"Only three turns in, and it already feels like Joey's been forced into a corner," Téa said anxiously.
"Yeah," Yugi agreed. "Kisaragi has read his traps, and she still has resources both in hand and on the field. Even if Joey finds a way to destroy her monsters, she has follow-ups ready."
On the field, Kisaragi looked across the Duel Disk with calm pressure.
"Alright, Joey. Your turn."
Joey swallowed. When I dueled Kaiba, the pressure was insane… but I could still barely keep up. Against Kisaragi, it's like I have no answer at all.
His mind flashed back to the brutal training he'd undergone before entering the tournament—Grandpa's "special lessons," the endless drills, the suffering that nearly broke him. But I endured it. I climbed this far.
He clenched a fist.
"I'm a man. I'm not backing down now!"
Joey's Turn
"My turn—draw!"
"I activate Pot of Greed! I draw two cards!"
Come on… don't fail me now, Joey prayed, closing his eyes as he drew. When he looked down at the cards, his eyes lit up.
"YES! A deck you built with your heart never betrays you!"
"I Normal Summon Gilgeford the Iron Knight in Attack Position!"
Gilgeford the Iron Knight (1800 ATK / 1600 DEF)
"Then I activate the Spell Card Release Restraint! By Tributing my Gilgeford the Iron Knight, I can Special Summon Gilgeford the Lightning Swordmaster from my hand or Deck!"
"Come forth—Gilgeford the Lightning Swordmaster!"
The black armor shattered away—revealing a scarred warrior, bare-chested, holding a massive sword.
Gilgeford the Lightning Swordmaster (2600 ATK / 2200 DEF)
Kisaragi's expression flickered—just slightly.
This monster shouldn't appear until the Dartz arc in the original story… she thought. So the world itself is taking me seriously.
Joey pressed the advantage.
"I equip the Equip Spell Phoenix Gearblade to Gilgeford! His ATK increases by 300!"
Gilgeford the Lightning Swordmaster (2900 ATK / 2200 DEF)
"And now I activate Gilgeford's effect! When an Equip Card is equipped to this monster, I can target one monster on your field—destroy it!"
"I choose Master Hyperion!"
Even Kaiba reacted off-field, shocked. He hadn't expected Joey to have a tool like this.
With a clean, brutal slash, Gilgeford cleaved Hyperion apart.
"That's it!" Tristan shouted. "He finally took down her ace!"
Téa stared. "Joey had a monster like that…?"
Grandpa Mutou's eyes were sharp. "The real move comes next."
"Huh?" the others turned.
"Watch."
Joey didn't slow down.
"I activate Monster Reborn! I Special Summon Rocket Warrior from my Graveyard!"
Rocket Warrior (1500 ATK / 1300 DEF)
"Battle! Rocket Warrior—attack Layard, Agent of Salvation!"
Rocket Warrior pierced straight through Layard, shattering it.
Kisaragi spoke immediately, unfazed.
"Joey—while The Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field, battle damage involving Fairy monsters becomes 0. Also—"
She flipped a set card.
"I activate the Trap Submachine Hunter! When one of my monsters is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I gain Life Points equal to that monster's ATK."
Her Life Points surged.
Kisaragi Aoi: 4000 → 5400 LP
Joey nodded, teeth gritted. "I know. But I'm still saying it—I'm finishing you this turn!"
"Gilgeford the Lightning Swordmaster—direct attack!"
The swordmaster's blade came down like execution.
Kisaragi Aoi: 5400 → 2500 LP
Téa's eyes widened. "Wait—then why isn't she losing? If Joey lands everything, she still shouldn't be safe…"
Phoenix Gearblade's Hidden Burst
Joey raised his hand sharply.
"Now—Phoenix Gearblade's effect! After the damage step when the equipped monster attacks, I send this card to the Graveyard. For the rest of this Battle Phase, my Warrior monsters and FIRE monsters can each attack twice!"
He sent Phoenix Gearblade to the Graveyard.
"That means Gilgeford can attack again—and Rocket Warrior can attack again too!"
Téa gasped. "No way… does that mean Joey actually wins?!"
Tristan smirked. "If that happens, Kaiba's gonna go find a wall to headbutt!"
Yugi didn't smile—his eyes stayed on Kisaragi's back row. "It won't be that easy."
In the VIP section, Kaiba's fist tightened unconsciously.
"Kisaragi… don't you dare lose to this guy," he muttered.
Second Strike — And the Reveal
"Battle! Gilgeford—direct attack again!"
The second slash landed.
Kisaragi Aoi: 6500 → 3900 LP
Joey froze.
"…Huh?!"
He stared at the Life Point display in disbelief.
"How is that possible?! Your Life Points were supposed to be 2500!"
Kisaragi's voice was cool.
"That's because when Gilgeford attacked me the first time, I had already activated this."
She pointed to her face-up card.
"Trap Card—Super Z Vitality Booster. When I would take 2000 or more battle damage, during damage calculation, I recover 4000 Life Points."
An image flashed in Joey's mind—the moment the first huge hit connected.
"That's why my Life Points jumped to 6500."
Kaiba finally exhaled, tension easing from his shoulders.
Pegasus applauded, amused and impressed.
"This is wonderful—this is a duel between true duelists. I'm looking forward to the finals more and more. Aren't you, Kaiba-boy?"
Joey Pushes One More Time
Joey snapped back to focus.
"My attacks aren't over! Rocket Warrior—direct attack!"
The rocket streaked forward and struck cleanly.
Kisaragi Aoi: 3900 → 2400 LP
Joey narrowed his eyes. Damn… I couldn't finish her this turn. Now the question is—what kind of tactic is she going to use next?
"I set one card. End my turn."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 90)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 95)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter70)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter70)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter60)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 20
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 20
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