Under Vampire Fräulein's introduction, Hikaru quickly met Duke of Demise and the Ghostrick Princess.
Both were cards released shortly before Hikaru arrived in this world, but according to Fräulein, they had existed for centuries. They were relatively ancient spirits.
Duke of Demise in particular held a modest position in the "Zombie World." While not as transcendent as the Crimson Duke who ruled the entire Vampire Empire, he was well-respected among Zombie and Fiend types. He was the kind of figure invited to mediate and judge when factions clashed.
Under his command were many lesser spirits, all apparently stranded in this dimension due to the catastrophe. Without dimension-traveling level spirit power, they could only shelter here temporarily.
The Duke and the Princess provided them protection and maintained some relations with the Vampire Empire.
Hearing that Hikaru wanted to challenge him for a trial, Duke of Demise was ready to accept without a second thought. But he quickly raised one condition.
He could accept, but there was a stipulation.
Win or lose, if Hikaru wanted to duel him in a trial, he had to provide a home for the subjects under his protection.
"I see. That's easy enough." Hikaru smiled and held up the Emerald Tablet to show the two spirits.
"That's the Chief's book?!" Camula exclaimed from the side.
The Seven Stars' leader, the supreme alchemist, Professor Banner's book.
In terms of recognition value, for Seven Stars spirits like them, this item spoke louder than any words.
"A gift from my teacher. It connects to a massive spirit dimension, the Grand Cosmos Dimension. It's an artificial dimension whose boundaries are growing ever larger thanks to the efforts of me and my friends. They'd have more than enough space there."
At these words, some spirits behind Duke of Demise visibly showed relief. A brand-new place to live would certainly be safer and more reassuring than where they were.
As Hikaru brought this up, Fräulein also couldn't help lowering her head in brief contemplation.
If that were the case...
"Excellent. What a fine young man." The Duke nodded approvingly. "Then this old fellow shall accompany you in a dueling ceremony. Consider it repayment for the kindness of Lord Crimson Duke and Lady Fräulein."
Hikaru was immediately delighted.
The Duke's Fusion conditions were extremely favorable.
How favorable?
"Fiend-Type / Zombie-Type monster x2"!
Hikaru and Duke of Demise stood before the dwelling of these Fiend and Zombie spirits, and Hikaru deployed his Deck.
"Duel!"
Duke of Demise, LP: 4000. Hikaru, LP: 4000.
The Duke went first.
"Then, this old fellow's turn." Duke of Demise looked every bit the gentleman, his every word and gesture carrying a noble bearing. He drew his card, studied it, and his expression suddenly shifted. His presence changed dramatically.
?
At some point, Tierra had drifted out and was floating beside Hikaru.
Dueling spirits was always interesting. She was curious what this fiend would do.
Fräulein, watching from the side, noticed "Winda" and instinctively widened her eyes.
This spirit...
It felt dangerous.
What had Hikari experienced and gone through this past year?
"Human, although I admire you and am grateful you're willing to provide a home for my friends, in a sacred dueling ceremony, there is no favoritism."
"Ah, I understand that, of course."
"However, as a spirit, I personally do have attachments."
??
Hikaru wasn't quite sure what he meant.
"Over this past year, I've heard many times about what happened to Fräulein." The Duke looked at his cards. "I heard that you defeated her in the human world. Because of that, although she returned to this dimension, she can only spend her days asleep, awakening only when someone intrudes.
Whenever I think about how the Crimson Duke entrusted me to look after Fräulein before he left, I feel ashamed."
"U-Uncle, that's not... it's not like that." Fräulein hurriedly waved her hands.
She had already discussed everything with Professor Banner long ago. There were reasons she had become one of the Seven Stars. Although she lost, she gained what she wanted in return. And besides, she genuinely wanted to hand off duties and sleep.
Letting the blood demons under her handle the tedious work while she slumbered was actually preferable.
But Duke of Demise clearly hadn't factored any of that in.
So he kept going on about it, leaving Fräulein quite embarrassed.
Hikaru understood the feeling.
It was exactly like the awkward expression you made when relatives brought up long-forgotten embarrassments during holiday gatherings.
