Seeing Yusaku on the stage, Eto Kaito took a deep breath and stepped up.
At this point, since he was the one who'd been showboating, he had to grit his teeth and finish the act.
After climbing onto the platform, he unfolded his Duel Disk and looked straight at Yusaku.
"Everyone keeps saying you're amazing, but I don't think so."
Yusaku's lips curved into a faint smile. "So what are you trying to say?"
"My deck's essence is all in going second. If you're really as godlike as the rumors claim, then take me at my peak and let me go second!"
Kaito crossed his arms, deliberately raising his voice so it echoed through the stadium.
The players in the stands all wore strange expressions.
They hadn't forgotten Hiroshi's tragedy just now. The only reason it happened was because he got stuck going second.
The duel ended with him playing a single card, and then the entire field got sealed shut.
Hearing Kaito's demand, a flicker of surprise passed through Yusaku's eyes, and he laughed. "So after all that, you just want to go second. You're sure you want to hand me the first turn?"
Kaito kept his arms crossed. "My Kaguya Kaiju deck isn't weak going first, but going second is where it truly shines. And that Kashtira deck you used earlier—I've studied it. I think my deck isn't weaker than your Kashtira."
"Kaguya Kaiju, huh?" Yusaku smiled lightly. "No wonder you're obsessed with going second. Fine. If that's what you want, I'll give you exactly what you asked for."
Kaito asked in disbelief, "You're serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Yusaku raised his arm, bringing his Duel Disk up.
"Talking's pointless. Let's go."
Kaito inserted his Deck into the Duel Disk and laughed. "You chose this yourself. Don't blame me if you lose!"
"Duel!" "Duel!"
The instant their voices collided, the Duel Disks began to hum. A pale-blue holographic screen expanded like ripples, data streams weaving across the surface as both Life Points displayed clearly.
[Yusaku, LP 8000]
[Kaito, LP 8000]
"Then as agreed, I'll take the first turn."
Yusaku's fingers slid across the card slot. With the crisp scrape of cards, five opening cards snapped into his hand and fanned out across his palm.
"Draw. Main Phase."
He scanned his hand, his gaze pausing briefly on one card before he drew it out.
"First, I activate the Spell Card Terraforming! Its effect lets me add 1 Field Spell from my Deck to my hand. I choose Nightmare Throne."
"Now I activate the Field Spell—Nightmare Throne!"
The moment the card was accepted by the Duel Disk, the entire Duel Arena shuddered violently. The ground split with spiderweb cracks as countless mechanical gears surged up from beneath the floor, assembling behind Yusaku into a towering, dark throne.
Unlike Kaito's stunned confusion, the players in the stands instantly exploded.
"Holy—Yubel! No, wait—this is basically the Yubel deck!"
"Why isn't he using Kashtira going first? I'm not saying Yubel is weak, but Kashtira first is even nastier!"
"He knows the other guy's on Kaguya Kaiju and he still picked Yubel? Has he never been tributed before?"
"Yubel gets tributed too!"
"Exactly. He knows it's Kaguya Kaiju and he still picked Yubel—so is he trying to reverse-seal him?"
"Stop talking and just watch!"
On the field, after the card resolved, Yusaku immediately called out:
"Nightmare Throne's effect! As part of this card's activation, I can add to my hand—or destroy—1 Fiend monster from my Deck with 0 ATK and 0 DEF!"
"I add Samsara D Lotus to my hand!"
The card launched out; Yusaku didn't hesitate for even a second before slapping it onto the Duel Disk.
"Normal Summon! Samsara D Lotus!"
As the card hit the field, the ground split open. A delicate, vividly pink lotus pushed up from the earth, petals beaded with dew—yet it radiated a sinister, dark aura that made the air feel cold.
[Samsara D Lotus]
[Level 1 / Fiend / Effect]
[ATK 0]
"Samsara D Lotus's effect activates!" Yusaku's voice lifted sharply. "I can Tribute this card to Special Summon 1 'Yubel' monster from my Deck!"
"The moment you activate that effect!" Kaito's eyes flashed as he abruptly revealed a card from his hand. "I chain my hand effect—Mulcharmy Fuwalos!"
"This card's effect is: during either player's turn, I can discard it; then, each time you Special Summon a monster from the Deck or Extra Deck, I draw 1 card..."
"Also, during the End Phase, if my hand size is more than your number of cards on the field plus 6, I shuffle random cards from my hand into the Deck equal to the difference!"
Yusaku's lips curled slightly. "Just like I thought. So you really did have a hand trap. Thanks for the flowers."
Kaito looked completely lost. "What are you talking about?"
"You'll find out right now."
Yusaku immediately played another card.
"Then I chain to your effect and activate PSY-Framegear Gamma!"
"If I control no monsters when my opponent activates a monster effect: I can Special Summon this card from my hand, and Special Summon 1 PSY-Frame Driver from my hand, Deck, GY, or banishment, and negate that activation—and destroy that card!"
"My field is empty, so I meet the condition perfectly! I Special Summon PSY-Framegear Gamma and PSY-Frame Driver in Defense Position, and I negate and destroy your Mulcharmy Fuwalos!"
