"The outcome of this Duel will be decided by this Draw!"
Joey, withdrawing his gaze from the camera, said as much, his fighting spirit suddenly soaring. Even from afar, Chumley could sense that something more had appeared in Joey than before.
(Narrator: It's the legendary Sister Complex Heart!)
'My Life Points are only 550. My Field and Hand are empty, while Mai's Field has my *Red-Eyes Black Dragon* and *Harpie Lady 2*.'
'I entrust my fate to you, my Deck, guide me to the path of victory!'
'Watch closely, Serenity Wheeler, this is your big brother's Duel!'
"My Turn, Draw!"
As if a swordsman's long blade was drawn, Joey drew the top card of his Deck: "I Activate the Spell Card, *Destiny Draw*! Its effect allows me to roll a die, Draw cards equal to the result, then Banish an equal number of cards from the top of my Deck!"
Mai Valentine watched as Joey fiercely played the card. She had originally thought it would be some super powerful Monster, but it turned out to be a Gambling Card again. She couldn't help but cover her forehead: "You really never disappoint, do you? Another one of these luck-based cards."
Amidst Mai Valentine's disdain, a die materialized from thin air, appearing above Joey's Field and was tossed. After rolling a few times, the die stopped, revealing the number on top—4!
"Yosh, the die roll is 4, as expected, the Goddess of Fate still favors my side," Joey said excitedly. Unlike a certain Italian man who uses 'sexy pistols', he didn't have many thoughts about the number "4." He drew four cards from his Deck and, with a flourish, tucked the four cards to be banished into his pants pocket. "Alright then, here I come, Mai!"
"I Activate the Spell Card, *Soul Taker*, from my Hand, designating one Monster on your Field as a target." Joey revealed a card. "Destroy that Monster, then you gain 1000 Life Points."
Mai Valentine didn't wait for Joey to designate; she already guessed his chosen target: "It's the *Red-Eyes Black Dragon*, isn't it?"
"Hehe, it would truly be tragic for *Red-Eyes* if this Duel ended under your control," Joey said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, glancing at Yugi in the Audience Seating. He had learned this line from Yugi. "Return to the Graveyard and rest for a while, *Red-Eyes*!"
From the *Red-Eyes Black Dragon* on Mai Valentine's Field, a phantom Dragon Soul flew out and returned to Joey's Graveyard. The body of the *Red-Eyes Black Dragon* left on Mai Valentine's Field transformed into dazzling specks of light, merging into Mai Valentine's body to restore her Life Points.
[Mai Valentine: 1700→2700 LP]
"Yosh, *Red-Eyes* has returned to my Graveyard," Joey said, smiling as he played a second card. "Then I Activate the Spell Card, *Dark World Dealings*! Both players draw one card from their Deck, then discard one card from their Hand!"
"Tch, since I only have one card in my Hand, I'll discard the card I just drew," Mai Valentine grumbled. As she had no cards in her Hand before Joey Activated *Dark World Dealings*, after she drew *Harpie's Pet Dragon*, she had no other choice but to send it directly to the Graveyard.
On Joey's side, after he drew a card, he solemnly sent a card from his Hand to the Graveyard. The sharp-eyed Chumley noticed that one of the cards Joey sent to the Graveyard was none other than *Summoned Skull*?!
Turning to look at Yugi, Chumley received a nod of affirmation from Yugi: "Mhm, the night before Battle City began, I traded that *Summoned Skull* with Joey for his *Flame Swordsman*."
"If *Summoned Skull* and *Red-Eyes Black Dragon* are combined, they can summon the mighty *Black Skull Dragon*. Joey truly wants to achieve an excellent result in Battle City."
"Speaking of trading, Yugi, you didn't really need *Flame Swordsman* yourself, did you? Seriously, is this man's pride?" Chumley said, smiling as he watched Yugi sigh, then he too pulled a card from his pocket.
Yugi looked: "This is Joey's *Kunai with Chain*?"
"I see, Chumley, you also..."
Chumley smiled, looking at Joey: "I suddenly understand what Joey is going to do now. Let the surprise be even greater, Joey."
Chumley's voice was lost to the wind and didn't reach Joey's ears, because at this moment, Joey raised the card in his hand, his face full of confidence: "Mai, I might not be the smartest, but I'm a man of my word. Since I said I'd show you my growth, then I ask you to watch closely!"
"I Activate the Spell Card, *Dragon's Mirror*! I Banish Monsters from my Field and Graveyard as Material from the game to Fusion Summon a Dragon-Type Monster!" As Joey slapped down the card held above his head, behind him, the figures of the sky-covering *Red-Eyes Black Dragon* and the awe-inspiring *Summoned Skull* appeared simultaneously.
'Yugi, Chumley, thank you both. Thank you for extending a helping hand to someone as overconfident as me!'
