"The Battle Phase ends. I activate the effect of my Field Spell, Fusion Recycling Plant. I discard one card from my hand, then add the Spell Card Fusion Substitute from my Deck to my hand."
"I activate the effect of the discarded Metalfoes Fusion. This card returns to the Deck, I shuffle, then draw one card."
Hikaru glanced at the card he drew, set a card on the field, and said, "I set one card. Turn end."
"At this moment, the effect of Fusion Recycling Plant activates. During each player's End Phase, I can target one Fusion Material monster in my Graveyard that was used for a Fusion Summon this turn. That monster is returned to my hand.
I return Thousand-Eyes Idol from my Graveyard to my hand, as it was used as Fusion Material."
"My turn. Draw!"
Leo Wizard drew a card from his Deck, then revealed it immediately. "Normal Monster, Bone Mouse. By the effect of Heart of the Underdog, I draw one card."
He raised his hand, and another card flew from his Deck. He flipped it over, displaying it for everyone. "Normal Monster, Shadow Specter. By the effect of Continuous Spell Heart of the Underdog, I draw one card."
He spoke these words calmly, then drew from his Deck once more in silence.
Because his Deck was packed with Normal Monsters, Heart of the Underdog let him draw card after card.
Even so, after drawing several monsters, he stopped. He had drawn a Spell Card. "Triangle Power, hm..."
Spell Card: Triangle Power.
Hikaru's eyes narrowed.
Triangle Power could only be activated when three Normal Monsters with the same name existed on his field. The turn it was activated, all three could attack directly!
He ran the math in his head.
Leo Wizard's ATK was only 1350, but three of them totaled 4050. If all three attacked directly, there was no question he would lose!
The other two duelists watching also recognized this the moment they saw Triangle Power. For once, they held their tongues, not commenting on the card's effect or discussing Leo Wizard's tactics.
Because they knew full well that this was not the time to disrupt the duelist's focus.
If Hikaru made a wrong move because of their interference, that would be on them.
"I activate the Spell Card Ancient Rules!" Leo Wizard scanned his hand, then played a card. "This card lets me Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from my hand!"
"I Special Summon myself! Leo Wizard!"
An identical cloaked lion materialized on his field.
Leo Wizard: Level 5, EARTH, Spellcaster, ATK 1350.
"At this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Inferno Reckless Summon!"
"When a monster with 1500 or less ATK is Special Summoned to my field in Attack Position while my opponent controls a face-up monster, I can activate this card."
"Both players Special Summon, from their hand, Deck, and Graveyard, as many copies of their respective monster as possible in Attack Position. My opponent selects one face-up monster they control and does the same."
Just as expected!
Hikaru understood Leo Wizard's plan immediately.
He intended to use Triangle Power for a direct-attack kill!
"In that case, I activate the Trap Card Flame Sworddance!"
Hikaru reacted without hesitation.
"When a monster is Special Summoned, I can activate this card. I Special Summon one Level 7 or lower Flame Swordsman, or a Fusion Monster whose name is listed in its text, from the Extra Deck. After that, I can change one face-up monster on the field to face-down Defense Position!"
"Woohoo! Master, here I come!!"
Flame Swordsman burst onto the field, greatsword in hand, ready to take in the atmosphere. But the pain saturating the air immediately stole his breath.
"Flame Swordsman, is it?" Leo Wizard regarded the fiery warrior with a hint of surprise.
Flame Swordsman: Level 5, FIRE, Warrior, DEF 1600.
"Flame Swordsman." Aster folded his arms, a smile tugging at his lips. "One of the legendary duelist Joey Wheeler's signature cards. It carved a path through countless duels for him in the old days.
But as the era of legends ended, Flame Swordsman gradually became a relic. Still rare, still expensive, yet slowly forgotten.
The reason was simple."
"The versions of Flame Swordsman released after that were all Fusion Monsters," Amon continued. "I've heard that Joey Wheeler's original Flame Swordsman was an Effect Monster that didn't require Fusion. But every version that Industrial Illusions and KaibaCorp released afterward was a Fusion Monster. The evolution path was locked in, so to speak.
Extremely rare and famous, yes, but with low ATK and peculiar Fusion Materials, it hasn't appeared on the competitive stage in a long time."
