Chapter 77: Fivefold Fusion!

“This is my full power!”

Asuka activated her operation and revealed another card from her hand. A green magic card shimmered with flowing golden light.

“Magic Card: ‘Preparation of the Ritual’!”

“Add one Ritual Monster of level seven or lower from your deck to your hand, then select one Ritual Magic Card from your graveyard and add it to your hand!”

She drew from her deck, fanned it out, swiftly selected a card, and displayed it.

“I add level-six ‘Cyber Angel - Vritra’ to my hand from my deck!”

She shuffled her deck and returned it to her dueling disk. Then golden light shot from her disk’s graveyard zone, and a card emerged.

“This card, discarded as the cost to activate ‘Blessed Church – Ritual Church,’ returns to my hand: Ritual Magic ‘Ritual of the Mechanical Angels’!”

She immediately inserted the retrieved card into her dueling disk.

“Activate Ritual Magic ‘Ritual of the Mechanical Angels’! Use monsters on your hand and field as offerings to Ritual Summon a ‘Cyber Angel’ Ritual Monster with a total level equal to or greater than the offerings!”

She revealed the two Ritual Monsters she had just retrieved.

“I offer level-six ‘Cyber Angel - Benten’ as a sacrifice for Ritual Summoning!”

“Appear, embodiment of light and wisdom—”

“—Level six, Cyber Angel - Vritra!”

A mechanical ritual altar surfaced; Benten’s form flickered briefly before dissolving into a towering column of light, from which the full-bodied, tall Cyber Angel emerged.

【Cyber Angel - Vritra, ATK 1600】

The physical card version of Benten gained the powerful effect “When this card is used as an offering, you can search your deck for one Angel-type Light monster,” but that was a ten-year-later card original—this anime version showed no such effect.

Still, anime characters naturally draw the cards they need; retrieval effects aren’t especially essential.

Asuka swept her hand forward.

“Effect of ‘Cyber Angel - Vritra’! When this card is successfully Ritual Summoned, return one Magic Card from your graveyard to your hand!” (Anime effect)

The physical card version of Vritra was revised to recover only Ritual Magic Cards, but could search from either graveyard or deck. The anime version could recover any Magic Card—each had its pros and cons.

“I return this card from my graveyard: Magic Card ‘Magical Book in the Pot’,” Asuka said. “Then I activate ‘Magical Book in the Pot’ again! Both players draw three cards from their decks!”

You Xuan calmly accepted the three extra cards his opponent just gave him: “Planning to decide this turn?”

Though giving resources to the opponent carried huge risk, Asuka’s decision under current circumstances wasn’t necessarily wrong. You Xuan had XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon on the field, immune to all destruction and effects, while Asuka’s life points were down to two hundred—doing nothing next turn would mean certain defeat. She had to gamble now.

This was just like modern Yu-Gi-Oh! where you sometimes have to “top-G.” If your opponent activates “Adder” during your turn, every time you Special Summon, they draw a card. If you want to set up, you must make multiple Special Summons—sometimes giving them over ten cards in a single turn.

Yet even knowing this, many still risk giving half their deck to the opponent to top-G. After all, one gamble can turn a bicycle into a motorcycle—what if you top-G and win this turn?

“Then I Normal Summon ‘Cyber Angel - Little Angel’!”

【Cyber Angel - Little Angel, ATK 300】

“Effect of ‘Cyber Angel - Little Angel’: When this card is successfully summoned, add one ‘Ritual of the Mechanical Angels’ Ritual Magic Card from your deck to your hand.”

Asuka fanned her deck again, searched, and immediately played the retrieved card.

“Activate the Ritual Magic ‘Ritual of the Mechanical Angels’ retrieved from my deck! This time, offer level-two ‘Cyber Angel - Little Angel’ and ‘Cyber Angel - Vritra’ on the field as sacrifices for an advanced Ritual Summon!”

“Let the light illuminate the path ahead—Light Angel, descend here—”

“—Level eight, Cyber Angel - Tachibana!!!”

The two angels vanished into the ritual altar; a spiraling column of light shot skyward again, and a sacred four-armed angel spun forth, holding a long blue staff in two hands, a sword and dagger in the other two, her aura regal and commanding.

【Cyber Angel - Tachibana, ATK 2700】

Cyber Angel - Tachibana was the strongest monster Asuka had ever used in the anime—her true trump card.

The physical card version of ‘Cyber Angel - Vritra’ grants 1000 ATK to any Ritual Monster on your field when sent to the graveyard as an offering—but that too was a physical card original.

