NOVEL WEB Chapter 221: Don't underestimate your opponent
"Amazoness Archer, Normal Summon."
Gloria acted immediately, summoning the monster she had just drawn.
A female archer, pale-skinned and lithe, wholly different from the muscle-bound Amazoness warriors, appeared on the field.
[Amazoness Archer]
Level 4 | EARTH | Warrior | 1400 ATK
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
'Wow…'
A Forbidden card.
Gloria placed her hands on her hips and sneered at Hikaru. "This isn't your ordinary Amazoness Archer."
She held up her fingers in a V-sign. "Amazoness Archer can Tribute two monsters to inflict 1200 damage to the opponent!"
"What!?" Chazz exclaimed.
If they still had their opening 8000 LP, it might be tolerable. But now they only had 4100.
"Thanks for the sacrifices you gifted us."
She looked at Chazz. "Go, Archer. Shoot those filthy tokens at them!"
'Oh no!'
Chazz cursed internally.
Ojama Tokens couldn't be Tributed for Tribute Summons.
But for effect Tributes? Totally allowed.
Ojama Black, sipping tea, and Ojama Green, reading a manga, were picked up and fired from the bow like arrows.
The two spirits were shot at Chazz's face in pure spite, but the trajectory bent halfway, redirecting toward Hikaru. He lifted his hand and caught the arrow tip midair. It then dissipated.
[Hikaru & Chazz, LP: 4100 → 2900]
"Oh! Such graceful reflexes," Grace applauded lightly.
"With moves like that, no wonder the professor sent us here," Gloria said. "But what about the second arrow?"
"Amazoness Archer activates again. Tribute herself and the last Ojama Token for another 1200 damage!"
Bathed in red light, Archer lifted Ojama Yellow and launched a final shot before vanishing from the battlefield herself.
[Hikaru & Chazz, LP: 2900 → 1700]
"Avoiding battle in favor of direct effect damage?" Bastion frowned and tapped his chin. "It's not the most optimal move, but without a way to destroy Thousand-Eyes Restrict, this tactic makes sense."
"Plus, they still have over 10,000 LP," Alexis said. "15,600 LP. If Hikaru's only attacking with Thousand-Eyes, they'll need five turns to win. And if they manage to Summon another Amazoness while Amazoness Hot Spring is active, they won't even take battle damage."
"Controlling the ace monster, they've gone all-in on effect damage?"
"An empty field means they don't have to worry about....."
"Why are these transfer students from the American branch so strong!?"
Gloria ignored the chatter.
To her, dueling stronger opponents was the most fun thing in the world. Anything else was boring.
She glanced at her hand.
Grace's set card was a Trap—Queen's Pawn, a card that could Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Amazoness from the Deck when an Amazoness destroyed a monster by battle.
Even so, with no monsters left on their field, it was useless.
Ordinarily, she would've kept Amazoness Archer and tried to protect her for Grace's next turn to dish out more damage.
But with Thousand-Eyes Restrict on the field, they couldn't risk Archer being absorbed.
So now, she could let go.
With only 2800 ATK, Hikaru's side would take forever to chew through.
Because of that, she set "The Warrior Returning Alive" and nodded to Grace, who returned the gesture with understanding.
"End turn."
"Your move. Hurry up and attack already," Gloria snapped at Chazz.
"Man, they're really underestimating me," Chazz muttered.
He drew a card, glanced at it, and then looked up. "You're both Fusion duelists, right? From the American branch."
"That's right."
"You came here on Professor Akaba's orders, sure. But you clearly also came to see a deeper level of Fusion, didn't you?" Chazz returned the card to his hand and shook his head. "All duel long, you've been saying you want to see Fusion, like I wasn't even here."
"Oh dear, Chazz, are you feeling left out?" Grace giggled. "Sorry, but we're just more interested in other things, not that you're unattractive or anything."
No.
"I'm saying your definition of Fusion is way too narrow."
'!?'
The sisters blinked, finally giving Chazz their full attention.
This guy, who only got in via rock-paper-scissors… what was he even saying?
"You didn't underestimate me, you underestimated Hikaru. You underestimated the Fusion Club!" Chazz raised his chin. "You think I only got in by luck? That our decks are unrelated?
Hikaru's Fusion thinking is miles ahead of yours."
He narrowed his eyes. "Fusion was never limited to the 'Polymerization' Spell Card. Hikaru said it all year. Friends helping each other is Fusion. Team synergy is Fusion. Understanding your teammate's deck, that's Fusion."
"What are you even talking about?" Gloria frowned.
"Hmm…" Grace was more thoughtful, trying to unpack his meaning.
"My turn." Chazz flipped a set card. "Time to show you the kind of Fusion your branch never taught."
"Flip, Continuous Spell Card: XYZ Combine!"
"What!?"
The moment that card appeared, the whole room gasped.
Because it was Hikaru's set card.
He hadn't set any defensive cards.
He'd left behind a Continuous Spell, specifically for Chazz.
"Why didn't he just use it on his turn?"
"And wait, XYZ? Isn't that Chazz's card?"
People murmured in confusion.
Chazz smirked. "Who told you Hikaru doesn't have any LIGHT Machine Fusion Monsters in his deck?"
'!?'
Right.
Just because he hadn't used them didn't mean he didn't have them.
"Still, why set a Continuous Spell?" Gloria asked.
"You're about to find out. Activate XYZ Combine's effect. Return one Fusion Monster you control to the Extra Deck, then Special Summon up to two of its banished Fusion Materials, X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, Z-Metal Tank."
A new form of De-Fusion.
XYZ cards weren't traditional Fusions. They removed monsters from play to fuse from the Extra Deck.
"Ah." Grace finally got it.
"I return Thousand-Eyes Restrict to the Extra Deck. Then I Special Summon X-Head Cannon and Z-Metal Tank from the banished zone."
The evil god's eyes closed, and it vanished. Amazoness Empress was finally freed and sent to the Sisters' Graveyard.
And now, two machines reappeared on Chazz's field.
[X-Head Cannon]
Level 4 | LIGHT | Machine | 1800 ATK
[Z-Metal Tank]
Level 4 | LIGHT | Machine | 1500 ATK
"Hikaru already predicted your strategy!" Chazz flicked his hand as if summoning a gust of wind. The Sisters instinctively flinched. "You thought we'd keep Thousand-Eyes on the field and slowly chip away? Too simple-minded.
Against someone who understands all things Fusion, that's a completely obvious move with zero secrecy."
Grace instinctively shielded herself.
Gloria was stunned. "So he didn't activate the Spell on his turn just to bait us into an empty field? There are duelists like that?"
"We're not done! I fuse X-Head Cannon and Z-Metal Tank!"
The two machines combined into one.
"Special Summon, XZ-Tank Cannon!"
[XZ-Tank Cannon]
Level 6 | LIGHT | Machine | 2400 ATK
Chazz grinned. "The VtoZ monsters are special. Any of them can combine with each other."
"And XZ has an ability just shy of XYZ's.
Discard one card to destroy a face-down Spell or Trap.
I discard two to destroy both of yours."
In an instant, XZ launched shells that obliterated both set cards.
"Now for Gem-Knight Fusion's Graveyard effect. I banish Tourmaline to return it to my hand. Then, Brilliant Fusion's effect. Discard one Spell to restore my Gem-Knight's ATK and DEF to normal until the opponent's End Phase.
I discard Gem-Knight Fusion."
[Gem-Knight Prismaura, ATK: 0 → 2450]
"Battle! My two monsters attack!"
[Tyler Sisters, LP: 15600 → 10750]