Yugioh [378-383] (Patreon)

Chapter 378: Reggie Mackenzie

"Ahhh, I lost."

Jaden sprawled flat on his back.

"No helping it, Mr. Hibiki is really strong after all."

Hibiki walked over, sat down beside him with a smile.

"I'm the one who was surprised, actually. Jaden, you’re really impressive. I never expected to meet another duelist so deeply bonded with heroes and so passionate about dueling.

Honestly, even I feel a bit inferior."

"Haha, people say that to me a lot," Jaden scratched his head, but then remembered something.

"By the way, Mr. Hibiki, during the duel earlier—did you feel a bit unwell?"

Hibiki fell silent, looking away.

He heard, like a hallucination, a devilish whisper by his ear.

“Duel on, and burn up the little life you have left, World Champion Koyo Hibiki.”

From deep darkness, a pair of evil eyes stared at him, grinning. 

"Each card you draw is like your deck called ‘Life’ growing smaller."

"But even so, you can’t stop, can you?"

"As a duelist."

"…"

Hibiki closed his eyes.

"Mr. Hibiki?"

Jaden sat up, looking worried. Hibiki snapped back to himself.

"Sorry, I'm fine."

He quietly took out his glasses from his inner pocket, put them on, then reached out and gently patted Jaden’s shoulder.

"That was a fun duel, thank you, Jaden. I’m really glad someone like you was my opponent in this final stage."

"I'm happy to have met you too, Mr. Hibiki," Jaden said, puzzled. "But what did you mean by 'final stage'?"

Hibiki just smiled and didn’t answer.

"In the future, you’ll surely become a top duelist. So remember this," he said earnestly, "whoever your opponent is, never forget how you feel today.

Enjoy dueling, and let dueling bring you happiness. Be that kind of duelist."

"Okay!"

Jaden nodded, though to him, it seemed obvious.

Isn’t dueling the most fun thing in the world?

"Alright then."

Hibiki perked up and stood.

"Now that it’s over, I’m a bit hungry. How about you, Jaden?"

"Now that you mention it, I am a little…"

"The other qualifiers aren’t all here yet. Let’s go grab something to eat while we wait."

The first players who completed the puzzle cards and arrived had already registered and made the top eight. There was no need to stand around waiting.

"Yay! Food!" Jaden was excited.

Dueling and eating—probably the two greatest joys in his life at the moment.

"What do you want to eat? My treat."

"Eh, isn’t that not right?"

"It’s fine, don’t worry about it."

"…"

The two walked off together.

Neither noticed that, not far behind them, in a shadow around the corner, a pair of unfriendly eyes watched them.

"The Planet series… Terra. Just as intel said, it’s in Koyo Hibiki’s hands."

The watcher narrowed their eyes, staring at Hibiki’s back with a cold chuckle.

"The world’s strongest hero, World Champion Koyo Hibiki… What a troublesome guy to have it. Always giving me the hardest jobs. Looks like…"

The figure’s eyes grew cruel.

"I’ll just have to… take him out, huh?"

But the shadow didn’t realize that at some point, another person had appeared right behind them—so close they were nearly touching.

A warm, calm voice spoke up behind them: "Oh? Why do you want to take him out?"

Startled, the shadow instinctively jumped back, rabbit-like, and watched their rear.

Behind them stood Kira, appearing like a ghost.

Kira looked the person up and down.

Surprisingly, it was a girl—tall, shapely, blonde, blue-eyed—now with arms crossed defensively, glaring at Kira.

"Don’t be so misleading," Kira complained. "Someone might get the wrong idea."

The woman realized she’d overreacted, lowered her arms, coughed, then regained her cool, villainous composure.

"Is stalking girls something Duel Academy teaches?"

But she still watched Kira vigilantly.

She hadn’t even noticed when he’d circled behind her, or when he’d realized she was spying.

"You’re Reggie Mackenzie?" Kira asked.

Reggie: "!"

He even knew her name?

"I thought so," Kira said. Reggie Mackenzie, top lieutenant of manga boss Tragoedia, though only because she was forced to be.

