Yugioh [660-665] (Patreon)

Chapter 660: The Ultimate Secret Art

"Equip 'Cyberdark Edge' with 'Infernal Dragon'!"

Zane declared.

"And Cyberdark Edge gains ATK equal to the original ATK of the equipped monster. Infernal Dragon's ATK is 2000, so Cyberdark Edge's ATK increases by 2000!"

[Cyberdark Edge, ATK 800 → ATK 2800]

"A 4-star monster can jump to 2800 ATK just like that?" Aster frowned.

"Indeed. That's the power of the Cyberdark."

Zane paused, glanced over the three Hero on the opponent's field, and smiled.

"But even so, breaking through three monsters' defenses in one go isn't easy. In that case—"

He drew a card.

"Spell Card: 'Warrior Elimination'!

Destroy all face-up Warrior-Type monsters on the field!"

Aster: "???"

Come on, isn't that a bit much?

If that earlier "Chthonian Polymer" was still a coincidence, this one practically has "anti-" stamped on it.

Targeting Fusion, and now targeting Warriors—why not just print 'Elemental HERO must die' on it?

Is this the 'anti-HERO experience' you learned at Duel Academy?

Give me a break.

"All three of your Hero are Warriors," Zane sneered. "Destroy them all."

Aster's three monsters were wiped out at once.

Aster: "..."

This was nothing like he expected.

What about the Chariot? What about Sartorius's promised destiny of certain victory?

He had always relied on Sartorius's readings to grasp the opponent completely, every duel unfolding along the course of destiny he already knew.

This was the first time, on the pro stage, that he felt destiny was in the opponent's hands. The other side seemed to know everything, while he felt he was fighting into a fog with no view of the future.

Zane's lips curled slightly; he chuckled inwardly.

Exactly as planned.

Yes, he already knew the opponent's details before the duel. Not because of any fate-seeing power—simply because someone fed him the answers.

Two days ago, Kira called him, saying he'd had a chance encounter and duel with Aster Phoenix.

In the past, Kaiser would've been the traditional academy duelist—"respect your opponent and the duel," refusing to know the opponent's deck beforehand, etc.

But now he didn't hesitate and humbly picked Kira's brain.

Because now Kaiser understood: the pro scene—the whole dueling world—is brutal. If you don't scout your opponent, they'll scout you. His Cyber Dragons have certainly been fully studied by all his rivals, so gathering intel on enemies by any means is only natural.

Winning is all that matters.

So he already knew the opponent would most likely use Elemental HERO this match.

He even knew Aster had a unique Destiny HERO deck as well. Kira speculated Aster would likely stick to Elemental HERO for this duel; Destiny HERO is his trump of trumps and might not appear. Still, Kira told Kaiser anyway so he'd be mentally prepared if Destiny HERO did show up.

And indeed, things went just as Kira said.

"Cyberdark Edge, direct attack!"

"Ugh!"

Reeling from the Cyberdark bombardment, Aster staggered two steps and gritted his teeth.

[Aster, LP 4000 → LP 1200]

"Damn it..."

"I set one card. Turn end," Zane said.

As if everything were in his grasp.

"Don't get cocky yet," Aster snapped. "My turn—draw!

I activate my set card, the Trap 'Sixth Sense'!

Declare two numbers from 1 to 6. Your opponent rolls a die; if either declared number comes up, draw that many cards from your Deck.

If neither comes up, send that many cards from the top of your Deck to the GY.

I declare 5 and 6!"

The die tumbled in the air. Aster stared at it.

If you hang around with Sartorius and can't even hit a die call, you've truly been forsaken by destiny.

Fortunately, the die didn't betray him. It landed on 5.

"Draw five cards!"

Aster drew five.

"Then I activate the Spell 'Dark Factory of Mass Production'! Add two Normal Monsters from your GY to your hand.

I add 'Elemental HERO Avian' and 'Elemental HERO Burstinatrix' to my hand."

"Next, I activate the Spell 'Double Fusion'!" (anime card)

Two nested fusion vortices rose on Aster's field.

"By paying 500 LP, Double Fusion lets me use 'Polymerization' up to twice this turn."

[Aster, LP 1200 → LP 700]

"First Fusion: I fuse the 'Elemental HERO Avian' and 'Elemental HERO Burstinatrix' I just retrieved.

Come on! Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer!"

[Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer, ATK 2100]

"Then the second Fusion: I fuse 'Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer' with 'Elemental HERO Sparkman' in my hand! Evolve into the ultimate undying phoenix-form HERO—

—Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer, summon!"

[Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer, ATK 2500]

"Shining Phoenix Enforcer..." Zane murmured. "I see, the counterpart to Jaden's Shining Flare Wingman."

"Shining Phoenix Enforcer gains ATK equal to the number of 'Elemental HERO' in my GY x 300," Aster said. "I have four Elemental HERO there, so +1200 ATK!"

[Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer, ATK 2500 → ATK 3700]

"Shining Phoenix Enforcer, attack 'Cyberdark Edge'!"

Shining Phoenix Enforcer trailed dazzling light like a meteor as it struck. Cyberdark Edge yanked Infernal Dragon up from beneath it as a shield.

Shining Phoenix Enforcer smashed through; Infernal Dragon exploded.

"Cyberdark Edge's effect," Zane said. "If this card would be destroyed by battle, you destroy the equipped card instead."

[Cyberdark Edge, ATK 2800 → ATK 800]

Aster: "But you still take battle damage."

"Nope."

Zane smiled.

"Because I activated the Trap 'Power Wall'. When I would take battle damage, I can send 1 card from the top of my Deck to the GY per 100 damage to make the battle damage 0."

He scooped a handful of cards.

"I'll send nine cards to the GY to reduce the damage to 0!"

"Tch." Aster frowned. "Then I set one card. Turn end."

"My turn—draw!"

Zane raised his arm and shouted:

"I activate the Spell 'Overload Fusion'!

Fusion Summon a DARK Machine by using Fusion Materials from my field or GY!"

"From the GY—"

Aster's eyes widened.

"The cards 'Power Wall' milled—"

"Correct," Zane said. "I fuse two 'Cyber Dragon' in my GY to Fusion Summon a DARK Machine!

The Cyber-Style's dark secret technique, now revealed—

—Chimeratech Rampage Dragon, summon!!!"

[Chimeratech Rampage Dragon, ATK 2100]

"Chimeratech Rampage Dragon..."

Aster's face hardened. He recognized this dangerous monster from Zane's prior matches.

Its ATK is only 2100, but it blows away backrow and can attack multiple times. It can clear your backrow and then swing three times in a turn—easy OTK stuff.

"On Fusion Summon, Rampage Dragon can destroy Spells/Traps on the field up to the number of Fusion Materials used."

Zane pointed at Aster's backrow.

"Destroy your set card!"

"Then I chain that set card," Aster said. "Trap 'Raigeki Break'. Discard a card to destroy any card on the field.

I destroy 'Chimeratech Rampage Dragon'."

Electric torrents from Rampage clashed with the lightning claw from Raigeki Break. End result: mutual annihilation, both shattered.

"So you covered even this step, huh."

Zane closed his eyes and sighed softly.

"I didn't want to use this so soon on the pro stage, but since you press so hard, it seems I have no choice."

He opened his eyes again. His black coat seemed to stir without wind, a killing aura emanating.

"Let me show you the ultimate secret of Cyber-Style I've uncovered to date."

Aster's heart skipped.

The ultimate secret? This guy is—

"Normal Summon 'Proto-Cyber Dragon'."

[Proto-Cyber Dragon, ATK 1100]

"While on the field, its name is treated as 'Cyber Dragon'."

Zane lazily waved a hand.

"Then I activate my last set card, the Continuous Trap 'DNA Surgery'. Declare a Type and turn all monsters on the field into that Type.

I declare Machine—turn all monsters on the field into Machines."

Aster frowned.

"Your monsters were Machines already..."

"Exactly. So the only change is your 'Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer'."

Kaiser's smile even held a wicked edge.

"Therefore, I fuse the on-field 'Proto-Cyber Dragon' (treated as Cyber Dragon), 'Cyberdark Edge', and your 'Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer' that's now Machine-Type, as materials!"

Aster: "????"

Huh?

Using my Shining Phoenix Enforcer!?

What kind of ultimate secret is this!?

"Fusion Summon—

—Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!!!"

[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, ATK ?]

"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon's Fusion requirement is a 'Cyber Dragon' on either field plus any number of Machine-Type monsters. No matter how many monsters you have, they're all just fodder for Cyber Dragon!

