"'King of Light,' 'King of Darkness,' 'King of Destruction,' and 'Sun King' – these titles sound like something straight out of a mediocre RPG game."
Joey and Tristan were unimpressed by the prophecy translated by Ishizu, finding it a bit too overly dramatic. Even Yugi couldn't help but feel somewhat dismissive of the prophecy.
As for Téa, she had been disgusted from the start by the mummy's shriveled interior, exposed by its damaged bandages. She hadn't paid much attention to Ishizu's prophecy either, simply hiding behind Yugi with her head down, afraid that if she looked up at the sarcophagus, she might accidentally see the mummy's face and have nightmares.
As for Grandpa Solomon Muto, he was one of the few who listened intently to Ishizu's translation. After all, he had once participated in an archaeological team led by his old friend Professor Arthur Hawkins in Egypt and knew well that the ancient Egyptian writing inscribed on a sarcophagus of this caliber could never be just a joke.
"Destruction..." Grandpa Solomon Muto muttered, his gaze moving from the inscribed text to the black, jackal-headed humanoid relief on the front of the sarcophagus.
This relief represents Anubis in Egyptian mythology. Legend says he is the son of Set, the god of the desert, while others claim he is the illegitimate son of Osiris. He presides over mummy making, guiding the departed souls, and judging the dead. However, with the changing times, the title of "Lord of the Underworld" was transferred to the god Osiris, and Anubis became purely the God of Death.
As one of the Egyptian Gods, Anubis naturally had no shortage of worshippers. Furthermore, his close association with death led to his frequent appearance in the tomb paintings of Pharaohs, making him arguably the most well-known God in Egypt.
However, Anubis should only appear in murals or on artifacts; in such cases, it could be seen as worshippers seeking the God's protection for their afterlife. Yet, the Anubis relief before them was on a sarcophagus.
Could the owner of this sarcophagus have declared himself "Anubis"? Boldly connecting it with the ancient Egyptian writing outside the sarcophagus, could this mummy have called himself the "King of Destruction" in life?
Beside Grandpa Solomon Muto, who was deep in thought, Hayato listened to Ishizu finish the first half of the sentence, thinking to himself: "Sure enough, it's the Pyramid of Light."
Although Hayato had forgotten a significant portion of the plot due to the passage of time, as a card player, he possessed an exceptionally high ability to recall plot details through cards.
For instance, Hayato clearly remembered the first exaggerated facial expression in Yu-Gi-Oh! — Kaiba being obliterated because of [Exodia] — and the famous scene of "Monster Card" because of [Berserker Soul]. He also had some impression of Paradox's story due to the [Malefic] Deck.
And what Hayato used to remember the "Pyramid of Light" incident was the famous [Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon]. Because of the ridiculously unfair "negation" ability of [Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon] in the anime, Hayato had a deep impression of the Pyramid of Light.
Ultimately, it was just a story about Kaiba's dueling addiction flaring up again, but he couldn't defeat Yugi. So he beat up Pegasus and stole his cards, only to show off his new cards once before getting stomped like a certain infuriated patient who ended up hospitalized. Instead, Yugi used new cards to defeat the suddenly appearing enemy and save the world.
The "King of Light" referred to Kaiba, while the "King of Darkness" referred to Yugi, or more precisely, Dark Yugi. As for the "King of Destruction," that was a fellow who called himself Anubis, the God of Death of Egypt, and was none other than the mummy before them.
However, after Ishizu read the latter half of the sentence, Hayato was confused again. He had never heard of any "Sun King." He knew there was a [The Winged Dragon of Ra], though, and it was right in his pocket. Besides its daily "ying-ying-ying" cries, it even engaged in American-style bullying with Slifer the Sky Dragon.
"Hey, look who it is? [Obelisk the Tormentor]. Oh, my apologies, this is my territory, and fixed-value trash isn't welcome here."
"Meaning you."
"In the next duel, a few of us will participate, but one lame guy will be Tributed. Do you know who it is?"
"Still you, [Obelisk the Tormentor]."
That was roughly the situation.
Furthermore, Hayato didn't quite understand what "the Sun King will use [] to destroy by setting, but that destruction will also take []" meant. However, the changes that followed made Hayato unable to bother guessing at the fragmented text that resembled a prophecy.
Among the people present, the ones least concerned about Pharaohs, mummies, and the like were not actually Tristan and Joey, who appeared nonchalant. In truth, they both harbored some resistance to the mummy's terrifying appearance. Hayato and Grandpa Solomon Muto, however, weren't afraid, but rather somewhat wary of the mummy.
Marik held his collar with one hand, fanning himself. He had grown up among the Tomb Keepers, having been exposed to mummies since childhood. Furthermore, he possessed a rebellious mindset that held no respect for Pharaohs and the like, even having declared his intention to become a modern Pharaoh under the influence of Dark Marik.
Listening to Ishizu finish, he looked through the lowered glass at the mummy's empty eye sockets and its mouth, which was open to reveal only three teeth, a look of disdain on his face. "So much for being mighty," he scoffed, "in the end, aren't you just an outdated relic from thousands of years ago?"
"And 'born from light' or whatever, it's a joke. If this thing can move, I'll bet a hundred bucks." As he spoke, Marik casually tossed around a 100-yen coin he'd received as change from a vending machine when buying a drink earlier.
But the very next second after Marik uttered those words, to the astonished gazes of the people around the sarcophagus, the mummy's empty eye sockets lit up with a dazzling red glow, as if powerful spotlights had been installed within them!
Noticing the confused and strange looks from the others around him, Marik panicked. He stammered at the suddenly trembling mummy, "I-I was just running my mouth, okay? Don't take it seriously, just lie back down!"
"Brother-in-law, quickly use your invincible Shadow Game to think of a solution!"
"Are you asking me to duel a mummy, you idiot!" Hayato, sensing an extremely potent Dark Power from the light that was gradually turning from red to white, pushed aside the magenta camera on his chest to retrieve the hidden [Millennium Ring]. He didn't forget to retort to Marik, "I told you practicing how you'd die would be useful back then, didn't I? You wouldn't get into trouble if you didn't court it!"
In an instant, four golden lights illuminated the area around the sarcophagus.
From the four Millennium Items — the [Millennium Puzzle], the [Millennium Necklace], the [Millennium Rod], and the [Millennium Ring] — a surging Dark Power emerged. But to the surprise of Ishizu, Hayato, and Dark Yugi, who had instantly taken over, the power of the Millennium Items was actually unable to suppress the strange light emanating from the mummy!?
The golden light and white light only contended for a single instant before being suddenly dispelled. The white light snatched away all visibility from everyone present, and an intensely familiar sense of dizziness surged into Hayato's mind.
"Thud!"
Everyone lost consciousness almost simultaneously, their bodies collapsing weakly to the floor. Fortunately, the museum floor was covered with a red carpet, so no one was injured from the sudden fall.
And in the very next moment, the mummy, which had been hollowed out during its creation and had withered to skin and bones with not a trace of muscle remaining over the years, actually began to move on its own. It slowly sat up within the sarcophagus, looked at the tempered glass layers that "protected" it, and casually threw a punch.
"Shatter~"
The tempered glass, which didn't play the Ryuki OP theme, was shattered by the mummy's punch, despite its lack of muscle, yet possessing immense force. However, because it was tempered glass, the broken fragments did not scatter everywhere and harm the fallen individuals around.
Simultaneously, with the shattering of the tempered glass, the built-in anti-theft system activated, and an automatic alarm blared throughout the exhibition hall. Although it was a measure to prevent clueless thieves from stealing artifacts, the designers probably never imagined that the first thing to trigger this anti-theft system would be the very artifact it was meant to "protect."
