Chapter 661: Hiding in the Toilet
In Duel Monsters, it's generally understood that while a monster's Level doesn't absolutely determine its strength, higher-Level monsters are usually more powerful.
However, there is one such monster that not only has 0 ATK and DEF and the lowest Level of 1☆, but is also famous for its powerful and unique Effect, even becoming a symbol of NTR at one point. Even after the variety of Duel Monsters cards grew to over ten thousand, that monster remains the sole 1☆ Ritual Monster.
That is—
"[Little White Rabbit]'s Level is 1☆, so I will Ritual Summon this Level 1☆ Ritual Monster from my Hand with the Effect of [Advanced Ritual Art]!" Dartz played a card that surprised Hayato. "Come out!"
"Relinquished!"
From Dartz's Duel Disk appeared a small rabbit that was cute in appearance but had a DEF that surpassed all others, hopping around quite lively.
But in the next instant, a sharp tentacle suddenly rose from beneath it, piercing its body. A large amount of black mud surged from the wound, enveloping the body of [Little White Rabbit].
After the black mud receded, a monster quite familiar to Hayato appeared on Dartz's Field.
Relinquished[1☆/Dark]
[Spellcaster Type/Ritual/Effect]
[0/0]
Its ATK and DEF are actually 0! How terrifying!
"Why is Pegasus's card in your Hand, Dartz?" Looking at Relinquished, which he and Yugi had teamed up to defeat before, being Summoned by Dartz, Hayato said with some apprehension.
Dartz just smiled calmly. "Do you remember who was acting with you at Industrial Illusions, Hayato?"
Hayato frowned. "Rafael?"
With Dartz mentioning it, Hayato also realized. Previously, to prevent Pegasus, the "Father of Duel Monsters," from creating troublesome cards under the guidance of Spirits, Dartz specifically arranged for the Doma Three Swordsmen to eliminate Pegasus. However, although Pegasus was eliminated, Kaiba obtained the cards Pegasus left behind from Pegasus's Castle and gave them to Yugi to use. As a result, that action was a failure.
The one who eliminated Pegasus at that time was none other than Hayato himself. Then, coincidentally, after sealing Pegasus's Soul, Hayato met Yugi and Joey Wheeler, and a Duel unfolded on the top floor of the Industrial Illusions Headquarters Building.
Because of the rush, Hayato at that time didn't even have time to display his usual virtue of diligence and frugality before having to Duel Yugi and Joey Wheeler. He didn't have time to swipe... I mean, keep Pegasus's cherished Deck for him.
After the Duel, the Industrial Illusions Headquarters Building even collapsed due to the destruction caused by the Materialized Card Monsters during the Duel. Pegasus's body was taken away by the "Legendary Dragon" that Yugi and Joey Wheeler awakened at the time, and Hayato also had no opportunity to recover the cards.
Thinking about it this way, the sole person at that time who didn't intervene in the Duel but was watching the battle, and who didn't yet know the truth of his family's death and was full of loyalty to Dartz, Rafael, had sufficient motivation and time to take Pegasus's Deck. Dartz most likely obtained the monster born from the darkness of Pegasus's [Millennium Eye] from Rafael's Hand.
"You actually took someone else's cards without permission. You have no dignity as a Duelist, Dartz!" Looking at Dartz, who was using Pegasus's Relinquished as if it were a matter of course, Hayato sternly rebuked him.
Dartz was also stunned by Hayato's words and showed a rather helpless expression. "Hayato, you are the sole one who has no qualification to say that to me. Didn't I learn this from you? As a loser, there's nothing wrong with me taking Pegasus's Deck to use."
"If Pegasus's Deck was taken by you, I naturally wouldn't have any opinion." As Hayato spoke, he pointed a thumb at himself. "But the one who defeated Pegasus was me, which means that's no longer Pegasus's Deck, but my cards!"
"To actually steal my cards to deal with me, it's unforgivable, Dartz!"
