The earth shook violently as countless spiderweb cracks spread frantically across the ground. Scorching red light burst from the fissures, and boiling magma wove through the air as though alive. Pillars of lava twisted into a gigantic "Number 61" suspended in midair, every stroke constantly dripping burning liquid fire.
Suddenly, all the magma flowed back into the cracks, and the space fell silent for a moment. The next second, amid an earsplitting explosion, a thirty-meter-wide pillar of lava shot into the sky. Dark-red dragon claws tore through the curtain of fire first. The colossal Number 61 descended slowly, its entire body covered in cooled, shattered basalt armor, golden-orange magma flowing through every crack. When it fully spread its membrane wings of lava, sparks filled the sky around it, and every breath expelled sulfurous fire clouds from its nostrils. Most terrifying of all was the numbered crest embedded in its body, flickering in rhythm with its breathing as if it were counting down to the eruption of this living volcano.
[Number 61 Volcanic Dinosaur, ATK 2500]
"Another 'Number'!" Judai blurted out.
"Be careful, Judai," Yubel warned. "This one feels even stronger than the previous one."
"Yeah, I know." Judai nodded.
That was true. The pressure and presence brought by this Volcanic Dinosaur were more than twice as strong as the Sea Dragon that had appeared during Kira's duel before.
Perhaps this Number was inherently far stronger than Sea Dragon. Or perhaps its compatibility with its controller was greater than that of Mr. T and Sea Dragon. Or perhaps both factors were at play.
In any case, this opponent was clearly much stronger.
Taniguchi's skin flushed an unnatural red. He grabbed his neck as if in pain, where his skin was swelling in a strange manner, revealing a scorching number