Stepping out of the glass display case, the mummy glanced down at the fallen figures on the ground. As its gaze swept past the [Millennium Ring] on Hayato's chest and the [Millennium Puzzle] on Yugi's chest (now back in control of his own body), the mummy's rigid face, though devoid of any active muscles, conveyed an expression of both apprehension and disdain.
Although no one observed its emergence, the mummy looked down at its naked body and adopted a dissatisfied posture. It casually took a piece of cloth that had been placed nearby, previously used to wrap a coffin to prevent damage during transport. After wrapping it around itself a few times to form a cloak, the mummy pulled up its hood and walked deeper into the exhibition hall.
Although it had no eyeballs, a red light pulsed in the mummy's right eye socket as if breathing, allowing it—or him? or her?—to clearly discern obstacles in its path even without sight. It stepped over the box where Hayato had placed the stone tablet earlier, and walked to the glass display case at the far end, looking at the crystal Pyramid placed inside.
"..." The mummy "looked" at the Pyramid referred to as "Light," moving its skeletal structure to open its already unclosed mouth. It seemed to subconsciously want to say something, but had forgotten that it no longer possessed vocal cords for speaking.
This made the mummy look "unhappily" at its hand, which was no longer human, and "angrily" swung a punch, easily breaking the tempered glass layer between it and the Pyramid of Light, just like the glass that had contained the sarcophagus.
Gazing at the crystal Pyramid, now without any barrier between them, the red glow in the mummy's eye socket locked onto the red pupil within the Eye of Udjat on the crystal Pyramid. Without needing to restrain itself, it reached out and grabbed the crystal Pyramid, taking it and its rusted chain together, then eagerly placed it around its neck.
The very moment the mummy placed the crystal Pyramid around its neck, the red Eye of Udjat on the crystal Pyramid also lit up, its frequency synchronizing with the red glow in the mummy's eye socket like a breath. Each time the "breathing light" illuminated, a surge of Dark Power emerged from the crystal Pyramid and entered the mummy's body.
The missing body tissues were restored as if by temporal reversal; muscle tissue and fat layers generated from nothing. Withered skin and missing organs returned to their pre-death state. In just a few moments, the mummy from before had transformed into a stout, muscular blond middle-aged man.
With one hand caressing his revitalized body and the other clutching the Pyramid of Light, which had given him a second life, the blond man felt so exhilarated that he wanted to burst into song, practically ecstatic.
But the blaring alarm bells were so annoying, and then a man's voice came from behind the blond middle-aged man.
"Hey, blond pervert streaker over there, you'd better put that thing back."
"Who's there!?" The blond man sharply turned his head, only to see Hayato, whom he had clearly knocked unconscious moments ago, now standing calmly by a glass display case not far from him, one hand behind his back, the other resting on the glass, looking at him with an impatient expression.
"I think I already said it, put that thing back, as respectfully as a flight attendant serving red wine and caviar to a distinguished passenger." Hayato sneered, glancing at the blond man's body, which was only partially covered by fabric. "I wouldn't want Ishizu to think she'd failed in her duty by letting an artifact be taken by someone who can shamelessly expose their body in public."
"Gah—" The blond middle-aged man looked at Hayato, an annoyed expression on his face. But when he opened his mouth to speak, he seemed not yet adapted to his new vocal cords, only managing a simple, guttural sound.
However, despite his mouth's efforts to speak, it didn't mean the blond middle-aged man had any intention of conversing with Hayato. He suddenly charged towards Hayato, raising his right hand in a fist, as if summoning his fist in an Attack Position.
Hayato, however, stood perfectly still in the face of the blond middle-aged man's assault, as if he hadn't seen his opponent attack him. He calmly mused aloud, "Are you asking why I didn't fall? Of course, it's because I learned my lesson from Bakura once, and I've long since learned how to protect my mind."
"Though I don't know if that's what you were asking, I've been practicing for a long time, and I really needed a place to show off. Also—"
"Clang!"
From in front of the unmoving Hayato, a spear suddenly flew out, clashing with the blond middle-aged man's fist, the sound like metal colliding. [Gaia], riding its warhorse, appeared beside Hayato like a Stand Attack, sending the blond middle-aged man flying into the glass display case at the far end.
Hayato's left hand, which had been hidden behind his back, revealed an unfolded Duel Disk. Taking the [Dark Knight Gaia] card from it, Hayato looked at the blond middle-aged man, who had once again smashed through glass but was completely unharmed, and said coldly, "Who gave you permission to bare your fangs at me, you degenerate filth, lower than frog piss."
The light of the [Millennium Ring] illuminated again, resonating with the [Millennium Rod] to unfold a Shadow Game barrier. Hayato used the Shadow Game to conjure a Duel Disk out of thin air and tossed it towards the blond middle-aged man, who was just getting up from the ground, casually brushing aside his fringe.
"In this situation, we definitely need to duel."
"Duel!"
(end of chapter)
Even though Chumley had gradually adapted to this World, there were still times he couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of this Dueling World.
For instance, the blond man who just moments ago seemed utterly unwilling to communicate, only wanting to settle things with Chumley using his fists—or rather, Anubis, as Chumley provisionally called him—actually quieted down after Chumley initiated the Shadow Game.
Not only did he instantly understand how to use the Duel Disk, an Item he presumably had never encountered, and attach it to his wrist, but Cards even appeared out of nowhere in the Duel Disk's Deck Zone.
Dueling is pretty miraculous, isn't it?
"Solve... the Duel Ceremony..." In the World of the Shadow Game, Anubis seemed to still be adapting to his vocal cords, but he had improved significantly compared to before, now able to speak simple words.
"Ho ho, that's more like it. It wouldn't be any fun if I crushed you too easily." Chumley reached out and drew a Card from his Duel Disk. "Now, tremble before my invincible Deck."
"The First Turn is mine, Draw!"
After Chumley drew a Card, he immediately Activated the drawn Card on the Field: "I Activate the Spell Card Graceful Charity! I Draw three Cards from my Deck, then select two Cards from my Hand to Discard. Then, because one of the Cards I Discarded was Ojama Magic, I Add Ojama Black, Ojama Green, and Ojama Yellow from my Deck to my Hand."
While using Graceful Charity to refresh his Hand, Chumley then Activated the Effect of Ojama Magic. A large curtain appeared on his Field, and three-colored Ojama Monsters jumped out from behind it—
"Ojama Black, unbeatable in Battle!"
"Ojama Green, unstoppable!"
"Ojama Yellow, full power ahead!"
However, despite their impressive Aura, Ojama Yellow and its brethren were still Fodder Monsters, and they were merely Added to Chumley's Hand.
Holding the three Ojama Monster Cards he had just Searched, Chumley revealed another Card: "Next, I Activate the Spell Card Polymerization! I use the three Ojama Monsters I just Searched from my Hand as Fusion Material."
"The gathered Fodder Monsters will ascend to become the king among Fodder Monsters, a king-tier Fodder Monster!"
"Fusion Summon, Ojama King!"
Under the Power of Polymerization, the three heads of Ojama Yellow and its brothers came together and spun, intertwining yellow, green, and black, finally turning white. A colossal, egg-shaped Ojama King appeared on Chumley's Field.
