"You've fallen way too far behind. Way, way too far!!"
"Heh heh, I've already left you eating my dust!"
"Lyuzakii!"
Jonouchi's aura changed in an instant.
A violent gale howled!
The watching Duelists were all forced back by the "wind."
No—
That wasn't wind!
That was sheer "fighting spirit"!
Seeing this, Tenjo Hikari even started trembling ever so slightly.
His heart was pounding like crazy!
Excitement!
An intense, restless excitement—he could feel a thrill in his chest that words couldn't describe.
More intense than the Wave of Light, more intense than Kaiba ten years ago—far, far more intense!
The true "legend"!
Not those "duel with a legend, then you become a Legendary Duelist" types… but a legend in the truest sense!!
"My turn, draw!"
He drew a card, glanced at it, and slammed it down: "Normal Summon, Metal Illusionist!"
What's that?
Everyone cried out in their hearts.
Tenjo Hikari's eyes went wide.
Metalization—
"When this card is Summon·Special Summoned, you can activate its effect. Set 1 'Metalization' Trap from your Deck to your field. If there is 'Max Metalmorph' in your Graveyard, you can also draw 1 card!"
"Metalization?" Lyuzakii remembered—that was a Trap Card that supported Red-Eyes.
Since when—
Ah, it was that Trap, the one he revealed at the start to Special Summon the Android!
Jonouchi Set a card to his field, then drew a card, and played another: "I'm not done yet. Send 1 Set Card on your own field to the Graveyard to Special Summon this card! Red-Eyes Metal Claws Dragon!"
A Red-Eyes Black Dragon with steel claws on both hands swooped down from the sky, landing on Jonouchi's field.
"Red-Eyes Metal Claws Dragon's effect: when this card is Summon·Special Summoned, if you have 'Max Metalmorph' on your field or in your Graveyard, you can activate this effect. Add 1 'Metalization' Trap from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand."
"I add the Trap in my Graveyard to my hand, then Set it."
"So, are you going to activate your Set Card?"
Lyuzakii was a bit confused.
If it's just this level of play, there's absolutely no need to use a Set Card. Destroying all of his own cards at this point would be a total loss.
His Monsters' ATK were higher anyway.
"Then, I activate Trap Card—Max Metalmorph!"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Didn't he just Set that card!?"
"Y-Yeah, right!? That's cheating—that's totally cheating! B-But if Mr. Jonouchi is doing it, there must be a reason…"
"Quiet!! It's easy to understand! This is a Monster Effect!" Tenjo Hikari cut off the Duelists' exclamations from the side.
"Ha, that's right—" Jonouchi nodded toward Tenjo Hikari. "While Red-Eyes Metal Claws Dragon is on the field, 'Metalization' Traps can be activated during the turn they are Set."
"No way—"
"That strong!?"
"T-That's insane!"
Jonouchi didn't dwell on it, and continued, "Max Metalmorph—tribute 1 face-up Monster you control to activate. Special Summon 1 Monster that cannot be Normal Summoned whose card name is written on a card that has 'Max Metalmorph' in its text from your hand·Deck·Graveyard. Then you can treat this card as an Equip Card that gives [ATK·Defense Power +400, cannot be destroyed by Magic·Monster effects, and your opponent cannot target the Equipment Monster with Magic·Monster effects] and equip it to that Monster."
"I power up my Red-Eyes!"
Clang clang clang clang—
Steel manically latched onto Red-Eyes' body; a steel giant dragon, armed to the teeth in the most literal sense, slowly descended.
Red-Eyes Black Fullmetal Dragon, LV 8, Dark Attribute, Machine-Type, ATK 3400→3800.
"3800!"
"It exceeds the Dragon King! And completely surpasses Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Lyuzakii swallowed hard: "I activate Trap Card, Jurrac Impact. When you control a Dinosaur-Type Monster with Attack Power 2500 or more, you can activate this card. Destroy all cards on the field!"
"Self-destruction?"
"He's going to blow everything up!? But then he won't have anything left either—"
"No, this is good for him! Once his Babycerasaurus is destroyed, he can Special Summon another Monster!"
The Duelists around them all began to chatter about this sudden turn.
Only Tenjo Hikari knew.
The moment Metalization was activated, the Duel was already over.
"Ha, sorry, Lyuzakii—Red-Eyes Black Fullmetal Dragon's effect: when your opponent activates an effect, you can activate this. Negate that activation."
The Trap Card had just flipped up when it immediately stopped functioning; the "dinosaur meteorite" that had just begun to gather in the sky vanished in an instant…
"No way—" Dinosaur Lyuzaki was utterly stunned.
"Heh…" Jonouchi looked toward Red-Eyes, and Red-Eyes let out a roar.
Black Dragons represent burn damage—after this effect resolves, he can inflict damage to his opponent equal to the LP of 1 Attack Position Monster on their field.
In other words, 3200 points!
But—
He absolutely hated "burn damage."
"Lyuzakii, it's time to use my final card—In ancient legends, there was a Sword Saint who defeated countless Spirits. But after conquering all and finding no opponent left, he felt lonely, and so he clad himself in heavy Armor…"
"…Sword Saint?"
"That's right—the final Ace Card I used in that Duel! The Sword Saint reborn as a phoenix!"
"I equip the Equip Spell 'Dragon Nails' from my hand to Red-Eyes Black Fullmetal Dragon, then banish the Equip to activate its effect. Special Summon—Immortal Phoenix Gearfried!"
A gigantic Sword Saint in pure white Armor, wreathed in flames, slowly stepped out of a Summoning Array shaped like a fireball.
Immortal Phoenix Gearfried, LV 9, Fire Attribute, Warrior-Type, Attack Power 3000!
"A power completely on par with Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"Hu hu hu…" the old man said with his hands behind his back, explaining, "Immortal Phoenix Gearfried can banish Equip Spells from the field and Graveyard to Special Summon itself."
Jonouchi then picked up another card: "Equip Spell Card, Phoenix Gearblade—equip to the Sword Saint."
Sword Saint 3000→3300.
"When the Sword Saint declares an attack, he can treat 1 Monster on your opponent's field as an Equip Card that increases his ATK by 500. That Babycerasaurus is pretty pitiful… I'll have the Sword Saint attack your Souleating Oviraptor, and I'll equip Babycerasaurus along the way."
Sword Saint 3300→3800.
The Flame Sword Saint cleaved down on the dinosaur wreathed in blue flames.
Dinosaur Lyuzaki raised his arm in front of him to brace himself against the damage.
Lyuzakii, LP: 2600→600.
"Then, Red-Eyes Black Fullmetal Dragon attacks!"
3800 - 3200 = 600!
Exactly enough!
Lyuzakii took a deep breath.
The gap between him and Jonouchi had become this huge!?
He was a little angry, a little regretful—regretting why he'd wasted so many years.
But at the same time, he was also fired up!
Fine then, Jonouchi, just you wait. Wait for me—I'll absolutely, with my own power and the dueling philosophy I've reclaimed, completely, utterly defeat you!
That day definitely isn't far away!
BOOM!
Black flames rained down.
Lyuzakii, LP: 600→0.