"Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon?!"
"Wait, what? That's a card Hikaru Amagi's never used before!"
In a subterranean research facility, a large red-tinted monitor displayed the duel live.
"Crap! That monster wasn't included in the data we uploaded into One-Eyed Andal's brain!"
"Hikaru's deck is always changing. You never know what Fusion monster he'll pull out next," a researcher said, stepping forward and coughing, trying to calm the others down. "And besides, it's just a vanilla Fusion monster. Nothing to worry about."
"Don't forget, One-Eyed Andal is the pinnacle of our Duel Spirit modification program! No average duelist could ever hope to beat it!"
With the chief's reassurance, the other researchers relaxed a little. Meanwhile, a girl with a purple ponytail and a yellow headband peeked in from the corridor, curiously eyeing the screen.
A duel, huh?
She leaned on the doorway, watching with growing interest.
"Battle! Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon, attack!"
"Trap Card—Waboku!" roared One-Eyed Andal. He flipped his set card without hesitation. "Foolish human!"
"This turn, all battle damage I take becomes zero, and my monsters can't be destroyed by battle!"
"Oh?" Hikaru didn't seem surprised. He just shrugged. "Then… Main Phase 2."
"Then I activate the effect of Gladiator Beast Hoplomus!" The armored rhino gave a low growl as its body began to fade. "At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card battled, I can return it to the Deck to Special Summon another 'Gladiator Beast'—excluding itself!"
"I Special Summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari!"
"Crykk!"
A green, armored bird warrior dove from the sky.
Gladiator Beast Bestiari – Level 4 – WIND – Winged Beast – ATK 1500
"Nice. That means next turn, he can contact Fuse into Gyzarus!"
"Hahaha, let that fool Hikaru learn what true Fusion looks like!"
Hikaru Amagi…?
The purple-haired girl tilted her head.
So that's the duelist on the left? Hikaru Amagi?
"But why would he replace Hoplomus with something weaker like Bestiari…?" Haruto, having suffered many recent defeats, had gained at least some tactical instinct. "Light, something's off. I think the opponent's setting a trap."
"Sharp as ever, Haruto," Hikaru nodded. "You're right. According to what I know, Gladiator Beasts can perform Contact Fusion—no Polymerization required. Just return Bestiari and another Gladiator Beast to the Deck, and Special Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus from the Extra Deck."
"When Gyzarus is summoned, it can destroy up to two cards on the field. Pretty dangerous."
"…"
The entire research lab went completely silent.
"Wait—how does he know about Gladiator Beasts?"
"He shouldn't! Those cards only exist inside the Professor's Gladiator Camp! They've never been officially released!"
"They're part of the professor's exclusive arsenal—nothing like those ancient junky 'Ancient Gears' the rest of the school uses!"
Indeed, Gladiator Beasts were never released to the public. They were discovered and used exclusively by Reiji Akaba's elite, the true inner circle of the Fusion Army.
"Stop panicking!" the chief barked. "So what if he knows? Doesn't mean he can stop what's coming!"
He glared at the screen, eyes fixed on Hikaru Amagi.
"Light, how did you know that monster's effect?" Haruto asked in awe.
"I'm a duelist in pursuit of Fusion's ultimate truth. There's no Fusion I don't know," Hikaru replied with a casual grin, arms outstretched in confidence.
Fusion mastery…
The purple-haired girl nodded.
Impressive.
"My turn continues. Main Phase 2—I Normal Summon Gem-Knight Citrine."
"And now, using Citrine and Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon—I activate the Spell Card: Fusion Substitute!"
"Fusion Substitute?"
Another card no one in the lab recognized.
"Fusion Substitute counts as Polymerization by name," Hikaru explained. "So you can only run three copies total between this and actual Poly. That aside…"
"It's a Fusion Spell that only uses monsters on the field."
"I fuse Citrine and Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon!"
"You're up, Captain!"
"Fusion Summon! Gem-Knight Prism Aura!"
The blinding knight of radiant gems returned in dazzling light.
Gem-Knight Prism Aura – Level 7 – EARTH – Thunder – ATK 2450
"Fusion Summoning using another Fusion Monster as material…" Haruto swallowed hard. Maybe once I can use an Xyz Monster as Xyz Material, I'll finally be on Light's level…
"Now I activate the effect of Fusion Substitute from the Graveyard! By banishing it, I target a Fusion Monster in my GY, return it to the Extra Deck, and draw one card."
He sent Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon back to the Extra Deck and drew.
"Next, Prism Aura's effect! I discard Gem-Knight Fusion to target one face-up card on your field—Gladiator Beast Bestiari—and destroy it!"
"Hrrnnngghhh!" Andal growled low.
"And I'm not done. I discard Thunder Dragon again to recycle two more copies from the Deck to my hand."
"Whoa…" a researcher muttered. "He just looped everything back to the start…"
"And even swapped to a better Fusion Monster…"
"So strong…"
"Ahem!" The chief coughed loudly.
The awestruck researchers quickly shut up.
"I set one card. Your move," Hikaru ended his turn with a shrug.
The chief inhaled deeply.
"Increase voltage! Increase the parasite's influence! Amplify the Shadow Infection! We absolutely CANNOT lose here! This is a direct order from the Professor!"
"Understood!"
A direct order from the Professor?
The purple-haired girl's curiosity only grew.
She crept inside the lab and plopped herself down cross-legged, staring at the screen like a child watching a show.
She had to see for herself what kind of person could make the Professor act personally.
"GRAAHHHHHRRGHHHH!!" Andal's body convulsed as electricity surged through him. The black smoke thickened, the parasites writhed faster. His already-bloodshot eyes now glowed with a soul-piercing red light.
"AaaaaaAAAAHHHHH!"
"I—MUST—WIN!!" he howled.
Hikaru's expression darkened.
…How despicable.
He reached for the card at his chest, his eyes narrowing sharply.