"It's been a while, Miss Ishizu, Mr. Odion."
Yugi Muto walked forward to greet the people emerging from the sandstorm.
He was clearly quite familiar with them. Perhaps they had stayed in contact after the Battle City tournament ended.
The other Gravekeeper clan members hastily bowed to Yugi.
Odion returned the greeting first, then looked at Hikaru before turning to Yugi with a puzzled expression. "Yugi, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Yugi adjusted his shoulder strap, hoisting his sketchpad a bit higher, and spoke. "Mr. Odion, Miss Ishizu, I've told you before, haven't I? I truly wish you would leave this place and venture into the wider world, instead of..."
He spoke with the two of them.
In his view, dimensional travel technology had matured considerably. The world was already overflowing with all kinds of new cards. But at the same time, countless beings from other dimensions had entered this world.
In places the Gravekeeper clan couldn't see, many strange spirits had already harmed people in this world. KaibaCorp had been handling these incidents behind the scenes.
Beyond that, exchanges with other human dimensions were growing ever closer. Worlds were influencing one another.
Someday, this world would become entirely different. But if the Gravekeeper clan was still here clinging to tradition when that day came, they might fade into history.
He didn't want that to happen.
That was why he had previously worked so hard to persuade the Gravekeeper clan to send a newcomer to the GX tournament, hoping they would see what the world looked like now.
The results had actually been quite good.
The Gravekeeper duelist had finished the tournament early. After returning to the clan, he had shared stories about what he'd seen at the GX tournament.
Odion looked at Hikaru.
The GX champion?
A genius among geniuses. The absolute master of Fusion.
Odion had already learned about Hikaru from his newly adopted "younger brother's" accounts, and had watched recordings in his spare time to study Hikaru's dueling.
"Next, I'll be heading to a recently discovered human dimension. That world seems to be filled with an atmosphere of entertainment, and it has many brand-new gaming devices. I'm very interested." Yugi gestured as he spoke. "Anyway, I'll probably be living there for quite a while. It just so happened that Hikaru started challenging 'legendary duelists,' and I thought of you.
Now that we have this rare opportunity, I really hope you'll duel a duelist born in this new era of dimensional dueling, Mr. Odion. See what the new generation looks like.
If we miss this chance, who knows when the next one will come? And getting in touch with you again takes who knows how long."
So that was it.
Hikaru nodded quietly from the side.
So Yugi was trying to coax his friend out into the world.
Better lucky than early. He had happened to hear that Hikaru was dueling "legendary duelists" and seized the opportunity to bring in Odion as one of those "legendary duelists."
Unlike the Paradox Brothers, who were legendary duelists of a more dubious caliber, Odion was the real deal. He had once pushed Joey Wheeler into a grueling struggle. If not for his "step-brother" Marik's orders forcing him to use a counterfeit copy of The Winged Dragon of Ra, which triggered Ra's divine wrath and knocked him unconscious, he would not have lost that duel.
In short, he was a legendary duelist of extremely high caliber.
Hikaru glanced at the people behind him.
He didn't see Marik. Instead, there were only unfamiliar faces.
Odion himself had been adopted by the Gravekeeper clan, so the clan's newer members, like the one who had participated in the GX tournament and the unfamiliar faces behind him, were all children the clan had subsequently taken in.
Venture into a new world?
Odion considered this.
He looked at Hikaru.
Challenging "legendary duelists"?
Interesting.
Not every legendary duelist was truly exceptional. Quite a few of them were, in reality, riding on reputation alone.
But the fact that a young man had the courage to challenge "legends" spoke to both his bravery and his confidence.
Combined with the stories his younger brothers had told him about Hikaru, a Fusion duelist who had grown up within the Fusion Army only to turn against it, Odion actually had a favorable impression of him.
If it was just a straightforward duel with a junior, it was no big deal.
And besides, he could tell that his younger brothers genuinely wanted to see the outside world.
He looked at Ishizu. She was silent for a moment, then gave a gentle nod.
All right.
Odion turned to Hikaru. "Very well, Yugi. This is indeed a fine proposal."
He didn't want Marik's tragedy to repeat itself. So if his brothers and sisters truly wanted to experience the outside world, he wouldn't go out of his way to stop them.
