"We're now live in front of KaibaCorp headquarters!"
Hikaru Amagi had rushed back to the Activities Clubroom, snagged an empty seat, and was now glued to the TV, where a breaking news broadcast was already underway.
Onscreen, a sea of reporters had swarmed the front of KaibaCorp. They shoved and elbowed their way past each other beneath the towering Blue-Eyes White Dragon statues. One particularly determined female reporter had squeezed into the front of the crowd, mic raised high, trying to get a statement from Seto Kaiba himself.
"President Kaiba, what kind of world did you encounter this time?!"
"President Kaiba, we heard you experienced something beyond comprehension—can you tell us what happened?!"
"President Kaiba—!"
Then—"Hmph."
That single, disdainful grunt silenced the crowd instantly. The press froze, like deer in headlights, all eyes locking onto Kaiba in complete, trembling silence.
"Whoa... Kaiba's so cool..." Jaden Yuki sat cross-legged in front of the TV, palms flat against the floor, awestruck that Kaiba had cowed a mob of reporters without even uttering a word.
"Hmph, of course he is!" Chazz Princeton crossed his arms, chin tilted up with pride. "That's the legendary Mr. Kaiba you're talking about!"
"You've still got a long way to go to match that, Chazz~" Alexis Rhodes teased from the side, plucking a playful chord on her guitar, her voice light with laughter.
Don't let her aloof attitude fool you—she never flinched in the face of anything.
And then, Kaiba finally spoke.
"To all Duelists watching this broadcast around the globe..."
"You brave Duelists. You proud Duelists."
"Bear witness—the age of Dueling is about to evolve!"
With a dramatic flourish, he drew a card from seemingly nowhere, held it between his fingers, and declared:
"I call it... the Age of Dimensional Dueling!"
"Prepare yourselves! An era is approaching where Duelists from across dimensions will clash, surpassing their limits, and rising toward heights never before imagined!"
With that, he turned and walked away, not sparing the crowd a single backward glance. The reporters stood frozen, bewildered, having no idea what just happened.
In the Activities Club, Hikaru and the others looked at the screen with a mix of confusion and polite unease. Even Chazz ducked his head awkwardly, pretending not to be there. Only Jaden was pumping his fists, shouting "OHHHHH!" with barely contained glee.
He didn't care about the implications—he just heard "Dimensional Dueling Era" and got hyped.
Honestly, Kaiba probably didn't care to explain it either.
Thankfully, as Seto Kaiba strode off, another figure stepped into view—this one dressed in a crisp white suit, calm, composed, and sharp-featured. The handsome young man looked like a rising star, but he was none other than KaibaCorp's Vice President.
"Mokuba!" someone in the crowd shouted. "It's Mr. Mokuba Kaiba!"
"Mokuba, what the hell's going on here?!" another reporter shoved a mic toward him.
Once one started, the rest surged forward like animals to a feeding frenzy, all barking questions.
Seto Kaiba might've been the world's top Duelist—and infamously impossible to interview—but his younger brother Mokuba, second-in-command at KaibaCorp, had gradually taken on more of the business reins. Unlike Seto, Mokuba was approachable, clear, and took responsibility seriously. So with their biggest headline already walking offstage, the press swarmed the younger Kaiba like moths to flame.
Mokuba coughed lightly, waited for the crowd to settle, and raised his voice:
"What my brother just revealed... is a brand-new Duel Monster—"
"The White Stone of Legend!"
As he spoke, he pulled a card from his coat pocket.
Cameras flashed. Reporters surged closer to catch a glimpse.
"LIGHT Attribute... Level 1? Wait—'Tuner'? What the hell's that?"
The unfamiliar text sparked a frenzy of speculation and excitement.
"This is something we discovered in the new world we made contact with!" Mokuba raised one hand while the other slipped the card back into his coat. "According to research from our Science Division, in collaboration with Dr. Fudo, we've confirmed that a unique particle discovered in the Synchro World exists in our dimension as well."
"In other words, unlike some summoning methods we can't replicate, this one—this new summoning method—can be achieved here!"
"Aaaah!"
"Wow!"
"It has to do with that 'Tuner' thing, right?!"
"OHHHH!!" Even Jaden was now bouncing up and down with excitement, practically vibrating in place.
