Chapter 243: In the Name of The Winged Dragon of Ra
"My turn, draw!" Hayato drew a card, and a smile appeared on his face. "It arrived just in time, did it see tantalizing food and become unbearably ravenous?"
"Then, let's cause a real stir!" Hayato's gaze sharpened, and he placed a hand card onto his Duel Disk's folded-away Deck Zone. "First, I'll prepare a stage for your Summon!"
"I Activate the Field Spell Card, Mausoleum of the Emperor!"
The ground rumbled and trembled. Amidst an uproarious rupture of the earth, Marik watched as a solemn mausoleum rose from the ground, enclosing them.
"As long as Mausoleum of the Emperor is on the field, both players can pay Life Points to substitute for tributes required for a Tribute Summon, with each tribute costing 1000 Life Points." Hayato explained, watching his Life Points rapidly decrease on his Duel Disk. "Now, I will pay 2000 Life Points."
[Hayato: 4000→2000 LP]
"He's willing to pay 2000 Life Points to Summon a monster?" Watching Hayato casually spend half his Life Points, Marik's pupils constricted. "Could it be that monster?!"
"Defeating a king with a king? Then I'll return the favor with the same logic, Marik!"
"I'll use this god to defeat your god! Come forth, Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca!"
The pitch-black vulture burst from the ground, wreaking havoc on the mausoleum. Soaring into the sky, utterly fearless of the divine might of Slifer the Sky Dragon, was none other than Hayato's Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca!
"Damn it! But it's useless! Even your god cannot defy the power of Slifer the Sky Dragon!" Marik gnashed his teeth. He had already seen this Earthbound Immortal monster in the memories of countless subordinates, and he understood its immense power perfectly.
"Although it possesses powerful effects like direct attack and the ability to reduce Life Points, the greatest weakness of an Earthbound Immortal is that its ATK and DEF are only 1 point each. While its effect 'cannot be selected as an attack target' prevents it from being destroyed by battle, Slifer the Sky Dragon's Thunder Force Attack isn't counted as an attack!"
A sphere of lightning flew out, accurately striking the soaring Earthbound Immortal. Yet, to Marik's astonished gaze, Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca flew out from the explosive smoke completely unharmed?!
[Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca][0/1]
"The moment Slifer the Sky Dragon's effect activated, I chain activated this card." Marik shifted his gaze from the clashing Earthbound Immortal and Slifer the Sky Dragon above their heads, looking towards Hayato. On Hayato's Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone, a Spell Card was activated.
"The Quick-Play Spell Card, Forbidden Lance, reduces a monster's ATK by 600 points, but it also makes that monster immune to being targeted by, or destroyed by, card effects."
Hayato smiled: "Then, I activate Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca's effect! I skip this Battle Phase and directly reduce the opponent's Life Points to 1!"
"Polar Star Obedience!"
"Urghhnnnngh!!!" Feeling the terrifying suction emanating from Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca in the sky, as if his soul was being ripped from his body and torn in half, Marik let out a painful wail.
[Marik: 4500→1 LP]
"Marik!"
"Lord Marik!"
Ishizu and Odion, watching from outside the field, called out Marik's name with worry, but Hayato felt no shred of pity.
From the moment it began, this duel was a life-or-death Shadow Game!
As soon as the duel started, when Marik's Duel Disk didn't project images using the virtual projection device, Hayato knew this guy had the same intention as him—to project the Duel Monster images using dark magic rather than virtual projection.
From the moment they drew their cards, both had already fallen into a Shadow Game. Although Marik had previously used the effect of Golden Ladybug to gain Life Points by 500, that only increased the Life Points he lost in one fell swoop.
Not to mention him, Hayato, who had just paid 2000 Life Points in one fell swoop, appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, he was in agonizing pain all over his body. This was also why Marik was so surprised earlier when Hayato sacrificed half his Life Points as tribute.
"Hmph... gasp... Hmph... groan!" Because of Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca's effect, his Life Points were drained in one fell swoop, leaving him with only 1. Although Marik could barely remain standing, his breathing was incredibly heavy, like the bellows drawing air to fuel a forge's fire.
Just as Hayato thought he would collapse, he heard Marik slowly straighten his hunched back, staring intently at Hayato with venomous eyes:
"Kobayashi... Hayato!"
"Hmph, you can still endure?" Hayato frowned, looking at Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca in the sky. Previously, using Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca in a regular duel would bring a shockwave akin to a Shadow Game, but in a Shadow Game, Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca unleashed its full power.
Yet, Marik could still keep going, which made Hayato somewhat impatient. Powerful cards often come with risks. When an Earthbound Immortal card is used, it's not only Marik who bears its oppressive power, but Hayato himself.
Let's finish this as quickly as possible.
So he thought, but Hayato had already exhausted all his hand cards, and the two Set Cards on his field weren't ready to be activated. Moreover, the Battle Phase was skipped due to the activation of Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca's effect.
With no other choice, Hayato simply changed the Battle Position of Armed Dragon Lightning on his field: "I change my Armed Dragon Lightning on the field to Attack Position, then end turn."
[Hayato: 2000 LP, hand 0]
[Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca][ATK1]
[Armed Dragon Lightning LV10][ATK4000]
[Set Cards] X2 [Ojama Pajama Party]
Field: Mausoleum of the Emperor
"My turn, draw!" Marik drew a card, looked down at it, and his expression momentarily stiffened. But then, he burst into maniacal laughter, as if he had already won the duel.
Because his laughter was so wild, Marik, already weakened from having only 1 Life Point, almost passed out from coughing. "Cough cough, Hayato, I must admit, you are indeed very strong."
"But my god's power is even greater than yours!"
Marik proudly displayed the card in his hand. Although its border was yellow, just like a Normal Monster, the card Marik showed had a more golden-yellow border: "In the name of The Winged Dragon of Ra, I shall unleash a divine scourge upon you!"
(end of chapter)