Hikaru studied his opponent's field, frowning slightly as he assessed the situation.
Golden Cloud Beast - Malong had an effect that, when sent to the Graveyard, could target and bounce one face-up card on the opponent's field to their hand.
And Number 23 possessed a once-per-turn mandatory "omni-negate."
This mandatory omni-negate meant that whenever either player activated a monster effect, Spell, or Trap, Lancelot would automatically activate its effect to negate the activation.
The key detail was that because this effect was mandatory, even Mr. T's own cards would be forcibly negated. If Mr. T were the type to "click whatever lights up," Hikaru could Normal Summon a monster with over 1000 ATK, destroy Malong in battle, and if Mr. T foolishly activated that effect, Lancelot would forcibly negate it.
But obviously, Mr. T wasn't that stupid.
"I Set two cards. Turn end."
After summoning his monsters, Mr. T Set two cards before confidently passing the turn.
Honestly, it was quite surprising.
Although this board wasn't particularly difficult for Hikaru, compared to his impression of "Mr. T," it was incomparably stronger.
Of course, stronger than his impression didn't mean... particularly strong.
What truly surprised Hikaru was that Mr. T had, without his knowledge, simultaneously mastered Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz.
As expected...
Just as Zone had said, Darkness didn't only appear in the Fusion Dimension. It had visited the Synchro Dimension and Xyz Dimension too, drawing power and inspiration from each.
This Mr. T was clearly born from those developments.
"How will you handle it?" Tierra asked curiously.
She didn't know the abilities of Mr. T's monsters, but three in front and two Set behind looked intimidating enough.
Hikaru checked his hand, thought briefly, and said, "Minor issue."
He looked at Mr. T and continued. "True, simultaneously mastering Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz makes you far stronger than most humans. But you've never actually dueled a human before, have you?"
Mr. T frowned. "What of it?"
Hikaru's question actually struck a nerve.
He truly had never dueled a human.
More precisely, "they" had never formally dueled a human.
Most of the time, they dueled each other in darkness, theorizing each card's applications and effects, designing strategies, then deploying them from the opening move.
They possessed this capability.
Although they had dueled some humans, their inherent traits and abilities would modify the opponent's memories, create pressure, and cause defeat directly.
Facing a duelist unaffected by their abilities was... a first.
"Normal Summon: Elemental HERO Prisma!"
"Prisma?" Seeing this monster, Mr. T was slightly puzzled. "You're using that?"
"Rather than me, are you interested in activating an effect?" Hikaru asked with a smile.
Mr. T remained silent.
Hikaru suspected Mr. T's Set cards could send his own monsters to the Graveyard, maximizing Malong's effect.
But Lancelot's effect would "inevitably" trigger. So before Hikaru used an effect, Mr. T couldn't use any cards, or his own monster would "lock" him and negate it.
This wasn't a matter of skill or choice. It was a limitation of the card itself.
"Number 23's effect: once any effect is activated, it will negate that effect. This trigger is mandatory."
Mr. T didn't ask things like "how do you know" or "humans shouldn't know about Number monsters!" As beings who silently observed humanity from within the darkness, they had long known Hikaru possessed "knowledge" beyond ordinary people. Even knowing their effects wasn't surprising.
Regardless, Lancelot's effect would definitely block one card. Hikaru couldn't avoid it.
"At first glance, it seems that way. But... is it really?" Hikaru raised one finger. "Let me show you something interesting. Sometimes, what matters isn't the effect, but the cost you pay.
Just as humans cycle through birth, aging, illness, and death, precisely because life is short, what is created during a passionate life is love and wisdom.
I activate Elemental HERO Prisma's monster effect!"
"Once per turn: I reveal one Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, then send one Fusion Material listed on that card from my Deck to the Graveyard. Until the End Phase, this card's name becomes the name of the monster sent to the Graveyard."
"But don't forget! Lancelot will negate that effect!"
Just as Mr. T said, with Hikaru's activation, Lancelot raised its hand. A black energy sphere flew from its side, merging into its rapier.
