"I don't think so!"
Chigami's brow twitched, a flash of surprise passing through his eyes.
"?"
"Then it's my turn. Draw!"
The instant Yusaku's fingers touched the card in his draw zone, the cold voice from across the field crashed down on him.
"Confidence is a good thing, but confidence needs to be backed by strength!"
Chigami looked up at Yusaku and lightly snapped his fingers.
At that sharp crack, the face-down card on his Duel Disk flipped open, its surface bursting with light.
"I activate the Continuous Trap, Royal Decree! At the same time, I chain the effect of Earthbound Servant Geo Gryphon!"
After declaring both effects, Chigami looked at Yusaku and curled his lips into a faint smile.
"Any response?"
Yusaku did not answer right away. Instead, he looked at the upright card glowing with a faint reddish-brown light at Chigami's feet and raised an eyebrow.
"Royal Decree?"
"Exactly." Chigami smiled confidently. "The Earthbound Immortal only needs a Field Spell to stay on the field. Whether that Field Spell's effect is active or not doesn't matter. It just has to exist."
"And once this card resolves, all Spell effects on your field will be negated. To make absolutely sure, I deliberately put it at Chain Link 1. Even if you've got something like Mystical Space Typhoon in your hand, with Baronne de Fleur covering me, my effect is guaranteed to go through!"
He looked at Yusaku and let out a cold laugh.
"I have to admit, Baronne really is useful. Easy to summon, and incredibly powerful."
Chigami folded his arms.
"Now that I've explained all that, you should understand what I'm trying to do. So, any response?"
Yusaku lowered his eyes to his hand, then looked back up at Chigami with a faint smile.
"No response."
"You can still smile with no response?" Chigami sneered openly. "Then let's see how long that smile lasts!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, he suddenly shouted:
"Then we resolve my effects! First, Earthbound Servant Geo Gryphon's effect!"
"This effect can be activated during either player's turn. I Special Summon 1 'Earthbound' monster from my Graveyard, except this card, in Defense Position!"
With a low hum, a hunched monster rose from the glow of the Graveyard and landed on Chigami's field.
Earthbound Prisoner Line Walker
DEF: 1100
"Next, Royal Decree's effect!"
"As long as this card remains in the Spell and Trap Zone, all Spell effects on the field are negated!"
The moment those words fell, an invisible wave swept out from the Trap Card and washed over the field. The Spell Cards on Yusaku's side, which had been shining brightly just moments ago, instantly dimmed as though all their power had been drained away, becoming completely useless.
"I'm still not done!"
Chigami kept pressing, pointing at the monster he had just summoned.
"Next, I activate the effect of the Earthbound Prisoner Line Walker I just Special Summoned!"
"When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add 1 'Earthbound Servant' or 'Harmonic Synchro Fusion' card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand!"
"I add the Field Spell Earthbound Prison from my Deck to my hand!"
After pulling the card free, Chigami looked at Yusaku coldly.
"Go ahead. I'm really curious to see how you plan to get through my field."
"As for the Earthbound Immortal..."
Chigami blinked.
"?"
Before he could finish, Yusaku raised a hand and slapped the card he had just drawn onto his Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon Maxx 'C'!"
With the crisp sound of the card hitting the field, a small golden cabinet appeared. A faint light flickered through the crack in its doors.
Maxx "C"
Level 2 / Insect / Effect
ATK: 500
Seeing the monster appear, Chigami froze for a moment. He had considered all kinds of possibilities, but he had never expected Yusaku to summon that monster. He knew exactly what it did.
Even the players in the audience were stunned for a while before they reacted.
"What the hell? He Normal Summoned Maxx 'C'? Did I see that right?!"
"Huh? Maxx 'C'? If he had that card, why didn't he use it earlier? Why wait until his own turn?"
"Isn't it possible Yusaku just drew it this turn?"
"Even so, why summon that thing? Wouldn't any other monster be better?"
That made the others fall silent, but a few quick-thinking players immediately realized something.
"What kind of situation makes someone Normal Summon Maxx 'C'?"
The instant that question was raised, Chigami's voice rang out again on the field.
