Gin Ryuusei's statement was not without reason.
As a newcomer, Gin Ryuusei was able to become the second-in-command of the Light Society at the academy entirely due to his personal prowess.
But beyond that, the most important point is—he was not brainwashed by Lord Saiou himself; rather, he joined the Light Society after it began to rise, as a student from Blue Academy.
"In this world, everyone has things they excel or don't excel at, but the future, destiny, is something everyone has to face." Gin Ryuusei began speaking some thoughts from his heart, words he retained even after being brainwashed, "Although each person can blend things they like into dueling, it doesn't mean anything.
I am Gin Ryuusei, the world champion of shooting games! But in duels, I'm just a rookie; the champion title doesn't bring me anything."
He spoke about his own matters.
His original purpose for joining the Light Society was only one: at that time, Instructor Napoleon had told the students of Blue Academy that Saiou Takuma, as the manager of world-class professional duelist Ed Phoenix, wanted to discover other outstanding students at the academy to become professional duelists.
At that time, Gin Ryuusei felt an impulse, he wanted to seize this opportunity, and he wanted to become a professional duelist.
Clearly already a world-class "player," but unrecognized by anyone, it was extremely painful.
It's like playing cards in a world of spinning tops, playing RPGs in a dueling world, or discussing the law in a cultivation world; no matter how high your talent, how exceptional your abilities, without the support of the mainstream theories of this world, it's very difficult to get recognition and praise.
It was precisely to gain recognition from the world, to let the monsters he liked appear before the people, that he wanted to become a professional duelist.
So...
He envied Serena greatly.
Even though he didn't really like this kind of backdoor approach, background, "mentorship" had already naturally placed Serena ahead of others.
"So, you babbled on about a lot." Serena listened and generally understood, but understanding doesn't mean she comprehended, "But what does this have to do with what you're doing now?"
Serena's question left Gin Ryuusei taken aback.
Indeed… wasn't he supposed to become a professional duelist?
Until now, what has he been doing?
"Also, destiny… that's a word I hate the most." Serena looked at a card in her hand, "I grew up in the alleyways of slums, found by my father, then locked up in a lab to study fusion and use spirits…"
Huh?
This time, even the brainwashed members of the Light Society, including Gin Ryuusei, found their minds a bit foggy.
How did it transition from "found by father" to "studying in a lab"??
What about the process?
Serena had always thought that the reason she never saw a smile on Akaba Leo's face was because she wasn't working hard enough, she hadn't met her father's expectations.
But after the Fusion Army attacked the Xyz Dimension, she completely woke up.
All along, she had been the "solitary beast under the moon."
Until she met Tenjo Hikari.
"For me, dueling has no other impurities, nor should it have any other impurities—dueling must go on!" Serena, not good with words, is better with action.
She now believes a duel should be just that, as a duelist, she doesn't need to think too much, she just needs to enjoy the duel.
This is also what she learned from Tenjo Hikari. To Tenjo Hikari, dueling is a matter of "fusion." And to her, dueling is the purest thing she received from her father and master, so she doesn't want to mix in anything else!
"Activate the effect of Lunalight Yellow Marten in the Graveyard, this card targets a Lunalight card other than Lunalight Yellow Marten on your field and returns that card to your hand, Special Summoning this card in Defense Position.
I return Lunalight Emerald Bird to my hand and Special Summon, Lunalight Yellow Marten!"
Wearing a peculiar pink dress, the marten danced and leapt onto the field.
"Because of this effect, when it leaves the field, it's banished—then, I activate the Spell Card, Lunalight Fusion."
"Send Lunalight Yellow Marten on the field and Lunalight Crimson Fox in the hand to the Graveyard for Fusion!"
She gently leaned back, reaching out to the sky, dancing lightly:
"In the Moon's Gravity, a vortex is formed, reborn with newfound power!
Fusion Summon!
Appear, beautiful beast that dances gracefully under the moonlight.
Lunalight Cat Dancer!!"
Swish~
Swish swish~
Accompanied by the jingling sounds, a masked woman with waist-length red hair gently danced, appearing on Serena's field.
Lunalight Cat Dancer, LV 7, Dark Attribute, Beast Warrior-Type, ATK 2400.
Serena gazed at the Graveyard.
Unfortunately, due to the effect of the Field Spell B.E.F. Zelos, she couldn't target B.E.S. Covered Core, thus Lunalight Crimson Fox's effect couldn't be activated. Otherwise, she just needed to activate Lunalight Crimson Fox's effect, select a monster on the opponent's field as a target, and reduce that monster's ATK to 0 until the end of the turn.
But there's a second plan.
"Send Lunalight Purple Butterfly from the hand to the Graveyard, activate its effect targeting a Lunalight monster on my field. That monster's ATK is increased by 1000 points until the end of the turn."
Lunalight Cat Dancer, ATK: 2400→3400.
"Oh? Exceeded Covered Core's ATK?" Gin Ryuusei was somewhat moved but quickly focused back on the duel.
His brainwashed state persisted for too long, even if he could react, his body would still follow Saiou's orders.
"It's not over yet. Activate the effect of Lunalight Purple Butterfly, banish the card from the Graveyard to Special Summon a Lunalight monster from the hand. Special Summon, Lunalight Emerald Bird—"
"Activate Lunalight Cat Dancer's monster effect, once per turn, you can release a Lunalight monster on your field other than this card to activate! This turn, the opponent's monsters can't be destroyed by battle once, and this card can attack the opponent's monsters twice each!"
"Ugh…" Gin Ryuusei couldn't help but curse softly after hearing this effect.