She’s the daughter of Principal Mackenzie of the American Duel Academy. When she discovered Tragoedia had possessed her father, he split off a fragment of himself and forced it into her, making her his puppet.

Still, Reggie’s dueling skills were solid—she easily defeated Alexis in the manga, and though she threw her duel with Misawa, she was always in control—so she should be stronger than Misawa.

So, according to the original, Kira guessed she was now a vanguard for the Tragoedia Faction.

"Hmm? Kira, what’s up?"

At that moment, Mokuba walked over, seeing Kira staring down Reggie.

Mokuba didn’t know Reggie. He looked her over, noted her fair skin and good looks, but nothing else.

Reggie looked away from Kira and turned to Mokuba.

"I’ve collected six puzzle cards," she said. "I want to advance."

"Oh, a contestant!"

Mokuba nodded, pointing to a spot along the shore.

"Register over there. The staff will give you your top eight contestant card."

"Okay."

Reggie pocketed her card and walked off.

For some reason, meeting Kira’s gaze made her uneasy, as if something dangerous was watching her.

As she left, Mokuba asked, "So, is she with Doma?"

"Probably not," Kira replied, watching her go with a slight smile.

"This tournament might be even more interesting than we thought."

Chapter 379: Duel for the World

A burning village, hellish scenes. Flames danced like demons, devouring every inch of land. Green fields and old houses were reduced to ash. The air was thick with the smell of burning wood, cloth, anything that could burn.

People wandered like zombies, bodies twisted, skin rotting. Some were charred to cinders, yet their blackened forms still moved mechanically.

A boy sat on the ground, tears blurring his vision. He stared ahead, terrified, unable to speak.

A man crawled on the ground, skin blackened, desperately dragging himself toward the boy. The man opened his mouth, eyes hungry like a beast.

"…"

The dream ended.

The last of the Doma Three Swords, Loren, sat up, tears unconsciously falling.

"That dream again?"

A voice beside him.

Loren stood and bowed respectfully.

"Arbiter."

The Arbiter was a handsome man, quietly standing nearby.

"Yeah, another nightmare."

Loren sat up, rubbing his temples.

"It’s fine. It’s almost over. As long as I defeat him…"

He glanced at the Duel Disk and deck nearby.

Yes, as long as he won…

Or got defeated.

Either way, he’d be free of the nightmare.

"Get ready. The time has come," said the Arbiter. "The wheels of fate are turning. A new era is coming—no one can stop it."

"Yes."

Loren nodded and stood.

…

Zane was the sixth to register.

Though his loss to Kira had affected him, Zane quickly regained his rhythm and won the last puzzle card, securing the sixth spot in the quarterfinals.

"Oh, Zane made it too!"

Seeing his friend, Jaden rushed over excitedly.

"Maybe we’ll face each other in the finals. I won’t lose this time," Jaden grinned.

Zane’s fighting spirit was back. Arms folded, he smiled: "Sure. But I won’t hand over victory so easily."

Jaden: "Let’s both give it everything and duel with no regrets!"

"Right!" Zane replied, fired up.

Kira appeared: "So you made it too, Zane. Congrats. Hope we meet in the finals."

"Kira…"

Seeing Kira, Zane’s fighting spirit visibly dimmed.

"Yeah… okay."

He agreed, but his face showed anything but excitement. Maybe he was thinking, anyone is fine as an opponent—just not you.

Kira didn’t mind, just smiled.

He didn’t have Jaden’s people-loving charisma, but that was fine. Winning was what mattered.

Kira looked around.

Most of the top eight were familiar faces. As they waited for the last two, finally, two people walked in at their own pace.

They were from Doma: the Arbiter and the last swordsman, Loren.

Kaiba, who’d been silently waiting, now glanced over with a meaningful smile.

"Finally here?" Kaiba said coolly. "Lucky for you, there were only two spots left. I thought you’d chicken out."

The Arbiter said calmly, "Fate has long been decided, Kaiba Seto. The last two spots are ours, just as the direction of the tournament was decided from the start."

Kaiba scoffed.

"I’ve heard that kind of crap too many times. Fate is an excuse for the weak. The strong carve their own fate."

The Arbiter just smiled, not arguing.

