Chapter 174: Slaying Relinquished
The attack of Relinquished was successfully launched, yet Pegasus frowned. He noticed that on Yugi's scoreboard on the Duel Arena, his Life Points remained unchanged at 2300.
"When your Relinquished declared an attack, I activated my Set Card," Hayato spoke up, raising a hand to point at the card he had just revealed. "(Support Fire). This card can only be used when your monster declares an attack."
"Its effect is to increase the attacked monster's ATK by the ATK of another monster on my Field. In other words, the (Dark Magician)'s ATK will be increased by the ATK of Performapal Helper Princess on my Field."
(Dark Magician) [ATK 2500 -> 3700]
"Hmph, in that case, I'll use Archfiend of Gilfer as a substitute for Relinquished." As the smoke cleared, Pegasus also saw Performapal Helper Princess standing beside the (Dark Magician), helping it to block the attack. He wasn't annoyed. With a cold smile, he sent the Archfiend of Gilfer that Yugi had forced upon him back to Yugi's Graveyard, along with an overflow of 600 points of damage.
Relinquished [ATK 3100 → 3600]
[Yugi: 2300 → 1700 LP]
"Gah!" It was Yugi's turn to experience the pain Hayato had felt. Although it was only a mere 600 points of damage, because the personality currently in control was the relatively less resilient Yugi Muto, he nearly fainted from the pain. He barely managed to hold on through sheer willpower.
'Aibo, let me take over!' Yami Yugi's voice echoed from within the (Millennium Puzzle). 'This Shadow Game is too much of a mental burden for you!'
Yugi forced himself to stay focused, using the handrail of the Duel Arena to stand up. "I-I can still hold on for a while, Yami Yugi. Until you can figure out a way to defeat Pegasus, I will keep fighting!"
Sending the returned Archfiend of Gilfer back to the Graveyard, Yugi did not activate its effect again. Previously, due to a misunderstanding of Relinquished's effect, Yugi had lowered its ATK but failed to destroy it, inadvertently freeing Relinquished from (Rainbow Kuriboh)'s restraint.
Continuing to Equip Archfiend of Gilfer to Relinquished would be useless. Pegasus could simply launch a suicidal attack, relying on Relinquished's ability to use its absorbed monster as a substitute. In that scenario, it would be Hayato and Yugi who would lose Life Points.
"Oh? Have you felt the pain of the Shadow Game, Yugi? Remember this agony well, because this is the damage brought to you by the 'Bonds' and 'Friendship' you hold so dear!" Pegasus's face twisted into a snarl. "End Turn."
[Pegasus: 4000 LP, Hand: 0]
Relinquished (equipped with Performapal Sky Magician, Performapal Sky Pupil) [3600/2800]
[Set Card]
"My Turn, Draw!"
"Then I'll use (Pot of Greed) to draw two more cards!"
Drawing two cards from his Deck, Hayato looked at them and felt the situation was tricky.
Although Relinquished currently boasted a massive 3600 ATK, seeming invincible, Hayato now held a combination in his hand sufficient to defeat it.
However, it was not without a cost. Hayato glanced at Yugi, then suddenly smiled and resolutely activated the effect of a card in his hand: "I activate the effect of Grandsoil the Elemental Lord from my Hand! When I have exactly five EARTH Attribute monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon it from my Hand!"
On Hayato's Field, the apparitions of five monsters appeared. Thanks to the (Power Wall) he had activated earlier, he was able to gather five EARTH Attribute monsters in his Graveyard. Thunder boomed and the earth trembled as a colossal Spirit God awakened from beneath the ground. After absorbing the soul power of the five monsters, it roared at the heavens!
[Grandsoil the Elemental Lord] [ATK 2800]
"On the turn Grandsoil is Special Summoned, I activate its Special Effect! Revive one monster from the Graveyard!" Grandsoil raised its arm and plunged it forcefully into the ground, as if trying to pull something from the very depths of the earth.
"Is this your true Ace Monster, Grandsoil, Hayato?" Pegasus's right eye regained a fleeting moment of clarity at the appearance of Grandsoil, but it was quickly consumed by madness again. "But it's useless! No matter what monster you Revive, it's impossible to defeat Relinquished!"
"Even a God will only become its nourishment!"
Hayato felt a throbbing pain in his temples. Wielding Grandsoil for the second time in a Shadow Game, he still hadn't adapted to the heavy burden that came with it, and his breathing grew labored.
Forcing himself to stay sharp, Hayato gave Pegasus a defiant smile. "We'll see about that."
