[3rd POV]
A heavy silence settled over the arena, thick and suffocating. The air itself seemed to grow dense and cold, weighed down by the oppressive presence radiating from Mash. The chaotic, joking personality everyone had grown used to was gone. In its place Mash seemed almost sinister with a strange atmosphere that seemed to warp around him, making him eerie.
Chazz furrowed his brows, attempting to maintain his usual arrogance, but the cold sweat forming along his temple betrayed him. Behind him, his two lackeys, Taiyou and Raizou, looked even worse. Both were trembling uncontrollably, their legs wobbling like they might give out beneath them at any moment. The bravado they had displayed earlier had completely evaporated, leaving only raw fear behind.
"Woah… he's really mad..." Alexis muttered under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "So this is what he look like when he's serious..."
Syrus swallowed nervously, his throat bobbing. "Y-Yeah… and all of this… just from calling Lovely Labrynth ugly-"
Mash's piercing gaze snapped toward him.
The sheer weight of that glare hit Syrus like a physical blow. A violent shiver ran down his spine as his face instantly drained of color.
"HIIII! I-I'M SORRY!" Syrus yelped, throwing his hands up in panic. "I MEANT SHE'S PRETTY! REALLY PRETTY!"
For a moment, Mash simply stared at him. Then the killing intent faded from his gaze as he turned away, redirecting his attention toward the dueling arena. Without saying a word, he stepped forward and leapt onto the platform with effortless ease.
Once he landed, he turned his head toward Jaden and fixed him with a silent command.
"Move."
"Uh… right, right! I'm moving!" he said quickly, raising both hands in mock surrender as he backed away from the stage. He retreated until he was standing beside Alexis and Syrus.
"Hey... Syrus." Jaden whispered to him.
"Y-Yeah?" Syrus replied nervously.
"Remind me to never say anything bad about Lovely Labrynth in front of Mash."
Syrus nodded. "Agreed... A-and don't forget to remind me too!"
Mash ignored their exchange entirely. He equipped his duel disk in one smooth motion, the device snapping open with a mechanical click as he slid his deck into its compartment. Throughout the entire motion, his gaze never left Chazz.
It was the gaze of a predator.
Chazz wiped his forehead, only now realizing just how clammy his hands had become. When he glanced down, his fingers were trembling slightly.
[What the hell…?] he thought, staring at them in disbelief. [Me, Chazz Princeton… intimidated?]
His jaw tightened.
[NO WAY! That's impossible! A princeton never backed down!]
Clenching his fists, he forced the trembling to stop and straightened his posture. A smirk slowly crawled back onto his face as he scoffed.
"That is some nice theater effect you got there! Did you learn it from a circus?" he said mockingly. "I gotta say, for a Slifer slacker like yourself, you're-"
.
"Shut the fuck up."
.
The words sliced through the air like a blade.
Chazz's smirk faltered. "E-excuse me-"
.
"I said..." Mash repeated slowly, his voice low and venomous, "shut. the fuck. up."
.
Mash's eyes locked onto him like a predator seeing its prey.
"What the...!?" Chazz took a step back.
For the first time since this confrontation began, Chazz physically recoiled. He staggered back half a step, his become uneven as he noticed a certain change happening to the person in front of him.
Mash's pupils had changed.
The dark color they once held was gone. In its place was a cold, silver white that glowed faintly beneath the arena lights. At the same time, the oppressive aura surrounding him expanded, growing heavier and more suffocating, like the air itself was pressing down on everyone present.
Alexis gasped softly. "His eyes… they changed!"
Jaden leaned forward, eyes wide with amazement. "Whoa… they really did!"
"H-H-How!?" Syrus stammered.
Mash exhaled slowly, as if forcing himself to remain calm. When he finally spoke, his voice carried a quiet, eerie steadiness.
"Chazz…"
Chazz clenched his fists tighter, forcing down the unease creeping through his chest. "Tch… what now!?"
Mash tilted his head slightly.
"Let me tell you one thing."
His silver eyes sparkled.
"No one talks bad about my Lovely Labrynth."
