Mizuki let out a cold snort. "I don't believe it. You really think you can build a full board during my turn?"
As his words fell, he swept his hand and declared in a low voice:
"According to the effect of [Mezuki], I banish it from my GY to Special Summon [Doomking Balerdroch] to my field!"
The instant he finished speaking, black miasma churned in the Graveyard. A massive skeletal king clad in bone armor, ghost-flames blazing in its eye sockets, burst out with a roar and landed heavily on Mizuki's field.
[Doomking Balerdroch]
[Level 8 / Zombie / Effect]
[ATK: 2800]
"The moment you Special Summon [Doomking Balerdroch]…" Yusaku's fingers lightly tapped his Deck, his tone calm but edged with steel. "I activate the effect of [Maxx 'C'] and draw 1 card from my Deck!"
As the freshly drawn card slid into his hand, he immediately snapped his wrist up and shouted:
"Next, I flip my face-down card! Trap Card, activate: [World Legacy Awakens]!"
"The effect of this card lets me use monsters I control as Link Material to Link Summon a Link Monster!"
Mizuki's pupils shrank. "You're Link Summoning during my turn!?"
"That's right!" Yusaku's arm swung out, his voice rising sharply. "Appear, and guide the circuitry of destiny's future!"
"I use [Jet Synchron], [Steam Synchron], [Junk Converter], and [Accel Synchron] on my field as Link Material and send them all to the GY!"
"Link Summon! Link 4… [Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess]!!"
The massive Link Circuit once again unfolded in the sky. Four dazzling beams of white light shot out from the four monsters, piercing into the heavens and fusing into the circuit. The ↑, ↓, ←, → Link Arrows lit up in sequence as the four monsters turned into a ring of glyphs of pure light.
A deafening beastly roar tore through the air. A silver-armored elven maiden, mounted on a snow-white great bear and wielding a radiant divine bow, descended from the swirling circuit. The sacred pressure radiating from her form made the very air feel heavy and still.
[Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess]
[Link 4 / Fairy / Effect]
[ATK: 3200]
"This isn't over yet!"
Yusaku turned his wrist, revealing a dark-gold card in his hand.
"I activate the effect of [Bystial Druiswurm] in my hand! I banish the DARK Dragon [Bystial Magnamhut] from my GY to Special Summon this card!"
Even before his words had faded, black mist boiled up again. A gigantic black dragon, its scales gleaming with a cold blue luster, crashed down onto the field. When its wings spread, a chill wind swept across the arena, sending the temperature plunging.
[Bystial Druiswurm]
[Level 6 / Dragon / Effect]
[ATK: 2500]
"This is the moment!" Yusaku thrust his hand forward, and the Continuous Trap at his feet suddenly glowed with a soft golden light.
"I activate the effect of my face-up Continuous Trap [Etude of the Branded]!"
"During either player's turn, I can immediately Synchro Summon using monsters I control as material, as long as one of them is a Dragon!"
Hearing that, Mizuki froze in shock. "Accel Synchro!?"
"Exactly!"
Yusaku's arm cut through the air.
"I tune the just-Special-Summoned [Bystial Druiswurm] with my Level 2 Tuner [Necro Synchron]!"
"Synchro Summon! Level 8… [Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon]!"
As his declaration rang out, the two monsters turned into countless motes of starlight that shot into the sky, converging into a blazing Synchro vortex overhead.
In the next instant, a pair of broad, luminous wings spread open from within that starlit maelstrom. A silver-white dragon lifted its noble, ornate head and loosed a thunderous roar, circling high above the battlefield.
[Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon]
[Level 8 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 2500]
"I activate the effect of [Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon]! And chain it with the effect of [Bystial Druiswurm]!"
Yusaku's eyes turned razor-sharp as he shouted:
"First to resolve is [Bystial Druiswurm]! 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!"
"I activate that effect!"
He pointed straight at the skeletal king on Mizuki's field.
"I target your [Doomking Balerdroch] and send it to the GY!"
A strange reddish-brown light shot out from Yusaku's GY, lancing across the field and striking Mizuki's monarch. Balerdroch's body twisted and collapsed at once, dissolving into specks of black light that vanished without a trace.
"Next, I resolve the effect of [Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon]!"
"When this card is Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Tuner from my GY. I choose the Level 2 [Necro Synchron] to Special Summon again!"
[Necro Synchron]
[ATK: 200]
"Then I activate the other effect of [Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon]!"
