Seeing the mechanical dragon with three heads gathering bright white energy, attacking his hero, Ed Phoenix didn't show a trace of tension, but revealed a Monster Card from his hand.
"Activate the monster effect of Destiny HERO Dynatag from my hand, discard this card during damage calculation in battle to activate it!
The damage I take from this battle will become 0! Both sides take 1000 points of effect damage!"
Ugh!
"Ah!"
A hero covered in dynamite, with an exceptionally healthy smile, appeared on the field, then lit the fuse, with a boom, blasted the dragon away, protecting his comrade.
Ed LP: 4000→3000
Ryo LP: 2400→1400.
"However, the monster——"
"D-Fusion, the monster Fusion Summoned this turn cannot be destroyed by effects and battle!"
Facing Marufuji Ryo's attack, Ed didn't retreat a single step.
"Such a splendid defense." Marufuji Ryo turned back, chuckled.
Then he looked at his hand cards.
Effect damage, immune to destruction by battle, this hero's style feels completely different from Elemental Heroes.
The D of Destiny...
"Activate Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion, return Cyber End Dragon on the field back to the Fusion Deck." Marufuji Ryo understood well the principle that "a powerful card always comes with risks, so avoid them when you can", after showcasing Cybernetic Revolution and Limiter Removal, he played another trick to dodge the blast.
"Next, the effect of Cyber Dragon Core in the Graveyard, if my opponent has monsters on the field and I don't, banish this card from the Graveyard to Special Summon a 'Cyber Dragon' from the Deck!"
Cyber Dragon, LV 5, Light Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 2100.
"Then, Spell Card, Polymerization!"
"Fuse the Cyber Dragon on the field with the two Cyber Dragons in my hand! Return to me once more, Cyber End Dragon!"
Yet again, it's Cyber End Dragon!
No matter what kind of opponent, Caesar would always show them his favorite card—Cyber End Dragon!
"Oh? You still have Polymerization and two Cyber Dragons in your hand?" This time, Ed showed a slight emotional fluctuation, "So you didn't fuse earlier? You could have fused to summon Cyber Twin Dragon with 2800 ATK, right?"
"Even if I had fused and summoned Cyber Twin Dragon at that time, during the Battle Phase, you could still Fusion Summon Destiny HERO Dystopia in Defense Position, right? Because Cyber Twin Dragon doesn't have Cyber End Dragon's piercing effect. By that time, my Limiter Removal would have become the last straw that breaks me." Marufuji Ryo smirked, "The essence of Cyber Style is about delivering a decisive strike, and paving the way for powerful cards before that is the core of Cyber Style."
"Amazing, senior—even in a time like this, you can still stay calm." Ed couldn't help but say a few more words.
Observing the duel, Tenjo Hikari felt much more at ease.
In the original work, during the pro league, Marufuji Ryo and Ed's duel, because of Ed's duel, words, and actions, seemed quite agitated, even activating Power Bond unprepared, something he would never do before!
It was this agitation that led him to be defeated by Ed's trap in the end.
The Marufuji Ryo of this world, whether he's had a change of mindset or not, definitely hasn't become "impulsive" because of performance in the pro duel circuit.
"I set one card, ending my turn!"
Marufuji Ryo set a card face down.
"Next turn, the Spell Card sent to the Graveyard by Diamond Dude's effect will be activated." Mitsuzawa Daichi watched Marufuji Ryo end his turn, furrowing his brow.
"D-Soul Burst... is a card that halves the ATK of a Destiny Hero on one's field, dealing damage equal to that value to both sides," Tenjo Hikari explained after hearing Mitsuzawa's concern.
"What!?" Marufuji Shou immediately screamed, "Dystopia's ATK is 2800—half of that would be 1400!?"
"I remember Ryo has the trap card Magic Jammer..."
"That won't do." Tenjo Hikari shook his head after hearing Tenjouin Asuka say this, "This is not the effect of the Spell Card, but Diamond Dude's effect!
Diamond Dude's effect, when determined, only triggers the effect of a Spell Card.
For example, if he flips Mitsuzawa's Chemical Combination-H2O, even if there is no Oxygen or Hydrogen on the field, he can Special Summon Water Dragon directly; even if Soul Exchange is flipped—a card that cannot enter the Battle Phase after activation—it can enter the Battle Phase during the next turn and even use the opponent's monster as a tribute.
Enjoying only the convenience of magic, not subjected to its limitations!"
"This is... the rules of dueling."
Diamond Dude is among the top K language masters even among complex K language cards, this card can even bypass the strongest self-binding like Red-Eyes Fusion. To some extent, it's an extraordinarily defiant card.
If Tenjo Hikari could casually dump Diamond Dude into the Graveyard like Ed before the crossover, he would have.
"This——"
Will powerful cards always come with risks?
Wrong!
Powerful cards directly ignore the risks!
But actually...
Tenjo Hikari sighed in his heart.
It's already over, actually.
