Yugioh [618-623] (Patreon)

Chapter 618: Whose Card Are You Trying to Steal?

Domino City, Hospital.

Midori walked through the narrow corridor. As she approached the door, she could already hear two excited voices, one adult and one child, inside the room.

“I summon ‘Elemental HERO Bubbleman!’ Since there are no other cards on the field when Bubbleman is summoned, I draw two cards from the deck!

Then I activate the Spell Card ‘Pot of Greed’ to draw two more cards!

Then I equip the Equip Spell ‘Bubble Blaster’ to Bubbleman, raising his ATK by 800!”

That was Jaden’s voice.

“Not bad, Jaden. In that case, I’ll get serious too.

I also summon ‘Elemental HERO Bubbleman’ and draw two cards from the deck!

Then I activate ‘Pot of Greed’ and draw two more cards!

Then I activate ‘Bubble Blaster’...”

That was Koyo’s voice.

Midori: “...”

She coughed lightly and pushed the door open, but neither the adult nor the boy turned around. Both were still completely absorbed in their simulated duel.

But in fact, they weren’t really dueling. Both were sitting cross-legged on the bed, using the blanket as a playmat, placing their cards on it as if in a mock duel.

While this kind of play could help relieve the urge to duel and hone some skill, it wasn’t a real duel.

There were actual academic studies on this. Without using a Duel Disk or other projection systems, but simply sitting around like playing poker, it was hard for a duelist to get into the real “spirit” of dueling. So while this was fine for practicing the basics, it was really just playing cards, not a true duel.

“Sister is here,” said Koyo, greeting his sister Midori as she entered, smiling.

“Jaden really didn’t slack off these last six months. I can tell you’ve improved a lot.”

“Isn’t that right?” Midori smiled.

 “Jaden has always worked hard, you know.”

“It’s a shame—I was really hoping to have a full-on duel with you now, Jaden,” Koyo sighed.

“No way. The doctor said you still need to rest,” Midori immediately put on a stern face.

 “Especially—absolutely no dueling. Do you understand?”

Of course, that was only natural. After all, everyone knows dueling is an exhausting and risky sport; no responsible doctor would allow it.

“It’s fine. Now that Mr. Koyo is awake, there’ll be plenty of chances later on,” Jaden chuckled and began putting away the cards.

“That’s true,” Koyo mused, thinking for a moment.

 “By the way... that guy who did this to me—he got defeated by your classmate, that new Duel King?”

“Yep, he got thoroughly beaten. The whole school saw it,” Jaden grinned. “You should have seen it, Mr. Koyo—Kira was amazing, really strong!”

“Is that so? Hearing that makes me want to duel him myself,” Koyo leaned back against the pillow, gazing out the window, somewhat lost in thought.

 “Maybe I really am getting old...”

He looked lost for a moment, an air of loneliness about him.

Jaden hesitated as if unsure how to comfort him.

Suddenly, Midori smacked her brother on the back.

“Ugh—”

 Koyo almost spat out in surprise.

“What are you doing, sis? Can’t you be a little gentler—I’m still a patient, you know.”

“Acting like a tiger fallen from the mountain at your age. But you haven’t even reached the top yet, have you?” Midori said.

 “You should realize by now—a world champion is only the starting point for reaching an even higher platform.

Now that you’ve seen the height of the peak, pull yourself together and aim higher from here!”

Koyo was stunned, then closed his eyes and smiled softly.

“You’re right, sis. What was I even thinking?”

“Yes, being world champion is just the beginning. From today, I’ll start over and aim for Duel King all over again!”

“Haha, then you’d better watch out, Mr. Koyo,” Jaden wiped his nose confidently.

 “Because I’m aiming to be Duel King too, and I won’t go easy on you!”

“Of course! Bring it on, Jaden!”

 Koyo pounded his chest—but the motion made him cough violently, almost unable to catch his breath.

“I’m fine... cough... I’m fine,” he waved off Jaden and his sister’s concern, then let out a long breath.

“But speaking of which, Kira is already the Duel King, yet he never stops—always busy. Even during break, you can’t get hold of him. Who knows what he’s so busy with all the time...”

Jaden muttered, also gazing out the window, lost in thought.

…

At the same time, somewhere unknown—

“Is everyone here?”

A tall woman sat at the table, legs crossed, scanning the people in the room with cold eyes.

