Chapter 516: Quick, Use Your Invincible Dark Game to Think of Something!
"'King of Light', 'King of Darkness', and also 'King of Destruction' and 'Sun King', they sound like titles that would only appear in a second-rate RPG game."
Joey Wheeler and Tristan were dismissive of the prophecy translated by Ishizu, finding it a bit too overly dramatic. Even Yugi couldn't help but feel somewhat dismissive of the prophecy.
As for Téa, she had been feeling disgusted from the start by the dry, shriveled appearance revealed by the mummy's broken bandages. She didn't pay too much attention to the prophecy Ishizu spoke of, focusing solely on hiding behind Yugi with her head down to avoid accidentally seeing the mummy's face when looking at the coffin and having nightmares.
However, Grandpa Solomon Muto was one of the few among them who was seriously listening to Ishizu's translation. After all, he had once participated in an Archaeological Team led by his old friend, Professor Arthur, in Egypt, and he clearly knew that ancient Egyptian text written on a coffin of this level could not possibly be just a joke.
"Destruction..." While muttering, Grandpa Solomon Muto's gaze moved away from the carved text and looked at the black humanoid jackal-headed carving on the front of the coffin.
This carving represented Anubis, the god of the Underworld, in Egyptian mythology. Legend says he was the son of Seto, the god of the Desert, while others say he was Osiris's illegitimate son. He presided over mummy making, guiding the dead, and the judgment of the dead. However, as the era changed, the identity of "Lord of the Underworld" was transferred to the deity Osiris, and Anubis became purely the reaper.
As one of the Egyptian deities, Anubis naturally had plenty of believers. At the same time, because of his close connection to death, he appeared extensively in pharaohs' tomb murals, and can even be considered the most well-known deity in Egypt.
However, Anubis should only be limited to appearing in murals or on artifacts. In that case, it could still be considered believers praying for the deity's protection after death. But the Anubis carving before their eyes appeared on the coffin.
Could it be that the owner of this coffin proclaimed himself "Anubis"? Boldly linking this to the ancient Egyptian text outside the coffin, could this mummy, when alive, have called himself the "King of Destruction"?
Beside Grandpa Solomon Muto, who was deep in thought, Hayato listened to Ishizu finish the first half of the sentence, thinking to himself: As expected, it's still this "Pyramid of Light".
Although Hayato had somewhat forgotten a considerable portion of the plot due to the passage of time, as a Duelist, Hayato possessed a strong ability to recall the plot using cards.
For example, because of Exodia, he clearly remembered the first face contortion in Yu-Gi-Oh! — Kaiba, Blasted to Death. Because of Berserker Soul, he remembered the famous "Monster Card" scene. Because of the Malefic Deck, he had some impression of Paradox.
And what Hayato used to remember the "Pyramid of Light" event was the famous Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. Because of Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon's incredibly unfair "refusal" ability in the anime version, Hayato also had a deep impression of the "Pyramid of Light".
Ultimately, it was nothing more than Kaiba's urge to duel acting up again, but he couldn't beat Yugi, so he beat up Pegasus and stole cards. After finally showing off with the new cards, he ended up collapsing like a certain furious hospitalized King. Instead, Yugi used the new cards to defeat the suddenly appearing enemy and save the world, that kind of story.
The so-called "King of Light" refers to Kaiba. The "King of Darkness" refers to Yugi, specifically Dark Yugi. As for the "King of Destruction", that's a guy who calls himself the Egyptian reaper, "Anubis", precisely this mummy before everyone's eyes.
However, after Ishizu read out the latter half of the sentence, Hayato was a bit confused again. He hadn't heard of any "Sun King". He did know there was a Sun God, and it was right in his pants pocket. Except for crying "ying ying ying" every day, it would even team up with Obelisk the Tormentor to bully others.
"Hey, look who's here? Obelisk. Oh, sorry, this is my territory, and fixed-value trash isn't welcome."
"That means you."
"In the next Duel, a few of us will participate, but one pathetic guy will be Tributed. Do you know who it is?"
"Still you, Obelisk."
That's roughly the situation.
Furthermore, Hayato didn't quite understand what "The Sun King will use [] to conceal destruction, but destruction will also take away []" meant. However, the changes that occurred next made Hayato stop guessing about the incomplete text that resembled a prophecy.
Among the few people present, the ones who were actually least bothered by pharaohs, mummies, and the like were not Joey Wheeler and Tristan, who seemed indifferent. Truthfully, those two were somewhat resistant to the mummy's terrifying appearance, while Hayato and Grandpa Solomon weren't afraid, they were just somewhat vigilant towards the mummy.
Marik held his collar with one hand, fanning himself as if with a fan, because he also grew up in the Tomb Keepers and had contact with mummies since he was a child. Plus he had a rebellious mindset deep down and no respect for pharaohs and the like. He even said things like wanting to become a modern pharaoh under the influence of Dark Marik.
Listening to Ishizu finish speaking, he, separated by the lowered glass, looked with a contemptuous expression at the mummy's empty eye sockets and mouth that was open with only three teeth: "Talking so grandly, but in the end, aren't you just an outdated thing from thousands of years ago?"
"And 'born from Light' or whatever, it's like a joke. If this thing can move, I'll bet a hundred bucks." As he spoke, Marik casually tossed the hundred-yen coin he got as change from a vending machine when he bought a drink earlier.
But in the very next instant after Marik said that sentence, amidst the astonished gaze of the few people around the coffin, the mummy's empty eye sockets lit up as if powerful spotlights had been installed, and a dazzling red light lit up!
Noticing the strange gaze of the others around him, who were also confused, looking at him, Marik also panicked and said to the mummy that suddenly started trembling: "I, I was just running my mouth, seriously, don't take it to heart, hurry up and lie back down!"
"Brother-in-law, quick, use your invincible Dark Game to think of something!"
"Are you asking me to Duel a mummy, you idiot!" Hayato sensed an extremely dense Dark Power from the light that was gradually turning from red to white. While pushing aside the magenta camera on his chest to take out the hidden Millennium Ring, he didn't forget to rant at Marik, "I told you practicing the scene of your death would be useful, didn't I? You wouldn't have gotten into trouble if you didn't court death!"
In an instant, four golden light beams lit up around the coffin.
A surging Dark Power emerged from these four Millennium Items: Millennium Puzzle, Millennium Necklace, Millennium Rod, and Millennium Ring. But to the surprise of Ishizu, Hayato, and Dark Yugi, who instantly switched accounts and came online as a stand-in, the power of the Millennium Items was actually unable to suppress the strange light emanating from the mummy!?
The golden light and white light only contended for an instant. The next moment, they were suddenly broken through, and the white light stole everyone's sight present. An extremely familiar dizzying sensation surged into Hayato's mind.
Thud!
Everyone lost consciousness almost simultaneously, their bodies powerlessly fell onto the ground. Fortunately, the ground inside the Museum was covered with a red carpet, so that no one was injured by the sudden fall.
And in the next instant, the mummy, even though its internal organs had already been removed when it was made, and had dried up to skin and bones with not even a trace of muscle due to the passage of years, actually moved. It slowly sat up within the coffin, looking at the tempered glass layer around it that "protected" it. The mummy casually threw a punch.
Crash~
The tempered glass, which didn't connect to the Ryuki OP, was shattered by a punch from the mummy, which had no muscle but still possessed extremely high output power. However, because it was tempered glass, the broken fragments didn't scatter everywhere and damage the people who had fallen around it.
At the same time, due to the shattering of the tempered glass, the built-in anti-theft system activated, and the Exhibition Hall also sounded an automatic alarm. Although it was a measure used to guard against any careless The Bandit trying to steal artifacts, it's likely the designer themselves never imagined that the first thing to trigger this anti-theft system would actually be the artifact being "protected".
