Chapter 194: Stop Putting Your Wife on My Field
Eve: "Do I really look that scheming?"
She was obviously unwilling to acknowledge that something this flat could look identical to her, visual similarities notwithstanding.
"What are you doing, Amano Rei!" Chiha snapped from across the field. "You wasted your only Normal Summon on a completely useless monster!"
With Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture currently active on the field, all Special Summons except Link Monster Summons were locked. The only play available to Amano and Chiha was the Normal Summon.
And Amano had used that one precious Normal Summon to call out Eve.
Were you really just trying to see both Eves standing on the same field?
"Watch carefully and learn, Kaiba Chiha. This is how you break a Special Summon lock."
Amano threw a Spell Card into his Duel Disk.
"Spell Card: Dragon Shrine activates!"
Dragon Shrine
[Spell Card: Send 1 Dragon monster from your Deck to the Graveyard. If the monster sent to the Graveyard by this effect is a Dragon Normal Monster, you can then send 1 more Dragon monster from your Deck to the Graveyard.]
"I send Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard! And since Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a Normal Monster, I can send one more Dragon, so I send Dragon of Reincarnation to the Graveyard as well!"
One card dumping two Dragon monsters. As a pure Graveyard-loading effect, this card was arguably better than Foolish Burial.
The catch was that getting full value required both a Normal Dragon and a Dragon in general, both categories being scarce in Eden. That scarcity had made the card surprisingly affordable.
With the Graveyard loaded, Amano extended his Duel Disk toward the Graveyard zone.
"I activate Dragon of Reincarnation's effect from the Graveyard!"
This was the same Dragon of Reincarnation that Rin Seiya had given him that night, specifically because she had been worried he would not have the resources to properly leverage Stardust Chronicle Spark Dragon. The Chronicle Dragon had not come up yet, but this card was already paying off.
[Banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 1 Level 5 or higher Dragon in your Graveyard. Add that target to your hand. After that, you may Tribute Summon that monster.]
"I banish Dragon of Reincarnation, add the Level 8 Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Graveyard to my hand. And per the effect, I can Tribute Summon it!"
He had already used his Normal Summon this turn, but the effect granted a second Tribute Summon opportunity outside of that. Ivaliss's lock could not touch it.
And since this was a Tribute Summon, it required Tributes.
Both Eves on the field, the white one and the dark one, were wrapped simultaneously in the holy light of release.
Eve: "You're Tributing both me AND this thing at the same time?!"
The teasing smile on Ivaliss's face vanished the instant she was caught in the summoning light, swallowed completely by the White Dragon's radiance.
"I Tribute Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice and Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture as offerings for the Tribute Summon!"
"The mightiest dragon embodying soul and pride, descend and clear every obstacle in my path!"
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon!!!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon [ATK: 3000]
Even without entering battle, Blue-Eyes White Dragon had cleared the obstacle on Amano's field in its own way.
Chiha could barely contain herself. "As expected of Sister's White Dragon! What a dependable card!"
"I will say this one more time: this is my White Dragon. And didn't you already renounce Chiaki as your sister? Yui is your new sister now. Did you forget?"
"Th-that's, this is different..." The little gremlin wanted to push back but could not find the words.
With Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture Tributed and sent to the Graveyard, the Special Summon restriction was lifted and Amano had his full options back.
Stop casually putting your wife on my field.
Finally having reclaimed his Special Summon rights, Amano threw a second Spell Card into his Duel Disk.
"Spell Card: Fusion Deployment activates! I reveal 1 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck and Special Summon the listed Fusion Materials from my Deck!"
With Blue-Eyes White Dragon already on the field, the Fusion Monster Amano revealed obviously would not be Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, whose materials included Blue-Eyes.
"I reveal Timaeus the United Dragon from my Extra Deck!"
Timaeus the United Dragon
[Materials: "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl" + Dragon or Spellcaster monster]
By revealing Timaeus the United Dragon via Fusion Deployment, Amano could Special Summon either Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl directly from his Deck.
