"I activate Lacrima the Crimson Tears' effect!"
Yusaku's eyes locked onto Chigami as he spoke in a steady, forceful tone.
"When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can send 1 'Fiendsmith' card from my Deck to the Graveyard, except Lacrima the Crimson Tears! I choose to send Fiendsmith Engraver from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
The instant the card hit the Graveyard, Yusaku immediately revealed the Fiendsmith Engraver there, his voice ringing across the arena.
"I activate Fiendsmith Engraver's effect! While this card is in the Graveyard, I can return 1 other LIGHT Fiend monster in my Graveyard to the Deck or Extra Deck, then Special Summon this card!"
Then he immediately revealed Moon of the Closed Heaven in his Graveyard.
"I return the Link-2 Moon of the Closed Heaven from my Graveyard to the Extra Deck, and Special Summon Fiendsmith Engraver from the Graveyard!"
Fiendsmith Engraver
Level 6 / Fiend / Effect
ATK: 1800
As the number of monsters on Yusaku's field kept growing and his formation became more and more solid, a fine layer of sweat broke out across Chigami's forehead. His fingers clenched so tightly around his Duel Disk that the knuckles had gone white.
The only interruption he had left - Royal Decree - might as well not have existed.
From the start of the Duel until now, Yusaku had not activated a single Spell Card.
If this kept going, Yusaku might actually finish the Duel this turn.
But there was nothing Chigami could do to stop it. All he could do was stand there and watch Yusaku keep building his field.
In the stands, whether they were competing Duelists, students from the genius academy, or ordinary spectators who had come to watch, everyone had fallen into complete silence.
Every last person held their breath and stared at the field without moving. Even the commentator had forgotten his job, his eyes fixed on Yusaku's every move.
It felt as though the outcome of this Duel was about to be decided right now.
On the field, the instant Fiendsmith Engraver appeared, Yusaku spoke again.
"Next, I use Fiendsmith Engraver and Lacrima the Crimson Tears on my field as Link Materials!"
"Link Summon! Link-2, Fiendsmith's Requiem!"
With that declaration, the two Fiend monsters turned into two streaks of light and flew toward the Link Circuit forming above the field.
In the next moment, two Link Arrows lit up at once, and a coffin-shaped demon even larger than Fiendsmith's Sequence slowly descended, radiating a strange mix of holiness and evil.
Fiendsmith's Requiem
Link-2 / Fiend / Link / Effect
ATK: 1200
"I activate Fiendsmith's Requiem's effect!"
Yusaku's voice rose sharply, carrying the force of a blade cutting through bamboo.
"With this card's effect, I can return monsters from my Graveyard to the Deck as Fusion Materials, then Special Summon 1 Fiend Fusion Monster!"
"I activate this effect, returning Lacrima the Crimson Tears and Fiendsmith's Sequence from my Graveyard to the Extra Deck as Fusion Materials!"
"Fusion Summon! Level 6 - Fiendsmith's Lacrima!"
A dazzling surge of Fusion light shot into the sky. The shadows of Lacrima and Fiendsmith's Sequence intertwined inside the glow, then finally took shape as a man clad in blood-red armor, dense crimson mist swirling around him as he descended onto the field.
Fiendsmith's Lacrima
Level 6 / Fiend / Fusion / Effect
ATK: 2400
The instant Fiendsmith's Lacrima appeared, Yusaku shouted:
"Fiendsmith's Lacrima's continuous effect! As long as this card remains in the Monster Zone, all monsters my opponent controls lose 600 ATK!"
An invisible field of pressure spread outward from the monster. Chigami's monsters all let out pained cries at once, the force around them instantly withering as their ATK values plummeted.
Earthbound Greater Linewalker, ATK: 2900 -> 2300
Earthbound Servant Geo Gryphon, ATK: 2500 -> 1900
"I'm not done yet! I activate Fiendsmith's Lacrima's other effect!"
Yusaku called out.
"If this card is Fusion Summoned, I can target 1 LIGHT Fiend monster in my Graveyard or that is banished, and either add it to my hand or Special Summon it!"
"I activate that effect and Special Summon Fiendsmith Engraver from my Graveyard!"
Fiendsmith Engraver
ATK: 1800
The moment Fiendsmith Engraver reappeared, Yusaku swept his arm forward and continued the assault.
"Next, I use Fiendsmith Engraver and the Link-2 Fiendsmith's Requiem as Link Materials!"