Chazz scoffed loudly, desperately masking the tension coiling in his stomach. "Oh yeah? Well, I just did! So what are you gonna do about it?"
"What am I going to do about it…?" Mash repeated the words under his breath, almost thoughtfully, then he chuckled.
The low sound quickly escalated as he threw his head back and burst into a full, villainous laugh. His arm came up to cover his face, fingers gripping it as the laughter echoed across the arena.
The sound sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Jeez... I know he's crazy, but..." Jaden gulped. "I didn't realize he was THIS crazy..."
Slowly, the laughter died down. Mash lowered his hand, revealing those same cold, razor-sharp eyes.
"Here's what I'm going to do," he said quietly.
He raised one hand and pointed directly at Chazz.
"You will not last longer than three turns."
His voice carried absolute certainty.
"I will make sure of that."
Chazz's grip tightened around his knuckles until it turned white, and although he was pretty scared right now... His pride was even greater than his fear, as it was roaring against the fear that threatened to take root.
"Very intimidating," he sneered, baring his teeth. "Let's see if your yapping is real… or just a bluff, you Slifer Slacker!!!"
Both duelists raised their duel disks.
"DUEL!" They said in sync.
[Mash LP: 4000| Chazz LP: 4000]
Chazz opened his mouth, ready to speak. "I'll—"
"I'll go first. Draw!"
Mash cut him off without hesitation. With a swift motion, he drew six cards from his deck, fanning them out in his hand. His silver eyes scanned them quickly, his grip tightening slightly as his gaze lifted and burned straight into Chazz.
Chazz clicked his tongue in irritation. "Tch… whatever. It doesn't change the outcome of this match. I'm still going to win." He pulled five cards from his own deck and slid them into his hand, trying to maintain his usual confidence.
Mash barely reacted. His attention had already shifted to his opening move.
"First," he declared calmly, "I summon {Arianna the Labrynth Servant} in defense position."
A silver door suddenly materialized on the field. With a slow creak, it swung open, and a cute silent-looking girl stepped out from within. She had long silver hair and wore the attire of a gothic maid. In one hand she carried an oversized ring of keys that jingled softly as she moved, while a striped green and black demon tail swayed behind her.
{Arianna the Labrynth Servant|4 star|dark|fiend/effect|atk:1600 def:2100}
Syrus gasped, leaning toward Jaden in excitement. "Whoa! Its defense points are the same as your Flame Wingman, Jaden!"
Jaden blinked in surprise before nodding. "Yeah, you're right! That's a really strong defense monster!"
Alexis, however, crossed her arms thoughtfully as she studied the field. "Maybe, but Mash didn't summon her just to be a wall."
Mash's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Correct. Now I'll activate Arianna's special effect! When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add a 'Labrynth' card from my deck to my hand, except {Arianna the Labrynth Servant}."
Chazz's eyes widened despite himself.
[A specialize deck searcher that activates on summon!?]
His fingers curled into a tense fist. "Tch! Search for your pathetic 'Labrynth' cards all you want, you Slifer slacker!"
Mash's expression didn't change.
"But I won't be searching my deck just yet," he said evenly. He raised a card between two fingers. "Because I'm chaining Arianna's effect with the activation effect of {Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle}!"
A wave of surprised murmurs rippled through the spectators.
Chazz scowled. "Tch!"
Jaden tilted his head in confusion. "Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle…? Why does that name sound familiar?"
Alexis groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Because it's almost the same name as Mash's ace monster, {Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle}. The only difference is 'Lovely' becomes 'Lady.' How did you not notice that!?"
Jaden laughed sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "Haha… my bad."
Mash ignored the stupid exchange, typical of Jaden's.
"Now I'll explain Lady Labrynth's effect!" Mash continued. "If a 'Labrynth' card or effect or a Normal Trap card is activated this turn... I can activate her Quick Effect to Special Summon her from my hand in defense position."
"WHAT!?" Chazz shouted. "That requirement is so easy to accomplish it's absurd!"
He extended his arm toward the field.
"Now, come forth, my Lady."
Chazz grit his teeth as another ornate silver door erupted from the arena floor, far larger and grander than the first.
