"It's not over yet!"
Sato snapped his hand up, jabbing toward the front. His knuckles went pale from the force, the forearm under his sleeve tensing into taut lines of muscle.
"Chaos Ancient Gear Giant, attack! Mysterion the Dragon Crown!"
At his order, the massive gear embedded in the giant's chest erupted with a piercing, high-pitched whine. Its thick metal arm rose with the weighty creak of an ancient tree, countless precision components at each joint meshing together, grinding out a teeth-aching metallic screech.
In the next second, its fingers clenched into a solid iron fist, then came crashing down with enough force to pulverize granite—"Boom!" With a dull detonation, Mysterion's body shattered into countless crystalline blue fragments that scattered across the holographic floor like a sudden downpour.
"Final strike!"
"Chaos Ancient Gear Giant, attack! Brigrand the Glory Dragon!"
The chest gear's speed climbed again, orange sparks spraying from its metal joints. The other arm swung out with even more ferocious power, its fist wreathed in searing steam that condensed into a thick white fog in the chill air, like a screaming steel meteor slamming straight toward Brigrand.
Boom!
After the deafening blast, a pillar of gray smoke billowed upward, mushrooming out to cover most of the field.
Sato narrowed his eyes, peering past the edge of his Duel Disk. When the haze finally dispersed, his brows twisted sharply—Brigrand the Glory Dragon was standing exactly where it had been, not even scratched, its body half-veiled in lingering gray mist.
"Surprised?" From within the smoke, Yusaku's silhouette slowly came into focus, his tone as calm as still water. "[Brigrand the Glory Dragon] has protection from destruction by battle. Pure ATK pressure won't be enough to destroy it."
"It's still just a 2500 ATK monster." Sato clicked his tongue, tapping the edge of his Duel Disk with dismissive fingers. "Even if it stays on the field, it's not turning this around. My turn's over. You're up."
At that, Yusaku snapped his long fingers with a soft crack.
"Then, in your End Phase, the [Ecclesia of the Black Dragon] in my banished zone returns to the field."
Before he finished speaking, a golden-haired girl clad in star-forged armor rode out of a crack in space atop a jet-black dragon, a dragon-crystal scepter in her hand. Starlight fell like crushed diamonds around her as she descended, her appearance both regal and serene.
[Ecclesia of the Black Dragon]
[ATK: 2500]
"Next, the effect of [Albion the Branded Dragon] in my Graveyard activates. During the End Phase of the turn this card was sent to the GY, I can either add 1 'Branded' Spell/Trap from my Deck to my hand, or Set it directly."
"My choice is…" Yusaku's gaze swept over the two face-down cards on Sato's field. The corner of his mouth quirked almost imperceptibly, and his fingertips hovered above his Duel Disk for half a second. "To Set 1 'Branded' Trap from my Deck."
The card ejected from the Deck tray, and he Set it smoothly, the hologram flipping face-down with a soft chime.
Then he rested his palm on the Draw Zone, eyes reflecting the dim sky above.
"Now, my turn. Draw."
No sooner had the card entered his hand than a sharp shout came from across the field.
"The moment you draw, I flip my face-down!"
As his words fell, one of the face-down cards at Sato's feet shot up and flipped face-up, flooding half the stage with blinding red light.
"I activate the Trap Card [Necro Fusion]! I banish Fusion Material monsters from my Graveyard face-down that are listed on a Fusion Monster, then Fusion Summon that Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!"
Sato snapped four cards glowing faintly in his Graveyard into view and looked straight at Yusaku. "Yusaku, your Branded deck is strong, sure, but it's got a fatal flaw—no instant negation. Your highest ATK boss barely hits 3000, it's nowhere near enough to beat my [Chaos Ancient Gear Giant]! Now watch what happens when I bring out a second one!"
He slammed the Trap into his Duel Disk. The card tray clicked loudly as it locked into place.
"By the effect of [Necro Fusion], I banish three [Ancient Gear Wyvern] and one [Ancient Gear Dark Golem] from my Graveyard face-down!"
Sato threw his arm skyward, fingers stabbing toward the clouds as his voice cracked across the plaza like thunder.
"Fusion Summon—my second [Chaos Ancient Gear Giant]!!!"
Scalding white steam gushed out of every seam in the ancient metal chassis. Massive gears spun furiously with sharp clacking sounds, and a hulking iron colossus rose up from the ground. Its holographic head swung violently as it stretched its countless articulated arms, every movement radiating mountain-crushing pressure.
A second Chaos Ancient Gear Giant descended!
[Chaos Ancient Gear Giant]
[ATK: 4500]
"Chaos Ancient Gear Giant, huh?" Yusaku swept a glance over the new behemoth, his gaze steady. Then he raised the card he'd just drawn. "I activate the Spell Card [Monster Reborn], and Special Summon [Fallen of Albaz] from my Graveyard."
[Fallen of Albaz]
[ATK: 1800]
"Your mechanical giant is definitely impressive, but…" Yusaku lifted his eyes to meet Sato's, his gaze sharp as a drawn blade. "It only has protection against Spells and Traps. It doesn't have any protection from monster effects."
