Seeing a brand-new monster on the opponent's field, Hikaru showed no change in emotion.
He knew that Gate Guardian Combined could "disintegrate" and how disgusting this monster was as a wall, so he wasn't upset about not completely dealing with it. Instead, he continued his operations.
"I activate the effect of Fusion Substitute in my Graveyard, banish it to return one Fusion Monster from my GY to my Extra Deck, then draw one card.
I return Adoration to my Extra Deck."
Hikaru placed Adoration back into his Extra Deck, then drew a card.
At first glance he'd simply drawn a card, but the more attentive spectators clearly understood Hikaru's real goal: to retrieve Adoration.
And Hikaru still hadn't used the recovered Polymerization!
Hikaru glanced at his hand. "Oh, first, I Normal Summon Elemental HERO Prisma, and activate its effect. I reveal Evil HERO Inferno Wing from my Extra Deck and send Elemental HERO Burstinatrix from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"Then I activate the Spell Card, Polymerization.
The Fusion condition is two HERO monsters."
His Normal Summon hadn't been used yet, so Hikaru figured it would be wasteful not to make use of it, and activated this effect first.
Immediately after, Hikaru took a card from his hand and revealed it. "I Fusion Summon using Elemental HERO Prisma on my field and Vision HERO Vyon from my hand!"
All the lights once again shone on Hikaru's position, and the hero that had previously dissipated reappeared on his field.
It was as if the one shattered by Gate Guardian before hadn't been it at all. It merely stood calmly with its arms crossed, utterly serene.
Vision HERO Adoration -- Level 8, DARK, Warrior, ATK 2800
"A Vision HERO never shows its true face; each appearance is merely an image. Because it's a newly Fusion Summoned Adoration, its effect can be activated again.
I activate Adoration's effect, targeting Masked HERO Acid on my field and Gate Guardian of Water and Thunder on your field!"
"Beautiful! If this goes through, Jaden and the others will basically win!" Atticus, who had finally recovered his composure, moved to the seats behind Serena, Chazz, and the others, cheering for the two.
"Naive." The Paradox Brothers chuckled. "Gate Guardian of Water and Thunder's effect!
During either player's turn, target one face-up monster your opponent controls, that monster's ATK becomes 0 until the end of the turn!"
Kyuu held up two fingers, making a "V" sign. "This effect can be used up to twice per turn!"
"What?"
"It can even protect itself?!"
"That's too powerful!"
Gasps of astonishment rose and fell through the audience.
Even Chazz had to admit it.
Gate Guardian's protective ability was indeed terrifyingly strong!
Masked HERO Acid -- ATK: 2600 -> 0
"Hehehe, because Acid's ATK became 0, Adoration can only reduce our monster's ATK by 0!" The Paradox Brothers said almost simultaneously.
Hikaru nodded, silently counting the remaining attack opportunities, and played his last Fusion card. "Spell Card, Dark Calling!
This card lets you banish materials from your hand or GY that are required for a Fusion Monster that can only be Fusion Summoned by Dark Fusion, and Fusion Summon that monster!
I banish Evil HERO Malicious Edge from my GY and Evil HERO Adusted Gold from my hand!
Dark Fusion -- Level 8, Evil HERO Malicious Fiend!"
The cool demonic hero with claws on its hands, bearing a ferocious grin, slowly spread its wings.
Evil HERO Malicious Fiend -- Level 8, FIRE, Fiend, ATK 3500
With this, Hikaru's field once again amassed a total ATK of over eight thousand!
But;
"Hehehe, at this moment, Gate Guardian of Water and Thunder's effect activates!" In the sky, the gigantic Guardian once again exhaled a cold wind, targeting the demon on the field.
"Malicious Fiend's ATK is reduced to 0!"
Seeing this, Hikaru wasn't too nervous and commanded his monsters to attack.
"Enter Battle Phase!"
"Wait, at this moment, the effect of Labyrinth Wall Shadow activates!
