Yugioh [498-503] (Patreon)

Chapter 498: High-Spec Swordswoman

"So that's really the end, huh!?"

Only now did the Vampire's Curse realize something was off.

[Kira, LP 5500]

"Five thousand five!?" The vampire was shocked. "When did you—"

You healed again?

"Oh."

Kira flashed a Spell Card.

"When you activated 'Destruct Potion,' I chained this card," Kira said. "Quick-Play Spell 'Emergency Provisions.' By sending Spell/Trap Cards on the field to the Graveyard, I gain 1000 Life Points for each one."

He then showed two cards that had just hit the Graveyard.

"I sent the Trap 'Intruder Alarm - Yellow Alert' that was activated in the same chain, and the Continuous Spell 'Mirage of Nightmare' to the Graveyard," Kira said. "Two backrow, so I gained 2000 Life Points."

The Vampire's Curse curled his lip.

Didn't expect the other guy to be able to heal too.

But—

His gaze swept his own field: his two big Vampire monsters.

After its revival, Vampire's Curse gains 500 ATK by its own effect, and during damage calculation it gains another 500 ATK from "Vampire Kingdom." While "Evil Eye of Coercion" is active it can attack directly, so that's a straight 3000 damage.

Vampire Lord has 2000 ATK, and when it attacks it likewise gains the "Vampire Kingdom" boost for +500. If the attack goes through, that's 2500 damage.

Total, exactly 5500.

Cut down.

At that thought, the vampire's mouth tugged into a grin.

"So you were hiding a life-saving trick like that... But muda! This turn, you still have to face defeat!"

"Effect of Evil Eye of Coercion!"

The vampire's aura surged.

"Have the freshly revived 'Vampire's Curse' attack directly!"

A black cloak billowed. The single demonic bone wing beat up a storm, its edge glinting dark red in the blood moon's light.

A shriek like a thousand bats poured out from every side of the imperial castle, swarming the vampire and wheeling about him, a dense, airless gale, a net of darkness woven like a weapon obeying orders.

"After revival, Vampire's Curse's ATK increases, and with 'Vampire Kingdom' stacked on top, during damage calculation its ATK totals 3000!"

"That's the same ATK as Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Jaden said.

"Die, you lapdog of the Supreme King—"

"Don't rush. Before entering damage calculation—Trap, 'Call of the Earthbound'." Kira calmly raised a hand. "When the opponent declares an attack, I choose the attack target."

Crap!

The vampire's pupils shrank. He realized at once what was coming—

"Reassign Vampire's Curse's attack target. The monster I choose is, of course, 'Reflect Bounder'!"

[Reflect Bounder, ATK 1700]

Kira smiled slightly and crooked a finger.

"And when Reflect Bounder is attacked, before damage calculation, it reflects damage to the opponent equal to that attacking monster's ATK."

[Vampire's Curse, ATK 2500]

The vampire's image was reflected in the mirror—then a phantom vampire seemed to burst out of the surface! Identical to the Vampire's Curse, it sprang across the field without mercy, came face-to-face with the original, and with a flick of its claws drew a line across the original's neck.

"Gwaaah!"

[Vampire's Curse, LP 4000 → LP 1500]

"Damn..."

The vampire was already coughing blood.

He had guarded against everything, used every trick and tool, and still couldn't avoid this cursed mirror. A humanoid Magic Cylinder had bounced the hit straight back into his own face.

"...But the battle isn't over, and battle damage still gets calculated," the Vampire's Curse snarled. "Destroy that Reflect Bounder!"

"I know," Kira nodded.

Reflect Bounder isn't literally Magic Cylinder. It has "reflect damage equal to the attacker's ATK," but doesn't "negate the attack."

In other words, after the reflection, it still gets destroyed by battle.

"And when we enter damage calculation, Vampire's Curse's ATK increases by 500!"

[Vampire's Curse, ATK 2500 → ATK 3000]

The vampire's claws fell. The mirror shattered. Reflect Bounder completed its mission and exited the stage with honor.

[Kira, LP 5500 → LP 4200]

"It's not over. I still have my Lord who hasn't attacked!" the vampire roared. "Vampire Lord, direct attack!"

The remaining Lord lunged forward. From the imperial scenery a swarm of bats rose up again, circling him. Blood mist like tangible power flowed into his body, granting a brief boost.

This time Kira had no answer. He only raised his Duel Disk like a shield to meet the blow—

[Kira, LP 4200 → LP 1700]

Finally landed a hit!

The Vampire's Curse was almost in tears of joy—this hit had been so hard-won.

But he didn't forget to continue the sequence: "Now for the Lord's effect! When Vampire Lord inflicts battle damage, I declare 'Spell.' You must send a Spell from your Deck to the Graveyard!"

Kira nodded, searched his Deck, and sent the ejected Spell to the Graveyard.

"And at this timing, the effect of 'Vampire Kingdom' also activates. Once per turn, when the opponent sends a card from their Deck to the Graveyard, I send a Vampire from my Deck to the Graveyard and destroy a card on the field!"

