"Infinite attack power, and infinite monster destruction..."
If he weren't a robot, Alpha might have started swallowing nervously.
The image of the calm, yellow-clad boy before him was becoming increasingly abstract and terrifying in his eyes. Under the hazy moonlight, combined with the presence of that ominous, infinite-attack giant marionette, the boy looked almost like a ghost.
Is he really just a student? The thought flashed through Alpha's mind. Can I truly defeat an opponent like this?
No, wait... before that... did Father, who gave me the mission to "bring this person back," secretly have some sort of grievance against me?
"Setting one card. Turn end," Yugen said.
Alpha snapped back to his senses.
No, that wasn't right. Father trusted him. He had studied all of Seto Kaiba's duels and every single one of his tactics. Father had sent him here because he believed in his capabilities.
And he would not betray that trust.
"My turn, draw!" Alpha's gaze was firm.
So what if the attack power was infinite? He would just crush right through it!
"During the Standby Phase, I activate my face-down card: the Quick-Play Spell, Emergency Provisions! I send Mirage of Nightmare to the Graveyard to regain 1,000 Life Points!"
(Alpha: LP 4000 -> LP 5000)
Yugen watched calmly. Wow, Emergency Provisions, huh? I really didn't see that one coming.
"Next, I activate the effect of Arkbrave Dragon in my Graveyard!" Alpha declared. "During the Standby Phase of the turn after this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon another Level 7 or 8 Dragon-Type monster from my Graveyard. I will resurrect this card!"
He raised his arm high.
"Come back to life through the pitch-black flames! Level 7, Darkblaze Dragon!"
Dark flames erupted as a dragon wreathed in fire soared from a vortex leading to the underworld.
(Darkblaze Dragon: ATK 1200)
"Darkblaze Dragon's effect! When this card is successfully Special Summoned from the Graveyard, its attack power is doubled!"
(Darkblaze Dragon: ATK 1200 -> ATK 2400)
"Of course, compared to a Magical Marionette with infinite attack power, it's still insignificant... you're likely thinking that, right? But the power of my Dragons doesn't end there!"
He played another Spell card.
"Spell card, Fiend's Sanctuary! I Special Summon one Metal Fiend Token to my field!"
(Metal Fiend Token: ATK 0)
"Then, I tribute the Metal Fiend Token for a Tribute Summon! Level 6, Gravi-Crush Dragon!"
(Gravi-Crush Dragon: ATK 2400)
"Gravi-Crush Dragon's effect! By sending a face-up Continuous Spell on my field to the Graveyard, I can choose one monster on the opponent's field and destroy it!"
Alpha pulled a card from a slot on his Duel Disk.
"I send the Continuous Spell, Ruins of the Divine Dragon Lords, to the Graveyard! Destroy Magical Marionette!"
The ancient dragon sculptures shattered into dust as gravity waves erupted. The infinite-attack Magical Marionette was powerless to resist the gravitational surge and burst under the crushing, invisible force.
"Hahahaha! Do you see? This is the power I used to transcend infinity!"
Alpha laughed loudly after clearing the infinite-attack monster.
"Father trusts me, and I will answer his trust no matter what it takes or how many times it requires! The power Seto Kaiba possesses, I possess as well!"
Yugen simply shook his head.
"So, you say you studied all his duels and all his tactics, and yet this is all you learned? Is absolute power suppression really the extent of it?"
"What?" Alpha frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying your artificial 'intelligence' doesn't seem very 'intelligent' at all. You're no different from a third or fourth-rate duelist blindly imitating a master."
"How dare you..."
Alpha was about to snap, but a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he immediately restrained himself.
"Hmph, I almost fell for your trap. Intel says you're the worst type someone who excels at rattling minds, enjoying the double torture of psychological and tactical pressure. I won't be fooled by you."
Yugen's expression turned odd.
Who wrote that evaluation? That's pure slander. Am I really that evil?
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I won't be dancing to your tune!"
Alpha paused, then muttered in a deep voice as if to himself.
"Father, if you are watching, witness the strength of my progress. I will not let you down."
He raised his head with determination.
"Battle Phase! First, Darkblaze Dragon attacks Gearfried the Iron Knight!"
Darkblaze Dragon let out a high-pitched roar and spat out hellish black flames!
Although both Dragons on the field had the same attack power, it was only logical for him to attack with Darkblaze Dragon first. Darkblaze Dragon possessed an effect that dealt damage equal to the original attack power of the monster it destroyed a move even Flame Wingman would call professional.
If Gravi-Crush Dragon attacked first, it would only deal 600 battle damage. Even if Darkblaze Dragon followed up, the total damage for the turn would be 3,000, which wouldn't be enough for a finish.
However, if Darkblaze Dragon destroyed the iron knight, the combined battle and effect damage would be 2,400. Adding the follow-up attack from Gravi-Crush Dragon would result in 4,800 total damage in one go, completing an OTK.
A sharp glint flashed in Alpha's eyes.
I'll end this match this turn!
"You have quite the terrifying presence for an AI," Yugen murmured.
Boom!
Flames swept across his half of the field, the pitch-black fire swirling like a storm reaching for the sky.
(Yugen: LP 4000 -> LP 3400)
"Excellent!" Alpha shouted. "Now, Darkblaze Dragon's effect! You will take damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack power"
"I'm afraid you won't."
Yugen smiled.
Alpha's expression shifted slightly.
As the smoke cleared, Gearfried stood perfectly intact.
"What?"
"I banished this card from my Graveyard," Yugen said, revealing a card. "Shield Warrior. By banishing this card from the Graveyard, I can protect a monster on my field from being destroyed by battle."
"Tch, so you threw it down when you used Hand Destruction... then Gravi-Crush Dragon will continue the attack!"
With no shield to protect him this time, the iron knight raised his arms to block, but he was still knocked to the ground by monstrous strength. His body and iron armor shattered simultaneously.
(Yugen: LP 3400 -> LP 2800)
"Then, I activate my face-down card: the Trap, Time Machine," Yugen declared. "It allows me to Special Summon a monster that was destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard in the same battle position it was in. I revive Gearfried the Iron Knight."
A pitch-black mechanical device appeared on the field, and mist surfaced as if time itself were flowing backward. As time reversed, the shattered fragments reassembled into their armored form, and Gearfried returned to the field.
(Gearfried the Iron Knight: ATK 1800)
"Hell! Is this thing immortal?" Alpha was becoming increasingly agitated.
Gearfried. It was that iron knight again.
Furthermore, the opponent was still holding onto Butterfly Dagger - Elma, a card that could infinitely salvage itself. If he couldn't get rid of Gearfried, who knew what bizarre ideas the boy would come up with to torture him next turn.
He had to find a way...
"I activate the Spell card, Card of Sanctity!" Alpha declared. "During a turn in which I have performed a Tribute Summon, I draw two cards from my Deck. However, the drawn cards cannot be used this turn, and I must set at least one if possible."
He could not lose.
He had promised Father he would complete the mission; he could not afford to fall in a place like this.
"Draw!"
As two new cards entered his hand, a spark of life seemed to return to Alpha's eyes.
Right, as long as I have this card...
"I set two cards in the backrow," Alpha said. "Turn end."
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