Two eerie silhouettes—made of lightning and mechanical gears—burst onto Yusaku's field in an instant.
[PSY-Framegear Gamma]
[Level 2 / Psychic / Effect]
[DEF 0]
[PSY-Frame Driver]
[Level 6 / Psychic / Effect]
[DEF 0]
The instant they appeared, Gamma erupted with a blinding bolt of electricity, striking with pinpoint accuracy and彻底 shutting down the hand trap's effect.
Kaito glanced at the card that had been negated, then looked up at Yusaku. "So you knew I had hand traps, and you deliberately baited me like that?"
Yusaku smiled faintly. "PSY-Framegear Gamma can only be used when you control no monsters. Instead of letting it rot in my hand, I'd rather test whether you're holding something like that."
Kaito: "...?"
Before Kaito could process it, Yusaku swept his arm and declared sharply:
"Since your Mulcharmy Fuwalos is negated, you won't be drawing off my later Special Summons from the Deck. Now, I continue resolving Samsara D Lotus—I Special Summon Spirit of Yubel from my Deck!"
[Spirit of Yubel]
[Level 10 / Fiend / Effect]
[ATK 0]
"Spirit of Yubel's effect activates!"
Yusaku continued.
"When this card is Special Summoned: I can add to my hand, or Set, 1 Spell/Trap that mentions 'Yubel'!"
"I add the Continuous Spell—Nightmare Pain!"
"Next, I Synchro Summon!"
With a snap of Yusaku's fingers, the two PSY-Frame monsters turned into a storm of starlight and soared upward. A magnificent dragon form took shape in the blaze of holograms, scales gleaming with metallic brilliance as it raised its head and roared—its shockwave sweeping the arena like a tidal wave.
[Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon]
[Level 8 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK 2500]
"Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon's effect activates," Yusaku said.
"If this card is Synchro Summoned: I can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Tuner from my GY!"
"I Special Summon my Level 2 PSY-Framegear Gamma from the GY again!"
[PSY-Framegear Gamma]
[ATK 1000]
Yusaku immediately followed up:
"Now I tune the PSY-Framegear Gamma I just summoned with Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon!"
"Synchro Summon! Level 10—Baronne de Fleur!!!"
Black flames and golden light intertwined, spiraling into a star-track that pierced the sky. Starlight scattered across the dome in a straight, cross-like chain as a brilliant, rose-colored beam slammed down.
Then came the crisp sound of hooves striking through the light—an armored female knight, riding a pure white steed, charged out with a rose-etched blade in hand, gemstones on her armor refracting dazzling brilliance.
[Baronne de Fleur]
[Level 10 / Warrior / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK 3000]
Staring at Baronne on the field, Kaito stealthily glanced at the two cards in his hand and formed a hidden smile, thinking to himself:
Go on. Build bigger. Build as big as you can.
You didn't expect this, did you? I brought Lava Golem, and it's already in my hand. Add the Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju I'm holding too, and that's enough Tributes to clear three monsters in one go.
I can't wait to see your face when your carefully built board gets Tributed away in a single bite.
While Kaito's imagination ran wild, Yusaku had already drawn out another card and raised it between his fingers.
"Gruesome Grave Squirmer's effect activates! If I control a Fiend monster, I can Special Summon this card from my hand. Then I can destroy 1 'Yubel' monster or a monster that mentions it that I control!"
"I control the Fiend Spirit of Yubel, so I Special Summon this card!"
A gust of blue particle storm swept across the field. A mummy-like monster—wrapped head to toe in yellowed bandages—materialized from the haze, faint black mist seeping from the gaps.
[Gruesome Grave Squirmer]
[Level 1 / Fiend / Effect]
[ATK 0]
"Now I resolve Gruesome Grave Squirmer's follow-up effect—I destroy Spirit of Yubel!"
In the instant it was destroyed, the shattered form dissolved into drifting sparks and sank into the grave.
"This is the moment!" Yusaku raised his voice. "When Spirit of Yubel is destroyed and sent to the GY, its effect can activate! And I also chain my Field Spell Nightmare Throne!"
"First, resolve Nightmare Throne's effect!"
Yusaku spoke at lightning speed.
"Once per turn, if a face-up 'Yubel' monster I control leaves the field by a card effect: I can add to my hand 1 'Yubel' monster from my Deck, GY, or banishment whose original Level is 1 higher or 1 lower than that monster, then I can Special Summon it, ignoring its Summoning conditions!"
"I add Yubel - Terror Incarnate, which is 1 Level higher than Spirit of Yubel, then Special Summon it!"
A roar that seemed to tear the arena apart thundered out. A massive fiendish entity took form behind Yusaku, its body cloaked in darkness and dread, radiating a pressure that made the air feel heavy.
[Yubel - Terror Incarnate]
[Level 11 / Fiend / Effect]
[ATK 0]
"Next, resolve Spirit of Yubel's effect!"
"If this card is destroyed: I can Special Summon 1 'Yubel' from my hand, GY, or banishment!"
"I Special Summon Yubel!"
The classic form of Yubel appeared on the field, dark flames rising and falling around its body like a living curse, its gaze cold and razor-sharp.
[Yubel]
[Level 10 / Fiend / Effect]
[ATK 0]
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]