Although he was furious to an extreme degree, at this moment, aside from cursing softly under his breath, Shay Obsidian didn't continue the tirade.
The reason was simple. He had to make a decision quickly at this instant.
Rank 4 Force Strix could be called the crucial search point of his Raidraptor deck. It had the ability, once per turn, to detach one material and add any Level 4 DARK Winged Beast monster from the Deck to the hand.
If he could activate its effect, he could search and restock his hand through various methods repeatedly. After all, Force Strix had no "once per turn by card name" restriction. Even summoning multiple Force Strixes would be worth it.
But now, obviously, he couldn't search and restock his hand.
Either he would just let that alchemist equip Force Strix, or he'd have to activate a Spell Card from his hand at this moment.
He looked at his hand.
Right now, his hand didn't support a second monster summon. Which meant, he could only...
He looked at the card in his hand.
Rank-Up-Magic!
He hesitated for a moment, then his eyes went wide.
"I will absolutely not let you Fusion Dimension trash have your way!
I activate Quick-Play Spell Card, Rank-Up-Magic Revolution Force!"
Shay Obsidian raised the card in his hand. A storm erupted behind him. Then his whole body seemed to be enveloped in crimson light, and his body began to tremble. This was the side effect of forcibly catalyzing his own soul!
His entire being seemed to be burning!
Hikaru could hear sounds resembling the tearing of flesh coming from inside Shay Obsidian's body.
Hikaru's brow furrowed slightly.
"During my turn, this card can target 1 Raidraptor Xyz Monster on my field to activate. From my Extra Deck, I overlay a Raidraptor monster one Rank higher onto the target as an Xyz Summon and Special Summon it!"
The owl's body twisted, transforming into golden dots of light that merged into the Xyz network. Then, a golden-and-red mechanical falcon slowly rose from the Xyz network.
"Rank Up, Xyz Summon!"
"Rank 5, Raidraptor - Etranger Falcon!"
Raidraptor - Etranger Falcon. Rank 5, DARK Attribute, Winged Beast-Type. ATK 2000. Xyz Materials: 3.
"Huff... huff..."
Shay Obsidian caught his breath for a moment.
The Rank-Up-Magic he had wasn't something obtainable through normal means. It had been researched and manufactured by a particular family back in his own dimension.
Because, under normal circumstances, humans had almost no way of completing an Xyz "Rank-Up." Only those existences whose souls were strong enough, transcending ordinary mortals, could complete Xyz through their own will alone.
Of course, someone like Kite Tenjo, a peak human existence, could directly complete a Rank-Up too.
But regrettably, he wasn't at that level.
To rescue his little sister as quickly as possible, and to obtain power that could stand against the "spirits" that the Fusion Dimension summoned, Shay Obsidian had accepted an experimental invitation from the Throne family, and had, as he wished, obtained the power of "Rank-Up-Magic."
Only, forcibly ranking up would still leave both body and mind exhausted, producing the feeling of the soul being torn apart.
Across from him, Hikaru looked at Shay Obsidian's current state and shook his head inwardly.
It seemed that while everyone else had grown stronger due to the fusion of the worlds, Shay Obsidian had grown weaker because "Rank-Up" had become more difficult?
Whether that was a blessing or a curse was hard to say.
In principle, since Rank-Up had become more difficult, Shay's dueling should have become weaker.
But on the other hand, since he had obtained the power of Rank-Up, his mind and body seemed to have been substantially strengthened. If he could keep enduring the power of Rank-Up, becoming a lesser superman like the Barians later on wasn't out of the question.
Of course, actually going up against non-human Barians wouldn't be easily done.
"When Etranger Falcon has an Xyz Monster as an Xyz Material, once per turn, I can detach one Xyz Material and target 1 monster on the opponent's field to activate. That monster is destroyed, and I inflict damage equal to that monster's ATK to the opponent!
I detach Force Strix and destroy your All-Dissolving Alchemist!"
Three pairs of gas exhaust nozzles on Etranger Falcon's wings began spewing flame. Under the flames' aid, the two pairs of wings transformed into artillery mounts and locked onto Alkahest. A single drop of cold sweat ran down Alkahest's face. He looked extremely tense.