Even though Dartz had lived for ten thousand years, it was the first time he had seen such shameless remarks from Hayato. He helplessly changed the subject back to the Duel. "Although I cannot Enter Battle Phase, that doesn't mean I will leave the ABC-Dragon Buster on your Field, which can banish a card only once per Turn, until the next Turn."
"I activate the Effect of Relinquished. You should be very clear about its Effect, Hayato." As Dartz spoke, he pointed his finger at the ABC-Dragon Buster in Defense Position on Hayato's Field. "Once per turn, select one monster on the Opponent's Field as the sole Equip Card for Relinquished. Relinquished's ATK/DEF increase by the corresponding value of that monster's Original ATK/DEF."
"Don't resist, join me, Hayato!"
Following Dartz's words, the Relinquished that had mutated from [Little White Rabbit] twisted its revolting and disgusting single eye, aimed at ABC-Dragon Buster, and released a strange purple radiance, trying to absorb it into its body.
Hayato noticed that the Effect of the Relinquished Dartz was using seemed different from the Relinquished Pegasus used. Perhaps it was because Pegasus's Relinquished was enhanced by the [Millennium Eye]. His Relinquished not only had no restriction on the Number of Monsters it could equip, the ATK/DEF it gained after absorbing a monster was not the Original ATK/DEF, and it could even gain the Effect of the Equip Monster.
In a sense, the Anime Version of [Destiny HERO - Plasma] that Hayato used before was a "homage" to the Relinquished under Pegasus's control. Perhaps Aster's father actually liked "creating fun with heart"?
In short, Dartz's Relinquished's Effect was almost the Real Card Version, far inferior to Pegasus's version. However, even so, Hayato had no plan to just give his monster to him, mainly because the expression on that guy's face when he activated Relinquished's Effect was too much like a creep.
"But I refuse. I'm a Pure Love Faction guy, I never liked playing NTR." Glancing at the ABC-Dragon Buster on his Field that was about to be sucked in by Relinquished, Hayato said, "Let me sing you a song, Dartz!"
"A-Assault Core, B-Buster Drake, C-Crush Wyvern stack ABC-Dragon Buster, hiding in the toilet!"
Humming a tune with no skill but full of feelings, Hayato decisively ordered: "During the Opponent's Turn, I Tribute ABC-Dragon Buster on my Field, and Target the three types of Machine Type, LIGHT Attribute Union Monsters I have banished, and Special Summon those monsters!"
"Special Summon my banished A-Assault Core, B-Buster Drake, and C-Crush Wyvern!"
Chaining to the Effect of Relinquished, the body of ABC-Dragon Buster suddenly disintegrated, dodging the fate of being absorbed. It reassembled into three monsters on Hayato's Field.
These were exactly the three Fusion Materials that were banished earlier to Fusion Summon ABC-Dragon Buster.
A-Assault Core[ATK1900]
B-Buster Drake[ATK1500]
C-Crush Wyvern[ATK1200]
"Relinquished's Effect requires Targeting a monster first before it can be activated. After ABC-Dragon Buster was Tributed, the Target disappeared, causing the Effect's resolution to stop," Hayato said proudly with his hands on his hips. "From me, your Relinquished won't be able to take away even one monster, Dartz!"
Looking at the three monsters that suddenly appeared on Hayato's Field again, Dartz wasn't disappointed that his Relinquished didn't absorb any monsters. Instead, he said calmly, "As expected of you, Hayato. You are indeed not an opponent who can be defeated easily."
"In that case, I have no choice but to Set one card from my Hand and End Turn."
Saying this, Dartz Set the card in his Hand.
[Dartz: 4000LP, Hand 0]
Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands[ATK1400]
Relinquished[ATK0]
[Set Card]
Dartz thought that since he had declared the End Turn, Hayato would naturally activate one of the two Set Cards in his Spell/Trap Zone, Emergency Provisions, to Send his Nightmare's Mirage on the Field to the Graveyard, if Hayato didn't want to Send all the cards in his Hand to the Graveyard due to the Negative Effect of Nightmare's Mirage.
But what Dartz didn't expect was that Hayato actually had no intention of activating his Set Cards. Holding the three cards in his Hand, he was about to draw a card.
