Hikaru held a cup of unknown fruit juice, leisurely chatting with the Paradox Brothers.
The two were hired duelists, and among those who could actually contact them was none other than Vice-Chancellor Crowler.
Yes.
Although it hadn't been mentioned, Crowler actually had a good relationship with the two brothers. It was precisely because of this that he had been able to call upon them to duel Jaden and Syrus in the Duel Academy dormitory duel.
After all, these two were legendary duelists, and they weren't duelists like Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor, who had disappeared from public view for a period of time. They were very famous Tag Duel specialists.
Therefore, not just anyone could commission them.
During the duel, they were hired professionals. After the duel, the two still had a good impression of Hikaru, Crowler's disciple.
"Have you heard of Fusion Birth?" Mei suddenly asked Hikaru.
"Huh?" Hikaru was startled, then recalled. "Ah, that one. It's a Spell Card that sends five cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard, and if any of those five cards are Fusion Materials that can perform a Fusion Summon, you can Fusion Summon using them."
Hikaru remembered that it was one of Jaden's cards in the manga.
Kyuu nodded.
"That's right. Speaking of which, it's partly your own fault."
"Me?" Hikaru asked, puzzled.
The Paradox Brothers laughed heartily.
Because Hikaru's rise to fame had been so rapid, and his slogan was so straightforward, plus the fact that he had even used Dark Magician before, some cards associated with Hikaru saw their prices skyrocket.
Especially Future Fusion, which had performed exceptionally well, even ridiculously so, in the GX Tournament, was hyped to the heavens. Regardless of whether it was Hikaru or Zane, their performance using that card had been too astonishing.
Everyone wasn't stupid. They naturally recognized the value of Future Fusion.
Vice-Chancellor Crowler had previously wanted to help Hikaru acquire a second Future Fusion, but because of the price surge, that plan was stillborn, with no further mention.
At the same time, other Fusion cards, especially those extremely famous and powerful ones, were naturally snatched up everywhere.
The card Fusion Birth, because its "cost" of sending the top five cards of one's Deck to the Graveyard was too severe, and the results were not as stable as Future Fusion, hadn't been hyped to an outrageous price. But because there was demand and no supply, it wasn't available on the market either.
Oh my god, there was such a thing?
Of course, more importantly, the production of these cards was low. So Hikaru had never heard of it before.
The Paradox Brothers had only paid attention to this card's existence because by sending the Gate Guardian pieces to the Graveyard, they could directly banish them to Fusion Summon Gate Guardian.
"It is said that after Mr. Pegasus finished traveling in a certain dimension, he obtained another copy. But ordinary people probably wouldn't know about this. Don't you have a variant art card that Mr. Pegasus gave you? This is a pretty good opportunity."
"That's right. As a Fusion duelist who pursues the ultimate Fusion, you must want this kind of card, right?"
"Thank you very much, seniors!" Hikaru nearly bowed to the two of them.
He did have contact information for members of Industrial Illusions, two of them, but if the Paradox Brothers hadn't told him, he probably would never have known about this and wouldn't have thought to reach out at all.
"Is there anything you two need help with?"
"Hahahaha!"
"No need for that."
"We're also very happy to have such an excellent junior like you."
"However, since you put it that way, we do have one idea."
Hikaru's eyes lit up. "Please tell me."
"We once guarded the gates of the labyrinth for Mr. Pegasus."
"But that's not the point."
The two looked at each other and chuckled.
"The point is."
They said in unison: "Mr. Pegasus is also a legendary duelist."
Moreover, he wasn't like them, duelists who had dueled Yugi and Joey and thus became "legends" riding on the King of Games' coattails.
The father of Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus, was the legend himself.
Hikaru's pupils contracted slightly, then he understood.
So that was it. "I understand. I will find a way to challenge Mr. Pegasus."
The two brothers immediately burst into laughter.
An interesting duel, and one related to their "old boss," was much more exciting to them than money.
Thus, another item was added to Hikaru's summer vacation itinerary.
The good news was that the Paradox Brothers were indeed the kind of duelists who could be reasoned with, so Hikaru didn't need to worry about "how to get through the gates of Industrial Illusions." He just needed to contact the brothers when the time came.
