Pegasus Nightwalker took a deep breath.
With only 500 life points left, the field was almost empty, while the opponent had a Duel Monsters Realm's famed Legendary Warrior - Pioneer's Envoy on the field, putting him at an almost life-and-death disadvantage.
But why?
Why couldn't he stop shaking?
Yes, this was the feeling.
Facing the top-tier opponent, as a Duelist, burning everything he had, the thrill of a fight that made him give his all.
What Keihei said was correct. Years ago, the battle with Muto Yuugi helped him break free from the Three Evil Gods' mind control, but right after, he felt his own bottleneck.
For years, he felt unable to break through, as if he had reached his limit. But precisely because of this, he yearned for powerful opponents even more.
Only by battling strong opponents could he be stimulated to break through his limits and reach higher realms.
And now, with a mere first-year Duel Academy student, he unexpectedly found that feeling again.
Without a doubt, this opponent was truly worth him unleashing everything to attempt a breakthrough!
Even though he was the one with the "Legendary Duelist" title, while the opponent was just a student, Nightwalker naturally placed himself in the challenger's position.
He wanted to surpass this chasm and achieve his breakthrough!
"My turn, draw!" Nightwalker declared. "Activate the Magic Card 'Pot of Greed' to draw two cards from the deck!"
Nightwalker smiled involuntarily after drawing the cards.
It seemed he had drawn a reversal move amidst this predicament.
"First, I activate the Magic Card 'Level Recognition'!" Nightwalker announced. "Select one monster on your field; you can change its star level to any between 1 and 8!" (Original Card)
This was also a card Nightwalker used against Yuugi in the manga.
"I choose the 'Otherworld Thorny Purple Dragon' on the field and raise it to level eight!"
[Otherworld Thorny Purple Dragon, LV5→LV8]
Keihei raised an eyebrow: "A card for level adjustment?"
"Indeed, it's the final setup for the descent of my new power!"
Nightwalker said, slowly pulling out a card.
"This is the first time I've used this new power in front of others, and to think it's in a situation like this..."
Yugen frowned slightly.
This posture as if about to print a card, what's going on?
"But you are indeed a worthy opponent for me to go all out against, so watch closely, the evolved form of the King of Divine Beasts!
I offer the level-eight 'Otherworld Thorny Purple Dragon' on the field as a tribute and Special Summon from my hand..."
He raised the Monster Card in his hand over his head, and even before it was summoned, a storm seemed to arise.
"The rumbling of the Divine Beast shakes the earth, transcending the torrents of time to descend—
——Beast God King Barbaros, Summon!!!"
The ground quaked, the Divine Beast emerged from the storm, its golden mane shining brightly under the glory, as if cloaked in a holy aura. Its eyes sparkled sharply like a blade, the giant lion-faced beast clashed its claws with the ground, swirling dust and sand into a storm.
Beast God King Barbaros, Summon!
Yugen glanced at the new outfit of Barbaros.
Nightwalker surely hasn't been idle over the years, giving his ace a new form.
[Beast God King Barbaros, Attack Power 3000]
"Although this card is level eight, it doesn't require two tributes for a Normal Summon, you only need to tribute monsters on your field with a combined level of eight stars or more to Special Summon it!"
Nightwalker called out.
"Additionally, 'Beast God King Barbaros' can, once per turn, by banishing 'Barbaros' monsters from your Graveyard and field, destroy up to two cards on your opponent's field!"
Keihei was surprised: "What a strong ability!"
"Indeed, this is the evolved form of the Divine Beast King, if you can defeat my ultimate ace, then try it!" Nightwalker said, "I banish 'Beast God King Barbaros' from the Graveyard, destroying 'Chaos Warrior - Messenger of Creation' and your left Covering Card in the back row!"
Yugen immediately reacted: "Then Counterattack Trap - Celestial Punishment! By discarding one card from my hand, I negate the effect of an Effect Monster and destroy it!"
Nightwalker was startled.
To have such a trap hidden even in this scenario?
His resources were depleted, and while the Beast God King was his trump card, it was also his last move. If the Beast God King was countered here, he would have no means to recover.
That won't do!
"Counterattack Trap - Interference Disruption!" Nightwalker's back row was also activated in response, "By discarding one card, the effect of cards with a 'destroying monsters on the field' effect is negated and destroyed!"
The lightning of Celestial Punishment struck down, but hit only a transparent destruction shield. The transparent ripples spread along the shield's surface, the rebounding thunder exploded the Celestial Punishment Trap itself into fragments.
Counterattack successful!
"The Beast God King's effect proceeds!" Pegasus Nightwalker shouted, "Destroy the Chaos Warrior and the other Cover Card!"
The thunder of the Beast God King swept the field, instantly clearing Yugen's side. Chaos Warrior exploded under the thunder, the reversed Cover Card broke as well, it was a "Magic Tube."
"Moreover, the card I discarded was the Magic Card 'Card of Compensation,' which draws two cards from the deck when sent from the hand to the Graveyard!" (Original Card)
"Beyond Celestial Punishment, there was also a Magic Tube, a truly ironclad setup." Nightwalker remarked, "But in doing so, all your defenses have been cleared!"
The surrounding card professors seemed to see the outcome as decided at this point.
"However, to be able to push Lord Pegasus this far..." Tilamuk commented, "Just a student, truly a terrifying kid."
This child's future prospects are boundless.
Yet Nightwalker did not relax.
Is it over?
No, as long as there are life points remaining, one must never drop their vigilance.
Moreover, he could feel that this opponent was not ordinary.
The dismantled defenses were just the visible ones, the opponent may still have countermeasures.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Handwriting Exchange'!" Nightwalker declared, "Reveal each other's hands, mutually choose one card from the opponent's to add to your own hand!"
The card professors were taken aback.
Wasn't the win already secure in this situation?
Why deliberately exchange hands?
"...Such a frightening intuition."
Yugen revealed his hand.
Nightwalker narrowed his eyes.
Indeed, his intuition was correct.
Kite Robot!
A bottom card that can be discarded from the hand to block direct attack damage.
One card professor was shocked: "There's a countermeasure in hand!"
"Lord Pegasus even anticipated this..."
Nightwalker: "Then I will take 'Kite Robot' from your hand!"
Yugen: "Then I'll take 'Military God Geb'."
A card Nightwalker also used in the manga, a six-star Demon Race with 2200 attack power. However, it's not very useful; the choice was made due to a lack of options, as Nightwalker only had this in hand...
"Even the defense in hand was removed, this guy is really something." Keihei murmured.
Then he glanced at Yugen again.
This guy... is it over now?
Well, managing to bring Pegasus Nightwalker to this extent is pretty impressive after all...
"Beast God King Barbaros's direct attack!"
Nightwalker raised his hand and shouted.
The decisive strike, also his final offensive!
But he had a strange premonition.
Even making it this far, such an attack... might still be one move short.
Indeed, just as the blow of the Beast God King was about to land, an electric light erupted from Yugen's side of the field. Like some sort of transparent shield, the repulsion of magnetism forcefully pushed back the lion-faced Beast God King.
"Effect of 'Super Electromagnetic Turtle' in the Graveyard, only one opportunity, by banishing this card during the opponent's battle phase, the battle phase is forcibly ended."
Nightwalker let out a long breath.
For some reason, he felt no surprise about the attack being blocked.
"When was it sent to the Graveyard?" Nightwalker asked.
Yugen: "'Transformation Pot'."
"I see." Nightwalker pondered, "Such deep defenses were laid out as early as that."
He shook his head with a smile.
"Then my turn has ended."