You know, last Turn, when Hayato drew a card because of Nightmare's Mirage, he didn't have a single card in his Hand and drew four cards in one go. Although replenishing his Hand felt great, this also meant that Hayato had to discard four cards in one go during his Standby Phase this Turn.
And Hayato currently only has three cards in his Hand, which means the card he draws this Turn cannot even be kept until the Main Phase and will be Sent to the Graveyard along with the other cards in his Hand.
"My Turn."
"Draw!" Under Dartz's confused gaze, Hayato placed his finger on his Deck, drew a card, and added it to his Hand. Then, only at this moment, Hayato activated the Set Card in his Spell/Trap Zone. "And the instant my Draw Phase ends, I activate this Set Quick-Play Spell Card, Overload Fusion!"
"Return the Fusion Material Monsters determined by a Fusion Monster from my Field and banished monsters to the Deck, and Special Summon one monster that uses Cyber Dragon as Fusion Material from my Fusion Deck!"
"Cyber Dragon?!" Dartz looked confusedly at the three monsters on Hayato's Field, not seeing Cyber Dragon. Furthermore, he didn't remember Hayato ever using this card, Cyber Dragon, or banishing it.
Without Cyber Dragon, logically speaking, Overload Fusion should be impossible to activate. But Dartz personally saw the Set Card in Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone flip up, showing the Card Art of Overload Fusion.
"You must be wondering now where exactly I got Cyber Dragon, Dartz?" Hayato said proudly. "Being so careful, I wonder if you noticed my Life Points?"
Hearing this, Dartz followed Hayato's finger pointing upwards and looked at the Virtual Scoreboard appearing above his head. The Life Points displayed on it dropped by a full half in an instant.
[Hayato: 4000→2000LP]
"Chaining to Overload Fusion, I also activated this card." The second card in Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone flipped up. It was surprisingly also a Quick-Play Spell Card, but it wasn't the Emergency Provisions Dartz had guessed. It was actually Cyberload Fusion Support?!
"By paying half of my Life Points to activate this Turn, only once when I Fusion Summon a Machine Type Fusion Monster, I can select the Fusion Material determined by that Fusion Monster from my Hand, Field, or Graveyard and banish them from play, using those monsters as Fusion Material!"
As Hayato spoke, he took out two more cards from his Graveyard Zone. "Besides the three monsters on my Field, A-Assault Core, B-Buster Drake, and C-Crush Wyvern, I will also banish ABC-Dragon Buster in the Graveyard and this Cyber Dragon as Fusion Material!"
"When was that?!" Eyes widened, Dartz looked unexpectedly at one of the cards Hayato took out. It was surprisingly the starting point and core of the "Cyber Style" --- Cyber Dragon. Dartz suddenly remembered that last Turn, in order to activate the Effect of ABC-Dragon Buster and banish his own Ritual Summoned [Gishki Zielgigas], Hayato had discarded a card. "Was it the card discarded from his Hand at that time?"
But Cyber Dragon was a card Hayato only drew with the Effect of Nightmare's Mirage during Dartz's Standby Phase, after his own Turn ended. However, Overload Fusion and Cyberload Fusion Support were cards Hayato Set before the Turn ended.
"Was this also part of your plan, Hayato!"
"Of course it is! If I can't even draw the card I want to draw, what kind of Duelist am I?" Including the three Machine Type monsters on his Field, Hayato banished all five cards in one go. "Hehehe, don't blink, Dartz. This is the last monster you'll see!"
"The perfect and elegant strongest Dragonmaid, descend before me by combining the power of five monsters!"
"Chimeratech Overdragon!"
Bathed in a welding-like radiance, a tall Giant Machine Dragon appeared behind Hayato. The eyes of its five machine dragon heads lit up with blue radiance, and its silver-white body stood tall on the Earth. Just the aftermath of its appearance instantly destroyed the Ojama Country and Hayato's Nightmare's Mirage in the Back Row.
"Since Chimeratech Overdragon is a silver-white Machine Dragon with blue eyes, abbreviated as Blue-Eyes White Dragon, it is naturally also a Dragon. If it were gender-bent, it would naturally also be a Dragonmaid."
