"First card, Spell Card, Overload Future Fusion!" Hikaru revealed a Continuous Spell Card. "This card lets me reveal a Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck and send its Fusion Materials to the Graveyard.
I reveal Meteor Black Dragon!"
"Meteor Black Dragon?" Atticus looked at the card and immediately laughed.
"Didn't expect that from you, Hikaru. You had this card just to match mine, didn't you?"
Hikaru nodded.
On the other side, Hundred Dragon lowered its head and whispered to its partner, asking why they didn't activate a trap. The furious Kujakujaku snapped that they had to wait until the Fusion Monster appeared to deliver a real blow.
"The Fusion Materials are Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Meteor Dragon. I send Meteor Dragon from the Deck to the Graveyard." Hikaru moved fluidly to his second card. "Next card, Equip Spell—Future Fusion!"
"This card allows me to select a Fusion Monster in my Extra Deck, send all required materials to the Graveyard, and perform a Fusion Summon! That Fusion Monster can't attack on the turn it is summoned!"
Hikaru opened his Extra Deck and revealed a monster, "I choose Fusion Monster, Gem-Knight Prismaura!"
"Fusion Materials are a Gem-Knight monster and a Thunder monster!"
"I send Gem-Knight Crystal and Thunder Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon!
Gem-Knight Prismaura!"
'Gem-Knight Prismaura?' Seeing the monster, Atticus, who was lighting the scene for Hikaru, paused for a moment.
If it were Future Fusion, it should've been possible to directly summon Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem. Why go for a Gem-Knight here?
Wouldn't it make more sense to use Brilliant Fusion or Scatter Fusion, which are easier to access, and save Future Fusion for something rarer?
[Gem-Knight Prismaura] Level 7│EARTH│Thunder│2450 ATK
"Whoa! Thunder Dragon is one of the Fusion Materials!"
A young voice echoed nearby.
'...So that was it.' Atticus couldn't help but chuckle.
He hadn't expected Hikaru to outshine him in this instant since he was supposed to be the more dazzling one.
"Prismaura can discard a Gem-Knight card to destroy a face-up card on the field. You plan to destroy Dark Simorgh with that effect?" Kujakujaku raised its head. "Naive. We are warriors who guard The Mountain! Of course, we recognize that card!
Activate Trap Card, Icarus Attack!"
"I Tribute 1 Winged Beast monster, target 2 cards on the field. Destroy them!"
Icarus Attack—even before Hikaru had crossed over, this card occasionally appeared in Raidraptors or Blackwing decks—an old but reliable pick.
"I tribute Harpie Channeler and destroy your Future Fusion and your Set card!"
"Then I chain my Trap Card!" Hikaru countered promptly. "Senpai, I'll borrow your card!"
"Go for it!" Atticus laughed.
"I activate the Continuous Trap Card, Return of the Red-Eyes! When I control a Red-Eyes monster, I can target a Normal Monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it!
Come, Meteor Dragon!"
A red-eyed, turtle-shaped red dragon descended like a meteor from the sky.
"But destruction continues!" Kujakujaku shouted, pointing a feather like a sword at Hikaru.
In the next moment, Harpie Channeler turned into enormous wings, stabbing like blades into Hikaru's field.
The Trap Card that had just activated was shattered, and Future Fusion was also destroyed.
"Since Future Fusion was destroyed, your Fusion Monster is sent to the Graveyard too!"
Crack—
Gem-Knight Prismaura shattered in response.
"Ahhh—our hard-earned Fusion Monster is gone in an instant."
"Big Brother Kujakujaku seems super angry today."
Kujakujaku held its head high and coldly declared, "To trespass into The Mountain without permission and then boast about showing children a Duel—Once you lose, I'll throw you into the gorge to face the wind for a whole day!"
The angered preschool teacher type.
Atticus chuckled awkwardly.
Then he smiled and said, "We'll see who's boasting soon. Spirit, don't forget, my kouhai still has four cards left in his hand."
"Four cards? Are they more Fusion Spells?"
"Of course they are!" Hikaru shouted, "Activate Spell Card, Fusion Substitute!"
"This card is treated as 'Polymerization' and can only use monsters on the field as Fusion Materials!"
"What?!" Kujakujaku and Hundred Dragon exclaimed.
"In this situation—oh, I see." Atticus watched Hikaru's moves and roughly understood his plan.
Since Hikaru had already seen that his Set card was Return of the Red-Eyes, he made both Fusion attempts using Normal Monsters, baiting out the opponent's Trap Card with Prismaura.
Even though they were all Fusion Summons, Hikaru's mind remained sharp and calculated.
"I fuse Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Meteor Dragon from the field to Fusion Summon!
The black dragon that symbolizes potential—"
"A legendary monster!"
"Meteor Black Dragon!"
"!!!"
Blazing flames surged through the battlefield. A massive black dragon flowing with magma crashed down from the sky like a fireball, landing on the mountainside and sending the older Spirits scrambling to shield the young ones.
[Meteor Black Dragon] Level 8│FIRE│Dragon│3500 ATK
"Whoa!!!"
"Three cards, two Fusion Summons!"
"Totally different from how the big kids usually show Fusions!"
Hearing the cheers around him, Hikaru smiled and raised another card.
"We're not done yet!
"Kids! I activate the effect of Fusion Substitute in the Graveyard! I banish it to return a Fusion Monster from the Graveyard to the Extra Deck and draw 1 card.
"I return Gem-Knight Prismaura to the Extra Deck and draw a card.
"Then—Spell Card, Thunder Dragon Fusion!"
"Thunder Dragon Fusion?!"
"Wha—?! Wh-whoa!" Even Thunder Dragonlord glanced over, surprised.
"This card lets me return Fusion Materials listed on a Thunder Fusion Monster from my field, Graveyard, or banished zone back to the Deck, and Fusion Summon it!
Fusion Materials are still a Gem-Knight monster and a Thunder monster!
I return Gem-Knight Crystal and Thunder Dragon from the Graveyard to the Deck to Fusion Summon!
Come forth again, Gem-Knight Prismaura!"
Captain Crystal, revived from the grave, stood once more before Hikaru. The cycle of death and rebirth stirred dark memories in Tierra, who shuddered involuntarily.
"Whoa! That's some serious Fusion going on!"
"He even revived his Fusion Monster!"
'Hmm…' Little balls of lightning circled around Hikaru and fell into rare silence.
"I discard Gem-Knight Fusion from my hand to activate Prismaura's effect. Destroy your face-up Dark Simorgh."
Prismaura raised its shield, refracting light that bathed the dark avian monster. Within quick flashes, the large bird was purified and vanished from the field!
"Gwahhhhh—" Hundred Dragon clutched its snout in awe. "Such a powerful Fusion user…"
Even Kujakujaku fell silent, offering no response… clearly deep in thought about Hikaru—yet, when it turned to look at Atticus, the same vicious expression wore on its face.