He pointed at Kira's last remaining swordswoman, his face twisted.

"Begone! You cursed swordswoman!"

Bats and blood mist swirled around Amazoness Swords Woman, and with a boom she exploded and left the field.

"Hahahaha—"

Seeing the other side's toxic swordswoman and gloomy mirror both wiped clean, the vampire felt a rush of elation, as if a stuffy weight was finally vented.

Damn, you love reflecting, you love recoil.

Go on, reflect another one, why don't you?

"My turn. Draw."

Kira looked up and smiled lightly.

"Not bad. You cleared both the swordswoman and the Reflect Bounder. Then it looks like I should summon something a bit more proper on my side..."

The Vampire's Curse tensed.

Only now did he realize that up to this point, the opponent had been stalling with low-level, turtling little monsters. If that's the case, had he just been toying around this entire time, not even serious?

So what he's about to bring out now... is a true ace-tier big monster—

He had to admit, though he'd never seen this kind of strategy before and it made his blood pressure spike the longer it went, he could feel this person was unlike any opponent he'd faced.

This guy is strong.

And now someone like that planned to get serious...

He steeled himself completely.

Stay calm. 

No matter what gets summoned, the Vampire's Curse is undead. No matter how many times you destroy him, he'll keep reviving stronger.

As long as you stack enough lives, there's no monster he can't fell—

"Activate the Spell Card 'Tribute Burial.'"

Kira coolly flipped a card from his hand.

"When this card is activated, as a substitute for a Tribute Summon, you can banish 1 monster each from your and your opponent's Graveyard, and treat them as the Tributes."

An anime card used by Marik—Kira had found that Marik had quite a few cards to his taste.

This one actually has a real print, with the core idea intact. In the original, it could be used to summon any Level 5+ monster without restriction—whether 1, 2, or 3 Tributes all got covered—while the printed version only covers Level 7+ monsters that require two Tributes.

And the real card added a self-restriction: after activation, you can't Special Summon for the rest of the turn—something the original didn't have.

The Vampire's Curse blanched. "Using monsters in the Graveyards to Tribute Summon?"

"Banish your 'Vampire Bat' and my 'Reflect Bounder' from the Graveyard as Tributes—Tribute Summon!

Show yourself—Level 10 monsters!"

The vampire's heart pounded.

A Level 10 boss!

All the blood clan on the field paled.

This is the spirit realm—ninety-nine percent of spirits who live their whole lives here only ever hear that Level 10 monsters exist.

To them, Level 10 is god-tier, a dimension mortals can't touch.

And here and now, this man was actually commanding a Level 10 monster?

The Vampire's Curse was aghast, and couldn't stop trembling.

This was also his first time in life facing a Level 10 monster.

What would it be like?

Then, in the summoning vortex, a slender yet jagged demon body with folded arms rose from the golden light.

The demon's bone wings spread slowly. Its beautiful heterochromatic eyes gleamed with eerie light. The third eye on its brow opened, as if it could pierce a soul.

"Level 10—Yubel," Kira said. "Summon."

"Yu—Yubel?"

That caught even Jaden flat-footed for a second.

Then he instantly remembered—oh right, the Arbiter.

A friendship gift from the Arbiter, no doubt—

[Yubel, ATK 0]

The Vampire's Curse was dumbfounded.

A Level 10 boss with 0 ATK?

But he didn't dare underestimate it. If anything, the demon gave him an ominous chill; just meeting those three pretty heterochromatic eyes filled him with fear.

"Battle," Kira said evenly. "Yubel, attack 'Vampire's Curse.'"

Instinctive terror in the vampire spiked. "Using a 0 ATK monster to attack!?"

His voice was already trembling.

"Yup. But Yubel takes no battle damage and can't be destroyed by battle.

And—"

Kira smiled faintly.

"She deals to the opponent damage equal to the battle damage she would have taken." (original effect)

The Vampire's Curse froze.

Then his mouth slowly fell open as he stared at this Level 10 boss, his expression twisting—

No way!

A high-spec PLUS version of that cursed swordswoman!?

This is your ace? This is your Level 10 boss??

Is there seriously not a single normal monster in your entire Deck???

But Yubel had already descended before his vampire. A wicked red gleam flashed in her eyes. It was like a tease, like she was saying, Come on then, come closer—

Then the vampire's duplicate's eyes lit with the same eerie glow. As if losing control of his body, he roared and hurled himself at Yubel—

"No—stop, don't go!"

The vampire bellowed.

"Yamero (stop)!!!"

But his avatar ignored him. Its claws raked across Yubel—

Yubel wore a look of bliss. The impact was absorbed in full, then rebounded along clinging vines, lancing straight back through the vampire's heart.

"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"

[Vampire's Curse, LP 1500 → LP 0]

Chapter 499: Doesn't Look Like a Good Person

The Vampire's Curse was flattened by one reflected shot. Feeling his life ebb away, it was as if all strength were leaving his body; his limbs turned boneless, and he collapsed, unable to muster even a shred of force.

