[The D., LP 4000 → LP 2000]
"'Vanity's Call': pay half your Life Points, negate and destroy all cards in the same chain," The D. said. "Your Silent Magician and Ryu Senshi—destroy them!"
As the four forces were about to collide, the sudden Counter Trap blanketed the field and seized control.
The mage's spell, the warrior's dragon soul, the holy reflective light—all dimmed in an instant. Endless nothingness devoured everything, swallowing those unleashed powers along with the monsters and the cards themselves.
"But your own 'Effect Shut' and 'Mirror Force' are negated too," Kira noted.
"Correct," The D. replied. "Mirror Force no longer resolves, so your 'The Tricky' doesn't have to be destroyed. But the Ryu Senshi and Silent Magician, which activated their effects, are destroyed."
Ryu Senshi and Silent Magician simultaneously exploded. Yet after Silent exploded, she didn't dissipate; the released white magic reconverged on the field, unfolding an even holier, brighter magic barrier.
The D. frowned. "What now?"
"When 'Silent Magician' is destroyed by an opponent's card effect and leaves the field, special summon 'Silent Magician LV8' from the Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions!"
Kira drew the next card ejected from his deck.
"From the nexus of chaos and order blooms the radiance of silence—Magician of Light, descend—
—Silent Magician LV8!"
Destruction was merely a transformation. The sacred mage reappeared in an advanced form amid gathering white light, taller and grander than before; long white legs faintly visible beneath her broad robes.
[Silent Magician LV8, ATK 3500]
"ATK 3500…"
The D.'s expression shifted.
His response had been beautiful—near perfect defense. Three layers of backrow, even the powerful finisher 'Vanity's Call' successfully resolved.
Yet even those layers still seemed to have been broken through.
He'd paid 2000 LP to activate 'Vanity's Call,' leaving him at 2000. On Kira's side, either Silent or The Tricky landing a single hit would still end him.
"So this is the Duel King. Different from any opponent I've met these past ten years. However…"
The D.'s eyes narrowed again.
"The current strength I wield frightens even me!"
As the final word fell, power exploded once more. A torrent of energy blasted from his body and fell upon his field—light stained with malice condensed into the physical form of a monster!
"When a card your opponent controls has its activation negated by your Counter Trap, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Descend—
—Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord!"
Like a god of the underworld, a black dragon traced with crimson lines, trampling thunder and lightning, crashed domineeringly onto The D.'s field.
[Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord, ATK 2800]
"And based on the types of cards negated when it was Special Summoned, Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord gains different effects," The D. declared.
"If the Counter Trap negated a Spell: inflict 1500 damage to the opponent.
If it negated a Trap: destroy one card on the opponent's field.
If it negated a monster effect: Special Summon any one monster from your GY!"
"You just activated 'Vanity's Call,'" Kira said. "It negates all cards on the same chain."
"Correct!" The D. laughed. "So my Counter Trap negated a Spell, a Trap, and a monster effect. Van'Dalgyon gains all three!
First, Spell: inflict 1500 damage!"
The Van'Dalgyon roared; a bolt of lightning struck Kira.
[Kira, LP 3000 → LP 1500]
"Then Trap: destroy 'Silent Magician LV8'!"
The dragon's claw tore the air; a black gouge slashed across Silent, and she exploded and left the field again.
"Finally, monster effect: Special Summon any monster from my GY!"
A white beam shot from The D.'s Duel Disk, forming a monster on the field.
A white-haired woman with a dark red half-mask, cracking a whip in hand, curvaceous body bound in dark red armor.
"Special Summon the 'Chaos Hunter' I discarded to the GY last turn!"
[Chaos Hunter, ATK 2500]
He'd reversed the situation in one fell swoop!
The D.'s pride swelled.
This was the unshackled, fully unleashed power of light—too strong. Even against the Duel King, he didn't come up short.
So strong it felt unbelievable even to himself.
And he still hadn't summoned the most crucial card…
The more he thought it, the more the corners of his mouth curled up.
He was growing eager to see how much stronger his "power" would become once the Ultimate D took the field.
"You managed to summon two powerful high-level monsters during my turn. Not bad," Kira said, setting another card.
"With Van'Dalgyon and Chaos Hunter both stronger than The Tricky, I won't attack.
I set one card and end my turn."
The D. grew even more smug.
The duel had shifted into his rhythm. Maintain it, keep pressing, and victory would be his.
This was the chance to topple the Duel King and prove himself the strongest—beyond world champion, the very pinnacle on this planet!
"My turn. Draw!" The D. declared. "Go, Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord, attack 'The Tricky'!"
"Then I activate my set card," Kira said. "Trap Card 'Draining Shield.' Negate the attack and gain Life Points equal to that monster's ATK."
The dragon's strike crashed into a rainbow-hued aqueous shield. The energy was fully absorbed by the transparent barrier and flowed into Kira.
[Kira, LP 1500 → LP 4300]
"Tch… then Chaos Hunter, attack 'The Tricky.'"
Chaos Hunter cracked her whip. The Tricky clapped his palms to counter, but the whip came alive in her grasp, deftly avoiding his hands, twirling to bind his arms.
She yanked, pulling The Tricky off balance. Then the whip snapped; the tip slammed into his chest, shattering his ribcage. Even the question mark on his chest split into pieces.
[Kira, LP 4300 → LP 3800]