Senjo folded his arms and fixed his gaze on Yusaku, the smile at his lips full of absolute confidence.
"Oh, one more thing I almost forgot to mention. The Sacred Beasts share the same protection as the Egyptian Gods. They aren't affected by Trap Cards, and Spell effects only apply to them during the turn those Spells are activated."
With that, he raised a hand in a mocking gesture, challenge written all over his face.
"Your turn. Let's see how you plan to break this field."
"Break your field?"
Yusaku's eyes drifted over the three Sacred Beasts radiating sinister power behind Senjo, and the corner of his mouth lifted.
"That's the easy part."
He slowly raised a single finger. His voice was calm, but every word carried clearly through the noise of the arena.
"This turn, I'm clearing away your Sacred Beasts. Every monster on your field. Then I'm ending the duel."
Senjo: "???"
Yusaku's declaration hit the stands like a bolt of lightning, and the spectators all looked at each other in confusion.
"Why does that sound so familiar? Didn't he say something like that yesterday too?"
"No, you remembered it wrong. Yesterday he said he'd break Nightshade's board in three moves."
"Yeah, but that was because of Super Polymerization. That only worked because he had the right materials. Nobody's even heard of these Sacred Beasts before, so what Fusion monster would use them?"
"Exactly. With a field this airtight, how is he supposed to flip it in one turn?"
"Why think so hard? If he's saying it this confidently, then he obviously has a plan. Just watch."
The students from Genius Academy, on the other hand, reacted with open scorn.
"Our senpai's field has protection, Spell and Trap negation, monster effect negation, and continuous banishing instead of sending cards to the Graveyard. Every Sacred Beast has at least 4000 ATK. How is he supposed to break that?"
"I bet he's completely out of options. If he really clears this field in one turn, I'll twist my own head off and use it as a chamber pot."
"Hah. He's just a clown trying to show off."
The players, however, were thinking further ahead.
One of them suddenly slapped his thigh.
"Kouki! Yusaku-senpai said he's going to clear the whole field and finish the duel in one turn. Does that mean he's summoning that monster?! I remember its materials are the three Sacred Beasts!"
Kouki frowned, thought it over for a moment, then shook his head.
"Probably not. Leaving aside the fact that the Sacred Beasts are Genius Academy's newly excavated trump card, senpai might not even have the right card. And even if he does, that monster still needs its dedicated Spell to be Fusion Summoned."
"You guys are overthinking it," Kazetaro said with a grin. "Tribute them. The Sacred Beasts don't have the Gods' anti-Tribute protection, so you can just Tribute them away."
The players around him instantly froze, then lit up in realization.
"Damn! I completely forgot Tribute outs were a thing!"
At that moment, a player dressed like Senjo from Duel Links raised a hand timidly.
"B-but Senjo's back row has that Continuous Spell, Mist of Lost Paradise. If even one of the Sacred Beasts leaves the field, its effect kicks in and all damage he takes this turn becomes 0..."
"Uh..."
The discussion on the players' side died on the spot, and silence fell over them all.
Then, in that silence, Yusaku's cool voice rang out across the entire arena once more.
"I Tribute your Link-2 Barricadeborg Blocker and Special Summon the monster in my hand to your field!"
"Gathered prayers become a newborn shining star, granting eternal release to all fools shackled by selfish desire."
"Appear - Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju!"
The instant those words fell, a pale blue vortex ripped open above the arena. The roar of surging water poured out from the other side, mixed with the bellow of a giant beast breaking through the surface.
Then, in the next moment, a massive creature burst out of the vortex. Its back was covered by a heavy turtle shell, its body was equipped with savage wings, and its silhouette resembled some prehistoric dinosaur. It opened its jaws wide and swallowed Senjo's Barricadeborg Blocker in a single bite, then let out a satisfied burp.
Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju
Level 8 / Aqua / Effect
ATK 2200
"Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju's effect," Yusaku said evenly. "This card can be Special Summoned to the opponent's field by Tributing 1 monster they control."
He looked at Senjo, whose face had already gone stiff, and smiled faintly.
"And with that, the protection on your back row that depended on a monster is gone."
