Jesse moved around a little to adjust.
The armor was slightly uncomfortable.
But he quickly accepted the situation.
He had always wanted a proper duel against Hikaru but never had the chance. During the GX tournament, he had unexpectedly lost to someone else and couldn't face Hikaru's Gem-Knights with his Crystal Beasts on the main stage.
Now this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
"My turn. Draw."
He noticed the screen beside them. Hikaru's supporters clearly outnumbered his own by a wide margin.
He was supposed to be the "protagonist," yet everyone seemed to generally favor Hikaru.
Of course, he understood.
Just like playing games as a kid. Someone always had to play the villain, but if one particular kid was especially popular, everyone would instinctively root for them even if they played the bad guy.
At Duel Academy, Hikaru was far more famous and popular than Jesse, a transfer student. Virtually no one doubted Hikaru anymore. He was the academy's undisputed top student.
But Jesse could relate.
It was simple. If Hikaru came to his branch campus, Jesse was confident his own popularity would surpass Hikaru's, even if Hikaru's global fame far exceeded his own.
Supporting "one of your own" was only natural.
So the first thing he needed to do was get everyone "into character."
"Here I come, Lancelot!"
"Bring it, Artorigus!"
Jesse drew a card from his Deck.
He glanced at his hand and spoke. "As a knight, betraying one's lord is absolutely unforgivable!"
Hikaru grinned.
"However, you are also a noble knight, so I shall permit you in this sacred duel to prove your valor and purity through combat. In short, with my family, my knights, show me your strength, knight!"
"Spell Card: Crystal Bond!"
A massive yellow gemstone glimmered on the field. Whether it was an illusion or not, many students caught a glimpse of strange armored equipment. A fully armored tiger roared onto the stage, then crystallized into a yellow gem.
"I add Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus from my Deck to my hand, and place Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger from my Deck as a Continuous Spell Card in my Spell and Trap Zone."
"Crystal Beasts!"
"I saw them during the GX tournament! Supposedly the only set in the world, personally excavated and crafted by Mr. Pegasus!"
Jesse laughed heartily. "That's right! These are the world's one and only, my family, my knights!"
"Jesse, what are you playing?" Sapphire Pegasus flew to his side, asking curiously.
For some reason, it was now adorned with all sorts of armor and equipment, making it slightly uncomfortable.
Jesse gave a brief explanation, and it perked up with interest.
Roleplay dueling?!
Then it was Jesse's Knight of the Round Table!
"Vanquish the villain!" Pegasus called out. "Send me in!"
"Oh! That's the spirit, Sapphire!" Jesse responded enthusiastically, then summoned the monster to the field. "Normal Summon: Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus!"
"Neigh!"
The fully armored Sapphire made a dazzling entrance.
The pride of the Crystal Beasts!
Sapphire Pegasus!
Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus. Level 4, WIND Attribute, Beast-Type. ATK 1800.
"When Sapphire Pegasus is Normal Summoned, Special Summoned, or Flip Summoned, I can place one Crystal Beast from my Deck as a Continuous Spell face-up on my field. I place Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat!"
"Yeah!" A purple cat leapt onto the field with a shout, then transformed into a purple gemstone, remaining on the field.
"Spell Card: Rare Value." Jesse revealed a Spell Card and showed it to Hikaru. "This can only be activated when I have two or more Crystal Beast Continuous Spell Cards on my field. My opponent selects one to send to the Graveyard, and I draw two cards."
Jesse smiled, looking at Hikaru. "Come on, knight! Which will you choose?"
"Topaz Tiger, obviously." Hikaru pointed at the opponent's field. "A true knight should protect the women and children. Between a fierce tiger and a cat, I'll keep the cat."
"Those aren't words a traitor would say! And besides, underestimating a cat is going to cost you. That's no way for a knight to behave!" Jesse felt Amethyst Cat's frenzied howl of outrage and couldn't help chuckling.
Amethyst Cat had the worst temper among his family. She absolutely would not tolerate anyone harming Jesse or the other Crystal Beasts, and was one of the rare spirits who actually swore. In short, Hikaru's comment definitely didn't sit well with her.