Ivaliss spoke quietly. "I chain Fusion Deployment's effect. I activate my Set Trap Card."
The face-down card at Ivaliss's feet from last turn flipped automatically.
Equal Exchange
[Trap Card: Target 1 monster in your Graveyard and 1 face-up monster on your field. Special Summon the Graveyard target to the opponent's field in Defense Position. Until the End Phase, increase the Level of the targeted field monster by the Level of the Special Summoned monster.]
The card's apparent purpose was to trade a Graveyard monster for a Level boost on a field monster. But Ivaliss had clearly not activated it for a Level boost.
"I target Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture in my Graveyard. I raise the Level of Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon on my field by 2, then Special Summon Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture to your field in Defense Position."
Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon [Level: 8 to 10]
Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture [DEF: 0]
Because Ivaliss had chained Equal Exchange to Fusion Deployment's activation, Ivaliss resolved first before Fusion Deployment could complete. Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture reappeared on Amano's field.
The instant it arrived, its second effect applied again: while Ivaliss existed in the Monster Zone, the controller could not Special Summon anything that was not a Link Monster.
With Ivaliss re-established on Amano's field, Fusion Deployment could no longer Special Summon from the Deck. The Spell resolved as a dead activation and went straight to the Graveyard.
Ivaliss: "I'm back~"
Whose wife keeps coming back uninvited like this.
Locked again, Amano had completely run out of moves for the moment.
Ivaliss continued flatly: "Due to the Continuous Trap Summon Limit: Rampage, all Special Summoned monsters must switch to Attack Position, and any monster able to attack must attack."
Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture [ATK: 0]
With 0 ATK and a mandatory attack requirement, Amano could not skip the Battle Phase. He was forced into it.
"Fine. Then we fight."
He called the Battle Phase and assessed the target options.
Ivaliss currently controlled two monsters: Number 39 Utopia at 5000 ATK (after the Double effect), and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon at 1500 ATK (halved by Megamorph, since the team LP was still lower than Ivaliss's after Photon Kuriboh's LP cost).
The choice was obvious. Four thousand LP remained on the team side. Running Ivaliss at 0 ATK into Utopia at 5000 was instant death.
"Attack Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, Ivaliss!"
Taking 1500 points of battle damage was not ideal, but at least destroying Ivaliss through battle would remove the Special Summon lock.
But as Ivaliss walked languidly across to the opposing field and was about to bring her softly curled fist against Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, Ivaliss activated Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon's own card effect.
[During the Battle Step of this card's attack, target 1 monster the opponent controls that this card is battling. Banish both that monster and this card on the field. Both banished monsters return at the end of the Battle Phase. When a monster is banished by this effect, this card gains 500 ATK for each Xyz Material that banished Xyz Monster had.]
"I banish my Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon and Ivaliss together!"
Galaxy-Eyes spread its radiant wings, wrapped Ivaliss's slight frame within a cocoon of galaxy light, and the two faded into nothing.
Chiha grimaced. "She sacrificed 1500 points of battle damage just to keep Ivaliss on our field?!"
That was precisely it. By giving up the 1500 damage she would have dealt, Ivaliss preserved the Special Summon lock and kept both players pinned.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon remained on Amano's field with 3000 ATK. Since Blue-Eyes had been Normal Summoned and was not affected by the Continuous Trap's mandatory attack clause, he was not forced to attack Utopia's 5000 ATK.
"I end the Battle Phase!"
Galaxy light returned with a flash. Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon and Ivaliss reappeared on their respective fields simultaneously.
"And I set three more cards face-down. Turn end!"
Amano pressed all remaining hand cards into Set positions. In a two-player duel, there was no guarantee he would get another turn at all. Better to have everything set than risk holding dead cards.
Chiha was clearly thinking the same thing. Between the two of them, their back row now held a total of five Set cards. An intimidating sight.
