"Emergency Provisions—by sending Spells/Traps from my back row to the Graveyard, I recover 1000 Life Points per card," Kira said. "Originally, 'Mirage of Nightmare' has a drawback.
In the next Standby Phase, I'd have to randomly discard the same number of cards I drew off it this turn.
But before that, I'll use Emergency Provisions to send Mirage to the Graveyard and recover LP.
And the Trap 'Atmospheric Regeneration' that's resolving in the same chain is also sent to the Grave. So I recover a total of 2000."
[Kira, LP 2000 → LP 4000]
In one stroke, not only were his monsters restored, even his LP returned to its original total. As Aster's opponent, that involuntarily planted a stab of frustration in his heart.
As if everything he had done was meaningless.
As if no matter what he tried—no matter how he struggled—he simply couldn't change a thing.
"Feels just like that 'fate' Sartorius keeps preaching about, doesn't it?" Kira smiled.
Aster's heart skipped. He frowned. "What did you say?"
"Sartorius's so-called fate," Kira said. "I'll bet he's always telling you that, right? That everything's predestined, that fate has already decided, that beneath the wheels of destiny all we can do is go with the flow, blah blah blah."
"What are you getting at?" Aster asked.
"Nothing. Look, I'd also bet Sartorius used to prophesy that you were the victorious one—that your opponents, by challenging you, were as laughable as trying to push back destiny's wheel."
Kira smiled faintly.
"Isn't that exactly how you feel right now?"
"Destiny HERO – Dasher—this one has a forced effect, doesn't it?"
Aster said nothing. But glancing at the Transforming Sphere on the field and then at his own Dasher, he naturally realized the serious issue facing him.
Gritting his teeth, he said with a frosty face:
"Dasher's effect: If this card attacks, at the end of the Battle Phase it must change to Defense Position."
[Destiny HERO – Dasher, ATK 2100 → DEF 1000]
A forced shift to Defense after attacking—normally that drawback isn't a huge deal. But today was different.
Today, the opponent's Transforming Sphere clearly absorbs Defense Position monsters. And Dasher has that forced switch to Defense—it was like ramming headfirst into the muzzle.
"Exactly—just like you know Transforming Sphere will absorb a Defense Position monster, yet you still have to turn Dasher to Defense," Kira said with a smile.
"It's a fate that's trivial to predict without any clairvoyance—and yet you can only watch it happen, unable to avoid it. Just like Sartorius's so-called destiny, isn't it?"
"You trying to say the goddess of fate is on your side?"
Aster barked, slamming two more cards into his Duel Disk.
"Don't be ridiculous! I set two cards and end my turn."
"Those weren't my words," Kira shrugged, lifting his Duel Disk.
"Then it's my turn—draw."
"During your Standby Phase, 'Destiny HERO – Dogma's' effect also activates!" Aster shouted. "At the start of your Standby Phase, your Life Points are halved!" (Anime effect)
Energy surged beneath Dogma's feet, bursting forth in a pillar. Kira's figure was bathed in the blinding beam, half his Life torn away.
[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 2000]
"This is the power of Destiny HEROes!" Aster said. "To say that simply holding your ground means fate has taken your side is laughable!"
"Is it?"
Kira chuckled, raising his eyes—intentionally or not—toward the massive Clock Tower behind Aster.
Clock Tower Prison, the Destiny HERO field spell. Since Aster had played it, he'd offered no explanation—if one knew nothing of Destiny HEROes—and in truth, no one else could possibly understand this one-of-a-kind Deck designed by Aster's father—one would be baffled by the field.
In the anime, Aster didn't like explaining it mid-duel either. So if you didn't watch closely, you might miss how, just now, the clock's hands had suddenly begun to whirl.
Clock Tower Prison's effect: During the opponent's Standby Phase, it advances—a "Clock Counter" is placed.
Two of Kira's Standby Phases had passed; there were now two counters. The tower only reveals its true power at four or more.
"I activate the Spell 'Akashic Record.' Draw two cards; if any of them were used during this duel, they must be banished." (Anime card)
Kira drew two and arched a brow at a glance.
"Transforming Sphere's effect activates," Kira said. "Discard a card to equip one of your opponent's Defense Position monsters to it as an Equip Card."
He pitched a card to the Graveyard.
"I discard one card to absorb your Defense Position 'Destiny HERO – Dasher.'"
Transforming Sphere spread its wings; a transparent vortex unfurled—an invisible claw reaching straight for Dasher.
"I activate a set card!" Aster immediately countered. "Continuous Trap 'Fiendish Chain!'
Bind a monster on the field with demonic chains; that monster cannot attack, and its effects are negated!"
Green chains shot from the Trap, instantly trussing up Transforming Sphere, whose vortex abruptly ceased.
"Fiendish Chain binds 'Transforming Sphere,' negating its effect!"
Aster couldn't help a cold, confident smile.
"Looks like that 'victory-fate' of yours is awfully fragile. My Destiny HERO won't be absorbed—how's that?"
"As I said—those aren't my words," Kira shrugged, revealing another card.
"Then I activate the Spell 'Star Blast.' I can reduce the levels of any monsters in my hand or on my field; for each Level reduced, I pay 500 LP to apply it."
Aster frowned.
A Level-modifying card?
"I choose my Level 3 'Transforming Sphere,'" Kira said. "I pay 1000 LP to reduce it by 2 Levels until the end of the turn, making it Level 1."
[Kira, LP 2000 → LP 1000]
[Transforming Sphere, LV 3 → LV 1]
Aster was puzzled.
Lower it by two Levels—for what?
He understood a moment later.
"Then from my hand, I activate the Spell 'Metamorphosis,'" Kira said. "By sending my on-field Level 1 'Transforming Sphere' to the Graveyard, it mutates into a Level 1 Fusion Monster.
So I let Transforming Sphere accept the sudden mutation, transforming and descending—
—Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"
Aster: "???"