Even the normally composed Fräulein looked particularly uncomfortable right now.
"During this time, I've also heard much about your exploits and duels. So, Lord Hikari, let me see whether you can defeat me under these circumstances and earn our recognition.
I Normal Summon Archfiend Heiress."
A demon girl wielding a skull staff in one hand pranced onto the field with a mischievous grin.
Archfiend Heiress. Level 3, DARK Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 1000.
Although his name was "Duke of Demise," he was actually a genuine Fiend-Type monster. So using Fiend monsters in the duel didn't surprise Hikaru.
"When I control a monster with 'Archfiend' in its name, this card can be Special Summoned."
Hm?
Crackling yellow lightning struck from the sky.
BOOM!!
A fiend Hikaru recognized slowly appeared on the field.
Summoned Skull...?
Oh, it was Archfiend Commander.
Archfiend Commander. Level 6, DARK Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 2500.
"This formation?" Camula, who had come to spectate, looked grave.
Fräulein couldn't help frowning either.
Some spirits behind the Duke also recognized the setup, cheering him on.
"When Archfiend Commander is Special Summoned by its own effect, I must target one Archfiend card I control and destroy it.
I destroy Archfiend Heiress."
Archfiend Heiress giggled, waved goodbye, and a bolt of lightning struck from above, dissipating her.
"Archfiend Heiress's effect: when this card is sent to the Graveyard by an effect or destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, I add one Archfiend card other than Archfiend Heiress from my Deck to my hand. I add Archfiend Cavalry to my hand."
An Archfiend Deck?
Hikaru wasn't particularly familiar with the Archfiend archetype. It wasn't until he discovered the Archfiend Heiress series and noticed that "Archfiend Heiress" didn't actually carry the "Archfiend" name tag that he had briefly looked into the archetype.
"I Set one card. Turn end."
A very standard opening.
Hikaru glanced over the field, found nothing unusual, and drew normally.
But right at that moment...
"Flip set card!"
The Duke raised his hand sharply.
"Trap Card: Eradicator Epidemic Virus!"
What?!
Hikaru froze, then his pupils contracted sharply.
This guy had skills!
"I Tribute one DARK monster with 2500 or more ATK on my field, and declare either Spell Cards or Trap Cards. All Spell/Trap Cards on the opponent's field, in the opponent's hand, and all cards the opponent draws within the next three of their turns are checked. Among them, all cards of the declared type are destroyed!"
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
"I've heard about you, Lord Hikari. You pursue the ultimate in Fusion, so your Deck is primarily built around Fusion. And you used that kind of Deck to defeat young Lady Fräulein, correct?
But such a Deck has one eternal, inescapable weakness: your Deck needs Spell Cards!"
"Come now. Reveal your hand."
Hikaru silently revealed all six cards in his hand.
One Trap, two monsters, three Spell Cards!
"Just as expected, plenty of Spell Cards!" spectating fiends whispered among themselves.
"Is the Duke deliberately trying to avenge the young lady?" Some vampires felt the Duke was settling scores for their leader.
But Fräulein couldn't help pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Old man" and his pride.
Fräulein could tell that the Duke was genuinely happy about Hikaru's willingness to find his subordinates a new home. But as an ancient, old-fashioned fiend noble, he couldn't accept such charity without demonstrating his own strength first, wanting everyone to admire his power.
It really wasn't necessary.
Still, a duel was a duel. For spirits, there was no concept of holding back in a dueling ceremony. So if he wanted to appear stronger, Fräulein couldn't fault him.
But if that were the case, how would Hikaru duel?
"Interesting. He just destroyed three cards from your hand right off the bat." Tierra watched Hikaru's hand with growing interest.
Losing three hand cards at the start was an incredibly difficult handicap in a duel. Tierra understood that well by now.
Hand size, individual card quality, the scope of lockdowns, whether disruptions were powerful, and so on. None of these concepts were foreign to Tierra anymore.
As things stood, Duke of Demise's lockdown had dealt considerable damage to Hikaru. Its reach was arguably worse than even "Non-Fusion Area" or "Fusion Destruction."
After all, most of Hikaru's Fusions still relied on Spell Cards.