"Link Summon! Link-2, Knightmare Phoenix!"
"And I place it in the zone pointed to by Underworld Goddess of the Closed World's Link Arrow!"
As he spoke, the two monsters turned into streams of light and vanished into a new Link Circuit.
A moment later, two Link Arrows lit up, and a giant metallic bird made of crimson steel came diving down from the circuit, beating its mechanical wings with a shriek as its sharp eyes swept across the arena.
Knightmare Phoenix
Link-2 / Cyberse / Effect
ATK: 1900
"I activate Knightmare Phoenix's effect!"
Yusaku's voice rang out again.
"When this card is Link Summoned, I can discard 1 card, then target 1 Spell or Trap my opponent controls and destroy it! If this card is co-linked when this effect is activated, I can also draw 1 card!"
With that, he immediately revealed a card from his hand and slammed it onto the Duel Disk.
"I discard this card from my hand and destroy your Continuous Trap, Royal Decree!"
At the instant he finished speaking, Knightmare Phoenix violently beat its wings. A savage crimson whirlwind instantly swept across the field, carrying enough force to tear everything apart as it shot straight toward Chigami's side.
With a sharp ripping sound, the Royal Decree Chigami had been relying on was instantly caught in the storm and shredded into countless fragments.
"Then Knightmare Phoenix's follow-up effect triggers!"
Yusaku continued.
"Because it's co-linked with Underworld Goddess of the Closed World, I draw 1 card!"
He drew a fresh card from his Deck and looked at Chigami's dark expression with calm eyes.
"And just like that, your Spell lock is gone."
The moment he heard that, Chigami's face turned even uglier.
Yusaku gave him no time to breathe and launched straight into the final push.
"Next, I overlay my Link-2 Knightmare Phoenix and Link-2 Spright Sprind to construct the Overlay Network!"
"Xyz Summon! Rank 2 - Gigantic Spright!"
A brilliant Overlay Network spread across the field. The two Link Monsters became Xyz Materials and were pulled into the Xyz vortex.
A second later, a gigantic war machine clad in blue armor and wrapped in berserk blue lightning crashed down onto the field, crackling with enough force to destroy the heavens.
Gigantic Spright
Rank 2 / Thunder / Xyz / Effect
Xyz Materials: 2
ATK: 1600
"I activate Gigantic Spright's effect!"
Yusaku shouted.
"As long as this card has a Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link Monster as material, its original ATK is doubled!"
"Because Knightmare Phoenix, a Link Monster, is attached as material, Gigantic Spright's ATK doubles!"
Gigantic Spright
ATK: 1600 -> 3200
The instant its ATK surged, Yusaku immediately continued.
"I detach 1 material and activate Gigantic Spright's effect! Special Summon 1 Level 2 monster from my Deck - Atlantean Heavy Infantry!"
A pale blue flash swept across the field, and a monster in heavy armor appeared.
Atlantean Heavy Infantry
Level 2 / Sea Serpent / Effect
ATK: 0
"I'm still not done!"
There was absolute resolve in Yusaku's voice.
"I activate Ronintoadin's effect in my Graveyard! While this card is in the Graveyard, I can banish 1 Frog monster from my Graveyard to Special Summon this card!"
"This effect is not once per turn! So now I activate it, banish Swap Frog from my Graveyard, and Special Summon Ronintoadin!"
Ronintoadin
ATK: 100
The instant the white frog hopped back onto the field, Yusaku moved again.
"Then I overlay the Ronintoadin I just Special Summoned and Atlantean Heavy Infantry!"
"Xyz Summon! Rank 2 - Cat Shark!"
Light flashed, and a cute little cat monster with a shark tail and fins sprang out of the Overlay Network, lazily settling onto the field.
Cat Shark
Rank 2 / Beast / Xyz / Effect
ATK: 500
After summoning Cat Shark, Yusaku looked at Chigami.
"That ends my Main Phase. I enter the Battle Phase!"
The moment he heard the words "Battle Phase," Chigami froze, then immediately looked over Yusaku's field.
Even counting the Underworld Goddess, there were only four monsters total, and Cat Shark's ATK was a pitiful 500.
After confirming that Yusaku really only had those four monsters, with one of them at just 500 ATK, Chigami burst into laughter.
"Yusaku, Yusaku! I was actually sweating over nothing. After all that effort, you only ended on four monsters! With just those four, what exactly are you going to use to break through my field?!"
