[Relinquished, ATK 0 → ATK 1200]
Watching as his stolen Alchemist of Black Spells was then stolen back, Depre finally realized what kind of strategy the Duel King was using today.
Relinquished would absorb his opponent's monster, then be sent to the grave as a cost for Arcane Barrier, drawing three cards. Next, Magical Exemplar could revive Relinquished again and again, with its effect reset each time to absorb another monster.
Just thinking about it felt like an endless value engine.
With Relinquished at Level 1, Magical Exemplar only needed to remove one Spell Counter to revive it. Right now, Exemplar still had seven counters left—in theory, Relinquished could be revived up to seven more times.
What a ridiculous combo!
"Relinquished and Magical Exemplar, direct attack!"
At Kira's command, both monsters burst from his jet, slicing through the air and smashing into Depre's plane with a double strike.
"Ugh!"
[Depre, LP 4000 → LP 1100]
"Then I set a card and end my turn."
Kira placed a card under his plane, which moved in sync with his jet's high speed.
"Bastard... Don't get cocky." Depre said coldly. "At the end of your turn, all your monsters lose one Life Star!
Relinquished's Life Star hits zero and it's destroyed!"
Sure enough, once its Life Star was gone, Relinquished vanished like smoke.
"My turn, draw!" Depre said. "I play the Spell 'Pot of Greed' to draw two cards!"
He had once faced the Duel King. Though he lost, it was still his proudest moment—he always felt that he came so close to beating Yugi Muto, to becoming a legend.
But this time... this time would be different!
At that thought, a dark light flashed in his eyes, and a wave of darkness burst out.
Clearly, his mind was also being affected.
A duelist's obsession, desires, and all their darkness were perfect entry points for mind control—amplifying even the smallest bit of darkness, making them easier to manipulate as puppets.
This was a common soft control technique in psychic manipulation—many villains preferred not to forcibly override a duelist's free will, instead using hypnosis or cognitive rewriting so the puppet could still use their full power.
But it was also a high-level skill, only possible for powerful and experienced mind controllers.
"Spell Card 'Graceful Charity'—draw three, discard two."
Depre discarded two cards.
"One of the discarded cards is 'Zeta Reticulant.' Its effect: when sent to the graveyard, Special Summon two 'Eva Tokens.'" (manga card)
[Eva Token, ATK 500] x2
"I tribute both tokens to Tribute Summon!"
Depre raised his hand and shouted:
"Appear! The cosmic predator that devours Life Stars—
—Greed Quasar, summon!!"
[Greed Quasar, ATK ?]
It was the same monster that had just fought Silent Magician in the air, with a grotesque demon face on its chest.
"Greed Quasar's ATK becomes its Life Stars x300. Its starting Life Stars are 7, so its ATK is 2100!"
[Greed Quasar, ATK ? → ATK 2100]
"Next, I play the Spell 'Wonder Clover.' By discarding a Level 4 Plant from my hand, my monster can attack twice this turn."
Depre discarded a card.
"I discard 'Mystic Tomato' to let Greed Quasar attack twice!"
"First, attack 'Magical Exemplar'!"
Quasar's gaping maw swallowed the Spellcaster whole and chewed it to pieces.
[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 3600]
"Quasar's other effect: it absorbs the destroyed monster's remaining Life Stars!" Depre said. "Magical Exemplar had three left, so Quasar gains three more, rising to ten Life Stars.
ATK increases to 3000!"
[Greed Quasar, ATK 2100 → ATK 3000]
"Second attack, direct attack!"
Quasar roared and streaked through the clouds toward Kira's plane.
"I activate my set card—Trap Card 'Intruder Alarm - Yellow Alert.' When the opponent attacks, I can Special Summon a monster from my hand to forcibly battle the attacker."
Kira placed a monster card.
"Special Summon 'Witch of the Black Forest!'"
[Witch of the Black Forest, DEF 1200]
Quasar devoured the Witch, absorbing her energy.
"The Witch had four Life Stars, so Quasar now has 14—ATK rises to 4200!"
