Reiji Akai reflected on Ryo Nakamuta's entire test process.
His gaze shifted to the string of battle damage numbers:
2,255,000 points.
Units, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands… a total of two million, two hundred fifty-five thousand!
This damage figure far surpassed every duelist who'd ever taken this test.
Even within the Duel Alliance, hardly anyone could conceive of exploiting the test's mechanics to deal over two million battle damage.
"Nakamuta-kun, what a surprise!"
"You've truly shocked me."
"I believe you're undoubtedly the first-place winner of this Duel Alliance test."
"Over two million battle damage—I think that's the limit for this test."
The limit?
Ryo Nakamuta flashed a strange smile at Reiji Akai.
That smile left Reiji baffled, forcing him to swallow the rest of his prepared remarks.
No way!
Was Ryo Nakamuta not satisfied with this damage total?
This wasn't ten thousand, twenty thousand, or even a million.
It was an absurd two million-plus battle damage!
Could he have a way to deal even more?
But how?
The 55 attacks were over.
Even if he could deal more damage, a small amount wouldn't mean much.
Unless…
A sudden thought struck.
Reiji's eyes darted to the final card still in Ryo Nakamuta's hand.
His pupils shrank, his heart screaming, No way!
Could it be…
That card in his hand was…
"Akai-sensei, my test isn't over yet."
"I still have one card in hand."
"That is, my fifth card, my last card."
"This card is the quick-play spell card Cyberload Fusion!"
"Its effect lets me return fusion material monsters listed on a fusion monster card from my field or banished zone to my deck!"
"Then, I can fusion summon a fusion monster from my extra deck that requires Cyber Dragon monsters as material."
"So, all my banished Machine-type monsters, including Cyber Dragon, return to my deck!"
"Overcharged cyber fusion summon!"
"Descend once more!"
"Chimeratech Overdragon!!!"
???
Question marks! The entire class was frantically throwing question marks!
Reiji Akai's water cup slipped from his hand, shattering into pieces on the floor with a crash.
Asuka felt her brain cells weren't enough to process this. After 55 attacks, Chimeratech Overdragon was back?!
In the duel, aside from Red-Eyes monsters, Cyber Dragon and Machine-type monsters returned from the banished zone to the deck, one by one.
Each return added another cyber dragon head and body to the mechanical frame on the field. After 30 fusions, the familiar second Chimeratech Overdragon appeared on the duel field.
The first Chimeratech Overdragon was banished to another dimension due to the second's effect.
In its refreshed state, the second Chimeratech Overdragon had 24,000 ATK and could attack 30 times!
In short, the limit hadn't been reached.
The battle damage was about to skyrocket further!
"Begin the attack."
"Akai-sensei, enjoy the next 30 attacks."
Ryo Nakamuta smiled faintly. On the screen, Chimeratech Overdragon unleashed torrents of cyber lightning, bombarding all the Blue-Eyes White Dragon monsters on the field!
Once!
Twice!
Thrice!
Four times!
…
The familiar scene replayed!
The original 2,255,000 battle damage surged at an uncatchable pace!
The classroom's quiet atmosphere shattered in that moment!
"Haven't I seen this before?!"
"Someone tell me, what the heck did the class prez pull off now?"
"Haven't you figured it out? Simply put, his battle score's about to explode."
"No wonder he's Ryo-bro! Too awesome! This strategy's invincible!"
The class's discussions turned numb with resignation. They'd never have guessed someone could top 2,255,000 battle damage and keep piling it on!
Each attack dealt 21,000 damage! Thirty attacks totaled 630,000 damage!
The final battle damage:
2,885,000 points!
This was too surreal.
Even if they'd imagined it, they couldn't accept it right away.
But as the duel screen froze, the battle damage stood at 2,885,000 points.
Not a point more, not a point less.
They had no choice but to accept it.
Reiji Akai, too, stared silently at the static damage total, frozen like he'd been struck by lightning.
In his mind, he reevaluated the entire test.
At first, milling 55 cards made everyone think Ryo Nakamuta was insane.
Then, the three-card combo for the first fusion, with Chimeratech Overdragon's ten-thousand ATK and multi-attacks, brought awe.
They began to see how Ryo exploited the test rules to the extreme.
The final card's fusion recycle, returning 30 cards to the deck, and the second Chimeratech Overdragon elevated the damage to new heights.
This test performance, like a work of art, gave Reiji a fleeting illusion.
Ryo's dueling insight… might surpass his own!
At least, if Reiji took this test, he couldn't pull off a duel both artistic and dealing millions in damage.
"No, he's so young."
"Maybe he learned this somewhere else."
"Yeah, that must be it."
"If it were Kaiser Ryo…"
Reiji shook off his thoughts, replacing them with Kaiser Ryo's image.
Perhaps only back at the Duel Alliance could he properly assess Ryo Nakamuta.
"Akai-sensei, my test is done."
"All I can say is, the Duel Alliance's test conditions aren't strict enough."
"With a free choice of five starting cards, there's too much room to maneuver."
"Honestly, even without this combo, I could come up with others to deal a million damage."
"It'd just take more time."
Ryo Nakamuta's words nearly made Reiji Akai spit blood.
What?!
What did he mean?
The free five-card hand rule made the test too easy?
No, wait, the real bombshell was the last part.
Without this absurd Chimeratech Overdragon combo, he could devise other combos for a million damage?
Was he bragging?
Reiji forced a wry smile.
If it was Ryo Nakamuta, it might not be a brag.
"Alright, I understand."
"Thank you, Nakamuta-kun."
"All I can say is, you're truly the undisputed master of the Cyber style!"
"Go back and await further notice."
Reiji didn't dare linger, standing to escort Ryo Nakamuta out of the dueling room.
Only after Ryo vanished did he wipe the cold sweat from his brow, his heart sinking further into bitterness.
He had a premonition.
One day, this kid might be his boss.