Machina Suppression

Dinosaur Ryuzaki let out a long breath.

Tri-Horned Dragon had hit the field and died, but it was fine. Though it was a little tilting, this was still within his expectations.

Ryuzaki had seen plenty of storms. Back then, he had even endured having his Red-Eyes turned into a fossil by Tsuchikure Jonouchi's Time Wizard roulette. Compared to that, this was nothing.

"But my turn isn't over yet."

Ryuzaki drew another card.

"From my hand, I activate the Continuous Spell—Mirage of Nightmare. During my opponent's Standby Phase, this card lets me draw from the deck until I have four cards in my hand.

"However, as a Side Effect, during my own Standby Phase, I must randomly discard the same number of cards I drew."

Kira remained expressionless.

Yep, just the anime world casually playing another card that had been banned for ages.

"Next, I set two cards in my back row. End Turn."

It was Kira's turn to draw. "Then it's My Turn. Draw."

"At this moment, Mirage of Nightmare's effect activates," Ryuzaki said. "I draw four cards from my deck."

As expected of a banned card's power, Ryuzaki's hand, which had been emptied in a single turn, immediately returned to four cards.

But Kira calmly played the card he had drawn. "Spell Card—Pot of Greed. I draw two more cards from the deck."

Like I'm the only one with a few banned cards.

After drawing, Kira continued, "First, I summon the card I searched last turn."

The monster card slapped down into the Monster Zone of the Duel Disk with a crisp snap.

"Machina Mech-Frame, in Attack Position."

Machina Mech-Frame, ATK 1800

"Mech-Frame's effect activates. When this card is Summoned Successfully, I add one Machina card other than Machina Mech-Frame from my deck to my hand."

"So that's it. The Machina Peacekeeper destroyed last turn had the ability to search Machina Mech-Frame when destroyed, and Mech-Frame can search Machina Fortress.

"So it seems contestant Fujiki Kira's setup from the very beginning was all for this Machina Fortress!"

"Looks like things are about to get interesting," Commentator Sasaki said with a smile.

"From my deck, I add this card..."

Kira revealed the card he had drawn from his deck.

"...Machina Fortress to my hand."

He then revealed the Fortress along with another monster card in his hand.

"Next is Machina Fortress's effect. Although this card is a Level 7 Tribute Monster, I can Special Summon it from my hand or Graveyard by discarding Machine-Type Monsters from my hand whose total Levels equal 8 or more.

"I discard the Level 8 Machina Megaform from my hand to the Graveyard and Special Summon Machina Fortress from my hand!"

One card was Sent to Graveyard, and the massive alloy fortress immediately leaped onto his field. Heavy metal treads, pale blue armor, and a thick cannon barrel seemed to proclaim the creed: Caliber is Justice.

Machina Fortress, ATK 2500

"Battle." Kira said, "First, Machina Fortress attacks the Set Tri-Horned Dragon!"

Tri-Horned Dragon, DEF 2350

The Fortress's massive main cannon slowly lowered. Target locked, ammunition loaded. With a thunderous blast and a flash of light, the heavy shell roared from the barrel. The spinning projectile slammed into the Set Card with an explosive boom. Poor Tri-Horned Dragon never even saw daylight again before it was blown straight into ashes.

"Next, Mech-Frame attacks directly!"

The red mech warrior kicked off the ground, its metallic body soaring forward on a transparent cyclone. Ryuzaki hurriedly crouched down with his head covered, but the projected impact of the alloy flying kick still sent him sprawling to the ground.

Ryuzaki, LP 2600 → LP 800

The audience immediately erupted.

A returning legend against a rookie fresh on the scene—it should have been a one-sided match without suspense. Yet it really was one-sided, only completely the other way around.

Dinosaur Ryuzaki was actually being suppressed?

"This is a truly unexpected development."

Even the commentators could not help but waver in their pre-match predictions.

"Contestant Ryuzaki's field is looking pretty bad right now," Commentator Xiao Du said.

"Indeed. He's completely suppressed on the field, and his Life Points are down to only eight hundred. Meanwhile, contestant Kira's LP haven't budged at all..."

Kira, LP 4000

Unable to resist checking Kira's immovable LP again, Commentator Sasaki frowned.

