"Construct's effect continues resolving."
Hikaru was somewhat frustrated.
Having Construct taken to the opponent's field was quite bad for him.
First, he couldn't use Construct's effect to directly destroy Darkest Knight. Second, he couldn't easily use other Fusion cards to assist with Construct's send-to-GY effect for Fusion recovery.
But although the monster was stolen, its effects weren't negated. So Hikaru could still resolve Construct's on-summon effect.
Hikaru opened his Deck and thought carefully.
If Construct were still on his field, he would have sent Shaddoll Schism to the Graveyard, then next turn combined it with Schism to Fusion Summon Winda, send Neos Lord to the Graveyard, and restrict the Supreme King's Special Summons.
But now that was difficult.
After thinking, he pulled out a card. "I send Shaddoll Squamata from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"Then, Squamata's effect sends Shaddoll Hedgehog to the Graveyard. I chain Hedgehog's effect: add one Shaddoll monster from my Deck to my hand. I add... Helshaddoll Hollow to my hand."
"Crystal?" Though the appearance differed, the Supreme King recognized the card instantly.
Hikaru nodded slightly and continued.
With this...
"Spell Card: Frightfur Patchwork. I add Polymerization and Edge Imp Chain from my Deck to my hand."
"..." The Supreme King watched silently.
"What is he doing, Hikaru?" Tierra asked curiously.
His actions suddenly confused her slightly.
This hand should still have hope of dealing with the board, right?
Why keep cycling cards so frequently?
Jaden was thinking the same thing.
But the Supreme King saw more clearly. "Deck compression. Increasing probability."
"Ha, exactly." Hikaru raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"I activate Thunder Dragonroar's effect from my hand. I discard this card to add one Thunder Dragon monster other than Thunder Dragonroar from my Graveyard or banished zone to my hand.
I add Thunder Dragonhawk from my Graveyard to my hand. Then I activate Thunder Dragonhawk's effect.
I discard this card from my hand to Special Summon one Thunder Dragon monster other than Thunder Dragonhawk from my Graveyard or banished zone.
I Special Summon Thunder Dragon!"
Blue lightning struck from the sky. A black thunder dragon, slightly smaller than Thunder Dragon Colossus, appeared on the field. After landing, it cried out happily twice, then coiled around Hikaru, nuzzling its head against his affectionately.
After over a year, the Thunder Dragonmatrix had finally fully grown and matured. It had not only stabilized as Thunder Dragon Colossus, but the three other Thunder Dragon forms Hikaru had wanted had also manifested.
Hikaru acknowledged it briefly, then continued. "During a turn I activated a Thunder monster's effect in the hand, I can Tribute one non-Fusion Thunder Effect Monster on my field to directly call it forth!
Descend!
Thunder Dragon Colossus!"
BOOM!
Lightning crashed down. Thunder Dragon's body swelled, transforming into a storm-commanding giant dragon. The now fully grown Colossus roared, eager to show its power, only to be engulfed by demonic force. Its 2600 ATK was instantly reduced to nothing, shrinking back into a tiny dragon.
Thunder Dragon Colossus. Level 8, DARK Attribute, Thunder-Type. ATK: 2600 → 0.
Without dealing with Darkest Knight, there was no future.
Hikaru observed the field. "Thunder Dragon's effect: once per turn, when this card leaves the field or is banished, I add one Thunder Dragon card other than Thunder Dragon from my Deck to my hand. I add Thunder Dragon Fusion to my hand."
Further compression.
Tierra noticed Hikaru's Deck had become noticeably thinner.
"Spell Card: Polymerization!"
Hikaru played the searched Polymerization. "Fusion conditions: one monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck plus one monster from the hand!"
"I fuse Thunder Dragon Colossus on my field with Helshaddoll Hollow from my hand!"
Light began flickering at Hikaru's side.
"Fusion Summon! Light of the Cycle!
Level 8: Magnum the Reliever!"
Light blazed. A horned demon shimmered into existence on Hikaru's field.
Magnum the Reliever. Level 8, LIGHT Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK: 2800 → 0.
"At this moment, Helshaddoll Hollow's effect activates! When this card is sent to the Graveyard by an effect, I send cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard equal to the number of different original Attributes among monsters on the field!"
Hikaru slowly clenched his fist, pointing at the Supreme King's field. "Right now, your field has FIRE Inferno Wing - Backfire, EARTH Darkest Knight, DARK Neos Lord, and my two LIGHT monsters. So I send four cards from my Deck top to the Graveyard!"
