"Fusion with a Trap Card?!"
It felt like a dream—an unheard-of event.
Only the first move of their Trial Duel against the Legendary Dragons, and already Aisha, Kevin, and Irene were completely lost.
Kevin demanded, "But Trap Cards aren't monsters! How can they be used for Fusion?"
The cards shown by the Headmaster included only the B-rank Trap Card [Mirror Force] and a blank-faced Legendary Dragon card with a black dragon image—no [Polymerization] in sight.
"You don't need [Polymerization] for this. That's the effect of the Legendary Dragons! They can awaken the true power of cards, merging with them as Dragons empowered by their strength!"
She threw the card into the air. The black dragon Critias on the Legendary Dragon card soared skyward through the Duel Disk's projection.
Then, the Trap Card [Mirror Force] radiated a mirrored brilliance that enveloped Critias.
"—Awaken in the name of legend, Mirror Force Fusion Summon! [Mirror Force Dragon]!"
[Mirror Force Dragon] Level 8│LIGHT│Dragon│ATK: 2800 / DEF: 1200
Materials: [The Fang of Critias] + [Mirror Force]
The shimmering dragon body radiated reflected light. As the Headmaster said, it awakened the hidden potential of [Mirror Force] to create a brand-new monster.
Miles muttered, "A 2800 ATK Legendary Dragon right out of the gate… I get what this Trial Duel is about now."
Demonstrating how to use the Legendary Dragons was one of the key goals of this trial.
Otherwise, these nameless cards would've left their new owners utterly clueless.
"I end my turn."
Having showcased the first Legendary Dragon Fusion Summon, the Headmaster placed her hand face down and ended her turn.
In the next moment, Irene's Spirit Eyes lit up—it was her turn.
"M-My turn?!"
Nervously stomping her feet, cheeks lightly flushed, Irene looked flustered.
She had readily agreed to this Duel with Aisha, with no hesitation.
But only now did it hit her: she was teamed up with Miles.
'I-I can't believe I'm Dueling with Miles! What if I mess up? What if he notices how nervous I am?!'
Her girlish panic was obvious. The Headmaster nearly laughed aloud.
"Ah, so this is youth. How sweet."
"Ren? You need to draw."
Seeing her frozen, Miles gently reminded her.
"Oh, r-right. Draw!"
Her heart raced—she nearly forgot to draw her starting card.
"Ren! Focus," Miles said again. "Even if it's the Headmaster or a Legendary Dragon, there's no need to panic. Just stick to our training."
"I'm not nervous because of the Headmaster!"
Somehow, that offhand 'reassurance' calmed Irene instantly.
He noticed she was nervous... but didn't know why. Only she knew how silly she was being.
"My turn—draw!"
"That's it! Very spirited, Ren!"
That 'spirit' definitely had a splash of embarrassment-induced fire.
"Watch me closely, Miles. This is my Duel with a Hero!"
Irene realized that if she wanted Miles to truly notice her, the only path was through her Dueling.
"Miles? Who's that?"
Kevin furrowed his brow at the unfamiliar, oddly familiar name Irene had spoken.
"I Normal Summon—[Elemental HERO Bubbleman]!"
[Elemental HERO Bubbleman] Level 4│WATER│Warrior / Effect│ATK: 800 / DEF: 1200
Starting with an empty field, the classic draw-engine hero triggered its effect, letting Irene draw two more cards.
With those crucial cards, she drew [Polymerization].
"I activate [Polymerization]! I fuse Avian and Burstinatrix from my hand! Blazing wings that scorch the sky—carry out justice, Hero of Flame! —[Elemental HERO Flame Wingman]!"
[Elemental HERO Flame Wingman] Level 6│WIND│Warrior / Fusion / Effect│ATK: 2100 / DEF: 1200
The classic HERO Fusion monster, arms crossed and wings spread, appeared gallantly.
"2100 ATK isn't enough, Irene. So next must be…"
"Heroes have their own battleground!"
Slamming down her Field Spell, the lush landscape transformed into a towering nighttime cityscape.
"[Skyscraper] and [Flame Wingman] together can surpass Mirror Force Dragon!
With the 'Skyscraper' combo, even a 2800-ATK dragon was within reach.
"Because of Skyscraper's effect, if a HERO battles a stronger monster, it gains 1000 ATK! Go, Flame Wingman—[Skyscraper Strike!!]"