“Patrick’s still on his way,” said a man in dark sunglasses, checking his messages.

 “He said he’s delayed a bit, but he’ll be here in five minutes.”

“Good.” The tall woman nodded. But before she could say more, someone interrupted.

“No need to wait for him. Let’s get to the main point,” said a bearded man, sitting up eagerly. “Is it true? Principal McKenzie, he...”

“My eyes and ears at Duel Academy saw it with their own eyes. It’s absolutely true,” the tall woman said calmly.

“No way, I don’t believe it!” a blond man slammed the table. “Principal McKenzie’s strength is unfathomable. The power shards of the Planet series he gave us are already so strong—how could anyone beat him?”

“I heard about it, too. It was the Duel King himself,” said the sunglasses man. “Maybe Principal McKenzie was ambushed, caught off guard—that could explain it.”

The blond man spat.

 “Damn it, I always heard that Duel King is sneaky and despicable, always attacking by surprise. The Principal must have fallen for one of his dirty tricks...”

“There’s no point talking about it now,” the sunglasses man said. “But you all know, the Principal is immortal. Three thousand years ago, even the priests with Millennium Items couldn’t kill him. Even sealed in the stone slab, the slab itself was indestructible.

Even if he’s lost, he’s probably still around. I heard the Duel King loves taking cards from others’ decks. The Principal’s cards must be with him.”

“Got it,” the bearded man clapped. “We don’t fight him head-on—we find a chance to steal the Principal’s cards back. Then we can free the Principal and have him fight again. The Duel King will never beat him then.”

Everyone agreed—this was a good idea.

After a bit more discussion, the plan was pretty detailed. If it were a head-on duel, none of them felt confident, even if they teamed up. But if it was just about stealing the cards, it seemed very doable.

Just as everyone was getting excited, the door opened.

Patrick walked in, coldly saying, “Sorry I’m late. Had to take care of something on the way.”

“You’re the last one—we’ve finished discussing,” the bearded man said gruffly.

“Just missing me?” Patrick looked around in confusion.

 “Where’s Rebecca?”

“What are you talking about? Rebecca’s been here the whole time—”

Everyone looked toward the tall woman.

But as they looked, they froze.

Where was the tall woman?

The person they’d been talking to, the so-called sneaky and despicable Duel King Fujiki Kira, was sitting there expressionless.

“So, whose card were you saying you wanted to steal?”

Everyone: “...”

Chapter 619: Decided Fate

A vast and magnificent hall, its high dome seemed to contain the mysteries of the universe. The ceiling was inlaid with dazzling gems and crystals, brilliant white light interlacing the space.

Anyone entering this hall would first be struck by the abnormal brightness, so harsh that one could barely open their eyes.

In the center sat a white round table, its mirrored surface reflecting the intense light. A hooded figure sat quietly at the table, most of his face hidden in shadow.

His fingers gently brushed the tarot cards spread on the table, occasionally tapping a card. A tall man stood respectfully behind him.

“Lord Sartorius.”

The man started to speak, but was cut off by a gesture from the hooded figure.

This was Sartorius. He slowly turned over the tarot cards, squinting with an interested smile.

After a moment, he spoke unhurriedly.

“Revolver... is that it?”

“Yes,” the man nodded.

 “That man called Revolver appeared out of nowhere. He and his Knights of Hanoi have been unstoppable lately, seriously disrupting the underworld.

Several organizations have challenged them, but none succeeded. Not only did they lose, but many dark duelists who tried never returned—those who survived had their decks taken.”

“I see.”

Sartorius idly played with his tarot cards.

He turned over another card, then let out a strange laugh.

Before he could speak further, the hall door opened again.

In walked a silver-haired youth in a white suit, exuding the confidence of a true champion.

“Aster.”

Sartorius spoke without turning, as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

Aster Phoenix—an up-and-coming pro duelist, undefeated and rapidly climbing the ranks.

The man standing nearby couldn’t help but add:

 “Lord Sartorius, the Knights of Hanoi’ activities are affecting even our Society’s branch organizations. If this continues, it’ll disrupt our operations...”

“Do as you wish.”

Sartorius cut him off.

The man’s eyes lit up: “Revolver isn’t a problem?”

Sartorius looked at his tarot cards and laughed.

“He’s just a prisoner of fate. Perhaps a bit talented, but there’s nothing worth noting about him.”

