Chapter 86. Marincess' Frenzied Effect-Negate Suppression! The Final Seven Emperors Xyz Reversal Wins!
The problem lay right there.
Every veteran Duelist started to get a brain cramp.
"Unaffected by other effects."
In other words.
Whether targeting or not targeting.
There was no way to deal with the "Chef."
It instantly turned into a century-level puzzle.
Quite a few veterans even felt it was unwinnable.
Checkmate.
Unwinnable.
But before the veterans could overthink it.
The answer arrived immediately.
The short video continued.
Marincess rb: "Oh? How about that?"
Marincess rb: "I Tribute your monster!"
"Here's a big present for you by Special Summon!"
"Gadarla, the Mystery Dust Kaiju!"
"ATK 2700!"
"Isn't that better than your 2300-ATK 'Chef'?"
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "I… you!"
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "What the— Your Deck has that many different engines?!"
Tributing?
All the veterans' pupils shrank.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Right!
We almost forgot!
You can clear a board by Tributing.
Just like Marik's Lava Golem—effortlessly removing those "unaffected" bosses.
And not only that.
A single Kaiju also left Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics utterly stunned.
He had been planning to sit back, draw into the second copy of the finisher, and win.
Looks like—
He'd have to find another way.
Marincess rb: "Hm? What's wrong?"
Marincess rb: "You don't seem to like that, so I'll enter the Battle Phase."
"I use my 3100-ATK 'Marincess Aqua Argonaut' to attack your Gadarla."
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "Wait! I activate Smoke Mosquito from my hand!"
"This card Special Summons itself in Defense Position, halves battle damage this battle, and ends the Battle Phase!"
After damage calculation this time.
Only 200 LP were lost.
Seven Emperors Aquatics' Life Points: 3900 LP.
Marincess rb: "Interesting. Main Phase 2."
Marincess rb: "I Set 1."
"Turn end."
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "My turn! Draw!"
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "I activate the Spell 'White Mirror.'"
"I Special Summon 'Buzzsaw Shark' from my Graveyard."
"And I add a second 'Buzzsaw Shark' from my Deck to my hand."
"'Crystal Shark' in my hand activates, halves your 'Marincess Aqua Argonaut' to 1550 ATK and Special Summons itself."
"I activate 'Smoke Mosquito,' copy 'Crystal Shark's' Level, and become Level 5."
"Two Level 5 monsters! I build the Overlay Network."
"Xyz Summon 'N.As.H. Knight!'"
"I activate its effect, detach 2 materials, and attach 'Number C102: Archfiend Seraph' from my Extra Deck as material."
"And then from your field—gimme that! I attach your Aqua Argonaut as material."
"Now, Rank-Up Xyz Summon!"
"'CXyz N.As.Ch. Knight!'"
"CXyz N.As.Ch. Knight effect—detach 1 material to Rank-Up again."
"Time to show you what a real big present looks like!"
"Your so-called 'unaffected' body only exists because of a Field setup! I Rank-Up Xyz Summon!"
"'Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon!'"
"Effect, activate!"
"Once per turn, I can detach 1 material."
"This turn, you cannot activate effects on the field, and the effects of all other face-up cards on the field, except this one, are negated until the end of the turn."
"You're finished!"
Galaxy-Eyes again?
What is this?
You see Galaxy-Eyes in every Deck these days.
This "Seven Emperors Shark" had actually teched in a Galaxy-Eyes boss too.
ZEXAL World.
Barian World.
When the newly revived Barians saw yet another Chaos Barian-powered Rank-Up hit the field.
Every Barian wore a grave expression.
Among them.
The eyes under Mizar's mask went wide, bloodshot.
That Chaos Neo Galaxy-Eyes—was his ace monster.
Had it actually appeared in the Higher World?
Girag: "Didn't think your Neo Galaxy-Eyes was moonlighting off-world, huh, Mizar?
How come the Higher World's got Neo Galaxy-Eyes too?"
Mizar's masked face twitched.
"Quit spouting nonsense."
"The Higher World is unfathomable."
"Even our master, Don Thousand, could only bow before it."
"So what if my ace shows up?"
Mizar soon calmed down.
Ever since they learned that Reginald "Shark" Kastle and his sister still lived in the human world, and that Nash and Merag had resurfaced.
The Seven Barian Emperors already understood the Higher World's absolute control and terror.
And Don Thousand likewise changed his stance toward the human world at that time.
