Chapter 136: Fusion Until the Very End!

"I cover one card and end my turn." Hikari glanced at his hand, placed a card face-down, and looked at his opponent.

"Hmm…" Max took a deep breath.

He hadn't expected that Hikari, using only fusion, could fight this hard even within a Fusion Prohibited Zone.

But that didn't mean he was afraid.

After all, even without using the Fusion Prohibited Zone, he was still a formidable duelist.

"My turn, draw."

He glanced at his hand and laughed aloud: "Good, Hikari—let me see what other tricks you've got."

"I activate the spell card 【a】 Cellular Reorganization Device." A cold smile curled on his lips.

"It seems your special-summoned fusion monster and the markers you barely avoided were all for nothing." He spoke loudly, "You can only activate this by targeting one face-up monster on the field."

"Send one 【Extraterrestrial】 monster from your deck to the graveyard, and place that many 【a】 markers on the targeted monster equal to the level of the sent monster!"

"I send the Extraterrestrial Queen Mother from my deck to the graveyard—its level is 6!"

"That means six 【a】 markers will be placed on your Red Sun Bird!"

Vast quantities of black cells surged from the ground, converging on the Red Sun Bird. It struggled to escape but could not evade the cells' erosion.

"Six markers—but what good will that do?" Sanze Sanze Dadi stared in dread at Hikari's field, where the fusion monster had lost all recognizable form.

"I don't know what it does, but given how confident that duelist is, there must be some hidden effect."

"Hehehe—let me show you right away!" Max raised his hand. "First, activate the effect of the continuous spell card Ancient Ruins: remove two 【a】 markers from your Red Sun Bird, and special summon the Extraterrestrial Queen Mother from the graveyard!"

"Ah! You can directly special summon an upper-level monster?!" Judai shouted.

A strange, incomprehensible sound echoed, accompanied by "Kehahaha—" as a being resembling a female extraterrestrial appeared on Max's field.

Extraterrestrial Queen Mother, Level 6, Dark Attribute, Reptile Type, ATK 2300.

"Just like the Red Sun Bird!"

"Not done yet! I remove two more 【a】 markers from your Red Sun Bird! Special summon Extraterrestrial Avenger from my hand!"

Behind the four-armed female extraterrestrial, a massive, armored extraterrestrial with six arms crashed down from space!

Extraterrestrial Avenger, Level 6, Dark Attribute, Reptile Type, ATK 2200.

"This card can remove two 【a】 markers on the field to directly special summon itself!"

"You've special summoned two upper-level monsters at once?!"

"That professional duelist isn't just bluffing." Wan Wan Zhangmu's expression showed a hint of surprise.

"But their ATK is the same as the Red Sun Bird…" Sanze hesitated. "Hikari should survive this turn."

"Naive!" Max lifted his head and laughed. "Activate Extraterrestrial Avenger's effect: once per turn, place one 【a】 marker on all face-up monsters your opponent controls—"

The Red Sun Bird, having lost so many extraterrestrial cells, was just beginning to recover—when new cells surged onto it again.

"That's it—game over!" Max roared with laughter. "As long as Extraterrestrial Avenger remains on the field, whenever a monster with 【a】 markers battles a monster with 【Extraterrestrial】 in its name, each 【a】 marker reduces its ATK and DEF by 300 points!"

"What?!"

"So those markers aren't just for tributes—they can also lower ATK?!"

"If this attack succeeds… Hikari loses!"

"Ohhh…" The Taylor sisters stared curiously at Hikari.

Is this really the end?

If this is all he's got, he's no match for them.

"Battle!" Max roared. "Attack with Extraterrestrial Queen Mother—"

"Wait."

Max froze mid-motion, nearly stumbling forward.

"I flip over a face-down card: Quick-Play Spell, United Gladiator Beast."

"!!" Max stared at the card, stunned. "Wait—United Gladiator Beast is a fusion spell card for Gladiator Beasts, isn't it?!"

"But my field has a Fusion Prohibited Zone—" he pointed to his own continuous trap card.

"Huh?" Judai couldn't help but frown. "Come to think of it—yes, if a Fusion Prohibited Zone is active, fusion shouldn't be possible."

