The ultimate fusion from A to Z, a high-tech beast crashes heavily onto the ground, its body creating a deep pit on the black rock ground of the Supreme King Castle.
The iron beast re-enters the battlefield, covered with weapons. The black cannon shimmers with white metallic luster, and currents leap from all the joint connections, showcasing the wild, violent beauty of sci-fi equipment.
[A-to-Z-Dragon Buster Cannon, ATK 4000]
It's clear that President Kaiba has invested heavily in this fusion mecha.
This piece of technology-side heavy firepower equipment actually possesses a suppression power that rivals top tier Monsters!
The moment this equipment descended, Manjome felt the pressure in his heart drastically decrease. Even when facing the Supreme King staring him down, there seemed to be less fear.
Because this is the strongest trump card given to him by the teacher, and it is currently the ultimate weapon in Manjome's hands.
He has absolute confidence in this equipment!
"Turn ends." Manjome said.
Although Ed did not know the effects of the "Dragon Buster" summoned with great effort, seeing Manjome's confident demeanor, he felt somewhat reassured.
Manjome's backfield has no Set Card, and only the Dragon Buster is on the field. Since he dares to entrust the victory to this Monster, it must match its powerful strength.
On Supreme King's side, now only has the "Juragedo" used as a hand pit, obviously not very intimidating. It should be quite difficult to counterattack from this situation.
But the Supreme King's expression remains as calm as water, showing no emotional change.
"Draw card."
Like a cold card-turning machine.
He glanced at it briefly, then revealed a card: "Magic Card 'Miracle Fusion', remove the 'Elemental Hero' Monsters in the Graveyard from the game to perform a Fusion Summon.
Remove 'Elemental Hero Burst Lady' and the Earth Attribute 'Elemental Hero Clayman' from the game, Fusion Summoning 'Elemental Hero Gaia'!"
Ed frowned: "So it's the Elemental Hero fusion this time?"
When Gaia is successfully Fusion Summoned, one Monster on the opponent's field can have its attack halved, and added to his own attack.
In other words, his attack can be seen as infinitely high, no matter how high the opposing Monster's attack is, Gaia can punch through it. If summoned, the powerful Dragon Buster Cannon would undoubtedly be instantly vanquished by Gaia's punch.
Ed glanced worriedly at Manjome, but the latter seemed completely composed.
"I expected this counterattack!" Manjome shouted, "A-to-Z-Dragon Buster Cannon, activate effect! When the opponent activates Magic, Trap, or Monster effects, discard one card from your hand, that activation is negated and destroyed!"
Manjome discarded a card from his hand into the Graveyard.
"Sorry, Miracle Fusion's activation was negated, Gaia cannot appear!"
The weapons on the Dragon Buster Cannon activate, a laser encircling electricity strikes the Magic Card. The green card disintegrates into golden powder under the cannon blast, sealing its fusion power.
The Supreme King expressionlessly watched his Magic Card vanish.
"I see, such a powerful force to negate any effect, indeed an excellent Monster."
The Supreme King said, "Then sacrifice 'Juragedo' for Tribute Summon!
Appear, my servant from the Twelfth Dimension, who governs the Netherworld Abyss—
—Caius the Shadow Monarch, Summon!"
Juragedo dissipated into sacrificial powder, space in the Supreme King Castle developed cracks. The dark monarch descended within a black storm, palms brimming with black thunder spheres.
"Caius's effect, when Tribute Summoned, removes one card from the field from the game." The Supreme King targeted the ferocious alloy giant beast.
"Disappear, Dragon Buster Cannon."
"Useless!" Manjome discarded another card from his hand to the Graveyard, "Discard one card, Dragon Buster Cannon's effect activates! Caius's effect is negated and destroyed!"
Ed glanced at the fully armed "Dragon Buster Cannon" with growing astonishment.
This thing, not only possesses the top-tier "effect negate" ability in the Duel Monster Realm... but also without once-per-turn limitation?
