Time passed.
Surrounded by her entourage of vampires, Camula wore an arrogant smirk. Half her face was split grotesquely as she chuckled with a sinister grin.
Camula – LP: 2800On her field: Vampire's Curse (ATK 1700), Dark Shadow (ATK 1000), and Vampire Genesis (ATK 3200).
Across from her, Professor Crowler stood alone with just Ancient Gear Golem (ATK 3000) and a single set card.
Vampire Genesis should have been evenly matched with the Golem, but with Dark Shadow boosting all Zombie-Type monsters by 200 ATK, the tide had shifted against Crowler.
Crowler – LP: 100
"Ohohoho~ Your Life Points are a flickering candle in the wind," Camula crooned, cradling her cheek with one gloved hand, lips curled in a lady-like sneer. "No cards in hand, only one set on the field—what can you possibly do now? Honestly, I'd rather toy with those two handsome boys next to you~ If you'd just tag out and let one of them take your place, I wouldn't object!"
Crowler staggered but stood.
The Shadow Duel had taken a far greater toll on him than he'd expected. His body throbbed with the sensation of a thousand needles. Simply standing was agony.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Crowler bellowed, clenching his fists. "They are my most precious students! I won't let you lay a single finger on them!"
"Professor Crowler!" Zane stepped forward, visibly moved.
Even Hikaru clenched his fists. "You've got this, Professor! I've always believed in you!"
Crowler turned to glance at his students. Despite the pain, a proud smile spread across his face.
"And besides… I'm the acting dean of Duel Academy. I cannot condone a Shadow Duel in good conscience!"
"But you're already battered and bruised!" Chazz muttered.
"Dueling is light," Crowler replied, meeting Chazz's eyes. "Watch me banish the darkness with a proper duel."
"…Tch." Camula curled her tongue like a serpent and gave a twisted smile. "Save your speeches for the cute ones. You're on your last legs—let's end this already. Vampire Genesis, attack!"
"Activate set card—Attack Nullification! Your attack is stopped and the Battle Phase ends immediately!"
"Such desperate flailing," Camula hissed, her tongue flicking. "With no hand and only one monster left, what could you possibly do?"
"I do have something." Crowler raised his hand and hovered it over his chest-mounted Duel Disk. "There is one way."
"What!?" Chazz looked stunned. "What kind of move could you make in a situation like this…?"
"…I see," Zane folded his arms, nodding slightly as if remembering something.
"Oh! I get it now!" Alexis's eyes lit up. She turned to Hikaru.
"Whoa! No way!" Jaden shouted, pointing at Syrus, who pointed back, both equally excited.
"What the heck are you all talking about!?" Chazz felt utterly left out.
"It's a Fusion," Bastion kindly explained. "If he draws Ancient Gear Fusion, the signature spell for the archetype…"
"Fusion spell?" Camula frowned, puzzled. "I've never heard of it."
Hikaru watched carefully from the sidelines.
Truthfully, he'd observed the whole duel. Oddly, there hadn't been a single bat flying around.
Camula was... actually dueling properly.
In the original timeline, she'd used her bats to spy on opponents' hands and decks. This Camula, surprisingly, was playing fair.
Pity, Hikaru thought.If she hadn't been so sporting, they'd already be inside the castle by now.
"Even if you had such a card, what are the odds you'd draw it?"
"I will draw it," Crowler said with conviction.
The Duel Disk spat out a card. Crowler plucked it up and smiled calmly.
Lately, he'd learned a great deal from his students. He'd come to realize his previous arrogance was misplaced. The existence of supernatural powers… was real.
More importantly, he'd realized his duty—not to dominate his students, but to guide and nurture them.
He owed it to Hikaru for showing him new possibilities.
"This card represents those possibilities."
"Activate Spell—Ancient Gear Fusion! This is the dedicated Fusion Spell for Ancient Gears!"
"But you have no Fusion materials left—!"