Stepping out from the glass display stand, the mummy glanced down at the people who had fallen on the ground. As its sight swept over Hayato's Millennium Ring on his chest and Yugi's Millennium Puzzle on his chest (who had switched back to himself), the mummy's stiff face clearly had no muscles that could be used for movement, yet it gave people an expression of fear and contempt.
Although no one around observed its appearance, the mummy looked down at its naked body and assumed a dissatisfied form. It casually took a piece of cloth that had been placed nearby, which was previously used to wrap the coffin to prevent damage during transportation. After wrapping it around itself a few times to create a cloak shape, the mummy pulled up its hood and walked towards the depths of the Exhibition Hall.
Although there were no eyes, a red light flickered in the mummy's right eye socket as if breathing, allowing it—or was it a she? Or an it?—to clearly distinguish any obstruction in front of it, even without sight. Stepping over the box where Hayato had placed the tablet earlier, the mummy walked to the Glass Case at the end, looking at the crystal pyramid placed inside.
The mummy "looked" at the pyramid called "Light", moving its bones to control its already unclosed mouth to open. It seemed like it subconsciously wanted to say something, but forgot that it no longer had vocal cords that could be used for speaking.
This made the mummy look "annoyed" again at its palm, which was no longer a human body. It "angrily" swung a punch, easily knocking open the layer of tempered glass between it and the "Light" pyramid, just like the glass where the coffin was placed earlier.
Looking at the crystal pyramid with no more barrier between them, the red in the mummy's eye socket locked onto the red eye within the "Eye of Udjat" on the crystal pyramid. Without needing to restrain itself, it extended its hand, reached for the crystal pyramid, taking it out along with the rusty iron chain connected to it, and impatiently put it around its neck.
And at the same moment the mummy put the crystal pyramid around its neck, the red eye of the "Eye of Udjat" on the crystal pyramid also lit up with light. Its frequency synchronized with the red in the mummy's eye socket, like breathing, and every time the "breathing light" lit up, a surge of Dark Power emerged from the crystal pyramid and entered the mummy's body.
Missing body tissue was repaired as if time were flowing backward, muscle tissue and fat layers were generated out of thin air, the withered skin and missing organs were restored to their state before death. In just a few short instants, the mummy from just now actually transformed into a muscular, strong-bodied blond middle-aged man.
With one hand stroking his newly revived body, and the other hand tightly clutching the "Pyramid of Light" that had given him a second life, the blond man's mood was so comfortable right now that he felt like singing a song, he was even getting a bit too high.
However, the alarm bell in his ears was so annoying, and a man's voice came from behind the blond middle-aged man.
"Hey, you blond pervert streaker over there, you'd better put that thing back."
"Who's there!?" The blond man sharply turned his head to look. Only to see Hayato, who he had clearly knocked unconscious just now, was actually standing by a Glass Case not far from him, with a normal expression. One hand was behind his back, and the other hand was resting on the glass, looking at him with an impatient expression.
"I should have said it already, put that thing back, as respectfully as a flight attendant on an airplane serving red wine and caviar to a distinguished passenger." Hayato glanced contemptuously at the blond man's body, which was only covered by cloth. "Having an artifact taken by someone like you, who can shamelessly expose their body in public situations, I don't want Ishizu to think she failed her duty."
"Gah—" The blond middle-aged man looked at Hayato, an annoyed expression appearing on his face, but when he opened his mouth to speak, it seemed like he hadn't adapted to his newly revived vocal cords yet, and he could only make simple sounds, "Ah—!"
However, although he seemed to be trying to speak with his mouth, it didn't mean that the blond middle-aged man seemed like he had the idea of talking to Hayato. Only to see him suddenly charge towards Hayato's direction, raising his right hand and clenching his fist, as if performing an Attack Position Summon of his fist.
Regarding the blond middle-aged man's attack, Hayato stood still in place, as if he didn't see the opponent attacking him, and spoke to himself: "Are you asking why I didn't fall? Of course, it's because I suffered a loss from a white-haired guy before and learned how to protect my consciousness long ago."
"Although I don't know if that's what you were asking, but I practiced for a long time, you see. I had to find a place to show off a bit. Also—"
Clang!
A lance suddenly flew out from in front of Hayato, who hadn't moved an inch, colliding with the blond middle-aged man's fist, but the sound was like metal colliding. Gaia the Fierce Knight, riding a war horse, appeared beside Hayato like a Stand-in Attack, knocking the blond middle-aged man flying and crashing him into the Glass Case at the end.
Hayato's left hand, hidden behind his back, revealed an opened Duel Disk. Taking the Gaia the Fierce Knight card from it, Hayato looked at the blond middle-aged man, who had broken through the glass again but had no injuries on his body, and said coldly: "Who allowed you to bare your fangs at me, you guy who's even more vulgar than a frog's piss."
The light of the Millennium Ring lit up again, resonating with the Millennium Rod, it expanded the domain of the Dark Game. Using the Dark Game, Hayato conjured a Duel Disk out of thin air and threw it towards the blond middle-aged man who was just getting up from the ground, casually pushing aside his hanging bangs.
"In this situation, as expected, dueling is necessary."
Duel!
Chapter 517: You Are Also Light?
Even though Hayato had gradually adapted to this world, sometimes he couldn't help but marvel at the strangeness of this Dueling world.
For example, the blond man who moments ago seemed completely unwilling to communicate and only wanted to settle things with his fists—or perhaps, for now, call him "Anubis"—actually quieted down after Hayato initiated the Dark Game.
Not only did he instantly understand how to use the Duel Disk, an item he shouldn't have encountered before, after just one look, and strap it onto his wrist, but cards even appeared out of thin air in the Duel Disk's Deck Zone.
Dueling, isn't it amazing?
"Settle... Ceremony of the Duel..." In the world of the Dark Game, Anubis still seemed to be adapting to his vocal cords, but he had improved significantly compared to before, now able to speak simple words.
"Hoho, now that's more like it. It wouldn't be any fun if you were defeated by me so easily." Hayato reached out and drew a card from his Duel Disk. "Now, tremble before my invincible Deck!"
"The first turn is mine, Draw!"
After drawing a card, Hayato immediately activated the drawn card on the Field: "Activate the Magic Card, Graceful Charity! I draw three cards from my Deck, then choose two cards from my Hand and discard them. Then, because one of the cards I discarded was Ojama Magic, I add Ojama Black, Ojama Green, and Ojama Yellow from my Deck to my Hand."
While using Graceful Charity to refresh his hand, Hayato took the opportunity to activate the effect of Ojama Magic. A large curtain appeared on his Field, and the three-colored Ojama Monsters jumped out from behind the curtain—
"Ojama Black, invincible in battle!"
"Ojama Green, unstoppable!"
"Ojama Yellow, full firepower!"
However, despite their impressive aura, Ojama Yellow and the others were still Small Fry, and they were only added to Hayato's Hand.
Holding the three Ojama Monster Cards he had just searched, Hayato revealed another card: "Next, Activate the Magic Card, Polymerization! I use the three Ojama Monsters I just searched from my Hand as Fusion Material!"
"Gathered Small Fry will evolve into the King among Small Fry, the King-level Small Fry!"
"Fusion Summon, Ojama King!"
Under the power of Polymerization, the three brothers, Ojama Yellow and the others, put their three heads together and spun around. The yellow, green, and black colors intertwined, finally turning white. The gigantic Ojama King, resembling a peeled egg, appeared on Hayato's Field.
[Ojama King] [DEF 3000]
Although Ojama King is a Fusion of three Ojama Monsters, its basic attributes are simply the sum of the three brothers. Its DEF increased to 3000 because it's a Fusion of three monsters with 1000 DEF each, clearly a big butt capable of withstanding Blue-Eyes White Dragon's attack. However, its ATK is only 0 because none of the three monsters have any battle capability.
