"Attacking with a monster with low Attack Power!?"
Alinora's heart skipped a beat, suspecting there was a trick involved, but she had no other option but to brace herself.
"If you wish for death, I shall grant it.
Go! Ice Blizzard Master, counter the 'True Red-Eyed Sub-Dragon'!"
The Blizzard Master retaliated, summoning a storm with the Magic Staff in hand! Countless snowflakes swirled like hidden weapons within the storm, shattering the Black Dragon's Black Flame Bullet into pieces, and blowing the Black Dragon itself into a thousand shreds, its form fragmented and retreated.
[Joey Wheeler, LP 3500 -> LP 3400]
Alinora felt even stranger in her heart.
Did it really retaliate like this?
Did he really offer himself to death intentionally?
But the next moment, her pupils contracted as she saw a column of black flames soar into the sky from where the Black Dragon should have been destroyed!
Flames roared, the Black Dragon danced, with scarlet eyes flashing dangerously, as its mouth seemingly exhaled endless darkness!
True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, summon!
"True Red-Eye?" Alinora was shocked, "But wasn't it sacrificed..."
"It's a Graveyard-activated effect," Joey explained. "If the True Red-Eyed Sub-Dragon is destroyed by battle or by an opponent's card effect, you can Special Summon a 'True Red-Eye Monster' Level seven or lower from the Graveyard except for Sub-Dragon, back to the field!"
[True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, Attack Power 2400]
Understanding the reason, Alinora felt slightly reassured, and coldly remarked, "All that effort just to resummon the True Red-Eye.
But the Attack Power of the True Red-Eye still can't rival the Blizzard Master..."
"Not necessarily," Joey chuckled.
[True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, Attack Power 2400 -> Attack Power 4800]
"Attack Power 4800!?" Alinora was stunned.
"When a monster summoned through Sub-Dragon's effect is the True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, its original Attack Power doubles!"
Joey threw a punch.
"Go, True Red-Eyed Black Dragon's attack! Destroy the Ice Blizzard Master!
Double Black Flame Bullet!"
A Black Flame Bullet twice the usual amount erupted from the True Red-Eye's mouth like a fiery vortex! The icy realm was easily shattered, and this time the Blizzard Master had no chance to counterattack, directly being burned to ashes by the black flames.
"Ah!"
The silver-haired woman fell painfully to her knees, her body shrouded in black smoke.
[Alinora, LP 4000 -> LP 1700]
The woman knelt on one knee, gritting her teeth.
"Tch, as expected of the legendary Duelist..."
No wonder even the Professor found him slightly troublesome.
"Good! Inflict heavy damage in one strike, let's keep up the momentum and take him down!"
Joey's spirits further soared.
"Set three cards, End the turn!"
Alinora steadied her breathing, stood up straight again, her expression still as cold as ice.
"My turn, draw card.
"The 'Upper-tier Devotee' sacrificed in the last round returns during the next turn's standby phase when used as a tribute for an Upper-level Summon.
Return, Upper-tier Devotee."
She spoke icily.
[Upper-tier Devotee, Attack Power 800]
"Activating the Magic Card 'Magic Flowerpot', send the Continuous Magic Card 'Netherworld's Treasure Scroll' to the Graveyard and draw two cards from the deck." (Original effect)
"Then from the hand, 'Water Spirit Akuaelia' can be Special Summoned by banishing a Water Attribute in the Graveyard from the game.
I banish 'Ice Mage' from the Graveyard to Special Summon 'Water Spirit Akuaelia'!"
[Water Spirit Akuaelia, Attack Power 1600]
"Then I sacrifice the 'Dragon Ice', 'Water Spirit Akuaelia', and 'Upper-tier Devotee' from the field, those three monsters!"
Joey was taken aback: "Sacrificing three monsters!?"
Isn't that the privilege of a god?
"Indeed, only by sacrificing three monsters can all power be liberated, the strongest monster gifted by the Professor! Planet Series—
—Lightweight Mercury, summon!!!"
Like a giant planet appearing on the field, from it burst forth streams of water that quickly took human shape. Clad in what appeared to be a water-blue armor, wielding dual swords, and wearing a water-colored cape, like a graceful knight treading across water.
Lightweight Mercury, summon!
[Lightweight Mercury, Attack Power 2000]
"Planet Series!" Joey's heart shook, "Modeled after the solar system's planets, each one is a unique super rare card in the world..."
"Indeed, they also embody the power and expectations bestowed by the Professor as extraordinary cards!