From within stepped a tall, elegant woman with white hair clad in gleaming silver armor. The polished metal reflected the arena lights as she moved with graceful composure. She held two slender rapiers that crossed neatly before her chest in an X, signaling her defensive stance.
Her piercing gaze locked onto Chazz, with a faint smirk playing at the edges of her lips.
{Lady Labrynth of the Silver castle|8 star|dark|fiend/effect|atk:3000 def:2900}
Chazz instinctively took half a step back, his breath catching in his throat.
[And for such an easy requirement, he summoned a Level 8 monster with 2900 defense… on the first turn!?] A drop of sweat falls from Chazz cheeks. [And If that thing were in attack position... it would have the same attack power as Blue-Eyes White Dragon!]
[Mash... Where did you got these cards...!?]
Jaden's jaw dropped. "Whoa! Is that another one of Mash's ace monsters?!"
Alexis watched Lady Labrynth carefully, her eyes narrowing in curiosity. "She's elegant… but why does her face resemble Lovely Labrynth so much?"
Mash's smirk widened slightly. "Because they're the same person, Alexis. Lady Labrynth is simply Lovely Labrynth wearing silver armor instead of a dress."
Alexis blinked in realization. "Oh… I see."
Mash's expression hardened again as he returned his focus to the duel.
"Now, I continue the chain. Arianna's effect resolves, allowing me to search my deck for a 'Labrynth' card."
He removed his deck from the duel disk and quickly skimmed through it before pulling out a single card. After returning the deck to its slot, he held the card up briefly.
"The card I added to my hand is {Labrynth Cooclock}. Next, I set one card!"
A face-down card materialized on the field in front of him.
"And now I activate Labrynth Cooclock's effect. As a Quick Effect, I can discard it from my hand to the Graveyard to activate one Normal Trap card during the same turn it was set, as long as I control a 'Labrynth' monster on the field!"
He gestured toward his field.
"And as you can see, I control two 'Labrynth' monster..."
Chazz's heartbeat began to quicken as realization dawned on him.
[An effect that let's trap card to be activated the moment they are set... Wait- Don't tell me he's activating-]
Mash's silver pupils sparkled faintly with amusement as the face-down card on his field flipped upright.
"With that! I activate my set card {Big Welcome Labrynth}!"
Jaden immediately pointed at the card, recognition lighting up his face. "Hey! That's the card Mash used to summon Lovely Labrynth against Professor Crowler!"
"But..." Mash interjected sharply, raising a single finger, "I'm not done yet."
He gestured toward Lady Labrynth.
"As I'll first chain Lady Labrynth's effect, which, when a Normal Trap card is activated, I can set another different Trap directly from my deck!"
A new card materialized briefly above his field before sliding into place face-down.
"And the card I'm setting... is {Waboku}!"
Chazz gritted his teeth. "Tch... Another nuisance..."
"And now," Mash continued, "Big Welcome Labrynth resolves. I can Special Summon a 'Labrynth' monster from my hand, Graveyard, or Deck."
Mash smirked, his face full of smugness.
"And I think you all already know who I'm summoning."
"Oh..! I know!" Syrus's eyes widened with excitement. "It's gotta be Lovely Labrynth, right?!"
"Hohoho~ That's right, Syrus-chan~!"
A smug, playful laugh echoed across the arena. The moment that voice rang out, a chill ran down Chazz's spine. Because he knew exactly who it belonged to.
A grand silver staircase materialized in the center of the field, its polished surface shining under the stadium lights. The structure shimmered with regal elegance, each step forming from swirling silver light until it stood tall like a ceremonial entrance.
And at the very top stood a woman.
She was tall and strikingly beautiful, her presence commanding the entire field. An ornate silver dress flowed around her figure, embroidered with intricate patterns that glimmered faintly as she moved. Matching jewelry adorned her wrists and neck, every piece crafted from the same luminous metal. Resting casually in one hand was a massive battle axe, its blade shining with a cold, elegant sheen.
Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle surveyed the arena like a noblewoman examining her court.
