"Descend, (Invoked Mechaba)!"
The silver-white chariot, man and machine as one, descended onto Hayato's field. With a formidable 2500 ATK, a standard for a protagonist's ace monster, it was clear that it was not to be trifled with.
Although Jesse Anderson only began Duel Monsters under Raphael's guidance, he had seen Duel Monsters tournaments through various channels before that, and knew many cards. However, Jesse Anderson did not know the effect of (Invoked Mechaba), a card only Hayato possessed and rarely used.
But no matter what, defeat the opponent first.
"At this moment, Hayato-san, I will use one of the two Set Cards in my Back Row." Pressing the activate Set Card button on his Duel Disk, Jesse Anderson revealed the card's true form and called out its name, "When a monster is successfully Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, the activation conditions for (Torrential Tribute) are met! I activate this Trap Card!"
"Destroy all monsters on both fields!"
As Jesse Anderson's Set Card activated, a murky torrent surged from within the card, indiscriminately sweeping towards all monsters on the field, whether it was (Goliath Spider), (Invoked Mechaba), or (Dragonmaid Laundry Dragonmaid).
And Little Blue, despite being a Water Attribute, was almost scared silly at the sight of a giant wave over ten times taller than herself.
"Using such a 'table-flipping' card, is he going to destroy his own monster too?" Joey asked, confused. "A two-for-two exchange doesn't create any card advantage. As Hayato would say, if you don't gain advantage, it's a huge loss."
However, Pegasus, hearing Joey's words, smiled and shook his head. "NoNoNo, Joey-boy, it's not a two-for-two, but a one-for-two. Jesse Anderson-boy's (Goliath Spider) on the field is equipped with (Guardian's Power)."
Because of the Spell Counters previously placed by (Magical Grasp), (Guardian's Power) was active. This confused Bakura, who, whether in his Dark Bakura persona or his recently restored original personality, still didn't really understand Duel Monsters. He asked the others, "What effect does that card have?"
"Bakura, you must have seen (Goliath Spider)'s ATK and DEF increase as Spell Counters were placed on (Guardian's Power). That's just (Guardian's Power)'s first effect. Each Spell Counter increases the equipped monster's ATK and DEF by 500 points, with no upper limit."
Marik, who had been present at the duel between Atem and Raphael on the rooftop of the Paradox Group Headquarters Building, knew about this Equip Card from the [Guardian] archetype. He explained to Bakura, "Besides directly increasing Spell Counters with card effects like (Magical Grasp), one is added each time the equipped monster battles."
"But the most outrageous is its third effect. Each time the equipped monster is destroyed by battle or by card effect, you can remove one Spell Counter to substitute its destruction." Marik's words paused, and then he realized, "I see, that's why it's a one-for-two exchange."
"By removing a Spell Counter, Jesse Anderson's (Goliath Spider)'s DEF will decrease, but it won't be destroyed by (Torrential Tribute). Instead, both of Hayato's monsters will be destroyed by (Torrential Tribute)." Atem nodded. For Jesse Anderson, who had only recently started Duel Monsters, being able to use such a strategy was already quite impressive.
"However, Hayato is not the kind of person who would let others' plans easily succeed."
The surging giant wave threatened to swallow Hayato whole. Jesse Anderson said with some pride, "Be careful, Hayato-san, don't get swallowed by the torrent. But I and (Goliath Spider) will temporarily avoid it."
Spitting out a thread, (Goliath Spider) pulled itself into the air. The next moment, the wave crashed down. Little Blue, terrified, squatted on the spot, ducking in defense with her hands over her head.
However, Hayato, watching the torrent approach, sent a card from his Hand to the Graveyard and declared, "Excellent timing for activation. Even I feel my heart stir. But the 'chariot' that calls forth victory has already appeared on my field!"
"Once per turn, (Invoked Mechaba)'s Effect activates! When a monster effect, Spell Card, or Trap Card is activated, I can send one card of the same type as that card from my Hand to the Graveyard to negate that activation and banish it!"
