Chapter 64: You Got Played

"I activate the Continuous Magic Card: Ancient Mechanical City!"

Boom and rumble, the classical medieval castle slowly rose behind Shinrin Yō, and Kuronosu, seeing this familiar card, finally breathed a slight sigh of relief inside.

"As long as this card remains on the field, place one counter on it each time you perform a Normal Summon. Also, as long as it remains on the field, the Attack Power of all Ancient Mechanical monsters on the field increases by 300 points."

"I Normal Summon, Ancient Mechanical Hound!"

Ancient Mechanical Hound ATK: 1000 → 1300

Shinrin Yō Normal Summoned the Hound from his hand, and it bit Tenjou Hikari again.

Tenjou Hikari LP: 3400 → 2800.

2800.

Shinrin Yō stared at his hand, frowning deeply.

The Hound's Attack Power is 1300; to win this turn, he needs at least another 1500 Attack Points.

Next...

He glanced at his hand cards.

In his hand were two monsters and one "Double Summon": the two monsters were Ancient Mechanical Chariot Soldier and Ancient Mechanical Wyvern. The former can be Special Summoned from the hand without conditions whenever it is Normal or Special Summoned, allowing him to Special Summon one 【Ancient Mechanical】 monster from his hand; the latter, when Normal or Special Summoned, can add one Ancient Mechanical card from his deck to his hand.

But...

He looked at the three face-down cards on Tenjou Hikari's field.

When Tenjou Hikari Normal Summoned the Hound just now, he made no move at all—not even checking his cards—so his face-down cards must still be...

Flame Sword Dance?

That Trap Card which, upon Special Summoning, covers an opponent's monster and allows Special Summoning Flame Swordsman or Black Flame Knight!

"Hehe, I activate the Magic Card: Double Summon! This turn, I may perform another Normal Summon." Shinrin Yō laughed loudly, then revealed the card in his hand, "I Normal Summon, Ancient Mechanical Wyvern, and activate its effect: add one Ancient Mechanical Chariot from my deck to my hand!"

"During the turn I activate this effect, I cannot set any cards."

A mechanical wyvern covered entirely in gears landed before him.

Ancient Mechanical Wyvern, Level 4, Earth Attribute, Machine Type, Attack Power 1700 → 2000.

Perfect—add the 600 Attack Points from the Equip Magic Card Ancient Mechanical Chariot, and this turn I'm definitely...

"Foolish." As he silently calculated and gloated, Wan Wan Wan Zhangmu, standing among the spectators, let out a quiet hum and even shook his head unconsciously.

"Huh, Wan Wan Wan Zhangmu, what do you mean?!" Xiang couldn't help asking.

"That Shinrin senpai got tricked," Sanze Sanze Dadi beside him also shook his head.

!??

Hearing their murmurs, Shinrin Yō instinctively froze his actions.

"Xiang, you remember, right?" Sanze, ever eager to teach, saw Xiang still didn't understand and began explaining, "What's Tenjou's most commonly used Trap Card?"

"Of course... Flame Sword Dance! It can directly Fusion Summon a monster, cover a card, and even if destroyed, it can Special Summon Flame Swordsman using a face-down monster on your field—it's Tenjou's soul card, isn't it?"

"Exactly. It's a Trap Card combining Fusion and disruption, symbolizing Tenjou Hikari's mindset toward Fusion Traps," Wan Wan Wan Zhangmu crossed his arms and nodded slightly. "Clearly, Shinrin Yō thought of this too—so he summoned this monster... instead of Special Summoning."

"He fell for it. Hikari probably didn't set that card."

What!?

Shinrin widened his eyes.

"Hikari placed Cyber Dragon and Metaphys Fortress Dragon into his deck last turn—even returned Metaphys Fortress Dragon back to the Fusion Deck. That means next turn, Hikari intends to continue fusing his Machine-type monsters on the field."

"The face-down monster on your field can't serve as Fusion material," Caesar added.

"Then—" Xiang stared at Tenjou Hikari's face-down card.

Could it be!?

"... Anyway, I activate the Magic Card: Ancient Mechanical Chariot, equip it to Ancient Mechanical Wyvern! Now its Attack Power rises to 2600!"

"Then, I enter the Battle Phase!"

He gritted his teeth—if he attacked now, he'd win—

"I've been waiting for this moment! I reveal my face-down card!" Tenjou Hikari smirked, no longer hiding anything—he flipped the card open, "Unite! Gladiator Beast!"

"Gladiator Beast!?" Shinrin Yō's face turned pale.

The school representative behind him also went rigid.

They knew what 【Gladiator Beast】 was!

"What's going on—this face-down card is—"

"This card can only be activated once per turn. During the turn you activate this card, you cannot declare an attack with any 【Gladiator Beast】 monster. Of course, since it's activated during your turn, it doesn't matter."

"It can only be activated during your or your opponent's Battle Phase. From your hand, field, or graveyard, return the Fusion Materials required by a 【Gladiator Beast】 Fusion Monster to their owner's deck, then Special Summon that one Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck without conditions!"

"Could it be—that—" he stared at Tenjo Kou's hand card and couldn't help crying out in instinctive fear.

"Exactly!" Tenjou Hikari waved his hand, "I return Gladiator Beast Spear and Gladiator Beast Monoculus to my deck! Special Summon, Gladiator Beast Caesar!"

A heavily armored warrior, feathers on his head, fierce and battle-hardened, slowly appeared!

Gladiator Beast Caesar, Level 6, Dark Attribute, Bird-Beast Type, Attack Power 2400 points.

"Damn... terrible..." Shinrin Yō clearly recognized this card and understood exactly what had happened, "You only had two cards in hand—that means..."

"Heh... you finally get it. Activate Caesar's effect: when this card is Special Summoned, you can destroy up to two cards on the field. I destroy your Ancient Mechanical City and this face-down card on my field—"

Boom!

The classical castle slowly crumbled, and simultaneously, one of Tenjou Hikari's face-down cards exploded—flipping open to reveal "Exchange Fusion"!

"He got played," Wan Wan Wan Zhangmu shook his head.

He had Ancient Mechanical Wyvern—and still ended up like this.

"Alright, senpai, your Ancient Mechanical City is destroyed, so your monsters' Attack Power reverts to their original values," Tenjou Hikari waved his hand dismissively. "Your Wyvern at 2300 isn't a match for Caesar."

"Besides, you can't set any cards this turn... though you don't have any anyway."

"Then, my turn!"

Tenjou Hikari didn't spare Shinrin Yō any courtesy—he drew a card from his deck without even looking: "I reveal my face-down card: Fusion Soldier!"

"According to its effect, by revealing the Fusion Monster Cyber Twin Dragon, you can Special Summon one Fusion Material from your deck or graveyard. Return to me, Cyber Dragon!"

"Fusion Soldier..."

He set three cards—and all were illusions!

"This is the end—hand over your Machine-type monsters!"

"Descend, Metaphys Fortress Dragon!"

Metaphys Fortress Dragon, ATK: 3000!

"Direct Attack! Fall before true Fusion!"

Shinrin Yō LP: 4000 → 0!

Requesting recommendations, requesting monthly tickets~

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(End of Chapter)