The man was overjoyed: “If you’ve given him a fate of destruction, Revolver won’t be a problem.”

“You still don’t understand,” Sartorius shook his head. “It’s not that I give someone a fate of destruction—everyone’s fate is already set. I can only glimpse its direction.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man nodded repeatedly and soon left, bowing to Aster Phoenix as he passed.

Aster approached Sartorius.

 “Is there something you need?” he asked.

“Just some Society business,” Sartorius replied, not looking up from his cards.

Aster had known Sartorius for years, and his predictions had never been wrong.

The Society of Light was Sartorius’s group, always active in the underworld.

“Did you want something today, Aster?” Sartorius didn’t seem interested in Society matters.

Aster smiled, teasing: “I thought you’d already predicted what I wanted before I walked in.”

Sartorius said nothing.

“It’s about Duel Academy,” Aster folded his arms.

 “I still don’t understand why you want me to enroll there. If it’s to duel the Duel King, I could—”

“It’s not the Duel King,” Sartorius interrupted coolly.

“Duel King Fujiki Kira seems dazzling, like a supernova. But that’s not what the cards say.”

He turned over another shuffled tarot card.

“Fujiki Kira means nothing to your progress. There’s someone else you need to meet.”

Sartorius casually placed a card face-up on the table.

The Fool.

“Jaden Yuki,” he said.

Aster frowned. “Never heard of him.”

“A student in Slifer Red at Duel Academy,” Sartorius replied.

“Why would I need to duel a red dorm student to evolve?” Aster said, annoyed.

“Don’t try to understand fate—it’s unpredictable,” Sartorius said in his usual mystical tone. “Just follow the path laid out for you.”

Right, the usual line. I shouldn’t have asked, Aster thought.

But he didn’t protest further—Sartorius’s predictions had never been wrong.

“All right. Jaden Yuki, got it,” Aster left.

Sartorius cut his tarot deck and began a new reading.

“Duel King, Fujiki Kira.”

He turned over the next card, chuckling softly.

“Even a king is doomed before the force called fate.”

…

Tragoedia’s Base.

“Kira, your efficiency is amazing,”

By now, Kira had single-handedly wiped out the base. Kaiba Corp’s team was cleaning up.

Mokuba was video-calling Kira from the office.

“Not bad,” Kira replied as he walked out.

 “Without Tragoedia, the rest are no threat. Two of them just surrendered without a fight.”

Thanks to their cooperation, Kira had gathered the remaining Planet series cards.

Mokuba laughed.

 “That’s your fearsome reputation, Kira.”

“All rumors! I’m not that scary,” Kira protested.

“Right—if anyone met the real you, they’d know you’re even scarier than the rumors,” Mokuba joked.

“...”

“But seriously, there’s something I want to know,” Mokuba said.

Sensing the seriousness, Kira answered, “Ask away.”

After a pause, Mokuba lowered his voice:

 “I heard you infiltrated them in disguise... as a girl. Is that true?”

“...Actually, it was a silent spell for disguise, not really cross-dressing—”

“So it’s true?!”

“Just a simple illusion spell, visual trickery—”

But Mokuba was already laughing uncontrollably.

Kira: “...”

Whatever, as long as Mokuba’s happy.

“Sorry, sorry,” Mokuba said, trying to compose himself. Kira could imagine him wiping tears of laughter.

“I’m hanging up,” Kira said flatly.

“Wait—no, one last thing,” Mokuba tried to regain composure.

 “Have you heard of the Society of Light?”

Chapter 620: Old Acquaintances

Domino City, in a mountain forest.

Sunlight struggled through the dense canopy, dappling the ground in patches like a mysterious veil. Along the winding path, weeds grew in wild disorder.

From afar it looked like nothing but a mess of weeds. But if you parted them, you’d find a narrow gap, barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through. Vines twisted tightly all around, nearly swallowing the opening.

Inside, the cave was dark and narrow, the walls slick with moisture, reflecting faint light, and stones scattered underfoot made every step careful.

Deep in the cave, candlelight flickered.

A woman, back to the entrance, extended a slender hand from the sleeve of her kimono to light a candle. Two masked, ninja-like men knelt behind her.

“So, that’s what my brother said?” the woman spoke softly.

“Seems it’s time to deal with this Revolver. If he interferes with the Society’s operations, that would be bad.”