"As long as Ojama King exists on the Field in face-up position, I can choose up to three of your Monster Zone and make them unusable." Hayato watched as Ojama King casually threw out three stamps, placing them on Anubis's Front Row, summoning Ojama Yellow and the other two to occupy the Field.
"Excuse us~"
"We're terribly sorry~"
"But we won't apologize~"
The three mischievous Ojama brothers lay on beach chairs, posing as if sunbathing, and said lazily. Their effect of provoking others was overwhelmingly powerful.
"I haven't performed a Normal Summon this turn, so I Attack Position Summon V-Tiger Jet, and activate the Continuous Spell Card, Frontline Base! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Union Monster from my Hand. I Special Summon W-Wing Catapult!"
"I have two Level 4 monsters! I must immediately Overlay V-Tiger Jet and W-Wing Catapult!"
"I Banish V-Tiger Jet and W-Wing Catapult from my Field, and Special Summon VW-Tiger Catapult from my Extra Deck!"
Following Ojama King, Hayato summoned another Fusion Monster at the cost of reducing his hand size to two cards. However, calling it a Fusion, it was simply V-Tiger Jet and W-Wing Catapult stacking on top of each other like a human pyramid—a literal "Overlay".
[VW-Tiger Catapult] [ATK 2000]
"Madamada, my field setup hasn't reached its limit yet." Hayato showed a card from his hand. "I activate this Magic Card, Ojama Mega Transformation! I reveal one Machine Type, LIGHT Attribute Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck, banish any number of Ojama Monsters from my Hand, Field, or Graveyard, then Special Summon the Fusion Material listed on that Fusion Monster from my Deck, Hand, or Graveyard, equal to the number banished!"
Hearing this, Ojama Yellow, sitting on Anubis's Field, suddenly sat up: "This effect!"
"Although they are Small Fry, they still have great usefulness." Hayato reached out and took the cards for Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green, stuffing them into his pocket. He then slapped the three cards he searched from his Deck onto his Duel Disk. "I banish the three Small Fry from my Graveyard, and Special Summon all three Fusion Material required for XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"
"Come forth, X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank!"
"And now, the Special Summon of XYZ! I banish X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank from my Field, and Special Summon XYZ-Dragon Cannon from my Extra Deck!"
The classic red, blue, and yellow colored Machines appeared on Hayato's Field through the effect of Ojama Mega Transformation. Just like V-Tiger Jet and W-Wing Catapult before, the three monsters also stacked on top of each other like a human pyramid. Z-Metal Tank served as the legs, X-Head Cannon as the head, and Y-Dragon Head as the "Dragon Head".
[XYZ-Dragon Cannon] [ATK 2800]
With the appearance of XYZ-Dragon Cannon, Hayato had summoned a total of three Fusion Monsters to his Field in a single turn. Not only did he have Ojama King to lock the Front Row positions, but he also simultaneously assembled VW and XYZ, two monsters from the same series.
"Don't blink now! I will banish VW-Tiger Catapult and XYZ-Dragon Cannon from the Field!" Hayato banished the necessary material he had assembled on the Field, holding a card above his head.
"Limiter Removal, Level 8, Main Bass Booster Control, all clear! Infinite power, now unleashed here, charge towards the other side of dimensions!"
"Go! Accel Fusion! Come On!"
"VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!!"
The machines on Hayato's Field began to disassemble and transform. The five machines connected and resonated with each other, constructing a towering mechanical giant. Cannons, lasers, wings, giant hammers—it was like a mobile war fortress!
[VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] [ATK 3000]
After summoning VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, Hayato then activated the effect of a card in his Graveyard: "The second effect of Ojama Mega Transformation is, I banish this card from my Graveyard, then target the three banished Ojama Monsters, return them to the Deck and shuffle, then draw a card."
"Finally, I Set two cards from my hand and End Turn."
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Ojama King] [DEF 3000]
[VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] [ATK 3000]
[Frontline Base] [Set Card] x2
The reason he didn't continue his field setup was mainly because Hayato felt he needed to probe for some information about the opponent's Deck before continuing the battle.
Regarding Anubis's "revival," he suddenly remembered that such a plot point existed. When Anubis knocked everyone unconscious, he had just realized it himself and only had enough time to use the Millennium Ring to slightly stabilize his thoughts and prevent them from sinking into silence.
After regaining consciousness, Hayato immediately got up, wanting to stop Anubis from obtaining the Pyramid of Light. However, he was slightly late; Anubis had already obtained the Pyramid of Light and had even "taken form."
If Anubis were to leave like this, it was highly possible that the plot Hayato remembered would repeat itself. If possible, Hayato wanted to avoid trouble, which led to the current situation where he stopped Anubis for a Dark Game.
However, when choosing the Deck to use for the Duel, Hayato hesitated slightly because he was slow to remember that his impression of the "Pyramid of Light" incident was based on the card Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, but he had no clear memory of what cards Anubis, the final boss, had used.
After all, that guy's total screen time in the "Pyramid of Light" incident didn't even exceed ten minutes, less than even Pegasus, who was beaten badly and had his cards stolen at the beginning. As a boss, he really had no status, unlike Paradox, who just recently perished but will forever be remembered as the bravest boss in Yu-Gi-Oh! history.
The more crucial point was that Paradox had his exclusive Sin Deck, but that guy Anubis had kicked Kaiba aside mid-Duel with Yugi and used Kaiba's Deck to Duel Yugi, only using a few weak monster cards whose names Hayato couldn't even remember.
Something like a Sphinx and a Pyramid of Light; in short, they were all cards of unclear significance.
Because Hayato somewhat remembered that the Pyramid of Light card, although he didn't know the specific principle, could strongly counter the Three Egyptian Gods, he specifically didn't bring The Winged Dragon of Ra and the others. But it was impossible for the opponent's Deck to only have these three cards. Since the opponent's identity was unknown, Hayato adopted a relatively conservative field setup.
Locking the Monster Zone was to restrict the opponent's explosive setup. VWXYZ was a clear target, and he had two traps in the Spell/Trap Zone. Hayato thought to himself that this lineup was completely sufficient for probing.
"My... Turn..." It was Anubis's turn. He looked at the monsters on Hayato's Field, drew a card with a look of disdain, "Draw!"
"Then, Magic Card... Activate! Dark Hole!"
"Huh? Dark Hole!"
Under Hayato's stunned gaze, Anubis slapped an invincible Dark Hole onto the Duel Disk. A black point appeared out of thin air in the center of both players' Fields, and the surrounding light also dimmed, as if being absorbed.
"The effect of Dark Hole is to destroy... all monsters on the Field, but... there are no monsters on my Field." Anubis's speech gradually became more fluent, and he looked at Hayato proudly. "This way, your Field... is empty..."
As soon as the Dark Hole with indiscriminate destruction effect appeared, almost in an instant, the two monsters Hayato had painstakingly summoned last turn were all captured by gravity and pulled into the Dark Hole.
Whether it was Ojama King or VWXYZ, they were destroyed without any resistance in an instant. At the same time, with Ojama King's departure, Anubis's locked Field was also freed from its restriction.
"What happened?"
"No way!"
"My great brain cannot disappear!"
The three Ojama Monsters struggled, but they only followed the same path as Hayato's other monsters, being swallowed by the Dark Hole and disappearing. As the monsters were destroyed, Hayato noticed that the Pyramid of Light Anubis was wearing on his chest flashed with red light.
Anubis looked completely relaxed: "That's right, this feeling!"
"'Can you speak normally now?' You're thinking that right now, aren't you, kid?"
