Revival Golem—Summon!
"Using my attack to perform a monster summon—not bad," Tania said. "Now you're starting to look a little like a strong man should.
Then I'll set—"
"Don't be so hasty. Your Battle Phase isn't over yet."
Kira snapped his fingers.
"At the end of your Battle Phase, I activate my face-down card, the Continuous Trap—Ultimate Offering."
"What?" Tania said. "You're activating it at the end of my Battle Phase?"
"That's right. Ultimate Offering's effect can only be used during your opponent's Battle Phase or your own Main Phase," Kira said. "By paying 500 Life Points, I can perform a Normal Summon of a monster from my hand."
[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 3500]
"So I pay 500 LP and Tribute my Skelengel and Revival Golem to perform a Tribute Summon."
Skelengel and Revival Golem vanished from the field, and a white whirlwind rose.
"I Tribute Summon this monster from my hand… face-down in Defense Position."
A face-down set monster appeared on Kira's field.
Tania was even more surprised. "Two Tributes… but it's face-down Defense?"
Ninety-nine percent of duelists use Tribute monsters as attackers. High-end shields like Millennium Shield, which hits 3000 DEF with a single Tribute, are rarely used. And even if it's a special utility monster like Yubel, there's no reason to set it face-down after a Tribute Summon.
Using two Tributes just to set something face-down in Defense—she'd practically never seen that in her dueling career.
"Interesting. You're getting more and more intriguing," Tania said. "Then I set one card and end my turn."
"My turn. Draw."
Kira drew and smiled faintly.
"I can feel your passion for dueling. To be honest, I also have a very good friend who's just like you—always aflame with passion for how a duel unfolds."
"Is that so? I'd really like to meet them," Tania laughed. "Yes, dueling is everything to me—it's the reason I live! Without intense battles I'm perpetually starving, so I need a strong man to satisfy me!"
As she spoke, the white tiger in the stands—apparently her pet—let out a sullen rumble, as if venting its displeasure.
Tania and that tiger were inseparable. At first everyone thought it was her pet; only after Jaden beat Tania and she herself turned into a tiger did people realize it might not be so simple.
The anime never nailed it down, but it was natural for viewers to connect the dots: maybe Tania thought that tiger was too weak—not man enough to satisfy her—so she kept going out looking for "a man among men," even declaring she'd drag home a son-in-law.
And the poor tiger not only had to watch, sometimes it had to help her out.
No wonder the tiger looked so grumpy in the anime—tiger bro had it rough.
"Is that so? Then I'll respond a little to your passion."
"Bring it on—don't hold back! Use your full strength to defeat me and let me feel the heat of a duel!" Tania cried.
"Alright." Kira waved his hand. "Then I flip-summon the set monster on my field—
—Pharaonic Guardian Sphinx!"
"Pharaonic Guardian!?"
Tania was astonished.
A gigantic, imposing human-faced statue appeared—similar to that Sphinx from before, but several times larger, its body more dazzlingly golden, radiating a divine, inviolable majesty.
[Pharaonic Guardian Sphinx, ATK 2300]
From its name and appearance it was clear this was the evolved form of the "Guardian Sphinx" Kira had used before. His lab's recent, unpublished result.
Though his lab produced a lot, not everything was published in exchange for resources. This evolved Sphinx, for instance, had never been seen outside. This was its first live test against a real opponent.
"Pharaonic Guardian is an enhanced Sphinx—while stronger, it also inherits the original Sphinx's power," Kira said. "When this card is Flip Summoned, all monsters on your opponent's field are returned to their owner's Deck!"
Tania: "!"
A field-wide return to Deck!?
It doesn't target, and it's not destruction. It's not even like the original Sphinx that returned to the hand. Being returned to the Deck means you don't get the GY to recycle or use as resource—returning to the Deck practically means leaving the game for now.
"I like Amazoness Swords Woman too, personally, but I prefer her on my side," Kira smiled. "So let's have her leave the stage for now."
The swordswoman turned into a beam of golden light and flew back into Tania's Deck. Tania gritted her teeth.
"Battle Phase," Kira said. "Pharaonic Guardian Sphinx, direct attack on Tania."
The majestic golden guardian advanced, raising a palm like Mount Tai about to crash down.
Tania reacted immediately: "I activate the Trap, Pinpoint Guard!
When your opponent declares an attack, Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my GY. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn!"
"The swordswoman returned to your Deck, not your GY…" Kira said. "You only have the two cards you discarded to Graceful Charity last turn."
"Right, and one of them was another Amazoness Swords Woman!"
Tania pumped her fist.
"My second Amazoness Swords Woman—Special Summon in Defense Position!"
[Amazoness Swords Woman, DEF 1600]
The red-haired swordswoman crouched as she emerged from the GY, blade held across her body.
"A second unit, huh," Kira nodded. "With Pinpoint Guard's protection I can't break through this turn, so I'll stop my attacks.
But Pharaonic Guardian Sphinx has another effect."
He snapped his fingers.
"Once per turn, during your Main Phase, Sphinx can set itself face-down in Defense Position again."
He gestured lightly.
"Sphinx, revert to face-down Defense."
The massive golden statue concealed its aura again, reverting to an ordinary face-down card.
Tania: "!"
It can voluntarily set itself—meaning next turn he can Flip Summon again, and all monsters return to the Deck…
Wait.
She stared at Kira.
This is your idea of "responding to my passion"?
PS: Bonus chapter at 500 PS