"Due to the 'Negate Attack' effect, this Battle Phase ends. But of course, you haven't forgotten The World's effect, have you?"
Kira smiled.
Sartorius gritted his teeth. "The World can send two monsters to the Graveyard to skip the opponent's next turn."
"Correct." Kira swept his hand. "I send Arcana Force XII - The Hangman and the on-field Samsara Lotus to the Graveyard to activate The World's effect—
—ZA WARUDO!
Time Stop!"
The two monsters were offered as tribute, dissolving into golden motes. A translucent clock face flickered into existence above the duel arena, its hands spinning madly to the ticking of a clock. Turn order twisted—instantly it became Sartorius's turn, but that turn's time was completely frozen.
Sartorius's entire field was locked as if in ice. His Deck was sealed; he couldn't draw, couldn't act. He could only watch as the phases ticked by, his entire turn flashing past in an instant—until it reached Kira's Draw Phase once again.
"Then it's still my turn. Draw."
Kira's lips curled.
"Next, in my Standby Phase, the effect of Treeborn Frog in my Graveyard activates. If this card is in your GY during your Standby Phase and your Spell/Trap Zone is empty, you can Special Summon it.
I Special Summon Treeborn Frog in Defense Position."
[Treeborn Frog, DEF 100]
"So long as the backrow is empty, it can Special Summon itself every turn."
Sartorius's eyelid twitched.
Ma… masaka (could it be)!?
"That Samsara Lotus you just tributed!?" Sartorius suddenly remembered—he'd seen that monster before. Vaguely, he knew it was similar to Treeborn Frog.
"Oh? You noticed already?"
Kira smiled.
"Right. Samsara Lotus's effect: during your End Phase, if this card is in your GY, you can Special Summon it to your field in face-up Attack Position. However, if it's on your field during your next Standby Phase, you take 1000 damage." (anime effect)
It's the card Yubel used in the anime, popping out each End Phase to be tributed for Yubel to prevent Yubel's self-destruct drawback. The modern Yubel support even gave it a new variant.
When it was first printed, the card was nerfed: like Treeborn Frog, it can only jump out if your backrow is empty. But the original anime version had no such restriction—otherwise if you couldn't have backrow every End Phase, Yubel would've been blown up by Jaden ten thousand times over.
Sarina's heart skipped a beat. She seemed to grasp this lineup—and what Kira meant by "The World's true power."
Every Standby Phase: Treeborn Frog Special Summons itself. Every End Phase: Samsara Lotus Special Summons itself.
Each turn, The World only needs to tribute two monsters to skip the opponent's next turn.
"This is… this is—"
An infinite LOOP!
And not just any infinite LOOP. In the TCG era, World-centric loops like this had a term: "World Lock."
In simple terms: my turn, my turn, still my turn.
You never reach your own turn—reality itself.
"Battle Phase again."
Kira's mouth quirked with playful amusement.
"If your destiny is absolute—if I'm fated to fall to it—then in your own World, can your time still flow?"
Sartorius's over-the-top expression twitched harder.
Infuriating. Absolutely infuriating.
How can this guy be this insufferably smug!?
"Arcana Force XXI - The World, attack Arcana Force 0 - The Fool!"
Another world-ending barrage. The World's pressure was apocalyptic.
Sarina stared blankly at The World—and at Kira commanding it.
This man…
He really might be even more adept at wielding The World than her brother—or rather, than the Light of Destruction persona.
When he said he'd show the true power of the World, he wasn't exaggerating.
It's like this: in Sartorius's hands, The World wielded time stop—but only for a mere five seconds.
In this man's hands, the time The World can suspend is forever!
Sarina's heart leapt into her throat.
Will the evil, ruinous persona be defeated just like this? Will the time stolen from her brother be restored by the King's aid?
"Don't get cocky, you bastard!"
Sartorius's hammy expression escalated as he roared.
"I activate my face-down—Trap Card, 'Memory of an Adversary!'"
His backrow flipped. An invisible ripple burst forth. An unseen pressure surged with his shout; even the light dwelling within him spun up to its peak, his long hair whipping in the turbulence.
"This Trap can only be activated when an opponent's monster declares an attack," Sartorius said. "I take damage equal to that monster's ATK directly!"
The World's all-encompassing might, that tidal, mountainous blow, suddenly seemed to plunge into a vortex like a portal. The surging energy bypassed the front-line Fool and blasted straight into Sartorius's face, the force threatening to level the ground he stood on.
"GRAAAAH!" Sartorius howled impotently.
[Sartorius, LP 4000 → 900]
"You took the damage in your monster's stead?" Sarina frowned.
But what's the point? The Fool can't be destroyed by battle anyway…
Sartorius, scorched and crouching, panting hard, continued: "But afterwards, that attacking monster is banished!"
A shimmering gold light wrapped The World, as if an unseen force caged it. That hulking metal body turned hazy—then faded out of existence.
"I see." Sarina nodded.
Though he paid a heavy LP price, he broke The World's infinite loop—escaping the curse of perpetual time-stop. He at least had a chance now.
But Kira knew there was more.
"Memory of an Adversary has a follow-up effect, doesn't it?" Kira said calmly.
"Heh, that's right."
Sartorius, breath catching, slowly stood, voice turning grim.
"During the next End Phase of your opponent's turn, the monster banished by this effect is Special Summoned to my field!"
Sarina: "!"
So that's his aim—
"Hahaha, not bad! You stole my World and got quite smug. Unfortunately for you, on the next turn, I take back control of The World!"
...
PS: 2 Bonus chapter at 500 PS