Chapter 6: The Wall of Sighs Priestess
"As expected, using powerless weak monsters—this kind of duel is completely meaningless."
Inside the car, observing the duel from afar, a trace of elusive disappointment flickered in Finesse's eyes.
Nikaido was clearly on the Wein Corporation's side. After he achieved crushing duel advantage, Finesse couldn't feel happy about it.
Though she didn't know Amano Rei, from the unfamiliar boy's duel using weak monsters, Finesse sensed a kindred spirit—'fellow sufferers in the same boat.'
"Meaningless, huh..."
Despite saying this, wanting a clearer view of the duel, Finesse still opened the car door and stepped out.
The setting sun dyed the girl's crimson hair to perfection.
Because she also used a weak deck, she held expectations for the underdog.
Hoping this duel would contain a miraculous variable.
"You can?!" Kikawayu asked incredulously.
"I can!" Amano emphasized again.
"If you can, then get back in there and fight!" Wheelchair-bound Shio shoved Amano back into the duel field with one push.
In outsiders' eyes, Amano Shio was probably the 'wonderful sister' who screwed over her brother.
Forcing her brother back to take more beatings.
After both monster attacks finished, Nikaido ended his turn, returning to field-empty Amano Rei.
And Amano's third turn play was no different from his previous two turns.
"I set one monster in face-down Defense Position. Turn end."
"That's enough." Nikaido's patience wore thin.
"I thought you actually had some skill, but this is just a pathetic farce of stubborn persistence. I'll finish you this turn, Amano!"
Drawing his turn's card, Nikaido slammed a third monster onto his Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon in Attack Position—[Warrior of the Wasteland]!"
Dressed in revealing, sexy attire with a flowing black cape, wielding a longsword, she materialized on Nikaido's field.
[Warrior of the Wasteland] [4-Star EARTH]
[Warrior/Effect] [ATK: 1100] [DEF: 1200]
Not high attack, but with an effect that could Special Summon another Warrior monster when destroyed.
But this death-rattle type effect seemed completely unnecessary against Amano Rei to Nikaido.
Amano's garbage monsters with less than 1000 ATK couldn't dream of destroying any of his monsters.
This turn would be the duel's final turn.
With three Warrior monsters standing on his field, such a formation was more than enough to crush a bottom-level duelist—let alone a poor District 32 kid.
"Let's end this farce, Amano!"
Entering Battle Phase, all three monsters simultaneously advanced on Amano's face-down monster.
For safety's sake, Nikaido even used his highest ATK monster—Barbarian No. 2—as vanguard to destroy Amano's hidden monster.
Once that sole obstacle vanished, the remaining two monsters' direct attacks would completely drain Amano's Life Points.
"ROAR—!"
Barbarian No. 2 erupted with a roar that intimidated everyone, as if declaring the duel's end, swinging his massive club to flip Amano's hidden monster card.
"We're finished!" Yui covered her eyes, unable to watch.
"Not finished!" Amano's fingertip traced across his Duel Disk, flipping his face-down monster card, revealing its true name.
"I'm counting on you, flat-chested priestess!"
On Amano's field, azure water special effects coalesced into a transparent shield, blocking before the girl's barely materialized slender body.
"Block them, Eva!"
[Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice] [2-Star WATER]
[Spellcaster] [ATK: 0] [DEF: 2100]
"(╬￣皿￣) Who are you calling flat-chested?!"
The girl's face turned redder than any confession... unless it was purely red with rage.
Of course, rage aside, the flat-chested priestess wasn't just flat. Her defensive power ranked among the very best low-level monsters.
"And you—shut up!"
Priestess Eva redirected her fury toward the attacking Barbarian No. 2.
"A priestess defeated by an orc—that only happens in doujinshi!"
Raising her hand to gather water flow, using a water shield to reflect, she directly launched the hulking Barbarian No. 2's body backward.
When a Defense Position monster's DEF exceeds an attacking monster's ATK, according to the rules, the difference reflects as damage.
Sharp water currents transformed into water blades, slashing across the unprepared Nikaido's face. On his already prominent scar, they left another shallow cut, combining into a cross-shaped wound.
Nikaido LP: 4000 - 300 → 3700
"I actually got hurt?"
Not just Life Point damage—his body actually took damage too.
Gradually realizing what happened, Nikaido discovered in shock that Amano had blocked his turn's offensive.
Currently, the highest ATK monster on field was Barbarian No. 2's 1800 points—completely insufficient to break through Star Chalice Priestess's 2100 DEF. Continuing attacks would be pointless.