"That's right. For most people, Flame Swordsman was the 'forgotten' card! Until Hikaru brought Flame Swordsman back into the spotlight. He made it famous again through Fusion!"
Flame Swordsman listened to the two talking, and before he knew it, his chest swelled with pride. He puffed himself up, tapping his breastplate, confidence radiating from every inch.
That's right!
He was Flame Swordsman!
And as if responding to his arrival, the resentment and pain swirling through the area began to dissipate. The oppressive force retreated from Hikaru's vicinity, circling at a distance instead.
"I use Flame Sworddance's effect to flip you face-down."
The little Leo Wizard pulled his cloak around himself, curled up, and fell asleep, becoming a face-down card.
"Since you no longer have a face-up monster, you cannot Special Summon copies of the same name. Likewise, because my monster is a Fusion Monster, Inferno Reckless Summon cannot Special Summon from the Extra Deck, so I can't summon any either."
His strategy had been disrupted, but Leo Wizard showed no surprise.
It was not strange for an opponent to see through his tactics.
If one plan didn't work, there were always other methods.
"I activate the Spell Card Card Destruction."
"Both players discard their entire hand, then draw the same number of cards."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. He sent all his cards to the Graveyard, then drew three from his Deck.
On the other side, Leo Wizard discarded a large hand, then refreshed it.
"I activate the Spell Card Enchanting Fitting Room." He placed the Spell Card on the field.
"Enchanting Fitting Room is another card that supports low-level Normal Monsters," Amon said with a frown.
"Because his Deck is filled with low-level Normal Monsters, he runs cards like this to get the best results possible."
Leo Wizard, LP: 2650 → 1850.
"I pay 800 Life Points. I reveal the top four cards of my Deck. I Special Summon all Level 3 or lower Normal Monsters among them, and return the rest to the Deck."
"First card: Level 1, Mechanical Bat." Leo Wizard flipped a card. Everyone leaned in, curious how many he would hit.
"Second card..." The next card on his Deck turned over slowly, revealing itself. "Level 2, Dig Beak."
The third card began flipping at the same time. Seeing it, Echo let out a gasp. "Third card! Level 2, Basic Insect."
As if anticipating something, as if marveling, everyone stared at the final card atop Leo Wizard's Deck.
"Fourth card..."
The card turned over.
"Level 1, Goblin Calligrapher!"
"All four!?"
"Every single one!?"
Even though they had a sense it might happen, seeing Leo Wizard flip four cards and hit four Level 3 or lower Normal Monsters still shocked the onlookers into exclaiming.
This was clearly not "normal."
"I Tribute myself on the field to Tribute Summon Morinphen."
Oh man. The sky god himself.
Hikaru quipped silently to himself.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card Sword of the Soul-Eater!"
"This card can only be equipped to a Level 3 or lower Normal Monster on my field. When this card is activated, I Tribute all Normal Monsters on my field except the equipped monster. For each one Tributed, the equipped monster gains 1000 ATK!"
"I equip this card to Basic Insect and Tribute every other monster on the field, raising its ATK by 4000!"
A great sword materialized before the diminutive green insect. Basic Insect hefted the blade. Though it pulsed with dark energy and looked wicked beyond measure, the four Normal Monsters willingly rushed toward the cursed sword one after another to grant it their power, so that it could defeat their enemy!
Basic Insect: Level 2, EARTH, Insect, ATK 500 → 4500!
"4500 ATK!?" Echo covered her mouth. "That's on par with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
Even Aster felt a twinge of pressure.
His Destiny HEROes generally had low ATK. If he were forced to duel with a Deck full of unfamiliar monsters, he would have an even harder time against this creature.
"Battle! Basic Insect! With the cursed blade, with all of your resentment, strike down the enemy!"
Basic Insect leaped at the dragon with its sword. Though the dragon possessed the power of its allies, that power had its limits. How could it compare to the strength of four monsters who sacrificed themselves willingly?
"Destroy those new, fancy monsters that took your place!"
Leo Wizard roared.
The blade cut through the dragon. A massive wave of dark energy erupted, spilling past the dragon and crashing into Hikaru. Flame Swordsman sprang to his feet, shielding his master. Flames surged upward.
That was Flame Swordsman.