Ojama King [DEF 3000]
Although Ojama King is a Fusion of three Ojama Monsters, its basic stats are simply the sum of its three brothers. Its DEF increased to 3000 because it's a Fusion of three Monsters with 1000 DEF each, clearly built to withstand a Blue-Eyes White Dragon's Attack. However, its ATK remains 0, as none of the three Monsters have any combat capability.
"As long as Ojama King remains on the Field in Face-up Position, I can Target up to three of my Opponent's Monster Zones, making them unusable." Chumley watched as Ojama King casually flung three seals, placing them on Anubis's Monster Zone, as if Ojama Yellow and its two companions were occupying the spots.
"Excuse us~"
"So sorry~"
"But we won't apologize~"
The cheeky Ojama trio each sprawled on a beach chair, striking sunbathing poses, and drawled lazily. Their Effect of infuriating others was overwhelmingly powerful.
"I haven't performed a Normal Summon this Turn, so I Summon V-Jet Tiger in Attack Position, and I Activate the Continuous Spell Card Frontline Base! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Union Monster from my Hand. I Special Summon W-Wing Catapult."
"I have two Level 4 Monsters, I must immediately combine V-Jet Tiger and W-Wing Catapult!"
"I Banish V-Jet Tiger and W-Wing Catapult from my Field to Special Summon VW-Tiger Catapult from my Extra Deck!"
After Ojama King, Chumley, at the cost of his Hand size dropping to two Cards, once again Summoned a Fusion Monster. However, calling it a Fusion, it was essentially V-Jet Tiger and W-Wing Catapult stacking on top of each other like an acrobatic tower—a literal "piling up."
VW-Tiger Catapult [ATK 2000]
"Not yet, my Combo isn't at its limit." Chumley revealed a Card from his Hand. "I Activate this Spell Card, Ojama Remodeling! I reveal one Machine-Type, LIGHT Attribute Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, then Banish any number of Ojama Monsters from my Hand, Field, or Graveyard. Then, I Special Summon the Fusion Materials listed on the revealed Fusion Monster, equal to the number of Banished Monsters, from my Deck, Hand, or Graveyard!"
Hearing this, the animated Ojama Yellow, appearing on Anubis's side of the Field, suddenly sat upright: "This Effect!"
"Though they're Fodder Monsters, they still have great utility." Chumley reached out, took the Cards for Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green, and tucked them into his pocket. He then slapped three Cards, which he had Searched from his Deck, onto his Duel Disk. "I Banish three Fodder Monsters from my Graveyard to Special Summon all three Fusion Materials required for XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"
"Come forth, X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank!"
"Then, for the Special Summon of XYZ-Dragon Cannon! I Banish the three Monsters, X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank, from my Field to Special Summon XYZ-Dragon Cannon from my Extra Deck!"
The classic red, blue, and yellow Machine-Type Monster appeared on Chumley's Field through the Effect of Ojama Remodeling. Just like V-Jet Tiger and W-Wing Catapult before, the three Monsters stacked on top of each other like an acrobatic tower: Z-Metal Tank forming the legs, X-Head Cannon the head, and Y-Dragon Head serving as the "dragon head."
XYZ-Dragon Cannon [ATK 2800]
With the appearance of XYZ-Dragon Cannon, Chumley had Summoned three Fusion Monsters to his Field in a single Turn. Not only did he have Ojama King to seal off Monster Zones, but he also gathered VW-Tiger Catapult and XYZ-Dragon Cannon, two Monsters from the same Archetype.
"Don't blink now! I Banish VW-Tiger Catapult and XYZ-Dragon Cannon from my Field!" Chumley Banished the necessary Materials he had gathered on the Field and held a Card aloft,
"Limiter Removal, Level 8, main propulsion control, all systems go! Infinite Power, now Release here, surge towards the Dimension's other side!"
"Go! Acceleration Fusion! Come On!"
"VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!!"
The Machine-Type Monsters on Chumley's Field began to Disassemble and transform, the five Machines connecting and resonating with each other to construct a towering Machine Giant, complete with cannons, lasers, wings, and giant hammers, resembling a mobile war bastion!
VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon [ATK 3000]
After Summoning VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, Chumley Activated the Effect of a Card in his Graveyard: "The second Effect of Ojama Remodeling allows me to Banish this Card from my Graveyard, then Target three Banished Ojama Monsters, return them to the Deck, Shuffle, and then Draw one Card."
"Finally, I Set two Cards from my Hand and End Turn."
[Chumley: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
Ojama King [DEF 3000]
VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon [ATK 3000]
Frontline Base [Set Card] x2
The reason he didn't continue his Combo was primarily that Chumley felt he needed to probe for some information about his Opponent's Deck before continuing the Battle.
Regarding Anubis's "Revive," he had only just suddenly remembered that such a plotline existed. When Anubis knocked everyone out, Chumley had only just reacted, managing only to use the Millennium Ring to slightly stabilize his thoughts and prevent them from succumbing to oblivion; that was his limit.
After regaining consciousness, Chumley immediately got up, intending to stop Anubis from obtaining the Pyramid of Light. However, he was a step too late; Anubis had already acquired the Pyramid of Light and even "incarnated."
If Anubis were to leave just like that, the plot from Chumley's Memory would likely repeat. If possible, Chumley preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble, which led to the current situation where he intercepted Anubis for a Shadow Game.
However, when choosing a Deck to use for the Duel, Chumley hesitated slightly. He had been slow to remember that his impression of the "Pyramid of Light" incident was based on the Card Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, but he had no clear Memory of what Cards Anubis, as the final boss, had used.
After all, that guy's total screen time in the Pyramid of Light incident barely exceeded ten minutes. He had even less presence as a boss than Pegasus, who was beaten and had his Cards stolen at the beginning. He was nothing like Paradox, who had just fallen recently and would forever be remembered as the bravest boss in Yu-Gi-Oh history.
What was more crucial was that Paradox had his exclusive Malefic Deck, but Anubis, that guy, had suddenly kicked Kaiba aside mid-Duel with Yugi and used Kaiba's Deck against Yugi. He had only used a few Fodder Cards whose names Chumley couldn't even recall.
It was something like a Sphinx and a Pyramid of Light Card, all just Cards of unknown significance.
Chumley, remembering that the Pyramid of Light Card, though its exact mechanism was unknown, could forcefully Counter the Egyptian God Cards, deliberately chose not to include The Winged Dragon of Ra and its brethren. However, his Opponent's Deck couldn't possibly consist of just those three Cards. Since his Opponent's true identity was unknown, Chumley adopted a relatively conservative Combo/Board Development strategy.
Sealing the Monster Zones was to limit his Opponent's explosive Board Development. VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon served as an obvious target, and he had two Trap Cards in his Backrow. Chumley thought this lineup was perfectly sufficient for a probing attack.
"My Turn..." It was Anubis's Turn. He glanced at the Monsters on Chumley's Field, then, with a look of disdain, drew a Card. "Draw!"
"Then, Spell Card... Activate! Dark Hole!"
"Huh? Dark Hole!"
As Chumley watched with a dumbfounded expression, Anubis slammed an invincible Dark Hole onto his Duel Disk. A black dot appeared out of thin air in the center of both players' Fields, and the surrounding light instantly dimmed, as if being devoured.
"The Effect of Dark Hole is to Destroy all Monsters on the Field... but there are no Monsters on my Field." Anubis's speech was becoming increasingly fluent. He looked at Chumley smugly, "This way, your Field... will be completely empty..."
As soon as Dark Hole, with its indiscriminate destruction Effect, appeared, almost instantaneously, the two Monsters Chumley had painstakingly Summoned last Turn were all caught by its gravity and pulled into the black hole.
