Yugioh [426-428] (Patreon)

Chapter 426: Secret?

Gorlag swung his blazing sword at lightning speed. The audience saw only a flash of fire as it pierced the arena, burning away Ojama Yellow on Kira's field until nothing remained.

[Ojama Yellow, DEF 1000]

The Arbiter continued, "Gorlag's effect activates.

 After destroying a monster in battle and sending it to the graveyard, Gorlag can special summon that destroyed monster to your own field in attack position at the end of the turn.

 The summoned monster's effects are negated, but its attribute becomes FIRE."

"A battle-stealing effect!" Jaden couldn't help but exclaim.

"And since its ATK increases with the number of FIRE monsters, that's terrifying," Midori said gravely. "What a fearsome monster."

Gorlag's flames shot from its sword, piercing the ground and binding the now-defeated Ojama Yellow in the underworld.

"Activate set card," Kira declared. "Trap Card: 'Ojamarble!' When a face-up 'Ojama' monster you control is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, shuffle it back into the deck, draw two cards, then discard one." (Anime card)

The defeated Ojama monster vanished from the graveyard, Kira shuffled it back into his deck, and drew two cards, discarding one.

With its target gone, Ojama Yellow faded into light, and Gorlag's flames grasped at nothing, returning fruitlessly.

"Ojama," the Arbiter frowned.

 To use such a weak monster in the finals, against himself? 

Unthinkable.

Even the Arbiter, who had switched strategies against different finalists, had brought his main deck for the finals out of caution.

 Was Kira looking down on him by using fodder monster?

Of course not. Facing a boss of this level, Kira wouldn't be so reckless.

 But he knew the Arbiter excelled in multiple tactics and was adept at countering opponents' decks. Using unpredictable strategies here would give Kira the element of surprise and avoid being countered.

After the last duel, Kira felt his fate energy was at an all-time high—more in tune with his deck than ever before. In this state, he could handle even mismatched systems with ease.

Spectators, including the Arbiter, likely expected a clash of titans in the finals, a battle for the world's fate. But none could guess what awaited the Arbiter.

The Arbiter: "Set one card. End turn."

"My turn, draw," Kira said. "At the start of my turn, the card I discarded with 'Ojamarble' was 'Treeborn Frog.'

 Treeborn Frog's effect: if it's in the graveyard and I control no spells or traps, it can special summon itself during my standby phase."

He raised his duel disk, and a beam of light brought Treeborn Frog onto the field.

[Treeborn Frog, DEF 100]

"Also during the standby phase, 'Take Over Five' in my graveyard activates: banish it and one copy from the deck, then draw a card."

Kira drew, then immediately played: "Spell Card 'Spider Web'—add a card sent to your opponent's graveyard last turn to your hand." (Anime card)

 White threads shot from the card, snatching a card from the Arbiter's graveyard.

"I add 'Pot of Greed' to my hand, then activate it to draw two."

The Arbiter: "Using my Pot of Greed?"

Kira drew two, then played one at once.

"Spell Card 'Smashing Ground'—destroy the opponent's monster with the highest defense."

A crack ran beneath Gorlag, causing it to fall and shatter.

"I only had Gorlag," the Arbiter nodded. "It's destroyed."

"Now, I tribute Treeborn Frog to tribute summon—

 The Nemesis of Magic—

Spell Canceller!"

Treeborn Frog vanished in a swirl of light, and a massive white machine appeared with a roar.

[Spell Canceller, ATK 1800]

"Oh! Kira's Spell Canceller!" Jaden yelled.

"As long as Spell Canceller is on the field, neither player can activate Spell Cards, and all Spell effects are negated," Kira declared.

"The Field Spell 'Seal of Orichalcos' is present," the Arbiter said coolly, "but it cannot be negated."

Kira ignored him: "Direct attack with Spell Canceller."

A blast of energy struck the Arbiter. He stood firm, calmly absorbing the blow.

[Arbiter, LP 4000 → LP 2200]

"Excellent!"

Even Zane couldn't help but cheer.

"First blood—Kira has seized the advantage."

Kira set three cards.

"Set three cards. End turn."

The Arbiter calmly brushed imaginary dust from his shoulder.

"A neat attack, and you've sealed my Spell Cards."

The Arbiter narrowed his eyes.

Spell Canceller was troublesome for him.

 With Spell Cards sealed, he couldn't activate the higher levels of the Orichalcos barrier, leaving his deck's strategy hamstrung.

Could Kira have known about his deck's features and chosen Spell Canceller as a counter?

