Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder

"My turn!"

Morishima drew his card, veins bulging in fury.

"I activate the effect of my first Archfiend's Oath! I pay 500 Life Points and declare: A-Assault Core!"

[Morishima LP: 2800 → 2300]

He shouted, activating the card, as a flash of violent electricity sparked around him, pain flaring across his body.

He glanced at his field and hand.

Facing El Shaddoll Winda, he was under Special Summon lock, only one Special Summon per turn.

He eyed Frontline Base.

If he used its effect to Special Summon another Union monster now, even if he had the materials for a Fusion, he wouldn't be able to fuse them.

Moreover, the A in his hand couldn't fuse with W-Wing Catapult.

But...

He looked at the card in his hand:

Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!

If he could play it now, he might win this turn!

Hamon had 4000 ATK and dealt 1000 damage when destroying a monster in battle. If the attack landed, that meant 1800 + 1000 from Winda, plus 1900 from A-Assault Core—enough to win instantly!

Still, if Hikaru's set card was a defensive trap, then he had to prepare for the next turn.

He stared at the top card of his Deck. His vision was getting fuzzy.

Truthfully, he didn't want to use Hamon.

This Hamon wasn't an original card, but a replicated one created by Professor Leo Akaba, so using it accelerated its deterioration.

And every time he summoned Hamon, his body crumbled a little more, breaking apart from within—at this rate, its power would consume him alive.

Regardless, it was decision time. He took a deep breath.

Clarity or not, the moment was now—

"I activate Archfiend's Oath again! I pay another 500 LP!"

[Morishima LP: 2300 → 1800]

Placing his hand atop his Deck, he focused intently. After a second, his eyes snapped open.

"I see it! The next card is: W-Wing Catapult!"

He flipped the top card—exactly what he'd declared!

'Yes!'

Even if this play failed, he now had a follow-up card.

With that, he looked to Frontline Base—his field was set.

"Amagi Hikaru, you should tremble and repent for forcing me to use this card! I send two copies of Archfiend's Oath and Spell Absorption from my field to the Graveyard!

Descend, demon of thunder from the Sacred Beasts!

Come forth!

Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"

Promptly, his roar unleashed a tempest that surged across the lab—Hikaru felt an unnatural presence drawn in from another space-time as ice shards exploded from the card, plummeting the temperature—shards accumulated above, and with a demonic roar, a terrifying creature bellowed into being.

"ZIIIINNN!!"

Cloaked in golden lightning, its body skeletal and massive, wings flapping as its presence shattered the ice above. Life force from nearby spirits was devoured, consumed into its core.

[Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder] Level 10 │ LIGHT │ Thunder │ 4000 ATK

"Nngh—" Static surged through Morishima's body. Whether by nature or design, the summoning took another toll on his deteriorating form, making him drop to a knee.

"Nice one, Hikaru!" Tierra cheered. "Now we can destroy it!"

Hikaru nodded.

Their journey here hadn't been just a simple trip—he had reflected deeply on the nature of his struggle against Professor Akaba.

So far, he'd damaged the limbs, but not the core.

Even though he'd dismantled the Fusion Club and forced them to become the Polymerization Club, this had little real impact. Akaba still had an army of Fusion graduates and private labs—Just waiting around at the academy was far too passive.

If he was serious about challenging Akaba, he had to strike where it hurt.

And that's where Chazz came in.

His expedition through alternate dimensions offered a new strategy: root out and eliminate Akaba's scattered forces.

The bald bastard might be too strong for now, although that may be, his lackeys were fair game.

Now, with Hamon's arrival, Hikaru got what he came for—a copy of the card temporarily imbued with Hamon's real presence.

"Defeat it?" Morishima snarled at Tierra's voice, his face twitching as he gripped his arm.

"Don't be arrogant! The Sacred Beasts are beyond Duel Spirits!

I'll show you true power!"

Tierra's mechanical body twitched in rage. She pointed directly at Morishima.

"Hikaru, make my card now. I don't need revival. I just want to kill him!"

Hikaru gave a strained chuckle.

The duel continued, "I Normal Summon: V-Tiger Jet!"

A broken mechanical tiger with cracked wings landed on the field.

[V-Tiger Jet] Level 4 │ LIGHT │ Machine │ 1600 ATK

"Battle! Hamon, attack Winda!

Misery Thunder!!"

His face twisted into a victorious grin.

After all, he knew Hikaru's deck: a pure Fusion deck.

Its only battle traps were Flame Swordsdance and Salamandra with Chain. With no Flame Swordsman on the field and no Special Summons triggered, there was no way Hikaru could stop him now.

