Chapter 45: Stop It! Don't Do Strange Things With My Deck!
"Who are you people?" a One-eyed Strong Man in a cloak asked, stepping out of the darkness with a grim expression.
"Isn't it obvious who we are?" Yūga Hōzumi replied, revealing the red scarf tied to his arm.
"XYZ Remnants?" The One-eyed Strong Man smirked cruelly. "Perfect timing. After I deal with you, the Professor should let me return to the frontline instead of babysitting this little girl."
"Aren't you going to consider that we have a hostage before you make a move?" Yūga Hōzumi asked nonchalantly.
"As warriors of the Fusion Dimension, we are always prepared for sacrifice," the One-eyed Strong Man said coldly.
"Hey, it seems your bodyguard isn't very good," Yūga Hōzumi said, kicking the nearby Serena, causing her to grind her teeth until they nearly shattered.
"But since you said that, I have to ask... are *you* prepared to be sacrificed?"
"Duel!" x2
"My turn!" The One-eyed Strong Man declared, taking the first turn.
"I Summon Rescue Rabbit in Attack Position."
"I activate Rescue Rabbit's effect! By banishing this card from the field, I can Special Summon two Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters with the same name from my Deck. The monsters Special Summoned by this effect are destroyed during the End Phase."
"Appear! Gladiator Beast - One-Eyed Combatant!"
Two one-eyed battle bears stood on his left and right, making Yūga Hōzumi raise an eyebrow. "Gladiator Beasts? Not dog walkers anymore?"
"When a 'Gladiator Beast' monster is on my field, I can Special Summon this card!"
"Appear! Test Tiger!"
"I activate the effect of Test Tiger! I Tribute this card to target one 'Gladiator Beast' monster I control. That monster returns to the Deck, and I Special Summon one 'Gladiator Beast' monster from my Deck. The monster Special Summoned this way is treated as being Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Gladiator Beast' monster."
"I'll return one Gladiator Beast - One-Eyed Combatant to the Deck and Special Summon Gladiator Beast Augustal from my Deck!"
"I activate the effect of Gladiator Beast Augustal! When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Gladiator Beast' monster, I can Special Summon one 'Gladiator Beast' monster from my hand in Defense Position. The monster summoned by this effect returns to the owner's Deck during the End Phase."
"Appear! Gladiator Beast Laquari!"
"I activate Gladiator Beast Laquari's effect! When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Gladiator Beast' monster, I can discard one 'Gladiator Beast' card from my hand to draw two cards from my Deck."
"I discard Gladiator Beast Equeste and draw two cards!"
"Gladiator Beast Fusion Monsters can be summoned by returning 'Gladiator Beast' monsters on the field to the Deck, without needing a Fusion spell."
"I return Gladiator Beast Augustal, Gladiator Beast Laquari, and Gladiator Beast - One-Eyed Combatant from my field to the Deck."
"Great emperor, valiant battle bear, and precise eagle, unite within a grand epic and tread the path of glory! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Gladiator Beast Heraklinos!"
The three monsters on the One-eyed Strong Man's field transformed into streams of light and flew into his Duel Disk. A tri-colored vortex swirled before him, and moments later, a valiant Beast-Warrior holding a sword and shield slowly descended.
Gladiator Beast Heraklinos DEF: 2800
"A Fusion Summon without a Fusion spell?" Yuto and Shun said with grave expressions.
"That's right. This is an advanced course from the Fusion Dimension's Duel Academy, something beyond the comprehension of country bumpkins like you—" the One-eyed Strong Man smiled mysteriously.
"It's just Contact Fusion, what's the big deal? Anyone who didn't know better would think you could fuse straight from the Deck," Yūga Hōzumi said, casually interrupting the One-eyed Strong Man's grandstanding.
"You bastard! How dare you look down on Contact Fusion!" The One-eyed Strong Man, his grandstanding cut short, was furious. "I activate the effect of Gladiator Beast Heraklinos!"
"When this card is successfully Special Summoned by Contact Fusion, I can Special Summon one Level 7 or lower 'Gladiator Beast' Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions."
"Appear, great dictator! Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!"
Gladiator Beast Gyzarus ATK: 2400
"I Set two cards face-down and activate the Continuous Spell, Gladiator Beast Repulsion Wave!"
"While this card is face-up on the field, 'Gladiator Beast' monsters I control cannot be targeted by an opponent's card effects, except during the Battle Phase."
"I end my turn," the One-eyed Strong Man said.
"Alright, my turn! I draw!"
After drawing a card, Yūga Hōzumi kicked the still-struggling Serena. "This is how you play a Lunalight deck. I'm only doing this once, so watch and learn."
"What do you think you're doing with my deck!" Serena yelled angrily.
Yūga Hōzumi ignored her and began his play.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Mystical Space Typhoon! I target one Spell or Trap on the field and destroy it! I'm destroying your left-most face-down card!"
A cyclone shot from Yūga Hōzumi's hand, shattering his opponent's card.
"A Counter Trap, Gladiator Beast War Chariot? The powerful trap that negates and destroys an opponent's monster effect as long as I control a 'Gladiator Beast' monster?" Yūga Hōzumi mused, looking at the shattered card.
"Good thing I drew Mystical Space Typhoon. Taking a hit from that while setting up my plays would have been nasty."
"I activate the Continuous Spell, Fire Formation - Tenki!"
"Its effect allows me to add one Level 4 or lower Beast-Warrior monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Lunalight Kingfisher to my hand."
"And as long as this card remains face-up on the field, all Beast-Warrior monsters I control gain 100 ATK!"
"Lunalight? You're using Miss Serena's deck?" the One-eyed Strong Man exclaimed in surprise. "Have you finally realized the weakness of your Xyz Dimension and decided to join our great Fusion Dimension? But even so, how much of its power can you possibly draw out, having just gotten your hands on it?"
"What crap are you spouting? Who'd want to join your Card Disadvantage Dimension!" Yūga Hōzumi scoffed.
"I Summon Lunalight Kingfisher in Attack Position."
"I activate Lunalight Kingfisher's effect! When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can send one 'Lunalight' card from my hand to the Graveyard to draw one card."
"I send Lunalight Weasel from my hand to the Graveyard and draw one card!"
"Is he going to search for Lunalight Fusion?" The One-eyed Strong Man, having followed Serena for a long time, was naturally familiar with this common combo of hers.
However, when Lunalight Weasel was sent to the Graveyard, the effect that should have triggered there didn't activate.
"I activate the Spell Card, Luna Light Perfume!" Yūga Hōzumi revealed another card from his hand.
"I target one 'Lunalight' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it."
"Revive! Lunalight Weasel!"
"I overlay the Level 4 Lunalight Kingfisher and Lunalight Weasel!"
"What?!" The One-eyed Strong Man was startled.
"Stop it! Don't do strange things with my deck!"
...
(end of chapter)