"So you finally summoned Gyzarus, only for the turn to end like that?"
Kira feigned disappointment.
"I was expecting something special this turn."
Mello's face twitched again.
But perhaps remembering he was the big bad and had an image to maintain, he kept silent behind a scowl.
In truth, though Gyzarus is the GB ace, it isn't usually left on the field. Like other GBs, it has the End Phase tag-out effect if it battled, returning to the Deck to summon others.
As a noble Fusion, it can call any two GBs from the Deck except Bestiari.
Its greatest value is popping two on summon, then tagging out after a swing; next turn you fuse again to pop two more, and the GBs you bring out can adapt to the situation, sustaining advantage while dismantling the opponent's board.
Of course—only if it "battled."
With attacks sealed, it could only stare helplessly.
"If you're not attacking, I'll keep going," Kira said. "My turn. Draw.
"First, the Continuous Spell 'Volcanic Wall.' Once per turn, send the top three cards of my Deck to the GY. If there are Pyro monsters among them, inflict damage equal to their number x 500."
He milled three.
"Mm, only one Pyro this time. Still better than nothing—take 500."
A Pyro silhouette flashed and became flame, fueling his Continuous Spell. A fireball shot out and exploded in Mello's face.
[Mello, LP 2500 → 2000]
"Next I Normal Summon 'Volcanic Rocket' in Defense."
True to its name, it entered with a whoosh, trailing a burning tail like a fresh-launched rocket.
[Volcanic Rocket, DEF 1400]
"Volcanic Rocket's effect: If this card is Summoned, Special Summoned, or flipped, add 1 card with 'Blaze Accelerator' in its name from my Deck or GY to my hand."
Kira calmly retrieved a Spell from his GY.
"I add the Continuous Spell 'Blaze Accelerator' from my GY."
"Again…" Mello ground his teeth.
That damned cannon—he'd just gotten rid of it last turn…
"Then I activate the Continuous Spell 'Blaze Accelerator' again."
The steel cannon reappeared on Kira's field, its magma-bathed casing glowing dangerously.
But he wasn't done.
"Next, I send 'Blaze Accelerator' to the GY to evolve it!"
Mello: "!"
It upgrades?
"This card can only be activated by sending a face-up 'Blaze Accelerator' you control to the GY—
—Tri-Blaze Accelerator!"
Scorching flames erupted, engulfing the cannon. Bathed in fire, it evolved into a tri-barreled heavy weapon mounted on a massive frame, its cavernous barrels seeming to churn with molten lava.
"With the tri-barrel upgrade, its capabilities improve. Tri-Blaze Accelerator: Send any Pyro monster from your hand to the GY to destroy a monster your opponent controls."
Kira revealed his Volcanic ammo again.
"I send 'Volcanic Shell' from my hand to the GY to destroy 'Gladiator Beast Gyzarus.'"
The shell loaded; the tri-cannon fired with thunder. The blazing shot punched through Gyzarus's chest. Even an ancient emperor couldn't withstand modern firepower—consumed by flame, it crumbled to ash.
Mello raised an arm to shield himself from the blast. "Compared to the original, Tri-Blaze loosened the ammo restriction?"
The original Blaze Accelerator required Pyros with 500 ATK or less. Tri-Blaze accepts any Pyro—meaning every Volcanic monster becomes ammo.
And of course, no once-per-turn restriction. In other words, no matter how many monsters he summoned, Kira would blow them all away on his turn.
"Not only that," Kira added. "When Tri-Blaze Accelerator destroys an opponent's monster, it also inflicts 500 damage."
The flames swept onward, scorching Mello, who grunted and staggered half a step.
[Mello, LP 2000 → 1500]
"The more monsters destroyed, the more burn," Mello snarled.
"But like the original, after using Tri-Blaze's effect, I can't declare attacks this turn," Kira said, pausing to smile. "Well, 'Gravity Bind' is still on the field anyway. Most monsters couldn't attack to begin with."
Mello: "…"
In other words, Gravity Bind mostly just suppressed him. The Volcanic deck never intended to attack.
"I set 1 and end my turn," Kira said.
"You may think I'm cornered. Your strategy is indeed troublesome for Gladiator Beasts," Mello said coldly. "But I won't lose to something like this.
"During the End Phase, I activate my set Trap, 'Rainbow Life'!"
His set card flipped. A seven-colored rainbow arced behind him like a brilliant bridge.
"Rainbow Life—by discarding 1 card," Mello sneered, "I recover my LP to the value at the start of this turn, then gain LP equal to all damage I took this turn on top of that!" (Anime effect)
[Mello, LP 1500 → 2500 → 3500]
"Oh? So you nullified all the damage and even recovered," Kira said. "You're pretty stubborn yourself."
"And the card I discarded was the Spell 'Card of Compensation,'" Mello added. "When this card is discarded from the hand to the GY, I draw 2 cards!"
Mello drew, then declared in a ringing voice:
"I already possess power—the ultimate light of the cosmos. I will not fail, not be belittled—never again!
"I am cosmic justice!
"And if anyone denies it or stands in its way, I will purify them with absolute light… even you!"