"Wow!!"
"Hikaru, this guy... he actually thought this far ahead!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, damn, I'm such an idiot. While they were dueling, we should've gone for the bombs!"
Some of the students watching the duel only realized after Hikaru revealed those items.
Right, physical duels should be resolved with physical means.
No. 44's face was dark. His plan had collapsed, and he looked like a clown spouting nonsense in front of Amaki Hikaru. Now he was boiling with rage, though when someone is furious to the extreme, they stop yelling and instead throw themselves even harder into their actions.
"My turn. Draw... Amaki Hikaru, I will make you pay." He looked at his hand. "Activate Crazy Box's effect again. Roll the die!"
Crazy Box spun wildly and then,
It was a 5 again.
This Number card resided within his body, and thus, it could unleash the power worthy of a Number.
Put simply, when using this Number card, he could get whatever number he wanted.
"Destroy your set card!"
[Crazy Box, Xyz Material: 1 → 0]
A hand from within Crazy Box grabbed the set card and revealed it.
Trap Card: Gem-Knight Fusion.
"And I'm not done yet. I Normal Summon, Ancient Gear Hunting Hound!"
"Arf! Arf!"
The mechanical hound appeared on his field.
[Ancient Gear Hunting Hound] Level 3│EARTH│Machine│1000 ATK
"When Hunting Hound is summoned, deal 600 damage to the opponent!"
The hound lunged at Amaki Hikaru. He raised his left hand to block, but the beast bit down on him, and a jet-black energy flared from his wrist.
That was the influence of a Number.
The hound's attack had become real damage, making his wrist ache.
[Hikaru, LP: 3000 → 2400]
"I'm not done yet, Amaki Hikaru! I attack directly with Ancient Gear Hunting Hound!"
The hound charged forward again, attempting to knock Hikaru off the train.
Hikaru furrowed his brows slightly, then backhanded the hound, swatting it back.
Still pulling this action-duel crap?
[Hikaru, LP: 2400 → 1400]
"Battle Phase ends. Hmph. Activate Hunting Hound's effect: I can Fusion Summon an 'Ancient Gear' Fusion Monster using monsters from my field and hand."
"I fuse the Ancient Gear Hunting Hound on my field with one from my hand."
"Fusion Summon! Level 5, Double Ancient Gear Hunting Hound!"
"In Defense Position!"
[Double Ancient Gear Hunting Hound] Level 5│EARTH│Machine│1000 DEF
After completing all that, he let out a sigh of relief.
Double Ancient Gear Hunting Hound places Gear Counters when summoned or Special Summoned, causing monsters to be destroyed when they attack.
It's a good line of defense.
And if luck was on his side, he might not even need Final Countdown, he could just win next turn with another Hunting Hound strike.
"End turn."
Six flames had already lit up in the sky.
"Heh, Amaki Hikaru, don't you dare lose to my Fusion. That would be hilarious."
The red number on his forehead flared even brighter.
Anyhow, Hikaru completely ignored him and gazed out.
"Time's about up."
"?"
"The train should be arriving soon."
Hikaru mused aloud.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm saying... someone who gets tempted by raw power, then resorts to other Summoning methods without understanding them, with no principles or beliefs, and even dares to use Fusion and Ancient Gears in front of me."
"Is not worthy of speaking to me about Fusion!"
He looked at the assassin and scoffed.
"Even though you've dug up my information from these past weeks, you Fusion Army types still approach others with the same outdated methods! You've already suffered huge losses, yet you continue to rely on assumptions. You're like headless flies gnawing on rot!
As for me, even if my cards don't change, I've always been Fusing, always evolving!"
"Watch closely. This is the final turn."
"Draw."
Hikaru drew his card, glanced at it, and slapped it onto the field.
"Normal Summon: Aleister the Invoker!"
He extended his hand forward. A soft green rune lit up in his right palm, and with its glow, the image of a stoic male spellcaster slowly materialized.
[Aleister the Invoker] Level 4│DARK│Spellcaster│1000 ATK
"Aleister's monster effect, once per turn, when this card is Normal or Flip Summoned, add 1 'Invocation' from the Deck to the hand."
"Come forth, Invocation!"
From his Deck, a card floated up, landing in his right hand, glowing with faint light.
"Never seen this card before."
"But if it's used by Hikaru."
"Then it has to be Fusion!"
"Invocation, activate!"
Above the speeding train, a massive magic circle lit up. Aleister's image on the field began to fade.
"When Fusion Summoning an 'Invoked' Fusion Monster with Invocation, you can banish monsters from your field and your own or opponent's Graveyard as Fusion Material!"
"What?!"
"That strong!?"
"I banish Aleister from my field and Captain Crystal from my Graveyard."
Hikaru didn't even use Giant Rat as material.
"Fusion Summon, Invoked Magellanica!"
The sky grew oppressively hot. In the distant mountains, a titan slowly rose, its right hand linked to a magical array, heralding its arrival.
[Invoked Magellanica] Level 8│EARTH│Rock│3000 ATK
"3000 Attack!?"
