Chapter 260: Irrelevant Destruction

"My turn."

After drawing his card, Hikari Tenjo revealed a card from his left hand: "Normal Summon, Elemental Hero Prism Man."

"Ah, before that, I'll pay 1000 Life Points to activate this card." Ex pushed his glasses up and flipped his face-down card: "Continuous Trap Card, Monster Counter."

Ex LP: 4000 → 3000.

At the same time, Prism Man successfully landed on Hikari's field, glowing with luminescence.

Elemental Hero Prism Man, Level 4, Light Attribute, Warrior Type, ATK 1700.

"At this moment, the effect of Monster Counter activates." Ex recited the card's effect without emotion: "When a monster is Normal or Special Summoned, both players send the top cards from their decks equal to that monster's Level to the graveyard."

"Since Prism Man is Level 4, both players must send the top four cards from their decks to the graveyard."

"Uh, is this deck destruction?" Sanzawa Daichi recognized the card; as a walking encyclopedia of Duel Monsters, he immediately grasped Ex's strategy.

"But if you do that, won't that guy's deck get destroyed too?" Judai raised a question.

"No." Aid shook his head. "Only Hikari Tenjo will lose cards."

"Why?"

At that moment, Ex began explaining the effect: "Unfortunately, as long as Trap Interferer is face-up in attack position, the controller of this card is unaffected by Continuous Trap Card effects."

At first glance, it seemed like a monster immune to Trap Cards.

But look closer—and you'll realize this thing is insane.

Because this card's effect doesn't target "itself," but the "player."

Therefore, as long as this card is on the field, the duelist who summoned it can ignore effects like "Proper Announcement" that force hand disclosure, ignore "All Kinds of Differences" that dictate summoning conditions, and even bypass "Summoning Limiter" to perform a free Special Summon each turn.

A cartoonish cash register with a giant mouth appeared on Ex's field, then licked Hikari's deck.

Immediately, the top four cards from Hikari's deck were sent to the graveyard.

"That's cheating! You don't lose any cards, yet you destroy your opponent's!"

"Wow, now you can win easily without even using a monster."

Hikari glanced at the four cards sent to the graveyard, picked one up: "Activate the effect of Falcon in the graveyard: when this card is sent to the graveyard by an effect, it can be Special Summoned in face-down defense position."

Hum—

On Hikari's field, a gem wrapped in purple, ominous puppet strings lay quietly dormant.

"Since it was Special Summoned face-down, your Trap Card effect cannot activate." Hikari added.

This made Ex slightly embarrassed.

"No wonder Hikari—he instantly understood his opponent's strategy and made the right move." Sanzawa nodded repeatedly.

"Now, I activate Prism Man's effect: once per turn, I can reveal one Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, then send one card from my deck with that monster's name to the graveyard, and this card's name becomes that monster's."

"I reveal the Fusion Monster Super Thunder Dragon—Lei Long, and send Lei Long from my deck to the graveyard."

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Thunder Dragon Fusion!"

Hikari played the Fusion: "This card can return monsters from the field, graveyard, or banished zone to the deck to Fusion Summon a Thunder-Type monster!"

"I return the 【Lei Long】 on the field and the 【Lei Long】 in the graveyard to the deck, and Fusion Summon! Super Thunder Dragon—Lei Long!"

Zzzzz—

Electricity gathered, then—

Boom!

A bolt of lightning crashed from above, summoning a black lightning dragon on the field, already as tall as a human.

Super Thunder Dragon—Lei Long, Level 8, Dark Attribute, Thunder Type, ATK 2600.

"Recycling cards for Fusion?! That's astonishing—but now you'll discard eight more cards!" Ex commanded the nearby cash register, which snatched eight entire cards from Hikari's deck in one gulp.

"Damn! Even with card recycling, his deck is still being decimated!"

"So—so brutal! This is ridiculous!"

Even spectators among the students winced in pain.

If they were the ones dueling, watching their own cards vanish without any action, their morale would likely collapse.

"Many professional duelists who faced that guy eventually gave up dueling," Aid added, watching the scene. "Deck destruction robs duelists of their bonds. For those who deeply believe in their deck's connections, it's a devastating blow."

"Hehehehe…" Ex adjusted his glasses. "I've seen many duelists who believed fiercely in bonds, who trusted their decks above all else."

"Hikari Tenjo, lately you've been called the Absolute Fusionist—someone who deeply believes in Fusion. How fascinating. How exhilarating—to duel someone like you!"

"Hmph…" Hikari said nothing, just watched the eight cards go to the graveyard.

He checked the eight cards sent there.

Fine.

"Battle—use Super Thunder Dragon to attack—"

"Not so fast! Activate Continuous Trap Card, Super Gravity Net! Monsters Level 4 or higher cannot attack."

"Oh no! Now Hikari can't even reduce your Life Points through direct attacks!"

"Worst possible situation!"

The atmosphere around them grew tense.

Hikari glanced briefly.

Twelve cards in the graveyard—actually, not bad. There were quite a few good cards in there.

But since Super Gravity Net is active, I'll deal with it next turn.

"Place two cards face-down. End turn."

"Hikari seems awfully relaxed."

"But he's already lost twelve cards to the graveyard!"

"Even with recycling, his deck is shrinking fast!"

The students murmured among themselves.

Among them, Judai—who usually had the biggest heart and loved dueling most—was now the most nervous. He didn't speak, kept swallowing nervously, sweat dripping from his forehead, hands trembling as he rubbed them together.

This scene felt almost cruel to him.

On the other side, Hikari's calmness threw the professional duelist X—who took pleasure in shattering others' bonds—off balance.

What's going on?

His deck is being destroyed like this—and he's not even flinching?

"Draw card—"

He himself began doubting.

Could it be… this guy doesn't care about his deck at all—

No.

Unless—

He looked at Hikari's deck.

Then he glanced down.

Hahaha. I get it.

Because he cares about 【Fusion】.

Then I'll use these cards!

Destroy his Extra Deck!

Chapter Two, Chapter Two: The Second Heavenly Martial Arts Tournament—Lei Jing fell—though I don't think Lei Jing was weak; it's just that Lei Jing only has Bing Wa to use endlessly, and there are too many Level Four masters.

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(End of Chapter)