Even knowing this was a "performance."
"I Set three cards." Jesse generously set a full three cards, then smiled. "Lancelot, if you still have a knight's pride, then use your strength to break through this duel!"
Hikaru placed his hand on his Deck and felt a slight resistance.
He glanced at the projection screen beside him. Thanks to Jesse's swift, efficient opening turn and his "rare" cards, Jesse's supporters were steadily gaining ground.
Under Jesse's "performance," the students gradually realized this wasn't about scores. It was about supporting "Artorigus" or "Lancelot." As the villain, Lancelot's supporters naturally dwindled, shifting to Artorigus's side.
But that wasn't what concerned Hikaru.
He noticed that when drawing, he actually felt a hint of resistance.
Just as he thought.
He subtly observed Professor Paladin from the corner of his eye.
Sure enough, this so-called "roleplay duel" wasn't purely about acting. There was additional "energy" at work in this duel.
Was it coming from the support screen?
"My turn. Draw!"
Hikaru swiftly drew a card, then spoke. "Artorigus, I never betrayed you, nor did I ever attack you."
"But since you cannot tolerate or forgive me, then through this knight's duel, I shall make you understand my loyalty to the Round Table." He glanced at his hand. "Equip Spell: Future Fusion!"
"With this card, I shall awaken the future and demonstrate my resolve!"
"In that case, flip card!" Jesse immediately and decisively opened a Trap. "Counter Trap: Crystal Miracle!"
He slowly clenched his fist. "When a monster effect, Spell, or Trap Card is activated, I can activate this. I destroy one Crystal Beast on my field, and negate that activation and destroy the card!
I destroy Amethyst Cat and send it to the Graveyard, negating and destroying your Future Fusion!"
Ugh.
Hikaru watched a clock spin in the air for a moment before Pegasus kicked it apart with a foreleg, and it slowly dissipated.
Well then.
"Justice shall always triumph over evil! For a traitor, there is no future!" Jesse shouted a couple of cool slogans and struck several poses. His support numbers began climbing steadily.
Hikaru felt a subtle pressure building.
So that was how it worked.
Roleplay dueling really was quite interesting.
He could feel his "spirit power" being gently tempered.
This Professor Paladin's research had some rather unique and impressive aspects too.
"Is that so? But don't forget, I am the strongest knight! Since you're using Crystal Beasts, then let me show you my gems!
Continuous Spell: Brilliant Fusion!"
Hikaru casually revealed a Spell Card. "Brilliant Fusion's effect: send monsters from my Deck to the Graveyard as Fusion Materials to Fusion Summon one Gem-Knight Fusion Monster with its ATK and DEF reduced to 0."
Hikaru pulled out his Deck, searched through it, and drew two cards. "I fuse Gem-Knight Lapis from my Deck with Gem-Knight Nephilim!
Fusion conditions: Gem-Knight Lapis plus one Gem-Knight monster!"
"Gem-Knight Nephilim?" Up in the seats, quite a few people voiced their confusion.
They had never heard Hikaru use this card before.
And why did the name sound so strange?
"Shouldn't it be Gem-Knight Lapis and Gem-Knight Topaz? Who's this Nephilim?"
"Yeah, that's not how Hikaru usually summons."
"Of course not!" Hikaru seemed to hear the audience's questions. "Because I am the strongest knight, Lancelot, the knight who wields the cursed blade!"
The students were momentarily bewildered, but they quickly grasped Hikaru's intent.
He was building his strategy from the "villain's" perspective.
"Fusion Summon: Gem-Knight Aquamarine!"
A sturdy knight swung a hand-blade and leapt onto the field.
This time it truly was a "knight."
Gem-Knight Aquamarine. Level 6, EARTH Attribute, Aqua-Type. ATK 0.
"Gem-Knight?" Sapphire Pegasus looked at the monster that appeared on the opposite side and couldn't help whinnying with excitement. "I see! So this is the duelist Jesse told me about, the one who also uses gems?