Hayato, who insisted his Deck was a "Pure" Dragonmaid Deck, said this. At the same time, the value of the appearing Chimeratech Overdragon was also displayed before Dartz's eyes.
Chimeratech Overdragon[9☆/Dark]
[Machine Type/Fusion/Effect]
[4000/4000]
Thanks to the 100 points tip from "Violent Warrior". Thank you.
A simple Yu-Gi-Oh! Card knowledge quiz: Since the Quick-Play Spell Card Nightmare's Mirage was Sent to the Graveyard by the Chimeratech Overdragon Special Summoned by Hayato in the Draw Phase, does Hayato still need to Discard Hand?
End of Chapter
"The Fusion Materials for [Chimeratech Overdragon] are [Cyber Dragon] and one or more Machine-Type monsters. Its original ATK is determined by the monsters used as Fusion Material. Since it has five Fusion Materials, [Chimeratech Overdragon] gains 800 ATK for each, totaling 4000 points!"
"Not only that, but [Chimeratech Overdragon] can attack your monsters a number of times equal to the number of Fusion Materials used for its Summon in a single Turn, which means five consecutive attacks!"
Hayato said proudly. Although a monster with an ATK as high as [Obelisk the Tormentor] that can also punch the opponent five times is indeed awesome, Dartz couldn't shake the feeling that Hayato just purely wanted to say "five consecutive attacks".
Just like some people get incredibly excited just by seeing a straight tree branch, or seeing a large stone thrown from a Mountain Peak into a lake, creating a splash, Dartz sometimes felt there was a generation gap between himself, who had lived for ten thousand years, and modern people, making it difficult to understand certain strange quirks.
After a brief pause, Hayato continued, "However, as everyone knows, powerful cards often come with great risk. When [Chimeratech Overdragon] is Summoned, it forcibly sends all other cards on my Field, besides itself, to the Graveyard."
"I see, you used [Chimeratech Overdragon]'s negative effect to deal with the [Nightmare's Mirage] on your Field?" Dartz said with a knowing expression. "The effect of the Continuous Spell Card [Nightmare's Mirage] doesn't start a Chain; it automatically takes effect during the Standby Phase, but only if it's still present on the Field."
"Did you snatch Hand Cards that should have belonged to an illusory future from the power of destruction...?" Dartz exclaimed, looking at the four cards in Hayato's Hand that didn't need to be Discarded.
"After using [Cyberload Fusion] to Summon [Chimeratech Overdragon], due to [Cyberload Fusion]'s effect, I cannot attack with any monster other than [Chimeratech Overdragon] this Turn. But that's fine, this one monster is enough to crush you, Dartz."
Due to the Restriction, Hayato wasn't in a hurry to Summon any other monsters. Instead, he directly ended his Main Phase 1 and entered the Battle Phase. "My Battle Phase! I use [Chimeratech Overdragon] to attack the [Relinquished] on your Field in Attack Position!"
"Although [Relinquished] has the nasty effect of reflecting damage, that's only if it has a monster equipped to it. Right now, your [Relinquished] with 0 ATK on your Field doesn't even have a single monster that can act as a shield. Accept this Judgment of Light, Dartz!"
Hayato waved his hand and ordered. The [Chimeratech Overdragon] behind him immediately reared up, its five mechanical dragon heads simultaneously opening their mouths, revealing the energy emission devices inside. Five beams of cyan, deadly laser light swept towards the [Relinquished] in Attack Position on Dartz's Field.
"Wait a moment, [Relinquished], you won't bear any more sin," Hayato said deeply, looking at [Relinquished]. "I have a kind heart, I can't stand to see others suffer. I'll help you achieve liberation from Dartz's hand right away!"
"Mount Lu Hundred Dragon Supremacy!"
'Who asked you to help me achieve liberation?!' Accompanied by Hayato's nonsensical attack name, the [Relinquished] on Dartz's Field seemed quite excited. If it had a mouth and could speak, it would have already cursed at Hayato.