"Looks like Lady Luck wasn't on your side this time." He sneered. "If you'd drawn that in your opening hand, the situation might have turned out very differently. But now? Too late."
Yusaku shot him a glance, then pulled a card from his hand and placed it on his Duel Disk.
"Because I control a Level 2 monster, I can Special Summon Spright Blue from my hand!"
Blue arcs of electricity exploded across the field as a figure wrapped in crackling currents appeared. It wore loose robes and heavy gloves, its entire body composed of jumping blue lightning, a dim electric aura dancing around it.
Spright Blue
Level 2 / Thunder / Effect
ATK: 1100
"I activate Spright Blue's effect!" Yusaku's voice was sharp and clean. "If this card is Special Summoned, I can add 1 'Spright' monster from my Deck to my hand, except Spright Blue!"
After repeating the effect, Yusaku looked at Chigami.
"Any response?"
Chigami frowned slightly but did not answer right away. He glanced toward the audience seats in the distance.
Ever since Yusaku had summoned Maxx "C," some of the players had gone into full theory-crafting mode, muttering things like, "Normal Maxx 'C,' then Special Spright Blue...," "Blue, Starter, Red...," and other strings of words that meant nothing to anyone not following the line.
"In any case, it doesn't matter to me..."
"I have no response."
Yusaku's lips curved slightly. He drew a card from his Deck as the holographic display sharpened into focus.
"Then with Spright Blue's effect, I add Spright Jet from my Deck to my hand!"
After adding the searched card, Yusaku immediately revealed it.
"Spright Jet has the same self-Special Summon condition as Spright Blue. As long as there's a Level 2 or Rank 2 monster on the field, I can Special Summon it from my hand!"
With that, he slapped the card onto his Duel Disk.
A brilliant white arc of electricity shot into the sky as a monster in a gray cloak burst onto the field, its cloak snapping in the wind as white lightning crackled all over its body like it could tear the air apart.
Spright Jet
Level 2 / Thunder / Effect
ATK: 1300
The moment it landed, Yusaku shouted:
"I activate Spright Jet's effect! I add the Quick-Play Spell Spright Starter from my Deck to my hand!"
Once he finished searching, he revealed another card from his hand.
"Because there's a Level 2 monster on the field, I can also Special Summon Spright Red from my hand!"
Red electricity surged like flame as another monster with a similar shape to Jet appeared, this one wreathed in scarlet arcs of current. The heat radiating from it seemed enough to scorch the air.
Spright Red
Level 2 / Thunder / Effect
ATK: 1200
The instant Spright Red appeared, Yusaku's voice rang out with unstoppable force.
"Next, I use Spright Jet and Maxx 'C' on my field as Link Materials!"
"The circuits connect, and a new wind pierces through the world! Link Summon, Link-2, Moon of the Closed Heaven!"
Two Link Arrows lit up one after another, and in the middle of the dazzling light, a girl in a black dress slowly descended, her long dark hair flowing to her waist.
Moon of the Closed Heaven
Link-2 / Fiend / Link / Effect
ATK: 1200
Some of the players stared blankly at the monster that had just appeared.
"Why'd he suddenly make Moon of the Closed Heaven? Is he pivoting into a Diabellstar line or something?"
While the players argued, Yusaku's voice echoed through the arena.
"I activate Moon of the Closed Heaven's effect! I can target 1 face-up monster my opponent controls that this card points to. This turn, if I Link Summon a Link-5 monster using this card as material, I can also use that targeted monster as Link Material!"
He lifted his hand and pointed straight at Chigami's Earthbound Immortal.
"Your Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu is directly under Moon of the Closed Heaven's Link Arrow, so I can target it. When I summon a Link-5 monster, I can use that card as material too!"
The players immediately understood.
"So that's it! I was wondering why he went into Moon of the Closed Heaven. He was baiting out the negate!"
"What do you mean baiting? Isn't this obviously for Underworld Goddess? She's a DARK Fiend too, so she can pivot into that line!"
"Man, that's a lot of material just to make that switch."
"Moon of the Closed Heaven has that effect? I seriously never noticed!"
