"Fusion Doom", a Continuous Spell that seals off all Fusion cards.
It not only banishes up to three Fusion-related cards from the opponent's Deck, but its true power lies in its permanent lockdown: whenever the opponent activates a Spell or Trap whose name includes "Fusion," it can negate that activation, destroy the card, and burn the opponent for 300 damage.
Normally, to get around this, a duelist would need to chain their Fusions, first baiting a negation with another Spell, then quickly activating a Quick-Play Fusion during the same chain to bypass the effect.
But for Hikaru, this wasn't even an obstacle.
After all, while Fusion Doom can negate any card with "Fusion" in its name, there are plenty of Fusion Spells and Traps that don't actually have "Fusion" in their titles.
For example, his ace card.
A card Hikaru only brings out when he's fighting at full strength:
"Flame Swordsman."
That card performs Fusion Summons without ever being affected by Fusion Doom.
However, Lilos had prepared for that too.
If Fusion Doom locked away the "Fusion" cards, he'd need ways to counter the alternatives, cards like Magical Meltdown, which protect Fusion Summons from negation, and others like Flame Swords realm, which enable continuous Fusion Summons.
So;
"Normal Summon — Spell Reactor • RE!"
Hikaru arched an eyebrow.
"Oh… the Reactor line."
A serpentine machine, armed with rotary cannons, coiled on the field.
Spell Reactor • RE — Level 3 / DARK / Machine / ATK 1200.
"Finally, I set one card face-down and end my turn," Fink said smugly, covering his card with theatrical flair.
Spell Reactor could destroy an opponent's Spell when activated and burn for 800 damage, not overwhelmingly strong, but perfect for interference.
As a nuisance to disrupt Hikaru, it fit neatly into their plan.
"Well, Tenjo Hikaru," Lilos said with arms crossed, "how's that for your welcome strategy?"
"My turn. Draw." Hikaru glanced at his hand, his voice calm but edged. "Honestly… I'm getting tired of this."
"What?" Lilos frowned, confused.
"You Fusion Army people," Hikaru said flatly, "call yourselves Fusion duelists, yet you always duel me with anti-Fusion tactics."
He raised his Duel Disk and slid a card onto the field.
"Limiting Fusion Summons, blocking Extra Decks, destroying Fusion spells, hiding behind 'Numbers' monsters…For an army that claims to honor Fusion, you sure don't have the courage to fight me with Fusion itself."
"Hikaru...!" Lilos snarled through gritted teeth.
"Normal Summon — Predaplant Chlamydosundew!"
"Tch…" Lilos' face twisted the moment he saw it, exactly what he'd been afraid of.
Because within all his counter-Fusion preparations, there was one loophole Hikaru could still exploit, Monster-based Fusion Summons.
Predaplant Chlamydosundew — Level 2 / DARK / Plant / ATK 600.
"Surprised?" Hikaru said lightly. "You really shouldn't be. You should've seen this coming."
"Hmph. As the Professor's soldier, of course I anticipated it. I just didn't expect you to draw it right now…"
"Draw it?" Hikaru's tone turned razor-sharp, mocking.
"Foolish. Laughable. You still dare to talk about strategy? Didn't your Fusion Doom let you see my entire deck list? The moment you saw I had Predaplants but no Chlamydosundew, you should've known this was coming."
Lilos' face twisted, struck speechless.
"Predaplant Chlamydosundew's effect," Hikaru continued coolly.
"During my Main Phase, it lets me Fusion Summon using monsters from my hand and field. I fuse Predaplant Chlamydosundew on my field with Destiny HERO – Draw Guy in my hand!"
"Fusion Summon!"
"Arise, Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"
A massive, violet-petaled flower monster burst from the sand, its vines writhing like serpents.
Its roar scattered the dust, shaking the air.
Predaplant Chimerafflesia — Level 7 / DARK / Plant / ATK 2500.
"That damned flower again…" Lilos muttered, wincing.