Both Ojama King and VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon were Destroyed without any resistance in an instant. At the same time, with Ojama King gone, Anubis's sealed Field was also no longer Limited.
"What's happening?"
"Not that!"
"My magnificent brain can't disappear!"
The three Ojama Monsters struggled, but they merely followed the fate of Chumley's other Monsters, swallowed by Dark Hole and disappearing. As the Monsters were Destroyed, Chumley noticed a red light flashing on the Pyramid of Light worn on Anubis's chest.
Anubis's face showed pure satisfaction: "That's right, this feeling!"
"'He can speak normally now?' That's what you're thinking, isn't it, you brat?"
Just as Anubis began speaking normally, Chumley heard voices coming from his Deck:
"Ugh! My bo—"
"Ojama Black, what's wrong with you!"
"I, I don't feel good!"
The figures of the three Ojama brothers appeared beside Chumley, but compared to before, their condition had visibly worsened, becoming so transparent they were almost invisible.
Chumley instantly understood. Who else could be behind this situation? He stared at the gleeful Anubis.
Under Chumley's direct gaze, Anubis acted as if Chumley wasn't even worth his attention: "Hehe, no need to guess, I did it. In fact, it's their honor that such inferior Duel Monster Spirits can be used by me to 'exchange' Power."
As he spoke, Anubis reached out and caressed the Pyramid of Light on his chest. "Even experiencing this Power with a second Life, I can't help but marvel that I am indeed the king chosen by destiny. As long as I relentlessly Destroy, I can usher in the future."
"Embracing the Light back then truly was an impeccably correct decision, hahahaha!"
"Light?" Hearing this, Chumley couldn't help but carefully observe the Pyramid of Light held by Anubis. The more he looked, the more he felt a familiar Aura. He had definitely encountered it somewhere before.
Destiny HERO - Plasma, Yubel...
"Oh my god, the Light of Destruction?!" Chumley's eyes widened as he stared at the Pyramid of Light.
Thanks to "Ao Jie Qing" for the 100 point reward.
Thanks to "Yi Huang Gu Sheng 2333" for the 100 point reward.
Besides the Light of Destruction, the Pyramid of Light is actually related to another thing that appeared in GX.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 518: You~ Fell~ For~ It~!
"It can't be wrong, it's definitely the aura of the Light of Destruction." Hayato frowned, "I didn't expect even this incident to be connected to the Light of Destruction. What exactly is its origin?"
Hearing Hayato's murmuring, Anubis didn't respond, merely letting out a cold laugh:
"A thousand years ago, I relied on the power granted to me by the 'Light' to slowly raise my status. But just as I was about to achieve the greatest goal of my life, my life ended, and I was buried by those foolish commoners."
"However, fortunately, I had long ago left the power of the 'Light' within the Pyramid, allowing me to revive in the present, a thousand years later, and continue to be an agent of 'Light' to destroy everything."
He drew a Card from his Hand, "With this Card, I declare my return!"
"I activate the Spell Card 「Foolish Burial」! From my Deck, I Send 「Dark Ruler Ha Des」 to the Graveyard! Then, because of 「Dark Ruler Ha Des」's effect, I can activate a Trap Card directly from my Hand! I Activate the Continuous Trap Card 「Pyramid of Light」!"
"Then, due to the presence of 「Pyramid of Light」, I pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon 「Andro Sphinx」 and 「Sphinx Teleia」 from my Hand!"
[Anubis: 4000→3000 LP]
From the activated 「Pyramid of Light」 Card, four triangular light screens flew out, enveloping Hayato and Anubis, forming an area resembling the interior of a Pyramid. As Anubis paid his Life Points, two auras emerged from his body and landed on the Field, transforming into two exceptionally tall Monsters.
A lion-headed, human-bodied Monster, standing upright with a burly physique and looking exceptionally mighty: 「Andro Sphinx」;
[「Andro Sphinx」 Level 10/LIGHT Attribute]
[Beast-Type/Effect]
[3000 ATK/2500 DEF]
And a lion-bodied, human-headed Monster, with a slender physique, standing on all fours like a hunting beast, visually more akin to a female or feminine form: 「Sphinx Teleia」.
[「Sphinx Teleia」 Level 10/LIGHT Attribute]
[Beast-Type/Effect]
[2500 ATK/3000 DEF]
"Level 10 Monsters, I can Summon two of them at once, and their ATK and DEF are of the highest caliber." Anubis proudly gazed at the two Monsters on his Field, "The only flaw is that 「Sphinx」 Monsters cannot Attack during the Turn they are Summoned or Special Summoned."
"However, 「Dark Ruler Ha Des」's effect allows me to activate a Trap directly from my Hand once again! I pay 1000 Life Points to activate 「Skill Drain」, negating the effects of all Monsters on the Field!"
[Anubis: 3000→2000 LP]
After unilaterally paying another 1000 Life Points, an invincible 「Skill Drain」 appeared in Anubis's Back Row, indiscriminately sealing the effects of all Monsters on both Fields.
On the surface, this Card seemed more suitable for restricting an Opponent's Effects, but Anubis was now actively using it to remove the restriction on his 「Sphinx」 Monsters on the Field, which prevented them from Attacking during the Turn they are Summoned or Special Summoned.
In this way, Hayato would now have to face the combined 5500 ATK of two Monsters with an empty Monster Zone.
For Anubis, a Direct Attack now would easily secure victory. However, when he looked at Hayato's position, just as he was about to say a few dismissive words, he noticed that Hayato's expression was remarkably calm, showing no awareness of being in crisis.
Not only that, his eyes were practically brimming with confidence, as if Anubis's actions so far were entirely expected and everything was within his control. He even looked provocatively at the two Monsters on Anubis's Field with a hint of anticipation, seemingly expecting them to Attack.
'Does that guy have something to rely on?'
Anubis glanced at the last Card in his Hand, just as he was wondering what those two Set Cards of Hayato's could be, when he heard Hayato's smug laugh.
"Hmph hmph, ah ha ha ha, Summoning two Level 10 Monsters within one Turn, I'll commend your effort a little. But if you think you can defeat me with Monsters of that caliber, that's purely your delusion."
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Anubis even bent over laughing: "And you used a Card you placed such great hope in so recklessly during the Main Phase, instead of waiting for my Battle Phase to Attack! You inferior humans truly haven't learned anything about patience in a thousand years, have you?"
"However, even if you had waited until the Battle Phase to Activate it, the outcome wouldn't have changed." Anubis stopped laughing, revealing his last Card in Hand. "As punishment for opposing me, I shall sever this hope of yours."
"Quick-Play Spell, 「Mystical Space Typhoon」! I will Destroy your 「Imperial Order」!"
"Then, 「Skill Drain」 will continue to be active, releasing the restriction on 「Andro Sphinx」 and 「Sphinx Teleia」 on my Field, allowing them to Attack!"
Anubis smiled coldly: "Finally, die with fear of me! Enter my Battle Phase!"
The storm Destroyed the 「Imperial Order」 that Hayato had activated in his Back Row. 「Skill Drain」 and 「Pyramid of Light」 regained their power, allowing the 「Sphinx」 Monsters' effects to be successfully negated, thereby enabling them to Attack.
The two Monsters, one lion-bodied and human-headed, the other human-bodied and lion-headed, snarled at Hayato. Hayato, playing along perfectly, showed a "terrified" expression: "B-Baka-na!? My invincible 「Imperial Order」 was Destroyed just like that!?"
"Damn it! In that case, I'll be subjected to a Direct Attack!?"