"It's only one monster!"
Senjo snorted coldly.
"Then the instant Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju is Special Summoned to my field, the first effect of my Continuous Trap Awakening of the Sacred Beasts activates. I recover Life Points equal to that monster's ATK, so 2200!"
Senjo, LP 8000 -> 10200
He folded his arms again.
"As long as Awakening of the Sacred Beasts remains on my field, my LP will only keep rising. My advantage will just keep getting bigger."
"Your advantage keeps getting bigger, huh?"
Yusaku looked at him calmly.
"Then have you noticed the real issue? Your field is layered. Banishing, negation, protection. But all of it revolves around the Sacred Beasts. The moment the Sacred Beasts are gone, every one of those cards stops working. And the Sacred Beasts have no protection against being Tributed."
Senjo's heart sank for a split second, but he quickly forced himself to calm down and let out a mocking laugh.
"You're right. The Sacred Beasts are the core of my field, and yes, they don't resist being Tributed."
His eyes flicked toward Yusaku's hand.
"But even if you have Lava Golem, at most you can Tribute two of my Sacred Beasts. And the instant you do, Mist of Lost Paradise will activate. I won't take any damage this turn."
He crossed his arms again, confidence practically spilling off him.
"If you want to break this setup, you have to get rid of Mist of Lost Paradise first. But as long as Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder is on the field, I can negate your next Spell or Trap activation."
"And if you want to remove Mist of Lost Paradise, then you'll have to start extending your board. But as long as Awakening of the Sacred Beasts remains active, the effects of any monsters you Summon will be negated, and any cards that should go to the Graveyard will be banished instead."
At this point, the smug pride on his face was almost overflowing.
"So in other words - my board is unbeatable!"
"Unbeatable?" Yusaku glanced at him. "Not necessarily."
Senjo paused, then seemed to remember something. A cold smile crossed his face.
"I've reviewed every one of your duel recordings. You have a card called Dinowrestler Pankratops that can Tribute itself to destroy one of your opponent's cards, right?"
He sneered.
"But you should understand something. My Awakening of the Sacred Beasts isn't like Skill Drain. Skill Drain only negates monster effects on the field, so it can't stop effects that activate after the monster leaves the field. My Trap negates effects activated by monsters while they're on the field. Even if the monster goes to the Graveyard afterward, the effect still gets negated."
"I know exactly how it works," Yusaku said calmly. "So why do you think I said what I just did?"
Before the words had fully settled, he slapped a card onto his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed!"
As the card lit up, Yusaku looked straight at Senjo.
"Any response?"
Senjo snorted and folded his arms.
"You're trying to bait out my negation. I'm not falling for that."
"No chain, then."
Yusaku brushed his fingers across his Deck.
"By the effect of Pot of Greed, I draw 2 cards."
Two cards slid into his hand. He gave them a quick glance, then immediately played another.
"Next, I activate Radiant Typhoon Vision!"
"This card's effect is simple: I draw 2 cards. Then, if I have a Radiant Typhoon card or a Quick-Play Spell in my hand, I discard 1 of them. If I don't, I discard my entire hand."
Yusaku's eyes settled on Senjo, waiting for his response.
Senjo didn't budge, arms still folded, the same cold smile on his face.
"Go ahead. Until it actually threatens me, I'm not wasting my negation."
"Is that so?"
Yusaku's smile deepened slightly.
"Then I resolve it and draw 2 cards."
The two new cards entered his hand. He checked them, then discarded one of the Quick-Play Spells.
"Then I discard the Quick-Play Spell Called by the Grave from my hand."
Right after that, he pulled out another card and let it flash across the Duel Disk in a streak of light.
"Next, I activate Sky Striker Mobilize - Engage!"
"This card's effect: if I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zone, I can add 1 Sky Striker card from my Deck to my hand, except Sky Striker Mobilize - Engage! Then, if I have 3 or more Spell Cards in my Graveyard, I draw 1 card."
"I add the Quick-Play Spell Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor from my Deck to my hand."
With a flick of his fingers, the key card landed neatly in his grasp.
"And in my Graveyard, I already have Pot of Greed, Called by the Grave, and Radiant Typhoon Vision. That means the draw condition is satisfied."
