"Then, draw." Hikaru slowly drew a card.
"Ah." Tierra saw what Hikaru drew, and her pupils shrank.
Hikaru quietly put the card away, setting it to his left.
"Whoa, Hikaru, if you use that to fuse with the new card you just got, you could destroy all his monsters!" Tierra, though not an experienced duelist, knew Hikaru's deck well. Her mind moved quickly, and she immediately spotted an opportunity.
Fuse Thunder Dragon. Use Thunder Dragon's effect to destroy two monsters on the opponent's field, that would solve the board. That said, in doing so, he'd be left with no resources at all.
Then how would he survive the next turn, facing off against those powerful search and recovery cards?
"I activate the effect of Thunder Dragon in my hand. Discard it to add up to two Thunder Dragons from my Deck to my hand. I add one Thunder Dragon to my hand."
Hikaru opened his Deck, added a Thunder Dragon to his hand, then activated that card's effect right away: "Next, I discard the second Thunder Dragon to add the third from the Deck to my hand."
"I tribute The Denier on my field to Tribute Summon Thunder Dragon."
[Thunder Dragon] Level 5│LIGHT│Thunder│1600 ATK
"And now, evolve! Channel the power that symbolizes the future of Fusion!"
"During the turn a Thunder monster's effect is activated in the hand, you can tribute one Thunder Effect Monster on your field, other than a Fusion Monster, to Special Summon this Fusion Monster directly from the Extra Deck!"
"Descend, Thunder Dragon Colossus!"
[Thunder Dragon Colossus] Level 8│DARK│Thunder│2400 DEF
"Haha, only 2400 Defense? Pathetic. That kind of stat can't possibly beat Chaos Ruler."
"Just watch." Hikaru remained calm.
"I Set one card." He slowly folded his arms. "That's it. End of turn."
"What?? Hikaru, how could you end your turn like that!!" Tierra was panicking. "With only 2400 Defense, it won't block anything!"
She grabbed Hikaru by the collar, shouting, "If you lose, even I won't be able to protect your soul anymore!"
"Heh... Just watch." Hikaru shook his head calmly.
He looked at Light Force and spoke: "Light Force, it's your turn. Flip the coin again."
"Incomprehensible," Light Force responded once more. "Has this man made a mistake? Just this, and you think you have the guts to claim victory against me?
Human, is this all your power amounts to?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Light Force." Hikaru shook his head. "You're the one who has only that much power."
'!?' Hikaru narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Light Force, I admit your cards and your strength far surpass mine."
Just a few turns into the duel, Hikaru already felt the crushing pressure.
From the very first turn, Hikaru had gone all out, from the opening play to every move thereafter.
Even then, he still couldn't stop Light Barrier. Couldn't stop it from executing its will.
Because Light Barrier's cards were just too powerful!
Every single card was more modern, more advanced than Hikaru's!
However…
Precisely because of that, Hikaru suddenly noticed something wrong in the duel.
"Strong cards can indeed bring victory, but no matter how strong a card is, it still needs a user to wield it!"
Otherwise, you'll end up with a jumbled mess of combos like Branded Despia chaining Allure of Darkness and discarding your whole hand.
"The Sartorius you're controlling right now isn't the real Sartorius. The real Sartorius, blessed by fate, never needed something like Light Barrier!" Hikaru pointed at Light Barrier, exposing Light Force's flaw.
"But Chaos Ruler's effect requires Light Barrier to activate, too!"
"That doesn't cover up your shortcomings as a duelist."
Hikaru slowly clenched his fist: "I might not agree with the dual consciousnesses within Sartorius; yet, at least, in a duel, he believes completely in his 'Destiny.' Just as I always believe in 'Fusion,' he's the ultimate kind of duelist in that respect. But you, Light Force, you just want a powerful puppet to destroy others for you!
That's the difference between you!"
"All that talk changes nothing!" Light Force wasn't angry, it didn't need to be. Its advantage was so overwhelming that everyone could see it. "No matter how righteous you sound, it doesn't matter."
Sartorius's shadow was ready: "My turn. Draw!"
He drew his card, and Light Barrier began to rotate again. This time…
Reversed!
"!!"
Whether from nerves or Hikaru's accusations, Light Barrier landed reversed.
"Heh, you actually guessed it right. Regardless, no matter! I no longer need Light Barrier! As long as Chaos Ruler negates your monsters' effects, that's enough!"
The shadow of Sartorius laughed wildly: "Activate Spell Card, Arcana Reading. While Light Barrier is on the field, this card can bypass the coin toss and choose an effect directly, I choose Upright Position! Add one coin toss card other than Arcana Reading from the Deck to my hand..."
