone would inevitably tip off Hikaru. And if that strange otherworldly god came rushing back, she wouldn't be able to escape unscathed.
"But there's no need to be afraid."
She was well hidden, attached to Viper's soul. And these three weren't showing their true forms either, hiding inside plush toys, which meant they couldn't perform a thorough, carpet-search type inspection.
A professor harboring dark power within their body was the most normal thing in the world.
Forget Viper. She was well aware that several other branch campus professors had their own hidden secrets. Take the one from the Americas branch, for instance. He carried the power of the Darklords within him, a "disciple" of the Fallen Angels.
In a world where dimensional exploration was actively underway, most of these high-ranking, powerful duelists sought out strong spirits for support in order to secure an exceptional position. Even without Yubel, Viper had the blessing of Vennominaga. He had never been a legitimate person to begin with.
If not for the agony of his son's death, he would certainly have tried to compete for the position of Duel Academy headquarters principal, just like the other professors.
Sure enough, just as she predicted, the Earthbound Immortals observed Viper briefly but quickly stopped paying close attention.
As long as they didn't do anything "out of line," these dark gods, sealed away for so long and just wanting some fresh air while disguised as toys, wouldn't meddle in others' affairs.
Yubel could tell these dark gods were thoroughly enjoying their current lifestyle. Barring any incidents, they would lazily bask in the sunlight and air conditioning like prisoners finally allowed outside for recreation.
So she wasn't the least bit worried that these three would suddenly alert Hikaru and send him rushing back to investigate.
Heh.
Seeing this, Viper let out a quiet chuckle.
Just as expected.
In that case...
He casually glanced at the front desk and spotted Dimitri, who was hurriedly tidying things up to welcome the professors.
So that was the "target"?
Heh.
That Hikaru was certainly an outstanding duelist, even an outstanding leader. Perhaps out of concern that his members might be targeted by some strange, malevolent force, he had taken precautions.
As long as they were inside the Fusion Division, there was probably no way to touch them.
But eventually, there would come a day when Hikaru wouldn't make it in time, or when he would need to deploy these Earthbound Immortals elsewhere. And eventually, there would come a time when these students found themselves isolated, unable to call for help or reach Hikaru.
When that time came...
He cast a single glance at Dimitri, the way a viper eyes its prey. That one look alone was enough to make Dimitri shudder instinctively. His hands froze, nearly dropping what he was holding. He rubbed his arms and looked around suspiciously.
Viper paid no further attention and fell back in line behind Crowler, joining the other professors on their tour of the Fusion Division.
Beside him, the other professors were also observing the students here, curious about everything.
After all, this was the club founded by Hikaru, the pride of Duel Academy's headquarters, the pride of every Duel Academy in the world, and the overall champion of the GX tournament.
Although the sudden arrival of a large group of professors had caused a brief moment of panic among the students, they quickly organized themselves and began welcoming the professors.
Since Professor Crowler was already the Fusion Division's faculty advisor and Hikaru's "master," everyone was very familiar with him. They prepared quickly, took their positions, and began introducing the various features of their club to each professor.
This impressed quite a few of the visiting professors.
Some who had previously looked down on headquarters were surprised to see these Fusion Division students organize the space so quickly and prepare on their own initiative. They couldn't help asking Crowler how these students had been trained.
By all rights, this visit had been a spur-of-the-moment idea. These students had no advance preparation. And according to Crowler, core members like Hikaru were currently adventuring in another dimension. Indeed, just as Crowler said, they didn't see any of the standout students from the GX tournament. In their place were students without much fame to their names.
Yet without Hikaru directing them, these students had organized the space this quickly and even prepared a proper welcome. The professor was genuinely taken aback.
"Hm hm hm."
Vice-Chancellor Bonaparte coughed twice, eager to boast about headquarters' "educational excellence." But Professor Crowler didn't bother with such pretenses. "Although the Fusion Division was founded by Hikaru, he never gives orders. He only leads by example."
When Hikaru first established the Fusion Division, he had simply been hanging out with a few friends at the club, killing time, and providing Jaden and Zane with a relaxed place to duel.
But as his battles against Leo Akaba's Division grew fiercer and KaibaCorp's investment poured in, the Fusion Division grew larger and larger.
And just as Hikaru couldn't provide the "dimensional gate" as a permanent perk forever, Hikaru was ultimately one person, not an omniscient, omnipotent god. He could take precautions against some things, but he couldn't arrange everything for all his friends and classmates indefinitely. At most, he offered suggestions.
That was why he frequently encouraged his clubmates to improve themselves as much as possible.
That way, even if the day came when Hikaru was simply too busy to manage everything, at least everyone could find hope on their own.
One professor couldn't help but nod. "I've seen many clubs with strong personal brands collapse after their outstanding founders graduated. An approach like Hikaru's can certainly extend a club's lifespan more effectively."
"Moreover, even though the students develop on their own, since the founder and core members are such exceptional students, the others who join will naturally learn from and imitate them.
As long as each generation of students doesn't stray too far from the original path, they'll become stronger in this kind of environment, better at making decisions, and more skilled in this club's style of dueling. My, my, Professor Crowler. You truly have an outstanding student."
