Well, this was a bit unexpected.
Although under normal procedures, the LV series monsters should gradually upgrade and strengthen with continuous battles and increasing turns, as mentioned earlier, doing so is too inefficient and slow, making the LV series difficult to cope with the fast-paced duel environment.
But there's not entirely no way to achieve max level in one go.
The LV series has common Magic Traps support cards, among which there are some methods of forcing growth. However, generally speaking, these cards can only accelerate the evolution of LV monsters to the next stage. For Alice to break through two boundaries in one go and summon the ultimate form of the Black Flame Dragon was truly unexpected.
[Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8, Attack Power 3000]
"As long as the Black Flame Dragon is on the field, I can negate and destroy the activation and effect of any Magic!" Alice said, "In other words, your Magic Cards are sealed!
Battle! Use Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 to attack 'Gladiator Beast Secutor'!"
The metallic dragon opened its mouth, and the black flame pierced through space, as a pungent burning smell permeated the air.
"Activate Set Card!" Youyu's backfield Set Card flipped over, "Trap Card - Magic Cylinder! When an opponent's monster declares an attack, that attack is negated, and the attack is reflected!"
A pair of exquisite Magic Cylinders materialized on the field, one of which absorbed the surging black flame completely, while the other quickly flipped, like a cannon ready to fire, its barrel directly locked on Alice's position.
"Ha, as expected there was a trap? But that was within my calculations too."
Alice quickly drew two more cards.
"Quick-Play Magic 'Trap Booster'! According to this card's effect, I can activate a Trap Card from my hand. What I want to activate is...
... Continuous Trap 'Royal Decree'!"
The red Trap Card flipped open under the impetus of the Magic Effect, and an invisible yet authoritative power spread out.
It was an absolutely forbidden command, a forbidden domain where all trap powers were bound. The moment the powerful Magic Cylinder activated, it dimmed, gradually becoming translucent and eventually disappeared completely.
"Royal Decree, is a decree that forbids all traps." Alice sneered, "As long as this card is face-up on the field, except for this card itself, all Trap Card effects on the field are negated!"
"What? Trap Cards can't be used either?" The Dark Magician Girl alongside widened her eyes, "Then aren't both Magic and Trap unusable?"
"That's right!" Alice laughed, "As long as the Black Flame Dragon is on the field, all magic effects are negated! And during the effect of 'Royal Decree', any Trap Card is negated!
In other words, everything is negated! This is my true power, absolute lockdown! The moment this formation was completed, you've already lost, Duel King!"
The Black Flame Dragon's attack continued, the swirling black flame hit Secutor, as if a pitch-black stream engulfed it entirely.
The black flame penetrated through the body of 'Gladiator Beast Secutor', a mass of black fire explosion radiated from Secutor, with the black fire pillar rising straight up to the sky.
However, when the black flames dissipated, Alice was surprised to find that the Gladiator Beast seemed to be unharmed.
[Gladiator Beast Secutor, Defense 300]
"What?"
"The effect of 'Shield Warrior' in the graveyard." Youyu revealed a Monster Card, "During damage calculation of battle, by banishing 'Shield Warrior' from the game, my monster won't be destroyed by battle only this time."
Alice slightly frowned, "The effect of a monster in the graveyard, huh."
"And also, at the end of the Battle Phase, the effect of 'Gladiator Beast Secutor' activates!"
As he spoke, two cards had already been ejected successively from the thick Card Deck.
"The Secutor specially summoned by the effect of 'Gladiator Beast', at the end of the Battle Phase after going through battle, from the deck special summons two 'Gladiator Beast' monsters other than 'Gladiator Beast Secutor'!"
He drew two cards in one go.
"Special Summon 'Gladiator Beast Bestiari', 'Gladiator Beast Laquari'!"
[Gladiator Beast Bestiari, Attack 1600]
[Gladiator Beast Laquari, Attack 1800]
"Laquari's effect, when specially summoned by the ability of Gladiator Beast, its original attack becomes 2100"
[Gladiator Beast Laquari, Attack 1800 → Attack 2100]
"Bestiari's effect, when specially summoned by the effect of Gladiator Beast, destroys one Magic or Trap Card on the field." Youyu waved his hand, "Destroy the Continuous Trap 'Royal Decree'!"
The bird-beast Gladiator Beast soared into the sky, a green Mystical Space Typhoon struck the Trap Card, shattering it into golden light spots.
"Oh oh, master is amazing!" The Dark Magician Girl had a face of admiration, "Easily breaking through the double lock..."
