Chapter 96: Psychological Inertia (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Heh heh. Your confidence ends right here." The duelist opposite placed a card face-down. "End turn."

"Kneel before the great Phantom Demon Cards!"

"Kneel? You look like you're the one about to drop to your knees at any moment." Tenjou Hikari shook his head, drew a card from his deck, glanced at it, and revealed one. "I pay 1000 Life Points to activate the Magic Card, Instant Fusion, and Special Summon Relinquished!"

Relinquished: Level 1, DARK Attribute, Spellcaster Type, ATK 0.

Tenjou Hikari LP: 4000 → 3000

Since it isn't affected by Trap Cards, he would just use a Monster Effect directly.

"Haha." Just then, the masked man flipped his face-down card. "Thinking of using Relinquished to devour Uria, Lord of Searing Flames? Don't dream of it! I activate the Trap Card, Fusion Failure!"

"Activate when a Fusion Monster is Special Summoned successfully. Return all Fusion Monsters on the field to the Extra Deck."

Tenjou Hikari looked at the card and raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, honestly, I almost feel sorry for this demon," Tierra remarked sarcastically from the side. "'Fusion Failure'? Isn't he from the Combined Department? Why would he use such a card?"

In this world, beyond basic deck construction, a duelist's strategy, philosophy, and attitude toward cards all influenced their "rating" in the eyes of humans, society, and spirits.

Fusion Failure wasn't some strange card; just as Wan Wan Zhangmu had cards like Hell Polymer to steal others' Fusion Monsters.

But for a duelist whose main theme was "Fusion" to voluntarily include a card like Fusion Failure made him seem impure, no matter how one looked at it in this world.

"Because the number of Trap Cards in my Graveyard has increased, Uria's Attack Points rise again."

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames: ATK 3000 → 4000.

As Uria's Attack Points rose, he appeared to be in even greater pain than before.

Tenjou Hikari shrugged, ignoring Tierra's comment, glanced at the cards in his hand, and suddenly smiled.

Professor Cronos had finally gotten it for him yesterday.

He had only watched others use it before; this time, he could finally enjoy using it himself properly.

"I activate the Equip Magic Card, Future Fusion!"

Tenjou Hikari held up the card. "By sending Fusion Materials from my Deck to the Graveyard to perform a Fusion Summon and equip this card: when this card is destroyed, destroy that Fusion Monster."

"I send Ancient Gear Golem and Ancient Gear Knight from my Deck to the Graveyard."

"Knight of Steel, now become flesh, merge with the ancient giant, and transform into the ultimate machine!"

"Fusion Summon! Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem!"

Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem: Level 10, EARTH Attribute, Machine Type, ATK 4400.

"Tch, just playing cheap tricks," the masked man sneered coldly. "Monsters Special Summoned by Future Fusion cannot attack during the turn they are Special Summoned. You can only watch helplessly."

That was true enough.

"End turn."

"My turn. I activate the Magic Card, Pot of Greed, to draw two cards." The masked man pointed at Uria on the field. "Next, Uria, attack my enemy!"

"High-Energy Air Absorption."

"Counterattack, Ultimate Golem! Ultimate Smash!"

Uria took a deep breath and exhaled a powerful wind pressure, but despite Uria's immense power, his Attack Points were inferior to the Ultimate Golem's, leaving him no choice but to harbor resentment.

"He actually destroyed his own card voluntarily?" Tierra watched in amazement as the crimson dragon was punched away by the Ultimate Golem, slightly surprised.

Masked Man LP: 4000 → 3600.

Tenjou Hikari nodded. "It seems that Uria also has that effect."

In the original work, Uria, Lord of Searing Flames possessed the powerful effect of being able to be Special Summoned from the Graveyard by discarding a Trap Card while in the Graveyard, making him virtually immortal; however, after the O-ization, this strongest and most unique ability disappeared.

But now, judging by the appearance of that student opposite, clearly, this Uria also possessed that effect.

"I activate the effect of Uria, Lord of Searing Flames! When this card is in the Graveyard, I can discard one Continuous Trap Card to revive it! I discard Soul Resurrection. Revive, Uria!"

"Due to Uria's revival, the number of Trap Cards in the Graveyard increases again!"

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames: ATK 4000 → 5000.

"Tenjou Hikari, I know exactly what you're planning. Next turn, you intend to use Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem's Attack Points to destroy Uria, then use other monsters to deal 4000 points of damage and defeat me directly, correct?" He chuckled coldly. "Heh heh heh, I won't give you that chance. I place one card face-down. End turn!"

"Tenjou Hikari, this guy keeps trying to stop you, doesn't he?" Tierra suddenly became interested. "He seems to know you well and even fears you a bit. Doesn't that mean we can trick him into destroying this?"

