Chapter 147. Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon's Final Limit! Did We Unknowingly Assemble All Five Pieces of Exodia?
The C-side Gimmick Puppet duelist sorted through the current field state.
The more he organized it, the worse his expression became.
In a situation like this, how was he supposed to break through?
With that many negates laid out, his scalp was already tingling.
Key point: the Gimmick Puppet deck relies quite a bit on monster effects.
That means if the opponent hits the key effects with negates, there's no way to fully combo off and clear the field.
Meanwhile, in the VRAINS world…
Yusaku Fujiki, Akira Zaizen, and the others also noticed how unfavorable the current duel state was.
The Red side was completely suppressed by the Blue side.
In that case, even they couldn't immediately find a way to break through under so many negates while trying to combo.
"It looks like the duel is already over."
"I don't think the Red side has a window to develop their board."
Takeru Homura exhaled slowly.
Given the current situation, it was safe to say that developing was extremely difficult.
"Not necessarily."
"I actually think there's still a sliver of a chance."
"Pride goes before a fall."
"At a time like this, do you think the Blue side will keep thinking carefully?"
"Precisely because they have too many negates, they'll be more inclined to spend them."
"Get it?"
Yusaku thought for a second, then smiled.
And that calm analysis was exactly what would play out next.
On the field.
The turn passed to the C-side Gimmick Puppet duelist.
But he didn't immediately draw the top card of his Deck.
A few minutes later—
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "My turn.
Draw!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I activate the Field Spell 'Hell Doll Mansion'!" [OC]
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "When this card is activated, I can add 1 'Gimmick Puppet' monster from my Deck to my hand."
B-side HERO Duelist: "I chain the Trap 'Unchained'!
I destroy my 'Unchained Soul of Rage' together with your Field Spell!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Effect of 'Unchained Soul of Rage'—I add 'Spirit of Yubel' from my Graveyard to my hand!"
A clean interruption.
As expected, the first answer came out easily.
And he recycled the Graveyard resource back to hand—gripping that "Spirit" again meant another layer of defense.
The Blue side's advantage ticked up further.
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I activate the effect of 'Gimmick Puppet Fiendish Knight' in my hand!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess—effect!
Lose 800 ATK; negate!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I activate the effect of 'Gimmick Puppet Rouge Doll' in my hand!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Apollousa—effect!
Lose another 800; negate!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Then I Normal Summon 'Gimmick Puppet Gear Changer.'"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I Special Summon 'Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll.'"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Gear Changer effect—target Magnet Doll!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Apollousa—effect!
Lose another 800; negate!"
Numb.
The negates made you numb.
Seeing this, duelists across the worlds—even if they weren't the C-side player—felt a powerful sense of immersion.
Being stopped again and again mid-combo—that feeling is hard to describe.
Key point: the opponent paid basically no cost.
Sure, Apollousa had no ATK left and was out of negates.
But they still had I:P Masquerena.
Which meant Apollousa was just fodder for a Link climb anyway.
And getting to blank three monster effects with Apollousa along the way?
Yes—Blue had profited hard.
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Then I activate the effect of 'Doll Monster Troop' in my Graveyard!" [OC name for the story's card]
B-side HERO Duelist: "Still trying to combo?
I activate 'Phantom of Yubel' on the field!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Change your effect: destroy 'Spirit of Yubel.'
Spirit's effect triggers—I Special Summon Yubel!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I activate 'Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll' in my Graveyard; banish 'Doll Monster Troop' to Special Summon it!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I overlay Dreary Doll and Magnet Doll to construct the Xyz network!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Two Level 8 monsters!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Xyz Summon 'Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Giant Grinder—effect!
Detach 1 material; destroy your I:P Masquerena!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Flip the set 'Infinite Impermanence'!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Negate your Giant Grinder!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "???"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Bro, are you the prince of negates or what?!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Fine, then—'Rank-Up-Magic Argent Chaos Force'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Target 'Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder'—Chaos Xyz Summon 'CNo.15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Hunter'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Graveyard effect—'Gimmick Puppet Fantasix Machinix'!"