The Supreme King stood calmly with arms crossed, as if he couldn't care less what Hikaru did.
Rather, until Hikaru actually attempted a "counterattack," there was nothing for him to do.
Hikaru silently took the top four cards from his Deck and examined them.
He narrowed his eyes.
There it was.
Shaddoll Schism!
He checked the other three.
Excellent. Great mills!
He sent all four to the Graveyard in sequence.
"I activate Magnum the Reliever's effect. Once per turn: I return one Spell Card with 'Fusion' in its name from my Graveyard to the bottom of my Deck, then draw one card."
"I return Polymerization from my Graveyard to the Deck. Draw one card."
He drew swiftly and glanced down.
"I activate Metalfoes Fusion's effect in the Graveyard: return to Deck, shuffle, draw one card.
At this moment, I chain Magnum the Reliever's effect. When another card's effect is activated: I banish one 'Fusion' Spell from my Graveyard, then target one card on the field and destroy it."
Hikaru looked at the Supreme King's field.
If Construct hadn't been stolen, he would have prioritized destroying Darkest Knight. But now, Construct took priority.
"I banish Instant Fusion from the Graveyard. I target your El Shaddoll Construct."
Magnum the Reliever slowly charged its right hand. Despite being shrunk to the size of a card, its power was undiminished. It aimed at Construct on the Supreme King's field and hurled a golden orb. With a thunderous boom, Construct exploded.
"Construct's effect: when this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can recover one Shaddoll Spell or Trap from my Graveyard."
"Good, at least Construct is dealt with!"
"Next is Darkest Knight!"
"Then at this moment, my Graveyard's Vicious Claws's effect also activates." The Supreme King spoke up just as the two spectators were celebrating, reminding them he wasn't some idle AI. "When a monster I control is destroyed by battle or effect: I Special Summon this card from the Graveyard. Then, if a Dark Fusion or a card mentioning it exists in my Graveyard, I can destroy one card on the field."
"Yeehaw!" A demon with razor-sharp claws on its right hand emerged from the Graveyard.
Evil HERO Vicious Claws. Level 7, DARK Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 2500.
He pointed at Magnum the Reliever. "Fall before my forces!"
Vicious Claws grinned, suddenly appeared beside Magnum the Reliever, extended its claws, and with a boom, shredded it.
Hikaru raised his left hand to shield himself. Magnum's destruction created a terrifying explosive storm, forcing him to brace against the gale.
"...I add Shaddoll Schism from my Graveyard to my hand."
Hikaru's field was empty once again. But he wasn't discouraged. He accepted the situation and silently recovered his cards.
"Sigh..."
Jaden, watching, wore a pained expression.
So comprehensive.
Negation, control theft, card destruction, ATK suppression. A mix of Traps, on-field monster effects, and Graveyard effects. Maybe not airtight, but achieving this board without spending many cards was genuinely impressive.
Hikaru had performed multiple Fusions so far, yet hadn't made a dent. Even the hard-earned Magnum the Reliever, the symbol of Hikaru's Fusion recycling philosophy, had been destroyed!
Tierra also looked troubled.
Hikaru had used several Fusion Monsters, yet couldn't clear the Supreme King's board. His own cards had been almost entirely dealt with. After all that cycling, they were right back where the turn started.
"Relax. This is exactly what I wanted to see." Hikaru broke into a smile.
Although nothing seemed to have changed and the Supreme King had even gained a 2500 ATK monster, his disruptions seemed exhausted.
The only card that might still have an effect was Inferno Wing - Backfire, but it looked more like a relay piece. The odds of it having strong disruption were low.
That meant he could truly begin his "counterattack."
He looked at his hand.
"Normal Summon: Aleister the Invoker!"
A magic book fell from the sky. A bespectacled young man suddenly appeared on Hikaru's field, casually adjusting his glasses.
Aleister the Invoker. Level 4, DARK Attribute, Spellcaster-Type. ATK: 1000 → 0.
"Aleister? Planning an Invoked Fusion?" The Supreme King watched Hikaru's search and, unusually, spoke with interest.
He knew Aleister, a top-tier spirit in the world of "Fusion." Seeing this monster and knowing its possibilities, even the Supreme King felt some anticipation.
"But with an Invoked monster, you shouldn't be able to deal with this board." Tierra looked at the field and shook her head.
"True, an Invoked monster can't deal with this board. But don't forget the most basic principle of Fusion!" Hikaru laughed.