Just when the veterans thought Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics would finally counterattack.
Marincess rb: "Heh heh heh, flip my Set."
"'Forbidden Droplet.'"
"Your Neo Galaxy-Eyes' effects are negated."
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "Fine, fine! Still trying to protect your 'unaffected' boss?"
"I activate 'Buzzsaw Shark' to Special Summon 'Lantern Shark' from my Deck."
"I have two Level 4 monsters on my field."
"Xyz Summon 'Number 106: Giant Hand.'"
"And then I Normal Summon my 'Lantern Shark.'"
"Effect—Special Summon 'Lifeless Leaffish' from my hand."
"Two Level 4 monsters! Keep building the Overlay Network."
"Xyz Summon!"
"'Number 103: Ragnazero.'"
"I Set 3."
"Turn end."
ZEXAL World.
Barian World.
Girag, who had just mocked Mizar, suddenly twitched all over.
What the heck?
His Giant Hand!
The Higher World had that too.
Mizar: "Yo? Looks like your Giant Hand is moonlighting as well.
Too bad—doesn't look like it hit Chaos Rank-Up yet."
This time, Mizar got to tease Girag.
Girag was about to retort.
But Merag and Nash were already walking over.
When Merag saw her ace—Number 103—summoned to the field, she kept silent.
She and her brother both knew—this was the Higher World.
Even Don Thousand's Numeron cards appearing wouldn't be surprising.
Marincess rb: "My turn, draw 1."
Marincess rb: "Normal Summon 'Marincess Blue Tang.'"
"I enter the Battle Phase."
"'Marincess Great Bubble Reef' attacks your Galaxy-Eyes directly."
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "I activate 'Smoke Mosquito' from my hand for a Special Summon."
"My battle damage is halved, and your Battle Phase is forced to end."
With a second Smoke Mosquito.
Only 350 LP were lost.
Seven Emperors Aquatics' Life Points: 3550 LP remain.
Marincess rb: "A mere last gasp."
Marincess rb: "I end my turn."
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "In your End Phase."
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "I flip the Trap 'Seventh Eternity.'"
"I choose your Blue Tang—its effects are negated."
"The key is the second option. I detach 1 material from my on-field 'Number 103: Ragnazero.'"
"I Special Summon the 'Chef' from my Graveyard."
"….."
The instant the "Chef" appeared.
Duelists across all six worlds shivered.
That early-game "throwaway" Chef had left an impression.
So when the Chef came back again.
Everyone instinctively thought Seven Emperors Aquatics was about to throw again.
But a second thought made it clear.
The Chef only gains that massive protection when it's the only card on its controller's field.
Which meant the current Chef.
Was just a body with no protection.
A paper tiger that would pop on contact.
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "My turn! Draw!"
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "I activate the Graveyard effect of 'Crystal Shark.'"
"It Special Summons itself, then 'Smoke Mosquito' copies its Level and becomes Level 5."
"I Xyz Summon 'N.As.H. Knight' with 'Smoke Mosquito' and 'Crystal Shark.'"
"'N.As.H. Knight' effect."
"I detach 2 materials and attach the additional 'Number C101: Silent Honor DARK' from my Extra Deck as material."
"Your Blue Tang—gimme that! It becomes material."
"Rank-Up Summon! 'CXyz N.As.Ch. Knight!'"
"CXyz detaches—Rank-Up Xyz Summon again."
"Come on, take a look at this."
"'Number C104: Umbral Horror Masquerade.'"
"I activate its effect to destroy your Field Spell."
Marincess rb: "Wishful thinking."
Marincess rb: "I activate my Trap from hand—'Marincess Wave.'"
"If I control a Link-3 or higher Marincess, I can activate this from my hand."
"I choose your monster—its effects are negated until the end of the turn."
"...…."
Another attempt to break the board, stopped.
Even the veteran Duelists felt sympathy for Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics.
Every time after his lines went off he had a chance to shatter the Field.
Which would have stripped Marincess of all its advantages.
But every time he was about to do it.
Marincess forcibly crushed that hope.
5D's World.
Even Jack Atlas couldn't keep a straight face anymore.
Hope was shattered twice in a row.
Even he.
At this point might have thought about giving up.
And also.
After building a board this long.
Hadn't he already thrown out most of his Extra Deck aces?
So many Chaos Xyz resources.
And still unable to deal with two "unaffected" Marincess bosses.
Was there really another way?
What frustrated Crow Hogan was—
This Marincess Deck could even activate Traps from the hand?
