"Ugh—Mamma mia, that hurts!!"
For the second time, Crowler collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest as searing pain coursed through his body, nearly driving him to unconsciousness.
"Because of the Continuous Spell Vampire's Domain, when my Vampire monster inflicts battle damage, I regain the same amount of Life Points~"
[Camula LP: 100 → 2600]
"And finally, I Set two cards. Turn end~"
Glancing down disdainfully at the fallen Crowler, Camula bent forward with a mocking smile. Her sharp, derisive laughter echoed through the darkness that shrouded Duel Academy.
"How pathetic, Professor. For a weak, miserable duelist like you to be one of Duel Academy's top instructors—your students must be truly pitiful."
"—The Professor isn't weak at all!"
Unable to stay silent any longer, Jaden stepped forward. "Professor Crowler is an incredible duelist! I've dueled him before, so I know—his bond with his cards is stronger than anyone's!"
"Jaden?" Akasha blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Jaden, who was usually the Professor's main target of scolding, to be the one defending him.
"Ugh… You… slacker student…"
"Don't give up, Professor! Show that woman the spirit of a true Duelist!"
"Hmph… to think I'd be encouraged by a slacker… Mamma miaaaa!"
With another dramatic cry, Crowler forced himself to his feet. His body trembled unsteadily—just like his dwindling Life Points, flickering like a candle about to go out.
"Oh? You're still conscious, Professor? You'd be better off lying down and accepting defeat~"
"No! I, Vellian Crowler, refuse to be defeated by a Shadow Game!"
Determination flared in his eyes as he declared, "Because dueling is meant to give youth hope and courage—not fear and darkness!"
Jaden: "That's right, Professor!"
Minazuki: "Then that means… the Shadow Game isn't real?"
Zane: "Or rather—it should never exist in the first place."
Camula sneered. "Take a look at your field and your Life Points, Professor. You've already lost. Of course, if you tell me where the Keys are, I might consider sparing your life."
"You still deny the darkness even in this state? How stubborn."
Crowler straightened, his gaze unwavering. "It's not stubbornness. As a teacher, it's my duty to reject you here and now! My turn—draw!!"
Without a trace of hesitation, Crowler drew his next card. "I activate the Spell Card—Ancient Gear Workshop!"
[Target 1 "Ancient Gear" monster in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand.]
"I add Ancient Gear Golem to my hand!"
Akasha frowned. "He got his Ancient Gear Golem back… but with only one card in hand, he can't Tribute Summon it."
"That's fine, my dear," Crowler said with a trembling but proud smile. "Because I've prepared for this very moment! My final card—Ancient Gear Factory!"
[Select 1 "Ancient Gear" monster in your hand. Banish "Ancient Gear" cards from your Graveyard equal to twice the Level of that monster; this turn, you can Normal Summon it without Tributes. (Anime Effect)]
"I banish two Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon (Level 8) from my Graveyard—total Level 16!"
Camula's eyes narrowed. "Two?! Don't tell me—the card you discarded with Ancient Gear Drill last turn was another Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon?!"
"Precisely! Because of this Spell's effect, I can Tribute Summon—without Tributes—Ancient Gear Golem!"
[Ancient Gear Golem – ATK 3000]
Once again, the towering mechanical titan rose onto the field, and the students watching couldn't help but cheer.
"The Professor's ace monster is back!"
"Don't lose to that cheating vampire!"
"You might look like Pot of Greed, Professor, but right now, you're the coolest man alive!"
Zane, however, remained composed. "Even if he attacks with Ancient Gear Golem, Camula's Vampire Fraulein only has 600 ATK. If she pays 2500 Life Points with her effect, Golem will still lose."
"That's why," Crowler declared, raising his last Set card high, "the outcome of this duel will be decided by this!"
He flipped over the card he'd Set last turn—retrieved earlier by Ancient Gear Drill.
"This is the Spell Card I stake my soul on—Ancient Gear Fusion!"
[Fusion Summon 1 "Ancient Gear" Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as Fusion Material. If you use "Ancient Gear Golem" or "Ancient Gear Golem – Ultimate Pound" you control as Fusion Material, you can also use monsters from your Deck as material.]
Jaden's eyes lit up. "No way—the fusion of Ancient Gears!? That's awesome, Professor!"
"Now then!" Crowler roared. "I fuse my on-field Ancient Gear Golem with Ancient Gear Wyvern and Ancient Gear Statue from my Deck! This is my full power—!"
As the three mechanical titans merged, the earth trembled beneath their combined might.
"Fusion Summon! Come forth—Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem!!"
[Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem ★★★★★★★★★★ (Level 10)][EARTH][Machine/Fusion/Effect][ATK 4400 / DEF 3400]
"I-It has 4400 Attack Points…" Even Camula's confident expression faltered as the colossal automaton loomed over her.
"Prepare yourself, Camula! I target Vampire Fraulein! This is the ultimate strike of the Ancient Gears—Ultimate Crusher!"
Camula laughed sharply. "Hehahaha! Still one step short, Professor! Before your attack lands, I activate my Trap—Taunt!"
Camula flipped over the face-down card at her feet—her Vampire Lord stepped forward, blocking Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem's advance.
"When Taunt is activated, you can only attack my Vampire Lord! Then, during damage calculation, my Vampire Fraulein's effect activates!"
