The instant Yubel appeared, Yusaku immediately barked, "Next, I'm conducting a Link Summon. The summoning condition is two monsters with different names!"
"I'm using the Yubel I just summoned, and Gruesome Grave Squirmer, as Link Materials!"
"Link Summon! Link-2—Ferocious Flame Swordsman!"
The moment his words fell, the two monsters turned into twin beams of light and shot into the Link Circuit overhead.
In the next second, the two Link Arrows [←][↙] flared to life, and a warrior holding a blazing longsword descended slowly from the circuit. Flames crawled along the blade, painting half the field a fiery red.
Ferocious Flame Swordsman
[Link-2 / Warrior / Link / Effect]
ATK 1300
"Now, I activate the other effect of Gruesome Grave Squirmer in the Graveyard!"
Yusaku's voice rang out again.
"I can banish this card from my Graveyard to activate it, then Special Summon 1 Fiend monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF from my hand or Graveyard, except this card!"
"I banish it, and Special Summon Spirit of Yubel from my Graveyard!"
Spirit of Yubel
ATK 0 / DEF 0
Yusaku continued, "Next, I use the Spirit of Yubel I just summoned and Yubel - Terror Incarnate as Link Materials!"
"Link Summon! A second Ferocious Flame Swordsman!"
Another flame-bearing swordsman appeared, standing shoulder to shoulder with the first. Two torrents of firelight braided together, radiating blistering heat.
Ferocious Flame Swordsman
ATK 1300
The moment the monster appeared, the stands erupted in a wave of noise.
"Finally, I use my two Warrior monsters—both Ferocious Flame Swordsman—for a Link Summon!"
"Let the oracle proclaim to heaven and earth, and let remembrance cleave the firmament! The sole incarnation that bears the holy knights' eternal obsession, trampling delusion with an ancient oath! Armor mirrors sacred light, and the sword's edge pierces the starry river!"
"Appear—Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights!!!"
As his declaration ended, both Ferocious Flame Swordsmen became dazzling streaks of light and surged into the sky above the field, carving two brilliant afterimages beneath the dome.
In the next instant, the Link Arrows [↓][↘] blazed to life. From the Link Circuit descended two figures—one a straight-backed, gray-haired, red-eyed girl in a long dress, the other a tall, slender knightly beauty gripping an enormous crimson blade—landing with an unshakable, regal presence.
Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights
[Link-2 / Link / Effect]
ATK 1600
"Holy crap, Isolde!!!"
Players in the audience shot up from their seats. Staring at the monster on the field, their faces were filled with shock.
"I seriously can't follow Yusaku's lines!"
"Isolde showing up in a Yubel deck—are you for real?"
"Those monsters have nothing to do with each other! Why are they in the same deck?!"
It wasn't just the audience. Eto looked completely baffled too.
He looked at Yusaku's Graveyard, then looked back at the Isolde on the field.
One was a Warrior monster, the other side of the deck was all Fiends—two Types that normally have nothing to do with each other, yet they were appearing together in the same Deck.
What was this supposed to lead into?
After successfully Summoning Isolde, Yusaku's gaze sharpened, and he shouted, "I activate the effect of Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights! If this card is Link Summoned, I can add 1 Warrior monster from my Deck to my hand! I add Infernoble Knight - Ogier from my Deck to my hand!"
After adding the searched card to his hand, Yusaku didn't slow down for even a moment, continuing in a clear, forceful voice.
"Next, I activate Isolde's other effect. I send any number of Equip Spell Cards from my Deck to the Graveyard as the cost, then Special Summon 1 Warrior monster from my Deck whose Level equals the number of cards I sent!"
"I send the Equip Spell Cursed Bamboo Sword from my Deck to the Graveyard, then Special Summon the Level 1 Warrior monster Infernoble Knight - Renaud from my Deck!"
The instant his words fell, scorching air blasted up from the Summoning circle. A knight holding a flaming greatsword, mounted on a warhorse whose eyes burned with roaring fire, strode forth through the blaze. Heatwaves warped the air around him as an oppressive aura rushed straight at the face.
Infernoble Knight - Renaud
[Level 1 / Warrior / Effect]
ATK 500 / DEF 200
"I activate the effect of Cursed Bamboo Sword that was just sent to the Graveyard, and I chain Infernoble Knight - Renaud's effect as well!"