But perhaps precisely because of his permissive attitude, the siblings he had adopted followed the Gravekeeper clan's rules faithfully. In all these years, not one had broken them. It wasn't until recently, when Yugi Muto personally visited the Gravekeeper clan, that one of them accepted his invitation to participate in the GX tournament, experienced "dimensional travel," and adventured at the Nexus.
That brother's tales of adventures in other dimensions and the tournament had become the children's favorite stories as of late, making them yearn for the outside world all the more.
"Is that so? That's wonderful." Yugi smiled with genuine warmth, then turned back to Hikaru.
Hikaru looked puzzled.
"Hmm." Yugi reached into his card case, rummaged through it, found a card, and handed it to Odion. "Before the duel, please add this card to your Deck."
"What?" Odion took the card without understanding, then his eyes went wide. "This is?!"
His hands went weak, and his whole body trembled slightly.
"I'd like you to include this card in your Deck for the duel."
"You want me to use a card like this against this young man?" Odion couldn't believe it.
Yugi nodded slowly. "It's not just about that. I believe that using this card will make this duel the best possible conclusion and finale."
What card was it?
Hikaru felt goosebumps rising.
Powering up his opponent before the duel even started? Did Mr. Muto really believe in him that much?
Odion carefully accepted the card, then cautiously took out his Deck, slid the card in, and looked at Hikaru.
"Well then, young man. Sorry to have kept you waiting."
"Not at all."
The two stood on opposite sides of a tall pillar. Each drew out their Deck. Odion loaded his into a weathered old Duel Disk, while Hikaru's Duel Disk began spinning automatically, converting the cards in his hand into data and integrating them into his Deck.
Yugi Muto produced a coin. He tossed it casually into the air. The coin spun before landing in front of the pillar.
Clink.
Everyone looked at the ground.
Tails.
"Hikaru goes second, then."
Hikaru nodded, locked eyes with his opponent, and they called out in unison: "Duel!"
Odion, LP: 4000. Hikaru, LP: 4000.
"My turn. Draw."
Odion drew a card, scanned his hand, and silently set two cards.
"I set two cards. Turn end."
Quietly setting cards, then ending. That was Odion's style.
Hikaru glanced at his hand and shrugged.
Good thing he had adjusted his Deck in advance.
"My turn. Draw." Hikaru raised his right hand. A card materialized as a streak of purple light, slowly forming in his palm.
"What kind of Fusion will he use?" "Who knows? Big Brother Odion is really strong." A group of children whispered among themselves.
They had all heard about Hikaru from the brother who attended the GX tournament, so they knew what Hikaru's dueling looked like.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow at the card he had drawn.
Drawing this card right off the bat?
"Dreamland. It looks like this opponent is quite formidable. Not someone who can be taken down quickly. This is going to be a grinding match." Tierra appeared beside Hikaru, speaking to him.
Although the human called Yugi gave her an unsettling, uncomfortable feeling, the duel had already started, it was against a "legendary duelist," and the opponent had apparently been given some kind of power-up card. She definitely wasn't going to miss this. She had rushed to the scene to watch live.
This was certainly more interesting than watching a stream from the Cosmo Workshop.
Hikaru nodded.
"Well then, I activate the Field Spell: Dreamland!"
The sandstorm gradually dissipated. Blue sky, white clouds, and fantastical floating islands appeared before everyone, as if from a dream.
"Wow!"
"Ooh!"
The Gravekeeper children cheered.
Everyone loved beautiful scenery. Living under a clear sky was certainly better than enduring constant sandstorms.
"Dreamland is the one he used at the GX tournament, right?" "Should be."
They were clearly quite familiar with Hikaru's Deck already.
The children watched excitedly, eagerly anticipating Hikaru's next "Fusion."
Hikaru smiled.
"In that case, I'll summon this. Normal Summon: Myutant M-05!"
"Huh?" "Never heard of that card." "Shuris, you never mentioned this card!" "N-No, I haven't? It's my first time seeing it too."
Hikaru grinned. "It's perfectly normal that he doesn't know it. This card is something I obtained during an adventure while traveling in the Synchro Dimension. So people in this world should be seeing it for the first time too!"
"Wow, another dimension!" "You can get cards that way?" "Oh right, Big Brother Shuris brought back a bunch of unfamiliar cards too."
Yugi, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but smile gently.
