"Alright—draw. My turn, Field Spell Card." He glanced at his Hand Card, muttered 'lucky,' and quickly placed it into the Duel Disk, "Fusion Recycling Plant!"
"Discard a card from the hand, add a Polymerization from the Deck to the Hand, I discard Metalfoes Fusion and add Fusion Substitute from the Deck to the Hand.
Next, the effect of Metalfoes Fusion returns to the Deck, draw one card."
Tenjo Hikari drew a card, glanced at it, and then looked at his opponent.
The Earth Invoked, Defense Power is 3300 points.
However, Teacher Daitokuji still has an Aleister in hand, which can be discarded to increase ATK and DEF of a Fusion Monster on his field by 1000 points.
In other words, even if I use the effect of Overload Future Fusion this turn to Fusion Summon Labyrinth Tank, it's impossible to use the effect of Flame Swordsrealm to destroy it.
But—
I must play this way!
He thought for a moment.
What is my greatest advantage against Teacher Daitokuji?
Half-baked Alchemy? Numerous Fusion Cards?
No, it's—understanding Daitokuji, knowing the effects of Daitokuji's cards!
And Daitokuji doesn't know that I know this!
"I activate the effect of Overload Future Fusion, send Giga-Tech Wolf from the Deck to the Graveyard, then banish Fusion Materials from the Graveyard, Fusion Summon. Labyrinth Tank!"
Labyrinth Tank, LV 7, Dark Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 2400.
"Battle!"
"Alright!" Manjome excitedly knocked on the planet's shell and shouted, "Flame Swordsrealm can lower the ATK of Warrior-Type monsters on the field, increasing the ATK of other monsters by 1000, Labyrinth Tank's ATK will reach 3400. That way, it can surpass that Invoked!"
"If this attack goes through, it's a 3200 and 800 point damage, capable of defeating Teacher Daitokuji directly!" Mitsuzawa also shouted along.
"No, this won't go through!" Marufuji Ryo's face changed, "Damn, Hikari fell for it!"
"Lower the ATK of Flame Swordsman by 1000 and increase the ATK of Labyrinth Tank!"
Flame Swordsman ATK: 1800→800, Dark Flare Knight ATK: 2200→3200, Labyrinth Tank ATK: 2400→3400.
The massive Stone Ogre Grotto slowly turned over, its gigantic body seemingly about to be drilled open by the tank.
"Too naive, Hikari-san!" Daitokuji, seeing this scene, shouted, "Activate the effect of Aleister the Invoker in hand! Send this card from the Hand to the Graveyard, target 1 Fusion Monster you control! Until the end of the turn, that monster's ATK and DEF increase by 1000 points!
This effect…can also be activated during the opponent's turn!"
Invoked Magellanica, DEF 3300→4300
"What!" Mitsuzawa Daichi's face changed drastically, "Damn, Hikari!"
"Ugh—"
Tenjo Hikari was hit by the counterattack from the tank, falling backward. Tierra extended her hand, swiftly pulling him up, ensuring he didn't completely roll over, casually asking, "Are you okay? Human."
"Thank you." Tenjo Hikari clutched his abdomen, struggling to stand up.
Tenjo Hikari LP: 4000→3100.
"Ugh..." Tenjo Hikari gritted his teeth and continued to maneuver, "Set one card, change the remaining monsters on the field to Defense Position. End my turn."
"...Is this the best even you can do?" Daitokuji saw Tenjo Hikari end his turn, regretfully shaking his head.
"Teacher Daitokuji!" Judai shouted, hands upheld on Skyscraper, "Why, I still can't believe it now, why does Teacher Daitokuji do such a thing?"
Judai appeared to be very agitated.
Tenjo Hikari looked at him, stunned for a moment, then understood.
So that's how it is...
Because this world has me, during the duel with the Seven-Star Key holders, there weren't deaths or injuries, different from the original work where Cronos and Marufuji Ryo were knocked out at first, putting Judai under tremendous pressure from the start.
Therefore, upon discovering Daitokuji as one of the Seven Stars, he was initially angry in the original story, before being confused.
In contrast, the current Judai lacks that pain, thus exhibiting more confusion.
"Judai..." Daitokuji heard Judai's words and couldn't help but gently shake his head, "I am... was once a world-traveling Alchemist."
He did not seem to mind, or rather, he wished to share his experiences: "I studied Alchemy, yearning to complete the legendary Philosopher's Stone. To this end, I traveled the world, searching for and visiting ancient ruins, hoping to find possibilities.
Then, like President Pegasus, during my quest for answers, my research eventually tied back to Duel Monsters. Subsequently, I discovered the legendary Monsters, which were... the Three Phantasms cards."