A total loss.

Yet it didn't feel like losing a normal Duel.

He could now see that from the start, the opponent's Deck had no plan to square up head-on. Amazoness Swords Woman, Reflect Bounder—those small fries were one thing. But even the ace-level boss of the Deck turned out to be a thing like that.

A Level 10 boss!

This was his first time ever seeing a Level 10 boss, and likely the last. And yet both its art and ability were nothing like the Level 10 boss he'd always fantasized about.

A Level 10 that turtles—can you believe it?

Of course, if Kira heard that, he'd just laugh.

We're barely getting started.

Oh, honest folks from another world—get hit with an Amazoness Swords Woman and a Yubel a couple times and you're already about to lose it.

If someday you hear there's a Deck called "Mikanko," won't you just vomit three liters of blood and drop dead on the spot?

Let's just say "degenerate/burn/reflect" play didn't spring up out of nowhere in some era; throughout the long history of Yu-Gi-Oh it's never gone extinct. As the game sped up and top-tier Decks got stronger, the degenerates evolved right along with them and always kept a seat at the table.

The meta's boards get faster and flashier; the degenerates' lockdown grows by the day. Any era, they're always there.

The vampire's worldview began to wobble.

The only Level 10 big-shot he ever met in life is a 0 ATK turtler, and he couldn't help wondering—could it be that his understanding of Dueling had always been wrong?

Could it be that real masters' Duels are, in principle, entirely different from the pecking battles of us low-tier spirits?

Maybe a Duel is supposed to be like this...

The more he thought, the more it seemed plausible. Looking back, the opponent had crushed not just the board but his mind, eroding his mental defenses until he grew more irritable the longer it went. In hindsight, that's also an excellent psychological tactic.

A pity he seemed to have reached his limit. At life's end he'd glimpsed the true higher art of cards—only to stop here.

"Forgive me, Your Highness. It seems I can't fight to the end for you..."

The vampire slowly closed his eyes.

Then realized something.

Wait—why am I not dead yet?

In the spirit realm, these are battles of life and death. When your LP hits zero, your real life ends. He should be gone already—

He opened his eyes to see Kira walking up calmly. Kira wore an ominous pendant, black miasma coiling off him, radiating a sinister yet imperious kingly air that made one avert their eyes.

"You're not going to kill me?"

the Vampire's Curse asked in a low voice.

"We're not the Supreme King's army. If anything, we might even be on the same side."

Kira came to stand over him and smiled gently.

"We're on our way to the Supreme King's citadel to make trouble for him."

Headed to the Supreme King's citadel—

The vampire started, his eyes widening as if to see whether this man was just bluffing.

Going after the Supreme King? The invincible Supreme King!?

They say when the King first descended, resistance flared everywhere, one challenger after another defying him.

But in the end, the King crushed all twelve dimensions with overwhelming force. The fate of all challengers was without exception to become corpses beneath his throne.

At some point, no one challenged the King anymore. Even though the blood clan still resisted, none of them entertained the idea of challenging that supreme throne.

Because it's impossible.

The Supreme King's strength is not in their dimension—this is common knowledge. He's the emblem of the unbeatable, the god of war undefeated. To challenge him is just seeking death.

"By the way, if it's on the way, we'd like to stop by the vampire clan and have a look. Could you point us to where that is?"

The vampire was even more surprised.

This man didn't even know where their castle was?

If he were a local, that would be common knowledge. The castle has stood where it is since who knows how many years ago. The Supreme King's army has attacked several times and hasn't broken it yet.

But word is reinforcements have been transferred in, and another attack may come any day. That was why the vampire had been so anxious—he didn't know if their castle could survive the next assault.

Thinking of this man's strength, he quickly realized: if the reinforcements the Supreme King's army transferred were a commander like this, their castle would really be doomed.

The bloodborn hesitated, then shook his head. "I won't tell you."

He believed, somewhat, that these two weren't with the King—but he kept his guard up.

Kira only nodded in understanding and didn't press. He crouched in front of the vampire and slowly reached out a hand.

The vampire saw him crouch, saw that eerie black aura coil around his hand, the pendant on his chest flickering ominously, and felt a growing sense of dread.

His body tried to recoil, but his limbs were somehow bound by an invisible black fog. No matter how he strained, he couldn't move, and could only watch that hand, fingers extended, draw closer to his face.

A chill washed over him like falling into an icy cavern. He tensed. "W-what are you doing?"

"Oh, trying a new trick I learned. It's fine, don't worry—just opening up your brain to take a look." Kira smiled.

"!?"

Listen to yourself!

He immediately realized—this was a Dark Duel technique!

In the spirit realm, they'd only heard the rumors. Here, while Summoned monsters deal real damage, a Duel can only decide life or death. The winner can reduce the loser to ash, but that's it.

Dark Duelists are different, they say. Through a Dark Duel you can do far more than kill: manipulate, read minds, bind souls, and so on.

But only fairly high-tier powerhouses in the spirit realm can wield that power.

