Chapter 137

Chimerafflesia was destroyed by Dreadmaster, and after that, Aster turned his gaze to Fighting Flame Dragon.

He didn't know what effect this monster had.

But there was one point Aster was clear about.

That was—

It was FIRE attribute.

FIRE Fusion monster, the Fusion materials were a FIRE Warrior monster and a Dragon monster, and it looked very much like Flame Swordsman.

Clearly, it was another card related to Flame Swordsman.

He could choose not to attack here.

However, in the next turn, Tenjou Hikari's field would still have a FIRE Fusion monster, because in the Standby Phase of the next turn, the Flame Swordsman he sent to the "future" would return to Tenjou Hikari's field.

Since that was the case, just attack.

"Plasma attacks Fighting Flame Dragon!"

Fighting Flame Dragon was bitten by Plasma's right hand and then torn into pieces.

"Then Special Summon, Phantom Flame Swordsman."

The golden-armored swordsman reincarnated several times and appeared on Tenjou Hikari's field once again.

Phantom Flame Swordsman, Level 8, FIRE, Warrior, ATK 2800.

"End turn."

"My turn—draw." Tenjou Hikari's turn.

He glanced at his hand, Substitution Fusion?

He frowned.

Not quite suitable.

"At this moment, Predaplant Chimerafflesia's effect activates! When this card is sent to the Graveyard, activate during the next Standby Phase. Add 1 Spell/Trap card with [Fusion] in its name from the deck to the hand."

!

"A monster effect that can search for Fusion at will!"

"It's truly the most suitable card for Tenjou Hikari."

"Wow—although it's the second time I've seen it, it still makes people sigh. Tenjou Hikari's pursuit of Fusion has reached this point..."

In fact, Tenjou Hikari might not be able to get a Fusion monster with "Fusion" in its name in a few days.

Unfortunately, Tenjou Hikari couldn't use it now.

"I add Fusion Recycling Plant from my deck to my hand. Then, activate it."

Rumble—

A Fusion-exclusive field that many duelists were familiar with appeared around them.

Tenjou Hikari could actually choose other more useful cards, but compared to those, now it was better to redraw cards.

"Activate the effect of Fusion Recycling Plant, discard one card, add one Fusion from the deck/Graveyard to the hand."

Tenjou Hikari took a Fusion from his deck into his hand.

"Then, in the Graveyard, the effect of Substitution Fusion, return Predaplant Chimerafflesia from the Graveyard to the Extra Deck, draw one card."

Tenjou Hikari drew a card.

Re-Fusion.

That's fine, this way he didn't need to use Dragon's Mirror.

"Tierra?"

"Ha... are you doubting me?" Tierra replied with dissatisfaction.

All preparations were ready!

"Then come—"

"Enter the Battle Phase!!"

Tenjou Hikari shouted again: "Use Phantom Flame Swordsman, attack Plasma!"

"Ah? Isn't this suicide?"

"Yes, although Plasma only has 1900 ATK, Aster Phoenix can activate its effect!"

That's right—

Dreadmaster's effect can be activated again!

However, the problem was also here!

If Aster activated Dreadmaster's effect at this time, with only one card in his hand, he wouldn't be able to discard a Destiny HERO from his hand, and at that time, the monster effects on Tenjou Hikari's field would return!

But—if he didn't activate it, Tenjou Hikari using Phantom Flame Swordsman to attack Plasma would also be a certain death situation!

Because he no longer had a future, and all he could rely on was Plasma! If he lost Plasma again...

Inside this card, his father's soul was still alive.

"Activate the monster effect of Destiny HERO - Dreadmaster! Discard one card from my hand, send Destiny HERO - Double Dude from the deck to the Graveyard! Increase the ATK of all Destiny HEROes on the field by 1600!"

Plasma, ATK: 1900 -> 3500.

"But, in this way, you must also shuffle your deck! Aster!"

Tenjou Hikari grasped the core point and pointed at Aster: "When you operate the deck and choose a monster from it to send to the Graveyard, you must shuffle the deck!! And if you cannot keep D-Force on top of the deck after shuffling, Plasma's effect of negating all monster effects on the field will not be able to be retained! Come on, Aster!

Shuffle!

Is it the decision of [Destiny], or your own [decision]!

Bet it on this shuffle!"

Shuffle!

Everyone held their breath, looking nervously at Aster Phoenix. Aster looked at his deck, seemingly a bit fearful, and also as if he were looking forward to it.

Looking forward to what would happen after this "shuffle."

He picked up the deck, didn't let the duel disk's automatic shuffling function activate, but closed his eyes and slowly shuffled his deck.

Everyone looked nervously at his hands, and the Kaiba Corporation's broadcast machine was also accurately aimed at the deck, broadcasting the image to all parts of the station.

As Aster shuffled, D-Force appeared on the deck several times. Its frequency of appearance was very scary. Often, Aster would just shuffle it twice, and it would suddenly appear on the very top.

This was the so-called "favor" of "destiny" for Aster Phoenix.

Suddenly.

Aster stopped his hands.