"I—I end my turn." Nikaido ended his turn through gritted teeth.
He'd already noticed Finesse exiting the car to watch the duel. Initially he'd been excited to perform well before the young miss.
Instead, he let the young miss witness him getting embarrassed by a slum brat.
"You'll regret this, Amano."
"You're the one who'll regret it, Nikaido. My turn, draw!"
Stepping into the setting sun's final rays, the card Amano drew from his Duel Disk seemed to trace a crimson arc through the air.
The victory puzzle now rests in my hand.
"I set three cards in my Spell/Trap zone!"
"Huh?"
A completely different style from the previous three turns.
This turn, Amano didn't summon a monster but set cards—and three at once.
"Amano's face-downs, could they be..."
"Shh!" Kikawayu quickly covered Yui's mouth, stopping her from continuing.
After all, Amano's Spell and Trap cards were all purchased from Yui's shop.
Even Yui found what Amano was about to do utterly astonishing.
"Turn end. Your move, Nikaido."
Brow furrowed, Nikaido stared at Amano's three face-down cards.
"Trap cards? But don't think something like that can scare me! My turn, draw!"
What kind of powerful trap could a slum kid afford?
Quality, versatile trap cards like [Mirror Force] cost 10,000 Eva Points alone.
Not to mention even more powerful versatile UR traps like Gleipnir or Magic Cylinder—those were priced beyond market rates.
"Setting a few garbage cards thinking you can stop my assault? Dream on!"
Facing the 2100 DEF Star Chalice Priestess, Nikaido's monster summon this turn directly used [Warrior of the Wasteland] on field as Tribute.
"I Tribute [Warrior of the Wasteland] to Tribute Summon the 5-star monster—[Barbarian No. 1]!"
[Barbarian No. 1] [5-Star EARTH]
[Warrior/Effect] [ATK: 1550] [DEF: 1800]
Barbarian No. 1's ATK and DEF were completely opposite to No. 2. Logically, the lower ATK barbarian couldn't break through Star Chalice Priestess's defense.
However, both barbarians appearing simultaneously under the sunset fist-bumped in perfect synchronization.
Nikaido: "Barbarian No. 1 and No. 2's special effect—when both Barbarians are on field together, both their ATK increases by 500 points!"
The most primal savage bromance roar sent both barbarians' ATK soaring.
[Barbarian No. 1] [ATK: 1550 + 500 → 2050]
[Barbarian No. 2] [ATK: 1800 + 500 → 2300]
Witnessing this display of masculine energy, even the lackey underlings couldn't help praising.
"As expected of Sword Brother's ace combo!"
"2300 ATK is enough to crush most monsters!"
"Show that arrogant brat what's what, Sword Brother!"
Enjoying his underlings' adulation, thinking the young miss was also watching, Nikaido felt incredibly cool, declaring Battle Phase with flair.
"Don't think a monster with 2100 DEF can stop me!"
Almost synchronized with Nikaido's roar, Barbarian No. 2 received his master's attack command.
"Crush the opponent's monster, Barbarian No. 2!"
The rapidly swinging massive club even stirred the crimson sunset air into howling sounds.
Nikaido roared: "It's over, Amano Rei!"
Kikawayu looked at Yui: "Is it over?"
Yui looked at Shio: "Is it over?"
Shio looked at Amano: "Is it over?"
Excluding bandwagon-jumping Shio, the remaining two knew what trap cards Amano had set.
Since the attack declaration was established, there was no turning back—the arrow had left the bow.
Amano responded to everyone: "It's over!!"
Amano flipped his back-row face-down trap card.
"Trap Card activated—[D2 Shield]!"
[D2 Shield] [Trap Card: Activate by targeting 1 face-up Defense Position monster you control. That monster's DEF becomes double its original DEF.]
The trap card Amano had just spent one month's salary purchasing from Yui today.
Initially, Yui simply thought cards that merely boosted defense had extremely low value in Eden Tower.
Back then, she didn't know Amano's deck contained Star Chalice Priestess with 2100 DEF.
"According to [D2 Shield]'s effect, I double [Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice]'s DEF!"
[Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice] [DEF: 2100 × 2 → 4200]
"4200 DEF?!" The spectating crowd couldn't help exclaiming.
In this world, due to dueling history's discontinuity plus the Overkill rule encouraging Eva Point acquisition, most people pursued higher ATK values.
Actually, in the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, DEF was the easier stat to stack.
Just one trap card that almost nobody ran could evolve the flat-chested priestess into an iron-wall priestess.
