After graduation?

Yamaguchi was knocked flying by the dragon controlled by Winda, landing half-sitting on the ground.

"Yamaguchi!"

"Are you okay!?" The Red and Yellow dorm Polymerization Club reps rushed to his side.

He glanced at them, took a deep breath, and looked up at Hikaru. "You really are something, Amagi Hikaru. I lost. So, I won't participate in the new card acquisition."

'So direct!'

The surrounding students were surprised.

Normally, with a Duel having a pre-declared wager, especially one with KaibaCorp witnesses, the loser was expected to uphold their word.

After all, that's what "Duel" means.

But if the loser was from the Polymerization Club? Then it became uncertain. Those guys usually tried to avoid consequences, lessen penalties, or shift blame. For someone like Yamaguchi to admit defeat and honor the terms?

Incredibly rare.

Hikaru put away his Deck and took a few steps forward, offering his hand. But Yamaguchi shook his head and, with help from his teammates, stood up.

"Hikaru, don't get involved with people like us."

He sighed deeply. "Even if I wanted to witness Fusion's infinite potential. I don't think I deserve it.

Good luck, Amagi Hikaru."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow in surprise, then said, "Senpai, I look forward to our next Duel."

Yamaguchi, however, shook his head again.

"If I can help it, I'd rather not. It's kind of embarrassing." He scratched his head.

Meanwhile, seeing things were starting to relax, Syrus shouted while waving cash at Tome-san: "Tome-san! Five packs of the new cards!"

"Me too!"

"Same here, five boosters please!"

"Hahaha! Everyone will get theirs! Line up, line up!"

Hikaru glanced over but didn't rush. Instead, he turned back toward the three Polymerization reps. Just then, Chazz joined him.

He'd already told Jaden and the others that KaibaCorp would reserve him five packs, so he wasn't in a hurry. He wanted to check in on Hikaru, who'd just finished a Duel.

Yamaguchi rubbed his hair, looking at Hikaru and Chazz. After a long pause, he muttered, "Hikaru. Someone like me, not very talented, with not the best grades, gets beaten by you and Kaiser so easily. What can I even do after graduation?"

Hikaru and Chazz exchanged a glance and immediately caught the underlying message!

'Wait, is Egghead assigning jobs too?' Hikaru pinched his brow.

But thinking about it, in canon, those foot soldiers from the Fusion army only used Ancient Gear junk. Sure, there were elites like Dennis who used Ancient Gears, but the truly powerful Fusion soldiers didn't use those cards.

And besides Ancient Gears, the Fusion Army also had the "Gladiator Beast Special Forces."

But in this world, aside from the Duel Spirit with a monocle, Hikaru had rarely seen anyone from the Polymerization Club use Gladiator Beasts. Before now, no one used them.

Even the club president, Kamishiro Shinrin, only used Ancient Gears.

But today, Yamaguchi brought out a Gladiator Beast deck. Which meant, Leo Akaba had Gladiator Beasts ready all along, and they just weren't given to current students!

'So, they were for graduates?'

'That explains it.'

Hikaru suddenly understood.

Yamaguchi was trying to send a message.

The true strength under Leo Akaba isn't the current Polymerization Club.

It's the past one.

Hikaru had successfully changed the club's direction and founded the new Fusion Club with his own hands, which even Yamaguchi respected.

But what about beyond that?

Right now, Hikaru had only "cut off the water supply."

Yamaguchi chose his words carefully, though in the end, he said nothing and turned toward the card shop.

"Scared?" Chazz asked casually, arms folded.

"Ha! As if. I'm pumped." Hikaru clenched a fist. "I just completed half of my mission."

"Hahaha." Chazz laughed.

Cut off the source, uproot the roots. Just thinking about it got Chazz fired up too.

He had studied his mentor's life, and as a youth, he too had stood against all sorts of bizarre forces. There were crises, sure, while in the end, he and justice always triumphed!

He wanted to chase his mentor's legacy!

Groups like the Polymerization Club, so twisted and abstract, deserved to be crushed!

At that moment, seeing things had wrapped up, the black-suited agents approached. They greeted Chazz with a bow: "Master Chazz."

One lifted a box and presented it to Hikaru.

"This is the latest set of rare cards. Amagi Hikaru, since you won the Duel, you may choose one from within."

Though labeled "rare," they were just ordinary Tuner Monsters, even vanilla ones.

But in this world, they were rarer than rare!

Tierra floated out, arms crossed, inspecting the box, commenting here and there, then pointed to a card for Hikaru.

"I'll take this one." Hikaru didn't bother with small talk. He simply picked the card.

"Genex Controller?" Chazz noticed and tilted his head. "That one can be used as Fusion Material too?"

He was actually more curious about what Winda's Fusion materials were.

"Winda's materials are Shaddoll and DARK monsters," Hikaru said offhandedly.

"I see. Like Jaden's HERO Spirits." Chazz nodded.

Elsewhere, Jaden waved, shouting at them.

"Hikaru, Chazz, hurry up! Everyone's drawn their cards. Just waiting on you two!"

Chazz turned and shouted back, "Hahaha! Get ready to witness the unmatched draw power of Chazz Princeton Lightning!"

Then, instantly flipping moods, he bowed politely to the agents. "We leave it to you."

The agents nodded in unison. "We've equipped the company's latest dimensional locator to monitor Professor Akaba's portal activity. Rest assured."

"Thank you for your work!" Hikaru added.

Kaiba sure spares no expense on Chazz's education!

"Chazz! Hikaru!"

Their friends called again. The two didn't linger and ran toward the shop.

Meanwhile, Hikaru couldn't help feeling a little excited inside.

New cards! Time to draw!