"Are you... Fujiki Yugen, right?"
The man, wearing glasses and a white coat, walked straight up and extended his hand to him.
Yugen shook hands with him, "Mr. Francis?"
"It's me."
The man politely greeted him, nodded slightly, and adjusted his glasses.
"I am Francis, the chief designer responsible for the development of the 'Winged Divine Dragon of Ra' project within the Divine Card research team of the International Fantasy Association."
Yugen assessed the man, thinking to himself that he didn't quite match the image he had imagined.
In the anime's depiction, Francis came across as arrogant, unapologetically dismissing even their president Beckas. He boldly challenged Beckas, saying "Beat me first if you can," leaving Yugen with an impression of "inflation," "conceit," and the like.
It's not the kind of arrogance that comes from self-confidence in one's abilities like President Kaiba, but more like the kind of person who's unsure about his position, akin to the typecast of a minor antagonist in serialized dramas.
Yet, the person actually standing before him was quite cultured, spoke graciously, and unexpectedly appeared quite normal to Yugen.
Perhaps, in the anime, as the first person since the Pharaoh's disappearance capable of harnessing the Phantom God's power, he was overwhelmed by it, leading to a natural arrogance.
Though just a minor character, not very skilled in card games, his talent couldn't be denied.
Despite dabbling on the fringe, the Field Spell 'God-Binding Tomb' he independently developed genuinely bound the Winged Divine Dragon and allowed him to command the Phantom God's power in a duel.
No matter the means, he indeed solved issues that troubled even Mr. Malikma's Gulus Group and the Tomb Guardian Race for a long time. As a mortal, he successfully summoned the Phantom God using even a Cloning Card, breaking two taboos, with no consequences by the story's end, certainly quite noteworthy.
"Yugen, your name's been making waves in academia lately. I've heard about the various achievements your lab has made so far. Truly remarkable for someone so young."
Francis smiled and adjusted his glasses.
"I can hardly imagine how far you'll go, Yugen."
"You're too kind, merely fortunate to have a bit more inspiration than others." Yugen smiled.
"Haha, that's hardly modest, Yugen." Francis remarked thoughtfully, "Only those truly within this circle, who've dived deep into this work, understand that those few sparks of inspiration you mention are unmatched by any amount of effort from others..."
Yugen smiled, not refuting it.
Indeed, he's found that in research, identifying the right direction makes a task significantly easier. Knowing the auxiliary cards and evolutions surrounding a card sets a clearer target, bringing him closer to the goal than others.
"It's surprising that you contacted our team, Yugen. Research on the Phantom Gods is forbidden; our president even considered shutting down the project—believing it shouldn't exist."
"Mr. Beckas?" Yugen commented, "But wasn't it him who brought the Three Phantom Gods into existence?"
"Yes, yet he often regrets it afterward. He says that such power shouldn't be wielded by people, never should have been created, and now buried, shouldn't be excavated, and so on..."
Francis shook his head.
Though not as extreme as depicted, it's clear he didn't see eye to eye with Beckas from the start.
"As designers, we should strive for the pinnacle of Duel Monsters, and now knowing where the peak is, he hinders us under the guise of 'danger'...
Yugen, you should understand this, right?"
Given Yugen's initiative to learn about this forbidden project, he would naturally be in favor.
"Of course. But Mr. Beckas has his reasons; to date, those who've attempted to replicate the Phantom God's power have suffered varying degrees of injury."
"I don't deny there's danger in this." Francis shook his head, "But to challenge the pinnacle of dueling, danger is inevitable. As designers pursuing ultimate power, how can we fear it?
Moreover, truthfully, I already have an idea..."
He frowned, displeased.
"With this approach, I have at least an eighty... no, ninety percent chance of success. Even an ordinary Duelist could gain short-term control over the Phantom God's power.
But the president vetoed my idea..."
Yugen knew what he was referring to.
Field Spell 'God-Binding Tomb,' true to its name, is a field that shackles the gods. It suppresses the god's power with force to avoid divine punishment.
While the anime depicted this as effective, the risks associated speak for themselves. During a duel, you might use God-Binding Tomb for protection, but you can't stay in that field forever.
Winged Divine Dragon: Kid, I've marked you. Don't sleep too soundly at night.
"Using cards capable of restraining the god's power to mitigate risks is an approach." Yugen said, "But there's still a certain risk. Also, the Phantom God's power will be diluted, and if the elf and the Duelist aren't in sync, there may be some influence."
"I understand," Francis replied, "But this is currently the only found method; no one has proposed any other feasible approach..."
He paused, suddenly brightening up and looking expectantly at Yugen.
"Wait, could it be, does Yugen have any unique insights?"
He had heard of other departments receiving guidance from Yugen, thus breaking bottlenecks and achieving various impressive breakthroughs.
A person like him contacting their group might not be aimless.
"Haha, I wouldn't call it a unique insight, but certainly a sudden spark," Yugen said. "What if, instead of trying to harness the overwhelming power of the Phantom God's card, we design other related cards that leverage portions of its power, rather than fully copying the card?"
"Hmm?"
Francis paused.
As an expert in the forefront of Divine Card research, he hadn't heard of such a perspective before.
"All current research is focused exclusively on replicating the Divine Card and mastering it. The slow progress over the years has proven this path difficult.
So, why not adopt a different approach?"
Francis pondered, "Are you suggesting... fragmenting the god's power and spreading it across different derivative cards to gain a part of its strength?"
"Something like that. Also, regarding the Sun God, as an expert, you're certainly aware that 'Winged Divine Dragon of Ra' has several distinct forms, correct?
If it's impossible to summon the complete Phantom God, what about just one of its individual forms?"
The concept was novel and bold, opening an entirely new world for Francis, making him momentarily introspective.
With the guidance complete, Yugen stepped back, watching him think, silently smiling.
Yes, indeed, he desired the Winged Divine Dragon's Egg.
A bird's egg that could eat three opposing monsters at once; isn't it enticing?