For Hikaru's group's arrival, the Cosmos Queen wasn't surprised. After all, she'd already known last time that they would definitely come again.
But what surprised her was that they had actually returned so soon.
"Strange. As I recall, the world of the Crimson Dragon just finished its One God War preliminaries, right? Instead of taking this time to rest properly, you're coming to challenge a strong opponent in just a couple of days?"
Kite was expressionless with no mind to respond. Yuma Tsukumo and Tori Meadows beside him hastily chattered an explanation.
"Oh, so that's it. Worried about a family member, huh? That is very urgent."
"So, you want to challenge our... champion?"
"Yes! That super-cool AA-ZEUS!" Yuma quickly said.
"Then, you understand the rules, right?"
The so-called rules were actually asked specifically of the Xyz Dimension people.
Because during this period, the Fusion Dimension had been traveling through various dimensions, adventuring, and participating in dueling trials, the news had long been known throughout the entire spirit world. So no additional reminders were needed.
As for the Xyz Dimension side, there was actually no need to deliberately remind them either. Yuma had already told Kite Tenjo about matters here.
For their arrival, the spirits here were all very curious. Upon hearing they'd come to challenge the "champion," this bunch of spirits stopped their training and simulated battles once again in a lively manner and began slowly approaching.
"Then follow me." The Cosmos Queen once again led the Emperor's Key roaming through the cosmos. Before long, they once again arrived before that enormous, cool robot.
Seeing it again, Hikaru still felt greatly amazed. Under the light points coming from all directions in the cosmos, AA-ZEUS in the cosmos was so grand, so beautiful. Never mind Tierra, who liked machines, even ordinary people who saw it would surely cry out "So cool."
"Oh."
Kite Tenjo, seeing the enormous AA-ZEUS, was slightly dazed.
No wonder Yuma had spoken so exaggeratedly of his experience. It really was an extremely cool giant robot.
Accompanying AA-ZEUS's appearance, the stars slowly flickered with light.
An enormous path of light composed of radiance spread out before the giant robot. Then these light points slowly spread out, connecting the entire starry sky, as if becoming a great thoroughfare linking the planets each spirit resided on.
This was the dueling ground for this duel!
In the distance, the enormous vessel that had once served as the "arena" for Syrus Truesdale and Yuma Tsukumo's duel with the spirits here, Drytron Meson Beta, also slowly docked. Quite a few spirits came down from it, seemingly also very interested in Hikaru's group's arrival.
The Cosmos Queen once again served as referee, standing in the center of the arena. A group of people slowly left the airship and stepped onto the transparent path of light, looking rather astonished.
"So oxygen isn't needed?" Kite felt the air and confirmed twice.
"Really now, Kite. Didn't I tell you before? I dueled in the cosmos!"
"I thought you got through it on a duelist's instincts. Didn't expect it to actually be true."
"Hey hey hey! Kite!"
Yuma Tsukumo, as always, was playing the empty-headed and unhappy pair with Kite. But the two of them cared more about the duel.
"Kite, are you sure you don't want me to go?"
"Have your injuries from the duel with Number 75 really healed?" Kite said calmly and slowly. "What's more, we've already invited a duelist from the Fusion Dimension. Are we going to change our minds here?"
"Oh." At this point, the Cosmos Queen precisely caught the detail in his words. "You mean, this time, your combat warriors are you and His Excellency Light?"
Kite Tenjo silently nodded. Hikaru also followed: "Mm, the challengers for this trial are the two of us."
"Hmm, then please wait a moment." The Cosmos Queen seemed to have encountered a small problem, hurriedly stopping her connection with the spirits.
The dueling trial required evenly-matched opponents to challenge...
On the other side, while she was busy with this, Tierra suddenly said to Hikaru: "Hikaru, I know where this dimension's Great Leader is."
"Really?" Hikaru quickly looked around.
Tierra shook her head, unable to help laughing: "Looking like that, you won't see it."
She lightly rested her hand on Hikaru's shoulder. Her body slowly transformed into light points, merging into Hikaru's body.
"Whoa!"
Tori Meadows beside them couldn't help her face reddening. She covered her face with both hands, but the fingers not covering her eyes betrayed her.
"Eh! Astral, they can ZEXAL too!"
Astral looked over and shook his head: "Yuma, although it looks similar, it's not the same thing at all. Neither of them has transformed."
