"Now. Draw a card." Tenjo Hikari slowly drew a card.
"Ah." Tierra, beside him, saw the card Tenjo Hikari drew, and her pupils shrank.
Tenjo Hikari gently kept the card and placed it to his left side.
"Wow, Tenjo Hikari, if you use this, and fuse it with the new card you got, you should be able to destroy all his Monsters!" Although Tierra hadn't dueled much, she was very familiar with Tenjo Hikari's cards, and her mind clicked fast, instantly thinking of a chance.
Fusing "Fusion Dragon," using Fusion Dragon's effect to destroy two of the opponent's Monsters on the field, could indeed resolve the situation, but in doing so, he'd be left with no resources at all.
When that time comes, faced with the opponent's powerful search cards and recovery cards, how could he hold out?
"Activate the effect of Thunder Dragon in my hand, discard it, add up to two Thunder Dragons from my Deck to my hand. I'll add one Thunder Dragon from the Deck to my hand."
Tenjo Hikari opened the Deck, took out one Thunder Dragon from it, and immediately activated its effect: "Then, discard the second Thunder Dragon, and add a third Thunder Dragon from the Deck to my hand."
"Tribute the Denier on the field, Tribute Summon, Thunder Dragon."
Thunder Dragon, LV 5, Light Attribute, Thunder-Type, ATK 1600.
"Then—evolve, symbolizing the power of Fusion future!"
"During the turn a Thunder-Type Monster's effect is activated from the hand, you can Tribute a Thunder-Type Effect Monster on the field other than Fusion Monster and Summon this Fusion Monster directly from the Extra Deck!"
"Descend, Thunder Dragon Colossus!"
Thunder Dragon Colossus, LV 8, Dark Attribute, Thunder-Type, DEF 2400.
"Haha, with only 2400 DEF? Ridiculous, such attack power is simply ineffective against the Chaos Ruler."
"Just wait and see." Tenjo Hikari said calmly.
"Set a card," he slowly brought his hands together, "That's it, end turn."
"What?? Tenjo Hikari, how can you end it like this!!" Beside him, Tierra became anxious, "2400 DEF, it can't block anything!"
She grabbed Tenjo Hikari's collar, shouting incessantly, "If you lose, even I can't forcibly preserve your dignity!"
"Heh... just watch." Tenjo Hikari shook his head calmly.
He looked towards Light of Destruction and spoke: "Light of Destruction, it's your turn, toss the coin again."
"Cannot comprehend." Light of Destruction opened again, "Did this man misjudge? With just this, what bravery do you have to claim victory over me?
Human, could your power be so limited?"
"Stop joking around, Light of Destruction." Tenjo Hikari shook his head, "It's you who's limited!"
!?
Tenjo Hikari slightly narrowed his eyes, speaking: "Light of Destruction, I admit, your card, your power, far surpasses mine."
Tenjo Hikari only dueled a few turns but already felt that overwhelming pressure.
Since the first turn, Tenjo Hikari gave his all every turn, regardless of opening with Little Winda or subsequently on each turn, everything was full power.
But even so, he was utterly unable to halt the Wave of Light, unable to stop it from achieving its intention.
Because Wave of Light's cards, their effects were much stronger than his!
Every card far more advanced than Tenjo Hikari's!
But—
Precisely because of this, Tenjo Hikari suddenly noticed something amiss during the duel.
"Powerful cards indeed bring victory, but even the strongest cards require the user to wield them!"
Otherwise, you'd encounter abstract scenarios like a chain of Branded Rage and Allure of Darkness leading to discarding all hand cards.
"The Saiou you control is nowhere near the real Saiou. The real Saiou, blessed by Destiny, needs no Light Barrier at all!" Tenjo Hikari pointed at Light Barrier, revealing Wave of Light's flaw.
"But, Chaos Ruler's effect also requires Light Barrier to activate!"
"This cannot mask your deficiencies in the duel."
Tenjo Hikari slowly clenched his fist: "Though I don't quite agree with the idea of Saiou having two consciousnesses, at least, he unwaveringly believes in his 'Destiny' during a duel, just as I eternally believe in 'Fusion,' in this aspect, he's an absolute duelist—while you, Wave of Light, only need a tool to harness immense power and destroy others!
That's your difference!"
"Saying so much changes nothing!" Wave of Light was not angered because its advantage was so prominent everyone could see it, "No matter how nicely you speak, it's pointless."
Shadow of Saiou was ready: "My turn, draw!"
He finished drawing, and Light Barrier started spinning once more, and this time the result was...
Reversed Position!
"!!"
Tension or exposed by Tenjo Hikari's insight, Light Barrier this time was in Reversed Position.
"Heh, indeed you hit the mark, but it's irrelevant now! Right now, there's no need for Light Barrier's effect! Chaos Ruler invalidating your Monsters' effects is enough!"
Shadow of Saiou laughed wildly: "Activate Spell Card, Arcana Reading, this card, when Light Barrier exists on the field, can choose an effect without coin toss directly activate it—I'll choose the Upright Position, from the Deck, add a card that involves coin toss other than Arcana Reading to my hand..."
