"Dragon's Mirror?" Chazz glanced at Bastion's GY.
He had a solid read on what Bastion had already milled and discarded.
"Don't tell me the Chemicritter build is a Fusion shell, no, that doesn't track… Oh. You're making that, aren't you?"
"That's right," Bastion said. "What I'm Summoning is precisely this card!"
"The Fusion Materials are 2 Gemini monsters. Fusion Summon, Level 8, Superalloy Beast Raptinus!"
A familiar chrome dragon, well-known to the Fusion Department, unfurled onto the field.
"So Bastion's switched into Fusion too?"
A few Fusion kids who'd seen the card before whispered. The club had never forced members to run Fusion, Hikaru always said it was a chill lab for people who loved the style. No quotas, just vibes.
[Superalloy Beast Raptinus] — Level 8 | LIGHT | Dragon | 2200 ATK / 2200 DEF.
"All Gemini monsters on the field are treated as Effect Monsters and gain their effects."
"ATK 2200…" Chazz mused. "That's not here to swing over anything. So we're playing for the effect, huh? Raptinus just flips Geminis 'on,' right?"
Not impressive, on its face.
"Don't miss the details, Chazz," Bastion said, eyes bright. "What you're about to see is the wonder of mathematics."
"Oh?" Chazz's attention sharpened.
"What's he cooking…?" Even Jim leaned forward.
"The 'wonder of mathematics'…?" Kaiba frowned. What kind of Duel called itself that?
"It's that line," Hikaru said quietly, watching from the player gallery. "So Bastion really practiced this. With this route, any Dimension, any Duelist, anyone who can count, gets it."
People traded looks. If Hikaru could name Bastion's line off a single card, how scary was Hikaru's read?
"Flip my Set, Continuous Trap, Ultimate Offering!"
"As long as this card remains on the field, I can pay 500 LP to Normal Summon an additional monster."
"Here it comes, going for the Chemicritter/Gemini engine?" Chazz wasn't surprised. Last year Bastion had shown this Trap against Hikaru; Chazz had prepped counters, just in case.
"Normal Summon-Blazewing Butterfly."
Flames sheeted across the arena. A butterfly with wings of living fire took flight.
[Blazewing Butterfly] — Level 4 | FIRE | Insect | 1500 ATK / 1500 DEF. (Gemini)
"A Gemini…" Chazz rubbed his chin and nodded.
Seeing Geminis in Bastion's list was no shock; alongside Chemicritter, other Gemini bodies made sense.
Hikaru exhaled. "Now we see whether 'Chazz' has a real safety net."
'What?'
The nearby Duelists exchanged glances. Was it really that explosive?
Hikaru only laughed. "Let him show it. It's more fun that way."
"I pay 500 LP with Ultimate Offering," Bastion said. "I Tribute Blazewing Butterfly to Tribute Summon, Gigaplant!"
Bastion — LP: 4000 → 3500.
The flaming scales scattered, seeded the ground, and burst upward into a giant, thorned stalk.
[Gigaplant] — Level 6 | EARTH | Insect | 2400 ATK / 1200 DEF. (Gemini)
"With Raptinus, all my Geminis are treated as Effect Monsters and gain their effects. Gigaplant: Once per turn: Special Summon 1 Insect or Plant from my hand or GY."
Bastion held up one finger. "That's one."
"Revive, Blazewing Butterfly!"
The fiery insect returned in a spiral of embers.
"Then I pay another 500 LP with Ultimate Offering, Normal Summon, Cannon Soldier!"
Bastion — LP: 3500 → 3000.
This time, a different monster took the stage.
"Huh?"
"Isn't that one of those old Machine Fusions' materials?"
Chazz squinted at the board, a step behind on Bastion's throughline.
He didn't recognize every piece, and for a moment the intent eluded him. But Duelists who did know those cards were already sweating, like a viper had coiled round their spines, the air turning ice-cold.
"Effect of Cannon Soldier! I Tribute Gigaplant to inflict 500 damage!"
The giant plant blurred into a red-hot shell and slammed into Cannon Soldier's breech.
"That's two, Chazz."
Flame belched, shaving away life.
Chazz — LP: 4000 → 3500.
Chazz raised an arm against the blast, then stilled. No one wins on 500s alone. Bastion wasn't stopping here. There was a gear Chazz hadn't named yet.
"Blazewing Butterfly's Gemini effect-Tribute it; target 1 Gemini in my GY (except 'Blazewing Butterfly') and Special Summon it. A monster Summoned by this effect is treated as Normal Summoned!"
