Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"Unbelievable! Despite being a rookie in professional dueling, Ryo Marufuji has displayed tremendous dominance. Under Edward's terrifying pressure, he still managed to summon his ace, the absolute symbol of the famous 'Cyber ​​Style'—[Cyber ​​End Dragon]—during the battle phase!"

"The attack has begun! The Cyber ​​End Dragon, with an attack power of 4000 points, even surpassing the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon, has launched an attack! Moreover, the effects of the only monsters on Edward's field have been sealed, and the cards in his back row were already exhausted in order to suppress Marufuji!"

"Is Ed Phoenix, last year's world champion and known as the 'Noble Prince of Destiny,' going to suffer such a crushing defeat at the hands of 'Hell Caesar' Ryo Marufuji?"

"The attack hit! [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon]'s attack struck [D·hero Phoenix Destroyer]! However, the field was covered in smoke and dust from an unusually powerful explosion. What will be the final outcome of this battle!?"

"Minazuki, what do you think?"

“Back in school, my teachers often mentioned ‘smoke without injury,’ meaning that if a lot of smoke covers the field, something unexpected is likely to happen, and the initially expected damage will probably not be dealt. I think that’s very similar to the scene right now!”

"Do you think Edward still has any hope of continuing to fight? But didn't he already exhaust all his resources?"

"No, not yet, he still has one last card in his hand! A professional commentator is one who draws conclusions, and it was that card in his hand that caused such a huge explosion, okay?"

This highlights the importance of a professional commentator. Without the commentary of Sara Hiraki and Minazuki Jun, most viewers would probably only be able to watch the spectacle without understanding what was actually happening on the field, and would only wonder why the monsters on the field were getting stronger and weaker at different times.

Moreover, not only the audience, but even Caesar benefited somewhat from the speculation put forward by his senior, recalling the single card that Edward drew during Caesar's preparation phase with the effect of [D. Hero Gunner].

As expected, as the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, the [D·hero Phoenix Destroyer] on Edward's field remained there. Edward's Life Points did not reach zero, thus ending the duel and causing it to disappear. And just as Minazuki had predicted, the card Edward had been holding in his hand had indeed vanished!

"【D·hero Dynamite Man】, that's the name of the card I was holding just now." Taking advantage of the smoke and dust to wipe the cold sweat from his brow, Edward calmly stated, "And during the damage calculation for the battle between 【Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon】 and my 【D·hero Destruction Phoenix Man】, I activated the effect of this card!"

"Discard this card from my hand to activate this effect, reducing the battle damage I took in that battle to 0, and then both duelists take 1000 damage!"

As the smoke and dust were about to completely dissipate, the flames reignited, then transformed into a shockwave that suddenly spread and swept across the entire area. It was this smoke and dust, which was the embodiment of [D·hero Dynamite], that blocked the damage that [Electronic Terminator Dragon] had inflicted on Edward, but it could not completely absorb the impact and ultimately needed to be released.

The shockwave swept over the duelists, causing both Edward's suit and Caesar's long coat to rustle, and their life points to drop simultaneously.

[Ed Phoenix: 2000→1000LP, Hand 1→0]

[Marufuji Ryo: 2000→1000LP, 0 cards in hand]

Looking at Ed, whose hand and life points were exactly the same as his own, Caesar frowned: "The combat damage is 0, but [D·hero Destroy Phoenix] should be destroyed in combat."

“Under normal circumstances, that is indeed the case.” Without any cards in his hand, Edward crossed his arms and said, “However, a Fusion Monster summoned by the effect of [D-Fusion] cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects during this turn.”

"So that's why you were so bold as to destroy both your monster and my [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon]?"

"Yeah, it would be good to drag someone down with us."

Seeing Edward's unwavering expression, Caesar felt increasingly troubled by him. Others might not know, but he did. Edward's [D·hero Destroy the Phoenix] didn't just have two effects, but three, and the third effect only took effect after being destroyed by any means.

—Don't underestimate my intelligence network!

The first effect is to suppress the opponent's monster's attack power, and the second effect is to destroy one card on your field and one card on your opponent's field. These two effects can be considered as the hero's suppression of evil enemies and a response to the "destruction" in the name, but the "Phoenix" part has not yet been explained.

Although it is called [D·hero], the information obtained by Caesar indicates that the prototype of [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix] is actually another combination of the two-body fusion materials of [E·hero Flame Winged Man], which Jaden never used - rather than being based on [E·hero Winged Man], it is more like [E·hero Phoenix] being fused together with [E·hero Hot Girl] in a relatively balanced way.

Unlike the powerful offensive effect of [E·hero Flamewing Man], the effect of [E·hero Phoenix Man] is somewhat subtle—it cannot be destroyed by battle, which perfectly counters the former. [D·hero Destruction Phoenix Man], based on [E·hero Phoenix Man], strengthens this "immortality" by activating the effect if destroyed by battle or monster effect, allowing you to Special Summon any [D·hero] monster from your Graveyard during the next Standby Phase, including yourself!

