"Elemental HERO Prisma?"
Morishima frowned as a warrior made entirely of reflective crystal appeared on Hikaru Amagi's field, gleaming brightly under the lights.
Elemental HERO Prisma, Level 4, LIGHT, Warrior-Type, ATK 1700.
"What kind of monster is that?" Morishima muttered.
Elemental HEROes — one of the most common archetypes.
So common that almost everyone recognized them.
A deck built on the flashy concept of American-style heroes — mass-produced, cheap, popular with kids everywhere, full of fusion possibilities.
But "common" also meant "plain."
In the competitive scene, Elemental HEROes were weak — low ATK monsters, often effectless. Almost nobody serious used them.
Morishima remembered — there had once been a pro duelist using HEROes who, after getting crushed by Seto Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, had a breakdown, quit dueling, and became a tabloid journalist.
No way there was a HERO like this.
Morishima watched Prisma carefully, fingers twitching over his set card.
"Hmph. Before using him, I'll activate something else first."
Hikaru flashed a card from his right hand.
"Spell Card — Shaddoll Fusion."
Fusion!?
Morishima's eyes snapped to the card.
As Hikaru activated it, the purple marionette threads around him spun into a vortex, carving a rift through the air.
"Shaddoll Fusion — the key Fusion card for Shaddoll monsters. Normally, you can only fuse using monsters from your hand and field," Hikaru said calmly.
"But — if your opponent controls a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck — then I can also fuse using monsters from my Deck!"
"What!?"
Morishima's pupils shrank.
Deck Fusion — just like Future Fusion!?
In this world, thanks to Future Fusion's existence, drawing from the Deck for Fusion wasn't an alien concept — but still, Future Fusion was a super rare card.
Any card that let you fuse directly from your Deck was a massive advantage — more power, more speed, more control.
Every true Duelist understood it instinctively.
"The Fusion Materials — one Shaddoll monster and one DARK monster."
"I send Shaddoll Falcon and Fusion Substitute Material - DARK from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
Even without battling, Morishima felt the ground slipping under his feet.
"Listen to the voice of the gods!
Fusion Summon!"
"Descend — El Shaddoll Winda!"
A green-haired sorceress riding a massive dragon smashed through the walls of reality, soaring onto Hikaru's field.
El Shaddoll Winda, Level 5, DARK, Spellcaster-Type, ATK 2200.
"Activating a Spell means I gain 500 LP from Spell Absorption!"
Morishima — LP: 4500 → 5000.
"Winda..."
Morishima stared grimly at the monster.
He knew it from Professor Akaba's briefings: Hikaru's signature ace.
Sealing off Special Summons... immune to destruction by card effects... retrieving Shaddoll Spells and Traps...
"But!" Morishima barked, rallying himself,
"That ability to seal Special Summons affects both sides!
You can't Special Summon more than once either!"
He smirked.
"That's the price of your own arrogance.
The world outside Duel Academy is much harsher!"
"The world is vast indeed, senior."
"...!?"
Morishima's grin froze.
"I activate Elemental HERO Prisma's effect!
Once per turn — I can reveal a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck and send one listed Fusion Material from my Deck to the Graveyard.
Until end of turn, Prisma's name becomes that monster!"
"What—!?"
Morishima's expression collapsed.
"This monster... it can substitute ANY Fusion Material!?"
Maybe not completely true — but close enough.
"I reveal Chimeratech Overdragon from my Extra Deck!
I send Cyber Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard!
Until end of turn, Prisma's name is treated as Cyber Dragon!"
The card shot from Hikaru's deck into the Graveyard. Prisma's armor shimmered — and the silhouette of Cyber Dragon glowed across his body.
"C-Cyber Dragon!?"
Morishima's heart skipped a beat.
"Cyber Dragon?"
The Allied Doctor blinked, confused.
"No Fusion Spell needed. No normal Fusion.
Just combine."
Hikaru's voice sharpened into a blade.
"Senior, I called you that out of respect — as a graduate of Duel Academy."
"But if you don't deserve it..."
"If I don't show respect—"
His voice dropped to a lethal whisper.
"I'll just call you trash."
"I fuse Cyber Dragon and your Machine-Type monster on the field!"
"Come forth — Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!"
A monstrous mechanical dragon roared into existence, its multiple heads chomping through the wreckage on the field, assembling itself from the metal scraps and defeated machines.
Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, Level 8, DARK, Machine-Type, ATK: ??
"Damn it...!"
Morishima's face twisted.
He remembered this beast — Professor Akaba had warned them.
It could devour Cyber Dragons and Machine-Type monsters to fuse itself, ignoring normal conditions. And Hikaru had summoned it without even properly summoning a Cyber Dragon!
"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon's ATK becomes 1000 x the number of Fusion Materials used."
"Two materials.
2000 ATK."
Tiara's eyes shined.
"Two thousand versus twenty-two hundred...
If this attack connects, Morishima's Life Points will drop to 800!"
The Allied Doctor crunched the numbers quickly, paling.
"But if Hikaru pulls this off, Morishima will only have one Dark Designator left to rely on next turn!" Tiara added.
Hikaru nodded once.
He didn't care about flash.
Right now, it was about reducing Morishima's options.
"Battle Phase!"
Hikaru roared.
"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon — direct attack!"
"Tch!
Trap Card, activate!"
Morishima slammed his facedown.
"Mirror Force!"
The sudden explosion of mirror light repelled the Fortress Dragon's beam, reflecting it back with twice the force, shattering the mechanical behemoth into scrap metal.
Hikaru shielded himself from the blast wave.
"Winda is unaffected by card effects!
Battle Phase continues!"
"El Shaddoll Winda — direct attack!"
Winda lifted her staff; her dragon dived forward, unleashing a devastating energy blast into Morishima's chest.
Morishima — LP: 5000 → 2800.
"Set one card. End turn," Hikaru said flatly, sliding a card into his Spell/Trap Zone.
"Commander Morishima?!"
The Allied Doctor shrieked.
If the Commander lost —
he was dead meat too!
Peering through the clearing smoke, he breathed a tiny sigh of relief.
Morishima stood there — scorched, battered, electricity crackling over his body — but alive.
"Heh... heh heh..."
Morishima stumbled forward, dragging his broken Duel Disk.
"My turn...
Draw!"
At his draw, tortured cries echoed through the hangar — the dying howls of battered machine spirits.
The leaking wires sparked.
The metallic wails grew louder.
"Stay sharp, Hikaru!"
Tiara cried out urgently.
"Here it comes!"