"Chimerafflesia's effect, once per turn, I can target one monster whose Level is equal to or lower than this card's Level, and banish it!"
Hikaru pointed sharply at the serpentine mech.
"Your Spell Reactor and that Continuous Spell of yours both only affect Spells and Traps.
Monster effects are outside your control. So, be gone, Reactor!"
" Tch…"
Seeing the situation, Fink snorted coldly.
This is why tactics from 'other dimensions' aren't reliable, Hikaru cleared the entire setup with just one card!
"Entering the Battle Phase!"
"Tch, in the end you still have to rely on your own strategy, Trap Card, Massivemorph, activate!"
Just as Chimerafflesia was about to attack directly, its body suddenly swelled, vines twisting and bulging until it became thick and unwieldy.
"Target 1 monster on the field; its ATK and DEF become doubled, and it cannot attack directly."
Predaplant Chimerafflesia – ATK 2500 → 5000.
Higher than even Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon now.
"Seriously? He raised the opponent's monster to 5000 ATK? What is that earl thinking?"
"Who knows… nobles think differently. Maybe he likes the feeling of being stared down by a giant monster."
And indeed, while the effect doubles ATK, it doesn't prevent it from attacking monsters.
Some Security officers grumbled in annoyance.
In this dimension, duelists of different status receive different treatment.
Just like in the Fusion Dimension's Duel Academy, ordinary students can't obtain strong cards; Fusion Army originally recruited hundreds of students using only a pre-built Ancient Gear deck.
In the Synchro Dimension, all "strong" and "rare" cards are monopolized by Upper City nobles. Duelists either use junk cards like Yusei or join the nobles to receive better cards.
Many of the Security police became officers for this exact reason.
"Set one card, turn end."
"My turn, draw!"
"At this moment, Destiny HERO – Draw Guy's effect activates. When this card is sent to the GY, at the next Standby Phase, Special Summon this card. If it leaves the field after being Summoned this way, banish it."
"When this card is Special Summoned by a 'HERO' effect: both players draw 1 card."
"Oh? Hahaha, you're giving me extra cards? How generous."
Hikaru remained expressionless as they both drew.
"Oh, this card is useful!" Fink grinned at his draw.
"I activate the Field Spell, Earthbound Geoglyph!"
A purple light emitted from his right hand.
A massive geoglyph formed in the sky, reflected onto the ground below.
Hikaru looked up briefly.
Since this wasn't a Riding Duel, the geoglyph's glow wasn't very intense.
"I discard this card from my hand."
Fink looked at his hand with a hint of disgust.
"I discard Steelswarm Sting."
"What are you doing!?"
Lilos shouted in shock upon seeing the discard.
Steelswarm Sting: When this card on the field is sent to the GY, you can destroy 1 face-up Ritual, Fusion, or Synchro Monster on the field.
A key card Fusion Army prepared against Synchro monsters, and against Hikaru.
But Fink didn't care. After Lilos' earlier strategy failed, he began doubting Fusion Army.
After all, the Fusion Army weren't natives of this world, and as a noble, Fink's arrogance made him unwilling to take orders.
"What I do is none of your concern."Fink snapped.
"I am the Earl of Dalosan, I'm a Dark Signer, destined to become a god! You don't get to lecture me!"
He clearly resented how Lilos kept interfering.
"I activate the Spell Card One for One. I send 1 monster from my hand to the GY; then I Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from my hand or Deck."
One for One, huh?
Hikaru nodded slightly.
In terms of extending plays, it's indeed excellent.
"As for the monster I'm Special Summoning from my deck, Earthbound Prisoner Ground Keeper!"
A demon bound to a giant hammer, wrapped in chains, struggled onto the field.
Earthbound Prisoner Ground Keeper! — Level 1, DARK, Fiend, ATK 300.
"When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower Earthbound monster from your deck, except Earthbound Prisoner Ground Keeper!".
I Special Summon, Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper."