Kaiba now noticed the person beside the Arbiter, whose eyes had been locked on him the whole time.

"The moment has finally come, Kaiba Seto," Loren said coldly.

"And you are?"

"My name is Loren, the last of the Doma Three Swords, a revenant from hell. You stole everything from me—now I am your angel of vengeance."

Loren probably expected that to be dramatic, but Kaiba just snorted in dismissal.

"Take a number. Plenty of people want revenge on me."

He didn’t even bother asking why.

"You!"

Loren grew angrier, stepping forward as if to fight.

Of course, going hand-to-hand against Kaiba, with his superhuman physique, would be a losing proposition.

"Oh? Planning to fight here?" Kaiba narrowed his eyes.

"I don’t mind."

The Arbiter’s eyes narrowed.

At that moment, it seemed as if dark clouds gathered overhead, sunlight dimming. Thunder rumbled—a sense of ancient beasts roaring in the clouds.

Even Jaden noticed something was wrong.

"Why is it suddenly dark?" Jaden asked, surprised.

Could it be this guy?

Could someone really change the weather with just a look?

"…Though we could settle this here, since we already agreed before, I suggest we duel instead. What do you say, Kaiba Seto?"

"My answer is the same," Kaiba said, arms folded. "So long as it’s a duel, I accept any challenge."

The Arbiter smiled, and the clouds instantly cleared.

Settling things by duel was what both sides preferred.

Kaiba’s logic: Summoning monsters for a real fight would cause too much collateral damage. If this guy really was the snake god who fought the Egyptian Gods, Kaiba had more faith in his dueling than his monsters.

As for the Arbiter…

He acted calm and in control, but as he passed Kira, he couldn’t help glancing at him.

He didn’t care about Kaiba or his Blue-Eyes; the only one here he was wary of was the boy or rather, the thing Kira had unsealed.

Once bitten, twice shy, as the saying goes. After getting ganged up on by the Gods years ago, even now he still felt the pain. If he could help it, he didn’t want another Pokémon battle.

Better to bet on cards than war.

Chapter 380: The Top Eight Begins

Night fell, the skyline shrouded in purple twilight.

A massive, mysterious ship slowly approached through the mist, parting the sea with its bulk, leaving a trail on the horizon. Waves crashed against metal, blending with the thunder of engines in a grand symphony.

"Whoa, amazing!"

Jaden’s eyes widened at the KC-branded vessel.

"It’s huge! Looks like a battleship!"

"This is the new stage for the Duel City finals—the Duel Ship!"

Kaiba strode aboard.

"If you have the guts for the ultimate test, step onto this stage!"

The Arbiter followed silently, face impassive. Loren trailed behind, eyes never leaving Kaiba.

The others boarded in turn, and the ship set off.

Back in the original Duel City, Kaiba had a blimp, which even had a jet inside—pretty over the top.

"I see," Kira thought. "Bringing these dangerous people far from the city—if things go south and we have a Pokémon battle, at least civilians won’t get caught up."

Before, just a bit of the snake god’s power had caused a disaster big enough to halt the tournament. If they fought for real, who knew what would happen.

Kaiba had arranged a lavish banquet for the finalists, held on the top deck.

A long table, draped in white linen, silver cutlery, crystal glasses, and a variety of dishes, with classical music floating in the air.

Contestants could bring one or two relatives or friends, but Kira didn’t have anyone in mind, so it didn’t matter to him.

Hibiki, however, did bring family.

"Eh!?"

When Jaden saw a woman in a white shirt and high-waisted jeans smiling at him, he was shocked.

"Sensei? You’re entering the tournament too?"

She was a teacher at Slifer Red Dorm. Jaden rarely stayed awake in her class, but he still recognized her.

She smiled. "I taught you for a semester, Jaden. I bet you don’t remember my name?"

Jaden scratched his head, embarrassed. "Haha, you got me…"

"My name is Midori Hibiki," she replied. "Try not to forget this time."

"Midori Hibiki, Hibiki… Wait!?"

Jaden was shocked.

"Are you related to Mr. Hibiki?"

"She’s my sister," Koyo explained, smiling. "Jaden’s a good student, isn’t he?"

