After the monster hit the field, Kazuki looked at Yusaku.
"You already used your Normal Summon at the start, and the [Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous] in your Graveyard got bounced back into the Deck by me. That means you have no way to bring out a second Synchro Monster!"
Hearing that, the corner of Yusaku's mouth lifted slightly.
"When did I ever use my Normal Summon?"
Kazuki froze for a moment.
"The [Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous] you summoned at the start wasn't a Normal Summon?"
"Sorry, but no, it wasn't a Normal Summon. I used her Special Summon effect. [Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous] can Special Summon herself from the hand if your opponent controls more monsters than you do."
"At the start, you had more monsters on the field than I did, so I used her Special Summon effect. And besides…"
Yusaku flipped the card in his hand face up.
"I already opened with one copy of [Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous]. [The monster I just summoned was drawn during that 'negated monster card' draw phase]!"
Kazuki's pupils shrank.
"What! You had another one!"
Yusaku slapped the card onto his Duel Disk.
"Step three, appear once more, Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous!"
[Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous]
[ATK: 1500]
With the monster on the field, Yusaku swept his hand through the air and shouted:
"I tune the [Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous] I just summoned with [Bystial Magnamhut]!"
"The gathered starlight will now awaken a new power, becoming the shining path of radiance!"
Yusaku raised his right hand high.
"Synchro Summon! Level 10 — Chaos Twin Wings!!!"
The pillar of light behind Yusaku burst apart like a cracking cocoon, two completely opposite auras exploding outward at once, and a pair of enormous wings unfolded behind him.
The left wing spread as jet-black feathers formed from dark matter, each feather laced with violet-black lightning, leaving scorched, twisted trails wherever they passed. The right wing shone with holy white light, the edges of its feathers inlaid with glittering stardust; wherever they drifted down, they left ice-crystal traces of light along the ground.
A demon woven from light and darkness descended!
[Chaos Twin Wings]
[Level 10 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 3500]
Once Chaos Twin Wings hit the field, Yusaku pointed forward.
"Battle!"
"Chaos Twin Wings, attack! Deus X-Krawler!"
The demon's twin wings snapped downward; countless bolts of lightning converged into a single straight beam that pierced straight through the giant insect on Kazuki's field in an instant. The giant bug let out a shrill screech as it shattered into fragments and vanished completely.
"Next, Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying, counterattack with Heavenly Blade Thunder Fang on the Superlative Dark Great Horn!"
Before the words had even fully fallen, Chengying gripped his longsword. The blade hummed like a dragon's roar as he swept it through the air, a condensed crescent moon of sword aura howling forth and striking the massive rhinoceros beetle dead-on, crushing it on the spot.
"Now, the lock you set up on your field is completely broken!"
Kazuki's face darkened and he snorted coldly.
"Even if you broke my lock, I still have three monsters on my field. There's no way you're ending the Duel this turn! Next turn, I can use my Graveyard and hand resources to flip this right back around!"
Yusaku shook his head lightly.
"No, you won't have a single monster left on your field. You showed me your board. Now it's your turn to see mine."
Kazuki was utterly baffled.
"??"
"Main Phase 2."
Yusaku revealed a card from his hand.
"[Primal Man Awakened from Millennium Slumber]. While this card is in your hand, you can activate its effect: treat this card as a Continuous Spell and place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone."
With that, he slid the card into his Duel Disk's back row.
The next moment, a monster formed of solid rock emerged from his Deck and appeared in his hand.
"Next I activate another effect of [Primal Man Awakened from Millennium Slumber]!"
"While this card is being treated as a Continuous Spell, you can pay 2000 LP, or reveal 1 [Millennium Cross] from your hand, to Special Summon this card. Then, you can add 1 [Millennium] monster from your Deck to your hand."
"I'll pay 2000 LP to Special Summon this card to the field, then add [Stone Guardian of the Millennium Treasure] from my Deck to my hand!"
[Yusaku, LP 8000 → 6000]
As his words fell, a massive, rock-bodied, heavily armored giant brute crashed down onto the field.
[Primal Man Awakened from Millennium Slumber]
[Level 8 / Rock / Effect]
[ATK: 2750]
"[Primal Man] and [Stone Guardian]? That's a Millennium engine, isn't it? He's got that too?!"
"With this line, is he going for [Millennium Treasure]?!"
The spectators' exclamations rose and fell, while Kazuki's expression grew more and more grim.
On the field.
