"The effect of Double Summon lets me perform one more Normal Summon this turn!"
Yami Yugi placed a monster card onto the field.
"I summon Flame Swordsman in Attack Position!"
"And then…"
Yami Yugi quickly slapped another card down.
"I Set one more monster card!"
However, just as the card was set, it was pushed up from below by a strange force.
Téa's figure, flustered, emerged from underneath.
"Eh? What's going on?"
Inside the Zaku's cockpit, Yuto Tenshou froze for a moment, then quickly maneuvered the red Mobile Suit into a sidestep, planting itself in front of Téa. Its massive metal foot made the ground tremble slightly.
Yami Yugi quickly explained the dangerous situation to Joey and Téa.
Bakura watched Yugi's moves and the reactions of the others on the field, his lips curling into a cold, knowing sneer.
"Heh… the monster you Set was Téa, wasn't it? Such a touching struggle, all for the life of your companion… hehehe…"
His laughter rang unnervingly in the darkness.
Seeing this, Yuto no longer tried to hide Téa. The red Zaku turned and strode back to its card's original position, its mono-eye sensor locking onto the enemy.
"Dark Magician!"
Yami Yugi no longer hesitated, pointing at Bakura's unknown face-down card.
"Attack!"
"Understood!"
The surface Yugi raised his staff high, immense magical power gathering.
"Dark Magic Attack!"
Whoosh!
The face-down card flipped over, revealing a lizard—Electric Lizard!
"Uwahhh—!"
As the card shattered, a surge of electricity coursed back along the magical connection in a violent backlash!
The surface Yugi's body convulsed, his staff slipping from his grip as though his strength had been drained away.
"Ha ha!"
Bakura laughed triumphantly.
"Electric Lizard's effect activates! Except for Zombies, any monster that attacks it cannot attack during the next turn! Your Dark Magician is useless now!"
"Partner! Are you alright?!"
Yami Yugi's heart leapt to his throat.
"I… I'm fine…"
Surface Yugi forced himself up, his voice trembling with the pain of paralysis.
"Just… my body feels numb…"
Suppressing his fury, Yami Yugi's gaze sharpened like a blade.
He quickly Set two cards to the back row.
"My turn… ends!"
Bakura looked at the five soul-bound monsters standing ready on Yugi's field—Dark Magician, Command Knight, ACE – Char the Red Comet, Flame Swordsman, and Magician of Faith.
A sinister smile of confidence spread across his face.
"I'll give you a little 'good news' in advance. The monster in my hand is Man-Eater Bug."
"Man-Eater Bug?!"
Yami Yugi and his companions all froze at once.
They knew this card's effect all too well—when flipped, it instantly destroys one monster on the field!
The five of them exchanged uneasy glances, the atmosphere dropping to freezing point.
This was bad…
"Now, now, don't be nervous."
Bakura slowly placed the card.
"I Set my lovely Man-Eater Bug and end my turn."
That face-down card lay silently on the field, waiting to be revealed.
Yami Yugi's gaze flicked to his own Set Horn of Heaven. A desperate plan to seize victory flashed through his mind!
There was still a chance!
He looked toward his companions, his voice heavy yet resolute.
"Everyone! There's still one way! But it requires… one of us to willingly go to the Graveyard!"
Tristan stepped forward without hesitation.
"Then let me go! Someone has to—"
"Idiot!"
Joey stopped him, his blazing sword held across Tristan's chest.
"Clearly, my Attack power is higher! If anyone goes, it should be me! Let me do it!"
Just as the two of them were arguing—
"Enough! Stop fighting!"
Yuto's roar boomed from the Zaku's loudspeaker, echoing across the battlefield.
"No one is going to die! I believe in Yugi!!"
Before the words were finished, the red Zaku's engines roared, surging forward like a scarlet lightning bolt. Its massive Heat Hawk cleaved down toward the Set Man-Eater Bug with unstoppable force!
"Wh—?!"
No one expected Yuto to charge so decisively!
At the instant the Man-Eater Bug was flipped—
"Now!!"
Yami Yugi and Yuto's voices rang out together!
"Activate the Trap Card—Horn of Heaven!"
Yami Yugi forcefully flipped his face-down.
"I Tribute my ACE – Char the Red Comet to the Graveyard to negate and destroy your Flip-Summoned Man-Eater Bug!"
Boom—!
As the twisted form of Man-Eater Bug was torn apart by the holy light of the Judgment, the red Zaku too completed its mission, dissolving into light amidst the fiery blast!
Yami Yugi's moves flowed seamlessly, never pausing!
Almost simultaneously, he flipped the card containing Téa.
"Next, I activate Magician of Faith's Flip Effect! I return a Spell Card from the Graveyard to my hand! I choose—Monster Reborn!"
Téa's staff glowed, and the Monster Reborn card flashed out of the void of the Graveyard into Yugi's hand!
"Then! I immediately activate Monster Reborn!"
Yami Yugi slammed the revived card down.
"Rise once more—ACE – Char the Red Comet!"
"Ha ha! I'm back!!"
Yuto's voice thundered across the battlefield as the red Zaku reformed!
Though its Attack had returned to the base 1200 points, its presence gave the group no small measure of relief!
"Stop your futile struggle, Yugi!"
Bakura's expression darkened for the first time.
"In the end, you'll all only be reunited in the cold Graveyard!"
"Bakura!"
Yami Yugi's voice boomed like thunder, carrying unshakable conviction that pierced the dark.
"I believe! The power of the bond between the five of us can overcome all your plots and schemes!"
"Hmph! Naïve! Friendship? Nothing more than the weak huddling together for warmth!"
Infuriated, Bakura drew a Spell card radiating malice.
"Let cruel reality crush your ridiculous faith! I activate the Spell Card—Change of Heart!"
He pointed directly at the petite Dark Magician.
"The one I'll take is your Dark Magician! Taste the despair of being slain by your own dearest companion! Hahaha!"
On the card Change of Heart, Bakura's face appeared slowly.
Though the surface Yugi clutched his staff tightly, his body trembled violently in resistance, he still staggered unwillingly toward Bakura's field.
In the end, like a puppet on strings, he stiffly stood on the opponent's side.
"Heh! Dark Magician!"
Bakura grinned cruelly, issuing the most merciless order.
"Attack that bothersome Command Knight! Use your magic to finish your 'companion'!"
Black magic swelled at the tip of the staff, aimed straight at Tristan!
"Not so fast!"
Yami Yugi's eyes blazed, and he flipped his last Set card!
"Activate the Trap Card—Negate Attack! This attack is negated! And your Battle Phase is forced to end!"
An invisible barrier instantly rose in front of Tristan, the Dark Magician's blast shattering into twinkling starlight as it struck!
"Tch… clinging on!"
Bakura ground his teeth in fury, powerless.
"I Set one monster card, and end my turn!"
As the turn ended, Change of Heart's control broke. The surface Yugi's consciousness instantly returned, and he dashed back to his companions' side.
"My turn—draw!"
When he saw the card he drew, a victorious smile finally spread across his face!
"The duel is decided! I equip the Equip Spell Card Fairy Meteor Crush to Dark Magician!"
"Now, when Dark Magician attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage! Attack! Destroy that Set card—Dark Magic Attack!"
A torrent of immense magic burst forth!
Bakura's Set flipped open, revealing the feeble Skull Servant.
In an instant, Skull Servant was obliterated by the magical blast!
The remaining energy pierced through, striking Bakura directly!
[Bakura, LP: 1600 → 0]
"Urrraaaghhh—!!!"
With a bloodcurdling scream, Bakura collapsed in agony, the Shadow Game space shattering apart like broken glass…
...
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