In other words, [D·hero Phoenix Man of Destruction] is practically unkillable. It can disrupt the next turn's preparation phase and immediately return to the field. Furthermore, its self-destruct effect can be used to actively destroy its own and the opponent's monsters, or for chasing or avoiding effects, making it incredibly versatile.

It is precisely because of this that [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix] was given the title of "Phoenix Chick" which is comparable to the overwhelming [Super Magical Dragon Knight - Red-Eyes Dragon Rider]'s "Sleeping Dragon". Some even wrote a legendary musical piece for him, "The Passionate Fusion Man".

One of the praises reads: "Use ~fusion~destiny~~~"

Divinity~~ Sprinting towards humanity~~~

Integration Calls

Destroy the Phoenix! The Phoenix People have descended!

Hiding in the toilet

"Immortal!"

However, since [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix] is so strong, some people may have questions again—why did Edward, who obtained [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix], only win the championship last year, or is it just said that he was purely lucky?

Before that, let's randomly pick a few of the top-ranked professional duelists in the world who are ranked ahead of Edward.

Maeda Kumazo (Top 10): In defense mode, he first hits a skateboard, then blocks five shots in the backcourt, and passes!

Ryota Kajiki (Top 8): A board clear? Destroying only two cards counts as a board clear? [Sea Dragon - Daedalus] did it too.

Thief Keith (Top 6): All three coins landed heads, the Yada Thief!

Dinosaur Ryuzaki (Top4): You mean he's going to help me blow up the [Little Horned Dragon]?

Peacock Dance (Top 2): While [Empress of the Amazons] is present, my other [Amazons] will not be affected by the effect or be destroyed by it!

Katsuya Jonouchi (Top1): I don't understand. I play Red-Eyes.

In reality, even ignoring the fact that the top 10 professional duelists all have incredibly lucky draws, and placing [D·hero Phoenix Man of Destruction] in a dueling environment from another world, its strength as a final weapon is actually just so-so, not particularly outstanding, and the same goes for [Super Magical Dragon Knight - Red-Eyes Dragon Knight].

What truly makes them worthy of praise is that their entrance difficulty is far lower than those with terrifying suppressive power. Those with equally simple entrances lack the suppressive power of "Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix"; those with suppressive power comparable to "Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix" yet with higher entrance difficulty—this is the true strength of [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix] and [Super Magical Dragon Knight - Red-Eyes Dragon Rider].

Looking back at the field, seeing [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix] on Edward's field and [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon] on his own field that had already been attacked, Caesar, with no cards in his hand, could only helplessly say, "My turn, over."

"You've escaped from a life-or-death situation, Ed." Although he couldn't completely kill Ed now, that didn't stop Caesar from harassing him with the trash talk he'd learned in school. "Even I have to admit now, 'fate' really does exist."

"And just as you said, the result of the duel was indeed a 'complete defeat,' but it seems you misread the divination, mistaking your result for mine. Hehe, hahahahaha!"

[Ryo Marufuji: 1000LP, 0 card in hand]

【D·hero Defender】【DEF2700】

[Electronic Terminator] [ATK4000→2800]

As Caesar's turn ends, the effect of "Forbidden Drop," which lasts only one turn, also disappears, and the effect of "D·hero Phoenix Man of Destruction" is restored, once again suppressing the monsters on Caesar's field in terms of attack power.

Furthermore, because Edward sent [D·hero Dynamite Man] to the graveyard, the increase in the number of [Hero] cards in the graveyard slightly increased the suppressive power of [D·hero Destruction Phoenix Man], suppressing the attack power of the three-headed [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon] to the same level as that of the two-headed [Cyber ​​Twin Dragon].

Meanwhile, the attack power of [D·hero Phoenix Destroyer] recovered after losing the suppression of [Forbidden Drop], and the gap between it and [Electronic Terminator Dragon] narrowed again.

"Tch, it's just a momentary display of arrogance. Ultimately, victory will still belong to me, [D·hero]!" Edward said, drawing a card from his deck. "My turn, draw!"

After glancing at the card he had drawn and adding it to his hand, Edward reached into his deck again: "At this moment, the effect of [D·Hero Defender] on the opponent's field is forcibly activated!"

"During your opponent's Standby Phase, if this card is face-up, your opponent draws one card from their Deck." Edward said, then drew again, "Draw!"

Ed Phoenix: 1000LP, 2 cards in hand

【D·hero Destroys the Phoenix】】【ATK1250→2500】

"I see, so this is the price of such strong defense." Caesar glanced disapprovingly at his [D·Hero Defender] on the field, then looked at Edward again. "So, after drawing cards twice in a row, did you get the card you wanted?"

Although the duel has only reached its third round, both sides have only 1000 life points remaining. Essentially, whoever can inflict more damage will win. Without any effect damage or direct attacks, Edward's only option is to defeat Caesar's monsters.

However, the [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix], who possesses the standard protagonist's ace attack power, is facing the [D·hero Defender], whose defense is among the best of the Level 4☆ monsters, and the [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon], which is still bigger than a horse even though it is a weakened camel. Neither of them can be destroyed by him through battle.

In that case, you'll have to choose to use the effect.

