"Equip 'Cyberdark Edge' with 'Infernal Dragon'!"
Zane declared.
"And Cyberdark Edge gains ATK equal to the original ATK of the equipped monster. Infernal Dragon's ATK is 2000, so Cyberdark Edge's ATK increases by 2000!"
[Cyberdark Edge, ATK 800 → ATK 2800]
"A 4-star monster can jump to 2800 ATK just like that?" Aster frowned.
"Indeed. That's the power of the Cyberdark."
Zane paused, glanced over the three Hero on the opponent's field, and smiled.
"But even so, breaking through three monsters' defenses in one go isn't easy. In that case—"
He drew a card.
"Spell Card: 'Warrior Elimination'!
Destroy all face-up Warrior-Type monsters on the field!"
Aster: "???"
Come on, isn't that a bit much?
If that earlier "Chthonian Polymer" was still a coincidence, this one practically has "anti-" stamped on it.
Targeting Fusion, and now targeting Warriors—why not just print 'Elemental HERO must die' on it?
Is this the 'anti-HERO experience' you learned at Duel Academy?
Give me a break.
"All three of your Hero are Warriors," Zane sneered. "Destroy them all."
Aster's three monsters were wiped out at once.
Aster: "..."
This was nothing like he expected.
What about the Chariot? What about Sartorius's promised destiny of certain victory?
He had always relied on Sartorius's readings to grasp the opponent completely, every duel unfolding along the course of destiny he already knew.
This was the first time, on the pro stage, that he felt destiny was in the opponent's hands. The other side seemed to know everything, while he felt he was fighting into a fog with no view of the future.
Zane's lips curled slightly; he chuckled inwardly.
Exactly as planned.
Yes, he already knew the opponent's details before the duel. Not because of any fate-seeing power—simply because someone fed him the answers.
Two days ago, Kira called him, saying he'd had a chance encounter and duel with Aster Phoenix.
In the past, Kaiser would've been the traditional academy duelist—"respect your opponent and the duel," refusing to know the opponent's deck beforehand, etc.
But now he didn't hesitate and humbly picked Kira's brain.
Because now Kaiser understood: the pro scene—the whole dueling world—is brutal. If you don't scout your opponent, they'll scout you. His Cyber Dragons have certainly been fully studied by all his rivals, so gathering intel on enemies by any means is only natural.
Winning is all that matters.
So he already knew the opponent would most likely use Elemental HERO this match.
He even knew Aster had a unique Destiny HERO deck as well. Kira speculated Aster would likely stick to Elemental HERO for this duel; Destiny HERO is his trump of trumps and might not appear. Still, Kira told Kaiser anyway so he'd be mentally prepared if Destiny HERO did show up.
And indeed, things went just as Kira said.
"Cyberdark Edge, direct attack!"
"Ugh!"
Reeling from the Cyberdark bombardment, Aster staggered two steps and gritted his teeth.
[Aster, LP 4000 → LP 1200]
"Damn it..."
"I set one card. Turn end," Zane said.
As if everything were in his grasp.
"Don't get cocky yet," Aster snapped. "My turn—draw!
I activate my set card, the Trap 'Sixth Sense'!
Declare two numbers from 1 to 6. Your opponent rolls a die; if either declared number comes up, draw that many cards from your Deck.
If neither comes up, send that many cards from the top of your Deck to the GY.
I declare 5 and 6!"
The die tumbled in the air. Aster stared at it.
If you hang around with Sartorius and can't even hit a die call, you've truly been forsaken by destiny.
Fortunately, the die didn't betray him. It landed on 5.
"Draw five cards!"
Aster drew five.
"Then I activate the Spell 'Dark Factory of Mass Production'! Add two Normal Monsters from your GY to your hand.
I add 'Elemental HERO Avian' and 'Elemental HERO Burstinatrix' to my hand."
"Next, I activate the Spell 'Double Fusion'!" (anime card)
Two nested fusion vortices rose on Aster's field.
"By paying 500 LP, Double Fusion lets me use 'Polymerization' up to twice this turn."
[Aster, LP 1200 → LP 700]
"First Fusion: I fuse the 'Elemental HERO Avian' and 'Elemental HERO Burstinatrix' I just retrieved.
Come on! Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer!"
[Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer, ATK 2100]
"Then the second Fusion: I fuse 'Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer' with 'Elemental HERO Sparkman' in my hand! Evolve into the ultimate undying phoenix-form HERO—
—Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer, summon!"
[Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer, ATK 2500]
"Shining Phoenix Enforcer..." Zane murmured. "I see, the counterpart to Jaden's Shining Flare Wingman."