He opened his eyes, his crimson pupils gazing at the book in his right hand.
"It was Teacher Daitokuji who discovered the cards of the Three Phantasms?!"
"Mamma mia, I'd never heard of such a thing!"
Daitokuji gently opened the book, which recorded a plethora of things: "Someone heard about my research and was willing to spend money to support my studies, granting me access to Kaiba Company's latest Dimension Gate System."
"I embarked on the alchemical path of other dimensions." He looked at Aleister and said, "Initially, it was just some ordinary Spirits' dimensions, but later I reached larger gatherings of Spirits.
Eldlich Kingdom, Magician's Village, Prophecy, Skyscraper, Vampire Kingdom, Chaos Space, The Sanctuary in the Sky, and so on... I visited and explored alchemy in these worlds, ultimately gaining some renown."
"Ah, could it be—" Tenjo heard the voice of the era-defining Alchemist, and he sounded equally terrified yet seemed reverent, "Could it be, he is..."
"That's right, I am the era-defining Alchemist whispered of among Spirits." He extended his hand, pointing at the surrounding students, "I created the true Philosopher's Stone, rescued the rampaging Summoning Master, awakened the crazed Eldlich the Golden Lord, completing many remarkable feats.
But as I achieved these feats, I discovered a terrifying existence that shattered the Spirit World, and the future signifying infinite crisis."
"Wha...what?" The students were shocked by his words.
"The current humans are not prepared for interaction with other dimensions. Countless humans are lured by Spirit Power, and this world is developing too quickly!" He clenched his fist, shaking his head, "This world is progressing faster than it should, attracting many more Spirits, making it more fragile!"
"Fubuki, Caesar, and even you, Judai, facing the powerful Monsters I use from beyond this world, even you, outstanding as you are, will fail, let alone others? Are they prepared for contact with other worlds?"
"And fools like Akaba Leo who wish to exploit other dimensions are everywhere... Meanwhile, because humans have started exploring dimensions on their own, those evil existences from other dimensions have turned their gaze to this world!"
"Originally, I wanted to continue my research, but unfortunately, life extended forcibly by alchemy will eventually come to an end." He reached out and knocked on his face, and many fragments fell off, "It seems the world no longer allows an existence like mine to continue living as a human."
"I have left the secrets of alchemy and information from many Spirit Worlds I visited in this rewritten [Emerald Book], Hikari, if you can defeat me, I will give you this book.
But it seems you only have this level of skill."
Tenjo Hikari's expression was serious.
His words indicated that today it's genuinely serious!
More serious than the original work!
"My turn, draw a card!"
"Normal Summon, second Aleister!"
Good!
Tenjo Hikari shouted in his heart, while maintaining a serious face.
There's a second Ah Lai!
"Then, just like the last turn, add Invocation to the hand, then discard Aqua Spirit from the hand, banish Aleister on the field, Fusion Summon, Water Invoked, Invoked Cocytus!"
The torso connected to the summoning magic as a blue-white dragon soared in the sky, descending from many planets to the ground.
Invoked Cocytus, LV 6, Water Attribute, Dragon-Type, ATK 1800, DEF 2900.
"Defense Position?" Manjome asked in confusion.
"This Monster can attack in Defense Position." Teacher Daitokuji chuckled, returning Invocation from the Graveyard to the Deck and adding Aleister from the banished cards to the hand.
"Damn, 2900 DEF, now it's even worse!"
"It can not only fight but also defend! Is this what an Invoked is?"
"Change Earth Invoked to Attack Position, battle, use these two to destroy your two Swordsmen." Daitokuji waved his hand casually.
"Sorry, my liege!"
"You've worked hard, you two." Facing challenges always put them in a pit, yet they remained willingly involved, and Tenjo Hikari felt a bit reluctant.
"Set a card. Your turn, Hikari-san."
Tenjo Hikari wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Playing against Aleister in such an environment, the pressure was immense.
Luckily, he had other methods.
"My turn, draw a card!" Tenjo Hikari drew a card, glanced at it, then looked determinedly back at Daitokuji, "Teacher, your worries are not unfounded, but don't underestimate the students!"
"Oh?" Daitokuji responded softly.
"I pay 2000 Life Points!"
Tenjo Hikari gritted his teeth, feeling the heat rapidly drain from his body.
And his desperate action made the surrounding friends gasp.
Tenjo Hikari LP: 3100 → 1100
"Activate. Lullaby of Obedience!"
"Lullaby of Obedience!?" Daitokuji was startled by the card, "Could it be?"
"Indeed—Teacher Daitokuji, I declare, Aleister the Invoker!"