"Shining Shoot!!!"
Like silver bullets tearing through the night, the high-tech armored Hero dives at high speed, wings spread behind him, trailing two long luminous paths!
This attack will deliver the finishing blow!
Rafael gritted his teeth, yet he still didn't give up: "Activate Magic Card - Rescuer from the Grave from the graveyard!" (animated card)
The bystanders were dumbfounded again: "Activate a Magic Card from the graveyard!?"
"Rescuer from the Grave can only be activated once during the opponent's attack, allowing you to remove five cards in the graveyard, including itself, from play!" Rafael said, "The opponent's attack is negated, and the battle phase is forcibly ended!"
The shadow of the Magic Card appeared behind him, accompanied by four other cards—all seeming to be cards discarded to the graveyard in the first turn.
Five cards dissipated in golden light, forming an invisible shield in front of Rafael. Shining Flare Wingman charged with unstoppable momentum, colliding with a "boom" that exploded in brilliant light and dust. However, when the light faded, the invisible barrier still stood firm.
"Oh? There's even a Trap Hole?"
Can you believe a Trap Hole in the DM era? And one that forcibly ends the battle phase, no less.
The depth of Rafael's obsession with "never sending monsters to the graveyard" was something Youyu felt he could somewhat understand...
The battle phase forcibly ended, the Duel Disc display automatically switched to Main Phase 2. Youyu thought for a moment, drew three cards: "Set three cards, end turn."
"Even a decisive blow could be defended against. As expected of Rafael," remarked Dark Yugi, nodding slightly with his arms crossed.
"Yes, but Youyu-san hasn't relaxed. He certainly has his own strategy too!"
Yugi looked at the three Set Cards in Youyu's back row with a "I know best" expression.
Meanwhile, more and more onlookers had gathered, making this duel instantly more attention-grabbing than any other battle happening in the park.
"Both of them are so strong! It's like a finals-level duel."
"Are you kidding? In this level of battle, anyone who even slightly loses focus will get obliterated, right?"
"...."
Rafael paid no mind to the audience's remarks, focusing instead: "My turn, draw. First, the Magic Card - Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards.
Then, I'll activate Equip Magic - Gravity Axe - Grarl, equipping it to Guardian Grarl."
Gravity waves covered the field, and the axe blown back to his hand last turn descended from the sky once again. Lizardman Grarl grabbed it and roared to the heavens.
[Guardian Grarl, ATK 2500 → ATK 3000]
Rafael drew a card from his hand, paused slightly, and cast a serious look at Youyu.
"Youyu, you are undoubtedly one of the strongest opponents I've ever faced." He said slowly, "Releasing myself from the chains of destiny that bound me all my life, I've now completed my transformation. I need a thrilling duel to prove myself and find a new direction.
And you are a fitting opponent. So let me give my all here and once again call upon my most loyal partner to fight alongside me!"
He inserted the card into the Duel Disc: "Equip Magic, Celestial Sword - Eatos, equip to the Support Guardian!"
Holy light shot down from the sky, delivering a radiant sword from above, embedding it into the ground.
"Then, when you have Celestial Sword - Eatos on the field, and no monsters in the graveyard..." Rafael raised a card high, voice elevating, "Descend once again to the field, and fight alongside me! Guardian Eatos!!!"
The spirit descended from the sky, enveloped in goddess-like holy light. She wore a headpiece resembling a hawk's, with massive wings unfurling behind her, countless white feathers fluttering like snowflakes.
As those wings spread, they seemed to instantly dominate the field with overwhelming power!
[Guardian Eatos, ATK 2500]
"There she is," Dark Yugi stated, "Rafael's ace monster!"
Yugi: "Yes! This is the powerful monster that defeated another me!"
Dark Yugi: "I..."
Rafael continued: "Next is the effect of the Support Guardian, transferring Celestial Sword - Eatos from itself to Guardian Eatos.
The effect of the Holy Sword increases Eatos' attack by 300." (animated effect)
That sword embedded in the ground suddenly sprang out as if on a spring, spinning back into Eatos' hand. Eatos held the sword handle and lightly swept it, and the blade conjured an invisible whirlwind in the air.
[Guardian Eatos, ATK 2500 → ATK 2800]
"Next, activate Guardian Eatos' effect!" Rafael swept his arm, shouting, "Destroy your own Celestial Sword - Eatos on the field, to banish all monsters in the opponent's graveyard from play, absorbing their power!
