"I set one card face-down and end my turn," Hikaru Amagi said, glancing at his hand before setting a card onto his Duel Disk and locking eyes with his opponent.
"Hmm..." Max exhaled deeply.
He hadn't expected Hikaru to hold his ground so effectively even with Fusion being shut down by Fusion Prohibition Zone.
But that didn't mean he would falter.
Even without Fusion Prohibition, Max was a formidable duelist.
"My turn. Draw!"
He took a look at his hand and grinned. "Alright, Hikaru Amagi, let's see what else you've got up your sleeve."
"I activate the Spell Card, 'A Cell Recombination Device.' Looks like your effort to dodge the A-Counters was all for nothing!"
"This card targets one face-up monster on the field. I send 'Alien Queen' from my Deck to the Graveyard — she's Level 6 — so your Red Sunbird gets 6 A-Counters!"
Black goo surged from beneath the field, latching onto Red Sunbird. It flapped desperately but couldn't evade the invasive cells.
"Six counters? What for?" Bastion Misawa muttered.
"No idea," Chazz Princeton said, crossing his arms. "But that guy looks too smug for it to be meaningless."
"Let me show you!" Max declared, raising his hand. "I activate the effect of my Continuous Spell, 'Ancient Ruins: Code A!' I remove 2 A-Counters from Red Sunbird to Special Summon 'Alien Queen' from my Graveyard!"
An eerie screech echoed across the field as a four-armed, serpentine alien woman slithered onto Max's field.
Alien Queen - Level 6, DARK, Reptile, ATK 2300.
"Next, I remove two more counters to Special Summon 'Alien Overlord' from my hand!"
A six-armed, armored alien crashed down from the skies.
Alien Overlord - Level 6, DARK, Reptile, ATK 2200.
"Alien Overlord can remove two A-Counters to Special Summon itself!"
"Two high-level monsters in one turn?!" Chazz exclaimed.
"And Red Sunbird has the same ATK as Alien Queen..." Bastion added hesitantly.
"Foolish!" Max shouted. "Overlord's effect! Once per turn, it places one A-Counter on each face-up monster your opponent controls!"
More alien cells surged forward, locking down Red Sunbird further.
"Now it's over! When any monster battles an 'Alien' monster and has an A-Counter, its ATK and DEF drop by 300 per counter!"
"Six counters... that's an 1800-point drop!"
The crowd gasped. Even the Taylor Sisters watched closely.
"Battle! Alien Queen attacks—"
"Wait."
Max stopped, stumbling slightly.
"I activate my Quick-Play Spell: 'Gladiator Beast United Front'!"
"What?! That's a Fusion Spell! Fusion is prohibited!" Max pointed at his face-up 'Fusion Prohibition Zone'.
"Actually," Jaden blinked, "he's right. He shouldn't be able to..."
"Even as a substitute for contact fusion, United Front shouldn't work, right?"
"Wrong," Hikaru said calmly. "You're confusing Fusion Summon with Special Summoning a Fusion Monster."
He explained, "Cards like Chimera Fortress Dragon, V-to-Z, and Gladiator Beasts use a specific contact Fusion mechanic. It's not a Fusion Summon, even if it brings out a Fusion Monster."
"Sounds like a tongue-twister..." Syrus Truesdale muttered, visibly lost.
"Interesting..." Aster Phoenix finally spoke. "It's a rules nuance."
"Correct. Gladiator Beast United Front returns the Fusion Materials from hand, field, or Graveyard to the Deck and Special Summons a Fusion Monster without it counting as a Fusion Summon.
I return 'Gladiator Beast Darius' and 'Gladiator Beast Murmillo' to my Deck...
Come forth!
Gladiator Beast Gyzarus - Level 6, DARK, Winged Beast, ATK 2400.
"And Gyzarus's effect activates on Special Summon! I target and destroy Alien Overlord and Fusion Prohibition Zone!"
With a flap of his wings, the Fusion trap shattered, and the towering alien warrior was cleaved in half.
"He didn't go for both monsters...?" the crowd murmured.
Then it clicked.
"He wanted to destroy Fusion Prohibition Zone... so he could fuse freely!"
"Impressive," Max said, a grin forming. "Even now, you're chasing only one thing, aren't you? Fusion to the end."
"End of turn," Max declared, stepping back. "But next turn, with the counters on your field, I can revive Overlord. You better finish this now!"
"I intend to," Hikaru said, drawing his next card. He smiled. "Continuous Spell: Fragment Fusion!"
"It activates if my opponent controls a monster. I send the Fusion Materials for a non-Rock-type Gem-Knight Fusion Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, and then Fusion Summon!
I send 'Gem-Knight Crystal' and 'Gem-Knight Topaz' to the Graveyard...
Fusion Summon!
Gem-Knight Prism Aura - Level 7, EARTH, Thunder, ATK 2450.
"Let's end this! Fusion monsters, attack!"
Flames, lightning, and wings soared.
Max's LP dropped to 0.
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