"First—Renaud's effect!"
Yusaku snapped, "If this card is Special Summoned, I can add 1 Equip Spell from my Graveyard or among my banished cards to my hand, as long as I control a face-up Warrior monster other than this card!"
"I add the Cursed Bamboo Sword I just sent to the Graveyard back to my hand!"
As he spoke, Yusaku's Duel Disk ejected the card. He caught it and slid it into his hand.
"Next, Cursed Bamboo Sword's effect! If this card is sent to the Graveyard: I can add 1 'Bamboo Sword' card other than itself from my Deck to my hand!"
"I add Burning Bamboo Sword from my Deck to my hand."
After the search, Yusaku continued, "Next, I Fusion Summon a monster!"
He revealed a card from his Extra Deck.
"I return Yubel - Terror Incarnate and Sacrifice Lotus from my Graveyard to the Deck as Fusion Materials, and Fusion Summon Phantom of Yubel from my Extra Deck!"
Hearing that, Eto froze. "You can Fusion Summon just by returning the listed cards to the Deck? You don't need to activate a monster effect, or a Fusion Spell?!"
Yusaku smiled faintly. "Fusion methods that require a Spell Card are already outdated. What you're seeing now is the new age of Fusion."
Eto: "?"
With that, Yusaku slapped a card onto the Duel Disk.
"Come forth—Phantom of Yubel!"
The moment he declared it, two shadowy monster silhouettes howled up from the Graveyard, pulled by an invisible force into a Fusion vortex that burst open in the sky.
In the next second, a pale golden radiance—soft yet eerily unsettling—bloomed from within the vortex, and Yubel's brand-new form descended onto the field.
Phantom of Yubel
[Level 9 / Fiend / Fusion / Effect]
ATK 0 / DEF 0
"Next, I use Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights and Infernoble Knight - Renaud as Link Materials!"
"Link Summon! [Link-2] Predaplant Verte Anaconda!!!"
At his command, both monsters instantly became streaks of light, shooting into the Link Circuit like arrows loosed from a bow.
In the next moment, the Link Arrows [✓][↘] flashed, a burst of vivid green light spilling from the circuit as a massive serpent-like monster slithered out—its body plated in emerald scales, its vertical pupils cold as it swept the entire field.
Predaplant Verte Anaconda
[Link-2 / Plant / Link / Effect]
ATK 500
"I activate the Spell Card One for One!" Yusaku raised another card from his hand, his motions sharp and decisive. "This card's effect: I send 1 monster from my hand to the Graveyard, then Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from my hand or Deck!"
"I send the Infernoble Knight - Ogier I just searched with Isolde to the Graveyard, then Special Summon the Level 1 The Fabled Lurrie from my Deck!"
A red flash sparked—then a bat-like monster wearing a crimson blindfold beat its wings and burst onto the field with a shrill tearing sound.
The Fabled Lurrie
[Level 1 / Fiend / Effect]
ATK 200 / DEF 400
"Next, I Link Summon using the The Fabled Lurrie I just summoned as the only material!"
"Link Summon—Link-1! Fiendsmith's Requiem!"
"And I place it in the zone pointed to by Predaplant Verte Anaconda's [✓] Link Arrow!"
The bat monster scattered into shimmering motes and surged into the Link Circuit beneath the arrow.
In the next instant, the [↓] Link Arrow lit with a deep, heavy black glow, and a gigantic black mechanical coffin descended slowly from the circuit.
Fiendsmith's Requiem
[Link-1 / Fiend / Link / Effect]
ATK 600
Seeing the monster appear, the players in the audience grew restless, rattling off jargon most bystanders couldn't understand.
"Nice, Requiem! Now I get it!"
"Here it comes, the classic Yu-Gi-Oh scene—Fiendsmith into everything!"
"..."
On the field, the moment Requiem hit the ground, Yusaku immediately commanded, "I activate Fiendsmith's Requiem's effect! During either player's Main Phase, I can Tribute this card, then Special Summon 1 'Fiendsmith' monster from my hand or Deck!"
"I activate it! I Tribute Fiendsmith's Requiem, and Special Summon Lacrima the Crimson Tears from my Deck!"
The mechanical coffin dissolved into a storm of light fragments. In the next second, a seductive crimson glow bloomed from within, and a lithe, succubus-like monster stepped forward through the red haze, faint mist curling around her body.