Saiou inserted the Spell Card into the Duel Disk, but suddenly found he couldn't activate its Upright Position effect at all.
"What's happening?"
"Sorry, when Thunder Dragon Colossus is on the field, opponents cannot add cards from the Deck to the hand other than drawing."
"What?" Wave of Light was shocked, "Your Monsters on the field can't activate effects?"
"So—this is an effect that doesn't need activation to be effective!!" Tenjo Hikari interrupted its speech, "Because of Thunder Dragon Colossus' existence, you can't activate this card's effect, thus, its effect is invalid!"
"Ugh... didn't expect such a troublesome Monster, then let's battle!" Shadow Saiou snorted coldly, "In front of the Chaos Ruler, such Monsters will be obliterated in an instant!"
"Chaos Ruler, attack Thunder Dragon Colossus!"
"Disappear!"
The three dragons on the Chaos Ruler gathered strength, aiming at the Thunder Dragon. At the moment before the Thunder Dragon was about to explode, Tenjo Hikari opened the Graveyard: "Thunder Dragon can banish one Thunder-Type monster from the Graveyard to replace its destruction!"
"???"
"I banish Gem-Knight Tourmaline!"
"Ah!!" Serena realized, looking at this scene, "I see, replacing destruction is a non-conditional effect, it doesn't need activation!"
"Damn it—Dark Ruler's double attack!!!"
Thunder Dragon stood in front of Tenjo Hikari, using its wings to block the attack. Although the attack was powerful, it was negated in an instant.
"Banish two Thunder Dragons! Continue to replace destruction!"
"Tch…" Watching the monster that remained standing firm despite undergoing heavy attacks, Saiou could not help but curse under his breath.
"Heh, it doesn't matter, no matter how much you struggle, everything will eventually return to the end."
"Destruction exists everywhere in the Cosmos!"
"Even if you survive this turn, what can you do in the next turn?" He shook his head, setting another card.
"Ultimately, it's all in vain."
"In vain… is that so…"
Tenjo Hikari gently shook his head.
"No… there's never been such a thing." Tenjo Hikari slowly held the Deck in front of him, his right hand aiming at the Deck, "A Duel is a process of competition, a Duel is not eternal destruction, but creation and connection.
I've already seen it, the power of fusion."
"In this Duel, I've already felt it! Saiou and Ed's final souls!"
"They are telling me the answer!!"
Tenjo Hikari gently placed his hand on the top of the Deck.
Next to him, the phantoms of two people appeared, reaching towards the Deck together with Tenjo Hikari.
"My turn, draw—"
Tenjo Hikari fiercely drew a card.
With his draw, a purple radiance flickered on his body.
"Is it here—"
The card in his hand.
Elemental Hero Avian.
"Everything is ready!!!"
Tenjo Hikari raised a card high.
Within the phantasmagoria created by the Power of Wave of Light, purple light began to frantically expand, centered around Tenjo Hikari.
The Saiou simulated by the Light of Destruction looked at Tenjo Hikari's actions, instinctively widening his eyes, and whispered: "…the sun?"
"Spell Card, Polymerization!"
At that moment, the most primitive and fundamental Fusion Spell Card!
Fusion!
"Fusion Elemental Hero Avian from my hand with Burstinatrix from my hand!"
"The Fusion conditions are Burstinatrix and Avian!"
"No matter how much pain it experiences, no matter how sorrowful the pain, it will not fall! This card symbolizes a hero who never surrenders!"
"Fusion Summon, LV 6, Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer!"
Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer, LV 6, Fire Attribute, Warrior-Type, ATK 2100.
"Phoenix Enforcer?" Saiou Mizuchi looked at this familiar card and couldn't help but stand, "Yes, yes, Phoenix Enforcer cannot be destroyed by battle! With it, you can survive this turn!"
"But why is it in Attack Position?" Serena exclaimed in surprise.
"It's not over yet!!" Tenjo Hikari opened the Graveyard, "Now is the time, the final moment—banish the second Malicious from the Graveyard to Special Summon the third Destiny Hero - Malicious from the Deck!"
The silent hero slowly stood by Tenjo Hikari's side.
Destiny Hero - Malicious, LV 6, Dark Attribute, Warrior-Type, ATK 800.
"It can't be!?" Tiera, nearby, slowly widened her eyes, completely unable to maintain a watching posture, grabbing Tenjo Hikari's shoulder, "Wait, Tenjo Hikari, by forcibly creating a new Fusion Monster with that card during a Duel, the current you will pay a great price!"
For two people who are not that particularly close, paying such a price!?
"Things have come to this, there is no room for hesitation!"
"Light of Destruction, now witness the Ultimate Secret Technique of fusion!"
"Sacrifice the El Shaddoll Fusion from my hand, activate—"
"Quick-Play Spell!!"
"Super Polymerization!!!"
He raised the magic from his hand high!
In that instant, the world changed, all the scenes created by the Wave of Light were almost instantly torn apart!
The cosmos, all things, were completely torn by its power, a terrifying fusion vortex appeared directly above Tenjo Hikari.
The Ultimate Power, completely unleashed!!