"Shining Phoenix Enforcer gains ATK equal to the number of 'Elemental HERO' in my GY x 300," Aster said. "I have four Elemental HERO there, so +1200 ATK!"
[Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer, ATK 2500 → ATK 3700]
"Shining Phoenix Enforcer, attack 'Cyberdark Edge'!"
Shining Phoenix Enforcer trailed dazzling light like a meteor as it struck. Cyberdark Edge yanked Infernal Dragon up from beneath it as a shield.
Shining Phoenix Enforcer smashed through; Infernal Dragon exploded.
"Cyberdark Edge's effect," Zane said. "If this card would be destroyed by battle, you destroy the equipped card instead."
[Cyberdark Edge, ATK 2800 → ATK 800]
Aster: "But you still take battle damage."
"Nope."
Zane smiled.
"Because I activated the Trap 'Power Wall'. When I would take battle damage, I can send 1 card from the top of my Deck to the GY per 100 damage to make the battle damage 0."
He scooped a handful of cards.
"I'll send nine cards to the GY to reduce the damage to 0!"
"Tch." Aster frowned. "Then I set one card. Turn end."
"My turn—draw!"
Zane raised his arm and shouted:
"I activate the Spell 'Overload Fusion'!
Fusion Summon a DARK Machine by using Fusion Materials from my field or GY!"
"From the GY—"
Aster's eyes widened.
"The cards 'Power Wall' milled—"
"Correct," Zane said. "I fuse two 'Cyber Dragon' in my GY to Fusion Summon a DARK Machine!
The Cyber-Style's dark secret technique, now revealed—
—Chimeratech Rampage Dragon, summon!!!"
[Chimeratech Rampage Dragon, ATK 2100]
"Chimeratech Rampage Dragon..."
Aster's face hardened. He recognized this dangerous monster from Zane's prior matches.
Its ATK is only 2100, but it blows away backrow and can attack multiple times. It can clear your backrow and then swing three times in a turn—easy OTK stuff.
"On Fusion Summon, Rampage Dragon can destroy Spells/Traps on the field up to the number of Fusion Materials used."
Zane pointed at Aster's backrow.
"Destroy your set card!"
"Then I chain that set card," Aster said. "Trap 'Raigeki Break'. Discard a card to destroy any card on the field.
I destroy 'Chimeratech Rampage Dragon'."
Electric torrents from Rampage clashed with the lightning claw from Raigeki Break. End result: mutual annihilation, both shattered.
"So you covered even this step, huh."
Zane closed his eyes and sighed softly.
"I didn't want to use this so soon on the pro stage, but since you press so hard, it seems I have no choice."
He opened his eyes again. His black coat seemed to stir without wind, a killing aura emanating.
"Let me show you the ultimate secret of Cyber-Style I've uncovered to date."
Aster's heart skipped.
The ultimate secret? This guy is—
"Normal Summon 'Proto-Cyber Dragon'."
[Proto-Cyber Dragon, ATK 1100]
"While on the field, its name is treated as 'Cyber Dragon'."
Zane lazily waved a hand.
"Then I activate my last set card, the Continuous Trap 'DNA Surgery'. Declare a Type and turn all monsters on the field into that Type.
I declare Machine—turn all monsters on the field into Machines."
Aster frowned.
"Your monsters were Machines already..."
"Exactly. So the only change is your 'Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer'."
Kaiser's smile even held a wicked edge.
"Therefore, I fuse the on-field 'Proto-Cyber Dragon' (treated as Cyber Dragon), 'Cyberdark Edge', and your 'Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer' that's now Machine-Type, as materials!"
Aster: "????"
Huh?
Using my Shining Phoenix Enforcer!?
What kind of ultimate secret is this!?
"Fusion Summon—
—Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!!!"
[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, ATK ?]
"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon's Fusion requirement is a 'Cyber Dragon' on either field plus any number of Machine-Type monsters. No matter how many monsters you have, they're all just fodder for Cyber Dragon!
This is the ultimate secret of Cyber-Style—absolute power that can devour even gods!"
Aster: "..."
Speechless.
In that moment his feelings were a mess—fury, disbelief, frustration, a powerful urge to complain, not even sure where to start.
This is Cyber-Style's ultimate secret?
Then Cyber-Style is just unbeatable...
"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon's ATK becomes 1000 x the number of Fusion Materials used."
[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, ATK 3000]
Zane smiled.
"Sorry, but it looks like your thirty-win streak ends before Fortress Dragon.
Final blow—Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, direct attack!!!"
A pillar of searing flame blasted over Aster, drawing the curtain on this league's battle of the century.
[Aster, LP 700 → LP 0]