Use Chimeric Fortress Dragon to eat Chimeric Fortress Dragon!
Seeing his own Fortress Dragon land, Marufuji Ryo couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth lift, overwhelmed by an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and joy.
It seemed he was starting to understand Yugen's happiness more and more.
Cyber Dragon devouring the opponent's monster—especially this Fortress Dragon that once made him question life—this duel was truly enjoyable.
Unfortunately, this joy didn't last long.
"Counterattack Trap 'Heaven-Ascending Black Horn,'" Yugen immediately responded, "Can be activated when the opponent Special Summons a monster. That Special Summon becomes invalid, and that monster is destroyed."
Marufuji Ryo: "!"
"Even if you can devour the opponent's monster on the field, the act of summoning Chimeric Fortress Dragon is still a Special Summon," Yugen said. "Therefore, the Special Summon of Chimeric Fortress Dragon is nullified, and it is directly destroyed."
Boom!
Poor Caesar's Fortress Dragon had just landed and was blasted into fragments before it could even stabilize.
The joyful smile on Marufuji Ryo's face immediately disappeared, turning serious again.
"Alright, but my attack isn't over yet," Marufuji Ryo said. "Speed Attack Magic 'Electronic Fusion Support'!
Pay half of the Life Points. For this turn, when Fusion Summoning a Mechanical Race monster, you can remove monsters from your hand, field, or graveyard from play just once to replace Fusion Material!"
[Marufuji Ryo, LP4000→LP2000]
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Fusion'!" Marufuji Ryo said. "According to the effect of 'Electronic Fusion Support,' exclude three cards—two discarded by Angel's Charity from the graveyard and one previously fused with your Fortress Dragon—from play to perform the Ultimate Fusion of Electronic Dark!
Electronic Dark Wing Blade!
Electronic Dark Dragonbone!
Electronic Dark Demon Horn!
Triple Fusion!"
Even Principal Jiaodao lost his composure on stage: "Are you summoning that, Ryo!?"
Three Electronic Dark Monsters appeared on Marufuji Ryo's field, drawn into the swirling fusion vortex, converging into a torrential lightning energy, transforming into a colossal fusion steel beast, descending with a thunderous force!
"The strongest secret technique of the Inner Electronic Stream, Armored Black Dragon - Electronic Dark Dragon, summon!!"
[Armored Black Dragon - Electronic Dark Dragon, Attack Power 1000]
"This is the ultimate secret technique of Electronic Dark, rivaling Electronic Ultimate Dragon..." Marufuji Sho murmured.
Judai was even more excited: "Oh, this monster looks so intimidating!"
"I increasingly want to duel with Caesar as he is now..."
"Armored Black Dragon - Electronic Dark Dragon can equip any Dragon-type monster from the graveyard and gain that monster's original attack power. There's no level restriction."
Marufuji Ryo chuckled lightly and drew a card from the graveyard.
"So, naturally, the card I want to equip is—
——Five Emperors Dragon!"
Using the dragon with the strongest stats in history as the equipment for Armored Black Dragon!
Dragged out of the graveyard, the Five Emperors Dragon was connected with countless cables, its power seemingly becoming electric currents infused into Armored Black Dragon. Endless dazzling electric snakes overflowed as the power of Armored Black Dragon surged rapidly!
[Armored Black Dragon - Electronic Dark Dragon, Attack Power 1000→Attack Power 6000]
"Six thousand attack power!" Judai couldn't help but exclaim.
"That's not all. Armored Black Dragon's other effect raises its attack power by 100 for each card in your graveyard," (original card effect).
Post-physical card adaptation, it was changed to increase based on the number of monsters in the graveyard x100.
"Of course, unfortunately, all my previous cards in this duel were removed from the game by 'Great Cosmos,'" Marufuji Ryo said, "However, I still have thirteen cards in my graveyard now.
Armored Black Dragon's attack power increases by 1300!"
