The Scorpions pummeled Scar Knight—no discipline, no finesse; their whole tactic was strength in numbers.
Looking at their attack pattern, you could understand why, despite their members usually having over 1000 ATK individually, they combined into a single monster with only 1000 ATK when grouped.
That's what you call a rabble.
[Stein, LP 4000 → 3000]
But as they kept beating, the Scorpions realized something was wrong.
"Wait, boss, this feels off…"
Meanae looked at her hands in horror. She saw greenish fragments smeared on her fists—like flakes falling off the knight's armor.
"What is this!?"
Zaloog: "Quit fussing over—what!?"
He noticed the same fragments clinging all over him—like broken armor pieces stuck to him that he couldn't peel off.
Stein sneered.
"The battles Scar Knight and I have been through are beyond your imagination," he said calmly. "Scabbed Scar Knight cannot be destroyed by battle.
"And any monster that battled Scar Knight gets a Scab Counter placed on it."
Chick was digging frantically at the fragments on him. "A Scab Counter? Feels awful…"
"The Dark Scorpion Burglars' effect: when they inflict battle damage, the opponent must send a Spell Card from their Deck to the GY," Kira said.
"A Spell?"
Stein frowned, thought for a moment, and sent a Spell from his Deck to the GY.
"At the end of the Battle Phase, if the opponent controls any monsters with Scab Counters," Stein said icily, "I take control of those monsters."
The Scorpions froze, glanced at each other…
And then realized it.
"Nani!?"
In an instant, the armor flakes tugged them like gravity, yanking them over to the opponent's Monster Zone whether they liked it or not.
"Boss~"
Meanae reached toward Kira as she was pulled farther away, like a tragic parting, seemingly unwilling.
But Kira just smiled and waved.
"Do your best over there, too."
Meanae: "…"
Is that what you say when your subordinate just got NTR'd in a duel?
Stein also felt like he'd punched air at the weird reaction. Normally, when someone's monster—especially a spirit monster—gets stolen, the duelist would fly into a rage, even try to throw hands.
But considering he's the Duel King—he's usually the one making others want to throw hands—having strong mental composure isn't surprising…
"You stole my monster, leaving my field empty. That's dangerous,"
Kira said.
"So I'll set one card and end my turn."
"My turn. Draw!"
Stein said.
"I Summon 'Demand Man'!"
[Demand Man, ATK 800]
Another anime-original Stein card. Its effect: during the opponent's Main Phase, once per turn, you can change 1 of their Defense Position monsters to Attack Position.
And Scar Knight has a hidden effect: every turn, all of the opponent's Attack Position monsters must attack a face-up Attack Position Scar Knight.
Put together, this locks the opponent out of turtling, forcing them to attack Scar Knight every turn so their monsters keep getting hijacked.
"Battle. Dark Scorpion Burglars, attack!"
The stolen Scorpions attacked unwillingly. Meanae still shouted, "Boss, look out!"
"Activate set card," Kira said. "Quick-Play Spell 'Scapegoat'—Special Summon four Sheep Tokens to my field."
[Sheep Token, DEF 0] x4
Even though there are five Scorpions, they count as a single monster and can only attack one token. One token was destroyed; three remained.
Stein: "Demand Man, attack!"
Its ATK was low, but more than enough to pop a sheep. Down to two.
Scar Knight still hadn't attacked, but at 0 ATK, it didn't matter.
"I set one card and end my turn," Stein said coldly. "It seems the mighty King looks down on my course and my strategies, yet he's helpless now that I've stolen his spirit monster.
"What's wrong? Can't handle this outdated, boring old man?"
"Well… how to put it,"
Kira shrugged.
"My turn. Draw."
He revealed the card he drew.
"Spell Card 'Pot of Greed'—I draw two."
He drew two and immediately played one of them.
"I Summon 'Relinkuriboh.'"
[Relinkuriboh, ATK 300]
Stein frowned. "Such a weak monster…"
"Then I activate Spell 'Block Attack,'" Kira said. "Change a face-up Attack Position monster to Defense Position.
"I'll switch 'Scabbed Scar Knight' to Defense."
[Scabbed Scar Knight, ATK 0 → DEF 0]
Stein's expression shifted.
"You… know Scar Knight's weakness?"
Kira smiled. "I said I study seriously. When Scar Knight is in Attack Position, all my monsters that can attack must attack it, right?
"But if it's in Defense Position, that effect doesn't apply."
Stein snorted. "True enough."
"Next, Continuous Spell 'Damage Off Zone'—while this is on the field, all battle damage both players take is halved." (anime card)
Stein frowned. "What are you trying to do?"
Kira only smiled and continued: "Then I switch two Sheep Tokens to Attack Position."
Stein: "???"
What, you plan to attack with those sheep?
Sure enough, Kira said, "Battle. Sheep Token attacks 'Dark Scorpion Burglars'!"
The brave sheep charged to their doom and were instantly shot down by the Burglars.
"By Damage Off Zone's effect, my battle damage is halved," Kira said.
[Kira, LP 4000 → 3500]
"The Dark Scorpion Burglars' effect: when they inflict battle damage, the opponent must send a Spell from their Deck to the GY.
"I'll send…"
He leisurely revealed a Spell.
"'Jackpot 7' to the GY."
"Jackpot 7's effect: if it's sent to the GY by an opponent's card effect, it is banished instead.
"And if three copies of Jackpot 7 are banished by this effect… I win the duel unconditionally!"
Stein: "!?"
His pupils shrank. He looked at the remaining Sheep Token and the Relinkuriboh, and realized it.
If those two crash into the Burglars next, since Stein currently controls them, then "the opponent" for the effect is Kira—so Kira can dump the remaining two copies from his Deck…
Stein's eyes snapped to the hijacked Dark Scorpions beside him.
They were all making faces at him—some sticking out their tongues.
Zaloog: "Ha, feel dumb yet? We're moles."
Who told you to hijack anything so casually?