Chapter 371
Immediately, an invisible wave barrier appeared around the Stardust Dragon, intercepting all the bullets in mid-air.
"As long as [Stardust Dragon] is in Attack Position, any damage inflicted on you by your opponent's card effects will be taken by your opponent."
"What?!"
The next second, all the light bullets fired by the Trap Reaction Machine were reflected back, raining down on Placido.
"Hmm...!"
[Placido: LP4000→3200]
"Furthermore, the effect of [Trap Reaction Machine - Void] does not negate [Return from the Different Dimension], therefore, based on its effect, [Goo King] is Special Summoned from the Graveyard."
In an instant, the light suddenly condensed, and the green mud dragon reappeared.
[Goo King: Defense Strength 2200]
Then Yusei loudly proclaimed, "Since I have a monster Special Summoned to my field, according to the effect of your [Summoning Reaction Machine - Taishiki], you must activate its effect to deal 800 damage to me. However, because of the continuous effect of [Stardust Dragon], that portion of the damage will be borne by you, Placido!"
The summoned reactor then turned the propellers on the wings again, and two tornadoes instantly struck Placido.
"Ugh...!"
[Placido: LP3200→2400]
"Nango~! Yusei Fudo's Fusion Summon monster dealt massive damage to Placido in a spectacular fashion~!!"
Placido quickly recovered from the injury and excitedly said, "Well done, Yusei Fudo. You actually used the characteristics of my deck to counterattack... But my power is not limited to this!"
"[Summon Reactor - Great Form]'s other effect activates: By sending one [Trap Reaction Machine - Air Form], one [Spell Reactor - Strike Form], and one of this card from your field to the Graveyard, Special Summon one [Giant Bomber - Great Air Strike Form] from your hand, Deck, and Graveyard!"
In an instant, a beam of light rose, engulfing the three reactors. Then, a colossal figure solidified within the light and appeared before everyone's eyes as the light dissipated. It was a giant robot transformed from a bomber.
[Giant Bomber - Large-Scale Air Raid: Attack Power 3000]
"Oh my god! Placido summons his ace monster right on his second turn!!"
"[Giant Bomber - Great Air Raid] Once during your opponent's turn, when your opponent Normal Summons, Special Summons, or Sets a monster, destroy those cards and inflict 800 damage to your opponent. Once during your turn, send one card from your hand to the Graveyard to destroy one card on your opponent's field."
At this moment, as Placido threw his cards into the graveyard, he said, "I discard a card to activate the effect of [Giant Bomber - Great Air Raid], destroying [Stardust Dragon]."
[Placido's hand card: 1→0]
"Don't even think about it!" Yusei quickly grabbed a card from his hand and revealed it. "I activate the monster effect of [Effect Veiler] from my hand. During your opponent's Main Phase, I send this card to the Graveyard. The effects of 1 Effect Monster your opponent controls are negated until the end of the turn!"
[Yusei Fudo's hand: 2 → 1]
Placido was immediately shocked. "What?! It's a monster effect activated from the hand?!"
Yusei's sudden move was unexpected, rendering the bomber's effect useless.
However, Placido wasn't going to give up. "Then I'll activate the Trap Card [Reckless Greed], draw two cards from my deck, and then skip my draw phase twice."
[Placido's hand card: 0→2]
"Oh my god~! Skipping the next two rounds of card drawing, is Placido going all in~?!"
With his original plan falling through, Placido had no choice but to do this. "I absolutely cannot lose to you, Yusei, before I complete my mission!"
"Mission?"
Yusei didn't understand what Placido meant, and Placido didn't offer any explanation, so Yusei didn't think much of it and only focused on how to defeat his opponent.
"I summon Tuner monster [Black Bomb Ball]!"
As Placido threw out a card, a black bomb flew out.
[Placido's hand cards: 2→1]
"When this card is successfully summoned, you can negate the effects of a Level 4 DARK Attribute Machine-Type- Type monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it in Defense Position. The one I want to Special Summon is [Trap Reaction Machine Empty]."
"Then, I used a level 4 [Trap Reaction Machine - Empty] to adjust the star level of a level 3 [Black Bomb Ball]!"
"Appear, [Dark Dive Bomber]!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a bright green light suddenly shone on the runway, and a robot transformed from a brown bomber flew out from the light.
