Serena's heart jumped.
What was he about to do? Aleister? Dark Magician? Flame Swordsman? Could it possibly be Gaia? If it were Gaia, its ATK could surpass Sabre Dancer's, but still it wouldn't...
"This card's activation is limited to once per turn. On the turn this card is activated, I cannot Special Summon monsters other than Fusion Monsters from my Extra Deck.
I reveal 1 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck to my opponent, and Special Summon from my hand or Deck 1 monster listed as Fusion Material on that card.
What I'm revealing is... Titaniklad the Ash Dragon."
What?
No one else had heard of this card at all. Even Jaden Yuki and Hikaru's other close friends sat up straighter to watch this duel.
Impressive, Serena, actually being able to make Hikaru use a brand-new Fusion Monster to fight!
"From my Deck, I Special Summon its Fusion Material, Fallen of Albaz!"
Along with the card flying out, Hikaru's Deck also began quickly auto-shuffling. Very soon, a white-haired young man who looked gaunt and in poor condition flew out of Hikaru's Deck.
Fallen of Albaz. Level 4, DARK Attribute, Dragon-Type. ATK 1800.
What kind of monster was that?
Quite a few people's hearts jumped.
This monster didn't look very strong, but why did it give off such a strange, indescribable feeling?
"Fallen of Albaz, a card I haven't seen..." Serena murmured softly.
"Fallen of Albaz is a special monster, a monster that can perform Fusion." Hikaru explained with a smile. "More importantly, it's a monster that can fuse monsters together with each other.
Fusion is inclusion, is unity, is the future. Whatever the idea, Fusion can accept it. Serena, what you currently lack is precisely the inclusiveness of this aspect."
Hearing this, Serena was startled.
Fusion she couldn't do?
"When Fallen of Albaz is Summoned or Special Summoned, you can activate Albaz's effect. Activate it by discarding 1 card from my hand.
Using monsters on my or my opponent's field including this card as Fusion Materials, Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster! At that time, I cannot use other monsters I control as Fusion Materials!"
"Ah!?" Serena was greatly startled.
"What!!" Many spectators cried out in shock.
"Oh my god..." Jaden and the others cried out directly.
Even Yubel, upon hearing this card's effect, couldn't help widening her eyes.
What the heck?
That bastard Hikaru, even conjured up a monster version of Super Polymerization?
"Serena, indeed, being untargetable and unaffected by Spell and Trap Card effects is already very strong resistance. But Fusion doesn't need to target, just as Fusion itself is inclusion!
I fuse Fallen of Albaz on my field with Lunalight Sabre Dancer on your field!"
Beneath the full moon, Sabre Dancer's silhouette slowly dispersed, becoming golden light that shrouded Fallen of Albaz.
Then, Albaz's body began to swell and transform under this light, growing dragon scales and armor.
"The Fusion conditions are Fallen of Albaz and a monster with ATK 2500 or more!"
"Fusion Summon, Level 8, Titaniklad the Ash Dragon!"
"Aooo!"
A silver-white great dragon roared above the track, spreading its wings and following Hikaru forward.
Titaniklad the Ash Dragon. Level 8, DARK Attribute, Dragon-Type. ATK 2500.
"Titaniklad's ATK increases by 100 for each original Level of the Fusion Materials combined, so 1300 points."
Titaniklad the Ash Dragon, ATK: 2500 → 3800.
"In addition, this effect applies when this card is Fusion Summoned. This turn, this card is unaffected by the effects of other monsters Special Summoned from the Extra Deck!"
"Ugh." Facing that silver-white great dragon head-on, Serena's face went a little pale.
For some reason, this dragon gave her immense pressure.
"The Fusion condition is only a monster with ATK 2500 or more!?"
"That, that's way too broad, isn't it?"
"Even Xyz Monsters can be fused!?"
The appearance of this monster completely ignited the spectators' enthusiasm for discussion. Because of its especially exaggerated Fusion range, and its ability to directly use Albaz to Fuse opponent's monsters, these two cards became a combination that could both handle strong monsters and put a high-ATK monster on the field.
Whoever it was, so long as it was an ace monster, its ATK wouldn't be too low. 2500 basically covered every ace monster.
"What a formidable Fusion. What a formidable duelist." Declan Akaba's expression was calm, but the motion of pushing up his glasses betrayed the surprise in his heart.
Among the many monsters, finding one with an untargetable effect wasn't that difficult a matter. But a monster that both satisfied this point, could also perform Fusion, and finally could validate his own statement and tactics was extremely rare.
