Chapter 240: So Cute
"Marik..." Ishizu looked at Marik, who had finally appeared, her expression somewhat complex.
Meanwhile, Hayato noticed a tall Black-robed Figure emerge from the darkness close behind Marik: "Hey, you three-year-old brat, that's not fair! Why did you bring backup?"
"Hmph, didn't you bring my sister over too? The feeling's mutual." Marik snorted, a fierce expression on his face. "And one more thing, don't call me 'three-year-old brat'!"
"Lady Ishizu." The Black-robed Figure standing beside Marik glanced at Ishizu, who was by Hayato's side, and bowed slightly, pulling back his hood to reveal a bald head, more than half of which was covered in strange tattoos.
Ishizu recognized the newcomer as well: "Is that Odion?"
"What a coincidence, isn't it, for the three of us to reunite here? It truly delights me." Marik chuckled sinisterly, raising the Millennium Rod in his hand and pointing it directly at Hayato. "But enough of this tender reunion. As per your urgent request, I've come to take your life, Hayato!"
Marik also had a Duel Disk on his arm. As he inserted the Deck Odion handed him into the card slot, the Duel Disk expanded, but no standard Virtual Projection System projected from it.
Seeing this, Ishizu looked at Hayato with a hint of concern. Hayato waved his hand, reassuring her. After Ishizu stepped back two paces, Hayato also expanded his Duel Disk. Similarly, his Duel Disk also did not project a Virtual Projection System.
"Now then, Hayato, let's begin this interesting Duel. I trust you haven't forgotten the stakes you declared when you provoked me?"
Marik wasn't completely foolish. Although he had been provoked by Hayato during their "phone call" that day, he eventually realized afterward that Hayato had intentionally tried to anger him. However, even knowing it was Hayato's provocation, Marik still chose to accept the challenge.
Hayato and Marik simultaneously drew five cards. As if ignoring Marik's murderous gaze, Hayato calmly stated: "If you want to know what's in my mind, you'll have to defeat me first. You know the rules."
"Heh heh, once you lose to me, I'll thoroughly browse the information in your mind. However, how much your soul will suffer then, I cannot say."
Their gazes met, filled with fighting spirit, and they spoke in unison: "Duel!" X2
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
[Marik: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
"I'll take the first turn. Draw!" Hayato's movements were much more practiced than Marik's, who was accustomed to making others duel, and he secured the right to the first turn. "I activate the Spell Card, Graceful Charity! I draw three cards from my Deck, then discard two cards from my Hand."
Hayato quickly filtered through his cards. Two cards were chosen, but before they were sent to the Graveyard, Hayato activated one of their effects: "Because Graceful Charity sent Ojama Pink to the Graveyard, I can activate its effect."
"Both players draw one card from their Deck, then choose one card from their Hand to discard."
Marik and Hayato both drew a card from their Decks simultaneously. After seeing the card he drew, a particularly smug smile appeared on Marik's face: "Hahahaha, Hayato, I really have your Monster's effect to thank."
"The first God card, and it's already in my Hand!" With that, Marik proudly revealed the card he had just drawn: it was none other than Slifer the Sky Dragon!
"Pah, you startled me. I thought you drew some Aroma Mage of The Winged Dragon of Ra!" Hayato scoffed, a sneer on his face. "Drawing a card isn't free; you still have to discard one card from your Hand."
"Hmph, a boring trick." Marik unhappily sent a Worm Scale from his Hand to the Graveyard. "But you also have to discard a card from your Hand."
"The card I choose to discard from my Hand is this one, Ojama Magic." Hayato revealed a card from his Hand. "When Ojama Magic is sent to the Graveyard from the Hand or Field, its effect activates: I add Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green from my Deck to my Hand."
"Furthermore, if Ojama Pink's effect caused an Ojama card to be discarded, I can target one Zone on your Field, making it unusable until your End Phase!"
On Hayato's Field, the Ojama Pink that was previously discarded by Graceful Charity floated out of the Graveyard, plonked itself right in the center of Marik's Field, imperiously occupying that spot.
And on Hayato's Field, thanks to Ojama Magic's effect, the figures of the three Ojama brothers flew out from Hayato's Deck, made a quick appearance on the Field, then flew into Hayato's Hand.
All in all, Hayato had only activated one Graceful Charity. Not only did Hayato not suffer any card disadvantage, but his Hand size increased from six to nine cards, and he also took up one of Marik's Monster Zones.