Then, with effortless grace, she leaped from the top of the staircase. Her long silver hair flowed behind her as she descended, landing on the field with a confident click of her heels. She straightened and turned her silver gaze toward Chazz, a mischievous smirk already forming on her lips.
Chazz instinctively staggered back, his fingers tightening into fists as a scowl formed on his face.
{Lovely Labrynth of the Silver castle|8 star|dark|fiend/effect|atk:2900 def:1500}
Lovely tilted her head slightly, her expression mockingly sweet as she studied him.
"So this is the snotty brat who had the audacity to insult me~?" she mused. With a theatrical sigh, she placed one hand on her hip while casually pointing the other toward him.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to speak badly about others, dear~?"
Chazz gritted his teeth, his pride flaring like a fire.
"Shut the hell up!" he snapped. "You're just a duel monster card that somehow learned how to talk! Why don't you crawl back into your boyfriend's trash deck where you belong!?"
Lovely's smirk widened, her silver eyes gleaming with playful malice.
"Oh~? And why don't you dive straight into a trash can where you belong~?" she replied sweetly. "With that attitude and those dueling skills, I'd say it's the perfect place for you~."
A vein bulged on Chazz's forehead.
"YOU…!"
Lovely elegantly flicked her hair back, her smile turning sharper.
"Hohoho~ Did I strike a nerve~?" she teased.
Crossing her arms, she leaned slightly forward, her voice dripping with amusement. "Your insult is as shallow as the love your parents pour into you~ And just so you know... I can handle a COD lobby insult like it was nothing~!"
Jaden blinked, impressed. "Man… the trash talk is strong with this one."
Alexis sighed as she rubbed her temples. "It's almost like Chazz finally met his match…" She paused before shaking her head slightly. "Also… I still can't get over the fact that we're actually hearing a Duel Monster hologram talk."
Syrus tilted his head in confusion. "Uh… what's a COD lobby?"
Mash coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention back to the duel.
"Enough," he said calmly. "Now that I've Special Summoned a 'Labrynth' monster, I must return one monster on my field to my hand due to {Big Welcome Labrynth}'s effect."
He raised a hand toward the field.
"And the monster I choose is {Arianna the Labrynth Servant}."
Arianna shimmered briefly before dissolving into a soft orb of light that flew back into Mash's hand.
Mash's gaze immediately returned to Chazz.
"And now… since a monster left my field due to a Normal Trap card... You know what that means, right Chazz?" Mash smirked.
Chazz groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. "Tch! Just hurry up and get it over with!"
Mash raised his hand again, pointing directly at him.
"It triggers {Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle}'s effect!" he declared. "And now... I can destroy one card randomly in your hand!"
The arena grew quiet as Lovely stepped forward.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Her heeled boots clicked softly against the field as she approached Chazz, towering over him with effortless confidence. Her silver eyes gleamed with a faintly sadistic amusement as she leaned slightly closer to him.
Chazz felt cold sweat forming along his back.
Lovely lowered her voice into a soft, mocking whisper. "Now that I see you up close, brat…" She smirked smugly. "You really should have crawled back into your mother's womb with a face like that~"
A cocky sneer slowly formed on Chazz's lips.
"I'm not going to argue with some magically talking hologram of an ugly duel monster card!" he scoffed.
His hand tightened into a fist before he abruptly raised his middle finger at her, with a smirk on his face. "How about you just pick a card already and crawl back to your pathetic Slifer slacker boyfriend of yours, huh?"
For a moment, just a moment... Lovely Labrynth said nothing as she stares at Chazz in silent. Until... her shoulders trembled slightly.
"OHO HO HO HO HO HO~!!!!"
And before long she burst into laughter a regal laugh.
"Hohohohoho~! HOW FUNNY, BOY~!" Her laugh rang across the arena as she lightly wiped a nonexistent tear from her eye. "What a joker you are, Chazz~! Ho ho ho..."
"But... Just so you know~"
Then, almost instantly, her expression dropped.
Her smirk became a sinister curve. Her eyes darkened, the silver hue glowing eerily as her voice took on a spine-chilling tone.
"I'll make sure~ you'll choke on those word... little brat~"
Chazz barely had time to react before Lovely's clawed fingers moved with terrifying speed.
