Tenjo Hikari took a few steps forward, lifted the masked figure's mask, and glanced at it.
"Senior Kambayashi!" Kagurazaka, who was beside him, also saw this scene, his pupils contracted, and he exclaimed.
"Surprised you could recognize him," Tenjo Hikari couldn't help but say.
At first glance, he couldn't tell at all who this person lying on the ground was. He had been nearly drained of life force by the Phantasm, his skin withered, his face twisted, just like a zombie. He couldn't recognize who it was at all.
Only after Kagurazaka spoke did he take a few more careful looks and vaguely make something out.
Once he confirmed the person's identity, Tenjo Hikari understood why this person kept talking about humiliating him or something.
So it was Kambayashi Kaname after all.
Whether he voluntarily became an experiment for the Phantasm to seek revenge on him or lost the name of the Fusion Department to him and was dealt with by Akaba Leo, Tenjo Hikari didn't know.
Kagurazaka was quite worried after seeing Kambayashi Kaname and asked Tenjo Hikari if they should quickly send Kambayashi Kaname to the infirmary. Tenjo Hikari was indifferent, though, because in this state, he would probably just be lying in bed in the future.
According to the "Kaiba Company Special Law" that Cronos had previously explained to Tenjo Hikari, for someone who seeks their own death like this, no matter the outcome, the responsibility is entirely their own, and it has nothing to do with Tenjo Hikari as the duelist.
Afterward, Tenjo Hikari chatted with Kagurazaka for a while, because there was definitely a reason for him suddenly appearing in such a place. A slight scare from Tenjo Hikari made him honestly confess that he had come to secretly follow Tenjo Hikari.
This left Tenjo Hikari a bit speechless.
In any case, after scaring him a bit, Tenjo Hikari told him not to mention anything about the Phantasm. Seeing Kambayashi Kaname's miserable state filled Kagurazaka with anxiety, so he readily agreed—he couldn't figure out what was really going on either.
What if Kambayashi ended up like this due to Tenjo Hikari's involvement as well? How could he dare to speak carelessly?
After the chat, Tenjo Hikari felt there was something amiss and eventually invited Kagurazaka to join his Fusion Department.
Upon hearing he didn't have to apply and could just join, he became excited immediately, nodding continuously.
"Are you worried that mortal might be silenced?" Tierra asked casually on the way back.
"Yeah." Tenjo Hikari nodded while speaking to Tierra, "Even though he was an unfortunate guy caught up in this, he also saw the other side. If there's a misunderstanding that he's my assistant, who knows when someone might be sent to take him out, and that wouldn't be good.
If he's in the Fusion Department, everyone can look after each other, so there is some protection."
When Tenjo Hikari returned to his dorm, he turned on the light, took out his deck, and as he checked his cards, he said to Tierra, "Are you suggesting I'm wasting time?"
"No." Tierra shook her head directly.
If it were any other time and she saw Tenjo Hikari "helping others out of boredom", she wouldn't be interested, but this time was different.
During her "first duel", she was tricked by her opponent's underhanded tactics, and soon after, someone behind the scenes audaciously labeled her as something "evil" and linked to "darkness", which infuriated her quite a bit.
They even dared to say she was far inferior to the Phantasm!?
Phantasm's essence is that of an Archfiend.
But she is a God!
The Goddess of Rebirth! The Creator.
Even if she's a deceased god, she's still a God!
What she wants is to be resurrected and reconstruct her planet, maybe making death-symbolizing robots or some mechanical demons, if unable to, she might as well reference people like Tenjo Hikari and create some cars.
But being insulted by some inexplicable guy absolutely warrants a divine punishment.
She didn't argue with Tenjo Hikari but urgently urged Tenjo Hikari to quickly place the Phantasm Card into the workshop, and together with other Spirits, gather the card's power, ideally through "that card's" power, to awaken this broken Phantasm Card or simply refine it out.
If that doesn't work, she is even willing to share a little of her newly restored power.
Though it's not much.
Her power is just right for Phantasm to use.
However, on this matter, Tenjo Hikari should carefully weigh his options.
Is it better to nourish the Phantasm Card or better to create Shaddoll Cards first depends on the circumstances.
At least for now, Tenjo Hikari cannot determine which would be more cost-effective.
Or, perhaps, he could simply play a few rounds and see what Super Polymerization thinks.
In the following days, nothing particularly notable happened to Tenjo Hikari.
Over at the Integration Department, after sending some person to "intimidate" Tenjo Hikari and amusing him, they quickly changed their approach and kept pushing Marufuji Shou out to play cards. With some new cards, plus already not being weak, Marufuji Shou performed exceptionally well in recent exchange duels, with noteworthy performances in various aspects. Integration Department seized on this, along with the reputation of being Marufuji Ryo's brother, promoting it relentlessly, hoping to draw members into their Activity Department.
Despite half a year's events tarnishing the Integration Department's reputation among students, a few people trickled in.
Regarding leveraging fame, Marufuji Ryo, on one hand, couldn't pay attention because he was busy planning his post-graduation career as a professional duelist. On the other, Tenjo Hikari previously talked to him about Marufuji Shou's situation.
In some respect, Marufuji Ryo's protection for Marufuji Shou was a form of "repression" over Marufuji Shou. This elder brother was too outstanding, making his younger brother feel inferior, fostering some indescribable personalities and habits, partly related to him.
When Marufuji Shou surprisingly joined the Integration Department and became a Purple-clothed Duelist, Marufuji Ryo initially wanted to argue or duel with Tenjo Hikari. But as Marufuji Shou's fame grew by the day, the Integration Department proclaiming him as almost a "second Marufuji Ryo", left Marufuji Ryo puzzled.
Shou, is he truly that capable?
Was it really under Hikari's suggestion that he went to the Integration Department to handle stress, or was he genuinely dissatisfied with me, thus liberating himself?
Is he truly attempting to prove his excellence, aiming to reach greater heights apart from me?
Is that true?
This left Marufuji Ryo utterly confused.
Yet, after pondering for days, seeing everything "thriving", he refrained from asking further.
Since Shou has become the current "leader" at the Integration Department, who uses the Marufuji brothers' fame to recruit new members, one day, Marufuji Shou would be pushed forward to duel against Tenjo Hikari. At that point, changes and outcomes would be evident.
And once the initial "restless period" of the school start passed, the students' academics gradually got on track.
At such a time, Tenjo Hikari finally could accomplish what was previously missed.
The Other Dimension's "Secret Village of the Spellcasters".
During vacation, because of Teacher Daitokuji's sudden intrusion, these people were forcibly dragged into the Great Cosmic Workshop, missing the opportunity to go. Now, with the semester's first dimension travel opportunity, Tenjo Hikari immediately called Mitsuzawa Daichi to make up for what was missed in the vacation.
"Hmm—so this is the Secret Village of the Spellcasters? The air is quite nice."