He just missed the effect on his side completely!
The B.E.S. series possesses the all-around resistance of "cannot be destroyed by battle."
But beyond that, its biggest feature is that after the battle damage step ends, you must remove a counter, and if attacked without counters placed, it would be destroyed after battle.
This is one reason he feared Tenjo Hikari.
Because his deck relies on this tactic, but facing Tenjo Hikari, it's very likely to be directly swallowed and fused by Cyber Dragon, unable to gain an advantage and lose the duel.
Similarly, fighting against this Lunalight Cat Dancer, its features are rendered useless!
"Battle, use Lunalight Cat Dancer to attack B.E.S. Covered Core! When Lunalight Cat Dancer declares an attack, inflict 100 LP damage to the opponent."
The cat dancer swung the dagger in her hand, flew over and aimed at the core of the battleship, clearly performing a dagger slash at the battleship.
The dagger stabbed into the battleship's shield, making a sizzling sound, even though the dagger blade was dulled, it didn't break through.
But—
Damage still has to be taken!
Gin Ryuusei, LP: 4000→3500.
"At this moment, Covered Core's effect activates!"
"During the combat phase, at the end of the damage step, flip a coin to guess heads or tails. If guessed wrong, remove 1 counter from the card."
What an unclear effect.
Serena frowned in confusion.
In front of Gin Ryuusei, the card of the B.E.S. suddenly appeared and slowly began to spin, seemingly determining its position: "I choose tails."
Covered Core spun for a while and gradually stopped, remaining upright without being upside down.
"Guessed wrong?"
"Ha— how could that be, this is the destiny I needed!" Gin Ryuusei laughed loudly.
"Remove one counter from Covered Core!"
B.E.S. Covered Core, counters: 1→0.
Serena, not understanding, furrowed her brows and said: "Continue the attack!"
Lunalight Cat Dancer saw the protective shield disappear in front of her, flew forward for a bit, arrived in front of the silver core, and slashed at the core.
Gin Ryuusei, LP: 3500→3000.
However... Covered Core remained on the field.
"B.E.S. won't be destroyed by battle." Gin Ryuusei explained with some helplessness, "It will only be destroyed during the end phase of the damage step when it has no counters."
As his words fell, the massive mechanical battleship slowly exploded in the cosmos.
But Gin Ryuusei didn't care about the battleship's explosion at all, instead curling up the corner of his mouth.
"End the turn." Serena frowned, waiting for Lunalight Cat Dancer to return to her field before ending her turn.
Lunalight Cat Dancer, ATK: 3400→2400.
"At this time, BOSS Rush's effect activates! If a face-up B.E.S. Monster you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, at the end phase of that turn, Special Summon 1 B.E.S. monster from your Deck!"
"Special Summon, B.E.S. Big Core MK-3!"
With a rumble, a star-class battleship filled with laser cannons slowly flew out above Covered Core.
B.E.S. Big Core MK-3, LV 8, Light Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 2700.
Due to the Field Spell, the ATK becomes 3200 points!
"When MK-3 is successfully Special Summoned, place 3 counters on it, plus the effect of the massive fortress environment, place 1 additional counter, a total of 4!"
Big Core MK-3, counters: 0→4.
"My turn, draw card, B.E.F. Zelos's effect, once per turn, Special Summon 1 B.E.S. monster!"
"I want to Special Summon, B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core!"
B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core, LV 9, Earth Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 2500→3000.
"Both Blaster Cannon Core and MK-3 gain 3 counters when Special Summoned! Plus Zelos's effect, also 4 counters!"
Blaster Cannon Core, counters: 0→4.
"Hmm..." Serena finally understood the purpose of the Continuous Spell Card that seals her Normal Summons.
So that's how it is!
With the Field Spell and Continuous Spell Card, his field can permanently maintain Machine-Type High-Level Monsters, both to inflict damage with high ATK and to act as walls, reducing losses!
And since you can Special Summon every turn, if you can't quickly resolve it, you'll soon be retreating in defeat by countless mechanical BOSSes.
"With this, it's over! Bow down to Lord Saiou's destiny!"
"MK-3 attacks Lunalight Cat Dancer!"
Countless barrels aimed at Lunalight Cat Dancer, and amidst the Light Society members' expectations, the barrels burst with terrifying light.
The smoke filled the whole scene.
Serena, LP: 4000→3200
Confident, Gin Ryuusei was just about to use Blaster Cannon Core for a direct attack, only to be surprised and find...
Lunalight Cat Dancer was still on the field!
"Sorry... Lunalight Cat Dancer has a similar effect to the B.E.S., it won't be destroyed by battle!"
"...Tsk." Gin Ryuusei couldn't help but say softly, "Actually hiding such an effect."
"I may not understand the game," Serena said calmly, "but my master told me, being a Duelist, as someone pursuing Fusion, one must understand everything in the duel.
You drew conclusions without even testing."
Experimentation?
Of course, he knew about this, first try attacking on the opening, then speculate the weaknesses and attack paths, moves—he naturally understood—
Only, at this point of thinking, Gin Ryuusei felt a headache.
"Continue fighting, attack Lunalight Cat Dancer with Blaster Cannon Core!"
Another giant battleship's barrels were gathering energy, erupting a crimson flood like lava, striking the cat dancer.
But this time, he no longer expected anything.
Serena, LP: 3200→2600.
"They both lose one counter after battle."
The counters of the two B.E.S. simultaneously became 3.
"End turn."
"End?" When Serena heard that, like discovering prey, she took a half step back sharply, crouched, took a combat stance, and mimicked her master's words:
"Then—"
"Final turn!"