Mr. T spoke as Lancelot moved on its own. "Lancelot's effect: once per turn, when a monster effect, Spell, or Trap other than this card is activated, I detach one Xyz Material to activate this. That activation is negated."
"So that effect is negated!"
"But the cost must still be paid!" Hikaru smiled and opened his Deck, revealing a card. "Invoked Mechaba's Fusion Material: Aleister the Invoker!"
A card flew from the Deck and fell into Hikaru's Graveyard.
"If the goal were to change the monster's name to Aleister the Invoker, this action would indeed be pointless." Hikaru continued. "But if my goal is to send a monster to the Graveyard, then this 'effect' has already succeeded."
Mr. T's expression soured.
A card's effect wasn't simply "the effect." In truth, Prisma's full card text included at minimum both "cost" and "effect." The cost was something you must do the moment you chose to activate the effect. Whether negated or not, once you chose to "activate," the cost must be paid.
Hikaru then sent Aleister from his Deck to the Graveyard.
Although Lancelot's effect meant Prisma remained Prisma, that no longer mattered.
"I activate the Spell Card: Invocation!" Hikaru immediately played another Spell from his hand. "This card can Fusion Summon using monsters from the hand. For an Invoked Fusion Summon, I can also banish monsters from my field and either player's Graveyard as Fusion Materials."
"Now, my Graveyard contains Aleister the Invoker, and your Graveyard has Alexandrite Dragon and Galaxy Serpent, both LIGHT monsters. Do you have any plays?"
"No." Mr. T felt he had nothing to say.
"Then I banish the LIGHT Alexandrite Dragon from your Graveyard and Aleister the Invoker from my Graveyard to perform a Fusion!"
"Fusion Summon!"
"Level 9!"
"Invoked Mechaba!"
The roar of metal wheels thundered. An enormous mechanical knight driving a war chariot charged to Hikaru's side, its radiance illuminating everything. It even gave Mr. T an instinctive feeling that this was an opponent he couldn't overpower.
Invoked Mechaba. Level 9, LIGHT Attribute, Machine-Type. ATK 2500.
"Mechaba!" Mr. T clearly knew this card.
"Then, I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Self-Mummification!" The instant Mechaba appeared, Mr. T sensed danger.
Mechaba possessed a powerful effect similar to Lancelot's. Unlike Lancelot, which only needed to detach one material, Mechaba could negate and banish any activation by discarding a card of the matching type.
In terms of coverage, it was far simpler to use than the mandatory Lancelot!
"Mechaba's effect!" Seeing Mr. T activate an effect, Hikaru didn't hesitate and immediately activated Mechaba's effect. "Once per turn, when a monster effect, Spell, or Trap is activated: I send one card of the same type from my hand to the Graveyard.
That activation is negated and banished."
Hikaru held up a Spell from his hand. "I send Metalfoes Fusion from my hand to the Graveyard."
"Naive, Hikaru! I activate my other card: Trap Card, Skill Drain!"
Simultaneously, Mr. T flipped his final Trap: Skill Drain!
"I pay 1000 LP. All face-up monster effects on the field are negated!"
Pale golden light spread from the center of the field toward Hikaru.
Mr. T, LP: 2000 → 1000.
On the field, every card lost its color, turning grey-white.
But...
Mechaba without effects was just a 2500 ATK monster. Meanwhile...
Five-Headed Dragon had 5000 ATK!
When everyone had effects, Five-Headed Dragon's near-vanilla status was a liability, unable to block effect destruction or disrupt anything. But once all monsters lost their effects, a full 5000 ATK was staggering!
That was 5000 ATK!
How could effectless monsters even reach that number?
And that wasn't all.
With Skill Drain out, Self-Mummification could now resolve.
Mr. T smiled eerily. "It seems this negation has forced you to discard a card for nothing.
Self-Mummification's effect: I select one monster I control and send it to the Graveyard. I choose Golden Cloud Beast - Malong."
