NOVEL WEB Chapter 371: A Good Start
Yubel silently clung to the shadows, watching the duel unfold.
It was an extremely powerful Spirit, and with its strength enhanced by Light Force, it could easily conceal its presence even from beings of equal rank.
However, that didn't mean it would act recklessly.
Calm, cautious, decisive, these were the habits it had long cultivated as a guardian and warrior.
Until the situation became clear, it would not make a move.
Only once it had confirmed the prey's weakness, only once it was certain it could seize the opponent's opening and end the battle in a single blow, would it strike.
Otherwise, with its half-crippled soul, it would only be discovered and annihilated.
"I'll go first." Mudragon slowly drew a card from his Deck.
"I activate the monster effect of King of the Swamp in my hand. By discarding it, I can add a Fusion from my Deck to my hand."
He sent a monster to the Graveyard, then added a Fusion Spell to his hand.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card, Fusion Deployment."
"Oh! It's Deployment!"
The Fusion Club students immediately recognized Hikaru's frequently used Spell Card.
"Since you all know it, I won't explain. I reveal one Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck and Special Summon a listed Fusion Material from my hand or Deck.
I reveal Dark Paladin, and Special Summon Buster Blader."
Swirling sludge rose from the ground, spinning wildly until it formed a humanoid warrior of blue mud, sword in hand.
[Buster Blader] Level 7│EARTH│Warrior│2600 ATK
"And I'm not done yet. I activate the Spell Card, Magicalized Fusion. This lets me banish Fusion Materials from my field and Graveyard to perform a Fusion Summon for a Spellcaster."
"A Spellcaster Fusion?" Dimitri's brows furrowed.
"I remember King of the Swamp can substitute any one named Fusion Material."
"Ah..." Dimitri's eyes widened as he realized what was coming. "Crap, it's that one!"
"I banish Buster Blader from the field and King of the Swamp from the Graveyard to Fusion Summon!"
At Mudragon's call, a massive swamp creature surged from the Graveyard, slowly morphing into a handsome blue magician who brandished a staff with pride.
"It's Dark Magicians!!" the students exclaimed.
"Fusion Summon! Level 8, Dark Paladin."
Two sludge-like phantoms combined, taking the form of a gallant magician wielding a longsword, standing calmly on the field.
[Dark Paladin] Level 8│DARK│Spellcaster│2900 ATK
"Damn," Dimitri muttered, face falling.
"What's wrong, Dimitri?" his friend asked.
2900 ATK, fused using the legendary Dark Magician as a material, but that wasn't so terrifying, was it?
After all, their Club President also had this card. He even had Dark Magician itself, so he didn't need universal substitutes to fuse it.
"Did you forget? Dark Paladin can gain ATK based on Dragon monsters, and more importantly, it has a special effect!" Dimitri shook his head. "When a Spell Card is activated, you can discard one card to negate and destroy it!"
"Ah!"
Only now did the others react.
"To fuse, you must use Spell Cards. But our President's Deck is an all-Fusion build, it has far more Spell Cards than Monsters! If he can't use Spell Cards, everything falls apart!"
This was a strategy built to counter Fusion Spells!
Mudragon rested on the swampy ground, nodding slightly, pleased by Dimitri's reaction.
It had noticed that Dimitri had a talent similar to its kind's "mimicry," so it had allowed him to keep challenging them. And his knowledge base didn't disappoint, it was very satisfied.
At least, the kid had chosen the right teacher.
As for the duelist before it, now it was time to truly observe.
"An all-Fusion Deck," "pursuing ultimate Fusion," "Absolute Fusionist", such lofty titles required proper scrutiny.
"Our kind have always pursued Fusion, traveling across dimensions to study it. Many years ago, I visited a strange dimension where people dueled on horseback, and ordinary Spell Cards couldn't even be used."
"If faced with such a scene, how would you maintain your Fusion ideals?" Mudragon slowly spoke, its aged voice addressing Hikaru.
This Spirit was clearly ancient!
"That won't happen, because I will fuse!" Hikaru thrust his fist forward, declaring without hesitation.
"Hoho... Then show me how you'll fuse without using Spell Cards."
"Alright. My turn! Draw!"
Hikaru drew a card and immediately declared, "Normal Summon: Predaplant Chlamydosundew!"
A lizard covered in bizarre spores emerged inside the cavern, glowing faintly red.
[Predaplant Chlamydosundew] Level 2│DARK│Plant│600 ATK
"During my Main Phase, I activate its effect. By sending it and Fusion Materials from my hand or field to the Graveyard, I can perform a DARK Fusion Summon."
"Very well." Mudragon, seeing the monster and hearing its effect, flapped its wings lightly in approval.
"I send Sundew Kingii on the field and Destiny HERO - Drawhand from my hand to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon!"
Drawhand was a card Aster Phoenix had given him. He'd noticed Hikaru liked that card, and he didn't have many extras like Malicious, so he gifted that one.
Truth be told, Hikaru did like it.
"Fusion materials: one Predaplant and one DARK monster."
"Fusion Summon!"
"Level 7, Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"
In the cave, plant vines began writhing as a massive flower bud bloomed on Hikaru's field, exhaling thick vapor.
[Predaplant Chimerafflesia] Level 7│DARK│Plant│2500 ATK
"Whoa!"
"Is this the President's new ace?!"
Several Fusion Club students were visibly excited.
A Fusion Summon that didn't even require a Spell Card!
Celina, standing nearby, nodded. Knowing these upperclassmen had been secluded in the caves, she explained, "Yes. This is one of Master's favorite Fusion Monsters, which he obtained not long ago."
He liked it so much that he used it in nearly every Duel. She was extremely familiar with it.
"Hoho... A Fusion Summon without using Fusion Spells. Good. At least with this card, you and I are well aligned," Mudragon observed, exhaling slightly, pleased.
A solid opening.