This is the ultimate secret of Cyber-Style—absolute power that can devour even gods!"

Aster: "..."

Speechless.

In that moment his feelings were a mess—fury, disbelief, frustration, a powerful urge to complain, not even sure where to start.

This is Cyber-Style's ultimate secret?

Then Cyber-Style is just unbeatable...

"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon's ATK becomes 1000 x the number of Fusion Materials used."

[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, ATK 3000]

Zane smiled.

"Sorry, but it looks like your thirty-win streak ends before Fortress Dragon.

Final blow—Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, direct attack!!!"

A pillar of searing flame blasted over Aster, drawing the curtain on this league's battle of the century.

[Aster, LP 700 → LP 0]

Chapter 661: A Shift in the Worldline

Aster fell to his knees, staring at his hands, hardly able to accept it.

He lost?

To a student who just graduated from Duel Academy? A complete rookie in the pro league?

More importantly—Sartorius's prophecy was broken?

Where was his Chariot? His guaranteed victory?

Aster felt dazed, as if dreaming. Only when the host's voice reached him as if from far away did reality snap back.

"The winner: Zane Truesdale!"

"Kaiser keeps his throne, his undefeated legend continues! And Aster Phoenix's thirty-win streak comes to an end..."

He couldn't hear the rest. Even the waves of cheers around him felt unreal.

It was like a clot of blood stuck in his chest, choking him. All his thoughts condensed into one sentence—

—This is freaking BS.

Cyber-Style isn't some rare, unheard-of strategy; he obviously knew of it. Cyber-Style is the epitome of aggression—overwhelming offense to crush the opponent in the shortest time.

But what did he face today?

Opening with four sets to give a slap in the face, hard-tech against Fusion. When that didn't suffice, he pulled "Warrior Elimination"—hard-targeting shoved right in his face.

Fine, set that aside—but what was that "ultimate secret" at the end?

Forcibly using the opponent's on-field monsters as Fusion Materials? That kind of effect was unheard of across the dueling world—a revolution from the underworld, a rewrite of the rules.

Kaiser flicked his coat and turned, sparing no extra glance for the defeated. He turned to leave.

Since entering the league, he had always been like this. He was no longer the boy who fought to respect his opponents; now, opponents were mere obstacles to be crossed.

Any means to cross them was fine. Once crossed, there was no need to look back—they were just the defeated.

"Wait—"

Aster pushed himself up, teeth clenched.

Zane paused and glanced over.

"It's not over—this doesn't count. It shouldn't have gone like this," Aster said. "One more duel—"

"What?" Zane frowned.

"One more. I won't lose this time," Aster said.

His refusal to accept it was natural.

He tried to sandbag, not wanting to reveal Destiny HERO, his true trump, so soon on the pro stage. Who knew sandbagging would turn into real sand...

Not entirely his fault—largely on Sartorius.

Sartorius had told him plainly: this result was preordained. Zane wasn't an opponent worth much effort—play a little and win.

Who could've expected the ever-reliable prophecy to crash and burn now?

He roared inwardly:

Sartorius, you set me up!

If not for that damn prophecy—if he'd gone all-out with Destiny HERO from the start—he might not have lost today.

Zane only snorted lightly at his words.

"Sure. I'll be waiting. But looks like you'll have to take a number."

He turned and walked out without looking back.

His silhouette vanished beyond the venue.

…

Watching in his crystal ball, Sartorius understood the scene.

A new crystal ball—he'd smashed the last one himself.

"Aster lost..."

Sartorius's expression grew increasingly lost.

Why?

He had seen Aster's future. The Chariot, symbol of absolute victory—like every time before. For years, no mistakes. Why the sudden misfires?

"Why? What is shaking destiny?"

Irritation gnawed at him.

He sensed some force, someone, had set their sights on him.

In his eyes, the masses were puppets on destiny's strings, and he alone stood above, even able to pluck those strings.

Now, he felt someone opposite him. Someone else above, someone else plucking fate's strings...

Damn it—maybe they even knew his secrets, watching him with amusement, while he knew nothing of the figure in the mist.

Others were always pieces; only he was the player. Now, another player sat across the board.

Did Aster lose to Zane because that person interfered with Zane's destiny too?

Indeed, Zane's playstyle seemed off—unlike the impression of Cyber-Style.