Sartorius slotted the Spell into his Duel Disk, only to find it couldn't activate Upright Position.
"What's going on?"
"Sorry, while Thunder Dragon Colossus is on the field, your opponent can't add cards from the Deck to the hand by any means other than drawing."
"What?" Light Force was stunned. "But your monster can't activate effects, right?"
"Exactly, this is a continuous effect that doesn't require activation!" Hikaru cut him off. "Because of Colossus's presence, your card's effect can't activate. So its effect is negated!"
"Grr... what a terrible monster. Then let's battle!" Sartorius snorted. "Before the ruler of all things, this kind of monster will be destroyed instantly!"
"Chaos Ruler, attack Thunder Dragon Colossus!"
"Vanish!"
The three dragons on Chaos Ruler charged their energy toward Colossus. Just as it was about to explode, Hikaru opened his Graveyard: "Colossus can banish one Thunder monster from the Graveyard to prevent its own destruction!"
"???"
"I banish Gem-Knight Tourmaline!"
"Ah!!" Celina watched in realization. "Of course! Substituting destruction is a non-activated effect. It doesn't need to activate!"
"Damn you, Chaos Ruler, attack again!"
Colossus stood firm in front of Hikaru, shielding him with its wings. The powerful attack was neutralized instantly.
"Banish two more Thunder Dragons! Substitute destruction again!"
"Tch..." Watching this indomitable monster endure wave after wave of attacks, Sartorius couldn't help cursing under his breath.
"Heh, doesn't matter. No matter how you struggle, everything ultimately ends."
"Destruction exists everywhere in the universe."
"Even if you survive this turn, what can you do next turn?" He shook his head and Set a card.
"It's all futile."
"Futile... is it..."
Hikaru gently shook his head.
"No... there's no such thing."
Hikaru slowly raised his Deck, placing his right hand above it. "Dueling is a contest. It is not eternal destruction… but creation and connection.
I've seen it. The power of Fusion."
"In this Duel, I've already felt it! Sartorius and Aster's final souls!"
"They've shown me the answer!!"
Hikaru softly placed his hand atop his Deck.
At his side, two spectral figures emerged, reaching toward the Deck together with him.
"My turn. Draw!"
Hikaru drew his card with force.
As he did, violet light gleamed from his body.
"It's here!"
The card in his hand:
Elemental HERO Avian.
"Everything is ready!!!"
Hikaru held a card high.
Within the cosmos conjured by Light Force's power, violet light burst outward from Hikaru, radiating wildly.
The Sartorius conjured by Light Force instinctively widened his eyes and murmured, "...The Sun?"
"Spell Card, Polymerization!"
In this moment, the most basic, most primal Fusion Spell!
Fusion!
"I fuse Avian from my hand with Burstinatrix also in my hand!"
"Fusion Materials: Burstinatrix and Avian!"
"No matter how much suffering or anguish it endures, it will never fall! This card symbolizes the hero who never yields!"
"Fusion Summon! Level 6, Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer!"
[Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer] Level 6│FIRE│Warrior│2100 ATK
"Phoenix Enforcer?" Sarina stood up upon seeing the familiar card. "Right! Phoenix Enforcer can't be destroyed by battle! As long as he has it, he can survive this turn!"
"Still, why in Attack Position?" Celina exclaimed.
"Not done yet!!" Hikaru opened his Graveyard. "Now's the time, the final moment! Banish the second Malicious from the Graveyard, Special Summon the third Destiny HERO - Malicious from the Deck!"
The silent hero slowly appeared beside Hikaru.
[Destiny HERO - Malicious] Level 6│DARK│Warrior│800 ATK
"No way!?" Tierra's eyes widened. She could no longer remain just a spectator. She grabbed Hikaru's shoulder. "Wait, Hikaru, forcing a brand-new Fusion Monster into the duel like this… you'll pay a huge price!"
Just for the sake of two people not even particularly close to him?
"It's too late for hesitation!"
"Light Force, now behold the ultimate secret of Fusion!"
"Discard El Shaddoll Fusion from my hand to activate;
"Quick-Play Spell!!"
"Super Polymerization!!!"
He raised the Spell card high!
In that instant, heaven and earth changed. The entire illusion crafted by Light Force was torn apart in moments!
All creation, all things in the universe, were shredded by its power. A terrifying Fusion vortex erupted directly above Amaki Hikaru.
The ultimate power, fully unleashed!!