Always standing between Hikaru and danger.
"Don't protect me, Flame Sword!" Hikaru shouted. "Let me take this hit. Let me see for myself what kind of pain these spirits have endured!"
"Very well, Master!"
He stepped aside, letting Hikaru face the darkness and resentment head-on.
It was an old card. A butterfly net, a child catching insects without a care on a summer evening. His parents, celebrating his birthday, gave him a card from the popular new "Duel Monsters" game.
The card was novel and fascinating, made of a strange material, and because it was an "insect," his favorite thing in the world, he treasured it.
But then...
As Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, and countless tournaments came and went, the months and years passed. The child grew up, started school, developed new interests, and grew increasingly conscious of numbers.
Basic Insect, that old, powerless, feeble card, gradually slipped from the student's mind. It became just another piece of paper at the bottom of a box, until one day, while cleaning his room, the student tossed it out without a second thought. Without even looking for it.
After enduring layer upon layer of pain and sorrow, the card fell into the Abyss. Pure resentment and agony consumed it, and it was forgotten completely.
Hikaru LP: 4000 → 2200.
Hikaru shook his head.
So that was what happened.
He looked at Basic Insect, then at his own Graveyard and his opponent's.
Every card here had likely experienced something similar.
"Forgotten, abandoned, thrown away. The pain of those experiences haunts you. It won't let go. But I'm here now!" Purple light flickered in Hikaru's eyes. "Destruction, devastation, shattering, rebirth.
That's right.
Fusion!"
Hikaru took a deep breath. "Fusion is the process of alchemy. For me, and for all of you, being forgotten is nothing more than a stage in that process. Someday, you will never be forgotten again. That's what I want to say!"
He shouted those words, as if willing his conviction to reach beyond himself.
In the darkness, wisps of black mist rippled at the sound. Their color seemed to lighten, ever so faintly...
Turning purple!
Not far behind Hikaru, Aster's eyes went wide.
His voice had reached them!
"...Interesting." Leo Wizard murmured in surprise. "Well then. I set one card. Turn end."
"My turn!" Hikaru drew a card from his Deck in one sharp motion, then glanced at it.
His eyes narrowed.
"I activate the Continuous Spell Piercing the Darkness!"
What card was that?
Amon didn't recognize it. He was intrigued.
The card art appeared to depict Dark Magician the Knight Swordsman.
"This card is a support card dedicated to Normal Monsters," Hikaru said without hesitation. "As long as this card is on the field, once per turn, when I successfully Normal or Special Summon a Normal Monster, I can draw one card from my Deck.
However, I'm not going to activate that effect right now."
"I activate the effect of my Field Spell Fusion Recycling Plant, discarding one card from my hand to add a Polymerization from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand.
I add Polymerization from my Deck to my hand, then activate the Spell Card Polymerization!"
Hikaru held up Polymerization as he spoke. "The Fusion conditions are two Warrior-type monsters with different Attributes!
I fuse Flame Swordsman on my field, who is FIRE, with Elemental HERO Clayman in my hand."
Clayman was indeed a HERO, but its presence was admittedly low. Perhaps that was precisely why it hadn't been squeezed out of Hikaru's Deck and into his side deck.
"Let's go, Flame Sword!"
"Yes, Master!"
Flame Swordsman and Clayman began to fuse. Gradually, a new monster emerged from the swirling vortex.
"Fusion Summon!"
"Gilti-Gearfried the Magical Steel Knight!"
Clank, clang!
A proud knight, gleaming with radiance, emerged.
Gilti-Gearfried the Magical Steel Knight: Level 8, LIGHT, Warrior, ATK 2700.
"Oh? Another monster that doesn't require specific materials, just any two Warriors?" Amon couldn't help but applaud. "In other words, even the most ancient Warrior monster can be fused into this?"
More and more purple energy swirled through the air.
"But my ATK is still higher," Leo Wizard noted.
"No..." Hikaru slowly clenched his fist. "Piercing the Darkness, effect! When a monster that was Fusion Summoned using a Normal Monster as material declares an attack against an opponent's monster, I can activate this: that monster's ATK increases by the opposing monster's ATK until the end of the turn!"
Its ATK was only 2700, but the moment it attacked, it would instantly become 7200!?