And this Fallen of Albaz was precisely the card that could both display tactics and display "Fusion's inclusiveness"!
More importantly...
Wasn't this basically Super Polymerization?
Sophia lightly shook her head too, dispelling the earlier notion she'd had of teaming up with Declan Akaba for a 2v2 duel.
Knowledge from paper is always shallow. Only after living through a duel could you understand. These Pendulum Dimension duelists like Declan Akaba had started too late. To catch up to the current Hikaru, they'd need to think crookedly.
Direct 1v1 with Tierra was still more suitable. Although Tierra had started earlier, she was still at a point that could be chased. If counter-tactics were used, there might still be a chance to catch up in a short time.
"What a terrifying fellow... this guy is even farther along the path of Fusion than we'd imagined." Team Ragnarok watched this action, all showing grave expressions.
The closer one got to a sufficiently high level, the more one could understand how "Fusion" the existence of this card, Fallen of Albaz, truly was.
"Yusei Fudo, actually being able to find such a strong resonator... could he really achieve the future he speaks of?" Bommer couldn't help murmuring.
If it could really be done, then he wouldn't be against helping.
Halldor didn't speak. Inwardly, he too was anticipating, anticipating more beautiful future possibilities. Only, at present Yusei hadn't brought him a better answer. Up to now, it seemed he still hadn't resolved the matter of the "Crimson Dragon."
"Keep watching. Let's see this strongest Fusion user's real duel."
The two companions nodded and watched the duel more attentively.
"Fusing with an opponent's monster, Master is amazing!" Serena's eyes flashed with golden light.
This wasn't something achieved by borrowing the power of "Super Polymerization." It was something done directly using a monster. Even without the power of "Super Polymerization," it could be done!
If Super Polymerization was one's own inclusive power, then Fallen of Albaz was a kind of open-source monster power that anyone could use!
These were two qualitatively different things!
But fortunately, Life Points were still enough.
"Heh, and it's not just that. Serena, there's Fusion taken even one step further."
Fusion one step further?
"I activate Metalfoes Fusion's effect in the Graveyard, return it to the Deck, then draw 1 card."
"Next, Spell Card..." Hikaru picked up a card from the D-Wheel. "Nadir Servant!"
"Uh?" Serena didn't understand why Hikaru's grin was so exaggerated when he activated this card.
"Send 1 monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard. After that, I add 1 'Dogmatika' monster or 1 'Fallen of Albaz' from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand whose ATK is less than or equal to the sent monster's ATK."
Recovery and search? And it could send an Extra Deck monster to the Graveyard on top of that!
"This too is part of utilizing the Extra Deck for Fusion!" Masumi Kotsu suddenly understood, and cried out.
Milling the Extra Deck, the same line of thinking as the cards Serena had used!
Truly a "teacher"!
"But this card, after it's activated, until the end of the turn, I cannot Special Summon monsters from my Extra Deck!"
"Ah?" "What?" "Locking oneself down?"
Quite a few people were dumbfounded.
Locking the Extra Deck!
Whether Synchro, Xyz, or Fusion, none of them could be used, and even Pendulum couldn't Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck anymore!
A card like this, the cost was too heavy...
"Eh, locking Extra Deck Special Summoning? Master this..." Serena stared, dumbfounded.
She'd watched Hikaru duel with a great many cards specifically designed for locking and countering Fusion. But today was her first time seeing Hikaru perform self-locking.
"Just as I said, Fusion is inclusive!" Hikaru grinned and said to Serena and the many more people watching this duel. "Whatever kind of card it is, it can become part of Fusion, even restrictive Fusion!
According to Nadir Servant's effect, I send El Shaddoll Apkallone from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard, and add Fallen of Albaz from my Graveyard to my hand."
Hikaru's Graveyard auto-popped, and Fallen of Albaz, scratching the back of his head, slowly returned to his hand.
Dueling using her own and Mr. Hikari's disciple, could she really win?
She was a little tense.
"With this, he can't Fuse anymore, right?"
"This, why did Hikaru use a card like this?"
"He even shaved off a Fusion Monster of his own, yet has no way to use it..."
Quite a few people raised doubts.
Only, in the middle of these doubts, the corners of Hikaru's mouth curled up as he said: "Perhaps some will have questions. But no need to doubt, because it's about to be displayed!
El Shaddoll Apkallone's effect activates!
Activated only when this card is sent to the Graveyard by an effect. Select 1 Shaddoll card from my Deck or Graveyard and add it to my hand."
"Uh!"
"I add Shaddoll Schism from my Deck to my hand. Then, according to El Shaddoll Apkallone's effect, I discard 1 more card. I discard Shaddoll Beast."