A whale-like creature, its body wrapped in heavy chains, slid across the field with a low, mournful cry.
Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper— Level 5, DARK, Fiend, ATK 1600.
Seeing these familiar monsters, Hikaru could feel the soul within his deck trembling.
It was Geo Kraken…
So it really was the one connected to the Sea Earthbound God.
"Using Level 1 Earthbound Prisoner Ground Keeper and Level 5 Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper, I Synchro Summon, Level 6 Tuner Monster: Coral Dragon!"
A dragon leapt from the ocean's surface, glaring at Hikaru's back.
Coral Dragon — Level 6, WATER, Dragon, ATK 2400.
A Synchro TUNER?
"What? A Synchro Tuner?"
"That's an ultra-rare card!"
The security officers were trembling with excitement.
Just one Synchro Tuner like Coral Dragon was worth decades of their salary, something they could never obtain normally, and the noble summoned it casually.
"Effect of Earthbound Geoglyph!
When a Synchro Monster is Special Summoned, I add 1 Earthbound Immortal Spell/Trap from my deck to my hand.
I choose, Roar of the Earthbound Immortal."
"And thanks to Earthbound Geoglyph, when Tribute Summoning an Earthbound Immortal, a Synchro Monster counts as 2 tributes.
I tribute Coral Dragon, to Tribute Summon: Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua!"
VWOOM—!
His right hand glowed purple, and the geoglyph in the sky rippled like water.
A gigantic winged orca emerged from the void, swimming through the air as if through an ocean.
"What…what is that!?"
The security forces panicked.
The colossal orca shadowed the entire sky.
Human souls poured into its mouth like a purple tide, and with a single bite, they vanished.
"Chacu… Challhua."
In the original story, this Earthbound Immortal chose Greiger, manipulated by the Dark Signer Godwin. But here, clearly it was the nobles of the Synchro Dimension who wiped out Greiger's homeland.
Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua- Level 10, DARK, Fish, ATK 2900.
"This one has absorbed quite a few souls."
"Hah! Parasites feeding off society, they don't deserve to be called human anyway. If they can contribute to building the future, that's an honor, isn't it?"
Fink shrugged.
"Besides, I'm destined to become one of the divine, these creatures aren't even the same species as me.
Surely you agree?"
Hikaru said nothing. "Is that so."
"Effect of Coral Dragon!
When the Synchro Summoned monster is sent to the GY, I draw 1 card."
He looked at the drawn card.
Good, very good.
"Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua can attack directly!"
The giant orca swam through the air and opened its jaws.Purple waves fell from the sky as panic spread through the watching officers.
Because the officers realized something terrifying, when those "waves" hit the ground, they instantly corroded the pavement, and even several D-Wheels that were caught in the spray were completely destroyed in seconds!
Hikaru LP: 3100 → 200
Hikaru's clothes were shredded open, his mind went dizzy, and he staggered.
He nearly fell face-first into the ground, catching himself with one hand, barely staying upright.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA—!"
"So this is the power of a god!? Too strong! Absolutely incredible!"
Fink laughed madly.
Lilos exhaled slowly.
Seeing Hikaru lose that much LP and almost collapse, he finally felt relieved.
Although it was unexpected, Fink had dealt massive damage, meaning Lilos could now trust him again.
Even though he objected to Fink abandoning the earlier "anti-Fusion" strategy, damage like this meant his instincts were probably right.
"Fink still has Fusion Doom on the field.
If Hikaru activates a Fusion Spell, Fusion Doom will negate it, destroy it, and instantly deal 300 damage, which means Hikaru would die immediately with only 200 LP left!"
"And…"
Lilos looked upward at the massive Earthbound Immortal roaming the sky:
"Earthbound Immortals are unaffected by Spells/Traps. They also cannot be selected as attack targets.
Meaning, the Earthbound Immortal can attack freely, and Hikaru has no way to respond."
"Not only that, it's Level 10.
Predaplant Chimerafflesia's effect can't touch something of this Level!"
