When Hikaru Amagi returned to the dimensional gate controlled by the Princeton Conglomerate, the duel had already reached a fever pitch.
No—more accurately, Chazz was on the brink of defeat.
His Life Points were down to 300.
Across from him stood X-Leader Ganon, sitting comfortably at 3500 LP, virtually untouched. On his field were two monsters: VW-Tiger Catapult and B-Buster Drake.
Fortunately, X-Leader Ganon's field was also clogged by three bizarre, wriggling Disruptor Tokens.
Clearly, Chazz had used one of the Disruptor Trap Cards to flood his opponent's board with these low-level nuisances. Because there weren't enough Monster Zones left, Ganon couldn't bring out any more real threats.
Still, Chazz only had two monsters left in Defense Position—Disruptor Green and Disruptor Black.
Both had a measly 0 ATK and 1000 DEF.
"Beep…" Ganon's mechanical eyes flared red.
"Activating VW-Tiger Catapult's effect. Discard 1 card to change 1 monster on the opponent's field to Attack Position."
"Discarding Z-Metal Tank. I change Disruptor Green to Attack Position."
"Nooo!!"
The long-tongued, one-eyed Disruptor monster trembled as VW's cannon locked onto it. It gulped audibly, raised its tiny fists, and braced itself.
"Hahaha! That's it—it's over!" laughed Nagisawa, Ganon's overconfident partner.
Chazz had held on for over ten turns using monsters with 0 ATK, stalling endlessly. It was frustrating Ganon's side to no end.
Though he had only managed to chip 500 LP off Ganon in return, his endurance had unsettled the invaders. Nagisawa had underestimated how infuriating a stalemate could be.
"Battle! VW-Tiger Catapult, attack Disruptor Green!"
"Waaaah!"
Disruptor Green ran in panicked circles.
Chazz clenched a fist—
Then a voice cut through the chaos.
"Don't be afraid!"
"I activate the Trap Card—Messenger of Peace!
This turn, my monsters can't be destroyed by battle, and I take no battle damage!"
BOOM!
The cannon's blast struck—but Disruptor Green emerged unscathed.
It peeked through squinted eyes to see a beautiful woman shielding it, the force of the blast dissipating against her form.
X-Leader Ganon paused, then lowered his hand.
"Impressive defense. Even with monsters that have 0 ATK, you've endured over a dozen turns. In this dimension, there is likely no warrior more tenacious than you."
It noticed Hikaru stepping into the crowd of observers. Recognition flashed in its sensors. This was the duelist who had liberated the Allied Machine Spirits.
But it didn't change its behavior.
Its eyes returned to Chazz.
"However, defense alone leads only to exhaustion."
It clenched its fist—CRACK.
"If you cannot strike back, then I cannot acknowledge you as a true duelist."
Because Ganon believed in only one thing—relentless offense.
"Heh… a frontal assault, huh?" Chazz stood tall. "Good. That's my favorite kind of duel too!"
"Tch. Turn end."
Unlike Hikaru, who had just arrived, the live broadcast audience had watched the whole thing unfold.
When Chazz suddenly shouted his counter-attack mantra, many who were rooting against the corporate takeover began to worry.
"An aggressive push? From him? No way!" one student shouted.
"Chazz's done nothing but turtle this whole time. He's at 300 LP—he's basically one foot in the grave!"
"Even if he survives, VW's effect'll activate again next turn!"
"Guess all that fame was just corporate handouts after all…" someone muttered bitterly.
"Cut the crap!"
Jaden Yuki suddenly shouted.
"Chazz's skills are the real deal!"
"If he's out of options now… then are we even students of Blue Academy anymore? Are we just gonna become Nagisawa Academy rejects!? Is Red Dorm gonna get renamed 'Almost Dorm'?!"
"WHAT?!"
Jaden gasped, realizing what was at stake.
"No way—that can't happen! Chazz, don't lose!!"
Even though he'd never truly believed Chazz would lose, now he shouted harder than ever. Others followed, their voices rising with urgency.
Chazz couldn't hear their cheers.
But he didn't need to.
He wiped sweat from his brow and stood tall.
From a young age, he'd won countless beginner tournaments—earned applause, praise, admiration.
But never recognition.
His peers thought it was all thanks to his corporate family.
His older brothers saw his victories as expected.
No one ever acknowledged his effort.
They believed his success was inevitable, or worse, undeserved.
So he grew desperate.
More extreme.
He came to Duel Academy to prove himself without his family's backing.
But then—he lost his first classroom duel to Jaden Yuki.
That loss shook him to the core.
Later, after dueling AI simulations at KaibaCorp for months, he returned to challenge Jaden again—only to see Jaden laughing with another student.
Even though Jaden had lost his top spot.
Is this how duelists bond?
Even in defeat?
Chazz never thought Jaden was weak.
He tried to challenge Hikaru Amagi next—and lost again.
"I see the future of Fusion," Hikaru had told him,
"But all you see is Jaden."
That woke him up.
Pride shouldn't be just about appearance.
Victory wasn't everything.
"Duelists have no limits! Even monsters with 0 ATK can win!"
"My turn—draw!"
He looked at his card—eyes gleaming.
"I Normal Summon Disruptor Yellow in Attack Position!"
Level 2, LIGHT, Beast-Type.
ATK: 0
"He's summoning in Attack Position now? Chazz, you've given up."
Nagisawa laughed.
"Maybe you'd make a great comedy duelist. Put on a costume."
"Nagisawa…"
Chazz's voice cracked like fire,
"Watch closely. A real duelist makes the impossible happen!"
"When Disruptor Yellow, Green, and Black are on the field, something amazing happens!"
He slammed a card from his hand onto the Duel Disk—
"I activate the Spell Card—Disruptor Triple Typhoon!
If I control all three Disruptor monsters, destroy every card on my opponent's field!"
"WHAT?!"
Nagisawa's jaw dropped.
"Those worthless freaks actually have a hidden power?!"
"Go, Disruptors!!"
"Aye aye, boss!!"
The trio leapt together, fusing into a storm of chaos that ripped Ganon's field apart.
"Your Disruptor Tokens were summoned by Disruptor Trio—a Trap Card. When each is destroyed, you take 300 damage. With three of them… that's 900!"
X-Leader Ganon LP: 3500 → 2600
"But that's still not enough," a student muttered.
"The Disruptors have 0 ATK…"
As if reading their minds, Chazz shouted:
"Fools! I switch Disruptor Black to Attack Position! Then activate the Spell—Shield in Right Hand, Sword in Left!
All monsters on the field swap their ATK and DEF!"
Disruptor Yellow.
Disruptor Green.
Disruptor Black.
Each with 1000 DEF—now turned into 1000 ATK.
Their stubby limbs bulged.
Muscles exploded like balloons from their cartoon frames.
"WHAT?!"
Nagisawa stood dumbfounded.
"That's genius! It doesn't matter if they're weak—DEF becomes ATK!"
"Chazz is the real deal!!"
And again, as if hearing them:
"One—
Ten—
Hundred—
THOUSAND—
Chazz THUNDER!!"
All the students watching roared with him.
Chazz raised his hand, pointing straight ahead.
"Disruptors—attack X-Leader Ganon!!"
Perfect.
Hikaru clapped first.
This duel was way tougher than the one Chazz had in the original timeline.
"Phew…"
After the final blow, Ganon's body played a triumphant jingle.
He was pleased.
Total destruction followed by a coordinated attack—that's the power of all-out offense.
Chazz finally let out a breath.
He'd won.
He hadn't let down his classmates.
He hadn't let down his teacher.