[Armored Black Dragon - Electronic Dark Dragon, Attack Power 6000→Attack Power 7300]
"Easily reaching seven thousand attack power, this is the power of the Inner Electronic Stream, Electronic Dark!" Marufuji Ryo shouted, "Direct attack from Armored Black Dragon!"
The surging electric currents converged in Armored Black Dragon's mouth like a swirling vortex, spewing infinite chaos!
"Counterattack Trap - Attack Powerlessness." Yugen said, "Nullify the monster's attack and forcibly end the battle phase."
A transparent cyclone blocked Armored Black Dragon's attack, and the battle phase was forcibly skipped. The displays on both duel discs simultaneously showed "M2," indicating entry into Main Phase 2.
"Tch... then set a card, ending the turn."
"My turn, draw."
Yugen drew a card and then revealed one from his hand.
"Activate Magic Card 'Monster Recycling.' Shuffle all cards from hand and field back into the deck, then draw five cards." (original card effect)
The cards were automatically shuffled back into the deck, and Yugen drew anew.
After drawing, he paused and smiled slightly at Armored Black Dragon.
"It seems you've finally broken through the past bottleneck, congratulations, Marufuji. Inner Electronic Stream, this is supposed to be the hidden power of the Electronic Stream, isn't it?"
"Power is just power, no right or wrong. Every card exists for victory; a good card is one that brings victory," Marufuji Ryo said.
"Indeed, I agree with that," Yugen nodded. "The thirst for victory is a step every duelist must take. Those who don't see victory cannot stand at the end, and you've already crossed that step.
But just that isn't enough. If you excessively pursue victory and see nothing but that goal, you might overlook other important things and never reach the peak."
Marufuji Ryo was taken aback.
"Important things beyond victory..."
Yugen smiled but didn't continue.
That realization was something Hell Caesar understood at the end of his life in the original work, beyond just craving victory. His duel against Yubel-possessed John, that glorious moment as a duelist, was proof of Caesar's full maturity.
But Marufuji Ryo now had progressed much faster than in the original story. In time, he would find the path ahead.
"Equipment Magic 'Future Fusion,'" Yugen said. "Allows a monster to Fuse Summon from the deck!"
Marufuji Ryo: "The same card as mine..."
"Indeed, and the choice for fusion is a coincidence, just like yours," Yugen smiled. "I'm using two Cyber Dragons from the deck as material for Fusion Summoning—
——Chimeric Rampage Dragon!!!"
The latest Cyber Dragon product from the lab, developed under Yugen's guidance. Caesar has one, and Yugen has one too.
"The same Cyber Dragon as my brother!" Marufuji Sho couldn't help but say.
[Chimeric Rampage Dragon, Attack Power 2100]
"But the monsters fusion summoned by Future Fusion can't attack this turn," said Marufuji Ryo, "Even if you use Chimeric Rampage Dragon's effect to increase attack count, it won't help."
"I know, but Chimeric Rampage Dragon has another effect," Yugen smiled, "When fusion summoned, destroy a number of Magic Trap Cards on the field equal to the number of Fusion Materials used for this card.
I will destroy your backfield Cover Card and the 'Five Emperors Dragon' equipped as an Equipment Card!"
"Nice!" Mitsuzawa couldn't help but cheer, "Although Five Emperors Dragon is a monster, when absorbed into the Armored Black Dragon, it is considered an Equipment Card in the Magic Trap Zone. If the Equipment Card is destroyed, the Armored Black Dragon's attack power will immediately drop by five thousand!"
With this, it's no longer impossible to directly destroy the Armored Black Dragon.
"Is that your plan," Marufuji Ryo shouted, "Then I'll chain this Cover Card, Trap Card 'Zero Hole'!
When an opponent successfully summons, special summons, or flips an Effect Monster over, that monster's effect is negated and it is destroyed instantly!" (Original Card)
"Oh, you're also using traps that directly hinder your opponent's monsters," Yugen smiled.
"I told you, I'm not the same as before," Marufuji Ryo smiled, "Why not use a single card to easily accomplish what originally only powerful upper-level monsters could do?"