Yusaku didn't pause; he immediately slammed down the freshly searched card.
"I activate the effect of [Stone Guardian of the Millennium Treasure] — this card and [Primal Man Awakened from Millennium Slumber] can both be treated as Continuous Spells and placed in the Spell & Trap Zone, and by paying 2000 LP, you can Special Summon this card!"
"I activate that effect to place him in my back row as a Continuous Spell, then pay 2000 LP to Special Summon him to the field, and add the Field Spell Card [Tablet Temple] from my Deck to my hand!"
[Yusaku, LP 6000 → 4000]
The stone-forged monster responded, landing solidly beside the giant brute.
[Stone Guardian of the Millennium Treasure]
[Level 6 / Rock / Effect]
[ATK: 2000]
"Next I activate the Field Spell Card, [Tablet Temple]!"
Yusaku slapped the card out, his speech still rapid-fire.
"This card's effect: during your Main Phase, you can activate it to choose 1 monster from your hand and treat it as a Continuous Spell, placing it in your Spell & Trap Zone, then choose 1 [Millennium] monster from your Deck and likewise treat it as a Continuous Spell and place it there!"
He fanned out the remaining cards in his hand.
"I place [Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite] from my hand into the back row as a Continuous Spell, then search [Millennium Bloodline] from my Deck and place it in my back row in the same way!"
The projections of the two monsters shifted form, appearing in Yusaku's back row as Spell Cards.
Once the cards were in place, Yusaku swept his arm decisively.
"Next, I'll Link Summon a monster. Appear, the circuit that guides the future!"
The moment his words fell, a massive Link circuit unfolded in the air above the field.
Seeing the circuit materialize, Kazuki's pupils shrank.
"A Link Monster!? That's impossible, the intel said you don't even know how to Link Summon!"
At that, Yusaku shot him a sidelong look.
"You really aren't from the 27th Floor. And your intel is outdated."
With that, he raised his hand and shouted:
"I use [Stone Guardian of the Millennium Treasure] and [Primal Man Awakened from Millennium Slumber] on my field as Link Material!"
"Circuits connect, ushering in a new wind that pierces the world! Link Summon, Link-2 — Moon of the Closed Heaven!"
The Link Arrows lit up one after another. A girl in a black dress with waist-length black hair descended slowly from the circuit, a chill divine aura of the underworld curling around her.
[Moon of the Closed Heaven]
[Link-2 / Fiend / Link / Effect]
[ATK: 1200]
"Damn, [Moon of the Closed Heaven]! I had no idea what you were setting up just now, but now it all makes sense!"
The crowd's chatter made sweat bead along Kazuki's forehead. He could no longer keep up with Yusaku's combo line; all he could do was watch helplessly as the field kept changing.
Seeing this monster, someone couldn't help but blurt out:
"Don't tell me he's about to pivot into Fiendsmiths?"
Barely had those words left his mouth when Yusaku's voice rang out.
"Next, I use [Moon of the Closed Heaven] as the sole Link Material for a second Link Summon — II-Link — Fiendsmith's Requiem!!!"
The black-haired maiden dissolved into a shower of light and flew back into the circuit. As the Link Arrows lit, a massive black mechanical coffin slowly descended from the circuit, exuding a sinister aura.
[Fiendsmith's Requiem]
[Link-1 / Fiend / Link / Effect]
[ATK: 600]
"Nice, [Requiem] — now I really do understand what he's doing!"
"Here it comes, the classic Yu-Gi-Oh setup: Fiendsmiths convert everything!!"
Hearing the commentary around him, a fine sheen of sweat spread across Kazuki's forehead. He had completely lost track of what Yusaku was trying to do.
The way they were talking about 'seeing the line' and 'converting everything' didn't make any sense to him at all.
"Next I activate the effect of [Fiendsmith's Requiem]. During either player's Main Phase, you can Tribute this card to activate it and Special Summon 1 [Fiendsmith] monster from your hand or Deck!"
Yusaku lifted his hand and called out:
"I Tribute this card and Special Summon [Fiendsmith Engraver] from my Deck!"
[Fiendsmith Engraver]
[Level 6 / Fiend / Effect]
[ATK: 1800]
"Then I activate another effect of [Fiendsmith's Requiem] in the Graveyard!"
"By targeting 1 LIGHT Fiend monster you control that isn't a Link Monster, you can treat this card in your Graveyard as an Equip Spell that gives that monster 600 ATK and equip it to that monster!"