Pointing forward, Hayato shouted, "I discard the Trap Card (Ojama Duo) from my Hand! Let the iron fist flash and split steel, the steel fist strike and pierce the Dragon! Show me your power, (Invoked Mechaba)!"
Facing the oncoming giant wave, (Invoked Mechaba) moved its body. The humanoid figure on the chariot raised its spear with both hands and swung it fiercely.
"Boom!"
(Torrential Tribute), which should have swept away everything, swallowed nothing at all. It was easily cut in two by (Invoked Mechaba)'s power, just like Moses parting the Red Sea in myth!
Little Blue, who had been trembling in fear, saw that the crisis was averted and popped out from behind Hayato. She suddenly puffed out her chest and declared with renewed arrogance, "Hmph, a card of that caliber can't do anything to the invincible Little Blue, me! Me and (Invoked Mechaba) together are invincible, we'll crush everything!"
Jesse Anderson, seeing (Torrential Tribute) negated by Hayato, showed a slightly regretful expression, but wasn't too surprised. After all, his opponent was Hayato.
"Then I'll continue my turn! I activate the effect of (Invocation), which I just used, from the Graveyard. If this card is in the Graveyard, I can target one of my banished (Aleister the Invoker), return (Invocation) to the Deck, and add the targeted (Aleister the Invoker) to my Hand."
After retrieving Aleister's card, Hayato glanced at the four cards in his Hand, then pulled out another one. "Next, I activate the Spell Card (Monster Gate)."
On Hayato's field, a wormhole opened, dark and deep, obscuring whatever might emerge. Seeing this, Little Blue looked curiously at the Spell Card behind her, wanting to know its effect.
"You can activate this card by Tributing one monster on your field. Excavate cards from the top of your Deck until you excavate a monster that can be Normal Summoned. Special Summon that monster, and send all other excavated cards to the Graveyard." Little Blue scratched her head, looking left and right in confusion. On Hayato's field, besides herself, there was only (Invoked Mechaba).
Without thinking, Little Blue instinctively thought Hayato was going to Tribute (Invoked Mechaba) and immediately mocked it, "Hahahaha, what's this? You were just used once, and now you're going to be Tributed by your master? Nyah nyah nyah, fodder monster~ You're just a pathetic fodder monster~"
However, both (Invoked Mechaba) and Hayato looked at Little Blue with pity, making her realize something was off after her first few taunts.
"Huh, huh? Master, you're going to Tribute him, right?" Little Blue turned back, asking Hayato with some uncertainty, but saw Hayato shake his head in response.
Still slow-witted, Little Blue didn't realize who was going to be Tributed. She scratched her head in confusion and looked around, but couldn't find any other monsters to Tribute.
Until light rose from beneath her feet.
"Gah! What is this!?" Little Blue was startled by the wormhole opening beneath her feet. Even with her dullness, she finally realized she was the one to be Tributed. She panicked immediately, looking at Hayato and saying, "N-no way, am I the one who's going to be Tributed?"
"No, no way, Master! You can't do that, you can't do that!"
"My magnificent intellect cannot vanish from this world!"
"Master! Stop it!"
However, Little Blue's desperate wails were met with Hayato's merciless snap of his fingers. "Goodbye, Little Blue, and goodbye to my weakness."
"Nooooo—!"
The wormhole swallowed Little Blue amidst her unwilling wails, and Hayato then excavated the top card of his Deck.
The effect of (Monster Gate) is to keep excavating cards from the top of the Deck and sending them to the Graveyard until a monster that can be Normal Summoned appears. If one were to try, it could even send the entire Deck to the Graveyard in one go, making it one of the top-tier blind milling cards.
However, the Deck Hayato was using today wasn't one that greatly benefited from milling, like (Infernoid), (Shaddoll), or (Ogdoadic) Decks. It was a pure (Dragonmaid) Deck, so extensive milling wasn't very efficient. Therefore, the main purpose of (Monster Gate) was simply to maximize Little Blue's utility.