Joey Wheeler, I shall use this planet's power to entomb both you and your True Red-Eye!"
Alinora declared.
"Although Lightweight Mercury is an eight-star monster, it can also be upper-level summoned by sacrificing three monsters.
Additionally, Mercury can gain different effects based on the number of monsters used as sacrifices.
When Mercury uses two or more monsters, all monsters on the field must switch to attack mode!"
"But all the monsters on the field are already in attack mode." Joey Wheeler remarked.
"True, but using three monsters as sacrifices grants an even stronger effect!" Alinora said, "All monsters on the field, except this card, have their attack power reduced to 0!" (Original effect)
"What!?" Joey was shocked.
This effect differs from the physical card. The physical card mimics a similar effect but changes to "As long as this card summoned by liberating three monsters is in the Monster Zone, the attack power of opponent's monsters on the field decreases by the original value of their attack power."
Most of the time it makes no difference, unless the opponent's monster gains substantial additional boosts through card effects.
"True Red-Eyed Black Dragon's attack power becomes 0!"
"Hold on!" Joey waved his hand, "Speed Attack Magic 'Effect Confinement'!
Activate it when the opponent activates an effect; that effect is negated, and that monster is destroyed!" (Original Card)
A straightforward and brutal counter to monster effects, and it's speed attack magic, its strength is self-evident. Among the original cards in the entire GX animation, this card's strength is noteworthy.
"Hmph, then I'll activate my cover card." Alinora said coldly, "Trap Card 'Angel Shock Wave'!
When the opponent activates a Magic, Trap, or Monster effect with 'destroying monsters on the field,' that card is negated and destroyed!" (Original Card)
"A means to nullify 'Effect Confinement'?" Joey frowned.
"Indeed." Alinora said, "Therefore 'Effect Confinement' is negated!"
I negate your negation!
"Then I'll activate my cover card, Continuous Trap 'Demon Race's Chain'!" Joey said, "Bind one monster on the field; that monster's effect is negated and it cannot attack. Use this card to bind 'Lightweight Mercury'!"
"Don't even think about it!" Alinora shouted, "Speed Attack Magic 'Tornado'!
Destroy Continuous Trap 'Demon Race's Chain'!
Since Demon Race's Chain is a Continuous Trap, being destroyed by Tornado means its effect cannot activate!"
A series of fierce attacks and defenses, when resolved in an entire chain, ultimately results in Demon Race's Chain being blown away by Tornado and unable to activate; Effect Confinement is also negated by Angel Shock Wave. Lightweight Mercury activates its effect, reducing True Red-Eyed Black Dragon's attack power from 4800 to zero.
"Impressive, I almost want to applaud you."
Joey smiled, his eyes showing sincere admiration.
"That was really close, I almost got taken down by you..."
"What?"
Alinora felt a surge of crisis in her heart.
So close...
What does it mean?
"My last cover card, it's this..."
Joey raised his hand.
"Counterattack Trap - Spell of Summoning Void!"
"Can only be activated in a chain of 4 or more. Pay half of your life points, all card effects in the entire chain are nullified and destroyed!"
Alinora's eyes narrowed.
Everything on the entire chain of cards, so that means...
[Joey, LP 3400→LP 1700]
"Exactly, all effects activated in the same chain, Tornado, Demon Race's Chain, Angel Shock Wave, Effect Confinement, and the chain-starting 'Lightweight Mercury,' all five cards are nullified and destroyed!"
The counterattack trap activated, releasing an overbearing infinite darkness from it! That terrifying darkness devoured the five cards in order, finally spreading to Mercury itself, dragging that planetary avatar entirely into the abyss of endless darkness!
Alinora stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
How could this happen...
Even though I successfully summoned Mercury, even though I gathered three sacrifices...
That was a card containing the power of a professor; once summoned, it should have been unstoppable.
No duelist could resist such power, no one...
"My turn, the last turn, draw a card!"
Joey smiled slightly.
"Well played. You have potential, but unfortunately, you lack the most important thing as a duelist."
Alinora was taken aback.
"The most important thing as a duelist?"
"Yes." Joey shrugged, "A duelist should fight for themselves... or at least part of it should be for themselves.
And you haven't even taken a proper look at me as your opponent, with your mindset, you can't win."
Alinora: "..."
"Let's go. True Red-Eyed Black Dragon's final strike."
Joey commanded.
"Double Black Flame Bullet!"
[Alinora, LP 1700→LP 0]