It was no wonder then why Graceful Charity was listed as a Forbidden Card in Hayato's previous life's real card meta. Drawing three cards and then sending two to the Graveyard, without any cost or card disadvantage – if not this, then what card would be Forbidden?
Upon seeing Hayato use Ojama Magic's effect to add the three Ojama brothers to his Hand, Marik, who had learned about Hayato's Deck composition more than once from his subordinates' memories, immediately realized which Monster he was about to Summon.
"From my Hand, I activate King of the Swamp's effect! I discard it from my Hand to add one Polymerization Spell Card from my Deck to my Hand." Catching the Polymerization card that sprang out, Hayato directly inserted it into his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone. "Then, I activate the Polymerization Spell Card! I use the three Ojama brothers from my Hand as Fusion Material!"
"Appear, Ojama King!"
The corpulent Ojama King was summoned to the Field by Hayato on the first turn. It quickly threw out three seals, slamming them onto Marik's Field. With this, Marik's Monster Zones were instantly reduced to just one!
It was slightly regrettable that this was all the action Hayato could take. The remaining cards in his Hand weren't enough to block off the last Zone: "I summon Armed Dragon LV3 in Defense Position, then Set one card. My turn ends."
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 3]
[Ojama King DEF 3000]
[Armed Dragon LV3 DEF 900]
[Set Card]
"Then, my turn." Marik looked at the Monster Zones, which were locked down to only one remaining, and unhappily drew a card. Seeing the card he drew, he couldn't help but inwardly rejoice. "Hmph, you reduced my usable Monster Zones to just one, did you? You were just a step away from completely locking me down, what a pity."
"Then, I activate the Spell Card, Polymerization!"
Just like the Vortex that appeared when Ojama King was summoned, a Vortex also appeared on Marik's Field, consuming the three cards from his Hand. But what emerged from the Vortex was a Monster that looked surprisingly cute and somewhat out of place for this Duel?
"Yoo~"
Looking like a giant block of tofu, with a pair of tiny wings on its back and a halo made of a curved exclamation mark on its head, the leader of the Rare Hunters, Marik, who usually gave off a sinister impression, had actually summoned a Fairy Type Monster that could only be described as "cute"?
[Yoyo King Level 6 / LIGHT Attribute]
[Fairy Type / Fusion / Effect]
[300/100]
As if sensing the surprise in Hayato's eyes, Marik said smugly: "Don't underestimate this Monster, Hayato. This Monster is the offering I prepared for the Summon of a God."
"I activate the Spell Card, Card of Sanctity! Both players can replenish their Hand to 6 cards!"
Numerous treasures rained down from the sky. Due to this card's effect, Hayato drew three cards from his Deck, while Marik drew five cards in one go.
Marik's face held a mysterious smile: "What good fortune, Hayato, I've drawn an incredible card. This turn, you'll witness the Summon of a God!"
"What?!" Ishizu, watching from the sidelines, was surprised. In the future she had seen, a God card shouldn't appear so quickly. How could Marik summon a God now? Moreover, he didn't have enough Tributes or space left on his Field for a God.
"Entering my Battle Phase! I will use Yoyo King to attack your Ojama King on the Field!" Marik's face broke into a triumphant smile. "A king should be ended by a king, shouldn't he?"
"Is that why you want to become a Pharaoh? But unfortunately, Yoyo King's Attack is only 300 points, while Ojama King's Defense is 1000% of that."
"I was well-prepared for a rebellion against a king." Marik didn't deny Hayato's statement about wanting to become a Pharaoh. Instead, he activated a card: "Quick-Play Spell, Rush Recklessly activate! I declare an Attribute, and when my targeted Monster battles a Monster of the declared Attribute, it is destroyed directly without Damage Calculation!"
"The Attribute I declare is, of course, Ojama King's LIGHT Attribute!"
The seemingly docile Yoyo King was initially floating leisurely towards the nonchalant Ojama King. But midway, it suddenly accelerated, turning into a white blur. Without giving Ojama King a chance to react, the Fairy Type Yoyo King body-slammed right through Ojama King, returning to Marik's Field covered in blood, its expression ferocious.
"Tsk, truly not to be underestimated. It looked quite cute on the outside."
The Yoyo King's attack ended, and Marik also concluded his Battle Phase, moving into his Main Phase 2. Meanwhile, Ishizu, observing from the sidelines, noted Hayato's recent words.
(end of chapter)