And just as Anubis began speaking normally, Hayato heard a voice coming from his Deck:
"Ugh! My body—"
"Black, what's wrong with you!"
"I... I don't feel good!"
The figures of the three Ojama brothers appeared beside Hayato, but compared to before, their condition had visibly worsened. They were so transparent they were almost invisible.
Hayato instantly understood. Who else could be behind this situation? He stared at Anubis, who looked pleased.
Being stared at by Hayato, Anubis acted as if he didn't even see Hayato as a threat: "Hmph, no need to guess, I did it. Rather, it's their honor that such low-quality spirits can be used by me to 'exchange' power."
As he spoke, Anubis reached out and stroked the Pyramid of Light on his chest. "Even experiencing this power with a second life, I have to say that I am indeed the King chosen by Destiny. As long as I carry out destruction without restraint, I can usher in the future."
"Embracing the 'Light' back then was truly a correct decision, hahaha!"
"Light?" Hearing this, Hayato couldn't help but carefully observe the Pyramid of Light that Anubis was holding up. The more he looked, the more he felt a familiar aura. He had definitely encountered it somewhere before.
Destiny HERO - Plasma, Yubel...
"Holy crap, Light of Destruction?!" Hayato's eyes widened as he looked at the Pyramid of Light.
Chapter 518: You Fell For It!
"No mistake, that's definitely the aura of the 'Light of Destruction'." Hayato frowned. "I didn't expect even this incident could be related to the 'Light of Destruction'. What exactly is that thing?"
Hearing Hayato's muttering, Anubis offered no response, merely smiling coldly.
"A thousand years ago, relying on the power granted to me by the 'Light', I raised my status little by little, but just as I was about to achieve the greatest goal of my life, my life ended, and I was buried by those ignorant commoners."
"However, fortunately, I left the power of 'Light' in the Pyramid early on, allowing me to revive in the present, a thousand years later, and continue to be the agent of 'Light' to destroy everything."
He drew a card from his Hand. "With this card, I declare my return!"
"Activate the Magic Card [Foolish Burial], send [Executioner - Makyura] from my Deck to the Graveyard. Then, because of [Executioner - Makyura]'s effect, I can activate Trap Cards directly from my Hand, so I activate the Continuous Trap Card [Pyramid of Light]!"
"Then, because of the presence of [Pyramid of Light], I pay 1000 Life Points, and Special Summon [Andro Sphinx] and [Sphinx Teleia] from my Hand!"
[Anubis: 4000→3000LP]
From the opened [Pyramid of Light] Card, four triangular screens of light flew out, enveloped the area around Hayato and Anubis, forming an area like the inside of a pyramid. As he paid Life Points, two spiritual lights emerged from Anubis' body and fell onto the Field, transforming into two extremely tall monsters.
[Andro Sphinx], lion-headed and human-bodied, with a burly physique standing upright, looking exceptionally mighty;
[Andro Sphinx][Level 10/Light]
[Beast-Type/Effect]
[3000/2500]
and [Sphinx Teleia], lion-bodied and human-headed, with a slender physique on all fours like a hunting beast, whose image is closer to that of a female or feminine being.
[Sphinx Teleia][Level 10/Light]
[Beast-Type/Effect]
[2500/3000]
"Level 10 monsters, I can Summon two at once, and their ATK and DEF are both top-tier." Anubis looked proudly at the two monsters on his Field. "The only flaw is that [Sphinx] monsters cannot attack the turn they are Summoned or Special Summoned."
"However, [Executioner - Makyura]'s effect allows me to activate Traps directly from my Hand again, pay 1000 Life Points to activate [Skill Drain], negating the effects of all monsters on the Field!"
[Anubis: 3000→2000LP]
After paying another 1000 Life Points on his own accord, an invincible [Skill Drain] appeared in Anubis' Spell/Trap Zone, indiscriminately locking the effects of all monsters on both players' Fields.
On the surface, this card is more suitable for restricting the opponent's effects, but Anubis used it at this moment to actively remove the restriction on his [Sphinx] monsters on the Field that they "cannot attack the turn they are Summoned or Special Summoned".
In this way, next, Hayato would have to, with his Front Row empty, directly face the attack of two monsters whose total ATK had already reached 5500 points.
For Anubis, a direct attack now would easily secure victory. However, when he looked at Hayato's position, just as he was about to say a couple of contemptuous words, he found that, at this moment, the expression on Hayato's face was quite calm, showing no awareness of being in crisis.
Not only that, his gaze was full of confidence, as if he wasn't the slightest bit surprised by Anubis' operations so far, and everything was under his control. He even looked provocatively at the two monsters on Anubis' Field with a somewhat expectant gaze, seemingly expecting them to attack.
'That guy, does he perhaps have something to rely on?'
Anubis glanced at the last card in his Hand. As he was guessing what those two Set Cards Hayato had set might be, he heard Hayato's proud smile.
"Hmph hmph, hahahaha, Summoning two Level 10 monsters in one turn, I'll give a little praise to your effort. But if you think you can defeat me with monsters of that level, that's purely your delusion."
"Chain your [Skill Drain], I will use this powerful card, the Continuous Trap Card [Royal Decree], to negate the effects of all Trap Cards on the Field except for this card!"
Hayato had an arrogant smile, pressed the button to activate his Set Card, and his Set [Royal Decree] in the Spell/Trap Zone activated.
The [Skill Drain] that had originally been activated was just about to draw out the power from the two [Sphinx] monsters on Anubis' Field, to release the seal on their own attacks, but with the activation of [Royal Decree], the effect of [Skill Drain] came to an abrupt halt.
Even because of the previous activation of [Pyramid of Light], the Pyramid of Light enveloping the surroundings also became somewhat dim and lusterless.
[Andro Sphinx] and [Sphinx Teleia] retained their own effects, but because of this, they lost the ability to attack. In this way, Hayato successfully avoided the ending of being defeated by a monster's direct attack.
Looking at the [Pyramid of Light] and [Skill Drain] that had turned gray and ineffective because of [Royal Decree], Hayato crossed his arms over his chest and said proudly, "Hmph hmph, this kind of sight is the situation that suits a person without light like you."
"The one standing at the peak is me, Hayato Kobayashi! This point has never changed!"
But the extremely proud Hayato heard that Anubis had unexpectedly also started laughing.
"Heh heh, hahahaha!" Covering half of his face with one hand, his golden messy hair peeking through his fingers, Anubis laughed wildly, as if he was amused by Hayato's operation. "What indescribable confidence, it's just one card, and it made you so proud, I even thought you would bring out something amazing."
"Hahahaha!"
Anubis even laughed so hard he bent over. "And you didn't use it during the Battle Phase when I was going to attack, you unexpectedly used the card you placed great hope in so recklessly during the Main Phase, you inferior humans are as expected, still don't understand things like patience at all, just like a thousand years ago!"
"However, even if you had activated it during the Battle Phase, the result wouldn't have changed at all." Anubis stopped laughing loudly, and revealed the last card in his Hand. "As a penalty for being my enemy, I will sever this hope of yours."
"Quick-Play Spell Card, [Mystical Space Typhoon]! Destroy that [Royal Decree] of yours!"
"Then, [Skill Drain] continues to take effect, releasing the restriction on [Andro Sphinx] and [Sphinx Teleia] on my Field that prevents them from attacking!"
Anubis smiled coldly: "Finally, die with fear of me, Enter my Battle Phase!"
The storm destroyed the opened [Royal Decree] in Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone, [Skill Drain] and [Pyramid of Light] regained their power, allowing the [Sphinx] monsters to successfully have their effects drawn out, and gained the power to attack.
