Card Blaster

Trap Card—Judgment of Anubis! Machina Fortress's revival was negated!

"Ryuzaki actually had something like this up his sleeve too!"

Commentator Xiao Du was practically spraying saliva.

"It seemed even the Fortress's revival had been within his calculations. And because this was a Counter Trap, Kira had almost no room to salvage the situation. His momentum had been forcibly interrupted.

With that, it would be very difficult for him to continue his counterattack. Could he still uphold his declaration to end the match this turn?"

Yet, faced with this scene, Kira had only one thought.

Fine, Kenzan is one thing, but why do you have Misawa's card too?

That's right. Judgment of Anubis was a card used in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! GX by the well-known background character Daichi Misawa. It had originally been a trap specifically for Zombies. By banishing five Zombie-Type Monsters from your Graveyard, you could even Special Summon a Zombie from your Deck.

But Ryuzaki played Dinosaurs, so he obviously had no Zombies. Still, in the Anime Environment, it was fairly useful even as a substitute similar to Trap Hole.

After all, duelists in this world were not that free when it came to Deck Building. They often used whatever cards they had on hand. If they happened to pull this card from a pack, even a non-Zombie user could consider including it.

The Fortress returned to the Graveyard, but Kira did not care. Another card in his Graveyard emerged again in golden light.

"The effect of Machina Megaform in the Graveyard."

Kira revealed the card that had emerged from his Graveyard.

"When this card is in the Graveyard, and Machina Fortress on my field is Sent to Graveyard, I can Special Summon this card by banishing that Machina Fortress from the Graveyard."

The destroyed Machina Fortress returned to the field in a translucent, phantom-like form, then dissolved amid wavering golden light.

"Therefore, I banish Machina Fortress from my Graveyard and Special Summon Machina Megaform!"

The particles of light left behind by the Fortress gathered into a solid form once more. The illusory heavy armor began to transform. Huge metallic feet landed on the floor with a dull thud, heavy treads shifted to its sides, and its main cannon rose onto its shoulder. The alloy fortress slowly transformed into a heavily armored robot.

Autobots, transform!

Machina Megaform, ATK 2600

"Unbelievable! Kira had another move prepared as well!"

Commentator Xiao Du's face was already flushed red. He seemed even more excited than the duelists actually playing on the field.

"This was the cost he discarded from his hand when he Special Summoned Machina Fortress on that earlier turn. Kira had calculated so many moves ahead from that very moment!

Could today truly be the day we witness the rise of a new star!?"

Commentator Sasaki silently took out a handkerchief and wiped the spittle from his face, then subtly shifted his chair a little farther away from his colleague.

But just as the Fortress was about to complete its transformation, the enormous machine suddenly staggered. With a thunderous crash, it dropped to one knee. Its body flickered in and out, gradually turning transparent before vanishing like a wisp of smoke.

Commentator Xiao Du: "!"

"Th-this... what is going on now?" the commentator cried in shock. "Where did Megaform go?"

"Hahahaha!" Ryuzaki laughed. "I had already calculated that you hid a follow-up in your Graveyard. Maybe you really did calculate two or three moves farther than others, but my dueling goes farther than yours!

The instant you activated Machina Megaform's effect, I chained this card!"

Only then did everyone's eyes fall on the face-up Trap in his back row.

Trap Card—Lost.

"Lost is a Trap that can select a card in your opponent's Graveyard and banish it from the game directly. So before your machine could revive onto the field, I banished your Machina Megaform from the game!"

Ryuzaki's grin grew ever smugger.

"Well? Can you still claim this is my last turn? Your machines have already been crushed by me, and every method and setup you had has been dismantled one by one. Meanwhile, I still have the invincible Dark Tyranno on my field!"

Commentator Sasaki could not help nodding. "Indeed. Although Kira had prepared plenty of follow-up plays, Dinosaur Ryuzaki was clearly no pushover either.

It is unfortunate, but regardless of what strategy he had prepared, he should be powerless against such a formation."

Ryuzaki clearly thought so too.

You hit two traps in a row and still think you can OTK me?

You think you can charge straight through Dark Tyranno and kill me?

"Come on, then. Go ahead and OTK me if you can. Hurry up, I'm waiting right here—"

Kira pondered for a moment.

Hm. What a strange request.

Well, if that's what he wanted...

"Activate my Set Card."

He pointed toward his back row by his feet, and the Trap flipped open.

"Continuous Trap—Limit Reverse. I can Special Summon one monster with 1000 ATK or less from my Graveyard in Attack Position.

When that monster is changed to Defense Position, both that monster and this card are destroyed."

"Hm?" Ryuzaki raised an eyebrow.

It could only revive a monster with 1000 ATK or less, and it could not even Change to Defense Position. Weren't those all just weaklings?

"The card I'm reviving is this one."

Kira took the card that popped up from his Graveyard.

"Card Blaster!"

