"My turn, draw."
Hikaru drew a card, glanced at it, displayed it to the opponent: "The card I drew is a Field Spell Card, Fusion Recycling Plant."
A Spell Card!
Grim laughter emerged from E-Ra's skeletal bones.
A Spell Card, can't Normal Summon.
Now he could only use Spell Card effects to Special Summon!
"I directly Set it on the field."
!
"Normal Summon, Level 4, Aleister the Invoker!"
"When this card is Normal Summoned or Flipped, activate. Add 1 Invocation from my Deck to my hand!"
"I add Invocation from my Deck to my hand."
"Activate Spell Card, Invocation."
"Hikaru, this is exactly what I've been waiting for!" E-Ra's skeletal palm opened, pointing at Hikaru. "Number 84: Pain Gainer's effect. So long as this card with Xyz Material exists in the Monster Zone, each time the opponent activates a Spell or Trap Card, inflict 600 damage to the opponent!"
"Come, Hikaru, continue your Fusion!"
"Heh..." Hikaru laughed softly. "Invocation can fuse monsters in the hand. But if conducting a Fusion Summon of an Invoked monster, I can banish cards from my field and from my or the opponent's Graveyard to conduct the Fusion Summon."
"I banish Aleister the Invoker on my field and Genom-Heritage in your Graveyard to conduct a Fusion Summon!"
Boom, boom, boom.
The sound of mechanical charging rang out.
"The Fusion condition is Aleister the Invoker and a LIGHT monster."
"Unfold, LIGHT Attribute alchemy!"
"Fusion Summon, Level 9, Invoked Mechaba!"
A knight on a chariot roared through the darkness, stopping before Hikaru.
Invoked Mechaba. Level 9, LIGHT Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 2500.
At the same time, with the Fusion resolving, from the shadows, a strand of spider silk wrapped around Hikaru's ankle, delivering venom into his body.
Hikaru lightly grunted, feeling slight pain, but didn't mind at all.
Hope side, LP: 3200 → 2600.
Only 2600 left!
Somehow, as the human side's Life Points grew less, E-Ra also grew more tense.
Of course, not only she. As Hikaru took the expected damage from activating a Spell Card, everyone from the Xyz Dimension couldn't help feeling some phantom pain.
This...
Life Points only 2600, dangerous.
Hikaru still needed to use several more Spell Cards.
Was there enough time?
"No need to worry." Suddenly, Crow interjected.
"Eh?" Quattro was puzzled.
"Mm, how to say this. Though a bit hard to bring up, Hikaru has plenty of experience with effect damage." Crow laughed, scratching the back of his head, rarely teasing.
The others were slightly bewildered.
"Ha, this kid." Jack burst into laughter, amused.
Once per Spell, 600, was indeed a lot.
But actually, this was something neither Yusei nor Hikaru could be scared by.
Because they'd both seen Blackwing Assault Dragon.
"Invocation's effect in the Graveyard. Return it to the Deck, shuffle, then recover the banished Aleister the Invoker."
"Because it's not activating a card, Pain Gainer also can't inflict damage on me."
E-Ra nodded.
"Then..." Hikaru pointed at the Set card on the left. "Open Set card!"
Set card?
The fire in E-Ra's skeletal head suddenly grew.
Of the 4 cards Yusei had Set, only one Forbidden Apocrypha had been used so far.
If these two had already conceived the tactic before the duel, before coming to Team Despair, then...
"Spell Card, Miracle Synchro Fusion!"
Actually!
Truly!
"Miracle Synchro Fusion is a Spell Card that banishes Fusion Materials determined by a Fusion Monster from my field and Graveyard, Fusion Summoning 1 monster that uses a Synchro Monster as Fusion Material from the Extra Deck."
"A Fusion using Synchro Monsters?" E-Ra was puzzled hearing this.
Hikaru raised his hand and slowly clenched a fist: "The Fusion condition is a Dragon-Type Synchro Monster and a Warrior-Type monster!"
