"My turn."
Fubuki Tenjoin slid a Spell Card into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Normal Spell: Red Gem Lore. According to this card's effect, I can discard a Level 7 'Red-Eyes' monster from my hand to the Graveyard to draw two cards."
"I discard Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and draw two cards."
Once possessed by Darkness itself, Fubuki Tenjoin could probably claim to be the duelist in this world with the most Red-Eyes monsters in his arsenal.
"After that effect resolves, I can send another Level 7 Red-Eyes monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send my last Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
"Next, I activate Pot of Avarice. I shuffle five monsters from my Graveyard into my Deck, then draw two more."
"I return two Red-Eyes Black Dragons, Black Dragon's Chick, Meteor Dragon, and Gem-Knight Prism Aura. Then draw two cards."
"So many draws... what is he digging for?" Mizuchi, the Nine-Serpent Peacock, raised her wings defensively.
"He's probably fishing for a key combo piece," Centenarian Dragon replied thoughtfully.
Mizuchi gave a sideways glance at her set Trap Card, her mind made up: if that flashy guy dared to use Inferno Fire Blast, she'd make him pay.
"Now then—Reveal Set Card!"
"Red-Eyes Fusion!"
He flipped the card Hikaru Amagi had passed to him.
"A Fusion card!"
"It really is Fusion!"
"Whoa—!"
The spirit beasts watching the duel chirped and fluttered, reacting with excitement.
"Red-Eyes Fusion?" Centenarian Dragon squinted. "Sounds like a Fusion Spell for Red-Eyes monsters… You have Fusion monsters in that theme too?"
Mizuchi frowned and looked toward Hikaru's Extra Deck. "You don't share Extra Decks in Tag Duels. That Red-Eyes Fusion monster he summoned with De-Fusion must've returned to his Deck, right?"
"Ahahaha~" Fubuki chuckled and flipped his hair back. "Don't be fooled by appearances—I came well prepared to support my junior!"
"I adjusted my Deck just for this moment. Red-Eyes Fusion is a Spell exclusive to Red-Eyes. When you activate it, you can't Special Summon at all that turn except by this effect."
"That's a steep restriction!"
"Brutal!"
"But it's worth it—Red-Eyes Fusion lets me use monsters from hand, field, and Deck as Fusion Material to Fusion Summon a monster that lists Red-Eyes as material!"
"I send Summoned Skull and Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon...!"
"Archfiend Black Skull Dragon!"
A monstrous, skeletal, blood-slicked black dragon descended from the sky, wreathed in demonic aura.
Archfiend Black Skull Dragon – Level 9 / DARK / Dragon / ATK 3200
"You actually have Summoned Skull in your Deck, senpai?"
Fubuki grinned and tapped his temple. "Sho and I picked it up on our last expedition together. Honestly didn't expect it to come in handy!"
He turned back toward his opponents. "Monsters summoned via Red-Eyes Fusion are treated as Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
"Red-Eyes Black Dragon?!" Mizuchi narrowed her eyes, glaring.
"That means… he could activate Inferno Fire Blast!" Centenarian Dragon realized with a grim nod. "If he has that Spell right now… it's game over."
They only had 2400 Life Points left.
Was he bluffing? Or did he really have it?
"No no no~" Fubuki wiggled his finger with a sly smile. "As a proud upperclassman, how could I take away my junior's victory spotlight with a flashy finish like that?"
"I activate the Spell—Offering to the Doomed! I target a face-up monster on the field and destroy it! I'll have to skip my next Draw Phase."
"What?!"
"But that's your teammate's draw phase!"
Tag Duel rules made that clear—the "next Draw Phase" meant your partner's turn. To them, this looked like he was sabotaging his own team.
Fubuki said nothing. He simply activated the Spell and shouted:
"Destroy—Dark Simorgh!"
BOOM!
The dark-winged beast was annihilated in a burst of black feathers.
"Next—Battle! Archfiend Black Skull Dragon, attack Arkbrave Dragon!"