Malong's body began disintegrating into countless black cards, burying into the Graveyard. Simultaneously, masses of black cards engulfed Mechaba, pressing it into a card amid its alarm.
"Golden Cloud Beast - Malong's effect: when this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can activate this. I target one face-up card on my opponent's field and return it to the hand. Since this effect activates in the Graveyard, Skill Drain cannot affect it.
And when the returned card belongs to the Extra Deck, it returns there instead. Go back, mechanical beast."
Mechaba turned into a card, flying toward Hikaru's Extra Deck. At that moment, Tierra beside Hikaru suddenly reached out and grabbed the card.
"What is it?" Hikaru had been thinking of solutions. Seeing this, he paused in surprise.
"Something's wrong with this card." Tierra frowned, gripping it. "Filthy creature. You dare try to sabotage Hikaru."
Tierra's expression darkened. Blue purgatorial fire ignited in her hand. Under its sustained burning, a mass of black miasma slowly rose from the card and dissipated.
Seeing this, Hikaru narrowed his eyes at Mr. T.
"Just a simple visual deception." Mr. T said shamelessly.
It sounded like the black miasma on the card was merely visual trickery.
But Hikaru understood. If he had kept carrying that card, he might later mistake someone familiar for Mr. T and fight them to the death.
"Simple visual deception"!
Although extremely subtle, Tierra had been specifically studying all of Darkness's actions and abilities recently. Previously, Darkness had silently made a spirit mimic someone Hikaru knew, and she hadn't noticed, which embarrassed her in front of Hikaru. Then Darkness had modified Hikaru's memories right before her eyes, filling her with indescribable hostility.
Today, facing this future god's agent, Tierra refused to let her "chosen one" be mentally compromised.
"Ha..." Hikaru laughed coldly.
"Well then, shall we continue the duel, Hikaru? Let us see your so-called human dueling."
Against Skill Drain, 5000 ATK was a nearly insurmountable mountain.
Hikaru looked to his left.
He spoke. "I activate Metalfoes Fusion's effect in the Graveyard: return this card to the Deck and shuffle, then draw one card."
Hikaru looked at the drawn card, then at his hand, and raised an eyebrow with a grin.
"Oho, he drew an amazing card." Tierra eyed Hikaru's hand, sensing he had it in the bag.
"Sorry about this," Hikaru said, unable to help smiling. "If it had been a day earlier, no, even a few hours earlier, facing your current board, I might have had to think a while."
"But now, things are different." Hikaru held up a card. "My current Deck... is incredibly powerful."
"Normal Spell: Shaddoll Fusion."
Mr. T's brow twitched.
Shaddoll Fusion.
This was bad.
"When my opponent controls a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, Shaddoll Fusion can send Fusion Materials from the Deck to the Graveyard for the Fusion.
I send Shaddoll Dragon and Thunder Dragonhawk from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"Thunder... Dragonhawk?"
This was a card Mr. T hadn't seen before.
But then he realized it was likely another form of that "Thunder Dragon" card. That card and its Fusion form were rare cards unique to Hikaru. If that Thunder Dragon had evolved without anyone knowing, and Hikaru had kept it hidden, then nobody would know its effects!
"Fusion Summon! Level 8: El Shaddoll Construct!"
A halo rose in the sky. A purple ring hovered above Hikaru's head, making him look like an angel. On the other side, an enormous stone angel made of rock slowly appeared.
El Shaddoll Construct. Level 8, LIGHT Attribute, Fairy-Type. ATK 2800.
"When Construct is Special Summoned, I can send one Shaddoll card from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"Hmph, don't forget, Hikaru. Skill Drain is still on the field."
"I know that perfectly well..." Hikaru replied, his smile unchanged. No, even brighter than before. "I know Skill Drain's effect better than you do.
You haven't forgotten, have you? I faced Skill Drain during the GX Tournament."
Mr. T didn't argue.
"True, as long as Skill Drain is on the field, all face-up monster effects are negated. Even a fully protected monster becomes a vanilla if Skill Drain was already there when it landed.
But there are countless ways to break through!"
