Bakura drew his card with a flourish, his fingernails dragging almost lovingly across the top of the deck. He held the card aloft, his grin twitching wider, sharp teeth flashing in the arena's light.
"Your arrogance will be your undoing, Connor," he hissed, eyes gleaming with malice. "You may control Ha Des for now, but all things fall to darkness in time."
Before Bakura could continue, Connor cut in firmly, his emerald eyes narrowing. "Don't forget the drawback of Snatch Steal. You gain 1000 Life Points at the start of your turn."
The Life Point counter flashed:
Bakura LP: 4000 → 5000
Bakura's grin didn't falter, though his nostrils flared as if annoyed by the reminder. He lowered his gaze back to his hand, pale fingers moving with eerie precision as he plucked a card and slapped it face-down into his duel disk. A holographic panel shimmered into being on his field.
"First, I'll set one monster in defense mode," he said, his voice a low growl.
Connor narrowed his eyes, his lips pressed into a firm line. A wall… he's stalling.
"And then…" Bakura's grin returned, stretching unnaturally as he placed another card onto his disk with a sharp snap. The second panel shimmered into place beside the first. "I'll set a face-down as well. You may think you're in control, boy, but the shadows always hide fangs ready to strike."
He tilted his head, strands of long white hair sliding over his face as he stared across the field with glittering eyes. The twisted grin never left his lips.
"Your turn."
Connor inhaled slowly, the air filling his lungs with the weight of the moment. His hand hovered above his deck, fingers trembling only slightly before he drew. Emerald eyes sharpened as he scanned the card—it was exactly what he needed to advance his strategy.
"I draw… and now it's time to end this stalemate." His voice was calm, but edged with steel. Raising his hand, he pointed toward Bakura's field.
"I activate my spell card—Nobleman of Crossout! Your facedown monster is banished from play."
A burst of golden light shot across the arena, striking Bakura's set card. The hologram shimmered before vanishing into nothingness, erased from the duel entirely.
Connor's eyes narrowed. "Now, Breaker the Magical Warrior—attack Bakura directly!"
Breaker's blade ignited with crimson runes, and the warrior lunged forward, preparing to strike.
But Bakura's grin widened wickedly. "I don't think so. I chain my face-down—Mystical Space Typhoon!" A vortex of howling wind erupted from the field, spiraling toward Connor's side. "It destroys your Snatch Steal, which means my Dark Ruler Ha Des returns to me!"
Chains of light snapped, shattering into fragments as Ha Des let out a guttural roar. Its massive form lumbered back across the field, crimson eyes blazing with renewed fury as it rejoined Bakura's side.
Connor's expression didn't waver, though the tight set of his jaw betrayed a flicker of irritation. "So you've regained your fiend… but it doesn't matter."
Breaker's sword halted mid-swing, forced back by the interruption. Connor steadied himself, then slid another card into his duel disk with controlled precision. A face-down shimmered to life on his field, its holographic glow pulsing faintly.
"I'll set one card face-down… and end my turn." His emerald eyes locked onto Bakura's, unwavering despite the setback. "Your move."
Bakura's laugh echoed through the chamber, low and grating. He drew with a flourish, his grin only widening as he looked at the card. "Perfect. I summon Headless Knight (ATK 1450)!"
The armored fiend materialized with a rattle of its hollow helmet, its sword raised in eerie silence.
"And now," Bakura continued, his grin razor-sharp, "Dark ruler ha des—attack Breaker the Magical Warrior!"
The knight lunged, blade slashing downward. Connor narrowed his eyes and slapped his duel disk. "I activate my trap—Sakuretsu Armor!"
Bakura's eyes narrowed, irritation flickering across his pale features. "Tch… very well. I'll set one card and end my turn."
Connor drew, his heart thundering. The card gleamed in his hand—Chaos Sorcerer. He exhaled slowly, his lips pressing into a thin line. This was it.
Connor's hand moved with purpose as he slid a spell into his duel disk. "I activate Graceful Charity!"
Three cards shimmered into his hand. His emerald eyes scanned them quickly, then without hesitation he discarded two to the graveyard.
He straightened, determination etched across his young face. "Now… I remove one LIGHT and one DARK monster from my graveyard. Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and D.D. Warrior Lady—banish yourselves! I special summon Chaos Sorcerer (ATK 2300)!"
The arena darkened as a swirling vortex tore open above the field. From it stepped a cloaked figure, robes of deep emerald trimmed with black. The Sorcerer's staff pulsed violently, a rhythm of chaotic energy that illuminated the storm-lit chamber.
Bakura's smirk twitched, his lips curling tighter as the fiendish delight flickered with annoyance.
"And now," Connor declared, pointing with sharp resolve, "Chaos Sorcerer—attack his Headless Knight!"
The Sorcerer's staff flared, releasing a devastating burst of crackling energy. It struck the armored knight, shattering it instantly into shards of light.
Bakura LP: 5000 → 4150
Bakura's face contorted, fury flashing across his pale features. His fingers clenched around the edge of his duel disk, knuckles whitening. "You…!"
Connor's expression softened into a confident smile, his voice calm and resolute. "Your fiend won't be coming back this time."
The Sorcerer lowered its staff, and Connor thrust his arm forward. "Breaker the Magical Warrior—direct attack!"
Breaker leapt forward, his glowing blade slicing a crimson arc across the field. A beam of energy slammed into Bakura, staggering him back. His long white hair whipped across his face as his Life Points plummeted.
