Whether it was luck or an arrangement of fate, before the second day even came, Team 5D's was once again randomly matched with an opponent.
Before the formal competition, a total of only "9" duels would be held. Finishing two on the first day, in a sense, let the spectators see this team's strength more clearly.
Of course, this time, Team 5D's members didn't support Yusei going up again.
For one thing, to hide the deck's information as much as possible. For another, although Yusei had already perfectly fused with the Timelord, each duel required expenditure, so doing one fewer duel was better.
So the team proceeded as originally planned, with Hikaru, Tierra doing it.
If last time Tierra had merely been helping Hikaru hide his identity and, in passing, experiencing the feel of dueling in a formal large-scale competition, then now Tierra's thinking had changed once again.
She absolutely had to settle a winner with Sophia once more.
And in this brand-new era, the most suitable way was only one: dueling.
So she needed to participate in duels to improve her proficiency.
Ordinary watching and sparring with Serena could certainly let her understand dueling better, but in the end nothing could improve her proficiency more than a formal duel.
Hikaru rode his vehicle to the front of the course. He glanced at the duelist beside him and found, to his surprise, a participant wearing a spotless white lab coat, looking more like a scientific researcher than a duelist.
Hikaru's eyebrows rose slightly.
"Wearing a mask? You, a Team 5D's contestant, being so furtive. Heh, with someone like you, how could you possibly gain others' trust so easily?" the researcher said toward Hikaru.
Hikaru glanced at him and asked with interest: "What do you mean?"
The researcher confidently pushed up his glasses.
He'd already discovered this world's secret.
Becoming the One God, what a great subject of study.
If he could participate in this kind of activity, his research would surely have brand-new progress.
And directly participating in the WRGP to experience the details of this great war up close would naturally let him verify some of his ideas even better.
But some of Team 5D's earlier claims and beliefs had struck him as strange.
Not in line with logic, not in line with science, and most importantly, hard to believe.
"If you really want to connect with one another like that Yusei Fudo said, then why hide the truth?" He pointed at Hikaru and questioned. "Is it that you yourselves still have unspeakable secrets!"
"You're overthinking it." Hikaru said offhandedly. "The reason I hide my identity is only to better participate in the competition."
Then he looked into his opponent's eyes and continued: "And precisely because I've hidden my identity and hidden my origin, it proves Yusei's idea all the more. Regardless of background, race, or ideas, as long as one is willing to advance hand in hand with him, then anyone is fine, including someone like me who finds it inconvenient to show my face, whose identity is unsuitable."
Hikaru didn't explain his identity, but instead set out from another angle, which made some spectators with rather wild imaginations start to suspect that this Light was a fugitive from somewhere.
"Hmph..."
The researcher didn't dwell on it.
Instead, he tested the D-Wheel a bit, and after listening to the test results from his other teammates, prepared to duel.
Team 5D's had a large spectator base. As long as Team 5D's people participated in a match, countless spectators would watch. Even if he and his teammates hadn't discovered this man's suspicious points, under countless pairs of eyes, they would be exposed.
Ding—
Ding—
The red light began to flash.
Whoosh—
The green light came on.
The two D-Wheels charged into the track at the same time, running abreast, heading straight forward. And just as they were about to take the curve, Light shook his head slightly, then slightly slowed down.
Team Prototype, Dr. Swift, LP: 4000.
Team 5D's, Light, LP: 4000.
"Ha, don't assume that just because I'm wearing these clothes I've never practiced Turbo Dueling! The first move, I'll take it!"
Dr. Swift laughed heartily.
Among the spectators, quite a few felt it was a pity for Light, especially the watching Fusion Dimension members. Although they still wanted to watch other matches, they could only pay attention to one duel at the same time. After confirming that the other contestants weren't the people they wanted to find, everyone didn't insist, and went along with Jaden Yuki's wishes, watching this duel he'd been looking forward to.
"Pity, Amagi seems to have taken the curve a bit unsmoothly on the inner track." At the support seats, Leo looked at the data and footage with some regret.
