The spirits in this world were surprisingly easy to talk to and even quite enthusiastic.
After the duel ended and Hikaru and Jaden left the prison, countless spirits surrounded them, blocking the path entirely.
Some asked them what the human world was like, others asked how they had come to this world, and there were even some asking if they were interested in swapping decks and cards. Of course, some spirits also wanted to join them and become a part of their strength.
Among them was the Flame Swordsman, who had previously shown great interest in Hikaru, and had been especially eager after Hikaru sent the Thousand-Eyes Restrict to the graveyard to special summon him. Dark Flare Knight accompanied him, who also felt following Hikaru would be beneficial witnessing his performance.
Additionally, there were some other Fusion Monster spirits, like the "Cyber Blader" and "Dragon Warrior." The latter was a brave warrior, while the former was the ace monster of the original heroine of GX, "Alexis Rhodes," or so it seemed.
Hikaru couldn't be sure whether Alexis Rhodes was truly the heroine, nor could he confirm whether that girl who was mainly a Ritual user considered her, a fusion monster, to be the ace monster.
But at least she was delightful to look at, and having such a woman spirit in his chaotic and twisted deck would certainly be a joy.
Unfortunately, unlike the two Swordmasters, these two didn't want to leave this dimension with him. Instead, they gave him cards.
A bit of a disappointment, losing out on a spirit sister, but getting the cards was fine too.
They also mentioned that although they weren't the physical spirits, their power still resided within the cards, and they could assist other spirits, countering some of the evil forces.
Simply put, she could boost the power of the Flame Swordsman and Dark Flare Knight, giving Hikaru extra energy when facing evil spirits, supernatural forces, telekinetic abilities, or even in any dangerous abyss.
It shouldn't be taken lightly, so, Hikaru listened seriously because he knew these things could happen in the human world!
It was quite a harvest.
Now that he had a second Flame Swordsman, he wouldn't need to pair so many Salamandra cards with just one.
The Cyber Blader was also a great answer to "Sudden Mutation."
In this world, with LPs relatively low, the Cyber Blader had a good chance of doubling its ATK through effects and defeating opponents.
Having some free time, Hikaru turned to look at Jaden. He saw the Avian standing above Jaden, pointing at him and talking non-stop, his mouth moving like a machine gun, while Jaden was awkwardly laughing and scratching his neck, looking quite embarrassed.
"Anyway, Jaden, you dueled like it was too simple, and you think being a hero is also simple!"
"If it wasn't for Hikaru helping you, how would you have dealt with the upcoming Chaos Warrior? And don't forget, I still had cards in my hand!"
"There's also that Sakuretsu Armor! You never even asked me about Dark Fusion or the monster effects, you just rushed in. Even Hikaru told you, if you had saved the Sakuretsu Armor, you could have destroyed the Ritual Monsters that came afterward!"
"Hmm…"
Even though Avian was quite dark in color, he still cared for Jaden.
And it looked like Avian really knew Jaden!
Hikaru watched as Avian lectured Jaden for half an hour. Then, as if not fully satisfied, Avian flapped his wings and embraced Jaden, transforming into a card.
Hikaru's eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at the card and turned to Gaia.
"What are you staring at? I'm never going to follow a fusion maniac!" Gaia grunted, saying firmly, "My life is dedicated to clearing paths and being the vanguard for Chaos Warrior, I will never switch sides!"
"Uh…"
Hikaru twitched his eyebrows, "Alright." He shrugged.
In spite of what he said, Hikaru could remember Gaia had different, and various "evolution" stages, much like Digimon or Pokémon, where the same creature can evolve into different forms.
In fact, Gaia encompassed almost all summoning methods, and the "Gaia Dragon Knight" line is undoubtedly the largest branch, which is... Fusion.
"Gaia."
"Ah, Lord Chaos Warrior."
At some point, the grand creation had already arrived before them, and all the spirits half-knelt to welcome this strongest warrior.
From the card lore, it was said from the very inception a "soldier" undertook the baptism of light and darkness, becoming the warrior who split the heavens and the earth, the original and strongest Chaos Warrior.
"After this battle, have you not realized your own flaws?"
"This... My lord, I..."
"You and the Avian both underwent the trial, but the Avian seeks to make duelists more courageous and fearless, while you were merely a friend called over. Yet, until the duel ended, you never resolved your issues with the Avian, always arguing with each other.
I can understand your friendship, but the failure of the ritual, both of you made mistakes in your own ways.
When warriors from another world make mistakes, they don't complain. Rather, they trust each other and have each other's backs with cards capable of turning the tide.
You, however, activated your trap prematurely just to show off your power."
"You truly shouldn't leave with this warrior because your training is still far from enough."
"I understand now, Chaos Warrior!" Gaia's face showed a hint of shame as he lowered his head and sincerely said to Hikaru, "Warrior from another world, this time, it was my failure. In the future, I will personally apologize."
Hikaru and Jaden exchanged a glance, then smiled and said softly, "It's alright!
Acknowledging others is also part of fusion!
To you, rituals are the most respected, and to me, fusion is the noblest. There's no real difference, just differing beliefs! So you don't need to feel embarrassed about it!"
After hearing Hikaru's words, Gaia lowered his head even further.
Duel Spirits were truly innocent.
If it had been a real person hearing Chaos Warrior's lecture, they definitely wouldn't have accepted it so easily and would have at least tried to argue.
Chaos Warrior gently nodded, then looked at Hikaru, extending his hand. A purple glow slowly emanated from his hand, enveloping Hikaru's body. The light gradually turned into a purple card and fell into his hand!
"Very well... Warrior from another world, as agreed, Gaia should have followed you. But since he cannot leave, I will personally bestow upon you the power you deserve. This fusion power within me is now yours."
Jaden, who stood beside him, along with Hikaru was utterly stunned, staring wide-eyed at the card.
"Master of Chaos!"
Its fusion materials are Dark Magician and a Chaos ritual monster, a fusion monster!
No wonder he's the original Chaos Warrior, such power is incomparable!
Immediately after, the Chaos Warrior raised his sword again and drew a circle in the air. The circle began to spin wildly, and soon, a brand new portal appeared, even showing a completely different scene on the other side.
"Well then, without further ado, I will personally send you back to your world."
"May I ask, Chaos Warrior, how will you send us back?" Hikaru asked, a little curious.
At that moment, the Chaos Warrior finally smiled slightly. "You don't think you were sent to this world and are now in prison, do you?"
'Huh!?'
'Ah…'
When the two of them followed the Chaos Warrior to a door, they finally understood.
It turned out they had been "intercepted" during their transfer by the Chaos Warrior using his own power!
Now, all they needed to do was enter the dimensional gate and return to their world!
"Warriors from another dimension, I welcome you to come again sometime," said the Chaos Warrior before they left. "However, guarding the underworld is also my duty. I hope that when you return to your dimension, you do not speak of the secrets of this world."
"Don't worry, Mr. Chaos Warrior!" Jaden raised his right arm and bent it, patting his bicep with his left hand, confidently saying, "We'll never speak of this world's secrets!"
"Jaden and Avian are quite familiar, so we can just say we came from a world of heroes," Hikaru also looked up, stroking his chin as he thought of an excuse.
The Chaos Warrior nodded gently. "Then, farewell. Warriors who seek a higher realm."