Bakura LP: 4150 → 2550
Connor exhaled, emerald eyes blazing with determination. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
Bakura's body shook—not with fear, but with feverish excitement. His grin widened unnaturally, splitting across his face like a scar. He drew his card with a dramatic flourish, holding it high as his laughter echoed through the chamber, raw and manic.
"Finally… yes… the shadows answer me!" he roared. His voice cracked with madness, and his long hair whipped wildly around his pale face. "I tribute three monsters from my graveyard—Sangan, Dark Ruler Ha Des, and Headless Knight! Arise, Dark Necrofear (ATK 2200)!"
The arena floor split open with chains and fire. A doll-like fiend clawed its way upward, its porcelain skin cracked, its hollow eyes glowing with malevolence. Chains clattered and wrapped around its limbs, binding it as though the underworld itself had unleashed it. The temperature dropped, frost forming on the edges of the glass windows.
Connor's eyes narrowed. Here it comes…
"And I'm not done!" Bakura hissed, slamming another card into place. "I equip Axe of Despair, raising her attack by 1000!"
The doll shrieked, grasping the massive spectral axe as its eyes burned brighter.
Dark Necrofear ATK: 2200 → 3200
"Dark Necrofear—attack his Chaos Sorcerer!" Bakura barked, pointing across the field with manic energy.
The fiend's chains lashed out, coiling around the Sorcerer. Connor's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening as his monster was dragged into a suffocating grip. With one brutal squeeze, the Sorcerer shattered into fragments of green and black energy.
Connor LP: 4000 → 3200
Connor staggered slightly from the shockwave but steadied himself quickly. He exhaled sharply, the loss stinging, but his eyes burned brighter with resolve.
Connor drew with steady hands, and his heart skipped a beat. His ace card gleamed in his hand: Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning. For a moment his breath caught, but then he steadied, lips pressing into a thin line of determination.
"This is it…" he whispered, before raising his voice. "I remove Magician of Faith and Chaos Sorcerer from my graveyard! I special summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (ATK 3000)!"
The arena trembled as if the blimp itself groaned under the weight of the summon. From the swirling vortex descended a warrior clad in gleaming black-and-gold armor, his massive blade humming with cosmic energy. The sheer pressure of his presence dwarfed everything else on the field.
A pillar of light erupted behind Connor, golden and blinding. From within it stepped the legendary warrior, clad in black and gold armor, cape snapping as if caught in an unseen wind. His blade gleamed with ancient power, but even so, Bakura's laughter only grew louder.
"That's it?" Bakura scoffed. "You summon a monster with 3000 attack against my Dark Necrofear at 3200?" He shook his head, genuinely baffled. "Have you finallyzecí lost your nerve, or your mind? I expected more from you."
Connor didn't respond right away. His gaze flicked briefly to Dark Necrofear, then to the glowing axe in its grip. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Bakura noticed it—and frowned.
"Why," Bakura muttered, his grin faltering just slightly, "would you summon a weaker monster?"
Connor lifted another card from his hand, holding it between two fingers. "Because I got a way to get rid of your axe of despair."
Bakura's eyes narrowed. "What are you—"
"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!"
Connor slammed the card onto his Duel Disk. A roaring vortex of wind burst onto the field, spiraling violently toward Dark Necrofear. The sudden force tore through the shadows like a hurricane, locking onto the Axe of Despair.
"No—!" Bakura shouted.
The axe rattled violently, cracks splintering across its surface as the vortex tightened. With a deafening shriek, the cursed weapon shattered, exploding into fragments of dark metal that were instantly swallowed by the storm.
When the wind faded, the axe was gone.
Dark Necrofear staggered, its aura flickering and weakening.
Bakura stared in disbelief as numbers rapidly recalculated on his Duel Disk.
"Dark Necrofear's attack… back to 2200," he whispered.
His breath caught. For the first time in the duel, his confidence cracked.
Bakura's grin faltered completely. His eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his pale face.
"No… not that card!"
Connor thrust his arm forward, emerald eyes blazing with fierce resolve. "Black Luster Soldier—attack Dark Necrofear! Envoy Slash!"
The warrior surged forward in a flash of gold and black, blade igniting with radiant energy. The strike came down like a falling star, cleaving straight through Dark Necrofear's chest. Shadows screamed as the fiend let out a hollow, distorted wail, its body fracturing into shards of darkness before exploding in a burst of black flame.
The chamber trembled as the smoke cleared.
Bakura's Life Points dropped sharply.
Bakura LP: 2550 → 1450
Bakura stumbled back a step, clutching his Duel Disk as if it had betrayed him. "Impossible… Dark Necrofear… destroyed by a brat?"
Connor didn't let up. His eyes narrowed, his voice cutting through the lingering smoke. "Black Luster Soldier's effect activates. When he destroys a monster by battle, he can attack again."
Bakura's head snapped up. "Wait—!"
"I'll wipe out the rest of your Life Points right now!"
Black Luster Soldier raised his blade once more, the glow intensifying as he turned toward Bakura directly. The air vibrated with power, the warrior's presence overwhelming and absolute.
Bakura gritted his teeth, dread finally seeping into his expression. "N-no… this can't be happening!"
A blinding arc of light slashed across the field, cutting straight through Bakura's remaining defenses
As the holograms dissolved, the shadows clinging to Bakura's field shattered like glass, fragments scattering into nothing. Bakura collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest, his face twisted in both fury and pain. His twisted grin was gone, replaced by an expression of raw disbelief.
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