"Widow Anchor?"
The instant the players saw what Yusaku had searched, everything clicked for them.
"Holy shit, I get it now! So that's what he's doing!" one player cackled.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, this is way too slick! How did I not see it sooner?" another joined in with the same sinister laugh.
Seeing the two of them laughing like they were in on some huge secret, the players next to them practically started tearing their hair out.
"What do you mean you get it? Hurry up and say it already! Stop acting like a bunch of riddlers!"
One of them wiggled his brows and grinned.
"Ever heard of the NTR Sky Striker build?"
The moment those words came out, the players who had still been confused suddenly looked enlightened, and then they all broke into the same evil laughter.
Just then, one of them suddenly frowned.
"But Widow Anchor targets. Senjo's field still has-"
He stopped halfway through.
It was only a Field Spell. Sky Strikers had countless ways to destroy Spells and Traps.
The other spectators in the arena, seeing the players' side suddenly erupt into weird cackling again, were left completely baffled.
Every time, they tried to follow the players' train of thought, and every time, these lunatics said something incomprehensible. In the end, they could only give up and turn their attention back to the duel.
On the field, Yusaku added Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor to his hand, then immediately pulled out another card and played it without hesitation.
"Sky Striker Mobilize - Engage! doesn't have a once-per-turn restriction, so I activate another copy!"
"From my Deck, I add Sky Striker Maneuver - Afterburners! to my hand!"
With a flick of his fingers, the dark red card dropped neatly into his grasp.
"And since I still meet the requirement for Spell Cards in the Graveyard, I draw 1 more card from my Deck!"
The moment the new card entered his hand, Yusaku didn't pause for even a second. He raised it and slammed it onto his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card Sky Striker Maneuver - Afterburners!!"
"This card's effect: if I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zone, I can target 1 face-up monster on the field and destroy it!"
Senjo looked as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world and burst out laughing.
"Haha! How ridiculous! I was wondering what you'd search, and this is it? Don't tell me you forgot. With Fallen Paradise on the field, my Sacred Beasts can't be targeted by card effects! This is a targeting effect, so you can't even choose them! And even if you had non-targeting destruction, Fallen Paradise protects them from being destroyed by card effects anyway!"
"When did I ever say I was going to destroy your Sacred Beasts?"
There was a trace of amusement in Yusaku's voice.
"The monster I'm destroying is the one I Special Summoned to your field - Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju."
Senjo: "?"
The instant those words fell, a blaze of crimson light erupted across the field.
Within the flames, the figure of a girl in scarlet armor appeared, wielding a blazing blade. Her sword flashed, and a searing slash tore across the arena like a laser.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the Sea Turtle Kaiju on Senjo's field was engulfed in flames and reduced to ashes on the spot.
"Next, I resolve Sky Striker Maneuver - Afterburners!'s additional effect!"
Yusaku's voice rose, echoing through the entire stadium.
"After destroying that monster, if I have 3 or more Spell Cards in my Graveyard, I can destroy 1 Spell or Trap on the field!"
Senjo's smile froze instantly. His pupils contracted, and he blurted out in shock,
"What?!"
The students from Genius Academy also paled.
"This is bad! If Awakening of the Sacred Beasts gets destroyed, he'll be able to combo freely!"
"Only idiots like you would think he's going after that card," Kazetaro snorted with open disdain.
The students from Genius Academy all froze.
"???"
Then Yusaku's voice rang out again, clear enough for everyone in the arena to hear.
"With this effect, I destroy your Field Spell - Fallen Paradise!"
Another red slash tore through the air as the armored girl swung her blade again, driving a blazing arc of fire straight into Senjo's field.
Boom -!!!
With a thunderous explosion, the dark wasteland covering Senjo's field shattered on the spot. The thick black mist receded like an ebbing tide, revealing the smooth white stone floor of the Duel Stage beneath it.
Senjo stared at his vanished Field Spell for a moment, then a mocking smile slowly returned to his face.
"I thought you were smarter than this. But in the end, you destroyed Fallen Paradise instead of Awakening of the Sacred Beasts."