"Hmph hmph, a perfectly correct answer, truly a satisfying expression of despair." Anubis scornfully looked at the bewildered-looking Hayato, his gaze briefly falling upon the 「Millennium Ring」 in front of Hayato. "I thought you, wearing what could be considered the most evil of the seven Millennium Items, the 「Millennium Ring」, might be a powerful foe."
"When you suddenly dragged me into this Duel, I was slightly nervous, but it turns out you're just a blustering Fodder Monster."
Anubis, disdain etched on his face, raised a finger and pointed at Hayato: "You have no more tricks against my minions, do you? In that case, be torn to shreds!"
"First, 「Andro Sphinx」's Direct Attack!"
After giving the Attack command, Anubis leisurely watched Hayato, his mood greatly pleased by the look of unwillingness and disbelief on Hayato's face.
The lion-headed humanoid 「Andro Sphinx」 opened its maw and charged directly at Hayato. Hayato had no doubt that its sharp claws, under the influence of the Shadow Game, could easily tear through his flesh.
However, upon hearing Anubis's words, the "panic" and "helplessness" on Hayato's face suddenly vanished. Under Anubis's surprised gaze, Hayato's lips curled into a smirk: "You did just say you were going to Attack me, didn't you?"
"While I'm not sure if your Dueling style leans towards recklessness or caution, if I didn't make it seem like 「Imperial Order」 was my last resort, you wouldn't have foolishly ignored the Set Card in my Back Row, would you?"
"When I showed that I could rest easy as long as 「Imperial Order」 remained on my Field, it was only natural that you, with a counter-measure in your Hand, wouldn't stand by and watch me, a 'brat' in your eyes, gloat."
"I merely needed to show a little 'panic' and 'helplessness' after 「Imperial Order」 was Destroyed, easily making you complacent and believe I was only capable of so much, thereby lowering your guard against the true Trap on my Field!"
"Nani?!" With Hayato having spelled it out so clearly, there was no way Anubis wouldn't understand. Fury seemed to burst from his eyes as he glared at Hayato, "You bastard, you schemed against me!"
"Hmph, that's right, you completely fell for it, you fool." Hayato reached out and pressed the button on his Duel Disk. "This is Hayato's true offensive strategy! When it comes to Psychological Warfare, you can't compare to Hayato!"
"Bow before the noble power of the Knights of Hanoi! I activate the Trap Card 「Mirror Force」!"
"When an Opponent's Monster declares an Attack, Destroy all Attack Position Monsters your Opponent controls!"
Although their Levels were equal to the 「Egyptian God Cards」, Level 10, the 「Sphinx」 Monsters were merely guardians of the Pharaoh's Tomb and could not compare to Divine power. 「Andro Sphinx」's sharp claws swung down towards Hayato, but this action activated Hayato's Trap Card.
A sacred mirror spread open, interposing itself between Hayato and 「Andro Sphinx」, not only completely isolating the latter's Attack from Hayato, but even reflecting the attack of equal power back and further spreading to 「Sphinx Teleia」!
"Roar!"
"Yaaaa!"
"Boom!!"
Amidst the pained cries of the two 「Sphinx」 Monsters, the power of 「Mirror Force」 Destroyed them both simultaneously in a thunderous explosion, and dust covered Anubis's Field.
"To use such underhanded Psychological Warfare in a Duel, this doesn't even count as a Duel!"
Having two powerful Monsters Destroyed, and more importantly, his confident finishing blow had been within that brat's calculations the entire time, Anubis felt a great loss of face. His expression turned grim as he roared at Hayato across from him.
Hayato, however, merely wore a cheeky expression: "Heh, since you're not a good person, then naturally, I don't need to pretend to be a gentleman."
"Onore!" Anubis gnashed his teeth and glared at Hayato, his heart hardening. "But don't think this is the end! Your Destruction of my 「Sphinx」 Monsters has actually created the stage for the strongest 「Sphinx」 to Summon!"
"When 「Andro Sphinx」 and 「Sphinx Teleia」 are Destroyed simultaneously, I can activate this by paying 500 Life Points!" Anubis drew a Card from his Deck, "I Special Summon 「Theinen the Great Sphinx」 from my Hand or Deck!"
[Anubis][2000→1500 LP]
Following the "no smoke, no damage" rule, the smoke from the Destroyed 「Sphinx」 Monsters on Anubis's Field gathered as if gripped by a giant hand, transforming into a swirling, rising tornado of smoke.
Then, a ferocious lion's claw pierced through, tearing apart the smoke to reveal the true form of the Fiend-Type Monster born within!
[「Theinen the Great Sphinx」 Level 10/LIGHT Attribute]
[Beast-Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[3500 ATK/3000 DEF]
A lion's body on four legs, a muscular human torso, broad wings that were pure white like an angel's but emanated an incredibly evil feeling, and a grotesque head that combined human and lion features. 「Theinen the Great Sphinx」 was essentially a fusion of 「Andro Sphinx」 and 「Sphinx Teleia」!
"This is my strongest Ace Monster, 「Theinen the Great Sphinx」!" As his Life Points dropped again, Anubis's golden hair seemed to turn slightly grey, but his Aura was at its peak, and the Pyramid of Light on his chest also flashed with light.
"Insolent brat, I'll admit your scheming indeed had some merit, but before the invincible 「Theinen the Great Sphinx」, how will you escape this move now?" Anubis looked at Hayato, saying coldly, "Even the embodiment of a God will bow before such an Attack and fall into Darkness!"
"Since it's the Battle Phase, I shall activate another Attack! 「Theinen the Great Sphinx」, Direct Attack my Opponent!"
(end of chapter)
Chapter 519: Of Course It's Six!
"During the Battle Phase, (Theinen the Great Sphinx), which was Special Summoned, can launch another attack, directly attacking my opponent! (Theinen the Great Sphinx)!"
(Theinen the Great Sphinx) [ATK3500]
Anubis glanced at his (Theinen the Great Sphinx) on the Field, his gaze cold as he stared at Chumley.
Ever since the Duel began, his impression of Chumley had been repeatedly shifted. Now, he no longer saw Chumley as just some kid who got lucky and obtained the Millennium Puzzle, but rather as a powerful opponent.
The Duel Ritual, a practice widely known in the Egyptian court thousands of years ago, saw Anubis as a master during his lifetime; if not invincible, then at least rarely meeting his match. Yet, in his first Duel Ritual after his resurrection, a millennium later, he encountered a powerful opponent like Chumley, one who even calculated his opponent's psychology.
Anubis had never seen this kind of dueling style before, but he presumed this would be the last time.
This time, Anubis confirmed Chumley's Back Row. Now, only that single (Frontline Base) card, with its sole Effect, remained; no other useful Traps or Monsters were present.
Chumley's Life Points were 4000, while (Theinen the Great Sphinx)'s ATK was a formidable 3500. Although this attack wouldn't completely wipe out Chumley's Life Points, taking such high Damage in a single blow during the Duel Ritual, Anubis believed Chumley would at least be severely injured, if not unconscious.
Truth be told, if Chumley's (Royal Decree) hadn't consumed the (Mystical Space Typhoon) from Anubis's Hand earlier, he could have used (Mystical Space Typhoon) to Destroy (Skill Drain), thereby enabling (Theinen the Great Sphinx)'s Effect, and by Paying Life Points again, further increasing (Theinen the Great Sphinx)'s ATK.
In that case, not even the last 500 Life Points would have been left for Chumley; it would have been an instant kill. Alas, it couldn't be changed.
