Chapter 97. Topologic Zeroboros's Suppression! The Final Fire Phoenix Flame!
He really drew it!
And he's still holding a card with a built-in revival effect!
Salamangreat Crasher was about to crack.
His advantage was about to vanish again.
Damn it.
To bet on the chance of surviving one more turn, he had to burn all his remaining resources.
Salamangreat Crasher: "My turn continues!"
Salamangreat Crasher: "I activate my last copy of Will of the Salamangreat!"
"And I use its other effect."
"I send Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix to the Graveyard!"
"Revive according to its Link Rating—and this one is Link-4."
"I Special Summon in Defense Position from my Graveyard: Salamangreat Beat Bison, Salamangreat Jack Jaguar, Salamangreat Foxy, Salamangreat Falco!"
"In the Graveyard, Salamangreat Falco activates to return my Pyro Phoenix on the field."
"My turn is over."
VRAINS World.
Theodore Hamilton was stunned after seeing that sequence.
Wait, what are you returning with Falco?
You're returning a Link Monster, Pyro Phoenix?
Seriously?
That makes Falco's effect basically just a return to the Extra Deck.
Since the returned Phoenix doesn't go to the hand, Falco can't Special Summon itself.
You just tossed away a card for nothing.
"Hahaha! Come on, that misplay is too blatant, right? Does he even know how to run Salamangreat?"
"Pfft! Theodore, you're expecting too much. Returning Pyro Phoenix with Falco? I'm done."
"Even I wouldn't make a misplay like that. He's finished."
"Exactly! Maybe the previous play was arguable, but this one? No way that's not a misplay."
"..."
Hearing the crowd, Theodore Hamilton almost tilted.
Indeed.
Such a low-level misplay.
Would even he do that?
"Hahaha, Theodore."
"Looks like the outcome's already set."
"Watch closely."
"This is what Borreload–Rokket means."
Leader Zuo let out a cold laugh.
He was actually quite satisfied with the Borreload–Rokket player.
At least every step showed real understanding.
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "Puh-hahaha! What are you even doing?"
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "Falco didn't jump out, did it?"
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "Okay, okay—now it's finally my turn! I draw."
"My Destiny HERO – Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer comes back."
"I activate Phoenix Enforcer, target itself, and blow up your Salamangreat Sanctuary."
"I activate the Field Spell Boot Sector Launch and use its effect to Special Summon from the Graveyard Rokket Tracer, Magnarokket Dragon, and Rokket Recharger."
"Tracer activates—I target Boot Sector Launch to destroy it."
"Then I Special Summon Shellrokket Dragon from the Deck."
"I activate my Link-4 Borreload Dragon's monster effect, choosing Shellrokket Dragon."
"Shellrokket chains—Shellrokket self-destructs and blows up your Foxy."
"Then I Link Magnarokket and Rokket Recharger into Twin Triangle Dragon."
"Effect—pay 500 LP to revive Absorouter Dragon from the Graveyard."
"Absorouter, Borreload Dragon, and Twin Triangle Dragon begin to Link."
"Check the Link Arrows!"
"—!"
"The circuit that illuminates the road to the future! Link Summon!"
"Link-4, my ultimate trump card—Topologic Zeroboros!"
The moment they saw the card, every old-guard Duelist froze.
Then their faces went pale.
What the hell?
This guy's a shark!
Topologic Zeroboros—3000 ATK?
No!
It rockets to a terrifying 5000 ATK after gaining 200 ATK for each banished card.
Even scarier is its effect.
While this card is on the field—
If a monster is Special Summoned to a zone a Link Monster points to (except this card), its effect must trigger.
Banish all cards on the field.
Yes.
Banish everything.
And even if it banishes itself, it'll come back next turn.
So—
To trigger it right now, all he needed was one more Link to place a monster in an arrowed zone.
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "Absorouter triggers in the Graveyard to add a Rokket Recharger from the Deck."
"I Link Tracer into Guardragon Pisty and place it where Zeroboros points."
"I activate Zeroboros."
"Banish every card on the field."
"Asura Riddle!!!"
Oh no!
It's over! Shimatta!
Salamangreat Crasher was going to crack.
No way!
He's actually going for it.
He's not leaving any chance at all.