This was wonderful. Could he really get to watch Hikaru lose right in front of him?
He was trembling with excitement.
"Just to be safe." Fink looked at the card in his hand and grinned.
"I activate the Spell Card Earthquake!"
"All face-up monsters on the field change to Defense Position!"
The colossal orca folded its fins, its posture turning more cautious.
Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua — ATK → DEF (2400)
"While Chacu Challhua remains in face-up Defense Position,my opponent cannot conduct a Battle Phase!"
"Not only that, once per turn, if it did not battle this turn, it inflicts damage to my opponent equal to half its DEF!"
"I'm going to win!"
"My turn..."
Hikaru pressed a hand to his head, shaking it to clear his dizziness.
He forced himself upright and drew.
He glanced at the card and sighed instinctively.
"You know… I've always wondered why my opponents, especially people like you two, keep losing over and over again."
"What!?"
Both Fink and Lilos shouted at the same time.
"But now I understand. It's because my friends and teachers can genuinely trust each other and work together.
But you, even when you make a plan, even when you pretend to cooperate, you can't stop doubting each other."
"Let me show you exactly what mistake you made."
"Destroying a Fusion Spell…is not the same as preventing Fusion."
"Normal Summon, Earthbound Prisoner Ground Keeper!"
"What!?"
The security officers gasped.
Why did Hikaru have the same Earthbound Servant cards as Fink!?
Lilos felt his scalp tighten.
"Oh, that's right. Earlier when monitoring Hikaru's deck today, I did see something like that, but I didn't understand what the Servant cards did…And Fink didn't explain anything!"
"Geo Gremlin's effect, I Special Summon from my deck: Earthbound Prisoner Stone Sweeper!"
The two "servants" of an Earthbound Immortal writhed in torment. Their cries resembled the souls imprisoned inside Chacu Challhua.
"Are you trying to Synchro Summon Mudragon of the Swamp?"Lilos shouted.
"But no, even if you Fusion Summon Starving Venom Fusion Dragon using two DARK monsters, and copy the Earthbound Immortal's effect, because Chacu Challhua is in Defense Position, you can't conduct a Battle Phase anyway!
You're finished!"
"You think I'll lose…before I've even Fusion Summoned?"
Hikaru's eyes half-closed.
"Where is your so-called 'trust' in Fusion? Where is your belief in possibility… General of the Fusion Army?"
"Activate the Trap Card - Darklord Uprising!"
"I discard Darklord Zerato from my hand and activate Rebellion's effect: send monsters from my hand or field to the GY to perform a DARK Fusion Summon!"
"W-what!?"
Lilos finally understood.
That card was...
"Yes. The one you fear the most…the card Professor Crowler gave me."
"I fuse the two Earthbound Servants on my field!"
"O ancient soul, imprisoned beneath the ocean—!"
"At this moment, rebel against the source of all sin!"
"Fusion Summon!"
"Level 8 - Earthbound Servant Geo Kraken!"
Boom!
Boom~Boom~Boom!
From the sea, countless tentacles rose upward.
A smaller geoglyph, similar to the whale's but low and submissive, glowed between sea and sky.
A giant chained octopus rose slowly from beneath the waves, trembling like a slave, standing behind Hikaru.
BOOM!
The seawater surged violently, washing over the sand and scaring the officers so badly they clung to each other.
Earthbound Servant Geo Kraken – Level 8- DARK / Fiend- ATK 2800
Because of Darklord Uprising's effect, Hikaru also recovers LP equal to the ATK of the discarded Darklord.
Hikaru LP: 200 → 3000
"Cheh. Just a Servant?"
Fink looked tense for a moment, then relaxed when he read the name.
It was only a slave of the Earthbound Immortals, nothing special. Just like the lower-city peasants, disposable.
"Heh… yes, Geo Kraken might not be stronger than your Earthbound Immortal…But a servant has its own… speciality."
