The duel officially began. There was no world-shattering opening. Only a calm beginning.
Both sides drew their 5 cards and conducted this duel.
"Miss Tierra going first, huh..." Jaden rubbed his chin, thinking.
This was a very bad situation.
By now, they already knew what series the cards Tierra used were and what their effects were. Because of this, they understood clearly that if Tierra went first, the situation would become very dangerous.
"My turn. I Set two cards."
Ding-ding-dong.
Quite a few people's hearts skipped a beat.
This familiar opening, this terrifying opening...
Somehow, accompanying Tierra's motion, the people and spirits present gradually felt a strange sense of pressure.
Or should it be called, inexplicable attention?
Yes.
That was right.
While they were watching this duel, the universal rules from another dimension, and the last humans from the future, all couldn't help observing this duel.
Not far away, within the reflection of computational equipment, a certain goddess who had long anticipated today's matter also silently appeared, quietly beginning to watch the duel.
And in this moment...
"Activate, Equip Spell Card, Future Fusion!"
As expected!
Quite a few hearts thumped.
The most terrifying thing had happened!
Future Fusion 10-material Tierra!
Some spectators couldn't help beginning to think, if it were them facing this situation what they'd do.
Could they hold up on their next turn?
A group of them thought for a while, then all shook their heads inwardly.
This was too dangerous, and too difficult.
However, some time ago, the goddess named "Sophia" had given a nearly perfect textbook telling them how to respond when the opponent used this terrifying tactic while going first.
Use the hand cards you can to guard against it!
Light must be able to think of it!
However.
After seeing the opponent activate Future Fusion, Hikaru shook his head and said: "No action."
Tierra was silent for a moment, then slightly widened her eyes as her momentum rose.
"Then I won't be polite, Hikaru."
"Future Fusion's effect: send Fusion Materials from my Deck to the Graveyard, Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster. This turn, that monster cannot attack!"
Tierra raised her left hand. Eleven cards flew out from her Deck, each lit with varying degrees of light. The eleven cards arranged themselves in a strange tree diagram.
"I send Infernoid Decatron, Infernoid Pirmais, Infernoid Antra, Infernoid Harmadik, Infernoid Astaroth, Infernoid Piaty, Infernoid Sjette, Infernoid Seitsemas, Infernoid Attondel, Infernoid Devyaty, and Infernoid Onuncu from my Deck to the Graveyard as Fusion Materials, and Fusion Summon!"
From bottom to top, from the lowest-Level Infernoid to the highest-Level Infernoid monster, these monsters were all cards Hikaru and Tierra had refined, constructed, forged, and obtained through various means. Now they would completely fulfill their mission.
An enormous, towering phantom emerged behind Tierra. Or rather, Tierra herself was slowly awakening.
This first step had proceeded!
"Fusion Summon, Level 11, my half-body...
Infernoid Tierra!"
The divine phantom gradually took shape. That mighty, vast figure silently displayed itself on the field.
Infernoid Tierra. Level 11, FIRE Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 3400.
"This is bad."
Almost everyone realized things were about to be over.
Unless Hikaru could reveal an "Effect Veiler" at this moment, things were about to be over.
But Hikaru still made no action.
He had nothing he could do!
The spectators couldn't help exclaiming softly.
Wasn't this a certain loss?
"The moment of destruction is about to arrive." Tierra raised her left hand and pointed forward, softly saying, "Vanishing Moment!"
"My divine authority, activate."
"First, both players send 3 cards each from their Extra Decks to the Graveyard!"
Black destructive power blanketed the field. Cards in both players' Extra Decks flew out automatically, flashing with dangerous light. Tierra glanced at them and lightly took up three.
"I send Garura, Wings of Resonant Life, Infernoid Evil, and El Shaddoll Apkallone to the Graveyard!"
Hikaru, after a brief contemplation, selected three among them and discarded them to the Graveyard.
"I choose to discard El Shaddoll Apkallone, Elder Entity N'tss, and Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"
"Huh?"
"He actually chose to discard the same card?"
"Both have El Shaddoll... What's the meaning of that card, that they both discarded it?"
Seeing Hikaru couldn't dodge, everyone could only hurriedly check the current situation. Seeing both dueling parties actually chose the same monster, they naturally developed a considerable amount of curiosity.
"Second, both players send 3 cards each from the top of their Decks to the Graveyard."
Kaka-ka.
Three cards from Hikaru's Deck uncontrollably flew out. Under the blue purgatorial fire, they burned to ashes and were sent into the cycle.
The three cards he'd sent to the Graveyard were: Fusion Substitute, Shaddoll Schism, and Gem-Knight Fusion.
Tierra on the opposite side sent Fusion Substitute, Shaddoll Fusion, and Genex Controller.
"Fusion Substitute..." Jaden silently made note.
