Yugioh [372-374] (Patreon)

Chapter 372: Worm Victory

"End Phase. The 'D.D. Scout Plane' that was banished for Emperor's tribute returns to the field in Attack Position."

[D.D. Scout Plane, ATK 800]

"Turn end," Kira said.

Luca's smile faded along with his Worm Zero, returning to his default poker face.

"My turn. Draw." He glanced at his hand, then said with a sinister tone, "Quick-Play Spell: 'Mystical Space Typhoon'—destroy one Spell or Trap on the field.

I'll destroy my Continuous Spell 'Mirage of Nightmare.'

Normally, at my Standby Phase, I'd have to discard four cards due to its side effect, but if I destroy it now, I don't have to."

A cyclone whipped up, and with a burst of black lightning, his own Continuous Spell was obliterated.

"Mystical Space Typhoon, huh." Kira nodded.

Not Emergency Provisions, interesting.

"But was that really the best choice? Rare to draw a removal card," Kira smiled. "Wouldn't you rather get rid of 'Macro Cosmos'?"

"No need for your advice."

Luca waved his hand, eyes flashing with resolve.

"I flip-summon my set monster—'Worm Apocalypse'!"

[Worm Apocalypse, ATK 300]

"When this card is flipped, it destroys one Spell or Trap on the field.

Disappear, 'Macro Cosmos'!"

Finally, Macro Cosmos was destroyed. The deep cosmic background that had haunted Luca since the duel began faded, and the oppressive gloom in his heart lightened—just a little.

"Next, I activate my set Trap—'Needlebug Nest'. Send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard."

He drew five cards, glanced at them, then slid them into the Graveyard one by one.

"Now, I tribute 'Worm Apocalypse' to Tribute Summon—

—Level 8, Worm Queen!"

[Worm Queen, ATK 2700]

"Even though she's Level 8, if I use a Reptile-type monster with 'Worm' in its name as tribute, I only need one."

Luca's tone was dark.

"You're getting a little too cocky, kid. Time for you to witness the true power and beauty of my Worm."

Kira watched as Worm Queen appeared on Luca's field.

Power and beauty? Somehow, I don't think 'Worm' fits either of those.

"Once per turn, Worm Queen can tribute a Reptile with 'Worm' in its name to Special Summon an 'Worm' from the Deck with a lower level than the tributed monster!"

"You only have Worm Queen on your field," Kira pointed out.

"Exactly. The Queen herself is a 'Worm' monster. I'll tribute Worm Queen herself!"

Golden light wrapped around the Queen, dissolving her into countless particles.

"Queen is Level 8, so I can Special Summon any Worm from my Deck with Level 8 or lower." Luca declared.

"I see," Kira said. "'Parallel World Fusion' shuffled all the banished Worms back into the Deck, right?"

A clutch draw in a desperate situation. Not only did he fuse for Worm Zero, if not for Parallel World Fusion shuffling monsters back, Luca would've run out of monsters by now—Macro Cosmos nearly wiped him out.

"From my Deck, I Special Summon this Worm."

Luca pulled out his chosen monster.

"Level 7—Worm Victory, Special Summoned!"

A golden beam descended. First, a pool of dark red, viscous liquid—like blood from the abyss—glistened with an eerie sheen on the ground.

A massive creature slowly emerged from the bloody pool. Its body was covered in hard, red-brown carapace, rough and cold, exuding ominous energy. Six thick, sharp claws looked capable of tearing through anything.

[Worm Victory, ATK 0]

"Victory's ATK increases by 500 for each Worm in my Graveyard," Luca intoned.

"I've got one Worm left from Card Destruction, just tributed Apocalypse and the Queen, and two more from Needlebug Nest—five in total.

So Victory's ATK becomes—"

[Worm Victory, ATK 0 → ATK 2500]

"Now, with the power of 'Seal of Orichalcos,' Victory gains another 500 ATK!"

[Worm Victory, ATK 2500 → ATK 3000]

"Go, Victory! Rip that Scout Plane apart!"

Victory's massive claws came crashing down, smashing the Scout Plane into sparking pieces.

[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 1800]

Kira took the hit, staggering back a few steps.

"Set two cards. Turn end."

"Summoning a new ace attacker right away? That's impressive," Kira remarked.

Luca: "..."

No, stay calm. Don't lose your cool.

Especially don't get physical—hitting people is against the rules, and in a shadow game, the consequences are... severe.