But Yusei, in charge of calculations and route guidance, felt no regret.
He could see that Hikari seemed to have deliberately yielded the first move. It was probably specially requested by that god.
He didn't understand why, but since Hikari had accepted it, then naturally Hikari had his reasons.
Actually, the matter was simple.
Tierra had done a first-move duel earlier; this time she wanted to try the effect of a second-move duel.
"My turn. I Normal Summon this."
"Level 2, Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 'Inashichi'."
Beside Dr. Swift, a wooden mechanized merchant flew out, carrying a shoulder pole, advancing along with the D-Wheel.
"Oh, a Karakuri deck?" Hikaru's eyes lit up.
What a rare deck!
In Hikaru's impression, in Yu-Gi-Oh, there were a full three different "Karakuri" [homophones/variants], each very distinctive.
"When Karakuri Merchant is successfully summoned, I can add one card with 'Karakuri' in its name from my Deck to my hand. I add Karakuri Bonze mdl 9763 'Kunamzan' from my Deck to my hand."
Along with the turning of numbers, a recruitment scroll flew out from Karakuri Merchant's shoulder pole, then turned into a card and fell into Dr. Swift's hand.
"Then Kunamzan's effect. While this card is in my hand, I target one Karakuri monster on my field to activate. That monster's battle position is changed. This card is Special Summoned as a Tuner monster. After this effect activates, until the end of the turn, I can't Special Summon monsters that aren't Machine-Type EARTH Attribute from my Extra Deck."
"Whoa!"
"He gathered the Synchro materials with just one card."
"But EARTH Attribute, Machine-Type Synchro Monsters feel a bit hard to find."
Developing and Synchro-ing directly off one card was actually pretty good, but that self-restriction sounded a bit scary.
But for Dr. Swift, this was no big deal.
Because, as a user of the Karakuri deck, his Extra Deck naturally only had EARTH Machine Synchro Monsters, so this self-restriction was meaningless.
"Using the Level 5 Tuner monster Kunamzan and the Level 2 Inashichi, I tune."
"Well-versed in the art of war, extraordinary in strategy, let me show you my wisdom.
Synchro Summon.
Level 7, Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 'Burei'."
A general in Japanese-style general's attire, the red cape behind him somewhat tattered, appeared on his field.
Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 'Burei'. Level 7, EARTH Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 2600.
"Ohhh! A Japanese-style general!" Jaden, watching this monster take the field, cheered excitedly.
Although this monster didn't look strong, its visual appeal was indeed very striking, so quite a few spectators began discussing it upon seeing it.
"What a mighty monster, looks so cool."
"But its ATK is only 2600, right?"
"Ha..." Dr. Swift, as if able to hear the spectators' voices and worries, said with a smile, "Earlier, Yusei Fudo demonstrated Synchro's 'continuous Synchro,' right? Having to show off that kind of basic thing is really too meaningless.
I won't be as easily fooled as others."
"Dueling is only part of being a duelist. What matters is the philosophy of dueling." Hikaru didn't argue the point, just said offhandedly.
He was actually quite relaxed now.
Because, riding the D-Wheel, Hikaru didn't even need to put on an act. The D-Wheel would drive itself, and the dueling was handled by Tierra. Hikaru had all the mind and energy to weigh his words and chat with the opponent.
"Hmph... Burei's effect: when this card is successfully Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 monster with 'Karakuri' in its name from my Deck."
"From my Deck, I Special Summon the Level 1 Tuner monster, Karakuri Gama mdl 4624 'Shirokunishi'!"
A completely identical-style, purely wooden mechanized toad flew out from the Deck, hopping along after the D-Wheel.
"A Tuner monster?" Someone realized what might happen next.
"Could it be that this person is going to imitate Yusei too!"
"Ha, so I told you, this is something all Synchro duelists can do..." Dr. Swift, driving the D-Wheel, even had time to spare to adjust the position of his glasses. He slightly contracted his pupils, then said, "The Synchro conditions are a Tuner monster and one or more non-Tuner Machine-Type monsters!"