With an empty Hand and virtually no Field, his Attack was bound to go through, right? Anubis thought to himself, narrowing his eyes.
After all, a Monster couldn't just jump out of the Graveyard again, could it?
The enormous Demon Beast, (Theinen the Great Sphinx), charged towards Chumley, its massive claw swinging down heavily. Its body was so immense that it even obstructed Anubis's vision, preventing him from seeing Chumley immediately. However, the sound that reached his ears made him frown, for instead of the sound of claws tearing into flesh, (Theinen the Great Sphinx)'s claw swing was met with a "thud."
"When your (Theinen the Great Sphinx) declares a Direct Attack on me, I Special Summon the invincible (Rainbow Kuriboh) from my Graveyard in Defense Position! Nice one, Aibo, you're much stronger than (Ojama Yellow) and the others."
Normally, if (Ojama Yellow) and the others had heard Chumley say that, they would have certainly jumped out to protest, saying things like, "Ojama lives matter too!" or "Facts aside, we haven't been of any use!"
But now, because of Anubis's (Dark Hole) earlier, (Ojama Yellow) and the others were still looking dispirited, making Chumley quite unaccustomed to their quiet state.
Before Chumley, the tiny (Rainbow Kuriboh) bravely withstood (Theinen the Great Sphinx)'s Attack, which lacked a Piercing Effect. The small body's strength had its limits, and despite its fierce struggle, it was ultimately Destroyed. However, because it was in Defense Position, it protected Chumley from taking Damage.
"Kuriri~"
"Tch, that weak Fodder Monster is truly a nuisance." Anubis understood from Chumley's words and (Theinen the Great Sphinx)'s movement that Chumley had once again accounted for his actions. "But when did you do that?"
"When I used (Graceful Charity), besides (Ojama Magic), the other card I Discarded was (Rainbow Kuriboh)," Chumley explained, casually placing the Destroyed (Rainbow Kuriboh) card into his pocket. "Because of its Effect, when (Rainbow Kuriboh), Special Summoned by this Effect, leaves the Field, it is Banished. You saved its life again, Aibo."
"Hmph, quite close with your Duel Monster Spirits, aren't you? But I am the King of Destruction! Only Destruction can create the future, and your Destroyed Monsters shall become my sustenance!"
Anubis raised his hand with a sinister grin. (Theinen the Great Sphinx) on his Field synchronously opened its palm, and a ball of light flew from (Theinen the Great Sphinx)'s claw, surging into the Pyramid of Light on Anubis's chest.
And this time, Chumley saw it with exceptional clarity: it was clearly a portion of (Rainbow Kuriboh)'s Power!
"Kurii..."
"How dare you touch a Card I cherish, you bastard!" Even Chumley, hearing (Rainbow Kuriboh)'s voice growing fainter in his ear, seeing its image on the card dim, and noticing the red glint in Anubis's eyes as he seized its Power, became furious. "Anubis, you barbarian!"
"Heh, if you wanted to get angry, you should have done so when those other Duel Monster Spirits were Destroyed earlier."
"However, despite being merely a weak Monster, its Power is surprisingly greater than the combined total of the previous ones. Truly unexpected." Anubis felt the immense Power, a wicked grin on his face. "To gain something, you must sacrifice something. This is the mighty Power granted to me by 'The Light'. But I can make your Duel Monster Spirits Pay their Cost by Destroying them."
"With this Power, I shall stand at the pinnacle forever, becoming a great being who controls the destiny of mortals! Hmph hahahaha!"
"Next Turn will be your demise, kid! My Turn, End Phase."
[Anubis: 1500 LP, Hand 0]
[(Theinen the Great Sphinx) [ATK3500]]
[(Pyramid of Light)] [(Skill Drain)]
Anubis looked at Chumley, who had angrily bowed his head, and said with an arrogant expression, "Come on, kid, in front of my (Theinen the Great Sphinx), offer up your pitiful struggle, and then accept the losing fate I have already decided for you!"
"Heh, we'll see about that."
"Hm?"
Under Anubis's perplexed gaze, Chumley's anger reached its peak, yet it caused his mind to calm. With a serious expression, Chumley placed his finger on his Deck. "The one who decides my fate isn't you, it's me! My destiny will also be changed by me!"
"This Turn, I will unleash my ultimate wrath upon you! Be ready to be kicked until you cry by my log-thick thighs after you lose, Anubis!"
"My Turn! Draw!"
Empty-handed, Chumley Drew the Card he was betting his victory on. Seeing the drawn card, Chumley's lips curled into a smirk. "Let me show you the final modification I'm making to my own destiny, Anubis!"
"I Activate the (Spell Card) (Roll of Fate)! I roll a Dice, then Draw Cards equal to the Die Roll, and then Banish an equal number of Cards from the top of my Deck!"
Chumley inserted the Card into his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone. Immediately, a dice appeared out of thin air above his head, falling and rolling onto the Field.
"A Dice? You're entrusting your destiny to something so reliant on luck?" Anubis watched the dice roll with disdain, its face constantly changing from "1," "4," to "3." "And it's a Gambling Card with such a significant drawback, forcing you to Banish Cards."
"A True Duelist can utilize a Card's Negative Effects as well! And I told you, the outcome of this Duel will be decided by me!" Chumley pointed at the dice, which was slowly rolling to a stop on the Field. "In the name of Lelouch, I command you, stop!"
Although Anubis had no idea what "Lelouch" was or where it came from, as Chumley commanded it to stop, the dice's roll indeed slowed down. It finally came to a halt, and the number displayed on top of the dice was, astonishingly, the maximum value: "6"!
"Alright!" Chumley triumphantly placed his hand on his Deck and Drew. "Since the Die Roll is 6, I can Draw six Cards from the top of my Deck at once, then Banish six Cards from the top of my Deck!"
Before Banishing them, Chumley showed Anubis the Cards he was Banishing. The six Cards were: (Grandsoil the Elemental Lord), (Shien's Spy), (Toll), (Torrential Tribute), (Speedroid Terrortop), and (Limiter Removal).
Aside from (Grandsoil the Elemental Lord) catching Anubis's slight attention due to its exquisite card art and decent ATK, the other cards left Anubis utterly bewildered in various ways. He couldn't understand what strange Deck Chumley was using at all.
After Banishing the Cards, Chumley looked at the six Cards in his Hand and paused, glancing at the (Ojama) trio still "lying dead" on the side.
Then, he showed a helpless expression. "I really didn't expect that in the end, it would be these guys getting their revenge for themselves."
"Anubis, you've Paid your Life Points so many times in this Duel, so I guess I'll Pay some Life Points too." Chumley said, playing a Card from his Hand. "I Activate the (Spell Card) (Demonic Wardrobe)! After Paying 800 Life Points, I reveal the top four Cards of my Deck."
[Chumley: 4000→3200 LP]
As Chumley Paid his Life Points, a pillar surrounded by a red curtain appeared on his Back Row. Lights illuminated within, projecting several blurry figures onto the curtain. Chumley then revealed the top four Cards of his Deck.
[(Ojama Yellow)]
[(Ojama Green)]
[(Ojama Black)]
[(Sakuretsu Armor)]
"Among the revealed Cards, Level 3 or lower Normal Monsters are Special Summoned to my Field. The remaining Cards are returned to the Deck and Shuffled. Since all three (Ojama) Monsters are Level 3 or lower, I Special Summon them all to my Field in Attack Position!"
[(Ojama Yellow) [ATK0]]
[(Ojama Black) [ATK0]]
[(Ojama Green) [ATK0]]
"We're," "back," "again!"