But only Dartz had ever used Orichalcos before—only Atem and Kaiba had seen it in action.

How did this man know? Did Seto Kaiba tell him?

No, he suspected Kira might even know more than Kaiba.

The Arbiter's frown deepened, finding Kira more inscrutable and himself more cautious.

"Fujiki Kira, what secret are you hiding?"

Chapter 427: A Flaw in the Lock

"My turn, draw."

The Arbiter drew.

But before he could move, Kira snapped his fingers and flipped a set card.

"Activate Trap: 'Ojama Trio!'

 Special summon three Ojama tokens to your opponent's field!"

Yellow, green, and black tokens leapt onto the Arbiter's field, each settling in to snack, read, or nap.

"Sorry to intrude!"

"Hope you don't mind us using your yard."

"Zzz..."

The Arbiter frowned at these fodder monsters given to him.

"Next, activate another set card, Continuous Trap—"

Kira swept his hand and activated another.

"—'Spatial Collapse!'"

Jaden jumped up: "That combo!"

He remembered it well—it was the combo that brought endless trouble to the Paradox Brothers with Kira.

The Space Lock with Ojama cards!

"Spatial Collapse: As long as this card is on the field, each player can only have five cards on their field. If there are more, send cards to the graveyard until there are five.

 Once the limit is reached, neither player can play more cards."

Mokuba: "Ah, the Arbiter has..."

"Three Ojama tokens, the Seal of Orichalcos, and one set card—exactly five," Kaiba said.

"Hmph, such weird tactics."

 He couldn't help but smirk, glancing at the Arbiter.

With this, the Arbiter couldn't summon new monsters or set new spells/traps. And with Spell Canceller, Spell Cards were already unusable.

The Arbiter's expression turned odd.

"Spatial Collapse, combined with Ojama, seals my ability to play cards. That's a terrifying tactic, very much your style."

He studied Kira.

"Doma knows everything in this world. I've investigated you, Fujiki Kira.

 You used to dislike such tactics. In fact, for most of your life, you were a completely ordinary amateur duelist.

 Yet in just half a year, you rose from obscurity to the top of the dueling world.

 What an inspiring story."

Kira frowned, silent.

The Arbiter didn't mind his lack of response, only lowering his voice:

"One question. At this stage, on this stage—are you really Fujiki Kira, or someone else?"

Kira's heart skipped.

Could he have guessed Kira was a transmigrator?

 But after a moment's surprise, Kira regained his composure.

 Even if the Arbiter knew, it wouldn't affect the duel.

He just needed to focus.

"Not fazed at all... You must think, with Spatial Collapse locking me out, I'm as good as dead, right?"

He smiled mysteriously.

"Ojama Trio's tokens can't be tributed for tribute summons, so unless you can reduce their number, you can't break the lock. A fearsome tactic. But not without a flaw."

He raised his hand, a red trap card spinning out from his graveyard.

"From the graveyard: 'Breakthrough Skill.'

 During your own turn, banish this card from your graveyard to negate the effect of one of your opponent's monsters until the end of the turn!"

Mokuba was shocked: "Activating a trap from the graveyard!"

Kaiba explained, "Traps activated from the graveyard don't need to be placed on the field. He caught that loophole."

"Breakthrough Skill negates Spell Canceller's effect for this turn."

A ring of light bound the white machine; Spell Canceller's power faded.

"With spells no longer sealed, I activate—"

The Arbiter flipped his set card.

"Spell Card: 'Sky Union!'

 Tribute three Ojama tokens to special summon from the deck—

 Air Fortress Ziggurat!"

The three tokens vanished, replaced by a sky-piercing beam.

 A black steel fortress, like a floating mountain, cast a foreboding shadow. Gears, pipes, and cannon arrays bristled with destructive power.

[Air Fortress Ziggurat, ATK 2500 → 3000] (Orichalcos boost)

"Ziggurat!?" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Alister's fortress was also designed by Doma," Kaiba noted.

"Oh, right," Mokuba remembered.

 Doma's card factory really did make terrifying things.

"Ojama tokens can't be tributed for normal summons, but other forms of tributing are allowed. So I used them for Ziggurat's special summon."

The Arbiter said coldly.

"Now, my field has only two cards, so Spatial Collapse's lock is broken."

Mokuba gulped.

 "He found a way to use traps from the graveyard and a loophole to tribute the tokens for something other than a tribute summon...

 He's amazing."

He glanced nervously at Kira and his brother, but both seemed unfazed, as if expecting this counter.

"Air Fortress Ziggurat, attack Spell Canceller!"

