"Kotodama's effect is…"
Pegasus's voice carried a hint of mockery as he explained to Kaiba.
"If two cards with the same name appear on the field, the one that appeared later will be mercilessly destroyed by the power of rules~"
"Damn it…"
Kaiba clenched his teeth, his heart full of frustration.
The rule's restriction was like an invisible shackle, completely shattering his plan to summon his ultimate ace.
'No choice…'
Helplessly, Kaiba declared:
"My turn ends!"
The only relief was that his field was now empty.
As long as there were no monsters, Pegasus couldn't directly attack and deal damage.
"Mmm~ my turn."
Pegasus leisurely drew a card, his eyes sweeping over his hand and field, the corners of his mouth curled in a relaxed smile.
He seemed quite pleased with the current situation.
"For this turn… I'll just set a card and end~"
His tone was as casual as if he were enjoying afternoon tea, tossing all the pressure back onto Kaiba.
"My turn! Draw!"
Kaiba's voice carried the determination of someone with no way back. He quickly reclaimed the cards he had set aside earlier.
'The blind draw strategy won't work…'
He realized that even the card flipped in an instant—if his intent was read—Pegasus would always have a counter ready.
'That guy… has he already calculated everything ten, even nine turns ahead?'
The feeling of being completely seen through sent a chill down Kaiba's spine.
His sharp eyes turned to the card he had just drawn—Crush Card Virus!
'Good!'
Kaiba's heart stirred.
'This is my chance!'
He immediately checked his hand. Confirmed—he had a DARK monster with less than 1000 Attack!
"I set a card!"
Promptly, Kaiba slammed Crush Card Virus face-down into his Spell/Trap Zone.
Then, he revealed another card from his hand.
"Next, I Normal Summon Saggi the Dark Clown in Attack Position! My turn ends!"
"My turn draw"
Pegasus elegantly drew a card, and the moment his fingers left the back of it, Kaiba flipped his face-down card!
"At this moment! I activate my Trap Card—Crush Card Virus!"
A sinister purple mist spread from the Trap, surging toward Pegasus's field with an aura of destruction.
'Why… is he laughing?!'
Kaiba's pupils shrank, a terrible premonition rising within him.
That knowing smile on Pegasus's face was blindingly sharp.
"Heh… heh heh heh ha ha ha!"
Pegasus laughed with delight.
"Just as I thought, Kaiba-boy! You're still following the script I wrote for you, step by step!"
With a flick of his finger, a card he had already prepared lit up.
"Chain activation—Quick-Play Spell, Rush Recklessly!"
The card showed a tusked, raging boar charging forward with savage force!
Although that empowering glow didn't fall upon Pegasus's monster.
That primal flood of power instead poured straight into Kaiba's clown!
"Wha—?!"
Kaiba's voice caught in his throat.
Pegasus's magic struck Saggi the Dark Clown with precision!
A torrent of violent energy erupted from the clown, its Attack skyrocketing beyond its usual strength!
On Kaiba's Duel Disk display, Saggi the Dark Clown's Attack value surged from 600 straight up to 1300!
'Oh no!'
Kaiba's heart clenched as if in an icy vise.
'The Crush Card Virus requires tributing a DARK monster with 1000 Attack or less! But Saggi's Attack… has already exceeded the limit!'
In that instant, the destructive purple mist stalled!
Without a proper tribute as its vessel, the deadly virus lost its anchor.
The energy of the Trap distorted violently, and with a screech like shattering glass—it collapsed!
Exploding into flecks of purple light, it vanished into the air.
Kaiba's carefully laid trap, before its fangs could even bite, was crushed with a casual gesture.
"Heh heh heh…"
Pegasus chuckled deeply, bowing slightly as though closing a masterful play.
"What a pity, Kaiba-boy~ It seems your so-called trump card… failed to live up to its name, hmm?"
That drawn-out lilt dripped with mockery.
"Damn…"
The word squeezed out between Kaiba's teeth, veins throbbing at his temple.
'Even this… even my final counter was within his calculations? Just how many steps ahead has Pegasus foreseen?!'
A crushing sense of futility and dread swept over him, as if every move fell into a trap already laid.
"Well then, with that little interlude over~ we can officially proceed with my turn."
Pegasus's voice regained its casual mastery, his fingertip tapping as another card lit up.
"I activate the Spell Card—Luminous Spark!"
At his command, the massive Toon World comic book hovering over his field let out a rustle, its pages flipping!
The cartoon town depicted before was instantly replaced—by a magnificent, radiant cartoon castle rising in holy light! Its spires gleamed in rainbow halos, majestic as a fairy tale fortress.
"This card's effect—"
Pegasus announced like an aria.
"One LIGHT monster I control gains 700 Attack!"
Whummm—!
A pillar of brilliant light pierced the sky, pouring directly into the giant comic book!
Immediately, a loud, cartoonish dragon's roar echoed out!
The Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon emerged in the castle's glow, its power magnified!
[Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, ATK: 3000 → 3700]
"Now then~"
Pegasus's smile turned cold and dangerous. With an elegant sweep of his arm, he pointed at Kaiba's Saggi the Dark Clown.
"Playtime is over, Kaiba-boy. Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon! Attack! Toon Burst Stream of Destruction!!"
Boom—!!!
The comic book tore open!
The cartoonish dragon, eyes rolling, thrust out its massive head—not with playful light, but with a searing sphere of annihilation!
The orb condensed to its limit, then shot forth like an over-the-top cartoon cannonball, ripping the air apart as it slammed into Saggi the Dark Clown!
[Kaiba, LP: 2000 → 0]
...
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