Because their main bodies had been Summoned, (Ojama Yellow) and the others finally broke free from their previous weakened state. The three brothers huddled together, each head speaking separately, looking as if they were mimicking (Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon).
"Special Summoning three Monsters with 0 ATK in Attack Position? Have you finally gone mad, you fool?" Anubis had thought Chumley wanted to use (Ojama Yellow) and the others in Defense Position as shields to buy time, but he never expected Chumley to choose to Special Summon them all in Attack Position.
However, he then recalled Chumley's previous calculations and thought Chumley couldn't possibly be that stupid.
"Oh, I see! You want to use these Monsters as Tributes for a Tribute Summon, right?" Anubis said, putting on a know-it-all expression. "Hmph, it's useless! As long as my (Skill Drain) is active, all Monster Effects on the Field are Negated! And without Monster Effects to interfere, (Theinen the Great Sphinx)'s ATK is a formidable 3500, surpassing the limits of most Monsters!"
To his surprise, after hearing Anubis's words, Chumley showed a disdainful expression. "Then you've misunderstood! Against other opponents, I might go all out to crush them with powerful Monsters, but a guy like you, who toys with others' precious Cards, only deserves to be defeated by Fodder Monsters like the (Ojama) Monsters!"
"How dare you say that about us!" "Big Bro!" "That's so mean!"
(Ojama Yellow) and the others' protests were completely ignored by Chumley, who suddenly wished he could go back a few hundred words and tell his past self that it was actually quite nice when (Ojama Yellow) and the others were quiet.
"Hmph, Monsters with 0 ATK? Aren't Monsters with 0 ATK even worse than Fodder Monsters, just garbage?"
"Suddenly, I realize what that guy over there said is even worse!"
"I still dislike him more!"
"Big Bro, for my sake, use your Flame Fist on him!"
(Ojama Yellow) and the others clamored. Chumley, annoyed, cursed, "Shut up, all of you!"
"In any case, even garbage has its uses. When (Ojama Yellow), (Ojama Black), and (Ojama Green) are all gathered on my Field, they can unleash a mighty Power!" Chumley said, playing a Card from his Hand. "I Activate the (Spell Card) (Ojama Delta Hurricane!!)! Destroy all Cards on my Opponent's Field!"
"What?!"
Under Anubis's astonished gaze, (Ojama Yellow) and the others brought their behinds together, spinning rapidly to form a yellow, green, and black whirlwind, engulfing (Theinen the Great Sphinx), (Skill Drain), and even the (Pyramid of Light) on his Field!
"Boom!!"
The (Ojama Delta Hurricane!!) contracted, and a massive explosion echoed across Anubis's Field. The invincible (Theinen the Great Sphinx), as well as (Skill Drain)—nicknamed the "Golden Land Big Bro"—were all Destroyed!
(end of chapter)
Chapter 520: Is Your Ancient Egyptian Ancestral Zombie Reanimation a Tradition?
Ojama Yellow and its companions deactivated their Ojama Delta Hurricane!! state and returned to Hayato's Field. Hayato glanced at the Pyramid of Light still present on Anubis's Field.
The effect of Ojama Delta Hurricane!! should be to destroy all cards on the opponent's Field, whether face-up or face-down, without targeting them. Yet, while the other two cards on Anubis's Field were destroyed, the Pyramid of Light remained.
Furthermore, it was only then that Hayato remembered to check the effect of the Pyramid of Light. To his surprise, it was written with text similar to the Egyptian High Priest script that appeared on The Winged Dragon of Ra when it was summoned.
The meaning, roughly, was that this card was extremely durable, almost indestructible, and possessed the power to banish God Cards. It didn't differ much from the effect of the anime version Pyramid of Light Hayato remembered.
That Ojama Delta Hurricane!! failed to destroy the Pyramid of Light was actually within Hayato's expectations. After all, in the original story, even the self-destruct effect of Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, which Pegasus considered capable of defeating God Cards, only worked on the Pyramid of Light on its second attempt. It was understandable that Ojama Delta Hurricane!! didn't work.
Hayato wasn't too disappointed. Destroying the Pyramid of Light wasn't his primary goal anyway; he just needed to take down Anubis, the duelist.
"Damn it, you destroyed my cards!" Anubis looked at the solitary Pyramid of Light remaining on his Field, infuriated, and glared at Hayato—or more accurately, at the three Ojama brothers who had returned to Hayato's Field.
Ojama Green: "Your cards are so fragile~"
Ojama Black: "Now you know how powerful we are!"
Ojama Yellow: "Naked pervert~"
"Only you guys aren't qualified to call someone a naked pervert," Hayato retorted. But at the same time, he noticed that after Andro Sphinx was destroyed, the three Ojama brothers and Rainbow Kuriboh seemed to have recovered some of their spirits, as if they too had regained their power through "destruction."
"Tch, so what if you destroyed my monsters? Your Field only has three fodder monsters with 0 ATK." Although Anubis had his Field cleared by Ojama Delta Hurricane!! and had some taste of the combined might of the three Ojama brothers, he still considered them nothing more than fodder.
"Then, let me show you what kind of use fodder monsters, fitting for you, can have," Hayato said, slapping down a card. "I activate the Spell Card Lightning Vortex!"
Hearing the name of the card Hayato activated, Ojama Yellow and its companions, who had just been looking smug, suddenly trembled. Their expressions stiffened as they turned to look at Hayato, and at the opened Lightning Vortex card that appeared behind them.
"B-Big Bro!?"
"What are you doing!"
"Big Bro!"
Listening to the words of Ojama Yellow and its companions, Hayato's "grief" was clearly visible from the corners of his upturned lips: "Sorry, Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, Ojama Black, this is a necessary sacrifice."
"No, it's not! Big Bro, I clearly saw that Left Hand Takes—"
"Lightning Vortex activates: Destroy all monsters on my Field, and inflict damage to the opponent's Life Points equal to the number of destroyed monsters x 300!"
Hayato promptly interrupted Ojama Yellow's unspoken words, waving his hand forward. Ojama Yellow and its companions, with "willing" expressions, unleashed lightning towards Anubis. As three bolts of lightning exploded on Anubis's body, Ojama Yellow and its companions shattered into fragments and entered the Graveyard.
"Ugh!" Although Anubis only had 1500 Life Points left, all of the 2500 points lost were self-paid. This was his first time taking damage since the duel began, and he couldn't help but grunt.
[Anubis: 1500 → 600 LP]
Seeing the sacrifice of Ojama Yellow and its companions exchange 900 of Anubis's Life Points, Hayato put on a "grieved and indignant" expression: "To destroy the monsters I consider my partners, it's unforgivable, Pe—Anubis!"
"You bastard, you clearly destroyed your own monsters yourself!" Anubis, already in a bad mood due to his Life Points dropping, said unhappily, "How dare you attack me, who is like a god, with such lowly fodder monsters! I'll kill you a thousand times!"
Faced with Anubis's threat, Hayato completely ignored it: "Before that, you at least need to win against me in a duel. I told you, I would use Ojama Yellow and its companions to bestow upon you the ignominious defeat you deserve."
"I activate the Spell Card Triple Skull Zone! Target three Normal Monsters with Level 2 or lower in my Graveyard! I Special Summon the Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black that were just destroyed, from the Graveyard to my Field in Attack Position!"
"And then, the second Lightning Vortex!"
Hayato played his last card in hand, apart from Swordsman of Landstar. In his Monster Zone, an excavated burial site appeared, and the three Ojama brothers rose from underground, striking poses.
However, behind them, an identical Lightning Vortex was already prepared.
