Stein's mouth twitched.
Right—Kira used Block Attack to force Scar Knight to Defense, proving he knew that while it's attacking you can't attack anything else. That means he also obviously knew that anything that battles Scar Knight gets hijacked.
If he knew, yet still "recklessly" sent the Dark Scorpions in, that could only mean one thing:
Those five punks were undercover from the start.
Stein's face was like ice. "You knew Scar Knight's effect and turned it to your advantage—weaponizing it to stuff the Dark Scorpions onto my field and set up this instant-win combo?"
"Well, who can say?"
Kira waggled a finger with a cheerful grin.
"Let's just say, be cautious when using someone else's monsters. If you steal my monsters, you should be mentally prepared to use my cards."
He waved his hand.
"Next, Sheep Token attacks 'Dark Scorpion Burglars'!"
The last sheep also headbutted to its doom. The Scorpions' effect triggered; Kira's Deck auto-searched and sent the second Jackpot 7 to the GY.
"Damage Off Zone halves my damage again."
[Kira, LP 3500 → 3000]
Only the Relinkuriboh remained. One last attack.
If it went through, that would be game.
"Relinkuriboh, attack 'Dark Scorpion Burglars'!"
The Kuriboh charged. The Scorpions shouted in unison, seemingly already celebrating another clean win—opening the champagne a bit early.
Stein suddenly sneered.
"Did you think you had this in the bag?"
He took a deep breath and barked:
"I told you—I've experienced all kinds of battles. Being tricked by a stolen monster? I already went through things like that in pro matches.
"If you want to outplay me, you'll have to try harder!"
He waved to his backrow.
"Activate set card! Trap 'Victim Barrier'!
When the opponent declares an attack, you can force a change of target!" (anime card)
The Scorpions' faces changed.
"Nani? A forced target change?" Meanae gasped.
Zaloog looked at Scar Knight. "Damn, the target will be…"
"Right. Redirect Relinkuriboh's attack to Scar Knight!"
Kuriboh struck Scar Knight. The knight's DEF was 0, but he had unbreakable tenacity; the attack seemed to have no effect.
No—that wasn't quite true. The Kuriboh was quickly covered by those shattered armor flakes, as if possessed.
Zaloog gaped. "Wait, wasn't Scar Knight's effect only when it's in Attack Position…"
"Correct, but the Trap 'Victim Barrier' has a follow-up," Stein sneered. "If the original attack target had a Scab Counter, then after that battle, the attacking monster also gets a Scab Counter."
"I see," Kira nodded. "The Dark Scorpions have Scab Counters, so now the Kuriboh has one too.
"And at the end of the Battle Phase, with Scar Knight on the field, control of all monsters with Scab Counters shifts to you."
He sighed. "You're even going to steal my Kuriboh, huh."
Stein smirked in silence.
"Fine," Kira said. "But my Battle Phase isn't over.
"Quick-Play Spell 'Quick Summon': tribute monsters on the field to Normal Summon from my hand.
"I tribute 'Relinkuriboh' to Tribute Summon! Appear—
—Storm Caller!"
[Storm Caller, ATK 2300]
"You didn't want to hand your monster over, so you tributed it first?" Stein said.
"And Relinkuriboh's effect: when this card is tributed, I draw one card," Kira said.
He drew.
"Storm Caller attacks 'Demand Man'!"
[Demand Man, ATK 800]
Stein adjusted his glasses.
"Demand Man only has 800 ATK. Without Scar Knight's protection, it's easy to pick off…"
His voice turned cold.
"You think after all those years on the pro stage I wouldn't see that coming?"
Kira's brow creased slightly.
"Continuous Trap 'Final Attack Orders'!" Stein barked. "All monsters on the field become Attack Position, and their battle positions cannot be changed!"
[Scabbed Scar Knight, DEF 0 → ATK 0]
Zaloog yelped. "That damned knight is back to Attack—doesn't that mean…"
"Exactly! When Scar Knight is in Attack Position, every monster your opponent controls that can attack must attack Scar Knight!"
Stein clenched his fist.
"Bear the heavy shackles of a veteran—the pain and scars of countless battles. Taste them well!
Scar Knight, take the hit from Storm Caller!"
Storm Caller unleashed a blast; the howling wind nearly blew Stein off his feet.
Stein gritted his teeth. "With your Damage Off Zone, I also take half battle damage."
[Stein, LP 3000 → 1850]
"Then place a Scab Counter on Storm Caller!"
Stein sneered.
"End of the Battle Phase, I take control of Storm Caller!"
The armor fragments clung to Storm Caller. The mighty magician could not resist and was dragged to Stein's field.
"How is it? Your trusted monsters betray you one after another—how does that feel?"
Stein sneered.
"Do you still dare to boast that my dueling is outdated, that I'm unworthy to teach the King?"
Kira pondered for a few seconds and fell silent.
Then he slowly set a card.
"I set one and end my turn."
Stein laughed loudly.
"Is that your answer?
"Helpless and speechless? How ridiculous.
"My turn. Draw!"
Stein stepped forward and said icily:
"You never understood, Fujiki Kira. You may have talent and power, but as a duelist, you bear nothing and have no conviction—you're just an arrogant brat.
"And now I—the outdated old man you look down on—will make you understand that!"
He raised his arm.
"Be buried by your own monster!
Battle! Storm Caller, direct attack!"
Storm Caller began to gather power; the emerald storm swelled into a vortex like the eye of death. With Kira's field empty, the blow would land unobstructed. He faced it without expression.
After a pause, he spoke evenly.
"Yes, I said your course is hidebound, old-fashioned, and worthless to me. And after this duel, I haven't seen anything to change my mind."
Stein: "!"
His eyes bulged with rage.
"At this point, when you're about to lose, you're still saying that…"
"You're the one not seeing things clearly, professor," Kira sighed. "I said earlier: if you use your opponent's cards recklessly, be prepared. I do it often myself, so I don't have much standing to say this.
"But what I mean is…"
He looked at Stein calmly.
"I said no one attends your class not because I denied you, but because you failed to prove yourself.
"Likewise, you couldn't continue in the pro scene because of your body—I'm sorry for that. But even without that factor, you wouldn't have reached the top or become champion. Because your strength is only so much."
"You—you—"
Stein pointed at him, shaking with fury.
"Not convinced?"
Kira smiled.
"But that's the truth. You're too weak, professor. That's why you keep losing—just as you can't change the outcome of this duel."
He snapped his fingers; the set backrow flipped up.
As the card turned, the artwork seemed to erupt with holy azure light, tearing the darkness to shreds.
Stein's pupils contracted. "That's—"
"Trap Card: Mirror Force!" Kira raised his hand. "When an opponent's monster declares an attack: destroy all Attack Position monsters they control!"
Stein: "Tch, so you were hiding the ultimate shield…"
"Not just that."
Kira smiled.
"The effect of 'Storm Caller' you just stole from me: if this card is destroyed by a card effect, its controller takes damage equal to its ATK."
Stein's face went blank.
What did you say?
Bathed in sacred light, he slowly turned to look at the Summoner on his own field being swallowed by the radiance.
Following his gaze, he also saw… the Dark Scorpion gang each showing off—pulling faces and sticking out their tongues at him.
Zaloog: "Ha, didn't learn your lesson."
Meanae: "You dare use the boss's cards so casually."
Chick: "Undercover op, great success!"
The thieves high-fived, flashing a big "Yay."
Stein spat blood on the spot.
"You… you little—!"
Boom—
[Stein, LP 1850 → 0]