"This is bad." Red Nova briefed Leo Akaba. "When Geo Grasha enters battle with a monster, the opposing monster's ATK drops directly to 0!"
Leo Akaba's expression changed instantly.
That meant even with 100,000 ATK, nothing could beat this winged hound?
"But... you can't attack right now," Leo Akaba said.
"That's true. However..." Hikaru folded his arms. "I end my turn."
What?
"At this moment, Dreamland's effect activates."
"When an Xyz Monster is on the field, during your own End Phase: destroy the monster on the field with the highest Level!"
"Ha, so what? Earthbound Immortals are unaffected by Spell and Trap effects..." He trailed off mid-sentence as he noticed Red Nova's already flushed face turning an even deeper shade of red.
"Don't tell me...?"
"I used all my power to create dragons, to seize the Crimson Dragon's Signer Dragons..." Red Nova muttered through gritted teeth. "If I still had the power I stole from those other Earthbound Immortals, I could have forced my way through the destruction."
Of course, the consequence of that would have been "it doesn't say this on the card, but it can attack directly."
Red Nova's figure slowly disintegrated, and its fading voice echoed ominously, making Leo Akaba's expression turn even uglier. "Leo Akaba, my power disappeared because of your Duel. If you cannot reclaim it… then just you wait."
As its final remnant vanished, it swallowed the last nearby observer, leaving only Hikaru and Leo Akaba standing in the empty battlefield. Silence followed. Hikaru suddenly felt a deep sense of calm.
"Bastard," Leo growled.
"Don't worry," Hikaru said calmly as he raised his hand. "There is still another effect resolving. The effect of Earthbound Immortal Geo Grasha activates. When a card on the field is destroyed, destroy all cards your opponent controls."
The crimson condor released a piercing cry, inhaled deeply, and unleashed a torrent of scarlet flames. Leo's spider monsters and his Continuous Trap Card were instantly pulverized, erased by the hellish inferno before they could even fully fade into the Graveyard.
Through the blazing crimson flames, Hikaru's eyes gleamed like gemstones as he stared straight at Leo. "Even the power of Xyz that you rely on will become the very force that destroys you."
"DAMN IT!" Leo roared as he drew a card. He was unwilling. He could not believe it. He could not accept it. He had spent twenty years mastering the power of Pendulum, only for Hikaru to grasp similar power in a single Duel. He had painstakingly gathered the support of evil gods, demon gods, and countless dark forces, yet now all of it was being torn apart piece by piece. He could not accept it.
"MY TURN, DRAW! Spell Card, Pot of Avarice! I target 5 monsters in my Graveyard, shuffle them into the Deck, and draw 2 cards!" He quickly returned the cards and drew, clutching the new cards tightly as hope returned to his face. "There's still a chance!"
He immediately played his next move. "Normal Summon, Dark Beckoning Beast! When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add 1 card from my Deck that specifically lists Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, or Raviel, Lord of Phantasms to my hand."
He added the card and continued without hesitation. "As long as Dark Beckoning Beast is in my Monster Zone, I gain an additional Normal Summon of a Fiend-Type monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF. I use this additional summon to Normal Summon Chaos Summoning Beast." The dark creature appeared beside it.
Hikaru glanced at the monster and nodded slightly. "It's coming."
Tierra immediately understood. This was what Hikaru had been waiting for.
Leo thrust out his arm dramatically. "I Tribute Chaos Summoning Beast and activate its effect! By Tributing this card, I Special Summon 1 Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, or Raviel, Lord of Phantasms from my Graveyard, ignoring its Summoning conditions!"
Thunder roared. Flames surged. Darkness swallowed the sky.
One by one, the three supreme divine beasts descended onto the field.
Uria, Lord of Searing Flames - Level 10, FIRE, Pyro-Type, ATK ?
Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder - Level 10, LIGHT, Thunder-Type, ATK 4000
Raviel, Lord of Phantasms - Level 10, DARK, Fiend-Type, ATK 4000
They roared as they stood together once more.
"Uria gains 1000 ATK for each Trap Card in my Graveyard," Leo declared proudly, his cape billowing behind him. "And once per turn, Uria can destroy all Set Spell and Trap Cards you control."
At that moment, Hikaru's Set card flipped face-up automatically, revealing Instant Fusion. Leo gave a cold snort. Since it was not a Trap Card, Uria's effect could not destroy it.
"I Set two cards, and end my turn."
The cards he Set included the Continuous Trap Card Awakening of the Sacred Beasts. As long as it remained face-up while he controlled the Sacred Beasts, its terrifying effects applied: each time Hikaru Normal or Special Summoned a monster, Leo would gain Life Points equal to that monster's ATK; monster effects activated on Hikaru's field would be negated; and monsters sent to the Graveyard would be banished instead.
These effects perfectly countered Hikaru's strategy. In addition, Leo had Set Threatening Roar to prevent attacks, and his ultimate defense, the Counter Trap Solemn Judgment. His field was now complete.
Everything was perfect.
"I've waited a long time for this moment," Hikaru said quietly.
Leo frowned.
"I told you before," Hikaru continued calmly. "Everything you take for granted… I will make it mine."
He drew his card.
"My turn. Draw."
He looked at the card in his hand.
Trap Card Chain Material.
Hikaru didn't hesitate. "Then, I discard Frightfur Patchwork from my hand and activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Super Polymerization!"
Super Polymerization? What kind of card was this?
And, it had apparently been in his hand the entire time!?
"Super Polymerization?" Yuri stared at the card and couldn't help but be stunned. "So he has this card too, but… it's different."
Yuri's Super Polymerization was merely an ordinary Spell Card derived from his power, Fusion.
But he remembered clearly the Fusion Hikaru had used before.
Compared to this, It was inferior.
He understood now. For Hikaru, Fusion was only a derivative.
Super Polymerization was the origin.
"Super Polymerization is the ultimate Fusion Spell Card that can use monsters on the field as Fusion Material," Hikaru said as he raised the card. "It represents the strongest Fusion power!"
As his words fell, the world itself reacted.
Dark clouds swallowed the sky. Dimensional communication devices crackled violently.
Yuri hurriedly took out his own Super Polymerization to stabilize the connection, but the screen still dissolved into static.
Yusei, Crow, Jack, and Trudge, all of them suddenly looked up at the sky.
They could feel it.
A resonance.
Then...
A dragon's roar echoed.
The heavens split open as the Crimson Dragon descended, circling above the battlefield.
Even the Sacred Beasts revealed expressions resembling human smiles.
Leo Akaba's face changed.
He immediately tried to activate a card.
He could tell, the power Hikaru was about to unleash was terrifying.
"What… is that?" Even Red Nova stared in shock at the Spell Card.
At the same time, Leo tried to activate a Trap Card.
But he couldn't.
No matter what he did, he could not activate anything.
Hikaru spoke calmly.
"The activation of Super Polymerization cannot be negated, and your opponent cannot activate Spell Cards, Trap Cards, or monster effects in response to its activation!"
Leo froze.
"Now, witness it," Hikaru declared. "The ultimate Fusion! Super Polymerization!"
The three Sacred Beasts began to move on their own, their massive bodies dissolving into energy as they merged together.
"The Fusion Materials are Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, and Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!"
"What?! The Sacred Beasts themselves are fusing?!" Leo's eyes widened in disbelief.
The three monsters on his field dissolved into particles and vanished, then instantly reappeared on Hikaru's field.
Hikaru smiled faintly. "I am the Fusion that unites everything, the Fusion that pursues ultimate Fusion. I am Hikaru. You have waited long enough. Now, be liberated."
He raised his hand.
"Fusion Summon! Level 12! Armityle the Chaos Phantasm!"