"My turn. Draw." Kira said, "I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Adversity'. If my opponent controls a Special Summoned monster and I have none, I draw two cards." (Anime card)

Kira drew two cards.

"Next, I banish from my Graveyard the LIGHT 'Zaborg the Thunder Monarch' and the DARK 'Apprentice Magician'—"

"Banish a LIGHT and a DARK? Chaos Warrior?" Luca tensed.

"Haha, sorry to disappoint, but not quite."

Kira revealed his card with a grin.

"Guided by the souls of light and darkness, the magician who commands chaos descends—

—Chaos Sorcerer, Summon!"

[Chaos Sorcerer, ATK 2300]

"Chaos Sorcerer..." Luca muttered, "A lower-tier version of the Envoy of the Beginning."

Not as powerful, but still with a dangerous banishing ability.

"Trying to banish my Victory? Not so fast."

Luca shouted, "Quick-Play Spell: 'Book of Moon'! Turn a monster face-down in Defense Position!"

"Oh?" Kira said. "Planning to flip my Chaos Sorcerer face-down?"

"Who said that?" Luca sneered. "I'm flipping my own Victory face-down!"

Victory turned face-down.

"Now I activate the Trap Card 'W Nebula Meteorite'! All face-down Defense monsters are flipped face-up in Defense Position.

Victory, flip!"

[Worm Victory, DEF 2500]

"At this moment, Victory's flip effect activates."

Luca spread his fingers, pointing fiercely at Kira's Chaos Sorcerer.

"When Victory is flipped, destroy all face-up monsters except Reptile-type monsters with 'Worm' in their names!"

Chapter 373: The Might of the Worm

Beneath the dawn sky, a tsunami of explosive energy erupted from the ground like a waking beast.

It was Victory's annihilating strike, surging like a raging tide and obliterating everything in its path. Even Chaos Sorcerer couldn't resist, crushed into fragments by the onslaught.

"You were planning to banish my Victory with Chaos Sorcerer, weren't you? Too bad, it's not that simple," Luca taunted.

Kira just shrugged. "Then I'll set a monster face-down, and set another card before ending my turn."

"End Phase: 'W Nebula Meteorite' triggers again!"

Luca swept his arm.

"All LIGHT Reptile monsters I control are turned face-down, then I draw cards equal to the number set this way.

So Victory goes face-down, and I draw one card!"

Luca drew, and the huge bug once again retreated into a set card.

"But that's not all. 'W Nebula Meteorite' lets me Special Summon a Level 7 or higher LIGHT Reptile from my Deck."

Luca searched and revealed his choice.

"Appear, my second 'Worm Victory'!"

A second Victory rose from the ground, its massive shadow looming like a mountain.

[Worm Victory, ATK 0 → ATK 3000]

"Worm never die! Defeat one, and another appears!" Luca declared. "My turn, draw!"

Kira just shrugged—without Macro Cosmos on the field, Luca was far more confident.

"I activate 'Spell Books from the Pot'. Both players draw three cards from their Decks."

After drawing, Luca grinned wickedly, regaining his earlier momentum.

"The Worms' assault is relentless. Activate this card from my hand—

—Continuous Spell, 'Future Fusion'!"

"Hm?" Kira frowned slightly.

So both the Equip and Continuous versions of Future Fusion exist?

Both did appear in GX—Zane had the Equip, Nightshroud had the Continuous. Kira had only picked up the Continuous version from a random duelist. 

"This version of 'Future Fusion' lets me select a Fusion Monster and send the required materials from my Deck to the Graveyard. After two turns, I can perform the Fusion Summon.

But that's not my main goal this time.

Of course, I choose the 'Worm Zero' that I shuffled back into the Extra Deck!

Now, from my Deck—"

Another handful of cards was pulled out.

"Send 23 different Worms to the Graveyard!"

Only 23 this time. There are 26 types total, minus Zero and the ones already in the Graveyard, and he's out of Worm Victory in the Deck.

Twenty-three cards cascaded into the Graveyard, charging the field with a surge of energy, as if pouring power into the massive bug on the field.

"Victory's attack increases by 500 for each Worm in the Graveyard," Kira realized.

"Correct," Luca replied. "With 23 added, Victory's ATK becomes—"

[Worm Victory, ATK 3000 → ATK 14500]

"Fourteen thousand five hundred attack, huh."

Kira looked up at the behemoth.

