As they watched the state of the field, the Fusion Dimension duelists all went rigid. Their pupils shrank, and their faces were full of disbelief.
They had, of course, heard of the earth-shattering force of Accel Synchro. They had seen the thunderous power of Quick Xyz. And not long ago, they had even witnessed the mind-bending spectacle of accelerated Fusion.
What they had never expected was that Ritual Summoning could accelerate too.
And not just accelerate. It had forcefully completed an accelerated Ritual Summon during the opponent's turn, while wiping the opponent's field clean at the same time.
On the field, Ichiki stared at his empty field, and his eyes gradually widened until they looked ready to burst from their sockets.
In the blink of an eye, not one of the monsters he had been so proud of remained. His Duel Disk had not even had time to display a chain prompt. He had not gotten a single chance to fight back with a monster effect.
"What exactly did you do?!" Ichiki shouted hoarsely, his voice full of disbelief.
"What did I do?"
Yusaku looked at him.
"It was the effect of Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi. When this card is Ritual Summoned, it can activate and destroy every monster on your field. The monster you were relying on, Dogmatika Alba Zoa, really can ignore the effects of Extra Deck monsters."
He spoke each word slowly, his voice as light as a cold wind brushing past the ear, yet carrying a chill sharp enough to freeze the bone.
"But it can't block the effect of a Ritual Monster."
The moment his words fell, Yusaku folded his arms and fixed Ichiki with a gaze as sharp as a blade.
"You have no cards left in your hand. Of the two face-down cards on your field, one is Wonder Xyz, which you already exposed yourself. But now you do not even have a single monster left on your field, so Xyz Summoning is nothing but a fantasy. Which means the only life-saving straw you have left..."
Yusaku's gaze drifted lightly over the final set card at Ichiki's feet, and a mocking smile tugged at his lips.
"...is that last face-down card."
At those words, Ichiki froze for a moment. Then he suddenly raised a hand to cover his face, his shoulders shaking violently.
The next second, he lowered it again, his face twisted into a savage grin.
"A set card? Yusaku, Yusaku... You really think I'm out of options? I already told you!"
He laughed like a madman, his voice ringing through the entire duel field.
"The power of my Deck is beyond what a frog in a well like you could ever imagine! As a duelist of Fusion Dimension, you can't seriously think the cards I sent to the Graveyard were all useless scraps of paper, can you?!"
Before the echo of his words had even faded, Ichiki roared out:
"My turn ends!"
"End Phase!"
He snatched a card from his Graveyard and held it up in front of Yusaku.
"This is the effect of Albion the Branded Dragon, which I sent to the Graveyard during the Main Phase! During the End Phase of the turn it was sent there, I can add 1 'Branded' Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand, or Set it directly on my field!"
"I choose to Set the Counter Trap Branded Retribution from my Deck!"
Set Branded Retribution?
Yusaku glanced at the cards in Ichiki's Graveyard, considered it for a moment, then spoke calmly.
"Then I'll chain your effect with the effect of Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi."
"This card's effect is this: when your opponent activates an effect, they must discard 1 card from their hand. If they do not, that effect is negated."
His eyes dropped to Ichiki's empty hand, and a trace of amusement entered his tone.
"So under the rules of that effect, if you want Albion the Branded Dragon's effect to resolve, you have to discard 1 card. But you don't even have a single card left in your hand. Which means your effect is destined to be negated."
The instant those words fell, Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi, towering over the field like the incarnation of Yamata no Orochi, suddenly raised its heads and roared. Its jaws opened wide, and a brilliant blade of light tore through the air, striking the Albion the Branded Dragon in Ichiki's hand and crushing its effect to pieces.
Looking at the negated card in his hand, Ichiki frowned slightly and glanced at the Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi on Yusaku's field.
"So it wipes the whole field and comes with disruption too?"
Muttering that to himself, he looked back at Yusaku.
"I didn't expect your card to have disruption on top of that. But I'm guessing that effect can only be used once per turn, so you still can't stop me!"
"I activate the effects of Despian Luluwalilith, Sprind the Irondash Dragon, Brigrand the Glory Dragon, and Titaniklad the Ash Dragon in my Graveyard!"
Ichiki stared straight at Yusaku and explained with deliberate emphasis:
"All four of these cards have effects that activate during the End Phase of the turn they were sent to the Graveyard!"
"First is the effect of Titaniklad the Ash Dragon! I can add 1 'Dogmatika' monster or 'Fallen of Albaz' from my Deck to my hand, or Special Summon it directly!"
After saying that, Ichiki looked at Yusaku's monsters.
Fallen of Albaz needed Extra Deck monsters for Fusion plays, so after a brief thought, he shouted:
"Then by Titaniklad the Ash Dragon's effect, I Special Summon Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous from my Deck in Defense Position!"
[Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous]
[DEF: 1500]
"Next is the effect of Brigrand the Glory Dragon!"
Ichiki did not pause for even a moment.
"During the End Phase of the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard, I can add 1 'Dogmatika' or 'Tri-Brigade' card from my Deck to my hand!"
"I choose to add Dogmatika Fleurdelis, the Knighted from my Deck to my hand!"
After adding the searched card to his hand, Ichiki continued.
"Then by the effect of Sprind the Irondash Dragon, I add Fallen of Albaz from my Deck to my hand!"
As his words fell, two cards popped out from the Deck slot of his Duel Disk, and Ichiki grabbed them both in one motion.
After putting them away, he looked at Yusaku again.
"And finally, the effect of Despian Luluwalilith! During the End Phase of the turn it was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a LIGHT Spellcaster with equal ATK and DEF from my hand or Deck!"
"I choose to Special Summon Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous from my Deck in Defense Position!"
The moment he finished speaking, bright light flared across the duel field, and a white-haired saintess in a reddish-brown gown slowly appeared, holy sword in hand.
[Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous]
[Level 4 / Spellcaster / Tuner / Effect]
[ATK: 1500] [DEF: 1500]
"My effects are resolved!" Ichiki folded his arms across his chest. "Your turn!"
Hearing that, Yusaku let his gaze sweep over the two new monsters on Ichiki's field, and a dismissive smile curved at his lips.
"You talked your Deck up like it was something incredible, but in the end it's just a Monarch-Branded pile with a Dogmatika package and a small Galaxy-Eyes engine mixed in. There's nothing new about it."
"That is Fusion Dimension's understanding!"
Ichiki smiled confidently.
"These engines work together. They're not like your Extra Deck, which was nothing but decoration."
"Decoration?"
Yusaku glanced at him.
"Then if you lose to a Deck whose Extra Deck was just decoration, doesn't that mean your build is worse than a Deck that treats its Extra Deck like an ornament?"
At that, Ichiki's face darkened, and he let out a cold snort.
"Enough. It's your turn."
"Then it's time for my effect to resolve."
Yusaku glanced at the Albion the Branded Dragon on Ichiki's field and spoke in the same flat tone.
"By the effect of Megalith..."
As he spoke, he revealed two cards from his hand.
"I Tribute the Level 8 Megalith Phaleg and the Level 4 Megalith Ophiel from my hand!"
"Ritual Summon! Level 12 - Megalith Notrah Plura!"
Boom!
A dark-red Ritual Circle suddenly spread open in front of Yusaku. Ancient, cryptic incantations slithered across it like living serpents, giving off a sense of age and majesty. In an instant, the earth shook violently as eight black fissures split open from its center, and eight massive mechanical tails burst from the ground, scattering stone and dust everywhere.
A bolt of lightning brighter than the sun shot into the heavens, staining the entire sky blue-white. Then, a five-headed dragon with two pairs of enormous mechanical wings slowly emerged from the Ritual Circle.
Its body was a deep violet, and all five of its savage heads were wrapped in crackling arcs of electricity. Golden lightning poured from its mouths, and every breath it drew carried a pressure powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth.
[Megalith Notrah Plura]
[Level 12 / Rock / Ritual / Effect]
[ATK: 3700]
Seeing the colossal monster Yusaku had just summoned, Ichiki's brows locked together, and waves of shock surged through his mind.
A Level 12 Ritual Monster... with 3700 ATK?
When Ichiki failed to react for several seconds, Yusaku glanced at him.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to activate Albion's effect?"
At that, Ichiki looked at the demonic mechanical dragon looming behind Yusaku, then at Yusaku's utterly composed face, and let out a cold snort.
"I don't need you to remind me!"
He drew in a breath, then shouted sharply:
"I activate Albion the Branded Dragon's effect! When this card is Fusion Summoned, I can banish monsters from my hand, field, or Graveyard as Fusion Material and Fusion Summon 1 Level 8 or lower Fusion Monster, except Albion the Branded Dragon itself!"
"I banish-"
He had barely begun when Yusaku's voice cut in again.
"Sorry, but you're not Fusion Summoning anything. I've been waiting for you to activate an effect this whole time. Only then can I clear every monster off your field."
Ichiki frowned slightly and looked at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"I said I'm going to Tribute the monsters on your field."
Ichiki stared blankly.
Ignoring his confusion, Yusaku raised a hand and pointed at the Megalith Notrah Plura on his field, his voice ringing across the arena.
"I activate Megalith Notrah Plura's effect!"
"When your opponent activates a card or effect, this card can negate that effect and destroy that card!"
As he said that, his finger shifted toward the Albion the Branded Dragon on Ichiki's field.
"I chain to your Albion the Branded Dragon effect. I negate that effect and destroy Albion the Branded Dragon!"