No—perhaps the issue wasn't Zane. Maybe it began with Aster's duel against Revolver. Perhaps that duel shattered Aster's original destiny...

Yes—Revolver.

This man, whose destiny always looked ordinary under repeated observation, now demanded scrutiny.

Out of caution, Sartorius had left his former residence. He hadn't even contacted Aster, so Aster couldn't find him.

"I must act."

He had to accelerate his plan.

He would consider taking the field himself.

…

["Zane Truesdale's flawless victory in the league!"]

["Will the legend of Kaiser continue?"]

By morning, headlines like these were everywhere. Over breakfast, Kira read the recap with interest.

His interference with Zane had worked—Zane's growth far outpaced canon. It even changed the outcome of this fateful duel.

Against Aster, this duel was originally the pivotal turning point of Zane's destiny—the start of his transformation. Now it was just another of many wins—unremarkable.

Kira also wondered how Sartorius—or rather, the Light of Destruction—would view this shift in destiny.

It impacted their fate directly.

"Seems that Sartorius has run."

Don Zaloog sat beside him, mimicking breakfast habits, muttering.

"What a coward. Now who knows where to find him."

"It's fine," Kira smiled. "Even if he ran, we have another lead."

"We can start with his sister."

Chapter 662: Power of the Four Monarchs

Somewhere unknown, within a cavern.

The cavern was deep and inscrutable, darkness like an invisible net shrouding every inch. The silence was unsettling; only flickering candlelight clung on.

A kimono-clad woman knelt at the far end, head bowed, eyes closed in thought.

Then the ground behind her split open.

Literally split—as if drilled through from below. A burly man emerged from the hole like a ninja's Earth Release. Strangely, though he came from underground, not a speck of dust clung to him.

Beside him, a whirlwind of flames rose. When the blaze dissipated, another figure appeared—a slimmer man. Though he stepped out of fire, there was no scorch on him or his clothes.

"T-Bone. Blaze."

The woman still sat with her back to them, eyes closed.

Both bowed respectfully.

"Lady Sarina."

They were the remaining two of the Four Monarch: Blaze, wielder of the Firestorm Monarch, and T-Bone, wielder of the Rock Monarch.

"Your brothers failed," Sarina said calmly.

"Yes. Regrettably."

Blaze set a hand on his hip.

"Looks like Frost and Thunder paid the price for their arrogance. I always thought their mindset would be a problem sooner or later."

He glanced at his companion.

"But we're different. Right, T-Bone?"

"Mm." T-Bone nodded.

"Rest assured, Lady Sarina. Now that we're acting, there won't be any more mistakes," Blaze said confidently. "We'll handle Revolver and that pesky Knights of Hanoi hounding us.

Give us three days—we guarantee they won't be a problem afterward."

Sarina slowly opened her eyes, only to sigh lightly.

"You always say that. But what use are words?"

Blaze's face tightened.

"We aren't like those two, Lady Sarina," he said. "I promise—"

"Enough."

Sarina stood and turned around.

"It was my error to expect too much. I should remember—you're only human. Ordinary, mundane humans."

"Perhaps we were mediocre, but now we're different!" Blaze blurted. "You've granted us power! With that power, no one will—"

"Yes, but I've changed my mind. You're useless now."

Expressionless, she pronounced their sentence.

"Return your power to me."

Both men were shocked.

"If you hand it over quietly, you can go back to being ordinary men. Or—"

Sarina raised her pale hands and wove a sign.

"Would you rather be turned into cards—empty shells without souls—like the others?"

As she formed the seal, a sinister light bloomed above her head, condensing into a strange mirror that flashed dangerously.

Their hearts seemed to stop. They knew Sarina's method well—anyone struck by the mirror's beam would be sealed into a card.

"Wait!" T-Bone cried. "Just one day—give us today! We'll take down Revolver within the day. We won't let you down!"

Sarina paused.

"Oh?"

She regarded them with interest.

"One day?"

With no other option, Blaze also nodded quickly. "Just today—we'll finish it soon."

Sarina tilted her head, as if thinking.

"Fine."

"At least one last chance. But I'll increase your stakes."

Her gaze passed over both and settled on T-Bone.

"T-Bone, if I recall, you're the strongest among my Four Monarchs. I've always had faith in your potential; I still do."

They stayed silent.

Unlike Frost and Thunder, these two got along well. Blaze recognized T-Bone's strength; calling him the strongest was fair.

