"2500 ATK?!" Jack blurted out in shock once again. "That's already on the same level as Yusei's Stardust Dragon!"
"It's not over yet." Dio continued his play. "I activate Scrap Golem's effect. Once per turn, I can target 1 Level 4 or lower 'Scrap' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it to either my field or my opponent's field."
"I choose to Special Summon the Scrap Kong that was just destroyed from my Graveyard—to my own field!"
The fridge-like door in Scrap Golem's body swung open, and Scrap Kong leapt back out, landing on Dio's field once more as the saws on its arms began buzzing again.
Watching from the side, Dole trembled. "He feels even stronger than when he dueled me..."
The light in Kiryu's eyes had already grown fierce as fire. "Excellent. What a satisfying combo!"
Yusei, meanwhile, quietly asked Crow beside him, "Crow, where exactly did you find someone this strong?"
"Isn't he just Dio, that scavenger from the junkyard who was always digging through trash and looking kind of spacey? You'd seen him once or twice before too, hadn't you? You really couldn't recognize him?" Crow sounded genuinely puzzled.
"The difference is too big."
Yusei looked at the duelist on the field—focused, fluid in his movements, his silver hair fluttering slightly with each action like the limbs of an octopus in motion—then compared him to the image in his memory: that short-haired scavenger with vacant eyes and somewhat timid mannerisms.
"They're practically not even the same person. Even his hairstyle changed."
Jack was the one under the greatest pressure.
In just a single turn, Dio had used the synergy between his cards' effects to establish two powerful monsters on his field—one with 2500 ATK, the other with 2200.
Jack's defensive line was on the verge of being broken through with ease.
"Now, Battle Phase!"
Dio did not hesitate. He launched his attack immediately.
"Scrap Kong, attack Dark Resonator!"
Scrap Kong charged at the little fiend, swinging its whirring chainsaw arms. Dark Resonator hurriedly raised its tuning fork to block, and sparks flew violently where metal met metal. It barely managed to hold off the attack, but it was clearly on the verge of collapse.
Dark Resonator's effect activated—this turn, it would not be destroyed by battle.
"Now Dark Resonator's effect has been used up."
Dio calmly pointed that out, then issued his second attack command.
"In that case—Scrap Golem, attack Dark Resonator!"
Scrap Golem lumbered forward on heavy steps, raising the huge industrial fan attached to its right arm and preparing to bring it crashing down on the little fiend.
"At this moment, I activate my face-down card!"
Jack shouted in response as one of his set cards flipped up.
"I activate the Trap Card Interdimensional Matter Transporter! I target 1 face-up monster I control, and that face-up monster is banished until the End Phase of this turn!"
A warped crack in space opened beside Dark Resonator, instantly swallowing it up and removing it from the field.
"Oh? So you'd rather take battle damage than lose your key Tuner monster."
Kiryu nodded approvingly. "A wise decision. Preserving your hope for a comeback—that's the kind of duel that truly satisfies."
"He'll still take battle damage?" Dole had not quite followed. "But Dark Resonator was banished, wasn't it? Why would he still get hurt?"
"The attack rewinds," Yusei explained simply. "When the number of monsters on the field changes, the attacking player can choose a new attack target. And now Jack doesn't have any other monsters on the field."
Which meant it could become a direct attack.
"Scrap Golem, direct attack!"
Naturally, Dio was not going to let that chance slip away. Scrap Golem altered the trajectory of its massive fan-arm mid-swing, and with a howling rush of wind, it smashed solidly into Jack.
"Gah—!"
The impact from the hologram felt surprisingly real. Jack cried out as he was knocked backward a short distance and hit the ground in a rather undignified sprawl.
Jack LP: 4000 → 1500
Even Dio himself was startled.
Were the impact effects from Duel Disk holograms really this strong?
Looking at Jack lying on the floor, he asked a little worriedly,
"Um... if it hurts too much, we can stop the duel?"
"Don't underestimate me!"
Jack pushed himself back to his feet with one hand on the ground.
It hurt, yes—but not that much. After all, it was still just a hologram. At worst, it felt like getting punched.
He brushed the dust off himself, his face burning with even greater fighting spirit than before.
"What is a little pain? I'll show you what a duel from Jack Atlas really looks like!"
"My turn—"
"Wait!"
Dio hurriedly stopped Jack from trying to skip straight past his own Main Phase 2.
"I set two cards and end my turn."
He placed two cards face-down in his back row. Though his field position was overwhelmingly favorable, Jack still had one unknown set card remaining. Dio needed to stay cautious.
"Hmph. You are pretty careful. Since you ended your turn, Dark Resonator returns to my field."
Jack had calmed down a little, but his fighting spirit had not diminished in the slightest.
He forcefully drew the top card from his deck, as though trying to pour all of his momentum into that one motion.
"My turn—draw!"
"Good!"
Jack glanced at the card he had just drawn, and the corners of his mouth curled upward into a fierce, warlike grin.
"Watch closely! This is what real power looks like!"
"First, I activate my set Trap Card Embodiment of Apophis!"
One of Jack's face-down cards flipped face-up.
"By its effect, after activation this card becomes a Normal Monster—Reptile / EARTH / Level 4 / ATK 1600 / DEF 1800—and is Special Summoned to my Monster Zone!"
The Trap Card transformed into light, and a serpentine warrior phantom appeared on Jack's field, holding a scepter with a giant snake coiled behind it.
"A Trap Monster?" Dio felt a small stir of surprise. He had not expected Jack to use that kind of monster.
"Then I Normal Summon Invasion Worm!"
A tiny grotesque machine-insect monster appeared on the field, crackling with electricity.
Invasion Worm / Machine / DARK / Level 1 / ATK 400 / DEF 0
"Ohhh! Together with the Level 3 Tuner on the field, Dark Resonator, and the Level 4 Embodiment of Apophis..."
Dole's eyes widened as he shouted excitedly,
"That makes a total of Level 8! Is it coming?! Boss Jack's ace monster?!"
"Before that, I activate this Spell Card!"
Jack inserted another card from his hand into the Duel Disk.
"Earthquake! When this card is activated, all face-up monsters on the field are changed to Defense Position!"
Rumble—!
The holograms simulated a violent earthquake. Dio's Scrap Golem and Scrap Kong, along with Jack's own Embodiment of Apophis and Invasion Worm, were all forced by the shaking ground to change their stances and shift into Defense Position.
-------
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