"I banish Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon and Stardust Charge Warrior in the Graveyard from the duel, conducting a Synchro Fusion Summon!"
"Behold, this is exactly the monster called forth by Yusei's connection and my fusion!"
"Fusion Summon!"
"Level 10, Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste!"
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Giant dragon wings beat. Wild wind blew from the horizon. The next moment, a dragon-man wielding a dragon spear roared and appeared on Hikaru's field.
Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste. Level 10, WIND Attribute, Dragon-Type. ATK 3200.
"A Fusion Monster with 3200 ATK does look mighty. But don't forget, you still have to bear the price of Spell Cards! Hikaru!"
On E-Ra's field, Pain Gainer's crimson eyes began flashing with blood light. Countless spider silks flew toward Hikaru.
Hikaru still calmly stood in place.
Just as Tori Meadows was so scared she covered her eyes...
Draco-Equiste casually swung the dragon spear, instantly bouncing the spider silk back, piercing through the gaps in the skeleton!
"Wh..." E-Ra couldn't believe it.
E-Ra, LP: 10950 → 10350.
"What's going on!?" E-Ra panicked.
"So long as Draco-Equiste is on the field, effect damage inflicted to me is borne by the opponent."
Actually.
"So that's it!?" Quattro understood in an instant. "So long as this card is here, no need to worry about activating Spell Cards anymore!"
"Beautiful. Solved the problem in an instant, and the ATK is 3200!"
"Damn it. Then I'll use Genom..." E-Ra was about to activate Genomix Fighter's effect but suddenly froze in place.
Wait.
If it was like this.
No!
Couldn't do it!
Because of Invoked Mechaba's effect!
No wonder he'd fused Mechaba first!
Simple logic. If to avoid losing Life Points, he'd just fused Draco-Equiste from the start. No need to first lose 600 Life Points.
But if he'd first fused Draco-Equiste, then she could use Genomix Fighter to directly negate Draco-Equiste's effect. That way, it would be useless.
But!
So long as Mechaba was on the field, if she dared activate Genomix Fighter's effect, it would be negated and banished by Mechaba's effect!
This way, he could both remove her monster and simultaneously protect Draco-Equiste!
"Bastard..." E-Ra growled.
The so-called connection point Yusei Fudo had not only handled her field but also drew plenty of cards. Not only drew the Forbidden Apocrypha they needed, but even specialized cards like Miracle Synchro Fusion.
"Damnable Yusei Fudo..." She couldn't help cursing this former Signer.
"Yusei?" Hikaru, hearing her words, couldn't help scoffing. "You still think your current situation is caused by Yusei alone?"
"No, wrong!"
"Without the two Level 4 material monsters Yuma provided, Yusei had no way to conduct continuous Synchros!" Hikaru pointed at E-Ra. "The initial hope you looked down on, the one you thought was useless, is this duel's true origin. It's the despair you really should face!"
"Eh, heheh..." Yuma even grew a bit embarrassed.
He actually wasn't that impressive.
At least compared to Yusei, he felt he was still far behind.
And even without continuous operation, Hikaru's opening two actions had already made Yuma realize he was also an extremely impressive companion.
"Then, continue the duel, E-Ra."
"Open Set Field Spell Card, activate Field Spell Card, Fusion Recycling Plant!"
The Fusion scrapyard that hadn't shown up for a long time slowly filled this pitch-black, hollow world. Scattered points of light illuminated the surroundings, lifting Tierra's mood considerably.
Watching something beautiful was comfortable.
Accompanying the Field Spell Card's activation, E-Ra had to again bear damage!
E-Ra, LP: 10350 → 9750.
"Bastards..."
"Damn Yuma Tsukumo, damn Yusei Fudo, damn Hikaru!" she roared.
"Beautiful! Not only solved the problem, but can inflict damage directly even when unable to battle-destroy Number monsters!"
Hikaru didn't have much of anything else, but Spell Cards weren't he had a pile of!?