"We can, but we need to confirm a few more things first."

Tenjou Hikari stroked his chin, and after speaking with Tierra, remembered something else.

Was even this revival effect a weakened version?

Now, Tenjou Hikari was more or less certain.

The Uria card in the opponent's hand was likely not a "true" God Card.

Similar situations existed in the original work; designers at Industrial Illusions had stolen replica cards of "The Winged Dragon of Ra" that Pegasus had specifically left behind.

Logically, the God Cards vanished from the world after the "Nameless Pharaoh" departed, but Pegasus, for research purposes, prepared replicas, never expecting his own company's designers to steal and use them.

Replicating God Cards or rare cards wasn't uncommon in the original work, as those powerful Monster Cards possessed great power; throughout history, countless people had attempted to replicate God Cards, but most were sanctioned by the power of the gods.

Using such cards came with a price.

Just as in the original work, not just anyone could use the God Cards; similarly, the Phantom Demon Cards couldn't be used "just anywhere." Even Shadow Marufuji, the original holder of the three Phantom Demons, could only use the cards within the confines of the "Seven Stars Gate." Although he could summon the Phantom Demons and even absorb the life force of cards worldwide, he was confined to the Seven Stars Gate.

This was precisely why he wanted to engage Judai in a Darkness Duel—he aimed to absorb and inherit Judai's power to control spirits through the Darkness Duel, allowing him to take the three Phantom Demons anywhere in the world.

And now, outside the range of the Seven Stars Gate, using such cards wasn't easy. Tenjou Hikari looked around; it seemed this thin, fog-like substance was specifically designed for simulation.

Moreover, the Phantom Demon Cards were inherently "evil," actively absorbing the life force of other spirits. Now, the masked man looked completely haggard, as if a single gust of wind could kill him.

It was Tenjou Hikari's turn. He drew a card and selected one from his hand.

"I activate the Continuous Magic Card, Swordshine..."

Beautiful!

Shen Shen Leban, hiding in the shadows and watching the duel, shouted excitedly upon seeing the card.

By utilizing Swordshine's effect, he could Special Summon Flame Swordsman directly; then, using Swordshine's effect again to boost Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem's Attack Points, he could defeat that terrifying monster.

"I activate Swordshine's effect, sending Gem-Knight White Crystal from my hand to the Graveyard." Tenjou Hikari sent the card to the Graveyard.

"Too naive, Tenjou Hikari!" His opponent decisively flipped a Trap at that moment. "Trap Card, Dust Tornado!"

"Target one Magic or Trap Card on your opponent's field to activate. Destroy that opponent's card!"

"Disappear, Swordshine!"

"Aaaaaah—" Shen Shen Leban clutched his head, rolling wildly on the ground in the woods. "It's over, it's over! Not only did he discard a card, but it was destroyed, preventing the summon of Flame Swordsman. Most importantly, because a card was discarded, Uria's Attack Points increased further!"

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames: ATK 5000 → 6000.

"Oh!" Tierra, watching Tenjou Hikari's hand from the side, suddenly beamed with joy. "Just as I expected. Tenjou Hikari, it's time to set this card!"

"Mm."

Tenjou Hikari selected a card from his hand and placed it face-down.

"End turn."

"Hahaha." The masked man drew a card, saw Tenjou Hikari's face-down card, and couldn't help but burst into laughter, as if he had regained some strength in a short time. "Tenjou Hikari, surely you haven't been so intimidated by Uria's power that you're mentally and physically exhausted?"

"Don't forget, Uria possesses a special ability!"

"I activate Uria's effect! Once per turn, destroy one face-down Magic or Trap Card on your opponent's field!"

"Wuhu, interesting! He fell for it, he fell for it!" Tierra, who had been commenting from the side, shouted excitedly. "He's being so cooperative! He was so focused on destroying, he didn't stop to think why the card was set in the first place!"

Although she wasn't the one physically playing the cards, she had been thinking and making choices throughout the process; seeing the opponent use a card-destroying effect just as she had predicted, she immediately cheered.

That's just how new players are.

Tenjou Hikari directly revealed the card in his Graveyard. "The card you destroyed is the Normal Trap—Snake Whistle!"

"Eh?!"

"This card can be activated when this face-down card is banished or sent to the Graveyard by an opponent's effect! Special Summon one Monster from the Deck or Extra Deck!"

"Ah!" The masked man's expression changed.

"Wow!" Upon hearing this, Shen Shen Leban stopped rolling on the ground, jumped up immediately, and shouted excitedly, "It's Relinquished!"

Third update, seeking monthly tickets~

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(End of Chapter)