"Draw."
Chazz drew his card; data formed in his hand as he examined the field.
On his side: XYZ-Hyper Dragon Cannon.
Across from him: El Shaddoll Construct and a facedown card.
Construct's ability was lethal, whenever it battled a Special Summoned monster, it destroyed it outright. On top of that, the Shaddoll archetype embodied Hikaru's "alchemy," his philosophy of Fusion. A tricky opponent.
Chazz frowned. If he didn't find a way to clear Construct now, its presence would suffocate him on Hikaru's turn.
He drew in a breath, instinctively glancing toward Seto Kaiba. The man was calm, statuesque, as though carved in stone. Chazz shook his head sharply, no. A Duel is only between Duelists. Outside distractions mean nothing.
He slapped down his card.
"Normal Summon, Armed Dragon Thunder LV3!"
A small orange dragon in armor materialized, lightning sparking from its claws.
Armed Dragon Thunder LV3 — Level 3, WIND, Dragon, ATK 1200.
"I activate its effect! By sending 1 monster from my hand to the GY, this card is sent as well, and I can Special Summon an 'Armed Dragon' monster of Level 5 or lower from my Deck! I send Ojama Black!"
But Hikaru flipped his Set card immediately. "I chain, Continuous Trap, Shaddoll Schism!"
Chazz winced as his play was interrupted.
"Effect: during either Main Phase, banish the materials for a 'Shaddoll' Fusion Monster from my field or GY and Fusion Summon it!" Hikaru declared.
He raised his hand, "I banish Shaddoll Dragon and Shaddoll Beast! Fusion Summon, descend! El Shaddoll Winda!"
Purple threads coalesced, weaving into the form of a beautiful sorceress cloaked in shadows.
El Shaddoll Winda — Level 5, DARK, Spellcaster, ATK 2200 / DEF 800.
Meanwhile, lightning surged as Chazz's dragon evolved despite the interruption.
Armed Dragon Thunder LV5 — Level 5, WIND, Dragon, ATK 2400.
Purple puppet strings lashed onto his Duel Disk, and Chazz grimaced. "You're ruthless, Hikaru."
"This too is part of a Duel." Hikaru's smile was faint but sharp. "While Winda is on the field, both players can only Special Summon once per turn. Now you're locked."
Chazz scratched his head. He had expected this, but it still stung.
"No choice. Battle Phase! XYZ-Hyper Dragon Cannon, attack Winda, Extreme Cannon!!"
The machine's barrels charged and unleashed lightning. Winda resisted briefly before shattering into fragments.
Hikaru's LP: 4000 → 3200
Although injured, Hikaru didn't feel much pain. He steadied himself amid the lightning storm and surveyed the field.
"El Shaddoll Construct's effect, when this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can add 1 'Shaddoll' Spell or Trap from my GY to my hand. I add Shaddoll Fusion."
Threads of light converged on his palm and re-formed into a glowing Fusion card.
"Excellent! Chazz struck first!" Bastion murmured.
"But only once," Zane replied calmly. "This is just the opening act."
Jim Cook nodded.
The tempo wasn't as explosive as Hikaru's battle with Zane, yet this Duel was richer in nuance: neither Duelist could fully impose their will nor completely shut down the other's plays.
A true Duelist longs to feel the field bend to their control, and right now, neither could predict what would come next. That uncertainty made the crowd lean in all the more.
"Battle Phase ends. Entering Main Phase 2." Chazz drew, then declared: "I activate Pot of Avarice! I return five monsters from my GY to the Deck and draw two."
He sent Ojama Yellow, Green, Black, XYZ-Dragon Cannon, and Armed Dragon Thunder LV3 spinning back into their Decks. The Ojamas whooped as they flew home, and the massive XYZ unit disassembled back to its Extra Deck cradle.
Chazz drew two cards, glanced, and smirked.
"Next, I activate the effect of XYZ-Hyper Dragon Cannon! I banish it from my field, reveal 1 LIGHT Machine Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, and Special Summon up to 3 of its listed materials from my GY or banished zone!"
"What?!" Bastion exclaimed.
"He's sacrificing the stronger monster for the old one?!" Zane's eyes widened.
Gasps rippled through the stadium and even the global livestream. To most viewers, giving up a powerful, newer card for an older model looked like madness, or match-fixing.
But Hikaru understood. For Chazz, this move was right.
"I banish XYZ-Hyper Dragon Cannon, reveal XYZ-Dragon Cannon, and Special Summon X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank!"
The three classic machines materialized one by one:
X-Head Cannon — Level 4 / LIGHT / Machine / ATK 1800 / DEF 1500
Y-Dragon Head — Level 4 / LIGHT / Machine / ATK 1500 / DEF 1600
Z-Metal Tank — Level 4 / LIGHT / Machine / ATK 1500 / DEF 1300
"Now, I banish all three! Combine!"
The units locked together under magnetic force, a familiar roar shaking the ship.
Even Kaiba himself allowed a rare smile.
"Come forth, XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"
The veteran war-machine descended amid a surge of electricity.
XYZ-Dragon Cannon — Level 8 / LIGHT / Machine / Fusion / ATK 2800 / DEF 2600.
"He actually abandoned the upgraded monster for the classic?" Bastion gasped.
"Or maybe," Kaiba mused, "he just wants to win with his oldest partner."
Hikaru shook his head slightly. "No, he's just making the choice that feels right."
Chazz laughed. "Hah! Exactly, Hikaru! That's what I've always respected about you. You're focused, precise, driven. I used to chase you, and Jaden too, thinking that beating you was the only way to earn true respect.
