"Add the Alliance Monster 'Armored Electronic Wings' from the card deck to hand." Marufuji Ryo displayed the card then added it to his hand, "Then the turn ends."
"Successfully using the Alliance Monster to avoid the self-destruct risk from Restriction Removal, and even searched from the card deck." Yugen praised, "It's indeed impressive."
"But at the same time, it's already near my limit."
Marufuji Ryo closed his eyes and shook his head.
"I've done everything I could close to perfection, and what is so-called perfection is also the limit. But even so, you've managed to easily block it all, haven't you?
Even though it seems like the advantage is mine, it's just a facade, isn't it?"
Yugen smiled, neither affirming nor denying.
"Don't be so quick to define yourself. You've never tried to change, so how do you know this is your limit?"
Marufuji Ryo: "..."
This time he didn't speak, nor did he refute.
Perhaps he hadn't realized it himself, but reaching this point, a seed of doubt was already growing in his heart.
He never thought this way before because he always won. He was the strongest Caesar in the Academy, as long as he held steadfast to himself, no one could beat him.
But today felt different.
Facing Yugen, he truly felt his own bottleneck. He vaguely realized that if he remained stagnant and rejected any change, he might not win against his opponent.
He still told himself as usual that as long as he adhered to his dueling style, victory was not important.
But no matter how much he told himself that, as a Duelist, it's impossible to truly suppress the burgeoning desire to win.
Especially when facing such an opponent.
If it were against a rival like Yuki Judai, both sides attacking with fervor, giving everything they've got, perhaps even losing wouldn't leave him with regrets.
But facing such an opponent who consistently avoids direct confrontation, bombarding and excluding, setting traps one after another with enthusiasm...
He had to admit, no matter how much he told himself to value the process, he still wanted to win.
Losing to such an opponent would naturally be especially frustrating, feeling like all his Divine Power was pent up, unable to be unleashed.
"My turn, draw a card." Yugen remarked, "I Normal Summon 'Card Cannon Attacker.'
The effect of Card Cannon Attacker, once per turn, sends up to three cards from the top of the card deck to the graveyard.
This card's attack power increases by 500 points for each card sent to the graveyard until the end of the turn."
Yugen took three cards from the top of the card deck and sent them to the graveyard one by one.
"Since three cards were sent to the graveyard, Card Cannon Attacker's attack power increases by 1500."
[Card Cannon Attacker, Attack Power 400→Attack Power 1900]
"But it's still not enough to beat my 'Cyber Dragon.'" Marufuji Ryo said solemnly.
"I know."
Yugen chuckled softly, then glanced at the remaining two Cyber Dragons on the opponent's field, laughing again.
"I seem to feel it too, the bond between Marufuji and Cyber Dragon." Yugen remarked.
Marufuji Ryo also said, "Before coming to Duel Academy, I've been fighting alongside it since long ago. Against any card deck, any enemy, we've battled this way."
He paused, glancing at the two Cyber Dragons beside him.
"And we'll continue fighting this way henceforth."
"I see." Yugen responded solemnly, showing respect. "Then, as a highest expression of respect for you and Cyber Dragon going all out, I'll reveal my trump card."
Marufuji Ryo didn't speak, but secretly raised his vigilance.
Are we going serious?
What's going to appear this time? A new King? Or Chaos Warrior...
"Watch closely, Caesar. This is our latest development from our experimental lab, something no one in the world has seen." Yugen raised his hand, "Representing the forefront field of Duel Monsters research, it's a groundbreaking new power!"
Hearing this list of names made Marufuji Ryo even more startled, yet he couldn't help but anticipate. He knew how many astonishing results Yugen's lab in the Academy had achieved, not just in the Academy, but the impact on the Dueling Realm was considerable.
Could they really have secretly developed some new trump card...
"Interesting, then bring it on." Caesar's Duelist spirit also began to ignite, "No matter the opponent, my Cyber Dragon and I will face it head-on!"
"Hahaha, good."
Yugen waved his hand.
"Then I'll send the two Cyber Dragons on Caesar's field to the graveyard, using them as material for fusion! Fusion Summon, appear now—
—Chimeric Fortress Dragon!"
Marufuji Ryo: "???"
You're fusing... what?
Initially, he questioned if he heard wrong. But as he looked in shock at his own field, he saw his old friends, the two Cyber Dragons, suddenly defecting to the opposing field, starting to assemble and transform.
Huge and heavy steel body, solid and stable. Mechanical parts intricately combined, like a twisting, tumbling steel fortress.
Chimeric Fortress Dragon, summon!
Yes, of course, summoned on Yugen's field.
Marufuji Ryo: "?????????"
Honestly, he couldn't understand the situation.
Because he was certain he saw Yugen didn't activate any cards. No Magic Trap, no Monster Effect, nothing that seemed like it could NTR the opponent's monsters.
It almost looked like he just waved his hand and said, come over.
Then his two old friends jumped over without hesitation.
Are you kidding me?
"Chimeric Fortress Dragon, fusion materials are 'Cyber Dragon' along with one or more Mechanical Race." Yugen chuckled, "But its unique trait is that it doesn't require a Fusion Magic Card for fusion, you just need to send monsters from the field to the graveyard to Fusion Summon."
He paused for a while and emphasized.
"That's right, you just need to send them from the 'field' to the graveyard, doesn't necessarily have to be my field."
Marufuji Ryo: "!!?"
No, I also have Chimeric Fortress Dragon, is this the effect? Don't fool me.
In the animation, Chimeric Fortress Dragon didn't mention direct sending of materials to the grave for fusion; it required fusion magic. After its physical cardization, although it looked identical and was the same card, its effect was mostly rewritten.
In fact, when the physical card was first released, it caused a huge reaction.
"Sending fusion materials from the field to the graveyard to Fusion Summon," this sentence might seem common in the NTR rampant modern Yu-Gi-Oh! A slightly experienced card enthusiast in K Society could probably read the notion that it didn't emphasize using only one's own field materials.
But during the era this card was released, it was unthinkable. Many refused to believe even upon reading this hidden message, assuming it was K Society's sloppy text description, or else casually fusing two monsters from the opponent's field would be a mess?
Eventually, the official made adjustments and explained, it wasn't a printing mistake, this was the effect. They even modified the effect text later, adding the clause "can use own and opponent's field monsters as material," thus removing any disputes.
"That's why I said, the newest development." Yugen laughed, "Perhaps the potential within Cyber Dragon is even more than you imagined.
Look, I didn't activate any effect, didn't use any card, and your Cyber Dragon has become mine. Amazing, isn't it?"
Marufuji Ryo: "......"