"You're applying to join the Fusion Club, Amagi-kun?"
"Yes."
"…Alright then. Please write your name here."
"The club will arrange a match for you shortly against another applicant."
In Duel Academy's main dueling hall, a female student in Obelisk Blue uniform jotted Hikaru Amagi's name down after a quick exchange. At Duel Academy, uniform color wasn't just a fashion choice—it was a caste system. Slifer Red was rock bottom—the dropouts, delinquents, and dumbasses. Ra Yellow was the decent middle ground. Obelisk Blue? Top of the food chain. Honors students, elite pedigree, the whole package.
The girl in front of him was Blue, and Hikaru? Just a middling Ra Yellow.
Honestly, it surprised him—how the hell did the previous version of him qualify as a "mid-tier" student with that garbage deck?
The girl looked at him like he was nuts. Like someone who ate their cards instead of playing them. Understandable. Duel Academy had all kinds of clubs—plenty of niche interest groups. The Fusion Club, back in the day, used to be one of the most popular.
But ever since rumors of alternate dimensions started bubbling up, a sect of Fusion Purists—hardliners who viewed other summoning methods as impure garbage—formed under the leadership of Leo Akaba.
Now the Fusion Club had become the Fusion Army's HQ.
To an average student, seeing a newcomer voluntarily sign up to join the Fusion Club?
That was nuts. Like signing up for a cult wearing a t-shirt that said "brainwash me."
Hikaru glanced around the venue. Just a scattering of Ra Yellow students, fewer still from Slifer Red.
And there—a mop of jellyfish hair.
Jaden Yuki.
He hadn't expected to see the main character this soon. It was oddly delightful.
"Hey!! Good luck out there!!" Jaden shouted from the stands, waving with his usual boundless enthusiasm.
Jaden was a dueling junkie—he'd duel a vending machine if it flashed a green light—but this wasn't his kind of event. Sure, he loved Fusion, but not that "Fusion is supreme, everything else is garbage" dogma.
Watching duels, though? That, he'd never miss.
He probably hadn't left the stands all day.
"Hey, stop gawking!"
Hikaru's opponent snapped. "Hurry up and surrender already—I can't wait to trade up to the purple uniform!"
In the stands, a cluster of Obelisk Blue students—already donning the new purple jackets of the Fusion Army—egged him on.
"C'mon, Yulong! Show that Ra loser Ancient Gears aren't for scrubs!"
"Yeah, only we Obelisk Blues deserve to run Ancient Gears!"
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
Figures. Even among Fusion cultists, classism never dies. Most Fusion fanatics here were Blues. Reds and Yellows were rare.
"Duel!""Duel!"
[Hikaru Amagi – LP: 4000][Yulong – LP: 4000]
Both duel disks flared to life. They each drew five cards.
"I take the first turn!" Yulong shouted and instantly drew a sixth.
Hikaru flinched.
Wait—that was illegal—!
Then remembered: in GX era rules, first turn still draws. No "draw phase skip" yet. He bit his tongue.
Still, the sheer confidence of just yelling "I go first!" and drawing felt… raw.
If shouting louder gets you the first turn, maybe he should start voice training.
Yulong glanced at his hand and smirked.
"Ha! You're done for."
"I activate the Spell Card: Fusion Sage!"
He slammed the card down.
"This lets me add Polymerization from my Deck to my hand!"
"Already got Fusion in the opening hand?!"
"He's toast! That Ra scrub's finished!"
The purple-cloaked Fusion Army students nodded in approval from the stands.
"A Ra Yellow trying to join the Fusion Club? What a joke!"
"Ancient Gears are for Obelisk Blues only!"
"Exactly! Professor Crowler is our mentor, not theirs!"
"Don't think just 'cause the professor misplayed and lost to a Slifer loser that anyone can challenge our status!"
Crowler—Prof. Vellian Crowler, complete with powdered wig and long-tailed Obelisk Blue coat—sat stiffly in the front row. His expression darkened at every word.
He didn't particularly support the Fusion Club's agenda, but they did use Ancient Gear decks… which meant they were using his cards.
So, of course he had to observe.
Still, hearing all this noise about his previous loss made his overly made-up face twitch.
"Watch the duel! Focus on the duel!!" he hissed through clenched teeth, biting his silk handkerchief.
Meanwhile, Yulong kept going.
"I Normal Summon Ancient Gear Knight!"
A dull thud shook the field.
A rusty humanoid machine, shield on one arm and cannon on the other, stomped into view.The first monster of the duel.
Ancient Gear Knight – Level 4, EARTH, 1800 ATK, Gemini.
"A… Normal Summon?" A few Red and Yellow students muttered.
Wait, if he has Ancient Gears, why's he participating in an entry test?
Hikaru glanced at the Fusion Army students. All of them wore smug grins.
"He summoned an 1800 ATK monster right off the bat! So cool!" Jaden yelled from the stands.
"Fusion card in hand, 1800 ATK wall on board—solid first turn!""Just needs the second material now."
"Worth lending him the deck. Blue students never disappoint."
The crowd buzzed with premature victory chants. Loud enough to make sure everyone heard it.
"Turn end," Yulong sneered.
Hikaru stared.
…That's it?
"All bark, no bite," he muttered.
"Scared already?" Yulong laughed. "You should be! Fusion isn't something just anyone can wield!"
Hikaru raised a brow. Tilted his chin. Smirked.
"Tch."
Weak.
An 1800 beatstick and no backrow? Even Battle Ox duelists set Mirror Force.
At least give me a Trap Hole, you clown.
"Hey, Yulong."
"What?"
"In my long and storied dueling education, I've realized something."
"…Huh?"
"The more people chase Fusion, the less they understand it. They fixate on the materials—like you."
"You searched Polymerization, then Normal Summoned a monster. That's it. You're hoarding pieces, not fusing."
"You think you're worthy of the Fusion Army?"
"Fusion is the noblest summoning method. Any extra action is an insult."
"…What did you just say?"
Yulong gawked. The Fusion students gawked. Someone literally poked their ears to check they'd heard right.
Bro, they thought they were Fusion fanatics?
This guy was preaching like Fusion was a religion.
"My turn. Draw—"
He looked at his hand. Lips twitched.
Six Spell Cards.
Under any other circumstances, he'd be ready to cry.
But this wasn't Master Duel. And this was perfect.
He gave a small, cold smile. Met his opponent's eyes.
Then raised his hand high.
"Fusion Summoning is the highest form of summoning!""Therefore, all I need is Fusion!!"
"I pay 1000 Life Points to activate the Spell Card—Instant Fusion!"
"From my Extra Deck, I Special Summon a Level 5 or lower non-Effect Fusion Monster!"
"Come forth—Bracchio-Raidus!"
A gleaming blue dinosaur roared to life, emerging from the Extra Deck and crashing down on Hikaru's side of the field.
Bracchio-Raidus – Level 5, WATER, Fusion, 2200 ATK.
"No Fusion materials…? He just summoned it?!" someone gasped.
"Dude, that's insane!" Jaden's eyes sparkled. "Man, if HERO decks had something like that…"
Everyone—Fusion skeptics, smug Blues, even Professor Crowler—sat upright.
Eyes wide.
Fusion, like they'd never seen it before.
So Fusion could work like this too...?
(End of Chapter)