At the start of your opponent's Battle Phase, target one monster on your opponent's field with less than 1600 ATK, that monster is destroyed!
The one I'll destroy is your Evil HERO Malicious Fiend!"
"Get lost in the Labyrinth!"
"Even the walls have effects?"
The onlookers had lost count of how many times they'd exclaimed.
The Paradox Brothers' monster protection ability was simply too strong!
"That's amazing." Serena couldn't help but worry. "What should we do now?"
Chazz couldn't help but scratch his arm, pulling up his suit sleeve, looking very nervous.
The Paradox Brothers couldn't help but chuckle.
As long as this move destroyed Hikaru's attacker, even if Adoration defeated Gate Guardian of Water and Thunder, they could Special Summon Suijin with its leaving-the-field effect.
At that point, no matter which monster Hikaru attacked with, Suijin could activate its effect to reduce the attacking monster's ATK to 0!
By their next turn, using Labyrinth Wall Shadow's effect, they could place Kazejin as a Continuous Spell on their field, then form Gate Guardian of Wind and Water, gaining the ability to negate Spell and Trap effects on the field twice per turn.
At that point, using their other tactics, they could easily chip away at the remaining seven or eight thousand Life Points.
"Heh, I've been waiting for this move for a long time!" Unexpectedly, Hikaru's tone suddenly shifted.
"What?!" The Paradox Brothers were simultaneously startled.
"What? Hikaru still has moves?" Chazz's second brother couldn't help but crane his neck forward.
"Hikaru actually still has a strategy?" More people began to discuss.
"The moment you targeted Malicious Fiend, I chain to your effect activation with the Quick-Play Spell, Form Change!"
"Form Change?" The Paradox Brothers repeated, confused.
"Oh, oh, oh! It's Form Change! Is it coming?! Hikaru!" Seeing Hikaru play this card, Jaden immediately understood what he intended.
"That's right, Quick-Play Spell, Form Change! Return one HERO Fusion Monster you control to the Extra Deck, then Special Summon one Masked HERO with the same original Level but a different name from your Extra Deck!
Masked HERO!"
"Masked HERO!?"
"That's right."
Hikaru raised his hand and pointed skyward. "The Masked HERO I possess!
Let the light descend!
Transform, Masked HERO Koga!"
Fully armored, the silver-and-gold hero held a sharp blade in each hand, instantly transforming from a demon to a warrior, as if the person inside had always been the same.
Masked HERO Koga -- Level 8, LIGHT, Warrior, ATK 2500
"Koga's ATK increases by 500 for each monster on your field!"
Masked HERO Koga -- ATK: 2500 -> 3000
"With this, everything falls into place!" Hikaru pointed at Gate Guardian of Water and Thunder. "Attack with Adoration!"
Adoration waved its sleeve, and countless lights shone on Gate Guardian, then ignited it like flames.
Bang!
The monster was completely shattered.
The Paradox Brothers lightly shielded themselves from the impact.
Paradox Brothers -- LP: 8000 -> 7750
"When the Special Summoned face-up Gate Guardian of Water and Thunder leaves the field because of the opponent, its effect activates!
Special Summon one Suijin or Sanga of the Thunder from your banished zone!"
Although their original plan was to Special Summon Suijin for an invincible combo next turn, given the current situation, the Paradox Brothers naturally had to change strategy.
"Special Summon, Sanga of the Thunder!"
Sanga of the Thunder -- Level 7, LIGHT, Thunder, ATK 2600
Gate Guardian disintegrated again. The water component voluntarily separated from the thunder, sacrificing itself for the other's survival.
There was a loud explosion.
"I knew it!"
"That dual-fused Gate Guardian can split even further!"
"This is too troublesome."
Many of the watching duelists showed extremely distressed expressions.
Hikaru had performed multiple consecutive Fusions, yet the Paradox Brothers were still able to endure!
One should know that Sanga of the Thunder also possessed the classic ability to reduce an attacking monster's ATK to 0!