The mechanized toad turned into a star, becoming an enormous halo that enveloped Burei.
Burei's body began to grow larger, its bearing began to change, and that casual cape behind it was swapped out directly for a crimson-red war robe.
The fan it held to command was discarded, and in its place, it raised two enormous odachi!
"Well-versed in the art of war, extraordinary in strategy, invincible in valor. A good general must also have the courage to charge into battle!
Synchro Summon, Level 8, Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X 'Bureido'!"
Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X 'Bureido'. Level 8, EARTH Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 2800.
"Whoa!"
"Kind of like the legendary Shogun Takeda!"
"It's, it's a bit cool."
Dr. Swift's mouth curled up. He didn't continue arguing with Hikaru, but raised his hand: "The Karakuri Steel Shogun is the general of all Karakuri machines, so naturally, it possesses the same ability too.
Activated when this card is successfully Synchro Summoned. I Special Summon 1 Karakuri monster from my Deck!"
"What I'm going to Special Summon is still Karakuri Gama mdl 4624 'Shirokunishi'!!"
Croak!
The Karakuri toad hopped onto the field, awaiting orders.
"A second one!"
"Whoa, then wouldn't that be—"
At this, everyone understood what Dr. Swift was going to do.
"That's right. What I'm going to do is continue to Synchro!" Dr. Swift raised his hand, pointing at the sky, declaring that his wisdom could likewise easily accomplish this kind of thing. "But before that, I activate the effect of the first Karakuri Gama in my Graveyard.
I banish this card from my Graveyard, targeting the Karakuri Gama on my field, and change it to Defense Position.
At this instant, Bureido's effect activates. Once per turn, when the battle position of a face-up Karakuri monster on my field is changed, I draw 1 card from my Deck."
He drew another card from his Deck with a whoosh, then looked down at it, and his eyes lit up.
Beautiful!
This card was precisely the core card he'd prepared for his duel with "Light"!
"Doesn't, doesn't this amount to tuning with no expenditure?"
"Yeah, and he's going to keep tuning."
"As expected of a contestant who dares to challenge Team 5D's duelists. Impressive."
Dr. Swift offhandedly placed the card onto the D-Wheel card slot, then pointed at the monster on his field.
"One last time!"
"Using the Level 1 Tuner monster Shirokunishi and the Level 8 Bureido, I tune!"
"Well-versed in the art of war, extraordinary in strategy, invincible in valor, invading like fire. Become the guardian deity that protects a pure land!!"
The armor on Burei grew even thicker and heavier. Behind its massive body, a Buddha-like light descended and enveloped it, and at the same time, a black cloak draped over it.
"Synchro Summon!"
"My ace!"
"Level 9, Karakuri Super Shogun mdl 00N 'Bureibu'!"
Karakuri Super Shogun mdl 00N 'Bureibu'. Level 9, EARTH Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 3000.
"Whoa, 3000 ATK!"
"Same as Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend!"
"It's this cool? I kind of want to support this person."
Does this count too?
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
The so-called "authority" [权限] referred to the guardian deity of a family or a piece of land. If one insisted, it could barely count as a "god" too.
But Hikaru quickly dismissed this thought.
Although the name was "god," it seemed to be merely a card that this Dr. Swift had sought out to fit his needs, not a card that genuinely housed life, and it seemed not even to be a spirit.
A duelist who detected the war of gods through wisdom?
So there was this kind of opponent too.
"The Karakuri Super Shogun is the guardian deity of the Karakuri monsters, so naturally, it likewise possesses the general's effect! I Special Summon Karakuri Soldier mdl 236 'Nisamu'."
Karakuri Soldier mdl 236 'Nisamu'. Level 4, EARTH Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 1400.
"Then, I Set three cards." Dr. Swift placed the cards into the Spell & Trap Zone one by one, then gave a hehe chuckle and ended his turn.
Hmm—
Hikaru sped up a bit. Along with the arrival of his turn, his vehicle's speed gradually climbed too.