The Vampire's Curse could almost feel something burrow into his head, and his face went pale. "Y-you're going to do something to my brain..."

"Don't squirm. You won't get hurt. At worst it'll sting a little... probably."

Behind him, Jaden watched Kira at work. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but swallowed it.

He only thought to himself: Kira is looking less and less like a good person...

Chapter 500: Castle War

In the distant, lightless wastes, an ancient castle towered in the night. A blood moon hung high, a baleful red shrouding heaven and earth. Huge black stones stacked into age-worn walls, scuffed and scarred everywhere.

This was the vampires' castle.

Once, this had been the "Vampire Kingdom," the very place depicted on that card art. But after years of war, even that once-mighty empire had reached its twilight, leaving only this jet-black bastion behind.

Blood-moon light fell through the lattice onto a carpet like dried gore. A pale girl sat on a shadowed chair. Blood nobles in finery bowed low upon the red carpet before her seat.

"The Cursed Baron has not returned?"

the girl in the dark asked softly.

"No, Your Highness," one of the bloodborn said. "It has been more than two weeks. He likely..."

He didn't finish, but his tone wasn't hopeful.

The girl pondered for a moment.

"...The Cursed Baron is among our most capable commanders," she murmured. "Perhaps..."

"Yes, Your Highness. But we still must prepare for the worst."

the bloodborn said.

"Word is the Supreme King's army has transferred forces this way. They could attack any time. I think we have to plan assuming the Baron will not return."

The girl sighed lightly.

"Very well. Then let's leave it at that."

She waved weakly.

"I'm tired and need to rest. If there's nothing else urgent, you may go. The rest we'll discuss next time."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The vampire rose and left the great hall.

The girl sat quietly a moment in the dark, then stood and walked out.

She wore a black, Lolita-style dress, layers of ruffles like a dark rose swaying in the night. Her face was extraordinarily pale, like fine porcelain under first snow, an untainted purity. Even so bloodless, her rare beauty and delicate features showed through.

She went down into the castle's depths.

This was a place of death—the catacombs beneath the imperial fortress. The once-noble clansmen and brave warriors rested here, or else their Duel Disks—if there was nothing left of them to bury.

The girl came to an empty coffin and knelt, her long fingers picking up stones and stacking them.

A grave marker.

She was building a tombstone for a bloodborn who perhaps had once again failed to return.

The girl sighed softly.

The vampires called her "Your Highness" and would pay any price to fight for her. So many clansmen depended on her, hoping she could lead them out of peril and restore their glory.

But what could she do?

No one could face the Supreme King. Many had tried, some far stronger than she; all had failed.

This place being overrun by the King's army was only a matter of time. And she had no idea what to do.

She knelt and stacked stones in silence until footsteps sounded outside.

"Y-Your Highness!"

A vampire rushed down in a panic.

The girl rose without expression. "What is it?"

"T-the Supreme King's army!"

The bloodborn was out of breath, flustered.

"They're here!"

Her heart sank.

So the rumored reinforcements had arrived?

She nodded to show she understood. Then she stood, brushed the dust from her black skirt, and walked out with measured steps.

Outside the castle, the shouts of battle already shook the sky.

Vampires and armored soldiery were locked in brutal melee. Birds and drakes wheeled in the air, spitting flame and breath, ravaging the battlefield.

The remaining vampire captains had all manifested Duel Disks and rushed out, each pairing off with a Supreme King commander to decide victory by Duel.

This way of fighting looked less blood-soaked than the close-quarters carnage elsewhere, but it was no less deadly. Every card played gambled a life; a single misstep meant annihilation, the fallen sometimes scattering to ash on the spot with nothing left to bury.

The girl in black climbed the walls, looked down from above, and saw rivers of blood, bones strewn everywhere—battle raging, grim and fierce.

Her face was calm, but as she turned her arm formed a Duel Disk. She was ready to leap down and fight in person.

But before she could advance, she paused. She'd noticed something.

A commotion had erupted at the rear of the Supreme King's forces.

At first it was shouts from the soldiers, drowned out by the chaos. Then a beam of white light flitted through the ranks like a butterfly, blasting spirits skyward in its wake, and only then drew eyes.

The girl blinked, focusing hard to make it out: it seemed to be a spirit as well.

Some kind of spellcaster.

A white-clad spellcaster, glaringly out of place on this dark, blood-reeking field. White robes left flickers as they flashed by; everywhere the staff's energy thundered out, each strike detonating clusters of Supreme King soldiers.

The girl's eyes widened.

That looked like an ally?

But she didn't remember any allied mage of such power.

And that wasn't all. Heaven and earth suddenly shifted, as if the blood moon were being cleaved by sword aura. Blades of force ripped the air and rolled over the Supreme King's army.

The rank and file had never seen anything like it, and they broke into shouts and panic. The rifts torn by sword energy were like scars in space, carving through the formation and dropping soldiers by the dozen.

A warrior in full armor, sword and shield in hand, descended wreathed in chaos, like a god. Wherever he landed, a no-man's-land appeared; all spirits around him fell back in terror, worshiping like before a deity.