"Isn't that card literally just a coffin lid?"
"..."
On the field, Yusaku looked at Chigami and gave a faint smile.
"Your Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu is only unaffected by Spells and Traps. It still loses to monster effects. So go on, hand over Baronne's negate."
Chigami's face instantly darkened. He stared fixedly at Yusaku's Monster Zone.
Yusaku currently had three monsters on the field, and Moon of the Closed Heaven itself was already a Link-2. If its effect resolved, then with his own Earthbound Immortal added in, Yusaku really would have enough material to make a Link-5.
He could not afford to gamble on whether Yusaku was bluffing. After only a brief hesitation, Chigami activated the effect.
"Baronne de Fleur's effect! While this face-up card is on the field, once while face-up, when a Spell, Trap, or monster effect is activated, I can negate that activation and destroy that card!"
"I use this effect to negate Moon of the Closed Heaven's effect, and destroy it!"
The instant Chigami activated Baronne's effect, Yusaku's lips curved upward.
"Sorry, but you took the bait."
Chigami's pupils shrank.
"?"
"The moment you activated Baronne de Fleur's effect," Yusaku's voice suddenly rose, "I activate Spright Red's effect! When your opponent activates a monster effect, I can tribute 1 Level 2, Rank 2, or Link-2 monster I control, and negate that effect!"
He pointed toward the blue monster on his field.
"I tribute Spright Blue and negate Baronne de Fleur's effect!"
At that moment, Spright Blue turned into a brilliant stream of electricity and shot straight across the field, swallowing up the sword energy Baronne had released.
Looking at Chigami's ugly expression, Yusaku said flatly,
"I told you. Your field only looks scary."
"That means the only real interruption on your field is gone. And because Baronne's effect was negated, Moon of the Closed Heaven's effect resolves successfully. When I summon a Link-5 monster, I can use your Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu as Link Material too."
"Hmph!" Chigami snorted, still refusing to back down. "You only have two monsters on your field now. You can't summon a Link-5 at all! And even if you could, so what? I still have four monsters on my field, and Royal Decree is still active. There's no way you can build any real board from here!"
"So you can't break my field this turn. Next turn, I'll reverse everything and end this Duel!"
"Next turn?" Yusaku slowly shook his head, a trace of pity in his voice. "You really underestimate my Deck. Then let me show you whether I can clear your field this turn or not."
With that, he slowly raised his hand and drew a card radiating dense black light from his Extra Deck, holding it high overhead.
"I use my Link-2 Moon of the Closed Heaven, Spright Red..."
He paused, his gaze sharp as a blade as he pointed at Chigami's field.
"And your Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu, and Baronne de Fleur, all as Link Materials!"
The moment the words fell, four beams of light shot into the sky. Above the arena, a massive Link Circuit unfolded. The four monsters on the field all dissolved into white light and were pulled into the circuit.
"???"
Seeing even his Baronne de Fleur get taken as material, Chigami froze on the spot, his face full of disbelief.
And he was not the only one. The players in the stands all shot to their feet at once, staring open-mouthed at the circuit in the sky.
They could understand the Earthbound Immortal being used as material. Moon of the Closed Heaven's effect explained that much.
But why had Baronne de Fleur been dragged in too?
While everyone was still reeling, Yusaku thrust his arm high into the air, his voice shaking the entire arena.
"When darkness and darkness overlap, the gates of the underworld open at last. Bring the fury of the abyss to this sunless world!"
"Appear now, Link-5, Underworld Goddess of the Closed World!!!"
All five Link Arrows lit up at once, and the sheer brilliance nearly blinded the entire audience. Ripples spread through the air as lines of magic, like burning black flames, surged through the circuit.
First, a rounded scepter emerged from the circuit. Then a graceful girl with snow-white skin slowly appeared. Her crimson eyes opened little by little, her soft hair drifting in the wind, and the black skirt around her swept across the arena like an ink-dark tide. Her overwhelming magical power exploded outward like a tsunami, crushing down on everyone until they could barely breathe.
Underworld Goddess of the Closed World
Fiend / Link / Effect
ATK: 3000
(End of Chapter)
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