[I'm going to take the 1st and 2nd off, have to spend it with the family]
[Happy New Year To Everyone!!]
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Koji: "?"
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Called by the Grave! This card's effect lets me target 1 monster in your Graveyard and banish it. Until the end of the next turn, the effects of that banished monster and of any monsters with the same original name are negated."
"I banish the Effect Veiler in your Graveyard and negate its effect until the end of the next turn!"
A green arm burst out of the ground, yanked the card from Koji's Graveyard, and dragged it into the banished zone. The curtain of light around Yusaku's field shattered.
"So, with your Effect Veiler's effect negated, my Junk Speeder's effect resolves."
Yusaku raised his arm high.
"According to its effect, I Special Summon from my Deck, in Defense Position, Level 1 Jet Synchron, Level 2 Assault Synchron, Level 3 Revolution Synchron, and Level 5 Wheel Synchron, all at once!"
Starlight flashed. Four differently shaped Tuner monsters appeared around the existing Synchro.
Jet Synchron, DEF 0.
Assault Synchron, DEF 0.
Junk Synchron, DEF 500.
Wheel Synchron, DEF 1000.
Looking at the five monsters now lined up on Yusaku's field, the duelists behind Koji all covered their faces and sighed.
"It's over."
The moment Junk Speeder's speed-up effect went through, this duel had lost all suspense.
Compared to them, the players on Koji's side had no doubts at all.
"Junk Speeder resolved. The game is over."
"Opponent can already scoop."
"If he still gets a next turn and manages to activate even one monster effect, I'll admit defeat."
The students from the various dojos on the 27th floor were frozen where they stood.
They couldn't fully understand the meaning of those comments, but they understood one thing very clearly:
This duel was about to end.
At this moment, Koji was also staring uneasily at the monsters on Yusaku's field, the confidence he had at the start already gone.
After finishing his summons, Yusaku flicked his wrist.
"Next, I tune the Level 5 Junk Speeder and the Level 1 Tuner monster, Jet Synchron!"
"Synchro Summon! Level 6 — Mind Castlin!"
Synchro light bloomed like a pink-violet nebula. A girl's silhouette leapt lightly from the glow. Her twin pink ponytails were dusted with tiny motes of starlight, crystal tassels swaying like aurora-colored threads as she moved. She wore a tight-fitting star-patterned robe, layered skirts fluttering like butterfly wings, each step trailing fragments of light.
Mind Castlin
[Level 6 / Psychic / Synchro / Effect]
ATK 1500
Seeing the unfamiliar monster that appeared, a few players in the crowd blinked and frowned.
"Does Junk Speeder Synchro even run that card?"
"Feels like… it doesn't."
Their muttering drifted into Yusaku's ears. He didn't bother explaining. Instead, he turned to Koji with a slight smile.
"This duel will end in one minute. You can tell your senpai to start getting ready."
Koji: "?"
Red-haired boy: "?"
Dojo students: "???"
Not only Koji and the dojo students were stunned. Even the watching players were utterly baffled.
"Didn't he just say the duel would end in one minute? I must've misheard."
"Uh… I don't think you did. I heard it too."
"One minute… but it's still the first turn, and he can't even attack. How's he ending the duel?"
"Why think so hard? We'll know in a minute."
Someone called out the first number, and in the next second, a countdown swept through the floor like a death knell, perfectly in sync.
"59! 58! 57!"
As the chant hit "57", Koji's pupils shrank.
"I activate the effect of Jet Synchron in the Graveyard. When this card is sent to the GY as Synchro Material, I can add 1 'Junk' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Junk Converter from my Deck!"
He added the searched card to his hand, then continued.
"Next, Wheel Synchron's effect. During my Main Phase, I can gain 1 additional Normal Summon of a Level 4 or lower monster. I use that effect to Normal Summon the Junk Converter I just searched!"
With a light thump, a small scrap-heap warrior burst up from the ground and landed nimbly in front of Yusaku.
Junk Converter
[Level 2 / Warrior / Effect]
ATK 400
The countdown was already at: "45!"
The instant the monster hit the field, Yusaku shouted:
"Then I tune Junk Converter and the Level 3 Junk Synchron!"
"Synchro Summon! Level 5 — Garden Rose Maiden!"
Rose petals filled the air. A girl in a pure white wedding-dress-like gown stepped forth, silver-white hair so bright it almost reflected light, cascading down her back.
Garden Rose Maiden
[Level 5 / Plant / Synchro]
ATK 1600
"I activate Garden Rose Maiden's effect, and chain to it the effect of Junk Converter that was just sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material!"