He instinctively swallowed a breath, then slowly opened his eyes and looked at the top of the deck!

!!!

He widened his eyes.

He couldn't see D-Force, and even...

D-Force seemed to be reversed in color, appearing at the very bottom of his deck!!!

"Ha!" Tenjou Hikari laughed softly, "Battle continues!!!"

"Phantom Flame Swordsman attacks Plasma!!!"

"Phantom Mirror Flying Dragon Flame!!"

Phantom Flame rushed towards the bloodthirsty warrior who was like a demon. The countless souls in his body attacked Phantom Flame like a black hole, but a kind of sacred power seemed to flicker on Phantom Flame's body, resisting those things' invasion.

"Phantom Flame Swordsman's monster effect! At the start of the Damage Step when this card battles an opponent's monster, I can destroy both battling monsters!"

"What?"

"In other words—no matter what Aster does!"

"Plasma will be destroyed!"

The blue flames rushing into the sky swept onto Plasma, and then, a terrifying white light erupted in the sky.

"Ah!!"

All the audience watching this duel screamed instinctively.

And the moment Plasma exploded, Aster was surprised to find that he was actually in a purple space!

Where is this...

"Aster."

Suddenly, a soft call rang out behind him. He widened his eyes, opened his mouth, turned his head, and looked over: "Fa... Father."

In a place he didn't know, a small figure was resting her chin on her hand, watching this scene.

As the [God of Reincarnation and Machines], Tierra exerted her [Authority]!

Liberate the soul, make the soul reincarnate!

"Fa, Father—Father!!" Aster was so excited he could hardly speak.

"Aster, you've grown up." Aster's father looked at him, also seemingly a bit gratified, "Sorry, because of me, you've been trapped in the clock of the past."

"No, I..."

"But now, your stopped time should move forward again!"

"Plasma, I originally thought it was a card I made, but later, when I survived in its body, I realized I was wrong. Just like when President Pegasus made the God cards in the past, I received the revelation of the universe and created that card.

But the true form of that card was not liberated; there was only evil power residing on that card, which is why this situation occurred!"

"You were just trapped by my death, so you didn't notice." He gently hugged Aster, "Don't blame yourself anymore, my proudest child. Defeating D.D., defeating the card, is not killing me a second time, but completely saving us souls who were swallowed.

You are a true hero, Aster!

Aster, defeat the evil and take back the true form of that card!"

Unknowingly, Aster's tears had completely moistened.

The Light of Destruction struggled hard; it wanted to erode this human body more than anything, because this body had incomparable plasticity. But as Aster's father's soul appeared, as he told Aster his true thoughts, this natural-born hero finally regained the pride that belonged to him.

Father—watch me!

The next moment, he suddenly appeared on the duel stage again. He took a deep breath, wiped away his tears, but a smile hung on the corner of his mouth: "Amazing, Department Head Tenjou!"

"However, because Phantom Flame Swordsman was destroyed in this way, it was destroyed by its own effect, so it cannot be revived!"

Indeed.

Tenjou Hikari looked at his hand.

"Activate the Spell card, Re-Fusion, pay 800 life points, revive Fighting Flame Dragon from the Graveyard."

Tenjou Hikari LP: 2600 -> 1800.

Fighting Flame Dragon, Level 5, FIRE, Dragon, ATK 1700.

"Set one card, end turn."

"My turn, draw!"

"At this moment, Flame Swordsman crosses the torrent of the future and returns to my field!"

Flame Swordsman, Level 5, FIRE, Warrior, DEF 1600.

Aster drew a card suddenly: "Ha, the card I drew is, Spell card, Pot of Avarice, return 5 monster cards from the Graveyard to the deck, draw two cards!"

"Diamond Guy, Departed, Dreadmaster, Denier... and, Destiny HERO - Plasma, return to the deck, draw two cards!"

5 monsters returned to Aster's deck, and his deck began to shuffle quickly again.

A moment later, the deck shuffle ended.

Through the color of the cards, he saw that D-Force was still at the very bottom of the deck!

Heh.

He finished drawing the cards and looked at the two cards.

One was... a Trap card with Plasma printed on it that he had never seen before.

Trap card, Break the Destiny!!

He clenched his fist. This must be the card his father had just placed in his deck! This card was telling him not to give up.

Then—the other one was... the card leading to victory!

"Activate the Normal Spell card, Pot of Desires! Target a total of two cards in my/opponent's Graveyard. Return those cards to the owner's deck. This card is banished after activation. I return Phantom Flame Swordsman in your Graveyard and Pot of Greed in my Graveyard to the deck! In this way, Department Head Tenjou, you have no way to exert the power of Black Flame Knight after evolution!"

"Dreadmaster, attack the returning Flame Swordsman! Defeat the card that symbolizes the Department Head's soul!"

"Ha—how could I let you defeat it so easily!" Tenjou Hikari grinned, "It is, after all, the card that crossed time, the future, crossed countless hardships, met me, and represents the starting point of my [Fusion]!

It [is] my [Ace Monster]!"

"Activate Trap card—Fusion Copy!"

