Andabata's arrival greatly boosted Mello's confidence. A Gladiator Beast transcending its era—his true trump card.
"Andabata's effect! When this card is Special Summoned: Special Summon 1 'Gladiator Beast' Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, except 'Gladiator Beast Andabata,' ignoring its Summoning conditions!"
"Another Fusion Glad…" Kira understood.
"I see. The 'Gladiator Beast Gyzarus' that Darius revived went back to the Extra Deck as Fusion Material for Andabata…"
"Hahaha, as expected of the Duel King—quick on the uptake."
Mello raised his arm.
"So I can ignore materials and directly Special Summon Gyzarus this time.
Return to the field and display your kingly might—
—Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, come forth!!!"
Andabata cut the air, his sword marking a red arc. The ancient arena seemed to flicker into view; a storm rose amid fevered roars, heralding the return of the avian king!
[Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, ATK 2400]
"And this time, Gyzarus's effect isn't negated," Mello sneered. "So, Gyzarus's effect activates!
When Special Summoned: destroy up to two cards on the field!"
He pointed at Kira's two backrow.
"The Continuous Spell 'Blaze Accelerator' and Continuous Trap 'Gravity Bind'—clear out those eyesores!"
Mello's face contorted theatrically—not quite like Sartorius's corruption, but certainly from excitement.
Finally! At last!
He, a proud Gladiator Beast duelist wielding sovereign power, had reached this point without a single battle; the opponent hadn't even been scratched.
Who could understand such pent-up frustration?
But now it was over. With Andabata and Gyzarus together, the opponent had no chance. Whatever stood in the way would be blown to pieces—
"Chaining to Gyzarus's effect," Kira said. "I activate the set Trap 'Volcanic Force.'
Send my 'Tri-Blaze Accelerator' from the field to the GY; then Special Summon 1 'Volcanic Doomfire' from my hand, Deck, or GY!" (anime card)
Mello frowned. "Sacrificing Blaze Accelerator before Gyzarus bombs it?"
Churning magma swallowed Kira's Tri-Blaze Accelerator with a glugging roar.
A slumbering volcano awoke; its black breath shot skyward like an enraged dragon.
The crust split; molten rock surged like boiling blood. The lava solidified into a body hot enough to melt steel; talons gleamed blade-sharp with a dark red glow. Its long lava tail whipped sparks and heat; an undying flame blazed atop its head.
Volcanic Doomfire, arise!
[Volcanic Doomfire, ATK 3000]
This Trap was the anime-only card that summons Doomfire; it was never printed. Doomfire itself, however, is real—Special Summon it by sending a face-up "Tri-Blaze Accelerator" you control to the GY.
In the anime, Aster's comrade Axel used both the printed method and the anime-only trap; both apply here.
"ATK three thousand, huh."
Mello muttered, then smirked.
"Interesting… But with the attack lock lifted, my Gladiator Beasts fear nothing!
Battle! 'Gladiator Beast Gyzarus' attacks 'Volcanic Doomfire'!"
[Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, ATK 2400]
It looked like a suicide charge, but at the command, Gyzarus dove without hesitation, wings beating in a headlong assault.
Given he attacked so boldly…
Kira glanced at Mello's facedown.
That set since turn one, still unused.
Gladiator Beasts rely on battle to function. Granting "cannot be destroyed by battle" is key to keeping them alive to trigger their end-of-battle effects.
Turn one, Mello summoned Hoplomus, then set and passed. But Kira never battled—he just blew Hoplomus up with Blaze Accelerator. In fact, neither side had conducted a single proper battle, so if that set was anti-battle-destruction, it never had a chance to shine.
As expected.
"Activate face-down!" Mello shouted. "Continuous Trap 'Gladiator Beast's Medallion'!
While this card is face-up, your 'Gladiator Beast' monsters cannot be destroyed by battle. As a cost, any battle damage you take from their battles is doubled!" (anime card)
Kira's brow arched.
Well now—an anime-only Gladiator card.
This card, like Andabata, was used by the Fusion Academy's forbidden weapon Battle Beast in Arc-V. Andabata got printed; this Trap did not.
Arc-V may be rough as an anime, but it gave Gladiator Beasts—former champions—their due.
Using GB, Battle Beast first crushed Crow Hogan from the Synchro Dimension, then nearly steamrolled protagonist Yuya and his teammate Gong in a 1v2. It took Jack Atlas interrupting mid-duel to team up with Yuya and finally defeat him.
"So you even have the new Trap," Kira said, interest growing. "You really cooked up a lot of goodies at Industrial Illusions."
So many goodies—how generous of you; I'm almost embarrassed…
And since the Trap is anime-only, Kira boldly surmised that this Andabata on the field…
At that moment, Gyzarus slammed into Volcanic Doomfire. Doomfire swatted him aside with a flaming claw, but the Trap's invisible barrier protected Gyzarus from destruction.
As a price, Mello took double battle damage. The Trap gives benefits but raises the stakes—forcing the duelist to act as the shield for his monsters.
[Mello, LP 3500 → 2300]
Staggering back from the impact, Mello growled:
"Andabata's effect!
A 'Gladiator Beast' Special Summoned by Andabata that battles returns to the Extra Deck after damage calculation.
And while Andabata is on the field, when your Gladiator Beasts return to the Main or Extra Deck, Andabata gains ATK equal to that monster's ATK!"
As expected.
Kira narrowed his eyes, unsurprised.
He was facing the anime version of "Gladiator Beast Andabata."