He'd thought Blackwings were the acknowledged "hand-Trap Trap" users.
Akiza: "Stopped twice!
Does Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics still have a path to push through?
Yusei, what do you think?"
Yusei: "Maybe, he'll keep pressing.
Who knows, he might already have his formula for victory."
And the answer was exactly as Yusei said.
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "Then I Normal Summon 'Buzzsaw Shark,' and its effect Special Summons 'Lantern Shark' from the Deck."
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "I treat the two as Level 3 for an Xyz Summon."
"Xyz Summon 'Number 71: Rebarian Shark.'"
"Effect—detach 1."
"I revive 'Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon' from my Graveyard! And I attach 1 material back to Neo Galaxy-Eyes."
"Neo Galaxy-Eyes effect activates."
Marincess rb: "I activate 'Marincess Wave' from my hand again."
Marincess rb: "Negated again."
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "Then I enter the Battle Phase."
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "At the moment Neo Galaxy-Eyes declares an attack, I flip my Trap—'Reincarnation of the Seven Emperors.'"
"I banish Neo Galaxy-Eyes."
"Right here, right now."
"My Graveyard, my field, and my banished pile have gathered all the 'Seven Emperors' monsters I need."
"I activate my second Set—'Rebirth of the Seven Emperors.'"
"I use all those monsters as Xyz Materials."
"I build the Overlay Network."
"Xyz Summon."
"'CXyz Barian Hope!'"
"I activate its effect! I choose the Chef in my Graveyard and gain its entire effect text."
"......"
It's here.
Copying the Chef.
Only one monster remained on the field—"CXyz Barian Hope."
And.
Its ATK soared to a ridiculous 7000.
Far higher than every monster on the opponent's field.
Meanwhile.
ZEXAL World.
Seeing this final string of plays.
Reginald "Shark" Kastle, Yuma Tsukumo, Astral, and the others were all slack-jawed.
Yuma Tsukumo: "Astral, what is this? Why are the Chaos Xyz materials showing the Seven Emperors?"
Astral: "This should be the combined power of the Barian World's Seven Emperors."
Reginald "Shark" Kastle: "Barian World? My former self? That Xyz—the Seven Emperors' combined essence?"
Equally shocked.
Were all the Barians.
Seeing the final, fused Seven Emperors—or more precisely, the "CXyz Barian Hope" empowered by seven total materials.
They were trembling all over.
This was—
The pressure of seven materials on "CXyz Barian Hope."
If it were only one material, it might not shock anyone.
But crucially.
This card gathered all seven materials.
Even Don Thousand opened his eyes slightly.
"The Higher World truly is inscrutable."
Just when everyone thought the comeback was happening.
Marincess rb: "Oh? How about that? You wasted so much time."
Marincess rb: "How could I possibly be out of negates in hand?"
"I activate a Trap—'Marincess Wave' from hand."
"Your Barian Hope no longer has any effects."
"I've spent all my traps."
"So? Got anything left?"
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "Heh… what if I told you this isn't my win condition at all?"
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "What then?"
That one question.
Made Duelists across the six worlds—and Marincess—jolt in unison.
What do you mean?
This still wasn't the ace?
All his resources had been poured in.
And it still wasn't the ace?
Then what was?
They were stunned.
Truly stunned.
At this moment, not a single Duelist understood what he meant.
Even the six world protagonists.
Didn't grasp it yet.
Until the Graveyard suddenly began to glow at the end of the turn.
That glow was—"Reincarnation of the Seven Emperors" and "Rebirth of the Seven Emperors."
The very next second.
A jaw-dropping Duel scene appeared.
Right before the End Phase, seven rays of light burst forth from the Graveyard.
"Reincarnation of the Seven Emperors" resolved.
"Black Ray Lancer" appeared on Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics' field.
Marincess rb's Life Points were slashed by 2100 on the spot.
And the last 750 weren't left sitting there either.
"Rebirth of the Seven Emperors" kept going.
At the same time, a cold, aloof voice echoed in every Duelist's ear.
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "Seven hundred fifty remain?"
Rs Seven Emperors Aquatics: "Graveyard effect of 'Rebirth of the Seven Emperors.'"
"Each of us takes 300 damage per card in our respective hands."
"You have 4 cards in hand, so take 1200."
"Duel—over."
"….."
Silence, a deathly silence.
As if, in that instant, all six Duel Worlds forgot how to breathe.
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