Silver teor had his reasons for saying all that.
As a freshman, Silver teor's status as second-in-command of the Society of Light within the school was entirely due to his own ability.
Though more importantly, he wasn't one of those brainwashed by Sartorius directly. He had joined the Society of Light only after it had gained traction, coming in as a student from the Obelisk Blue Dorm.
"In this world, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but the future, fate, that's sothing we all have to face." Silver teor spoke from his heart—words that had remained with him even after being brainwashed. "Sure, everyone can bring what they love into Dueling, but that doesn't an much.
I'm Silver teor. I'm a world champion in shooting gas! But in Dueling, I'm just a rookie. That title doesn't help at all."
He spoke honestly.
His original reason for joining the Society of Light was one thing: back then, Vice-Principal Napoleon had told Obelisk Blue students that Sartorius, manager of the world-class pro Duelist Aster Phoenix, was seeking to scout promising new talent from the Academy to beco pro Duelists.
That was the mont Silver teor was moved. He wanted that opportunity—he wanted to beco a pro Duelist.
To be a world-class "player" and yet go unrecognized—it was painful.
It was like playing cards in a world that only cared about spinning tops, or trying to practice law in a world obsessed with cultivation. No matter how gifted or skilled you were, without the backing of the dominant system, recognition was near impossible.
So, to earn the world's recognition, and to bring his favorite monsters into the spotlight, he wanted to beco a pro Duelist.
That's why…
He was deeply envious of Celina.
Though he disliked backdoor privilege, Celina's background and ntorship gave her an undeniable head start.
"Blah blah blah, you talk a lot." Celina, having mostly understood what he was saying, tilted her head. "Anyways, what does that have to do with what you're doing now?"
Her question caught Silver teor off guard.
Right... wasn't he supposed to beco a pro Duelist?
So what was he even doing?
"Besides, fate—that's the word I hate most." Celina looked at her hand. "I grew up in the slums until my father found and locked in a lab to learn Fusion and work with Spirits."
What?
Even the brainwashed Society of Light mbers, Silver teor included, felt their thoughts go fuzzy.
How did she go from "being found by her father" to "being locked in a lab"?
Where was the in-between?
Celina had always thought that the reason Leo Akaba never smiled at her was because she wasn't working hard enough, that she hadn't lived up to his expectations.
However, after the Fusion Army attacked the Xyz Dinsion, she realized the truth.
She had always been a "lonely beast under the moon."
Until she t Amaki Hikaru.
"For , Dueling has no impurities. It shouldn't, and it mustn't have any." Celina, never great with words, let her actions speak.
Now, she believed a Duel should just be a Duel. As a Duelist, she didn't need to overthink it. She only needed to enjoy the Duel.
That was sothing she learned from Hikaru. To him, Dueling was "Fusion." For her, it was the purest thing she received from her father and her teacher—so she didn't want to pollute it with anything else!
"I activate the effect of Lunalight Yellow Marten in the Graveyard. From the hand or Graveyard, targeting a 'Lunalight' card on my field other than Yellow Marten, return it to hand, then Special Summon this card in Defense Position.
"I return Lunalight Erald Bird to my hand and Special Summon Lunalight Yellow Marten!"
The pink-clad marten twirled onto the field.
"When it leaves the field by this effect, it's banished—then I activate the Spell Card, Lunalight Fusion! I send Lunalight Yellow Marten from the field and Lunalight Crimson Fox from my hand to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon!"
She leaned back gracefully, raising her hand skyward, and danced:
"Under the pull of the moon, form a vortex and be reborn with newfound power!
"Fusion Summon!
"Appear now, the graceful beast that dances beneath moonlight—
"Lunalight Cat Dancer!"
Chi Chi-chi
With a lilting bell, a red-haired masked dancer glided into place on Celina's field.
[Lunalight Cat Dancer] Level 7│DARK│Beast-Warrior│2400 ATK
Celina looked to the Graveyard.
Unfortunately, due to B.E.F. Zelos's effect, she couldn't target Giant Battleship Ganon, so Crimson Fox's effect couldn't activate. Otherwise, she could've made one opponent monster's Attack beco 0.
That said, she had a backup plan.
"I send Lunalight Purple Butterfly from my hand to the Graveyard to activate its effect. Targeting a 'Lunalight' monster I control, it gains 1000 ATK until the end of the turn."
[Lunalight Cat Dancer, ATK: 2400 → 3400]
"Oh? It surpassed Ganon's Attack?" Silver teor flinched slightly, but quickly refocused.
He had been brainwashed for so long that even when he could react, his body still obeyed Sartorius.
"I'm not done. I banish Purple Butterfly from the Graveyard to activate its second effect: Special Summon 1 'Lunalight' monster from my hand. I Special Summon Lunalight Erald Bird—"
"I activate Cat Dancer's effect: Once per turn, I Tribute 1 other 'Lunalight' monster I control. This turn, each of your monsters cannot be destroyed by battle, but this card can attack every monster you control twice!"