On the battlements, the girl watched, shocked and delighted.

Spirits this powerful were vanishingly rare across the dimension—where had such mighty helpers fallen from the sky?

"Make way!"

A figure stepped from the Supreme King's ranks, and the soldiers hurriedly opened a path. An armored demon warrior, long sword in one hand, Duel Disk on the other, his face savage.

The white spellcaster and the warrior—of course, Silent Magician and Black Luster Soldier—descended left and right and came to ground on either side.

Kira strolled forward unhurriedly, Jaden at his back. Jaden glanced around at the blood-soaked field and murmured, "So this is a spirit war..."

The demon barked, "You aren't vampires, but you are Duelists. Who are you? Do you dare stand in the way of General Zure under the Supreme King!?"

Zure?

Kira looked him up and down—and suddenly remembered.

Zure, Knight of Dark World—Level 4, 1800 ATK. In the anime he was a garrison commander overseeing a prison camp. Jaden struggled against him until the local resistance leader, "Freed the Brave Wanderer," sacrificed himself to become a card and intervened, turning the tide.

Kira narrowed his eyes at the Dark World demon.

Not bad. This guy actually got himself promoted to general?

Chapter 501: A Familiar Combo

"I see. You do seem like a somewhat special Duelist."

Zure waved his men back and raised his Duel Disk.

"Interesting. Since you dare block the Supreme King's army, be prepared to pay the price," he rumbled. "This one is mine."

Kira smiled and unfolded his Duel Disk too.

"Funny—that's just what I was going to say."

"Duel!" x2

[Kira, LP 4000]

 [Zure, LP 4000]

"I'll go first. Draw."

Zure glanced at his hand, then immediately flipped a card out.

"I Normal Summon 'Gene-Warped Warwolf' in Attack Position."

[Gene-Warped Warwolf, ATK 2000]

"Then I set one card. Turn end."

"Then it's my turn. Draw."

Kira drew, and a small smile tugged his lips.

"A rare chance—you haven't hit the field in a while.

I Normal Summon 'Jinzo - Jector.'"

[Jinzo - Jector, DEF 2000]

"Jector's effect—tribute this card," Kira said. "Add from Deck to hand 1 'Jinzo' monster other than 'Jinzo - Jector.'"

A card popped from his Deck, and he took it.

"I add 'Jinzo' to my hand."

The android's phantom flared behind him for a heartbeat, red light flashing in its eyes with an invisible, imperious pressure.

"Then I can reveal all of your Set Spell/Trap Cards," Kira continued. "And I can Special Summon from my hand 'Jinzo' monsters up to the number of Traps among them."

Zure snorted. "You want to peek at my set?"

Kira snapped his fingers. "Trap scan."

Jector's eyes fired red scan rays, locking onto Zure's backrow. The Set flipped—it was indeed a Trap.

Trap Card — Explosion Fuse.

An anime-original Zure used in his Duel with Jaden. When you destroy an opponent's monster by battle, you Special Summon a monster called "Power Bombard" from hand/Deck in Attack Position and equip this card to it.

Next Standby Phase, the equipped monster is destroyed and your opponent takes 1000 damage.

"Confirmed you have a Trap, so by 'Jinzo - Jector,' I can Special Summon up to 1 'Jinzo' from my hand—

—'Jinzo,' come forth!"

Jector's body dissolved, whirling up a golden summoning vortex. A dignified android stepped from the light, arms crossed, crackling with electricity—a chill aura rolling off him at his entrance.

[Jinzo, ATK 2400]

The moment Jinzo landed, an invisible field snapped open—a lattice of lightning like chains bound Zure's backrow Trap in place, unable to twitch.

"Jinzo, attack 'Gene-Warped Warwolf,'" Kira said. "Psychokinetic Wave."

Red light flashed in Jinzo's eyes. He crossed his palms and unleashed a roaring ball of psychokinetic energy. The Warwolf bellowed and swiped, but it was helpless before that violent force—its chest blown open, body bursting apart.

[Zure, LP 4000 → LP 3600]

"Mm. You've got some bite," the Dark World knight grunted.

"I set two cards. Turn end," said Kira.

"Nice—strike first!" Jaden praised. "Keep the momentum and close it out!"

"Heh, don't get cocky, outlander," Zure hissed. "The Duel is only just beginning. My turn—draw!"

He whipped up a Spell. "Spell Card 'Terraforming'! Add a Field Spell from Deck to hand!"

He rifled his Deck, demon eyes whirling.

"Heh-heh, I'm searching this—Field Spell 'Power Zone.'"

The key field for Zure's "Power"-tagged theme—quite literally a "Power" Deck.

He added it, shuffled back, then slammed it down.

"Field Spell—Power Zone, activate!"

A transparent, spherical field of darkness detonated across the arena, like gravity multiplied a thousandfold, grinding the ground to rubble. Shattered stone and debris blasted up, only to be crushed into powder midair.

A massive gravity well had engulfed both sides, an ultra-heavy coliseum.

