The Standby Phase ended, and the turn officially entered Aster Phoenix's turn.
The scent of blood thickened around the Duel Field. Even freshmen with low Spirit Adaptability, or students who had been enrolled for less than a year, could now sense the terrifying Spirit power.
"That may be true..." At this point in the match, some students began offering their analysis.
"Aster only has one card in hand. Even if he powers up and defeats Flame Swordsman, Mirage Swordsman in the Graveyard can still come back."
"Exactly. How could anyone turn the tables with just one card?"
Some expressed doubt toward Aster.
"Pathetic talk."
Aster didn't even look at them.
"I Normal Summon Destiny HERO - Doom Lord."
A warrior styled like a demonic noble, with massive clawed gauntlets, stood calmly.
[Destiny HERO - Doom Lord] Level 3│DARK│Warrior│600 ATK
"Real Duelists never lack cards." Letting his sarcasm rip, Aster drew two more cards. After checking them, he looked into his Graveyard. "I activate the effect of Celestial. If I have no cards in hand, I can banish this card along with another Destiny HERO to draw two cards.
"I banish Destiny HERO - Celestial and Destiny HERO - Dystopia to draw two!"
He's banishing Dystopia?
Hikaru pondered.
Personally, he wasn't a fan of Dystopia. Sure, it was a key Destiny HERO upgrade from Arc-V and performed well, but he never liked Aster's Arc-V version, so the card didn't sit well with him.
But this world's Aster was distinctly the original. Dystopia was his trusted ace.
Therefore, banishing it...
Above the field, a clock pendulum began to swing, "Next, the effect of Diamond Dude from the last turn! The Pot of Greed sent to the Graveyard will now activate—
"So I draw two cards."
Since it was a pre-resolved effect, nothing could interrupt it.
Aster drew another two cards.
He had gone from 0 to 4 cards in a single turn!
"He replenished his hand that easily."
"From zero to four… that's insane."
Holding his new cards, Aster glanced toward the crowd and began strategizing.
Even under the Light's influence, a Duelist of his caliber wouldn't lose clarity—not unless he was fully consumed.
Until then, he remained the top Pro Duelist in this world.
"Now then, I'll deal with that endlessly reviving Mirage Swordsman."
"If Doom Lord is in Attack Position, once per turn I can send one of your monsters to the future—two of my Standby Phases from now!"
"Begone, Flame Swordsman—to the future!"
Doom Lord leapt high, claws gleaming. Flame Swordsman braced himself, but Doom Lord snatched his throat with a single claw, and the warrior vanished.
In short, one of Hikaru's monsters had been banished and wouldn't return for two of Aster's turns.
Hikaru narrowed his eyes at the fading Swordsman but didn't panic.
"The turn I use Doom Lord's effect, I can't conduct a Battle Phase." Aster raised his right hand. "But I can still use monster effects.
"I activate Dangerous's monster effect.
"I discard a card, then send one Destiny HERO from my hand or Deck to the Graveyard. All Destiny HERO monsters I control gain 200 ATK per Destiny HERO in my Graveyard until the end of the turn."
He revealed the card in hand: "I discard Destiny HERO - Drawhand and send Destiny HERO - Denier from my Deck to the Graveyard.
"That boosts my Destiny HEROes by 800 ATK."
Still, the boost wasn't the main goal.
"In the Graveyard, Destiny HERO - Denier's effect: If I control or have another Destiny HERO besides Denier in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon this card.
"This effect can only be used once per Duel."
"Come forth, Destiny HERO - Denier!"
The clinking of chains echoed. A Hero with a flail-like chain weapon spun it around as he appeared on the field.
[Destiny HERO - Denier] Level 3│DARK│Warrior│600 DEF
'Denier…' Hikaru observed the monster.
"Denier's monster effect: When Normal or Special Summoned, target 1 Destiny HERO from your Deck, Graveyard, or Banished Zone and place it on top of your Deck."
"I choose...
"Destiny HERO - Plasma, who sleeps in my Deck!"
As Aster declared this, a massive crimson shadow emerged behind him. The entire world seemed to bleed red under its presence.
"You've fixed your future on that card, Aster."
"It doesn't matter anymore," Aster replied coldly as he Set one card. "I Set one card and end my turn. All my monsters' ATK return to normal. Your move, Club President."
"Then—my turn!" Hikaru drew.
'Scatter Fusion…'
He narrowed his eyes.
"At this moment, Destiny HERO - Drawhand's effect activates. If sent to the Graveyard, it Special Summons itself during the next Standby Phase. Then, if it was Special Summoned by a HERO effect, both players draw a card."
[Destiny HERO - Drawhand] Level 4│DARK│Warrior│1600 ATK
Both Duelists drew a card.
Aster's was... Plasma.
Hikaru's was Dragon's Mirror.
"I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Scatter Fusion—" Hikaru eyed the card in his hand, then calmly activated it.
"It lets you Fusion Summon using materials directly from the Deck—but I won't give you the chance to use that kind of card, President!" Aster shouted. "I flip my Set card: Quick-Play Spell, Mystical Space Typhoon! I destroy one Spell or Trap on the field—Scatter Fusion!"
The gem Hikaru had just laid couldn't even resonate with the rest—it was blown away by a storm.
Looks like this Duel had nothing to do with Gems after all.
"This is fate, President. The card I drew last turn destroyed your countermeasure. Everything is decided by Destiny!" Aster declared coldly.
"Then I'll go straight to the Battle Phase!" Hikaru pointed across the field. "Destiny? In that case, let me rewrite the part where you lose Life Points!
"Dark Flare Knight, attack Doom Lord!"
Aster braced himself as the red-bladed knight charged and pierced through, followed by a fiery blade that sliced into Aster himself.
[Aster, LP: 4000 → 2400]
"Huh?" Some students looked confused.
"Why didn't he use Dangerous's effect to raise ATK? That would've lessened the damage."
The reason was simple:
Aster wanted to keep his card!
Hikaru furrowed his brow. Aster had seen through his move… or rather, his power of Destiny was overwhelming him at every turn.
However...
Hikaru looked at the two Set cards beside him.
If everything was following Aster's Destiny, then these two cards… were destined to turn the tide!