Golden Homunculus, summoned!
[Golden Homunculus, ATK 1500]
Quite fitting for an alchemist.
"Golden Homunculus gains ATK/DEF equal to the number of my banished cards × 300," Lyman said.
"Given the 'Chaos Distill' effect, by now almost all your cards have been banished," Kira said calmly.
"Exactly! I've banished a total of nineteen cards, so Golden Homunculus gains 5700 ATK!"
[Golden Homunculus, ATK 1500 → 7200]
"Over seven thousand in one go," Kira praised. "Impressive."
"This is alchemy—nothing is impossible."
Lyman smiled faintly, then raised his hand.
"If you don't get serious, this single blow ends it!
Golden Homunculus—attack 'Aqua Spirit'!"
The water spirit paled; against such power, there was nothing she could do. The artificial lifeform obliterated her effortlessly, and the raging shockwave barreled on toward Kira.
"From my hand, 'Kuriboh,'" Kira said. "Discard Kuriboh; battle damage becomes 0."
"Kuri!"
Kuriboh popped out, arms spread to shield him.
"Kuriboh—the little monster that wrought miracles at the first Duel King's side. Fitting that the new King makes a similar choice."
Lyman smiled.
"But not so easy.
I activate my set Counter Trap 'Face-Off'!
Negate and destroy a monster, Spell, or Trap effect activated during the Damage Step!"
A blade of force cleaved toward Kuriboh's phantom, ready to split it in two.
Without that shield, the Homunculus's blow would be lethal!
"If you can't answer this, the Duel King's legend ends here!" Lyman declared.
"Professor, you really don't leave any breathing room…"
Kira slowly raised his right arm.
"Then Counter Trap 'Counter Counter'!
Negate the activation of a Counter Trap and destroy it."
Lyman: "A counter to a Counter Trap!?"
A red beam lanced out, shredding the sword aura. The light continued on, blasting apart Lyman's Trap.
With the counter foiled, the Homunculus's blow landed—only on Kuriboh's outstretched arms. The brunt of the force was sealed away; Kira remained unharmed.
"Hehe, as expected—the Duel King won't fall so easily," Lyman smiled, not surprised.
That exchange was lightning fast. He had suddenly slammed down a 7000+ attacker and pushed for lethal within a single Damage Step—life and death in a heartbeat—yet Kira dispelled it with casual precision.
"I set two and end my turn," Lyman said.
The duel had only gone a few short rounds; he sensed the opponent was still probing, not going all-out, yet he could already feel it—this student he'd taught with his own hands was the greatest opponent of his life.
Lyman is an alchemist, but also a duelist. At the end of his life, to meet a pinnacle of the field stirred his heart. He resolved to go all out—whatever the result—for the best trial of both his opponent and himself.
Kira: "My turn. Draw.
I activate 'Card of Adversity.' If the opponent controls a Special Summoned monster and I control none, draw two."
"Come, Kira—no, Duel King!" Lyman called. "Show me the King's power!"
"Alright. I'll do my best—let me show you my growth this past year."
"Come!" Lyman roared.
"Okay," Kira said. "Then I summon—
—Necroface!"
Lyman: "?"
What on earth are you summoning?
He watched, dumbfounded, as a pale, twisted child's head appeared—half the cranial tissue bulging from a hole in its skull, tentacles writhing around it.
[Necroface, ATK 1200]
A monster straight out of the underworld, radiating ill omen from the moment it appeared. Fitting: in the anime it belongs to Bakura's dark persona—Zorc Necrophades incarnate, an emissary of the underworld.
Lyman had never seen it, but its visage alone felt ominous. He looked from the dead-faced horror to Kira and fell silent.
His student is brilliant, yes—but everything he does and plays feels… not exactly righteous.
"Necroface effect: on Normal Summon," Kira smiled, "return all banished cards for both players… to their respective Decks to be shuffled."
"Na—nani?" Lyman was stunned.
What kind of anti-alchemy effect is this!?
"Counting the 'Face-Off' you just banished, you've banished twenty cards total. I've banished 'Mobius the Frost Monarch.'
That's twenty-one cards total—shuffle them all back into our Decks!"
The Necroface howled; all cards banished thus far floated above them like ghosts. An invisible storm surged, tossing them into a blender whirling at full speed, then in a flash, each flew back into its owner's Deck.
"Golden Homunculus's ATK is based on the number of your banished cards," Kira said. "With them all returned, its ATK reverts."
[Golden Homunculus, ATK 1500]
Lyman gritted his teeth. "Tch…"
This kid… every move goes straight for his alchemy deck's weak points.
Not only Golden Homunculus—his ace Helios series also scales off banished cards.
He actually cleaned out the entire banish zone…
Lyman narrowed his eyes.
"Well played."
"Haha, you flatter me," Kira said. "And Necroface has a follow-up:
When it returns banished cards to the Deck by its summon effect, it gains ATK equal to the number returned × 100."
Lyman's face shifted. "We returned 21 cards."
"So it gains 2100 ATK!"
[Necroface, ATK 1200 → 3300]
ATK 3300!