"We… we won?!"
"He lost—? That was… Mr. Dino—"
If during the Duel, the company staff and coordinators were merely concerned, then by the time it ended, their brains had pretty much short-circuited.
But the audience? They didn't need to think at all.
Led by Dinosaur Ryuzaki's own applause, a wave of thunderous clapping erupted through the factory space, followed by cheers for both Duelists.
"That was incredible—Fusion!!"
"He actually pulled it off!"
"Dino! We'll always support you!!"
Ryuzaki, hands in his pockets, walked over to Hikaru Amagi with a relaxed smile. He extended a hand. Hikaru took it, and they shook firmly—before Ryuzaki turned, raised their joined hands high, and shouted to the crowd:
"Everyone—give it up for our new comrade!"
"Absolute Fusion. Pure Fusion. Ultimate Fusion—!"
"Hikaru Amagi!"
Ryuzaki was never a sore loser. At the start, he hadn't planned on losing this Duel—but Hikaru's performance had genuinely delighted him. If this was the kind of up-and-comer they were partnering with, he could rest easy.
As their hands parted, Hikaru suddenly felt something seep into him—a strange, cold sensation that was completely different from the warm energies of previous Duels.
"Hmm?" Tiella had been clapping along cheerily. But now, her eyes narrowed. She glanced at Ryuzaki, then her expression turned knowing.
Alchemy.
Break it down, recycle, then transmute.
That man's soul had been damaged for a long time. What Hikaru was feeling now was his soul, in the middle of being reclaimed.
After the Duel, Hikaru, Ryuzaki, and the others went to a meeting room. The company brewed up a batch of their trial "Instant Fusion" cup noodles, ready to be taste-tested.
Ryuzaki slumped over the table, staring at the packaging. "Kid, you really do love Fusion, huh."
Hikaru just chuckled and didn't explain further.
Once the noodles were done, they all started eating. Ryuzaki's eyes lit up. "Hey—this stuff's not bad!"
"Yeah, seriously!"
"This is delicious!"
Tiella nodded vigorously from the side.
Of course it is. I approved the recipe—it's no ordinary instant ramen.
"What do you think, Hikaru?"
"It's about 90% close to what Mr. Magitek gave me," Hikaru said.
The original boxes Magitek had handed over must've used ingredients native to the Spirit World. Reproducing it with Earth ingredients made perfection a bit tricky.
Still, 90% wasn't bad.
"Tch. So basically, nothing alike," Tiella muttered, clearly unimpressed.
What followed was simple.
Originally, WindGlory Foods had only planned to have one of their in-house Duelists test things with Hikaru. But now that Hikaru had defeated their face—Dinosaur Ryuzaki—there was absolutely no reason not to move forward.
Ironically, his victory meant negotiations would probably cost them more.
But that was fine.
Hikaru was still just a first-year student—and yet he'd defeated a Legendary Duelist. His potential? Practically immeasurable.
Honestly, even if he had lost, it wouldn't have hurt them much. WindGlory wasn't some giant corporation or mega-conglomerate. What mattered most was branding—and Hikaru's "Absolute Fusion" image was perfect for that.
A Duelist who only used Fusion? Talk about a marketing goldmine for something called Instant Fusion Cup Noodles.
Ryuzaki chimed in occasionally during the meeting. From personality to conduct, he liked Hikaru a lot. Even before the Duel, when Hikaru stood up for him—Ryuzaki had known this kid was someone worth trusting.
During the Duel, he'd felt Hikaru's unwavering belief. That mattered more than talent or skill.
For someone like Ryuzaki—an old-school Duelist—faith came before technique.
Without conviction, any Duelist could end up like his past self: consumed by dark powers, and straying from the path.
In the end, Hikaru and WindGlory Foods struck a deal to everyone's satisfaction. Hikaru would become one of the brand's official spokespeople, participate in promo Duels, and occasionally appear in ads.
That said, since Hikaru was still a student (and frequently jumped into other dimensions), the company agreed to be flexible. If possible, footage from his dimension-hopping could even be used for promotion.
WindGlory was a small fry in the corporate world. They didn't even have a dimensional gate yet, which was a huge setback in this new "gold rush" era. They were desperate to catch up.
As for the contracts, Hikaru understood the general terms: salary, stock options, profit-sharing from Instant Fusion, and even a separate clause for regularly supplying Fusion Club with cup noodles.
Thank the Duel Gods he was just here for a factory visit. Finalizing the contract would take time—he couldn't even sign one legally without a guardian.
He contacted Professor Chronos.
Chronos thumped his chest, promising he had plenty of experience in these matters—and even if he didn't, he had friends who did. Hikaru didn't need to worry.
Chronos was always dependable—but especially now. A first-year student landing a sponsor during a school exchange event? The school itself would want to support him, no matter what.
Let alone the fact Chronos and Hikaru got along quite well.
"Guess I'd better gift Chronos-sensei some extra Ancient Gear support cards next time…" Hikaru muttered to himself as he boarded the ferry back to Duel Academy.
"That weird-looking human? Mmm… while his looks are questionable, his personality seems fine," Tiella chimed in. "And since he uses a Machine Deck, I approve."
"Oh right—wasn't he the one who cared more about honor than money?" Tiella added with a smirk.
"Oh—right. Good point." Hikaru nodded.
He'd nearly forgotten that his public image included being Chronos's student.
"Anyway, forget all this worldly nonsense," Tiella said. "My advice: open your Deck. Check your Spell Cards."
Spell cards?
Hikaru raised an eyebrow, pulling out his Deck. He flipped through them quickly, fanning through the cards with practiced ease.
He hadn't added anything new to this build. Just Fusion cards and the proper materials.
But something was off.
One too many cards?
Frowning, he combed through it from the top.
Halfway through—
He froze.
A single Spell Card… that shouldn't exist.
No name.
No effect text.
No artwork.
The card felt half-real—flickering between presence and absence like smoke. It was no wonder he hadn't noticed it earlier.
As he stared at it, an image flashed briefly across the card art—a crimson dragon's silhouette, burning bright.
"…No way."
Hikaru inhaled sharply.
A Legendary Dragon.