Sato was already stunned, fingers still clamped to his glasses like he'd forgotten to let go.
He knew what a Synchro Summon was—but doing it without a Tuner? What kind of nonsense was that?
Where's the judge? Somebody call a judge—this is a foul!
Synchro without a Tuner!
"This is impossible!" Sato stared at the massive fiend behind Yusaku, disbelief written all over his face. "How can a Synchro Monster be summoned without a Tuner!?"
"Why not? You're looking at the card right now, aren't you?" Yusaku said lightly.
"Chaos Twinwings—no, not an 'effect' so much as a rule. Its listed materials are 'Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner LIGHT/DARK monsters,' but when you Synchro Summon it, you can treat one LIGHT or DARK you control as a Tuner."
"You can treat a LIGHT/DARK as a Tuner?" Sato's pupils shrank. "That can't be!"
"Nothing impossible about it." Yusaku raised a hand. "Chaos Twinwings, on Special Summon: target 1 card on the field and banish it. I'll remove your Ancient Gear Megaton Golem from play!"
The winged fiend beat its pinions; bolts of thunder lanced forth and hammered the steel titan. With a mechanical bellow the golem's outline warped under crushing magic, then got dragged into a rift and vanished.
Sato actually clapped.
"I'll admit, your take on Dark Magician gets a lot scarier with these engines… but if that's all, then the duel ends here!"
"Ancient Gear Megaton Golem—when a face-up Fusion-Summoned copy leaves the field by an opponent's effect, I Special Summon Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem from my Extra Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions!"
Light gleamed off Sato's lenses as he lifted his head.
"I've never called this one before—you're the first to make me do it. Witness the might of my apex machine!
Rise—overlord of the dark medieval age—
Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem!!!"
The earth roared. A colossal, bristling war-fortress tore free of the ruins—interlocking gears across its frame, braced with archaic cannons and gunports like a walking armory.
Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem — ATK 4400
Behind Yusaku, several students went slack-jawed; a few simply slumped to the ground, hope draining away.
Across the field the Aurora dojo kids clenched their fists, fired up.
"4400 ATK! Who's getting over that!?"
"And that's just the stat. It shuts off backrow during battles, and even if it's destroyed it yanks Ancient Gear Golem from the GY ignoring conditions! That's Ancient Gears—beat one and the next drops right in. Endless!"
On the field—
"My trigger's resolved. Your move, kōhai," Sato smiled. "From what I've seen, your deckbuilding is interesting, but it stops here. This level won't crack Ancient Gears."
"Oh?" Yusaku's smile tilted. "We only just started, senpai. Why are you so sure I can't break this board? Clearing it is simple—but to end the duel this turn, I added a few extra steps."
Sato: "???"
"Quick-Play—The Eye of Timaeus!"
A teal-blue fusion vortex bloomed behind Yusaku.
"This targets one Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl I control or in my GY and treats that single monster as the entire Fusion Material to Fusion Summon a monster that lists it—as if Fusion Summoned by The Eye of Timaeus."
"You can fuse from field or GY using just one card—and don't even need to assemble the pieces!?" Sato's eyes narrowed. Something was off.
"I'll use the Dark Magician on my field as material to Fusion Summon—"
Yusaku raised his arm high.
"Knight who bears the true creed of sorcery, hero who rides the storm of darkness—answer my will and charge through the rift of time and space! Level 8—Master of Chaos!!!"
Light and darkness crossed like comets and plunged into the vortex. A sharp-edged knight in black-gold plate stepped forth with sword and shield; black-gold sigils flashed across his armor, fusion radiance flaring like a neon storm.
Master of Chaos — ATK 3000
"Master of Chaos, on Fusion Summon: target 1 LIGHT or DARK in my GY; Special Summon it. I'll bring back Palladium Oracle Mahad!"
Palladium Oracle Mahad — ATK 2500
"And Master of Chaos has another effect—tribute 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK from my field…"
Yusaku paused, glanced at Sato, and smiled. "Heads up—this part looks awesome."
Sato: "???"
Dark Magician Girl and Mahad dissolved into light. Master of Chaos slashed; a black-gold blade-beam erupted like a laser, scything across Sato's board. Every monster it touched flickered, turned ghost-thin—then detonated in cascading bursts.