"Is there really any need to be in such a hurry?" Hikaru asked curiously. "Alkahest's DEF is only 0. Couldn't you just attack it directly?"
"The fury of our resistance is not something that can be quelled!" Shay said coldly. "Someone like you probably will never know what we've been through!"
He closed his eyes. In his mind, the events of that day surfaced again.
It wasn't merely the pain of his little sister being taken away.
In fact, on that day, although a mysterious existence had destroyed the first wave of attacks invading Heartland, the Fusion army soldiers who had rushed into the Xyz Dimension, and the spirits controlled by the Fusion army soldiers, were still beyond counting.
Whether they'd been following orders to attack ordinary people and turn them into cards, or whether they were card spirits that had been unleashed, they'd been recklessly destroying everything in their sight.
That day, he'd watched countless familiar faces sacrificed before his own eyes. This pain, this bitterness, this rage was what drove him, what made him hostile to Fusion Dimension people, what made him yearn desperately to defeat these villains.
Even after dealing with the Fusion army people who had invaded his own dimension, this pain and bitterness hadn't disappeared. On the contrary, because of Lulu's disappearance, it had grown all the more painful!
"But if anger isn't accompanied by calm, doesn't it become possible to be careless and cause things to go wrong?" Hikaru raised a hand and said. "Resisting invasion isn't wrong in itself, but if in the course of that you hurt someone friendly, isn't that a case of the losses outweighing the gains?"
"I won't trust some smooth-tongued Fusion Dimension man!" Shay Obsidian raged.
"Battle! Raidraptor - Etranger Falcon, direct attack on the opponent!"
"Before you enter the Battle Phase, open Set card!" Hikaru raised a hand offhandedly. "Quick-Play Spell Card, Teleport Fusion!"
Fusion again?
Surprise flashed in Shay Obsidian's eyes.
Hikaru crossed his arms in front of himself and spoke thoughtfully: "Though I don't know where you heard my name, since you know I am the absolute Fusion user, then you should have some understanding of me.
I am a duelist who pursues the ultimate of Fusion. In my eyes, a Fusion duelist only needs to perform Fusion!
Just like how you yourself only trust your own Xyz and your own monsters, isn't that right?"
"What are you trying to say!"
"I already said what I want to say!" Hikaru pointed at his opponent. "The Fusion Dimension isn't as insane as you think! What the Fusion army did has nothing to do with me!"
"You mean the humans who invaded our dimension, those self-righteous bastards, those lunatics who laughed while turning our compatriots into cards, all of that has nothing to do with you?" Shay Obsidian raged. "Are you joking? As a Fusion Dimension human, are you telling me you haven't benefited from what the Fusion army brought back? The Fusion army was born carrying sin. What right does someone like you have to distance himself from it!"
"You're right. The Fusion army was indeed evil."
Shay Obsidian was stunned for a moment.
"So that Fusion army was destroyed, by my own hand!"
Hikaru's aura shifted entirely. A terrifying wave of purple, in a force far exceeding the soul-power blazing on Shay Obsidian's body, enveloped the entire duel field, becoming wind, becoming waves, becoming rain!
What?!!
Shay Obsidian was greatly startled by Hikaru's spirit.
This tangible purple was actually so exaggerated?
It was much, much stronger than in the arena!
He silently cried out that this was bad.
He'd miscalculated.
His duels against those three duelists hadn't forced Hikaru to draw out any of his true skill!
But although he was surprised, he wasn't afraid. On the contrary, he was even more filled with fighting spirit.
He wouldn't bow his head before a Fusion Dimension person!
"Teleport Fusion's effect can be activated during my or my opponent's Main Phase. I banish Psychic-Type monsters on my field or Graveyard as Fusion Material to Fusion Summon 1 Psychic-Type Fusion Monster!"
"I banish Metalfoes Orichalc from the Graveyard and Fullmetalfoes Alkahest from the Graveyard to perform Fusion!
The Fusion conditions are 1 Metalfoes monster and 1 monster with 2500 ATK or less!"
"It's time to refine to gold!
Fusion Summon, Level 5, Metalfoes Adamante!"
Metalfoes Adamante. Level 5, FIRE Attribute, Psychic-Type. DEF 2500. Defense Position.
