The Psychology of Inertia

"Heh. That confidence of yours ends here." The duelist across from him Set one more card. "End turn."

"Kneel before the mighty Sacred Beast!"

"Kneel? Looks more like you're the one about to fall." Hikaru shook his head, drew a card from his Deck, glanced at it, then revealed one. "I pay 1000 Life Points to activate the Spell Card, Instant Fusion! Special Summon Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"

[Thousand-Eyes Restrict] Level 1│DARK│Spellcaster│0 ATK

[Hikaru, LP: 4000 → 3000]

Since it's unaffected by Trap Cards, he'd go with monster effects instead.

"Haha." The masked man flipped a Set card. "You think you can use Thousand-Eyes Restrict to absorb Uria? Think again! I activate the Trap Card, Mispolymerization!"

"When a Fusion Monster is Special Summoned: I can return all Fusion Monsters on the field to the Extra Deck."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow at the card.

"Tsk. Honestly, I almost feel sorry for this demon," Tierra sneered. "Mispolymerization? Isn't this guy from the Polymerization Club? What's he doing using that card?"

In this world, a duelist's approach, strategy, values, and attitude toward cards all contributed to how they were perceived by others and even Spirits.

Mispolymerization wasn't a strange card. Even Chazz used stuff like Super Polymerization-reversing Hell Aggregator.

But a supposed "Fusion-focused" duelist actively running Mispolymerization? That was anything but pure.

"With another Trap Card added to the Graveyard, Uria's ATK increases again."

[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, ATK: 3000 → 4000]

As Uria's power surged, the masked man looked visibly worse.

Hikaru shrugged at Tierra's commentary. Then, glancing at his hand, he smiled.

Professor Crowler had finally come through yesterday.

He'd seen it in action before, but this would be his first time unleashing it himself.

"I activate Equip Spell, Future Fusion!"

Hikaru displayed the card. "By sending Fusion Materials from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon a monster and Equip it with this card. When this card is destroyed, so is the Fusion Monster.

I send Ancient Gear Golem and Ancient Gear Knight to the Graveyard.

Steel-clad knight, merge with the ancient giant, become the ultimate mechanical titan!

Fusion Summon, Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem!"

[Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem] Level 10│EARTH│Machine│4400 ATK

"Tch. Clever, aren't you?" the masked man scoffed. "Future Fusion's monster can't attack on the turn it's Summoned. All you can do is watch."

Fair enough.

"End turn."

"My turn! I activate Spell Card, Pot of Greed, to draw two cards!" The masked man then pointed. "Uria, attack my enemy!"

"Scorching Energy Devour!"

"Counterattack, Ultimate Golem! Ultimate Slam!"

Uria roared and exhaled a wave of pressure, but with less ATK than the Ultimate Golem, it could only fall in defeat.

"He destroyed his own card?" Tierra was surprised to see the crimson dragon punched away.

[Masked Duelist, LP: 4000 → 3600]

Hikaru nodded. "Looks like that Uria has that effect too."

In the original, Uria had a powerful ability to revive itself from the Graveyard by discarding a Trap Card, a true undying beast. But that effect was lost in its "nerfed" form.

And yet now, judging by the opponent, this Uria had that same ability.

"Activate Uria's effect. While in the Graveyard, I can discard a Continuous Trap to revive it! I discard Soul Resurrection, rise again, Uria!"

"With Uria revived, another Trap enters the Graveyard!"

[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, ATK: 4000 → 5000]

"I know what you're planning next turn, Hikaru. Use the Ultimate Golem to take down Uria, then deal 4000 damage with other monsters for a clean win, right?" He grinned. "Not happening. I Set one card. End turn."

"Hikaru, this guy keeps trying to block you," Tierra mused. "He seems to know you well. Maybe we could bait him into destroying 'this'?"

"It's possible. Let's confirm first."

Hikaru rubbed his chin, thinking of something else.

Even that revival effect was a weakened version?

That almost confirmed it.

The Uria, his opponent held, was likely not a real Sacred Beast card.

In canon, Pegasus created replica Egyptian God Cards for research purposes, which got stolen by Industrial Illusions' designers.

After Pharaoh Atem's departure, the true God Cards disappeared. But the replicas, made for study, still existed and were misused.

Cloning God Cards or rare cards wasn't unheard of in the original, those monsters held great power, and many tried to replicate them, often punished by divine retribution.

Using them came at a cost.

In the original series, not just anyone could wield the God Cards. Similarly, Sacred Beasts weren't cards one could use just anywhere. Kagemaru, their original holder, could only summon them within the "Seven Stars Gate."

Though he could absorb the life force of all cards and summon the Sacred Beasts, he was confined within that gate.

That's why he challenged Jaden to a Shadow Duel.

He wanted to inherit Jaden's spirit control abilities, so he could travel the world with the Sacred Beasts.

And now, outside the Seven Stars Gate, using a card like that wasn't easy. Hikaru glanced around. This thick fog must be a simulation field crafted for the purpose.

What's more, Sacred Beast cards were inherently "evil," draining the life force of other spirits. The masked man now looked like he might keel over any second.

It was Hikaru's turn. He drew and selected a card.

"I activate Continuous Spell, Flame Swordsrealm."

'Nice!' Dimitri, watching from the shadows, nearly screaming from excitement.

With Flame Swordsrealm, Hikaru could summon Flame Swordsman and boost Ultimate Golem's ATK to finish off the terrifying monster.

"I activate Flame Swordsrealm's effect, sending Gem-Knight Crystal to the Graveyard from my hand."

"Too naive, Hikaru!" his opponent declared, immediately flipping his Trap. "Trap Card, Dust Tornado!"

"I can Target 1 Spell/Trap my opponent controls: Destroy it!"

"Disappear, Flame Swordsrealm!"

"Nooo!" Dimitri clutched his head and rolled on the ground in despair. "It's over! Not only did he discard a card, but he also lost Flame Swordsrealm and can't summon Flame Swordsman! And even worse, discarding that card raised Uria's ATK again!"

[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, ATK: 5000 → 6000]

"Oh!" Tierra grinned, seeing Hikaru's hand. "Just as I thought. Hikaru, Set that card!"

"Mm."

Hikaru chose a card from his hand and set it.

"End turn."

"Hahaha!" The masked man drew, then burst into laughter upon seeing Hikaru's Set card, as if he regained some vitality. "Hikaru, don't tell me you're so terrified of Uria that you're completely paralyzed?

Don't forget, Uria has a special ability!"

"I activate Uria's effect, once per turn, I can destroy one Set Spell or Trap on your field!"

"Woohoo! He fell for it!" Tierra cheered. "He really went for it! Didn't even think why Hikaru would Set a card!"

Though she wasn't dueling herself, Tierra had been following the play and choices closely. Seeing her prediction come true made her ecstatic.

That's how it feels to be in the game.

Hikaru revealed the card now in his Graveyard.

"The card you destroyed was the Normal Trap, Waking the Dragon!"

"Wha?!"

"When this Set card is sent to the Graveyard or banished by my opponent's card effect: Special Summon 1 monster from your Deck or Extra Deck!"

"Ah!" The masked man turned pale.

"Whoa!" Dimitri immediately sprang up from the ground and shouted with glee, "It's Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"