[Camula LP: 2600 → 100]
[Vampire Lord ATK 2000 → 4500]
Camula paid all her remaining Life Points, boosting her Vampire Lord's ATK by 2500—just enough to surpass Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem by a mere 100 points.
Darkness and steel clashed, the impact thunderous. Cracks spread from the Golem's steel fist as its massive frame collapsed under the overwhelming force.
"Exactly 100 points of damage—that's the end, Professor!"
[Crowler LP: 100]
"Huh?! His Life Points didn't change?!"
Crowler pulled a card from his Graveyard and declared,
"I activate the effect of Ancient Gear Statue, which was sent to the Graveyard earlier by Ancient Gear Fusion! By banishing this card from my Graveyard, I take no battle damage this turn! And then—!"(???)
From the crumbling remains of Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, another machine burst forth—its red eyes glowing ominously.
Even Zane was taken aback. "Inside Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem… there was another Ancient Gear Golem?!"
"Exactly!" Crowler announced. "That's the effect of Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem! When this card is destroyed, I can Special Summon Ancient Gear Golem from my Graveyard, ignoring its Summoning conditions!"
[Ancient Gear Golem – ATK 3000]
"And since Vampire Fraulein's ATK boost only lasts until the end of the Damage Step, your Vampire Lord's ATK returns to normal!"
[Vampire Lord ATK 4500 → 2000]
With a commanding gesture, Crowler resumed the final Battle Phase. His side, representing light, now stood firm against the encroaching darkness.
"And now, Camula—you've run out of Life Points to pay! This will be the true final strike!"
"You… you disgusting duelist! To think I'd be cornered to this extent—unforgivable… UNFORGIVABLE!!"
Camula's elegant facade twisted into monstrous fury, her fanged mouth wide open. She no longer resembled a lady but a pure-blooded beast driven by bloodlust.
"Enough of your tantrums, Vampire! When the fist of justice descends, your defeat is already sealed!"
"Hmph… you've forced me to use this card, Crowler. Well done! I offer my soul as tribute to the Sacred Beasts! I activate the Quick-Play Spell—Illusion Gate!"
The air froze. A dark gate materialized behind Camula, radiating an aura of sin and chaos. The power within it was enough to tear the world apart.
[Illusion Gate – Quick-Play Spell Effect: You can only activate this card by offering your soul to the Sacred Beasts. When a player loses the Duel, their soul is sacrificed to the Sacred Beasts.]
Crowler's expression tightened. "Th-The Illusion Gate…?"
Camula smirked. "Yes… This is the power that extinguishes all light and connects me to the strongest of the Sacred Beasts! Before your Golem can attack, I activate Gate of the Sacred Beasts!"
[①: Destroy all monsters your opponent controls. Then Special Summon 1 monster that your opponent has used during this duel, ignoring the Summoning conditions.]
"All existence must bow before the might of the Sacred Beasts! Destroy him—Ancient Gear Golem!!"
[Ancient Gear Golem – Destroyed]
Dark energy surged from the Gate, crushing Crowler's last monster into nothing.
"And now, by the effect of Gate of the Sacred Beasts, I can Special Summon one monster from the Graveyard, ignoring its Summoning conditions! So I'll be taking your so-called 'symbol of hope'—rise again, Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem!"
[Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem – ATK 4400]
Now wreathed in a black aura, Crowler's strongest Fusion Monster stood on Camula's field. The sight alone struck despair into every student watching.
"No way… How is there even a card that can do that?!"
"Even if the Professor gave it everything he had… can he really defeat a Shadow Game?"
"Silence, everyone!" Crowler shouted, lowering his Duel Disk. His expression was calm now—resigned. "This… this will be my final lecture as Vellian Crowler."
"Professor…?"
"Even if I lose this Shadow Game, remember this—darkness can never surpass the light! Promise me, all of you: no matter what happens, never lose faith in the hope and courage that dueling brings!"
Camula cackled wildly. "Is your lecture finished, Professor? Then it's time for the final offering! Your soul shall be a sacrifice to the Sacred Beasts!"
Crowler straightened his back and smiled faintly. "Whenever you're ready, Vampire Camula. Even if you defeat me, you can never erase the seeds of love and light that have taken root in this Academy!"
Facing three monsters on Camula's field with only 100 Life Points left, Crowler stood tall—ready to accept his fate.
"Then perish! Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem—Ultimate Punch!!"
The mechanical titan's engines roared, lightning crackling across its armor as it charged a killing blow—
"——Shitihuanin Vajra Strike!"
A blinding flash split the darkness. From the roar of thunder emerged a D-Wheel, its rider thrusting a glowing card forward.
Crowler blinked. "Huh? I'm… not dead?"
When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar figure of Headmistress Hoshino, standing before him on her D-Wheel, card in hand, channeling the power of the Millennium Bracelet to repel the darkness.
"You trying to play the hero and die here would really be troublesome for me, Professor Crowler~"
"H-Headmistress!"
Overcome with relief, Crowler trembled. Never had he imagined he'd be grateful to see her—of all people.
Camula stepped back, eyes widening. "You're… that person from last night?!"
"That's right. I'm Hoshino, Headmaster of Duel Academy—I introduced myself yesterday, didn't I? But this time, you're not getting away, Camula!"
Jumping down from her D-Wheel, Hoshino slid her Deck into her Duel Disk and struck a confident pose.
"Time for a tag-in! This is an interference duel! And I'll crush your darkness completely, Vampire!"