Was he really a rookie?

From his earlier matches until now, he had practically bulldozed through everything. Looking back over all his Duels, it felt as though he had never faced any pressure at all.

And now, he could even suppress Dinosaur Ryuzaki to this extent.

Where had this unheard-of monster suddenly come from?

"Main Phase 2."

Kira's turn was not over yet.

"I activate Machina Mech-Frame's other effect.

"Once Per Turn, this card can equip itself to one Machine-Type Monster on my field as an Equip Card.

"I equip Mech-Frame to Machina Fortress on my field."

Mech-Frame leaped into the air, transforming with a series of clanking sounds before combining with the Fortress.

"When the Equipped Monster would be destroyed by battle or card effect, Mech-Frame can be destroyed instead," Kira said. "Also, Once Per Turn, Mech-Frame can Special Summon itself back to my field while equipped."

"What an incredible combo!" Commentator Xiao Du said. "Not only can Mech-Frame search Fortress from the deck, it can also equip itself to Fortress and grant it Destruction Resistance?"

"Not only that," Commentator Sasaki added. "Becoming an Equip Card also gives Mech-Frame a layer of protection. This way, the opponent can't start by breaking through the lower-ATK Mech-Frame.

"And even if he needs it to attack and help finish the opponent next turn, it can jump back onto the field by itself."

"A combo with both offense and defense—too strong." Commentator Xiao Du could not help saying, "This Fujiki Kira... is he really a rookie?"

Sasaki was momentarily speechless as well.

"I set two cards on the field."

Two more Set Cards appeared at Kira's feet. He looked up at the Continuous Spell in Ryuzaki's back row and could not help sighing.

His current deck had been built with three wind cards in total. If he had drawn any one of them, he could have blown away that Mirage of Nightmare before Ryuzaki's turn. It would not have guaranteed victory, but it certainly would have increased his chances even further.

What a pity. He had drawn none of them.

Another day of wanting to learn how to topdeck like a god.

"End Turn," Kira said.

"Damn it, you really went for it."

Ryuzaki gritted his teeth.

"My Turn, draw."

After the Draw Phase came Ryuzaki's Standby Phase.

"At this time, Mirage of Nightmare's Side Effect activates. Normally, I would have to discard four cards from my hand. But!"

Ryuzaki flipped open his back row.

"At this moment, I first activate my Set Trap—Reckless Greed!

"I draw two cards from my deck, but in exchange, I must skip the Draw Phases of my next two consecutive turns."

A card with enormous rewards and equally enormous risks. Ryuzaki used it to draw another two cards.

"Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell—Emergency Provisions!"

Ryuzaki's second back-row card flipped open as well.

"I can send Spells and Traps on my field other than Emergency Provisions to the Graveyard, and recover 1000 Life Points for each one sent!

"I send the activated Reckless Greed and Mirage of Nightmare on my field to the Graveyard together, recovering two thousand Life Points!"

The two cards vanished together amid a golden glow in the back row, becoming nourishment that flowed into Ryuzaki's body.

Ryuzaki, LP 800 → LP 2800

"Oh, that was beautiful!" Commentator Xiao Du exclaimed. "He activated Reckless Greed first, then chained Emergency Provisions to the Trap's activation.

"Although the Trap Card had already been activated, it was still on the field when Emergency Provisions resolved, so it could also be used as the cost for Emergency Provisions to restore Life Points."

"That's right. At the same time, he used Emergency Provisions to send Mirage of Nightmare to the Graveyard, avoiding the Side Effect of having to discard cards during the Standby Phase."

Commentator Sasaki nodded as well.

"Ryuzaki is still Ryuzaki. His Duel skill is undeniably strong."

Ryuzaki rubbed his nose, seemingly pleased with his expert maneuver. "What a shame. Looks like all your attacks last turn were for nothing."

Yet Kira felt no ripples inside.

He did not think it was some high-level play. He just wanted to ask where Ryuzaki had bought that 502 glue.

He had wanted to ask this for a long time. Why were Mirage of Nightmare and Emergency Provisions in anime Duels always glued together with 502 glue? He had never seen anyone fail to draw one when they had the other.