"When a 'Gimmick Puppet' Xyz Monster is Special Summoned: Special Summon this card from the Graveyard in Defense Position, then add that 'Argent Chaos Force' back to my hand."
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Activate Giant Hunter—destroy your 'Nightmare Pain'!" [Yubel S/T]
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Now I play the Spell our teammate set earlier: 'Monster Reborn'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I revive your 'Number 62: Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon'!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "I:P Masquerena—effect!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "I use Masquerena, Yubel, and Apollousa to Link Summon on your turn!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Arrows confirmed!"
"—!"
Seeing the C-side duelist explode back onto the field, the Blue duelist's arrogance began to fade.
He realized he'd spent his negates too quickly.
If not, C-side wouldn't have been able to push this far.
But in the very next moment, Masquerena accelerated!
When the Link arrows appeared, both Red players—and duelists across all six worlds—went pale.
How many arrows?
Six arrows?
Whoa.
The materials had been gathered without anyone noticing.
A Link-6?
Could it be… that card?
B-side HERO Duelist: "Link Summon!
Arrows confirmed!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Link-6—'Firewall Dragon Singularity'!"
B-side HERO Duelist: "Interesting duel.
I activate 'Firewall Dragon Singularity'!"
"I bounce your 'Number 62: Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon' and your 'Gimmick Puppet Fantasix Machinix'!"
As expected.
If not Firewall Dragon Singularity, then it would have been the @Ignister boss.
In the entire Link suite, those are the two Link-6 titans.
And Singularity was obviously the key to this board clear.
One sequence.
Every bit of advantage—poof.
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Fearless!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I Link Summon using 'Gimmick Puppet Giant Hunter' and 'Gimmick Puppet Gear Changer'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Arrows confirmed!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Link-2—'Gimmick Puppet Chimera Doll'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Chimera Doll—effect!
Add 'Gimmick Puppet Bisque Doll' from the Deck to my hand!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Chimera Doll—second effect!
If I control only 'Gimmick Puppet' monsters, I can Special Summon a 'Gimmick Puppet' from my hand."
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I Special Summon 'Gimmick Puppet Rouge Doll.'"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "'Gimmick Puppet Bisque Doll'—effect!
Discard 1 'Gimmick Puppet' monster to Special Summon itself!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Two Level 8s on the field!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Overlay—Xyz Summon 'Gimmick Puppet Fantasix Machinix'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Then 'Argent Chaos Force' again—Rank-Up!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Defense Position—'CXyz Gimmick Puppet Fanatix Machinix'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Activate Fanatix Machinix—detach 1 material; I revive your 'Number C62: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Then Fanatix Machinix destroys your 'Neo Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon'!"
"Burn 2000 LP!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Set 2!"
"My turn ends."
Even wilder than before.
Despite eating that many negates, the C-side duelist still had plays.
Everyone across the worlds was baffled.
They'd thought Gimmick Puppets had hit their limit after taking a Firewall Dragon Singularity to the face.
Who could have guessed?
By squeezing every last resource, he could still make plays and drag the game back.
Even if the board state still favored the opponent, you can't deny it.
The C-side duelist's willpower was iron, and his lines were razor-sharp.
In the ZEXAL world, IV—Thomas Arclight—couldn't sit still.
"Hold on."
"Someone understands Gimmick Puppets better than me?"
"That line…"
"I wouldn't have thought of it!"
"No—what I really lack is a Link-focused Gimmick Puppet power package!"
"As expected, Gimmick Puppets are only getting stronger in the higher world!"
Muttering to himself, IV broke into a grin.
Gimmick Puppets aren't weak at all.
Back in the short video—
C-side ended.
Next up was the D-side diehard Dragon-deck duelist.
D-side Dragon Diehard: "My turn.
Draw!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "I activate 'Harpie's Feather Duster'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Flip Set!
Chain 2—'Gimmick Puppet Theater – Abusive Fan-Service Marionette'!" [OC]
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Target your 'Firewall Dragon Singularity'!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Chain 3—'Firewall Dragon Singularity'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Doesn't matter!
I flip a second 'Gimmick Puppet Theater – Abusive Fan-Service Marionette'—Chain 4!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Heh-heh-heh!
