Quaking Mirror Force—activate!
A sandstorm roared; a yellow, dust-formed barrier domed over Kira's field. Shining Angel's strike triggered a thousandfold backlash; endless sand surged like a tide, sweeping over the pharaoh's field.
His angel and vizier were swallowed and flipped face-down—two black, featureless set cards.
"Tch. Won't let me use Traps; won't let me attack, either… Fine. I set one and end."
The pharaoh took a deep breath, and his gaze toward the white-clad man only grew stranger.
Why?
All his life, his coffins-into-Pharaoh routine had never faltered. He'd never even imagined a duel could be this suffocating—you sweat and struggle just to barely break through and open the first coffin.
Unheard of.
When had a pharaoh ever been made to eat this kind of humiliation?
Still, whatever the case, the coffin was active now. His duel was finally approaching the proper track—next the Second and Third Sarcophagus, then when his spirit—his very essence—descended, that would seal the win—
"Draw," Kira said. "I Normal Summon 'Jinzo – Returner.'"
[Jinzo – Returner, ATK 600]
"Battle," Kira said. "Returner attacks."
"You're attacking?" The pharaoh was startled. "Have you lost it? With only 600 ATK, and my set monsters—either one—"
"Returner's effect: it can attack directly."
"I see," the pharaoh nodded. "But a mere 600—"
"Quick-Play Spell 'Limiter Removal,'" Kira said. "This turn, all Machine monsters I control have their ATK doubled."
[Jinzo – Returner, ATK 600 → 1200]
"A doubled direct attack!?"
The pharaoh's face finally shifted. The little android crackled, output spiking to double, skimming over the set front row—and planted a punch right into the golden mask's faceplate.
[Pharaoh, LP 4000 → 2800]
"Pharaoh!" the soldiers cried out.
"You're curting death, I mean—how dare you!—"
"Shut up. Be silent!"
The pharaoh staggered back two steps, then straightened, cold as ever.
"You… are no ordinary duelist."
"End Phase: a Machine monster affected by Limiter Removal is destroyed," Kira said. "Jinzo – Returner is destroyed."
Arcs built up until Returner overloaded and exploded into fragments.
"But at that moment, Returner's other effect triggers," Kira continued. "When this card is sent to the GY: Special Summon 'Jinzo' from the GY.
Return—Jinzo!"
Having just been sulking in spirit form with Caius, Jinzo squared his shoulders, shot Caius a smug glare, then swaggered back onto the field in a beam of gold, emerging once more from the GY's vortex.
Caius clicked his tongue. "What are you so proud of? You'll be cannon fodder again in a sec—"
[Jinzo, ATK 2400]
The pharaoh: "!"
Damn—that monster—
He grasped instantly how dire this was.
Jinzo, the field-wide Trap seal. With it back on the field, his back-row coffins were blank text again!?
Only now did His Majesty realize his misplay. In the window between Returner's effect resolving and Jinzo hitting the field, he'd had a moment to use The First Sarcophagus to fetch the Second—but seeing that damned android reappear had made him so angry, he missed the timing—
Though in fact, it might not have helped.
Even if Second and Third are Continuous Spells and ignore Trap negation, only the First Sarcophagus can pull the others from the Deck. And the latter two both say "this card can only be placed by the effect of The First Sarcophagus," so even if he drew them, he couldn't activate them.
With Jinzo back, the First was a blank again. Even if he'd rushed to place the Second, he couldn't ever reach the Third; he'd only clog his S/T zones.
"Damn you—daring to toy with me like this…"
The pharaoh felt a surge of pointless fury—and powerlessness.
"I set one. Turn end," Kira said.
Outside, Tania could hardly believe her eyes.
This Revolver guy had actually suppressed the legendary God of Dueling…
No—more than suppressed. He had him playing in the palm of his hand. The supposedly undefeated pharaoh was being led around by the nose, and looked like he was starting to tilt.
He's breaking the God of Dueling's mental game—can you believe it?
Tania eyed Kira, expression odd.
If the God of Dueling is getting broken… then what kind of god is he?
The God of Making-Headlines?
"You will pay for this sacrilege," the pharaoh barked. "My turn. Draw!
I activate the Spell 'Spell Books from the Pot'—both players draw three."
He drew three, and his eyes lit—he'd found a new path to counterattack.
"I tribute my Qardan," he intoned. "Blasphemer—face the pharaoh's wrath! Descend—
—Pharaonic Advent!!!"
Heavenly light seemed to spear down; a king in golden regalia descended, like a chosen pharaoh, to pass judgment.
[Pharaonic Advent, ATK 2000]
"A single Tribute to Special Summon an 8-star?" Tania gasped.
"Pharaonic Advent can be Special Summoned from the hand by tributing 1 monster on the field," the pharaoh said. "And this card's ATK increases by 300 for each Continuous Trap on both fields and in both GYs."
Kira nodded. "Right now there are no Continuous Traps in the GYs. On the field, the only face-up Continuous Traps that count are Xing Zhen Hu and your active 'First Sarcophagus.'"
"Correct," the pharaoh said. "Therefore, Pharaonic Advent gains 600 ATK!"
[Pharaonic Advent, ATK 2000 → 2600]
Tania's heart skipped. "It surpasses Jinzo."
"Then I activate the Spell 'Confiscation,'" the pharaoh said. "I pay 1000 LP to look at your hand and choose 1 card to discard."
[Pharaoh, LP 2800 → 1800]
Kira's hand fanned open. The pharaoh's eyes narrowed, settling on "Monster Reborn."
"So you had Monster Reborn. Even if I destroyed that android, next turn you'd revive it easily… dangerous.
Then discard it. Now."
He pointed; the Monster Reborn shattered into golden light.
"Battle," the pharaoh said. "Pharaonic Advent attacks 'Jinzo'! Shatter the monster that dares to profane the domain of the gods!"
The regal pharaoh rose, splaying his right hand to issue judgment from on high. Jinzo crossed its arms, struggling to hold—but under the king's pressure, it was crushed to scrap.
[Kira, LP 4000 → 3800]
One second later, Jinzo, back in spirit form, drifted over to his buddy Caius, scowling.
Caius slanted him a look and smirk.
"Urusai! Urusai! Urusai," Jinzo muttered calmly.
"I didn't say anything," Caius smiled.
"URUSAI! URUSAI!"