NOVEL WEB Chapter 207: Appearance
Compared to ordinary duels, the pro circuit has many things a regular person would never experience.
First among them is the "entrance."
As a Pro Duelist, being a "Duelist" isn't just a title, it's a job. They represent companies and brands, and with that comes spectacle.
Take this match, for example.
After the interdimensional Friendship Cup stole the public's attention, the pro scene desperately needed a match that could draw eyes. That's why, this time, everything from the venue to the logistics to the lighting was pushed to the extreme.
The commentary was done by a trio: a pro analyst, a card designer, and a retired duelist.
The stadium seated tens of thousands. Countless fans spent big money just to witness the duel up close.
And even the duelists' entrances were meticulously staged.
Zane Truesdale's entrance was sleek, futuristic. Amid flickering blue flames and mechanical sounds, his form materialized as if teleported from data to reality.
"Kaiser-sama~~!"
"Kaiser~!!"
Fans, especially girls, screamed his nickname in frenzied support.
"Wow! As expected from Kaiser, so popular!" Back at Duel Academy, the students watching the broadcast chattered excitedly, with Jaden loudly cheering from afar.
Then, with a storm of wind, a silhouette fell from the sky like a meteor, landing in a brilliant burst of light, one knee to the ground, one hand pressed into the arena floor. Then slowly, Marvel-hero style, he rose.
"Woooah!!!"
"Aster!!!"
Young, rich, and handsome, Aster Phoenix had plenty of fangirls. But unlike Zane, his fanbase also included... mature women. Very mature.
He had a special appeal to auntie-aged fans.
Then came the match commentary, opening statements, and so on.
Knowing Aster planned to join the Fusion Club after enrolling, Zane found him likable. And Zane, being modest, only lamented he could no longer return to the club post-graduation. He highly recommended the Fusion Club to Aster, saying it would surely be an unforgettable part of his student life.
"Even now, I still think about everyone in the Fusion Club."
"Do you? Then I'm really looking forward to it," Aster said with a smile.
He genuinely wanted to experience student life. Even more, since he'd watched the full Friendship Cup in the S-Dimension. Hikaru and the others had put on a spectacular performance.
As their upperclassman, Duel Academy's undisputed "Kaiser," Aster was very curious just how strong Zane truly was.
Before coming to the match, he had visited Sartorius.
Sartorius looked much calmer than before. As someone who knew him well, Aster could tell that the anxiety in Sartorius's heart had lessened.
Originally, Sartorius foresaw that he would destroy the world. As time passed and dimensional exploration expanded, the "light" grew larger, and that destructive fate seemed increasingly inevitable, perhaps even expanding to other dimensions!
However, due to a misstep (or perhaps fate itself), Sartorius had mistakenly made Aster join Hikaru's Fusion Club, then dueling and defeating Syrus Truesdale, the representative of the Polymerization Club. This apparently caused friction between Sartorius and Leo Akaba.
The Society of Light, Sartorius's dimensional exploration organization, was attacked by Leo Akaba's Fusion Army.
Although it was a small skirmish, Sartorius was pleased to tell Aster that his apocalyptic future seemed to be shrinking.
The light within him had weakened.
But that was all.
Aster understood, as long as Sartorius could still see the future, he was still in danger.
This time, Sartorius's reading was clear:
"Duel according to your own heart."
So be it.
Duel true to yourself!
"You may take the first move, senpai," Aster said calmly, inserting his Deck into his Duel Disk.
"Me?" Zane looked at his opponent, then shook his head. "The Deck you're using today, it's your true Deck, isn't it? The one you don't use on the pro circuit.
"I heard you used it when you dueled Syrus at Duel Academy."
Aster nodded slightly.
Syrus was this man's younger brother, after all. Quite the difference in aura.
"Then you should go first," Zane said, deferring politely.
"Senpai," Aster folded his arms. "Though you're my senior at the Academy, as a fellow Pro Duelist, let me remind you: sometimes, as a Duelist, it doesn't pay to worry too much about your opponent.
"Because your opponent may only wish for your destruction."
"Man, that guy's so full of himself!" Back at Duel Academy, Syrus growled, watching Aster make that bold declaration.
"But... didn't he beat you?" Jaden said.
"He just beat me once! Big bro is ten, a hundred times stronger than me!" Syrus fumed. He didn't like how Aster spoke to Zane, it sounded like he was lecturing him!
"I see..." Bastion inhaled sharply. "So Aster Phoenix believes he's further along the path of dueling than Kaiser... Is this confidence, or arrogance?"
"Aster Phoenix..." Chazz watched the stream with a serious look.
What kind of strength did this freshman have to be so bold?
"I understand now," Zane murmured, recalling what Hikaru had told him earlier. He drew a deep breath.
"Then, let's duel!"
"Duel!"
[Zane Truesdale, LP: 4000]
[Aster Phoenix, LP: 4000]
"My turn! Draw! I Normal Summon, Cyber Dragon Core!"
A mechanical dragon with embedded red veins and a glowing core appeared on Zane's field.
[Cyber Dragon Core] Level 2│LIGHT│Machine│400 ATK
"Cyber Dragon Core is treated as 'Cyber Dragon' while on the field and in the Graveyard!
"Also, when it's Normal Summoned, its effect activates: I add one 'Cyber' or 'Cybernetic' Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand!
"I add Cybernetic Revolution to my hand!"
"Oh!" Hikaru's eyes lit up.
'Cyber Dragon Core!'
'So Zane even got that card!'
"I set one card. Turn end!"
"Brilliant! Not only did he add Cybernetic Revolution, which lets him instantly Special Summon Cyber End Dragon, but Cyber Dragon Core counts as Cyber Dragon too!" Bastion quickly grasped Zane's setup.
"Awesome! Big bro pulled it off with just one card!" Syrus shouted.
"Hmm... a strong start, still senpai... against my Destiny Heroes, that's far too weak."
"?!" Zane's eyes narrowed.
"My turn, Draw!"
"I Normal Summon, Destiny HERO - Drilldark!" Aster revealed the card dramatically.
"Destiny!?"
"HERO!?"
"What the heck!?"
"Never heard of that card before!"
...
Bonus @800
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