“Effect of ‘Cyber Angel - Tachibana’!” Asuka declared. “When this card is successfully Ritual Summoned, your opponent must choose one monster on their field and send it to the graveyard!”

“And you currently have only one monster on the field—so you have no choice.”

Asuka pointed at You Xuan’s field.

“You must send ‘XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon’ to the graveyard!”

The entire audience gasped again.

Among the cries were also voices from underachievers—like Osiris Red’s bottom-ranked Maru Teng Sho: “Huh? Isn’t ‘XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon’ protected by ‘Super Shell,’ immune to all spell, trap, and monster effects?”

At their side, academic representative Sanze Dadi crossed his arms and explained: “Tachibana’s effect doesn’t target the monster—it targets the duelist. ‘Must choose one monster on your field to send to the graveyard’ is an effect applied to the opponent duelist. When You Xuan accepts this effect and sends ‘XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon’ to the graveyard, it’s identical to him voluntarily offering it as a sacrifice—no immunity can resist this kind of field-clearing.”

"You must send one monster on your field to the graveyard"—this effect is applied to the opponent duelist. You Xuan accepted this effect and sent "XYZ-Dragon Cannon" to the graveyard, which was identical to him tributing "XYZ-Dragon Cannon" himself, so no matter how strong the resistance, it could not resist this field-clearing method.

Everyone who understood this now looked at Asuka with growing admiration. Especially Xiao Rihang Xinghua, who seemed to have completely forgotten they were rivals—and why they were dueling.

“Facing a monster with total immunity, nearly invincible, and with life points nearly gone… she still found a way to reverse the situation?”

“She actually found the weakness of absolute immunity?” You Xuan smiled.

“There’s no monster that can’t be defeated,” Asuka smiled back. “Every monster has a way to be overcome. This is my answer as a duelist.”

“A fine answer. But… unfortunately, I won’t hold back. I activate my face-down card before Tachibana’s effect resolves!”

You Xuan raised his arm; his back-row face-down card flipped open.

“Trap Card: ‘Subspace Material Transport Device’!”

“Until the end of this turn, banish one face-up monster on your field from the game!”

A high-tech transport device tore through the dimensional barrier, opening a massive vortex that swallowed XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon, erasing it from sight.

A high-tech teleportation device tore through the dimensional barrier, opening a massive vortex that swallowed the XYZ-Dragon Cannon, leaving no trace.

It just… ran away?

“Now, when Tachibana’s effect resolves, I have no monsters on the field,” You Xuan said. “Naturally, I cannot choose a monster to send to the graveyard.”

“But now your field is completely empty!” Asuka snapped. “Then ‘Cyber Angel - Tachibana,’ direct attack!”

Tachibana leapt forward, twin blades slicing straight toward You Xuan’s empty field.

With 2700 ATK, this strike alone could decide the duel.

But just as the blade was about to strike, a brilliant white light erupted—a transparent, ethereal barrier gate blocked the Cyber Angel’s slash.

“Trap Card: ‘Counter Gate,’” You Xuan said. “Can only be activated when an opponent’s monster declares a direct attack. That attack is negated, and you draw one card from your deck.”

The dazzling white light exploded, instantly deflecting Tachibana’s blade. You Xuan drew a card—Asuka’s lethal strike failed.

“Alright… I’ll set one card face-down. End my turn.”

Asuka’s turn ended. Nearby students involuntarily exhaled in relief.

After Asuka’s turn ended, nearby students involuntarily exhaled a sigh of relief.

Such high-speed offense and defense, endless techniques—this was overwhelming for most students still stuck in axe-wielding brawls. Regardless of the outcome, both duelists had earned their full admiration.

Such ultra-fast offense and defense, with endless techniques, were incredibly thrilling for most students still stuck in the stage of axe-wielding brawls. Regardless of the outcome, both duelists had earned their complete admiration.

She had pushed herself to the limit, nearly overexerted—but even so, this was all she could achieve. She still hadn’t broken through his defense.

No—on his side, there didn’t even seem to be any noticeable tension.

Is this… my absolute limit?

“End phase: ‘Subspace Material Transport Device’ effect ends,” You Xuan said calmly. “‘XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon’ returns to the field.”

【XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon, ATK 2800】

“Now, my turn: Draw.” You Xuan said. “Activate Long Dragon Cannon’s effect: Discard one card from hand to destroy one card on your field.”

“I discard one card from hand to destroy ‘Cyber Angel - Tachibana’!”

“I saw that coming!” Asuka shouted. “Flip face-down: Continuous Trap—Demon’s Chain!”

The trap card flipped open; thick green demonic chains shot out like serpents, tightly binding the heavy Long Dragon Cannon, immobilizing it completely.