?
Tierra looked at him quizzically.
"Aleister's effect: I add one Invocation from my Deck to my hand."
He added Invocation, then activated it. "Normal Spell: Invocation! This card can Fuse using monsters from my hand!"
Oh!
A direct Fusion!
Tierra's eyes widened in realization.
The most basic, most common, most core, fundamental Fusion!
"I fuse Edge Imp Chain and Fluffal Penguin from my hand!"
"Massive demon disguised in a plush costume, appear before me now and bring me victory!"
"Fusion Summon! Level 8!"
"Frightfur Kraken!"
Countless tentacles rose from underground. A comical-looking plushie was born from a "sea of darkness," gazing eerily at the field.
"Oh... a disguised deity?" The Supreme King recognized the card's true nature at a glance. "Interesting."
This monster genuinely piqued his interest.
Frightfur Kraken. Level 8, WATER Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK: 2200 → 0.
"Penguin's effect: when used as Frightfur Fusion Material, draw two cards, discard one. Chain's effect: I add one Frightfur card from my Deck to my hand. I add a second Frightfur Patchwork."
"An effect similar to Liquid Soldier's?" Jaden watched, feeling an impulse burning inside.
Hikaru first added Frightfur Patchwork to hand to avoid drawing into it. Then he drew two, discarding the previously searched Thunder Dragon Fusion.
Unfortunately, he didn't have Thunder Dragon Titan, and his card slots couldn't fit Prismaura, so Thunder Dragon Fusion was essentially just search fodder.
"Frightfur Kraken's monster effect: once per turn, I target one monster my opponent controls. That monster is sent to the Graveyard. This effect's activation turn, this card cannot attack directly."
Hikaru took a deep breath and pointed at Darkest Knight.
"Send Darkest Knight to the Graveyard."
Darkest Knight had been standing on the field smugly twirling its lance. Suddenly, the ground cracked open, or rather, the ground had always been "seawater." Countless tentacles emerged, dragging Darkest Knight into the depths.
Frightfur Kraken, ATK: 0 → 2200.
"Good! That ATK-reducing monster is dealt with too!" Tierra was thrilled for Hikaru.
As his partner and the person most familiar with his Deck's composition, she could see that Hikaru's duel against the Supreme King wasn't just about Fusion. He was maximizing every detail and advantage of his Deck. Every step was carefully considered. This level of caution had probably only appeared in his duel against Professor Banner.
"Darkest Knight's effect."
There was more?
Hikaru froze.
"When this card leaves the field by an opponent's effect: I Special Summon one Fiend or Warrior monster from my Graveyard."
That was manageable. The Supreme King's Graveyard should have...
"I Special Summon Elemental HERO Shadow Mist in Defense Position from the Graveyard! Then, I activate her effect!"
!!
Hikaru was caught off guard.
Right...
He'd forgotten about her!
Elemental HERO Shadow Mist. Level 4, DARK Attribute, Warrior-Type. DEF 1500.
"I add one Quick-Play Spell with 'Change' in its name from my Deck to my hand." The Supreme King lazily raised his hand. "Quick-Play Spell: Form Change."
A card automatically leapt into his hand from the spinning Duel Disk.
"So cautious!" Jaden instantly understood the Supreme King's intent from within the mental world.
Next turn, Hikaru would definitely use Shaddoll Schism's effect to Fusion Summon Winda. At that point, the Supreme King only needed to chain Form Change. Not only would it dodge Schism's same-Attribute send-to-GY effect, but he could simultaneously Special Summon another HERO!
Avoiding risk while strengthening his own board!
So impressive, so meticulous, so serious!
Jaden watched excitedly.
He could feel it.
The Supreme King was more serious than ever before. More serious than when dueling him in the mental world. More serious than any time prior!
"...Then finally, I activate the Spell Card: Fusion Destiny!"
Hikaru studied his hand and decisively played it.
"I send Fusion Materials from my Deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Destiny HERO. After activating this card, I can only Special Summon DARK HERO monsters this turn."
"Oh?" The Supreme King was slightly surprised.
"I send Evil HERO Adusted Gold and Destiny HERO - Drawhand from my Deck to the Graveyard. Fusion Summon!"
"Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer!"
Flames blazed!
The undying hero was born amid the inferno!
Just as everyone felt it...
Both the Supreme King and Hikaru were genuinely going all out.
Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer. Level 8, DARK Attribute, Warrior-Type. ATK 2500.
