Lapis's turn.
Her body didn't move; puppet strings wildly tugged at the gigantic card, lifting it slowly into the air before suddenly slamming it onto the ground.
Boom——
With a rumbling roar, the card transformed into a monster, its bright yellow armor declaring its identity, a monster Crystal was quite familiar with.
Gem-Knight Tourmaline, LV 4, Earth Attribute, Thunder-Type, ATK 1600.
Immediately, she pulled out a Spell Card, revealing it.
Particle Fusion!
Sending the monsters on the field to the Graveyard to perform a "Gem-Knight" fusion!
Tourmaline on the field combined with Aquamarine on the field, spinning madly. Before long, a golden armored warrior, taller and more formidable than Tourmaline, appeared on the field.
Gem-Knight Yellow Jade, LV 6, Earth Attribute, Thunder-Type, ATK 1800.
Since Gem-Knight Aquamarine was sent from the field to the Graveyard, it allows selection of one card on Hikari Tenjo's field to return to the hand. It chose Midrash on the field, and at the same time, it activated the effect of Particle Fusion.
When a Fusion Summoned monster successfully appears using Particle Fusion, this card can be banished from the Graveyard to target a Fusion Material with the name "Gem-Knight" used in that Fusion Summon. Increases the ATK of the Fusion Summoned monster by the targeted monster's value.
It showcased Tourmaline.
Which means——
Gem-Knight Yellow Jade, ATK: 1800→3400.
Meanwhile, the Midrash on Hikari Tenjo's field was struck by Aquamarine's shield, and since it's a Fusion Monster, it couldn't return to the hand, so it was returned to the Extra Deck.
Lapis's maneuvers didn't stop, as Midrash was returned to the Extra Deck, she was now able to activate the effect of Scatter Fusion again — since the opponent has monsters on the field, a Gem-Knight can be Fusion Summoned from the Deck!
This time it's——
Crystal and one Fire Attribute monster!
Accompanied by the rise of pitch-black flames, a warrior whose both hands flowed like magma, wielding a giant red Magma Sword, appeared on the field.
Gem-Knight Citrine, LV 7, Earth Attribute, Pyro-Type, ATK 2200.
It slowly raised its hand, using puppet strings to pull the monster forward to attack.
Yellow Jade's attack!
Like a puppet, it was forcibly drawn to attack Thunder Dragon Colossus, its much higher ATK making its twin swords appear incredibly sharp.
"Thunder Dragon Colossus can banish Thunder-Type monsters from the Graveyard to substitute its own destruction! I will banish Thunder Dragon from the Graveyard!"
However——
The damage must still be taken.
Hikari Tenjo meditated silently.
Hikari Tenjo LP: 3700→2900.
As Hikari Tenjo prepared to meet the attack, Crystal, attached to his body, suddenly emerged, leaping out before he could even call it.
The attacking puppet strings were all caught by it in one go, and when the strings tried to retract, it entangled them fiercely with its body.
"Captain!?"
"Lord Tenjo!!" It shouted with all its might, "Although you comforted me that it wasn't my fault and that I just need to correct my mistakes, I absolutely cannot allow myself to stand idly by while I'm right in front!
Just like Lord Tenjo, you willingly dueled those misguided Fusion Masters!
Just like Midrash said!
This is my responsibility, my glory!
Lord Tenjo, let me put an end to this pain!!"
Lapis's face remained expressionless as she continued to control Yellow Jade——
Yellow Jade can attack twice per turn!
It was forcibly pulled to continue its attack.
Hikari Tenjo LP: 2900→2100.
Hikari Tenjo also proceeded to banish a second Thunder Dragon from the Graveyard.
Meanwhile, more puppet strings attacked, and Crystal, with a loud roar, intercepted all the puppet strings, even biting down on them fiercely.
Seeing that both attacks failed, Lapis remained completely unperturbed.
And then——
She slowly activated a Trap!
Trap Card!
Pyroxene Fusion!
On the Card Image, there were Crystal and numerous gemstones!
Lapis silently revealed one Gem-Knight card from her hand, then used Citrine and Yellow Jade on the field as Fusion Material as well.
Countless gemstones.
Even those signifying Lapis herself were among them, lighting up from the Graveyard, from the darkness, and transforming into a radiant knight wielding a gigantic longsword embedded with gemstones——
The Fusion conditions are... three "Gem-Knight" monsters!
Gem-Knight Master Diamond!
Gem-Knight Master Diamond, LV 9, Earth Attribute, Rock-Type, ATK 2900.
The ATK of Gem-Knight Master Diamond increases by 100 points for each monster in the Graveyard with "Gemstone" in its name. Currently, in Lapis's Graveyard, there are... 12 Gem-Knights!
Gem-Knight Master Diamond, ATK: 2900→4100!