"We're back—Agh?! Again!?"
"As expected of Big Bro, easily tributing his own monsters!"
"Truly awe-inspiring!"
"But why us again!" x3
Amidst the synchronized wails of the three Ojama brothers, lightning struck Anubis again. This time, Lightning Vortex was like the final straw that broke the camel's back, completely emptying Anubis's remaining 600 Life Points.
In the lightning, Anubis let out a scream: "Ugah!!!"
[Anubis: 600 LP → 0]
As the thunder struck, Hayato watched Anubis's body age rapidly, as if time had accelerated. In an instant, he transformed from a robust, blond middle-aged man into a gaunt, white-haired old man, with various parts of his body continuing to age.
Within a few breaths, Hayato was surprised to find that Anubis, defeated in the Shadow Game, had reverted to the dried corpse he had seen before. Except for the unrotted bandages, he was almost identical to his previous mummy state, falling heavily to the ground. The Pyramid of Light on his chest also fell to the ground, but did not shatter from the impact, appearing to be of good quality.
"What, I aimed quite accurately, didn't I?" Hayato said with a smile, looking at Rainbow Kuriboh, whose spirits had fully recovered with Anubis's defeat.
At the same time, he casually stuffed Ojama Yellow and its companions, who were still a bit weak despite regaining power after repeatedly jumping between the Field and Graveyard in a single duel, back into his Deck, and put away his Duel Disk.
"Big Bro, you're too mean—!"
"It's my responsibility to release you, but I won't apologize," Hayato said indifferently, listening to Ojama Yellow's voice abruptly cut off. He then looked down at Anubis's mummy lying on the ground. "But, it seems the incident is resolved, right?"
"The process was too easy; I even feel it's a bit unreal."
The Shadow Game's domain and the Pyramid of Light projection dissipated as the duel concluded. Hayato walked over to Anubis's mummy and poked the dried skull.
No movement.
Probably truly dead.
Hayato poked his finger into the mummy's eye socket and wiggled it a few times. Seeing that Anubis's mummy still showed no reaction under such circumstances, he finally relaxed.
Although it's common knowledge that dueling can save the world, Hayato felt it was a bit unreal. After all, Anubis didn't even put on a grand show before falling, truly lacking the aura of an apocalyptic final boss, and he didn't even utter any last words before dying, which made Hayato quite unaccustomed.
Such honest antagonists are rare these days.
Hayato wiped his fingers with a dust cloth nearby, stood up, and prepared to handle the aftermath.
Although Hayato's act of defeating Anubis would disrupt the Pyramid of Light plot, he felt it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. Kaiba's duel addiction wasn't a one-day affair anyway; worst case, he would just duel with him a few more times after Kaiba obtained Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon.
He hadn't, after all, farmed any Blue-Eyes cards from Kaiba to this day, which made Hayato suspect if the Blue-Eyes cards on the system's drop list for Kaiba were just a bluff. He had, however, farmed quite a few other cards like Ring of Destruction.
Speaking of Kaiba, that guy, ever since the success and popularity of Kaiba Land's duel robots — the very machines that went berserk during the KC Cup, wielding Hayato's Deck and getting defeated by Hayato — Kaiba had somehow discovered another use for duel robots:
Simulating duel win rates.
By submitting card data, duel robots could simultaneously simulate multiple repeat duels between two duelists to calculate the final win rate of two Decks. Because the process was very scientific, Kaiba became exceptionally superstitious about win rates obtained through this method.
However, when Kaiba, full of confidence after simulating a 1000% win rate for his Blue-Eyes Deck against a Gaia Deck, was met by Hayato using Super Polymerization to fuse Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Gaia into Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion, Kaiba's face turned sour again.
Recalling Kaiba's annoyed expression, Hayato casually opened the system to check the rewards for defeating Anubis.
The usual DP points were 500, which was honestly a bit low, just enough to offset the cost of activating the Shadow Game. However, what Hayato hadn't expected was that Anubis actually dropped a card he had been craving for a long, long time.
The undisputed flagship of the "draw" archetype, the ultimate bane of card effects that try to be smug, with card art that looks incredibly cool due to its power, affectionately known as the "Eldlich Big Bro": the invincible Skill Drain!
Hayato had genuinely coveted this card for a very long time. The price to purchase this card in the system shop was a hefty 30000 DP, equivalent to the prices of powerful staple cards like Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon and Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer. For Hayato, who habitually couldn't save up DP, it was an exorbitant amount.
He had considered buying one directly on the market with money, but after checking the price, he decisively abandoned that delusion.
As early as Duelist Kingdom, when Hayato dueled a chin-buttocked uncle named Anacis on the island, he had seen him use this card. Hayato had already had the upper hand, but with the invincible Skill Drain activated, Duel Monsters reverted to a game of Vanilla Beatsticks clashing, where victory was decided by attack power.
After checking the price, Hayato also felt relieved. Only a magnate like Anacis, who held most of the world's shipping industry in his hands, could afford the ridiculously expensive Skill Drain, which somewhat ensured a decent dueling experience for most people.
But well...
Looking at the Skill Drain he had acquired, Hayato showed a "kind" smile. Now, he too could enjoy the pleasure of "skill draining" others. It seemed he had a new method to make others duel happily and show "smiles" during a duel.
As for if the opponent refused to smile, he would just beat them until they did.
However, Hayato still had some regrets. Anubis's Duel Disk and Deck had appeared out of thin air in the Shadow Game, and the moment Anubis's Life Points were emptied by Lightning Vortex, both the Duel Disk and the cards on it returned to their original void.
Otherwise, how could Hayato have let go of such a good... opportunity to collect prize cards? If Anubis's Deck hadn't disappeared, he could have had two Skill Drains.
Thinking this, Hayato looked down at Anubis's mummy on the ground with dissatisfaction. If Ishizu didn't need this artifact for accountability, why would Hayato have left it?
But as Hayato looked down, he was stunned. Anubis's mummy was actually undergoing time reversal again, gradually recovering a normal human body, just like when he had first acquired the Pyramid of Light?!
However, compared to before, this recovery was much subtler, as if it didn't want to attract Hayato's attention?
Perceiving Hayato's gaze and realizing its small movements, Anubis's mummy suddenly scrambled up from the ground and, taking advantage of Hayato's momentary hesitation, abruptly started sprinting!
Hayato, having changed his position earlier while checking Anubis's mummy, had no time to block it!
Hayato, chasing Anubis's mummy, quickly ran from the end of the corridor to where Anubis's sarcophagus had been. Anubis completely ignored the fallen crowd and jumped over them. Hayato, however, looked at the fallen people and hesitated slightly, his steps slowing down.
"You fell for it, Hayato! I, Anubis, am not so easily defeated! This is my escape route!" The wildly sprinting Anubis's mummy noticed Hayato falling behind, and mocked him triumphantly with his newly restored voice. "Your boring emotions will drag you down! Caring about those mortals will only make you unable to catch me!"
"In terms of intellect, you're still no match for me, Anubis, hm-hahahaha!"
Hayato watched Anubis escape, truly helpless. He could activate the Shadow Game again, but that distance would definitely envelop Ishizu, Yugi, and the others. Moreover, the Shadow Game might force Anubis to fight desperately or even take the unconscious people as hostages.
Considering this, Hayato watched unwillingly as Anubis's mummy and the Pyramid of Light dissipated into dust in the exhibition hall: "These Egyptian guys, Dark Marik too, Dark Bakura too, are all ancestral zombie reanimators, aren't they?"
(end of chapter)