Resolve!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "I choose the second effect—Special Summon 'Gimmick Puppet Fantasix Machinix' from the Graveyard!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Chain 3 resolves—'Firewall Dragon Singularity' bounces your 'CXyz Gimmick Puppet Fanatix Machinix' and 'Gimmick Puppet Chimera Doll'!"
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "Chain 2 resolves—your 'Firewall Dragon Singularity' still becomes mine!"
After the exchange, the C-side successfully took Firewall Dragon Singularity.
He also pulled Fantasix Machinix out of the Graveyard.
Resource-wise, this was clearly better than what D-side had left.
But nobody assumed Red now had the advantage.
The D-side Dragon diehard had pulled off too many miracles before.
D-side Dragon Diehard: "I reveal 'Nebula Dragon' and 'Galactic Spiral Dragon'—then Special Summon both!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Overlay the two!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Two Level 8 monsters!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Xyz—'Dragluxion, the Divine Golden Shadow Dragon'!" [OC or localized fan usage in this story]
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "'Firewall Dragon Singularity'—bounce your 'Dragluxion'!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "I Special Summon a third 'Schwarzschild Limit Dragon' from my hand!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Schwarzschild—effect; Special Summon 'Galaxy-Eyes Afterglow Dragon' from the Deck!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Special Summon 'Tachyon Source Dragon' from my hand!" [OC usage in this story]
D-side Dragon Diehard: "I overlay 'Afterglow' and 'Schwarzschild'—bring back 'Dragluxion'!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "'Dragluxion'—effect; detach to Xyz Change!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Here we go—'Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis'!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "'Afterglow' effect—bring out 'Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon'!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "I play the Quick-Play Spell 'Tachyon Spiral of Destruction'!" [OC usage in this story]
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Spiral resolves—revive 'Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy' from the Graveyard!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Overlay 'Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon' and 'Tachyon Source Dragon'—Rank 8!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Xyz—'Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon'!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "'Cipher'—effect; detach to take back my 'Firewall Dragon Singularity'!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Then Rank-Up—'Galaxy-Eyes Cipher X Dragon'!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "'Cipher X'—effect; detach 2 materials—LIGHT monsters I control can't be targeted by your effects until your next turn."
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Battle Phase!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "'Cipher X' destroys your 'Gimmick Puppet Fantasix Machinix'!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "Because of its own restriction, my other monsters can't attack.
I end my turn."
C-side Gimmick Puppet Duelist: "But due to 'Cipher X' restricting control change, your 'Firewall Dragon Singularity' has to go back to me!"
D-side Dragon Diehard: "However, your Trap 'Gimmick Puppet Theater – Abusive Fan-Service Marionette' also has its own clause—so 'Firewall Dragon Singularity' comes back to me!"
Ownership traded back and forth like crazy.
Everyone watching was dumbfounded.
These two were a pair of clowns—in the best way.
A single Firewall Dragon Singularity, being swapped repeatedly.
Next turn.
It passed to the A-side Exodia player.
Facing the opponent's overwhelming board, the A-side duelist smiled strangely.
A-side Exodia Duelist: "I think we've already won."
A-side Exodia Duelist: "I activate the Graveyard effect of 'Furious Yubel – Inferno Cannon'!" [OC usage in this story]
A-side Exodia Duelist: "I can search 1 monster from my Deck."
A-side Exodia Duelist: "Since you know what I'm playing, you should know what I'm searching."
A-side Exodia Duelist: "That's right."
A-side Exodia Duelist: "The monster I add is—'Exodia the Forbidden One.'"
A-side Exodia Duelist: "The last four cards in my hand are the Left and Right Arms, and the Left and Right Legs of the Forbidden One."
A-side Exodia Duelist: "Duel over.
We win."
A-side Exodia Duelist: "What an interesting duel."
Across the worlds, duelists who'd been ready to praise the Blue side's unassailable board went slack-jawed at the final entrance of "Old Exodia."
They were all question marks.
What even happened?
All five pieces of Exodia… already?
Huh?
What just happened?
In a blink, the duel ended.
The heck?!
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