Drawing New Cards!

"Come on, let's draw!"

In the Fusion Club, Hikaru and his friends gathered around a table, as Celina sat beside him, curiously leaning in.

"Whoever draws the first rare card today treats everyone!" Jaden raised his hand with a laugh, setting the rule.

"Hahaha, looks like dinner's on me tonight!" Atticus brushed his hair confidently. "Don't be fooled by appearances. I was once called the KING of the Academy, my card-pulling luck was top tier!"

"I heard from Zane you've never pulled the Egg Sandwich," Alexis grinned. "I got three in a row."

At Duel Academy, even the filling of the cafeteria sandwiches was randomized. Pulling the rarest one was a student tradition for proving the draw luck.

Both Jaden and Chazz had tried it before.

"What?! Alexis, you're that strong now!?" Atticus looked devastated.

Nearby students who hadn't returned to their dorms began cheering, and the clubroom buzzed with energy.

Hikaru wasn't too confident about his luck since he had reason to doubt it.

Before becoming top of his grade, Hikaru used to buy bread every day, and only ever got chestnut buns. Even afterward, his pulls were just as bland.

He went to Neo Domino City to buy packs, but Crowler and Zane later explained that those shops only sold leftover stock from other dimensions, and rare cards were nearly impossible.

Even during casual, random Duels with club members, he rarely pulled flashy combos and sometimes lost because of it.

When it came to unserious Duels or pure fun, his supernatural powers offered no help, and his naturally poor luck showed.

That's why Hikaru focused on alchemy, card crafting, and directly buying what he needed.

At least that way, it'd result in no heartbreak.

With a flurry of noise, they stacked the card packs. Carefully creating a slit, they pressed down and snipped the top open with scissors.

Hikaru opened his pack.

First card: a Normal Monster.

Flame Manipulator.

Hikaru twitched.

"My apologies, Master," Flame Swordsman's awkward voice came.

"Hahaha, what are you apologizing for?" Tierra was watching for fun and burst out laughing. "Your Fusion material being drawn first should be an honor."

Flame Swordsman coughed sheepishly.

"Oh, Flame Manipulator," Bastion pulled the same low-level Normal. That was normal in this world. "It is Fusion material for Flame Swordsman. Not bad, Hikaru."

As everyone muttered, the first five packs were opened, 25 cards total.

Mostly Normals. A few Spell and Trap cards, none really useful.

Just as they sighed at the lack of big pulls, Alexis suddenly raised her hand in delight. "Yes!"

'???'

Everyone looked her way.

She didn't notice and cheered with her eyes closed. Atticus, the troll he was, snapped two pictures on his camera.

"Mmm~ These will fetch a good price from Alexis' fans."

"Brother!" Alexis snapped out of it and shoved him, only to realize everyone was staring. Face turning red, she lowered her head, raised a fist to her mouth, and coughed.

"Ahem. I drew a super rare card."

She flipped it around for everyone to see.

A uniquely blue card, a very rare Monster Card, a Ritual Monster!

[Cyber Angel Natasha]

The crowd froze.

The match just started, and it was already over?

"Wow, a card from the Cyber Angel archetype," Bastion said.

"So cool! Alexis!" Jaden cheered. "And that effect looks strong too!"

It really was, Hikaru remembered it.

Healing, attack disruption, and brute force in this world, extremely strong.

Plus, Duelists like Alexis didn't care about "bricking," so Ritual Summon restrictions meant little.

"Such good luck," Hikaru admired.

"See that? That's Alexis' draw power!" Atticus proudly inserted himself into her glory. "My treat, my treat!"

In this world, pulling a rare card was worth far more than a meal, so treating wasn't a loss.

Now that Alexis had pulled something big, everyone relaxed and resumed pulling.

Soon, even luck gods like Jaden and Chazz pulled rare cards. Maybe not useful, but still rare. Bastion eventually got a powerful one too, hiding it with a cough and saying it was for a future Duel against Hikaru.

"What's going on?" Tierra's earlier smug grin was gone. "No way."

Watching Hikaru constantly pull average cards, even she wanted in. The ever-competitive newbie forced her will into Hikaru's body, using puppet strings to guide his hand.

But the results…

Clearly, both their luck sucked.

Just one pack left.

"Well, not bad. Got two usable Fusion materials," Hikaru said casually.

He didn't mind. He already got Genex Controller, so even without anything big, it was fine as Fusion fodder.

"Master, let me try!" Celina couldn't take it anymore and raised her hand.

"You want to?" Hikaru handed her the last pack.

Watching someone else pull cards without getting to do it yourself? That was frustrating.

Especially for someone with card cravings like Celina.

She'd been watching for a while, itching to try. Seeing that Hikaru didn't mind, she cheered, politely accepted the pack with both hands, and gently placed it on the table like a holy ritual.

The students smiled knowingly.

Thinking about it, she'd always been locked away, her cards forcibly given. This was her first real card pull.

Celina carefully snipped the pack and slowly pulled out the cards.

First card:

Normal Monster. Tune Warrior. Not bad for a Normal, being a Tuner.

Second. Third. Still pretty average. While Hikaru didn't care much, Celina seemed a bit disappointed.

Until—

The last card.

A faint light shimmered from it.

Hikaru blinked, then jumped up in excitement.

"Incredible, Celina!" Hikaru praised. "Your draw power's ten times, no, nine times stronger than mine!

From now on, I'm leaving all new pack openings to you! This is your master's only request!"

"Ehhh—Ah, o-okay!" Celina pumped her fist, beaming.

It was the first time she'd heard Hikaru truly call himself her "master."

And Hikaru had good reason to be excited.

She'd just pulled —The Dark - Hex-Sealed Fusion!