"It's probably closer to Photonize, but should be more high-tier than Photonize."
Amid their discussion, Hikaru had already shared a dual soul with Tierra. At this point, when he "looked" at this cosmos again, in his field of vision there were many strange things now added.
Those were the "world's authorities." Hikaru couldn't understand them, and didn't know how to use them.
But compared to those...
He saw the enormous "pillars."
Saying it this way might be slightly incorrect. To be precise, it should be "Five Fingers Mountain."
This enormous "Star War Cosmos" was inside an enormous Five Fingers Mountain!
No.
That wasn't Five Fingers Mountain. That was... a hand!
Someone was grasping this "spirit world"!
The next moment, after a burst of sharp pain, Tierra's figure reappeared.
Hikaru drew a cold breath, rubbing his forehead, feeling his head had been bombarded.
This feeling was like when he'd watched Azathoth's video directly, making one's head ache.
"Seems it's still not enough." Tierra murmured.
"So the Great Leader isn't invisible, but rather too large..." Hikaru rubbed his forehead, slowly regaining composure, discussing with Tierra.
"That's right." Tierra nodded.
Earlier in this dimension, she hadn't been able to "see" the Great Leader.
But now was different. In her duel with Hikaru, she had thoroughly "reclaimed" all the power belonging to her and stepped onto a new road.
The current her was the genuine Star-Creating Goddess Tierra.
Therefore, she could now do things she completely couldn't do while still a spirit.
The so-called "Great Leader" of this dimension was actually essentially similar to her, only vastly exceeding her in magnitude.
If she'd awakened countless ages ago, or rather, hadn't died before the rules of all things changed and had lived until now, then accepted the new era's rules and lived to this day, she would actually be no different from this dimension's Great Leader, Azathoth of the "Selfless Painting School."
But that certainly wasn't possible now.
The gap was too great.
Unless she could in a short time, together with Hikaru, run the Great Cosmos Workshop to be comparable to the human world, she certainly couldn't catch up to other peers.
"Eh! You, were you two just now searching for the Great Leader!?" The Cosmos Queen was greatly astonished, shockingly pointing at Hikaru and the others.
Beyond the shock, she displayed extremely obvious hostility.
Not just her, the spirits here almost instantly began to change their previously peaceful attitude, instantly locking all their weapons on Hikaru.
Hikaru coughed slightly, a little embarrassed.
He hadn't even seen it clearly.
But regardless, offending this place's master without permission was certainly a bit impolite. So he hastily bowed to apologize, saying he'd meant no offense.
"It's fine."
In the cosmos, a 360-degree surround sound suddenly rang out.
A familiar voice appeared at Hikaru's ear.
"As expected of the one spirits speak of by word of mouth, the famous Absolute Fusion User, Hikaru." That voice continued: "To actually complete self-unification in just a few short days, you truly took me by surprise."
The surprise in the Great Leader's voice was extremely obvious. Just from this point, the surrounding spirits didn't display more hostile emotions.
Hikaru looked at the Cosmos Queen and found she had already respectfully bowed in place, seemingly listening to the Great Leader's voice.
In this world, the Cosmos Queen was perhaps not merely a voice-carrier, but also that Great Leader's priestess.
Kite Tenjo was clearly displeased. He wasn't interested in this god-mystifying business and just wanted to duel AA-ZEUS sooner, then go find Hart.
While he was growing impatient, in the cosmos, a beam of light suddenly flashed. A pure yellow light, passing through the depths of the cosmos, whoosh, struck above the path of light.
"Ohh!" The Cosmos Queen cried out.
"Wow!"
Some watching spirits also made a fuss. The Kozmoll Wickedwitch that had once dueled Yuma Tsukumo even directly saw stars, looking extremely excited.
The stars began flickering, as if playing a harmonious chorus for this scene. Within the radiance, a figure gradually appeared from within.
Hikaru suddenly widened his eyes, his heart pounding wildly, his mouth also slowly opening.
A man in golden samurai armor, wrapped in bright silver-gilded leg armor, with refined features and a strand of golden highlights, slowly appeared on the path of light!
Wha!?
Hikaru was suddenly stunned.
Mannadium Riumheart!
Then, Hikaru had a sudden realization!
Him?
No!
It's him!
Visas Starfrost!