Yusaku gave him a flat glance, said nothing else, and simply raised his hand toward Chigami's field.
"Battle!"
"Underworld Goddess of the Closed World, attack Earthbound Servant Geo Gryphon!"
The pitch-black goddess raised her giant claw and smashed down with annihilating force. Chigami's Life Points dropped accordingly.
[Chigami, LP 8000 -> 6900]
"Next, Fiendsmith's Lacrima attacks Earthbound Greater Linewalker!"
[Chigami, LP 6900 -> 6800]
"Then, Gigantic Spright, attack!"
Yusaku pointed toward the last monster left on Chigami's field, his voice carrying a cold edge.
"Target: Earthbound Prisoner Line Walker!"
At that instant, the blue lightning around Gigantic Spright exploded outward like a swarm of crazed fire-serpents, roaring toward Line Walker with enough force to blow everything apart.
Watching that violent arc of electricity rush toward him, the smile on Chigami's face only grew more twisted.
"Yusaku, Yusaku! Look at your field! After this, you'll only have two monsters left that haven't attacked! That amount of damage can't possibly finish me! With the cards in my hand, I'll rebuild my field next turn. In the end, this Duel is still mine!"
But before the laughter had even left his mouth, Yusaku's lightly mocking voice drifted over.
"Oh? Is that how you see it?"
The smile on Chigami's face froze.
"???"
Then Yusaku lightly snapped his fingers. The crisp sound seemed especially sharp in the silent arena.
"At the moment Gigantic Spright declared its attack, I activate Cat Shark's effect!"
"This card's effect is: once per turn, I can detach 1 material from it, then target 1 Rank 4 or lower Xyz Monster I control, and until the end of the turn, that monster's ATK becomes double its original ATK!"
Yusaku's voice rang out once more.
"So I activate that effect, detach Atlantean Heavy Infantry, and make Gigantic Spright's ATK become double its original value until the end of the turn!"
Gigantic Spright
ATK: 3200 -> 6400
"And I'm still not done! At this moment, I activate Atlantean Heavy Infantry's effect in the Graveyard!"
Yusaku pressed the attack without giving Chigami a chance to react.
"If this card is sent to the Graveyard to activate the effect of a WATER monster, I can target 1 face-up card my opponent controls and destroy it!"
"And Cat Shark just so happens to be a WATER monster! So I activate this effect and destroy your Earthbound Prisoner Line Walker!"
The instant he finished speaking, a roaring torrent of blue water erupted from the Graveyard vortex like a raging dragon and slammed straight into the last monster on Chigami's field.
With a deafening crash, Earthbound Prisoner Line Walker was swallowed up and blown to pieces.
"Then the attack continues!"
Yusaku's voice hit like thunder as he thrust his hand forward.
"First, Cat Shark attacks directly! Then, Gigantic Spright attacks directly!"
"6400 plus 500... looks like that's already more than your remaining Life Points."
Yusaku's eyes settled on Chigami, a faint trace of mockery in his tone as he repeated the same line from before.
"So. Do you still think I can't finish this Duel this turn?"
Hearing that, Chigami finally lost control completely. His eyes bulged wide, his face twisting with despair and disbelief as he screamed:
"That's impossible! I won't accept it! There's no way this is possible!"
But no matter how hysterically Chigami roared, the attacks had already been declared. The course of the Duel could no longer be changed.
At that instant, the blue lightning around Gigantic Spright swelled once more, all of its energy gathering rapidly at the cannon on its chest.
The next second, a massive blue beam carrying the force of a thunderclap exploded outward and detonated in front of Chigami. Flames and towering smoke erupted instantly, covering the entire Duel field.
Boom!
That arc of destruction did not lose momentum. It poured over Chigami like a collapsing galaxy.
Everywhere it passed, the holographic Duel field cracked apart inch by inch. Visible ripples of energy spread layer after layer, twisting the arena's light beyond recognition.
Chigami reflexively threw up an arm to shield himself, but the overwhelming force hit him like a mountain collapsing from above, sweeping him off his feet and hurling him backward.
"Ughhhhhhhhhh!!!"
His body traced a long arc through the air before slamming into the ground. He rolled several times before finally coming to a stop flat on his back in a cloud of dust.
[Chigami, LP 6800 -> 6300 -> 0]
(End of Chapter)
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