This card was very useful for Fusion recycling. Being able to stack this card in the Graveyard was actually rather good for Light.
"Third, both players return up to 3 of their banished cards to the Graveyard, but this time there are no banished cards, so skip."
Tierra calmly raised four fingers and said: "Fourth, any player with hand cards, send all those hand cards to the Graveyard!"
Tierra sent her two hand cards to the Graveyard. Hikaru sized up his 5 hand cards, then silently placed them into the Graveyard as well.
All 5 hand cards sent to the Graveyard!
This was a very terrifying thing.
Because in dueling, the most important thing was the cards!
For a duelist, without cards, no matter how much learning or skill you had, you couldn't beat even an opponent with just 100 ATK.
Even Hikaru couldn't do anything without hand cards.
"What cards did Light send to the Graveyard?"
"I saw Future Fusion and Fusion Recycling Plant."
"That's absolutely terrible."
Fusion Recycling Plant was one thing, but Future Fusion was an extremely powerful Fusion Spell Card. Hadn't they seen how happily Tierra had used it? This was exactly Future Fusion's strength!
Yet such a powerful Fusion had been sent to the Graveyard at this moment with no way to use it. However you looked at it, it was very regrettable.
Because this was a powerful card capable of turning the game around with a single card!
Listening to his classmates' discussion behind him, Hikaru looked at his own Graveyard.
The cards he'd sent to the Graveyard were: Future Fusion, Fusion Recycling Plant, "Edge Imp Chains", Shaddoll Hedgehog, and Metalfoes Fusion. Actually not too bad.
"The hand cards I sent to the Graveyard are Shaddoll Beast and Metalfoes Fusion." Tierra also revealed her hand.
"Vanishing Moment ends. I activate my constructs' functions."
Tierra clenched her left hand. Her momentum climbed ever higher.
"Activate card effects!"
At her low command, many more cards flew out.
"Garura's function, El Shaddoll Apkallone's function, Shaddoll Beast's function, Infernoid Evil's function!"
Four cards rose from Tierra's Graveyard, radiating strange blue light. That eerie blue flame burned the air, making those nearby feel a slight cold chill.
Though it was fire, it was bone-piercingly cold!
"In this instant, my cards' effects will also activate! El Shaddoll Apkallone's effect, Shaddoll Hedgehog's effect, Edge Imp Chain's effect, Elder Entity N'tss's effect!"
Also four cards, four cards radiating purple light, flew around above Hikaru's head, like stars orbiting the sun, sparkling brightly.
"Eh!?"
Seeing the two's motions, almost everyone was stunned.
Being sent to the Graveyard wasn't the ending.
In fact, entering the Graveyard, entering death, was the beginning!
For the two's duel, this was the true duel between them!
"Elder Entity N'tss's effect. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, target 1 card on the field to activate. That card is destroyed. I destroy your left Set card."
Purple light flickered, transforming into a light spear that pierced through Tierra's Set card. A Void Trap Hole slowly flipped face-up, then exploded with a boom.
"Edge Imp Chain's effect. When this card is sent from the hand or field to the Graveyard, activate. Add 1 Frightfur from my Deck to my hand. I add Frightfur Patchwork to my hand."
Hikaru revealed his Deck, took out a Frightfur Patchwork, and placed it in his hand.
"Shaddoll Hedgehog's effect. When this card is sent to the Graveyard by an effect, add 1 Shaddoll monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Shaddoll Beast to my hand."
"El Shaddoll Apkallone's effect. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, activate. Select 1 Shaddoll card from my Deck or Graveyard and add it to my hand. Then choose one card to discard."
"I add Shaddoll Fusion from my Deck to my hand, then discard the Shaddoll Beast in my hand."
Hikaru swiftly completed his operations. In just an instant, he'd obtained two additional cards from his Deck.
But at this point, Tierra's field was of course also proceeding.
Although not simultaneously, because the processing speed was fast enough, in the Duel Academy classmates' view, Tierra and Hikaru were almost simultaneously conducting "similar" duels.
"Infernoid Evil's function. When this card is sent to the Graveyard or banished, activate. Add 1 Void Spell/Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. I add Void Imagination to my hand."
"Garura, Wings of Resonant Life's effect. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, activate. I draw 1 card."
"Shaddoll Beast's effect. When this card is sent to the Graveyard by an effect, draw 1 card."
"Last, El Shaddoll Apkallone's effect. Add Shaddoll Schism from my Deck to my hand, discard one hand card."
Tierra checked her hand and discarded the Fire Recovery she'd just drawn to the Graveyard.
"This, they, they..."
Chazz, watching this scene, went from his initial "enjoying the show" expression to gradually changing color. By the time the two had completed this round's ultra-long chain, he'd completely stopped his initial nonchalance. His face had instead become very pale.
Some spirits simply stared blankly.