"Activate the Field Spell Card's effect. Discard 1 hand card to add 1 Fusion card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. I discard Edge Imp Chain from my hand and add Fusion Substitute from my Deck to my hand."
Hikaru raised a card, flashed it, sent it to the Graveyard: "Edge Imp Chain's effect. When this card is sent from the hand or field to the Graveyard, activate. Add 1 Frightfur Patchwork from my Deck to my hand."
Hikaru casually tossed his left hand: "Come."
A card flew out at high speed through the mechanical intelligent filtering.
"Spell Card, Frightfur Patchwork."
"Add 1 Edge Imp monster and 1 Fusion from my Deck to my hand."
"Tch..."
"I add Edge Imp Chain and Fusion from my Deck to my hand." Hikaru slightly narrowed his eyes. "Then inflict 600 damage on you!"
Draco-Equiste wasted no words, flew before the spider, grabbed its head, and spat silk at E-Ra.
"Bastards, bastards, bastards!" Watching monsters like her own incarnation ravaged by Yusei's and Hikaru's monsters, she was about to burst with rage.
E-Ra, LP: 9750 → 9150.
"Next, this card!" Hikaru whipped out a card.
"This card can only be activated once per turn by its name. On the turn this card is activated, I cannot Special Summon monsters other than Fusion Monsters from my Extra Deck!"
"Wow!" Tori Meadows exclaimed.
"It's really coming!" Several watching companions also chimed in.
The first turn, Yuma used Xyz, limiting himself to "only Xyz Summoning."
The second turn, Yusei used Synchro, limiting himself to "only Synchro Summoning."
And now, the third turn, Hikaru's Spell Card, like himself, "only Fusion Summoning"!
"Though we're from different worlds, with different ages, habits, cultures, and decks, at this moment, we have only one goal! That is, to completely eliminate you, E-Ra!"
"Spell Card, Branded Fusion!"
"Use 2 monsters from my hand, Deck, or field as Fusion Materials, and Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster that uses Fallen of Albaz as Fusion Material!"
"I send Fallen of Albaz and Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard, conducting a Fusion Summon!"
"Behold the starting point of legend!"
"Fusion Summon, Level 8, Titaniklad the Ash Dragon!"
Titaniklad the Ash Dragon. Level 8, DARK Attribute, Dragon-Type. ATK 2500 → 3700.
The dark-skinned young man again appeared on Hikaru's field, then roared, transforming into a silver great dragon.
At the same time, E-Ra's Life Points dropped 600 again, reaching 8550!
"Set Pendulum Scale."
Uh!?
Everyone watched Hikaru's operation in surprise.
"Scale 8, Predaplant Triantis." Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "As a Pendulum Card, when it sets a Pendulum Scale, it's also treated as a Spell Card activation. So you also lose 600 Life Points!
Also, while Predaplant Triantis is in the Pendulum Zone, when I Fusion Summon a DARK Fusion Monster, monsters in the Pendulum Zone are also treated as monsters on the field!"
"Then, Spell Card, Fusion Substitute!"
"The Fusion condition is a DARK monster and 1 Pendulum monster!"
"Fuse Titaniklad the Ash Dragon and Predaplant Triantis on the field!"
"Raaargh!"
The Fusion Dragon spread its light wings, appearing behind Hikaru, looking quite excited.
Because it understood, being summoned at this time clearly wasn't for looking good or filling a slot!
"Fusion Summon!"
"Level 7, Pendulum Fusion Monster, Starving Venemy Dragon!"
Starving Venemy Dragon. Level 7, DARK Attribute, Dragon-Type. ATK 2500.
At the same time, E-Ra's Life Points also dropped from 8550 to 7350!
"Wow, Life Points keep dropping like tide water!"
"Excellent!"
Many people felt greatly relieved.
"Hikaru!"
Hikaru, seeing her so irritated, spread his hands and casually said: "Yusei is my best friend. When you were using monster effects to reduce his life, Yusei wasn't anxious."
