"My turn. Draw."
Kira slotted a card into his back row.
"Spell Card 'Advance Draw'. I tribute a Level 8 or higher monster I control, and draw two cards."
He pointed to the steel giant Yubel had "gifted" him.
"I tribute 'Grinder Golem' and draw two."
Grinder Golem was engulfed in golden light. Bit by bit it disintegrated, until it fully broke down into countless specks that gathered above Kira's Deck.
Kira drew two cards.
"Hmph. A monster I went out of my way to give you," Yubel scoffed. "Ungrateful."
Kira just smiled.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Gladiator Proving Ground'," Kira said. "Add 1 Level 4 or lower 'Gladiator Beast' monster from my Deck to my hand.
I add this card—"
He took the card that slid out of the Deck.
"Gladiator Beast Murmillo, which returned to the Deck automatically at the end of last turn."
Yubel frowned. "That thing again."
A nuisance: a low-level monster, but with the ability to blow up a card when summoned by Gladiator Beast effect.
But… nothing to fear.
Yubel glanced at her huge, imposing dragon body and snorted inwardly.
You want to keep blowing up my monsters?
Fine. Do it.
After you destroy the vessel of Terror Incarnate, you'll understand: you'll be the one who personally unleashes the strongest, most terrifying demon of all.
Trying to remove me, Yubel, with destruction? Laughable.
Now that I've returned from beyond the stars, the thing I fear least is "blowing up."
"Effect of Test Tiger in my hand," Kira said. "If I control a monster with 'Gladiator Beast' in its name, I can Special Summon this card.
I control Gladiator Beast Augustus, so I Special Summon Test Tiger from my hand.
Come—Test Tiger!"
The small tiger—always working overtime despite not having "Gladiator Beast" in its name—hopped onto the field. It looked listless, covered its mouth with a paw, and yawned.
[Test Tiger, ATK 600]
"Then I tribute Test Tiger, and return my Gladiator Beast on the field to the Deck, to Special Summon a monster with 'Gladiator Beast' in its name from my Deck," Kira said.
"I tribute Test Tiger and return Gladiator Beast Augustus on my field to the Deck!"
The little tiger lazily waved a paw, yawned again, then dissolved into golden light.
Its work attitude didn't seem very enthusiastic.
Augustus was likewise wrapped in light and flew back into Kira's Deck.
"I return Augustus to the Deck, then Special Summon from the Deck—"
Kira slid the card into the Deck. The Duel Disk automatically shuffled, then another card popped out. He took it and smiled softly.
"Special Summon Gladiator Beast Augustus!"
Yubel: "?"
Return it… then summon it again?
The dark storm returned, and the same black armor emerged—solid and unyielding. The king of bird-beasts stood tall on the battlefield, greatsword in hand, eyes looking down on all foes.
[Gladiator Beast Augustus, ATK 2600]
"When Gladiator Beast Augustus is Special Summoned by the effect of a Gladiator Beast, I can Special Summon a Gladiator Beast from my hand," Kira said. "Test Tiger isn't a Gladiator Beast, but a Gladiator Beast Special Summoned by Test Tiger's effect counts as being 'Special Summoned by a Gladiator Beast effect'!"
That was the benefit of a temp worker: it's not "in-archetype," but the work can still be credited to the archetype.
"So Augustus's effect—Special Summon a 'Gladiator Beast' monster from my hand."
"A Gladiator Beast from your hand… the one you just searched?" Yubel said.
"Yeah."
Kira smiled, holding the searched card between his index and middle fingers.
"Special Summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo!"
A vortex of water erupted again, gathering into the fish-bodied gladiator warrior as the twin turbines behind it rumbled.
[Gladiator Beast Murmillo, ATK 800]
"And once again—Murmillo's effect," Kira said. "When Murmillo is Special Summoned by a Gladiator Beast effect, destroy one monster on the field.
Destroy Yubel — Terror Incarnate!"
The turbines spun at full speed. The high-pressure water blast fired again—smacking Yubel right in the face.
Twice in a row.
Even the demonic dragon couldn't endure it. The single eye in the center of its chest burst apart with a deep boom.
Of course, Terror Incarnate inherited Yubel's core traits: it couldn't be destroyed by battle; battle damage became 0 and could be reflected.
But that only mattered if the opponent fought it head-on.
And Kira didn't seem interested in battling at all. Murmillo's double destruction had already burned through two of Yubel's "lives."
But—
"I should thank you."
From within the smoke came Yubel's voice—more twisted, deeper, and heavier than ever.
Then, from the place where the dragon had been destroyed, a creature even more enormous emerged!
Two long, contorted necks supported massive dragon heads, coated in rough black scales. The light in its eyes was like candles from the underworld—peering into the deepest darkness of the heart.
Its grotesque body looked like something that shouldn't exist in this world: a fusion of demon and dragon. Bone plates armored its powerful torso, and an enormous single eye was embedded in its leg. Three eyes in its chest formed a triangular pattern, their gaze filled with indescribable sorrow and hatred.
(In the anime, when this form appeared, Yubel the duelist actually fused into the dragon's back—like Marik half-merged atop the Winged Dragon of Ra's head in DM.
But here, Yubel herself still stood on the ground wearing her Duel Disk—probably because her condition was incomplete.)
"Thanks to you breaking the second seal, my final, ultimate, complete form can descend."
Yubel's voice boomed.
"My name is—Yubel - The Ultimate Nightmare!"
[Yubel - The Ultimate Nightmare, ATK 0]
This ultimate form, too, could not be destroyed by battle. Battle damage became 0 and could be reflected. And on top of that, it could destroy any monster that battled it.
Damage and annihilation alike—this was the final monster born from the darkness in Yubel's heart, sorrow pushed to its absolute limit!
"If I'm truly no longer needed—if there isn't even a home I can return to—then a world like this has no reason to exist!"
Yubel's voice was hoarse.
"Then everything… should be destroyed!"