"During either player's Main Phase, I can Tribute this card to Special Summon 1 [Stardust Dragon] from my Extra Deck, treating it as a Synchro Summon. Then, I can immediately perform another Synchro Summon using that monster and other monsters I control. A Synchro Monster Summoned by this effect is unaffected by your activated effects this turn!"
"Descend… [Stardust Dragon]!"
A pillar of sacred light exploded forth as Accel Synchro Stardust scattered into sparkles, and the familiar Stardust Dragon appeared once more, spreading its wings as it landed on Yusaku's field.
"Next, I tune [Stardust Dragon] with the Level 2 Tuner [Necro Synchron]!"
Yusaku's aura surged violently, his voice booming across the arena like thunder.
"The crimson blade that resides in my Deck, now manifest as the edge that severs fate! Cut down delusion, burn away falsehood… show yourself! [Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign – Chengying]!!!"
With a thunderous roar, a streak of crimson light shot out of his card, and Chengying stepped forth upon it. The red blade in his hand carved a blazing arc through the air, whipping up a searing vortex of heat. Countless crimson phantasms surged around him, taking on draconic forms that coiled at his side, the razor-edged sword aura making the entire arena tremble faintly.
[Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign – Chengying]
[Level 10 / Wyrm / Effect]
[ATK: 3000]
"It's still not over!"
Yusaku's shout rang out again, charged with unstoppable momentum.
Mizuki: "???"
Yusaku flicked his wrist, revealing the last card in his hand, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.
"I activate the effect of [Shining Star Dragon] in my hand! While this card is in my hand, during your Main Phase, I can target 1 Dragon Synchro Monster in my GY. I Special Summon this card, then Special Summon that monster with its effects negated. After that resolves, I can immediately Synchro Summon a Dragon Synchro Monster using this card I control!"
"The target I choose is… [Stardust Dragon]!!"
A sky-shaking dragon cry ripped through the clouds as if to tear the heavens apart. A crimson dragon wreathed in brilliant golden light, as if forged from pure starlight, suddenly unfurled behind Yusaku. Its draconic majesty pressed down on the stadium, rendering the entire crowd silent.
[Shining Star Dragon]
[Level 4 / Dragon / Tuner / Effect]
[ATK: 0]
With Shining Star Dragon's descent, a moment later, Stardust Dragon, cloaked in sanctified light, also soared out from the GY, landing beside it with a roar.
[Stardust Dragon]
[ATK: 2500]
Looking at the two monsters now standing on Yusaku's field—a Level 4 Tuner and a Level 8 non-Tuner, adding up to Level 12…
It's coming.
Every spectator around the arena realized what was about to happen. The stands roiled with restless excitement, eyes wide with shock and anticipation.
Yusaku raised his arm high, his entire aura erupting to its peak, black hair rippling despite the windless air.
"Mind as still and clear as a perfect mirror…!"
"I tune the Level 4 Tuner [Shining Star Dragon] with the Level 8 [Stardust Dragon]!"
"Be born, crimson dragon that pierces dimensions!!!"
A meteor of scarlet light slammed through the sky, a massive red dragon bellowing as its roar shook the world itself. Its colossal body blotted out the sun, swallowing the firmament in shadow. Wherever its presence reached, even the air seemed to congeal.
[Crimson Dragon]
[Level 12 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 0]
"I activate [Crimson Dragon]'s effect! I target the Level 10 [Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign – Chengying] on my field, return it to the Deck, and Special Summon a different Level 10 Dragon Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck!"
"Come forth… abyssal divine beast… [Bystial Dis Pater]!!!"
As his voice crashed across the field, a rift in space tore open at the center of the arena. A titanic dragon, larger than anything seen so far, crawled out from between dimensions, its form wrapped in countless gigantic black hands. Each warped hand radiated a devouring malice that seemed capable of swallowing everything, and the temperature on the field plunged toward freezing.
[Bystial Dis Pater]
[Level 10 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 3500]
Having successfully summoned Bystial Dis Pater, Yusaku looked calmly across at Mizuki, his tone light.
"My effects are done resolving. From here on… it's your move."
"Uh…"
Staring at the four monsters now looming on Yusaku's field, the dojo students in the stands were all struck dumb.
"Holy crap. He actually built a board this big in the opponent's turn!"
"It's supposed to be Mizuki's turn, right? He made like two moves and Yusaku just hijacked the entire turn!"
