Lapis's turn.
Her body didn't move. Puppet strings yanked a massive card high into the air, then slammed it down.
BOOM
With a thunderous impact, it transformed into a monster, clad in bright yellow armor.
A monster Captain Crystal knew all too well:
[Gem-Knight Tourmaline] Level 4│EARTH│Thunder│1600 ATK
Next, she yanked another Spell Card into view:
Gem-Knight Fusion!
Sending monsters from the field to the Graveyard, she fused Tourmaline and Aquamarine. They spun into a vortex, and moments later, a taller, more imposing golden-armored warrior emerged.
[Gem-Knight Topaz] Level 6│EARTH│Thunder│1800 ATK
Because Aquamarine was sent from the field to the Graveyard, she activated its effect, targeting Winda. And Gem-Knight Fusion's secondary effect activated as well: she banished it to boost Citrine's ATK by Tourmaline's value.
[Gem-Knight Topaz, ATK: 1800 → 3400]
Winda, unable to return to the hand, was sent back to the Extra Deck (like all ED monsters do).
With an opponent's Extra Deck monster now gone, Scatter Fusion could activate again!
This time, she fused Gem-Knight Crystal and a FIRE monster.
Dark flames erupted, revealing a magma-bodied warrior with a blazing red sword.
[Gem-Knight Citrine] Level 7│EARTH│Pyro│2200 ATK
Topaz advanced, puppet strings dragging it toward Colossus.
"Colossus can banish a Thunder monster to avoid destruction! I banish Thunder Dragon from the Graveyard!"
But Hikaru still took the damage.
[Hikaru, LP: 3700 → 2900]
As the blow landed, Captain Crystal suddenly burst forth from Hikaru, intercepting the puppet strings.
He didn't wait to be called, he threw himself in their path.
"Captain!?"
"Lord Amagi!" he shouted, voice straining. "You say this isn't my fault, that we must fix what's broken. But I...I can't just stand here doing nothing!
"Just like you chose to Duel those twisted Fusionists! Just like Lady Winda said!
"This is my duty! My honor!
"Let me end her suffering!"
Lapis stayed expressionless. Topaz attacked again.
She could attack twice per turn.
[Amagi Hikaru, LP: 2900 → 2100]
He banished another Thunder Dragon. More strings flew.
Captain Crystal roared, intercepting them all, even biting them to hold them back.
Still, Lapis showed no concern.
She flipped a Trap Card:
Brilliant Fusion!
The artwork showed a shiny gem alongside countless gems gathering into the center.
She revealed a Gem-Knight from hand, and used Topaz and Citrine as Fusion Material.
A swirl of gems, including one bearing Lapis's own hue, glowed from the dark.
The fusion was completed, giving rise to a radiant knight with a jewel-encrusted sword.
Fusion Materials: 3 Gem-Knight monsters.
[Gem-Knight Master Diamond] Level 9│EARTH│Rock│2900 ATK
Gem-Knight Master Diamond's ATK rose by 100 for each Gem in the Graveyard; Lapis had 12.
[Gem-Knight Master Diamond, ATK: 2900 → 4100]
She raised her arm, commanding another volley of puppet strings.
By all rights, Captain Crystal should have been overwhelmed. Yet he screamed defiantly, catching them all, refusing to retreat.
In his ears, the wails of cursed spirits echoed:
"Come suffer with us!"
"Why me?"
"You'll feel our pain!"
"I want to die."
The words tore at him like scripture, a chorus of agony.
Yet, he stood firm, shouting to the cursed spirits and corrupted humans alike:
"I am a knight of the Gem-Knight Order!
"It is my duty and my honor to protect the weak!
"Bring me your pain! Bring me your fury! I will bear it all!"
From afar, Tierra lowered her cold gaze and nodded softly.
"Now that's more like it."
[Hikaru, LP: 2100 → 600]
He looked skyward.
Captain Crystal was now cocooned in threads, yet his eyes were unwavering. He was enduring it all.
'Truly.'
Hikaru could have protected Colossus with Wendigo's effect. Now, Lapis had no cards left in hand or on the field.
Which meant his plan was complete.
Ever since Lapis started lashing out, he realized her actions weren't rational. She just wanted to attack. If denied that, she'd destroy anything in her way.
So his strategy was simple:
Force her to run out of cards.
Yes, Master Diamond's ATK was immense.
So what?
"My turn!"
He drew swiftly.
Time to end it. Spare Crystal more pain.
"I activate Spell, Scatter Fusion!"
Same Spell. Same cards. But a different purpose.
"I send Gem-Knight Crystal and Gem-Knight Tourmaline from my Deck to the Graveyard!
"Fusion Summon, Gem-Knight Prismaura!"
A shining knight clad in a red cloak, wielding a lance and shield, emerged onto Hikaru's field.
[Gem-Knight Prismaura] Level 7│EARTH│Thunder│2450 ATK
"After activating Scatter Fusion, I can't Special Summon non-Gem-Knight Fusions this turn, but that doesn't matter!
"I activate my set Trap, Fragment Fusion!"
Unlike the card of union and perfection, this was born of Crystal's suffering.
"I banish the Fusion Materials for a Gem-Knight Fusion Monster from my Graveyard, then Fusion Summon!
"This monster will be destroyed during the End Phase!"
"I banish Tourmaline and Crystal!
"Fusion Materials: a Gem-Knight and a Rock-Type monster!
"Fusion Summon, not the original, but a knight whose glory matches the real one… Gem-Knight Zirconia!
"Come forth!"
'Zirconia?'
Tierra glanced at the card, then at Hikaru, and softly smiled.
[Gem-Knight Zirconia] Level 8│EARTH│Rock│2900 ATK
A knight meant to be dull, dim, imperfect.
Yet now, he glowed brightly, his armor cracked, while beneath the fractures, he shone even brighter.
"Prismaura's effect! Discard a Gem-Knight card to destroy a face-up card on the field! I discard Gem-Knight Sapphire, and destroy Master Diamond!"
BOOM!
The knight king stared silently into Prismaura's mirror-like shield, then vanished.
"Now;
"ALL-OUT ATTACK!
"It's over. Let me...let us end your pain!"
As Hikaru gave the command, Crystal pulled in all remaining puppet strings, binding them to himself.
[Lapis, LP: 4000 → 1550 → 0]
The countless puppets collapsed all around.
Yet Crystal caught every thread.
He didn't let them fall as they remained upright, held by his will. Slowly, the strings retracted, vanishing into his body.
He had borne it all.
"Heh..." Tierra chuckled. "I was wrong. He's not a copy.
"Not a mockery.
"Hikaru…
"He's your own, one-of-a-kind Duel Spirit."
"Of course he is," Hikaru said.