"Also, not over yet, E-Ra."
!?
"Starving Venemy Dragon's effect. Target 1 face-up monster on the opponent's field to activate. Until the End Phase, this card is treated as having the same name as that monster and gains the same effects. After that, the targeted monster's ATK and DEF decrease by 500, its effects are negated, and inflict 500 damage to the opponent!"
Eh!?
This effect...
"Number monsters can't be battle-destroyed by non-Number monsters. But this special ability is ultimately a monster effect! So long as it's negated, any monster can destroy it!
Similarly, so long as the name is Number, even a Fusion Monster can destroy it!"
"Starving Venemy Dragon chooses Pain Gainer as the effect target!"
"Will you activate the effect, E-Ra?"
E-Ra's body rattled.
She was so angry her bones shook.
Activate the effect?
Definitely couldn't activate it.
If she activated Genomix Fighter's effect at this moment, it would be directly negated and banished by Mechaba's effect. By then, on her field would be a Pain Gainer with no effect.
"Then, effect resolution!"
Starving Venemy Dragon, ATK: 2500 → 3000.
Pain Gainer, DEF: 3000 → 0.
E-Ra, LP: 7350 → 6850.
"Battle Phase." Hikaru pointed at the cards on E-Ra's field. "Starving Venemy Dragon attacks Heraldic King Genom-Heritage!"
Mechaba's effect could activate during the damage step, so there was no need to worry about Genom-Heritage activating its own effect to lower Hikaru's attack.
Not only that. Hikaru still had at least one Trap Card, one Spell Card, and one Monster Card in his hand.
"Open Set card!"
"Counter Trap, Negate Attack!"
Oh?
Hikaru paused.
Counter Traps couldn't be chained to by monsters.
"Fine." Hikaru shrugged. "Whatever, doesn't matter, already handled enough anyway."
"Bastard!"
Hikaru didn't mind her expression at all, which infuriated her considerably.
She had to know, back then when Hikaru faced Darkness coming to borrow her power, that was like facing a formidable enemy, like facing an abyss. Now he was actually this arrogant!
Though infuriated beyond words, E-Ra couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief.
Very close. She'd nearly lost outright just now.
Hikaru looked at his hand.
"Yuma, I'm going to use your card."
He suddenly said.
Yuma didn't react at first, still immersed in Hikaru's furious chain of Fusion cards. After thinking it through, he unhesitatingly nodded: "Use them to your heart's content!"
"Good."
"Activate the effect of Rank-Up-Magic Zexal Force in the Graveyard. If my basic score is 2000 or more less than the opponent's, banish this card from my Graveyard to activate. Draw 1 card from my Deck."
Though he'd cut down a considerable portion of E-Ra's Life Points, the Life Point gap between them was still very obvious.
Hikaru looked at his hand. The card he drew from Yuma's cards was perhaps a card Yuma really needed. One Foolish Burial.
"Activate Spell Card, Foolish Burial. Send Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard. Then Set one card, activate Continuous Spell Card, Flame Swordsrealm. End turn."
"At this instant, Titaniklad the Ash Dragon's effect in the Graveyard activates. From my Deck, Special Summon Dogmatika Ecclesia the Virtuous."
Dogmatika Ecclesia the Virtuous. Level 4, LIGHT Attribute, Spellcaster-Type. DEF 1500.
"When Ecclesia is Normal or Special Summoned, activate. Add 1 Dogmatika card other than Dogmatika Ecclesia from my Deck to my hand. After this effect's activation, until the End Phase, I cannot Special Summon monsters from my Extra Deck."
"Hmph, End Phase search and self-restraint? Completely avoiding the side effect."
Hikaru casually spread his hands and added Dogmatika Fleurdelis, the Knighted from his Deck to his hand.
"Very good. This way, there's still great hope!" Several onlookers cheered for them.
Though a large Life Point gap remained, it was no longer so exaggerated.
"Hope?"