“Yes, Lady Sarina,” one of the men replied.

The woman nodded and turned around. Her features were exquisite yet pale in the candlelight, giving her a somewhat eerie beauty.

Her name was Sarina, younger sister of Sartorius.

“All right. But Revolver’s got quite a reputation now. Many top duelists have lost to him. Even our elites might not be enough.

So, Thunder, Frost—you two will go.”

The two masked men exchanged glances.

“Is there a problem?” Sarina asked.

“No,” Thunder bowed.

 “But, Lady Sarina, if I may—he’s just a gang leader. I could handle this alone.”

Frost laughed, “Funny, I was about to say the same. Send me alone, Lady Sarina. As one blessed by the Light, I will not let you or Lord Sartorius down.”

Sarina shook her head.

 “No more debate. You’ll both go. That’s final.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the two men replied, then withdrew.

Sarina watched them leave, sighing softly.

“Revolver... what kind of man are you? Will you be the key to shaking my brother’s fate? Or...?”

…

Meanwhile, Kira—now going by “Revolver”—descended into the dark sewers of Domino City.

He recalled hearing that cities were full of superstition.

No matter the country or city, there were always stories: generations leaving their hometowns to seek a place in the cold, dark maze of glass and steel.

Cities like Domino, with their own legends, inspired such tales. People liked to believe it was this magical land that birthed the highest legends of dueling, and there were always rumors of ancient terrifying beings emerging from here.

Some organizations, with ulterior motives, liked to don a cloak of mystery.

Like today’s “Society of Light.”

When Mokuba mentioned the name, Kira guessed immediately—this was Sartorius’s group, or more precisely, the Light of Destruction.

The Light of Destruction was the true boss behind the scenes in all of GX, but never appeared directly. It was a wave of evil light strong enough to destroy the universe—its true power unknown.

As the year two boss, Sartorius was just its possessed pawn; even Yubel, the only undefeated boss in Yu-Gi-Oh! history, was twisted by the Light of Destruction’s influence.

The Society of Light was created by the possessed Sartorius. As the plot of GX year two developed, he entered Duel Academy and expanded his influence, establishing the White Dorm and converting Jaden’s friends one by one.

But that was all Kira remembered about Society of Light.

What Mokuba just told him was that this organization had been around for ages, even predating history, always lurking in the shadows.

Now their followers were mobilizing, ready to bring the world the “baptism of light.”

But Kira found this funny.

Are you guys stealing Doma’s script or what?

How many ancient shadowy organizations can there be?

A lot of people love doing this—making up a long history, forging evidence, or attaching old legends to themselves to make their claims sound reliable.

Kira thought maybe he should try it too—give the Knights of Hanoi an ancient god background or something...

Boom!

An explosion.

The tunnel suddenly collapsed. Kira looked around—both ahead and behind, rocks tumbled down, blocking all escape.

A trap.

Kira understood instantly.

The rumor was that the Society of Light had a base down here. He had hoped to run into Sartorius himself, but had also expected a possible trap.

Not that he cared—even if it was a trap, he’d just beat whoever set it and get some answers.

What surprised him, though, was the figures that appeared on both sides of the tunnel, blocking his way like guardians. Towering and majestic, exuding a kingly presence, like ice and snow mixed with crackling lightning.

Two incarnate spirits.

What shocked Kira wasn’t that they were spirits, but who they were.

He knew them all too well.

Mobius the Frost Monarch!

Zaborg the Thunder Monarch!

Chapter 621: The Monarch Brothers

"Whoa, it’s actually some old acquaintances."

Kira sized up the two mighty Monarchs blocking his path from both ends, his eyes lighting up.

Monarch spirits—now that was a rare and precious thing.

After all, Monarch cards themselves belonged to the rare series; spirits were even more elusive.

Kira had already collected all the Monarch series available in the current environment, so he didn’t lack the cards themselves. But as for spirits, he only had one so far—Caius the Shadow Monarch—and it had been warming the bench for a while now, almost relegated to being the water boy of his internal spirit team.

But now, upon seeing his two peers appear, Caius immediately sensed the aura and floated out in his spirit form, hovering behind Kira.

"Whoa, I didn’t expect to run into them in a place like this."

He paused, sounding rather pleased.

"Hey, when they join us later, I’ll have to set the record straight and show them who’s boss."

