[Kagemaru LP 100]
"Damn it…"
The old man couldn't help cursing.
The guy hadn't summoned a single monster. He hadn't even felt any real back-and-forth—and somehow his LP was already a candle in the wind!
What kind of duel is this!?
Kira snapped his fingers again.
"Your LP is low, Chairman," he said pleasantly. "You'd better tread carefully from here."
The gentler the tone, the more infuriating it sounded.
All the more reason for Kagemaru to steady himself.
At 100 LP, his margin for error was gone. All the more reason not to tilt, not to be led by the nose.
"Virtual Sphere's monster effect," Kagemaru said in a low voice. "If Virtual Sphere is sent from field to GY, Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Sphere' from the GY."
The arm retrieved a monster from the GY.
"I Special Summon 'Synthesize Sphere'!"
[Synthesize Sphere ATK 1000]
Kira: "Oh? This one's effect is—"
"Correct. Synthesize Sphere has a summon effect," Kagemaru said. "When Summoned or Special Summoned, Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Sphere' from your GY."
Another card slipped from the GY and was deftly slapped onto the Disk.
"I Special Summon 'Air Sphere'!"
[Air Sphere ATK 400]
"Heh, two back at once," Kira nodded, impressed. "Your Sphere engine's not bad."
In Kira's view, for a GX-era deck this ran quite fast—already tasting of the next generation.
It had search, GY recursion, and quick swarming. And judging from the Titan duel, it could also lock and "NTR"—no wonder only three Sphere cards ever got printed.
He also hadn't used his Normal Summon yet.
"Then I tribute 'Synthesize Sphere'!"
A transparent whirlwind wrapped the bird, dissolving it into motes.
"Level 6—
—Troposphere, Summon!!!"
An even fiercer vortex rose; blue wings spread; an armored Sphere Bird rode the storm into view!
[Troposphere ATK 2400]
Troposphere—one of the only three Spheres ever printed.
"This time you tributed Synthetic Sphere and kept Air Sphere," Kira mused. "Because of Air Sphere's attack restriction?"
When another Sphere is on the field, Air Sphere prevents the opponent from declaring attacks. That had been revealed in the Titan fight.
With only 100 LP, Kagemaru had to think about defense; even a scratch could be lethal.
"Troposphere, direct attack!"
The new bird charged like a general at the vanguard of an army!
"I activate a Trap," Kira said. "Trap Card: Mirror Force! When your opponent declares an attack: destroy all Attack Position monsters they control!"
Kagemaru narrowed his eyes.
Of course there's another pitfall!
Traps, traps, traps—endless traps.
But this bird preys on traps!
"Troposphere's effect!" Kagemaru shouted. "Troposphere is unaffected by Trap effects!"
Pierce the shield!
Mirror Force cracked like glass under the bird's spread wings. Armored avian slammed a claw straight into Kira.
[Kira LP 4000 → 1600]
He took damage!
He actually took damage!
In all his years of battle, Kagemaru had never felt it so hard just to scrape the opponent's LP.
"A trap-immune Sphere—bad matchup for me," Kira said, dusting himself off with a rueful shrug.
Kagemaru calmed quickly after landing the hit.
No—don't get lulled by his tone.
Even after that, he was in trouble. Mirror Force still destroyed Air Sphere.
So his planned defense line—attack lockdown—was gone. If Troposphere got attacked next turn, even a mere 2500 ATK Tribute monster touching it would end him.
"Damn Duel King…"
He gritted his teeth and slid out a card.
"I set one and end."
He spoke low.
"My turn. Draw."
Kira figured that, with Air Sphere gone, that new set was probably his hoped-for defense.
But he wasn't in a rush.
"I Normal Summon 'Chaos Core' in Defense."
Darkness pooled, deep as hell. It writhed and rose, forming a monster.
A twisted fiend slowly unfurled its wings, eyes mocking.
[Chaos Core DEF 0]
Kagemaru blinked.
A monster with 0/0?
What the hell? He'd never seen this one.
"I set three and end."
Kira waved and covered three more back-row.
Kagemaru's brows knit.
More sets. Three more.
If anything differed from the last two turns, it was summoning a 0-stat monster.
Even stranger.
He pondered. Kira cut in with a chuckle: "Huh? Not drawing, Chairman? Or want to surrender?"
"Tch, don't get cocky, kid."
He spat coldly.
"My turn. Draw!"
The arm drew.
"I activate the Spell 'Pot of Greed,'" Kagemaru said. "I draw two cards."
He glanced at his hand, then at the Chaos Core, frowning slightly as a chill crept over him.
He couldn't say why, but that 0 ATK monster felt ominous.
He looked at the three new sets.
More back-row. But Kira already knew traps mostly didn't work on Troposphere.
So the key likely wasn't in the sets. It was—
His eyes returned to that eerie 0-ATK fiend.
A 0-ATK monster? That's suspicious!
"Heh. I don't know what that thing is, but—"
Kagemaru barked:
"I flip my set Quick-Play 'Forbidden Chalice'! Target one monster; it gains 400 ATK, and its effects are negated!"