Banisher of Radiance.
If Dimensional Fissure was a Spell version of Macro Cosmos, then this monster was basically a walking, human-shaped Macro Cosmos.
Either way, the message was clear—
—Today, you're not using your Graveyard.
"Because Banisher of Radiance is on the field, Regenerating Rose, destroyed by battle, isn't sent to the Graveyard—it's banished."
Kira said.
"The rose must be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard to leave Tokens. If it's banished directly, that effect can't activate."
As he spoke, he even gave an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Yubel, but it looks like you'll need another plan."
Yubel didn't answer.
But her fist unconsciously tightened even more, and the murderous fire in her mismatched eyes looked ready to burst out.
"Battle continues—Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroy Regenerating Rose!"
Lightning coiled around Zaborg's heavy fist. He struck, rainbow light blazing over the massive demon plant. All of its abilities were suppressed by the prismatic radiance; it could only helplessly be blasted char-black by towering thunder, then crumble and disintegrate as it left the field.
[Yubel, LP 3200 → 800]
"Next, Banisher of Radiance," Kira said with a wave. "Direct attack."
[Banisher of Radiance, ATK 800]
Since it had been Special Summoned temporarily by Celestial Transformation, the banisher's body was half-energy, unable to exert full strength. Yet even halved, its ATK became exactly 800—almost as if mocking her—perfectly matching Yubel's remaining Life Points.
This blow would be the finishing strike!
Boom!
A violent explosion. The flash of light nearly stabbed at the retina. White light and smoke swallowed Yubel and half the field, erasing even her outline.
Kira frowned slightly.
He'd thought Yubel, in a weakened state, couldn't display her full power—but even so, this felt too easy.
As expected—
[Yubel, LP 4800]
As the smoke cleared, Yubel stood at the center of the blast, her gaze cold and sharp.
"Let me guess," Kira said. "Rainbow Life?"
Yubel snorted without answering. But the Trap revealed behind her in the thinning smoke explained everything.
Trap Card — Rainbow Life. Discard 1 card; your Life Points become the same as they were at the start of this turn, then you gain Life Points equal to the damage you have taken so far this turn up to the activation of this card. (anime effect)
So in the instant before Banisher attacked, her LP returned to the 3200 she had at the start of the turn, then absorbed Zaborg's hit to rise to 5600. After taking Banisher's 800, she became 4800.
In the anime, this was a card Yubel used while possessing Jesse.
"That's more like it—if it ended that easily, I'd start suspecting you were a fake," Kira smiled.
Yubel's face was dark, and she said nothing.
"Then I also activate Card of Heaven and Earth—in a turn I performed a Tribute Summon, I can draw two cards."
Kira drew two cards.
"Then I Set two cards. My turn ends," Kira said. "Of course, during the End Phase, the monster Special Summoned temporarily by Celestial Transformation must be destroyed.
Therefore, Banisher of Radiance is destroyed."
With a boom, the banisher angel exploded. The dazzling light within flared like a miniature sun, then quickly dissipated—ending a brief but sinful life.
The banisher's disappearance was one of the few pieces of good news Yubel had—but the situation was still grim.
And she could feel it: this man still had room to spare.
From him she felt a sense of danger unlike most opponents—as if the duel itself was walking on thin ice. She had a premonition that if she made a single mistake, she might fall into an irredeemable abyss—an ending even worse than the ten years of suffering in space.
But she had no way out.
Yubel clenched her fist, her gaze firm.
She had already decided: she would see Jaden again, no matter the price.
To return to his side—even if it meant being shattered to pieces—she wouldn't hesitate.
"My turn—draw!" Yubel said. "I activate Spell Card Card of Sanctity!
Both players draw from their Deck until they have six cards in hand!"
Hands were replenished. At this moment, Yubel had none of the ease or teasing she'd shown against most opponents in the original story—instead she faced him as if confronting a deadly threat.
"Next, I Summon this monster to your field—"
Yubel raised a monster card. A beam of light shot onto Kira's field, transforming into a steel giant covered in serrated edges!
"Level 8—Grinder Golem!"
The giant, bristling like a walking rack of instruments, was like a metal version of Lava Golem. It landed on Kira's field with a thunderous step.
[Grinder Golem, ATK 3000]
Kira looked up at the Grinder Golem.
"Huh. Seeing this thing on my own field for once feels kind of weird…"
Of course, he hadn't forgotten: in the original, this was a card Yubel used first—and its whole purpose was to enable a one-turn-kill combo with Yubel.
"What are you muttering about?" Yubel frowned.
"Sorry—nothing," Kira smiled. "Go on."
Yubel snorted. "Grinder Golem can Special Summon itself to the opponent's field by Special Summoning two Tokens to my field.
Therefore, I Special Summon two Grinder Tokens to my field."
[Grinder Token, ATK 0]
"Then I Tribute both Grinder Tokens!"
Both Tokens were wrapped in a whirlwind and crushed into fragments that dispersed. As Yubel raised the card in her hand, the third eye on her forehead opened, and her eyes blazed with mismatched light.
Kira could feel her presence spike sharply at that instant.
"I Summon my own self—the sorrowful warrior tempered by pain, clad in dragon armor—
—Yubel!"
A summoning storm engulfed Yubel herself, and then—like something splitting off from her body—an avatar shadow separated and manifested on the field.
Dragon-like bone wings unfurled. The demonic body was half male, half female. In its heterochromatic eyes swirled sorrow and rage as it stared forward coldly.
[Yubel, ATK 0]
"Heh. So the real one finally shows up," Kira smiled.
"But even so, your condition still isn't complete, is it?"
Yubel said coldly, "After I deal with you, I'll naturally return to my peak. The darkness in your heart is enough to equal a hundred people—at least."
"That's slander," Kira shook his head. "I'm such a bright, sunny person. Where would I get darkness from?"
Yubel stared at him coldly and didn't respond.
But inwardly, she added another label to him besides dark-hearted:
"Thick-skinned to an absurd degree."
...
PS: Read at least 385 advanced chapters at patreon.com/ASCodeX