"Four-material Apollousa + Bystial Dis Pater + Chengying, plus [Baronne de Fleur] and [Maxx 'C'] still in play… does the opponent even have the right to 'play the game' anymore?"
"Is it possible… that Yusaku's end board STILL isn't finished?"
"He's what, on his fourth layer already? And he's still not done? You serious!?"
On the field, Mizuki frowned deeply, glaring at the monsters standing on Yusaku's side.
He knew full well what Bystial Dis Pater and Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign – Chengying could do: one gave him a once-per-turn monster-effect answer layered on banished-card interaction, and the other threatened to banish cards from the field and GY.
But that Link Monster, [Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess]… he was seeing it for the first time. He had no idea what it did.
He lowered his gaze to his hand, hesitating for a moment before drawing out a card and slamming it onto his field.
"I activate the Continuous Spell [Cursed Eldland]! By paying 800 LP, I can add 1 'Eldlich the Golden Lord' or 1 'Golden Land' Spell/Trap from my Deck to my hand."
"I pay 800 LP."
[Mizuki, LP 8000 → 7200]
"I add [Eldlich the Golden Lord] from my Deck to my hand!"
After explaining the effect, Mizuki raised his eyes to Yusaku and spoke in a testing tone. "Any response?"
Yusaku's lips curled into a faint smile, his voice relaxed yet carrying absolute confidence. "Go ahead and play your turn. As long as you don't touch my core pieces, I won't start throwing out negates lightly."
"Hmph. You're sure it 'won't touch' your core? We'll see about that."
Mizuki's gaze turned cold as he held up the card he had just searched.
"I activate the effect of [Eldlich the Golden Lord] in my hand! I send this card and 1 Spell/Trap from my hand to the GY, targeting 1 card on the field and sending it to the GY!"
The moment he revealed Eldlich, the spectators collectively erupted, faces twisted with equal parts dread and disgust as old PTSD flashed before their eyes.
"There it is! Eldlich! The king of scumbag stun decks!"
"Damn it, can we please have ONE normal deck in this tournament? Just one?"
"Stun players should just lose on the spot!"
Ever since the dawn of the game, hard-stun and grindy floodgate decks had always been part of Yu-Gi-Oh!. As the game evolved, these 'degenerate' strategies had only grown more refined, constantly spawning new and more vicious lockouts.
And Eldlich was a reigning monarch among them.
Anyone who had played paper or Master Duel for any length of time had, at some point, been beaten into submission by this deck.
[Skill Drain] + [Solemn Judgment] + [Rivalry of Warlords] + [Anti-Spell Fragrance]…
These kinds of floodgate packages were more than enough to make opponents want to flip the table and uninstall.
"Yusaku, let's go! Send that stun freak back to whatever hole he crawled out of!"
"Yeah! Don't you dare give Eldlich any breathing room!"
Most of those shouts were coming from the supporters behind Yusaku. But even some of the players behind Mizuki couldn't help muttering their agreement under their breath.
Mizuki ignored the jeers entirely. He knew better than anyone how shameless this crowd was; half of them would sleeve up Eldlich tomorrow if it meant climbing ranks.
Besides, it's just a monster card. Do they really have to overreact this hard?
He revealed another Trap in his hand, his tone dropping a few degrees.
"I send [Eldlich the Golden Lord] and the Trap [Eldlixir of Scarlet Sanguine] from my hand to the GY, and I target your [Baronne de Fleur] to send it to the GY!"
The instant the cards left his hand, Mizuki locked eyes with Yusaku, voice edged with provocation.
"Well? Are you going to negate this, or not?"
"An [Eldlich] deck, huh? It does fit your playstyle perfectly." Yusaku's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "Since you asked so sincerely… I'll chain to your effect."
"I activate the effect of [Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess] on my field, reducing her ATK by 800!"
[Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess]
[ATK: 3200 → 2400]
As soon as he spoke, the elven maiden atop the great bear lifted her bow, drawing back a shaft of condensed light.
A wave of silent pressure rippled outward. The holy arrow shot forth in a flash, arcing across the field and plunging straight into Mizuki's GY. A brief flare of gold light burst there, and the effect of [Eldlich the Golden Lord] unraveled on the spot, the golden monarch's power scattering into glittering dust.
The activated effect fizzled, leaving [Baronne de Fleur] firmly on Yusaku's field.
The crowd roared again. Stun players everywhere felt a phantom ache in their chests.
(End of Chapter)
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