"Then allow me to help you a little."

Sarina formed another seal.

The mirror moved, angling to one side, and fired a beam of light. It struck Blaze, who yelped and vanished, absorbed into a card.

"Blaze!"

T-Bone reached out instinctively.

But then that card shot into T-Bone's Duel Disk deck slot like a meteor into the night, disappearing.

T-Bone looked up in shock. "Lady Sarina, this is—"

"In this way, Blaze's power is yours too."

Sarina spoke blandly, then flicked her sleeve. Two more cards materialized from nowhere, flying straight toward T-Bone.

He reflexively caught them.

He looked and found they were Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and Mobius the Frost Monarch.

The two Monarchs originally belonging to the other two.

"This is...!?"

He looked up.

"As you see: the Thunder Monarch and the Frost Monarch. Unfortunately, the ones imbued with spirit power were in Thunder and Frost's hands and have now been taken."

Sarina said calmly.

"But this gives you a new task: defeat Revolver and reclaim the Thunder and Frost Monarch cards from him. Understood?"

T-Bone glanced at his deck and nodded heavily.

He could feel it—he was stronger. Even without dueling yet, he sensed surging energy in his deck.

But it wasn't just his deck anymore. It felt heavy, like it carried his brothers' weight.

The Thunder and Frost she gave him were merely rarer monsters. Only his own Rock Monarch, and his brother's Firestorm Monarch, possessed spirit power—the genuine Monarchs.

"Now the power of the Four Monarchs is in your hands."

Sarina said.

"I always favored you, T-Bone. If anyone can complete this mission, it's you.

Prove yourself—and prove the strength of the Four Monarchs, T-Bone."

She turned, sat again, and closed her eyes to rest.

"Do not disappoint the Society of Light."

T-Bone bowed.

"Yes."

Chapter 663: A Challenger at the Door?

"The GX Tournament?"

Kira weighed a round silver Medallion with "GX" engraved on it, hefty and well-made.

"Yep, the tournament your Chancellor wants to hold."

Mokuba sat nearby chewing gum, legs crossed.

"Venue's Duel Academy, running until the end of the school year. I checked—the scale is decent, a long-term event.

The prize pool is among the biggest worldwide for duel events; it'll definitely draw buzz and attention."

Kira recalled. In the GX anime, there was indeed such a tournament in Year 2, after Chancellor Sheppard returned from months abroad.

Apparently, he spent those months preparing this tournament, traveling the world to invite duelists he favored.

Entrants came mainly from: all main-campus students (mandatory, tied to grades), students from branch campuses including the North Academy, active pros (easy invites if interested), and special invitees handpicked by the Chancellor on his world tour.

Of course, the format means the results aren't strictly authoritative; stronger duelists might not place best.

In canon, the champion was Chazz Princeton. But there were stronger entrants aplenty: Sartorius was nominally entered, Hell Kaiser and Aster were there, and of course Jaden wouldn't miss it.

Even within the academy, Atticus, Alexis, and Misawa had shown they were stronger than Chazz.

But the GX Tournament wasn't decided solely by direct matches; it was about collecting Genex Medallions. The entire island was the arena; players could freely challenge each other, and the winner took the loser's Medallion.

So clearly, beyond pure strength, it's about playing the field well.

In the original, Jaden, known as the academy's strongest, got almost no matches—people ran at the sight of him. He was so bored he went fishing.

"But if it's the Chancellor's tournament, why haven't we heard about it and you already have a Medallion?" Kira asked Mokuba.

Mokuba smirked and thumped his chest. "You don't know? I'm the chairman of the official Duel Event Review Committee. Any large-scale event needs my office's approval first."

Kira nodded.

Makes sense—Kaiba's family runs half the duel world.

"Planning to enter?" Mokuba asked.

"In principle, all enrolled students must," Kira said.

"True, but you're special. Even if you skip, they won't expel you," Mokuba joked.

"I'll give the Chancellor some face," Kira smiled. "If I'm not busy, I might drop by... Hold on."

He stepped aside and pressed his earpiece.

"It's me."

Though he spoke normally, the voice on the other end heard a low, hoarse, distorted tone—his "Revolver" persona.

"Boss! Where are you?"

Kurozaki's anxious voice.

