Crowler: "Special Summon 'Ancient Gear'!"
A small mechanical gear appeared on the field. Tiny metal arms extended from either side of the gear; with its stubby hands pushing against the ground, it clanked forward step by step.
[Ancient Gear, DEF 800]
"The effect of Ancient Gear: If you already control 'Ancient Gear', you can Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position."
Crowler revealed another card from his hand.
"So I Special Summon a second 'Ancient Gear' from my hand!"
The second Ancient Gear slapped down onto the Duel Disk and likewise quickly rose upright.
[Ancient Gear, ATK 100]
"Then I tribute my two Ancient Gears!"
Crowler raised his arm high, holding aloft his very soul and ace monster.
"Advance Summon, Level 8—
—Ancient Gear Golem!!!"
Crowler's ace monster, virtually his personal emblem, his soul card. The moment that card was placed in the Monster Zone, the entire field began to quake. Ancient gears meshed together; mechanical parts clanged and chimed with a strangely pleasant metallic ring. It was as if a steel fortress were rising from the ground. Two massive mechanical hands thrust out from the fortress, bracing against the earth, and an age-worn iron colossus lifted its body, a single red eye gleaming with a razor-sharp light.
[Ancient Gear Golem, ATK 3000]
"He summoned Ancient Gear Golem on the very first turn!" Syrus cried.
Chazz nodded. "Professor Crowler really is going all-out this time."
Crowler knew full well that facing the Lord in Yellow meant he couldn't afford the slightest carelessness. And this Duel involved fate itself, so he was attacking at full power from the very start.
Besides, he more or less understood Kira's style.
The Lord of the Underworld—specializes in using countless traps to interfere with the opponent and drag them into an inescapable abyss.
But Crowler's lips curled upward into a Pot of Greed-style grin.
Ancient Gears are made to fight in the underworld!
All Ancient Gear monsters share a key trait: when they attack, the opponent cannot activate Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. That lets them partially shut down many common traps.
In this Battle Royale format, all three players count as separate sides. Next, it was Professor Bonaparte's turn.
"My turn, draw!"
Compared to Crowler, Professor Bonaparte's side looked rather plain.
"I Normal Summon 'Toy Soldier'!" (Anime card)
A little soldier in an old-European-style red uniform appeared. It looked like a life-size toy, holding a toy rifle shaped vaguely like a brass trumpet.
[Toy Soldier, ATK 800]
"Then I Set one card and end my turn," Bonaparte said.
Crowler was displeased. "What's that, ending so simply? Sure, the opponent's a student, but he's also the Duel King. You think you can win like that?"
"Shut up!"
Bonaparte snapped.
"In a first turn of a Battle Royale, no one can attack. Blowing half your hand just to summon your ace right away is completely pointless!"
"What did you say?" Crowler roared. "Are you trying to teach me how to Duel?"
Hands on his hips, Bonaparte shot back, "I'm just stating the truth—your level's still too green."
Crowler rolled up his sleeves. "Looks like I've let you off too easy all this time, you little stump. You really think I can't beat you to a pulp, none?"
Bonaparte met him head-on. "Bring it on, who's afraid of you, Pot of Greed?"
Onlookers: "…"
Jaden scratched his head helplessly. "Sure looks like getting these two to cooperate is going to be tough."
"Ahem."
Kira cleared his throat lightly, cutting in.
"Well then, if both professors are done, it's my turn."
The two shut up instantly, focusing their attention.
Even a two-on-one Duel against the Lord in Yellow was nerve-wracking.
What cruel methods was this guy going to use to torment them this time?
Kira revealed a card in his hand.
"I activate the Continuous Spell 'Future Fusion.'
This card allows you to perform a fusion from the future… but I believe professors as learned as you don't need me to explain it."
Kira smiled.
As if trying to show off in front of his future boss, Crowler rushed to answer:
"Future Fusion comes in Continuous and Equip variants. The Continuous version's effect is: choose one Fusion Monster, then send the required Fusion Material monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard. Two of your Standby Phases later, you perform a Fusion Summon of that monster!"
Bonaparte clenched his tiny fists, grinding his teeth. "Damn Crowler, using that quick tongue just to steal the spotlight from Student Kira…"
Crowler puffed his chest out. "This is the basic quality expected of a senior instructor. Professor Bonaparte still has much to learn, none."
Bonaparte shook with anger. "You bastard…"
"Now, for Future Fusion's effect, I choose one Fusion Monster.
The one I'm choosing is this."
Kira smiled and revealed a Fusion Monster.
"The ultimate Worm, Worm Zero.
Its Fusion requirements are: two or more Reptile-Type monsters with 'Worm' in their names, with no upper limit.
So from my Deck…"
Fwoosh—
A whole cascade of cards fanned up into the air.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the monsters scattering like leaves. It looked almost as if he'd thrown an entire deck.
"From my Deck, I send twenty-five 'Worm' monsters to the Graveyard!"
"Mamma mia!" Crowler blurted. "Twenty-five Worms in one go?"
The Duel hadn't even really started, and already nearly half of his deck was in the Graveyard. This was way too intense.
"I then Normal Summon 'Worm Xex.'"
Kira played another monster from his hand.
At first, it appeared as a mass of green, sticky goo. It slowly gathered into a starfish-like form, but in the center was a horrifying maw lined with dense, white fangs.
[Worm Xex, ATK 1800]
"When Worm Xex is successfully Summoned, I can send one more Reptile-Type monster with 'Worm' in its name from my Deck to the Graveyard."
Kira's Deck performed an automatic search, and another Worm popped out and was sent to the Graveyard.
Crowler couldn't help but swallow.
In an instant, there were already twenty-six Worms in the Graveyard.
Bonaparte: "I've got a bad feeling something terrible is about to happen-de aru…"
"The effect of 'Worm Yagan' in the Graveyard," Kira continued. "If the only monster I control is 'Worm Xex,' I can Special Summon Worm Yagan from the Graveyard in face-down Defense Position."
Kira placed another monster card onto his Duel Disk. The face-down monster appeared horizontally on the field. Just before it was Set, the Worm's shadow briefly flashed into view—its body twisted like a warped tree, with a pair of eyes that radiated a bone-chilling cold. The 3D projection alone was enough to make one feel suffocated just by looking at it.
These were Worms—each more grotesque than the last, each one a sanity-draining abomination.