"First, Junk Converter's effect!"
Yusaku's voice cut sharply through the countdown.
"When this card is sent to the GY as Synchro Material, I can target 1 Tuner in my GY and Special Summon it in Defense Position. I Special Summon Junk Synchron from my Graveyard!"
Junk Synchron
DEF 500
"Next, Garden Rose Maiden's effect. When this card is Special Summoned, I can add 1 Black Garden from my Deck or GY to my hand."
"I add the Field Spell Black Garden from my Deck!"
He slid the card into his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Field Spell, Black Garden!"
Black vines tore out of the floor, coiling and climbing, black roses blooming wildly along their length. A strange fragrance soaked into the entire field.
The countdown: "38!"
"Then I tune the Level 5 Garden Rose Maiden and Junk Synchron!"
"Synchro Summon! Level 8 — Black-Winged Dragon!"
A deafening roar split the air. A pillar of black wind shot skyward, and a jet-black dragon burst out of the storm, matte black scales glinting, each beat of its wings scattering razor-like feathers.
Black-Winged Dragon
[Level 8 / Dragon / Effect]
ATK 2800
Countdown: "34! 33! 32!"
"In this moment," Yusaku called out, "the effect of Black Garden activates!"
"Each time a monster is Normal or Special Summoned in face-up position, except by Black Garden's own effect, that monster's ATK is halved. Then, that monster's controller Special Summons 1 Rose Token (Plant / DARK / Level 2 / ATK/DEF 800) to their opponent's field in Attack Position."
Black-Winged Dragon
ATK 2800 → 1400
"As your monster was Summoned under Black Garden, you get a Rose Token on your field."
A black rose stem thrust up from the floor on Koji's side, blooming into a sinister rose that twisted into the form of a small dark plant warrior.
Rose Token
ATK 800
Koji frowned at the new monster on his field. He still had no idea what Yusaku was building toward.
"Next, I tune the Level 6 Mind Castlin and the Level 2 Tuner monster Assault Synchron!"
Yusaku raised his arm again.
"Synchro Summon! Level 8 — Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons!"
Dark-purple flame exploded. A massive dragon head tore through the burning haze. Its matte black scales glowed faintly, rusted scythe-like horns coiling with black smoke. Its vast wings unfurled, dark membranes shot through with crimson veins, each beat whipping up a sulphur-tainted gale. Its claws crushed the stone beneath, and black-red fluid dripped from its fangs, hissing as it corroded the floor.
Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons
[Level 8 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
ATK 3000 → 1500 (by Black Garden)
Countdown: "26! 25! 24!"
"In this instant, Black Garden triggers again," Yusaku said, "and I chain to it the effect of Mind Castlin in my Graveyard!"
"First, Mind Castlin's effect. If the Synchro Summoned card is sent to the GY, I can target 1 face-up monster on each side of the field and swap control of those two monsters."
He pointed sharply.
"I target the Rose Token on your field and my Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons. I swap their control!"
In a flash of light, the positions of the two monsters swapped.
"Because a monster was Summoned on your field, Black Garden's effect also triggers, and I Special Summon a Rose Token to my field."
A new rose puppet unfolded on Yusaku's side.
Rose Token
ATK 800
"You gave me a 3000 ATK boss monster for free?" Koji's frown deepened as he stared at the Beelze now looming on his own field.
"Then, Black Garden's effect also Special Summons a Rose Token to your field."
Another dark rose warrior emerged beside it.
Rose Token
ATK 800
Yusaku didn't slow down.
"Now I Synchro Summon again. I tune the Tuner monster on my field and a Level 4 or higher monster…"
The text on the field effect flickered, and the dragon-shaped lines of light twisted into a new circuit.
"This Synchro Monster's effect: when it's Synchro Summoned, I can send 1 monster with a lower Level than it from my Deck to the GY, and this card's Level is reduced by that monster's Level."
Yusaku revealed a card from his Deck.
"I send the Level 2 Synchron Carrier from my Deck to the GY and reduce Shooting Riser Dragon's Level by 2!"
Shooting Riser Dragon
Level 7 → 5
"Then Black Garden's effect activates again, Special Summoning a Rose Token to your field."
Another rose puppet emerged on Koji's side.
As Shooting Riser Dragon's Level changed, Yusaku shouted without pause:
"Now I tune the Level 5 Shooting Riser Dragon and my last Rose Token!"