After the laser with a towering 4000 ATK swept past, the original mud on the Ground in front of Dartz was completely cleared away, revealing the scorched Ground. But [Relinquished] still remained on Dartz's Field, completely unharmed. It opened its single eye, which had been shut in fear just now, looking relieved that it had survived.
If that twisted expression on its face could be called relief.
Hayato frowned. Although he had acted quite confident just now, he wasn't too surprised that his attack had failed. After all, he didn't think Dartz would be so easy to defeat. Following the direction of [Chimeratech Overdragon]'s attack, Hayato looked at the Set Card flipped up in Dartz's Back Row.
"Trap Card [Change of Fate], it can only be activated when your monster declares an attack. It negates that monster's attack and changes its state to Defense Position."
Dartz slowly explained the effect of the card he activated after the Trap Card was triggered. Looking at Hayato, he said seriously, "Although it can perform multiple attacks, if it's changed to Defense Position, even [Chimeratech Overdragon] loses its momentum."
"Humans are the same. No matter how brilliant the radiance they display at this moment, at the End Point of Destiny, there is still irreversible Ruin and Despair. No matter how hard humans try then, they cannot change that kind of Destiny."
Hearing Dartz's words, Hayato couldn't help but think of the Future decades later in the original timeline, the deeds of the Four Bringers of Destruction.
Ener-D, driven by the emotions of the Human Heart, powered the Perpetual Motion Machine, installing a powerful engine for the development of human Material Civilization. With the speed of mental and spiritual development completely unable to keep up, humanity sped towards its Demise. By the time people in the Future discovered the Ruin, it was like a train speeding towards a cliff edge, completely unable to stop.
Even if the Four Bringers of Destruction of the apocalypse—Z-ONE, Antinomy, Paradox, and Aporia—tried their best, even going back to the Past to try and rewrite History, they could only watch helplessly as Doomsday descended and humanity went extinct in Pain.
The Orichalcos, which records the Darkness in the Hearts of the living beings on the Planet, did Dartz see the View of the Future through its Vision?
"So, Hayato, I want to change the Future, to change that future of Ruin and Unwillingness." Dartz looked at Hayato and said seriously, "Nothing is eternal. I can accept extinction, but it should be a peaceful ending like slumber, absolutely not such a painful demise."
"The [Chimeratech Overdragon], whose battle position was changed by [Change of Fate], cannot change its battle position as long as it remains Face-up Position on the Field. And after that, the opponent chooses one of [Change of Fate]'s effects to activate."
As Dartz's words fell, two doorways, one blue and one red, appeared in the card art of the [Change of Fate] he had opened in his Spell/Trap Zone, standing not far in front of Hayato.
"Choose, Hayato. I told you, I always welcome you to join me. That point hasn't changed even now." Dartz looked at Hayato with a sincere expression. "Let's create a New World together, and before humanity's Destiny sails towards irreversible Ruin, let's divert it towards a different Future."
"The red doorway means you can inflict damage equal to half of the ATK of the [Chimeratech Overdragon] whose attack was negated."
"And the blue doorway means Hayato, you can recover a value equal to half of the ATK of [Chimeratech Overdragon]."
"At the Divergence Point of Destiny, make your choice seriously."
Hearing Dartz invite him again and present him with two choices, Hayato hesitated for a rare moment.
Either deal 2000 damage to the opponent, or recover 2000 LP himself? What a nonsensical effect, but it's quite difficult to choose. If I deduct 2000 LP from Dartz, will he use Destiny Draw next Turn and finish me off?
Hmm? Am I actually hesitating because of the effect of [Change of Fate], and not because of Dartz's invitation?
What a joke, the answer to that kind of thing, haven't I known it for a long time now—
"I'm really sorry, Dartz, my answer is still a rejection. Even knowing that the End ahead is a Demise of Despair, unfortunately, I won't shed tears until I see the coffin, and I won't turn back until I hit a wall. You can say this is humanity's inferiority, but humans are just that stubborn." Hayato had a helpless expression, but then revealed a smile. "However, I prefer to call it humanity's resilience."