"Power Zone is the arena of the strong—a domain where absolute power crushes all!" Zure shouted. "Just like this world itself. Only the strong survive; the weak exist to be dominated!"

He slapped another card onto the Disk.

"And the perfect monster for this field! I Summon 'Power Annihilator'!"

[Power Annihilator, ATK 1800]

"Battle! Power Annihilator attacks 'Jinzo'!"

The black fiend snarled and lunged at Jinzo. Jinzo seemed offended that such a lowly monster dared challenge him—red eyes flashing, his palms gathered a counterblast on their own.

"Attacking with a weaker monster?" Jaden blinked.

"Power Annihilator's effect!" Zure barked. "When it battles a monster with higher ATK, during the Damage Step, it gains 1000 ATK!"

[Power Annihilator, ATK 1800 → 2800]

"!"

A monster version of Skyscraper, huh?

With a sudden surge, Power Annihilator plowed straight through Jinzo's psychokinetic shot. Jinzo grunted as claws pierced him; his form exploded.

Jinzo was miffed.

Finally got to hit the field, and it's cannon-fodder duty again...

[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 3600]

"Heh—there's more. At this moment, 'Power Zone' triggers," Zure declared. "Within the Power Zone, battle has a price!

When a monster on the field is destroyed by battle, its controller takes damage equal to that monster's original ATK!

Your Jinzo's ATK is 2400—eat an extra 2400!"

A gravity shock slammed down at Kira, blowing a deep crater at his feet.

[Kira, LP 3600 → LP 1200]

Jaden: "!!!"

A field version of Flame Wingman?

A Skyscraper-like monster effect, then a Flame Wingman-like field effect...

Why does this combo feel so familiar?

Chapter 502: Never Won a Game, Have You?

[Kira, LP 1200]

"See? This is the domain where only the strong survive—the Power Zone!" Zure cried. "Only by wielding power can you fight here to the end!"

"Mmh. I don't disagree with that part."

Kira straightened and flicked his hand.

"Then, when I take damage from battle or a card effect—activate this card.

Trap Card 'Dark Horizon.'"

"When you take battle/effect damage: Special Summon from your Deck 1 DARK Spellcaster with ATK less than or equal to the damage."

A beam of dark light shot from his Disk.

"I just took 2400 effect damage, so I can Special Summon any DARK Spellcaster with 2400 or less ATK.

I Special Summon 'Witch of the Black Forest.'"

[Witch of the Black Forest, ATK 1100]

"My Trap has also triggered—and you already know it," Zure said. "Trap Card 'Explosion Fuse.' When I destroy an opponent's monster by battle, I Special Summon 'Power Bombard' from my Deck!"

[Power Bombard, ATK 1000]

"The monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed in my next Standby Phase, and you take 1000 damage," Zure barked.

"And when my 'Power Annihilator's' ATK changes, this card is also destroyed and you take damage equal to Power Annihilator's original ATK!"

In short, the moment Power Annihilator battles and its ATK changes, the bomb goes off—literally a "Power Bombard."

Power Annihilator's original ATK is 1800.

"So, as soon as Power Annihilator battles and its ATK changes again, Power Bombard self-detonates, then you take 1800," Jaden summarized.

"Kira's LP is 1200—his attack is locked out... Oh-hoh, that's kind of nasty!"

For now, Power Bombard's ATK can't beat the Witch, so no further attack.

"Activate Trap 'Rainbow Life,'" Kira said. "Discard 1 card—my LP returns to what it was at the start of this turn. Also, for the rest of the turn, any battle/effect damage I would have taken becomes LP gain." (anime effect)

[Kira, LP 1200 → LP 4000 → LP 6800]

"Six thousand eight hundred!?" Zure's heart lurched.

He tanked damage to trigger 'Dark Horizon' and pull from Deck, then turned around and used 'Rainbow Life' to absorb it and rocket his LP...

Isn't that a free roll?

"And your Power Annihilator—while it's great into higher-ATK monsters, it has a downside, doesn't it?" Kira smiled.

"Hoh? You do know a lot," Zure nodded. "That's right. When Power Annihilator battles a monster with higher ATK, it gains 1000 ATK—but when it battles a monster with lower ATK, it loses 1000."

"I see!" Jaden said. "So if it battles anything with 1800 or less ATK, Power Annihilator drops to 800..."

Which means even the Witch of the Black Forest can beat it now. With Witch at 1100, in battle Power Annihilator's ATK falls below hers.

"Heh, good. But then I activate this."

Zure revealed another card.

"By paying 1000 LP, I activate the Continuous Spell 'Power Spirit' from my hand!"

A shimmering barrier wrapped his Power Annihilator.

[Zure, LP 3600 → LP 2600]

"As long as 'Power Spirit' is face-up, you must use a monster whose ATK exceeds the target's by at least 1000 in order to destroy my monsters by battle."

"Must exceed by at least 1000..."

Jaden frowned, thinking it through.

"So if you attack with monsters 1800 or below, Power Annihilator's ATK would drop to 800, but because of 'Power Spirit' you're forced to attack with something 1800 or higher anyway..."