A professor who had previously dismissed Crowler as nothing special found himself offering praise.
"No wonder he was Leo Akaba's number-one enemy."
"Looks really can be deceiving!"
Number-one enemy? Mama mia.
Crowler's long-dormant "secondhand embarrassment" flared up again.
Although the full duel between Hikaru and Leo Akaba couldn't be broadcast due to technical limitations, Leo Akaba's furious shout at Crowler had been very real. Based on the materials KaibaCorp had gathered and released during this period, Professor Crowler appeared to have been on the front lines opposing Leo Akaba the entire time, a thorn in his side.
Previously, quite a few professors had assumed it was simply a power struggle at headquarters. But seeing the club's performance, these educators understood that Crowler was no empty title.
Afterward, professors looking to score higher on their evaluations couldn't resist showering Crowler with flattery.
Viper's brow furrowed slightly.
Hmph.
So that was it.
It wasn't that no preparations had been made. Rather, the goal was for members to "make their own efforts."
Perhaps Hikaru could have provided even more protection, giving these students greater security. But eventually, Hikaru would have other matters and couldn't tend to this club forever. Eventually, Hikaru would graduate. When that time came, was he supposed to rush back and solve every problem for them?
That was neither reasonable nor possible.
"Even that has been accounted for?"
Yubel's voice sounded cold.
Viper understood why.
Because it meant that simply making a student disappear or suffer wouldn't cause Hikaru excessive anguish. It might not even make him blame himself.
Even if they seized an opportunity now, snatching a student the moment they were alone, Hikaru wouldn't spiral into thoughts like "If only I'd done more to prepare, this wouldn't have happened. It's all my fault."
Because he had already accepted that "even if a clubmate gets hurt, this is the most I can do."
He was this club's president, but not its "god." He wasn't an absolute ruler or a babysitter. He was everyone's friend and guide.
A person like that couldn't be psychologically tormented through such simple methods, because it simply wouldn't work!
Considering Hikaru's multiple confrontations with Leo Akaba, his measured performance throughout the GX tournament, and his relentless pursuit of Fusion...
And now, having observed his management philosophy up close...
Hikaru was a person with absolutely no blind spots.
If Viper were still just a straightforward professor, he would have adored this student.
But now, in pursuit of his goal, Hikaru was becoming an ever-greater eyesore.
"The absolute Fusion master, huh? Damn. Not a single opening!"
"As expected of the friend my Jaden chose to acknowledge."
Yubel muttered quietly to herself.
But precisely because Hikaru was this capable, she needed to be that much more vigilant.
And in mere seconds, she had already devised a brand-new scheme.
Making their "own" decisions, was it?
Heh heh heh.
Meanwhile, in the Spellcaster Domain, Hikaru had just finished answering Aleister the Invoker's next question.
In other words: even if he had taken precautions, what would he do if the people around him were still harmed?
Hikaru had long since prepared his answer to this question.
Although he had put protections in place, what he had always insisted on was letting his classmates grow on their own.
Just as Syrus had completed his transformation somewhere Hikaru couldn't see, sheltering fledglings forever would never allow them to grow.
He would take preventive measures, but he would never stop certain things from happening. If those things were destined to occur, then what they needed to do was face the challenge head-on. Just as he had always maintained that Jaden and Aster's "hero showdown" was their own affair. But the moment things took an abnormal turn, the moment the Light of Destruction made an unexpected move, he would make whatever decision he believed was necessary.
Defeat the Light of Destruction, then rush to help Jaden as quickly as possible. Appear before him at the moment he needed someone who believed in him absolutely!
Just as he had done before!
He believed his friends all had their own possibilities and futures. So he wouldn't interfere. He would only do what a friend should do when they needed help. Just as Chazz, when Hikaru needed assistance, had designed the auxiliary device for his Duel Runner and analyzed the current state of the Synchro Dimension for him.
"As expected of you." Aleister nodded gently.
Although in Banner's view, there was nothing left to teach this student, Aleister had still wanted to confirm one more thing.
"In that case, I think we can put our minds at ease."
Put their minds at ease?
Hikaru turned to look at Aleister. "Are you saying you two are leaving the standard spirit dimension?"
Aleister nodded. "You should already know the surface-level details from Cendrillon, right?"
Hikaru hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"The mastermind behind the destruction of the spirit world. That unknown enemy. The red light that pierced through the entire world that day. That day is burned into my memory forever.
I don't think we could ever let go of our investigation and pursuit of that being. So after this, we'll be heading to deeper dimensions, ones that may be closer to that entity."
"That's going to be extremely dangerous. I could also..."
"Your world still has many enemies that need people to deal with."
That was true.
Hikaru nodded reluctantly.
Yubel. And Darkness.
"We've been searching for that entity's secrets for a long time now. It may take another decade or more to find answers." Aleister even shook his head with a hint of frustration. "No, it could be decades? Centuries? I don't know."
But one thing he knew for certain: the dangers the human world currently faced were far more obvious and immediate than the known threats in the spirit world.
"You're the student that fool Banner trusts more than anyone, and I have great respect for you as well. But before anything else, defeat the darkness and evil facing your world, facing humanity. After that, you can consider whether to help us search for the enemy of our spirit world."