"Exactly! And don't forget, I still have another face-down Victory." Luca flipped his other Victory face-up!

[Worm Victory, ATK 14500]

"Victory's flip effect destroys all non-Worm face-up monsters, but all you have is a face-down, so nothing happens."

"Doesn't matter. With Victory's power, even the smallest wall will be crushed!"

Luca shouted.

"Go, Victory! Attack that face-down monster!"

Victory's gigantic form thundered forward, its claws smashing toward Kira's set monster.

"An attack power of 14,500, even greater than Worm Zero—this is the power of the Worms, the pride of the Doma Duelists?"

Kira gazed up, face solemn.

"Well, then. I activate a set card—"

He raised his arm, and a flash of golden light transformed into a pair of barrels.

Luca's heart skipped a beat at the sight.

That's—

Magic Cylinder!

"Negate the attack, and deal damage to you equal to Victory's ATK—14,500!"

"Magic... Cylinder!?"

Luca's eyes went wide.

You were holding Magic Cylinder all along with that pained, poker face?!

But Victory's punch was caught by the cylinder, its devastating force absorbed, ready to be fired right back.

If he took that head-on, he'd owe his own soul eight times over.

"Then, Quick-Play Spell—'Forbidden Chalice'!" Luca snapped. "Target a monster, it gains 400 ATK but its effect is negated.

I target my attacking Victory!"

"Victory's original ATK is 0. If its effect is negated, it becomes 0, plus Chalice and Orichalcos—so 900."

Kira nodded, smiling faintly.

"Not bad, you even survived Magic Cylinder."

"Don't get cocky, it's not over—Quick-Play Spell: 'Emergency Provisions'!" Luca said, "Send Forbidden Chalice and Future Fusion to the Graveyard, gain 2000 LP!"

[Luca, LP 1600 → LP 3600]

After resolving the chain, Victory's attack reflection only dealt 900, and Luca withstood the blow.

[Luca, LP 3600 → LP 2700]

"You're a sneaky one."

Luca wiped his brow.

"If I'd let my guard down for a second, you would've had me... Battle continues.

Second Victory, attack the defense monster!"

The set monster flipped, destroyed under the massive blow.

"That was 'Mask of Darkness'."

Before it hit the Graveyard, Kira revealed the card.

"When flipped, it lets me add a Trap from my Graveyard to my hand.

I retrieve—"

He took a card from the Graveyard.

"Continuous Trap: 'Macro Cosmos'."

Luca: "..."

Chapter 374: The Potential of Chaos Warrior

Macro Cosmos. Again.

Luca scowled.

He'd never heard of the card before today, but after this duel, he'd never forget it. Even just seeing Kira reveal it made his heart skip a beat.

Still, thinking rationally, Macro Cosmos wasn't so scary now.

Most of his Worms were already in the Graveyard—his resources were set. At this point, Macro Cosmos could only do so much.

And he still had two Victory with 14,000+ attack on the field.

Victory was within sight.

He could practically see Kira's LP dropping to zero, that annoying kid kneeling before him, soul being ripped out.

It would be more satisfying than any victory before.

"My turn. Draw," Kira said. "I activate 'Graceful Charity'. Draw three, then discard two."

He drew, then discarded two cards.

"Now, 'Card of Compensation' triggers. When discarded, I draw two more." (Manga card)

Kira drew again, and a faint, ominous aura shimmered behind him.

"What's that?" Luca frowned.

"Makyura the Destructor. When sent to the Graveyard, I can activate Trap Cards from my hand this turn."

Kira revealed his card.

"Continuous Trap: 'Macro Cosmos'!"

Once again, the field was transformed—dark starry skies replacing everything, as if they stood in a cosmic void.

"This again."

Luca grunted.

"But what difference does it make now?"

"We'll see," Kira smiled. "Next, I play 'Take Over Five'. Send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard."

Luca: "?"

He watched as Kira sent five cards to the Graveyard, which Macro Cosmos instantly banished.

What kind of play is this? Macro Cosmos just banishes all his own cards?

But Kira didn't explain. Two cards shimmered in the banished zone.

"I banish the DARK 'D.D. Scout Plane' and the LIGHT 'D.D. Warrior Lady'."

He held up a card as golden light burst forth.

"Souls of Light and Darkness, offered to the field of chaos, summon the legendary warrior! Heaven and earth split—

—Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, Summon!"

A swirl of sword energy parted the endless void. The legendary warrior descended, sword and shield in hand, from the chaos.