"Even higher than that..." Aster remarked from the sidelines. "During damage calculation when Gilti-Gearfried battles an opponent's monster, he can banish a Spell Card from the Graveyard to increase his ATK by half his DEF until the end of the turn... That's 8000 ATK!"
"8000 ATK!?" Echo gasped.
That kind of ATK power...
Forget Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Even Five-Headed Dragon couldn't compare!
"Battle! With Gilti-Gearfried the Magical Steel Knight..."
"Open Trap Card!" Seeing Hikaru's attack, Leo Wizard flipped his set card without hesitation. "Counter Trap: Negate Attack. When an opponent's monster declares an attack, I target that one attacking monster and activate this. That attack is negated. After that, the Battle Phase ends."
Hikaru frowned. A sudden gust of wind materialized before the leaping knight, forcing him back.
Though Gilti-Gearfried possessed the ability to negate effects that targeted him, unfortunately, a monster had no way to resist a Counter Trap.
Hikaru scanned his hand.
"I activate the effect of Fusion Substitute in my Graveyard, banishing it, then returning one Fusion Monster to the Extra Deck and drawing one card."
A card popped from his Deck.
Hm... This one?
It had been a while since he'd used it...
Hikaru considered for a moment. "I set one card. Turn end. Then, by Fusion Recycling Plant's effect, I recover Clayman from my Graveyard."
"What a shame. If that attack had gone through, Hikaru would have won," Echo said.
"No, it's fine," Amon replied. "As long as Piercing the Darkness remains on the field, Hikaru's Gilti-Gearfried is invincible against Basic Insect. It's far from easy to defeat."
Aster nodded as well.
Under these circumstances, Hikaru was virtually guaranteed not to lose.
Of course.
The key word was "virtually."
Because Leo Wizard still had Heart of the Underdog on his field. With that in play, anything could happen.
"My turn, draw!" Leo Wizard drew quickly, then showed the card to everyone. "Normal Monster: Ancient Jar."
He kept drawing without pause. "Normal Monster, Fungi of the Musk." "Normal Monster, Gigobyte." "Normal Monster, Dancing Elf." "A Trap Card... In that case, at this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Hand Destruction! Both players send two cards from their hand to the Graveyard, then draw two cards."
Hikaru sent his cards to the Graveyard. Leo Wizard quickly drew his replacements, then revealed: "Normal Monster. Draw one card."
"Once more. Hand Destruction."
He drew several more cards in succession, then gave a slight nod.
That should be enough.
"I activate the Spell Card Tri-Wight!"
He played the Spell Card. "I target three Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters in my Graveyard and Special Summon them!"
"Special Summon: Level 1 Mechanical Bat! Level 1 Dancing Elf! Level 1 Bone Mouse! And finally... Normal Summon: Level 1 Gigobyte!"
Leo Wizard summoned a row of small, weak, ancient, forgotten monsters, eroded by pain, shambling like the walking dead.
"I am the Forgotten One. I am the Guardian. I am the ancient wizard who stumbled upon this dimension during a whimsical journey across worlds... I stand guard here, sheltering these lost and confused spirits, consumed by resentment, reduced to nothing but bone and shambling husks..." Leo Wizard finally offered a proper introduction.
From the sound of it, he had come to this world of his own free will to protect the forgotten spirits.
"If even I were to leave, if even I stopped caring, who else would protect my weak and wretched kindred?"
This was the World of the Forgotten. Without him caring for these spirits, beings that retained only base instincts and a desire to inflict their suffering on others, this place would have long since become a true pit of darkness.
At the same time, precisely because the world was filled with these resentment-driven, hollow spirits, the dimension's hostility toward ordinary visitors had grown worse and worse.
What Hikaru needed to face was never Leo Wizard himself. Leo Wizard welcomed anyone who could take these spirits away. What Hikaru and the others needed to face was the dimension itself!
The future of this World of the Forgotten!
"Human. Let me see your true will. Let me see just how powerful your Fusion truly is!"
"I activate the Spell Card Triangle Power!"
"All face-up Level 1 Normal Monsters on my field gain 2000 ATK and DEF! At the End Phase, all Level 1 monsters on my field are destroyed!"