"Heh." Crowler wagged his finger. "How foolish. Just as you'd expect from a relic of the Dark Ages."
He mimicked Hikaru's tone: "Fusion is the most noble form of summoning! This spell allows me to fuse using Ancient Gear Golem on my field and monsters from my Deck!"
"What!?"
"That's awesome, Professor!" Jaden cheered.
"Watch closely, everyone—this is how a fair duel defeats the darkness!"
"Fusion Summon! Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem! "
Thunder boomed as a massive mechanical titan rose from the earth. Its arms, plated with steel, looked capable of smashing any foe to dust.
"ATK 4400!!?" Camula shrieked, instinctively stumbling back.
"Battle! Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, attack Dark Shadow—Ultimate Smash!"
"Aaaaahhhhhh!!"
Camula – LP: 2800 → 0
"Heh! Behold the power of Duel Academy's acting dean!" Crowler announced proudly, striking a victorious pose.
"But isn't the Chancellor technically the dean?" Syrus blinked.
"Uh… let's just roll with it," Jaden muttered, looking skyward.
On the other side, Camula staggered to her feet, aided by her vampire maids. She glanced back at Crowler, pouting. "Tch… not exactly handsome, but I admit your speech was kind of cool. You're qualified to meet the Lady."
"Wait, what? Isn't the duel over? Aren't you a Shadow Rider?" Crowler blinked.
"She never said that, Professor!" Bastion wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
"Ma-ma-mamma miaaa! You mean all that damage for nothing!?" Crowler wailed, clutching his face.
His spirit affinity was too weak to handle Shadow Duels properly. He wasn't one of the Chosen Duelists. Even now, simply standing drained him.
A second Shadow Duel would knock him out before the first turn!
But still… he tried to stand.
"Professor Crowler!" Zane rushed over, supporting him. "Please rest—your body can't handle this."
"But…"
"Let me handle it." Zane's voice was resolute. "We're your students, fledglings leaving the eagle's nest. You've been our guide. Now it's our turn to bring light back to this academy."
"Yes, Professor." Hikaru nodded. "Leave it to us."
Crowler smiled at them, full of pride. "Yes…"
He had full faith in Hikaru. After all, Hikaru had faced the darkness and won—even alone in the alternate dimension.
He was every bit as capable as Zane.
"Geez… If you were gonna be so noble, couldn't you have said something earlier?" Camula grumbled. "Now I've got a black eye."
"Hey! Don't forget to wake up my students!" Crowler barked after her.
"Yeah, yeah," she sighed, waving her hand. A maid bowed and headed off to comply.
"And you better show some respect when you meet the Lady!"
With that, Camula led the remaining students down the red carpet, into the mansion.
All the windows were drawn tight with thick curtains.
"It's huge…"
Everyone stared, awe-struck. Then came a soft yawn and the sound of approaching footsteps.
From the second floor of the mansion, a young girl descended with a parasol in hand. She had bat wings sprouting from her back, blood-red eyes, and dull golden hair.
"Ahhh~" Chazz, Syrus, and the others stared in a daze, prompting a vein to throb on Alexis's forehead.
"You've arrived?" the girl murmured with a yawn. She had clearly just woken. "Then… hand over your keys."
"No way!" Zane snapped.
"Hmm…" She tilted her head, puzzled. "You're going to lose anyway."
"How would you know if we haven't even dueled yet!?" Jaden shouted.
"Oh?" Her crimson eyes glowed faintly.
A massive bat flew in from above and landed beside her. It transformed into a tall, white-haired female vampire who knelt silently at her side.
"Fetching them one by one takes too long."
"…Wait, are you saying…?" Hikaru stepped forward, realization dawning.
"Exactly. Let's do a Tag Duel."
The vampire girl folded up her parasol and pressed a switch. With a mechanical hiss, it transformed into a Duel Disk shaped like bat wings.
"Let's make this quick."