Hundreds of cannons locked on, firing a net of death—flames, lightning, and energy waves raining down, destroying Spell Canceller instantly.

[Kira, LP 4000 → 2800]

"Battle phase over."

The Arbiter solemnly drew another card, then smiled.

"This card can only be activated while 'Seal of Orichalcos' is on the field.

 This duel will now enter a new stage."

His duel disk's field zone opened again, blue lightning crackling.

"By sending the Seal of Orichalcos to the graveyard, I activate the second barrier—

 Orichalcos Deuteros!"

Chapter 428: The Second Barrier

The second barrier, Orichalcos Deuteros, activates!

 A second green light shot into the sky, forming a rune-inscribed ring, sealing the arena even more tightly.

"The second barrier is up," Mokuba murmured, looking at Kira with deepening worry.

As it activated, the Arbiter's Orichalcos mark glowed, his power surging, the beast in his eyes growing fiercer.

"Orichalcos Deuteros counts as the Seal of Orichalcos and has all its effects," the Arbiter said.

"And it has a new ability: Once per turn, during your main phase, recover 500 LP for each monster you control.

 Right now, I have only 'Air Fortress Ziggurat,' so I recover 500."

Waves of energy flowed from the fortress into the Arbiter.

[Arbiter, LP 2200 → 2700]

"Set three cards. End turn."

He paused.

"End phase: Ziggurat's effect activates.

 At each of my end phases, I special summon a 'Robot Token' in defense position."

A small robot appeared, crouching in defense.

[Robot Token, DEF 0]

"While a Robot Token is on the field, you can only attack it."

Kira had seen this effect before against Alister's fortress, so he wasn't surprised.

"My turn, draw."

Kira drew, then flipped his set cards.

"Activate 'Good Goblin Housekeeping'—draw a number of cards equal to the number of 'Good Goblin Housekeeping' in my graveyard plus one, then return one card to the bottom of the deck.

 And a second copy as well."

Both activated.

"And now, Quick-Play Spell 'Emergency Provisions'—send spells/traps from your field to the graveyard to recover 1000 LP each.

 I send both 'Good Goblin Housekeeping' and 'Spatial Collapse'—three cards—to recover 3000 LP."

All three dissolved into golden light, surging into Kira.

[Kira, LP 2800 → 5800]

"Both 'Good Goblin Housekeeping' cards are now in the graveyard, plus the third one sent by 'Take Over Five' earlier.

 I draw four cards total, put one back.

 So, two activations—draw eight, return two."

A massive hand refill.

"End of effect, moving to standby phase.

 With no spells/traps on my field, Treeborn Frog in the graveyard can be special summoned."

A vortex opened, and Treeborn Frog hopped out again.

[Treeborn Frog, DEF 100]

"Impressive—refilling your hand and clearing your field to enable Treeborn Frog," the Arbiter noted. "Plus a huge LP boost.

 Such precise tactics—offense, defense, staying power—can the old Fujiki Kira really do this?"

Kira frowned.

"Who are you really?" the Arbiter demanded coldly.

Kira paused.

"I don't understand what you mean," he replied coolly.

"Drop the act. Let's be honest," the Arbiter said. "I've investigated you—your life was so ordinary, your dueling career unimpressive.

 Suddenly, you make miraculous progress. The ordinary may be fooled, but not me.

If you're worried about your true identity being revealed, don't be.

 With the second barrier, this conversation is blocked from others—only you and I can hear it."

He narrowed his eyes.

 "So, tell me—where are you from? A high-level spirit? A monster born from the darkness of the mind, like Tragoedia? Or a powerful soul residing in this body, like the Pharaoh?

 Or…"

He lowered his voice.

"…a god from another world, like me?"

Kira was stunned, then realized—the Arbiter thought they were the same kind of being.

In his eyes, for a loser to suddenly become a dueling god, there was only one explanation:

 A spirit or god soul taking over.

And since Kira played with such ruthless and inscrutable tactics, the Arbiter had lumped him in with the likes of Tragoedia or Zorc.

"I am who I am, believe it or not," Kira said, not caring about the misunderstanding.

"Tribute Treeborn Frog—

 Tribute Summon!

 The evil monarch from the abyss—

Caius the Shadow Monarch!"

A deafening roar, darkness engulfed everything as the giant appeared, crackling with purple-blue lightning.

[Caius the Shadow Monarch, ATK 2400]

"When Caius is summoned, banish one card from the field."

"Nice!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Ziggurat isn't affected by spells or traps, but monster effects can break through!"

Kira swept his hand.

"Caius—banish Air Fortress Ziggurat!"