"I go first, right? Draw."
Tenjo Hikari draws a card.
Looking back, it seems like I've been going second in recent duels; it's been a while since I've gone first.
He glanced at the cards in his hand. Hmm—
Today I can play [that].
Ha.
"Pay 1000 Life Points to activate the Normal Spell Card, Ready Fusion."
Tenjo Hikari LP: 4000 → 3000.
"Ready Fusion?" Instructor Borg laughed heartily, "What are you doing?"
"Heh, has that Tenjo Hikari finally lost his mind under the power of the Lord of Phantasms?"
"Monsters summoned by Ready Fusion are destroyed at the end of the turn. Isn't this a waste?"
The soldiers of the Fusion Army couldn't help but mockingly laugh.
By now, the fusion techniques Tenjo Hikari often uses have basically been disseminated worldwide; it's unlikely anyone wouldn't recognize a Fusion Card like Ready Fusion—much less the Fusion Army that's been targeting Tenjo Hikari all this time.
"Heh... Ready Fusion can Fusion Summon a non-effect Fusion Monster of LV 6 or lower." Tenjo Hikari didn't mind their words and continued his play, "The one I'm going to Fusion Summon is this—"
Click—click—
Buzz~~
A blue-haired figure holding a flaming greatsword, equipped with various mechanical devices, with boosters spewing flames behind, landed in front of Tenjo Hikari.
"Metalfoes Adamante."
Metalfoes Adamante, LV 5, Fire Attribute, Psychic-Type, ATK 2500.
Tenjo Hikari looked at the card on the Duel Disk and couldn't help but smirk.
After "forging himself," Fullmetalfoes Alkahest finally overcame a major challenge some time ago and successfully refined "Gold."
Although it relied on the Alchemy left by Teacher Daitokuji, rather than the Alchemy he has been practicing all along, that didn't matter much to Fullmetalfoes.
Now, it was just one step short of truly refining "Gold."
"Metalfoes...?" The soldiers present were taken aback when they saw the card.
"Metalfoes?" Instructor Borg frowned.
He recognized the card—or rather, he recognized the series to which the card belongs!
With its appearance, it indicated that Tenjo Hikari was about to use that card!
"Normal Summon, Ancient Gear Knight."
Ancient Gear Knight is a robot covered in worn-out gears, holding a shield and Knight's Spear.
Ancient Gear Knight, LV 4, Earth Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 1800.
"As a Gemini Monster, Ancient Gear Knight is treated as a Normal Monster while on the field."
"Tch..." Borg knew this maneuver.
"Activate the Fusion Substitute from my hand. This card is treated as Polymerization. However, it can only fuse monsters on the field—
The Fusion Conditions are: [Metalfoes] monster and [Normal Monster]!"
Tenjo Hikari couldn't help but grin, "Fusion Summon!
LV 1, Fullmetalfoes Alkahest!"
As the two monsters on the field spiraled away, a mage wearing a Mage Hat and wielding a Mechanical Staff landed gently on the ground, with one hand behind his back, confidently looking up, putting on airs like a master.
Fullmetalfoes Alkahest, LV 1, Fire Attribute, Psychic-Type, DEF 0.
Finally, it could be properly fused out.
"So, it's this guy..." Although both ATK and DEF are zero, Borg knew the effect of this monster, which made him a bit troubled.
"Fusion Substitute's effect in the Graveyard, banish it, return 1 Fusion Monster in the Graveyard to the Deck, draw a card. I return Metalfoes Adamante to the Deck and draw a card.
Then, set one card. End turn."
"It just ends like that?"
"Just an ATK and DEF 0 weakling, Instructor can easily take it down!"
The Fusion Army, not realizing the gravity of the situation, continued to laugh boisterously.
These fools...
Yoshikawa Borg looked at the cards in his hand, thinking coldly.
To better control the lower-ranked soldiers, the professor employed extreme militaristic, brainwashing education. They don't need to confront a powerful Duelist like Tenjo Hikari—even if they do, mindlessly using the Ancient Gear Hunting Hound would suffice.
So, they didn't know that Fullmetalfoes Alkahest could make an opponent's Effect Monster its Equip Card during the opponent's turn!
Almost equivalent to a Thousand-Eyes Restrict during the opponent's turn.
But—
He glanced at his hand cards.
But, after all, it isn't Thousand-Eyes Restrict; its effect isn't as strong.
"My turn—draw! Hehehehehe, it seems your luck is quite bad, Tenjo Hikari!" As he saw the card he drew, he immediately activated it.
"If there are no monsters on your field, you can Special Summon, LV 1, Steelswarm Cell!"
Steelswarm Cell, LV 1, Dark Attribute, Fiend-Type, ATK 0.
A Fiend that looked like a cockroach appeared on Borg's field.
Huh?
"Hmm, it's this—" Tierra, seeing this monster, couldn't help but fall into reminiscence.
The Steelswarms and Gem-Knights were the monsters that most incited her nostalgia.
"Then I'll immediately activate Fullmetalfoes Alkahest's effect to absorb your Steelswarm Cell." Seeing this monster, Tenjo Hikari didn't hesitate to let Fullmetalfoes activate its effect.
Fullmetalfoes nodded, raising the staff in his hand, and the Steelswarm Cell on Borg's field slowly dissolved, merging into Fullmetalfoes' staff.
Borg looked at the Steelswarm Moth in his hand, chuckling: "Wise choice. It seems you've seen this card somewhere. Did you hear about it in the X Dimension?"
"But, while this has thwarted my chance for an instant kill, it's exactly as planned—Defense Position Normal Summon, Dark Beckoning Beast!"
Oh wow?
Seeing this card, Tenjo Hikari was indeed startled.
Wow, it's a LV 2, ATK and DEF 0, Fiend-Type monster!
A super cheating Fiend!
From Sprights to Yubel, this card had showcased its considerable performance and was quite formidable.
Akaba Leo truly is a scientist at heart, having taken the research on the Three Phantasm to this step.
"When this card is summoned, I can add one of the Three Phantasm from the Deck to my hand! I will add Raviel, Lord of Phantasms to my hand!"
Such a pity it's the Lord of Phantasms, not the seven-star Unleashing Gate, otherwise Tenjo Hikari might indeed have to change his expression.
"Besides, Tenjo Hikari, don't underestimate this monster. Although its ATK and DEF are 0, it possesses incredibly powerful effects!"
"While this card is on the field, I can Normal Summon 1 Fiend-Type monster with 0 ATK and DEF in addition to my Normal Summon!"
Could it be Chaos Summoning Beast or Phantasmal Summoning Beast?
Tenjo Hikari frowned.
"Normal Summon Chaos Summoning Beast!"
Here it comes!
Tenjo Hikari squinted his eyes.
"Tenjo Hikari, I won't be foolish like the others. Regardless of what confidence you may have, you've been battling against us Fusion Army for so long, there must be something extraordinary about you, so—I'll also put every effort into wiping you out here!
This way, our Fusion Army's grand undertaking won't be obstructed by you! The effect of Chaos Summoning Beast, by sacrificing it, I can directly and without condition Special Summon a Phantasm from my hand!"
"Appear, strongest Phantasm!!"
"Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!"