"I activate Koga's effect. Once per turn, by banishing one HERO monster from my GY, I can target one face-up monster on the field, that monster's ATK decreases by the ATK of the banished monster until the end of the turn."
Hikaru suddenly paused and silently picked up a Normal Monster from his Graveyard.
Jaden was stunned.
"I banish Elemental HERO Neos to reduce your Sanga of the Thunder's ATK by 2500!"
Sanga of the Thunder -- ATK: 2600 -> 100
"Attack with Malicious Fiend!" Hikaru waved his hand, commanding the demon to attack.
"Ha, fortunately, it was Sanga that was Special Summoned. Otherwise, if Suijin's ATK were reduced to 0, it wouldn't even be destroyed."
In Yu-Gi-Oh!, if monsters with the same ATK clash, they are both destroyed, unless they have battle immunity.
However, there was one "exception."
Even if monsters with 0 ATK attacked each other, neither would be destroyed by battle.
After all, the ATK was "0"!
"Sanga of the Thunder's effect! Once while this card is face-up on the field, during damage calculation when this card is attacked, target the attacking monster! That monster's ATK becomes 0!"
Sanga, which looked very much like a mechanical crab, began to crackle with electricity.
The handsome clawed demon, just as it was about to strike, began convulsing violently as its ATK plummeted to 0.
Evil HERO Malicious Fiend -- ATK: 3500 -> 0
The opponent's ATK was 100, and Hikaru's was 0. Malicious Fiend was directly electrocuted to the ground, twitching in place, and finally exploded.
Hikaru & Jaden -- LP: 7350 -> 7250
"Koga, attack!"
Koga flashed behind Sanga of the Thunder, then with a beautiful sword swing, cleaved the monster in two.
Its body fell to the ground, shattering the Labyrinth and costing the Paradox Brothers a massive chunk of Life Points.
Paradox Brothers -- LP: 7750 -> 4850
Hikaru breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Leaving any of the Gate Guardian components on the field was a huge headache. Now, they were finally all cleared.
Hikaru and Jaden's close friends, who were watching, also relaxed slightly.
This Gate Guardian was too persistent. The onlookers had more or less felt frustrated by it.
Now, seeing Hikaru successfully deal with all the monsters, they also felt some relief.
Hikaru glanced at the remaining cards in his hand and silently set two. "I set two cards and end my turn."
Just like Jaden's last turn, Hikaru also set two cards.
"What an incredible combination."
"Truly amazing," the Paradox Brothers said, one after another.
"Although you couldn't share information, the cards you left behind prepared your teammate, expanding your field while still retaining means of counterattack."
"As duelists, you are truly excellent!"
"However, don't think that just because you dealt with Gate Guardian once, it's over!"
Mei drew a card, and seeing what he'd drawn, his lips curled up. "After the last dormitory duel, we summarized many of our failures."
"Among them, Gate Guardian only having one set was the biggest problem!"
What?! This time it wasn't just the duelists, the surrounding spectators heard and immediately grasped the implication!
"During the Standby Phase after your Draw Phase, the effect of Destiny HERO - Dasher activates. If this card is in the GY, when I draw a monster during my Draw Phase, I can reveal it and Special Summon it. I Special Summon it in Defense Position and do not activate the draw effect."
Destiny HERO - Dasher -- Level 6, DARK, Warrior, DEF 1000
"Adding a defensive wall, huh? Haha." Mei looked at the monsters on Hikaru's field.
Masked HERO Acid, Masked HERO Koga, Vision HERO Adoration, and Destiny HERO - Dasher.
"HEROes, huh."
"Even the strongest heroes have their own inner confusion."
"When you are confused, you fall into a vortex and cannot extricate yourself."
"Falling into your own labyrinth, it's not that simple to get out, kid!" "I activate the Normal Spell, Dark Element!"
"Ah..." Jaden's expression changed when he saw this card. "It's the one from last time."
"That's right! This is exactly the card we used when we lost that dormitory duel!