E-Ra, hearing this, sneered: "The so-called hope is only a momentary illusion. When you speak of hope, in your hearts you already fear my next turn."
"Though your field has again gathered plenty of Fusion Monsters, it's meaningless!"
"At this point, the remaining two cards Yusei set haven't produced any effect at all. Clearly they can't be used for defense. And Hikaru, your Set cards are almost all Fusion..."
"I've won!"
Victory declaration before the turn even began!?
"Let me plunge you into true deathly silence!"
"This final deck is myself!"
"My turn, draw."
E-Ra drew a card and slightly narrowed her eyes.
The correct card.
"Using Pain Gainer on the field alone for overlay, conduct a Rank-Up!"
"What, that spider can still evolve!?"
"Human hope doesn't exist in reality at all!"
"Look at your human sins!"
"Rank-Up Xyz Summon, Number 77: The Seven Sins!"
The fat spider merged into darkness. Soon, a slender, delicate yet mechanical-feeling terror, a demon, emerged!
Number 77: The Seven Sins. Rank 12, DARK Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 4000. Xyz Materials: 2.
"Human sins?"
"Laughable. No matter how many sins humans have, what does it have to do with someone like you!"
The friends and duelists around weren't the type to be casually scared into self-doubt. Hearing E-Ra say this only made them think E-Ra was ridiculous.
"The Seven Sins' monster effect. Once per turn, detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to activate. All Special Summoned monsters on the opponent's field are destroyed, and all monsters destroyed by this effect are overlaid beneath this card as Xyz Materials!"
"Activate Mechaba's effect. Discard Aleister from my hand to negate your effect and banish." Hikaru, hearing this effect, was somewhat speechless. This was truly a case of using whichever is more useful. The appearance method of the real card, the effect of the manga version. Why don't you just reach for the sky?
"Then, Genomix Fighter's effect. Detach one Xyz Material to negate your Mechaba's effect!"
Counter!
E-Ra sneered.
Last turn, because Hikaru could activate effects first, she only had one chance, so she couldn't first activate an effect to negate Mechaba.
But this turn was different. She had the first-mover advantage!
"Then, activate Dogmatika Fleurdelis, the Knighted's effect in my hand!"
"Naive. Do you think I didn't anticipate it!" E-Ra quickly played a card. "Quick-Play Spell Card, Book of Moon. Set Dogmatika Ecclesia! Dogmatika Fleurdelis, the Knighted's effect requires another Dogmatika monster on the field to negate opponent's monster effects. Now that Dogmatika Ecclesia is Set, its effect can't be brought out."
"Resolve all effects!"
The knight landed, about to swing her sword, only to find her sister was gone, no time to act. The sacred chariot drove with radiance to crash into the sinful spider but was obstructed by the mysterious Gene monster beside it.
Under a wave of tearing, all monsters became a dish on the spider web, all swallowed by The Seven Sins!
"The Seven Sins, turn all monsters into your meal. Swallow all hope!"
The Seven Sins obeyed, bared its teeth as it approached before the hungry dragon, mouthparts piercing into the dragon's body, converting it into Xyz Material. Then, further, swallowing the monsters one by one.
The Seven Sins, Xyz Materials: 2 → 6.
"Spell Card, Card Destruction."
"Both players discard all hand cards, then draw the same number of cards."
Hikaru had no objection, discarded his hand, then watched the opponent's operation.
"Discard the entire hand, then draw." E-Ra drew 4 cards from her Deck, then looking closely, saw one card among them that overjoyed her.
Here it comes!
But before that.
She looked at her Graveyard.
"Activate the effect of Anti the Earth in the Graveyard. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 Dystopia the Despondent from my Graveyard!"
Darkness, dark shadows, despair. All substance in this world began to coagulate. A massive figure emerged before everyone.
Dystopia the Despondent. Level 12, DARK Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 5000.
"Dystopia!?" Yuma looked at this giant monster without understanding.
"This is exactly, the final conclusion of the hope you yearn for, despair!"