“‘Demon’s Chain’ can bind one monster on your opponent’s field—its attacks and effects are negated,” Asuka said. “Although your ‘XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon’ was protected by ‘Super Shell’ from trap effects, ‘Super Shell’ is a trap card used as an equip card.”

“Last turn, you used ‘Subspace Material Transport Device’ to remove ‘XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon’ from the field—so the equip card lost its target. Now that it’s returned, it no longer has trap immunity!”

“Brilliant,” gold-level commentator Sanze Dadi continued his commentary. “Now Long Dragon Cannon can’t destroy cards or attack—You Xuan’s offense is completely locked down!”

“Asuka-sensei is amazing too!” Jidai stared, eyes gleaming. “Aaah, I want to duel her! I want to duel You Xuan-sensei too! Both are so strong!”

"Asuka is amazing too!" Shidou stared with wide, glittering eyes. "Aaaah, I want to duel her! I want to duel You Xuan too! They’re both so strong!"

“You really had a counter ready for XYZ—impressive.”

Whether in deck strength or duelist destiny, even at this stage, Asuka had clearly left most Duel Academy students far behind. It was no wonder she was hailed as the most anticipated new talent.

Whether in deck strength or duelist’s fate, even current Asuka has decisively outpaced the majority of Duel Academy students by miles. It’s no wonder she’s hailed as the most anticipated new-gen candidate.

But now, her resources have been completely exhausted.

“I Normal Summon ‘V-Jet Tiger’.” You Xuan said calmly.

【V-Jet Tiger, ATK 1600】

“At this moment, the Continuous Magic ‘Extra Dimensional Storage’ activates,” You Xuan said. “When I summon a monster, if any allied monster banished by this card’s effect shares the same name as the summoned monster, those allied monsters can be Special Summoned from the banished zone.”

“At this moment, the Continuous Spell ‘Dimensional Storage’ activates,” You Xuan said. “When you summon a monster to your field, if any of the allied monsters banished by Storage’s effect bear the same name as the summoned monster, those allied monsters may be Special Summoned from the banished zone.”

“Therefore, I Special Summon ‘W-Sling Wing’ from the banished zone.”

【W-Sling Wing, ATK 1300】

“‘V-Jet Tiger’ and ‘W-Sling Wing’—combine into a single unit!”

The two new mechs began transforming, merging, their electrical currents attracting and interlocking, quickly completing their fusion.

“VW-Strike Tiger, Fusion Summon!”

【VW-Strike Tiger, ATK 2000】

“Now, combine ‘VW-Strike Tiger’ and ‘XYZ-Long Dragon Cannon’ into an even greater fusion!”

“Concentrate power into an invincible divine dragon cannon—release your roaring fire to shatter all things! Fivefold Fusion—”

“—Level eight, VWXYZ-Long Dragon Strike Cannon!!!”

—— Rank 8, VWXYZ- Divine Dragon Impact Cannon!!!

The two mechs began transforming again, drawing together and assembling; as the sounds of metal grinding and parts shifting grew louder, they gradually reshaped into a towering metallic giant. Its steel feet stomped as if the arena floor itself trembled, crimson dragon wings unfurled behind its back, and brilliant arcs of electricity erupted across its armored form.

Even in giant form, the position of the Y-Draco head remained hard to describe. One could only say that the Great Demon God Sok would surely applaud this design as the work of a true connoisseur.

【VWXYZ-Draco Cannon, Attack Power 3000】

“It’s a fivefold fusion.”

Asuka gazed up at the colossal steel giant, stunned into silence.

Is this my limit?

“After fusion summoning, the Chain of Demons naturally lost its binding target,” You Xuan said. “Then, the effect of ‘VWXYZ-Draco Cannon’ activates.”

Once per turn, you can directly banish any one card on your opponent’s field from the game.

Therefore, banish ‘Digitized Angel-Tajini’ from the game!

External Bombardment!

Lightning danced across the steel giant’s frame as its cannon locked onto Tajini’s position. Brilliant arcs flared, and a dazzling electromagnetic beam pierced through the air, obliterating Tajini’s form into a fading shadow.

“Now, ‘VWXYZ-Draco Cannon’—direct attack!”

You Xuan tilted his head, pondering the move’s name.

“Heaven’s Justice!”

Multiple cannon muzzles on the mech giant sprang open, all locking in unison. Blinding beams, searing flames, and a storm of missiles surged forth like a blinding, sky-covering deluge.

Asuka gently closed her eyes.

I see.

I lost.

BOOM—!

【Asuka Tiong-in, LP 200 → LP 0】

(End of Chapter)