"I Set a card and end my turn!"
Using Arcana Knight Joker's mighty 3800 Attack Points to physically break through the labyrinth, with nothing left on the Duel Arena but a pile of rubble, Miles Set 1 card from his hand, and ended the turn.
Nia cheered excitedly. "Not only did they recover their Life Points, but they also fused Arcana Knight Joker and smashed the labyrinth! These two are working great together!"
Rovik adjusted his glasses and gave a calm evaluation. "They're just first-years, and yet their Duel strength is not only on par, but surpasses that of upperclassmen. Aisha Carlos and Kevin Seth... truly the two top Duelists of the first-year class."
Turn rotation continued, and the control of this Tag Duel shifted back to Dox.
However, with only the ruins of the labyrinth remaining before him, there was no more room for him to rely on his usual labyrinth tricks.
Without the labyrinth, the Paradox Brothers were just... brothers.
"Don't think for a second that this is all we brothers are capable of! We've once pushed even the King of Games to the brink! And that wasn't just because of the labyrinth! My turn, draw!"
After drawing their card to start the turn, the Paradox Brothers exchanged a glance, then simultaneously turned their gaze to the Graveyard where their cards rested.
"We're about ready, brother!"
"Time to let these kids taste the terror... of the Elemental Gods!"
"—I activate the Equip Spell Card: Premature Burial!"
[Paradox Brothers, LP: 4000 → 3200]
Essentially an Equip version of Monster Reborn, with their Life Points ticking down, the Paradox Brothers pulled a Monster Card from the Graveyard.
"Trying to revive the destroyed Labyrinth Wall?" Miles threatened. "Don't bother. No matter how many times you bring back Labyrinth Wall, Arcana Knight Joker will smash it to pieces!"
"No, no, no, the monster I want to revive isn't Labyrinth Wall, or Wall Shadow... but the Elemental God Monster sleeping in the Graveyard!"
Aisha frowned in confusion. "Elemental God? What other monsters are even in their Graveyard? Haven't the Paradox Brothers only Summoned two monsters from the start?"
Miles caught on and explained, "I see now... they must've discarded cards from their hand as cost when activating card effects."
Whether it was the first Spell Card, Cost Down, or the later Tribute to the Doomed, both required them to discard a card as a condition to activate.
Meaning, right now in the Paradox Brothers' Graveyard, there were two unknown cards. Most likely, the Elemental Gods they mentioned were among them.
And in a Tag Duel, the Graveyard is shared. Even if the revived monster came from their partner's Graveyard, the move was still legal.
"Heh heh heh... open your eyes and watch carefully! The monster I'm bringing back is the same one that once drove the King of Games to the edge! Special Summon: Kazejin!"
[Kazejin] Level 7│WIND│Spellcaster│2400 ATK
The Wind Elemental God descended amidst a storm, boasting Level 7 and Attack power on par with Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
Although... its appearance looked like a big green sphere with two arms. Quite abstract.
Aisha said, "This cute little thing was the monster that pushed the King of Games to the edge?"
"We're not done yet! I also activate the Trap Card my brother Set last turn!"
The Trap Card Set by Para in the previous turn was now flipped face-up by Dox.
"—Continuous Trap: Call of the Haunted!"
Just after the Equip version of Monster Reborn, the Paradox Brothers followed up with the Trap version, bringing yet another monster back from the Graveyard.
Clearly, the two cards they had discarded earlier were both high-Level monsters meant to be revived from the Graveyard.
A strategy to bypass the Tribute cost needed for high-Level Summons.
Given this tactic, it was clear: the Paradox Brothers were more than just Duelists who relied on labyrinth shenanigans.
"Rise again, second Elemental God!—Sanga of the Thunder!"
[Sanga of the Thunder] Level 7│LIGHT│Thunder│2600 ATK
With legs this time, the Water Elemental God had 200 more Attack Points than Kazejin.
Even so, these monsters alone were nowhere near enough to challenge Arcana Knight Joker's 3800 Attack Points.
"Finally, I Normal Summon Dungeon Worm, then activate the Spell Card: Tribute Doll!"
[Tribute 1 monster on your field; Special Summon 1 Level 7 monster that can be Normal Summoned from your hand. The summoned monster cannot attack this turn.]
The Worm, which lingered on the field for barely a second, was quickly Tributed, summoning the last bolt of thunder from the Paradox Brothers' hand.
"The third God—Suijin descends!"
[Suijin] Level 7│WATER│Aqua│2500 ATK
The three Elemental Gods had gathered. Individually, each looked... bizarre in their own right. The reason was simple...
"Now, with all three invincible Gods present on the field... It's time to unite! Combine the Three Elemental Gods!"
Indeed, their odd appearances existed for a reason—they were meant to fuse.
Arranged in order—Thunder as the head, Wind as the body, and Water as the legs—the three previously separate cards transformed into a single, unified monster.
Yes, this was the very card Miles had seen back in the High-Level Spirit Research Society and dubbed a "card even a dog wouldn't use" due to its ultra-high Level.
"The Trinity God, Special Summon!—Gate Guardian!"
[Gate Guardian] Level 11│DARK│Warrior│3750 ATK
At Level 11, the combined form of the Three Gods loomed over the ruins of the labyrinth.
Miles stammered in shock. "T-this... this... this is it?"
After all that effort... this was the monster they brought out.
A Fusion of three Level 7 Gods... yet its Attack Points didn't even surpass Arcana Knight Joker.
…Honestly, they might have been better off not fusing at all.
...
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