As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Having followed Kira for a while, Caius seemed to have adopted this mindset—he had only just met Thunder and Frost Monarch a few seconds ago, but already assumed they’d be his own people soon enough.

Neither Caius nor any of the other spirits in the team found this odd; it just seemed natural.

After all, their opponents were villains, and yet they so brazenly brought their own spirits to block their master’s way. Wasn’t that basically putting a "hit me" sign on their necks?

All that was missing was a placard on their necks saying "delivery man."

"As expected, you took the bait—Revolver."

Two men appeared one after the other in the narrow tunnel, standing beside Frost Monarch and Thunder Monarch. One had purple hair, the other wore a hat and looked every bit the villain.

"My name is Thunder."

"I am Frost."

They introduced themselves in turn, then spoke in unison.

"Fate has guided the two of us here, to await your arrival. Revolver, we are the end of your destiny!"

Kira was not surprised at all by their appearance, and actually smiled with satisfaction.

"So the intel was right—there really were some Society of Light rats hiding here."

In fact, once he saw the Frost Monarch and Thunder Monarch spirits, he had already guessed as much.

Because, in the anime, these two were spirits under the Society of Light.

Actually, all four Monarch spirits appeared during the Society of Light arc in GX, and their users’ names were bluntly based on their attribute (e.g. Frost for Frost Monarch, Thunder for Thunder Monarch).

The Monarch series is already rare, and spirit versions even more so. So, running into two at once could only mean these were the same ones from the anime.

Otherwise, what are the odds? Such rare spirits, and he just happens upon two.

But Kira found their attitude amusing, and simply asked, "So, from the sound of it, you’ve been waiting for me?"

"Of course, Revolver. We’ve been waiting just for you," sneered Frost.

"This place is now sealed by the Frost-Thunder barrier—it’s the Monarchs’ domain. If you can’t beat us, don’t even think about leaving."

"I hear you’ve made quite a name for yourself lately," Thunder chuckled. "We brothers wanted to see just how powerful this Revolver leader is."

They exchanged a glance.

"Last time you went first, so this time it’s my turn, right?" Thunder said to Frost.

"Tch, can’t wait to snatch the credit, huh?"

Frost said in annoyance.

"This is different from last time—I don’t recall agreeing to take turns with you."

"What did you say?"

Just as the two were about to argue, Kira smiled and interrupted, "Come on, you’re brothers. Why get into a fight over an outsider like me? Tell you what, don’t bother with who goes first or second. I’ll take you both on at once. Come together."

The two looked at each other, then grinned.

"Heh. We’ve heard of your arrogance, Revolver. Seems you live up to your reputation. Fine."

Thunder narrowed his eyes and sneered.

"Don’t regret it."

They spread out to either side, taking their positions.

"Let’s use tag mode—each side gets one turn, and on our side, we two brothers will alternate turns. Each of us will have 4000 LP. Sound good?"

That was fairly sporting. Although they took a double HP and hand/field advantage, at least they weren’t trying to cheat him out of turn order.

Kira shrugged. "Fine."

He didn’t really care—a mixed battle rule giving the other side an extra turn wasn’t a big deal.

"Confident, are you? Then let’s go."

"Duel!" x3

[Kira, LP 4000]

[Thunder, LP 4000]

[Frost, LP 4000]

"I’ll go first. Draw!"

As Kira drew from his deck, the phantom of Caius the Shadow Monarch floated out behind him, grumbling.

"Not even a chance to appear, huh..."

Caius wasn’t in this deck, and he sensed it, a little disgruntled.

"Ahahaha, next time, next time for sure."

Kira laughed it off.

"I set a monster in defense position and one face-down card. Turn end."

"Then I’ll start for our side!" Thunder shouted. "My turn, draw!"

Frost shot him a glare. "Tch, just because you called it faster than me..."

The order of turns was determined randomly by the duel disk, but within their team, who went first was just a matter of agreement.

Thunder was quicker, so he grabbed the first move.

"I activate the Spell Card ‘Fiend's Sanctuary’! This lets me Special Summon a ‘Metal Fiend Token’!"

Kira wasn’t unfamiliar—an old acquaintance. In the DM era, Kaiba had given this card to Yugi as the key to defeating the Winged Dragon of Ra.

Of course, that was back when Normal Spells could be activated during the opponent’s turn, and summoning a monster on the opponent’s attack declaration didn’t cause battle replay. Using the Metal Fiend Token’s effect to reflect battle damage, you could KO Marik after he dropped to 1 LP to use Ra’s effect.