"Ughhh…"
Silver teor cursed under his breath.
Of course, it would perfectly bypass his monsters' effects!
The Giant Battleship series couldn't be destroyed by battle.
That said, their key trait was that at the end of the Damage Step, they had to remove 1 counter. If they battled without any counters left, they would self-destruct after battle.
That's one reason he feared Amaki Hikaru so much.
His Deck relied on this chanic; despite that, against Hikaru, he risked being absorbed by Cyber Dragon and fused away before his strategy even worked.
Sa with Lunalight Cat Dancer—its chanics completely countered his.
"Battle! Cat Dancer attacks Giant Battleship Ganon! On declaration, it inflicts 100 damage."
The cat-thed dancer hurled her dagger at the warship's core. The blade sparked against its shield, unable to pierce it, but damage was still inflicted!
[Silver teor, LP: 4000 → 3900]
"At this mont, Ganon's effect activates! After battle, I flip a coin and call it. If I guess wrong, it loses 1 counter."
What kind of nonsense effect was that?
Celina frowned.
A projection of Ganon appeared and began spinning in front of Silver teor.
"I call tails."
The card spun for a long ti, then stopped upright.
"Wrong?"
"Ha! Just what I needed—fate itself!" Silver teor laughed.
"Remove 1 counter from Ganon."
[Ganon, Counter: 1 → 0]
Celina, still frowning: "Continue attack!"
Seeing the shield vanish, Cat Dancer flew forward and slashed the silver core directly.
[Silver teor, LP: 3900 → 3000]
Anyhow, Ganon still stayed.
"Giant Battleship monsters aren't destroyed by battle," Silver teor explained. "Only when they have no counters and finish a battle step are they destroyed."
As he spoke, the warship exploded in the void of space.
Yet he didn't seem fazed at all.
"End of turn." Celina, brows furrowed, watched Cat Dancer return to her field before ending her turn.
[Lunalight Cat Dancer, ATK: 3400 → 2400]
"Now, Boss Rush activates! When a face-up 'B.E.S.' monster I control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, at the end of that turn, I Special Summon a 'B.E.S.' monster from my Deck!
"I Special Summon B.E.S. Big Core MK-3!"
With a roar, a laser-laden dreadnought erged above the ruined Ganon.
[B.E.S. Big Core MK-3] Level 8│LIGHT│Machine│2700 ATK
Due to the Field Spell, its Attack becos 3200!
"On MK-3's Special Summon, it gains 3 counters, and Zelos grants it one more—4 total!"
[MK-3, Counters: 0 → 4]
"My turn. Draw! Zelos's effect: Once per turn, I can Special Summon 1 'B.E.S.' monster!
"I Special Summon B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core!"
[B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core] Level 9│EARTH│Machine│2500 ATK → 3000 ATK
"Blaster Core also gains 3 counters, plus one more from Zelos."
[Blaster Core, Counters: 0 → 4]
"Hmm..." Celina finally understood the use of that Continuous Spell that locked out Normal Summons.
So that's it!
Combining the Field Spell and Continuous Spell, he could maintain a steady supply of high-level Machine-type monsters. They could deal damage with high Attack, or serve as walls to minimize losses!
And since he could Special Summon each turn, if not dealt with quickly, an endless stream of chanical bosses would overwhelm the field.
"This is the end! Kneel before Sartorius-sama's destiny!
MK-3, attack Lunalight Cat Dancer!"
Cannons locked on, charging beams. Under the anticipation of the Society mbers, the turrets fired.
The battlefield was engulfed in smoke.
[Celina, LP: 4000 → 3200]
Silver teor, confident, prepared to finish it with Blaster Core—
Only to realize...
Cat Dancer was still on the field!
"Sorry—Lunalight Cat Dancer has a similar effect to your B.E.S. monsters. It can't be destroyed by battle."
"..." Silver teor muttered. "So it had a hidden effect too."
"I don't know much about gas," Celina said calmly, "but my teacher told that as a Duelist, a Fusion user must understand everything about a Duel.
"But you made assumptions without testing."
Testing?
Of course, he knew that—open with an attack to feel out weaknesses, then exploit the path. He understood all that. But now, Silver teor felt a headache.
"Battle continues. Blaster Core attacks Cat Dancer!"
Another blast hit the dancer, molten light striking her squarely.
But this ti, Silver teor didn't expect anything.
[Celina, LP: 3200 → 2500]
"Each loses 1 counter due to battle."
[Both monsters, Counters: 4 → 3]
"End of turn."
"End of turn?" Celina perked up like a beast spotting prey. She stepped back, bent her knees, and adopted a stance her master once used.
"Then… Final turn!"
...
Bonus @400
If we can reach and maintain top 50 this week, I'll post 15 bonus chapters.
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