The instant his words fell, the mechanical dragon on Yusaku's field reared back with a roar. Five streams of golden lightning erupted from its five heads, merged into a devastating torrent, and slammed into the crimson dragon on Ichiki's field, destroying it where it stood.
"I'm still not done!"
Yusaku's voice did not pause in the slightest.
"Megalith Notrah Plura has a follow-up effect. If it negates the activation of an effect that targets a card on the field, I can Tribute up to 2 monsters my opponent controls!"
"The Albion the Branded Dragon effect was activated on the field, and I successfully negated it. Which means I can now Tribute the last monster on your field!"
Yusaku looked at the only remaining monster on Ichiki's field, Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous, and snapped his fingers sharply.
"Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous - Tribute!"
At those words, Ichiki's pupils shrank violently, and he cried out in shock.
"What?!"
As his shout rang out, the mechanical dragon on Yusaku's field roared again. Arcs of electricity burst forth, and a thick bolt of lightning tore through the air and struck Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous head-on. In an instant, the saintess dissolved into specks of light and scattered across the duel arena.
"And now..."
Yusaku's gaze settled on Ichiki, whose face had gone ashen, and his tone remained calm.
"You have no monsters left on your field, and your hand is empty too. The combined ATK of Megalith Notrah Plura and Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi is already over 6500. This duel ends here."
Before Ichiki could recover from his shock, Yusaku immediately declared his attack.
"Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi! Direct attack!"
At the command, the Yamata no Orochi-like monster on the field reared back and roared, then opened its jaws wide and fired a radiant blade of light that tore through the air and straight through Ichiki's body.
[Ichiki, LP 6500 → 3300]
"And the final blow! Megalith Notrah Plura! Direct attack!"
The moment those words fell, the mechanical dragon threw open its jaws. Five streams of golden lightning merged into a catastrophic flood of light and smashed down on Ichiki. Under the force of that blow, his body flew backward like a kite with its strings cut and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Gahhhhhhhh!!!"
[Ichiki, LP 3300 → 0]
The sharp chime signaling the end of the duel cut through the air. Yusaku slowly walked toward Ichiki, who was struggling to push himself back up from the ground.
"Compared to Sousuke Kanzaki, you weren't much stronger at all. No, actually, you were even weaker than he was. As the loser, you know what you're supposed to hand over now, don't you?"
At that, Ichiki's face turned first green, then white. He glared at Yusaku, his eyes boiling with resentment and unwillingness.
With a cold snort, he clenched his fist, ripped the Deck from his Duel Disk, and roared:
"Thunder Dragonlord...!"
A pillar-thick bolt of lightning suddenly crashed down from the heavens and struck the central duel platform of the dojo, blasting up a cloud of shattered stone and smoke. Black storm clouds spread across the sky like spilled ink, swallowing the light so quickly that the once-bright venue darkened to twilight in an instant.
Then more lightning flashed and split through the clouds, illuminating the gigantic silhouette hidden within them.
That massive figure slowly spread its wings. The edges of those bone-jointed wings gleamed with a cold metallic sheen, and each beat of them whipped up howling winds strong enough to blow back the heavy storm clouds.
A giant dragon, its body covered in bone spines and scales black as midnight, slowly emerged from the lightning.
Its body was vast enough to blot out the sky. Its ferocious head lowered, and two blood-red eyes the size of lanterns looked down upon everything below with cold indifference. The invisible pressure pouring off it fell like a tangible tidal wave, crushing down on the entire field.
"Z-Zarc?!"
Kai's voice trembled uncontrollably. He stared at the dragon above, like a demon god descending into the world, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints.
Protected by the power of the spirits, that suffocating pressure felt to Yusaku like nothing more than a passing breeze.
He raised a brow and looked up at the dragon in the sky.
"So this is one of those 'you beat the little one, so the bigger one shows up' situations?"
Compared to everyone else, the players were bizarrely excited.
For whatever reason, Zarc's pressure did not seem to affect them at all.
"So that's Zarc? He didn't feel like much in the anime, but seeing him in person is insane!"
"You think he's got one of those ridiculous anime effects where he can split dimensions apart with one hit?"
"No way. That kind of effect would be way too absurd!"
"By the way, between the Egyptian Gods and Zarc, who do you think is stronger?"
"..."
"Master, this thing looks like it's just a projection."
Reina's voice sounded beside Yusaku's ear. She tilted her head as she studied the dragon in the sky.
"The energy around it is really scattered. It doesn't have the weight of a real body."
Yusaku narrowed his eyes and examined it more carefully after hearing Reina's words. Sure enough, a faint halo shimmered around the dragon's edges. It was not completely solid.
He nodded, his tone calm.
"It really is just a projection. I'm guessing one of its subordinates got humiliated, so it came to take a look for itself."
