Chapter 12: Fusion!

During the bustling rush hour in the city, Jonouchi borrowed a brand new duel plate from the local game store. He swiftly assembled it and headed out with Yuyu. As they found an empty space to set up their duel, a growing crowd of pedestrians gathered around to watch.

"Let's begin," Jonouchi declared, sliding his deck into the duel plate and activating the machine. A confident expression adorned his face.

"Just so you know, I'm pretty strong," he proclaimed.

Yuyu smiled in response but remained silent, preparing to commence the duel.

"Let the duel begin!" they both exclaimed in unison.

[Yuyu, LP: 4000]

[Katsuya Jonouchi, LP: 4000]

"I'll take the first turn. Drawing a card!" Jonouchi swiftly entered the battle state. "I summon the Legendary Swordsman, Masaki!"

A burst of light and shadow effects manifested on the ground, giving rise to a swirling vortex. Before everyone's eyes, a three-dimensional card materialized, depicting a soldier donning green armor and a helmet, ready for battle with hands firmly gripping the sword hilt. The legendary swordsman exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior, with half of his face concealed in shadows.

[Masaki the Legendary Swordsman, ATK: 1100]

"Next, I'll place another card," Jonouchi continued, "But I can't attack during the first turn. My turn ends."

Yuyu glanced at the samurai in green armor facing him.

"Now it's my turn. I'll summon..." Yuyu drew a card from his hand.

"Elemental Hero - Sparkman!"

A blue warrior surrounded by electric currents emerged, striking a heroic pose upon arrival.

[Elemental Hero - Sparkman, ATK: 1600]

"Furthermore, I'll equip the spell card 'Legendary Sword' to Sparkman!" Yuyu played a spell card. "This boosts the attack power of my warrior monster by 300 points!"

[Elemental Hero - Sparkman, ATK: 1600 → ATK: 1900]

"Sparkman, attack the Legendary Swordsman!"

The electrically charged blue warrior lunged forward, its blade slicing through the air with crackling electricity. The seasoned swordsman stood no chance against the dominion of this new-era hero. With a swift swing, Sparkman effortlessly cleaved the swordsman in two.

Snap!

The image of the swordsman shattered into fragments and dissipated.

[Katsuya Jonouchi, LP: 4000 → LP: 3200]

Jonouchi raised his arms in a defensive stance, a smile gracing his face.

Passerby A: "Wow, that duelist is incredibly strong! He played exceptionally well against the runner-up of the Duel Kingdom in the first round!"

Passerby B: "Yes, combining monsters and spell cards on the first turn is quite a powerful strategy."

Passerby C: "The duel has just begun; anything can happen."

"Hey, Jonouchi, are you even trying?" exclaimed Hiroshi Honda, Jonouchi's best friend.

"The duelist named Yuyu gives me a special feeling," Jonouchi replied with a serious expression. "I think he might be quite strong."

China silently observed from the opposite aisle, curiosity shining in her eyes as she watched Yuyu take turns with his opponent.

[Friendship Level +6]

"..."

Yuyu, receiving praise from the onlookers, tried not to let it get to his head. However, he couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed by the attention.

Enough of this!

All I did was play a monster card and equip a spell card. Why does everyone react as if I summoned two extremely high-ranking cards simultaneously?

"You're really strong,"Jonouchi smiled. Then, his expression turned awe-inspiring. "Then I can't afford to lose in that case! I'll reveal my trump card: the spell card Stary Lambs!"

The emerald magic card was revealed, and immediately, two harmless sheep—one red and one white—appeared on the field.

[Lamb Token, DEF: 0] x2

"This card allows me to summon two Lamb Tokens onto our field!"Jonouchi explained.

He had resolved to visit Seahorse, Pegasus or someone similar to reflect on the changes to the game's rules. Even if the rules couldn't match those of the actual card game, they should at least be more decent.

"Now it's my turn. I'll draw a card!"Jonouchi exclaimed.

Upon seeing the card he drew, his eyes lit up.

Very good, I can attack with this card!

"I summon the Panther Warrior and launch an attack!"

The black panther wielding a blade leaped out from the intertwined light and shadows with a resounding shout. He sported a cloak that exuded heroism.

[Panther Warrior, ATK: 2000]

"Although the pitch-black Warrior is a 4-star monster with an attack power of 2000, it must attack a monster on the field as a sacrifice,"Jonouchi commented, gesturing towards a lamb nearby. "I'll use a 'Silent Lamb' as the sacrifice and attack Sparkmanwith the Panther Warrior!"

The white lamb disappeared from the field in a burst of blue sublimation light effect. The Panther Warrior, having received the sacrifice, raised his head and let out a roar, brandishing his sword and charging forward. In one swift motion, he cleaved through Sparkman and its equipment.

[Yuyu, LP: 4000 → LP: 3900]

Although YuYu's Sparkman, along with its equipment card, was cut down, it was expected. Even though the current game didn't match the heights of later stages, if a 1900 attack power could overcome it, it would be too easy.

(Sparkman: Nani? So I'm not the trump card? Sad..)

Then it was Yuyu's turn again.

