Kajiki let out a long breath of stale air.
He was such an idiot. Truly.
He had watched yesterday's match and assumed this Emissary of the Netherworld would send all his monsters to the Different Dimension like he had done to Manjoume yesterday. He had never expected him to change tactics this time and start playing a shut-in deck.
But why did this guy have so many different underworld-style strategies?
He didn't have a single tactic for a fair, honorable duel, did he?
This time, Kajiki finally realized that what stood across from him was a dog, not a person. Perfect Mechanical King on his field had yet to attack, but there was no point even if it did.
Power of the Guardians did not say Once Per Turn. Even if he summoned five monsters at once and sent them all to attack, it would only repeat the cycle of "place a counter—remove a counter—negate battle destruction" over and over.
Left with no choice, he could only stare helplessly and End Turn.
Then it was Kira's turn again. Kira did not waste words. Without even summoning a monster, he entered the Battle Phase. Magical Crusader arrogantly flew over the opposing Monster Zone and launched a barrage right at Kajiki's face.
The instant it attacked, Power of the Guardians activated again, gaining another Magic Counter. Magical Crusader's effect raised its ATK back to 1100, landing a critical hit for eleven hundred damage.
Kajiki Makoto, LP 3400→LP 2300
"I'll Set Card one more card. End Turn," Kira said.
"Damn it. My Turn."
Kajiki's sense of danger grew stronger. He had to find a way to deal with that goddamn combination on the other side. Otherwise, he might really get beaten to death by Direct Attacks.
"Draw!"
Kajiki drew a card, then burst into wild laughter when he saw what it was.
"Hahahaha! Using the synergy between an Equip Spell and Monster Effect to create an unbreakable combo is certainly a fine tactic. But my countermeasure is even better! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Mystical Space Typhoon from my hand! It can destroy one Spell/Trap Card On the Field. I will destroy the Equip Spell, 'Power of the Guardians'!"
A pitch-black cyclone swept forth, instantly shattering the spell in Kira's back row. The golden shield around Magical Crusader vanished, and its ATK returned to normal.
Kajiki had studied his opponent's matches beforehand. He had long noticed that this guy named Kira might be some kind of shut-in who seemed especially fond of those nasty trap cards that made people question their lives.
That was why his deck had already been stuffed with three Mystical Space Typhoons and one Heavy Storm. They were made to kill shut-in decks.
Magical Crusader, ATK 1100→ATK 600
"Not a bad tactic, but that spell itself is the weakness in your strategy." Kajiki smugly declared, "Battle! Go, Perfect Mechanical King! Crush that disgusting little scrub!"
Mechanical King seemed to have been holding itself back for a long time as well. Upon receiving the command, it eagerly sprang forward, raising its iron hammer to smash that hateful little creature into dust.
"Flip my Set Card."
Kira snapped his fingers, and the card in his back row flipped open.
"Continuous Trap—Supergravity Net. Any monsters level four or higher on either side cannot attack."
Kajiki: "."
Fuck you.
Kajiki felt as though ten thousand Lava Golems were stampeding through his heart. He had one four-star monster and one eight-star monster On the Field, and he had already used the Mystical Space Typhoon he had just drawn on Power of the Guardians. This one card had once again completely sealed off all his attacks.
But he still had a way!
"I Normal Summon 'Dark Blaster' in Defense Position."
Dark Blaster, DEF 1500
"End Turn."
"I see. So there was that option too." Kira nodded in understanding.
He remembered this card as well. It was a monster Judai Yuki had used in the anime. Simply put, its effect allowed it to destroy the opponent's Spell/Trap Card on the next turn.
In other words, as long as this thing survived until the next turn, it could blow up Kira's Supergravity Net, break the lock, and launch an attack.
This was another adjustment Kajiki had made for this match, the struggle of a proper, aboveground duelist against an underworld shut-in deck.
But that was fine.
"My Turn, draw." Kira drew a card and immediately said without hesitation, "I activate the Continuous Spell 'Level Limit - Area B' from my hand."
"As long as this card remains On the Field, all four-star or higher monsters on both sides are changed to Defense Position."
Mechanical Sergeant, ATK 1600→DEF 1800 Perfect Mechanical King, ATK 3700→DEF 1500
Kajiki Makoto nearly spat blood.
No, brother, why did you have that too?
Kajiki was utterly stunned. He had never imagined someone could play cards in such a shut-in way. This wasn't a tournament entry—this was revenge against society.
