"I set a card face down and end my turn." Tenjo Hikari glanced at the card in his hand, set it face-down, and looked at his opponent.
"Hmm..." Max took a deep breath.
He hadn't expected that Tenjo Hikari could withstand the Non-Fusion Area this well using only Polymerization.
However, that didn't mean he was intimidated.
After all, even without using the Non-Fusion Area, he was still a competent Duelist.
"My turn, draw."
He looked at the card in his hand and laughed, "Well, Tenjo Hikari, let me see what else you've got."
"I activate the Spell Card [A] Cell Recombination Device." A cold smile formed on his face.
"It seems that your Special Summoned Fusion Monster and the effort to avoid the counters have been in vain." He shouted, "This can be activated when targeting 1 face-up Monster on the field.
Send 1 [Alien] Monster from the Deck to the Graveyard, and place A-Counters corresponding to the level of the sent Monster on the targeted Monster!"
"I send Alien Mother from the Deck to the Graveyard—its level is 6!"
"Which means your Crimson Sunbird will have 6 counters placed on it!"
A mass of black cells erupted from the ground and swarmed the Crimson Sunbird. It struggled to escape but couldn't avoid the invasion of these cells.
"Six counters, but what can they do?" Mitsuzawa Daichi watched the unrecognizable Fusion Monster on Tenjo Hikari's field with fear.
"I'm not sure what it does, but given that the Duelist seems so confident, there might be some hidden effect?"
"You'll soon witness!" Max raised his hand, "First, I use the effect of the Continuous Spell Card Ancient Ruins, removing two A-Counters from your Crimson Sunbird to Special Summon Alien Mother from the Graveyard!"
"What! You can even directly Special Summon a high-level Monster?!" Judai shouted.
A bizarre, incomprehensible sound rang out, accompanied by a sinister laugh, as a creature resembling a female alien appeared on Max's field.
Alien Mother, LV 6, Dark Attribute, Reptile-Type, ATK 2300.
"Same as the Crimson Sunbird!"
"And it's not over! I'll remove another two A-Counters from your Crimson Sunbird! Special Summoning Alien Overlord from my hand!"
Following the four-armed female alien was a colossal alien covered in armor with six arms, crashing down from space!
Alien Overlord, LV 6, Dark Attribute, Reptile-Type, ATK 2200.
"This card can remove two A-Counters from the field to directly Special Summon!"
"You summoned two high-level Monsters in one go!?"
"That Professional Duelist isn't just boasting." Manjome's expression slightly shifted in surprise.
"But the ATK of Crimson Sunbird and Alien Mother is the same..." Mitsuzawa hesitated, "Hikari should still be able to hold on this turn."
"Naïve!" Max raised his head and laughed, "Activate Alien Overlord's effect, once per turn, all face-up Monsters on your opponent's field receive an A-Counter—"
The Crimson Sunbird, already overwhelmed by alien cells, seemed on the verge of recovery, but unexpected new cells forced their way onto its body.
"With this, it's over!" Max laughed heartily, "As long as Alien Overlord is on the field, whenever a Monster with A-Counters battles with a Monster having [Alien] in its name, its ATK and Defense Power decrease by 300 points for each A-Counter!"
"What!"
"I see, those counters can be used not just as sacrifices for alien creatures, but even to reduce ATK?!"
"If this attack succeeds... then Tenjo loses!"
"Oh..." The Tyler Sisters looked at Tenjo Hikari with curiosity.
Could it be that it's over here?
If it's only to this degree, it's no match for them.
"Battle!" Max shouted, "Alien Mother, attack—"
"Wait."
Max's movement halted, almost causing him to stumble forward.
"Activate the Set Card, Quick-Play Spell, Gladiator Beast United."
"!!" Max froze upon seeing the card, "Wait a minute, Gladiator Beast United isn't that the Fusion Spell Card used by Gladiator Beasts!?"
"I have a Non-Fusion Area on the field..." he pointed to his Continuous Trap Card.
"Huh?" Even Judai couldn't help but wonder, "Now that you mention it, Fusion isn't possible with the Non-Fusion Area in play."