In a single swift motion, she plucked a card straight from his hand. She examined it briefly between two fingers and slowly turning it into a fine silver card before crushing it in her palms.
The card crumbled into fine silver dust.
The shimmering particles drifted through the air before fading into nothingness as Lovely turned gracefully and walked back to her original position.
Meanwhile, Chazz stared down at his remaining cards. His fingers trembled slightly as his once-confident smirk began to falter, with many beads of sweat starts to form around his face.
Not only him, Taiyou and Raizou were also completely falling apart.
Taiyou shook violently, his entire body rattling like a loose machine as he hold onto Raizou like a pillow. "C-Chazz! G-get a grip! M-m-maybe if we apologize, she'll forgive us!"
Raizou looked even worse. He had already mentally surrendered, his soaked pants making the situation painfully obvious.
"W-we're sorry we talked bad about you! Please forgive us!" he cried desperately.
Syrus looked pale as a sheet, his hand trembling.
"S-she's… so scary…" he muttered weakly. "Lovely Labrynth is scary…"
Jaden patted him reassuringly on the back. "Relax, Sy. You'll be fine."
Alexis exhaled slowly. "Well… she is a Fiend monster. I imagine intimidation comes naturally to them."
[Goddamn...] he thought. [I didn't expect my Lovely Labrynth to have a full-blown yandere personality like that.]
He scratched the side of his head internally. [Yeah, I mean... Chazz did talked completely trash about her, and no laifu is allowed to disrespect my waifu… but now it kind of feels like balls-kicking an 8 year old kid just because they called me a retard at the playground.]
With his anger had completely subsided. The silver glow in his eyes slowly disappeared, returning them back to their normal black color alongside the cold pressure Chazz has been feeling in the entire duel.
[Hm? The chilling pressure... is gone.]
Chazz raised an eyebrow, his breathing completely steady now. [His eyes... It's back to normal now...?]
Mash sighed softly.
"Anyway..." he said, returning his focus to the duel, "I activate my spell card {Pot of Greed} to draw two cards from my deck."
A large green pot appeared on the field, its carved face grinning mischievously as Mash drew two cards from his deck.
"I set four cards and end my turn."
One after another, four face-down cards materialized on his field.
[Mash hand: 1|Mash field: 2 monster, 5 set cards]
Chazz took a slow breath, forcing himself to regain his composure. His pride refused to let him crumble under Mash's overwhelming display.
"You took your precious time…" he muttered, straightening his posture. Then he snapped his gaze toward his deck and thrust a hand forward. "But now it's my turn. Draw!"
With a dramatic flourish, Chazz swiped the top card from his deck. His eyes scanned it for a moment before a confident smirk spread across his face.
"Well, well… looks like fate is still on my side." He held the card up between two fingers. "I just drew the card that'll flip this duel on its head! Prepare yourself, Mash, because-"
"Yeah, yeah, alright~" Lovely Labrynth interrupted lazily, waving a hand as if shooing away an insect. "Get on with it already, you wannabe edgy emo kid~ Just play whatever you drew~"
Chazz's eye twitched.
"Fine!" he snapped. "I activate the spell card {Dark Hole}!"
Jaden blinked in confusion from the sidelines. "Dark Hole? What does that do?"
Alexis groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose again. "Seriously…? Dark Hole is a spell card that destroys every monster on the field. But Chazz doesn't even have any monsters, so..."
Syrus gasped as the realization struck him. "Oh no! That means it has no downside if Chazz uses it now!"
Lovely Labrynth merely smirked at him, entirely unfazed. "Oh please~ I'll be back."
A massive black vortex erupted in the center of the arena. Darkness spiraled violently as a crushing gravitational force tore through the battlefield. The raging void swallowed Mash's monsters in an instant, ripping them into its swirling depths before exploding outward in a violent burst of shadows and dust.
Chazz spread his arms wide, laughing wildly. "AHAHAHA! See that, Mash?! This is the first step toward my total victory-!"
Mash smirked as he calmly pointed toward the field.
"Look again, idiot."