What was this situation?
Despite discarding all hand cards, cutting down the Deck and Extra Deck, why were a string of terrifying events happening?
Despite all cards having "died," it was a chain of chained portents!
Even, it seemed, Tierra Fusion-Summoning herself wasn't for destroying Hikaru's hand cards, but for sending her own cards to the Graveyard.
To win, so as to die!
But actually, it wasn't over yet!
"Shaddoll Beast's effect. When this card is sent to the Graveyard by an effect, I can draw 1 card." Hikaru softly spoke. He silently took a card out from his Deck and placed it in his hand.
Tierra, seeing this, was silent for a good while.
"Metalfoes Fusion's effect in the Graveyard. Return this card to the Deck, shuffle, and draw 1 card."
Tierra lightly raised her left hand, signaling a Spell Card to return to the Deck, then drew a card.
Within a reflection, Sophia observed this duel. On her formerly expressionless face, a strange smile gradually appeared. That smile made her seem less distant, less holy, but instead cat-like, incomparably sly.
During Tierra's turn, cards from Hikaru's hand, Deck, and Extra Deck sent to the Graveyard all had effect activations. Even more, because the cards sent to the Graveyard weren't entirely the same, Hikaru's chain count was actually one more than Tierra's.
Sophia hadn't forgotten how during her previous duel with Tierra, Tierra had grown angry and enraged at her "chaotic operations" and "multi-layer chains" during Tierra's turn.
She actually understood and empathized very well. The core of the struggle between her and Tierra was the discourse power over the DT Dimension's development. So neither of them liked the other messing with their pacing. Thus it was entirely reasonable to not like others operating.
However, at this moment, Tierra wasn't angry, indeed showed not even a single reaction!
Ha ha.
"Fusion Substitute's effect in the Graveyard. Banish it from my Graveyard, return 1 Fusion Monster in my Graveyard to the Extra Deck, and draw 1 card. I return Garura, Wings of Resonant Life in my Graveyard to the Deck, draw 1 card."
Consecutive drawing.
The spectators' expressions grew ever graver.
As Tierra completed this draw, her hand count came to... 5 cards!
Under normal circumstances, after using Future Fusion, the first-turn player should have only 4 hand cards left. But at this moment, Tierra not only again possessed 5 hand cards, but also had a Set card on the field!
Her actual card count was far more than what was displayed!
Of course...
Everyone looked at Hikaru's field.
Hikaru's current hand count was 3, definitely less than the opening 5.
But if his next turn went reasonably, Hikaru could use Metalfoes Fusion and Fusion Substitute to draw from his Deck.
By then, counting the turn's draw, he'd again possess 6 hand cards. Still not as many as the opponent, but this counted as compensation.
Only, the problem was, would Tierra allow Hikaru to smoothly use these cards?
Consider...
Tierra had searched both Shaddoll Schism and Void Imagination. Clearly she had other actions in mind!
"Continuous Spell Card, Void Imagination! Launch!"
On the card's art, the original Sacred Tree image gradually cracked, revealing an enormous demon that tore through the tree's outer shell with one hand.
"So long as this card exists in the Spell and Trap zone, my Infernoid monsters on my field whose original Level is 2 or higher become Level 1, and battle damage those monsters give to the opponent is halved!"
Infernoid Tierra, LV: 11 → 1.
"Uh..."
Crow's expression grew troubled.
During Tierra's duel with Sophia, he'd already gotten some understanding, knowing these Infernoid monsters each had their own effects.
But at that time, there weren't many Infernoid monsters in Tierra's Graveyard, so she'd only Special Summoned one Infernoid Onuncu.
Now...
"Send Pirmais, Antra, Harmadik in the Graveyard for re-launch. Standby release, combat activate! Level 10, Infernoid Onuncu!"
Blue raging fire suddenly surged. The crimson mechanical demon, amid a series of clanking sounds, slowly rose from the flames.
Infernoid Onuncu. Level 10 → 1, FIRE Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 3000.
"Onuncu!"
"That's the powerful monster that can be summoned unlimited times, destroys all other monsters on summon, and can even negate Spells or Traps!"
"This is bad. Big Sister Tierra isn't going to let master draw peacefully."
Everyone could see that next turn, Hikaru would definitely use the cards in his Graveyard to replenish. So naturally, Tierra wouldn't just sit and watch.
"Not done yet." Tierra suddenly spoke again. "Send Astaroth, Piaty, Sjette in the Graveyard for re-launch. Standby release, combat activate! Level 9, Infernoid Devyaty!"
Three more mechanical demons rose from the Graveyard, like a great serpent. The mechanical demon with enormous light wings howled as it rose from the Graveyard, wide-eyed, staring at the opponent's field.
Infernoid Devyaty. Level 9 → 1, FIRE Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 2900.