Mechanical Bat, ATK 300 → 2300; Dancing Elf, ATK 300 → 2300; Bone Mouse, ATK 400 → 2400; Gigobyte, ATK 350 → 2350.
"But what's the point?" Echo asked, confused. "Even with a 2000 ATK boost, they can't match Gilti-Gearfried, can they?"
She finished speaking, but noticed neither of the two men had responded. She turned to look and found both of them grim-faced, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
They had realized something!
"At this moment, I control five face-up Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters! Therefore, I can activate this card! Spell Card: The Law of the Normal!"
A card plummeted from the sky like a spike, embedding itself into the earth.
"By its effect, both duelists discard their entire hands, then all cards on the field except Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters are destroyed!"
Echo felt as though a hand had seized her throat. She couldn't breathe.
Hands, field, everything destroyed!?
Four Level 1 monsters with over 2000 ATK each?
Forget 4000 LP. Even 8000 wouldn't survive that!
"Go! Pour out your pain, your resentment!"
Five misshapen monsters, dripping with acid and exposing bone, howled in unison.
The field shattered with a crack.
Heart of the Underdog vanished in an instant.
Hikaru's set card was ripped open and destroyed. He watched the cards in his hand crumble before his eyes.
And Gilti-Gearfried the Magical Steel Knight, despite his gleaming steel armor, could not withstand the tempest. Darkness and torment dragged him into the grave.
Hikaru's field was completely empty!
"It seems this is the end, human."
The onlookers sighed with regret.
Who could have predicted that Leo Wizard's final tactic would be the total annihilation of all cards!?
"No."
?
Hikaru spoke calmly. "I said no."
"Why!?"
Every being present asked instinctively.
"It's true that The Law of the Normal destroyed all my cards. But it also destroyed your Sword of the Soul-Eater. That means Basic Insect's ATK has dropped back to 500!"
"What difference does that make? You have no monsters on your field..."
"No! You're wrong. I am Hikaru Amagi. Hikaru Amagi of Duel Academy. Hikaru of Fusion. The one who pursues the pinnacle of Fusion.
So even if everything is destroyed, even if everything is abandoned, even if everything vanishes, I will come back. I will not give up!
I activate the effect of a Trap Card in my Graveyard!"
What!?
"Waking the Dragon!"
"When this set card leaves the field by an opponent's effect and is sent to the Graveyard or banished, I can activate this effect. I Special Summon one monster from my Deck or Extra Deck!
The monster I Special Summon is..."
"Magnum the Reliever!"
Magnum the Reliever: Level 8, LIGHT, Fiend, ATK 2800!
"2800 ATK!"
"They can't get past it!"
"Beautiful! That's the Director for you! He's won!" Aster cheered from behind.
He didn't recognize the monster, but 2800 ATK spelled victory for Hikaru!
Both players had discarded all their cards, and Leo Wizard's monsters would be destroyed at the End Phase by Triangle Power. That would leave only Basic Insect with its 700 DEF.
As long as Hikaru drew any monster with more than 800 ATK, he would win. And if Magnum had any useful effects, it would be even easier.
"Impressive. Worthy of someone recommended by that old man." Leo Wizard studied Hikaru. "But... human... no, Hikaru.
Up until now, you have been using Fusion. But even without Normal Monsters, even without these abandoned cards, it would make no difference to you, would it? Because all you need is a Fusion Spell Card."
"My Fusion is not that narrow."
"Then prove it to me!" Leo Wizard said in a low voice. "Prove it to me. No, prove it to this world! Prove that they, too, can be part of Fusion!"
"I switch Basic Insect to Defense Position. Turn end."
Crash, crash, crash.
The zombies and skeletons formed from resentment on his field shattered and dissipated into the world.
Prove it to everything, huh...
"Very well! Then let you, and this world, witness my Fusion! My turn, draw!"
Hikaru glanced at the card he drew, then spoke. "Magnum the Reliever's effect! I target one Fusion or Polymerization Spell Card in my Graveyard. That card returns to the bottom of the Deck. After that, I draw one card!
I recover Fusion Recycling Plant!"
He drew again. And this time, the card he drew...
He didn't look at it!
He held the second card high above his head. "Fusion is the process of re-sublimation. Just like Magnum, it recycles Fusion cards that have already been used and sent to the Graveyard. And from that, new possibilities emerge!