As the dust slowly settled, Chazz's triumphant grin froze.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Standing in the center of the battlefield, completely untouched, was {Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle}.
"WHAT!? H-HOW!?"
Mash smirked faintly. "That's because of Lady Labrynth's special effect. As long as I have a set card on my field, she can't be targeted or destroyed by card effects." He shrugged. "So yeah. Dark Hole did absolutely nothing to her."
Chazz clicked his tongue, frustration flaring across his face.
"Tch! So what!? I still destroyed one of your ace monster! I can still win this!" He slammed another card onto the duel disk. "I summon {Dark Blade} in defense position!"
A dark-armored warrior materialized on the field, raising his sword as he assumed a guarded stance.
{Dark Blade|4 star|Dark|Warrior/Normal|ATK: 1800 DEF: 1500}
Mash chuckled.
Chazz narrowed his eyes. "What's so funny?"
Mash casually tapped a button on his duel disk. "One card. {Bottomless Trap Hole}."
The face-down card sprang upright as the trap activated. Instantly, the ground beneath Dark Blade cracked open, forming a massive pit. The warrior barely had time to react before the abyss swallowed him whole, banishing him from the field.
"Fine!" Chazz growled through clenched teeth. "Then I activate Double Summon! That lets me Normal Summon twice this turn! I summon Chthonian Soldier in defense position!"
But the moment the monster touched the field, Mash's voice cut in again.
"Not on my watch. {Trap Hole}."
As soon as Chthonian Soldier touched the field, A second pit burst open beneath the newly summoned soldier, dragging him straight down to the graveyard before he could even lift his weapon.
Chazz's confident façade finally began to crack. Sweat rolled down his temple as he glanced at his hand with only one card remaining.
"I-I set a card…" he muttered, placing it onto the field. "…and end my—"
Mash, now grinning ear to ear, interrupted. "Before you end your turn... I activate your favorite trap card {Big Welcome Labrynth}! And did I mention? It lets me Special Summon a 'Labrynth' monster from the graveyard!"
[He could revive his insane ace monster with that big welcome trap card of his!???] Chazz now had finally realized that his opponent is too strong for him to handle.
Chazz slumped to his knees before the turn had even properly ended. His shoulders sagged, and the usual fire in his eyes had completely burned out.
"Just… just get it over with…"
Syrus winced from the sidelines, rubbing the back of his neck as he watched the scene unfold. "Wow… this is brutal," he muttered. "I'd be on my knees too if I were in Chazz's shoes."
Jaden nodded in agreement, though his expression was more fascinated than sympathetic. "Yeah! Chazz literally can't do anything! Mash is just too strong!"
Jaden eyes sparkled in excitement. "I can't wait to duel against him!"
Nearby, Alexis folded her arms, her sharp gaze fixed on Mash. A big question marked popped out in her head.
[Why is Mash even in Slifer red?] she wondered silently. [This literally makes no sense. With this kind of skill level, he's probably at Zane's level! At this level, it would not be long for Mash to become an Obelisk Blue in no time.]
On the field, Mash cracked his knuckles as if finishing a warm-up rather than a duel.
"Alright," he said casually. "I'll make it quick. I Special Summon Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle from the Graveyard… and return Lady Labrynth to my hand."
A massive silver door materialized behind him with a deep metallic groan. When it slowly swung open, a regal figure stepped out from the glowing interior.
Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle emerged with theatrical elegance, striking a smug pose as if she had just entered a royal ballroom rather than a battlefield.
At the same time, Lady Labrynth's form dissolved into a brilliant light before condensing into a card that flew neatly back into Mash's waiting hand.
Lovely tilted her head as she looked down at Chazz kneeling before her.
"Hohoho~ So this is the brat who was talking so much crap last turn?" she teased, her voice dripping with amusement.
"Well, look at him now~"
Her tone lowered into a whisper that sent a chill through the arena.
"An Obelisk Blue kneeling down towards an Slifer Red~" She smirked, looking down at Chazz as if he was an insect. "Which one is the pathetic one, I wonder~"
Chazz gritted his teeth, fury burning in his eyes despite the hopelessness of his position. But he had nothing left to play.