Salamangreat hates banish the most.
They don't even mind going to the Graveyard.
And worse—
He wasn't done.
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "I Normal Summon Rokket Synchron and revive Absorouter Dragon from the Graveyard."
"Synchro for 8 with two materials."
"Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon!!"
"Effect—excavate the top five cards of my Deck and add one DARK monster to my hand."
"Enter Battle Phase—attack!"
"You lose 3000 LP."
"My turn ends."
"At this moment, Shellrokket Dragon's Graveyard effect activates."
"I Special Summon Metalrokket Dragon from the Deck."
Borreload–Rokket Emperor LP: 4300.
Salamangreat Crasher LP: 2000.
Salamangreat Crasher had no hand and no field.
Which meant—
When it passed to his turn, this final draw would decide the outcome of the Duel.
Duelists from all six worlds swallowed hard at the sight.
Duel Monsters World.
"The last draw."
"The odds of a one-card comeback are too low."
"Even if he top-decks Monster Reborn."
"I don't see a line to win."
"Because as soon as he draws, Phoenix Enforcer will jump again."
Yugi Muto analyzed calmly and spread his hands, convinced Salamangreat had no win left.
Not just him.
Joey Wheeler, Seto Kaiba, and Maximillion Pegasus thought the same.
A final draw.
A comeback was impossible.
The odds were microscopic.
GX World.
"Is it over?"
"A final draw—can he still turn it around?"
"No chance."
"Man, it's a shame. That earlier double Pyro Phoenix was so cool."
"What a pity."
Even Jaden Yuki looked at the board and felt there was no way to win.
It was too hard.
He wasn't him.
Hoping for a miracle draw? Printing a card from thin air?
Talking the win into existence? Cheating?
Is that possible?
Maybe—maybe a miracle draw.
But what card could flip this?
VRAINS World.
"That's enough."
"Getting this far is already impressive."
"Get ready to surrender."
Leader Zuo eyed the field, half-lidded.
One draw can't get you going.
That's a joke.
Even Theodore Hamilton, piloting Salamangreat, felt his glimmer of hope fading.
Yeah.
What chance is left?
Salamangreat Crasher: "My turn."
Salamangreat Crasher: "I…"
He placed his hand over his Deck.
He took a deep breath.
Then he seemed to make up his mind.
"I'll do it—I'm going Burning Draw right now!"
"Come on! Believe in your Deck!"
"Your Deck will answer you!"
"Yaaaah!"
"Draw!"
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "Just a dying struggle."
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "I activate Phoenix Enforcer in the Graveyard to jump back."
"At the same time, my banished Zeroboros returns according to its effect."
"Zeroboros comes back from the banished zone to the center column."
"Go ahead and Link as you like—either way, it all gets banished."
Salamangreat Crasher: "Heh—calling it a dying struggle?"
"Sorry, but I drew a card that flips this Duel."
"I activate the only resource card I drew."
"Spell Card, Salamangreat Recurrence!"
"It adds two different 'Salamangreat' monsters from my Graveyard to my hand."
"I choose Salamangreat Gazelle and Salamangreat Beat Bison."
"I Special Summon Beat Bison from my hand."
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "Trying to extend? Dream on."
"I activate Phoenix Enforcer and blow up my Metalrokket Dragon and your Beat Bison."
Salamangreat Crasher: "Oh? Solevadokana?"
"There's one Graveyard effect I still haven't used."
"That's right—banish Salamangreat Balelynx in my Graveyard for protection."
"I activate Beat Bison—return three copies of Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf from my Graveyard to the Extra Deck."
"Your Phoenix Enforcer, Zeroboros, and Chaos Ruler—their effects are all negated."
"I Normal Summon Salamangreat Gazelle and send Salamangreat Jack Jaguar from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"Bounce Gazelle, Special Summon Falco from the Graveyard."
"Link Falco and Beat Bison into a Link-2."
"Come forth—fight for me once more."
"Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf!"
"Gazelle in my hand triggers to Special Summon."
"I Link Sunlight Wolf and Gazelle again."
"Link-2—a second Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf."
"Sunlight Wolf activates to add back Will of the Salamangreat from my Graveyard."
"I activate Will—rise!"
"Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix!"