E-Ra laughed savagely: "So long as this card is on the field, the opponent cannot conduct Xyz Summons!"
"What!?" Yuma, Kite, Quattro, Tori shouted in shock simultaneously. Because next turn was Yuma's turn!
If he couldn't Xyz Summon, what to do!
"Next turn?" E-Ra laughed. "Rather than next turn, better to appreciate Hikaru's despairing turn!"
"Because there's no next turn!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card, The Phantom Knights' Rank-Up-Magic Launch!"
"Target 1 Xyz Monster on my field to activate. Special Summon a monster whose Rank is 1 higher by overlaying onto the targeted monster, treated as an Xyz Summon from the Extra Deck!"
E-Ra opened her third deck's Extra, sneering.
"Though compared to the second deck, it's hard to say which is stronger. But this card is equally unstoppable terror!"
"I overlay Genomix Fighter for a Rank-Up Xyz Summon!"
"Hikaru, this is exactly what you've been searching for, the fragment of that outer-universe god!"
"Xyz Summon, Outer God Azathoth!"
Boom.
The eye in the sky slightly widened.
In the darkness, countless water-like tentacles flowed. The water composed of despair filled this world.
"Yaa!" Just one glance made Tori Meadows instinctively scream and shut her eyes.
"That's what!?" Everyone else stared in stupor at this monster's appearance.
Unnameable, incomprehensible, true form unknowable, a monster seemingly composed of a pile of rotting flesh and blood, quietly watching everything around.
Outer God Azathoth. Rank 5, DARK Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 2400. Xyz Materials: 2.
"This thing actually has fragments of the Oblivion School..." Tierra couldn't help speaking with Hikaru. "Seems what the Oblivion School said about you about to encounter this matter wasn't false."
Hikaru sighed.
Yeah, what to do.
But it made sense.
Darkness searched everywhere for powerful cards, even swallowing Little Lobster. This E-Ra also stirred up trouble everywhere. Accidentally learning of cards like Outer God, there was no way she wouldn't jump in.
E-Ra's skeletal body suddenly sprouted some flesh tentacles. But for E-Ra, Azathoth's partial body couldn't affect her sanity.
"On the turn this card is successfully Summoned, the opponent cannot activate monster effects."
The fewer words, the bigger the matter.
Hearing this one line, everyone who'd been pondering what effects this monster had felt like a tape being paused.
"La, landing effect?" Crow was somewhat alarmed.
"Actually stronger than Beatrice?" Jack couldn't comprehend.
"Good, exaggerated effect. My monster has nothing to stop it." Quattro muttered dumbly.
"..." Kite frowned deeply.
Now what to do?!
Was there still a way?!
"Battle, Hikaru. Welcome your fated death!"
"Hikaru!?" "Bro Light!"
Both teammates hadn't quite calmed down.
"No matter!" But Hikaru hadn't lost heart at all.
Experience brought familiarity!
Already disrupted once in his reasoning, this time Hikaru was very calm: "Open Set card!"
E-Ra's savage smile dispersed.
Huh?
"Trap Card, Branded Banishment!"
"Target 1 Despia monster or Level 8 or higher Fusion Monster in my Graveyard to activate. Special Summon that monster. After that, I can apply this effect.
Banish monsters on my or the opponent's field as Fusion Materials, Fusion Summon 1 Level 8 or higher Fusion Monster!"
"!!!"
Many sought their reason in Hikaru's great shout.
What a powerful effect!
"Super Polymerization?" E-Ra muttered.
"Super Polymerization?" Hikaru sneered. "I won't let you see Super Polymerization!
You, aren't worthy!"
"Bastard!"
E-Ra was thoroughly enraged.
"I revive Titaniklad the Ash Dragon from the Graveyard, then conduct a Fusion Summon!"
"The Fusion condition is 3 DARK monsters on the field!"
"I use Dystopia the Despondent, Titaniklad the Ash Dragon, and Outer God Azathoth for the Fusion!"