[Dark Dive Bomber: Attack Power 2600]
"Dark Dive Bomber ..." Yusei raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at the newly appeared monster.
He remembered that the card's effect was to Tribute any monster on his field and deal damage to his opponent equal to the Tributed monster's Level multiplied by 200.
Before the Synchro Era, this effect didn't have the restriction of being used once per turn, so it was easy to exploit. This card was banned for a period of time during the Synchro Era.
Chapter Twenty-One: Copying the Stardust Dragon
Without the slightest hesitation, Placido gave the order, "Battle! [Giant Bomber - Great Air Raid] Attack [Goo King]!"
Da da da da...!!
All the gun barrels on the giant bomber were aimed at the mud dragon, and in an instant, a large number of bullets poured onto the mud dragon, scattering it on the spot.
Unfortunately, neither of Placido's two bombers could defeat the Stardust Dragon, so this round of the battle had to end here, but it doesn't matter...
"I'll place another card here, turn ends."
[Placido's hand card: 1→0]
"A face card..." Yusei's eyes narrowed.
In the next two turns, Placido was unable to draw cards, and both bombers were in Attack Position, so that face-down card became the key to turning the tide.
"Then it's my turn, draw a card!"
(Yusei Fudo SPC3, Placido SPC3)
Yusei glanced at his hand and, without hesitation, played the card. "Activate [Sp - Illusion Wind]. This card can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower monster from your Graveyard, and Special Summon 1 Level 2 [Nitro Synchron]."
"Ooh! Yusei has revived the Tuner monster!"
"Should we continue with Synchro Summon...?" Placido was quite troubled by this.
One Stardust Dragon is already troublesome enough, and now Yusei clearly wants to continue Synchro Summon. We absolutely cannot let him succeed again!
Then he raised his voice and shouted, "At this very moment, the effect of [Giant Bomber - Massive Air Raid] is activated!"
"When the opponent summons or special summons a monster, destroy that monster and inflict 800 damage to the opponent. Keen Shot!"
As soon as he finished speaking, three missiles were launched from the magazine between the giant bomber's flanks, heading straight for the Nitro Synchron.
Boom! Boom! Boom--!!
With three loud explosions, the Nitro Synchron was instantly reduced to ashes.
"However, due to the [Stardust Dragon] effect, you will take that portion of the damage for me."
[Placido: LP2400→1600]
"Nango~! Placido is willing to sacrifice his life points to stop Yusei's actions~!"
But would this really work? Clearly not for Yusei...
Yusei's lips curled slightly upwards as he continued, "[Nitro Synchron] is just bait; my real killer move is another card in my hand."
"What did you say?!"
Upon hearing this, Placido's eyelids twitched violently. He had watched Yusei's matches very carefully and would never dare to underestimate Yusei's skills.
"Go! I summon [Monster Express] from my hand in Defense Position!"
[Yusei Fudo's hand: 1 → 0]
As Yusei slammed the card onto the Duel Disk, a wide opening suddenly appeared in the sky above the track, and a railway line extended out from the opening. Then, a train with multiple carriages roared out along the railway.
"Then the monster effect of [Monster Express] activates, sending one monster whose original type is the same as one monster you control from the Extra Deck to the Graveyard."
Upon hearing this, Placido paused for a moment, becoming even more puzzled. "What exactly are you trying to do by sending monsters from the Extra Deck to the Graveyard?"
At this moment, Yusei took a card from his Extra Deck, glanced at it, and then sent it to the Graveyard: "Based on the effect of [Monster Express], [Stardust Dragon Stardust Dragon, is sent to the Graveyard."
This card, Yusei, was created using the power of the Red Dragon, but unfortunately, for some reason, it's impossible to properly summon it.
However, the fact that it cannot be summoned does not mean that it cannot be used by Yusei. "[Stardust Dragon]'s other effect: Once per turn, you can banish 1 Dragon Synchro Monster from your Yugi. Until the End Phase, this card's name is treated as the same as the banished monster's name, and it gains that monster's effect, banishing [Stardust Dragon] from your Graveyard!"
"It's an ability to copy the effects of Dragon Synchro Monsters?! Then what is the effect of that [Stardust Dragon]...?"
