John slightly moved his body.
The armor on his body made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
However, he quickly accepted this situation.
Previously, he had always wanted to officially duel with Tenjo Hikari, but he never had the chance. In the GX Tournament, he unexpectedly lost to someone else, leaving him no way to duel against Tenjo Hikari's "Gem-Knight" on stage with his own Crystal Beasts.
And now, this situation seemed extremely fitting.
"My turn, draw!"
He noticed that on the screen beside him, the people supporting Tenjo Hikari were noticeably more than his supporters.
Clearly, he was the "protagonist," but somehow, everyone generally seemed to support Tenjo Hikari.
Of course, he understood why.
Just like when playing games as a child, there always had to be someone to play the antagonist, but if a particular kid was especially popular, even if playing the antagonist, everyone would instinctively speak up for them.
In this Duel Academy, Tenjo Hikari was far more well-known and popular than he, the foreign student, nearly leaving no one doubting that Tenjo Hikari was the genuine Academy Chief.
But John could understand.
It's a very simple matter. If Tenjo Hikari were in their branch school, he dared say, his popularity would certainly exceed Tenjo Hikari's — even though Tenjo Hikari's global reputation was much higher than his.
Supporting "one's own" is a matter of course.
So, the first thing he needed to do was to get everyone "into the state."
"I'm coming, Lancelot!"
"Come on—Artorius!"
John drew a card from his Deck.
He glanced at the card in his hand and said, "As a knight, betraying your lord is utterly unacceptable!"
Tenjo Hikari then laughed.
"However, you are also a noble knight, so I allow you to prove your valor and purity in this sacred duel — oh well, just use my family... knights, let me witness your strength, knight!"
"Spell Card, Crystal Bond!"
A giant yellow gemstone started to shimmer on the field, and whether an illusion or not, many students saw a strange armor, a fully armored tiger roared onto the scene, and then turned into a yellow gemstone.
"I add Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus from my Deck to my hand, and, simultaneously, use Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger from my Deck as a Continuous Spell Card, placing it in my Spell and Trap Zone."
"Crystal Beasts!"
"Seen them before in the GX Tournament. It's said to be the world's only one set of cards personally excavated and created by Mr. Pegasus!"
John laughed heartily: "Exactly, they are the world's only ones, my family, my knights!"
"John, what are you playing at?" Sapphire Pegasus flew to his side, questioning John in puzzlement.
For some reason, it had acquired a lot of armor and equipment, which made it slightly uncomfortable.
John briefly explained to it, and soon, it became a little interested.
Dueling as a performance!?
Then it would be John's Round Table Knight!
"Defeat the villain!" Pegasus exclaimed, "Let me at them!"
"Oh! Such enthusiasm! Sapphire!" John responded warmly and then summoned the monster from his hand onto the field, "Normal Summon, Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus!"
"Whew—"
The armored Sapphire shone brilliantly as it appeared.
The pride of the Crystal Beasts!
Sapphire Pegasus!
Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus, LV 4, Wind Attribute, Beast-Type, ATK 1800.
"When Sapphire Pegasus is Summoned·Special Summoned·Flip Summoned, I can place 1 Crystal Beast from my Deck as a Continuous Spell Card face-up on my field. I place Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat!"
"Yee-haw!" A purple cat jumped onto the field, shouted, and then turned into a purple gemstone, residing on the field.
"Spell Card, Precious Value." John revealed a Spell Card, showing it to Tenjo Hikari, "I can activate it when there are two or more Crystal Beast Continuous Spell Cards on my field. The opponent chooses one to send to the Graveyard, then I draw two cards."
John grinned, looking at Tenjo Hikari: "Come, knight, what will you choose!"
"Of course, I choose Topaz Tiger." Tenjo Hikari pointed at the monster on the opponent's field, "A true knight should protect women and children, so over a fierce tiger, it's better to keep the cat."
"Those words don't sound like something a traitor would say! Moreover—underestimating the [cat] will cost you, that's not something a knight would do!" John felt the furious roar of Amethyst Cat, chuckled, and looked down.
Amethyst Cat was the one among his family with the worst temper. It almost never allowed anyone to harm him or other Crystal Beasts, and it was one of the rare few spirits that would even curse, so naturally, it would be very displeased with Tenjo Hikari's comments.
Even if it knew it was "acting."
"Set three cards—" John quite amicably set three cards and then said with a smile, "Lancelot, if you still have the pride of a [knight], then use your strength to break through the duel!"
Tenjo Hikari placed his hand on the Deck, feeling a slight resistance.
He glanced at the projection screen beside them, and, due to this turn being quick and efficient with "rare" cards, the supporters for John started catching up.
Under John's "performance," the students gradually realized this wasn't about points, but about support for "Artorius" and "Lancelot," so, naturally, the supporters for Lancelot, the antagonist, would decrease and turn into supporters for Artorius.