"The simplest is self-arranging the chain!"
Hikaru held up two fingers. "Shaddoll Dragon's effect: when this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on the field.
If I activated this effect first, then Construct's effect, based on chain resolution order, Construct would resolve first and be negated by Skill Drain.
But nobody would be that foolish. I activate Construct's effect first, then chain Shaddoll Dragon's effect.
Based on Dragon's effect, I destroy your Skill Drain!"
A mechanical dragon burst from the card, charged at Skill Drain, and shredded it with its claws.
Simultaneously, the invisible golden light maintaining the field slowly dissipated.
"When Construct's effect resolves, Skill Drain is no longer on the field. So Construct can activate normally. I send Shaddoll Beast from my Deck to the Graveyard.
Then, based on Shaddoll Beast's effect, when sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I draw one card."
Hikaru drew again and glanced at it.
Mr. T felt embarrassed.
Lancelot's effect had been completely bypassed. Malong's effect seemed entirely inconsequential. Skill Drain had been cleanly circumvented.
Humans were so despicable!
At least he hadn't lost yet.
Construct didn't deal battle damage when battling. It simply destroyed any Special Summoned monster at the start of the Damage Step. Even if Hikaru recovered the banished Aleister and boosted Construct by 1000 ATK, he couldn't deal damage.
If Hikaru didn't attack Lancelot, next turn Lancelot with materials could attack directly. If successful, its second effect could destroy Construct. Then when Construct's GY effect activated, Lancelot could negate it. He still had an advantage.
Moreover, Number monsters could only be destroyed in battle by other Number monsters. In Defense Position without piercing, it was unbreakable.
On the other side.
Hikaru looked at the cards he had drawn.
Fortunately...
He looked at the cards in his left hand.
Thunder Dragon Fusion. Shaddoll Schism.
These two were either unusable or needed to be Set, so he left them. What mattered was the other card: Evil HERO Adusted Gold.
This card was essentially a freebie from Jaden. Its effect could only be used once per duel. Jaden had several copies and no real need for extras, so he had traded one for a Fusion Spell. Mutually beneficial. Jaden had even thrown in a Darkuriboh, though Hikaru still hadn't had a chance to use it.
Hikaru needed high-level HERO monsters. This card looked somewhat humorous, but other high-level HEROes were scarce. Neos was Jaden's exclusive and couldn't be given away. Dasher was Aster's exclusive spirit. Malicious, though Aster had three, couldn't function with just one copy. Better to let Aster keep all three.
Good, compatible high-level HEROes were simply too rare. Even if this card looked oddly funny, strong yet not strong, it still self-destructed and revived, so Hikaru was happy to take it.
And today he drew it.
Oh well. That happened sometimes.
Before coming to this world, when DPE first released, Malicious or Denier bricking in hand was a constant in Master Duel. This Mr. T's "power" was clearly far beyond those trash spirits, so drawing it wasn't surprising.
He looked at the freshly drawn card.
His lips curled. "I activate the Spell Card: Fusion Destiny!"
"Fusion Destiny...??"
Hikaru smiled. "Consider it an honor. What you're witnessing is the Deck born when Fusion reaches an entirely new stage.
The Passionate Fusion Deck."
Mr. T stared blankly at Hikaru.
"This card sends monsters from the hand or Deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Destiny HERO Fusion Monster. The monster summoned this way is destroyed during the opponent's End Phase. After activation, until end of turn, I can only Special Summon DARK HERO monsters."
"Mm..."
Thunder Dragon Colossus, Construct, DPE, Mechaba. Hikaru's Deck had assembled these heavy hitters, and summoning each was remarkably simple. He had extensively revised his Deck. Aside from Mechaba being slightly harder without Link Summoning, everything else felt manageable.
This duel, where his own "power" wasn't particularly high yet he could still fight competitively, proved exactly that.
"Fusion conditions: one Level 6 or higher HERO monster plus one Destiny HERO!"
