Looking at his hand cards, Professor Cronos felt a surge of emotions.
"I'm very disappointed, Professor Obaro."
"Your understanding of me is entirely based on imagination and speculation."
Cronos spoke while looking at his hand.
"Why do you think that just because I am a noble, I can easily enter high society? Why do you think that being a professor at the main school means I can drink tea every day?"
Obaro listened to his words, full of disdain.
Of course, he wouldn't think he was wrong about the things he was set on.
Indeed.
Cronos hadn't planned on having his opponent admit fault.
He was just reflecting and feeling emotional.
"I am a professor at the Duel Academy Main School, a model for all teachers, the ultimate leader of the glorious Duel Academy.
As a teacher, I must understand the current situation of each student; as a superior, I must be an example for all teachers.
Ha..."
Speaking so far, he couldn't help but shake his head.
"An example? I really don't count as much of an example." He looked upward, "Last year, because I lost to a poor student, I kept targeting that student, wanting to expel him."
"Oh?" This sounded quite interesting.
Obaro listened keenly.
"After all, he slept in class, ditched class to fish, led classmates to break into restricted areas at night..."
Sounds like yet another little troublemaker.
Obaro frowned.
He hated these mischievous brats the most!
In the Fusion Army at the North American Branch, anyone who dared to act like that would get a beating!
"Ha, so I said even without Akaba Leo, these punks would eventually go astray." Obaro sneered and shook his head, "In that case, wouldn't it be better to put them to more useful purposes!"
"...Later, a student taught me not to be like that." He turned to look at another Set Card, not following Obaro's words, "As a teacher, one should pay more attention to the underlying details."
"My student has always clashed with your Fusion Army, always targeted them, I've never understood why he worked so hard. But now, I finally understand.
It's instinct!"
He began to shuffle through his Graveyard while speaking: "With a 26-year mortgage to pay, I certainly know that the academy wage isn't high; as a Professional Duelist having participated in professional duels, I also understand the complexity of the professional circuit.
But—none of these are reasons, none are excuses!
As a teacher, educating students and cultivating them is the foundation!"
"To impose one's thoughts over the students—how dare you!"
"If you don't want to do it then resign!" With a swish, he took a card from the Graveyard, "Activate the effect of Ancient Gear Catapult from the Graveyard, destroy 1 face-up card on my field, and Special Summon an Ancient Gear Token!"
"Destroy Ancient Gear Reborn!"
With a bang, the Reborn Card on Cronos's field was instantly shattered.
Then, a small gear vehicle appeared on his field.
Ancient Gear Token, LV 1, Earth Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 0.
Oh, two Monsters?
Is this attempting—Tribute Summon?
Ha, then I'll just...
Obaro placed his hand on the Duel Disk.
"Activate Continuous Spell, Ancient Gear Fortress!" A massive mechanical fortress slowly rises behind Cronos, "As long as this card remains on the field, Ancient Gear Monsters summoned·Special Summoned this turn cannot be destroyed by the opponent's effects, and the opponent cannot target those cards with effects!"
Damn!
Obaro's eyes widened.
"Use Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon and Ancient Gear Token on the field as sacrifices!
Tribute Summon—Ancient Gear Golem!"
Two Monsters transformed into sparkling lights, and simultaneously, the familiar figure of a giant slowly emerged behind Professor Cronos.
"If you don't want to teach, then don't teach! As a teacher, to invade others is to impart erroneous philosophies to students—" Cronos gestured grandiosely, pointing at the opponent, "You say Akaba Leo is not the first, but there will always be a second one?!
If all teachers treat all young people kindly, if Akaba Leo didn't guide those students into dangerous things, how could such incidents occur!?"
He then looked down on Obaro, speaking coldly: "As a teacher, not guiding children onto the right path and deliberately steering them onto the wrong path, then proudly saying [Even if they aren't influenced by Akaba Leo, they would inevitably end up this way]? How ridiculous!"
"Teachers and students should complement each other, growing together." He couldn't help but murmur.
"Open Set Card—Continuous Trap Card, Ancient Gear Duel!"
Ancient Gear Duel?!
Obaro immediately recalled information on this card.
Tenjo Hikari seemed to have used it twice?
Cronos, however, simply looked at the card.
Yuki Judai, Daitokuji, and most importantly, Tenjo Hikari, taught him a lot in the past year.