"Even if it's substituting fusion on the field, Gladiator Beast United shouldn't be able to activate, right?"
"Hmm..." Hearing Judai's doubt, Mitsuzawa couldn't find an explanation and could only look at Tenjo Hikari.
He knew Tenjo Hikari would definitely explain.
"Heh, heh..." Tenjo Hikari, hearing his friends' questions, didn't withhold the answer and began speaking: "You're mistaken. Although it's fusion and though it's officially summoned, monsters like Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, VtoZ, Gladiator Beast aren't considered [Fusion Summoned]."
"Eh?"
"This method of using Monsters on the field as materials, then directly summoning from the Extra Deck as [Fusion] [Combine], isn't considered [Fusion Summon]. Monsters treated as Fusion Materials aren't considered as materials for [Fusion Summon]."
"Eh, eh, eh?"
It sounded like a tongue-twister. Marufuji Shou was already a bit confused. Only Mitsuzawa immediately understood, while Manjome had to rethink it.
"Interesting..." Ed couldn't help but speak up, "Is it an interpretation of the rules?"
"Exactly, such specific Fusion Monsters have their own rules of fusion—Gladiator Beast United's effect! During either player's Battle Phase. Return the Fusion Materials decided by the Fusion Monster from your hand, field, or Graveyard to the owner's Deck. Special Summon the Fusion Monster ignoring its summoning conditions!
I return Gladion and One-Eyed Battle from my hand to the Deck!
Come forth!
The Glory of the Gladiator Beast!
Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!"
Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, LV 6, Dark Attribute, Winged Beast-Type, ATK 2400.
"You should know its effect, as a member of the Fusion Army, right?"
"Uh—ah, darn it..." Max growled under his breath.
"When Gyzarus is Special Summoned, target up to two cards on the field to activate its effect. Those cards are destroyed."
"Wonderful, if we destroy those two Monsters now, we'll win!" Ed said quietly.
"I destroy Alien Overlord and Non-Fusion Area on the field!"
Gyzarus flapped its wings and aimed at the trap and the six-armed alien on the field. With just a gentle flap, the cards Tenjo Hikari selected shattered instantly.
"What!?" Nearly everyone was shocked by Tenjo Hikari's move.
He could've gained victory by destroying both Monsters just now!
But—
Upon reconsideration, everyone suddenly understood.
"Interesting..." Even Max, as the opponent, couldn't help but exclaim repeatedly, "Interesting... in the end, is there only one thing you're after?"
"Alright, then let me see your fusion!"
He pressed the button directly: "End turn!"
"If you can't defeat me this turn, next turn, using two counters from Ancient Ruins, I can revive Alien Overlord again, and then it'll be impossible for you to win!"
"That's not possible, because my next card—" Tenjo Hikari drew a card from his Deck, glanced at it, and immediately smiled, "Here comes the Continuous Spell Card, Scatter Fusion!
Can only be activated if the opponent has Monsters on the field! Send the Fusion Materials determined by a Rock-Type [Gem-Knight] Fusion Monster from the Deck to the Graveyard, and perform a Gem-Knight Fusion Summon!"
"Wow, you really drew it!"
"Interesting, fusion!"
The sisters, indifferent to factions, grew excited seeing Tenjo Hikari initiate fusion.
"Indeed, until the end, Hikari insists on fusion!" Judai raised his hand and cheered.
"Even with limitations, even if sealed, even if there's a chance for immediate victory, he chooses this path! It's truly him." Manjome nodded frequently, feeling emotional.
Ed slowly closed his cellphone.
Saiou. Seems it wasn't my mistake, but [Destiny] led me here.
Interesting...
"This is the end, I send Gem-Knight Crystal and Gem-Knight Tourmaline to the Graveyard for a Fusion Summon, Gem-Knight Prismaura!"
Captain Crystal, dazzling entrance!
Gem-Knight Prismaura, LV 7, Earth Attribute, Thunder-Type, ATK 2450.
"Battle, Fusion Monsters!"
The mighty bird cried out, thunder roared, amidst flashes of lightning, scorching flames and roaring wind, Max's Life Points were reduced to 0.