A card popped out from the Duel Disk. He offhandedly picked it up and placed it on the D-Wheel slot.
"At this instant, open Set card!" Dr. Swift suddenly opened a Set card.
"Continuous Trap Card, Mask of Restrict!" An enormous mask materialized, then slowly merged into the track.
"This card?"
"Heh, as long as this card is on the field, neither player can Tribute cards!" A confident smile hung on Dr. Swift's face. "Your ace is that 'Apoqliphort Towers,' right? That monster does possess a powerful effect, but if you can't Tribute monsters, then that monster, which needs three monsters as Tributes just to take the field, simply can't take the field at all."
His smile was so brilliant that the AI directly took a close-up for all the spectators to see.
"Oh!" In the Fusion Dimension spectator seats, Jaden, hearing this effect, immediately lit up and nodded.
That's right. With this effect, Apoqliphort Towers could indeed be sealed!
How would Miss Tierra respond next!?
Hikaru raised an eyebrow but had no particular reaction, murmuring something in a low voice.
Dr. Swift keenly noticed this, then quietly turned up the volume, and as a result, he heard something that alarmed him. He was describing Bureibu's effect!
This guy actually knew Bureibu's effect!?
"Spell Card, Reasoning."
?
"You declare any Level from Level 1 to Level 12. I excavate from the top of my Deck until a monster that can be Normal Summoned appears. If that monster's Level equals the declared Level, all excavated cards are sent to the Graveyard. If not, that monster is Special Summoned, and the remaining excavated cards are all sent to the Graveyard."
It's actually... a pure guess?
"But even if I happen to not guess right, and you happen to excavate Apoqliphort Towers, it's meaningless, right? Although Towers can be Normal Summoned, it seems it can't be Special Summoned. According to the rules of dueling, it would still be sent to the Graveyard that way."
"Mn, of course." Hikaru nodded.
This card wasn't one Hikaru had recommended Tierra bring. Rather, after a long period of study and understanding, Tierra had chosen to use it herself.
To speak fairly, it was a card that suited Tierra quite well.
"How about it, what will you guess? You seem to have quite an affinity with numbers. Give it a try." Hikaru, not afraid of making a scene, egged him on.
"Hmph... a common monster Level should be 4. Then I declare Level 4!"
"Good!" Hikaru nodded his head.
A normal choice!
So Hikaru snapped his fingers, and the Duel Disk began automatically processing cards.
The first, Infernoid Pirmais.
Infernoid? What card is that.
"Whoa, it's an Infernoid!" Jaden, seeing this card, cheered excitedly.
Even the Fusion Dimension spectators who had never much believed Light was "Hikaru," upon seeing the Infernoid, couldn't help sitting up straight, watching this scene with curiosity.
After all, they all knew that the "god" with the best relationship with Hikaru had a name that was precisely Infernoid Tierra.
Infernoid!
At the Pendulum battle-prep seats, Declan Akaba only felt his left lens suddenly begin to burn, forcing him to take off his glasses to avoid the pain of the flames.
Blue flames burned on the track, seeming to carry brand-new information as well.
She's looking for me?
Sophia, based on the information carried on this card, seemed to have learned something Declan Akaba didn't know.
Declan Akaba was a bit unaccustomed to it, but the next second, that god's voice rang out again.
That works too.
Then, the voice gradually dissipated.
Declan Akaba frowned, put his glasses back on, and knit his brow.
Hikaru didn't know that because of Pirmais [Satan], Sophia had made a brand-new move. He merely watched the card changes quietly.
As Reasoning proceeded, card after card was sent to the Graveyard, and Dr. Swift gradually realized the problem.
"Eh? Why does that big brother keep sending cards to the Graveyard?"
"Yeah, isn't it that there are no monsters to Special Summon?"
Some ordinary spectators were still a bit puzzled.
"So it's this kind of tactic?" Kite Tenjo, quite interested in Team 5D's, was also watching the duel. Seeing card after card sent to the Graveyard, he too suddenly understood this deck's line of thinking.
