"You?"
Kak Dixon's face suddenly changed.
The power hidden within the precious ancient slab uncovered by the Illusion Association had been stolen, and as a cadre of the Professor Card, he was naturally aware of this incident.
In the previous investigation, clues had already pointed to one person.
It was the very person standing before him now.
"Your name is... Merlot, correct?" Kak said. "Quite bold for a thief to show up voluntarily in front of us... What do you want?"
"Nothing much. I just made some preparations earlier, and now it's about time to start the fight."
"Fight?"
Kak said gravely.
"With the International Fantasy Association?"
"Today is just a greeting, and also..."
Merlot chuckled softly, his cane transforming into the shape of a Duel Disc. The Card Deck was already loaded into the slot.
"After making adjustments to this deck, I haven't had the chance to test it. Before facing a truly troublesome opponent, at least I need a sparring partner with some weight to practice on."
"A sparring partner, huh." Kak adjusted the glasses on his nose. "I don't know who you think you are, but no one dares to speak to this Mecha Professor like that."
He paused for a moment, then unexpectedly smiled.
"Well, it's fine. Since you came here on your own, I'll take this credit for myself. Maybe Lord Nightwalker will directly promote me to the position of Professor General Manager..."
"Duel!" x2
[Kak, LP 4000]
[Merlot, LP 4000]
"I'll go first, draw."
Merlot said.
"Summon 'Sword Fighting Beast - Shooting' in attack position!"
The first to appear was the Bird Beast Race's Sword Fighting Beast, but its form was that of a centaur, like the legendary Sagittarius. An armored warrior with golden hair drew a bow, its human upper body mounted on a horse, aiming its arrow directly forward.
[Sword Fighting Beast - Shooting, Attack Power 1400]
"Cover one card, end turn."
Kak scoffed: "So you immediately used the stolen deck. You're nothing but another card thief, we've caught plenty of your kind in the Illusion Association.
My turn, draw!"
Kak was the first to play a Monster Card.
"Summon 'Mecha Team - Skeleton'!"
An orange mechanical structure emerged from the summoned card, and at the Duelist's command, it began transforming, assembling into a humanoid mechanical form.
[Mecha Team - Skeleton, Attack Power 1800]
"When Skeleton is successfully summoned, add a Mecha Team card other than 'Mecha Team - Skeleton' from the deck to the hand."
Kak's Duel Disc automatically retrieved, and he quickly drew the searched card.
"I'll add 'Mecha Team - Fortress' to my hand from the deck."
"Then the effect of Fortress! This card can be Special Summoned by discarding monsters in the hand with a total Level of Eight-Star or more, without needing a tribute."
Kak slid a card from his hand to the graveyard.
"Discard Level 8 'Mecha Team - Giant Transformation', Special Summon 'Mecha Team - Fortress'!"
With a heavy rumble, the mechanical assembly transformed into a heavily armed fortress, armed to the teeth.
[Mecha Team - Fortress, Attack Power 2500]
"A deck that's ultimately just stolen, let me see how much strength it has." Kak declared, "Mecha Team - Fortress, attack 'Sword Fighting Beast - Shooting'!"
The fortress appeared to unleash all its weapons at once, a barrage of artillery and missiles forming a deluge aimed at the small Fish Race.
"Then activate the Cover Card," Merlot said, "Trap Card 'Attack Invincibility'!
This card can only activate during the battle phase, allowing you to choose one of two effects. Choose one monster on the field; it cannot be destroyed by any means during this battle phase.
Or, all battle damage inflicted this turn to yourself becomes 0."
"A defensive Trap," Kak noted, "Trying to evade damage?"
"No."
Merlot smiled, pointing to the monster on his field.
"I want to protect 'Sword Fighting Beast - Shooting' from battle destruction."
A transparent trap protection layer appeared in front of Shooting, and all the incoming fire exploded against that barrier. The impact and blast reverberated, flames washing over Merlot.
[Merlot, LP 4000→LP 2900]
Kak lightly furrowed his brow.
He could have just avoided all the damage, yet he opted to take the hit to protect the monster.
Was it to reserve the monster as a tribute for the next turn?
But his task remained unchanged.
"Battle continues. I still have Skeleton's attack, 'Mecha Team - Skeleton', also attack 'Sword Fighting Beast - Shooting'!"
Skeleton likewise advanced, its iron fist pounding against the Sword Fighting Beast. The centaur staggered but, reinforced by the Trap, withstood the blow.
[Merlot, LP2900→LP2500]
"Then at the end of your battle phase," Merlot said smoothly, "the effect of 'Sword Fighting Beast - Shooting' triggers.
When this card battles, at the end of the battle phase, return it to the deck, and Special Summon any 'Sword Fighting Beast' other than Shooting from the deck."
Kak blinked, "Was it for this purpose?"
Shooting transformed into a beam of golden light, returning to Merlot's Deck, replaced by another Sword Fighting Beast emerging with a torrent of water onto the field.
"Special Summon 'Sword Fighting Beast - Fish Fighting'!"
[Sword Fighting Beast - Fish Fighting, Attack Power 800]
"Fish Fighting's effect, when this card is Special Summoned by a 'Sword Fighting Beast' effect, destroys one face-up monster on the field.
Destroy 'Mecha Team - Fortress'."
The turbines behind Fish Fighting spun rapidly, as if launching a high-pressure water cannon that struck directly at Mecha Fortress. The massive steel fortress was drenched, its entire body sparking and buzzing, quickly exploding into pieces.
"Such a tactic..." Kak snorted, "But at this moment, the effect of 'Mecha Team - Giant Transformation' in my graveyard activates.
When a Fortress on my field is sent to the graveyard, remove the Fortress in the graveyard from play, and Special Summon this card.
Come, Mecha Team - Giant Transformation!"
The remnants of the exploded Fortress swiftly converged, reassembling and transforming spontaneously, as if that iron bastion grew metallic limbs, the treads retracting to the joints, heavy artillery mounted on its shoulder, standing up in humanoid form.
[Mecha Team - Giant Transformation, Attack Power 2600]
"Then the effect of 'Mecha Team - Skeleton' activates!
Once per turn, this card can equip itself as equipment to a Mechanical Race monster on your field, or, unequip itself and Special Summon back to the field.
I choose to equip Skeleton to 'Mecha Team - Giant Transformation'!"
The orange robot transformed once more into an exoskeleton-like equipment, nesting on the exterior of the Steel Giant.
"If the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle or effect, it can be destroyed instead of Skeleton!" Kak declared, "Then I'll set three cards to the back row, and end my turn!"