Mokuba nodded, then added, "Yes. It's a special summoning method known as Synchro Summon."
"But unfortunately, while KaibaCorp has tried everything to manufacture the cards... we still can't fully replicate Synchro Monsters or activate Synchro Summoning mechanics just yet."
"Maybe... we'll need deeper exchanges with the Synchro World to unlock those secrets."
He sighed.
"Sadly, the inhabitants of that world are highly resistant to outsiders. Our KaibaCorp contact team met heavy resistance."
KaibaCorp had once been an arms manufacturer, but long since pivoted to entertainment. After all… in this world, a card game was more profitable than war. And both Kaiba brothers, shaped by the scars of their past, had no interest in conquest.
Besides, Mokuba could understand the Synchro World's caution. Their first contact with the Xyz World had been by chance, but this time, they'd actively trespassed—no wonder the local authorities had reacted badly.
They'd need to earn trust. Ease tensions. Foster diplomacy.
"But while Synchro Summons are still out of reach... we can now use Tuner Monsters!"
"KaibaCorp, in collaboration with Illusion International, will begin limited distribution soon—initially through our subsidiaries and KaibaCorp Duel Academy."
"Details will follow—"
From there, Mokuba launched into logistics and business jargon. The man who'd once been kidnapped dozens of times had grown into a sharp executive, more in tune with the masses than his stoic brother.
"Not bad," said a floating voice next to Hikaru—Tiella, hovering ghostlike at his shoulder. "Hey Hikaru, remember how your Falcon card kept triggering errors in your Duel Disk? Looks like that's not an issue anymore. Try it again later."
Hikaru nodded.
He'd earned "Shaddoll Falcon" with Tiella's help—a card that should've let him Fusion Summon "El Shaddoll Midrash." But the system had always rejected Falcon.
Because Shaddoll Falcon wasn't just a Flip Monster. It was also a Tuner.
He'd even considered hacking the Duel Disk himself... but KaibaCorp had beaten him to it.
"Whoa!! Did you hear that?! Our school's part of the pilot program!"
"Sweet! Gotta cut back on snacks so I can buy more card packs next shipment!"
"Dude, we're the Fusion Club... maybe tone it down a bit."
Several students threw sideways glances toward Hikaru.
He just smiled and shook his head.
"Guys, come on. Fusion Summoning uses all kinds of monsters as material. Who says Tuners can't be fusion materials too? And even if Synchro Summoning becomes widespread… what's the big deal?"
He laughed softly. "It's not like I'm going to banish you all for it."
"Haha, exactly! Hikaru's Fusion is inclusive fusion!"
"Yeah! What are you so worried about?"
"Who knows, maybe someday Synchros and Xyz monsters will be used as Fusion Material too!"
"Pfft, if anyone could pull that off, it'd be Hikaru!"
Tiella nodded emphatically, grinning.
And why not? Hikaru had just gotten such a card the day before.
Over at the Synchro Club, though... the air was cold and suffocating.
Syrus Truesdale sat near the front. He glanced left. Glanced right. Wanted to cheer, but… silence. The mood was so tense he kept quiet.
The longer he stayed in the Synchro Club, the more it felt like a terrible mistake.
Even if he wasn't part of Fusion, he could just imagine Hikaru saying "It's fine—Tuner Monsters can be part of Fusion too."
But here?
If someone so much as opened their mouth, a fight would probably break out.
The Synchro Club was... exclusionary. They shunned all summoning methods that weren't Fusion. Whether from hatred or fear, the atmosphere was thick with rejection.
Even Syrus, no paragon of backbone, found it ridiculous.
You could dislike something, sure. But this level of hostility? Seriously?
Big bro... if this keeps up, I don't think I can take it anymore.
Elsewhere—Reiji Akaba sat in silence for a long time.
The Synchro Dimension, huh?
Only one world left undiscovered now.
His mind ran calculations.
Time to accelerate.
Thanks to Hikaru, they'd lost a bunch of new recruits—but the power of the Sacred Beasts had helped fill the gap.
And now... a new batch of Tuner Monsters was coming to the Academy?
That could be a window.
"Send out orders. I want every new card pack bought out," Reiji said coldly.
"Eh?! Professor??" Even the Academy staff were confused.
Buying up every card pack?
That's just asking for a riot!