[Flame Wingman, ATK: 2100 → 3100]
From atop the skyscraper, a flaming dragon-like strike roared toward Mirror Force Dragon.
If it hit, it would deal massive 3100 damage in the first turn alone.
The Headmaster smiled, "Too bad, Irene. You're going to embarrass yourself in front of your crush."
"C-Crush?!" Irene flushed bright red, like a girl whose secret had just been exposed.
"I-It's not like that!"
"Great! Then I can counterattack guilt-free."
She pointed toward the airborne Legendary Dragon.
"Because [Mirror Force Dragon] fused with [Mirror Force], it inherits—and even enhances—that card's effect!"
[When a monster you control becomes the attack target or is targeted by a card effect, destroy all your opponent's cards.]
The dragon's mirrored body absorbed the flames entirely.
"Roar—!"
Then it let out a furious cry, reflecting the absorbed energy back across the field.
Crimson destruction beams rained over the skyscraper and Irene's heroes.
"Because you targeted it for battle, [Mirror Force Dragon] destroys all your cards! Down goes your battlefield and your heroes!"
The red light annihilated her entire field.
"No way…"
She'd gone all out and not only failed, but got wiped out in return.
Right now, Irene didn't even care that her crush had been outed.
Aisha said, "Just being attacked or targeted triggers a total wipe? And no activation limit per turn? These dragons are busted!"
Even [Mirror Force] was strong. But fused with Critias, it became a permanent, supercharged version.
Forget Flame Wingman… even Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon wouldn't stand a chance.
Kevin said gravely, "How do you even fight something like that?"
One card, and they already felt despair. The power hidden in the Legendary Dragons was overwhelming.
"It's okay, Ren."
Only Miles stayed composed after seeing Mirror Force Dragon's devastating counter.
"B-But Miles…"
Irene felt utterly humiliated, her voice almost trembling.
"With something like that on the field, we can't even attack…"
"It's still early. No need to panic. Stick to our training pace. I'll take it from here."
"Wha—!!"
Blushing again, Irene looked away. Even if he looked like Aisha, she could feel the difference.
A single comment could pierce her heart.
"I Set 2 cards. Turn end!"
Turn passed. In a 1v2 Duel, it was back to the Headmaster.
"My turn, draw!"
Even the Headmaster was surprised to draw another Legendary Dragon so soon.
It was as if the Dragons themselves were eager to recognize their opponents.
"Maybe this is cruel. Oh well, I activate the effect of [The Eye of Timaeus]!"
Like before, she revealed two cards: a Legendary Dragon and a Monster Card—[Dark Magician].
"Now you see why I said Timaeus is incompatible with you, Aisha. His effect only works with [Dark Magician]-related monsters."
Aisha's Deck had no synergy with him at all.
"Still, Timaeus believes in the holder of the Millennium Puzzle. Don't let him down!"
She tossed the two cards skyward. The blue dragon Timaeus flew up, with Dark Magician standing tall on his back.
"Awaken the Dark Magician's potential in the name of legend—Fusion Summon, [Amulet Dragon]!"
[Amulet Dragon] Level 8│DARK│Dragon / Fusion / Effect│ATK: 2900 / DEF: 2500
"Amulet Dragon can banish any number of Spells from both Graveyards. For each one, it gains 100 ATK!"
Magical runes burst from its mouth, banishing [Polymerization] and [Skyscraper] from Irene's Graveyard.
[Amulet Dragon, ATK: 2900 → 3100]
The Headmaster scratched her cheek. "If they can't beat one, how will they handle two?"
This wasn't even her Duel anymore—it felt like the Dragons were using her.
She'd just been summoning them all along. Easiest Duel ever. Yet, even that was enough to overwhelm the others.
"Oh well, screw it. Go for the attack!"
She raised her arm. Two fused Legendary Dragons now stood on her field. And after Mirror Force Dragon's wipe, Irene had no monsters left.
"Attack, Amulet Dragon—Dark Magician Dual Assault!"
Timaeus and the Dark Magician launched a synchronized attack, even stronger than Blue-Eyes.
"Miles, I—"
"Ren, leave this one to me!"
"O-Okay!"
"I activate [Kuriboh]'s effect—negate the Battle Damage!"
From Miles's hand, Kuriboh leapt out and sacrificed itself to block the attack.
Timaeus and Dark Magician likely never imagined a Kuriboh would one day stand in their way.
...
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