"Set three cards, end turn."
With a flash of golden light, three Covering Cards appeared in Yugen's back row.
"End of turn phase, activate the effect of 'Interdimensional Scout' that 'Dark Temptation' removed from the game. This card is Special Summoned in attack position at the end of the turn it was removed."
[Interdimensional Scout, Attack Power 800]
"Now it's my turn, draw a card." Luca said, "Activate Magic Card 'Pot of Greed', draw two cards from the deck."
With two more cards in hand, his eyes lit up at the sight of one, and he couldn't help but tilt his head back and laugh heartily.
Yugen raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Did you draw a key card?"
"Ha, I intended to test your skills a bit, but it seems this guy is eager to duel you."
Luca lowered his voice, as if setting the stage.
"Though the duel has just begun, unfortunately, it seems it's already over. But you're lucky to witness my strongest trump card.
Activate Equipment Magic 'Future Fusion'!" (Original version)
He raised the card high, its image appearing before him, as if a kaleidoscope of auroras bloomed in the sky.
"Future Fusion, activate by selecting a Fusion Monster from your own Fusion Card Deck. Choose Fusion Material from the deck and send it to the graveyard to conduct Fusion!"
"An equipment version of Future Fusion, huh..." Yugen squinted his eyes.
Though he knew about this card in advance, seeing it was still extraordinary, like a fake card beyond belief.
After becoming a Physical Card, Future Fusion was weakened to actually occur in the "future", reaching a Forbidden Card Level, and later further weakened.
But the animation version of Future Fusion doesn't feel "future" at all, more like "I must fuse immediately". Instant Fusion from the deck, with no field restrictions, it's even crazier than the weakened version back in the day...
"Your card is really something." Yugen said with a mysterious smile.
"Haha, don't blink, what's about to descend is the ultimate monster."
Luca grabbed a handful of cards from his deck in one go.
"I send 25 different Aliens from the deck to the graveyard for a 25-fold Fusion to create the ultimate Alien!
Descend, the source and the zero point of everything, the strongest ultimate Alien..."
The earth shook with celestial phenomena. The spectral forms of 25 Aliens appeared, slowly approaching the open Fusion vortex in the sky. An unparalleled terrifying entity seemed to be brewing within.
"Don't rush."
Yugen snapped his fingers.
"Before 'Future Fusion' resolves, chain this card..."
He displayed a slightly eccentric smile, eerily under the pre-dawn light.
"Continuous Trap - Great Cosmos!
All cards sent to the graveyard from both sides are not sent to the graveyard... they are directly removed from the game."
Luca paused, frozen for two seconds.
Then his pupils constricted, and his expression gradually turned horrific...
"Wait... wait a minute!"
Instinctively, he reached toward where the Future Fusion lay.
"Wait, I'm not sending them to the graveyard, stop! Yamero (stop)!"
But of course, it was impossible. The Great Cosmos automatically intercepted and entered the effect of "Future Fusion", whisking all 25 Aliens from his deck, only for them to be banished wholesale to the Other Dimension under the Exorcism of Saint Venerable's power.
"Uahhhhhhh!!!"
Luca's eyes almost popped out.
The Aliens, my Aliens!
Twenty-five cards!
You can't believe that half a deck was sent to another dimension, can you?
He felt like exploding on the spot.
No, stay calm, it's not over yet.
Although half the deck was banished, the Fusion was indeed activated. After effect resolution, Alien Insect Zero should still continue to be summoned.
The celestial phenomena continued, the colossal specter of 25-fold Fusion appeared in the sky, vaguely seen as a globe blocking out the sun, as if bringing forth doomsday.
Luca's eyes flashed with brilliance.
As long as he summoned his invincible Alien Insect Zero...
"Activate Cover Card, Trap Card 'Sand Tornado'." Yugen said, "Destroy one Magic or Trap Card on the opponent's field. Destroy 'Future Fusion'."
Pausing, he smiled slightly.
"Although Future Fusion is a powerful Fusion, it's an Equipment Magic and needs to equip the summoned monster. If this card leaves the field, the equipped monster is destroyed as well, correct?"
The sandstorm whipped across Luca's field. Future Fusion was shredded into fragments, and as expected, the celestial phenomenon abruptly halted, the giant globe in midair exploded with a bang, the carefully orchestrated atmosphere deflated before it could fully manifest.
Luca: "......"
He realized.
The opponent could have just used "Sand Tornado" immediately upon him activating Future Fusion, stopping all subsequent effects.
But he didn't. He watched Luca send over half his deck to another dimension with amusement, and then casually blew away his Alien Insect Zero with a tornado.
...just infuriating.
Luca took a deep breath, restraining his rising urge to hit something, and slowly drew another card.
"Then Normal Summon 'Zex Alien Insect'." He said coldly.
[Zex Alien Insect, Attack Power 1800]
"Next, the effect of 'Sub-Akang Alien Insect' in the graveyard. When only 'Zex Alien Insect' is on your field, Special Summon this card in face-down defense position from the graveyard."
An icky-looking Alien Insect flickered on the field and then turned into a Covering Card on his field. That was the Sub-Akang Alien Insect that had been destroyed by the Earth Emperor the previous round.
Zex and Sub-Akang are a famous golden combination in the Alien series. When Zex is successfully summoned, it can send Sub-Akang from the deck to the graveyard, and Sub-Akang's effect allows it to return to the field in face-down position when Zex is present, then bouncing monsters back to the hand when flipped.
"Next, activate Cover Card." Luca opened the Covering Card in the back row, "Magic Card 'Book of the Sun'!
Change one face-down monster on the field to face-up attack position."
"I see, manually flip it to trigger the effect." Yugen noted.
"Exactly! Of course, the card I'm flipping is... Sub-Akang Alien Insect!"
[Sub-Akang Alien Insect, Attack Power 1000]
"When Sub-Akang Alien Insect is flipped, return one monster on the field to the owner's hand.
Begone, Earth Emperor Granmat, bounce back to the hand!"
The Earth Emperor transformed into a beam of golden light and returned to Yugen's hand.
"With this, your line will be broken!" Luca declared, "Zex Alien Insect, Sub-Akang Alien Insect, attack for me!"