Of course, only "most."
Tierra hadn't witnessed Vampire Fräulein's duel against Hikaru, but with a rough estimate, she could guess what Hikaru's Deck had looked like back then.
The Hikaru of that time and the Hikaru of now were worlds apart.
"I see. Indeed, without Spell Cards, normal Fusion is very difficult to achieve. But, Duke, the me of today is nothing like the me of the past!
My Fusion, my dueling, my everything is evolving!"
He pointed at the Graveyard. "First, in the Graveyard: Metalfoes Fusion's effect. While this card is in the Graveyard, I can return it to the Deck, shuffle, and then draw one card."
"A Fusion card that activates its effect from the Graveyard?" Duke of Demise studied Metalfoes Fusion and nodded quietly. "But if the card you draw is a Spell, it won't matter."
Hikaru didn't respond. He simply drew a card and glanced down.
A Trap Card.
Chain Material.
He revealed it, then put it back in his hand.
"Normal Summon: Level 2, Predaplant Sundew Kingii!"
A lizard-shaped plant leapt out from beside Hikaru.
An unfamiliar card!
The vampires were collectively surprised.
"A monster card?" Duke of Demise asked with curiosity.
"It is a monster card, but Sundew Kingii can, during the Main Phase, Fusion Summon a DARK Fusion Monster using materials from my hand and field, including itself!"
Monster-based Fusion...
"Ho ho ha! You bypassed the lockdown and performed a Fusion just like that?" Duke of Demise couldn't help laughing. "It seems you truly live up to your reputation, Lord Hikari. You really do love Fusion."
"Purple cutie can Fuse without even using Spell Cards now." In Camula's memory, Hikaru still needed teammates to assist with Fusion. She hadn't expected him to perform a proper Fusion even after losing three cards.
"The Fusion conditions are one Predaplant and one DARK monster." Hikaru spoke slowly. "I fuse Sundew Kingii on my field with Predaplant Byblisp from my hand!"
"Witness the plant that once stood against the world-ending entity, the pure white dragon!
Fusion Summon!
Level 7: Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"
The ground began to churn. Vines and petals surged from the soil, engulfing the entire dueling field.
Predaplant Chimerafflesia. Level 7, DARK Attribute, Plant-Type. ATK 2500.
"Then, Predaplant Byblisp's effect activates as well! When this card is sent to the Graveyard: add one Predaplant monster other than Predaplant Byblisp from my Deck to my hand.
I choose Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio."
Hikaru opened his Deck, selected a card, and showed it to his opponent.
Then added it to his hand.
"With that, he has Fusion Materials again..."
"And he can attack directly!"
The vampires discussed among themselves.
These Zombie spirits, who had either been sealed away or training within the Vampire Empire for years, rarely contacted the outside world due to their dimension's shrinking and collapsing crisis. They had no idea how many new Fusion tricks Hikaru had picked up.
For precisely that reason, seeing Hikaru Fuse like this filled the vampires with excitement and curiosity.
Hikaru flicked his wrist and pointed at Duke of Demise. "Chimerafflesia, direct attack on the opponent."
The enormous carnivorous flower lashed its vines like whips, striking the Duke.
Duke of Demise, LP: 4000 → 1500.
"2500 damage in one shot!"
"So strong!"
Duke of Demise brushed off his clothes, still perfectly composed, showing no sign of nervousness.
"I Set two cards. Turn end." Hikaru glanced at his remaining hand, shook his head, and set them.
"Although he dealt 2500 damage, in practical terms, it doesn't change the situation." Vampire Fräulein watched the field and shook her head gently.
"That's right." Camula agreed. "The Lady is correct. The cards Hikaru set are Necro Fusion and Chain Material. Any monster Fused with those can only survive for one turn. And his hand only has that Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio left. If the card Hikaru draws next turn is another Spell Card, it's the same as drawing nothing..."
As she spoke, many spirits gradually realized how dire Hikaru's situation was.
Certainly, Hikaru had dealt damage first. But in truth, the only reason he could deal damage was because Duke of Demise had deliberately left himself open.
As time went on, the Duke's advantage would only grow more apparent!