"He has 2500 ATK, and yet you set him in Defense Position?" Shay Obsidian's expression wasn't good.
"I said we can sit down and talk. Giving up the attack was the signal of peace I wanted to give you." Hikaru said.
"Hmph."
Shay Obsidian looked at Etranger Falcon on the field. His expression wasn't good.
Because Etranger Falcon actually had another effect. When this card was destroyed by an opponent and sent to the Graveyard, he could target 1 Raidraptor Xyz Monster in his Graveyard other than Etranger Falcon. That monster was Special Summoned, and this card would be overlaid beneath it as an Xyz Material.
If Adamante had been in Attack Position, then he could have paid 500 Life Points as the cost to Special Summon Force Strix, then activate its effect to search his Deck for other Raidraptors and redeploy.
Damn, this guy had happened to land right on that.
Actually no. The answer was that Hikaru actually knew about Etranger Falcon.
Shay Obsidian looked at the card in his hand.
At this point, relying on just this falcon wouldn't accomplish anything.
Since that was the case...
He silently drew a card.
Then, one more time!
"I activate Spell Card, Rank-Up-Magic Soul Shave Force!"
Hikaru paused.
Beside him, Tierra let out a "whoa."
Hikaru frowned, his expression cooling. "Are you serious?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Rank-Up is a power that requires the soul to be elevated in order to use. As a Fusion Dimension duelist, although I've never used it, I've seen people from your dimension use it.
This isn't a power that can be used freely without cost. And on top of that, Soul Shave, a card like that is one that requires you to genuinely weaken your own soul as the cost to use it, isn't it?!
I've already told you very seriously that I don't want to be your enemy. And you're still going to do this?"
"I don't trust Fusion Dimension people. Besides, even if everything you're saying is true, so what!!" Shay Obsidian's eyes had gone red. Because of the power attached to this card, his disguise was torn away in an instant, and in the sky, an enormous, pure yellow "R" character shone brilliantly.
Not far off, the three sisters, seeing this massive R, all felt the duelists' energy. Serena and Rin both showed excited expressions, thinking perhaps they'd get to see a very interesting duel. Lulu, meanwhile, silently thought in her heart.
Oh, so there was a Raidraptor duelist here too.
No, wait!
Brother!?
Her heart clenched with worry. She sped up in an instant, entirely lacking her usual restraint, and ran with all her might. She startled the two other girls beside her, who hurriedly chased after.
Meanwhile, the duel continued.
Shay Obsidian gave voice to his deeper thought: "Even if everything you say is true, so what!
I am a duelist of the Xyz Dimension. I am a warrior of the resistance. I absolutely cannot lose to any Fusion Dimension duelist! This is our dignity!"
"I pay half my Life Points!!"
Shay Obsidian, LP: 4000 → 2000.
His soul, his power, began to crumble under the mad tearing. This pain was heart-rending. If it had been anyone else, an ordinary person might have blacked out on the spot. Even a powerful duelist, under this kind of pain, might not have been able to hold onto what was in their hands.
But Shay Obsidian, under this pain, wasn't affected in the slightest. Behind him, that enormous "R" character, symbol of the flag of resistance, was already displaying itself at a level comparable to Hikaru's current showing.
"Target 1 Raidraptor Xyz Monster in my Graveyard to activate. Special Summon that monster, then overlay 1 Xyz Monster 2 Ranks higher than that monster on top of it as an Xyz Summon and Special Summon it from the Extra Deck!
I bring back Force Strix, and then... I Rank Up!"
"O proud falcon, unfurl your wings dyed red by the tide of heroes' blood, and march ever forward on the road of revolution!
Rank Up, Xyz Summon!
Show yourself, Rank 6, RR - Revolution Falcon!"
Kacha, kacha, kacha.
Countless cannon barrels loaded themselves. An enormous mechanical bird of prey, like a hovering bomber, floated behind Shay Obsidian and coldly regarded its enemy.
Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon. Rank 6, DARK Attribute, Winged Beast-Type. ATK 2000. Xyz Materials: 1.
Ah, Revolution Falcon.
Watching this famous monster, Hikaru couldn't help nodding in his heart.