"Even as a substitute for fusion, United Gladiator Beast shouldn't be able to activate, right?"

"Hmm…" Hearing Judai's question, Sanze had no answer, and turned to Hikari.

He knew Hikari would explain.

"Hehe…" Hearing his friends' doubts, Hikari didn't delay. "You're mistaken. Although it's fusion, and although it's a standard summon, monsters like Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, V-Tornado, and Gladiator Beasts aren't 【Fusion Summoned】."

"Huh?"

"This method—using monsters on the field as materials to directly summon from the Extra Deck—is not 【Fusion Summon】. The fusion monster is treated as 【Fusion Material】, but not as 【Material for Fusion Summon】."

"Huh huh huh?"

It sounded like a tongue twister. Marufuji Ryo was already dizzy. Only Sanze immediately understood; Wan Wan Zhangmu had to repeat it silently.

"Interesting…" Ai De couldn't help speaking. "Is this a rule interpretation?"

"Exactly. These specific fusion monsters follow special rules—the effect of United Gladiator Beast: during either player's Battle Phase, return to the owner's deck the fusion materials specified by a 【Gladiator Beast】 fusion monster from your hand, field, or graveyard. Then, special summon that one fusion monster without conditions!"

"I return Gunner and One-Eyed Fighter from my hand to the deck!"

"Come forth!"

"Gladiator Beast's Glory!"

"Gladiator Beast Caesar!"

Gladiator Beast Caesar, Level 6, Dark Attribute, Bird-Beast Type, ATK 2400.

"So, its effect—you of the Fusion Army—should know it, right?"

"Uh—damn it…" Max growled under his breath.

"When Caesar is successfully special summoned, you can target up to two cards on the field and destroy them."

"Perfect—if you destroy those two monsters now, you win!" Ai De whispered.

"I destroy Extraterrestrial Avenger and the Fusion Prohibited Zone!"

Caesar flapped its wings, targeting the trap and the six-armed extraterrestrial. With a single beat, the cards Hikari selected shattered instantly.

"What?!" Almost everyone was stunned by Hikari's move.

He could've just destroyed both monsters and won outright with direct attack!

But—

Then, suddenly, everyone understood.

"Interesting…" Even Max, his opponent, couldn't help murmuring. "Interesting… until the very end, you only wanted one thing, didn't you?"

"Fine—then let me see your fusion!"

He pressed the button immediately: "End turn!"

"If you can't defeat me this turn, next turn, with Ancient Ruins having gained two markers, I'll revive Extraterrestrial Avenger again—and you won't stand a chance to win!"

"That's not possible, because my next card—" Hikari drew a card from his deck, glanced at it, and smiled instantly. "Here it is—Continuous Spell, Dispersed Fusion!"

"You can only activate this if your opponent has monsters on the field. Send from your deck to the graveyard the fusion materials required for one 【Gem-Knight】 fusion monster that isn't a Rock-Type. Then, fusion summon one Gem-Knight!"

"Wow! He actually drew it!"

"Fusion! This is interesting!"

The two sisters, indifferent to factions, grew excited as Hikari initiated fusion.

"Of course—until the very end, Hikari will stick to fusion!" Judai raised his hand and cheered.

"Even under restrictions, even when sealed, even when victory is within reach—he still chooses this path! No wonder he's him." Wan Wan Zhangmu nodded repeatedly, deeply moved.

Ai De gently closed his phone.

Zhai Wang. It seems I didn't misunderstand—I was simply led here by 【Fate】.

Interesting…

"This is the end. I send Gem-Knight Bai Jing and Gem-Knight Huang Bi to the graveyard, and fusion summon Gem-Knight Light Prism!"

Captain Bai Jing, shining forth!

Gem-Knight Light Prism, Level 7, Earth Attribute, Lei Ming Type, ATK 2450.

"Battle—fusion monsters!"

The fierce bird shrieked, thunder roared. Amid flashes of lightning, firestorms, and howling winds, Max's LP dropped to 0.

Chapter Three, please recommend and vote for monthly tickets~

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(End of Chapter)