"Heh heh. Your confidence ends here." The opposing duelist sets a card. "End turn."
"Kneel before the greatness of the Phantasm Card!"
"Kneel? It looks more like you're the one about to kneel." Tenjo Hikari shook his head, drew a card from his Deck, glanced at it, and revealed one, "Pay 1000 Life Points, activate Spell Card, Instant Fusion, Special Summon Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"
Thousand-Eyes Restrict, LV 1, Dark Attribute, Spellcaster-Type, ATK 0.
Tenjo Hikari LP: 4000→3000
Since it's immune to Trap Cards, I'll just use its monster effect directly.
"Haha." Just then, the masked man suddenly flipped a Set Card, "Trying to devour Uria with Thousand-Eyes Restrict? Dream on! I activate the Trap Card, Fusion Failure!"
"When a Fusion Monster is Special Summoned, all Fusion Monsters on the field return to the Fusion Deck."
Tenjo Hikari looked at this card and raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm, honestly, I kind of pity this archfiend." Tierra quipped on the side, "Fusion failure, isn't he from the Integration Department? Why use such a card?"
In this world, aside from the basic deck-building, the dueling approach, philosophy, and the different attitudes toward cards, all affect a duelist's "rating" in the eyes of humans, society, and Spirits.
Fusion Failure isn't exactly an unusual card, just like how Manjome also has a Chthonian Polymer to snatch someone else's Fusion Monsters.
But for a duelist who primarily focuses on "Fusion," actively including a Fusion Failure card, it seems lacking in purity no matter how you look at it in this world.
"Since the Trap Cards in my Graveyard increase, Uria's ATK rises again."
Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, ATK 3000→4000.
As Uria's ATK rose, he seemed even more tormented than before.
Tenjo Hikari shrugged, didn't respond to Tierra's comment, glanced at the card in his hand, and suddenly smiled.
Professor Cronos finally got it for him yesterday.
He had only seen others use it before; now he could finally enjoy it himself.
"Activate Equip Spell Card, Future Fusion!"
Tenjo Hikari revealed the card in his hand: "By sending Fusion Materials from the Deck to the Graveyard to perform a Fusion Summon, equip this card. When this card is destroyed, destroy that Fusion Monster.
I send Ancient Gear Golem and Ancient Gear Knight from the Deck to the Graveyard.
Knight of Steel, now, transform into the body, unite with the ancient giant, and become the ultimate machine!
Fusion Summon, Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem."
Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, LV 10, Earth Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 4400.
"Tch, all tricks." The masked man sneered, "Future Fusion summoned monster cannot attack during the turn it's Special Summoned. You can only watch."
That much is true.
"End turn."
"My turn, activate the Spell Card, Pot of Greed, draw two cards." The masked man pointed at the Uria on the field: "Then, Uria, attack my enemy!"
"High-Energy Absorption."
"Counter, Ultimate Giant, Ultimate Heavy Strike!"
Uria took a deep breath, unleashed a powerful gust, yet even though Uria was quite strong, his ATK couldn't match the Ultimate Giant and could only hate in vain.
"He actually destroyed his own card?" Tierra was amazed to see the Ultimate Giant punch the crimson Flying Dragon away, somewhat surprised.
Masked Man LP: 4000→3600.
Tenjo Hikari nodded, "It seems that Uria also has that effect."
In the original, Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, had the powerful effect of "being able to be Special Summoned from the Graveyard by discarding a Trap Card when in the Graveyard," making it an immortal entity. However, after O edition, this strongest, most unique ability disappeared.
And now, looking at the student on the opposite side, it's obvious this Uria also has that effect.
"Activate the effect of Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, when this card is in the Graveyard, I can discard a Continuous Trap Card to resurrect it! Discard Soul Resurrection, return, Uria!"
"Because Uria's resurrection, Trap Cards in the Graveyard increase again!"
Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, ATK: 4000→5000.
"Tenjo Hikari, I know very well, you want to use Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem's ATK next turn to destroy Uria and then use other monsters to make up 4000 points of damage, defeating me directly, right?" He laughed coldly, "Heh heh heh, I won't give you that chance. Set one card, end turn!"
"Tenjo Hikari, this guy has been trying to stop you all along?" Tierra suddenly became interested, "He seems to understand you well, and he quite fears you. So could you deceive him into destroying this?"
"It's possible, but we need to confirm a bit more."