"Facing irresistible natural disasters and unbeatable enemies, humans have never survived in the World by compromise. Humans will continue to be this stubborn in the Future, overcoming countless difficulties, even Destiny itself."
"That kind of Ruin-filled Future isn't something you can decide! Our Destiny is for us to change ourselves!"
After a pause, Hayato recalled Paradox. "This is something I've made a promise with someone about, and a promise must be kept!"
Saying that, Hayato firmly chose the red doorway. "My choice is to inflict 2000 damage to you!"
As Hayato made his choice, the blue doorway shattered, and the power that could have recovered Hayato's LP disappeared from within, leaving only the red doorway filled with the power of destruction. Its power fell upon Dartz.
[Dartz: 4000 → 2000 LP]
Seeing Hayato reject him again, Dartz disappointedly lowered the hand he had raised earlier and said regretfully, "Is that so? You still won't join me, Hayato. Well, after all, it's you, Hayato. If it were that easy for you to join me, your soul wouldn't be so brilliantly shining."
"Come, Hayato, let me witness more of your radiance!"
Hearing Dartz's words, Hayato also smiled, "Hmph, then you absolutely must not blink, Dartz. The radiance that follows will be forever imprinted in your heart."
As he spoke, Hayato drew a card from his Hand: "End my Battle Phase, then in my Main Phase 2, I activate Continuous Spell Card [Future Fusion]!"
"As the name suggests, this card performs Fusion in the Future. I select Fusion Materials from my Deck and send them to the Graveyard. Then, in the Standby Phase of my Next Turn, I will Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck using those monsters as Fusion Material."
Following the activation of [Future Fusion], Dartz saw a small Fusion Vortex appear in front of Hayato, seemingly waiting for Hayato to throw the Fusion Materials into it.
Catching the cards retrieved by his Duel Disk, Hayato specifically showed them to Dartz before sending them to the Graveyard: "The Fusion Materials I choose to send to the Graveyard are these five monsters."
"An EARTH Attribute Dragon-Type monster, [Dragonmaid Ernus];"
"An EARTH Attribute Dragon-Type monster, [Dragonmaid Nudyarl];"
"An EARTH Attribute Dragon-Type monster, [Hardened Armed Dragon];"
"An EARTH Attribute Dragon-Type monster, [Rock Conqueror Dragon];"
"An EARTH Attribute Dragon-Type monster, [Earth Conqueror Dragon]!"
A total of five Dragon-Type monsters were sent to the Graveyard by Hayato. Even though Hayato hadn't yet shown the monster he was going to Fusion Summon next Turn, Dartz already knew which Fusion Monster it was due to its overly famous Summoning Condition.
"Masaka, are you going to Summon the [Five-Headed Dragon], which has 5000 ATK and cannot be battle destroyed by EARTH, FIRE, DARK, or WATER Attribute monsters?!"
"Heh heh, that's right. The monster I'm going to Summon with the effect of [Future Fusion] in the Standby Phase of my Next Turn is none other than the sole designated boss monster of this 'Pure' Dragonmaid Deck, the invincible [Five-Headed Dragon]!"
Hayato took out the [Five-Headed Dragon] card and showed it to Dartz. However, since [Future Fusion]'s Fusion Summon is in the Next Turn, [Five-Headed Dragon] cannot appear yet.
As everyone knows, the most useless resistance in Duel Monsters is battle destruction immunity, but the best removal method is battle destruction. And [Five-Headed Dragon], with both ATK and DEF of 5000, possesses battle destruction immunity.
Although this battle destruction immunity is a crippled version, only effective against battles with monsters of the specified four Attributes and ineffective against LIGHT Attribute and Divine Attribute monsters, that doesn't matter. Could Dartz, this schemer, possibly pull out a LIGHT Attribute monster card?
Hayato selectively ignored the fact that the [Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands] currently standing on Dartz's Field was indeed a LIGHT Attribute monster.
Even if, hypothetically, Dartz could summon a high-ATK LIGHT Attribute monster and sit on the [Five-Headed Dragon] that Hayato was going to Summon next Turn.