"Someone serious came knocking, says he's from the Society of Light—kinda spooky. He can burrow and breathe fire—seems to have a powerful spirit—asking for you by name—"

Kira narrowed his eyes.

Interesting. Someone came to our doorstep.

And burrowing and breathing fire...

That immediately made Kira think of the two Monarch spirits he was still missing.

A courier delivering the package to the door?

…

…

The intruder was, of course, T-Bone—the strongest of Sarina's Four Monarchs—swaggering into their club.

"You were looking for me. I'm here."

Wearing the Revolver mask, Kira strode into the club. With the boss back, the underlings straightened up, morale rising.

T-Bone stood in the center.

He sized up Kira.

"You're Revolver?"

"I am," Kira smiled. "Heard someone came for a duel, so I came."

"Just as confident as they say, but that won't last long," T-Bone's eyes flashed. "With the power of the Four Monarchs united in me, I now wield ultimate Monarch might. I will lose to no one."

He glanced at his deck, murmuring under his breath.

"Watch me, Lady Sarina. I won't disappoint you this time."

"Duel!" x2

[Kira, LP 4000]

[T-Bone, LP 4000]

"I'll take first. My turn, draw!"

T-Bone took the initiative.

"I Normal Summon 'Mine Golem' in Attack Position!" (anime card)

A golden giant studded with ore appeared, beating its chest like a gorilla.

[Mine Golem, ATK 1000]

"Then I activate the Continuous Spell 'Guidance to Ore'!" (anime card)

As the Spell slotted in, the ground quaked beneath them. A mountain of ore rose behind T-Bone with a rumble.

"Guidance to Ore is an archetypal Continuous Spell for Rocks," T-Bone said. "While this is active, whenever a Rock monster I control is destroyed, I can Special Summon a monster with the same name from my Deck!"

Though he had the Four Monarchs' power, his most familiar setup was still Rock Monarch-oriented. Much of his list, though not printed, synergized with the Rock Monarch.

"I set one and end."

"Then it's my turn—draw."

Kira glanced at his draw and revealed:

"Spell Card 'Take Over 5'—send the top five cards of my Deck to the GY."

He plucked five cards, skimmed them, and sent them all to the GY.

"Then I Normal Summon 'Don Zaloog'."

Chapter 664: The Rock Monarch Descends

The one-eyed mercenary landed on Kira's field. He twirled his revolver deftly, struck what he probably thought was a cool pose, and slowly lifted his head.

"So in the end, you still need this old man's strength?"

Dark Scorpion crew watching from the back as spirits: "Boss is so cool!"

"Dark Scorpion?"

T-Bone was puzzled. He wasn't familiar with this deck, but he knew of it. The Dark Scorpion Burglars are common pack-fillers—the kind of useless cards you pull just to pad a booster.

At least as far as T-Bone knew, no serious duelist would ever run them as a main deck.

Revolver uses this?

"Don Zaloog, attack 'Mine Golem.'"

Zaloog drew and fired. Bang, bang—the bullets left two clear holes in the giant, which then exploded with a crash, collapsing into rubble.

[T-Bone, LP 4000 → LP 3600]

T-Bone raised an arm against the blast and barked, "At this moment, 'Mine Golem's' effect activates!

When Mine Golem is destroyed by battle, inflict 500 damage to the opponent!"

A whirlwind split off from the explosion, spiraling toward Kira like slicing wind.

[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 3500]

"Then Don Zaloog's effect activates," Kira said. "When it inflicts battle damage, choose one:

Opponent discards 1 random card, or

Send the top 2 cards of their Deck to the GY."

Zaloog spun his gun and aimed.

"I choose random discard."

He fired. One of the three cards in T-Bone's hand was pierced and burst into golden shards, flying into the GY.

"Tch, I'm not done." T-Bone said coolly. "Continuous Spell 'Guidance to Ore' effect!"

The rubble didn't vanish; it floated under some unseen pull and shot into the mineshaft behind him.

"When a Rock monster is destroyed, Guidance to Ore Special Summons a monster with the same name from the Deck.

Come! Mine Golem!"

The string of stones flashed gold within the shaft, then flew back out and reassembled into the golden ore giant.

[Mine Golem, ATK 1000]

"Next I flip my other set, the Trap 'Minefield Eruption'!" T-Bone revealed another backrow. "If I control an Mine Golem, inflict 1000 damage to the opponent for each Mine Golem I control, then destroy all Mine Golems I control!" (anime card)

A circle of flames formed beneath Kira. Lava-like fire erupted and engulfed him.