Deliberately sending cards to the Graveyard!
After sending nearly a dozen, close to twenty cards to the Graveyard, Hikaru's Duel Disk stopped flipping.
The Duel Disk automatically sounded a steady electric current: "Level 1, Genex Power Planner."
"Whew—"
Dr. Swift breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, a Special Summon.
But immediately after, he stared wide-eyed at Light's field.
To be precise, behind him.
Blue flames blazed fiercely!
He couldn't help rubbing his eyes, but those flames from before seemed as if they'd never existed, as if it had been his own illusion.
"An Infernoid monster... was sent to the Graveyard, so what comes next could it be?" Chazz swallowed.
Could it be that, at this instant, she was going to fuse Tierra?
But calculating carefully, it seemed only six or seven Infernoids had gone down?
Unexpectedly, in Light's Graveyard, three cards burned and flew up from the Graveyard.
"I banish Pirmais, Antra, and Harmadik from my Graveyard to Special Summon Onuncu from the Graveyard."
Blue flames blazed fiercely, and a crimson-red mechanical demon spread its wings and flew out from the Graveyard.
Infernoid Onuncu. Level 10, FIRE Attribute, Fiend-Type. ATK 3000!
"3000 ATK?"
"Whoa, so simply and just like that..."
"That's a Red Dragon Archfiend-level monster, and it appeared just like that?"
At the battle-prep seats, Yusei and the others looked at this monster and exchanged glances.
What does this mean.
Is that god this serious?
"Activated when Onuncu is Special Summoned. All other monsters on the field are destroyed!"
"What?"
What a powerful effect!
"Open Set card! Trap Card, Karakuri Cash Inn!" Dr. Swift immediately opened a Set card. "I target 1 'Karakuri' monster on my field and 1 Effect Monster on the opponent's field to activate. That monster of mine changes its battle position, and that opponent's monster's effects are negated until the end of the turn.
I change Karakuri Soldier to Defense Position, negating Onuncu's effect."
A giant wooden crate fell onto Onuncu, causing the power it had been preparing to release to be drawn back in.
Tierra gave a cold snort.
Hikaru also felt a bit of regret.
If not for "Mask of Restrict," Onuncu could have chained its effect to release itself and negate-and-destroy the effects of Spell and Trap cards.
But now it could only stand guard on the field.
Dr. Swift, for no reason, felt the pressure double. Just looking at that monster, he felt he couldn't breathe. So after negating Onuncu, he pointed at it again: "Activate Karakuri Super Shogun's effect!
Once per turn, when the battle position of a face-up 'Karakuri' monster on my field is changed, I target 1 card on the opponent's field to activate. That card is banished.
I banish Onuncu!"
The powerfully built mechanized guardian deity raised its double-headed blade, aimed it at Onuncu, and swung down. Along with wind and snow, the Onuncu that had taken the field not long ago left this dimension and returned to Tierra's hand.
"Tsk." Tierra gave another cold snort.
Because the deck mixed Genex and Qliphort, her "Reasoning" tactic hadn't actually achieved the effect she'd anticipated. The number sent to the Graveyard wasn't enough, and there was no "Lilith" [Devyaty] either.
So after Onuncu left, she felt it was a great pity.
A duelist's "instinct" really wasn't so simple after all.
"Ssss—" On the Fusion stage, Jaden's expression shifted slightly.
Although they'd seen the Infernoid "god" before, they'd rarely seen the effects of the lower-level Infernoid monsters. Now it seemed these Infernoid monsters might not be so simple.
"A very cautious judgment, and you judged correctly." Hikaru suddenly picked up a hand card, flipped it over, and showed it to the opponent.
Genex Ally Birdman.
It can be activated by returning 1 face-up monster on my field to the hand. This card is Special Summoned from the hand.
!!!
Dr. Swift stared wide-eyed.
Sure enough, that tension of his from before hadn't been fake.
The Karakuri Gama in Dr. Swift's Graveyard could modify the battle position of his own field's monsters on the opponent's turn, so he could actually activate Karakuri Super Shogun's effect at any time.