"Spell Card, [Dark Realm's Draw] activated. Both duelists draw one card from their decks. After that, the duelist who drew the card discards one card from their hand." Edward played the card and said, "Unlike you, who can only discard the card you draw, I choose to discard this card!"

"Then, due to the increase in the number of [Hero] cards in the graveyard, the ATK of [Cyber ​​Ender Dragon] drops by another 200 points!"

[Electronic Terminator] [ATK2800→2600]

Although the number of cards in hand was reduced from two to one, and a card was lost in order to discard a card from hand, it was a last resort, since the only card in Edward's deck, [Angel's Charity], had already been used in the first turn.

But it doesn't matter, because you can make up for the lost cards by Special Summoning that monster later!

Caesar glanced at the card he had drawn, calmly sent it to the graveyard, and then watched as Edward followed up with [Dark World's Guide] and played his second card: "Although with another [Hero] card going to the graveyard, the attack power of [Cyber ​​End Dragon] seems to be lower than my [D·Hero Destroyer Phoenix], but this 1400-point attack power suppression seems to have reached its limit and cannot be increased any further."

"Since that's the case, why not stop pursuing more suppression and instead utilize the power of the cards in the graveyard? Maybe we can even use this as a strategic retreat!" Edward said, waving his hand. "I activate the Spell Card, [Monster Reborn], to Special Summon a monster from both of our graveyards to my field. I've chosen [D. Hero Discman], which I just sent to the graveyard!"

(Note: Animation effect)

【D·hero Disc Man】【1☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[300/300]

"Then, when I successfully Special Summon a card from my Graveyard, the effect of [D·Hero Discman] activates, and I draw two cards from my Deck!"

While he doesn't have the convenient [E·hero Bubble Man] like Jaden, Edward, who uses [D·hero], also has his own "Greedy Kid"!

Looking at the Trap Card and the Fusion Spell Card he had drawn, Edward's confident smile returned: "Looks like I've won this duel, Caesar! 'Fate' is on my side!"

Although I drew a trap card that couldn't take effect immediately, this [Fusion] spell card was enough. The "last straw" I needed had appeared!

"I activate the effect of [D·hero Demon] in my Graveyard, banish it, and Special Summon the last [D·hero Demon] from my Deck!" Placing the monster card face down on the field, Edward's actions didn't stop. "Next, I activate the Spell Card [Fusion]! I use [D·hero Disc Man] and [D·hero Demon] on my field as Fusion Materials to perform a Fusion Summon!"

"The required material is: [D·hero] Two Monsters!"

"Heroes burdened by the sins of the disc-shaped creatures, heroes of this wicked world, now unite as one and reign supreme over the dark future!"

Edward clasped his hands together in front of him and shouted,

"Fusion Summon, Level 8☆!"

The vortex of fusion engulfs the two monsters, keeping the number of monsters in Edward's graveyard unchanged and providing [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix] with 1400 attack power to suppress Caesar's entire field. And it seems that a brand new [D·hero] monster is about to emerge from the fusion!

Dark energy converged and condensed into a blackish-purple void, which was easily grasped by two hands. The close-fitting enhanced battle suit was covered with purple and gold armor, and the "D" symbol on the helmet with the "T" shaped gap lit up. Another powerful [D·hero] descended on the field of Aido!

"Come on! [D·hero——"

Placing the card on the Duel Disk, Edward shouted, "—Dystopian!"

Chapter 1426 Stinging Enemy Utopia

"Come on! [D·hero Dystopian]!"

【D·hero Anti-Utopian】【8☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2800/2400]

"Another fusion monster of the same [D·hero]..." Seeing the newly appeared [D·hero Dystopian], Kaiser frowned and looked at the monsters on his field. "Its attack power is higher than the suppressed [Cyber ​​End Dragon], so it can definitely be defeated."

"But what about [D·hero Defender]?"

Of the two monsters on Edward's field, [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix] has the lowest stats of all. It can't beat either of the two monsters on Kaiser's field. It can only provide suppression for [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon]. If you want to really fight, you have to look to [D·hero Detauren], which just came out.

With an attack power of 2800, he can defeat both [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon] and [D. Hero Defender], but the problem is that there is only one [D. Hero D. Utopia], while Caesar has two monsters, so he can only take care of one of them and cannot take care of both at the same time.

Assuming that the effect of [D·hero Anti-Utopia] is useless, the most Edward can do is to destroy [Cyber-End Dragon] with the effect of [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix] after [D·hero Anti-Utopia] has destroyed [Cyber-End Dragon].

However, Caesar also knew that Edward's choice to fuse with [D·hero Dystopian] could not possibly be solely for its offensive power without any other useful effect.

"The effect of [D·hero Dystopian], 'Fist of Oppression'!" Extending his palm towards Kaiser, Edward declared, "If [D·hero Dystopian] is successfully Special Summoned, this effect can be activated by targeting one Level 4 or lower [D·hero] monster in my Graveyard. My chosen target is—[D·hero Discman]!"

"Inflict effect damage to the opponent's duelist equal to the target monster's ATK!"