"I target the [Fiendsmith Engraver] on my field and treat [Fiendsmith's Requiem] in my Graveyard as an Equip Spell, equipping it to him!"
[Fiendsmith Engraver]
[ATK: 1800 → 2400]
At this point, someone in the crowd couldn't help muttering:
"Snake-Eyes are coming. His opponent's monsters are about to lose their protection."
And sure enough, things went just as he'd said.
The instant the equip was applied, Yusaku flipped up a card from his Extra Deck.
"[Snake-Eyes Doomed Dragon]. This card can be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck by sending 2 face-up Monster Cards from your Spell & Trap Zone to the Graveyard!"
He pointed to the cards on his Duel Disk.
"I choose to send [Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite] and [Fiendsmith Engraver] from my Spell & Trap Zone to the Graveyard, [and Special Summon [Snake-Eyes Doomed Dragon] from my Extra Deck to the field]!"
A thunderous roar shook the air. A gigantic serpent with a massive blood-red eye atop its head and its body wreathed in lightning crashed down onto the field, its terrifying pressure plunging the entire crowd into silence.
[Snake-Eyes Doomed Dragon]
[Level 8 / Dragon / Fusion / Effect]
[ATK: 3000]
Kazuki's pupils tightened again as he shouted in disbelief:
"A Fusion Monster you can Summon without a Polymerization Spell? And 3000 ATK!?"
But what shocked him even more was still to come.
"[Snake-Eyes Doomed Dragon]'s effect: when this card is Special Summoned, you can target 1 face-up monster on the field and treat that monster as a Continuous Spell, placing it face-up in its owner's Spell & Trap Zone."
Yusaku pointed sharply and barked his order.
"I'm targeting your [Beargram, Shelled Emperor of the Forest Crown], treating it as a Continuous Spell and placing it in your back row! Still thinking about blowing up my cards? Down you go!"
Kazuki's eyes flew wide.
"What?!"
Snake-Eyes Doomed Dragon opened its jaws and fired a bolt of lightning straight at [Beargram, Shelled Emperor of the Forest Crown], turning it into pure radiance and forcibly dragging it into Kazuki's back row, where it became a single Spell Card.
"Next, I use [Snake-Eyes Doomed Dragon] and [Fiendsmith Engraver] as Link Material!"
Yusaku raised his arm high.
"Link Summon! Link-2 — Fiendsmith's Sequence!"
The Link Arrows [√] and [↘] lit one after another as a coffin-shaped fiend slowly descended, its entire body radiating chaotic energy.
[Fiendsmith's Sequence]
[Link-2 / Fiend / Effect]
[ATK: 1200]
"Effect of [Fiendsmith's Sequence]!"
Yusaku called out.
"During your Main Phase, you can return monsters from your Graveyard to the Deck as Fusion Material, then Fusion Summon 1 Fiend Fusion Monster."
"I activate this effect, returning [Moon of the Closed Heaven] and [Fiendsmith's Requiem] from my Graveyard to the Extra Deck as Fusion Material!"
"Fusion Summon! Level 6 — Fiendsmith's Lacrima!!!"
[Fiendsmith's Lacrima]
[Level 6 / Fiend / Effect]
[ATK: 2400]
"Effect of [Fiendsmith's Lacrima]!" Yusaku shouted. "When this card is Fusion Summoned, you can target 1 LIGHT Fiend in your Graveyard or that is banished, and either add it to your hand or Special Summon it!"
"I activate that effect to Special Summon [Fiendsmith Engraver] from my Graveyard!"
[Fiendsmith Engraver]
[ATK: 1800]
"Finally, I use [Fiendsmith Engraver] and [Fiendsmith's Sequence] as Link Material!"
"Link Summon! Link-2 — Cross-Sheep!"
The two monsters turned into twin streams of light and shot into the Link circuit in the sky. The [√] and [↘] Link Arrows lit in sequence as a white sheep, looking like a dried corpse slumped on a rocking chair, slowly drifted down onto the field.
[Cross-Sheep]
[Link-2 / Beast / Link / Effect]
[ATK: 700]
"Next I activate the effect of [Fiendsmith's Sequence] in the Graveyard! I target [Fiendsmith Engraver] on the field and treat this card as an Equip Spell Card, equipping it directly to that monster!"
After placing the Equip Card securely in his Spell & Trap Zone, Yusaku flicked his fingertips, flipping another faintly glowing card from his Extra Deck.
(End of Chapter)
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