The Trap card slowly flipped open, with the scene of Magical Scientist and his creation of Instant Fusion printed on it.

Aster was stunned for a moment.

"This card can only be activated once per turn. You can target 1 [Fusion] Normal or Quick-Play Spell card in your or your opponent's Graveyard. Banish that Spell card and apply the effect of that Spell card when it is activated."

"My Graveyard." Aster looked at his Graveyard.

Could it be!

"That's right, Aster—what I want to choose is your [Fusion]!"

"Destiny, HERO, these are all fine, I don't care, but you have long been a member of my Fusion Department, and you have long been my friend! So, now, let me use your [Fusion]!"

"Activate the effect of Fusion Copy, copy Fusion!"

"Fuse Flame Swordsman, who crossed [Destiny], and Fighting Flame Dragon!"

The fire dragon spun crazily on Flame Swordsman's body.

"Those two Fusion monsters are starting to fuse??"

"Fusion of Fusion monsters..."

"Continue the fusion of Fighting Flame Dragon, which was fused from Flame Swordsman?"

Countless people swallowed their saliva, waiting for this scene.

Flame Swordsman wasn't as sloppy as usual this time. He slowly raised his giant sword, which was already several times wider than a normal Flame Swordsman's, and the armor on his body slowly cracked, then was covered with wider and more vivid armor.

Just as Tierra said, he and Phantom Flame should have been able to evolve long ago.

Phantom Flame didn't want to evolve into a monster other than a Fusion monster and become a Fusion support monster.

And Flame Sword was because the energy was too huge!

"The Fusion conditions are... [Flame Swordsman] and [Fighting Flame Dragon]!"

Aster was surprised: "Fusion that specifies Fusion materials?"

Tenjou Hikari seemed to have not used this kind of Fusion monster for a long time.

However—

This was the original appearance of Fusion!

Tenjou Hikari raised both hands, flames burned on his hands, and then he clenched his hands tightly.

"Swordsman who controls flames, fire dragon who controls the giant sword!"

"Gather the power of Fusion and turn into a brand new form to guard by my side!"

"My most trusted partner—"

"Fusion Summon!"

"My partner, my friend, my symbol!"

"Level 8! Ultimate Flame Swordsman!"

Boom!!!

The flames rushed into the sky, burning away all the blood color!

Ultimate Flame Swordsman, Level 8, FIRE, Warrior, ATK 2800!

Looking at the burning longsword, the giant dragon circling the swordsman, and the swordsman's determined face, Aster was a little dazed for a while.

[I chose Fusion, you chose HERO, we are not different.]

He seemed to hear such a voice.

"Ha..." That's right—

He suddenly remembered.

Did he choose HERO because of his father's death?

No, he was just a child, holding HERO cards and playing happily, when his father went to create Destiny HEROes!

"2800... huh, battle continues, Dreadmaster attacks Ultimate Flame Swordsman!!"

He faced the raging fire and laughed: "Activate Dreadmaster's effect, discard one card from my hand, send 1 Destiny HERO from the deck to the Graveyard, increase its ATK by 800!"

Dreadmaster, ATK: 2000 -> 2800.

"The attack power has also reached 2800!"

"Wow..."

Although the attack power was both 2800, the two played out special effects that the surrounding audience couldn't believe.

Along with Aster's shout, Dreadmaster threw away all the chains that had been wrapped around his body. At this moment, it finally chose not to hide itself anymore!

And the power of that hero bloomed completely on him, turning into a rainbow-like brilliance, attacking Ultimate Flame Swordsman.

At this moment, even facing a more powerful warrior, he had to try his best!

This is the hero of [Dread]!

"Ha..." Tenjou Hikari also replied with a smile, "Then, Aster, I will also fight back! At the start of the Damage Step when Ultimate Flame Swordsman battles, its ATK doubles, and it is destroyed in the End Phase!"

"It actually doubles?" Aster was stunned for a moment.

Ultimate Flame Swordsman, ATK: 2800 -> 5600.

"Wow!! 5600!"

"Surpassed Five-Headed Dragon!!"

Countless audience members exclaimed.

From the two sides of the duel, to the impact of the duel's beliefs, to the life-and-death gossip in the professional duelist circle, and finally, to the various cards that no one had ever seen before!

For the students who could only shrink in the station and dared not explore outside, this duel was not only fun, but even encouraged them!

In this way, Ultimate Flame's attack power completely surpassed Dreadmaster!

"It doesn't matter, continue the attack, Dreadmaster, let him see our spirit!"

"Counterattack! Flame Sword!"

Boom—

Like a comet hitting the earth, the weapons of the two warriors collided. The wind giant sword in Dreadmaster's hand spun crazily, wanting to blow away the flames, while Flame Swordsman's flames were like undying fire—the more the wind blew, the more the fire raged! Finally, the flames passed through Dreadmaster and spread to Aster's body.

Aster, LP: 2400 -> 0.

Ha—

Aster laughed again.

He felt his heart pounding.

Then, he couldn't help but shake his head.

Really, what exactly was he getting so hot-blooded about.