So even if Dark Blaster's effect activated next turn, it could only destroy one Spell/Trap Card. But in the current situation, whether he destroyed Supergravity Net or Level Limit - Area B, as long as even one remained On the Field, he still could not attack.
And he had noticed that Magical Crusader was three-star, perfectly below the four-star threshold. In other words, only he could not attack, while Kira could attack freely.
"Still, just in case, I'll activate the Spell Card 'Shield Crash.' Select one monster in Defense Position On the Field and destroy it. I destroy 'Dark Blaster.'"
Kajiki Makoto: "."
That was not all.
"Next, I summon 'Emissary of the Afterlife' from my hand in Attack Position."
Emissary of the Afterlife, ATK 700
"This card has the same effect as Magical Crusader. It can also Direct Attack." Kira paused and smiled faintly. "And by the way, Emissary of the Afterlife is also level three, so it is unaffected by either Level Limit - Area B or Supergravity Net."
Kajiki Makoto: "."
He wanted to say, no, that thing was not an Emissary of the Afterlife.
It was an Emissary of the Netherworld.
"Magical Crusader, Emissary of the Afterlife, Direct Attack!"
Two direct strikes in a row!
Perfect Mechanical King and Mechanical Sergeant could only watch helplessly as those two shut-in monsters flew magnificently over their heads one after the other, then pinned their Master to the ground and ground him mercilessly into the dirt.
The monsters were furious at the offender, but there was nothing they could do.
Kajiki Makoto, LP 2300→LP 1000
Kajiki Makoto said nothing, but veins bulged on the back of his hand and across his forehead. His Red Temperature progress was estimated at ninety percent.
"I Set Card one card. End Turn."
"My Turn."
Kajiki Makoto took a deep breath.
Stay calm. Stay calm.
Just as the master at the dojo had said, the more dangerous the situation, the less one could panic. Until the final second of a duel, no one knew the outcome.
Believe in your deck. Remember the card-drawing training you had practiced day after day.
And now was the time to prove those results.
Kajiki Makoto shut his eyes tightly and silently chanted in his heart.
Can I get another wind card?
"Draw!"
The next moment, Kajiki Makoto nearly jumped on the spot.
This draw had created a miracle!
"I activate the Spell Card 'Heavy Storm' from my hand!" Kajiki raised the card high like a priest performing a ritual. "Destroy all Spell/Trap Cards on both sides of the field!"
Heavy Storm, the strongest back-row clearing weapon, indiscriminately flipping the table on everyone.
"He really did draw wind this turn." Kira muttered to himself. "Sure enough, even random bystanders in an anime world can pull godly topdecks in desperate situations."
However—
Kira snapped his fingers.
"Flip my Set Card. Counter Trap—Judgment of Anubis."
Kajiki was still laughing strangely. "Useless! Heavy Storm is the ultimate nemesis of Spell/Trap Cards. Anything before the great wind is—uh, wait, what the hell is that?"
"Judgment of Anubis can only be activated when the opponent activates a Spell Card with the effect of 'destroy Spell/Trap Cards On the Field.'" Kira calmly explained.
"Discard one card from your hand to negate that Spell Card's Effect Activation and destroy it. Then, select one face-up monster on the opponent's field, destroy it, and inflict damage to the opponent equal to that destroyed monster's ATK."
Kajiki narrowed his eyes.
It could negate Heavy Storm's activation, then destroy one of his monsters and deal damage equal to its ATK.
"."
"What?!"
Amid his shock, the storm dissipated beneath some invisible curse. Black mist spread across the field, taking the vicious shape of the Anubis God as it glared furiously at Kajiki's field.
"By its effect, I will destroy your 'Perfect Mechanical King.'" Kira waved his hand. "Take damage equal to Perfect Mechanical King's ATK—3700 points."
The Anubis God opened its mouth, unleashing a terrifying black breath. Mechanical King's body instantly melted within it, while the powerful dark current continued onward and swallowed Kajiki Makoto as well.
"Uaaahhh!!!"
The sensory impact equivalent to thirty-seven hundred damage slammed Kajiki to the ground. Even as he fell, his eyes remained wide open, as though he could not die in peace.
It was as though he were saying that even if he were nailed into a coffin and buried beneath the earth, he would still use his decaying voice to shout—
—I have never seen someone so bent on revenge against society!
Kajiki Makoto, LP 1000→LP 0
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