The hellish fusion of fiend and dragon clashed with the radiant guardian. Though bathed in light, Arkbrave faltered under the relentless assault and exploded.
Guardians of the Mountain LP: 2400 → 2000
"Now, you've only got one monster left—Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
"I Set one card and end my turn!"
Hikaru glanced at the Set card and his pupils shrank.
That card…!?
He looked up at Fubuki, who simply grinned and gave him a shiny thumbs-up.
"Desperate stalling! Do you humans have no shame, wasting your partner's draw like that?!"
"Shame?" Fubuki gently ran a finger across his last card—the one he didn't play. It was Inferno Fire Blast.
The nearby spirits blinked in confusion.
He softly wiped the card, speaking in a low voice: "No need to get so heated."
Then, raising his gaze, he locked eyes with Mizuchi. "Don't think you're the only ones with something to protect."
"?"
"There was a time when I was swallowed by darkness. Mind-controlled. Turned into a puppet to attack students and steal keys."
!!?
The two opponents froze mid-accusation.
"I'm not telling you that to earn sympathy. That part doesn't matter. What matters is—who saved me from that fate."
He turned, palm open, toward Hikaru.
"This duelist—Hikaru Amagi—my kouhai."
"Ah?"
"Whoa, seriously?"
The spirit creatures whispered and buzzed.
"That dark power left a permanent scar on me. No matter what Deck I use, it always warps into this burning Red-Eyes form during a Duel."
Though it was stronger than his old "Glamour Stage" Deck, he'd always preferred that dazzling, whimsical playstyle.
"Until today!" His eyes locked on his Fusion dragon. "Until today!"
There's a story behind that? Hikaru's eyes narrowed.
That explains why Fubuki hadn't dueled much lately, even though in the original timeline, he was always messing around with Chazz and the others.
"Don't think you're the only ones who care about protecting the young!" Fubuki's smile vanished, and he stood with a sudden commanding presence. "If my kouhai's trying to prove himself—if he's seeking spirits who share his fusion dream—then I'll stand by him to the end!"
"I've never studied Fusion. I'm not into club activities. But if it helps my underclassman—if it helps these adorable newbies—then I'll fight for them with all I've got. That's who I am!"
"Now it's your turn, Mizuchi. Show me your resolve!"
Mizuchi had been caught off guard. When her name was suddenly called, she flinched, feathers ruffling.
The younger spirits chirped and fluttered around, buzzing in awe.
"He's kind of cool, isn't he?"
"Even though he's a burn duelist…"
"Mm. I suppose he's passable." Even Tierra gave a rare nod of approval.
Mizuchi stared at Fubuki, and at last understood why she'd disliked him so much.
They were too alike.
"Warriors from another dimension… it seems I underestimated you."
"But we will not fall so easily!"
"My draw! I activate Quick-Play Spell: Assault Orders! I tribute one Normal Monster on the field and destroy an opponent's monster!"
"I tribute Red-Eyes Black Dragon to destroy Archfiend Black Skull Dragon!"
Two black dragons burst into flames. The original let out a primal roar as it collided into its twisted descendant.
With both fields wiped clean, she wasn't done yet.
"And it's not over! Dark Simorgh never truly dies. Like us Guardians, it will always rise again!"
"I banish Collapse Serpent from my hand—and myself, Mizuchi—to Special Summon from the Graveyard...!"
"Dark Simorgh—return once more!"
For the third time, the shadowy god-bird took to the skies.
"Battle! Dark Simorgh, direct attack!"
Fubuki raised an arm to shield himself from the oncoming feathers.
Academy Team LP: 5300 → 2600
"I end my turn." She turned to Hikaru. "So what now, Fusion Duelist named Hikaru? You lost your Draw Phase. Can you still stand with just what's left in your hand?"
"Stand?"
Hikaru's eyes sharpened.
"No…"
"This turn—we end it!"
Final Turn!