The two monsters, one lion-bodied human-headed and the other human-bodied lion-headed, bared their fangs and claws at Hayato, and Hayato also quite cooperatively revealed a "terrified" expression: "I-Impossible!? My invincible [Royal Decree] was unexpectedly destroyed just like that?"
"Oh no! In that case, won't I be directly attacked!?"
"Hmph hmph, the answer is completely correct, what a truly satisfying expression of despair." Anubis looked contemptuously at Hayato, who looked helpless, his gaze glancing at the [Millennium Ring] in front of Hayato. "I thought that you, wearing that [Millennium Ring] which can be considered the most evil among the seven Millennium Items, might be some powerful enemy."
"When I was suddenly dragged into the Ceremony of the Duel by you, I was slightly nervous, but it turned out you were unexpectedly just a blustering small fry."
Anubis, with a look of disdain, raised a finger, pointing at Hayato: "You already have no way to deal with my servants, right? In that case, just be torn to shreds like this!"
"First is [Andro Sphinx]'s direct attack!"
After giving the attack order, Anubis watched Hayato leisurely, the expression of unwillingness and disbelief on his face made him feel quite comfortable.
The lion-headed human [Andro Sphinx] opened its gaping maw, charging straight at Hayato, Hayato had no doubt that its sharp claws could easily tear open his flesh and blood under the influence of the Dark Game.
However, after hearing Anubis' words, the "panic" and "helplessness" on Hayato's face suddenly disappeared. Under Anubis' surprised gaze, Hayato's mouth curled up: "You did indeed say just now that you were going to attack me, right?"
"Although I'm not quite sure if your Dueling Style leans towards reckless or cautious, but if I didn't show that this [Royal Decree] card was my last resort, you probably wouldn't foolishly ignore the Set Cards in my Spell/Trap Zone, right?"
"When I showed that I could rest easy as long as [Royal Decree] was on my Field, you, who had a countermeasure in Hand, naturally wouldn't just watch me, this 'Kid' in your eyes, be proud."
"I just needed to, after [Royal Decree] was destroyed, reveal a little 'panic' and 'helplessness', and easily make you complacent, think I was only at this level, thus losing vigilance towards the true Trap on my Field!"
"What?!" With Hayato having said all this, it was impossible for Anubis not to understand. The wrath in his eyes seemed about to erupt as he glared at Hayato. "You unexpectedly calculated against me!"
"Uh-huh, that's right, you completely fell for it, idiot." Hayato reached out and pressed the button on his Duel Disk. "This is my true offensive strategy, Hayato Kobayashi! When it comes to battle of wits, you still can't compare to me, Hayato Kobayashi!"
"Submit before the sublime power of the Hanoi Knights! Activate the Trap Card [Mirror Force]!"
"When an opponent's monster declares an attack, destroy all of the opponent's monsters in Attack Position!"
Although their Level is 10, equal to the [Three Egyptian Gods], the [Sphinx] monsters are merely the guardians of the Pharaoh's Tomb, completely incomparable to the power of gods. [Andro Sphinx]'s claws swung down at Hayato, but because of this, activated Hayato's Trap Card.
A sacred mirror opened, standing between Hayato and [Andro Sphinx], not only completely isolating the latter's attack from Hayato, but even returning an attack of equal power back the same way, and further spreading to [Sphinx Teleia]!
"Roar!"
"Ah!"
"Boom!!"
Amidst the screams of the two [Sphinx] monsters, the power of [Mirror Force] destroyed them simultaneously, exploding with a roar. Smoke covered Anubis' Field.
"To unexpectedly use this kind of underhanded psychological tactics in the Ceremony of the Duel, this doesn't count as a duel at all!"
Having two powerful monsters destroyed, and more importantly, his confident finishing blow was unexpectedly entirely within that kid's calculations on the other side, Anubis felt he had lost face. His face looked terrible as he roared at Hayato opposite him.
Hayato, however, just had a smug expression: "Heh, since you're not a good person, then naturally I don't need to pretend to be a gentleman."
"Onore!" Anubis glared at Hayato through gritted teeth, his heart hardened. "But don't think this is the end, your destroying my [Sphinx] monsters, precisely created the stage for the descent of the strongest [Sphinx]!"
"When [Andro Sphinx] and [Sphinx Teleia] are destroyed simultaneously, I can activate this effect by paying 500 Life Points!" Anubis drew a card from his Deck. "Special Summon [The Great Sphinx of Giza] from my Hand or Deck!"
[Anubis][2000→1500LP]
Following the "no damage with smoke" trope, the smoke produced where the two [Sphinx] monsters on Anubis' Field were destroyed was pushed together as if held by a giant hand, transforming into a mass of spinning, rising smoke tornado.
Afterwards, a ferocious lion's claw pierced out from it, tearing open the smoke and revealing the true body of the fiend born within!
[The Great Sphinx of Giza][Level 10/Light]
[Beast-Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[3500/3000]
A lion's body on four legs, a muscular human body, broad wings that were clearly as white as an angel but gave off an incredibly evil feeling, and a bizarre skull that combined a human face and a lion face into one. [The Great Sphinx of Giza] was simply a stitched-together body of [Andro Sphinx] and [Sphinx Teleia]!
"This is my strongest Ace monster, [The Great Sphinx of Giza]!" Because his Life Points decreased again, the golden hair on Anubis' head appeared a bit gray, but his aura was almost at its peak, and the "Light" Pyramid on his chest also flashed with a radiance.
"Condescending kid, I'll concede that your calculation is indeed somewhat capable, but before the invincible [The Great Sphinx of Giza], this time, let's see how you escape this move?" Anubis looked at Hayato and said coldly, "Even an incarnation of God will bow down under this kind of attack, fall into darkness!"
"Because it's the Battle Phase, I will attack again! Directly attack the opponent, [The Great Sphinx of Giza]!"
Of course it's six o'clock!
"[Sphinx Andro Sphinx], Special Summoned during the Battle Phase, can attack again! Attack the opponent directly, Sphinx Androgygus!"
Sphinx Androgygus[ATK3500]
Anubis glanced at the Sphinx Androgygus on his Field, his gaze coldly fixed on Hayato.
Since the start of the Duel, his impression of the opponent had flipped repeatedly. Now, he would no longer treat Hayato as a kid who merely got lucky and obtained the [Wheel of Wisdom], but rather as a powerful opponent.
The [Ceremony of the Duel] was a ritual widely spread in the Egyptian court thousands of years ago. Anubis, during his lifetime, was also a master of this, if not invincible, at least rarely meeting his match. Yet, in the first [Ceremony of the Duel] after his revive thousands of years later, he actually encountered a powerful opponent like Hayato, who even calculated the opponent's psychology.
This was the first time Anubis had seen this kind of strategy, but it should also be the last.
This time, Anubis confirmed Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone. Now, only the Frontline Base Card with just one effect remained. There were no other Trap or Monster Cards that could possibly be used.
Hayato's [Life Points] were 4000, while Sphinx Androgygus's [ATK] was a full 3500. Although this attack wouldn't clear all of Hayato's [Life Points], taking such high damage in one go in the [Ceremony of the Duel] would surely leave Hayato severely injured, if not unconscious, Anubis thought.
To be honest, if Hayato's Royal Decree hadn't consumed the Mystical Space Typhoon in Anubis's Hand earlier, he could have used Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Skill Drain and unleash Sphinx Androgygus's effect, increasing its [ATK] again by paying [Life Points].
In that case, not even the last 500 [Life Points] would have been left for Hayato; it would have been a finishing blow. It was a pity he couldn't do that.
With an empty Hand and virtually nothing on the Field, his attack would definitely go through, right? Anubis thought, narrowing his eyes.
After all, a monster couldn't just jump out of the Graveyard again.