Where did Manjome Jun get such a monstrous mecha?
As he was secretly startled, Ed felt relieved that Manjome, unveiling this equipment for the first time, was his ally.
Otherwise, if he had first encountered this thing, he wouldn't have been able to avoid getting trapped.
This thing is simply too terrifying.
Manjome Jun, even though he was already envisioned as a formidable character, never expected him to be this strong...
Dragon Buster Cannon fires again, the golden beam cannon blast dissipates Caius's dark matter completely, lightning strikes, shredding Caius's energy, missiles followed, Caius instantly shattered.
As long as the Cannon's effect remains, no action is meaningful. Because the Cannon's negating ability uniformly negates Magic, Trap, Monster effects, colloquially known among players as "Full Counter", remains top-tier and unconquerable in Duel Monsters history until today.
Unless directly eaten by the universal turtle...
But it's evident, the Supreme King does not have a turtle. Otherwise, he would've devoured the Cannon until no residue remained.
Without resorting to sacrificial release, the conventional way to dismantle the full Counter Monster is—trample its Counter using resources.
Of course, against a boss of Supreme King's caliber, there is another cheating ultimate board-clearing method.
Super Fusion.
The ultimate Fusion Card obtained by Judai after darkening in the anime, a symbol of Supreme King's vital power, capable of fusing everything in existence.
More importantly, Super Fusion not only allows the fusion of Monsters from the opponent's field but also has resistance where "the opponent cannot activate effects in response to the activation of Super Fusion."
What does this mean?
It means even if Manjome has six cards in hand as COST, a Super Boss "Dragon Buster Cannon" standing with full Counter capable six times per turn on the field, the Supreme King can simply play a single Super Fusion to fuse it into his new toy.
Just here the Supreme King didn't do so.
Perhaps Super Fusion is still wet with ink—after all, in the original material, the birth of Super Fusion also required many sacrifices.
Or maybe, he felt this opponent was insufficient to invoke the ultimate weapon.
But thus, Manjome now has no cards in hand. Without once-per-turn restriction, no card in hand means Cannon's ability cannot activate.
Dragon Buster Cannon is a fusion of ABC and XYZ, theoretically requiring six-for-one to Summon. Summoning Cannon within one turn with two hand cards as COST, Manjome's performance was already godlike (thanks to those two fake-card grade hangars), but this was his limit.
If Supreme King has new board-clearing means, he can't use Cannon's negate.
Supreme King drew another card: "Then activate Magic Card 'Dark Core'. This card activates by discarding one card, removing one face-up Monster from the game."
Ed's attention moved.
A Karma Cut version of Magic Card?
"Bad." Ed frowned, "Manjome already has no cards in hand, if hit by Dark Core here..."
Manjome gritted his teeth, "Damn, never-ending. Then 'A-to-Z-Dragon Buster Cannon', final ability activate! Remove 'Dragon Buster Cannon' from the game, self fusion disassemble!"
Mechanical joints operate, mecha separation. Invincible Cannon returns to "XYZ-Dragon Cannon" and "ABC-Dragon Buster", landing separately on Manjome's field.
Dark Core lost its target, exploded with black currents and disappeared from the field.
Ed breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, a false alarm.
But simultaneously, the fear level of Manjome's "Dragon Buster Cannon" in his mind climbed another notch.
Not only does it have unlimited effect negation per turn, it also has a hidden ability to automatically disassemble its fusion?
And it can be used during the opponent's turn?
This means even if the opponent uses every method, drains resources to finally trick the Cannon's all negate times, Cannon can still disengage its fusion to dodge the skill?
And if the opponent cannot resolve the disassembled fusion "ABC-Dragon Buster" and "XYZ-Dragon Cannon" amidst the disadvantage of resources exhausted, the next turn they will combine again into invincible "A-to-Z"...
This equipment is simply godlike!?