Jaden Yuki was challenging Professor Strongman, who appeared to be the most powerful among all the professors!
By the time Hikaru finished his business and returned to the Fusion Division, he had already heard the news.
Whether Strongman was truly the strongest professor, Hikaru couldn't say. But judging by appearance alone, Professor Strongman could probably outfight even Professor Viper. He was absurdly built.
The duel was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. After completing his patrol shift and resting one night before the next rotation, Strongman would have exactly one class period. They would duel during that lesson.
The moment this happened, word spread like wildfire among the students.
Being trapped on the island with no internet meant there wasn't much to talk about. Coupled with the constant threat of spirit attacks keeping everyone on edge, news like this was treated like a treasure to discuss.
That was precisely why it spread so fast.
After all, professor-versus-student duels occasionally happened at Duel Academy. But now was different. This was a crisis. Jaden dueling Professor Strongman at a time like this was undeniably "interesting."
And the reason for the duel made students want to discuss it even more.
Jaden challenged the professor because he saw Strongman kill a spirit with his bare hands?!
That...
Seemed perfectly reasonable, didn't it?
Many students thought exactly that.
These spirits had invaded their academy, disguised themselves as classmates, and attacked them. Getting killed in retaliation and then surrendering to survive? As if things worked that way.
To be precise, the overwhelming majority of students felt this way.
But there was also a group who felt Jaden's stance wasn't without merit. If the enemy had already surrendered, wasn't it normal to spare them and hold them prisoner?
Even on battlefields, there were agreements regarding prisoners of war, right?
However, the problem lay precisely here.
If you showed mercy and spared your opponent, could you guarantee they wouldn't commit evil again later?
If other spirits rescued it, and it later harmed another classmate, whose fault would that be?
Based on this question, both sides argued fiercely.
The first camp believed that eliminating threats at the root was far simpler and safer than spending extra effort on guarding prisoners. For them, safety was the top priority right now. Everything else should be discarded.
The second camp argued that if they killed every spirit indiscriminately, how would they be any different from the enemy? Besides, keeping prisoners might yield intelligence from those spirits. Wouldn't that be even better?
Both sides had valid points, and arguments raged across the academy. Even within the Fusion Division, many members debated heatedly.
Hikaru slouched in his chair, listening to the discussions, rubbing his temples.
"Chief, what would you choose?" As the debate intensified, someone sought an "authority" and called out to Hikaru, hoping for an answer.
Hikaru smiled but didn't respond. Though most people already knew perfectly well.
What would he choose?
What else could he possibly choose?
They all knew Hikaru's temperament.
Evil must be thoroughly eradicated!
Never mind spirits. He wouldn't even show mercy to humans. Showing leniency to a surrendered enemy? Impossible.
Everyone knew Hikaru well. And naturally, they also knew that Jaden Yuki, the Fusion Division's other pride and the "hero" who had saved classmates during the Nexus incident, would absolutely never make that choice.
If the enemy was willing to admit wrongdoing, Jaden would show mercy regardless of who they were.
Unless... they were genuinely unrepentant beings like Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World or Brron, Mad King of Dark World.
Of course, Jaden had encountered enemies who had provoked a "no matter what, I want them dead!" response. That would be... well, Leo Akaba.
Hikaru wasn't going to answer this question.
Because this wasn't something he could "decide" or "impose" on others.
Things like this could only be judged by the final outcome. If you asked Jaden, he would certainly say he would choose to spare the enemy.
What if they committed evil again afterward?
Then he would go protect others himself.
What if he failed to protect someone?
Then it was his fault. His fault for not being able to protect everyone, not because his choice was wrong.
Sparing the enemy might yield new allies, or might result in them rallying forces and returning. It might help, or it might cost. Some people didn't want to bear that risk. But Jaden was willing to.
Honestly, it was a bit extreme. But if you expanded the logic, it became even more so.
Because it wasn't just the spirits he "spared." Even if a spirit he had never encountered attacked a classmate, causing injury, Jaden would still find it unacceptable. It was still his fault. His fault for not protecting that classmate in time.
However, the good news was...
Perhaps from spending time with Hikaru, or perhaps from having witnessed the "Supreme King," the current Jaden was far less extreme than Hikaru remembered him being at this same point in the story. That other Jaden would have dueled the professor on the spot. He wouldn't have issued a "challenge" or agreed to wait until the professor finished his duties.
