"I did it!" A surge of wild joy erupted in Bastion Misawa's heart.
"Now is the time! I activate the effect of Berserkion the Electromagna Warrior! When this card is destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect, I can Special Summon my banished Alpha, Beta, and Gamma The Electromagnet Warriors to the field!"
The smoke slowly drifted away.
The confident smile on Bastion's face gradually faded as he realized something was horribly wrong. His side of the field was completely empty; not a single monster had appeared.
"How is this possible... normally, if Berserkion is destroyed by battle..."
Bastion suddenly froze. A thought struck him, and he frantically looked down at his Duel Disk.
Berserkion, which should have been destroyed after the Damage Calculation, was currently resting quietly in the Banished Zone.
It wasn't destroyed... it was banished directly?
What... what is going on!
Bastion's mind cleared instantly. He looked at the Trap Card on Tania's field, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. "Could it be..."
"Correct. It seems you've finally realized," Tania explained coolly. "Amazoness Onslaught. As long as this card remains on the field, after damage calculation, if my Amazoness monster battled an opponent's monster, I can have that monster banished directly."
"Banished directly?" The spectators below the stage suddenly understood.
"I see. Because the banishment effect replaced 'destruction by battle,' Berserkion never had the chance to trigger its effect," Chazz nodded, a look of realization crossing his face.
"Furthermore, when my Amazoness Tiger was destroyed by battle, the effect of Amazoness Village allows me to Special Summon a monster from my deck with a Level equal to or lower than the destroyed monster."
Tania took a card from her deck and slapped it onto her Duel Disk. "Amazoness Tiger was Level 4. Therefore, I Special Summon the Level 3 Amazoness Blowpiper."
[Amazoness Blowpiper]
[Level: 3]
[Warrior-Type]
[ATK: 800 → 1000 / DEF: 1500]
She had replenished her field yet again.
"She's incredible. Not just in her tactics, but her mental game as well. She has Bastion completely suppressed..." Alexis whispered, her heart full of complex emotions.
Bastion Misawa was famous within Duel Academy as a "calculating" duelist. In terms of sheer power, he was easily among the top five in the entire school. And yet, a duelist who prided himself on his intellect was being systematically dismantled without a single opening to exploit.
"In the end, it's because Misawa was too careless," Professor Banner said, squinting as he gently stroked Pharaoh's head. "He was so eager to show off in front of a woman that he completely ignored the Trap Card on his opponent's field."
"Who would have thought that even the logical Bastion would lose himself in a duel like this?" Banner chuckled. "Women truly are terrifying creatures..."
"Hmm?" Alexis shot the professor a displeased look.
Banner instantly broke into a sweat and backed away waving his hands. "I-I'm just kidding, nya! I mean, it's really because Misawa's own will isn't firm enough, nya!"
"Hmph..." Alexis finally withdrew her gaze.
As expected, no matter the age, a woman was not someone to be provoked. Banner could only managed a wry, awkward smile.
On the field, Bastion had fallen into a deep state of distress.
She's so strong...
Tania... this woman surpassed him by far, both in dueling technique and strategic application.
I... I can no longer see through her.
Bastion's arms went limp, his eyes filled with a flickering, conflicted light. "I... end my turn."
He's already given up his resistance, Bastion...
Jaden Yuki sighed. It was a pity; such a good guy had been broken by this "wicked" woman.
"Hmph..."
Tania's lips curled into a slight smirk as she drew a card from her deck. "It looks like this is over."
[Amazoness Swordswoman, ATK: 1500 → 1700]
[Amazoness Princess, ATK: 1200 → 1400]
[Amazoness Blowpiper, ATK: 800 → 1000]
[Bastion Misawa: LP 3800]
"Attack, my Amazoness sisters!"
As Tania spoke, the three Amazoness women lunged at Bastion. Under the barrage of attacks, Bastion fell to the ground, his face still masked with confusion.
[Bastion Misawa: LP 3800 → 0]
[Tania WINS]
Vrrrrm
The holographic images dissipated. The key around Bastion's neck turned into a beam of light and vanished into the sky. In the distance, one more seal was struck from the Spirit Gates that held the Three Sacred Beasts.
The third seal broke with a heavy, ominous sound.
"Bastion!" Chazz and the others rushed forward to save him. However, before they could step off the platform, a one-eyed tiger leaped in front of them, blocking their path.
"Waaaah! Retreat for now!"
Seeing the tiger, the group scrambled away, falling over each other to escape. Only Jaden remained, silently watching Tania hoist Bastion over her shoulder like a sack of grain.
"Jaden Yuki, why haven't you left?" Tania glanced at him sideways. "If possible, I'd rather not have you as an enemy."
"Is that so? That's a bit of a shame..." Jaden shrugged and reached out to pat the one-eyed tiger on the head.
"Roar!" The tiger tried to intimidate Jaden, but seeing the calm expression on the boy's face, it could only gnash its teeth and back down dejectedly.
"Perhaps you look even manlier than my dear Bastion... If your body didn't contain such a terrifying darkness, I might have chosen you instead." Tania looked at Jaden and blew him a provocative wink.
"...I'll pass on that. I only stayed behind to ask you one question." Jaden cleared his throat and looked at Tania with a serious gaze.
"Oh? And what might that be?" Tania asked with interest.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're a Duel Monster Spirit, aren't you?" Jaden's eyes flickered with a faint, dark-gold light.
"...Indeed. I am the current leader of the Amazoness tribe in the Duel Spirit World," Tania admitted without denial. "The only reason I became a Shadow Rider was to repay that old man for the help he gave my tribe. Nothing more."
"Since we're talking, is there something specific you want to know?"
Jaden nodded. "I want to know if the 'Supreme King's Army' still exists in the Spirit World today."
"The Supreme King's Army?" Tania's expression turned grave instantly. "How do you know about that?"
Looking at the dark-gold glint in Jaden's eyes, Tania forced herself to remain calm. "Right. A human who possesses this kind of power couldn't possibly be ordinary."
"If you want to know about the Supreme King's Army, my advice is that you're better off not knowing too much. They still exist in the Spirit World, ruling over vast territories."
"Even though the Supreme King himself disappeared from history thousands of years ago, the demons led by the Dark World faction still use the name of the Supreme King's Army to do whatever they please."
Tania crossed her arms, looking annoyed. "The Amazoness tribe refuses to associate with those demons, so we moved far away from the lands ruled by that army long ago."
"Why? Do you intend to become a hero of the Spirit World and overthrow their rule?"
To become a hero...
Jaden looked down, the corners of his mouth turning upward. "Perhaps."
But it wouldn't be as a hero.
He would overthrow the current Supreme King's Army to re-establish a ruling force that belonged to Jaden Yukia power that truly belonged to the Supreme King.
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