Sarina: "Mirror Bind's effect—The Supremacy Sun and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys are destroyed!"
The Sun's blazing fire reflected back from both mirrors, splitting into two torrents that struck the The Supremacy Sun and the Phoenix.
The intense, searing shock pierced both monsters; the erupting flames engulfed them. A sweeping heatwave rolled out as the giant and the divine bird both burned away.
"What a pity," Sarina chuckled. "You summoned two ace-class monsters in one go, only to have them neutralized in an instant. Fate really is fickle, isn't it?"
"Indeed."
Kira didn't argue; he just shrugged helplessly.
"Then my turn ends."
With his field now empty, it was a prime opportunity to attack. Sarina wouldn't miss it; her momentum swelled.
"My turn, draw!"
"At the start of the Standby Phase, The Supremacy Sun's effect activates," Kira said.
Sarina's heart stirred.
The Supremacy Sun's effect?
"During the Standby Phase of the turn after this card is sent to the Graveyard: Special Summon it."
Kira raised his Duel Disk, and a golden beam shot from his Graveyard, as if flying to the ends of the sky. The horizon bloomed with radiance again, and the towering golden giant descended once more.
[The Supremacy Sun, ATK 3000]
"I see," Sarina nodded. "The sun sets, and must rise again. An undying body—so that's the power of the planetary Supreme?"
No wonder he wasn't ruffled when his resource-intensive boss got swept. As the planetary Supreme, the Sun isn't so easy to put down.
"Then I activate 'Pot of Greed' to draw two cards."
"And now, I activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Serial Spell.' When a Normal Spell is activated, discard your entire hand and have this card's effect become the same as that Normal Spell.
So Serial Spell copies Pot of Greed—I draw a total of four cards!"
Sarina drew four.
"Then I switch Sakyo and Ukyo to Defense."
[Silver Spirit Sakyo, DEF 600]
[Silver Spirit – Ukyo, DEF 600]
"Next, I activate the Spell 'Mirror Call'!"
Another series-exclusive Spell. Upon activation, Sakyo and Ukyo formed seals again—one pointing left, the other right. A black vortex churned between them, and a red card spun up from it into the air.
"Mirror Call can only be activated while I control both 'Silver Spirit Sakyo' and 'Silver Spirit – Ukyo,'" Sarina said.
"Return any Trap from my Graveyard to my hand. Of course, I'll take back…"
She flashed the card she'd retrieved, smiling lightly.
"The Trap 'Mirror Bind.'"
Then she fanned a fistful of cards.
"I set four cards to my backrow and end my turn!"
Kira narrowed his eyes.
Four backrow set.
So this is how most people feel when they face me.
By now, he'd basically mapped Sarina's line: her tactics revolve around the Silver Spirit pair, Sakyo and Ukyo. Many of her Spells/Traps require both to function.
The lynchpin is that Mirror Bind Trap, which destroys two of the opponent's monsters when they attack—recyclable via multiple means.
"If the Sun can keep rising, it will still be repeatedly broken by Mirror Bind."
Sarina smiled faintly, then her expression dimmed a little.
"You're strong. But at this level alone, you probably can't transcend a fixed destiny."
"That's too bad—I never planned to transcend any destiny," Kira said casually. "My turn. Draw."
A spiraling pillar of flame roared up behind him like a burning waterfall. In the rolling blaze, a form reconstituted—the burning divine bird spread its wings and cried to the sky.
Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys returns!
"Phoenix?" Sarina started. "But that monster should have already…"
"Been destroyed? Which is exactly why this effect matters," Kira said.
"When Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys is destroyed by a card effect, during my next Standby Phase it is reborn like a phoenix and Special Summons itself from the Graveyard."
As he spoke, the phoenix's endless flames spread, erupting across the field.
"And when it Special Summons itself with its own effect, destroy all Spells and Traps on the field!"
Sarina: "!"
All Spells and Traps…
She glanced at her backrow, crammed to bursting.
This is bad—
Total annihilation!
Only now did she realize that last turn's Mirror Bind had gained her almost nothing. The The Supremacy Sun can pop back up; this bird can too. And in comparison, this bird is even worse for her—its board wipe devastates her backrow-dependent deck.
If this phoenix fire goes off, her resources are basically wiped, and continuing the duel will be very hard.
She couldn't allow it.
"I activate my Set Trap, 'Zero Hole'!" Sarina declared. "Negate the effect of a Special Summoned monster and destroy it!" (Anime card)
The phoenix flames vanished in an instant. The Sacred Phoenix let out a cry, and before it could steady itself, it plunged back into a pit beneath its feet and disappeared once more.
"Oh, you at least defused that one," Kira smiled. "But you realize the problem isn't solved, right?"
Sarina knew exactly what he meant.
This looks like it solved the Phoenix, but really only delayed things. When Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys is destroyed by a card effect, it returns during its controller's next Standby Phase. Zero Hole destroyed it now; next Standby, it'll resurrect and blow up the backrow again.
Her deck is clearly reliant on the backrow—this is the worst possible opponent.
"But the Phoenix's Summon wasn't the only Set I activated."
Sarina's tone grew firm.
"You seemed to sense the threat of the Full Moon Mirror and kept trying to stop it from piling counters to call the 'Infinite Fiend Mirror' Field.
But the Field isn't the only way I can get it out."
Sarina raised her hand and raised her voice.
"Quick-Play Spell 'Demise of the Land'!
When your opponent successfully Special Summons a monster, activate to choose and activate a Field Spell from your Deck."
She plucked a card from the Deck.
"Activate—
—the Field Spell 'Infinite Fiend Mirror'!!!"