"According to Shaddoll Beast's effect, I can draw 1 card."
Serena thoroughly understood: "Ah! By milling an Extra Deck monster, searching a Fusion Trap in the Deck, then performing a second-speed Fusion on the opponent's turn!"
Bypassing the "cannot Special Summon from Extra Deck" restriction!
"It's not over yet, Serena. It's not only utilizing the Extra Deck. The assistance of Spells and Traps can't be missing either. When there's a monster on the field Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, this card can be directly Special Summoned.
Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous, Special Summon!"
A stroke of holy light spilled onto the earth. A golden-haired maiden holding a holy hammer appeared on Hikaru's field, silently praying.
Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous. Level 4, LIGHT Attribute, Spellcaster-Type. DEF 1500.
"Activated when this card is Summoned or Special Summoned. Add 1 Dogmatika card from my Deck other than Ecclesia to my hand. After this effect is activated, until the end of the turn, I cannot Special Summon monsters from my Extra Deck."
"Another card that locks his own Special Summoning!"
"But since he's already self-restricted once, one more isn't a worry."
"True enough."
"I add Dogmatika Encounter from my Deck to my hand." Hikaru took the card and displayed it to Serena, even explaining its effect directly. "Serena, this card, once per turn, can Special Summon 1 Fallen of Albaz or Dogmatika monster from my hand."
Deterrence!
Serena's heart pounded.
But she wasn't afraid, because she had a card in her hand to resolve this situation.
"Battle. Titaniklad the Ash Dragon attacks directly."
"Open Set card, Trap Card, Attack Nullification. Negate the attack and end the Battle Phase."
Serena hurriedly flipped the Set card.
Hikaru nodded, and along with it Set two cards down. "Then, I Set two cards. End turn!"
Although no damage had been dealt, every spectator could see that Serena's situation wasn't very good.
Hikaru had used just 1 card to resolve the Fusion Monster with attached resistance that Serena had worked so hard to Fusion Summon. Then along the way, he'd searched two cards, and one of them was specifically for Special Summoning Fallen of Albaz.
The other, Shaddoll Schism, though its identity was unknown, judging from that little girl's serious expression, was likewise not a card easy to deal with!
"My turn... draw." Serena drew, glanced at the card, and her expression turned a little bad.
But whatever the case, she had to clear out Master's backfield first.
She picked up a card from the hand slot: "I activate Spell Card, Lightning Storm! This is a Spell Card that can only be activated when I have no face-up cards on my field. It can either destroy all face-up Attack Position monsters or all Spell and Trap Cards on the opponent's field!"
"You actually still had a card like that in reserve." Hikaru was slightly surprised.
"Master, you've taught me. To fight with one's own deck, one must be pure. My Fusion is exactly this. Clear the cards that affect the battle, then fight directly!"
She looked a little embarrassed but said firmly: "After all, I'm not that smart..."
Hikaru smiled: "Ha, beautifully played. Then, I activate Set card, Trap Card, Shaddoll Schism!"
"Activated during my or the opponent's Main Phase. From my field or Graveyard, banish the Fusion Materials of a Shaddoll Fusion Monster listed on the card, and Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster. After that, I can choose 1 monster on the opponent's field with the same Attribute as the monster Special Summoned by this effect and send it to the Graveyard. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack directly."
"I banish Shaddoll Beast and El Shaddoll Apkallone from my Graveyard for a Fusion Summon!"
"Descend, Voice of God!"
"El Shaddoll Winda!"
Puppet strings burst out of Hikaru's Extra Deck. Countless puppet strings landed on a staff. Following the staff down, a green-haired puppet whose hair itself was machine-made, calmly riding a puppet dragon, silently flew along following Hikaru.
El Shaddoll Winda. Level 5, DARK Attribute, Spellcaster-Type. DEF 800.
Here it comes.
Winda!
Serena carefully watched this monster.
"While Winda is on the field, both players can only Special Summon once per turn..."
Serena read out this effect, looking at her hand, searching for a way to resolve it.
"Only 1 Special Summon per turn?"
"What a strong effect."
"Ah, I've seen this monster before. Back in the lower quarter, sheriffs got beaten black and blue by this card!"
"Not only that, Winda also can't be destroyed by effects, that point you should also know."
"But in Defense Position, isn't that a bit foolish? After all, its DEF is only 800."
"Really. 800 DEF, no use at all..."
Even Elemental HERO Avian could destroy it.
In a sense, in the spectators' eyes, this was practically "throwing the fight."