It slowly raised its hand, then struck toward Crystal—
Countless puppet strings attacked.
In theory, this magnitude of puppet strings, with the size and energy of Crystal's body, it should not be able to withstand, but once again it let out a roar, unfazed by the incoming hand, catching all the attacking strings, crying out in excruciating pain.
In its ears, it seemed it could hear the resentment of those Spirits turned into puppets, the pain of those turned into test subjects!
Phrases like "Come join me", "Why must I suffer this", "I will make you bear this pain too", "I want to die" rolled around its ears like scriptures, with dozens of Spirits' voices and struggles echoing each second!
Yet, even so, it did not yield an inch—
It shouted forcefully to all the puppetized Spirits and even humans around:
"I am a knight of the honorable Gem-Knight Order, my duty and honor is to protect the weak!"
"Come, your pain, your anger, let me bear it all!!!"
In the distance, Tierra standing with Tenjo Hikari withdrew their cold gaze, couldn't help but nod lightly: "Now that's more like it..."
Tenjo Hikari LP: 2100→600.
He looked up at Crystal in the sky.
At this moment, it was wrapped into a cocoon by puppet strings, yet under such a mass of strings, it did not lose focus but chose to endure it.
This is really...
Originally, Tenjo Hikari could have used the effect of El Shaddoll Wendigo to protect Thunder Dragon this turn from being destroyed—but at this moment, Lapis had no cards in hand.
That means, their previous plan had actually succeeded!
From the moment Lapis controlled the puppet strings to attack him, he had been thinking about how to win, and then he discovered that Lapis was irrational, only wanting to attack madly. If it couldn't attack, then it would disperse anything blocking its attack as much as possible—
So, their plan was simple.
Make the opponent use up their cards, and that was enough.
Indeed, Master Diamond's attack power was very high.
But—what's the use of that?
"My turn—" Tenjo Hikari quickly drew his card.
He needed to quickly end the duel, so Crystal would suffer less.
"Then—I activate the Spell Card—Scatter Fusion!"
The same magic, the same cards, the same materials, but—the goal and intent were entirely different!
"Send Gem-Knight Crystal and Gem-Knight Tourmaline from the deck to the graveyard for Fusion Summon—Gem-Knight Prismaura!"
A white Crystal with a gun and shield, draped in a red cape appeared on Tenjo Hikari's field, as dazzling and bright as ever!
Gem-Knight Prismaura, LV 7, Earth Attribute, Thunder-Type, ATK 2450.
"After activating Scatter Fusion, until the end of the turn, I cannot Special Summon Fusion Monsters other than Gem-Knights from the Extra Deck, but—it doesn't matter! Open the Set Card! Trap Card—Fragment Fusion!"
Unlike a Trap assembled from every gemstone into a supreme form, this is a card experienced during Captain Crystal's plight.
"Banish the Fusion Materials of a Gem-Knight Fusion Monster decided from the graveyard, and Fusion Summon one Fusion Monster!
The monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed at the End Phase!"
"I banish Tourmaline and Crystal from the graveyard to fuse!"
"The Fusion Conditions are, Gem-Knight monster and Rock-Type monster!"
"Tourmaline and the Rock-Type Crystal fuse together!"
"Fusion Summon! Though it may be [Imitation], its honor is in no way inferior to the original knight—"
"Gem-Knight Zirconia!"
"Come to my side!"
Zirconia... is it?
Tierra glanced at this card, then at Tenjo Hikari, and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Gem-Knight Zirconia, LV 8, Earth Attribute, Rock-Type, ATK 2900.
A knight who should have been dull and lightless, at this moment, was shining brightly, its shell seemed filled with cracks, but the body beneath those cracks seemed even purer, even brighter!
"Prismaura's effect, discard a Gem-Knight card, destroy a face-up card on the field!"
"I discard Gem-Knight Sapphire—destroy, Gem-Knight Master!"
Boom—
With no resistance, Master Knight looked straight into Prismaura as if looking into a mirror, silently disappearing from the field.
"Then—total attack!!"
"Thus it's done! Let me—let Crystal, let us together, grant you liberation!"
With Tenjo Hikari's command, in the sky, Crystal also pulled all the puppet strings to itself, controlling all the strings, and kept them all on itself!
Bam—
Puppet Lapis LP: 4000→1550→0
Countless puppets around seemed to lose power all at once, falling down en masse, but before they fell, Crystal had already gathered all the strings onto itself, not letting them fall, but rather, depending on it, continuing to "stand" in the world!
And after all these actions ended, the strings seemed to automatically retract, slowly withdrawing into its body! It bore the pain and strength!
"Heh..." Tierra chuckled softly, "Seems I was wrong, it's not a counterfeit, not an imitation, Tenjo Hikari, it is your one-and-only Duel Spirit."
"Ha—that's for sure."