"A top-tier Black Dragon, and a top-tier Fiend Fusion! This is me going all out!" A colossal mirror appeared behind Joey. Both *Red-Eyes Black Dragon* and *Summoned Skull* were simultaneously sucked into the mirror, and a pitch-black figure emerged within it.
However, to Chumley and Yugi's surprise, that figure didn't match the image of *Black Skull Dragon*, which they remembered as being primarily based on *Summoned Skull*.
*Black Skull Dragon*'s main body is *Summoned Skull*, merely infused with the Dragon-Type characteristics symbolized by *Red-Eyes Black Dragon*, making it a "Dragon Fiend"—essentially a Dragonized *Summoned Skull*. However, the Monster emerging from *Dragon's Mirror* behind Joey at this moment looked more like *Red-Eyes Black Dragon* after it had been demonized.
It largely retained its Dragon form, but *Red-Eyes Black Dragon*'s slender limbs and claws became thick and powerful due to Demonization. Its dragon wings became wider, and the rampant growth of power within its body was uncontrollable, turning into flames that were continuously exhaled with every breath of this "Demon Dragon."
"My growth, my bonds, my obsession with victory, I entrust it all to you! *Demon Dragon - Black Skull Dragon*!"
As Joey shouted, this exceptionally majestic Demonic Dragon seemed to respond, spewing a thick stream of flames skyward, letting out a deafening roar: "ROOAARR!!!"
[*Demon Dragon - Black Skull Dragon*] [Level 9/Dark Attribute]
[Dragon-Type/Fusion/Effect]
[3200/2500]
Looking at the brand new Monster that appeared on Joey's Field, Yugi couldn't help but exclaim: "He actually gained the Duel Monsters' response with his own willpower and created new power? That's amazing, Joey."
"Hmph, nothing special," Marik said disdainfully. "It's just a Monster with 3200 ATK. How could it compare to an invincible God? Joey only has one card left in his Hand. Could he really defeat Mai Valentine in one Turn?"
Although Marik's Surface Personality was unaware of the Dark Personality's existence, the Dark Personality always maintained shared memories with the Surface Personality. After Normal Marik lost to Chumley, he spent a lot of time studying the power of *Slifer the Sky Dragon*, painstakingly devising a strategy that could be called "Infinite." Now, this strategy was fully inherited by Dark Marik.
To Marik, who completely failed to grasp the true value of Joey's previous "God Draw and Card Creation" combo, Chumley merely smiled: "Then just you wait and see, Six-Year-Old."
"Who are you calling a Six-Year-Old!"
In the Duel Field, Mai Valentine held the same thoughts as Joey.
"He actually summoned a brand new Monster?" Having once entered the DM Online Game World together, Mai Valentine naturally knew of *Black Skull Dragon*'s existence, formed by the Fusion of *Summoned Skull* and *Red-Eyes Black Dragon*. However, the appearance of *Demon Dragon - Black Skull Dragon* was quite a surprise to her too. "But even though the name has changed a bit, Joey,"
"The ATK of *Black Skull Dragon* and *Demon Dragon - Black Skull Dragon* is exactly the same, isn't it? Even if you destroy my *Harpie Lady 2*, you can only deal 1700 damage to me." Though she said this, Mai Valentine was actually a little relieved that Joey had activated that *Soul Taker* earlier.
[*Harpie Lady 2*] [ATK 1500]
[*Demon Dragon - Black Skull Dragon*] [ATK 3200]
[Mai Valentine: 2700 LP]
If Joey hadn't activated that *Soul Taker* earlier, an ATK 3200 attack against an ATK 1500 Monster would have dealt 1700 damage to Mai Valentine, which was exactly her remaining Life Points. However, without *Soul Taker*, Joey wouldn't have been able to reclaim *Red-Eyes Black Dragon* and use it to summon *Demon Dragon - Black Skull Dragon*.
"Hehe, Mai, I told you the outcome of this Duel would hinge on my previous Draw. Although I don't have an Equip Spell Card in my hand that can increase *Demon Dragon - Black Skull Dragon*'s ATK, in my eyes, the Goddess of Victory is already smiling at me!"
Joey, a confident smile on his face, waved his hand and declared, "*Demon Dragon - Black Skull Dragon*, attack *Harpie Lady 2*!"
"The name of this attack move shall be Black Thunder Flame Bullet!" By combining *Summoned Skull*'s "Fiend's Lightning" with *Red-Eyes Black Dragon*'s "Inferno Fire Blast," Joey came up with a name he felt was quite fitting.
The massive Demon Dragon opened its mouth. Lightning and black flame surged within its maw, compressing the terrifying scale of thunder and fire into a spherical orb, which it spat out towards *Harpie Lady 2*!
[Author's Note: *Demon Dragon - Black Skull Dragon* did not appear in the Original Story. It is an OCG card, and I believe it was released around 2015 or 2016, so roughly five years ago.]
[Author's Note: Those who know its Effect might have already guessed how Joey will win.]
(end of chapter)