"Tch." Alice grumbled unhappily, "But even so, as long as the Black Flame Dragon is here, you still can't use Magic Cards."
She drew two more cards.
"Set two cards, I end the turn!"
Though she spoke proudly, at this point she had already begun to feel uneasy. Her attack had not only failed to achieve any effect, but it seemed to have made her opponent's monsters grow more and more — at this moment, Youyu's field was already crawling with four 'Gladiator Beasts', which made her very uneasy.
She indeed should feel uneasy.
"Draw!"
Youyu picked up the three cards in the Duel Disc's Monster Zone in one breath.
"I return 'Gladiator Beast Laquari', 'Gladiator Beast Secutor', and 'Gladiator Beast Hoplomus' to the card deck for a fusion!"
Alice's eyelid twitched.
A fusion of three Gladiator Beasts!?
"The fusion condition is 'Gladiator Beast Laquari' plus two other Gladiator Beast monsters! Fusion Summon—
—Gladiator Beast Heraklinos!!!"
A triple fusion! The three Gladiator Beasts disappeared in a burst of golden light, and immense energy erupted as if from the other side of space-time!
A high-concentration energy storm swept through, and a golden, shining war axe emerged from the energy storm. The Gladiator King held the war axe and a golden shield, his footsteps shaking the ground like a landslide the moment he landed.
[Gladiator Beast Heraklinos, ATK 3000]
Alice gritted her teeth: "The same attack power as the Black Flame Dragon..."
"Then I normally summon 'Gladiator Beast Darius'."
[Gladiator Beast Darius, ATK 1700]
"'Gladiator Beast Bestiari' and 'Gladiator Beast Darius' return to the card deck from the field, and fuse once more!
The fusion condition is 'Gladiator Beast Bestiari' plus any other Gladiator Beast monster! Fusion Summon!
With a gusty wind, the ancient ruler of Rome descends again—
—Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, summon!!!"
[Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, ATK 2400]
"Gyzarus's effect!" Youyu swung his big hand, "When Special Summoned, destroy up to two cards on the field! I'll destroy 'Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8' and the facedown card on the right of your backfield!"
Gyzarus spread its thin metal wings, the sharp red spikes pouring down like a rain shower!
"Activate the Set Card!" The Set Card locked in Alice's backfield flipped open, "Trap Card 'Memory Loss'! When an effect is activated from an opponent's Attack Position monster, that activation is negated, and that monster is switched to defense position!
I negate Gyzarus's effect and switch it to defense position!"
Facing Gyzarus's assault, Alice immediately responded with a trap, launching a counterattack!
But muda (useless)!
"Gladiator Beast Heraklinos's effect!" Youyu said, "Discard one card to negate the activation of a Magic or Trap Card and destroy it!
Negate and destroy 'Memory Loss'!"
The Gladiator King's war axe cleaved through the air, the golden axe light shredding the field of the trap effect, and the trap card was split in two.
Alice's complexion turned slightly pale: "It actually has such an effect..."
The obstruction of the trap failed, and Gyzarus's onslaught went through unrestricted. The mighty Black Flame Dragon had no power to counter this force and was shattered into fragments in an instant.
Alice realized she had underestimated her opponent, placing too much confidence in her duel and taking too much for granted about the duel itself.
The seemingly impenetrable blockade she believed she had was as fragile as a paper window before the Duel King.
"Battle." Youyu said without hesitation, "Gladiator Beast Heraklinos, direct attack!"
The Gladiator King charged with overwhelming momentum, the war axe in his hand drawing out a long golden arc, like a shooting star falling from the heavens.
Alice's pupils contracted.
It's not over yet; she still had one last trick, one final move.
"Activate the Set Card! Trap Card 'Dimension Wall'!" Alice shouted, "Can be activated during the opponent's attack declaration! The battle damage from this battle... is taken by the opponent!"
This was her trump card and a deadly strike.
Youyu's Life Points were at 2000, and Heraklinos had an attack power of 3000. As long as the damage reflection went through, she would complete a comeback kill...
"Gladiator Beast Heraklinos's effect." Youyu said expressionlessly, "Discard one card to negate the activation of a Magic or Trap Card... and destroy it!"
Alice: "!!??"
Nani!? (What!?)
This Gladiator Beast's effect... doesn't it have a once-per-turn limit?
The final trap was also shattered, and the gladiator beast's war axe came crashing down. Alice let out a bitter scream.
[Alice, LP 1600 → LP 0]