However, after that, we also trained!" Mei chuckled. "As legendary duelists, to be complacent and fall into the labyrinth of wealth and fame, as gatekeepers and wanderers, is truly inappropriate."
"So after that, we also attempted countless changes!"
"Now is the moment of that evolution!"
"The effect of Dark Element! If there is a Gate Guardian monster in your Graveyard, pay half your Life Points, Special Summon one Level 11 or higher Gate Guardian monster from your hand, Deck, or Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions!"
"What are they going to summon?"
"You should know very well, Jaden."
Hmm...
Jaden looked troubled.
"That's right! Special Summon, Dark Guardian!"
Dark Guardian, like Fusion Substitute, was a card whose name was also treated as "Gate Guardian" by the game's rules.
A guardian from hell riding a spider roared and stood in the Labyrinth, like the Minotaur in an endless maze, blocking everyone from escaping.
Dark Guardian -- Level 12, DARK, Warrior, ATK 3800
Paradox Brothers -- LP: 4850 -> 2425
"Dark Guardian Special Summoned by Dark Element is unaffected by other monsters' effects, and also unaffected by Spell Cards and effects activated by your opponent!"
"That monster evolved too." Jaden exclaimed. "I remember it couldn't be destroyed by battle."
"That's right." Mei nodded.
"Not only that, I also activate the Spell Card, Riryoku Guardian! If your Life Points are less than your opponent's, target one monster on your field whose original name includes 'Gate Guardian', your opponent's Life Points are halved! After that, the targeted monster's ATK increases by the amount of your opponent's current Life Points!"
"What?!"
"Halved?!"
Atticus stood up in shock.
"And its ATK directly increases by the Life Point value?!"
You might as well call it an instant kill!
"There's a card like that?"
Even the spectators who barely understood duels knew how terrifying this card was in terms of raw numbers.
Hikaru & Jaden -- LP: 7250 -> 3625
Dark Guardian -- ATK: 3800 -> 7425
Chazz couldn't help but swallow hard, a drop of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
This might be a bit too strong, right?
"It's not over yet," Mei continued. "The effect of Dark Element: banish it from the Graveyard, and I can add one of my banished Sanga of the Thunder, Kazejin, or Suijin to my hand. I add Suijin to my hand! Then, the effect of Labyrinth Wall Shadow, I place the banished Kazejin on the field as a Continuous Spell!"
The dual-component Gate Guardians required banishing the components from the field to be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, but...
"I banish Suijin from my hand, Kazejin from the field, and Sanga of the Thunder from the Graveyard, descend once more! Our gatekeeper!"
The two shouted in unison: "Gate Guardians Combined!"
The yellow thunder machine, the green wind demon, the blue water support, the three components flew into the sky and combined again.
A brand-new guardian roared and appeared once more!
Gate Guardians Combined -- Level 12, DARK, Warrior, ATK 3750
"A Gate Guardian that was so hard to deal with, and it's back just like that..." Lulu couldn't help but gasp.
Were legendary duelists really that powerful?
"..."
Chazz's brother was stunned at first, but then he remembered these were their duelists, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. "It seems this time, we win! What bad luck for them."
Chazz's expression changed when he heard his brother's words.
Although he usually wasn't good at arguing with his two older brothers, and had rarely dared to talk back growing up.
But now: "Don't be so full of yourself, second brother." Chazz snorted coldly. "Look at the screen. Hikaru and Jaden.
They haven't given up."
"What's there to cling to? Hikaru's field has three monsters in Attack Position! Dark Guardian just has to attack one and it's over."
"That's right, seems like the GX Tournament champion is nothing more than..."
"Quiet!" Suddenly, a roar sounded, no, although it felt like a roar in everyone's hearts, it was just a calm whisper.
They looked at the hunched figure in the corner and couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
Rex Raptor!
A legendary duelist!
He just stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the duel, not looking at any of them. But the sound he uttered was like a dinosaur's roar, making people tremble.