"A good duelist, sure. As a student…"

Midori smiled slyly, arms folded.

"Even among Duel Academy students, it’s rare to see so many failing grades in a single semester."

"Ahaha…," Jaden could only laugh awkwardly.

"Jaden, your dueling is top-notch, but theory matters too. Don’t neglect it."

Koyo patted his shoulder, then gave his sister a meaningful glance.

"And trust me, making my sister mad is a bad idea. Even I stay out of her way then."

"Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?" Midori huffed.

Watching their interaction, Jaden couldn’t help but say, "That’s nice…"

"What is?" Koyo asked.

"Oh, just seeing you two made me think—having siblings must be great. I didn’t have many friends as a kid. I always wished for a brother or something."

"Is that so?"

Koyo smiled, eyes closed.

"Well, if you’d like, Jaden, I could… be your big brother."

"Really!?" Jaden was excited.

"Hey, you didn’t ask my opinion," Midori interjected.

"Big sister Midori!" Jaden quickly corrected himself.

"Alright, alright," Midori laughed. "But don’t think calling me that will help you pass next semester!"

"…"

After the feast, the contestants rested in their rooms, then were called to the top deck.

The dueling arena was already set up, with a Blue-Eyes lottery machine—a chibi Ultimate Blue-Eyes Dragon, its central mouth open behind a glass dome, the other two facing down.

Kaiba, ever extravagant, had even turned the lottery machine itself into a card.

[Spell Card - Bingo Machine, Go!]

[Effect: Reveal 3 "Blue-Eyes" monsters or cards that list "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" or "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon" except this card from your Deck, your opponent randomly chooses 1 for you to add to your hand, shuffle the rest into the Deck.]

Proof that in the Yu-Gi-Oh! world, anything can become a card.

A man in a black suit and sunglasses stood on stage.

"Welcome, duelists. I am Roland, judge for this KaibaCorp Duel City tournament."

Roland, the legendary judge who’d faced every crisis at Kaiba’s side, always calm no matter what.

"We will now use this machine to randomly determine matchups. Please wait."

The Ultimate Dragon machine whirred, golden balls with contestant numbers spinning inside. Everyone held their breath.

"Who will I face first?" Jaden was excited.

"Everyone’s a great opponent, can’t wait!"

Two balls dropped from the dragon’s mouths—the first match’s contestants.

"Number one—Fujiki Kira!"

Roland held up the two balls and announced,

"Versus Number three—Reggie Mackenzie!"

Chapter 381: Dueling Full of Surprises

“Duel!” x2

The first quarterfinal match of Duel City: Kira versus Tragoedia’s top lieutenant, Reggie Mackenzie. The battle begins.

The remaining contestants gathered around to watch.

“I’ll go first. Draw!” Reggie took the first turn.

But as she drew, a chill crawled up her neck—a shadowy voice whispered in her ear.

“Defeat him, Reggie. He’s carrying something important. Use a Shadow Duel to take it.”

Reggie’s movements stiffened.

A Shadow Duel...?

She frowned, her face frosty with distaste.

“Don’t forget who gave you your power, and who controls your fate,” the voice sneered. “That’s an order, not a suggestion.”

Reggie: “…”

She took a deep breath. When she looked at Kira again, her gaze was sharper.

Sorry, nothing personal—but I just want to survive.

With that thought, darkness flashed in her eyes, and a faint black mist began to gather around the field.

“Brother!” Mokuba said, surprised. “Something’s off about this woman.”

“Yeah,” Kaiba replied calmly. “Anyone who makes it this far isn’t easy to handle. But don’t worry—he’s not easy to beat.”

Kaiba glanced at the Arbiter on the other side of the field, who stood with arms folded, observing with a relaxed air.

Loren muttered, “This power... she’s...”

“A puppet of Tragoedia,” the Arbiter said. “Pity Luca didn’t bring that guy back. If we had its power, things would be simpler... But whatever. Through this puppet, we can at least gauge how much power he’s recovered.”

“Activate Continuous Spell: ‘Court of Justice!’” Reggie declared.