"Although Yugi and I don't have any particularly powerful monsters in our Graveyards, Grandsoil's dominion over the Graveyard includes yours as well, Pegasus!" Hayato said with a grin, pointing a finger at Pegasus's Field. "You've been waiting for this for a long time, haven't you? A chance to avenge your master?"
"Soar forth from the Graveyard, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"What?!"
A brilliant Holy Light erupted from the passage to the underworld that Grandsoil had created. Accompanied by a resounding Dragon Roar that scattered all Darkness, the White Dragon, an incarnation of light itself, took the stage!
It was the very Blue-Eyes White Dragon that Pegasus had stolen and thrown into the Graveyard at the very beginning of the Duel!
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] [ATK 3000]
"It's... Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Even Yugi was stunned. Watching the White Dragon soar into the sky and roar angrily at Pegasus, the sense of security it brought was as immense as the pressure he had felt when he once faced Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"To deal with you, I have to include Kaiba's share of the fight," Hayato said as he played his final card. "I activate the Spell Card, (Power of Succession)! Yugi!"
"Go ahead and use it, Hayato!" Little communication was needed; the tacit understanding between Hayato and Yugi was confirmed with just a single glance.
"I Tribute the (Dark Magician) to increase the ATK of Performapal Helper Princess!"
[Performapal Helper Princess] [ATK 1200 → 3700]
"Its ATK is higher than Relinquished?" Pegasus's eyes widened. "This is bad!"
He understood Hayato's plan, but he had no way to stop him.
"Witness our power, Pegasus!" Hayato swept his hand forward. "The first strike, Performapal Helper Princess!"
"Yahoo!" Channeling the surging Magical Energy inherited from the (Dark Magician) completely into her staff, Performapal Helper Princess took aim and hurled her palm-shaped staff, with its middle finger raised, like a javelin at Relinquished, striking it precisely in its eye!
"Damn it! I'll use Performapal Sky Pupil as a substitute!" Pegasus retorted, unwilling to show weakness. With a flash of black light, Performapal Sky Pupil returned to Hayato's Graveyard, and Hayato's Life Points decreased as a result.
Relinquished [3600/2800 → 2800/2000]
[Hayato: 3800 → 3700 LP]
"It's not over yet! The second strike, Grandsoil the Elemental Lord!" As if he hadn't noticed the damage, Hayato's fighting spirit soared as he commanded, "Divine Fist Shattering Blow!"
A colossal fist, as large as a mountain, came crashing down. Relinquished used the same trick again, offering up Performapal Sky Magician as a substitute. The cannon of magical energy and the giant fist collided, resulting in the Mutual Destruction of Hayato's two monsters, which then left the Field.
Relinquished [2800/2000 → 0/0]
"Because Performapal Sky Magician left the Field, I can activate its effect! Target one card on the Field and destroy it!" Pegasus glared at Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "Go back to the Graveyard, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"Don't even think about it! I activate my Set Card, (Attack Invincibility)!" The remnant magical energy from Performapal Sky Magician locked onto Blue-Eyes White Dragon, but Hayato activated his Set Card without hesitation. "This card can only be activated during the Battle Phase! Target one monster; it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects!"
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the final blow is yours!"
"Burst Stream of Destruction!"
"ROAR!"
A destructive breath of white light, carrying the full wrath of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, engulfed Relinquished, which had exhausted all of its substitutes.
"Arrrggghhh!!!" Piercing through the 0 ATK Relinquished without any resistance, the full 3000 ATK of Blue-Eyes White Dragon slammed into Pegasus, causing him to let out a pained howl.
[Pegasus: 4000 → 1000 LP]
Pegasus has entered the "Life Point lock" phase in one step.
I've seen some comments in the review section, saying that writing only one or two turns per chapter is too slow and that I don't need to write so much plot description.
Actually, I could write it much faster, for example—
Pegasus: "Activate (Advanced Ritual Art), send Thousand-Eyes Idol to the Graveyard to Special Summon Relinquished."
Hayato: "(Magician's Right Hand) counters."
Pegasus: "Chain (Snowstorm) to counter the counter, Special Summon successful, then absorb Performapal Sky Magician, attack directly."
Hayato: "Equip (Rainbow Kuriboh) to it."
Pegasus: "End Turn, your move."
This way, I could write several turns in one chapter. I'd also save myself the trouble of thinking up plot descriptions, and you all could finish a whole duel in a single chapter. But would that be interesting?
I might as well just play a couple of rounds in a game like YGO or Duel Links, and then just post a link in the chapter for you all to watch the replay yourselves.
(end of chapter)