He shook his head, his tone full of false pity.
"If it were me, I'd definitely have chosen the bigger threat."
"The wrong choice?" Yusaku glanced at him. "Then why don't you guess why I destroyed that card? Did you forget? The Sacred Beasts are only unaffected by Traps. As for Spells, their protection only applies during the turn the Spell that summoned them was activated."
The color drained from Senjo's face instantly, but he still forced himself to sneer.
"So what if you want to use Spell effects to destroy my Sacred Beasts? Dream on! As long as even one Sacred Beast leaves the field, Mist of Lost Paradise will trigger, and I won't take any damage this turn!"
"Who said I was going to destroy your Sacred Beasts?"
Yusaku slowly raised his hand. In his palm was a card shining with ancient radiance.
"The Egyptian Gods require three Tributes to descend. And the three Sacred Beasts on your field happen to be the perfect Tributes."
Senjo: "???"
The Genius Academy students: "???"
The commentator: "???"
The instant Yusaku said those words, Senjo and everyone else in the arena froze.
Only the players exploded with excitement.
"It's here! It's here! NTR Sky Striker, activate!"
"Hell yes! The stealing combo!"
"Hahaha! Senjo's hand is empty, his Spell and Trap negation is gone, and now all he can do is watch his own Sacred Beasts get stolen right in front of him!"
"Man, I'm a pure-love guy. I don't know if I can handle this."
"Brother, stealing their boss monsters is pure love too!"
On the field, Yusaku's hands moved like lightning. In one motion, he pulled out three cards and slapped them down onto his Duel Disk, his voice ringing across the entire arena.
"I activate the Spell Card Change of Heart! Chain Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor! Chain a second Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor!"
"Effect of Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor!"
Yusaku's voice rose sharply.
"If I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zone, I can target 1 Effect Monster on the field. Its effects are negated until the end of this turn. Then, if I have 3 or more Spell Cards in my Graveyard, I take control of it until the End Phase!"
"My Main Monster Zone is completely empty! I fully meet the activation condition!"
He pointed forward, and two golden cords shot out from the cards, flying straight toward Senjo's field.
"I target your Uria, Lord of Searing Flames and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder! Their effects are negated, and control of them - belongs to me!"
Wrapped in dazzling golden light, the two ferocious Sacred Beasts roared in resistance, but the golden cords bound them tightly and dragged them forcibly onto Yusaku's field.
Watching two of his ace monsters ripped away from him, Senjo's face turned black with rage. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms.
"My Sacred Beasts!"
But before his roar had even faded, Yusaku spoke again, each word like a hammer blow to Senjo's chest.
"Next, the effect of Change of Heart. I target 1 monster on your field and take control of it until the End Phase."
His finger pointed directly at the last Sacred Beast remaining on Senjo's side.
"I choose - Raviel, Lord of Phantasms."
A burst of purple light flashed, and the final Sacred Beast also broke free of Senjo's control and obediently moved to Yusaku's field.
In that instant, all three Sacred Beasts Senjo had taken such pride in now stood under Yusaku's command.
The moment the three monsters appeared on his field, Yusaku raised the card in his hand, blazing with golden light, and shouted:
"I Tribute Raviel, Lord of Phantasms, Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"
"Descend!!!"
"The Winged Dragon of Ra!!!"
Boom!
A pillar of boundless golden light shot into the sky like a divine spear, ripping apart the thick black clouds above the arena.
From the opening in the clouds, a golden sphere glowing with the radiance of the sun slowly descended, sacred and majestic pressure sweeping across the entire stadium.
The instant the golden sphere appeared, the Millennium Puzzle on Yusaku's chest blazed with light, enveloping him in a brilliant glow.
In the next moment, a mysterious figure in ancient robes silently appeared behind him.
His arms were crossed before his chest, his expression solemn as he murmured an ancient incantation under his breath. The archaic syllables echoed across the arena, as if they had come from the dawn of time itself.
At the moment the chant ended, Yusaku's eyes snapped open. A majesty that did not belong to him flashed across them, and his voice rose to shake the heavens.