"My turn! I summon Elemental Hero - Clayman in defense mode. My turn ends."

[Elemental Hero - Clayman, DEF: 2000]

"Hey, Yuyu , you might think that the Clayman's defense power is 2000, and the Panther Warrior's attack power is also 2000, so it can't be defeated for now,"Jonouchi confidently remarked. "But if that's what you're thinking, you're wrong because the Panther Warrior isn't my trump card!"

You Yu couldn't help but think, 'I never expected this black panther to be your trump card in the first place..'

"It's my turn. I'll draw a card!" With a dramatic gesture, Jonouchi drew a card from his hand. "And now, I'll summon my true trump card, the mightiest dragon—The Red-Eyes Black Dragon!!"

(Blue-Eyes White Dragon: What did you say? I couldn't hear it due to the strong wind just now...)

The remaining lamb and Panther Warrior vanished from the field one after another as a whirlwind stirred up a pitch-black vortex on the ground. Scarlet beams shot up from the earth.

In the center of the violent wind, the dark wings unfurled, dispersing the airflow. Amidst the swirling red light, a pitch-black silhouette emerged. The Black Dragon, covered in metallic armor, extended its neck and raised its head. With a thunderous roar, it seemed as if the streets and buildings were trembling.

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK: 2400]

The crowd of onlookers erupted with excitement!

The Red-Eyes Black Dragon!

It was a dragon rumored to be second only to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in the world of Duel Monsters. It was a rare card among rare cards!

"The white dragon brings victory, and the red dragon brings possibility."

This phrase circulated widely among duelists, describing the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, highlighting their significance in the hearts of duelists.

With the successful Ace Summoning, Jonouchi fighting spirit reached its peak. Unable to contain his excitement, Jonouchi clenched his fists and shouted, "Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack Clayman!"

The dark dragon opened its mouth, and dark red energy brewed within, resembling lava. With a high-pitched roar, a ball of red and black light shot forth. The elemental hero Clayman, despite its defense power of 2000, couldn't withstand the intense heat. Its entire body was engulfed in flames.

Although the monster was in defense mode, and Yuyu remained unharmed, the aftermath of the flames and the whirlwind caused by the impact forced Yuyu to involuntarily raise his arm.

He began to understand to some extent.

Even though the Red-Eyes Black Dragon in front of him was just an monster with an attack power of 2400 and no special effects, the aura of a king it exuded, the momentum and pressure it emitted during an attack, were unmatched by most other monsters.

Though it was merely a virtual image, it still managed to impose a strong sense of oppression on its opponent.

Seemingly aware that he had already unleashed most of the ace monsters he had summoned, and that his position was somewhat inflated,Jonouchi smiled and rubbed the tip of his nose with his finger. He declared, "I'll set two more cards and end my turn."

Yuyu took a deep breath.

The Red-Eyes Black Dragon... If this had happened a week ago and I had played with my initial deck, literally speaking, I might have really lost.

Based on the initial deck, there was truly no way to deal with the 2400 attack power...

But things were different now. He had a countermeasure in his deck.

All he needed was one more spell card.

Yuyu placed his fingers on the deck.

"Draw a card!"

Yuyu opened his eyes and glanced at the card he drew, his eyes suddenly sparkling.

'Success!'

"I activate the spell card, Polymerization!" Without hesitation, You Yu played this coveted card that he had just taken out of the card holder.

Jonouchiwas shocked. "What? It's Polymerization!?"

"Fusing the Elemental Hero Wingman and the Elemental hero Heat Girl in my hand!" Yuyu discarded two cards.

"I perform a Fusion Summon!" Yuyu took the Fusion Card on the Duel Disk. "Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer!"

The light and shadow intertwined, and a dazzling white light burst forth from the center. A valiant figure wielding a golden sword appeared. The hero was enveloped in a layer of fiery light.

[Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer, ATK: 2500]

"You finally summoned your ace monster!"Jonouchi looked at the shining phoenix knight in surprise, but he didn't show any signs of panic. "Your hero can't defeat my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

"Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer has an effect that allows it to destroy your Red-Eyes Black Dragon when it attacks!"

"That's what you think,"Jonouchi said with a smirk. "I activate my Trap Card: Mirror Force!"

YuYu's eyes widened.

What an annoying trap card!

With a wave ofJonouchi hand, the Mirror Force card appeared before him. The reflected light instantly enveloped the entire battlefield. The dazzling brilliance emitted by the trap card temporarily blinded YuYu's eyes.

"There goes my Shining Phoenix Enforcer.."

Oof.

As the light dispersed, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon still stood there, its fiery eyes staring at Yuyu.

Yuyu gritted his teeth.

To be expected... A direct attack againstJonouchi is almost impossible. If it were that easy, there would be no way for him to reach the finals.

Jonouchi said. "Now it's my turn. I'll draw a card!"

The duel between Yuyu andJonouchi continued, each player revealing their strategies and the power of their cards. The outcome remained uncertain as the crowd eagerly watched the intense clash of monsters and spells on the duel plate. The street transformed into a battleground where dreams and ambitions clashed, promising an unforgettable spectacle for everyone present.