"Fusion Summon, Predaplant Triphyoverutum!"
"Awoooo!" As if responding to Hikaru's summon, Triphyoverutum truly came to see from its home camp. The result, one look at the scene before it, and its eyes nearly dropped out.
I super.
I'm no less than the old Chimerafflesia, even more so!
Predaplant Triphyoverutum. Level 9, DARK Attribute, Plant-Type. DEF 3000.
With the Fusion ending, the strange feeling on the field also gradually dispersed. The giant eye in the sky narrowed in satisfaction, then widened again, watching with great interest.
"3 DARK monsters on the field??" E-Ra was somewhat unable to accept it. "Why? Why choose Dystopia and Outer God, but not..."
"My Fusion can accept all things, can search for A-Boss's body. But I won't allow or acknowledge you, E-Ra!"
Hikaru's fist cracked. He pointed at E-Ra: "The Seven Sins is your true soul, your true will.
Sinful, filthy, luring people into the spider web, making them fear, fall..."
E-Ra went cold-faced and gave a snort: "Fine, I've won anyway."
"Yuma Tsukumo's hand has only one card left. No matter what, I've already won. The Seven Sins attacks Predaplant Triphyoverutum!"
Regardless, The Seven Sins' ATK was 4000!
Hikaru's team only had a bit over 2000 Life Points left. She could win!
"Is that so... heh." Hikaru sneered.
"Enjoy your last arrogance to the fullest. End turn."
Ended.
Now my turn?!
Yuma stared dumbly at The Seven Sins on the field, then looked at Hikaru and Yusei.
Though the two were also battered, at this very moment they smiled and encouraged him.
Yuma swallowed and properly checked the Set cards and the cards on the field and in the Graveyard.
Actually.
Even now, actually...
"Here we go, Astral!"
"Draw!"
The two simultaneously drew a card from the Deck with effort.
But...
Mm...
Yuma's expression grew somewhat grave.
Bad.
"Didn't draw the key card?" Yusei casually asked. Of course, through Contract with Don Thousand, he'd actually already seen Yuma drew a monster. But he still softly inquired.
"Ah... this."
"No matter. Just like us, you can also use our cards." Hikaru added.
Yuma and Astral exchanged glances, then suddenly nodded together.
"I understand, Yusei, Hikaru!"
"Astral!"
"Oh!"
Yuma leapt wildly toward the sky: "Soar sky-high, me!"
His body transformed into golden radiance in the air, flying frantically. At the same time, Astral also transformed into silver-white radiance, tracing a trajectory.
"Me."
"Me."
"And Yuma." "And Astral."
"Overlay!"
Fusion!
"ZEXAL!"
The two bodies merged in radiance, becoming a tall, mighty, handsome man. Not like a character from a card-game manga, more like an expert in a sentai team.
"Wh, what? Merged?!" Jack and Crow were shocked.
"At this point, even ZEXAL can't save you." E-Ra said confidently.
"No!" Yuma roared. "The strongest duelist can even create draws!"
Huh?
E-Ra was startled for a moment.
"Activate the effect of Fusion Substitute in the Graveyard. Recover Predaplant Triphyoverutum, draw!"
The two placed their hands on top of the Deck. Golden stars crossed the sky, completely illuminating this pitch-black world.
"Shining Draw!"
Yuma drew a card from the Deck.
He looked at the card. In his mind flashed the two turns of operations by Yusei and Hikaru.
"I understand!"
"Activate Spell Card, Glorious Numbers!"
"If no monsters exist on my field, target 1 Number Xyz Monster in my Graveyard to activate. Special Summon that monster. After that, I draw 1 card from my Deck!"
"Revive, Utopia!"
Number 39: Utopia. Rank 4, LIGHT Attribute, Warrior-Type. ATK 2500. Xyz Materials: 0.
"Draw!"
He glanced at the drawn card.