A golden ring appeared midair, with two haloed angels circling, bathing the field in holy light.

“Then, from my hand, I summon ‘Holy Spirit Parmal’ in defense!”

[Divine Spirit Parmal, DEF 300]

A Level 1 Fairy, just like in the original.

“Court of Justice’s effect: If I control a Level 1 Fairy, once per turn I can Special Summon a Fairy from my hand.”

She drew another card.

“Special Summon: ‘Tethys, Goddess of Light!’”

A pure white angel descended, wings unfurled, feathers drifting down.

[Tethys, Goddess of Light, ATK 2400]

Just like in the original, Reggie’s deck was almost entirely Fairy monsters. Court of Justice was her signature card. In the real game, it’s only limited to once per turn, but otherwise, it’s the same.

“Next, I activate the Spell Card: ‘Card Destruction!’ Both players discard their hands and draw the same number.”

Kira glanced at his hand, discarded, and redrew.

Reggie also drew, and as she did, Tethys’s wings glowed with dazzling light.

“At this moment, Tethys’s effect activates: When I draw a Fairy, I reveal it and draw one more card.”

She revealed ‘Angel O1’ in her hand.

“I drew ‘Angel O1,’ a Fairy, so I draw another card.”

She quickly chose and set two cards.

“Set one card. I end my turn.”

“Quite the setup,” Kira smiled.

Reggie just snorted.

It was only natural—this was a duel for her life. She had to win or die.

“My turn. Draw.” Kira looked at his card. “Oh, what luck. Against a Fairy user, this is the perfect card.”

Reggie: “?”

The perfect card against Fairies?

She felt a bad premonition.

Kira set a monster face-down.

“I set a monster in defense position.”

Then, the Graveyard vortex appeared—a monster card’s image emerged.

“Effect of ‘A/D Changer’ in my graveyard: I banish it to change the battle position of a monster.”

He banished ‘A/D Changer’ and pointed to his set monster.

“I flip my set card face-up—Lyna the Light Charmer!”

The cute, white-haired mage appeared.

[Lyna the Light Charmer, ATK 500]

“Lyna’s effect: When flipped, I can take control of an opponent’s LIGHT monster.”

Kira smiled.

“I’ll take control of ‘Tethys, Goddess of Light’. Thanks for bringing out such a strong Fairy on your first turn.”

Lyna waved her staff. Tethys leaped to Kira’s side.

“You—!” Reggie gritted her teeth.

Of course she’d run into a Lyna. Her deck was 90% LIGHT attribute.

But she just felt unlucky; she didn’t realize that this wasn’t a coincidence.

Kira didn’t usually run Lyna—he’d put this in just for her.

That’s the upside of dueling canon characters: you always know what to expect.

“Lyna, attack ‘Divine Spirit Parmal’!”

With only 500 attack, but Parmal’s defense was just 300. Lyna’s staff shattered the little angel.

Now, with her only defense gone, Tethys—now under Kira’s control—could attack directly.

Reggie clenched her fists.

If she lost to her own monster, that would be humiliating.

This was her own Shadow Duel, with her own monsters—felt like self-destruction.

No way.

“Activate trap: ‘Negate Attack!’ Your monster’s attack is negated, and the Battle Phase ends!”

A vortex shield absorbed Tethys’s strike.

“Blocked it, huh.”

Kira didn’t mind.

“This is only the beginning.”

He set three cards.

“Set three cards. End turn.”

He gestured for her to continue.

There were more surprises in store for Reggie.

Chapter 382: I’ll Handle This Myself

“My turn! Draw!” Reggie called.

She glanced at her card, then glared at her own stolen Tethys.

“Tch. You dared steal my angel. You’ve got guts.”

Kira just smiled.

The darkness around Reggie thickened, and a distant, cold voice whispered again.

“Don’t panic. Tethys is only under his control as long as Lyna’s effect lasts.

The Elemental Charmers are tricky against their corresponding attributes, but their effects must be maintained.”

Reggie’s eyes lit up. “You mean…”

“Exactly.”

The eyes in the mist narrowed, glaring at Kira.

“He’s clever—he only emphasized that Lyna ‘can take control,’ purposely vague about the effect.