"Spirits sing, and ancient power governs all things! Their life, their soul, and even their remains! When heaven and earth converge, the rite to summon the Sun God begins!"
Above the arena, the storm clouds churned even more violently, like an enraged primordial beast gathering the power of destruction in its jaws. Every clap of thunder shook the earth, and the entire Duel Stage trembled as though offering its most humble submission to the Sun God's descent.
Blazing golden light pierced through the clouds and streaked toward the hovering sphere like falling stars.
The sphere, still until now, finally began to transform.
First came the vast golden wings, stretching wide enough to eclipse the sky itself. Then emerged the sacred head hidden in the radiance. And finally, the divine body forged from pure gold, each feather shining with the splendor of the sun and radiating a majesty that looked down upon all creation.
The Winged Dragon of Ra
Level 10 / Divine-Beast / Effect
ATK 0
The moment Ra appeared on the field, the players in the stands leapt to their feet in excitement, all while loudly mocking the students from Genius Academy.
The students, meanwhile, had gone pale, their earlier arrogance completely gone.
The rest of the spectators could only stare at the field with wide, disbelieving eyes.
In less than a minute, the field Senjo had painstakingly built had utterly collapsed. The three Sacred Beasts he had been so proud of had become the very Tributes used to summon an Egyptian God.
The reversal was so shocking it left the entire arena speechless.
On the field, Yusaku raised a hand and pointed at the golden god, his voice clear and powerful.
"The Winged Dragon of Ra's effect! When this card is Tribute Summoned, its ATK becomes the combined original ATK of the monsters used for its Tribute Summon!"
"The three Sacred Beasts I Tributed were: Raviel, Lord of Phantasms, 4000 ATK. Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, 8000 ATK. Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, 4000 ATK!"
His voice rose sharply.
"So The Winged Dragon of Ra's ATK becomes 16000!!!"
The Winged Dragon of Ra
ATK 0 -> 16000
Staring at the Egyptian God with an overwhelming 16000 ATK, Senjo's face went deathly white, but he still refused to give up.
"The instant the three Sacred Beasts were sent to the Graveyard - I activate Mist of Lost Paradise! All damage I take this turn-"
"Hold it."
Yusaku's calm voice cut him off, carrying a faint, mocking smile.
"Mist of Lost Paradise says: 'If any face-up Sacred Beast you control leaves the field...'"
He lifted his eyes and looked straight at Senjo, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"The trigger condition is that they leave the field while under your control."
A trace of playful ridicule entered Yusaku's smile.
"But they were Tributed on my field."
He tilted his head ever so slightly.
"So that effect can't activate."
Senjo's pupils contracted violently. His whole body shook, and he screamed in disbelief.
"That's impossible!"
He hurriedly looked down at his Duel Disk, only to find it completely silent. There was no prompt for an effect to activate anywhere.
"How... how can this be..."
His face turned ashen, and he collapsed to his knees, mumbling in despair.
Yusaku looked at his shattered expression and smiled slightly.
"The last time I dueled you, I ended it with The Winged Dragon of Ra too."
He paused, then the corner of his mouth lifted in cold ridicule.
"What started there should end there too. And by the way, thanks for providing me with such a nice ATK total."
"Battle!"
Yusaku's arm cut through the air as he pointed straight at Senjo, his voice echoing across the arena.
"The Winged Dragon of Ra - direct attack!!!"
Screeeech -!!!
A cry that shook the heavens burst from Ra's beak. Its massive golden wings spread wide enough to blot out the sky, and its colossal body became like a falling sun, crashing toward Senjo with divine flames powerful enough to destroy the world.
The blazing fire swept across the field like a tidal wave. Wherever it passed, the air itself seemed to burn, hissing under the heat.
Faced with the golden inferno rushing straight at him, Senjo's face twisted in utter despair. His legs gave out beneath him, and he dropped helplessly to his knees, shouting in rage and unwilling defeat.
"Damn you, Egyptian Gods! Damn you, Pharaoh! Damn you, Yusaku!!!"
Boom -!!!
Another deafening explosion tore through the arena.
Endless golden flames swallowed Senjo whole in an instant.
Senjo, LP 10200 -> 0
(End of Chapter)
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