And the top card of Hayato's Deck happened to be a card that could be Normal Summoned and had no Special Summon restrictions. Because of (Monster Gate)'s effect, Hayato held up that monster: "The card excavated from the top of my Deck is this one, so I will Special Summon it to my field in Attack Position."
"The Primal Being strikes, Monster Gate summons a miracle~"
"Ahahaha, here comes Nibiru!"
With a somewhat irreverent summoning chant, as Hayato placed the card on his Duel Disk, a point of light appeared in the sky, as if a shooting star were streaking across. Then, with a "boom," a meteor actually crashed onto the field!
(Nibiru, the Primal Being) [Level 11/LIGHT Attribute]
[Rock-Type/Effect Monster]
[3000/600]
With its noble Level 11, and a staggering 3000 ATK, as high as a (Blue-Eyes White Dragon), the top card of Hayato's Deck was none other than the ultimate board-wiping card that countless card players both love and hate: (Nibiru, the Primal Being), known simply as Nibiru.
Although this card is more often activated from the Hand when the opponent over-extends without restraint, Tributing all monsters on the field to Special Summon itself by its own effect, it itself has no Special Summon restrictions and can be Special Summoned by (Monster Gate)'s effect.
While it has no troublesome effects, its 3000 ATK alone is a symbol of great power.
Facing Hayato, who had summoned yet another powerful monster, Jesse Anderson, though unaware of (Nibiru, the Primal Being)'s true power, could still read the stats. Suddenly, Hayato's field had two monsters with high ATK, but he didn't panic.
"As expected of Hayato-san, you've easily done what ordinary people cannot, summoning two powerful monsters to the field. However, due to the presence of (Guardian's Power), even if you repeatedly attack (Goliath Spider) with high ATK monsters, you won't be able to destroy it."
Jesse Anderson paused, then continued with a triumphant smile, "Not only that, because (Goliath Spider) is in Defense Position, my Life Points will absolutely not take Battle Damage."
Looking at Jesse Anderson, who was laughing like a child—though he was indeed still a child—Hayato looked at the cards in his Hand, then smiled and said, "That's true. But there's one mistake you've made that I need to correct. And that is, there is no 'absolute' for a Duelist."
"I activate the Continuous Spell Card, (Fiery Duelists)!"
As Hayato placed the card on his Duel Disk, the BGM function, also modified and added to his Duel Disk by Mokuba, activated, and an exciting piece of music suddenly blared out. But more than the music, what drew the attention of the onlookers, especially Joey, Atem, Yugi, and Marik, was the fact that the card Hayato activated clearly showed the black silhouettes of a clashing (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) and (Dark Magician)!?
"Is that, (Dark Magician)?" "And Kaiba's (Blue-Eyes)?"
"Oh, that card. Hayato-boy commissioned me to create it a long time ago during Battle City," Pegasus said, as if he had known about the card all along. "Based on that special Stone Tablet that was once exhibited at the Egyptian Artifacts Traveling Exhibition in Domino City, me created many cards. And this card was completed with the rivalry between the modern Kaiba-boy and Yugi-boy as its inspiration."
"Huh? That King's Memories Stone Tablet?" Joey raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Pegasus. "How can you make everything into cards? How many more tricks do you have up your sleeve?"
"Isn't that just a basic quality of a card designer?" Pegasus spread his hands innocently. "Besides, you never asked me?"
Tristan grumbled, "I really suspect Pegasus has a lot of strange stuff still in his inventory. Maybe there are even (Egyptian God Cards) on that level. If someone stole some cards from Pegasus one day, who knows what kind of trouble it could stir up."
There was a precedent for this. For example, during the (Pyramid of Light) incident, didn't Kaiba take the (Pyramid of Light) card from Pegasus, leading to that result?
After grumbling about Pegasus for a few moments, they turned their attention back to the duel. No one noticed the very obvious guilty look on Pegasus's face.
Why am I persecuting Little Blue? Blame it on Little Blue, I was surprised that there could be a Blind Mill that sends all three forms — Sphere Mode, (The Winged Dragon of Ra), and (The Winged Dragon of Ra - Immortal Phoenix) — into the graveyard in one go.
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