"Hikaru, what do you think?" Jaden had been slumped over his desk for a while. Then, as if something occurred to him, he looked up and asked.
"Ha, idiot." Hearing Jaden finally show some spirit, Chazz breathed a sigh of relief, then scolded, "Your stupid brain doesn't work. Couldn't you have asked sooner?"
"Chazz, I won't allow you to put yourself down like that."
"Hey!"
Even in poor spirits, Jaden never lost a verbal sparring match with Chazz.
Jaden turned to Hikaru and asked, "Hikaru, if it were you, would you spare..."
"Jaden, don't ask that kind of question." Chazz sighed. "You should know exactly what Hikaru would do."
Today, Chazz had watched Hikaru defeat a professor to protect humanity. There was virtually no other possibility for Hikaru's choice.
Asking that question... how was Hikaru supposed to answer?
If he answered honestly, it would probably start an argument, making the academy's atmosphere even worse.
"Would I do that?" Hikaru laced his fingers together, forming a bridge, and thought. "That's hard to say."
Both looked at Hikaru in surprise.
They hadn't expected that answer.
"Because it really is difficult to answer." Hikaru shook his head. "More precisely... it depends on the situation."
"Depends on the situation?"
"Yes. These spirits, I will absolutely not forgive. But in other cases, it depends on the circumstances."
Both listened quietly.
Hikaru recalled, reflected, and spoke from his own experience. "After all, we can't always know what kind of enemy we're facing. Some might have been controlled through accident or misfortune.
For example, the spirits controlled by the Fusion Dimension army through force. They were brainwashed and controlled. There's no way we could kill them.
But beyond that? Those who actively choose to invade? Those can't be allowed to exist. If they launch an invasion and can just say 'I surrender' and walk away scot-free... how could the world possibly work like that?
And whether they can truly repent? I can't be certain. That takes time to observe."
Hikaru spread his hands. "It's too complicated."
Indeed...
Chazz rubbed his head.
Most situations had to be judged case by case.
Even within the Fusion Dimension army, there were people Hikaru didn't dislike. Like the current third-year president of the Synchro Division, who was a genuine member of the Fusion army. He had been placed under surveillance after investigation uncovered relevant information, yet his relationship with Hikaru was actually quite good.
Someone like Professor Seraph, who had been the catalyst for bringing Darkness's power into this world and was in a sense a criminal against all humanity, Hikaru showed no mercy. That was only natural.
After all, in practical terms, what Professor Seraph had done was far worse than Leo Akaba. Far, far worse.
Under those circumstances, showing mercy would have been irresponsible to humanity.
But in other situations, who could decide before encountering them?
"Hmm..." Jaden frowned. "Have you ever been in that kind of situation?"
Hikaru tilted his head, suddenly recalled something, and clapped his hands. "Actually, yes."
Really?
Hikaru stood up. "No time to waste, Jaden. Let's go see for ourselves. The sooner we go, the sooner we're back. Things should be fine here."
Another dimension?
Jaden understood.
Given the urgency and to guard against unexpected incidents, Hikaru brought Jaden to the third floor.
Hikaru tried activating the Dimension Gate, but Darkness's power prevented it from functioning normally.
This was one reason the academy couldn't contact the outside. Even the school's Dimension Gate was essentially unusable. Aside from directly linked dimensions like the Grand Cosmos Workshop or Professor Sartyr's Curry Dimension, all "non-direct" dimensions were severely blocked.
Hikaru adjusted the machine, increased the power, then took out the Emerald Tablet and pressed the entire book against it. Using the book's power and the Philosopher's Stone within, he finally got the machine running.
No energy to waste. Hikaru moved quickly, bringing Jaden to a place he wanted to show him...
The Frightfur Sanctuary!
The demons of this dimension had once allied with the Fusion army and invaded the Xyz Dimension. Later they suffered backlash and were attacked by Fusion soldiers. Only through Hikaru's rescue did they find stability.
At their core, they were not "innocent."
But in terms of outcome, Hikaru hadn't killed them.
