"What nonsense are you spouting, Joey?!"
Rex Raptor pointed mockingly at Joey's flickering 680 Life Points, his laugh cutting like glass.
"Your Life Points are like a candle in the wind, ready to be snuffed out!"
"Not necessarily!" Joey's eyes blazed with fiery resolve as he slammed his card onto the Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon—[Gearfried the Iron Knight] in Attack Position!"
A glow flashed, and a burly warrior clad in heavy steel armor appeared, exuding steady power.
"Next!" Joey pressed on without pause, activating the most crucial Spell in his hand.
"I activate Spell Card—[Release Restraint]!"
Crash! Clang! Boom—!
The iron shackles of [Gearfried the Iron Knight] shattered apart, the weight of his armor exploding into fragments!
Freed from his restraints, a surge of pure, wild strength burst from within him!
"Behold! Descending onto the battlefield—[Gearfried the Swordmaster], unleashed!!"
As the dust cleared, a muscular, bare-chested swordmaster in only a battle skirt stood revealed, radiating savage fighting spirit!
His Attack skyrocketed from 1800 all the way to 2600!
"But I'm not done yet!" Joey's voice rose with excitement.
"This is the Plains—Warrior's battlefield! [Gearfried the Swordmaster] gains the terrain bonus, raising his Attack by 780, to 3380!"
"And that's still not the end!" He revealed the Equip Spell he had fetched earlier with [Masaki the Legendary Swordsman]'s effect.
"I equip [Lightning Blade] to [Gearfried the Swordmaster]!"
Crackling lightning wrapped around his sword, transforming it into a weapon of thunder!
"[Lightning Blade] grants 800 Attack! That makes my Swordmaster's Attack—"
Joey thrust his finger toward the warrior, voice thundering with triumph:
"4180!!!"
"W-what?! 4180 Attack?!" Rex's eyes bulged, jaw dropping. That monstrous number hit him like a death sentence, draining his strength.
His proud [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] suddenly looked so frail and powerless.
"That's right! This is the strength my friends gave me—the resolve of Joey Wheeler!" Joey roared, arm cutting down like an axe. "Swordmaster! With your lightning blade, sever the darkness! Attack [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]—Thunder Judgment Slash!!"
"Raaahh—!!" The Swordmaster howled, blazing with wild thunder, his sword cleaving down like a golden flash!
The blade, wrapped in raging lightning, split the black dragon cleanly in two!
BOOOOM—!!!
The dark dragon shrieked in its final agony, bursting into charred fragments and vanishing completely!
[Rex, LP: 2000 → 1540]
"Turn end!" Joey stood tall, declaring his counterattack.
"N-no… impossible… my [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]… my ultra-rare card…" Rex stared blankly, panic and despair twisting his face as he realized he might lose his precious treasure.
He couldn't lose—he'd lose everything!
"M-my turn… draw…" His voice shook as he fumbled a card from his Deck. Seeing it, his eyes dimmed with hopeless instinct.
"I-I set [Crawling Dragon 2] in Defense Position… T-turn end…"
He barely managed the move.
"That's what I was waiting for! My turn—draw!" Joey's eyes lit up like lightning as he snapped a card from his Deck.
Without hesitation, he slammed down the Spell he'd been holding!
"I activate Spell Card—[Stop Defense]! Your monster in Defense Position is forced into Attack Position this turn!"
"Wh-what?!" Rex gasped as [Crawling Dragon 2] was wrenched into Attack Position against its will.
"This duel is over! Swordmaster—strike down [Crawling Dragon 2]! Final attack!!"
Slash—BOOM!
[Gearfried the Swordmaster] blurred forward, blade flashing cold, piercing through the dragon as if it were paper, shattering it instantly!
[Rex, LP: 1540 → 0]
"Rex, as promised, your [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] is mine!"
"What?! My card…" Rex slumped, handing it over in defeat.
"Haha! I did it! I really did it!" Joey shouted, unable to contain his joy.
He leapt like a child, pumping his fists high, brandishing the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] as though it were the greatest trophy.
He dashed toward his friends, his face radiant with newfound confidence.
"Yugi! Yuto! Téa! Tristan! Did you see?!" Joey's voice cracked with excitement as he showed them the card, eyes shining with tears.
"I won! I won with my own strength! I'm no burden—I, Joey Wheeler, am a Duelist who can stand on his own!"
His chest heaved, tears glimmering in his eyes.
"Alright, alright, save the celebration for later!" Yuto clapped his hands, cutting into the moment with pragmatism. He pointed to the fading horizon and the darkening silhouette of Pegasus's castle.
"It's almost nightfall. This plain is too open—we need to set up camp somewhere sheltered, or we'll freeze."
He pulled some ration biscuits from his pack and handed them out.
After their simple meal, the group began searching for a place to sleep.
...
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