A massive demonic god descended upon the field.
Armityle the Chaos Phantasm, Level 12, DARK Attribute, Fiend-Type, ATK 0 / DEF 0.
Leo Akaba trembled. "The Sacred Beasts can fuse?"
They had studied them for years. Yet they never discovered this form.
Hikaru looked at him calmly. "They never truly served you. They chose their own master."
He continued, "The effect of Armityle the Chaos Phantasm activates. Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can give control of this card to my opponent."
Armityle flew to Leo's field.
Leo panicked. "I activate Threatening Roar! You cannot attack this turn!"
Hikaru smiled faintly. "I wasn't planning to attack."
He set one card.
"End turn."
Leo froze.
"You didn't think the true power of Super Polymerization and the Sacred Beasts ended there… did you? Take a good look at the true effect of Armityle the Chaos Phantasm."
"Effect?"
He quickly lowered his head and looked, only to see that the card clearly stated: "During the End Phase of the turn this card's control was transferred: banish all cards you control."
"How could this be." Leo Akaba's face instantly turned pale.
He had already Set every card he could use. But the Sacred Beast showed no mercy.
Armityle the Chaos Phantasm's massive form gradually dissolved into darkness, and after consuming everything on Leo Akaba's field, it left his side completely empty.
In the next moment, it reappeared on Hikaru's field.
This was the follow-up effect of Armityle the Chaos Phantasm.
After this card's control was transferred and its effect resolved, its original owner could Special Summon it again from the Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning Conditions.
Armityle the Chaos Phantasm, Level 12, DARK Attribute, Fiend-Type, ATK 0, DEF 0.
"Draw… Draw…!"
Leo Akaba looked at the card he had drawn.
It was Fusion Substitute.
But he had no usable Fusion Materials left in his hand.
Seeing this, Hikaru did not activate his Set card.
He had originally intended to Fusion Summon Tierra, Source of Destruction and use its effect to send Leo Akaba's entire hand to the Graveyard, but since Leo Akaba had not drawn anything useful, there was no need.
At the same time, strange bubbles seemed to float around Leo Akaba.
Leo Akaba could feel them.
Everything he had built, everything he had achieved. It all felt like it was vanishing.
Like an illusion.
Ever since he began using the power of the Sacred Beasts; perhaps the outcome had already been decided.
But, it didn't matter.
He possessed divine power.
Even if he lost, he could start again.
He could live for countless years.
He would have another chance.
"You said before this Duel began that if you lost, you would relinquish leadership of the Fusion Dimension," Hikaru said coldly.
"Do you think I can't see through your pathetic excuse?!" Hikaru roared. "You think that because this wasn't a Dark Duel, losing doesn't matter, don't you?! You use the power of evil gods and demons to attack others' souls, but you think you can escape the consequences?!"
"If you won't act, then it's my turn!"
He drew.
"During my turn, the effect of Armityle the Chaos Phantasm activates!"
"This card's ATK becomes 10000!"
Armityle the Chaos Phantasm
ATK 0 → 10000
"Ten thousand…!?"
It exceeded Hikaru's Life Points.
"If you hadn't summoned the Sacred Beasts, if you hadn't relied on Number cards, if you hadn't abandoned Serena and the others, none of this would have happened!"
Hikaru raised his hand.
"The Sacred Beasts you used, the power you abused, it all brought me here!"
"Now, Sacred Beast!"
"End this Duel!"
He pointed forward.
"Armityle the Chaos Phantasm, attack directly!"
He swung his fist forward, and the entire world seemed to shatter as if struck by his fist, cracking open.
As the image dissipated, the surroundings of this world were still the High Council of the S Dimension!
"I won't let you go, Crowler ah ah ah!!!!"
"Achoo?" In Duel Academy, Professor Crowler, who was working, inexplicably sneezed.
Leo Akaba, LP: 500 → 0.
...
STONES >^_^^_^<
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