[Greed Quasar, ATK 3000 → ATK 4200]
"Witch's effect," Kira said, "lets me add a monster with 1500 or less DEF from my deck to my hand when she's sent to the grave."
He searched his deck for a card.
"I add another 'Magical Exemplar' to my hand."
Depre's pupils shrank.
That thing again...
Magical Exemplar could revive Spellcasters by removing counters. And since Relinquished was Level 1, it only took one counter to bring it back...
Depre gritted his teeth.
Damn, he's obviously going to take my monster again next turn!
He'd stacked up to thirteen Life Stars on his Quasar...
"Well, I set a card and end my turn," Depre said coldly. "At the end of my turn, Quasar loses one Life Star.
But it still has 13 left, so it's nothing."
"My turn, draw."
Kira said calmly.
"I summon 'Magical Exemplar.'"
[Magical Exemplar, ATK 1700]
"Then I use the Spell 'Spell Power Grasp' I added last turn to put a Spell Counter on 'Magical Exemplar.' And because a Spell was activated, Exemplar gains two more counters, for a total of three.
Then I activate its effect—remove one counter to Special Summon a Level 1 Spellcaster from my graveyard."
Kira picked a card from the grave.
"Of course, I revive—
—Relinquished!"
A whirlpool to the underworld opened, and Relinquished appeared, its single eye cold and creepy.
[Relinquished, ATK 0]
"Relinquished's effect: absorb your monster," Kira snapped his fingers. "Your ace, Greed Quasar, is mine now."
The monster that had devoured so many was finally devoured itself by Relinquished—absorbed and drained, a touch of irony.
Depre gritted his teeth.
"But even as an Equip Card, Greed Quasar's ATK is '?,'" he said coldly. "Relinquished can't gain its ATK."
"I know,"
Kira smiled.
"So I activate this Spell: 'Storm.'
Destroy all your own Spell/Trap Cards, then the same number of your opponent's."
Depre's heart skipped a beat.
Right—since his Greed Quasar had been absorbed, it now counted as his own Spell/Trap for destruction...
Kira said, "So I destroy your set card."
Depre's face twitched.
He stole my monster, then used it to blow up my backrow...
Suddenly, his own bullheaded tactics felt like child's play compared to Kira's endless tricks.
His monster was stolen, his backrow destroyed. In an instant, he was on the brink of defeat—he couldn't afford to be careless now.
"I activate my set Trap—'Back to the Front,' to bring back a monster in Defense Position from my grave.
I revive—
—Zeta Reticulant!"
[Zeta Reticulant, DEF 2100]
Kira nodded.
That Zeta, when sent to the grave, left two tokens for defense or as tribute fodder for a later turn. And with 2100 DEF, it was a solid wall.
Depre breathed a sigh of relief.
At least this turn, I'm safe. Relinquished already used its effect, and even if Kira destroys Zeta Reticulant, the tokens would defend me next turn...
"I activate the Spell 'Metamorphosis.' Send Level 1 Relinquished to the grave to Special Summon a Level 1 Fusion Monster."
Kira's face was expressionless.
"Relinquished morphs and evolves—
—Thousand-Eyes Restrict, summon!"
[Thousand-Eyes Restrict, ATK 0]
"Thousand-Eyes Restrict's effect: once per turn, absorb an opponent's monster." Kira lazily waved his hand. "Thousand-Eyes, absorb 'Zeta Reticulant.'"
[Thousand-Eyes Restrict, ATK 0 → ATK 2400]
Depre: "..."
Are you serious—
You're still absorbing monsters!?
How are you so good at this?!
Is this ever going to end!?
"Of course, since Zeta Reticulant wasn't sent to the graveyard, its last effect doesn't trigger."
Kira smiled.
"Now you have no monsters and no backrow.
Battle. Thousand-Eyes Restrict, direct attack."
The monster's eerie eyes opened, the corrupted Zeta Reticulant flying out from its body to strike its former master.
[Depre, LP 1100 → LP 0]