Boom-boom-boom
Sparks scattered. Roots churned up through the platform. The scene from moments ago… replayed.
"Watch closely, Chazz. This is three, Bastion Misawa's three."
"Special Summon- come back, Gigaplant!"
"ROAR!!!"
Chazz's eyes widened.
"Wait..."
"Gigaplant, now live under Superalloy Beast Raptinus, once per turn: Special Summon 1 Insect/Plant from hand or GY! Revive Blazewing Butterfly!"
A wave of realization rippled through the crowd.
"Wha..!"
"My god..."
"Infinite!!"
Infinite.
Because neither Blazewing Butterfly nor Gigaplant has a "once per turn, by name." Each time they hit the GY and come back, their usage refreshes. With Cannon Soldier on board, every time Gigaplant returns, Cannon Soldier can Tribute it for another 500, and the pair can re-create themselves again…and again.
Loop it forever. No matter Chazz's LP, it all falls to 0.
"Terrifying…"
"Those old 'Double Monsters' can do that?"
"Is he the strongest Duelist here…?"
"Chazz just hype from his family's PR machine, he can't win this."
Across the arena, furniture scraped. A monitor skidded. People struggled to believe what they were seeing.
Bastion spread his hands, cards in his left, right index finger stabbing skyward. "Do you see? This is my answer. Any Dimension, human or spirit, anyone can follow the numbers.
This number, is Infinity.
From 1 to 3, from 3 to ∞!
Infinite Dimensions, infinite life, infinite dialogue, infinite peace!"
"Ridiculous…" Even Kaiba leaned closer to the glass. He'd thought these kids were lively enough.
He'd underestimated them. None of the Top 8 were simple.
As he spoke, Cannon Soldier had already Tributed Gigaplant again, another 500 to Chazz.
Chazz — LP: 3500 → 3000.
"Once more, Blazewing's effect! I Tribute it to revive a Gemini from the GY."
Chazz braced his left arm against the lingering heat, then exhaled through his nose.
Bang!
Blazewing burst into cinders…and when the smoke cleared, no plant rose.
Instead, three squat, goofy creatures in clashing primary colors popped into being, squabbling, jeering, and munching on whatever they'd found.
"'Scuse us! Don't mind us!"
"What are you lookin' at, I'm readin' here!"
"Hey, bros, this stuff's tasty."
Ojamas.
Bastion snapped his gaze to Chazz.
"That was close," Chazz admitted, flexing his fingers. A Trap at his feet glowed to life. "When you activated Blazewing's effect, I chained Ojama Trio."
Ojama Trio Special Summons 3 'Ojama Tokens' to your opponent's field in Defense Position. They can't be Tributed for a Tribute Summon. When they're destroyed, their controller takes 300 damage each.
"You said it yourself, Misawa, mathematics works in every Dimension." Chazz raised his hand, splaying all five fingers. "The Monster Zone caps at five.
To light your Geminis you need Superalloy Beast Raptinus. To deal damage you need Cannon Soldier. When you Tribute Blazewing as co, t to target Gigaplant… I chain Trio. Your zones are now five-full, Raptinus, Cannon Soldier, and three tokens. Your target can't be Summoned, so your loop breaks."
Thunderous cheers detonated.
Moments ago, Bastion's infinite line had blown minds. Veterans bowed their heads at the beauty of the Gemini engine; newbies gaped as if they'd seen real magic.
Now the "unbeatable" sequence had met a clean, elegant counter.
And yes, that, too, was mathematics.
"Even if 'Ojama' Tokens can't be Tributed for a Tribute Summon, you can Tribute them for your card effects. But at best you Tribute all five monsters you control for Cannon Soldier, that's only 2500 damage."
Chazz wore a confident grin. "So you can't win this turn. And with most of your resources spent, you're not winning on the next one, either."
"Amazing… Chazz."
"Of course!" Chazz thrust a finger skyward. "Because I am: one, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand...Chazz Princeton!"
He flashed a teasing smile. "That's a lot more than you."
"Hahaha."
Bastion chuckled, then looked down at his hand. He still had lines.
"I activate the Spell Magic Planter. I send a face-up Continuous Trap I control to the GY to draw 2 cards, I send Ultimate Offering."
He drew and glanced at the new cards.
Ultimate Offering … and Amazoness Swords Woman.
He frowned.