"Ha-ha, exactly! And if you attack with 1800+ ATK, 'Power Annihilator' triggers and jumps to 2800!"

Zure laughed.

"With Power Annihilator plus Power Spirit, to beat Power Annihilator by battle you'd need a monster with at least 3800 ATK!"

"Ooh, that's a neat combo!" Jaden grinned. "Kinda strong."

Kira shot him a look.

Yeah—on an earlier timeline, Jaden did have a headache dealing with this setup for a while.

"I set one. Turn end," Zure said, brimming with confidence. "Heh, 3800+ ATK—that's practically godlike.

If you can beat my Power Annihilator, go ahead and try!"

"You've got the wrong idea," Kira smiled.

The goal of a Duel is to win. Why would I have to beat your ace to do that?

"What?" Zure blinked.

"My turn. Draw."

Kira drew unhurriedly.

"A Duel is to defeat the opponent and decide the winner—not to show off by smashing their ace. Let me make you feel that with your body.

I tribute 'Witch of the Black Forest'—

—Tribute Summon: Catapult Turtle!"

The Witch dissolved into golden motes. A turtle hefting a rail-cannon on its back took her place.

[Catapult Turtle, ATK 1000]

"When Witch of the Black Forest goes to the Graveyard: add from Deck to hand 1 monster with 1500 DEF or less.

The one I'm adding is—"

He slowly displayed a heavyweight.

"From my Deck, 'Magical Scientist' to my hand."

Magical Scientist, Level 1, 300/300. Looks like a scrub, but it's a perennial Forbidden list veteran.

Funny enough, in GX this is one of Misawa's cards. He never used it on-screen, but the anime did flash it among his collection.

Which makes Misawa a curious sort—many competitive players never noticed him, yet most have used his cards.

He vanished later and barely touched the plot, yet a casual shot from the animators would blithely showcase universe-ending power in his binder...

Like this one.

"Spell Card 'Dark Magic Veil'—I pay 1000 LP to Special Summon a DARK Spellcaster from hand or Graveyard."

[Kira, LP 6800 → LP 5800]

"I Special Summon 'Magical Scientist.'"

[Magical Scientist, ATK 300]

Zure sneered. "Heh, that weakling?"

"Magical Scientist's effect—pay 1000 LP; Special Summon 1 Level 6 or lower Fusion Monster straight from the Extra Deck. Monsters Summoned by this effect can't attack directly."

Kira revealed a Fusion.

"Pay 1000 LP; Special Summon—

—Level 6, 'Ryu Senshi'!"

[Kira, LP 5800 → LP 4800]

 [Ryu Senshi, ATK 2000]

"And I'll pay another 1000," Kira said. "Special Summon a Level 6 Fusion—

—Koalo-Koala! Come forth!"

[Kira, LP 4800 → LP 3800]

 [Koalo-Koala, ATK 2800]

Zure's nerves tightened.

Pay LP to churn out Tribute-class monsters, with no once-per-turn cap—this old scientist is terrifying!

"But even so, you still can't beat my Power Annihilator!" Zure barked.

"I said—I don't need to."

Kira's voice stayed calm.

"Catapult Turtle's effect: Tribute a monster on my field; inflict damage to you equal to half its ATK.

I Tribute 'Koalo-Koala'—half of 2800 is 1400 damage."

The Koala hopped onto the turtle's rail and became an electrified shell that blasted forth.

Zure reacted: "Then my Set—Trap Card 'Energy-Absorbing Monolith'! Make effect damage I take 0, and I gain that much LP instead!"

"Won't work," Kira said. "Ryu Senshi's effect—pay 1000 LP; negate a Trap's activation."

[Kira, LP 3800 → LP 2800]

Zure's pupils contracted.

A Trap counter too... So that's why he brought out Ryu Senshi first?

Ryu Senshi's blade flashed—an arc of force cleaved the freshly-triggered panel in two.

The rail shot continued. The Koala, wrapped in crackling energy, slammed into Zure and detonated.

"Gwaaaah!"

[Zure, LP 2600 → LP 1200]

"I'll pay another 1000 LP," Kira said. "Special Summon a second 'Koalo-Koala.'"

[Kira, LP 2800 → LP 1800]

 [Koalo-Koala, ATK 2800]

Zure lay where the last blast had dropped him, barely able to speak.

"Y-you... this..."

Magical Scientist. Catapult Turtle...

He'd faced strong Duelists and monsters before. The Supreme King's Duels inspired dread and made resistance unthinkable; monsters with fierce effects could at most make him shudder at their might.

But today—for the first time in his life—watching someone Duel made him feel this: are you freaking hacking?

Just how doggedly degenerate do you have to be to come up with this?

"Catapult Turtle—fire the second 'Koalo-Koala.' Load the round," Kira said.

The giant furball became ammo again, the rail-cannon screaming. Faced with a streaking, electrified meat shell, the Dark World knight could only stare in despair—

"Guaaah!"

