"The Monster Effect of Mirage Swordsman! When this card and the opponent's monster battle, at the start of the Damage Step, both battling monsters can be destroyed!"
"What?"
"In other words, no matter what Ed does!"
"Plasma will be destroyed!"
The towering blue flames swept over Plasma, followed by a terrifying white light exploding in the sky.
"Ah!!"
All the spectators watching the duel instinctively screamed.
As Plasma exploded, Ed was shocked to find himself in a purple space!
Here... is...
"Ed."
Suddenly, a soft call sounded from behind him. He widened his eyes, opened his mouth, and turned his head to look: "Fa... father."
In a place he didn't know, a small figure was resting her chin, watching the scene.
As the God of Reincarnation and Mechanism, Tierra, exerted her Authority!
Liberating souls, allowing souls to be reborn!
"Father, Dad—Dad!!" Ed was so excited he could barely speak.
"Ed, you've grown." Ed's father looked at him, seemingly somewhat relieved, "Sorry, because of me, you've been trapped in the past's clock."
"No, I..."
"But now, your stopped time should move forward again!"
"Plasma, I originally thought it was a card I made, but later, when it lived within its body, I realized I was wrong. Just like when President Pegasus created God's Card in the past, I received an epiphany from the cosmos and created that card.
But the true form of that card hasn't been released; only an evil power resides within it, which is why this situation arose!"
"You were only trapped by my death, so you didn't notice." He gently hugged Ed, "Don't blame yourself anymore, my most proud child. Defeating D.D and defeating the card isn't killing me for the second time but entirely saving us, the swallowed souls.
You are the true hero, Ed!
Ed, defeat evil, reclaim the true form of that card!"
Unbeknownst to himself, Ed's tears had already thoroughly soaked.
The Wave of Light struggled hard; it desperately wanted to erode this human's body because this body was incredibly malleable. But as Ed's father's soul appeared, as he told Ed his true thoughts, this born hero finally reclaimed his own pride.
Father—watch me!
In the next moment, he suddenly reappeared on the duel stage. He took a deep breath, wiped his tears, but a smile hung on his lips: "Impressive, Minister Tenjo!"
"However, because the Mirage Swordsman was destroyed due to its own effect, it cannot be resurrected!"
Indeed.
Tenjo Hikari looked at his hand card.
"Activate the Spell Card, Ready Fusion, pay 800 Life Points, revive Fighting Flame Dragon from the graveyard."
Tenjo Hikari LP: 2600→1800.
Fighting Flame Dragon, LV 5, Fire Attribute, Dragon-Type, ATK 1700.
"Set a card. Turn end."
"My turn, draw a card!"
"At this moment, Flame Swordsman crosses the stream of future, returning to my field!"
Flame Swordsman, LV 5, Fire Attribute, Warrior-Type, DEF 1600.
Ed suddenly drew a card: "Ha, the card I drew is the Spell Card, Pot of Avarice, return 5 Monster Cards from the graveyard to the deck, draw two cards!"
"Diamond Dude, Archfiend Guy, Dreadmaster, Denier... and Destiny Hero - Plasma, return to the deck, draw two cards!"
5 monsters returned to Ed's deck, his deck began a rapid shuffle.
Moments later, the deck shuffle ended.
Through the color of the cards, he saw that D - Force was still at the bottom of the deck!
Ha.
He finished drawing and looked at the two cards.
One is... one he'd never seen before, printed with Plasma's Trap Card.
Trap Card, Break Destiny!!
He clenched his fist, this must be the card his father put into his deck just now! This card is telling him not to give up.
Then—the other is... the card leading to victory!
"Activate Normal Spell Card, Vessel of No Desire! Target a total of two cards from your own and opponent's graveyard to activate. Those cards return to their owner's deck. This card is banished after activation. I return Mirage Swordsman from your graveyard and Pot of Greed from my graveyard back to the deck! This way, Minister Tenjo, you cannot exert the evolved power of Dark Flare Knight!"
"Final Guy, attack the returned Flame Swordsman! Defeat the card symbolizing the minister's soul!"
"Ha—how could I let you defeat it so easily!" Tenjo Hikari grinned, "It's crossed time, the future, overcome countless hardships, known me, and represents the starting point of my Polymerization!
It is indeed my Ace Monster!"
"Activate Trap Card—Fusion Duplication!"
The Trap Card slowly flipped open, printed with Magical Scientist and the scene of his Ready Fusion.
Ed was slightly stunned.
"This card can be activated once per turn. Target 1 Normal or Quick-Play Spell Card from your or your opponent's graveyard and apply the effect when that Spell Card was activated."
"My Graveyard." Ed looked at his graveyard.
No way!
"Yes, Ed—I choose your Polymerization!"
"Destiny, Hero, it doesn't matter how these are labeled, I'm not concerned, but you were already a member of my Fusion Department long ago, and you were already my friend! So now, let me use your Polymerization!"