Jaden arrived and saw the spirits here were mostly busy. After asking Hikaru, he learned that since Hikaru's departure, all the Frightfur spirits, including Edge Imps and Fluffals, had been working tirelessly. Every day they traversed spirit dimensions, seeking and rescuing those who had been harmed.
Moreover, they had agreed with Hikaru that if Xyz Dimension humans came seeking revenge, they would accept that wrath.
That was what "I was wrong" actually looked like.
Jaden spent over an hour there, even playing with some newborn spirits. When time was up, he hurried back to Duel Academy.
After returning, he remained troubled. He seemed to have figured out some things but generated even more questions. His smiles looked somewhat forced.
These deeper questions weren't ones Hikaru could answer. He could only help as much as he could.
One day later, Duel Academy students gathered once again in the same classroom.
Professor Viper silently found a seat. He already knew about Seraph's defeat but said nothing. His colleague's death wouldn't affect his plans.
Students filed in. Then Jaden and Professor Strongman took the stage.
Strongman's uniform hung open, revealing his undershirt. Whether from exhaustion or simply letting loose, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, stuck it in his mouth, shielded the flame with his left hand, lit it with his right, and took a deep drag before exhaling a smoke ring.
"Phew..."
He looked at Jaden, noticed his furrowed brow, and laughed. "Ha ha, Jaden, how's it going? Had a good think these past two days?"
Jaden shook his head. "I still... don't feel right about it."
His mind was still foggy.
"Ha ha ha, I understand. I get it." Strongman laughed. He had always appreciated Jaden. Jaden was his most enthusiastic and cooperative student.
In his view, Jaden's only problem wasn't kindness. It was "wanting everything."
Wanting to protect friends while not wanting to harm any other being. That was a tall order.
Aster pulled up a chair beside Hikaru and studied the stage.
He understood Jaden's thinking too, so the challenge didn't surprise him.
Although both were "heroes," Jaden's heroism was the pure, radiant, brilliant kind. He might use Evil HEROes, but his ultimate goal was always protection.
"Honestly, I'm quite happy, Jaden."
"You're happy, Professor?" Jaden was surprised.
"Ha ha ha, of course!" Strongman laughed heartily. "Look at me, obviously a rough guy. You can probably tell I wasn't always a teacher.
I used to be a soldier in an international peacekeeping force. Even earned several medals."
Viper sat in silence. He had seen Strongman on the battlefield before. Truly elite among the elite.
"A peacekeeping... soldier?" Jaden was slightly shocked.
He hadn't expected that the professor who killed spirits bare-handed was a peacekeeping warrior.
"My name wasn't always 'Strongman.'" The professor smoked as he spoke. "When I left, my commander said my real identity might attract drug lords, so I changed my name."
Students were quite surprised. And even more surprised that a peacekeeping soldier had become a teacher.
The professor took another drag.
"Anyway, most of you have probably noticed I'm really not cut out for teaching. I usually just show videos or use myself as an example." He laughed. Crowler couldn't help smiling.
Indeed, among all the professors, even the mediocre ones had at least mastered basic teaching skills.
Only Strongman was genuinely terrible at it. He taught whatever came to mind.
"At this rate, my evaluation is going to tank. So I'm grateful, Jaden." He tapped the blade-shaped Duel Disk on his chest. It deployed automatically. He placed his Deck inside and it auto-shuffled. "If I kept teaching normally, I'd be out of a job next semester. But you challenged me. Now, regardless of the outcome, I think the students will come to understand both me and you.
My evaluation is secure, right?"
Though he might get a mark from Crowler first for smoking in class.
"After all... duelists only need to duel to understand each other, right?"
Jaden's spirits finally lifted.
The professor wasn't a bloodthirsty warmonger after all.
What he had feared most was that the professor he got along with best would turn out to be a war fanatic.
"I see! That's great, Professor! Duel!" He excitedly equipped his Duel Disk.
Professor Strongman, LP: 4000.
Jaden Yuki, LP: 4000.
"I'll go first. Draw!" Strongman's physical abilities seemed even more terrifying than Jaden's. He had somehow seized the first turn.
He held the cards up. They automatically fanned into his hand. He glanced down and grinned. "Ha, nice draw. Then... I activate the Continuous Spell: Ancient Warriors Saga - Deception and Betrayal."