The Duel concluded, and Ansiel raised Amagi Hikaru's hand high, accepting the applause that thundered through the hall.
For Ansiel, winning or losing was never the true goal. What mattered to him were the smiles on the audience's faces.
That was the reason he had accepted Industrial Illusions' invitation to serve as a card tester in the first place.
Hikaru found himself holding a good impression of Ansiel as well. He rarely encountered Duelists of this sort, and given that he might face many more "entertainment Duelists" in the future, he was more than willing to exchange words with him.
"As expected of the so-called answer to Fusion, you really are too strong," Ansiel said with a laugh.
"Haha, you flatter me," Hikaru replied modestly. "I'm still far from that level."
The two shook hands. Then Ansiel leaned in, lowering his voice. "Let me tell you a little secret, Amagi."
"Huh? What is it?" Hikaru asked, puzzled.
"President Pegasus is quite fond of you."
President?
The "President" he meant was clearly different from the one most students referred to.
"Mr. Pegasus? He's paying attention to me?" Hikaru didn't look too surprised and continued the conversation.
"Mhm… though he has his worries." Ansiel crossed his arms behind his head and leaned against the wall of the rest lounge's corridor, eyes wandering toward the distant audience. For once, the Duelist who had been so upbeat and lively in the match seemed troubled.
"Mr. Pegasus often speaks with us about his concerns."
"Concerns?" Hikaru echoed in surprise.
Could it be… the Light of Destruction?
In the original story, Pegasus had indeed begun searching for the source of the Light of Destruction.
"Cards," Ansiel said simply.
"Cards!?" Hikaru blinked.
Ansiel pulled a Monster Card from his Deck. The illustration depicted Beast Machine King Barbaros Ür. "This card was once Young Master Yakou's ace. Originally it was a Fusion Monster, but not long ago, he redesigned it into its current form."
Hikaru vaguely recalled that. He remembered it had been touched upon in a Yu-Gi-Oh! R's side story, though he had never studied that series closely. Regardless, in this world the redesign had caused a stir, but only those at Industrial Illusions seemed aware of it.
"Simple summoning conditions, enormous ATK… To balance it, Yako added the drawback that any battle damage dealt to the opponent becomes 0."
"That philosophy is central to Industrial Illusions."
Hikaru's eyes lit with sudden realization.
"Ah, so that's it."
"You've figured it out." Ansiel nodded. "To Mr. Pegasus, card design should always put concept and aesthetics first, with effects taking second place. A powerful card shouldn't just have high stats, it should demand proper conditions, or come with a meaningful drawback."
He stroked his chin. "That's why Mr. Pegasus has a special fondness for your fellow student's design, Eye of the Sunrise, created by Chumley."
Hikaru remembered.
That card, designed by Hayato, had earned Pegasus's praise. Chumley was later recruited by Industrial Illusions, and when the GX Tournament began, he even reached out to Jaden.
Hikaru had heard Chumley dreamed of creating a new HERO card that would merge the philosophy of that design with Jaden's HERO series.
Hikaru guessed the card Pegasus had in mind was probably Elemental HERO Sunrise.
"But have you noticed those audience members outside? The Duel Spirits?" Ansiel shook his head lightly. "Because our world is now connected to more and more Dimensions, people are starting to realize that there are stark differences in the quality of cards.
"Chasing stronger cards is practically instinct for any Duelist. And now, when they see cards from other Dimensions that are, on average, stronger than their own, of course they feel compelled to pursue power."
He paused, then lowered his voice. "There was once a senior designer who wanted to create a card on par with the Egyptian Gods. But during the exploration of Other Dimensions, he began to waver. He set his project aside and instead worked with President Pegasus, trying to sort out his thoughts."
Hikaru immediately recalled who he meant, the young genius from Yu-Gi-Oh! R, the one who created Immortal God Slime, and even seized The Winged Dragon of Ra.
That designer had felt unappreciated by Pegasus after Chumley Huffington was chosen as Industrial Illusions' Designer of the Year. Out of resentment, he stole The Winged Dragon of Ra, determined to prove his worth.
It was he who had shouted the famous line: "Duelists will always pursue stronger cards!" After his defeat at the hands of Jaden, Pegasus had appeared, explained his own design philosophy, and told the boy he had always been Pegasus's most promising designer. The young man returned with Pegasus in tears.
After all, anyone capable of designing Immortal God Slime and even wielding a counterfeit God Card was clearly among the most gifted of his generation.
In this tournament, however, there had been no mention of anything beyond Dark World Dealings. Perhaps, because of the matters concerning Other Dimensions, events had diverged from the original tale.
"But you," Ansiel continued, "are different. President Pegasus has seen recordings of your Duels, against Dino and Insect, as well as your earlier matches. He feels that while the Fusion monsters you use are powerful, your style never changes. That constancy makes him very happy.
"In an era where everyone is obsessed with power, he values seeing a Duelist who knows when to hold back."
"Haha, is that so? Please thank him for his appreciation." Hikaru smiled, elated. If he could establish direct contact with Pegasus, perhaps he could even gain access to original anime-only cards.
Ansiel put away his card and added, "If nothing else, he must have watched this Duel too. Seeing you Fusion Summon Gem-Knight Prism Aura through so many different methods will definitely have pleased him."
Just then, Ansiel's phone buzzed. He checked the screen, then chuckled. "See, Amagi, just as I said. President Pegasus has already decided to design a new card for you personally, inspired by your Duel today."
"Really?" Hikaru's eyes widened in excitement.
Such good fortune!? Could it be Relinquished's upgraded form, Millennium-Eyes Restrict? He had used that card himself on occasion.
"Actually, President Pegasus had already drafted the concept," Ansiel explained. "He just hadn't made up his mind. Your performance today tipped the scale. Oh, and he said my performance was great too. Hahaha! If I get a promotion and a raise for this, Amagi, I'll owe you big time."
"Don't be ridiculous. Even if you do, that's thanks to your own work, not me." Hikaru shook his head, not taking credit. "So… did he say what card it will be?"
Ansiel smiled faintly. "He allowed me to share the name. As for the effect, that will depend entirely on how Mr. Pegasus designs it."
Hikaru leaned forward expectantly.
"It will be called, Keeper of Dragon Magic."
"Wow!" Hikaru's eyes sparkled at once.
...
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