"A monster of 2900 ATK Special Summoned so casually!" Leo and Luna, seeing this scene, couldn't even respond. For a long while they couldn't come back to themselves.
One card!
Just one Future Fusion, and Tierra had gathered three monsters of thousands of ATK. And what was more terrifying, these monsters had effects!
"Sss. If nothing goes wrong, that Devyaty's effect should be to negate and banish a monster's effect?" Chazz lowered his voice, discussing with his companions.
Atticus Rhodes nodded, his face serious.
Wipe out the hand once, then search key Continuous Spell Cards, one Continuous Trap Card that can Fusion Summon Shaddoll Fusion monsters during the opponent's turn, paired with a monster that can negate Spell/Trap Cards, and a monster that can negate monster effects...
Whatever the situation, this combo string was very terrifying. Any duelist going second, seeing this kind of opening from the opponent, would surely have their heart tremble.
"Not over yet. Send Decatron, Seitsemas for re-launch, immediate standby release. Revive from the cycle, Infernoid Attondel."
This time it was an enormous draconic demon whose chest seemed to burn with the sun. Only, this monster hadn't lingered on the field for long before it automatically burst into flame. "Attondel's effect. Once during my or the opponent's turn, tribute 1 monster on my field, target 1 card in the opponent's Graveyard to activate. That card is banished.
I tribute Attondel itself, then banish... Hikaru, I'll send your favorite flower for re-launch."
"This is our duel. Don't add strange things here."
While speaking, blue raging flames burned in Hikaru's Graveyard. Hikaru swiftly opened his Graveyard, took out Predaplant Chimerafflesia, and stored it in the card box at his waist.
"This is bad."
The Fusion Dimension companions cried out softly. Their startled voices rose and fell.
Light's most crucial monster sent to the Graveyard was gone!
Tierra glanced at her hand.
"I Set two cards."
She placed two hand cards into the back-row slots, then lightly sighed.
"How does taking the first step feel?" Hikaru asked curiously.
Although before the opening, Hikaru had felt slightly uncomfortable, after the duel began, he'd no longer been concerned with the spectators' views.
Compared to those, this duel was too important for both him and Tierra. They needed to be more immersed in the duel.
"Nothing." Tierra simply said.
She looked at her left hand. After her adjustment, her body was now flesh and blood. But a flesh body and a spirit body were equally "inefficient" for her. Whether senses or computational ability, the effect was the same.
However, as she conducted the duel and fused herself, she'd gradually felt a familiar sensation.
The familiar... feeling from when she was alive.
That feeling was so familiar, so familiar that she'd always felt this was how it should be. Precisely because of this, she was even more torn.
"Perhaps I thought wrong?" She hesitated. "Perhaps these brief two years are merely the blink of an eye. As a Star-Creating Goddess, I should hold more firmly to my true calling."
She said this and stopped, looking at Hikaru, then spoke: "Regardless, Hikaru, since we've already begun to duel, let it be as we first agreed.
I will conduct the final, and also the eternal, cycle."
The surrounding spectators listened and gradually felt something wasn't right. Then it hit them with a start.
Were they about to have a falling-out?!
Don't!
"Yes... our agreement." Hikaru nodded.
"Uphold the agreement. That was decided from the very start. But perhaps, by now, the agreement is only a pretext."
Hikaru looked at his hand, then looked up at Tierra.
"Tierra, perhaps we should search along this path for other directions, other roads. I... I'm very sorry. Because it seems I've been leading you all along, making you walk the same path as me. But it seems we have different directions.
The Fusion I hold firmly is what I insist on defending. But what you hold firmly, I've never helped you with."
"So?" Tierra slowly widened her eyes. The green pupils in her eyes slowly began to transform, gradually turning blood-crimson. "You mean, you're willing to discard your human identity, or you're willing to hand all worlds over to me. Because I'll change this world and turn all things into mechanical programs."
"There's a compromise, isn't there."
Spirits.
Tierra thought inwardly.
Yes.
The compromise.
This was also a goal different from yet similar to her original goal.
And also a point she could accept.
But even if she accepted?
Still couldn't change all this.
The Tierra returned to her original self would not acknowledge this kind of thing.
"Hikaru, being with you, I've always been happy. But merely two years of time, for me, doesn't even count as one sleep. Do you want your brief two years of experience to change what I've believed through countless ages?"
"That's right. That's what I believe."
"Then can you prove it?"
Prove what?
A group of spectators were stunned into silence.
Prove that Hikaru had changed Tierra?
How could that be proven.
"My turn."
Hikaru drew a card from his Deck. He glanced down and didn't answer Tierra's question.
Clearly, he believed only through dueling could Tierra come to understand.
But for Hikaru, wasn't this also his question?
Could his brief life truly change Tierra, change this world, change ARC-V?
...
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