With Tenjo Hikari's explanation, Ed has already activated D-Soul Burst effect, halving Dystopia's ATK, and that damage happens to be Marufuji Ryo's current Life Points!
"This is bad! If this goes through, Marufuji Ryo's Life Points will become exactly zero, what will you do, Marufuji Ryo!"
At the same time, Ed also spoke: "How about it, senior, this is the decision of 'Destiny', your Life Points will reach exactly zero at this moment!"
"I activate a Trap Card!" Marufuji Ryo paid no attention to Ed's words.
"That won't help, you can't negate a Spell Card activated by Diamond Dude's effect!"
"It's not negation—it's conversion!" Marufuji Ryo immediately activated his set card, "Trap Card, Damage Conversion!
"This turn, the effect damage I take is halved!"
!!
As Marufuji Ryo's Trap Card activated, the spirit of Enemy Utopia emerged from its body and then exploded like a bomb, inflicting damage on both sides on the field.
Boom——
Marufuji Ryo LP: 1400→700.
Ed LP: 3000→1600.
"How about that? I have surpassed what you called... destiny."
Ed couldn't help but stare blankly at his opponent for a long time before he finally smiled and said, "Amazing, Senior."
He felt as if his heartbeat quickened slightly.
"Now, do you understand? This thing called destiny, it's elusive." Marufuji Ryo clenched his fist, "What we should do is broaden the future with our cards!"
"Broaden the future with cards? I never imagined that you'd be such a passionate person, Senior."
"Hehehe... I wasn't like this before." Marufuji Ryo sighed again, "In the past year, I experienced things I had never experienced before and met some very interesting underclassmen... no, fellow travelers."
"I think you will meet them in the future too."
Although he still had a lot of confusion in his heart, and he still didn't know exactly what he wanted, in this year of getting to know Tenjo Hikari, he realized that staying true to himself and staying true to his heart can never be wrong because there are people more determined than him, more hardworking, walking a more difficult path than him!
"That absolute Fusion Master will not disappoint you." Caesar continued to recommend to Ed the junior he valued the most.
"I see... In that case, after I defeat you, Senior, and then Yuki Judai, I will challenge Senior Tenjo." Ed looked across, saying in a slightly elevated yet calm tone.
He had no fondness for Judai, but after witnessing a few duels with Tenjo Hikari, he was intrigued by him.
"Defeat me?" Marufuji Ryo said in a daze.
With only so few Life Points left, and the Enemy Utopia with only 1400 ATK due to the D-Soul Burst effect, how could it defeat the Cyber End Dragon with 4000 ATTACK?
"Perhaps, I've also been searching for the answer—"
While speaking, Ed pointed at the Cyber End Dragon, "Senior, you certainly surpassed [Destiny]!
But—
If [Destiny] is useless, then use [Skill]!"
Marufuji Ryo listened to this declaration, a little baffled.
But what he didn't know was—
The fact that Ed could say "Destiny is useless, just use skill!" was undoubtedly the highest level of acknowledgement from him!
After all, Ed Phoenix is a person who deeply believes in "destiny"!
"Enemy Utopia's Monster Effect activates! If the ATK of this card is different from its original ATK, you can target 1 card on the field and activate this effect. Destroy that card, and this card's ATK resets to its original value! This effect can even be activated during the opponent's turn!"
...
Marufuji Ryo's eyes widened.
Empty hand, empty back row—
He only had Cyber End Dragon with 4000 ATK on the field!
"Go, Enemy Utopia!"
"Supreme Justice!"
Hearing Ed's command, the Enemy Utopia charged toward the Cyber End Dragon, extending its palm, transforming into a Dark Hole, sucking the massive machine dragon entirely into its hand, crushing it into pieces!
"Next, direct attack!"
"Enemy Utopia Fist!"
The Enemy Utopia suddenly leaped up, delivering a punch to Marufuji Ryo.
Marufuji Ryo LP: 700→0
Marufuji Ryo took the hit, dropping to one knee, and simultaneously, the entire venue erupted in excited cheers, while Duel Academy fell into a deathly silence.
Ed let out a breath.
He had won after all.
However—
This duel was not as disappointing as he had expected it to be!
If anything, he truly felt a strange… urge.
There was no provoking with words as usual, no pressing the opponent with tricks, no constant targeting, but relying purely on cards and strategy…
A rare occurrence in professional duels.
At first, he thought that rising to this position in a short time would have made Marufuji Ryo restless, but unexpectedly, he was this composed.
Or should it be called passion?
Entrusting life, destiny, and the future to the cards, he hadn't genuinely felt such joy in dueling for a long time.
Regrettably, he could tell that Caesar still had reservations and hadn't completely let go, but it was already quite delightful, after all… it had been long since he smiled sincerely, even just a little.
According to Caesar, this mindset is also thanks to Tenjo Hikari?
He had to admit.
Earlier, he didn't want to go to the Academy because he wanted to avoid Akaba Leo's subordinates, fearing awkwardness.
But now, after dueling with Caesar, he was very much looking forward to going to Duel Academy!