But just now, he'd felt that if he didn't activate Karakuri Super Shogun's effect, he might lose in an instant.
That tension absolutely wasn't fake!
And this was precisely a duelist's instinct.
However, although two cards had been forced out of him, Dr. Swift quickly recovered.
At this point, Light no longer had Onuncu to use, so he still had strategic hope.
Moreover, the last card he'd Set was the Trap Card Karakuri Klock. This was a card that could be activated when a Defense Position Karakuri monster was selected as an attack target, and it could directly destroy all face-up monsters on the opponent's field!
As long as he had this, he could still win all the same.
"Activate Continuous Spell Card, Temple of the Kings."
A mechanical sound rang out.
As if Hikaru's Duel Disk were speaking.
A card automatically popped into the Spell & Trap Zone.
"This card is..."
Some Fusion Dimension people, seeing this card, recognized its effect again.
Isn't this...
"This card's first effect can only be used once per turn. This turn, I can activate 1 Set Trap card on the turn it was Set."
Hikaru picked up a card and hurriedly placed it into the Duel Disk.
Can't fumble too much, or it'll look too fake.
"Continuous Trap Card, Ultimate Offering!"
Ultimate Offering?
Yes.
A Forbidden card!
Hikaru actually still had quite a few Forbidden cards on hand. He just couldn't use them normally, and had no interest in using some of them, so they were either kept in reserve cards or taken by Tierra.
"Ultimate Offering?" Bastion Misawa, observing other teams' duels in his spare time, saw this card and felt a wave of headache again.
Mn—
He had an impression of it.
He had an impression of this card.
But why couldn't he remember it?
"As long as this card is on the field, I can pay 500 Life Points to perform one Normal Summon."
Dr. Swift swallowed, but still forced himself to perk up and said: "Although it's a powerful card, the current you has no way to Tribute Summon either. Even if you can summon many more times, it's meaningless."
"Hahaha..." Hikaru offhandedly twisted the handlebars, accelerated to his side, looked at him, and said, "For all your claiming to see through and doubt Yusei, you never even cared about something this simple?
True, Ultimate Offering is a card used for Normal Summons, but it never said Ultimate Offering can only be used for Normal Summons.
If Synchro were this narrow-minded, your world wouldn't have become so rich and colorful, would it?"
Dr. Swift faintly sensed something off.
And Hikaru sighed with feeling.
Over these two years, Tierra had already developed a strong self-awareness about the matter of "deckbuilding."
This world had no connection, no reality-defying god-card like "Repair Genex Controller," but Tierra, relying on the fruits of her own study and observation, and her own understanding of dueling, had likewise figured out how the Genex tactic should go.
"Normal Summon, Level 3, R-Genex Magma. By its effect, I add 1 Level 2 Genex monster from my Deck to my hand. R-Genex Magma."
"Paying 500 Life Points to Normal Summon, Level 2, R-Genex Crusher."
Light, LP: 4000 → 3500.
"When this card is summoned, I add 1 Level 4 R-Genex monster from my Deck to my hand."
"R-Genex Turbo."
"Paying 500 Life Points, I Normal Summon it."
Light, LP: 3500 → 3000.
"Turbo's effect, activated on summon. I add 1 Level 1 Genex monster from my Deck to my hand. The Tuner monster, R-Genex Oracle."
"This card can be activated when it's added from the Deck to the hand by a Genex monster's effect. Special Summon."
"I activate the effect of Genex Ally Birdman, returning Power Planner, and Special Summon Level 3, the Tuner monster, Genex Ally Birdman."
"The Birdman Special Summoned by this effect is banished when it leaves the field."
Although he performed a great many operations, Hikaru was methodical, made no mistakes, and remembered every card very clearly.
"Do you know what this represents?"
What does it represent?
Dr. Swift swallowed.
"A loop!" Hikaru suddenly clenched his fist.
A loop!
Yes. Correct!
His expression suddenly turned grave.