Well done, Hikaru. Truly considerate, deliberately playing a card that doesn't exist in this world to spark their curiosity.
"Now, I activate the Summoned monster's effect. When Myutant M-05 is Normal or Special Summoned: add one Myutant monster other than Myutant M-05 from my Deck to my hand."
Hikaru's Duel Disk on his left hand spun automatically, emitting purple light. Before long, a card wreathed in flame flew out of his Deck. "I add Myutant Arsenal from my Deck to my hand."
"Next, Spell Card: Polymerization!"
"Here it comes!" "It's Fusion!"
Hikaru's lips curved upward. "The Fusion conditions are two Myutant monsters with different Attributes!"
Hikaru raised the cards in his hand. On the field, the small tentacled creature sealed inside its containment pod seemed to sense something. It began swelling violently. Countless tendrils erupted from its body, growing wildly, until it transformed into a towering monstrosity radiating terrifying pressure.
"Fusion Summon!"
"Level 9: Myutant Synthesis!"
Myutant Synthesis. Level 9, WATER Attribute, Psychic-Type. ATK 2500.
"ATK 2500..." "Psychic-Type?" "These are all things we've never seen before."
The Gravekeeper children discussed the new, unfamiliar things with great excitement.
"I activate the monster's effect. When Myutant Synthesis is Fusion Summoned, I can target one card on the field and destroy it. I destroy the set card on your left side, Mr. Odion.
Then, Dreamland's effect. While a Fusion Monster exists on the field, once per turn, if a monster from my hand or field is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can draw one card from my Deck."
Countless tentacles thrashed wildly, stabbing straight at Odion's set card. But Odion showed no tension whatsoever and flipped it open without hesitation. "Naive. Trap Card, activate!
Bottomless Trap Hole!
When the opponent successfully Normal Summons, Flip Summons, or Special Summons a monster, I can activate this. Those monsters are changed to face-down Defense Position. Monsters changed to face-down Defense Position by this effect cannot change their battle position."
A trap, without a doubt!
Hikaru showed no panic at the sight. Instead, he smiled with calm composure. "A Trap Card, just as I thought..."
Odion frowned slightly.
"Then, chain! I activate Myutant Synthesis's effect! When the opponent activates a card or effect, I can activate this. For the rest of this turn, this face-up card is unaffected by that effect and the effects of the opponent's cards of the same type, that is, Monster, Spell, or Trap!"
Odion's eyes went wide.
A massive pit opened beneath Myutant Synthesis, but even such an enormous hole couldn't swallow its entire body. Tentacles lashed and whipped wildly in every direction, completely unaffected!
"It dodged the effect just like that!" "So strong! As expected of the GX champion. He was prepared all along!"
"Battle. Direct attack on the opponent!"
The colossal tentacles churned violently, swinging toward Odion.
"Not so simple. If Trap effects don't work, then I'll block with a Trap monster instead. Activate Continuous Trap: Metal Reflect Slime!"
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
"After this card is activated, it becomes an Aqua-Type, WATER Attribute, Level 10, ATK 0, DEF 3000 Effect Monster, and is Special Summoned in Defense Position to my Monster Zone!"
As Odion explained, the card transformed into a metallic, viscous creature guarding his field.
"Because the number of monsters on the opponent's field changed, I can perform an attack replay: re-select my attack, change the target, or choose not to attack. I'll pass on attacking."
Hikaru had no options right now. On paper, Myutant Synthesis did possess powerful type-matching resistance, but insufficient ATK was insufficient ATK. "I set one card. Turn end."
"He held on!" "Go, Big Brother Odion!"
Hearing his younger siblings' voices, Odion's lips curved up almost imperceptibly. He then looked at Hikaru. "Interdimensional travel, entirely new cards and possibilities, and pure Fusion. You truly are an exceptional duelist. But I won't hand over victory so easily."
"My turn. Draw."
He looked at the card he drew and couldn't help narrowing his eyes.
Here it comes.
He glanced up at Hikaru, which left Hikaru feeling puzzled.
"Activate Spell Card: Ancient Chant!"
Hikaru froze.
The Winged Dragon of Ra?!
He looked at Yugi, who smiled gently and nodded at him with a look that said, "Well? Surprised?"
Indeed.
A flash of fierce excitement crossed Hikaru's face.
Very much so!