Now, with proper rules, Normal Spells can’t be used on the opponent’s turn, so this tactic no longer works.

"Tribute the Metal Fiend Token for a Tribute Summon!"

Lightning flashed in Thunder’s eyes as he slammed his card down, laughing.

"Appear at this very moment—

—Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, summon!"

Chapter 622: All Absorbed!

As Thunder slammed his card onto the duel disk, the air seemed to grow oppressively heavy. Thunder roared in the sealed underground space, as if the whole tunnel trembled.

A blinding bolt of lightning tore through the darkness, striking the center of the field. The radiance gathered, forming a towering, divine figure woven of electric light.

The Monarch who commands thunder appeared.

Kira was certainly no stranger to "Zaborg the Thunder Monarch." As a user of the Monarch series, he knew them all. But he had to admit, an Monarch with a spirit was on a different level—the mere aura at its appearance was completely different.

[Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, ATK 2400]

"The great Light grants me absolute power, embodied in this Zaborg the Thunder Monarch!" Thunder declared. "Thunder Monarch’s effect activates! When this card is Tribute Summoned, I can destroy one monster on the field!"

He punched the air, pointing at Kira’s set monster.

"No matter what wall you put up, it’ll disappear now!"

Lightning gathered in the Thunder Monarch’s hand like a javelin. Kira’s set monster flipped up—a small, adorable bird curled in a ring of airflow, which let out a sad cry as it was destroyed.

[Air Sphere, DEF 300]

Of course, this was a card he took from Kagemaru. Kira found this manga-exclusive deck interesting and had recently finished tuning it. Today was a good chance to test it.

"Heh, just a fodder monster," Thunder sneered. "Also, when Thunder Monarch is successfully summoned, this guy’s effect in my hand activates—

 —Illusory Snatcher!"

A shadow separated from Zaborg, forming a new body in the mist, taking on a form similar to the Thunder Monarch but darker, with red glowing eyes.

[Illusory Snatcher, ATK 2400]

"When you Tribute Summon a monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Its Type, Attribute, and Level become the same as the Tribute Summoned monster," Thunder explained.

With 2400 ATK/1000 DEF, it was clearly Monarch-support.

"Now I activate my trap too," Kira said. "Trap Card ‘Soul Rope’! When a monster is destroyed, I pay 1000 LP to Special Summon a Level 4 monster from my deck." (Anime effect)

Printed card version only triggers if destroyed by a card effect, but in the anime, this was a go-to card for summoning the three knights for God card tributes.

[Kira, LP 4000→LP 3000]

"Pay 1000 LP, Special Summon ‘Synthesize Sphere’ from the deck!"

A Level 4 Sphere emerged from his deck in a flash of light, wings spread to defend the field.

[Synthesize Sphere, DEF 1000]

"Heh? Summoning more fodder?" Thunder sneered. "But these will also be crushed by the Monarchs."

"Synthesize Sphere’s effect," Kira interrupted, "When summoned, Special Summon a Level 4 or lower ‘Sphere’ from the graveyard.

Revive ‘Air Sphere’."

[Air Sphere, DEF 300]

"Tch, your wall fodder sure recovers fast," Thunder grunted, then shot a glance at his teammate. "Alright, I’ve cleared the fodder, you handle the finishing blow."

Frost pouted. "Easy for you to say, just dumping the tough job on me?"

Thunder ignored him, waving forward. "Go! Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, crush the fodder!"

Thunder Monarch launched another lightning javelin. But the Air Sphere screeched, and the lightning was dispersed by its air barrier, vanishing.

"What?" Thunder was shocked. "How can such fodder block the Thunder Monarch..."

"Air Sphere’s effect: as long as there’s another ‘Sphere’ on my field, your monsters can’t declare an attack," Kira said.

"Ugh, fodder with annoying effects," Thunder spat.

Frost looked at him, unimpressed. "So you didn’t even manage to clear the field."

"Shut up! I at least summoned Thunder Monarch and Illusory Snatcher, so all you need to do is attack mindlessly with the power I left you. Isn’t that enough?"

Seeing them about to bicker, Kira ignored them and drew his card. "My turn. Draw."

"Activate Spell ‘Graceful Charity’—draw three, then discard two."

