"Straight to the Battle Phase."
Kira gave the order directly.
"True Silent Magician, attack the face-down monster!"
Silent Magician lightly spun her staff twice, and a white magic circle spread beneath her feet. Surging white light gathered in her hand, transforming into a torrent that swept across the opponent's field.
The face-down monster flipped over. Crouching atop the card in Defense Position was a huge tomato with a vicious grin.
Mystic Tomato, DEF 1100
The giant tomato naturally could not withstand Silent Magician's divine might. A mighty blast of light instantly reduced it to dust.
"Heh, you fell for it!" Bandit Keith shouted. "At this moment, my Set Card activates!"
The Set Card in his back row flipped open with a snap, and the projection of a Trap Card rose up.
"Trap Card—Destruction of Destiny! When a monster is Sent to Graveyard, I can destroy one monster On the Field!"
Keith curled his lips into a cold smile and pointed at Kira's field.
"That eyesore of a magician can leave now! Destroy Silent Magician!"
Golden light bloomed from the Trap Card. The destroyed Mystic Tomato seemed to shoot out from the card as a spirit, like some shrieking vengeful ghost intent on dragging Silent Magician down into the abyss with it.
"Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell My Body as a Shield from my hand!"
With a sweep of his arm, rolling data stream materialized before Kira as the image of a Spell Card.
"When the opponent activates an effect that includes 'destroying a monster On the Field,' I pay 1500 Life Points to negate that activation and destroy it!"
The Spell took effect, and the tomato's vengeful spirit abruptly changed course. It bypassed Silent Magician and struck Kira head-on. He recoiled half a step from the pain and curled