"I send Evil HERO Adusted Gold from my hand and Destiny HERO - Drawhand from my Deck to the Graveyard. Fusion Summon!"
"The world, humanity, the process of dueling is destruction and recreation. Purify everything and sublimate into a new form!
Fusion Summon!!!
Level 8!
Become the undying hero!
Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer!"
Scorching flames surged. A hero swung both arms, spread its wings, and slowly descended.
Destruction, death, suffering. But in the end, what arrived was rebirth.
A muscular, pitch-black, mighty hero burning with crimson flames slowly raised its head.
Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer. Level 8, DARK Attribute, Warrior-Type. ATK 2500.
"While Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer is on the field, all opponent's monsters lose ATK equal to the number of HERO cards in my Graveyard times 200."
Two meant 400. Not a lot, but decent enough.
Even with the reduction, Five-Headed Dragon still had 4600 ATK.
But the duel was already over!
"Battle!" Hikaru pointed at Five-Headed Dragon. "Construct attacks Five-Headed Dragon! Due to Construct's own effect, instead of battling, the opponent's Special Summoned monster is directly destroyed!"
"But Number monsters can only be destroyed in battle by other Number monsters!"
"Then I'll use the effect!" Hikaru didn't mind. "Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer's effect: once during either player's turn, I can activate this. I destroy one card I control and one card my opponent controls. Number monsters can't be destroyed by non-Number monsters in battle, but that's just battle destruction resistance. Effect destruction works regardless of what 'Number' it's called!"
"Ugh..."
Hikaru selected Prisma on his field, then pointed at Lancelot.
Prisma erupted into flames, its prisms blazing with fire. Hikaru could vaguely feel an impulse, as though the card had its own will, wanting to help him.
Hikaru paused.
Was that... Dimitri's fighting spirit?
Even while unconscious, wanting to help him?
He didn't understand, but while he was processing this, Prisma had already slammed into Lancelot, detonating in a thunderous explosion.
Mr. T's expression soured.
But he wasn't afraid.
Although he would "die," his memories would transfer to all his counterparts. They would inherit his memories, refine their strategies, and become stronger next time.
Seeing his utter indifference, Hikaru frowned slightly.
This duel was undoubtedly a "Shadow Duel." Or rather, from the moment those black walls descended, normal duels no longer existed on this island.
"Aren't you afraid of death?"
"Even if I die, my brethren will inherit my memories and use them to defeat you. So what's the big deal? We have always been one." More than death, what bothered him was that he had lost to Hikaru in a single turn!!! Their training was clearly insufficient!
Hikaru frowned. Mr. T was a "collective." Even if thousands of Mr. T's existed, they shared one consciousness.
But after death, transmitting memories to other selves... could that really be called the same individual?
"Pitiful creatures."
Tierra offered her assessment.
Never knowing the grandeur and sorrow of death, how could they understand the preciousness and beauty of life?
No wonder she despised these beings so much.
"Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer, direct attack on the opponent!" After a long silence, Hikaru finally realized that with "things" like Mr. T, there was no point trying to clash through words and ideas the way he would with spirits. They simply didn't possess such things.
The phoenix rose silently, charged at Mr. T, and punched clean through his body. The creature smiled as a massive hole was torn through its chest. The countless cards composing its body shattered apart. Black sludge splattered everywhere.
Mr. T, LP: 1000 → 0.
As his LP hit zero, his entire body became formless. His features dissolved. His body disintegrated into countless cards, along with his Duel Disk and Deck, all becoming cards.
Hikaru stepped forward and picked up the cards on the ground.
The Synchro and Xyz monsters began slowly warping, then transformed into cards with no "face."
Hikaru frowned slightly.
They seemed to be copied cards. Hikaru wasn't too surprised. He had seen Darkness-manufactured Psychic End Punisher in the Synchro Dimension before.
He looked at the cards emanating black miasma.
Oh well. Not bad, actually.
If he had actually obtained Number cards, Hikaru wouldn't have known what to do with them. But having "blank" cards equivalent in power to Number cards was far more useful for Hikaru's alchemy workshop.