And when DEF skyrocketed to extremes, combined with opponents unable to stop their attack, it equaled extreme ATK.
Combined with Amano's prepared second trap card.
Kikawayu clenched his fist excitedly: "Those 1000 points I lent you really weren't wasted, Rei!"
Amano flipped his second face-down card: "Trap Card—[Cross Counter] activated!"
[Cross Counter] [Trap Card: If the DEF of your attacked Defense Position monster is higher than the attacking monster's ATK, inflict double battle damage to your opponent. After damage calculation, destroy that attacking monster.]
Double the double—that was the path to victory for Amano's garbage deck.
"4200 DEF, reflected damage doubled..."
Having exited the car to spectate, Finesse's unique silver-gray eyes had pupils that contracted slightly.
Barbarian No. 2's ATK was 2300. Hitting Eva's 4200 DEF would reflect 1900 damage.
Doubling 1900 battle damage meant 3800 points.
Nikaido's remaining Life Points at this moment:
Nikaido LP: 3700
Last turn, attacking the hidden Eva cost him 300 Life Points—Nikaido wasn't at full health.
Overkill victory, 100 Overkill points.
"He actually—he actually really won?" Finesse stared in disbelief at Amano Rei, about to complete his comeback reversal under the setting sun ahead.
Was this what she'd hoped to witness?
Trash monsters, useless traps—in this boy's hands, they miraculously reversed and defeated Nikaido's powerful monsters.
How impressive.
Yes, truly impressive.
But Finesse's intuition vaguely sensed that boy named Amano Rei should be even more impressive.
Because he still hadn't flipped his third face-down card.
Kikawayu asked curiously: "By the way, what's Rei's last face-down card?"
That card remained unknown even to Kikawayu.
Among everyone present, probably only Yui knew.
And right now, Yui's jaw hung completely open in shock.
"Kikawayu, I mentioned last month Amano bought another card from the shop owner, remember?"
"So what was that card?"
"The battle hasn't completely ended yet... Amano's opponent is probably in for something terrible."
Yui vaguely remembered that card's effect was actually similar to [D2 Shield], but with differences. Since it also merely boosted defense, the price was quite low.
But placed at this moment, everything changed completely.
Like Yui said, battle wasn't finished—battle damage hadn't been calculated yet.
When everyone believed Nikaido would lose the duel from 3800 reflected damage, Amano flipped his final face-down card, slapping everyone's naive assumptions in the face.
"Trap Card—[Niwatori] activated!"
[Niwatori] [Trap Card: Target 1 face-up monster on the field; that target's DEF is doubled. At the end of the turn, that DEF becomes 0.]
After the double of the double, Amano's trump card—triple doubling!
[Niwatori]'s doubling differed from [D2 Shield]—it could continue doubling already-doubled values.
"Behold the ultimate form—'Wall of Sighs Priestess'!"
Evolution from flat-chest to iron-wall to Wall of Sighs.
"Since you're being so cool about it, I'll let it slide this time, Amano Rei!"
With three trap buffs stacked, Eva's lips curved into an arrogant smile, arms crossed over her chest, adopting Niwatori's immovable mountain stance.
Afterward, the girl's form projected by the Duel Disk continuously enlarged under the sunset.
[Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice] [DEF: 4200 × 2 → 8400]
Final DEF value—8400 points!
The super-giant blue-haired girl under the sunset, arms crossed, seemed to become a colossal deity piercing through the crimson sky's constraints.
What constrained Amano Rei—the false sky created by Eden Tower, or the poverty of the bottom districts beneath that sky?
Whatever it was, this single strike would change everything.
Here, now—starting from this moment!
Amano raised his arm toward the false sky overhead: "This is my battle!"
"Let you all witness this priestess's power!"
The super-gigantic Eva's key staff—a hundred times larger than Barbarian No. 2's wooden club—slammed down heavily.
So-called priestesses weren't limited to magic.
Physical salvation was also salvation.
8400 DEF, difference in battle damage 6100 points, then doubled through [Cross Counter].
Reflected damage—12,200 points!
"How—how is this possible?!"
Since he'd initiated the attack himself, he had absolutely no defensive countermeasures. Jaw-dropped Nikaido was launched skyward by this single impact that pierced heaven, shook earth, and defied all logic.
"AAAAAAHHH!"
Nikaido LP: 3700 - 12,200 → 0
Overkill damage: 8,500 points!
Nikaido—BANKRUPT!
[Duel End, Victor - Amano Rei]