The giant demonic beast, Sphinx Androgygus, charged towards Hayato, swinging its claw down heavily. Its body was so massive that it even blocked Anubis's sight, preventing him from seeing Hayato immediately. However, the sound that entered his ears made him frown. Instead of the sound of claws tearing into flesh accompanying Sphinx Androgygus's swing, there was a "bang".
"When your Sphinx Androgygus attacks me directly, I Special Summon the invincible Rainbow Kuriboh from my Graveyard in Defense Position. You did great, Aibo, much stronger than Ojama Yellow and the others."
Normally, if they heard Hayato say this, Ojama Yellow and the others would definitely jump out and protest, saying things like "[Ojama] lives matter too," or "Putting aside the facts, we weren't completely useless."
However, now, because of Anubis's Dark Hole earlier, Ojama Yellow and the others were still in a listless state, making Hayato somewhat unaccustomed to their quietness.
In front of Hayato, the small-bodied Rainbow Kuriboh bravely took the attack from Sphinx Androgygus, which didn't have a [Piercing Damage Effect]. Its small body's power had its limits, and despite struggling fiercely, it was ultimately destroyed. However, because it was in Defense Position, it protected Hayato from taking damage.
"Kuriri~"
"Tsk, that weak monster is really annoying." Anubis understood from Hayato's words and the retreating Sphinx Androgygus that Hayato had once again calculated his actions. "But, when did that thing...?"
"During Graceful Charity, the other card I discarded besides Ojama Magic was Rainbow Kuriboh." Hayato explained, casually putting the destroyed Rainbow Kuriboh card into his pocket. "Rainbow Kuriboh Special Summoned by this effect will be Banished from the game if it leaves the Field. You saved my life again, Aibo."
"Hmph, you have a good relationship with spirits, do you? But I am the [King of Destruction]! Only destruction can create the future, and your destroyed monsters will become my material!"
Anubis grinned and raised his hand. The Sphinx Androgygus on his Field synchronized its movements and spread its palm. Only to see a ball of light fly out from Sphinx Androgygus's claws, pouring into the Pyramid of Light on Anubis's chest.
And this time, Hayato saw it clearly: it was clearly a part of Rainbow Kuriboh's power!
"Kuriri..."
"You bastard, laying a hand on my precious cards!" Even Hayato was furious, hearing Rainbow Kuriboh's gradually weakening voice, seeing its figure on the Rainbow Kuriboh card become dim, and the red light shining in Anubis's eyes as he stole its power. "Anubis, you Barbar!"
"Heh, if you wanted to get angry, you should have gotten angry when those other spirits were destroyed earlier."
"However, even though it's just a weak monster, its power is actually greater than the sum of the previous ones. That's unexpected." Anubis felt the powerful power, a wicked smile on his face. "You have to pay for what you want. This is the powerful power granted to me by 'Light'. But I can make your spirits pay the stakes for me by destroying them."
"With this power, I will stand at the peak forever and become a great existence who controls the destiny of mortals! Hahahaha!"
"Next turn, it will be your death. Kid, my turn ends."
[Anubis: 1500LP, Hand 0]
Sphinx Androgygus[ATK3500]
Pyramid of LightSkill Drain
Anubis looked at Hayato, who had lowered his head in anger, and said arrogantly, "Come on, kid, in front of my Sphinx Androgygus, offer up your ugly struggle, and then welcome the defeat ending that I have already decided for you!"
"Heh, sore wa dou kana." (Is that so?)
"Hmm?"
Under Anubis's confused gaze, the anger in Hayato's heart accumulated to the extreme, yet it made his thoughts become calm. With a serious expression, Hayato's finger rested on his Deck. "The one who decides my ending is not you, but myself. My destiny will also be changed by me!"
"This turn, I will bring down my ultimate wrath upon you. Get ready to be kicked until you cry by my log-thick thighs after you lose, Anubis!"
"My turn, Draw!"
Hayato, with an empty Hand, drew the card he was gambling his victory or defeat on. Seeing the card he drew, a smile curled on Hayato's lips. "Let me show you the final modification I've made to my destiny, Anubis!"
"Activate Magic Card Card of Fate! Roll a die, then draw cards equal to the dice points. Then, Banished from the game cards from the top of my Deck equal to the number of cards drawn!"
The card was inserted by Hayato into his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone. Immediately, a die appeared out of thin air above his head and fell, rolling on the Field.
"A die? You're entrusting your destiny to something driven by luck?" Anubis watched the die roll with disdain, the points constantly changing from "1," "4," "3." "Moreover, it's a [Gambling Card] with such a big [Side Effect] of banishing cards."
"A True Duelist can utilize even the negative effects of cards. Besides, I told you, the ending of this duel will be decided by me." Hayato pointed his finger at the die, which was slowly rolling to a stop on the Field. "In the name of [Lelouch], I order you, stop!"
Although Anubis had no idea what "[Lelouch]" was or where it came from, as Hayato called out, the die's rolling did slow down. Finally, it stopped, and the number on top of the die was clearly the maximum value, "6"!
"Ya☆ta☆ze!" (I did it!) Hayato proudly placed his Hand on his Deck and then drew cards. "Because the points are 6, I can draw six cards from the top of my Deck, and then Banish the top six cards of my Deck!"
Before banishing, Hayato showed Anubis the cards he was banishing. The six cards were Earthbound Immortal - Gransol, The Agent of Fiend, Toll, Torrential Tribute, Little Beeper, and Limiter Removal.
Aside from Earthbound Immortal - Gransol, which Anubis briefly noticed due to its exquisite [Card Face] and decent [ATK], the other few cards left Anubis feeling confused in various ways. He couldn't understand what kind of bizarre Deck Hayato was using at all.
After banishing the cards, Hayato looked at the six cards in his Hand and was slightly stunned. He couldn't help but look at the three Ojama Brothers still lying down nearby.
Then, he showed a helpless expression. "I really didn't expect that in the end, it would be these guys who would get their revenge for themselves."
"Anubis, you've paid your [Life Points] so many times in this duel, so I'll pay some [Life Points] too." Hayato said, playing a card from his Hand. "Activate Magic Card Magical Dressing Room! After paying 800 [Life Points], reveal the top four cards of my Deck."
[Hayato: 4000→3200LP]
As Hayato paid his [Life Points], a pillar surrounded by a red curtain appeared in his Spell/Trap Zone. Lights illuminated within, projecting a few blurry figures onto the curtain. Hayato also revealed the top four cards of his Deck.
Ojama Yellow
Ojama Green
Ojama Black
Sakuretsu Armor
"Among the revealed cards, Normal Monster with a [Level] of 3 or lower are Special Summoned to my Field. The rest of the cards are returned to the Deck and shuffled. Since the three Ojama Monsters are all [Level] 3 or lower, I Special Summon all of them to my Field in [Attack Position]!"
Ojama Yellow[ATK0]
Ojama Black[ATK0]
Ojama Green[ATK0]
"We're," "Back," "Again!"
Because their [True Form] were summoned, Ojama Yellow and the others finally broke free from their previous weakened state. The three brothers hugged each other, and their three heads spoke separately, looking like they were imitating [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon].
"Special Summoning three monsters with 0 [ATK] in [Attack Position]? You've finally gone crazy, haven't you?" Anubis thought Hayato wanted to use Ojama Yellow and the others in Defense Position as a [Shield] to stall for time, but he didn't expect Hayato to choose to put them all in [Attack Position].
However, he then remembered Hayato's previous calculations and thought Hayato shouldn't be that stupid.
