"I Special Summon four Gladiator Beasts from my Deck."
Kira slapped down four cards in one go.
"By 'Gladiator Beast Andabata's' effect, I Special Summon these two Gladiator Beasts:
Gladiator Beast Bestiari! Gladiator Beast Laquari!"
[Gladiator Beast Bestiari, ATK 1600]
[Gladiator Beast Retiari, ATK 1200]
"By 'Gladiator Beast Gyzarus's' effect, I Special Summon these two:
Gladiator Beast Augustus! Gladiator Beast Dimacari!"
[Gladiator Beast Augustus, ATK 2600]
[Gladiator Beast Dimacari, ATK 1600]
"Gladiator Beast Retiari's effect," Kira said. "When it's Special Summoned by a Gladiator Beast effect, I can banish one card from your Graveyard.
And of course, the one I'm banishing is this."
He pointed maliciously toward Yubel's Graveyard.
"I banish 'Yubel' from the game."
Yubel's pupils contracted.
Digging up my grave again?
And this time you even called it out by name—this is digging up my coffin.
"'Yubel — Terror Incarnate' and 'Yubel — The Ultimate Nightmare' can only be Special Summoned by the effect of the previous-stage Yubel. In other words, even if they were properly Summoned, they can't be revived from the Graveyard by other means."
Kira said calmly.
"But if you use Yubel's effect, you can advance into them from the Deck or the Graveyard."
The core of Yubel's Deck was naturally herself. It wasn't hard to guess her next priority: revive her first-stage self from the Graveyard, then transform into stage two and stage three again.
But if the original was banished, all of that was off the table.
"I Set two cards. End my turn," Kira said.
Yubel fell silent in thought.
Four Gladiator Beasts again…
After each battle they could keep switching in new Gladiator Beasts—each wave carrying terrifying, bulldozing card-destruction power.
Even Yubel had to admit it: this was strong.
Maybe, at her current degree of resurrection, she truly couldn't handle this opponent.
Maybe this really would be her final battle.
Yubel lowered her head, looking at the Duel Disk extending from her arm, and the Deck on it, staying silent for a long time.
"Sorry, Jaden," she suddenly murmured. "I might have to break my promise. I might not be able to… return to your side."
This time, she might truly lose.
But even so…
She raised her head. Flames still burned in her heterochromatic eyes.
"Oh?" Kira said. "You still haven't given up?"
"Give up? Don't be ridiculous."
Yubel snorted.
"Do you know how much suffering I endured to return to this planet? Compared to everything I've been through, this is nothing!"
Yes—she'd decided long ago. For Jaden, she could do anything. She could pay anything.
The duel wasn't over yet, and she wasn't at the end of her rope.
"My turn! Draw!"
Yubel struggled on. She could still fight.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Allure of Darkness'!
Draw two cards from my Deck, then banish one DARK monster from my hand. If I have no DARK monsters in hand, I send my entire hand to the Graveyard!"
Yubel drew two cards, then tossed a Monster Card into the air. The card was sucked into a dimensional vortex and vanished.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Pot of Acquisitiveness'!" Yubel shouted. "Select three monsters from among my banished cards; return them to the Deck and shuffle, then draw one card!
I return the banished 'Yubel,' 'Regenerating Rose,' and the three DARK monsters I just banished to my Deck and shuffle—then I draw!"
Kira: "Oh? So you've recovered your core body this way, at least."
Then he narrowed his eyes. "And now you're going to rely on that single draw to pull it back out?"
Well, considering she was an actual spirit playing, a bond strong enough to pull that off wasn't surprising.
"I don't need to!"
Yubel said coldly.
"I Normal Summon 'Mystic Tomato'!"
[Mystic Tomato, ATK 1400]
Kira understood.
Oh—so she's using that line.
"Battle!" Yubel declared. "Mystic Tomato attacks 'Gladiator Beast Bestiari'!"
Mystic Tomato charged in on a suicidal attack and was, predictably, skewered by Bestiari and exploded off the field.
[Yubel, LP 9700 → 9500]
"Mystic Tomato's effect—when it's destroyed by battle, I Special Summon a DARK monster with 1500 or less ATK from my Deck in Attack Position."
She paused, then grinned viciously.
"And I myself am a DARK monster with 1500 or less ATK. Return to the field, my avatar—
—Yubel!!!"
The dragon-bone wings spread once more. A demonic body with androgynous features—now seemingly covered in scars—eyes filled with loneliness and sorrow, yet also the resolve to face fate head-on.
[Yubel, ATK 0]
"Yubel, attack 'Gladiator Beast Augustus'!"
Yubel's eyes turned blood-red, bewitching the gladiator into striking.
This time, Yubel finally succeeded. Unable to restrain himself, Augustus roared and swung his greatsword, smashing into Yubel. The impact was absorbed by the thorny vines coiling around her—and then reflected back, blasting into Kira himself.
[Kira, LP 4700 → 2100]
It worked!
Yubel's excitement was hard to contain.
At last—at the very end—she had landed a hit.
So this man wasn't truly invincible. His Life Points weren't something that couldn't be shaken.
There was still a chance!
"Not giving up even at this point—your resolve isn't bad," Kira said, brushing dust off himself.
"Nonsense." Yubel said coldly. "I said it: anyone who stands between me and Jaden must be destroyed."
A dangerous light flared in her eyes again.
"Even if the price I pay… is myself."
Kira: "Good, good. That's the spirit."
Yubel looked at him like he'd lost his mind, then snorted. "End Phase: Special Summon 'Samsara Lotus' from my Graveyard."