In response to Placido's question, Yusei calmly explained, "I activated one of the effects of [Stardust Dragon] that I gained from [Stardust Dragon]. Once per turn, I can check the top five cards of my deck, and this turn, this card can attack the same number of Tuner monster as there are."
After listening to Yusei's explanation, Placido suddenly understood, '[Stardust Dragon]'s effect is multiple attacks, no wonder Yusei calls it a true killing move...'
'But to defeat me, you'd need to flip over at least three Tuner monster, and even if you do, my face-down cards aren't to be underestimated...'
Placido stated: The advantage lies with me!
Yusei, of course, had no idea what the other was thinking. Instead, he was completely focused on his own deck. The effect of [Stardust Dragon] had a large element of luck, but he always believed in the bond between his deck and his deck. He believed that his deck would bring him the best results.
After exhaling a breath of stale air, Yusei suddenly pulled out five cards and decisively flipped them over—[Junk Synchron], [Scrap Iron Scarecrow], [Stardust Dragon], [Harmonizing Magician], [Unknown Synchron].
Upon seeing this, Yusei breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "The Tuner monster I drew are [Junk Synchron], [Stardust Dragon], and [Unknown Synchron], therefore [Stardust Dragon] can attack three times this turn!"
"Go! [Wave-Shattering Dragon Knight], Stardust Phantom!"
In an instant, the Stardust Dragon split into three identical figures.
"Three attacks, you're really lucky... but that level of attack is useless against me!"
Suddenly, Placido swept his arm and shouted, "Activate the Trap Card [Magic Cylinder] at this very moment!"
"When the opponent's monster declares an Attack Position the highest ATK among the opponent's Attack Position monsters. I have won this duel, Yusei!"
"Solvadocana!"
"What?!"
Once Stardust Dragon is destroyed, only Monster Express will remain on Yusei's field. After Placido's monsters finish their battles in the next turn, he can use the effect of Chicken to release monsters and finish off Yusei, thus depleting his life points. However, this can only be done if Placido survives to the next turn.
"At this moment, I activate another effect of [Stardust Dragon]: once per turn, I can negate and destroy the effects that would otherwise destroy cards on the field!"
In the blink of an eye, the Trap Card exploded with a bang. Before Placido could react, the three Stardust Phantom copied by the Stardust Dragon struck the two bombers and Placido's tractor respectively.
Boom! Boom! Boom--!!!
"Waaaaah--!!!"
[Placido: LP1600→0]
Chapter Twenty-Two: Yusei VS Aki
In a strange, boundless space, a machine floats, and inside this device, an eye is currently watching Yusei's duel through a gap.
"Stardust Dragon... Yusei Fudo obtained this card so quickly? Its creation time is even faster than the original timeline?"
Upon seeing Yusei use Stardust Dragon to be thrown into the graveyard, Z-ONE, whose heart had long been as hard as iron, was unexpectedly stirred by a long-lost emotion, as if the appearance of Stardust Dragon ahead of schedule had exceeded his calculations.
However, he quickly calmed down and muttered to himself in a low voice, "But he doesn't seem to have mastered the power of Accel Synchro yet, otherwise he wouldn't be indirectly using the power of Stardust Dragon."
"Let me see if you, the new history, can change this hopeless future. My time is running out..."
What he didn't know was that the current Yusei Fudo was no longer the same being as in the original timeline. Although his personality was still similar, his essence was completely different.
"The match is over! In the Satellite Zone, Meteor Yusei Fudo versus Black Storm Placido, Yusei Fudo in this Lucky Cup semi-final!"
Because the duel ended somewhat abruptly, only the Spiky-haired Host reacted first, excitedly announcing, "So the next battle is..."
However, before he could finish speaking, his microphone was suddenly cut off.
Then, the sound of Placido echoed through the arena, "Yusei, well done! I've lost completely!"
Just as the Spiky-haired Host, was wondering why his microphone wasn't working, Placido continued, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. "I lost! But my mission isn't over yet!"
"I originally planned to win this tournament and expose Godwin's crimes at the awards ceremony! Unfortunately, that's no longer a dream, so I can only exact my revenge here!"
"Revenge?"
Faced with the doubts of Yusei and everyone else, Placido suddenly turned around, pointed to the projection sphere in the center of the arena, and shouted, "Look at this! My village, now reduced to nothing!"