If there were enough zones and enough Life Points, then following this order, it could be done again, even twice more!
"Pulverize and then sublimate?" Chazz's expression was rather something to behold.
It really did seem to be Hikaru?
Although the "person" controlling it wasn't Hikaru, this dueling style was learned straight from Hikaru!
"The Level 3 Genex Ally Birdman, the Level 3 R-Genex Magma, and the Level 2 R-Genex Crusher, I tune."
"Under my command, correct this error of the natural world."
"Synchro Summon, Level 8, Genex Ally Axel!"
Tierra's "Genex" cards were extremely complete. On one hand, to commemorate the Genex Controller, she'd always used spare scraps to recall the past Genex members. On the other, when Hikaru took time to accompany Tierra traveling in the DT Dimension, Tierra would conveniently collect some old acquaintances from the past.
Of course, there was also the fact that Genex cards had too high an "affinity" with Tierra.
"Then comes the next tuning!"
"Using the Level 1 R-Genex Oracle and the Level 8 Genex Ally Axel, I tune!"
Blue hellfire burned, and rolling thick smoke rose from behind Hikaru.
"The Synchro conditions are a Genex Tuner and one or more non-Tuner DARK Attribute monsters. Just as you powered up Karakuri Shogun, Genex can do the same thing.
Synchro Summon!
The train roars.
Level 9!
Locomotion R-Genex!"
Ka-chunk ka-chunk.
A black locomotive drove in from behind, chasing hard after the two duelists toward the front.
Locomotion R-Genex. Level 9, DARK Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 2500.
Whew.
Only 2500 ATK.
One of Dr. Swift's teammates breathed a sigh of relief.
Dr. Swift, too, instinctively felt he could relax a little.
But...
"Locomotion R-Genex's effect. It's activated when this card is Synchro Summoned. I gain control of 1 monster with the highest Level on the opponent's field."
This is bad!!!
"I activate the effect of Karakuri Gama in my Graveyard, changing Karakuri Super Shogun to Defense Position."
The moment he did this, the Super Shogun on the field, as if drawn by some pull, went dizzily over to Light's field.
"Damn it, Super Shogun!! Snap out of it!"
Tierra laughed hahaha.
This Karakuri Super Shogun's appearance really was handsome, and it was mechanical life, and a rather rare mechanism-Karakuri at that. Tierra actually quite liked this style.
"...But this way, you can't perform continuous tuning."
Dr. Swift took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep his spirits up.
His Set card could still let him keep dueling, and Karakuri Soldier, when destroyed by battle, could still Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Karakuri monster from the Deck. Naturally he could Special Summon another Karakuri soldier, so he had enough to hold out through this turn.
And on Light's field, although there were the Locomotion and his own Super Shogun, the Super Shogun was in Defense Position and couldn't attack. The monster zones totaled 5, the Locomotion and Super Shogun took up two, and adding the unused Turbo... that left only 2 zones.
Wanting to perform continuous summoning like just now was actually very hard to do.
"In theory, that's so." Tierra controlled a card to fly up and drop into the Duel Disk. "But... Kuji-Kiri Curse."
Dr. Swift couldn't hear Tierra's voice, but the instant this card appeared, he knew: it's over.
Because now, the opponent could just barely repeat the earlier operation!
"To activate this card, I must send 1 Level 9 monster from my hand or face-up on my field to the Graveyard. I draw two cards. Because it's sent to the Graveyard, not Tributed, I can use it."
It's over!
But he still forced himself to hold on.
Zones really were getting a bit scarce...
"Paying 500 Life Points, I Normal Summon Genex Power Planner and activate its effect, adding Genex Ally Birdman from my Deck to my hand. Then I return Turbo to recover it and Special Summon Birdman. Paying another 500 Life Points, I Normal Summon Turbo, and search R-Genex Oracle from my Deck. Although there's no open zone to Special Summon Oracle, it doesn't matter.
Using the Level 3 Genex Ally Birdman, the Level 4 R-Genex Turbo, and the Level 1 Genex Power Planner, I tune.