"I discard ‘Learning Elf.’ When sent to the grave, I draw a card."

He drew again.

"Next, I activate ‘Downbeat.’ Tribute a face-up monster to Special Summon from the deck a monster with the same Type and Attribute, but one Level lower.

I tribute ‘Synthesize Sphere.’"

Synthesize Sphere turned into golden light and vanished.

"That’s a Level 4 WIND Winged Beast," Frost noted.

Kira nodded. "Exactly. So I can Special Summon a Level 3 WIND Winged Beast from the deck:

 —Transforming Sphere!"

A new Air Sphere appeared, spreading its wings on the field.

[Transforming Sphere, ATK 100]

Both opponents were stunned.

All that effort, just to summon a 100 ATK fodder?

"Now, Continuous Spell ‘Level Limit – Area B’! All Level 4 or higher monsters on the field are forced into Defense Position."

[Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, ATK 2400 → DEF 1000]

[Illusory Snatcher, ATK 2400 → DEF 1000]

Both opponents’ faces changed.

Another attack lock!

Especially Level Limit – Area B, a staple in stall decks, notorious for locking out attacks.

Compared to Gravity Bind, it was even worse for Monarchs, since while their ATK is high, their DEF is only 1000—a major weakness.

"Trying to exploit Monarchs’ low DEF?" Thunder growled.

But soon they realized how naive that thought was.

Kira just smiled and kept playing.

"Transforming Sphere’s effect: by discarding a card, I can absorb one of your Defense Position monsters until the end of the turn." (Anime effect)

He calmly discarded two cards to the grave.

"I discard two cards, and absorb both your Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and Illusory Snatcher."

Thunder: "…"

Frost: "…"

Chapter 623: Final Sphere

Transforming Sphere, absorb them all!

A storm raged as the Sphere’s vortex unceremoniously sucked both Thunder Monarch and Illusory Snatcher into its massive air bubble, as if kidnapping them.

"Also, Transforming Sphere gains the absorbed monsters’ total ATK—4800!" Kira announced.

[Transforming Sphere, ATK 0 → ATK 4900]

Thunder’s face turned ugly.

His Thunder Monarch, embodiment of Light’s blessing and his destiny—

No, there’s definitely something wrong with this damn Sphere! It doesn’t even have a once-per-turn limit…

Oh, and it’s Level 3—just skirting under Level Limit – Area B, so the DEF lock doesn’t affect it.

What kind of bird is this? It should be called Sphere Dog! This is a whole new level of trolling.

He suddenly recalled his words from last turn: "The monsters are all set up for you, just attack mindlessly."

He wasn’t wrong—except the monsters were for his opponent, who could now KO him with mindless attacks.

"Transforming Sphere, direct attack."

Kira waved.

It was called a bird’s attack, but it was really his own Thunder Monarch and Illusory Snatcher flying at him.

With a mix of anger and despair, Thunder was KO’d first.

[Thunder, LP 4000 → LP 0]

"Thunder!"

Frost shouted, eyes wide. But his teammate was already blasted away, tumbling into the corner, motionless.

"Set two cards. Turn end."

Kira said calmly.

"After attacking, Transforming Sphere switches to Defense Position."

[Transforming Sphere, DEF 100]

"But the absorbed monsters only stay for one turn; at the end of the turn, they return to your field.

Your friend’s monsters are back—though with Level Limit Area B, they’re stuck in Defense."

[Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, DEF 1000]

[Illusory Snatcher, DEF 1000]

"Tch, attack lock again…"

Frost spat.

"But don’t underestimate me! I’m not like Thunder. Your lock can’t stop me.

My turn, draw!"

Frost raised a card high.

"I tribute Thunder’s Zaborg the Thunder Monarch for a Tribute Summon! Monarch of Frost, freeze all with your power—

—Mobius the Frost Monarch, summon!"

The field froze, snow swirling as the Frost Monarch descended, ice shattering beneath his feet.

[Mobius the Frost Monarch, ATK 2400]

"On summon, destroy up to two Spell/Trap cards on the field.

I destroy your ‘Level Limit – Area B’ and a set card!"

Mobius sent a blizzard at Kira’s backrow.

"Then I activate Trap Card of Pandora,’" Kira said. "When one of my backrow is targeted, I can transfer that target to this card, then draw two cards." (Anime effect)

He pointed to a set card.

