"So that's really the end, huh!?"
Only now did the Vampire's Curse realize something was off.
[Kira, LP 5500]
"Five thousand five!?" The vampire was shocked. "When did you—"
You healed again?
"Oh."
Kira flashed a Spell Card.
"When you activated 'Destruct Potion,' I chained this card," Kira said. "Quick-Play Spell 'Emergency Provisions.' By sending Spell/Trap Cards on the field to the Graveyard, I gain 1000 Life Points for each one."
He then showed two cards that had just hit the Graveyard.
"I sent the Trap 'Intruder Alarm - Yellow Alert' that was activated in the same chain, and the Continuous Spell 'Mirage of Nightmare' to the Graveyard," Kira said. "Two backrow, so I gained 2000 Life Points."
The Vampire's Curse curled his lip.
Didn't expect the other guy to be able to heal too.
But—
His gaze swept his own field: his two big Vampire monsters.
After its revival, Vampire's Curse gains 500 ATK by its own effect, and during damage calculation it gains another 500 ATK from "Vampire Kingdom." While "Evil Eye of Coercion" is active it can attack directly, so that's a straight 3000 damage.
Vampire Lord has 2000 ATK, and when it attacks it likewise gains the "Vampire Kingdom" boost for +500. If the attack goes through, that's 2500 damage.
Total, exactly 5500.
Cut down.
At that thought, the vampire's mouth tugged into a grin.
"So you were hiding a life-saving trick like that... But muda! This turn, you still have to face defeat!"
"Effect of Evil Eye of Coercion!"
The vampire's aura surged.
"Have the freshly revived 'Vampire's Curse' attack directly!"
A black cloak billowed. The single demonic bone wing beat up a storm, its edge glinting dark red in the blood moon's light.
A shriek like a thousand bats poured out from every side of the imperial castle, swarming the vampire and wheeling about him, a dense, airless gale, a net of darkness woven like a weapon obeying orders.
"After revival, Vampire's Curse's ATK increases, and with 'Vampire Kingdom' stacked on top, during damage calculation its ATK totals 3000!"
"That's the same ATK as Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Jaden said.
"Die, you lapdog of the Supreme King—"
"Don't rush. Before entering damage calculation—Trap, 'Call of the Earthbound'." Kira calmly raised a hand. "When the opponent declares an attack, I choose the attack target."
Crap!
The vampire's pupils shrank. He realized at once what was coming—
"Reassign Vampire's Curse's attack target. The monster I choose is, of course, 'Reflect Bounder'!"
[Reflect Bounder, ATK 1700]
Kira smiled slightly and crooked a finger.
"And when Reflect Bounder is attacked, before damage calculation, it reflects damage to the opponent equal to that attacking monster's ATK."
[Vampire's Curse, ATK 2500]
The vampire's image was reflected in the mirror—then a phantom vampire seemed to burst out of the surface! Identical to the Vampire's Curse, it sprang across the field without mercy, came face-to-face with the original, and with a flick of its claws drew a line across the original's neck.
"Gwaaah!"
[Vampire's Curse, LP 4000 → LP 1500]
"Damn..."
The vampire was already coughing blood.
He had guarded against everything, used every trick and tool, and still couldn't avoid this cursed mirror. A humanoid Magic Cylinder had bounced the hit straight back into his own face.
"...But the battle isn't over, and battle damage still gets calculated," the Vampire's Curse snarled. "Destroy that Reflect Bounder!"
"I know," Kira nodded.
Reflect Bounder isn't literally Magic Cylinder. It has "reflect damage equal to the attacker's ATK," but doesn't "negate the attack."
In other words, after the reflection, it still gets destroyed by battle.
"And when we enter damage calculation, Vampire's Curse's ATK increases by 500!"
[Vampire's Curse, ATK 2500 → ATK 3000]
The vampire's claws fell. The mirror shattered. Reflect Bounder completed its mission and exited the stage with honor.
[Kira, LP 5500 → LP 4200]
"It's not over. I still have my Lord who hasn't attacked!" the vampire roared. "Vampire Lord, direct attack!"
The remaining Lord lunged forward. From the imperial scenery a swarm of bats rose up again, circling him. Blood mist like tangible power flowed into his body, granting a brief boost.
This time Kira had no answer. He only raised his Duel Disk like a shield to meet the blow—
[Kira, LP 4200 → LP 1700]
Finally landed a hit!
The Vampire's Curse was almost in tears of joy—this hit had been so hard-won.
But he didn't forget to continue the sequence: "Now for the Lord's effect! When Vampire Lord inflicts battle damage, I declare 'Spell.' You must send a Spell from your Deck to the Graveyard!"
Kira nodded, searched his Deck, and sent the ejected Spell to the Graveyard.
"And at this timing, the effect of 'Vampire Kingdom' also activates. Once per turn, when the opponent sends a card from their Deck to the Graveyard, I send a Vampire from my Deck to the Graveyard and destroy a card on the field!"
