Tiamat (Primordial Spirit Origin)
Beast Attack Power: 6000
Like Melusine, Tiamat, bearing draconic features, rose from the Primordial Sea in her most formidable form. Though not a Main Battler, she had nearly lost all rationality, unleashing an unrestrained, savage aura that forced even Melusine, who had fully unlocked her own powers, to involuntarily retreat two steps.
If Albion's true form were present, she might have been able to resist. But in her current, fragmented state, her previous attack had already exhausted her full power.
"Then, activate the effect of Tiamat (Primordial Spirit Origin)! This effect can be activated when this card is Special Summoned. Choose one Spell or Trap Card with 'Tiamat' in its name from your deck and add it to your hand or place it on your field. I'll bring Anti-Genesis to the field once again!"
Jiang You reestablished his defenses, making it virtually impossible for Melusine to break through with brute force this time.
Tiamat (Primordial Spirit Origin)
Attack Power: 6000 → 8000
"There's an even stronger form..."
Melusine felt a wave of helplessness. Even after unleashing her full power, she had barely managed to break through Tiamat's intermediate form. Ironically, the previous form had been even more challenging to handle. Had Melusine lacked her many non-targeting effects, Jiang You could have easily single-carded her.
"I'll set one card face-down and end my turn. At the same time, Flame Calamity Melusine's effect activates to Special Summon her from the Graveyard!"
The dragon-shaped Melusine soared out of the Graveyard. Having been summoned later, she was not the intelligent, original Melusine.
Flame Calamity Melusine Attack Power: 3800 → 0
Melusine Attack Power: 5000 → 0
"The Attack Power has dropped to 0 again... Is it the same effect as before?"
As Melusine pondered how to break through Tiamat's 8000 Attack Power in this new form, she noticed that at the start of Jiang You's turn, both of her servants' Attack Power had plummeted to 0. She immediately recalled Tiamat's previous effect.
"Exactly," Jiang You confirmed. "While the effects differ slightly, the core principle remains the same."
This version of Tiamat not only reduces Attack Power but also allows herself to be Special Summoned from the Graveyard or Banished Zone upon leaving the field. Short of face-down banishment or returning her to the Deck, there's almost no way to permanently eliminate her. While directly Special Summoning her to your own field is possible, most Heroic Spirits lack the means to do so.
"I..."
Melusine knew her chances were slim. She could summon herself in her Melusine form again, but achieving 8000 Attack Power required drawing too many cards. She wasn't sure she could survive another turn. Yet she couldn't afford to give up. If she lost, no one would be able to help Aurora overcome this crisis.
"...I... I can't lose!"
"Such resolve, but you've chosen the wrong side!"
Jiang You sighed. Melusine at this stage was utterly impervious to reason. Knowing full well what Aurora was doing, she still betrayed her conscience to aid the tyrant. She shouldn't even be called a Fairy Knight anymore—"Aurora's Blade" would be more fitting.
"I've changed my mind. Even if I win this Duel, you won't have to personally intervene..."
"You... agree?"
A rare look of delight spread across Melusine's face.
"Don't celebrate too soon," Jiang You warned, his expression hardening. This child can't grasp the situation, he thought. Having abandoned any pretense of cultivating affection, Jiang You decided to crush all her hopes outright, eager to see what expression Melusine would wear then.
"When the time comes, I'll have Fairy Tristan challenge her to a duel under the guise of the Savior. I can't wait to see what kind of Card Aurora's experiences will create. And if she loses the Shadow Game, she'll have to confess every single one of her vile deeds—every heartless act she's done, every despicable thing she's wanted to do—publicly and in detail!"
By dealing with Aurora, Jiang You could also give Fairy Tristan another wave of momentum. A win-win situation! A total victory!
"This... this isn't what we agreed on!" Melusine protested.
She knew Jiang You was telling the truth; his Noble Phantasms could indeed achieve such an outcome. His current expression made it clear: she had already lost. "Please, let me do it myself. At least... at least let me be the one to kill her."
Melusine even reverted to using the formal, self-deprecating pronouns she reserved for Aurora, her humble demeanor betraying her panic. But Jiang You remained unmoved.
"Sorry, this is the price of upping the ante."
Melusine never stood a chance. She lacked the means to deal with Tiamat, and even her repeated aggressive attacks only made Tiamat bounce around the Duel Space.
"You were the one who placed the condition 'The loser must completely obey the victor' on the scales. If you lose, you have no right to refuse. You'll see for yourself then."
If Tiamat hadn't appeared in her Self-Sealed state, Melusine would never have dared propose such a condition. Even with Tiamat fully unleashed in that form, Melusine might have stood a fighting chance. But having witnessed Tiamat's complete form, she knew she had no hope of victory.
What else could she offer? What more could she possibly sacrifice? Melusine watched anxiously as Jiang You drew his Card. Once the Duel ended, all her chances would vanish.
Wealth? Power? Someone of his strength had no need for such things. He could take them whenever he pleased. Moreover, Morgan's faction could offer Jiang You hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of times more than Melusine could ever provide.
There was only one answer left: Jiang You had deliberately sought information about her and spoken those words earlier because he was interested in her. This was the only bargaining chip she possessed. She didn't dare hope Jiang You would spare Aurora, but she prayed he would at least allow her to die with some dignity. Perhaps there was still room for negotiation.
"You're interested in me, aren't you?"
Melusine could never have imagined that she, as the self-proclaimed strongest dragon (or at least a part of it), would ever utter such words. This only reinforced her belief in the Law of the Wild, proving that even she couldn't escape its reach. A single tear streamed down her cheek. "I offer you my body and soul, if only you'll let me personally see Lady Aurora to her final rest."
Jiang You felt like he was playing a blackmail-genre eroge.
"Hold on, don't cry... though your offer is certainly tempting."
But in truth, it was futile. Melusine's gambit differed little from her current position—the only distinction was whether she was acting passively or proactively. After a moment's deliberation, Jiang You made his decision.
"But I refuse!"