"I’ll have Card of Pandora’ take the hit instead."

Mobius’s storm shattered Level Limit and Pandora’s Box.

Frost frowned. "You didn’t protect Level Limit—maybe that set card was more important?"

He glanced at the Air Sphere.

"No, maybe not. As long as another Sphere is on the field, I still can’t attack. So the continuous spell isn’t as critical?"

Hmm.

Frost narrowed his eyes.

"So I’m being underestimated, huh?"

He raised his voice.

"Activate ‘Monster Reincarnation’! Discard a card to return ‘Zaborg the Thunder Monarch’ from the graveyard to hand!"

He discarded a card and recovered Zaborg.

"Thunder, I’ll borrow your power! Activate Quick-Play Spell ‘Quick Summon’! I can Normal Summon again!"

He raised Zaborg.

"This time I tribute Mobius the Frost Monarch for a Tribute Summon! Thunder’s spirit descends on my field—

—Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, summon!"

[Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, ATK 2400]

"On summon, destroy a monster on the field. Disappear, Air Sphere!"

Lightning struck, and Air Sphere let out a shriek as it was destroyed.

"Hahaha, now your double attack lock is broken! I now command both the Frost and Thunder Monarchs—our combined power—"

"Activate Trap ‘Atmospheric Regeneration,’" Kira said calmly. "When an ‘Sphere’ is destroyed, Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Sphere from the grave."

He revealed the destroyed monster.

"Special Summon ‘Synthesize Sphere’."

[Synthesize Sphere, DEF 1000]

"When summoned, revive a Level 4 or lower Sphere from the grave. Revive ‘Air Sphere’."

[Air Sphere, DEF 300]

"As long as another Sphere is on the field," Kira smiled, "your monsters can’t attack."

Frost: "…"

His hearty laughter abruptly stopped.

Damn it…

Broke two attack locks, and there’s a third one.

Who knew if there was a fourth? Fortunately, Frost was out of moves and couldn’t find out.

After all that trouble, he hadn’t taken out a single monster. In fact, Kira had more monsters on the field than before.

Frost’s face darkened.

"Then I’ll switch ‘Illusory Snatcher’ to Attack Position. Turn end."

He couldn’t attack anyway, but he remembered that annoying Sphere could absorb Defense Position monsters—so he couldn’t leave any in Defense.

Try to attack, and you run into wave after wave of attack locks; on the opponent’s turn, your monsters get stolen.

Who designed these troll birds?!

"My turn. Draw."

Kira felt more and more that this Sphere deck fit him perfectly, as if tailor-made. It ran smoothly and was great at stalling and trolling.

Since beating Kagemaru, he’d been developing it, and it was working out well.

Today was the perfect test.

"Spell Card ‘Block Attack’—switch an opponent’s Attack Position monster to Defense." Kira smiled. "Switch ‘Illusory Snatcher’ to Defense."

Frost’s mouth twitched.

See? See? See?

That damn bird was going to start again.

"Discard a card—‘Transforming Sphere’ effect. Absorb the Defense Position ‘Illusory Snatcher’."

[Transforming Sphere, ATK 100 → ATK 2500]

"Let’s try out this new power."

Kira pulled out a card, muttering to himself.

Frost: "!"

A new power?

He tensed, sensing things were about to go badly...

"Hand effect of ‘The Atmosphere,’" Kira said. "This card can’t be Normal Summoned; it can only be Special Summoned by banishing two monsters from your field and one from your graveyard—a total of three."

He revealed the card. Even before summoning, a storm swept the field.

"The ultimate Sphere—

—The Atmosphere, summon!"

[The Atmosphere, ATK 1000]

This was his first real-life Sphere card—the pinnacle of the series.

"Effect: once per turn, equip one of your opponent’s monsters, gaining its ATK and DEF."

Kira raised his hand.

"Absorb ‘Zaborg the Thunder Monarch’ as well."

[The Atmosphere, ATK 1000 → ATK 3400]

Frost: "…"

Suddenly, he felt exhausted.

Fate, dueling, the guidance of Light—it all felt meaningless.

"Battle," Kira said. "The Atmosphere and Transforming Sphere, direct attack."

The birds flapped forward, controlling Zaborg and Illusory Snatcher as they struck.

Frost exhaled, closing his eyes.

Forget it. Let it end here.

That’s fine by me.

[Frost, LP 4000 → LP 0]