But he can’t fool me.”

“I see.” Reggie understood. “If Lyna leaves the field, control of Tethys returns to me.”

[Lyna the Light Charmer, ATK 500]

Only 500 attack!

Reggie glanced at her cards and made a plan.

“Continuous Spell: ‘Court of Justice’!” she declared. “Its effect only works if I have a Level 1 Fairy. Since I have ‘Divine Spirit Parmal,’ I can activate it.

Once per turn, I Special Summon a Fairy from my hand!”

The golden circle glowed brightly—a new angel about to descend.

So long as she had a Level 1 Fairy, she could summon her strongest angels every turn. That was Reggie’s main tactic: quickly call forth powerful Fairies to dominate the field.

“This woman’s good too,” Jaden said. “With a Level 1, she can summon any high-level Fairy instantly?”

Zane, arms folded, frowned.

No. It wasn’t that simple.

At first glance, Lyna seemed like an exploitable weak spot, but this was the Yellow King—he’d have more tricks than just stealing an angel.

And sure enough, Kira said, “Oh right, with Court of Justice, you can call another big Fairy. If Lyna is destroyed and you get Tethys back, you’ll attack me again. Oops, my bad.”

“Quick on the uptake,” Reggie sneered. “But dirty tricks won’t save you. This turn’s your last.”

“True, letting you through would be trouble. So…”

Kira grinned slyly and snapped his fingers.

“Activate set card: Quick-Play Spell ‘Quick Summon.’ I can Normal Summon a monster from my hand.”

Reggie tensed.

A sudden Normal Summon now?

“I tribute ‘Tethys, Goddess of Light’ to Tribute Summon—”

Kira raised his hand; Tethys vanished in a white whirlwind. In her place stood a domineering white machine, radiating oppressive force.

“Spell Canceller, summoned!”

[Spell Canceller, ATK 1800]

Reggie’s face twisted.

“NANI—?!”

Spell Canceller!?

“Oh, you recognize it.” Kira smiled. “While it’s on the field, neither player can activate Spell Cards, and all Spell effects are negated.

So your ‘Court of Justice’—”

“Gets negated!” Jaden chimed in. “Nice one, Kira!”

Zane said nothing, but wasn’t surprised.

See? Just as expected.

The Yellow King would never settle for just stealing an angel.

“Not just Court of Justice,” Kaiba remarked. “Reggie’s deck heavily relies on Spells. Her other core, ‘Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen’, also allows Special Summoning any Fairy every turn.

If she can’t use those, her usual tactics are crippled.”

Mokuba: “That’s Kira for you.”

His dueling always struck right at the opponent’s weak point.

“A dangerous kid.”

A cold voice whispered in Reggie’s ear.

“Step back. I’ll handle him myself.”

Reggie’s face changed.

“No, wait! I can still fight, please don’t—don’t come into my body—”

But the force ignored her. Black mist surged into her, and she collapsed, clutching her heart.

But the darkness propped her up again—her eyes now cold and vicious.

“Tragoedia, I presume?” Kira said. “Long time no see.”

“Hmm, you can sense me even through this woman? You’re dangerous, kid.”

Dark energy erupted from Reggie.

“You can’t be left alone.”

Tragoedia, controlling Reggie, snapped her hand.

“Activate trap: ‘Sixth Sense!’”

A sinister voice.

“Declare two numbers from 1 to 6. The opponent rolls a die—if it lands on one of the chosen numbers, draw that many cards. Otherwise, send that many from the top of your deck to the graveyard.”

“Of course: I declare 5 and 6.”

The die rolled. Reggie’s eyes glowed red, dark energy surging.

“Fate is as set as this die—stop!”

It landed on 5.

“Draw five cards!”

Chapter 383: The Planets Descend

With Tragoedia in control, Reggie’s presence skyrocketed—five cards drawn instantly!

“Next, the effect of ‘Samsara Dragon’ discarded by Card Destruction.”

Reggie’s tone was icy.

“Banish this card from the graveyard to return a Level 5+ Dragon from the graveyard to the hand, then Tribute Summon it.”

“Ah, so there are non-Fairy monsters,” Kira mused.