Until the end of the turn, add the attack of all monsters in the opponent's graveyard to Eatos!"
Eatos held her sword horizontally in front, her fair and slender hand brushing softly along the blade, which seemed to become enveloped in a faint white glow.
She raised the longsword in her hand high, the blade pointing straight to the sky, releasing an immense suction like a magnet. Youyu felt as though his Duel Disc was uncontrollably acting on its own, as card after card was absorbed from the graveyard, the souls of the heroes transforming into beams of golden light, shooting onto the Holy Sword that Eatos held aloft.
Among the souls converging upon the blade, one could clearly see the "Necro Gardna," which hadn't even appeared in this duel yet…
"Oh, Necro Gardna, discarded to the graveyard in the second turn, right?" Rafael smiled, "This card in the graveyard can nullify my attack once—a pretty solid defense line. As expected of the Duel King, your defense is indeed thorough.
But unfortunately, my Eatos' ability goes further!
Eatos, absorb the power of all the monsters in the graveyard!"
[Guardian Eatos, Attack Power 2500 → Attack Power 10700]
The onlookers were instantly in an uproar.
Attack power over ten thousand!
What does that even mean?
Even the legendary Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon would only face annihilation!
And that's not all!
"Because all 'Elemental Heroes' in your graveyard have been banished from the game, the attack power of 'Shining Flare Wingman' decreases!" Rafael shouted.
[Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman, Attack Power 4000 → Attack Power 2500]
"Next is Quick-Play Magic - Tornado!" Rafael continued, "This card can only be activated when there are three or more cards in the opponent's Magic Trap Zone, and it can destroy one card in the Magic Trap Zone."
"Pick one of the three cards?" Yugi said, "If you can select the key defensive card…"
Dark Yugi crossed his arms and nodded slightly: "But if it's Rafael, a true duelist, he will definitely pick the key card!"
Youyu couldn't help but feel speechless hearing this.
What does being a true duelist have to do with guessing the right card, isn't it just pure luck…
However, Rafael didn't disappoint Yugi: "The card I want to destroy with 'Tornado' is… that card!"
He pointed to the Set Card to Youyu's left.
The white tornado received the order, and immediately dashed out like a ravenous wolf. The storm indiscriminately seized the Set Card, swirling it high into the air, flipping it over and tearing it to pieces.
At that moment, everyone clearly saw that the card being shredded was indeed "Mirror Force."
"Amazing!" Yugi exclaimed in surprise, "He actually picked the key trap at once…"
But Rafael was not finished yet: "Then activate 'Equip Magic - Guardian's Shield,' equipping it to 'Support Guardian!' The equipped monster's defense increases by 300, and Guardian's Shield can substitute one monster for destruction if it would be destroyed." (animation card)
Youyu squinted: "Truly flawless…"
"Facing an opponent like you, it's only natural to be in the best state," Rafael smiled, then solemnly declared, "Battle! Guardian Eatos, attack 'Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman'!"
Eatos raised the sword.
It was the goddess' sword, imbued with the strength of countless souls, able to sever anything, reflecting its crushing attack power of over ten thousand in the value of this card game.
With a single slash, the momentum felt as if the heavens and earth were being forged anew, appearing to compress the radiant hero's form from all sides, rendering him immobile.
Even a deity couldn't withstand the might of this stroke.
This strike would determine victory or defeat!
Yet at that very instant, Youyu waved his arm and shouted: "Activate Set Card, Trap Card, Mirror Force!"
"What!?" x10086
As the Set Card flipped open, the blue glow of the Holy Shield enveloped the entire field, stunning everyone.
"Could it be... Duel King set two Mirror Forces!?"
"No… that's not right."
Rafael steadied himself, and with a glance immediately realized that the Mirror Force flipping open was right in the area to Youyu's left.
It was the very Mirror Force he thought had been blown away!
But obviously, this card was not destroyed by his Tornado. Instead, it seemed the card Set in the center of Youyu's field vanished in its place.
Youyu retrieved a card from the graveyard and flipped it over: "Trap Card - Fake Trap. When this card is Set on the field, if another Trap Card on your field would be destroyed, this card can be destroyed instead."
Rafael realized: "You substituted that card for the destruction of the 'Mirror Force'!?"