"The Voltic Bicorn that attacked self-destructs!"
As Breo's words fell, the bicorn exploded violently, scattering into fragments across the field.
"Voltic Bicorn's effect—come on, both of us send seven more cards from the top of our Decks to the Graveyard!" Breo laughed triumphantly.
Kira shrugged and, as required, drew seven cards and sent them one by one into his Duel Runner's Graveyard zone.
"Then at this moment, the other Trap also triggers!"
Breo laughed loudly and waved his hand to activate another backrow card.
"Trap Card 'Destruction Trigger'! This card can be activated when a card on your field other than this card is destroyed by a Spell or Trap effect. Send five more cards from the top of your opponent's Deck to the Graveyard!" (Anime card)
Kira: "Voltic Bicorn was destroyed by the effect of the Trap that revived it, 'Regretful Tuning,' so it counts as a Trap effect and triggers Destruction Trigger?"
"Correct," Breo said. "Now, send five more cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard!"
Kira calmly drew five more cards and continued feeding them into the Graveyard one after another.
Breo smiled even more smugly.
With this, the opponent's Deck was down to just 12 cards. It was close—very close now.
The opponent's Deck was like a candle in the wind. Soon it would be completely emptied. And the fewer cards left in the Deck, the fewer combo options remained. Many combinations had probably already been milled away in the process.
At least, that was what Breo thought.
"I set one card. Turn end," Breo said.
Kira: "My turn, draw."
Kira glanced at the drawn card and said lazily, "Then I'll attack directly with Gearfried the Iron Knight again."
Breo's field was empty once more. If Kira's remaining Iron Knight and Protector of the Sanctuary connected for two attacks, Kira would win outright.
But Breo naturally wouldn't allow such a simple attack through. He laughed and waved his hand: "I activate my set card, Continuous Trap 'Wicked Rebirth'! Pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon 1 Synchro Monster from your Graveyard in Attack Position!"
[Breo, LP 2200 → LP 1400]
"I revive 'Voltic Bicorn' from the Graveyard!"
Electricity surged as the lightning coalesced into the monster's form.
The repeatedly returning Voltic Bicorn rose again.
[Voltic Bicorn, ATK 2500]
"As expected, it revived again. In that case, I cancel the attack. I won't battle," Kira said. "Iron Knight, return."
Breo chuckled smugly.
The Battle Phase had passed again this turn. The opponent now had only 11 cards left. Next turn would likely be the final one—he should be able to mill the Deck dry without fail.
This match was his victory!
"I set one monster in face-down Defense Position," Kira said calmly. "Then I activate the effect of 'A/D Changer' from the Graveyard. By banishing this card from the Graveyard, change the battle position of 1 monster on the field. I change the face-down monster to Attack Position."
[Morphing Jar, ATK 700]
"Since you want to mill so badly, I'll help you out," Kira smiled. "When Morphing Jar is flipped, both players discard their entire hands, then draw 5 cards from their Decks."
Breo: "???"
This time he was genuinely shocked.
Did this guy… really understand the situation?
His Deck had only 11 cards left—those 11 cards were like the flickering life of a candle in the wind. Yet under these circumstances, he was actually accelerating the draw? Wasn't this actively courting death?
Kira drew five new cards: "I draw five cards. However, while 'Protector of the Sanctuary' is on the field, the opponent cannot draw cards outside of the Draw Phase. So you must discard your entire hand due to 'Morphing Jar's' effect, but you cannot draw."
"Nani!?"
Breo was stunned.
So this tactic was actually Hand Destruction!?
He was aiming for Deck Destruction, but the opponent was going for Hand Destruction?
Making him discard his entire hand without being able to draw, while the opponent drew five cards… Breo instantly understood. This kind of combination was an extremely terrifying tactic. Once it succeeded, it basically pronounced a death sentence.
Although losing his hand hurt a bit, the opponent's Deck now had only six cards left. And Breo still had Voltic Bicorn on the field. No matter how the opponent destroyed it, the effect would trigger and mill seven cards from the Deck. Then the opponent would have no cards left.
Kira: "I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Variation.' Draw two cards from the Deck. However, at the end of the turn, you must send one card to the Graveyard, or take 3000 damage." (Anime card)
Breo was dumbfounded.
Drawing again?
With only six cards left… after this, only four remained.
But Kira wasn't done: "I activate the Spell Card 'Dual Gate.' Banish 1 card with the same name from the Graveyard and draw two cards."
Breo: "."
Deck down to two cards.
This guy was completely insane. Wasn't this self-destruction?
"Spell Card 'Upstart Goblin.' Draw one card; your opponent gains 1000 Life Points."
[Breo, LP 1400 → LP 2400]
Breo: "."
He was now 80% sure this guy had truly lost his mind.
"I activate the Continuous Spell 'Recycle,'" Kira said. "During each of my Standby Phases, by paying 300 Life Points, return 1 card that is not a monster card from the Graveyard to the bottom of the Deck. Finally, I set one card. Turn end."
After a pause, he sent one card to the Graveyard.
"Of course, during the End Phase, I send one card to the Graveyard via 'Card of Variation's' effect to avoid the damage."
Breo frowned.
He couldn't figure out what this guy was planning, but an opportunity had arrived.