[Samsara Lotus, ATK 0]
"If I don't Tribute a monster during the End Phase, Yubel must destroy itself," Yubel said. "I Tribute Samsara Lotus. End my turn."
Then she suddenly remembered something and frowned. "Your Gladiator Beasts battled this turn. You're not returning them to the Deck?"
Kira smacked his forehead. "Ah, right, right—my memory. I completely forgot—"
Yubel stared at him expressionlessly.
"Haha, okay, looks like you don't believe me." Kira smiled. "In fact, it's because there's no need anymore."
"What?" Yubel frowned.
"My turn. Draw," Kira said flatly. "I've seen your determination—more or less. Now it's about time we bring this duel to a close.
I Summon 'Witch Doctor of Sparta.'"
[Witch Doctor of Sparta, ATK 400]
Yubel frowned.
What is this thing now?
"Next, battle."
Kira's tone was light.
"'Gladiator Beast Augustus,' attack 'Yubel.'"
"Nani!?"
Yubel was shocked.
He's attacking even though he knows I have reflect damage—
She clenched her teeth. A bad feeling rose up, but she had no choice now.
"If you're courting death, then I'll grant it… Yubel, counterattack!"
As expected, Augustus's sword did nothing to Yubel. The strike was reflected by the thorny vines—
"But at the moment the attack was declared, my Trap has already activated."
Yubel: "!"
A Trap at the moment of attack declaration?
"Trap Card 'Nature's Reflection,'" Kira said calmly. "This turn, all effect damage your opponent would deal to me is reflected back to them."
Yubel's pupils shrank.
Her own effect: any battle damage she would take becomes 0, and she deals damage to the opponent equal to the amount prevented.
That was absolutely "damage dealt to the opponent."
And if all effect damage this turn is reflected, then—
"Correct. Augustus has 2600 ATK. So Yubel would reflect 2600 damage to me," Kira said with a smile, "and then 'Nature's Reflection' reflects it back to you."
So Yubel got splashed in the face by her own reflect damage.
"Ugh—aaah!"
[Yubel, LP 9500 → 6900]
Yubel panted heavily, gritting her teeth. "You—you—you…"
"Gladiator Beast Retiari, attack Yubel."
[Gladiator Beast Retiari, ATK 1200]
Nature's Reflection reflected Yubel's reflected damage again—another chunk slammed into Yubel's face.
"Guh!"
[Yubel, LP 6900 → 5700]
Yubel: "You… bastard…"
"Thank you for the compliment," Kira replied politely. "Gladiator Beast Bestiari, attack 'Yubel.'"
[Gladiator Beast Bestiari, ATK 1600]
Yubel: "Aaaah!"
[Yubel, LP 5700 → 4100]
She fell to one knee, her eyes already starting to lose focus.
It's… not over yet?
"Witch Doctor of Sparta, attack Yubel."
[Witch Doctor of Sparta, ATK 400]
[Yubel, LP 4100 → 3700]
"'Gladiator Beast Dimacari,' attack Yubel."
[Gladiator Beast Dimacari, ATK 1600]
[Yubel, LP 3700 → 2100]
Five attackers took turns grinding Yubel into the ground. Even for her, after this devastating five-hit chain, her body and mind seemed near their limit.
Half-kneeling, she clenched her teeth and forced herself upright.
"It's… not over."
Her Life Points were still above zero. She could still fight.
She would see Jaden again.
The two of them… would be together again.
"Gladiator Beast Dimacari's monster effect."
The cold voice across from her sounded like it came from the depths of hell—gentle in tone, yet like a demon king's whisper.
"Dimacari, Special Summoned by a Gladiator Beast effect, can attack twice per turn."
Yubel's lips trembled.
There's… more?
"Gladiator Beast Dimacari," Kira said. "Attack Yubel again."
A six-hit chain!
"AAAAH—!"
[Yubel, LP 2100 → 500]
How ironic. Yubel—who had always relied on grim reflect damage and had killed who-knew-how-many by bouncing damage back—was being tormented to this extent by her own reflect.
Losing more than nine thousand Life Points in an instant, she could barely stand.
But her gaze still held fast.
"It's not over!"
"Your persistence is impressive. But actually, it's already over—you just haven't realized it yet," Kira said flatly.
Yubel froze.
What?
"Witch Doctor of Sparta's effect. While this card is on the field, each time a monster is Special Summoned from the Deck, your opponent takes 500 damage."
Yubel stiffened completely.
The shared effect of Gladiator Beasts: after battle, they can return to the Deck, then Special Summon new Gladiator Beasts from the Deck.
"Looks like you've realized it." Kira smiled. "Battle ends. The four Gladiator Beasts on my field all return to the Deck, then I Special Summon four Gladiator Beasts from my Deck.
So—tell me. How much damage do you still owe me?"
Yubel: "…"
"I return the four Gladiator Beasts on my field to the Deck."
Kira calmly slid the cards back into his Duel Disk. The Deck automatically shuffled, and four cards popped out.
"I Special Summon four new Gladiator Beasts from my Deck. And at this moment, Witch Doctor of Sparta's effect…"
Kira narrowed his eyes.
"A total of 2000 additional damage."
Yubel didn't speak. It felt like something was lodged in her chest, leaving her unable to say anything.
After a long pause—until the new four Gladiator Beasts landed on the field, until the spellcaster chanted and that destructive energy surged toward her—
Yubel finally looked up at the sky.
"I'm sorry, Jaden."
She closed her eyes.
[Yubel, LP 500 → 0]
…