As soon as he said that, Yusaku swept his hand across the Duel Disk, voice cutting through the air. "I activate the effect of [Fallen of Albaz]! I discard 1 card from my hand, target one of your [Chaos Ancient Gear Giant] on the field, and use that monster and [Fallen of Albaz] on my field as Fusion Material, sending them to the GY to Fusion Summon—"
"I've been waiting for you to do exactly that!" Sato cut him off, slamming his palm down onto his Duel Disk. "I flip my other set card!"
The second face-down card on his field flipped upright, flooding the arena with harsh golden light.
"By paying 1000 LP, I activate the Continuous Trap [Skill Drain]! As long as this card remains on the field, the effects of all face-up monsters on the field are negated!"
[Sato, LP: 8000 → 7000]
"Skill Drain?" Yusaku's brows knit together slightly. His fingertips flew over his Duel Disk and he quickly snapped out a card, slapping it into the Spell/Trap Zone. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Mystical Space Typhoon], targeting and destroying your [Skill Drain]!"
"You've got MST, huh? Too bad—still useless!" Sato flung his arm wide and the final face-down at his feet snapped upright, a deep blue radiance washing over the field. "I activate the Continuous Trap [Imperial Order]! While this card remains on the field, the effects of all Spell Cards on the field are negated!"
The moment those two cards appeared together, Cheese Crit's livestream stuttered for a beat. A second later, the chat exploded like a burst dam.
"Bruh! The most degenerate duo! You literally can't play the game when these two show up together!"
"No wonder he was so smug—he was sitting on Skill Drain plus Imperial Order this whole time. That's disgusting."
"Dude looks all clean-cut and polite, but his entire soul is made of backrow. Yusaku's in trouble."
"So here's the problem—Spells locked, monster effects locked. How's Branded supposed to crack this board? Just sit still and die?"
Watching chat go wild, Cheese Crit scratched his head, completely lost. "Uh… these two cards are that strong?"
By now Kazetaro and Kouki had both fully registered the situation on the field, their faces draining of color as they froze in place.
Kouki swallowed hard, voice low. "Not strong—toxic. One card shuts off monster effects, the other shuts off Spells. Yusaku literally doesn't even have the right to activate effects now. There's no way he's ever breaking [Skill Drain]."
"What's even worse, those two [Chaos Ancient Gear Giant] are immune to Spells and Traps themselves," Kazetaro added, his knuckles bone-white. "So these Continuous Traps only hit Yusaku. Sato's monsters just stand there laughing."
Cheese Crit's jaw hung open. It took him a long moment before he squeezed out: "Huh? Then… how does he win from this?"
On the opposite side, the trainees from Asahi Dojo were already half celebrating, their voices overflowing with smug satisfaction.
"Whole board's effect-locked, and senpai has two 4500 ATK giants on the table. This is a done deal!"
"Branded's highest ATK is what, [Mirrorjade] at 3000? That doesn't even crack Chaos Giant's DEF. What's he gonna hit it with, hopes and prayers?"
Right now, every student from Takeuchi Dojo was staring at Yusaku, worry written plain across their faces.
With both Spells and monster effects sealed, they racked their brains but couldn't imagine any path to a comeback.
"Is this… really as far as it goes?"
In the stands, the Takeuchi master didn't dare blink, his palms soaked through with sweat. His heart hammered so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
At this moment, he was more nervous than Yusaku was.
Just as everyone had silently accepted that the Duel was decided, Yusaku's calm voice suddenly cut through the suffocating air like a breeze.
"A Spell/Trap-immune giant plus [Skill Drain] is a solid lock, I'll admit. But unfortunately—for me, it doesn't matter."
Sato froze, eyes bulging. "??"
Yusaku's fingertips snapped together. Golden-crimson light knifed through the darkness.
"I chain your [Imperial Order] and activate the Trap Card [Branded King's Radiance]!"
"This card's effect: I target 1 Fusion Monster I control that lists 'Fallen of Albaz' as material. Until the end of this turn, the effects of all other face-up cards on the field are negated!"
Sato's pupils shrank to pinpoints. "What——all face-up effects negated!?"
A gust of unseen wind whipped Yusaku's coat, making it snap and flutter as he raised his arm, voice crashing over the arena like thunder.
"Exactly. Just like you're thinking." His gaze fell on Brigrand the Glory Dragon, the corners of his mouth curling into a confident smile. "I target [Brigrand the Glory Dragon]. Other than it, every face-up card on the entire field—has its effects negated!"
The moment his words landed, the set card at Yusaku's feet erupted in blinding gold-red light. From that point, a transparent wave etched with gilded sigils rippled outward in all directions.
Where it passed, the air seemed to freeze. Even the dust motes hanging in the light stopped midair.
On Yusaku's side, the dragon-crystal atop [Ecclesia of the Black Dragon]'s staff dimmed out, its glow vanishing completely. It was as if someone had pressed pause on the flow of time—every face-up card's effect locked in place.