Quite an interesting monster indeed."
"But its ATK is only 0."
Amethyst Cat's spirit poked its head out from the Graveyard, clinging to the edge and watching the field. "With 0 ATK, there's nothing to worry about."
Hikaru chuckled. "At this moment, I activate Nephilim's effect!"
"When this card is sent from the hand or Deck to the Graveyard: discard one card from my hand, and this card Special Summons itself!"
Hikaru held up a card from his hand. "I send Gem-Knight Fusion to the Graveyard."
"Special Summon: Gem-Knight Nephilim!"
A purple halo rose above Hikaru's head, slowly spinning and materializing.
Then countless puppet strings shot out from every direction, assembling into a form everyone recognized.
No, although it was a "familiar" monster, it was much smaller than before!
A slender little monster slowly appeared on Hikaru's field.
Gem-Knight Nephilim. Level 4, LIGHT Attribute, Fairy-Type. DEF 1600.
"Ohhh!!!"
"Isn't that Construct?"
"So it was Construct all along!"
Many people had their moment of realization.
Nearly every student knew that aside from the spirit called Winda, Hikaru's most trusted spirits were Flame Swordsman and Gem-Knight Crystal, and Crystal possessed the form of El Shaddoll Shekhinaga.
They had been wondering whether other Shaddoll monsters had alternate forms too. Today they discovered that Construct had a Gem-Knight form.
Hikaru looked at Nephilim with indescribable excitement.
This card was a brand-new card that had appeared recently.
It seemed that after unsealing Lapis's body, the Gem-Knight and Shaddoll powers had begun growing normally. Not only had Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli successfully manifested, but an entirely new card that Hikaru had never seen before had appeared.
Gem-Knight Nephilim!
Powerful, mighty, formidable! The moment this card appeared, Hikaru instantly knew his Gem-Knight build needed restructuring.
"Nephilim's effect: when this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add one Gem-Knight card other than Gem-Knight Nephilim from my Deck to my hand. During this turn's Main Phase, effect damage the opponent takes is halved!"
"What a powerful effect!" Below, Jaden exclaimed.
While others hadn't caught on yet, Chazz, who had teamed up with Hikaru before, instantly recalled that card. "Wait, that strong?!"
"Aha!" On stage, the Tyler sisters' eyes lit up. Gloria couldn't resist clapping her hands together. "It's that one, Dispersion!"
"Nephilim's effect: from my Deck, I add Gem-Knight Dispersion to my hand!" Hikaru cheerfully added the card.
"And immediately, I play it!" Hikaru raised the card. Countless purple lightning bolts rained from the sky, casting his silhouette in a terrifying, dark, profound light.
But it was precisely this radiance, this presence, that sent Hikaru's supporter count skyrocketing.
If you're playing the villain, commit to the role!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Under the lightning, the armored Hikaru looked like a hunter knight who had destroyed countless planets in pursuit of monsters. His figure appeared impossibly tall, making more than a few students in the "Holy Knight" faction duck their heads involuntarily.
"Gem-Knight Dispersion is a Fusion Spell exclusive to Gem-Knights. It can use monsters from my hand or field as Fusion Materials for a Gem-Knight Fusion Summon. But when Gem-Knight Fusion is in my Graveyard, up to two non-Rock-Type Gem-Knight monsters from my Deck or Extra Deck can also be used as Fusion Materials!"
Jesse, Sapphire Pegasus, and Amethyst Cat stared at Hikaru in shock. "Fusing from the Extra Deck?"
Hikaru's lips curved upward. "I use Aquamarine on my field, plus Ruby and Topaz from my Extra Deck as Fusion Materials! Fusion Summon!!"
BOOM!
A massive gemstone sword plunged from the sky. Then a pristine white knight slowly swept its cape, both hands on the sword's hilt, unleashing terrifying purple lightning.
"Level 9!"
"Gem-Knight King Brilliant Diamond!"
Gem-Knight King Brilliant Diamond. Level 9, Rock-Type. ATK 2900.
The villain's knight had summoned the "King of Knights" first!