"Synchro Summon! Level 7 — Dark Strike Fighter!"
A mechanical bomber tore through the air, steel hull gleaming coldly.
Countdown: "9! 8! 7!"
Dark Strike Fighter
[Level 7 / Machine / Effect]
ATK 2600 → 1300 (by Black Garden)
Black Garden triggered once more, and a fourth Rose Token appeared on Koji's field.
Countdown: "6! 5! 4!"
"And now I Special Summon 1 more monster from my Extra Deck."
Yusaku's hands never stopped moving. He drew a card from his Extra Deck and flipped it toward Koji.
"Blackwing Assault Dragon's Summoning condition…" Yusaku glanced at the players behind Koji, his gaze landing on Fujiwara. "How to Summon this card… I'm sure your senpai Fujiwara knows better than anyone."
Fujiwara's face went pale. The card Yusaku was about to play was exactly the same trump card he'd lost to before.
"This monster can be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck by banishing 1 Tuner Synchro Monster and 1 Black-Winged Dragon from your field and/or GY."
"So I banish the Shooting Riser Dragon in my Graveyard and the Black-Winged Dragon on my field to Special Summon this monster!"
He slapped the card onto his Duel Disk. The disk erupted with blinding light.
Huge black wings snapped open. Dragon claws coiled with crackling lightning as a storm wind tore across the arena.
Countdown: "1!"
Blackwing Assault Dragon
[Level 10 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect]
ATK 3200 → 1600 (by Black Garden)
"I activate Dark Strike Fighter's effect!"
Yusaku's voice landed exactly as the countdown hit zero.
"I tribute this card, and you take damage equal to its Level × 200. Seven times two hundred… 1400 damage!"
The bomber dissolved into a blazing stream, punched straight through Koji's chest, and exploded behind him, forcing him back several stumbling steps.
[Koji, LP 8000 → 6600]
"Tch." Koji gave a cold snort. "A mere 1400 damage. This is the 'game over' you were talking about?"
"Yes." Yusaku smiled at him. "Goodbye—or rather, not even goodbye."
Koji: "???"
The air froze.
On Koji's field, Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons suddenly let out a deafening roar. Its black scales flushed blood-red, its body swelling at a speed visible to the naked eye as each plate of armor pulsed with a crazed, bloodthirsty glow.
ATK: 1500 → 2900
A hurricane of dragonforce swept outward. Koji was forced to bend under the pressure, chest heaving.
At the same time, the eye sockets of Blackwing Assault Dragon on Yusaku's field lit with violet lightning. A jagged counter of crackling energy appeared above it, arcs of electricity snapping around it.
Blackwing Assault Dragon, Black Feather Counters: 0 → 1
And with each Black Feather Counter and each surge in Beelze's power, Koji's Life Points were being shaved away in chunks of 700.
[Koji, LP 6600 → 5900 → 5200 → …]
[Blackwing Assault Dragon, Black Feather Counters: 1 → 2 → 3 → …]
"What did you do!?" Koji shouted, staring at his rapidly falling LP in panic.
Yusaku only smiled.
"Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons's effect. Whenever you take damage from a card effect, this card's ATK increases by the amount of damage you took."
"And Blackwing Assault Dragon's effect: each time your opponent activates a monster effect, it gains 1 Black Feather Counter and deals 700 damage to them."
"Every time your Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons's effect activates, my Blackwing Assault Dragon's effect chains right after it, burning you for 700 more."
"Both of these effects are mandatory. I can't stop them even if I wanted to. So all you can do is watch your LP tick down, bit by bit, until it hits zero."
"No… that's impossible!"
Koji's face twisted in disbelief.
"Nothing impossible about it." Yusaku gave him a casual glance. "Against you, this much is more than enough. As for the full 'Six Dragons' line… you're not qualified."
As his words fell, the loop continued to repeat. Each time, Beelze howled, its power swelling; each time, Blackwing Assault Dragon answered with another 700-point blast.
When the cycle reached the tenth activation, a pillar of violet lightning crashed down, intertwining with the blood-red glow pouring off Beelze. The two forces twined into a single annihilating beam and swallowed Koji whole.
Boom.
The shockwave threw Koji like a rag doll, slamming him into the ground more than ten meters away.
"Uaaaahhh!"
[Koji, LP 6600 → 0]
Everyone present stared blankly at the field.
"No way… it really ended in under a minute!"
"Koji just got burned to death like that!? The whole duel, Yusaku basically resolved a single card and it was over?!"
"…"
(End of Chapter)
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