"My turn, draw a card!"
Akiza reignited her fighting spirit.
This time it's not for revenge, or rather, it's not just simply for revenge anymore.
She is a duelist.
No matter when, no matter where, even in the darkest moments of life, she has never betrayed this identity.
Yes, once upon a time, it was also her pursuit and life's ideal. She thought she had long forgotten it, but now it seems it's not so easy to forget?
Even in the hardest times, she hadn't given up dueling, and that is the best proof. It's an obvious fact, why did it take Godwin to remind her for her to realize it?
"Summon 'Knight of Night Rose'!"
[Knight of Night Rose, Attack Power 1000]
Akiza continues: "Monster Effect of Knight of Night Rose, when this card is successfully summoned, special summon a Plant Race monster card below four stars from the hand.
Special summon 'Dark Green Bud'!"
[Dark Green Bud, Attack Power 0]
"Level three, adjusted monster 'Knight of Night Rose'!
Level two, 'Dark Green Bud'!
Two level one 'Evil Thorns'!
Star-Tuning!"
[3+2+1+1=7]
"The cold flame surrounds the entire world, the pitch-black flowers, bloom! Synchro summon—
—Black Rose Dragon!!!"
Rose petals fluttered across the sky, surrounded by a sea of blooms, the mighty dragon descended at Akiza's summons!
[Black Rose Dragon, Attack Power 2400]
"There it is, your soul dragon." Yugen smiled.
Akiza looked up at Black Rose Dragon, her expression more complex than before.
Yes. No matter when, Black Rose Dragon has always been fighting by her side. Together they endured, together they suffered.
She resented her innate power, but never resented Black Rose Dragon, nor the duel itself.
Black Rose Dragon has always been one with her, fighting for her, bearing her hatred, carrying all the pain.
"Activate Equipment Magic 'Thorn of Hatred.' Akiza said, "Equip to Black Rose Dragon.
The Attack Power of the equipped monster increases by 600!"
[Black Rose Dragon, Attack Power 2400→Attack Power 3000]
"Then activate Black Rose Dragon's effect!" Akiza said, "Once per turn, remove a Plant Race monster in your graveyard from the game, select a defense position monster on the opponent's field, and change it to attack position!
Furthermore, until the end of the turn, the Attack Power of that monster becomes 0!"
Akiza revealed a Plant Race card in the graveyard.
"I remove 'Evil Thorn' from the game from the graveyard, changing 'Mecha Team - Fortress' from defense to attack, and its Attack Power becomes zero!"
Black Rose Dragon bit the floating Evil Thorn from the graveyard into pieces, absorbing its energy. Meanwhile, vine tentacles shot out, binding the defensive Mecha Fortress, forcibly lifting the massive fortress.
[Mecha Team - Fortress, Attack Power 2500→Attack Power 0]
Indeed, Mecha Team - Fortress, when targeted by an opponent's monster effect, can check the opponent's hand and discard a selected card. However, Akiza no longer had any cards in hand, so it couldn't be activated.
"Lend me your power again, Black Rose Dragon!"
Akiza's amber eyes were full of determination.
"As a duelist!"
"Black Rose Dragon, attack 'Mecha Team - Fortress'!"
The empowered Black Rose Dragon had an Attack Power of three thousand while Godwin's Life Points were at 2700; by breaking the Fortress with zero Attack Power, victory was hers!
Boom—
Catastrophic magical flames, scorching flames roared across the opponent's field. Mecha Fortress was instantly melted and shattered by Black Rose's breath, burnt into scrap metal. Telekinetic storms danced wildly about.
Akiza panted heavily.
"Did I succeed?"
The smoke cleared, that white-haired figure still stood, undisturbed.
[Yugen, LP 700]
Akiza: "!"
"Speed Attack Magic 'Emergency Food,' send Continuous Magic 'Nightmare Mirage Tube' to the graveyard, and restore 1000 Life Points."
Akiza bit her lip.
Indeed, quite a tough opponent.
Yugen said: "When Mecha Team - Fortress is destroyed by battle, randomly destroy any card on the opponent's field..."
"Useless." Akiza said coldly, "The effect of Equipment Magic 'Thorn of Hatred'!
The opponent's monster engaged in battle with the equipped Black Rose Dragon isn't destroyed in battle, and its Attack Power permanently decreases by 600 after each battle."
Of course, now that the Fortress's Attack Power is already zero due to Black Rose Dragon's effect, it cannot decrease further.
"You've evolved, Akiza Izinski." Yugen smiled in approval, "The power contained in that strike just now is no longer just hatred. I felt, for the first time now, the soul of you as a duelist."
Akiza: "..."
Even if she didn't want to admit it, it was indeed true.
Not just because of what "Godwin" had said moments ago, but also due to something Yusei Fudo had said to her in the previous duel. Now, she really didn't feel so repulsed by her power anymore.
Hatred, animosity, all of it was fading.
For the first time, she recalled her childhood's innocent dreams, her pure love and pursuit of the path of dueling.
And it's the first time she looked at the dragon seal on her arm without seeing it as a cursed mark, but rather thinking "maybe this power can also be used for a righteous path."
"Well, to this point, my task is almost completed. So next... let me quickly bring this duel to a close."
Akiza: "!"
Such arrogant rhetoric...
It sounds like, this duel was just meant as a way to toy around for some purpose. Now, the time to play is over, and the duel can casually be ended.