"Oh, I see. You want to use these monsters as [Tribute] for a [High-Level] Summon." Anubis put on an expression like he understood everything. "Hmph, it's useless. As long as my Skill Drain exists, the effect of all monsters on the Field will be negated. And without [Monster Effect] influencing it, Sphinx Androgygus's [ATK] is 3500, which surpasses the limit of normal monsters!"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing Anubis's words, Hayato showed a contemptuous expression. "Then you've completely misunderstood. Against other opponents, I might use my [Full Power] to crush them with powerful monsters, but someone like you who plays with others' precious cards only deserves to be defeated by weak monsters like the Ojama Monsters!"
"How dare he say that about us!" "Aniki!" "So mean!"
Hayato completely ignored the protests of Ojama Yellow and the others because he suddenly wanted to go back a few hundred words and tell his past self that it was actually quite nice when Ojama Yellow and the others weren't talking.
"Hmph, monsters with 0 [ATK]? Aren't monsters with 0 [ATK] just [Trash] even worse than weak monsters?"
"Suddenly realized what the opponent said is even worse!"
"Still hate him more!"
"Aniki, just for me, use [Flame Fist] on him!"
Ojama Yellow and the others clamored. Hayato cursed, annoyed, "Shut up, you guys."
"In short, although they are [Trash], [Trash] also has its [Usefulness]. When Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green are assembled on my Field, they can unleash powerful power." Hayato said, playing a card from his Hand. "Activate Magic Card Ojama Delta Hurricane!! Destroy all cards on the opponent's Field!"
"Nani?!"
Under Anubis's surprised gaze, Ojama Yellow and the others put their buttocks together, spinning rapidly and transforming into a yellow, green, and black whirlwind that enveloped the Sphinx Androgygus, Skill Drain, and even the Pyramid of Light on his Field!
"Boom!!"
The Ojama Delta Hurricane shrank, and a huge explosion sounded on Anubis's Field. The invincible Sphinx Androgygus and Skill Drain, nicknamed the "[Gold] Country [Boss Monster]," were all destroyed!
End of Chapter
Chapter 520: Is Your Ancient Egyptian Ancestral Tradition Reanimation?
[Ojama Yellow]and the others ended the [Ojama Delta Hurricane!!] state and returned to Hayato's field. Hayato glanced at the [Pyramid of Light]that still remained on Anubis's field.
[Ojama Delta Hurricane!!]'s effect should be able to destroy all cards on the opponent's field, regardless of whether they are face-up or face-down, without targeting. Anubis's other two cards on the field were clearly destroyed, yet that [Pyramid of Light]still remained.
Also, it was only then that Hayato remembered to check the effect of that [Pyramid of Light]. He found that the text written on it was similar to the Egyptian Hieratic text that appears on [The Winged Dragon of Ra]when it is summoned.
The meaning of the text was likely that this card is extremely sturdy and almost indestructible, and possesses the power to banish Divine-Beasts. This was not much different from the effect of the anime version of [Pyramid of Light]in Hayato's memory.
The fact that [Ojama Delta Hurricane!!]couldn't destroy the [Pyramid of Light]was actually within Hayato's expectations. After all, even the self-destruct effect of [Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon], which Pegasus considered capable of defeating Divine-Beasts in the original plot, only managed to take effect against the [Pyramid of Light]on the second attempt. It was understandable that [Ojama Delta Hurricane!!]didn't work.
Hayato wasn't too regretful either. Destroying the [Pyramid of Light]wasn't his main goal anyway; he just needed to take down Anubis, the duelist.
"Damn it, you destroyed my cards!" Anubis glared furiously at Hayato, or more accurately, at the [Ojama] Brothers who had returned to Hayato's field, as he looked at the only [Pyramid of Light]remaining on his own field.
[Ojama Green]: "Your cards were really pathetic~"
[Ojama Black]: "Now you know how amazing we are!"
[Ojama Yellow]: "Naked pervert~"
"You guys are the last ones who have the right to call someone a naked pervert," Hayato retorted. However, he also noticed that after [Andro Sphinx]was destroyed, the [Ojama] Brothers and [Rainbow Kuriboh]seemed to have regained some of their spirit, as if they had also recovered their power through "destruction."
"Tsk, so what if you destroyed my monsters? All you have on your field are three weak monsters with 0 ATK." Although Anubis's field had been cleared by [Ojama Delta Hurricane!!]and he had gotten a glimpse of the power of the [Ojama] Brothers when they gathered, he still considered them nothing but small fry.
"Then, let me show you just how useful small fry fitting for you can be," Hayato said, playing a card. "Activate the Magic Card, [Lightning Conger]!"
Hearing the name of the card Hayato activated, [Ojama Yellow]and the others, who had just been looking proud, suddenly trembled. Their faces stiffened as they turned back to look at Hayato, and at the [Lightning Conger]card that had appeared open behind them.
"A-Aniki!?"
"What are you doing!"
"Aniki!"
Listening to [Ojama Yellow]and the others, the "grief" on Hayato's face was clearly visible from the corners of his upturned mouth: "Sorry, [Ojama Yellow], [Ojama Green], [Ojama Black], this is a necessary sacrifice."
"No way! I clearly saw Aniki give you that card in your hand, the [Sword and—"
"[Lightning Conger]'s effect activates! Destroy all monsters on my field, and inflict damage to the opponent's Life Points equal to the number of destroyed monsters x 300 points!"
Hayato timely interrupted [Ojama Yellow]before he could finish speaking. He waved his hand forward sharply. Only to see [Ojama Yellow]and the others, with faces full of "willingness," unleashing lightning towards Anubis. As the three bolts of lightning exploded on Anubis's body, [Ojama Yellow]and the others also turned into fragments and entered the graveyard.
"Ugh!" Although Anubis only had 1500 Life Points left, the 2500 points he lost were all from his own voluntary payment. This was the first time he had taken damage since the duel began, and he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.
[Anubis: 1500→600LP]
Looking at the 900 points of Anubis's Life Points that [Ojama Yellow]and the others' sacrifice had taken, Hayato's face was full of "grief and indignation": "To think you destroyed the monsters I consider my partners! Unforgivable, Pe- Anubis!"
"You bastard! You clearly destroyed your own monsters yourself!" Anubis, already in a bad mood because of the decrease in his Life Points, said annoyed, "How dare you attack me, who is like a deity, with such lowly weak monsters? I'll kill you a thousand times!"
Facing Anubis's threat, Hayato didn't take it to heart at all: "Before that, you'll at least have to defeat me in a duel first. I told you, didn't I? I'd use [Ojama Yellow]and the others to grant you the pathetic defeat you deserve."
"Activate the Magic Card, [Tri-Wight]! Activate by selecting three Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters that exist in my graveyard. Special Summon the [Ojama Yellow], [Ojama Green], and [Ojama Black]that were just destroyed from the graveyard to my field in Attack Position!"
"Then, the second [Lightning Conger]!"
Hayato played his last hand card besides Sword and Shield. A tomb that had been dug open appeared on his front row, and the [Ojama] Brothers were rising from underground, striking poses.
However, behind them, an identical [Lightning Conger]was already ready.
"We're here— Huh?! A second time!?"
"As expected of Aniki, tributing his own monsters so easily!"
"Truly awe-inspiring!"
"But why us again!" X3
Amidst the simultaneous wails of the [Ojama] Brothers, lightning struck Anubis again. This time, [Lightning Conger]was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely clearing Anubis's remaining 600 Life Points.
Within the lightning, Anubis let out a scream: "Uga!!!"
[Anubis: 600LP→0]
As the thunder fell, Hayato witnessed Anubis's body aging at an accelerated rate, as if time had sped up. In almost an instant, he transformed from a robust, blonde middle-aged man into a gaunt, white-haired old man, and the aging process still continued throughout his body.
Within a few breaths, Hayato was surprised to find that Anubis, who had been defeated in the Dark Game, had actually reverted to the dried corpse he had seen before. Aside from the lack of decayed bandages, he was almost identical to his previous mummy state. He fell heavily to the ground, and the [Pyramid of Light]on his chest also fell, but it didn't shatter from the impact, seeming to be of decent quality.