"Activate Glorious Numbers' Graveyard effect. Banish it from my Graveyard, target 1 Number Xyz Monster on my field to activate. Place 1 hand card as an Xyz Material of that monster. I place Gagaga Magician as Utopia's material!"
Utopia, Xyz Materials: 0 → 1.
"Added 1 Xyz Material? Heh, struggling in vain."
"Open Set card!"
Set card?
E-Ra froze.
What Set card? When was it Set? What was it for?
"Trap Card, Stardust Flash! Target 1 Stardust monster in my Graveyard to activate. Special Summon that monster!"
"Special Summon, Stardust Dragon!"
Sonic wild wind howled. Yusei raised his hand, calling the dragon.
Stardust Dragon. Level 8, WIND Attribute, Dragon-Type. ATK 2500.
Actually Stardust Dragon?!
At this point, Yusei Fudo and Hikaru hadn't used this card yet?
"Not over yet!"
"Activate the effect of Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon in the Graveyard. Banish this card from my Graveyard to activate. All Level 8 or higher Dragon-Type monsters on my field gain 1000 ATK!"
Stardust Dragon, ATK: 2500 → 3500.
This...
E-Ra's expression changed.
A bit dangerous, but not much.
"Normal Summon, Gagaga Gardna!"
A monster wearing sunglasses and holding a large red shield leapt onto Yuma's field.
Gagaga Gardna. Level 4, EARTH Attribute, Warrior-Type. ATK 1500.
"This is..." E-Ra grew more grave.
Using Flame Swordsrealm's effect, Stardust Dragon could reach 4500 ATK. But still fine, Number monsters could only be battle-destroyed by Number monsters. Even if ATK exceeded The Seven Sins, it was meaningless.
Still couldn't attack directly!
"Battle!"
Yuma clenched his fist.
"Utopia attacks. Activate Utopia and Flame Swordsrealm's effects."
"Utopia's effect, detach one material, negate opponent's or my monster's attack. I negate Utopia's attack. At the same time, Flame Swordsrealm's effect, lower Gagaga Gardna's ATK by 1000, raise other monsters on the field's ATK by 1000!"
"Ha, I said, useless, useless!"
"No! It's already over!"
Yuma, Astral, Yusei, Hikaru spoke simultaneously, full of confidence looking at this scene.
"What nonsense."
"Quick-Play Spell Card, Double or Nothing! When a monster's attack is negated, let it attack again, and during the damage step of attacking a monster, make the monster's ATK become 2x!"
"At the same time, activate Continuous Trap Card, Trust Chain!"
Yusei's final Set card flipped open!
"Target 1 monster on my field to activate. The targeted monster's ATK increases by the sum of ATK of other Synchro Monsters on my field. I can destroy this card to end the Battle Phase. So long as this card exists face-up on the field, Synchro Monsters cannot attack."
"This is my, our, connection of trust!"
E-Ra widened her eyes, until the flames in her eyeballs completely exploded and dispersed.
"How, impossible, absolutely impossible. How could I be defeated by weak hope..."
"Agh!"
But no matter what she thought.
Utopia raised its ordinary, plain greatsword, slowly raising it before itself.
The power of Numbers, the power of Stardust, the power of White Dragon, the power of Xyz, the power of Synchro, the power of Fusion, and even more friendship, hope, hot-blooded power!
The great sword emitted golden light, illuminating the entire world in golden brilliance!
Number 39: Utopia, ATK: 2500 → 3500 → 8000 → 16000!
"Utopia, attack The Seven Sins!"
With this ATK, even if E-Ra had full Life Points, she'd be instantly broken!
"Rising Sun Slash!"
Utopia leapt, swung its greatsword at E-Ra. The massive sword of light cut open the spider, cut open the spider web, cut open E-Ra, and even split the entire world in two!
Cutting open this world's despair, cutting open this world's Graveyard of Hope, cutting open everything!
That vicious, terrifying figure, under this sword light, gradually melted!
E-Ra, LP: 6850 → 0.