[BLS – Envoy of the Beginning, ATK 3000]

"Now it's BLS," Luca frowned. "If he uses its effect—"

"BLS's effect: once per turn, banish a monster on your opponent's field. I target Victory."

Sword energy slashed, leaving a dimensional scar in the air.

"Then, from my Graveyard, I activate 'Skill Prisoner'!" Luca shouted. "By banishing it, I can target a monster and negate its effect this turn.

I target your chosen Victory!"

A shield appeared, blocking BLS's sword strike, dispersing the energy.

"Too bad, even the legendary warrior couldn't do it," Luca taunted.

"Yeah, what a shame. Oh well."

Kira sighed, as if forced to use a backup plan.

But Luca felt a chill—last time Kira used that tone, he almost lost to Magic Cylinder.

"Then I Normal Summon 'Rapid-Fire Magician'."

[Rapid-Fire Magician, ATK 1600]

"Now I activate 'Foolish Burial Goods'. Send a Spell or Trap from my Deck to the Graveyard."

Kira pointed to his field.

"At this moment, Rapid-Fire Magician's effect activates.

While it's on the field, every time I activate a Normal Spell, you take 400 damage."

A magical blast struck Luca, who barely flinched.

[Luca, LP 2700 → LP 2300]

"Four hundred damage? That's barely a scratch."

"Sorry about that."

Kira smiled, drawing a card that popped out of his Deck.

"Foolish Burial Goods sends 'Primal Seed' to the Graveyard."

"But with Macro Cosmos, it's banished instead," Luca reminded him.

"True."

Kira nodded, quietly smiling.

"But this card hides a power in my BLS that everyone's overlooked."

"Huh?"

That made Luca uneasy.

"Let me show you that power. I activate 'Primal Seed' from my hand!"

Luca was startled. "A second copy!?"

Kira: "If I control 'BLS – Envoy', I can return two banished cards to my hand."

BLS raised its sword, slicing open a dimensional rift.

"I return these two cards."

Kira revealed them.

"One is 'Grandmarg the Rock Monarch', banished by your Worm Zero, and the other is another 'Primal Seed'."

"You got back another Primal Seed?" Luca frowned.

"Yes."

Kira calmly explained, "And Rapid-Fire Magician's effect triggers—400 more damage."

Another magical blast, Luca staggered.

[Luca, LP 2300 → LP 1900]

Still just 400, but Luca could no longer ignore it—he was shaking.

"I activate 'Primal Seed' again. This time I return 'Electromagnetic Turtle' and the first 'Primal Seed'."

BLS slashed open space again, retrieving two cards.

Rapid-Fire Magician fired another shot.

[Luca, LP 1900 → LP 1500]

Luca was blasted to the ground, wide-eyed in disbelief.

BLS, Macro Cosmos, Primal Seed...

A wave of terror, mixed with outrage, surged within him.

—Is this the hidden potential of BLS?!

Why does your BLS look so different from everyone else's?!

Is this what it means to be a shadow duelist?!

"Seems you've realized it: as long as this combo's on the field, I can keep returning banished cards. Each cycle deals 400 to you.

Of course, it's not infinite."

Kira smiled.

"Each time, I must return two cards. The number of cycles equals the number of banished cards.

But my ammo—"

He glanced at his banished zone.

"Still plenty left. The real question is..."

Kira narrowed his eyes.

"Can you handle it?"

Luca: "N-no, please—"

"Hmm?" Kira raised an eyebrow. "What's that? Speak up."

Luca: "Please... stop..."

"Oh, so you want me to continue? Alright, I respect your choice."

Kira nodded.

"Let's keep going.

Primal Seed again, return two banished cards."

BLS slashed, two cards returned, Rapid-Fire Magician fired another shot.

"Ugh!"

Luca was blasted down again.

[Luca, LP 1500 → LP 1100]

Luca, face twisted, struggled up. "Damn you..."

"Primal Seed again."

Kira operated mechanically, not even explaining each step.

"400 more."

"Aaaah!"

"Primal Seed..."

The cycle was endless, a drawn-out execution. Two Worm Victory, each with over 14,000 ATK, stood helplessly as their master was pounded repeatedly, unable to intervene.

Kira simply ignored them—they were powerless.

"One last time—'Primal Seed'. Four hundred more."

The final blast decided the duel.

A proud Doma duelist lost his soul—and his dreams.

[Luca, LP 0]