Even if this guy in purple didn't seem all that bad… Chazz Princeton hadn't forgotten.
The man standing before him had beaten Jaden Yuki.
That made him the enemy.
Focusing all his attention back on the Duel, blocking out the noise, Chazz set two cards face-down in his Spell & Trap Zones.
"I set two cards and end my turn."
"Then it's my move—draw!" Hikaru wasted no time, revealing a Spell Card straight from his hand."I activate the Spell Card: Instant Fusion!"
Already fusing?! Chazz flinched in surprise.
"I pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon a Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck. It can't attack and is destroyed at the End Phase."
Hikaru LP: 4000 → 3000
"I Fusion Summon—Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"
From his card, a grotesque abomination wriggled into existence—covered head to toe in pulsating, twitching eyeballs.Just looking at it made your skin crawl.
"Thousand-Eyes Restrict!?" Chazz blinked, then immediately flipped over one of his set cards."Not so fast! I activate the Trap Card—Burst Breath!"
In front of the wide-eyed crowd of students and teachers, Chazz's wind-type Armed Dragon inhaled deeply—then exhaled a stream of scorching emerald flames.
"By tributing one Dragon-Type monster, I can destroy all monsters on the field with DEF equal to or lower than its ATK.Armed Dragon has 1900 ATK, and Thousand-Eyes has 0 DEF.So it's toast!"
Green flames devoured the grotesque creature, reducing it to dust.The dragon's form then scattered as well, dissolving into particles.
"Huh? But why did Chazz waste a Trap on that?" Syrus Truesdale tilted his head. "Thousand-Eyes can't even attack. Couldn't he just let it get absorbed?"
"No. That wouldn't work."
"Eh?! When did you get here, Bastion?"
"I've been here the whole time!" Bastion Misawa's forehead throbbed with irritation. "Hikaru declared he's aiming to take top rank in our year. Of course I'm here to watch."
"Then why use Burst Breath now? Wouldn't saving it be smarter?"
"You're thinking too simply," Bastion explained, folding his arms."Instant Fusion is a powerful card with a downside. As a Fusion Duelist, Hikaru knows that better than anyone. He would've prepared something."
"Haha, like—Flame Swordsman's Domain!" Jaden chimed in, grinning."I've seen him chain that combo before!"
"Ooooh..." Syrus finally caught on.
"But Chazz didn't even know Hikaru before this duel…" Bastion muttered, rubbing his chin. "How'd he know what to expect?"
"Instinct," Jaden laughed."Duelist instinct! That's Chazz for you!"
Indeed, Chazz's response was entirely gut instinct.He knew what Thousand-Eyes Restrict could do, but logically, there was no reason to waste a card.Still, something inside screamed at him—"If you don't stop this, something worse is coming."
Back in the duel, Hikaru sighed and looked at his hand.
"Then I activate the Continuous Spell: Future Fusion."He tapped his chin thoughtfully and set another card."I'll Set one card and end my turn."
"Then during your End Phase, I activate my other face-down! Quick-Play Spell—Armed Dragon Blitz!"
A small but fierce roar echoed from his Deck."Special Summon—Armed Dragon LV3!"
"Gaaah!" A tiny dragon shot out, flapping into position with a battle cry.
"Now, my turn—draw!" Chazz continued."During my Standby Phase, I activate Armed Dragon LV3's effect!I send it to the Graveyard to Special Summon Armed Dragon LV5 from my Deck or hand!"
"Evolve—my mighty dragon!"
"ROAR!!!" The tiny beast clenched its fists and howled toward the heavens.Its body grew thicker, broader, more mature—
Armed Dragon LV5Level 5 / WIND / DragonATK: 2400
"Normal Summon—Masked Dragon!"
Masked DragonLevel 3 / FIRE / DragonATK: 1400
"Now—battle! Armed Dragon, attack directly!"
Hikaru LP: 3000 → 600
"Next—Masked Dragon, finish him!" Chazz clenched his fist, triumphant. One more hit, and victory would be his—
"Too naive!" Hikaru flipped his Set card."Quick-Play Spell—Scapegoat!"
"!!"
The familiar quad-summon echoed across the field.Red. Blue. Yellow. Pink.Four tiny tokens stood defiant in Hikaru's Monster Zones.
The crowd buzzed with recognition.
Each Sheep Token was a 0 ATK/DEF wall.
"Scapegoat…" Chazz growled."He could've used that earlier to block my first attack and save Life Points. But he didn't."
"You didn't want my dragon to evolve," he accused, frowning.
Hikaru nodded, eyes to the sky."Someone from North Academy used Armed Dragons recently.They didn't play too well, but I took the time to read the card effects afterward.LV5 evolves into LV7 after destroying a monster by battle, right?"
"Grr…"
"As expected of Hikaru," Bastion nodded, impressed."I didn't even know Armed Dragon LV5 had that effect…"
"Knowing your opponent is part of Fusion too!"
"Whoa, Jaden, that was so cool!" Syrus looked at him in awe.
"Hahaha~" Jaden scratched the back of his head."Actually, I heard Hikaru say that in the other dimension."
"Oh. Fair enough…"
Chazz realized he wouldn't be ending things this turn.Gritting his teeth, he had Masked Dragon destroy one of the pink Tokens.
"Just in case… I Set one more card and end my turn."
This guy…He really was someone who beat Jaden Yuki.
He wasn't just lucky.
This guy—understood dueling.
And yet…
Chazz remembered his own "training."A full month of simulated duels—against only HERO decks.
"My turn!" Hikaru drew, then pointed at Future Fusion."I activate its effect!During the first Standby Phase after activation, I reveal one Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck.Then I send the required Fusion Materials from my Deck to the Graveyard."
He revealed—Elemental HERO Flame Wingman.
Chazz's eyes widened.
"Yeah… that's it! This feeling… it's back!!"