Normally, upon hearing such clearly disrespectful words, one should feel angry.
But for some reason, Akiza couldn't muster any anger.
In fact, a voice deep inside was telling her, this person was simply speaking the truth.
"It's my turn, draw a card."
Yugen draws a card.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Necromancy Sacrifice'. Special summon one or two monsters from my graveyard to the opponent's field.
I summon from my graveyard this card..." (Original Card)
Yugen smiled mysteriously and waved the planetary card that made a big show last round.
"Great Saturn is special summoned to your field!"
[Great Saturn, Attack Power 2800]
Qiu looked shocked at the Saturn appearing on her field.
Was it a gift?
"Yes, don't mention it," Yugen said. "Then, based on the number of monsters summoned on the opponent's field by 'Necromancy Sacrifice', the number of tributes required is reduced, no need to sacrifice an upper-level monster from the opponent's hand for summoning."
Yugen revealed the card in his hand.
"Therefore, I reduce the number of monsters needed for release, and summon 'Cyber Dragon'!"
[Cyber Dragon, Attack Power 2100]
"Activate the Magic Card 'One-on-One'.
Discard one Monster Card from your hand to Special Summon a One-Star Monster from the card deck.
Special Summon 'Regulation Supporter' from the card deck!"
[Regulation Supporter, Attack Power 100]
"Also, the card just discarded from the hand is the Level One Tuning 'Growth Bulb'. Growth Bulb can Special Summon itself from the graveyard by discarding the top card of the deck.
Special Summon 'Growth Bulb' from the graveyard!"
[Growth Bulb, Attack Power 0]
"Level One, Growth Bulb! Level One, Regulation Supporter! Level Five, Cyber Dragon!
Star-Tuning!"
[1+1+5=7]
"Synchro Summon! Level 7——
——Seven Sword Warriors!"
[Seven Sword Warriors, Attack Power 2300]
"Next is the effect of 'Regulation Supporter'," Yugen said. "When this card becomes a Synchro Material, draw one card from the card deck."
Qiu: "Going through all this trouble just to summon something like this? Even if you summon this monster, it can't match Black Rose Dragon..."
"Don't be hasty," Yugen smiled. "Next, activate the Equipment Magic 'Black Necklace', equipping it to 'Seven Sword Warriors'. It gives the equipped monster an additional 500 Attack Power."
[Seven Sword Warriors, Attack Power 2300→Attack Power 2800]
Qiu frowned, "But that only matches the Attack Power of Great Saturn..."
Could he be aiming for mutual destruction with Great Saturn? But this thing was a gift from the opponent...?
What's the point?
"Seven Sword Warriors' effect, once per turn, when equipped with a card, deals 800 damage to the opponent."
[Akiza Izinski, LP4000→ LP3200]
When struck by the sword of Seven Sword Warriors, Qiu staggered slightly and said, "This level of damage..."
"The next effect of Seven Sword Warriors." Yugen explained with a smile, "Once per turn, this card can send an Equipment Card to the graveyard.
And when an Equipment Card on this card is sent to the graveyard, one face-up monster on the opponent's field can be destroyed."
"Destroy one face-up monster on the opponent's side..."
"!!!"
Qiu's eyes widened as she looked at Great Saturn.
That's right, when Great Saturn is "destroyed by an opponent-controlled card," both players take damage equal to Great Saturn's Attack Power.
In that case, both will suffer 2800 points of damage...
"Furthermore, when the Equipment Magic 'Black Necklace' is sent to the graveyard from the field, it deals 500 damage to the opponent," Yugen said calmly.
Qiu: "!!!"
Seven Sword Warriors inflicts 800 damage when equipped, blasts Great Saturn for 2800 damage, and Black Necklace adds an additional 500...
The combination of these equipment strikes deals a burst of 4100 damage.
OTK!
"But your Life Points are only 700 left!" Qiu said in a deep voice, "The moment Great Saturn explodes, your LP will hit zero first..."
"Oh? So you care about me? I'm truly touched,"
Yugen laughed.
"But you don't need to worry about that.
Activate the Magic Card 'Heart of Trust'.
Sacrifice one monster on your field with at least Level 2 to add a tuner monster from the graveyard with half the sacrificed monster's level back to your hand."
Yugen gestured to the Mecha Fortress beside him.
"I sacrifice the Level 7 'Mecha Team - Fortress'! Adding the Level One tuner monster 'Feathered Cotton Ball' from the graveyard to my hand."
"What!?"
Qiu's eyes widened.
Feathered Cotton Ball... Right, that thing, when discarded from the hand during a turn, the controller takes no effect damage at all.
"Then I discard Feathered Cotton Ball; this turn I take no effect damage."
Qiu: "......"
"Alright then, as I just said, the game is over." Yugen said calmly, "Though I'd love to keep playing with you, I'm afraid I'm out of time and have other matters to attend to. So..."
He snapped his fingers.
"Seven Sword Warriors, send 'Black Necklace' to the graveyard, destroy 'Great Saturn'!"
Seven Sword Warriors delivered the final blow.
As Great Saturn endured the sword's strike, it suddenly exploded, releasing a torrent of anti-matter that seemed to obliterate the starry sky. The golden rings fell, and everything on the field, including Black Rose Dragon, the thorny equipment, and Great Saturn itself, seemed as if all things in existence were vaporized into quantum dust, heralding the end of the cosmos.
[Qiu, LP3200→ LP0]