Generally speaking, monsters that can be Special Summoned directly from the hand are quite rare—but Nash had just brought out three of them in a row, leaving everyone speechless.
However, Nash paid no mind to their confusion. He played another card and declared, "I activate the Spell Card Harmonic Waves! I target one face-up monster on the field; its Level becomes 4 until the End Phase. I choose Shark Stickers!"
[Shark Stickers, DEF: 1000, Level: 3 → 4]
Seeing this, Alicia's mouth fell open slightly. "Don't tell me he's planning to Xyz Summon again!"
And unquestionably, that was exactly what Nash intended.
He raised his hand once more. "I overlay my Level 4 Shark Stickers and Xyz Slidolphin to construct the Overlay Network!"
The golden vortex swirled again, and the two monsters turned into twin streams of light that shot into it.
"The Summoning condition—two Level 4 WATER monsters! Roar, thunder from the depths! Appear from the black abyss—Xyz Summon! Rank 4, Bahamut Shark!!"
Tidal waves burst skyward as a dragon-like shark soared out of the surging ocean. With wide fin-like wings, a long sharklike tail, and fangs sharp enough to tear through any prey—it was the true sovereign of the deep.
[Bahamut Shark] Rank 4│WATER│Sea Serpent│2600 ATK / 2100 DEF
[Bahamut Shark, Xyz Materials: 2]
"He actually summoned it!" Alicia gasped, her eyes wide in awe.
Through Nash's summoning, she had begun to realize that Xyz Summoning, while similar to Fusion Summoning in spirit, was overall a far more convenient method. That said, performing two Xyz Summons in a single turn—now that was astonishing.
Meanwhile, Yuui found it surreal as he looked at the two monsters on Nash's field—Bahamut Shark and Shark Drake—and then recalled the name "Nash."
After all, according to his past life's knowledge, both of these monsters were tied to someone named Nash. Could this Nash actually be that Nash? That would be unbelievable!
On the other side, as Ace watched Nash summon his second Xyz Monster, his gaze shifted slightly—he understood that he had just met a worthy rival.
Then Nash spoke again: "I activate Bahamut Shark's effect! Once per turn, by detaching one Xyz Material, I can Special Summon a Rank 3 or lower WATER Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck! This card cannot attack this turn. I detach one material to Special Summon Rank 3—No.47: Nightmare Shark! Dragon Summon!!"
[Bahamut Shark, Xyz Materials: 2 → 1]
One of the glowing orbs orbiting Bahamut Shark was absorbed into its jaws. It let out a regal, ocean-shaking roar—and from the distance, a massive wave surged forth. From within it, a dark silhouette burst free.
Spreading wide blue-and-white wings, a sleek shark emerged, its fins shaped like twin blades, its slim tail swaying elegantly as the number "47" glowed red-hot across its back.
No.47: Nightmare Shark descends!
[No.47 Nightmare Shark] Rank 3│WATER│Sea Serpent│2000 ATK / 2000 DEF
[No.47 Nightmare Shark, Xyz Materials: 0]
"What!? A second Number card!?"
"He's summoning a third Xyz Monster!?"
"That's insane!"
"No way a first-year should be capable of fielding this kind of setup!"
As Nash announced Bahamut Shark's effect, gasps and murmurs erupted among the students watching, and even Professor White couldn't hide his astonishment.
After all, a duelist capable of performing three consecutive Fusion Summons in a single turn was already rare enough—though three consecutive Xyz Summons? That was extraordinary. And two of them were Number Monsters!
Knowledge of Number cards wasn't something just anyone could obtain. In the Empire, even possessing information about one Number Monster could elevate a commoner family to nobility. Yet Nash owned two.
Who exactly was this boy called Nash?
With the third Xyz Monster now on the field, the conversation around him shifted from mere amazement at the Xyz Summon itself to speculation about Nash's true background and abilities.
As for Ace, who stood as Nash's opponent, he was feeling the pressure. He'd already decided—his OTK strategy wouldn't be aimed at Alicia anymore. His first target would be Nash.
Albeit Nash himself seemed utterly unbothered by the crowd's chatter. Calm—no, cold—he continued his play like a predator circling its prey.
"I activate Nightmare Shark's effect! When this card is Special Summoned, I can choose one Level 3 WATER monster from my hand or face-up field and attach it to this card as Xyz Material. I choose the Level 3 WATER monster Drill Barnacle from my hand to attach beneath it!"
[No.47 Nightmare Shark, Xyz Materials: 0 → 1]
"Lastly, I Set one card and end my turn!"
With that, both transfer students' turns finally came to an end, and both had completely emptied their hands.
One had a single monster but three face-downs; the other, three monsters but only one set card.
It was impossible to tell whose field was stronger. But, now—it was Alicia's, or rather Yuui's, turn.
Everyone was eager to see: what kind of power gave Yuui the confidence to take on two opponents at once?
"Phew…" Yuui exhaled deeply, rolling his sore neck with a grin. "Finally, it's my turn!"
He glanced at Ace and Nash's monsters as his lips curved into a smile. "Dragons and demons, huh? Against opponents like that, my heroes… will never back down!"
...
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