Some life lessons.
And for him, the most important person, after Caesar, is the student he values the most, Tenjo Hikari.
Tenjo Hikari's pursuit of Polymerization always made him very satisfied, but Tenjo Hikari's hostility towards the Integration Department worried him.
He was always concerned that the conflicts between Tenjo Hikari and the Integration Department would affect his growth.
So, he often sought out Tenjo Hikari alone.
This year, Tenjo Hikari was in the Principal's office and had many discussions with him. Because he was worried about Tenjo Hikari, he gave "Antique Gear Chaos Fusion," which was difficult to obtain from the spirits of Geartown and Ancient Gear Fortress, to Tenjo Hikari, hoping that card would further protect him.
Perhaps as a token of reciprocity, Tenjo Hikari also exchanged some cards with him one after another.
Ancient Gear Duel, Antique Gear Fusion, and he also supplemented Tenjo Hikari with several cards he needed, such as Ancient Gear Golem and Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon.
Thinking back now, the past year was truly a dreamy experience.
Going a step further—
He was still wrong.
Just like how Tenjo Hikari opposed the Integration Department because he felt it wasn't integrated enough.
He shouldn't have maintained relationships between colleagues for so many years without confronting Akaba Leo!
"If the invasive behavior of the Fusion Army was merely your own conduct, then you could say whatever you want. But you affected other students, even causing my disciple to be interrogated for more than a week, forcing many of the Integration Department students to abandon their beloved cards!" He didn't speak about his own affairs over the month, focusing instead on the students' issues, "As a teacher, not providing shelter for the students is one thing, but you added to the students' hardships!
I will thoroughly rid you from the Academy!"
"Ancient Gear Duel effect activates! If the opponent has monsters on the field, you can banish monsters from the field and graveyard, including Ancient Gear Golem on your field, as Fusion Material, to Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster that lists 'Ancient Gear Golem' in its card name!"
Cronos took out one card after another: "Ancient Gear Golem on the field, Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon and Ancient Gear Golem in the graveyard, the three are banished."
"My anger has already surpassed the most ancient machinery—"
"Fusion three monsters!!"
"At this final moment, using the slogan you love to seek, and the summoning method my disciple loves most, defeat you!"
"Fusion Summon!"
"LV 10, Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem!"
Rumble—
Mechanical arms, dragon head, dragon tail, countless mechanical components assembled onto Ancient Gear Golem, making it like a mountain, staring at the nearby volcano.
Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, LV 10, Earth Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 4400.
"Hmph, is this the true meaning of Ancient Gear?" Seeing this monster, Obaro frowned.
Tenjo Hikari and Cronos had used it many times before, so they already knew.
No big deal.
He still had Life Points, whereas Cronos only had one Hand Card left and even destroyed his own Ancient Gear Reborn.
Endure this turn, relying on Darklord's endurance ability, he could easily defeat the opponent!
"Monsters fused using Ancient Gear Duel can attack three times!"
Three times!?
He quickly calculated—
One direct attack, one piercing damage, one attack damage—he still has Life Points!
"Ha, seems like it's not that big of a deal…"
"Quick-Play Spell, Limiter Removal!"
...
Obaro was dumbfounded and dazed on the spot.
A Quick-Play Spell Card that doubles the ATK of Machine-Type monsters!
Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem's body continued to grow madly, expanding, expanding!
Gradually, the majestic figure of the giant can be seen throughout Duel Academy Island!
It was like a real giant, surveying the entire island!
Because it also resembled an umbrella, sheltering the Academy!
Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, ATK: 4400→8800.
"Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem attacks!!!"
"Watch carefully!"
"This is your final training as acting principal!"
"This is the power gained from teachers and students growing together!"
Ultimate Giant slowly raised its right fist, raised among the clouds, emitting steam larger than the clouds!
"Ultimate Heavy Strike!"
In the sky, true godlike judgment descended!
Boom!
The entire island seemed to shake slightly because of this!
Obaro, LP: 8000→2100→0!
The duel ends, Obaro kneels on the ground like he lost his soul, while in front of him, a card emitting black gas slowly descended from the sky. The black ring on the field also disappeared, Cronos felt dizzy, sitting directly down and gasping for breath.
His hands felt lifeless, his mouth felt ineffectual.
"Super mamma mia…"