Tenjo Hikari stroked his chin, and after talking to Tierra, he thought of something else.
Even the resurrection effect is a weakened version?
Now Tenjo Hikari was somewhat sure.
The card of Uria, Lord of Searing Flames in the opponent's hand probably isn't the "real" card of Uria.
A similar situation occurred in the original work, where a designer from Industrial Illusions Company stole the duplicate card of The Winged Dragon of Ra, which was specially left by Pegasus.
According to reason, God's Card disappeared from the world after the Nameless Pharaoh left, but Pegasus prepared a duplicate for research purposes, which unexpectedly got stolen and used by his company's designer.
Duplicating God's Cards and Rare Cards wasn't uncommon in the original work, because those powerful Monster Cards possessed immense power. Throughout history, countless people have tried to replicate God's Cards, but they were mostly punished by Divine Power.
Using those cards comes at a cost.
In the original work, not just anyone can use God's Card; similarly, the Phantasms Card cannot be used "just anywhere." The original holder of the Three Phantasms, Kagemaru, could only use the cards within the domain of the "Seven Stars Gate," even though he could summon Phantasms and absorb Life Force from cards worldwide, he could only stay within the Seven Stars Gate.
This is why he wanted to duel Judai in a Darkness Duel—to absorb and inherit Judai's Spirit-controlling power, allowing him to take the Three Phantasms anywhere in the world.
Now, outside of the Seven Stars Gate's range, using such cards is not easy. Tenjo Hikari looked around, and it seemed like this thin mist-like substance was specifically created to simulate.
What's more, Phantasms Cards are inherently "evil" and actively absorb the Life Force of other Spirits. Now, that masked person is completely gaunt, looking as if he could die with just a breeze.
In Tenjo Hikari's turn, he drew a card, pulling one from them.
"Activate the Continuous Spell Card, Flame Swordsrealm..."
Beautiful!
Kagurazaka, watching the duel from the shadows, directly shouted excitedly when he saw this card.
Using Flame Swordsrealm's effect, one can directly Special Summon Flame Swordsman, and then use Flame Swordsrealm's effect to increase the Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem's ATK, thereby defeating that terrifying monster.
"I activate Flame Swordsrealm's effect, sending Gem-Knight Crystal from my hand to the Graveyard." Tenjo Hikari sent the card to the Graveyard.
"Too naive, Tenjo Hikari!" The opponent decisively opened a Trap at this moment, "Trap Card, Dust Tornado!"
"Can only be activated targeting 1 Spell·Trap Card on the opponent's field. Destroy that opponent's card!"
"Vanish! Flame Swordsrealm."
"Ahhhhh—" Kagurazaka clutched his head, rolling crazily in the woods, "It's over, it's over; not only discarded the card, but it was also destroyed and couldn't summon Flame Swordsman. Most importantly, because the card was discarded, Uria, Lord of Searing Flames' ATK further increased!"
Uria, Lord of Searing Flames ATK: 5000→6000.
"Oh!" Tierra next to him was thrilled, "Just as I predicted. Tenjo Hikari, you should Set this card!"
"Yes."
Tenjo Hikari chose a card from his hand and Set it.
"End Turn."
"Hahaha." The masked man drew a card, seeing Tenjo Hikari's Set Card, couldn't help but laugh, seemingly recovering a bit of energy, "Tenjo Hikari, could you be so exhausted by Uria's might that you're mentally and physically fatigued?"
"Don't forget, Uria possesses special abilities!"
"Activate Uria's effect, once per turn, destroy an opponent's Set Spell·Trap Card!"
"Woohoo, interesting, he's fallen for it, fallen for it!" Tierra, who had been pointing and commenting from the side, shouted excitedly, "He cooperated too well! Only thought about destroying it and didn't consider why it was Set!"
Although this card wasn't played by her own hands, she constantly thought and made choices throughout the process, and when she saw the opponent chose the same option as hers to destroy the Set Card, she cheered immediately.
The one who just played the card is like this.
Tenjo Hikari presented a card from the Graveyard directly: "The card you destroyed is the Normal Trap—Waking the Dragon!"
"Huh?!"
"The Set Card can be activated when excluded or sent to the Graveyard due to the opponent's reason! Special Summon a monster from the Deck/Extra Deck!"
"Ah!" The masked person's expression changed.
"Wow!" Kagurazaka, upon hearing that, no longer rolled on the ground but immediately jumped up, excitedly shouting, "It's Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"