"My turn, draw—"
"At that moment, I activate my set card," Kira interrupted. "Quick-Play Spell 'Swords at Dawn'! Equip 1 Equip Spell from your Graveyard to a monster you control! I equip the Equip Spell 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief' from the Graveyard to 'Gearfried the Iron Knight.'"
Breo frowned: "All this trouble just for one Equip Spell…"
"Gearfried the Iron Knight's effect: When an Equip Card is equipped to this card, destroy that Equip Card," Kira said. "Therefore, 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief' is destroyed. Next is 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief's' effect. When this card is destroyed, look at your opponent's hand and discard 1 card."
Breo: "!"
He looked at the single card he had just drawn and gritted his teeth.
So it was still a continuation of the Hand Destruction tactic.
"Heh, I see. You're making sure that even if I draw a new card this turn, I have no hand to use."
Breo sent his only hand card to the Graveyard and shouted.
"Whatever. Then I attack with 'Voltic Bicorn'!"
"Sorry, but you can't," Kira snapped his fingers. "I activate my set card, Continuous Trap 'Nightmare Wheel'! This card can target 1 monster on the field. That monster cannot attack, and during each of your Standby Phases, inflict 500 damage to your opponent. I use this card to bind 'Voltic Bicorn's' attacks."
"Urk…"
Breo watched as a large spiked wheel resembling a torture device locked down his ace monster's attacks. He gritted his teeth again.
No hand, no set cards he could use, and his only monster's attack sealed…
There really was nothing left he could do. Breo had no choice but to end his turn.
Fine, if he couldn't attack, so be it.
The opponent's Deck had no cards left anyway—there shouldn't be any more variables. He'd draw next turn and launch his offensive.
The card he drew this turn had been discarded by the opponent before he could use it. Surely the opponent couldn't keep discarding his draws next turn too?
"My turn, draw," Kira said. "Continuous Spell 'Recycle's' effect. I pay 300 Life Points and return 1 non-monster card from the Graveyard to the bottom of the Deck."
[Kira, LP 3300 → LP 3000]
"I return the Quick-Play Spell 'Swords at Dawn' from the Graveyard to the bottom of the Deck… Well, 'bottom'—my Deck only has one card left anyway."
Kira smiled.
Breo: "!"
He recovered Swords at Dawn… That's right. As long as "Recycle" was active, the opponent's Deck would never run out.
Kira: "I set one card. Turn end. During the End Phase, 'Nightmare Wheel's' effect deals you 500 damage."
[Breo, LP 2400 → LP 1900]
Breo: "My turn, draw—"
"I activate my set card," Kira said. "Quick-Play Spell 'Arms Regeneration.' Equip 1 Equip Spell from either player's Graveyard to a monster on the field. Once again, I equip 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief' from the Graveyard to 'Gearfried the Iron Knight.'"
"Gearfried the Iron Knight's effect destroys the 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief' equipped to it."
"'Smoke Grenade of the Thief's' effect: When destroyed, discard 1 card from your opponent's hand. Go on, discard the card you just drew too."
Breo: "."
Damn it, no hand again.
The situation this turn was exactly the same as the last. Empty hand, empty field—well, not completely empty; there was a Voltic Bicorn locked by Nightmare Wheel. But it couldn't attack, and there were no operations he could perform. He could only end his turn again.
At that moment, Breo's pupils contracted.
Wait…
The last card left in the opponent's Deck—the one he would draw next turn—was the "Swords at Dawn" that "Recycle" had returned to the bottom last turn.
Cold sweat suddenly broke out on Breo.
"My turn, draw."
Kira said calmly.
"Standby Phase, 'Recycle's' effect. I pay 300 Life Points and recycle 'Arms Regeneration' to the bottom of the Deck. Well, the Deck only has this one card anyway, so bottom or top makes no difference."
Kira took the card returned from the Graveyard and inserted it back into his Deck.
"Then I set one card. Turn end."
"End Phase, Nightmare Wheel's effect—500 damage."
[Breo, LP 1900 → LP 1400]
Breo was drenched in cold sweat, already feeling his limbs grow cold.
"Alright, your turn," Kira chuckled lightly. "Aren't you going to draw?"
After hesitating for a long time, Breo finally gritted his teeth helplessly: "My turn, draw—"
"I activate my set card, Quick-Play Spell 'Swords at Dawn.' Equip 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief' from the Graveyard to the Iron Knight," Kira said. "Iron Knight's effect destroys Smoke Grenade of the Thief. Then Smoke Grenade's effect discards 1 card from your hand. Discard the card you just drew too."
Breo's face twitched, his expression a colorful mix of agony.
Fuck!
In the new turn, he still had no hand, no cards to use, couldn't attack, and could only stare blankly for three minutes before ending his turn.
Arms Regeneration and Swords at Dawn—both cards could equip "Smoke Grenade of the Thief" from the Graveyard to the "Iron Knight" on the field. Each equip would mill Breo's only hand card.
Then the Continuous Spell "Recycle" allowed these two Spells to recycle infinitely…
In other words, no matter how many turns this continued, Breo would forever have no hand, forever stuck in this state, able only to stare helplessly.
And every turn he would be burned for 500 LP by Nightmare Wheel.
The moment he realized this, Breo understood.
Although it seemed like he still had Life Points left, that was merely an illusion.
He was already dead.
…