"My turn, draw!"
After drawing, Ivaliss slotted a Spell Card.
"Spell Card: Trade-In activates. Tribute 1 Level 8 or higher monster to draw 2 cards."
That is a strong card.
Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon: Tributed.
Chiha muttered. "She even used my Galaxy-Eyes as draw fodder. This is infuriating."
Whatever Ivaliss had drawn seemed worthwhile. She followed the Trade-In immediately by shattering a Pot of Greed, drawing two more cards and bringing her hand to six, comparable to the hand size after Pot of Extravagance.
"Spell Card: Fusion Deployment activates! I reveal Blue-Eyes Alternative Ultimate Dragon from my Extra Deck and Special Summon the listed Fusion Material, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon [ATK: 3000]
The proud roar that shook the soul accompanied Blue-Eyes White Dragon onto Ivaliss's field, filling the vacancy left by Galaxy-Eyes at the same 3000 ATK position.
"Copying my exact strategy and my cards." Amano could not keep the irritation out of his voice. "This entity is genuinely infuriating."
On the many things they disagreed about, Amano and Chiha had found unexpected common ground in hating the bug version of Eva.
And after Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon and Utopia, even Blue-Eyes White Dragon appearing confirmed what the shop owner had said. There was absolutely no predicting what card this entity would pull out next.
"For this turn's Normal Summon, I Normal Summon Aleister the Invoker in Attack Position."
Aleister the Invoker [Level 4, DARK]
[Spellcaster / Effect]
[ATK: 1000 / DEF: 1800]
A robed man carrying an invocation staff materialized between Utopia and Blue-Eyes, a visual jarring contrast with the high-power monsters flanking him.
Obviously not from the same copied deck.
And whose retainer was this one?
The shop owner went quiet.
"When Aleister the Invoker is successfully summoned, add 1 Invocation from my Deck to my hand. Then I activate Invocation."
Invocation
[Spell Card: Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster using Fusion Materials listed on it. For "Invoked" Fusion Summons, you may also banish monsters from the field or from either player's Graveyard as Fusion Material.]
Invocation could function as a standard Fusion Spell. For Invoked Fusions specifically, it could also use Graveyard materials from either player, effectively acting as a Graveyard fusion, and it could even reach into the opponent's Graveyard.
"I banish Aleister on my field and Starliege Lord Galaxion from your Graveyard as Fusion Materials and Fusion Summon."
Raising his staff, Aleister intoned the invocation chant and transformed his own form.
"Open the ultimate Fusion of the light dimension. Ride forth in the form of the luminous chariot."
"Fusion Summon: Invoked Mechaba!"
Invoked Mechaba [Level 9, LIGHT]
[Machine / Fusion / Effect]
[ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2100]
[Aleister the Invoker + LIGHT Attribute monster]
Invoked Mechaba
[Machine / Fusion / Effect]
Aleister the Invoker + LIGHT Attribute monster
(1): Once per turn, when a monster effect, Spell Card, or Trap Card is activated, send 1 card from your hand of the same type (Monster, Spell, or Trap) to the Graveyard; negate that activation and banish it.
Using Galaxion, a LIGHT Attribute monster from the Graveyard, as Fusion Material, the luminous chariot carved its fusion trail through the space above.
"Invocation's second Graveyard effect then allows it to return to my Deck and recover the banished Aleister to my hand."
Single-card Graveyard Fusion plus built-in recovery. Looking at that kind of card economy made Amano genuinely envious compared to manual Fusion Summoning.
"Battle." Ivaliss declared entry into the Battle Phase with zero emotional inflection. She led with Number 39 Utopia at 5000 ATK, launching an attack on Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
With the attack target being Blue-Eyes rather than Ivaliss, Ivaliss was almost certainly planning to use that card.
"At the moment Utopia declares its attack, I activate its own effect."
[When a monster declares an attack, detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to negate that attack.]
