"What a scuffed version of Impcantation."
The cost of this strategy was somewhat steep, but if it were combined with sending Fairy Tristan to the Graveyard and Special Summoning some obscure horned deity, it might be worth it. Of course, Jiang You would never contaminate his Deck with that worthless Beryl. Why steal someone else's targets when he had far better options?
"...Aaaah... my throat hurts so much... It feels like everything below my neck has vanished... I... what exactly..."
The effects of the Spell Card instantly manifested on Fairy Tristan. Her once vibrant gown had transformed into tattered white gauze, riddled with holes. Her already pale skin now took on a sickly black-purple hue, and her pupils lost their color, with black, viscous blood slowly seeping from her eye sockets, leaving dark tear-like streaks down her face.
To put it simply, Fairy Tristan had gone from one stage of degradation to three.
"...Now, Beryl," she stammered, her voice trembling, "do you have anything... you want to say?"
If not for the rules of the Duel, her body would have already begun to disintegrate. "You were trying to use this method... to steal someone else's Spirit Origin, weren't you...?"
"It seems the future has already succeeded." Beryl glanced at Jiang You, certain that Morgan must have foreseen this outcome to issue such an order. In truth, he hadn't yet devised a plan to execute his scheme under Morgan's watchful eye. Since the future's intelligence must have come from this man, and the truth was now laid bare, there was no point in concealing it any further.
"But that's not it at all. I just needed experimental subjects." He had established a laboratory beneath the National Slaughter Theater in New Darlington. Ordinary humans and fairies no longer satisfied him; he even coveted Mash's body. "Though this method is quite effective, too."
Beryl sensed the power emanating from Lancelot's Spirit Origin—it was undeniably intoxicating, yet still somewhat unsatisfactory for him. His true target was Mash, to seize her soulless body. Ordinary soul-stripping Sorcery couldn't harm her; only someone with considerable power could succeed. But where could he find someone or some Fairy with sufficient power who would obey his every command?
The answer was Fairy Tristan. A creature so easily manipulated was simply too useful.
"Materials... What are you talking about? I already... gave you those corpses..."
"Not enough."
Beryl's laughter grew more manic as he released her. "I want that dogs body as material. Will you agree? Though that big dog means nothing to you, Morgan adores him, so you'd never dare lay a hand on him. That leaves only one way, doesn't it?"
"I... I clearly... liked... you... so much..."
Fairy Tristan finally broke down in tears. After summoning the courage to harbor inappropriate feelings for her mother's "husband," this was the inevitable outcome.
"That's not love," Beryl said, shaking his head. He had already pledged his heart to someone else long ago, and he loathed Fairy Tristan's childish behavior. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone this far. "You just saw how close Morgan and I were and wanted that for yourself, like a duckling following its mother. You're such a nuisance! Do you even know what love is? Love is—"
"Love is sneaking into Mash's room and breaking her fingers one by one, watching her cry in agony," Jiang You interjected, finishing Beryl's sentence. He couldn't stand listening to this conversation between mental patients any longer. This guy was a real heavyweight himself. "And then you got your ass kicked by some random Israeli Boxing King who happened to be passing by. You call that love?"
"Boxing King? What's that? Romani?"
Beryl was stunned to hear that name from Jiang You's lips. "So you know quite a lot, huh? This can even be recorded in cards? Prophecy is truly too overpowered. Who exactly are you? Your Deck is also related to the Knights of the Round Table... I can't find any character named Jiang You who fits."
"Just think of me as Morgan's Merlin," Jiang You said shamelessly, trying to claim the glory for himself. Morgan showed no reaction, but she decided it was time to teach Jiang You some proper magic, lest he embarrass her in public.
"So, Fairy Tristan, have you made up your mind?"
Jiang You had genuinely feared that Fairy Tristan might say she would forgive Beryl despite everything. Fortunately, she wasn't that far gone. Most of Fairy Tristan's affection for Beryl stemmed from the belief that he and Morgan were the only ones in the world who treated her well (from Fairy Tristan's perspective). Now that Beryl had betrayed her, not only attempting to use her as a tribute but also denying her feelings, her previous affection had transformed into utter loathing.
"I want to... kill him with my own hands!"
Morgan nodded in satisfaction, feeling she had successfully taught Fairy Tristan the value of cruelty.
"Then let's end this right here."
Jiang You had wanted to say, "I'll satisfy you," but his Knights of the Round Table Deck lacked any cards capable of overpowering his opponent, so he had to abandon that idea. However, there were other solutions. "I activate the Spell Card Unblessed Birth! From my Deck, I Special Summon Round Table Knight Tristan to the field!"
A melancholic red-haired man strode onto the battlefield, accompanied by the sound of a lute.
[ Tristan ] Attack Power: 2000.
If Jiang You could summon Lancelot, summoning Tristan wouldn't surprise anyone. Fairy Tristan, however, couldn't help but steal several glances at the prototype from whom she had been bestowed her name.
"You actually managed to summon me..." Tristan seemed genuinely surprised to be summoned by Jiang You, clearly retaining his memories from before the Spirit Origin fusion. "I apologize for my past actions. It grieves me deeply that I acted in such violation of my knightly oath."
"Enough," Jiang You interrupted Sad Loser's mournful soliloquy. "The one you should apologize to isn't me. Besides, your King has already recognized her mistakes. Now we're allies. Let's help the other Tristan this time."
"Another Tristan?"
A question mark popped above Sad Loser Tristan's head as he turned to face his Fairy Tristan counterpart, his confusion deepening.
"I'll explain later! Now, I activate Glorious Round Hidden Knight again to Special Summon Gawain from my Deck!"
The Sun Knight descended onto the battlefield, radiant in the blazing sunlight.
Gawain: Attack Power 2500.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card Lion King's Blessing. By targeting a Knight of the Round Table, I can add their corresponding Divine Protection to my Hand Card. I choose Gawain, so I add Blessing of the Everlasting Day to my Hand Card!"
Since the Lion King had vanished with the Singularity's restoration, these Blessings had been weakened to varying degrees. For example, Blessing of the Everlasting Day now required sacrificing half the user's Life Points and lasted only one turn.
"I activate Blessing of the Everlasting Day! Target: Tristan!"
Although its primary purpose was to grant Gawain a permanent triple Attack Power boost, the card's wording allowed it to affect other Knights of the Round Table as well.
Jiang You: LP 4000 → LP 2000.
Tristan: Attack Power 2000 → 6000!
Since it's still Tristan, resolving Beryl this way would fulfill Fairy Tristan's wish.