Serena's eyes twinkled.
She felt like she wanted to learn that!
Lulu, on the other hand, kept watching the screen, eyes fixed, not daring to miss a single detail.
"Battle! Dark Guardian attacks, hmm, Koga!"
"Open the Set Card!" Hikaru suddenly raised his hand. "Trap Card, Fusion Duplication!"
The Paradox Brothers looked at this uncommon card in confusion.
On the card art, a figure was mass-producing copies of Polymerization.
"Target one 'Polymerization' Normal or Quick-Play Spell in your or your opponent's GY, banish that Spell, and apply the effect of that Spell as it was when activated!"
"I banish the Normal Spell Polymerization from my Graveyard."
"Polymerization at a time like this?"
"As expected of Hikaru, even now, he still wants to Fuse."
"But Dark Guardian is unaffected by monster effects, right? Even a Fusion Monster won't work, will it?"
"Heh, of course it will!" Hikaru took a deep breath. "Sorry, this is the first time I've used you since I got you. And right off the bat, it's a situation like this.
But, at a necessary moment, I must use it!"
Hikaru narrowed his eyes and raised his right hand.
"The Fusion condition is three monsters with different names from my field or hand!"
"The three spears that judge the world, turn into the prison of ice and freeze everything!"
As Hikaru spoke, he actually exhaled white cold air.
"Fusion Summon!"
"Level 9!"
"Trishula, the Dragon of Icy Imprisonment!"
"GRAAAH!!!!"
A dragon's roar exploded.
The three-headed ice dragon slowly appeared. It seemed as if it had just awakened, or as if it was breathing fresh air after an eternity. After its initial confusion upon materializing, it quickly became irritable, excited, and frenzied. Its three heads thrashed everywhere, completely disregarding everything around it, wantonly crushing everything in sight!
Destruction!
Battle!
No need to hesitate, no need to waver.
Just summon me, and I will help you!
I will help you freeze everything!
GRAAAHAHAHA!!
Trishula, the Dragon of Icy Imprisonment -- WATER, Level 9, Dragon, DEF 2000
"What kind of monster is that?" The Paradox Brothers looked at this monster, which was indiscriminately crushing the Labyrinth, somewhat bewildered.
"Forget it, never mind, the attack continues! Dark Guardian attacks Trishula!"
Trishula was savoring the air after its long confinement when it suddenly saw an overconfident fellow flying by.
It roared, wanting to fight, but realized it was in Defense Position, and the opponent's ATK was over seven thousand.
With a roar of fury, it still couldn't withstand Dark Guardian, shattering into ice shards and disappearing from the field.
"It seems to be the spirit's own consciousness enjoying the show," Tierra casually explained to Hikaru after witnessing the scene. "It should be the Trishula from the Duel Terminal Spirit World, it seems to be the type of spirit that directly descends as a card, participates with its own consciousness, and starts a brawl whenever someone in any dimension summons it."
Uh...
A battle-crazed spirit, huh.
Hikaru nodded gently. It was his first time truly Fusion Summoning it, so he hadn't known what Trishula was like before. But it was worth noting that although this was Hikaru's first time summoning Trishula, in reality, no matter which duel it was, Trishula always occupied one of Hikaru's Extra Deck slots, a truly 100% attendance rate Fusion Monster.
"Gate Guardians Combined attacks Dasher!"
Bzzt. Dasher's figure dissipated.
If Dasher was removed from the field by its own effect, it was banished directly.
"I set one card and end my turn."
Mei looked at the Set Card and nodded gently.
The card he'd set was the Trap Card, Mirror Force.
A Trap that could destroy all attacking monsters.
Moreover, Gate Guardians Combined on his field still had three instances of targeting negation, and Dark Guardian had over seven thousand ATK. No matter how Jaden wanted to attack, it wouldn't be easy to overcome their invincible combination.
And even if Gate Guardians Combined was destroyed, they could reassemble it just like before.
Their advantage was enormous!