"The first card—Spell Card, Over-Future Fusion!" Hikaru Amagi revealed a Continuous Spell Card. "With this card, I can reveal one Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck and send its Fusion Materials to the Graveyard. I reveal Meteor Black Dragon!"
"Meteor Black Dragon?" Atticus Rhodes (Fubuki Tenjoin) lit up with surprise and amusement.
"Didn't expect that one. Hikaru, you really added that to combo with my cards, didn't you?"
Hikaru gave a slight nod.
On the other side of the field, Ancient Dragon ducked its head and whispered to its teammate, asking why it hadn't triggered their set trap. The angry Peacock of Nine Serpents snapped back: they'd spring it once the Fusion Monster hit the field—strike when it matters.
"The Fusion Materials are Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Meteor Dragon. I send Meteor Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard." Hikaru didn't slow down. "Next, I play the second card—Spell Card, Future Fusion!"
"This card lets me choose a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, send its materials from the Deck to the Graveyard, and conduct the Fusion Summon on a future turn! That monster can't attack this turn."
Hikaru opened his Extra Deck and revealed the monster:
"I choose Gem-Knight Prism Aura!"
"I send Gem-Knight Crystal and Thunder Dragon from the Deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon— Gem-Knight Prism Aura!"
Gem-Knight Prism Aura? Atticus blinked, surprised.
He had access to Future Fusion… and didn't go for Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem?
That was the kind of move you saved Future Fusion for—power plays. Not to mention Gem-Knights had alternate support spells like Brilliant Fusion or Fragment Fusion. Why waste this card?
Gem-Knight Prism Aura – Level 7, EARTH, Thunder-Type, ATK 2450.
"A Thunder Dragon in the Fusion Material!"
Voices from the nearby young Spirits chimed in.
So that was it.
Atticus smirked.
Looks like I got upstaged… and by a rookie, no less. Should've been me stealing the show in style.
"Prism Aura has an effect: once per turn, I can discard a Gem-Knight card to destroy a face-up card on the field. You want to destroy my Dark Simorgh, don't you?" Nine Serpent Peacock scoffed, raising its beak. "Naive. We are the Guardians of the Mountain—we know that card."
"Trap Card, open! Icarus Attack!"
"I Tribute my Harpie Channeler to target two cards on the field and destroy them!"
Hikaru narrowed his eyes.
"Then I activate my own Trap in response!" He turned to Atticus. "Senpai, I'm using your card!"
"Go nuts!" Atticus beamed. "Continuous Trap—Red-Eyes Burn! While I control a Red-Eyes monster, I can target a Normal Monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it!"
"Come forth—Meteor Dragon!"
A red-scaled meteor-like dragon burst down from the sky, crashing into the field like a falling star.
"But the destruction continues!" Nine Serpent Peacock snarled.
Feathers like spears surged forward and impaled the opposing side of the field. Both Hikaru's Prism Aura and the freshly activated Future Fusion were torn apart by the violent gusts of destruction.
"Since Future Fusion was destroyed, so is the Fusion Monster it summoned!"
BOOM—
Gem-Knight Prism Aura shattered on impact.
"Wha—he just summoned that Fusion and it's already gone?!"
"Big bro Peacock looks pissed today…"
Peacock raised its elegant neck and growled, "For trespassers to wander into our sacred Mountain, blabbing about 'teaching children'... The only mercy is that we haven't flung you into the canyon yet to let the storm rip you apart!"
...Yup. He's the pissed-off kindergarten teacher type, Atticus thought, chuckling awkwardly.
Then he grinned. "But hey, whether we're just bragging or not—you'll find out soon, Spirit. My junior still has four cards in hand."
"Four? Wait—those are all Spell Cards? And he's still fusing?!"
"Of course!" Hikaru roared. "I activate the Spell—De-Fusion Fusion!"
"This card counts as Polymerization, but only allows Fusion Summons using monsters on the field!"
"What!?" Ancient Dragon and Nine Serpent Peacock both yelped.
So that's his plan…
Atticus finally saw the shape of Hikaru's turn.
Because he'd already seen the face-down Red-Eyes Burn, he'd planned ahead. Each Fusion play used a Normal Monster, leaving him ways to combo off. First he baited out the trap with Prism Aura, forcing them to waste their resources. Even with only Fusion Spells, his play was tight, calculated.
"I fuse the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Meteor Dragon on my field!"
"The Black Dragon that represents possibility—"
"A legendary beast—"
"Meteor Black Dragon!!!"
ROOOAAARRR!!!
A colossal black dragon laced in molten lava flames crashed down, its searing body cracking the earth beneath. Older Spirits rushed to shield the younger ones.
Meteor Black Dragon – Level 8, FIRE, Dragon-Type, ATK 3500.
"Whoa!!!"
"He summoned two Fusions with three cards!"
"That's not the kind of Fusion the big sisters and brothers usually show us!"
Surrounded by cheering young Spirits, Hikaru grinned. "But that's not all! Next—by banishing De-Fusion Fusion from the Graveyard, I return a Fusion Monster from my Graveyard to the Extra Deck and draw a card!"
"I return Gem-Knight Prism Aura to the Extra Deck… and draw one!"
"Now—Spell Card, Thunder Dragon Fusion!"
"Thunder Dragon Fusion?!"
"Wha—no way!?"
Even the massive Thunder King Dragon looked over, sparks dancing in its eyes.
"This lets me return Fusion Materials listed on a Thunder Fusion Monster from my field, Graveyard, or banished zone to the Deck and Fusion Summon that Thunder monster!"
"Same Fusion conditions—Gem-Knight + Thunder-Type!"
"I return Gem-Knight Crystal and Thunder Dragon from my Graveyard—Fusion Summon again!"
"Return to me—Gem-Knight Prism Aura!!!"
CRASH!
Captain White Crystal was reborn once again, planted firm before Hikaru.
Seeing the card rise from the grave like that—again—Tiella visibly shuddered, clearly remembering less fond experiences with the undead and resurrection.
"Whoa! He fused again!"
"He even revived a Fusion Monster he'd already lost!"
The golden thunderball, previously bouncing around, suddenly hovered still in awe.
"I discard Gem-Knight Fusion from my hand—activate Prism Aura's effect! Destroy the face-up Dark Simorgh!"
FLASH—
The light refracted from Prism Aura's shield, lancing through the shadowy bird's feathers, vaporizing it in a burst of purifying radiance.
"Whoa…" Ancient Dragon murmured, his claws shielding his snout. "What a terrifying Fusion Duelist…"
Even Nine Serpent Peacock was stunned into silence, lost in thought as he stared at Hikaru—notably, still glaring daggers at Atticus.