Cool. Very cool.
As expected of a card so cool that they even released a new form of it specifically.
"Revolution Falcon's effect!" Shay Obsidian pointed at Metalfoes Adamante. "When this card has a Raidraptor Xyz Monster as an Xyz Material, once per turn, target 1 monster on the opponent's field to activate. That monster is destroyed, and I inflict damage equal to half of that monster's ATK to the opponent!
I destroy Metalfoes Adamante!"
Revolution Falcon slowly rose, its wings beginning to slowly spread, then flew toward Hikaru's field, releasing bombs downward.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
In just a few short seconds, Metalfoes Adamante on Hikaru's field was reduced to nothing.
The aftermath of the air raid also fell on Hikaru's body, but Hikaru didn't dodge or flinch, staring straight at Shay Obsidian.
Hikaru, LP: 4000 → 2750.
"This way, so long as I attack directly, you lose."
"Naive."
?!
"Teleport Fusion's effect in the Graveyard activates!" Hikaru raised a hand and called out. "When a face-up Psychic-Type monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck to my field is destroyed by battle or effect, I banish this card from my Graveyard and target 1 banished Psychic-Type monster of my own to activate. Special Summon that monster!"
Shay Obsidian's pupils contracted.
The banished card was...
"Special Summon, Level 8, Metalfoes Orichalc!"
Metalfoes Orichalc. Level 8, FIRE Attribute, Psychic-Type. DEF 2200. Defense Position.
"Again in Defense Position?"
"Naturally." Hikaru raised a hand casually. "I told you from the very start."
"Of course, I don't dislike a duelist like you who fights for the sake of dignity. But dueling means following one's own thoughts and beliefs, doesn't it?"
"...Then let me force you to fight seriously!"
"You should be clear on Metalfoes Orichalc's effect, right? Its effect can be used freely."
"So what! When facing a formidable opponent, are we only allowed to shrink back!! Revolution Falcon's effect. I detach 1 Xyz Material. This turn, it can attack each of the opponent's monsters once. Attack Metalfoes Orichalc! I activate Revolution Falcon's effect! When this card enters damage step battle with a face-up monster that was Special Summoned, activate. That monster's ATK and DEF become 0!"
Although Orichalc was said to be a legendary metal, facing Revolution Falcon's air raid, it had no means at all. It was reduced to nothing.
Shay Obsidian silently clenched his fists.
When Metalfoes Orichalc was sent from the field to the Graveyard, he could target and destroy 1 card on the field. And at this very moment, he still had Etranger Falcon to attack with.
Any duelist, at a moment like this, would surely not let such a chance slip past. Destroying Etranger Falcon would reduce the damage he took.
Once Hikaru did that, he could revive the once-again-discarded Force Strix and prepare himself all over again!
But...
"Metalfoes Orichalc's effect. Destroy Revolution Falcon."
!!!
"You bastard, are you looking down on me, trying to reduce the pressure on me?"
"No." Hikaru cut him off at once. His eyes seemed to shine with purple light as he stared into Shay Obsidian's.
That stare made Shay Obsidian, for the first time, genuinely feel pressure from Hikaru as a person.
"Who do you take me for? I am a Fusion duelist who pursues the ultimate. I am, in your words, the strongest Fusion user. Do you truly think I, the strongest Fusion user in your eyes, the arch-sinful professional Fusion user of the duel dimension in your eyes, would be that foolish!?
You asked twice about Defense Position, deliberately detached a material, wanting to lure me into destroying Etranger Falcon. Isn't that right!?"
Shay Obsidian looked at his opponent in shock.
This is bad.
"I would never make a foolish mistake like that."
As his voice fell, Orichalc swung its great axes once more. With two clanging strikes, it brought the bird of prey in the sky down in flames.
Under the flames and the purple light, in Shay Obsidian's eyes, Hikaru at this very moment had become extraordinarily terrifying, extraordinarily dangerous!
Shay Obsidian swallowed hard, cold sweat involuntarily trickling from his forehead.
This man was too strong!
He'd actually given him the feeling of facing Kite!
He bit his lip to keep himself more alert.
No. So what if he was as strong as Kite!