Come back! Genex Ally Axel!"
Light didn't rigidly pursue a repeat. He changed it up a little!
And immediately after, a moment later, the same scene played out again!
Beside him, a brand-new, freshly minted second "Locomotion R-Genex" also made a shining entrance, and amid a rumbling roar, it swept across the City's racing track!
"Uh..."
"Whoa..."
"Isn't, isn't this just invincible?"
"Yeah, that's so many Synchros."
"And every time it achieves the same effect. No matter how strong the opponent's monster is, the moment Locomotion R-Genex appears, it can hijack it in an instant..."
Some Synchro Dimension spectators marveled at the power of "Genex."
And some of the ones "in the know" revealed even stranger expressions.
For instance... the Pendulum Dimension.
"This guy can actually use that Genex this proficiently?" Seeing this, the X-Saber user Yaiba Todo swallowed hard.
In their world, the different series of the DT Dimension were slowly circulating. Besides the earliest X-Saber, Gem-Knight, and Constellar, other series were in circulation too.
And this Genex, this Genex Ally, was a very "cheap" series.
On one hand, this series was very hard to use; on the other, this series also had the most cards, as if these were exactly the things someone needed least and had tossed out wholesale.
And now, right here, before him, an excellent student of the "Synchro Academy," there appeared such an outrageous duelist!?
Last time, the opponent had only used Apoqliphort Towers, so he hadn't paid much attention. Now it seemed this Synchro Dimension duelist was far more impressive than he'd imagined.
"Battle." Tierra directed Hikaru.
Although she didn't know what the opponent's Set card was, at this point striking first was more important.
Rolling thick smoke rose from the two enormous black locomotives, and then the two locomotives flew up from the track, quickly reassembling and transforming into two tall mechanical giants!
Wait a moment.
Hikaru hurriedly stopped Tierra.
There were still some things he hadn't said to the opponent.
Hikaru softly called to his D-Wheel, had it draw abreast of the opponent, then looked at Dr. Swift and spoke: "Dr. Swift, relying on knowledge, learning, and wisdom alone, you can grasp the secret of this world and this competition. Your wisdom does far surpass the ordinary person's.
But if you judge people using only knowledge, learning, and mathematics, then is that answer actually correct? For instance... you think Yusei performing continuous Synchro is putting on a show in front of ordinary people, because any sufficiently outstanding Synchro duelist could do this.
I don't deny that point."
Hikaru's gaze met Dr. Swift's head-on.
At this moment, Dr. Swift only now discovered that the opponent's eyes seemed to hold a kind of magic.
That wasn't a power of this dimension he'd ever witnessed. Even that strange sensation was different from what his "dueling" opponents gave him!
"But... why couldn't it be that Yusei is searching for people who can do the same thing, achieve the same result, as him?"
Dr. Swift instinctively shook his head.
"That's of course because I judged him to be like this..."
What Hikaru was describing was the matter before the "judgment." Since he'd concluded Yusei was deceiving others, naturally he wouldn't consider this possibility any further.
"Foolish!!!!" Hikaru pointed out the true core, extending his left hand and pointing at the space between Dr. Swift's brows. "Then is this judgment of yours really born of your own wisdom and learning, and not simply of disgust?
Without even verification or testing, can this kind of duel, this kind of judgment, be called 'science'!?"
!!!!
Ah!!!!
Pointed between the brows by Hikaru's finger, Dr. Swift felt as though struck by a thunderbolt. He felt something in his brain burst apart, and finally realized just how vast, just how serious, his error had been!
Never seeking proof, relying on the subjective alone, how could such a person call himself "wisdom"!?
He'd made a foolish mistake!
"This is the end." As Hikaru's words fell, Tierra had already impatiently begun manipulating the cards.
"Locomotion R-Genex attacks the opponent directly!"
The two enormous black mechanical giants slowly raised both hands, aimed at the enemy, and swung their arms down.
Boom!
Dr. Swift, LP: 4000 → 0!
Winner, Team 5D's, Light.