The moment he finished speaking, a beam of emerald-green light suddenly dropped from the sky and precisely enveloped the still-struggling Ichiki.
Seeing that, Yusaku smiled.
"Looks like you've already outlived your usefulness."
Ichiki froze for a second. Then he felt an overwhelming force drag at him from inside the beam, as though an invisible hand had gripped his soul and was pulling it out of his body.
The shock on his face instantly turned to terror. He flailed wildly and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"No! Lord Zarc! I'm still useful! I only lost because I let my guard down for a moment! Give me one more chance! Please, just one more chance!"
But no matter how much he screamed, the result would not change.
The beam suddenly contracted, and with one final shrill scream, Ichiki's body transformed into a single card that drifted lightly down and landed on the ground with a flat slap.
Freed from his grip, the cards from his Duel Disk spilled all over the floor, mixing together with that one card.
The dragon in the sky turned its blood-red eyes toward Yusaku and stared at him fixedly, as if it wanted to remember his face. After a few moments, its colossal body gradually turned transparent, breaking apart into specks of light that scattered into the heavens.
"That's it? It's leaving already?"
Yusaku looked at the now-empty sky and clicked his tongue.
Then he walked over to where Ichiki had been standing and bent down to pick up the scattered cards one by one.
"Tch. The quality of Fusion Dimension people is seriously awful."
He casually flipped through the Deck in his hand, his face full of disdain.
"There aren't even a few decent rare cards in here."
He pulled out one UR card, examined it for a few seconds, then tossed it back into the Deck.
"This one... maybe it has some use? Forget it. Better to sell it for points instead."
The moment those words reached the ears of the watching players, their eyes lit up instantly with excitement.
Yusaku casually tucked the Deck away, then turned toward the Fusion Dimension duelists still kneeling in the distance.
"What? Do you want to duel me too?"
Those words were like a death sentence. The Fusion Dimension duelists shuddered all over and no longer dared to stay.
...
They scrambled to their feet and ran for the dojo exit in blind panic, not even stopping to pick up the Duel Disks they had dropped, terrified that if they were one second too slow, they would end up just like Ichiki.
Only after those fleeing figures vanished beyond the gate did Kai slowly stand up. His face was still pale, but he straightened his clothes and walked up to Yusaku with solemn seriousness.
"Yusaku, you're strong. I want to ask you to join us and help save this world."
Yusaku raised a brow and looked at him with folded arms.
"Save your homeland? Help you drive out Fusion Dimension's invaders?"
"No!"
Kai shook his head hard, his expression full of gravity.
"Even if you drive them out, they'll come back again sooner or later. Zarc's seal is already close to breaking. The only way to completely cut off this crisis at its source is to seal Zarc again!"
"A seal?"
At that word, Yusaku's eyes shifted slightly.
"How?"
"A very, very long time ago, Zarc's power was divided into five parts and sealed inside the ruins of the five great dimensions."
Kai drew in a breath and slowly revealed the ancient secret.
"For some reason, Fusion Dimension found one of those ruins and released part of Zarc's power. Zarc used that power to enslave the people of Fusion Dimension, then manipulated them into invading the other dimensions. His goal is to gather all five parts, completely break the seal, and bring back the catastrophe of destruction from long ago!"
His voice was low and urgent.
"Xyz Dimension has already fallen. The other dimensions are on the verge of collapse too, and any one of them could be breached at any moment. So I want to ask for your help. Help us go to the other dimensions, stop Fusion Dimension's invasion, and then go to Fusion Dimension together to seal Zarc once more!"
The moment Kai finished, Master Takeuchi could not help but ask from the side:
"Then what about our world? Which dimension do we belong to?"
"You don't belong to any dimension."
Kai turned toward him and explained.
"This world is an independent dimension. It exists outside the five great dimensions. My guess is that Fusion Dimension discovered your coordinates by accident, and because they're desperately short on manpower right now, they came here hoping to seize this place and force all of you under their command to help revive Zarc."
After saying that, Kai looked back at Yusaku, then swept his gaze over all the duelists present. His tone was full of earnest urgency.
"So... will you help us?"
At those words, the players, the dojo apprentices, and the unaffiliated duelists all turned their eyes toward Yusaku at the same time.
Yusaku looked at all those eyes on him and smiled faintly.
"They've already come knocking at our front door. If we don't hit back, wouldn't that just make us look weak?"
The moment Kai heard that, he trembled with excitement and was just about to say something when Yusaku raised a hand and stopped him.
"Anything else can wait until after Zarc is sealed."
He waved a hand, his tone crisp and decisive.
"For now, which dimension are we heading to first?"
Kai froze for a second, then snapped back to himself and hurriedly said,
"According to the emergency report that just came in, Synchro Dimension is the one closest to collapsing right now!"
"Then Synchro Dimension it is."
(End of Chapter)
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