"My turn, draw!"
The assassin calmly drew a card, but the sound of the card being pulled out seemed as if some kind of monster was growling.
"I Set a card, then activate it, the Spell Card Dark World Dealings!"
Because of Diabellze's effect, everyone on the field except Alice must Set a Spell/Trap first before activating it, which also causes Quick-Play Spells to be unusable the turn they are Set.
"The Spell Card Dark World Dealings: both players draw 1 card from their Decks. After that, each player discards 1 card from their own hand."
Hearing this, Alice frowned. After drawing a card, she discarded another to the Graveyard. Alicia did the same.
After discarding her card, the assassin said directly, "The card I just discarded was Ceruli, Guru of Dark World. When this card is discarded to the Graveyard by a card effect, it Special Summons itself to the opponent's field in Defense Position.
"I choose to Special Summon it to your field."
Pointing toward Alice, the assassin spoke, and the next moment, a hideous, deformed Dark World monster with a hunched back, dark blue robe, and staff appeared on Alice's field.
[Ceruli, Guru of Dark World, ATK 100, Controller: Alice]
"Then, right now, Ceruli's effect activates. When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a Dark World card, your opponent must discard 1 card from their own hand."
"Discard her own hand!?"
Alicia didn't understand the assassin's intention, while Alice immediately waved her hand without a moment's pause: "Trying to make me discard by effect? Not happening!
"I activate my Set card, the Trap Card Sinful Spoils of Betrayal - Silvera. I send 1 face-up Diabellstar monster from my hand or field to the Graveyard, then target 1 face-up card on the field; that card's effect is negated.
"I choose to send Diabellstar the Black Witch from my field to the Graveyard, and negate Ceruli, Guru of Dark World's effect!"
The Black Witch slowly faded from the field. Then, a giant wolf phantom with green fangs and eyes appeared above Ceruli's head and bit down mercilessly, preventing it from activating its effect.
"Eh (゜Д゜)? Why did Alice negate that effect!?"
"Idiot, did you forget what I told you before about Dark World decks?"
Beside her, Yuui looked a bit speechless at Alicia's distracted state; likely because she was Duel-tagging with Alice, Alicia's focus wasn't fully there.
Yuui pinched his forehead and said, "Dark World is a Deck that discards monsters by effects to trigger their effects.
"And some of their strongest monsters must be discarded by the opponent's effect to activate.
"That's the role of Ceruli—by using it, that woman can force a discard from the opponent's hand and activate her powerful monster effects.
"Alice probably knows how Dark World works, or she instinctively felt she shouldn't let that effect resolve. So she used her one precious negate on a Level 1 monster like Ceruli. But honestly? Not a bad trade!"
"I see… Alice really is amazing!" Alicia murmured.
While Alicia and Yuui were spacing out, Alice continued sharply, "Next is Diabellstar the Black Witch's third effect. Once per turn, if this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard during the opponent's turn, I can send 1 card from my hand or field to the Graveyard to Special Summon this card.
"I choose to send Ceruli on the field to the Graveyard, and Special Summon Diabellstar the Black Witch!"
With those words, Ceruli was swallowed by the wolf phantom, and the Black Witch slowly stepped out from within its fading silhouette, reappearing on the field.
[Diabellstar the Black Witch, ATK 2500]
"Then Diabellstar the Black Witch's second effect activates again. Once per turn, if this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Set 1 Sinful Spoils Spell/Trap directly from my Deck.
"I choose to Set the Trap Card Sinful Spoils of the Crime Jailer!"
"Amazing! Not only did she stop her opponent's combo, she also Set another Trap in her backrow. This is Alice's true skill!"
Alicia was stunned by Alice's clean, fluid chaining of monster, Spell, and Trap effects, and by how powerful those effects were.
However, the assassin didn't seem bothered by Alice's counterplay.
"Then I Normal Summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World, Set a card, then activate it. The card I activate is the Continuous Spell Card Dark World Archives!"
With a crazed grin, hair like segmented arthropod limbs, and chains binding its body, the monster—who once guided the birth of the Supreme King in the GX anime—appeared on the field.
[Brron, Mad King of Dark World, ATK 1800]
Purple mist filled the field as rows of ancient tomes appeared behind the assassin.
"The Continuous Spell Dark World Archives: once per turn, during your Main Phase, discard 1 Dark World monster; all of your Dark World monsters gain ATK equal to the discarded monster's Level × 100 until the end of the turn.
"I discard Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World from my hand, and increase the ATK of all my Dark World monsters by Grapha's Level × 100—that's 800 ATK!"
[Brron, Mad King of Dark World, ATK: 1800 → 2600]
"Grapha!?"
Yuui's eyebrows twitched. He whispered quickly to Alicia, and Alicia's eyes widened as she turned to Alice.
"Alice! When Grapha is discarded from the hand, it can destroy 1 card your opponent controls. And because that's a fiend discarded by a Dark World effect, that Continuous Spell lets her discard another card and then draw 2 cards!"
Hearing this, Alice narrowed her eyes, shot Alicia an annoyed glance, then glared at the empty space beside her.
"You're telling me now? A bit too late, isn't it!?"
The next moment, the assassin barked coldly, "Now, Grapha's effect activates. When this card is discarded to the Graveyard by a card effect, target 1 card your opponent controls—destroy it. I choose to destroy your Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon!
"Then the second effect of Dark World Archives: when a Fiend monster is discarded from the hand by the effect of a Dark World card or the opponent's effect, discard 1 card from your hand, then draw 2 cards."
"I discard the Fiend Dark World monster Snoww, Unlight of Dark World, then draw 2 cards!" The assassin drew two fresh cards, glanced over them, then waved her hand.
"Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World—destroy Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon!"
A huge dark silhouette rose behind the assassin. A sphere of crackling black lightning shot from its mouth and blasted Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon into pieces.
...
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