Boom. Boom. BOOM!
In a heartbeat three bodies were gone—only Ancient Gear Howitzer remained.
"What!?" Sato's face blanched.
Even his juniors froze. They had no idea what had just happened. How did four bodies become one in a blink?
Yusaku's side recovered first and sprang to their feet.
"Nice!"
"Clean—three at once! Even the 4400 got erased! Now it's just Howitzer with 1800 DEF!"
"Can someone tell me what happened!?"
On the field—
"Shame your Ancient Gear Howitzer is unaffected by other card effects," Yusaku said. "Otherwise nothing would've been left."
Sato's earlier confidence was gone. He couldn't help asking, "What did you do?"
"Master of Chaos lets me tribute 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK from my field to banish all monsters you control. I tributed Dark Magician Girl (DARK) and Mahad (LIGHT)."
He tipped his chin at Sato.
"Since that's banish, not destroy, Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem didn't get to trigger."
Sato grimaced and flicked a look at his GY.
With its protection, Howitzer could still pull Ancient Gear Golem from the Deck. If he weathered this turn, he might just turn it around…
Yusaku's voice cut in.
"Thinking of using Howitzer to survive, then grinding back with GY and the fresh searches next turn? Sorry—there is no next turn. This duel was over the moment you finished your setup."
Sato scanned Yusaku's field and frowned. "You've only got three attackers. Your highest ATK is Master of Chaos at 3000. You can't finish me this turn."
Yusaku didn't answer. He simply flashed another Spell.
"Dark Magic Veil!"
"I pay 1000 LP to Special Summon a DARK Spellcaster from my hand or GY."
[Yusaku, LP 6400 → 5400]
"I'll Special Summon Dark Magician from my hand!"
A black hexagram flared underfoot. The robed mage rose from the seal; his green staff spun twice before slapping into his palm amid a gust of magic.
Dark Magician — ATK 2500
"Battle. Chaos Twinwings, attack Ancient Gear Howitzer!"
The fiend's twin pinions beat; spears of thunder lanced out and bored straight through the devil-engine. It gave one last mechanized howl and shattered to scrap.
"I activate Ancient Gear Howitzer—if destroyed by battle and sent to the GY, Special Summon 1 'Ancient Gear' from the Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions."
Sato yanked a card from his Deck.
"I'll Special Summon Ancient Gear Dark Golem in Defense!"
Ancient Gear Dark Golem — DEF 3000
"And on Summon, it lets me add up to two 'Ancient Gear' cards or Geartown from my Deck to my hand, then discard 1. I'll take Ancient Gear Fusion and Ancient Gear Duel, then pitch Duel."
Cards secured, Sato looked up and smiled.
"You've only got three attackers. Highest is Master of Chaos at 3000—and it can't get over Dark Golem's 3000 DEF. Next turn I convert the grave and the searches into game!"
"No," Yusaku shook his head. "There is no next turn."
Sato's smile faltered.
"Dark Magician—attack Ancient Gear Dark Golem!"
"He's crazy! 2500 into 3000 DEF!?" someone yelped.
Meaningless—unless there's an effect coming.
Sato darted a glance at Yusaku's field. A faint glow pulsed around one of the casters. His pupils shrank.
"Noticed? Too late." Yusaku swept his arm out. "Ebon Illusion Magician—when a Spellcaster Normal Monster declares an attack, target 1 card your opponent controls and banish it. I'll remove your Ancient Gear Dark Golem!"
The staff spun, pointed skyward, and an avalanche of magic crashed down on the iron giant. Its chassis twisted, then blinked out of existence.
"Now you're empty, and I've got three live swings—Dark Magician, Ebon Illusion Magician, and Master of Chaos—ATK 2500, 2500, 3000. Not much, not little—exactly 8000. Let's end this."
"First, Dark Magician!"
[Sato, LP 8000 → 5500]
"Next, Ebon Illusion Magician!"
[Sato, LP 5500 → 3000]
"Final blow—Master of Chaos, direct attack!"
The knight stamped forward; his greaves vented a tornado of thrust as he blurred across the field. Black-gold light flashed. Sato threw his arms up on instinct, but the impact still launched him backward.
[Sato, LP 3000 → 0]
(End of Chapter)
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