As soon as the effect resolved, Yusaku didn't waste a heartbeat. Two cards snapped out of his hand and into his Duel Disk in one fluid motion, his hands moving so fast they left faint afterimages.
"First, I Normal Summon [White Saint Ecclesia]!"
A soft golden radiance blossomed on his field. A golden-haired girl with a dumpling-soft face stepped forward holding a dragon-headed staff, a gentle glow wreathing her body. The jewel at her staff's tip shone with warm light, a stark contrast to the earlier ferocity.
[White Saint Ecclesia]
[Level 4/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect]
[ATK: 1500]
"Next, I activate the effect of [Bystial Druiswurm] in my hand!" Yusaku's voice was steady and powerful. "Its effect: I can target 1 LIGHT or DARK monster in either Graveyard, banish it, and if I do, Special Summon this card from my hand."
Yusaku pointed toward Sato's Graveyard, a faint blue light flickering at his fingertip. "I banish your LIGHT monster [Effect Veiler] and Special Summon [Bystial Druiswurm]."
A column of pitch-black light shot up behind him. A massive dragon covered in rhombus-shaped scales tore free from the darkness with a roar that rattled the stands. When it landed, a ring of black shockwaves rippled out from its claws, crushing the virtual turf underfoot.
[Bystial Druiswurm]
[Level 6/Dragon/Effect]
[ATK: 2500]
Yusaku swept his arm forward, voice booming across the arena with unmistakable authority.
"I tune my Level 6 [Bystial Druiswurm] and my Level 4 Tuner [White Saint Ecclesia]!"
"Synchro Summon—ride forth, [Baronne de Fleur]!"
At his command, Druiswurm's black flames and Ecclesia's golden light twisted together into a spiral star trail that pierced the sky.
Stardust traced an unbroken line of ten stars across the heavens. A rose-colored pillar of light crashed down like the Milky Way pouring from above.
The Duel Field cracked in a spiderweb of fissures, and thorned vines burst from the ground like serpents, weaving into an ornate archway of crimson roses and barbed briars. Rose petals drifted from the arch with each echoing hoofbeat.
A woman in silver-white engraved armor tightened the reins in her gauntleted hand. The mane of the pure white steed beneath her shimmered with moonlit sheen, and the sheath of her sword was inlaid with seven distinct roses, each petal carved with lifelike detail.
[Baronne de Fleur]
[Level 10/Warrior/Synchro/Effect]
[ATK: 3000]
"The effect of [Bystial Druiswurm] in my Graveyard activates," Yusaku continued, eyes cold as frost. "When this card is sent from the field to the GY, I can target 1 Special Summoned monster your opponent controls and send it to the GY."
His gaze locked onto Sato's giant, his tone utterly flat. "Your [Chaos Ancient Gear Giant] doesn't have effect protection. So say goodbye to your monster. I activate Druiswurm's effect and send one of your [Chaos Ancient Gear Giant] to the Graveyard."
A streak of reddish-brown light shot out from the Graveyard, striking the mechanical titan dead center.
Its steel body spasmed violently, the core gear in its chest snapping with a sharp crack. Steam spewed wildly from ruptured vents, and the massive frame toppled with a thunderous crash, disintegrating into scrap and fading from the field in a haze of smoke.
"We're not done yet!" Yusaku's shout hit like a lightning strike. "I activate [Baronne de Fleur]'s effect! Once per turn, I can target 1 card on the field and destroy it. I target your remaining [Chaos Ancient Gear Giant]!"
The moment he spoke, Baronne wheeled her mount sharply. She raised her sword high, the blade gathering a brilliant rose-colored radiance, petals spiraling around it in a crimson storm.
With a sweeping slash, a crescent of sword light wreathed in razor-edged petals and thorny vines screamed across the field. The arc carved through the air with a resonant hum, heat shimmer trailing in its wake as it cleaved straight into the last mechanical giant.
With a crisp crack, the core gear in its chest split in two. The enormous body pitched forward and crashed down, the hologram fracturing into countless shards of light.
"Now on my field I control [Baronne de Fleur] (3000 ATK), [Fallen of Albaz] (1800 ATK), [Ecclesia of the Black Dragon] (2500 ATK), and [Brigrand the Glory Dragon] (2500 ATK), for a total ATK of 9800—more than enough to wipe out your LP."
Yusaku stepped forward, the hem of his coat sweeping across the floor. "Battle."
"Brigrand the Glory Dragon—direct attack!"
The armored beast-dragon unleashed a sky-rending roar, jaws opening to condense a blazing red orb of energy that detonated outward. The blast howled across the field, enveloping Sato in raw destructive force.
[Sato, LP: 7000 → 4500]
"Next, Ecclesia of the Black Dragon—attack directly."
At his command, the golden-haired girl in starforged armor swept her dragon-crystal staff in an elegant arc. A lance of star-bright magic shot from the tip, piercing clean through Sato's silhouette, leaving a trail of glittering stardust in the air.
[Sato, LP: 4500 → 2000]
(End of Chapter)
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