"I activate Jack Jaguar in the Graveyard—shuffle a Sunlight Wolf back."
"Jack Jaguar Special Summons to a Sunlight Wolf's linked zone."
"I activate Sunlight Wolf again to add back Gazelle from the Graveyard."
Right then, everyone suddenly got it.
Yes.
They all realized why Falco returned Pyro Phoenix earlier.
From the very start, he had calculated all the way to this point.
He was setting up to use last turn's double-Link Pyro Phoenix board-wipe again.
The group chat erupted.
Maximillion Pegasus: "Unbelievable! I knew he wasn't misplaying! He foresaw this line too!"
Jaden Yuki: "No way! He can still turn it around? With a single card, he's forcing another comeback?!"
Yusei Fudo: "Impossible. Even if he goes back into double Pyro Phoenix, don't forget he's still holding Rokket Recharger."
Yuya Sakaki: "True. He's trying, but sadly, this should be his limit—no way through."
Some Duelists rekindled their hope.
Even Theodore Hamilton began to doubt.
Returning Pyro Phoenix back then—was it really a misplay?
Or was it to set up this exact double-Pyro Phoenix line?
But as Yusei said:
Even if he nukes the field again, the opponent can still revive.
No shot?
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "Pointless. I still have Rokket Recharger in hand."
Salamangreat Crasher: "Oh? You think I'm going for double Pyro Phoenix again?"
"Heh, the victory formula is never a single solution."
"You think I don't know what you searched and kept?"
"So—"
"I Link Jack Jaguar and Sunlight Wolf."
"Link-3! Check the arrows!"
"Avao—orelo! Fire Phoenix @Ignister!"
"I go straight to the Battle Phase."
"I attack your Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer with Fire Phoenix @Ignister."
"Activate its effect! No battle damage, but you take 2300 LP from Fire Phoenix @Ignister's effect."
"Finally—"
"My Main Phase 2!"
"I Link my on-field Pyro Phoenix and Fire Phoenix @Ignister."
"The second Pyro Phoenix I returned earlier!"
"Check the Link Arrows!"
"Burn—Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix!"
"Then I activate Pyro Phoenix to destroy all the monsters you control."
Borreload–Rokket Emperor: "Muda muda muda muda!"
"I activate Rokket Recharger from my hand!"
"I revive my Borreload Dragon from the Graveyard!"
Salamangreat Crasher: "Heh, and what good does that do?"
"I activate Pyro Phoenix again—to revive your Zeroboros to your field!"
"Remember Pyro Phoenix's other effect?"
"That's right!"
"The final effect—I target Zeroboros!"
"Your Zeroboros's original ATK is 3000!"
"Lose 3000 LP!"
"This Duel is over!"
Over?
It's over?
Holy crap.
It really ended.
That last 3000 damage was far more than the remaining 2000 LP after the earlier hits.
It was all calculated.
Yes.
From the moment he drew that key extender, he had already planned the perfect line.
No—wait.
Duelists across the six worlds suddenly thought of something terrifying.
If so—
Then from the very beginning, when Falco returned Pyro Phoenix—
Doesn't that mean the Salamangreat player was already playing toward this exact finishing line based on a potential miracle draw?
Thinking that far made many Duelists gasp.
They couldn't believe the conclusion they'd reached.
Which meant—
Returning Pyro Phoenix before was not a misplay.
It was—the final hope.
Yes.
From that moment, the Salamangreat player had started betting.
Betting on the possibility of a miracle draw.
VRAINS World.
Leader Zuo saw the last sequence and turned to stone.
Impossible?
Absolutely impossible.
He must be mistaken.
That earlier "misplay" wasn't a misplay?
Don't tell me—he even budgeted for the winning line at the end?
Once more—
Two Pyro Phoenixes.
"Hahaha! I told you!"
"He was never misplaying!"
"Every step of his Salamangreat line was within his expectations!"
"Say, I almost forgot!"
"In his Graveyard—he was holding Balelynx all along!"
"That protection was the key, like it was all saved just for this final blowout!"
Theodore Hamilton grew more excited the more he spoke.
He clearly wasn't the one Dueling.
Nor the one making the plays.
But for some reason, he felt indescribably thrilled and exhilarated.
This is Salamangreat.
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