"I detach the final Xyz Material to negate Utopia's attack. Then I activate Quick-Play Spell: Double or Nothing!"
Double or Nothing!
[Quick-Play Spell: When a monster's attack is negated, target that monster. During this Battle Phase only, that monster can attack one more time. During the Damage Step of that attack, double that monster's ATK.]
After Double or Nothing resolved, Utopia's ATK during the damage step of its next attack would double to 10,000.
Even hitting Blue-Eyes White Dragon rather than a direct attack, that would deal 7,000 points of battle damage, instantly clearing the remaining 4,000 LP on both of them.
Amano flipped one of his Set cards. "I activate Set Trap Card: Attack Invulnerability! This turn all battle damage I take becomes zero!"
"It won't work. At the instant your Trap activates, Invoked Mechaba's effect activates."
[Once per turn, when a monster effect, Spell Card, or Trap Card is activated, send 1 card of the same type from your hand to the Graveyard. Negate that activation and banish it.]
"I send 1 Trap Card from my hand to the Graveyard to negate and banish Attack Invulnerability."
The same Trap energy converged into a blade of light that pierced straight through Amano's back row, detonating the card he had just revealed into nothing.
"Utopia attacks Blue-Eyes White Dragon once more."
The 10,000 ATK double blades came surging under Ivaliss's attack command, closing on Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"We got the counter out of her, Chiha!" Amano signaled his partner.
Chiha, former top-ten academy duelist, needed only one look to know exactly what Amano had in mind.
"Trap Card: Staunch Defender activates!"
Staunch Defender
[Trap Card: When the opponent declares an attack, target 1 face-up monster you control. This turn, the opponent can only attack that targeted monster and must attack it with all face-up Attack Position monsters.]
"I target Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture on the field as Staunch Defender's target, redirecting Utopia's attack!"
The ultimate "0 ATK formidable obstacle."
Under normal circumstances, a 10,000 ATK Utopia swinging into Blue-Eyes White Dragon would deal 7,000 battle damage. Redirected onto Ivaliss at 0 ATK, it would hit for 10,000 instead.
This looked, on the surface, like an even faster route to losing.
"But combine it with this card, and Ivaliss evolves right here and now."
Alongside Chiha's revealed Trap, Amano flipped his own second Set card.
"Trap Card: Power Frame activates!"
Power Frame
[Trap Card: When a face-up monster you control is targeted for an attack by a monster with higher ATK, negate that attack. Then equip this card to the targeted monster. The equipped monster gains ATK equal to the ATK difference between the attacking and targeted monsters at that time.]
A cubic frame structure enveloped both Utopia and Ivaliss simultaneously, negating Utopia's attack while channeling its force into something else.
"After negating Utopia's attack, I equip Power Frame to Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture. Ivaliss's ATK increases by the ATK difference between Utopia and itself!"
Because the damage step had not been reached yet, Utopia's ATK was still at 5,000, not yet doubled to 10,000.
But even without the doubling, the boost delivered was enough to be genuinely alarming.
Ivaliss, Phantom Rupture [ATK: 0 to 5,000]
Even Ivaliss herself showed a flicker of unmistakable surprise on her expression.
One moment she was a 0 ATK interference piece planted on the opponent's field.
The next, not only had she been treated with great hospitality on Amano's side, she had been upgraded to an ATK value surpassing Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, rivaling the Dragon Master Knight.
"It worked, Amano!" Chiha, who had successfully coordinated a combo with Amano for the first time, could not completely hide her excitement.
Due to Staunch Defender's activation, every Attack Position monster Ivaliss controlled was now required to direct its full attack at the 5,000 ATK Ivaliss.
You didn't want your own wife? Then we will take her. And we've given her enough firepower to wipe out your entire field.
Even the smile on Ivaliss's face seemed to grow more defiant than before.
Ivaliss: "I've never felt this good in my life!"