"Ohhhhh!! It's the Destiny HERO that Hikaru and Aster created!" Jaden's excitement grew with each passing moment.
What a show! Worth every penny!
"Interesting... That monster is a completely new creation born from your Fusion, isn't it?" The Supreme King instantly recognized the special power on this monster that didn't originally belong to it.
Hikaru nodded, then continued. "While Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer is on the field, all opponent's monsters lose ATK equal to the number of HERO monsters in my Graveyard times 200."
Evil HERO Neos Lord, ATK: 2500 → 2100. Evil HERO Vicious Claws, ATK: 2500 → 2100. Evil HERO Inferno Wing - Backfire, ATK: 2100 → 1700.
Unfortunately, Shadow Mist was in Defense Position.
"Battle! Frightfur Kraken can attack twice per turn!"
Hikaru pointed at Inferno Wing - Backfire. Countless tentacles shot out, coiling around the dark female demon.
BOOM!
Supreme King, LP: 4000 → 3500.
"Frightfur Kraken attacks Vicious Claws!"
The clawed demon had just triumphantly destroyed Magnum the Reliever and was riding high. But two enormous blades swung down. It panicked, scrambling to fight back, only to be instantly defeated and sliced to pieces.
Supreme King, LP: 3500 → 3400.
"Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer attacks Neos Lord!"
"Neos Lord cannot be destroyed by battle or effects." The Supreme King didn't care about the LP loss. "Counterattack, Neos Lord!"
Despite its reduced ATK, Neos Lord showed no fear. Facing the higher-ATK phoenix, it simply raised a fist and traded blows.
Supreme King, LP: 3400 → 3000.
Double immunity to battle and effect destruction?
Hikaru frowned.
He had planned to use the phoenix's ability to clear the Supreme King's board and prevent Form Change.
Too bad. If he had known, he should have used Kraken's effect to send Neos Lord to the Graveyard, then used DPE to destroy his own Aleister along with Darkest Knight... Of course, in that case, Shadow Mist probably wouldn't have searched Form Change but instead stayed on field waiting to search a monster.
"Then, Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect: I destroy one card I control and one card my opponent controls. I destroy DPE itself and your Shadow Mist."
Blazing flames burned fiercely on Hikaru's field, consuming the malice-filled Shadow Mist. But the flames didn't dissipate, continuing to burn on Hikaru's field.
"Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect: when this card is destroyed by battle or effect, during the next Standby Phase, I can Special Summon one Destiny HERO from the Graveyard."
"Battle Phase ends. Frightfur Kraken's effect: at the end of a Battle Phase in which this card battled, it switches to Defense Position."
The squid slowly submerged into the dark sea.
Frightfur Kraken, ATK: 2200 → DEF: 3000.
"I Set two cards... Turn end."
Hikaru studied his hand, exhaled deeply, and silently Set two cards.
The field gradually settled. Both players' LP had become 3000, essentially back to the same starting line. Only this time, Hikaru was the one building a board, and the Supreme King would have to deal with it.
Just two turns. Just the opening exchange. Yet their duel already surpassed the vast majority of duelists in the world. Even Jaden and Tierra were slack-jawed, forced to marvel at both players' strength.
And that wasn't all.
As Hikaru declared his turn's end, this place that seemed severed from the human world, this seeming pinnacle of darkness, drew countless gazes!
Powerful beings. Existences ordinary people could never contact. Some with grand ambitions, others with terrifying aspirations.
And now, every one of them set aside their tasks, their preparations, their ongoing work, and almost instinctively turned their sight toward this universe, this world, this dimension, this...
Summit of Fusion!
The strongest Fusion duelist of the past versus the absolute Fusion duelist currently growing. Their duel's mere "opening" was already enough to captivate them.
Not to mention...
That power hidden in both their hearts, vast enough to swallow rivers and heavens, vowing to Fuse all of creation! The ultimate, absolutely invincible force!
That power, coiled and ready, waiting for both duelists to unleash it!
Crackle, crackle...
Golden lightning scattered throughout the space. Because of countless beings' "observation," this building grew ever more dangerous. The isolated space seemed to crack, as though the power of Fusion was driving it toward mutation.
How it would ultimately end... perhaps even the two duelists themselves couldn't predict!
"My turn! DRAW!!"
The Supreme King's voice finally changed.
No longer that cold, emotionless, machine-like monotone. At last, a spark of blazing passion!
Experiencing a duel like this after death? Not bad at all!