But after teaming with you in the Fusion Army, fighting beside you in another Dimension, and Dueling at your side so many times, I realized something else."
He looked upward, voice softening. "My master showed me the truth I couldn't find alone. Just like you had Banner-sensei teach you Alchemy."
Hikaru smiled faintly. Banner's teachings had indeed saved him countless errors and wasted paths.
"Now I only wish to pursue the truest goal of every Duelist, to become the most Excellent Duelist of all!
And there's only one way to do that, win with wisdom and cards!"
He thrust a finger toward the machine before him.
"It's true that XYZ-Dragon Cannon lacks the raw power and disruption of XYZ-Hyper Dragon Cannon, but it has something else entirely, cooperation!
Hyper Dragon Cannon depends on it; VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon is built upon it; and perhaps the A-to-Z form we dream of in the future will rely on it as well!
Right now, this is the card I need most!"
"I activate the Continuous Trap Card, XYZ-Hyper Cannon!During my turn: target 1 banished Union monster, return it to the bottom of the Deck, then draw 1 card!"
"I return Z-Zillion Tank to my Deck, then draw one card!"
He smiled as the new card materialized. "Good…"
Raising his left hand, he pointed at Armed Dragon Thunder LV5."LV5's effect, send 1 monster from my hand to the GY; Special Summon 1 'Armed Dragon' monster of Level 7 or lower from my Deck!
I send the Armed Dragon Thunder LV3 I just returned to the GY, evolve!"
"Evolve toward the distant future!"
The armored dragon grew larger, thunder crackling along its frame.
With a metallic roar, silver-white armor covered its body; its tail struck like a thunderclap as it descended.
Armed Dragon Thunder LV7 — Level 7 / WIND / Dragon / ATK 2800 / DEF 1000
"LV3's effect! If this card is sent to the GY by the effect of a Dragon monster, draw 1 card!"
He drew and his eyes lit up. "Here it is, Hikaru, the third Ojama Magic!"
The audience gasped.
"He's incredible," Bastion muttered. "That's true Deck compression, his deck's already razor-thin."
"That guy's amazing!" Jaden cheered from the broadcast.
Most spectators didn't even grasp the depth of the play, but the Duelists did.
"Sure, XYZ-Dragon Cannon can't blow up cards during the opponent's turn like Hyper Dragon Cannon, but its effect has no once-per-turn restriction!
So…"
Chazz raised the card aloft.
"I activate XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect!
Discard Ojama Magic to destroy your El Shaddoll Construct!"
The Ojama Magic transformed into a glowing shell and loaded into the cannon's chamber. With a thunderous blast, the projectile struck Construct square in the chest. The puppet angel shattered and crumbled to data.
"And of course, Ojama Magic's effect!
Add Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black from my Deck to my hand!"
"Again, Big Brother!"
"Oh dear, oh dear, I knew Big Brother loves us!"
"Woo-hoo, we're totally the MVPs this time!" the Ojamas shouted as they danced around him.
"Huh? Isn't Dragon Cannon amazing?" John scratched his head, puzzled.
The spirit Ruby popped out, planted a sharp kick to his forehead, and snapped, "Think, you dolt!"
John blinked, then laughed as realization dawned.
Chazz, however, didn't bask in praise. He raised his Duel Disk.
"It's not over yet, Hikaru! I still have three more monsters in hand!"
He thrust his card forward. "XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect! I discard Ojama Yellow and Ojama Green to destroy your Field Spell Card and Shaddoll Schism!"
The mechanical giant loaded its payload, barrels rotated, energy surged, then unleashed a twin barrage that wiped Hikaru Amagi's field clean in a blaze of light.
"This… Hikaru's field is gone," Bastion Misawa whispered, anxious.
"Not only that," Jim muttered, "thanks to his Continuous Trap, Chazz can fire again during Hikaru's turn! Not only has the field reset, but Hikaru's Life Points are lower than before!"
Kaiba crossed his arms. "So that's why he hesitated earlier."
He explained coolly, "He wasn't sure what Hikaru's Set card was. If it hadn't been Shaddoll Schism, he'd have dismantled XYZ-Hyper Dragon Cannon right away, resummoned XYZ-Dragon Cannon, and gone for game in a single turn. But Schism restricted his Summons, forcing him to adapt."
"Trade-offs and decisions…" Bastion sighed. "Instinct, that's my weakest stat!"
The Duel Disk hummed as orange-yellow current flickered through Chazz's hand. He clenched his fist.
"This isn't enough!"
The system flared, spinning up; Kaiba slid on his data-glasses, eyes glinting.
Chazz shouted, "Armed Dragon Thunder LV7's effect! I send one monster from my hand to the GY, then send this card on the field to the GY, to Special Summon 1 'Armed Dragon' monster of Level 10 or lower from my Deck!"
"Level 10?!" the spectators cried.
"It can evolve even further?!"
Electric arcs danced around him; lightning poured from the steel dragon, engulfing the airship. Above the Spirit World, a golden bolt crashed down from the heavens.
"I send a second Armed Dragon Thunder LV5 from my hand to the GY, Evolve!!"
A blinding roar shook the arena. The enormous dragon that emerged nearly filled the field, its body wreathed in stormlight. The thunder within it fused into radiant wings and a blazing tail hammer, gleaming with every movement.
"Armed Dragon Thunder LV10!"
Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 — Level 10 / WIND / Dragon / ATK 3000 / DEF 2000.
The Duelists, the audience, even Kaiba himself could only stare as the electric titan unfurled its wings, the storm itself bowing to its roar.