Card Blaster, ATK 400

Card Blaster was one of Judai Yuki's frequently used monsters in the later stages of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. By sending the Top of Deck's three cards to the Graveyard, it could gain 1900 ATK during this turn in one go, and when it was destroyed, its controller could draw a card.

Possessing Mill Strategy, ATK/DEF, and draw power all at once, it had once been a frequent sight in top-tier Decks in the Real Card Environment. Its tournament usage rate had even been so high that it received restriction treatment.

But Ryuzaki clearly did not recognize how formidable it was. "Heh. Just a weakling after all."

"You'll soon find out whether it's a weakling. Next, I activate a Spell Card from my hand."

With a sweep of his hand, a green Spell Card appeared before Kira.

"Spell Card—Machine Duplication.

I can select one Machine-Type Monster with 500 ATK or less on my field and Special Summon up to two Cards with the same name from my Deck.

Naturally, I select Card Blaster, with 400 ATK!"

He drew the other two searched cards from his Deck.

"Special Summon the other two Card Blasters!"

Card Blaster, ATK 400 x3

"Three monsters at once?"

Ryuzaki forcibly suppressed the unease rising in his chest.

"But weaklings are still weaklings. No matter how many of them come—"

"Card Blaster's effect." Kira continued his play. "Once Per Turn, Card Blaster can send the top three cards of my Deck to the Graveyard.

For each card Sent to Graveyard by this effect, this card gains 500 ATK until the End Phase.

Therefore, I activate the effects of all three Card Blasters in succession, sending nine cards from the Top of Deck to the Graveyard!"

A large stack of cards flew out from the Deck, swishing one after another into the Graveyard slot of the Duel Disk.

"Each Card Blaster gains 1500 ATK!"

Card Blaster, ATK 400 → ATK 1900 x3

"Next, the final card I will play is this."

Kira played the final card that would end the match.

"Quick-Play Spell—Limiter Removal! All Machine-Type Monsters on my field double their ATK until the End Turn!"

"N-n... What?!"

Ryuzaki was stunned, and so were both commentators. The audience's cries surged like a tidal wave, almost enough to lift the roof off the arena.

All Machines on the field doubled their ATK. That meant these three Card Blasters—

Card Blaster, ATK 1900 → ATK 3800 x3

"Three monsters with 3800 ATK each!?"

Commentator Xiao Du felt like his mind had gone blank.

Was that even possible??

Sasaki sucked in a sharp breath as turbulent waves rose in his heart.

The machines' limiters were released. Electricity crackled across the three Blasters' bodies as their forms rapidly expanded, transforming in an instant from three tiny creatures into Gundam-like mecha.

The once-menacing Dark Tyranno now had to crane its neck just to see the gigantic machines towering into the sky. Cold sweat streamed down its face as it shrank back, trembling.

"First, Card Blaster number one—destroy Dark Tyranno!"

With two bangs, the cannons fired. The black dinosaur was pierced through the waist and exploded with a thunderous boom.

Ryuzaki: "Ughaaa!"

Ryuzaki, LP 2800 → LP 1600

His back row had been completely used up, and his resources were utterly exhausted. Naturally, Ryuzaki had no further means to defend himself.

"Next, the remaining Card Blasters attack Ryuzaki directly!"

The barrels locked on, electricity dancing over them. Card Blaster's twin cannons fired together, spinning shells trailing burning black smoke as they flew straight toward Ryuzaki.

Under the glow of the artillery fire, Ryuzaki's vision blurred. For an instant, Kira standing across from him seemed to overlap with another figure from his memories.

Amid the roaring bombardment, he even seemed to hear the voice of an old acquaintance echo in his ears.

The first Duel King, Yugi Mutou.

"No matter what kind of card it is, it has value."

"Even the weakest monster has meaning. Anyone who casually dismisses a card's potential as a weakling does not deserve to be called a duelist."

"..."

Even after enduring the obstruction of two consecutive traps, he could still rebuild such a formation in one breath. Such power, such oppressive offensive force—this was the sensation of the strength Ryuzaki had pursued.

Card Blaster had only 400 ATK, such an inconspicuous weakling, yet it could unleash such a lethal chain of plays.

For one brief instant, it was almost as though the one standing before him was the Yugi Mutou of old.

But it lasted only a moment. The phantom quickly faded.

What replaced it was the overwhelming barrage that swallowed him whole.

Ryuzaki, LP 1600 → LP 0

Just yesterday, a friend reminded me, asking why I was posting so many words a day during the new-book period. The key recommendations during the new-book period, like Sanjiang and the little loudspeaker, all have word-count limits. Only new books under 200,000 words have a chance to get them, so updating so much every day is basically self-destructing. After all, I'm already at 50,000 words and haven't even gotten a trial recommendation round yet. It's very possible that my word count will exceed the limit before my turn comes.

And yet today I updated another 9,000 words in one go. After thinking it over and over, I really wanted to post this duel all at once. If that gets me killed, then I guess I'll just have to accept it... (QAQ)

Lastly, please keep reading. Read retention is still the most important thing during the new-book period. Thank you...