[Kira, LP 3500 → LP 2500]

With a boom, the golden giant exploded again into rubble.

Of course, the rubble immediately floated up like iron filings to a magnet, shot into the mineshaft, then reemerged and reassembled.

"Guidance to Ore's effect: when a Rock is destroyed, Special Summon a monster with the same name from the Deck," T-Bone said. "Special Summon 'Mine Golem No. 3' from the Deck!"

[Mine Golem, ATK 1000]

The Hanoi underlings around the ring started whispering.

"He kinda looks strong?"

"No kidding. You think just anyone would dare come challenge our boss?"

"Relax," one underling grinned. "Boss Revolver will teach him what real dueling is in no time."

"..."

"Not bad," Kira smiled. "You kept a monster, stocked your GY, and burned off a chunk of my LP."

He then swiftly set four cards.

"I set four backrow. Turn end."

"Four sets?"

T-Bone blinked.

So he's prioritizing defense?

He frowned, then continued: "My turn, draw!"

He drew.

"I activate the Spell 'Graceful Charity'. Draw 3, then discard 2."

He revealed one of the discarded cards.

"I discarded the Spell 'Card of Compensation', so I draw 2."

As he drew, Kira snapped his fingers.

"Flip my set—Continuous Trap 'Appropriate'. When the opponent draws outside the Draw Phase, activate this. After that, each time they draw outside the Draw Phase, I draw 2."

T-Bone ignored it and went on: "I tribute my remaining 'Mine Golem' to Tribute Summon!"

The Mine Golem was swirled away into the earth. The ground trembled, then split open. A golden monarch burst forth, dust billowing skyward.

"Roooaaaarrr!!!"

At the moment of summoning, T-Bone seemed to flare with golden aura.

"Lend me your power, Monarchs—

—Rock Monarch, Granmarg, summon!"

[Granmarg the Rock Monarch, ATK 2400]

"So your signature Monarch appears," Kira said.

As his name suggested, the Rock Monarch was T-Bone's ace.

Interestingly, as a signature soul card, T-Bone had more than one copy in the anime.

Which makes sense: Monarchs trigger on Tribute Summon. Running multiples makes them stronger.

"Granmarg's effect: when Tribute Summoned, destroy one set card on the field." T-Bone swept a hand. "Destroy the center of your remaining two backrow!"

The Monarch's fists slammed the ground, fissures racing toward Kira's backrow.

"Chain set card," Kira said. "Trap 'Back to the Front'—revive a monster from my GY in Defense Position."

"A GY monster?"

T-Bone frowned.

"The five cards you milled last turn?"

"Correct."

Kira took a monster from his GY.

"I Special Summon 'Dark Scorpion - Meanae the Thorn' in Defense Position."

Granmarg's blow whiffed; the Trap left the field. A stylish black-leather-clad thief girl landed, crouched with her thorned whip raised defensively.

[Dark Scorpion - Meanae the Thorn, DEF 1800]

Chapter 665: Look How Happy He Is

"So you dodged Granmarg's effect," T-Bone said. "But that leaves you with only two sets.

I now activate the Spell 'Card of Heaven and Earth' from my hand.

In a turn I have performed a Tribute Summon, draw 2 cards from the Deck. However, cards drawn this way cannot be used this turn, and if they can be Set, at least one must be Set before the end of the turn."

T-Bone drew 2.

"Continuous Trap 'Appropriate'," Kira said. "Since you drew outside the Draw Phase, I draw 2."

Kira also drew 2.

"Next, the effect of 'The Rock Spirit' in my hand," said T-Bone. "'The Rock Spirit' is a Level 4 that cannot be Normal Summoned; it can only be Special Summoned by banishing an EARTH monster from the GY."

A golden light flared from his GY; he showed the banished card and slipped it into the deck box.

"I banish the EARTH 'Mine Golem' from my GY to Special Summon 'The Rock Spirit'!"

An armored giant with a great axe appeared. His skin was like bedrock, the axe whooshing through the air.

[The Rock Spirit, ATK 1700]

"Battle phase," T-Bone said. "'The Rock Spirit', attack 'Don Zaloog'!"

