"So, what's your choice? Hand me the card, or let me Summon it to my field?" Yusaku looked at Genichiro.
Genichiro's face darkened. Staring at the Red-Eyes Black Dragon revealed by Lullaby of Obedience, he thought for a second, then flicked the card over.
"Like I'd ever let you Summon it on your field. And even in your hand, it's useless. Without the right support, you can't Summon it."
Yusaku caught the card between two fingers and smiled. "I never planned to Summon this monster. I'm going to use it as Tribute—so I can Summon something from my Deck."
Genichiro: "?"
"My turn continues."
"I activate the Spell—Preparation of Rites! Its effect adds 1 Level 7 or lower Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand."
"I'll add the Level 7—Illusion of Chaos."
He revealed the card.
"Now I reveal Illusion of Chaos to activate its effect. Based on that effect… I can add 1 non-Ritual monster that's either Dark Magician or mentions it—so I'll take Magician's Rod. Then I place 1 card from my hand on top of my Deck—back goes the Illusion of Chaos I just revealed."
"Magician's Rod, huh?"
Genichiro smirked. "So that's your deck—Dark Magician. That list is ancient. Not even third-rate."
Behind Yusaku, his dojo-mates traded odd looks.
This felt familiar. Yesterday, Asahi Dojo said the same thing.
But Yusaku's Dark Magician list wasn't standard at all—and nobody could guess what bizarre tech he would pull out next.
This was going to be good.
Even knowing his build was different, Takeuchi Dojo kept quiet, playing along. They even acted righteously offended at the mockery.
"Can't wait to see his face when he learns Yusaku's deck isn't your average DM," someone whispered.
"Shh—keep it down. Don't ruin the surprise."
On the field—
Hmm? That line again.
Yusaku's lips curled. "Third-rate, huh? If your deck loses to my 'third-rate' deck, what does that make yours?"
"Relax. That's impossible," Genichiro said confidently. "With Dark Magician, I can't imagine you making anything strong."
"Oh? We'll see."
Yusaku slid another card into the Disk.
"I activate the Field Spell—Magician's Salvation!"
"When this card is activated, I can Set Eternal Soul directly from my Deck."
He set the card, then played on.
"Normal Summon—Magician's Rod!"
A blue-hued phantom of the black-robed magician snapped into place, staff in hand.
Magician's Rod
LV 3 / Spellcaster / Effect
ATK 1600
"On Summon, Magician's Rod adds a 'Dark Magician' Spell/Trap from my Deck to my hand."
Yusaku pulled a Spell from the Deck and flashed it.
"I'll take the Continuous Spell—Dark Magical Circle!"
Then he slammed it down.
"I activate Dark Magical Circle!"
A vast magic ring unfurled behind him.
"When Dark Magical Circle resolves, I excavate the top 3 cards of my Deck, add 1 'Dark Magician' Spell/Trap, and return the rest to the top in any order."
He revealed three, weighed his hand, and plucked one.
"I'll add the Quick-Play—The Eye of Timaeus!"
After adding it, he played another card.
"Quick-Play—Illusion Magic!"
"I tribute 1 Spellcaster I control to activate it, then add up to 2 Dark Magician from my Deck or GY to my hand."
He pointed.
"I tribute Magician's Rod, and add 2 copies of Dark Magician to my hand."
Rod dissolved into light as two Dark Magician cards sprang from the Deck.
Yusaku flicked up another card.
"I send King of the Swamp to the GY to activate its effect and add Polymerization from my Deck to my hand."
A Polymerization popped free.
"So it's finally coming," Genichiro narrowed his eyes. "No monsters on board, two Dark Magician in hand… Let's see what 'strong' Fusion you think you can make."
Yusaku thrust a card into the Disk.
"I activate Polymerization! I fuse the Dark Magician in my hand with your Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
The duel field roared. Darkness surged like a tidal wave, swallowing the sky in shadow as if night fell at noon.
"???"
"Excuse me?! Using my Red-Eyes Black Dragon as Fusion material?!"
Genichiro thought he'd misheard—until the fusion vortex tore open above. No, he'd heard perfectly.
The crowd stared wide-eyed at the vortex spiraling in midair.
With a Summon this intense, it couldn't be anything ordinary.
Wind howled, snapping Yusaku's coat. He pinched a red-brown gleaming card and raised his arm, voice ringing out:
"Knight from the far side of the silent galaxy—reveal your might to the world! This is the hour when the memories sleeping among the constellations awaken!"
"Arise, Rank 8—miracle of Red-Eyes! Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon!"
A deafening roar. Power spiraled from nothing. Lightning writhed within the vortex. A colossal draconic claw punched through, its talons keen enough to rend space itself.
Then the Dark Dragoon's armored body emerged—black and gold interlaced, a pair of vast wings unfurling with imperious majesty.
Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon—descends!
Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon
LV 8 / Spellcaster / Fusion / Effect
ATK 3000
"R-Red-Eyes… Dark Dragoon?!"
A crushing weight pressed down on Genichiro's chest, rattling his knees.
It felt like facing a god. The pressure radiated from that monster—and he was closest, so he felt it most.
No ordinary monster had that kind of presence.
And that wasn't even the worst of it. The worst part was that it was fused using his Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
Since when did Red-Eyes have a Fusion that oppressive?
He'd never seen or even heard of such a thing.
"How is this even possible? He used Genichiro's monster to fuse something stronger?"
The onlookers were baffled, eyes bulging.
Yusaku's dojo-mates were speechless.
When they saw Polymerization, they'd expected Dark Paladin at best.
Instead, he brought out something even more terrifying.
Why is a guy like this in the Satellite Sector? Are we sure he isn't some Upper City tourist "experiencing local life"?
On the field—
Feeling that overwhelming aura from Dragoon, Yusaku clicked his tongue. Worth every one of those three "Forbidden Shards" to trade it.
This was the proper, on-field Dragoon with double pops—not the "one negate only" bargain build.
Facing the unknown text box of a monster this oppressive, Genichiro's earlier confidence wavered.
But the duel had just begun. He wouldn't accept losing in front of his kouhai from Lion King Dojo. Putting on his senpai tone, he barked:
"I don't care how you made it—one monster won't hold the board forever, and it only has 3000 ATK!"
"I can clear it next turn, easy!"
Yusaku's smile tilted. "Clear it 'easy,' huh? Confident, aren't we. I'll look forward to that. But my turn isn't over."
He raised a card.
"I activate the Quick-Play—The Eye of Timaeus!"
"I target 1 Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl on my field or in my GY, return just that monster to the Deck as Fusion Material, then Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster that lists it—treating this as a Fusion Summon performed by the effect of The Eye of Timaeus."
"I'll return Dark Magician from my GY to the Deck and Fusion Summon!"
"Descend, my strongest servant—Dark Magician the Dragon Knight!"
A blinding pillar of light hammered down from the vortex.
A blade carved the radiance in two. A dragon bearing the visage of Timaeus surged forth, resplendent.
The Dark Magician, now clad in unbreakable black armor with a golden helm and a sacred blade, swept his sword—and the cyclone of warp-dragon power and dark sorcery exploded outward like shearing wind.
Dark Magician the Dragon Knight
LV 8 / Dragon / Fusion / Effect
ATK 3000
With both monsters standing, Yusaku looked to Genichiro. "I end my turn. Your move."
(End of Chapter)
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