"Fujiki Yugen, you really are an opponent one cannot afford to underestimate," Alister murmured. "Even among those who claim to be legends, most likely wouldn't possess such strength."
"Ha, of course!" Mokuba said, hands on his hips.
"It seems that if I'm not careful, I'll be the one getting wiped out in an instant." Alister smiled. "My turn, draw!"
He drew his card and immediately revealed it.
"I activate the Spell Card, 'Magical Book of the Pot'! Both players draw three cards from their Decks." (Anime Card)
Alister drew his cards, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"Equip Spell, 'Premature Burial'! By paying 800 Life Points, I special summon a monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position!"
[Alister, LP 3200 → LP 2400]
"I revive 'Annihilator Archfiend'!"
Annihilator Archfiend had an effect that could destroy one card per turn, and it didn't matter if it was a monster on the front row or a spell/trap on the back row. Bringing it back to the field would definitely be troublesome.
"Then I activate my face-down card, the Trap Card 'The Transmigration Prophecy'!" Yugen said. "I can choose a total of two cards from either player's Graveyard and shuffle them back into their respective Decks. I choose your 'Annihilator Archfiend'which you targeted with 'Premature Burial'and my own 'Lava Golem'! Both cards return to our Decks!"
"Oh, right! If it returns to the Deck, 'Premature Burial' loses its target and its effect fizzles!" Mokuba's eyes lit up. "Nice move, Yugen!"
"It won't be that easy." Alister pulled another card from his hand. "Quick-Play Spell, 'Mystical Space Typhoon'! I destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field."
"Eh?" Mokuba blinked. "But even if you destroy a Trap that's already been activated, you can't stop its effect from resolving..."
"No, the card he's targeting isn't 'The Transmigration Prophecy'," Kaiba said calmly.
Sure enough, Alister immediately followed up: "The card I'm destroying is this onethe Equip Spell, 'Amplifier'!"
"Ah!" Mokuba's mind raced as the realization hit him. "If 'Amplifier' is destroyed, then Jinzo's effect will once again apply to both players! In that case..."
"The effect of 'The Transmigration Prophecy' will be negated by Jinzo," Kaiba finished.
"So that was your plan," Yugen noted. "However, 'Amplifier' has another effect. When this card leaves the field, the equipped monster is destroyed."
A black hurricane swept up the Spell Card in the back row, and a bolt of dark lightning shattered the amplification device atop Jinzo's head. The machine-man let out a muffled groan as his body exploded, removing him from the field.
"Therefore, by the time 'The Transmigration Prophecy' resolves, Jinzo has already left the field. Its effect will not be negated."
As he spoke, the Graveyard zones on both Yugen and Alister's Duel Disks glowed with golden light, and a card ejected from each.
Yugen picked up his Lava Golem and slotted it back into his Deck, which shuffled automatically. Alister was forced to do the same with his Annihilator Archfiend. Premature Burial, having lost its target, remained uselessly on the field.
"Then, I'll use this card once more," Alister said. "Quick-Play Spell, 'Toy Robot Box'! By discarding one card from my hand, I special summon three 'Robot Tokens'!"
[Robot Token, ATK 0] x3
"Furthermore, the card I discarded was the Spell Card 'Card of Compensation'. When this card is sent from the hand to the Graveyard, I draw two more cards." (Anime Card)
Alister drew two cards, paused for a moment as he glanced at them, and then his eyes narrowed slightly as a smirk played on his lips.
"It's been five years since I last used this power..."
Yugen raised an eyebrow. That line had a distinct "final boss phase" vibe to it.
"But you are indeed an opponent worthy of this level of strength." Alister held the card high. "I activate the Spell Card, 'Sky Union'! By Tributing three monsters on my field, I special summon 'Air Fortress Ziggurat' from my Deck!" (Anime Card)
Three pillars of light enveloped the three Robot Tokens.
"I offer my three 'Robot Tokens' as a sacrifice to form the ultimate aerial strongholdAir Fortress Ziggurat, summon!" (Anime Card)
A massive shadow loomed, looking at first glance like a dark cloud blotting out the sun. The fortress was of an exaggerated scale, appearing like a floating city of steel, its surface covered in intricate mechanical patterns and heavy armor. Powerful air currents churned beneath it, forming spectacular vortexes as if the fortress's sheer gravity was pulling the clouds into its wake.
Air Fortress Ziggurat, summoned!
[Air Fortress Ziggurat, ATK 2500]
This was Alister's strongest trump card from the original anime that had never been released as a real card. In the animation, he had summoned it during his final showdown with Kaiba on a plane; the fortress was several times larger than the aircraft Kaiba was flying in. Its sheer size alone was enough to make anyone tremble.
"There it is, that thing again," Mokuba said with a frown. "I remember its effect was..."
"It is unaffected by any Spells or Traps," Kaiba said, crossing his arms and speaking tonelessly. "It is indeed a somewhat troublesome monster."
"This is the end. No matter what Traps you have covered in your back row, they cannot stop this," Alister chuckled.
Yugen looked up at the behemoth fortress. "What an incredible monster..."
"Direct attack from Air Fortress Ziggurat!" Alister shouted.
Every cannon barrel on the fortress shifted, swiveling to point downward like the mouths of a row of steel beasts. At Alister's command, energy accumulated and erupted. Flames shot toward the sky, and the deafening roar of the cannons poured down like a violent storm.
Yugen: "I activate my Trap..."
"Useless!" Alister interrupted. "Traps don't work on the Air Fortress. Ziggurat is unaffected by any Spell or Trap effects."
"I know," Yugen said with a wave of his hand. "But the Trap I'm activating is 'Enemy Raid'! When the opponent declares an attack, I can special summon a monster from my hand to take the hit!"
With a sweep of his arm, he played a card.
"I special summon 'Fiendish Octhros' in Defense Position!"
[Fiendish Octhros, DEF 800]
"Hmph, using a defensive monster to stall for one more turn?" Alister said. "Then destroy 'Fiendish Octhros'!"
The fortress's heavy fire rained down, blasting the demonic dog's body into fragments.
"Now, the effect of 'Fiendish Octhros' activates," Yugen said, drawing the card that popped out of his Deck. "When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can add one Level 8 Fiend-type monster from my Deck to my hand."
Alister frowned. A Level 8 Fiend...
Yugen smiled as he revealed the card he had just searched.
"I'll add the card I just shuffled back into my Deck'Lava Golem'back to my hand."
Alister: "!?"
How is it this thing again?
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