He pointed at Kira's last remaining swordswoman, his face twisted.
"Begone! You cursed swordswoman!"
Bats and blood mist swirled around Amazoness Swords Woman, and with a boom she exploded and left the field.
"Hahahaha—"
Seeing the other side's toxic swordswoman and gloomy mirror both wiped clean, the vampire felt a rush of elation, as if a stuffy weight was finally vented.
Damn, you love reflecting, you love recoil.
Go on, reflect another one, why don't you?
"My turn. Draw."
Kira looked up and smiled lightly.
"Not bad. You cleared both the swordswoman and the Reflect Bounder. Then it looks like I should summon something a bit more proper on my side..."
The Vampire's Curse tensed.
Only now did he realize that up to this point, the opponent had been stalling with low-level, turtling little monsters. If that's the case, had he just been toying around this entire time, not even serious?
So what he's about to bring out now... is a true ace-tier big monster—
He had to admit, though he'd never seen this kind of strategy before and it made his blood pressure spike the longer it went, he could feel this person was unlike any opponent he'd faced.
This guy is strong.
And now someone like that planned to get serious...
He steeled himself completely.
Stay calm.
No matter what gets summoned, the Vampire's Curse is undead. No matter how many times you destroy him, he'll keep reviving stronger.
As long as you stack enough lives, there's no monster he can't fell—
"Activate the Spell Card 'Tribute Burial.'"
Kira coolly flipped a card from his hand.
"When this card is activated, as a substitute for a Tribute Summon, you can banish 1 monster each from your and your opponent's Graveyard, and treat them as the Tributes."
An anime card used by Marik—Kira had found that Marik had quite a few cards to his taste.
This one actually has a real print, with the core idea intact. In the original, it could be used to summon any Level 5+ monster without restriction—whether 1, 2, or 3 Tributes all got covered—while the printed version only covers Level 7+ monsters that require two Tributes.
And the real card added a self-restriction: after activation, you can't Special Summon for the rest of the turn—something the original didn't have.
The Vampire's Curse blanched. "Using monsters in the Graveyards to Tribute Summon?"
"Banish your 'Vampire Bat' and my 'Reflect Bounder' from the Graveyard as Tributes—Tribute Summon!
Show yourself—Level 10 monsters!"
The vampire's heart pounded.
A Level 10 boss!
All the blood clan on the field paled.
This is the spirit realm—ninety-nine percent of spirits who live their whole lives here only ever hear that Level 10 monsters exist.
To them, Level 10 is god-tier, a dimension mortals can't touch.
And here and now, this man was actually commanding a Level 10 monster?
The Vampire's Curse was aghast, and couldn't stop trembling.
This was also his first time in life facing a Level 10 monster.
What would it be like?
Then, in the summoning vortex, a slender yet jagged demon body with folded arms rose from the golden light.
The demon's bone wings spread slowly. Its beautiful heterochromatic eyes gleamed with eerie light. The third eye on its brow opened, as if it could pierce a soul.
"Level 10—Yubel," Kira said. "Summon."
"Yu—Yubel?"
That caught even Jaden flat-footed for a second.
Then he instantly remembered—oh right, the Arbiter.
A friendship gift from the Arbiter, no doubt—
[Yubel, ATK 0]
The Vampire's Curse was dumbfounded.
A Level 10 boss with 0 ATK?
But he didn't dare underestimate it. If anything, the demon gave him an ominous chill; just meeting those three pretty heterochromatic eyes filled him with fear.
"Battle," Kira said evenly. "Yubel, attack 'Vampire's Curse.'"
Instinctive terror in the vampire spiked. "Using a 0 ATK monster to attack!?"
His voice was already trembling.
"Yup. But Yubel takes no battle damage and can't be destroyed by battle.
And—"
Kira smiled faintly.
"She deals to the opponent damage equal to the battle damage she would have taken." (original effect)
The Vampire's Curse froze.
Then his mouth slowly fell open as he stared at this Level 10 boss, his expression twisting—
No way!
A high-spec PLUS version of that cursed swordswoman!?
This is your ace? This is your Level 10 boss??
Is there seriously not a single normal monster in your entire Deck???
But Yubel had already descended before his vampire. A wicked red gleam flashed in her eyes. It was like a tease, like she was saying, Come on then, come closer—
Then the vampire's duplicate's eyes lit with the same eerie glow. As if losing control of his body, he roared and hurled himself at Yubel—
"No—stop, don't go!"
The vampire bellowed.
"Yamero (stop)!!!"
But his avatar ignored him. Its claws raked across Yubel—
Yubel wore a look of bliss. The impact was absorbed in full, then rebounded along clinging vines, lancing straight back through the vampire's heart.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
[Vampire's Curse, LP 1500 → LP 0]
PS: Bonus chapters at 1000 PS