[Zure, LP 1200 → LP 0]

Chapter 503: Fraulein

With the Dark World knight down, the Supreme King's ranks visibly sagged.

The death of a commander is a deathblow to morale. And everyone knows—here, Dueling is largely about momentum. When your spirit breaks, your Deck goes limp.

Especially in this meta where everyone runs piles stuffed with baffling jank: if your opening hand bricks at that moment, you're not even playing.

With Zure fallen, his subordinates scattered, hearts shattered. The blood clan surged, flooding forward to rout the enemy.

Jaden grabbed two quick Duels after that, but they were simple—Flame Wingman just A-pressed to victory.

Kira took down two more captains as well, though they were far below Zure, perhaps rattled by the morale collapse.

One Supreme King captain who'd been winning against a vampire commander even faltered when he saw the battle swing, his mindset wobbling. He made mistakes, the vampire pounced, and flipped the script.

About half an hour later, the dust settled. The Supreme King's army was dead or fled; their Duel captains annihilated, most grunts dead or captured, the few survivors scattering.

With the battle over, Kira and Jaden entered the city with the victorious vampires and were led into the castle.

The Vampire's Curse they knew on the road seemed to rank high—many bowed as he passed. He led them straight to the castle's heart.

Soon, they stood before the pale girl in black.

"Ooh, impressive—like a queen," Jaden said, wide-eyed at the opulent hall.

His first time in a place like this. The palace was like a dream long dormant, cradled in blood-moon light. The soaring dome bore intricate carvings—bats poised to fly, twined with vines and thorns. A massive ruby set at the center, like the clan's eye.

Kira looked to the pale girl at the far end.

"Ah. Fraulein."

"Huh?" Jaden tilted his head.

"Vampire Fraulein—a rare spirit," Kira explained.

"That girl?"

At the word "spirit," Jaden perked up, peering at her. She was bloodless, fragile as if just recovered from illness—if not for knowing she was a vampire, he'd think a breeze could tip her over.

"Is she strong?" he whispered.

She didn't look like much of a fighter.

"Of course," Kira smiled.

Vampire Fraulein—Level 5, 600 ATK/2000 DEF.

When an opponent declares an attack, you can Special Summon her from your hand in Defense Position. When your Zombie battles an opponent's monster, you can pay LP in multiples of 100; your monster gains ATK/DEF equal to the amount paid, for that battle only.

And when this card destroys a monster by battle, at the end of the Battle Phase you can Special Summon the monster it destroyed to your field.

A hand-trap-like defense on attack declaration, a way to convert LP into ATK, plus a battle-based NTR. In today's environment, solid Zombie support.

"Traveling Duelists, thank you for your aid."

Fraulein spoke softly.

"Without you, the battle would have been far bloodier."

She glanced curiously at the Vampire's Curse who had returned with them.

"Your friend?"

Though she asked, she found it strange she'd never heard of such a powerful ally.

The vampire looked embarrassed. "No, uh... we just met on the road."

And fought. Well—more precisely, I got beaten up.

He'd spared some attention for their side while in his own Duel and watched Kira flatten the Dark World knight.

Which is why he was more awed than the others.

He knew the Deck used on him earlier wasn't even the same as the one used here.

In the real world, a Duelist running multiple Decks isn't rare; in the spirit realm, it's remarkable. Even if spirits can Duel, most only have one Deck.

And now, it seemed the man who toyed with him earlier wasn't even using his main...

No—likely even the one against the Supreme King's army wasn't his main either.

To command so many Decks skillfully and hit this hard no matter what he picked—in this world, that's terrifying.

Thinking of how he had brazenly charged such a figure earlier, the vampire broke into a cold sweat. The big shot had been magnanimous—overlooked his rudeness and even helped. Admirable...

No—more likely, he simply hadn't been worth noticing.

Who cares if an ant bites?

"These two lords say they're looking for the Supreme King's citadel," the Vampire's Curse reported.

At the name alone, faces in the hall paled.

The Supreme King's citadel!

Like the taboo of its master's name, the place itself was a forbidden topic. Just speaking it made mouths shut, let alone approaching it.

Fraulein's eyes flickered, but she smoothed over quickly.

"Oh? What do you intend to do there?"

"What else?" Jaden put his hands on his hips with a grin.

"Kick the Supreme King's butt, of course."

At that, more faces blanched. The timid hunched and glanced about, as if afraid that merely uttering such insolence would summon the invincible monarch to obliterate them on the spot.

If before the vampires' looks held only respect, now there was a touch of incredulity—like they were watching madmen sprinting to their deaths.

Only Fraulein kept her composure. "Do you believe you can defeat the Supreme King?"

"Of course," Jaden said with confidence. He thought for a moment, glanced at Kira, and added with a smile:

"Even if I can't, Kira definitely can."

"I see."

She nodded, pondered a beat, then lifted her gaze. Her face was as pale and blank as ever—but her words made the hall gasp as one.

"In that case, honored heroes... it is presumptuous, but—will you take me with you?"

PS: Another Waifu spirit.