Kira yanked out a thick handful of cards and scattered them with a flourish. The cards fanned into a shield in midair, forming a barrier before him.
Dark Driceratops's charge slammed into the wall of cards and never touched Kira himself.
"Sure, you stopped the damage," the spirit eye blinked, confused, "but you tossed nineteen cards from your deck in one go..."
Kira continued, "Also, the 'Scarr, Scout of Dark World' you just destroyed—when this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can add a Level 4 or lower 'Dark World' from my Deck to my hand."
A card popped out of Kira's deck; he took it and revealed it.
"I add the Level 4 'Snoww, Unlight of Dark World' to my hand."
"Getting desperate to avoid damage?" Rex barked. "But my attacks aren't over!
Gilasaurus, direct attack!"
The raptor blitzed forward, dust billowing, tail whipping, and rammed into Kira.
Kira slid back half a step, patted the dust from his coat, and stood calmly. The white cloak behind him settled.
[Kira, LP 4000 → 2600]
Rex scowled. "Tch. Acting cool like Kaiba Seto... You sure know how to pose.
I end my turn."
He paused, then sneered.
"Your Knights of Hanoi have been making a name for themselves, huh? Perfect. Once I beat you, maybe I can even take over your organization—your resources, your power, all mine.
Then I won't need to rely on this Advent Church anymore..."
"Oh?" Kira smiled with interest. "So your faith in the church only runs that deep?"
"The only thing I believe in is power. Always have," Rex said, self-assured.
"I see." Kira nodded.
Very Rex Raptor.
Back when he and Weevil joined Doma, it was the same—just to get stronger. Give me power and I'll call you boss. If someone else offers more? Sorry, don't know you.
"My turn. Draw."
Kira drew, then played a card from his hand.
"Spell Card 'Dark World Dealings.' Both players draw 1 card from their Decks, then each discards 1 card from their hands."
Rex drew and quickly discarded a card. Kira revealed the Snoww he'd just searched.
"I discard 'Snoww, Unlight of Dark World.' Snoww's effect activates.
When this card is discarded to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can add 1 'Dark World' card from my Deck to my hand. I'll add..."
Kira fetched a card from his deck.
"The Field Spell 'The Gates of Dark World.'"
"A Field Spell... so you're not limited to monsters," Rex muttered.
"Then I activate the Field Spell—The Gates of Dark World!"
Kira raised the card. The surroundings shifted into a lightless abyss; a massive black door towered over all, black mist seeping from its seams.
"While The Gates of Dark World is face-up, all Fiend monsters I control gain 300 ATK and DEF."
Rex scoffed, "A measly 300. What changes?"
Kira smiled. "Patience. The Gates has a second, and more important, effect.
Once per turn: banish 1 Fiend from your Graveyard; then discard 1 Fiend from your hand; after that, draw 1 card."
"Seriously?" Rex put his hands on his hips, still dismissive. "It's just a hand filter, and only for Fiends... what's the big deal?"
Kira didn't explain, only said:
"I banish 'Snoww, Unlight of Dark World' from my Graveyard." He continued, "Then I discard a Fiend from my hand and draw 1 card."
The moment the card left his hand, Rex felt a surge of overwhelming darkness erupt from Kira's Graveyard. Like an eye opening in the abyss, a terrible demon peered out with ill intent.
Then the ominous sense took form. A colossal devil—part dragon, part demon—its shadowy body indistinct, floated above Kira, gazing down from on high, making Rex's heart skip a beat.
"The Fiend I discarded is 'Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World,'" Kira said. "When Grapha is discarded to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can target 1 card on your field and destroy it."
He crooked a finger at the dark bird-dragon.
"Destroy Dark Driceratops."
The demon's maw opened—an endless darkness spewed forth. Rex's dinosaur was swallowed and shattered to pieces.
Shielding himself from the blast, Rex seemed to realize something.
"You... your whole deck triggers by discarding from the hand, doesn't it?"
His pupils shrank.
Snoww, which searched anything on discard, and Grapha, which pops any card on discard. If the rest of his deck is like this, that steady one-card filter from The Gates suddenly becomes terrifying.
"Then I Normal Summon 'Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World.'"
[Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World, ATK 1600]
"And Grapha's other effect in the Graveyard activates," Kira said. "Return 1 'Dark World' monster on my field to the hand, except 'Grapha,' to Special Summon this card from my Graveyard.
I return Beiige to my hand.
From a world without light, the embodiment of despair—
—Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World, descend!"
Beiige vanished from the field. Amid the storm of darkness, the demon from before took solid form. The oppressive aura made Rex feel like his heart was being pinned to the floor; the dragon-demon's arrival ruled this land of despair.
[Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World, ATK 2700]
"And with The Gates of Dark World's blessing," Kira added, "Grapha gains 300 ATK."
[Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World, ATK 2700 → 3000]
"Battle," Kira said. "Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World—attack 'Gilasaurus.'"
...
2 Bonus chapters at 500 PS