Zzzzzzt…
Electricity crackled around One-Eyed Andal as he violently drew his next card.
Hikaru Amagi studied his movements closely.
In the world of Duel Monsters, there had always been this concept of "training your draw." Duel Academy had whole training regimens devoted to perfecting draw techniques—pulling the exact card you needed when you needed it. Or like in ZEXAL, where Yuma relied on "Shining Draws" and the philosophy of "nothing is coincidence for a true duelist."
And now—this smoke, these parasites, this surge of current—Hikaru could tell it was all for one purpose: to enhance Andal's Duel Spirit power.
Earlier, the beast could barely speak; now it didn't utter a word. It just moved, possessed, electric spasms guiding its next move.
He Normal Summoned a new monster.
A green, lizard-like warrior with a net in one hand and a trident in the other.
Gladiator Beast Murmillo – Level 3 – WATER – Fish – ATK 1200
Next, One-Eyed Andal activated an Equip Spell—a skeletal shield that fused with Murmillo's hand, replacing the trident with grim defense.
"Rrraahh!"
It lunged forward under Andal's command—only to be immediately cleaved in half by Gem-Knight Prism Aura. The spectral shield shattered in the same breath.
Gladiator Beast Andal LP: 4000 → 2750
"Looks like that shield protected the wielder from destruction in battle," Haruto commented, eyes narrowing.
Hikaru nodded.
After the battle, Murmillo ditched his net and retreated. In his place, a steel-clad centaur burst from the Deck.
Gladiator Beast Darius.
"When Darius is Special Summoned by a 'Gladiator Beast' effect, it can revive a 'Gladiator Beast' from the Graveyard with its effects negated," Hikaru explained calmly as Darius cracked his whip, dragging the limp form of Retiari back to the field.
No rest for the dead. Get up and fight again.
"RRAAGGHHH!!"
Andal bellowed, lifting both arms as the two monsters twisted together and vanished into a vortex—returning to the Deck.
From the Extra Deck emerged a powerful, regal bird-warrior, cloaked in black armor and dark energy.
Gladiator Beast Gyzarus – Level 6 – DARK – Winged Beast – ATK 2400
Hikaru's eyes lit up. Nice. Looks pretty damn cool in full holographic form.
"RAAARGHH!!" One-Eyed Andal howled, commanding Gyzarus to activate its effect. With a flap of its mighty wings, a violent explosion obliterated Hikaru's field—his Fusion monster and Set card vaporized in a fiery blast.
Smoke engulfed the field.
"YES!"
"Finally, One-Eyed Andal landed a clean blow!"
The researchers in the lab erupted in cheers.
"Perfect! Hikaru's only got two Thunder Dragons in hand! Even if he draws Fusion next turn, the best he can do is a Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon! That's no threat anymore!"
"This! This is the power of science!"
Power of science, huh?
The purple-haired girl tilted her head. Looked more like luck of the draw to me. I could've pulled that, too.
But just as she was about to lose interest…
Wait—what?
The lab fell completely silent, as if someone had strangled the room itself.
The smoke cleared… and something else stood in Prism Aura's place.
A majestic, powerful new dragon—gleaming with chrome-plated armor, fluid iridescent plating, and a double roar that shook the dome.
Chimeratech Rampage Dragon – Level 8 – LIGHT – Machine – ATK 2800
"W-What!?"
"Impossible!"
On screen, Hikaru calmly revealed the card in his Graveyard: "Trap Card—Stinging Recoil."
"It triggers when a face-up card I control is removed from the field by an opponent's effect. I Special Summon a monster from my Deck or Extra Deck."
"I honestly never thought I'd get to use this card."
He shrugged.
Originally, it hadn't even been in his deck. But with how often he was drawing Fusion-heavy hands, Super Polymerization had begun fusing even Trap strategies into his support.
Unfortunately, his Extra Deck only had Fusion Monsters, so Super Poly kept generating only Fusion-based tricks.
"He planned for this… He knew Andal would try to destroy his field and baited him into doing it!"
"But the Battle Phase is already over! What now?!"
"Amazing!"
The purple-haired girl jumped up on the desk, eyes wide.
That trap was one of those "ten covered, nine unused" cards. To actually trigger it… and on purpose? This guy, Hikaru Amagi, was something else.
"My turn—Draw!" Hikaru barely glanced at his card. "No need to wait. Chimeratech Rampage Dragon, battle! Pulverize my enemy!"
Rampage Dragon could attack up to twice per Battle Phase. It shredded Gyzarus to feathers in the first strike. With a second gleam of its heads, it turned toward Andal himself—blasting him point-blank.
The parasitic worms covering him, the mechanical augmentations—they were instantly vaporized.
The shadowy mist around him began to dissipate.
"This can't be! How did he defeat One-Eyed Andal so easily?!"
"The cards he used today weren't even part of his usual deck!"
"This data doesn't match! We demand a rematch!"
"Damn it! He normally plays with Flame Swordsman!"
The researchers were losing their minds.
"We have to stop Hikaru Amagi! That's a direct order from the Professor!"
"But he already won!"
"I don't care—CHARGE!"
The lab director went berserk, slamming every button on the console. The purple-haired girl nearby scrunched her nose in disgust.
Meanwhile, on the field, Hikaru had barely stepped forward when—
SPLAT.
A grotesque worm leapt from the shadows.
Hikaru's eyes narrowed. His Duel Spirits—Flame Swordsman and Black Flame Knight—were already in motion, slicing the parasite to ribbons before it could reach him.
"You dare pull cheap tricks after losing in a Shadow Duel!?" barked the towering form of Captain White Crystal, who emerged in a blaze of light, suppressing the last of the shadowy aura surrounding Andal's body.
In a Shadow Duel, the winner had near-total dominion over the loser. To resist even after defeat was unforgivable.
"I'll erase whoever's behind this," White Crystal growled.
"Captain."
"Yes?"
He turned to Hikaru, confused.
Let me handle this.
Hikaru's face was stone-cold.
He had suspected from the start, the moment he saw those parasites. He knew this could happen. But even knowing didn't make it less revolting.
These bastards didn't even deserve to use Fusion.
"You worms… You think you can sully Fusion like this? Trash like you doesn't even deserve to breathe the same air as my monsters."
"I'll show you what Shadow Dueling really is. What Fusion really means. What victory really looks like."
"I'll give you the ending you deserve."
He raised a card high above his head.
"Unleash the Ultimate Power!!"
At his command, Flame Swordsman, Black Flame Knight, White Crystal—and even cards still in his deck like Alchemist, Ice Blade Mech, and Dragonic Knight—all began to glow.
Above them, storm clouds swirled with electricity. The worms and darkness were sucked into the sky, inverted like reverse rainfall—drawn up as though they were just fuel.
"AAAAAARRRRGHHHH!!"
Back in a lower-dimension research facility, the watching staff saw lights flicker wildly. Then—
BOOM.
BOOM. BOOM.
Explosions erupted one after another.
The purple-haired girl bolted.
Meanwhile, the panicked director spotted her running.
"MISS SERENA! DON'T GO—!"
He didn't finish the sentence. Columns collapsed. Containment chambers shattered.
All around, the Duel Spirits they'd locked up broke free, staring at the scientists with glowing, bloodshot eyes.
Whatever they'd used to control them—
—no longer worked.
Oh no.
Oh no no no no no—
It's over.