Starting in Ra Dorm as a Fusion Maniac with Super Poly!

The Duel had ended.

But the sky remained overcast, the mist unbroken. The policemen nearby were still unconscious, unmoving.

Hikaru Amagi stared cautiously at the Skull Knight.

He wasn't part of the Fusion Army, but who knew? What if this skeleton refused to accept defeat?

Still—

Now that he thought about it, Hikaru realized something strange: he had no idea why the Skull Knight had challenged him in the first place. There'd been no terms laid out, no conditions agreed upon—no lives wagered, no objectives declared.

This had just been a Duel, sprung upon him.

Which meant he needed to stay alert. In case the opponent pulled something afterward.

But when Hikaru looked closely… he noticed something odd.

The Skull Knight's body was crumbling.

Bones loosened, fragments flaking off and falling. He was… disintegrating.

What the hell?

Hikaru frowned.

"Fascinating… interdimensional human." The Skull Knight stared at his dissolving hand for a long time, then looked up. "You are no ordinary Duelist."

He didn't seem hostile.

So Hikaru eased his guard.

Still, he had no idea what the guy had actually wanted.

But he waited.

"If you can understand this… then you must already know that this world is not as it seems. Your power—the darkness you wield—it means you too must know how things aren't so simple."

He was implying that Hikaru, being a Fusion Duelist infused with dark energy, should understand that not everyone in this world was what they claimed to be.

But Hikaru knew Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's very well. He didn't need to be told.

He nodded once, silently.

"Then heed this—don't get involved with this world's transformation."

The wind blew through his tattered robe, revealing the skeletal remains beneath. He wasn't planning to explain what was happening. Nor would he reveal what his "younger brother" was scheming.

To him, interdimensional visitors were just passing ghosts. Eventually, they'd return to their own worlds. And when that happened, whatever happened here wouldn't matter to them.

So it was better they knew nothing—about the Crimson Dragon, about the Earthbound Gods, about the endless cycle of struggle.

He raised a hand—and fwip, two cards flew through the air.

Hikaru caught them without thinking, then looked down.

Necro Fusion.

Underworld Dragon – Necrodeath.

…What?

When he looked up again, the Skull Knight had almost completely vanished, only his lower jaw still moving faintly.

"Human… my last trace of self, my final scrap of humanity—I give it to you. I believe, as the Absolute Fusionist, you won't let it fade into dust."

With that, the Skull Knight's form dissolved entirely.

His skeletal steed—his D-Horse—whinnied loudly, reared, then galloped off like the wind, vanishing from the area.

The air cleared. The stench of death dissipated.

Hikaru stood in silence, staring at the cards in his hand, then looked up—locked eyes with Tiara.

For a while, neither spoke.

Eventually, groans stirred from the police officers—they were waking.

Tiara tapped her chin thoughtfully, mulling it over. "So maybe that's what it was, Hikaru.

He saw you as a kindred spirit. You're a Fusion Duelist. His ace monster was a Fusion card, too—and nobody in Synchro World respects Fusion. Then you used Shaddoll powers, and he saw a mirror of his past self. So, he passed it on."

"Sounds about right." Hikaru nodded. It added up, both logically and emotionally.

"Hahaha. Then you'd better thank me, Hikaru. If not for me, you wouldn't have earned that kind of…" She squinted. "Well, pretty impressive card."

She meant it in terms of power.

Even though she wasn't at full strength, the Satan she summoned was far from a weak spirit—and Necrodeath had gone blow for blow with it.

Its spiritual rank was clearly high.

Hikaru knew it too.

After all—it was one of the Duel Dragons, tied to the Crimson Dragon!

In 5D's, Spirit presence wasn't emphasized. Only one of the dragons had a visible Duel Spirit. But in truth, they all did. The entire main cast's dragons had spirits—and this world had the Aesir, god-class monsters on par with the Egyptian Gods.

Duel Dragons held a unique position.

Any Duel Dragon could potentially tap into the Crimson Dragon's divine power—the god of Synchro itself, the master of time and space.

Even if Necrodeath was a Fusion Monster, it still had a Synchro form. Hikaru might never be able to use it, but its base form alone was already fearsome.

And it had accepted him.

Because he was exactly what its old master had chosen: a Fusion Duelist, one who wielded the forces of death.

It was a perfect match.

He never expected to come to another dimension, meet Yusei, Yugo, Rin—and then have this happen on top of that.

"If we can gather the right materials," Hikaru said, "I'll help you build another Infernal Machine."

He hadn't forgotten Tiara's role.

Though, honestly, her presence probably didn't affect the final outcome. The Skull Knight had already been watching him for days. Her presence might've only changed when it happened.

But Hikaru wasn't the kind to ignore help.

"Ahahaha, I love that about you," Tiara grinned. She knew she was stretching it asking for credit, but Hikaru's sincere response still warmed her.

At the core, this was the result of their growing partnership. Both of them understood that.

Note: The "D-Horse" isn't a made-up concept—it comes from the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's manga. Kind of like a D-Wheel… but a horse.