Branded Fusion, Branded Lost, Triple Tactics Thrust, Guiding Quem, and Super Polymerization. Quite the opening hand for the last match of the duel. One win, one loss, of course, being matched up with a Maliss player for your last match before reaching the finals was hell in cardboard form. Hell, you barely scraped off the last victory by shaving your opponents LP with Masquerade while protecting it with Light and Darkness Dragonlord.
Locals was getting ballsy with their prizing, offering a full Mitsurugi package to the winner on top of a cash prize; Three copies of each archetypal card along with a King of the Feral Imps for the one of— a mouth watering proposal for everyone, but more importantly, for me, the pure Branded Despia player desperate to spice up his deck with something non extra deck related.
Winning the dice roll with a six was a blessing you were in desperately in need for, and your opening can was bright enough to blind you with hope. Kicking your turn off, there was only one option—
"I'll start off by activating Branded Lost from my hand, protecting my fusion summons from being negated and preventing you from activating card effects when my fusion monsters are fusion summoned." You could hear the soft tongue click of your opponent, clearly their hand contained something— a handtrap most definitely, that they were itching to use.
"Next, I'll be normal summoning my Guiding Quem, and activating her effect along with her to send a card that mentions Fallen of Albaz, or the main man himself, from my deck to the graveyard!" You couldn't help but cup your chin in contemplation, considering your options. Shrouded Albion and Blazing Cartesia was good follow-up for Branded Fusion or your next turn, but you weren't sure how well you'd survive during your opponents turn, much less your next turn after they've assembled their disruptions— if you survived until your next turn arrived at all.
Unfortunately, your contemplation would go to waste as your opponent couldn't help but slap down an ash blossom on the board, wearing a smug grin as if they had shut down your entire turn. You should've figured after their earlier disappointment after you activated Branded Lost, but you figured it didn't make much of a difference regardless.
Foregoing dumping a card from your deck, it was time to kickstart your turn for real.
"Fine, then instead of sending cards from the deck to the grave using Quem, I'll use Branded Fusion instead!" Activating the card from your hand, you prepared to skim through your deck–
"Maxx C."
.
.
.
.
.
Just your luck. That damned bug that's been haunting you since 2011 just couldn't leave you alone huh? That damn bug should've been collecting dust on the ban list right now but unfortunately your locals decided to host this tournament using the Master Duel banlist this time around, which was an annoying slap in the face to you. Your hand felt magnetic as it slapped across your face, regardless, the resolution had to happen. Still, you had to change up your game plan heavily. You couldn't help but sigh at how you weren't lucky enough not rich enough to complete your Branded Dracotail deck, which is why fighting so hard for this Mitsu package was worth it so.
Giving your opponent any more than 2 draws was something you considered to be fatal to your chance at winning. As such, your only option would have to be-
"Fine, by sending both Fallen of Albaz and Blazing Cartesia to the graveyard, I'll be fusion summoning Albion the Sanctifire Dragon in attack position."
Slapping down the shining white dragon into your extra monster zone, your opponent lost the annoying smirk he carried after discarding his Maxx C, while drawing another card into his hand of course.
"After that I'll be using the spell Triple Tactics Thrust, and since you decided to activate a monster effect during my turn, I can set one normal spell or trap directly from my deck to my field. Unfortunate though that you don't have a monster on the field, otherwise I could've added the card directly to my hand, but it doesn't matter too much."
Searching through your deck, finding a card that could benefit you in this situation was nigh impossible, but you eventually landed on Branded Banishment as your choice of card, setting it on the field.
Of course, before you ended your turn you set your Super Polymerization, you'd be able to get your discard for it if your plan didn't flunk.
As your opponents draw and standby phases passed, they immediately slapped down a Dormouse onto the field, activating it's effect to banish a Cheesy Cat from their deck, which immediately reborned itself after forcing them to pay 300 LP.
Patiently, you waited until they special summoned an extra deck monster, which activated your Guiding Quem into summoning your Blazing Cartesia. Immediately you activated her effect to fusion summon using herself and Quem into Masquerade the Blazing Dragon— who, despite its name, is a Fiend monster with the irritating effect to force your opponent to pay 600 LP with each effect they activated. It doesn't sound like much on paper, but with how combo heavy and LP draining Maliss is, it would definitely stack up if they weren't careful.
Your fusion summon also enabled the activation of your Branded Lost, allowing you to search a monster that was Fallen of Albaz, or mentioned him. And seeing as how your next play would be headed, you slotted your Albion the Shrouded Dragon into your hand nicely.
Keeping up the pressure, you activated your Sanctifire Dragon as soon as you had a card in hand, summoning out your opponents Maxx C from their graveyard to their field, and vice versa with your own Fallen of Albaz. On his summon you activated his effect to discard a card in your hand for the busted ability to fusion summon with your opponents monster, using their Splash Mage on field to bring out your main boss monster: Mirriorjade the Iceblade Dragon.
Satisfied with how your plays succeeded, you looked up to your opponent, a bit confused on why they seemed so quiet and compliant, especially when they already had traps on the field that should've stopped your plays in their tracks.
Immediately you were startled at the sight of your opponent, they weren't particularly ugly of course— well, up until now that was, as their facial features distorted into a disgusting spiral of infinitely nauseating imagery.
You couldn't help but flail at the sight, knocking over your duel table (which was just a plastic lawn table that was slightly unstable)— and sending cards scattering to the floor.
Immediately your surroundings distorted in the same manner as your opponent, who also spiraled into the fading background of your reality, before the fabric of space seemed to shatter like glass, leaving only a singular card hanging mid air, emanating an aura of absolute power.
Super Polymerization.