Lacrima the Crimson Tears
[Level 4 / Fiend / Effect]
ATK 1200 / DEF 1200
"Next—Lacrima the Crimson Tears's effect!"
Yusaku shouted, "When this card is Summoned or Special Summoned, I send 1 'Fiendsmith' card other than itself from my Deck to the Graveyard! I send Fiendsmith Engraver from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
After sending the card, Yusaku continued, "Next, I activate Fiendsmith Engraver's effect in the Graveyard! While this card is in the Graveyard, I can return 1 other LIGHT Fiend monster in my Graveyard to the Deck or Extra Deck, then Special Summon this card!"
Yusaku displayed the card in his Graveyard.
"I return The Fabled Lurrie in my Graveyard to the Deck, and Special Summon Fiendsmith Engraver from my Graveyard!"
Fiendsmith Engraver
[Level 6 / Fiend / Effect]
ATK 1800 / DEF 1800
The instant the monster appeared, Yusaku issued another order.
"Next, I use Fiendsmith Engraver and Lacrima the Crimson Tears as Link Materials!"
"Link Summon! Link-2—Fiendsmith's Sequence!"
Both Link Arrows [↙][↘] lit up together, and a coffin-shaped demon descended slowly, chaos energy surging across its body with overwhelming pressure.
Fiendsmith's Sequence
[Link-2 / Fiend / Link / Effect]
ATK 1200
"Fiendsmith's Sequence's effect!"
Yusaku shouted.
"I return monsters from my Graveyard to the Deck as Fusion Materials, then Fusion Summon 1 Fiend Fusion Monster!"
"...I activate that effect! I return Lacrima the Crimson Tears and Fiendsmith's Requiem as Fusion Materials back to the Extra Deck!"
"Fusion Summon! Level 6—Fiendsmith's Lacrima!!!"
Fiendsmith's Lacrima
[Level 6 / Fiend / Effect]
ATK 2400 / DEF 2400
"Fiendsmith's Lacrima's effect!"
Yusaku shouted. "If this card is Fusion Summoned, I can target 1 LIGHT Fiend monster in my Graveyard or among my banished cards, then add it to my hand or Special Summon it!"
"I activate that effect and Special Summon Fiendsmith Engraver from my Graveyard!"
Fiendsmith Engraver
ATK 1800
"Next, I overlay the two monsters I just Summoned—Fiendsmith Engraver and Fiendsmith's Lacrima—to build the Overlay Network!"
"Xyz Summon! Rank 6—Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal!"
A burst of holy white radiance exploded outward. A white-haired girl unfurled sacred wings of light from her back, drifting forward as her silver ornaments—on her hands, feet, and waist—flashed with dazzling brilliance.
Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal
[Rank 6 / Fairy / Xyz]
Xyz Materials: 2
ATK 2500 / DEF 2800
"I activate Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal's effect!"
Yusaku shouted.
"Once per turn, during either player's turn, I can detach 1 material from this card, then send 1 card from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
"I activate it!"
Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal
Xyz Materials: 2 → 1
"I send the Trap Card Ghost Meets Girl - A Masterful Mayakashi Shiranui Saga from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
"Next, I activate Predaplant Verte Anaconda's effect! I pay 2000 LP, send 1 'Fusion' Normal or Quick-Play Spell from my Deck to the Graveyard, and this effect becomes that Spell's effect when it is activated!"
"I activate it!"
Yusaku, LP 8000 → 6000
"I send Branded Fusion from my Deck to the Graveyard, and turn Anaconda's effect into Branded Fusion—then I send Fallen of Albaz and Palladium Oracle Mahad from my Deck to the Graveyard as Fusion Materials!"
"Fusion Summon! Level 8—Albion the Sanctifire Dragon!"
In the instant his words fell, a white dragon bathed in sacred radiance burst from the vortex, wings spread wide. Its scales refracted the arena lights into a glittering, breathtaking sheen.
Albion the Sanctifire Dragon
[Level 8 / Dragon / Effect]
ATK 2500 / DEF 2500
"Next, I activate Baronne de Fleur's effect! Once per turn, I can target 1 card on the field and destroy it—I choose to destroy Fiendsmith's Sequence!"
As Fiendsmith's Sequence shattered into fragments and vanished, Yusaku drew two cards in one motion.
(End of Chapter)
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