"It seems you have a lot to do this summer," Tierra said casually after Hikaru finished talking with the Paradox Brothers and sat down, pulling out his phone to record things in his memo.
Rex Raptor had steeled himself and reached out to Joey, and only then did Hikaru get the chance to meet Solomon Muto. He definitely couldn't break the appointment and had to be on time.
After all, this was not just his own matter. Looking at Rex Raptor's expression, Hikaru felt that this was probably a rare opportunity for Joey and Rex to reconcile. Whether from the perspective of personal development or helping a senior, he could not miss this.
The opportunity recommended by the Paradox Brothers was probably not a whim either. Considering that they were originally Pegasus's subordinates, it was possible that Pegasus himself wanted to duel Hikaru, or wanted to see if Hikaru had brought shame to the Claw of Hermos, and had deliberately arranged this.
This timeline was basically fixed.
After meeting Grandpa Solomon, visit other legendary duelists, then duel, then quickly fly to Industrial Illusions...
Before all that, Hikaru had to visit Witchcrafter Alley, because according to the Spellcasters there, the Witchcrafter Madame would only stay for one day after returning. Diligent and responsible as she was, it was impossible for her to wait for Hikaru indefinitely.
If he missed her, he'd have to wait an unknown amount of time again.
And after finishing his Witchcrafter business, Hikaru had to go to the Magician Domain.
He had to find Professor Banner, find Aleister the Invoker, and fulfill the promise from a year ago.
"Looking at it this way, time really is tight," Tierra said, eating another small cake, then frowning and drawing a blue cross in the air.
Hikaru took a deep breath and nodded.
"Not only that. I also have to cooperate with Vice-Chancellor Crowler on operations," he continued. "The Vice-Chancellor has been working on next year's funding issues. Because of the Fusion forces, he has to consider whether enrollment at Duel Academy will plummet next year. And as the champion, I have to cooperate with him."
In fact, a few days ago, Hikaru had already met with Duel Academy's partners, and even encountered many fans from the partners' families. Some girls had even staged "accidental encounters" and "chance meetings" with him, unaware that Tierra had already warned him from many meters away.
He sighed deeply.
Although it was really time-consuming and exhausting, he couldn't just ignore it.
After all, he had received considerable help from Vice-Chancellor Crowler. Several times in previous duels, if it weren't for the cards Crowler had provided, he really might have lost. No matter what, he couldn't just enjoy the benefits without accepting responsibility.
So he still had to help.
However, just a few days after Hikaru returned to Duel Academy, Crowler hurriedly stopped all partner invitations and drove away all fans who had come to see Hikaru.
It wasn't that the Academy's strategy had changed.
Rather, Hikaru's sudden explosion of popularity. No, to be precise, it was adding fuel to the fire!
Because in the past two days, KaibaCorp had suddenly released footage of Hikaru's duel with Leo Akaba in the Synchro Dimension. Although many parts were cut, the fact that Hikaru had defeated Leo Akaba and even used Pendulum completely ignited the enthusiasm of almost everyone who saw it.
After all, Hikaru was already the GX champion, and now these two revelations came in succession.
What did that prove?
It proved that Hikaru's Fusion was more Fusion than the Fusion forces' Fusion!
It proved that Hikaru, who defeated Leo Akaba, was truly a genuine and pure Fusionist!
It proved that Hikaru's commercial value was skyrocketing. Academy partners, news companies, and duel-related enterprises immediately swarmed into Duel Academy as if they'd caught a scent. Private planes nearly filled the Academy's airstrip, and ships from various countries and companies packed the harbor of Academy Island.
This really put Vice-Chancellor Crowler in a difficult position.
Crowler wanted Duel Academy to be famous, but being too famous was also a problem. He wanted Hikaru to become famous, but if he became too famous, Hikaru would be blocked by countless fans and reporters even when walking down the road. How could he study and be a duelist then?
Under these circumstances, Crowler changed his previous strategy and told Hikaru to go hide quickly.
Fortunately, the time had come.
Hikaru arrived in an ancient alley. The sun shone on the ground, not scorching, but warmly making people feel a bit lazy.
All around, different kinds of spirits were coming and going. Some Spellcasters, and also Warriors. Some members of Witchcrafter Alley were shouting and introducing their latest creations.
Hikaru stretched.
Finally here!
Witchcrafter Alley!
...
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