This is my new understanding of Fusion!
Now, spirits! Come to me!"
Purple light began to gather.
The bones, flesh, and crystallized fragments of the monsters that had shattered on Leo Wizard's field began to spiral through the air, flying toward Hikaru's hand.
Rumble, rumble...
The great stone gate began to resonate.
Purple gemstones materialized across the gate's surface. At the same time, color began slowly bleeding back into the entire World of the Forgotten.
"Being forgotten is just a stage in the process. Be reborn in a new form!"
"Come forth!"
Crack, crack...
Aster and the others thought they heard the sound of bones breaking apart.
Hikaru slowly brought the card before his eyes, gazing at the purple light radiating from it.
Here it comes.
"Normal Summon! Level 1, Mementotlan Mace!"
A goat-skulled figure appeared on the field. Then, countless wisps of purple smoke converged together, and a being identical in appearance to the original Memento spirit, yet dressed in an entirely different manner, descended.
It was not a single entity. It was the aggregate of countless spirits across this dimension who had felt Hikaru's spirit and conviction, crystallized through the power of Fusion!
"Mementotlan Mace!?"
"The Memento spirit evolved?"
The three onlookers stood in stunned silence. Echo especially. Hikaru's actions were shattering her understanding of the world.
It was her first time learning that a duelist's willpower, spiritual force, and connection to spirits could, when strong enough, directly create an entirely new card during a duel!
"Fascinating. Fascinating, Hikaru..." At some point, a crown had appeared atop Leo Wizard's head.
This world, it seemed, had been infused with entirely new possibilities by Hikaru's arrival and his Fusion.
And those possibilities were guiding it... toward a far more distant future!
Guiding this spirit dimension to choose a new direction of evolution!
Of all the countless humans he had encountered, this Hikaru was surely the most pure.
"Mementotlan Mace's effect activates!" Hikaru swept his right hand forward. "During my Main Phase, I can activate this: I destroy one Memento monster I control, then add one Memento card other than Mementotlan Mace from my Deck to my hand..."
Hikaru picked up his Deck, slowly flipped it over, and spread it out like a hand of playing cards for all to see, revealing card after card of green borders. Then he plucked one from the center. "The card I choose is the Quick-Play Spell: Mementotlan Fusion!"
Memento... Fusion!?
"A brand new Fusion... A Fusion belonging to the Forgotten...!?" Leo Wizard's eyes glistened with what might have been tears.
"Destruction is forgetting. But forgetting does not last forever. After destruction comes rebirth. That is the sublimation of Fusion!"
"Quick-Play Spell, Mementotlan Fusion! Activated during either player's Main Phase. I Fusion Summon one Fusion Monster, using monsters from my hand or field that include a Memento monster as Fusion Material. If a monster I control was destroyed by an effect this turn, I can also return Memento monsters from my Graveyard to the Deck as Fusion Material!"
"Return to the Deck for Fusion?" Echo was stunned once again.
"Truly remarkable..." Even Amon had to admit that Hikaru was creating something beyond his comprehension. "Fusion by returning cards to the Deck... I've never seen anything like it."
Meanwhile, Aster was thinking something else entirely. "Monsters are destroyed and forgotten, but through Fusion, the forgotten monsters are recovered... A heroic feat if I've ever seen one. Perhaps this is what destiny wanted me to witness?"
"I fuse Elemental HERO Avian from my hand with Mementotlan Mace from my Graveyard!"
"Fusion Summon! Level 8, Elemental HERO The Shining!"
Mementotlan Mace's light illuminated the entire world. Mountains of bones, forgotten and abandoned in this world, began to stir with life once more. They stacked upon one another, guiding this world's evolution toward a new direction.
Elemental HERO The Shining: Level 8, LIGHT, Warrior, ATK 2600.
"Battle! Magnum the Reliever, destroy Basic Insect in battle! Then, The Shining, direct attack on Leo Wizard!"
The Shining did not charge at Leo Wizard. It simply stood atop the great gate, radiating its light, illuminating the entire underworld brighter than ever before!
Leo Wizard, LP: 1850 → 0.
"Ha... Hahaha!" Despite his defeat, his laughter shook the heavens.