They, the resistance army, had faced more than one Fusion Dimension duelist who was far stronger than them and could use "supernatural power"!
"Since it's like this, then, Battle Phase! Etranger Falcon, direct attack!"
Flames blazed once more across the small falcon's body. It streaked across the sky and slammed into Hikaru.
Hikaru offhandedly blocked the flames, showing no shift in emotion whatsoever.
Hikaru, LP: 2750 → 750.
Having completed the attack, Shay Obsidian instinctively wiped the sweat from his forehead, then looked at his hand.
Rank-Up-Magic Doom Double Force...
Although his opponent had seen through his intent, he'd merely prepared his defenses. Next turn, Hikaru would in the end have to battle to break through his own field. When that came, battle would be unavoidable. With Doom Double Force, he could Special Summon a monster two Ranks higher...
"Cough, cough, cough."
He suddenly coughed a couple of times, his body swaying somewhat.
Although he was still standing and dueling on the strength of his steel-like will, his own physical constitution... could only be called an utter mess.
Forcibly using a Rank-Up-Magic at the level of Soul Shave had reminded him of what his teacher had said during the experiments. He was just an ordinary person, unable to bear too high a power. Remember to work within your limits.
But when facing a formidable enemy, how could he possibly "work within his limits"!
Only by throwing everything into it, throwing his soul into it, could he live up to his own world! Live up to his own soul!
"I Set 1 card. End my turn."
"That human looks like a person with potential to be shaped." Tierra said with interest.
The Raidraptor monsters suited her tastes extremely well, and her assessment of Shay Obsidian rose along with them.
But even better than that,
"Alkahest's card turns out to be pretty impressive. A shame there's only one Metalfoes Orichalc." Tierra pointed out from beside him. "If there were two, you could work out an enormous variety of strategies together with Teleport Fusion, right?"
That was true. If there were two Orichalc, and Shay used Revolution to destroy one Orichalc, then Hikaru could pull the first banished Orichalc back in defense, and the next turn he could still blow up Shay's Set card.
"My turn, draw."
Hikaru glanced at his hand.
Shay Obsidian tensely watched Hikaru's hand. Without realizing it, sweat dripped from his jaw.
What had he drawn? How would this turn play out?
"Pendulum Summon."
!!
Pendulum Summon right away!?
"Come, my alchemical materials!
I Pendulum-Summon Volflame and Alkahest from my Extra Deck!"
Two clumps of fire flew out of Hikaru's Extra Deck, then landed on the ground, transforming into two alchemists ready for work.
"I activate Goldriver's Pendulum effect, destroy Alkahest, and set Fullmetalfoes Fusion from my Deck. Alkahest's effect: when this card is destroyed by battle or effect, activate. Add a Metalfoes Pendulum monster other than this card name from my Extra Deck to my hand. This turn, I cannot activate the effect of the card added to my hand by this effect or the effects of cards of the same name in the Pendulum Zone.
Recycle Bismugear."
Hikaru silently took out a card and displayed it to his opponent.
"Steelen's effect. Destroy Goldriver and set Metalfoes Fusion from my Deck."
Destroying his own Pendulum component?
Shay Obsidian was puzzled inwardly.
Had he drawn a brand-new Scale 1 card? Why not use Steelen's effect first, then use Goldriver's effect to destroy Steelen? These Metalfoes monsters' Pendulum effects were all the same anyway. That way he'd still have 1 to 8 next turn too.
"That's it. Fine."
Hikaru looked at his opponent.
Wh, what was fine?
What Hikaru had shown this turn was essentially the same as last turn. And precisely because it was the same, it made Shay Obsidian even more inwardly uneasy.
"Normal Summon, Raremetalfoes Bismugear."
"Open Set card, Fullmetalfoes Fusion!"
"This card can, from among monsters in my hand, on my field, and face-up Pendulum monsters in my Extra Deck, send the Fusion Materials listed on a 'Metalfoes' Fusion Monster card to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck. At that time, no more than one material can be taken from each of the hand, field, and Extra Deck!"
Fusion from the Extra Deck!
Was it the same type of Fusion as that 'Dispersion' from the other day?
"The Fusion Materials are 1 Metalfoes monster and 1 Pendulum monster.