"Despite that, it doesn't matter." No. 44 sneered. "Number monsters can't be destroyed by battle with non-Numbers. Even with 3000 ATK, it's useless."
"Hah. I already knew that."
"Activate: Metamorphosis."
That Spell transforms a monster on the field into a Fusion Monster of the same Level! The assassin turned pale.
"Didn't you look at my Extra Deck? Don't you know what I'm doing?"
"Wait… is it, Master of Chaos?!"
"Exactly!"
"Send Invoked Magellanica to the Graveyard and Special Summon a monster of the same Level from the Extra Deck, Master of Chaos!"
A mage bearing the visage of Black Luster Soldier let out a quiet growl as he appeared in front of Hikaru.
[Master of Chaos] Level 8│DARK│Spellcaster│3000 ATK
"A Fusion Monster requiring Black Luster Soldier and Dark Magician… and he summoned it that easily…" No. 44 swallowed.
"Still, Master of Chaos's banish effect needs LIGHT and DARK monsters on the field…"
Hikaru slowly revealed another card from his hand.
"Spell Card: Fusion Deployment."
"Ugh."
"You already looked at my Extra Deck, yet still couldn't guess my play." Hikaru said coldly. "I knew from the start that you'd fuse into Double Ancient Gear Hunting Hound. But you?"
"Just relying on the power of your Number?"
"Utterly foolish. And you thought you could assassinate me!? Don't be arrogant, Fusion Army!" Hikaru's aura surged.
"If this is all you've got, then come at me, all of you, I'll crush every last one of you!"
"Fusion Deployment effect, reveal 1 Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck, then Special Summon 1 monster listed as material from the hand or Deck."
"Reveal: Cyber Twin Dragon. Special Summon: Cyber Dragon!"
Vrrrm
Cyber Dragon coiled above the train.
[Cyber Dragon] Level 5│LIGHT│Machine│2100 ATK
"The fact that Number monsters can't be destroyed by battle, I've known that. Remember Tri-and-Guess? It lets both players check each other's Extra Decks."
Even without past-life knowledge, Hikaru had thoroughly reviewed Crazy Box's effect. He wouldn't make a mistake like that.
The assassin belatedly realized this. He had only compared card quantities, ignoring Hikaru's actual Extra Deck choices!
"Activate Master of Chaos's effect: send 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster from your field to the Graveyard to banish all monsters your opponent controls!"
"Chaos Phantom Slash!"
Master of Chaos slashed open a rift, and in moments, everything on the field was sucked into it. Soon, the field was wiped clean.
"D-Damn it…"
Hikaru stood with one hand in his pocket, watching the furious No. 44. Yet he showed no joy, only continuing to stare him down. After a moment, he suddenly spoke:
"You're watching me, aren't you?"
Everyone was baffled.
Several students murmured, "Huh?"
Hikaru didn't explain. He simply looked at the assassin and continued:
"You're watching me, aren't you, Leo Akaba?"
Zzzzt
No. 44 noticed a screeching sound coming from somewhere on his body.
"What…" He looked down at his clothes, terrified.
A moment later, dizziness overwhelmed him and he dropped to one knee, finally realizing the truth.
Back when he was dispatched to deal with Amaki Hikaru, Leo Akaba had already sentenced him to death.
He was merely a disposable pawn to observe Hikaru's current state.
Tragically, he had realized it too late.
Using a Number always comes with a price!
"He's gone?"
After facing off against many Fusion Army assassins, and with Professor Crowler having just encountered Leo Akaba through another of their duelists, Hikaru wasn't surprised in the slightest.
His only regret was that Leo Akaba hadn't taken over the duel himself. If he had, Hikaru wouldn't have hesitated to unleash Super Polymerization, even if it meant exposing it to his classmates.
"Well then, might as well finish it properly." Hikaru looked at his last card.
There was no need to let others know Aleister's full effects, so he didn't retrieve him.
"Pay 800 LP. Activate an Equip Spell and Fusion again to revive a Fusion Monster from the Graveyard."
[Amaki Hikaru, LP: 1400 → 600]
"Special Summon: Gem-Knight Ruby."
The scythe-wielding Gem-Knight rose again, spinning her weapon.
[Gem-Knight Ruby] Level 6│EARTH│Pyro│2500 ATK
"Ruby, direct attack."
Ruby swung her scythe, dashing forward, and slashed straight at the assassin's heart!
With her strike, countless puppet strings followed, piercing through the assassin, as if extracting something vital from within him.
[Assassin No. 44, LP: 1975 → 0]
"Whoa! He won!"
"Yes!"
"Hikaru! Hikaru!"
"True Fusion, Amagi Hikaru!"
The students cheered ecstatically.
With their cheers, the train slowly pulled into the station. Students waiting outside were drawn by the noise.
They saw Amaki Hikaru standing on the train roof, Duel Disk in hand, seemingly having just finished a duel.
They could hear the deafening cheers coming from inside the train.
Anyways, more importantly… they could feel it…
These cheers were heartfelt!
And they knew;
That the Amaki Hikaru loved by all his classmates…
This was still that same Amaki Hikaru!
They could tell from this roaring applause!