Unexpected Gains, Too

"My turn, draw!"

It was Mello's turn again.

Attack Lock still had not been lifted. Most of the power the Gladiator Beasts could wield had been sealed away, and even Kaiser, the big brother of the Gladiator Beasts, had been taken down. Though Rainbow Life had restored a substantial amount of his Life Points, the overall situation was still quite unfavorable for him.

But there was still a way.

"I Normal Summon 'Gladiator Beast Retiari'!"

With a thunderous roar, a black bear clad in heavy armor appeared on the Field amid blooming golden light, pounding its chest wildly with its bear paws like a chimpanzee.

Gladiator Beast Retiari, ATK 1900

The only Normal Monster among the entire Gladiator Beast family, yet it had been considered a crucial reinforcement upon release. Its 1900 ATK surpassed Hoplomus, the primary low-level attacker of Gladiator Beasts at the time. Moreover, being a Level 4 Normal Monster allowed it to be easily Special Summoned from the Deck through the effect of the Spell Card Unexpected Dai, turning that status into an advantage.

"Next, I activate the effect of another 'Gladiator Beast Sagittarii' in my hand," Mello said. "If there is a Gladiator Beast monster on my Field, I can Special Summon Sagittarii.

"I Special Summon 'Gladiator Beast Sagittarii' from my hand once again!"

Gladiator Beast Sagittarii, ATK 600

"Although this Duel has progressed somewhat differently from what I expected, I still have to get serious against you," Mello said. "You are a Duelist blessed by talent, Fujiki Kira. Your talent alone is enough to place you above most people in this world.

"And precisely because of that, I cannot lose."

He paused, narrowing his eyes slightly as he spoke slowly.

"The Sword Duel Card, completed only with President Pegasus's power, is most suited to unleash