I use Goldriver from my Extra Deck and Bismugear on my field as Fusion Materials to Fuse!"
"Fusion Summon!"
"Now, the alchemy preparation begins.
Shatter, recreate, refine, sublimate. The process of alchemy is the process of Fusion!
Fusion sublimation, the bright star of Pendulum,
Level 6, Metalfoes Mithrilium!"
A purple-haired princess donned silver-white armor. The mechanical armor, like an angel's wings, slowly spread.
Metalfoes Mithrilium. Level 6, FIRE Attribute, Psychic-Type. ATK 2600.
"Metalfoes Mithrilium's effect. Target 2 Metalfoes cards in my Graveyard and 1 card on the field to activate. The targeted cards in the Graveyard return to the Deck, and the targeted card on the field returns to the owner's hand!"
What!?
This is bad!
"I recycle Metalfoes Orichalc and Metalfoes Adamante from my Graveyard, and return Etranger Falcon on your field!"
Shay Obsidian watched, wide-eyed, as Mithrilium leveled dual pistols at both the falcon and the graveyard. Piu, piu, piu, three shots sent the Fusion Monsters in the Graveyard and the falcon back the way they'd come.
Because they couldn't return to the hand, Extra Deck monsters returned to the Extra Deck. So the three monsters all returned to their respective Extra Zones.
But that meant.
Shay Obsidian felt his vision go black.
Not destruction!
No destruction!
In the end, what Hikaru had chosen was to send the battling monster back!
Not only that.
There were still two Fusion Materials on Hikaru's field, and the Set card was Metalfoes Fusion, set from the Deck!
Which meant he could still perform a Fusion!
And even if he didn't perform a Fusion, his ATK was already higher than Shay's current 2000!
Loss... he'd lost!
Lost to a Fusion Dimension duelist!
He closed his eyes and sighed inwardly.
Strength was insufficient. He had lost, sincerely convinced.
He hadn't expected to die in a foreign land. What a shame that, to this day, he still hadn't found Lulu.
Just as he was thinking this, a rush of hurried footsteps rang out. He'd stopped caring already, but the voice that followed made him unable to help snapping his eyes wide.
"Slow down, Lulu, don't rush!"
"Watch the road, Lulu!"
Lulu!!!
He went wide-eyed, and saw the little sister he'd dreamed of, and the sister and the sister?
He was a bit dazed.
Could it be that none of them were Lulu!?
"Big brother!!"
It really was Lulu!
He was on the verge of weeping for joy.
But the next second...
"Big brother! Why are you here dueling Amagi!!" She scanned the physical impact damage nearby, the scattered debris, and continued, "Don't cause trouble for Amagi!!"
Shay Obsidian's pupils contracted, his heart quaked violently, his mind went blank. He nearly opened his mouth, and finally his eyes rolled back and he toppled with a thud.
He fell to the ground.
"Big brother!?"
Lulu Obsidian's face lost all its color in fright. She hurriedly ran over harder still.
Hikaru also stashed away his Deck and ran over to check on him. Mostly Tierra's scan.
"Hmm... looks like he's been eating very little lately, malnourished. Dark circles are heavy, sleep-deprived. Because he used a high-powered Rank-Up-Magic, he's mentally overdrawn. And at the end, great grief plus great joy plus great grief, with emotions swinging violently, he probably just couldn't accept reality for a moment and his brain froze... I'd guess?" Hikaru speculated.
Judging by these points, in his search for Lulu, Shay Obsidian could be said to have neither thought of tea nor of food, his body severely depleted. As a big brother, he really had put in extraordinary effort and dedication. If his physical state had been better, his dueling might well have been even stronger. What a shame he'd pushed himself so hard.
Lulu Obsidian, meanwhile, was both worried and helpless, though there was some warmth in her heart. She muttered quietly: "Idiot..."
...
Author's Note: Regarding Rank-Up-Magic, more Zexal-related settings were adopted. Not just anyone can use it. This will cause Shay's opening plays to be a little weaker than the same-timeframe original series Shay, but he'll possess "supernatural power." Conversely, this way Shay will be able to more easily obtain and experience "Xyz power" and "Numeron power" than others. That's the current setting.