"Effect of Earthbound Servant Geo Kraken, When this card is Special Summoned, add 1 Field Spell from your Deck or GY to your hand."
This effect existed solely to assist the Earthbound Immortals.
Fink wasn't concerned.
"I add Earthbound Prison from my Deck to my hand."
Hikaru's Deck automatically shuffled. A trembling card, full of cracks, lifted itself out of the Deck and into his hand.
In Hikaru's Deck, cards unrelated to Fusion tended to be re-forged by his Fusion power, turned into other cards.
But these days, Hikaru could control his Fusion power, so he could safely include cards that weren't strictly Fusion tools.
But this time…he chose not to suppress the Fusion force within him.
"You still haven't noticed your problem? Earthbound Immortal effects only function when a face-up Field Spell is on the field."
"!?"
Fink finally realized.
"I set Earthbound Prison in the Field Zone."
Hikaru casually inserted the card face-down without flipping it face-up.
Instantly, the unstable geoglyph in the sky flickered and dissolved. The soaring Earthbound Immortal began losing energy, its body weakening as though life were slipping out of it.
"Damn it!!"
Lilos roared.
Under modern duel rules, only one Field Spell can exist at a time, so setting a new one replaces the old one!
Now, Hikaru could simply switch Chlamydosundew and Draw Guy to Attack Position, destroy the Earthbound Immortal with Chimerafflesia, and then attack directly with Geo Kraken + Draw Guy.
With the Immortal gone, Earthbound cannot activate.
Fink loses instantly!
Tch.
If Fink hadn't discarded Steelswarm Sting, and if he'd followed Lilos' original plan, destroying Predaplant Chimerafflesia early, then even if Hikaru searched a Fusion Spell, Fusion Doom was still active, so Hikaru couldn't use it anyway.
And then, Geo Kraken's 2800 ATK could NEVER beat the Earthbound Immortal.
Because if the Immortal used Roar of the Earthbound Immortal, any monster that attacked with lower ATK would be destroyed instantly.
If Fink had just stalled, or drawn another Field Spell, he would have won!
Fink realized too late, and waved frantically:
"W-wait! This duel doesn't count! It wasn't a Riding Duel!!"
"At this point, you're still saying that?"
Hikaru raised his hand and pointed at him.
"Switch Chimerafflesia and Draw Guy to Attack Position.
Chimerafflesia, attack Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua!"
The 5000-ATK Chimerafflesia lunged. With no Field Spell, the Immortal lost its protection and power, and was dragged down violently in front of its former servant.
Geo Kraken's shackles cracked open. Souls trapped in Chacu Challhua burst outward like a storm.
"Draw Guy, fire."
Draw Guy flickered, then fired a shot straight at Fink's legs,dropping him hard on the sand.
Fink LP: 4000 → 2400
"And finally, Geo Kraken… the choice is yours."
Hikaru looked at the trembling octopus.
For a long moment, the sea monster didn't move. Only when Fink tried to climb into his car and run...
SPLAT!
Geo Kraken fired thick black ink, blinding him. Then, like a falling tower, a massive tentacle came crashing down.
"AAAAAARRRGGHHHHH!!"
Unlike Hikaru, who tanked a full-power Earthbound Immortal strike, Fink was weak, pampered, and soft.
The moment an Earthbound Servant hit him, he screamed pathetically.
He collapsed against his car, shaking, then shouted at the officers:
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? ARREST HIM!!"
"But, my lord, you promised..."
"Promised WHAT? I never...AAAHHH!!"
Suddenly, Fink felt weightless. His whole body throbbed in pain.
Above him, the purple whale materialized again, rising from the void like a surfacing submarine, and swallowed him whole.
Then the colossal whale crashed toward the ground. The security officers panicked, convinced they would be crushed.
But their fear was pointless.
As it landed, the Earthbound Immortal's body shrank, dissolved into purple light, and finally turned into a single card.
Hikaru casually reached out and caught it.
A card bearing the name Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua, its glow fading slowly in his hand.