If this attack landed, he'd deal 2800 damage, then finish it with V-Tiger Jet!

"Yes!" the Union Doctor howled with joy. "He's done it! The Commander's won!"

"Foolish!" Tierra abandoned her divine posture. "Hikaru, show him!"

Hikaru shrugged, then flipped his face-down card.

"Quick-Play Spell: Duality!"

"What?!" Morishima flinched.

Hamon halted its lightning strike, baring its fangs with a low growl.

"Effect of Duality! Each of its effects can be used once per turn. I Tribute a LIGHT or DARK monster on my field, then Special Summon a monster with the same Level and Type but opposite Attribute from my hand or Extra Deck!"

"Another Fusion without materials?!"

"I Tribute Winda and Special Summon in Defense Position—Musician King!"

Winda dissolved into light, as a shirtless, mop-haired rock star with a guitar appeared mid-riff, laughing atop the field.

[Musician King] Level 5 │ LIGHT │ Spellcaster │ 1500 DEF

This was a card Hikaru had brought back from the Village of Spellcasters. A completely effectless Fusion Monster—yet its materials were the terrifying Witch of the Black Forest and High Priestess of Prophecy.

"Winda's effect activates: when sent from field to Graveyard, I add one 'Shaddoll' Spell or Trap from the Graveyard to hand. I retrieve El Shaddoll Fusion."

"Tch, cheap tricks," Morishima spat.

"My monster changed, so the battle rewinds. Now, will you continue the attack or pass priority to V-Tiger Jet?"

"Don't lecture me on basics! Battle continues. Hamon, crush that annoying guitarist!

Misery Thunder!!"

Lightning surged. Hamon roared and unleashed a storm, obliterating Musician King.

"Now, at this moment, Hamon's effect activates! When it destroys a monster in battle, it inflicts 1000 damage to my opponent!"

"Go, Hamon!

Hell's Requiem!!"

Wings flared, ice shattered through the air, piercing Hikaru. Thankfully, Tierra was nearby—making it cold but painless.

[Hikaru LP: 4000 → 3000]

"V-Tiger Jet, direct attack!"

The tattered robot limped forward and struck.

[Hikaru LP: 3000 → 1400]

"Hahahaha! Your life is a flickering candle! One more turn and you're finished!"

With Winda gone and Hikaru at 1400 LP, the game looked sealed.

"Hikaru, if you attack V-Tiger Jet next turn, it's over!" Tierra shouted.

"Ha! Impossible!" the doctor laughed. "As long as Hamon's on the field, he can't attack other monsters!

Only Hamon can be targeted!"

"That's an effect?!"

'Wasn't that a Yubel reference?' Hikaru stared at Hamon, unsurprised.

If anything, this was within expectations, and this Hamon was clearly based on the OCG version—more stable and reliable. The earlier version was just a prototype, while this one was the real product.

"Just in case—" Morishima narrowed his eyes. "Winda is gone. I activate Frontline Base's effect: Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Union monster from my hand!

I Special Summon: W-Wing Catapult!"

A battered wing dropped with a clang.

"W-Wing Catapult equips to V-Tiger Jet. It gains 400 ATK. If V-Tiger Jet would be destroyed, W-Wing takes the hit instead."

"Equip now: W-Wing Catapult!"

Even now, as Union Hangar Dimension Commander, Morishima retained remarkable clarity. The Sacred Beast corrupted his mind, yet his duelist instincts remained.

Rather than combining them into VW, he equipped W to V, strengthening defense and stalling for the next turn.

Plus, Hikaru had El Shaddoll Fusion in hand. If he fused again, Hikaru might use deck materials—he couldn't allow that.

[V-Tiger Jet, ATK: 1600 → 2000]

"Hmph, I end my turn!" He snorted, then smiled.

The Professor's bounty and a rank promotion were within reach.

"Struggle all you like, Amagi Hikaru! Hahahaha!"

Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

"Calm, rational, composed—despite your advantage, you remain cautious. You have strong Spirit Compatibility, enough to nearly resist the Sacred Beast's pull.

As a duelist, you're undeniably powerful."

"Begging for mercy now? Too late!" Morishima sneered.

"Heh." Hikaru shook his head. "It's because you're powerful that you're unforgivable.

You do this from your own heart, don't you?"

'Do this?' Morishima glanced around at the dismembered Machine Spirits and laughed without answering.

Message received—Hikaru's expression turned icy, violet flames flaring around him.

"So be it. No reasoning with the likes of you—Here and now—I'll utterly destroy you!"