Truly the "strongest man in the world," huh?
Hikaru vaguely remembered once having watched a MAD video of "The Strongest Person in the Entire World," which had been quite entertaining.
"Great Leader!"
"Great Leader!"
"To actually have the chance to see the Great Leader today, wonderful!"
A group of spirits hurriedly cheered, excited, celebrating, respectfully welcoming their leader's entrance.
Don't doubt these spirits' reverence and loyalty toward this "Great Leader."
The Great Leader would not only provide the victors with power after these spirit tournaments, he was also the great existence who protected multiple dimensions!
When the red light had pierced through the spirit world and the spirit world had shattered, it was he who protected this dimension, who preserved the peace of several dimensions, keeping those dimensions from gradually collapsing due to the spirit world's collapse.
Spirits were very pure creatures, with very simple and direct emotions and attitudes. Back when Hikaru had had a way to save the increasingly declining Vampire Empire Dimension, those vampires had nearly worshipped him as a savior. How much more so for this "Great Leader" who had genuinely saved several dimensions.
"No, no. That one just did what should be done. And I'm not him. I don't deserve your reverence like this." Riumheart hastily extended his hand, refusing the spirits' respect. He wore a smile, but his manner looked extremely awkward.
"An avatar." Tierra saw through it at a glance.
That god's true body was too vast, and he seemed to also be maintaining stability across multiple dimensions, unable to move about freely. So he'd dispatched an avatar.
After soothing the spirits a bit, Riumheart looked at Hikaru and Kite Tenjo. He greeted the two of them briefly. After the two responded, he spoke again: "One of the strongest Dragon-Riders from the Source Number World, and the known strongest Fusion User. Taking on you two as opponents, the ordinary spirits here would be slightly insufficient. So he had me be your opponent. Only this way is the trial of the duel ceremony appropriately matched."
Tierra laughed "haha" and proudly put her hand on her hip.
Did you see? This was the local god's authentic acknowledgment!
On the other side, Kite Tenjo, amid Yuma and Tori's cheers, furrowed his brow, muttering softly: "What does he mean, one of the strongest Dragon-Riders?"
In his world, there were still Dragon-Riders who could compare with him?
Looks like there were still experts in his own world.
"Before the duel, let me repeat the rules of the dueling trial once more."
"Gain acknowledgment, then obtain a card, eternal and unchanging."
Riumheart said.
Kite Tenjo nodded, having no objection. Hikaru, somewhat eager, directly followed up: "Then, if I win, can I also obtain your power?"
"A mere human, actually wanting to lay hands on our lord's divine power!"
"Hmph, even if he's the Absolute Fusion User, this line can't be treated as unheard."
The spirits were quite dissatisfied with Hikaru's words.
Actually, in other circumstances, Hikaru really wouldn't ask this kind of question. It was purely that the "person" across from him had given him a somewhat significant impact.
But Riumheart just laughed "haha" and then said: "Of course. The trial's rules are universal across the entire spirit world. Although... you should only be a helper Kite Tenjo brought along, I understand the rules. Don't worry, if you win, I'll naturally give you appropriate power."
Hikaru actually wanted to ask more whether there was a "Reinoheart," but he held back.
If there really was, he wouldn't necessarily be able to beat him.
Riumheart looked at the Cosmos Queen: "Let's begin."
"Yes!" The Cosmos Queen hurriedly responded and directly began announcing the rules, not wasting a second.
"The two sides of the duel are a standard 2v2 duel. First turn begins with the human side, then His Excellency AA-ZEUS, then the humans, and finally the Leader!"
"Both camps share 8000 Life Points, share the field and Graveyard, but hands are independent."
"Now, the duel begins!"
"Duel!" ×4!
At Kite Tenjo's command, Orbital 7 beside him saluted and transformed. His black clothing was instantly converted to pure white. His scimitar-like Duel Disk also flashed with light. Hikaru's Duel Disk automatically rotated, fixed in position behind him, auto-shuffled, and flashed with purple light.
Rumble.
AA-ZEUS raised his right hand. His left arm began rapidly transforming, in no time becoming an enormous spaceship. On the ship, his deck stood by, awaiting the duel that belonged to him.
And Riumheart...
He silently produced from somewhere an old Duel Disk and mounted it on his left hand.
Team Amagi, LP: 8000.
Spirit side, LP: 8000.