Reggie’s deck should’ve been pure Fairies, but as Tragoedia’s puppet, it made sense he’d add his own cards.

“Banish ‘Samsara Dragon’ to add ‘Krystal Dragon’ from the graveyard to hand!”

“Crystal Dragon has 2600 ATK—if summoned, that’s trouble.”

“Well, no choice…”

Kira calmly raised his hand, shadows flickering across his face.

“Activate set card: Continuous Trap—‘Light-Imprisoning Mirror!’”

Tragoedia: “!”

The crowd was stunned—

—he’s not leaving any hope at all!

“While ‘Light-Imprisoning Mirror’ is on the field, all LIGHT monster effects activated on the field or in the graveyard are negated.”

Kira said casually, “I put this in for your Fairies—but Samsara Dragon is also LIGHT, right?”

Tragoedia: “…”

Even the now-suppressed Reggie was shaken.

Seriously!?

Spell Canceller and Light-Imprisoning Mirror together basically shut down her entire deck.

She hated being possessed, but for once, she was almost glad Tragoedia was in control—because if it was just her, she’d have no way out. She couldn’t even play.

“Samsara Dragon’s effect is activated from the graveyard. Light-Imprisoning Mirror negates any LIGHT effect from the field or graveyard, so Samsara Dragon’s effect is negated.”

“Tch. You dare challenge me.” Tragoedia’s voice was cold. “Then see what happens when you anger me.

The effect of ‘Angel O1’ in my hand: By revealing a Level 7+ monster, I can Special Summon it.

I reveal the Level 8 ‘Splendid Venus’ and Special Summon ‘Angel O1’!”

[Angel O1, ATK 200]

A tiny angel appeared, but all eyes were on the card just revealed—

The Planet Series, Venus!

“Brother, another Planet Series!” Mokuba looked at Kaiba.

“Oh? Venus is with this one?” Kaiba said.

Venus was Reggie’s ace in the original, but probably given by Tragoedia.

“While ‘Angel O1’ is on the field, once this turn, I can Tribute Summon a Level 7+ monster in face-up Attack Position.”

Tragoedia continued:

“I tribute ‘Angel O1’ and ‘Divine Spirit Parmal’—descend! Planet Series—

—Splendid Venus, summoned!!!”

The golden-armored angel descended, white wings shining, feathers drifting in the holy light.

[Splendid Venus, ATK 2800]

“That’s Venus,” Koyo said gravely. “A fellow Planet Series to my Terra.”

“To call out a Planet Series with that lineup… this girl’s strong,” Mokuba said.

“No, it’s not her dueling anymore,” Kaiba replied.

“Huh?” Mokuba was confused.

But Kaiba just frowned at the black mist circling Reggie.

This Duel City’s contestants were even more complicated than he’d expected.

“Hahaha! Now that Venus is here, the tables have turned. She’s the perfect Planet Series against you!” Tragoedia laughed. “‘Splendid Venus’s ability—Absolute Sanctuary!’”

Her staff struck the ground; a golden barrier spread out, blocking Spell Canceller’s effects.

“While Venus is on the field, none of my Spell/Trap effects can be negated!” (old effect)

In the card game, this effect was later changed to: “The activation and effects of your Spell/Trap cards on the field cannot be negated.”

A subtle but important difference.

At first glance, it’s minor, but it changes a lot of Venus’s combos. After the nerf, many old tricks no longer work.

“The Planet Series Venus… so that’s the effect,” Zane muttered. “Giving all your Spell/Trap cards ‘cannot be negated’ protection—she’s the nemesis of decks that try to lock you down.”

He glanced at Kira.

For you, that’s probably the most troublesome monster type, right? So what will you do now?

“…”

“Venus’s effect is continuous—it doesn’t require activation,” Tragoedia said. “‘Light-Imprisoning Mirror’ only negates activated effects of LIGHT monsters, so Venus is unaffected and her effect persists.

And since Venus was Tribute Summoned with ‘Angel O1’s effect, I haven’t used my normal summon yet.”

He revealed another card.

“So, I Normal Summon—‘Dark Valkyria’!”