"Indeed."
Yugen nodded.
"Then activate Speed Attack Magic 'Fusion Dispel'. Dispel the fusion of 'Chimeric Rampage Dragon' and special summon the two Cyber Dragons used as Fusion Material."
[Cyber Dragon, Attack Power 2100] x2
"Zero Hole loses its target and its effect fizzles."
"But even two Cyber Dragons can't defeat the Armored Black Dragon," Marufuji Ryo said.
Also, since the Chimeric Fortress Dragon has already been used, theoretically it shouldn't be possible to directly absorb the Armored Black Dragon. Because I joined Yugen's laboratory, I know Yugen should only have one Chimeric Fortress Dragon.
Can you pull out another machine to take me down?
There was indeed no second machine for Yugen.
But he calmly played the next card.
"Then activate this card——
——Magic Card 'Power Combination'!"
Marufuji Ryo: "!!?"
Power Combination... another Soul Card of his.
"Power Combination, no need to elaborate on the effect, right? It's a dedicated card for fusion summoning Mechanical Race monsters." Yugen said, "I'll fuse the two 'Cyber Dragons' on the field!"
Marufuji Ryo: "..."
He naturally immediately thought of the 'Cyber Twin Dragons' he gave Yugen during Duel City.
He also remembered saying that sooner or later, he'd reclaim that card with his own hands.
The duel during Duel City felt like being imprisoned, but thinking back, he felt gratitude towards Yugen. He realized it was the Duel King's way of guiding him; without the help, he couldn't have broken through his bottleneck.
Now, Yugen using Cyber Dragons to duel him, with Future Fusion, Cyber Dragons, Rampage Dragons, and now Power Combination...
That was his former style.
This gave Marufuji Ryo an inexplicable illusion, as if facing his past self.
Is the Duel King trying to convey something through this duel?
Marufuji Ryo began to ponder.
Could it be a reminder not to forsake everything from the past simply because he's embarking on a new path?
That's why he deliberately used Power Combination to teach a lesson with Cyber Twin Dragons...
He felt moved inside.
Yet suddenly he heard Yugen speak.
"Using two Cyber Dragons to fuse, behold the secret of the Electronic Stream——"
Marufuji Ryo's expression tightened.
After Power Combination, the Attack Power of Cyber Twin Dragons would be doubled to 5600, and it could attack twice per turn.
But even with that, it couldn't surpass his Armored Black Dragon...
"——Double-Rider Bicycle Robot, Summon!!"
Marufuji Ryo: "????"
Marufuji Sho: "????"
Two Cyber Dragons... fused into what!?
As the entire audience watched with wide eyes, they saw the two Cyber Dragons disappear into a whirlwind of fusion, and that notorious bicycle of Duel Academy landed down, and they all realized they weren't hearing things wrong.
It really was a bicycle...
[Double-Rider Bicycle Robot, Attack Power 1600→Attack Power 3200] (Power Combination doubles)
Only then did everyone remember.
Oh, true.
The fusion condition for the bicycle requires two same-name Mechanical Race cards, and two Cyber Dragons naturally meet the requirement.
Marufuji Ryo opened his mouth but closed it again, and repeated.
He seemed to want to say something but couldn't articulate it.
Power Combination, right?
The ultimate secret of Electronic Stream, right?
Bicycle, right?
He didn't even know where to start with the sarcasm...
"Under the effect of Power Combination, the attack power of Double-Rider Bicycle Robot is doubled. Then, in battle. Its effect... doesn't need too much explanation, right? An old acquaintance, everyone knows it."
Yugen chuckled.
"This card can directly attack."
Marufuji Ryo: "......"
"Double-Rider Bicycle Robot," Yugen waved his hand, "direct attack."
The bicycle made a stylish drift around a curve, arrogantly flashing past the Armored Black Dragon, raised its front wheel, and leaped upward.
Straight over Marufuji Ryo's face.
[Marufuji Ryo, LP 2000→LP 0]