"Well, I guess I hit pretty accurately," Hayato said, smiling, as he looked at [Rainbow Kuriboh], who had fully recovered its usual spirit with Anubis's defeat.
At the same time, he casually stuffed [Ojama Yellow]and the others, who were still a bit listless despite recovering their power after repeatedly jumping between the graveyard and field during the duel, back into his deck and put away his Duel Disk.
"Aniki, you're too much—!"
"Tributing you is my responsibility, but I won't apologize," Hayato said nonchalantly, hearing [Ojama Yellow]'s voice abruptly cut off. At the same time, he looked down at Anubis's mummy lying flat on the ground. "Well, it seems the incident is resolved like this, right?"
"The process was too easy, I even feel it's a bit unreal."
The Shadow Realm and the projection of the [Pyramid of Light]dispersed as the duel reached its conclusion. Hayato walked over to Anubis's mummy and poked the dried skull.
There was no movement.
He's probably really dead.
Hayato poked his finger into the mummy's eye socket and wiggled it a few times. Seeing that Anubis's mummy still showed no reaction under these circumstances, he finally felt relieved.
Although it's common knowledge that dueling can save the world, Hayato just felt it was a bit unreal. After all, Anubis didn't create any grand spectacle before falling; he simply lacked the aura of a world-ending boss monster. Furthermore, he didn't say any harsh words before dying, which made Hayato very unaccustomed.
These days, honest antagonists like this are rare.
Hayato picked up a piece of dust cloth nearby to wipe his fingers, then stood up, preparing to handle the aftermath.
Although Hayato's act of defeating Anubis would interrupt the Pyramid of Light plot, in his opinion, it was better to have one less problem than one more. Kaiba's urge to duel wasn't a new thing anyway; at worst, he could just duel him a few more times after Kaiba got [Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon].
Anyway, he still hadn't managed to get any [Blue-Eyes] cards that Kaiba could drop, which made Hayato suspect for a while whether the [Blue-Eyes]cards listed on Kaiba's drop list by the System were just for show. He had, however, gotten quite a complete set of other cards like [Ring of Destruction].
Speaking of Kaiba, that guy was something else. Ever since the Duel Robot Project at Kaiba Land—the machine that went berserk during the KC Cup and was destroyed by Hayato while using Hayato's deck—became a huge success and was widely popular, Kaiba somehow discovered another use for Duel Robots:
Simulation Duel Win Rates.
By submitting card data, Duel Robots could simulate repeated duels between both players simultaneously to calculate the final win rate of two decks dueling. Because the process was very scientific, Kaiba became exceptionally superstitious about the win rates obtained this way.
However, when Kaiba, who had come full of confidence after simulating a 1000% win rate for his Blue-Eyes Deck against a Gaia Deck, had his [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon]and Gaia Fusion Summoned into [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]by Hayato using [Super Polymerization], Kaiba's expression turned very sour again.
While savoring Kaiba's annoyed expression from back then, Hayato conveniently opened the System to check the reward settlement after defeating Anubis.
The usual DP points were 500 points, which was honestly a bit low, just enough to offset the consumption of activating the Dark Game. However, what surprised Hayato was that Anubis actually dropped a card he had been craving for a long time.
The undisputed ace card of the "Draw" Series, the ultimate bane of decks that rely on monster effects to show off, a card whose card art looks incredibly cool because of its strength, known as the "Golden Land Boss Monster," the invincible [Skill Drain]!
Hayato had been craving this card for a really long time. The price to buy this card in the System Shop was a hefty 30000 DP, comparable to the price of noble powerful generic cards like [Red Dad]and [Phoenix Enforcer]. For Hayato, who habitually couldn't save DP, this was an astronomical price.
He had also thought about buying one directly with money on the market, but after checking the price, he decisively gave up on that fantasy.
As early as the Duelist Kingdom, Hayato had seen his opponent use this card when dueling the Buttocks Chin Uncle named Anasis on the Island. He originally had the absolute advantage, but as soon as the invincible [Skill Drain]was activated, Duel Monsters reverted to a game of axe-wielders hacking at each other, where victory or defeat was decided by ATK boosting.
After checking the price, Hayato also felt relieved. Only tycoons like Anasis, who held most of the world's shipping industry in their hands, could afford the ridiculously expensive [Skill Drain], which somewhat guaranteed the dueling experience for most people.
But...
Looking at the [Skill Drain]he had obtained, Hayato revealed a "kind" smile. Now, he could also enjoy the pleasure of using [Skill Drain]on others. It seemed he had gained another method to make others duel happily and show a "smiling" expression during the duel.
As for whether the opponent was willing to smile, well, he would just duel them until they did.
However, Hayato still had some regrets. Anubis's Duel Disk and deck had appeared out of thin air within the Dark Game. The instant Anubis's Life Points were cleared by [Lightning Conger], both the Duel Disk and the cards on it returned to their original nothingness.
Otherwise, how could Hayato have let go of such a good chance to... collect spoils? If Anubis's deck hadn't disappeared, he could have had two [Skill Drain]s.
Thinking this, Hayato looked down at Anubis's mummy on the ground with dissatisfaction. If Ishizu hadn't needed this artifact to exist for her report, why would Hayato have left him?
But as Hayato lowered his head, he was stunned. Only to see Anubis's mummy actually undergoing a reversal of time, just like when he first obtained the [Pyramid of Light], gradually restoring his normal human body!?
However, compared to before, the commotion during this restoration was much smaller, as if he didn't want to attract Hayato's attention?
Sensing Hayato's gaze and knowing his little movements, Anubis's mummy suddenly scrambled up from the ground. Taking advantage of Hayato not reacting immediately, he suddenly started running wildly!
And because Hayato had changed his position while checking on Anubis's mummy before, he couldn't get in front of it in time to stop it!
Hayato, who was chasing, and Anubis's mummy quickly ran from the end of the corridor to the location of Anubis's coffin from before. Anubis completely ignored the people who had fallen and ran past them, while Hayato glanced at the fallen crowd and hesitated slightly, his steps slowing down.
"You fell for it, Hayato Kobayashi! I, Anubis, am not that easy to defeat! This is my retreat approach!" The wildly running Anubis mummy noticed Hayato falling behind and mocked him proudly with his mouth that had returned to normal, "Your boring feelings will drag you down! Worrying about those mortals is what's making you unable to catch me!"
"In terms of strategy, you still can't compare to me, Anubis! Hmph hahahaha!"
Hayato watched Anubis escape, truly helpless. He could activate the Dark Game again, but at this distance, it would definitely envelop Ishizu, Yugi, and the others. Moreover, the Dark Game would force Anubis to fight to the death or even take the people who hadn't regained consciousness as hostages.
Mindful of this, Hayato watched Anubis's mummy reluctantly turn into dust and disperse in the Exhibition Hall along with the [Pyramid of Light]: "These guys from Egypt, Dark Marik too, Dark Bakura too, are they all ancestrally practicing reanimation?"
Thanks to "Bai Yu who is like a sniper" for the 600 points tip. Thank you.
Thinking back, Leader Li of the Hanoi Knights in V6 really had a top-tier understanding.
If they field setup, I'll activate Torrential Tribute. For high ATK monsters, I'll use Magic Cylinder. For Magic specialists, I'll use Royal. For search, I'll use Crush Card Virus. And for Link Monsters that cannot change to Defense Position, I'll use the invincible Mirror Force.
Still, the ruthless spandex-wearing duelist, Yuusaku, is even more amazing. After all, among all the protagonists throughout the generations, he's the only one whose ace card was put on the Forbidden/Limited List.
(End of Chapter)