The spirit closed in, bellowed, and hacked down. Don Zaloog crossed his arms, but the heavy blow cleaved through; he flew back like a cut kite, retreating miserably.

[Kira, LP 2500 → LP 2200]

"Boss!"

"Boss, you okay?!"

Zaloog, now a spirit after leaving the field, tumbled among his teammates. The Dark Scorpions hurried to help him up.

"Cough, I'm fine—dammit," Zaloog gritted his teeth. "Got careless."

"Next, the Monarch attacks!" T-Bone declared. "Granmarg, attack 'Dark Scorpion - Meanae the Thorn'!"

The mighty Monarch closed in, a golden fist blasting forward!

But at the instant the blow landed, Meanae suddenly detonated early in a strange way. A mass of drifting red substance spread from the blast, creeping over Granmarg, engulfing him completely—until he was gone.

T-Bone: "!"

What was that?

"When Meanae is destroyed by battle, the virus using her as a medium triggers."

Kira smiled and pointed at his backrow.

"Trap Card 'Crush Card Virus'.

When a DARK monster with 1000 ATK or less you control is destroyed by battle, activate: destroy all monsters with 1500 or more ATK in your opponent's hand, field, and Deck!" (anime/original effect)

T-Bone's pupils contracted; his heart skipped a beat.

What, what, what!?

All monsters with 1500+ ATK—that means—

"Exactly," Kira chuckled. "All 1500+ ATK monsters—including your Monarchs—will exit the stage right here."

Yes—Kira chose Kaiba's original anime version of Crush Card Virus, not the later errata'd TCG/OCG version.

As said before, he considers both versions to have pros and cons. The anime version is excellent against certain opponents, but can backfire badly against others.

Sending all 1500+ ATK monsters from the opponent's Deck to the GY obviously risks feeding them tons of resources.

But against this opponent, it's ideal—because Kira knew he was facing "Monarchs."

The famous Monarchs are all 2400 ATK—well within 1500+. More importantly, Monarch is a Tribute Summon deck whose effects trigger on Tribute Summon.

In other words, if he nukes all Monarchs from the deck to the GY, the opponent can't Tribute Summon them. Even if they do revive a Monarch from the GY, it's just a 2400 beatstick with no effect—most of the threat is gone.

Monarchs that can't be Tribute Summoned don't get effects—like a tiger with its fangs pulled, no threat at all.

T-Bone clearly realized the severity.

Eyes wide, he watched the virus devour his two on-field monsters, then savagely spread over his Deck, yanking the Four Monarchs out one by one.

"No!"

"My Monarchs—my power—don't—"

"Yamero!!!"

No matter how he screamed, nothing changed. All the Monarchs were consumed before his eyes, ground to dust, and scattered to the wind.

"Of course, when your Rock monsters are destroyed, in theory 'Guidance to Ore' can Special Summon same-named monsters from the Deck," Kira smiled. "But your same-named targets just got blown from the Deck to the GY, so there's nothing to summon."

T-Bone: "..."

"You're running pure Monarchs, aren't you?"

Kira grinned.

"So now that you've lost all your Monarchs, how much fight do you have left?"

T-Bone said nothing, but his teeth ground audibly.

He glanced at his hand, thought for a moment, then set two cards.

"I set two and end."

Though dire, his eyes were resolute—he hadn't given up.

Kira narrowed his eyes.

So even without Monarchs, he believes his deck can still fight?

Interesting.

"End Phase—flip set card," Kira said. "Trap 'The Deep Grave'.

Choose any monster in either GY. During my next Standby Phase, Special Summon the chosen monster to my field."

T-Bone's face twitched again.

Choose from either GY?

"Right. Your entire 1500+ ATK lineup just went to the GY," Kira smiled. "Which means I can pick any 1500+ ATK monster from your deck's best.

That's a wide selection. Which should I choose..."

T-Bone: "..."

"I'll go with this one."

Kira pointed at the opponent's Duel Disk.

"From your GY, I choose 'Granmarg the Rock Monarch' to Special Summon to my field in my next Standby Phase."

T-Bone: "..."

As noted, Monarchs only trigger when Tribute Summoned. A revival is a Special Summon; even if it hits the field, it's a 2400 vanilla beater.

So any Monarch would do. Kira simply picked Granmarg—after all, it's the opponent's soul card. He might find it more... familiar.

See? He's so happy his face is twitching.