Chazz had Armed Dragon LV10 in hand. If Bastion tried to wall up with bodies, next turn Chazz could line up LV10 and wipe his monsters. In that case, leaving Superalloy Beast Raptinus to keep his Gemini pieces "live," padding LP now and forcing combat with Amazoness Swords Woman later, looked like the best route.
If Chazz used LV5 just to pick off Raptinus, and didn't pump Pile Armed Dragon, Bastion's trap could bring back a wall to soak the rest. If Chazz did pump Pile, only one monster could attack this turn anyway, Bastion could still block.
All right.
"Cannon Soldier, effect, Tribute your 3 Ojama Tokens, then Cannon Soldier itself. That's 4 Tributes × 500 = 2000 damage."
Chazz — LP: 3000 → 1000.
"I Set 1 and end..."
"Hold it. In your End Phase, I flip my Set card, Ojamatch!"
Chazz's backrow flashed. "I send Ojamagic from my hand to the GY; then I add Ojama Red and Armed Dragon from my Deck to my hand."
"The card sent by Ojamatch, Ojamagic, triggers in the GY. I add Ojama Green, Ojama Yellow, and Ojama Black from my Deck to my hand."
"Yay! Big bro~!"
"We're heeere!"
"Yaaay, big bro~!"
Chazz's hand swelled with little gremlins.
"My turn. Draw." He drew. "I activate the Continuous Spell Ojama Pajama: I add Ojamassimilation from my Deck to my hand, then discard Ojama Yellow."
"I activate Ojamassimilation! I reveal a LIGHT Machine Fusion that lists specific materials, XZ-Tank Cannon. I banish Ojama Green to Special Summon from my Deck the listed materials equal to the number banished!"
"X-Head Cannon and Z-Metal Tank, hit the field!"
Chazz smirked. "Just like your Geminis, Misawa, a 'newer, stronger' monster isn't always the right line."
He swept a hand. "I banish X-Head Cannon and Z-Metal Tank I control, come forth, XZ-Tank Cannon!"
Treads locked under a blue chassis, the barrel whirred to life.
[XZ-Tank Cannon] — Level 6 | LIGHT | Machine | 2400 ATK
"I flip my Set, Soul Resurrection." Bastion's Trap sprang up. "Target 1 Normal Monster in my GY, Special Summon it in Defense Position. Return, Gigaplant."
"DEF 1200… not enough," Chazz murmured, then nodded as the line clarified.
In the seats, Jim tapped his chin. "Compared to XYZ-Dragon Cannon, which pops face-up cards, XZ-Tank Cannon pitches to destroy a Set Spell/Trap. Chazz isn't aiming for flexibility, he's forcing Bastion to fire off the Trap now or lose it anyway."
"This is where it ends, Misawa."
Chazz lifted the card he'd tutored earlier with his Armed Dragon effects.
Armed Dragon LV10. ATK 3000.
Bastion exhaled a rueful laugh. "Heh… you were ready the whole time. Smart."
"Same to you. If I hadn't topdecked Ojama Trio when I did, you'd have looped me to zero." Chazz's voice was frank, almost admiring. "Maybe you've found your own path. But my goal is, the strongest Duelist."
"Ohhhh!!"
Chazz broke an infinite loop on the fly and even set up Armed Dragon's famously finicky removal. Power like that makes anyone sit up and take notice.
Even, his mentor, Seto Kaiba.
"Hmph." Kaiba watched from the tower window, eyes narrowed, a faint curve at the corner of his mouth.
"I activate Armed Dragon LV5's effect, by sending Armed Dragon LV10 from my hand to the GY, I destroy your Superalloy Beast Raptinus!"
LV5's right arm howled into a cyclone. The wind sheared through Raptinus, scattering it into golden motes.
Chazz raised his hand again.
"One!"
"Ten!" Fans who knew the bit shouted with him.
"Hundred!!!" Even Duel Spirits joined the chant.
"Thousand!!!" Viewers at home couldn't help but yell along.
He was never just "the Princeton Group's kid brother." He was chasing the absolute strongest.
"Ten thousand!" Chazz punched the air.
"Chazz it up!"
"Chazz!"
"Chazz!"
"Battle, Misawa..."
"XZ-Tank Cannon destroys your Gigaplant! Then, Armed Dragons, direct attack!"
Twin armored dragons tore in from opposite angles, fists like meteors. Bastion staggered back under the impact.
Bastion Misawa — LP: 3000 → 0.
...
Bonus @200
Read chapters ahead @Keepsmiling- P@eon