Mash continued the turn without missing a beat.
"Now that a monster left the field because of a Normal Trap, Lovely's effect activates!" he declared. "But before that, I'll chain Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle's effect. Since a Labrynth card's effect was activated, she Special Summons herself back in Defense Position!"
Another silver door materialized, swinging open with a flourish as Lady Labrynth stepped onto the field once more. Her towering presence loomed beside Lovely like a noble guardian.
Mash pointed toward Chazz's final set card.
"Now then," he said. "Lovely. Destroy that last card of his."
"Aye-aye, darling~"
Lovely spun her massive silver battle axe with effortless grace before bringing it down in a powerful arc.
"Eat this! Silver Execution!"
A gleaming wave of silver energy shot across the field, striking Chazz's face-down card and flipping it over to reveal {Call of the Haunted}. The trap card instantly transformed into solid silver before cracking apart and crumbling into glittering dust.
Chazz didn't even bother reacting.
With nothing left on the field and no cards in hand, his turn ended automatically.
[Chazz hands: 0|Field cards: none}
"I draw," he said. "But honestly? The card doesn't even matter."
Mash drew a card at the start of his next turn and glanced at it for barely a second before shrugging.
He smirked. "As this duel is already over."
He raised a hand toward Lady Labrynth. "I change you to Attack Position! Go and attack Chazz directly!"
Lady Labrynth moved instantly, charging forward with elegant yet lethal speed. Her twin rapiers flashed as they thrust straight toward Chazz. He barely had time to brace himself before the holographic blades pierced through his torso.
"GAHHHHHHHH!!!"
{Chazz LP: 4000 -> 1000}
Mash internally groaned as Chazz screamed in agony.
[Oh my god...] he thought irritably. [You just got impaled by a hologram. It's not. A. Real. Physical. Weapon. Stop being so dramatic.]
With a sigh, Mash waved a hand toward Lovely.
"Lovely. Finish him off."
"Ho ho ho~" Lovely spun her silver battle axe around before resting it on her shoulders. "With pleasure, darling~"
"Seems it's finally over..." Syrus commented.
"And a totally one sided victory for Mash..." Alexis added.
Jaden nodded. "Yeah... Even my duel against Chazz had us going back and forth. This... This is just obliteration..."
Lovely stepped forward, lazily resting her massive battle axe on one shoulder as she approached the kneeling Obelisk student. She stopped just inches away from him and looked down with the kind of disdain usually reserved for insects.
Chazz clenched his fists, still clinging to the last scraps of his pride.
"What are you waiting for!?" he snapped. "Finish me already! Just know this isn't the end of me!"
Lovely giggled.
"You know, brat~?" she said sweetly. "I really am just like my darling~"
Chazz blinked in confusion.
"Huh!? The hell are you talking ab—"
THUD.
His words cut off abruptly.
A strangled gasp escaped his throat.
As Lovely Labrynth had grabbed Chazz by the throat.
Everyone in the arena froze.
"H-HOLY MOLY!" Syrus shrieked in panic. "Aren't those supposed to be holograms!?"
Jaden's head snapped toward Mash, his expression suddenly serious.
"Mash!" he shouted. "What's going on with your monster!?"
Mash blinked in shock, completely thrown off.
"I-I don't know!" he stammered. "I didn't do anything! HEY!!! LOVELY!!!!"
But Lovely didn't respond.
Her fingers tightened around Chazz's throat as she lifted him off the ground like he weighed nothing. Chazz clawed at her hand, struggling to breathe.
Her eyes darkened.
"I don't really mind people insulting me~" she said softly, "But if those 'people' ever insulted my Darling~"
Her other hand shifted, gripping the handle of her enormous silver axe before she raised it high above her head.
She was going to swing.
Mash's heart stopped.
"LOVELY!!!!! DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE-"
Lovely's grin widened into something almost demonic.
"HO HO HO HO HO~!"
The axe began its descent as she swung.
"I'll make sure~"
The blade arced straight toward Chazz's neck.
"They'll die~!"
Mash's body moved before his brain could catch up. His hand shot forward as he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"STOOOOP!!!"