The farthest distance in the world is when we're clearly in the same duel, yet I'm inside the cage and he's outside of it.
Mm. That was the truest picture of Mello's heart at this moment.
He looked at the red-hot iron cage in front of him, then up at the big lug overhead whose whole body seemed to be dripping magma and who looked like he was giving him a goofy grin. Mello was speechless.
All he could do was take deep breaths. Deep breath, deep breath, and a deeper breath.
Then he cursed in his heart.
Damn it, Lava Golem. How could I forget about that?
He should have known. Lava Golem was the monster that the Duel King himself called his ace, and it had played key roles more than once in critical battles, including the fight with the Arbiter.
He ought to have remembered that thing still existed.
It's just that the intel said Kira hadn't used it much lately, and in this duel he'd been busy the whole time dealing with Volcanic lockouts—burns, life-point scorch, and card-bombing—so overwhelmed he had no time to think that far ahead.
Thinking back now, Mello felt he'd been ridiculously naive for even a moment to carefully guard against the opponent bringing out a big boss for a straight-up clash.
Would this guy really summon an ace monster properly to face you head-on?
Though Lava Golem has nothing to do with Volcanics as a theme, it's a FIRE monster with art that fits the Volcanic vibe, and its antisocial effect eats the opponent's monsters and burns their LP—so it's naturally associated with Volcanics as a distant cousin.
Not to mention it was once paired with "Volcanic Queen," which has a similar ability, and together they were dubbed the "Volcanic Couple," a duo that lived off devouring enemy monsters and burning LP—their notoriety once stank up the meta.
"What a shame. That means your Andabata next turn is gone too. Gladiator Beast's 'Gladiator Beast's Medallion' only prevents destruction; it can't stop Lava Golem."
Kira smiled with squinted eyes.
"It's such a pity your Gladiator engine just got going and now it's cut off again."
Mello: …
The worst part was, when Kira said "what a pity," Mello could swear he saw the abstract face of Lava Golem above him open its mouth to suck in a breath, then shake its head, as if it genuinely felt sympathy and regret for his plight.
Mello laughed angrily.
You two doing a comedy double act here?
"However, on the turn I summon Lava Golem, I can't Normal Summon," Kira said. "So I'll set one card to the back row and end my turn."
Mello calmed down.
Fine—though his side got interrupted again, the opponent's Volcanic core hadn't been rebuilt. Take this turn to regroup—
"My turn. Draw!"
Kira reminded him: "At this moment, Lava Golem's effect. During your Standby Phase, inflict 1000 damage to its controller."
Magma poured down, dousing Mello. He snorted coldly and took it on the chin.
[Mello, LP 2300 → LP 1300]
"I activate the Spell 'Advance Draw,'" Mello said. "Tribute a Level 8 or higher monster on the field to draw two cards.
Begone, Lava Golem."
Lava Golem whimpered pitiably and melted into a pool of magma, vanishing.
"To treat the Level 8 beater I gave you like that." Kira shook his head. "All my kindness, wasted…"
"Shut up!"
Mello cut him off mercilessly.
"Someone like you needs the baptism of the great Cosmic Light the most!
I activate the Spell 'Akashic Record'—draw two cards from the deck. But if I draw a card that's been used in this duel, it must be banished."
He drew two more, then immediately revealed one.
"I activate the Spell 'Gladiator Proving Ground'—add a Level 4 or lower 'Gladiator Beast' from deck to hand. I add 'Gladiator Beast Darius'!"
"Then I activate the Spell 'Unexpected Dai'!
If I control no monsters, Special Summon a Level 4 Normal Monster from the Deck.
I Special Summon 'Gladiator Beast Andal'!"
[Gladiator Beast Andal, ATK 1900]
"And again, from hand—'Test Tiger'! If I control a Gladiator Beast, I can Special Summon it!"
[Test Tiger, ATK 600]
There's that little blockhead tiger again.
Kira propped his chin and mused.
Seems Mello's GB build has sealed off battle-based tags and relies on topdecking this tiger to keep going... To be fair, it's handy.
But the repeatedly overworked little tiger looked a bit drained compared to before, head drooping, low on energy.
Working isn't easy. It doesn't even have the "Gladiator Beast" name, at best an outsourced contractor, yet it does several times more work than the main family…
"Test Tiger's effect—Tribute this card, then return 'Gladiator Beast Andal' on the field to the Deck. Then Special Summon a 'Gladiator Beast' from the Deck!"
The two newly arrived monsters vanished together.
"Come forth again! Gladiator Beast Augustus!"
[Gladiator Beast Augustus, ATK 2600]
"Augustus's effect—if this card is Special Summoned by a Gladiator Beast's effect, I can Special Summon a Gladiator Beast from my hand in Defense Position.
I Special Summon the 'Gladiator Beast Darius' I just searched!"
[Gladiator Beast Darius, DEF 300]
"Then Darius's effect—if it's Special Summoned by a Gladiator Beast's effect, Special Summon a Gladiator Beast from the GY with its effects negated!
Revive the 'Gladiator Beast Bestiari' destroyed in the first turn by your Blaze Accelerator!"
[Gladiator Beast Samnite, DEF 1200]
"Then I activate my set card," Kira said. "Trap Card 'A Rival Appears!'!"
"Choose one face-up monster your opponent controls, then Special Summon a monster from your hand with the same Level.
I choose your 'Gladiator Beast Samnite,' and from my hand, a Level 3 monster—"
He slapped a card onto the Duel Disk.
"'Doomdog Octhros,' Special Summon."
[Doomdog Octhros, DEF 800]
"I don't care what it is!" Mello shouted. "Preparation is complete!
Return 'Gladiator Beast Augustus,' 'Gladiator Beast Darius,' and 'Gladiator Beast Samnite' to the Deck—Contact Fusion, triple!"
The three Gladiators vanished into a swirling fusion vortex that pierced the sky, and the king of the arena descended in that maelstrom!
Gladiator Beast Andabata, summon again!
[Gladiator Beast Andabata, ATK 1000]
"Andabata's effect—when summoned, Special Summon a 'Gladiator Beast' Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions—
—Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, come forth!"
Within a green whirlwind, the monarch Gyzarus appeared again!
[Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, ATK 2400]
"When Gladiator Beast Gyzarus is Special Summoned, destroy up to two cards on the field!" Mello said. "The only two you have left—'Volcanic Rocket' and 'Doomdog Octhros'—destroy them!"
Gyzarus's cyclones rose again; countless steel feathers turned Kira's two monsters into beehives. Rocket and Mad Dog exploded together, vanishing in twin fireballs.