However, Hayato didn't say he wasn't planning to summon any monsters this Turn.
"At this moment, five EARTH Attribute monsters have gathered in my Graveyard due to the effect of [Future Fusion]. Revive from beneath the Earth after a long absence, my first Kami!"
"Supernatural Strength and Chaos, Shaking Heaven and Earth! That power, now is the time for it to awaken from its ancient lament!"
Saying that, Hayato played a card from his Hand,
"Special Summon, [Grandsoil the Elemental Lord]!"
The Ground beneath his feet trembled as Hayato played the card on his Duel Disk. A thunderbolt struck from the darkness and crashed onto the Ground, splitting open a fissure. From within, a towering figure rose.
Following the tall [Chimeratech Overdragon], a second giant monster appeared behind Hayato—
[Grandsoil the Elemental Lord] [Level 8/EARTH]
[Beast-Warrior/Special Summon/Effect]
[2800/2200]
"Long time no see, [Earth Spirit God]. Let me wield your power once again." Looking at the monster that hadn't appeared behind him for a long time, Hayato smiled slightly and turned to look at Dartz. "[Grandsoil the Elemental Lord] cannot be Normal Summoned. It can only be Special Summoned when the number of EARTH Attribute monsters in my Graveyard is exactly five."
"The Earth buries all things, and with the descent of the [Earth Spirit God], the dead will also revive!" Hayato said, taking a card from his Graveyard. "When [Grandsoil the Elemental Lord] is successfully Special Summoned, select one monster from your or your Opponent's Graveyard and Special Summon it to my Field."
"Come forth, [Dragonmaid Ernus]!"
The gentle-natured [Dragonmaid Ernus] was Special Summoned by Hayato from the Graveyard following the effect activation of [Grandsoil the Elemental Lord]. At this point, having summoned a second [Dragonmaid] monster, Hayato said proudly, "I told you, this is a 'Pure' Dragonmaid Deck."
Hearing this, from an angle Hayato couldn't see, the [Dragonmaid Ernus] who had just now appeared couldn't help but roll her eyes.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 663: Little Blue Helped You Mill, Say Thank You Quickly, Little Blue
"When [Dragonmaid Ernus] is Summoned/Special Summoned, I activate her effect! I Special Summon one [Dragonmaid] monster from my Graveyard, other than [Dragonmaid Ernus]!"
Hayato didn't notice that [Dragonmaid Ernus], or Little Pink, was secretly looking down on him. He continued his operation, taking out Little Blue, the invincible Future Dragon Emperor - Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon, who had appeared once before, from his Graveyard.
As soon as she was Special Summoned from the Graveyard, Little Blue hid behind [Dragonmaid Ernus], Little Pink, looking very scared. However, what was slightly worth noting was that Little Blue wasn't hiding from Dartz's [Relinquished] on the Field, but from Hayato, fearing he would Tribute her again at the slightest disagreement.
It was only after Little Pink's gentle comfort that Little Blue reluctantly stepped out from behind her, though she still held onto Little Pink's skirt.
[Dragonmaid Ernus] [Level 2/EARTH]
[Dragon Type/Effect]
[500/1600]
[Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon] [DEF 1600]
"When [Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon] is successfully Special Summoned, I activate her effect again! I send the top three cards of my Deck to the Graveyard," Hayato said, reaching for his Deck. "Give me some power, Little Blue."
The first card: [Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight];
The second card: [Dragonmaid Changeover];
The third card: [Ritual of the Super Soldier];
Ya☆Da☆Ze!
Looking at the cards sent to the Graveyard, Hayato was slightly excited, because this Milling was simply great!
She actually succeeded in sending Dragonmaid cards to the Graveyard! You did well, Little Blue, you did well!
"I activate the effect of [Dragonmaid Changeover], which was sent to the Graveyard by Little Blue! I return [Dragonmaid Ernus] on my Field to my Hand, and then Recycle this Card from the Graveyard."
While speaking, Hayato returned Little Pink from the Field to his hand. After all, Little Pink's effect can be used as a low-cost version of Monster Reborn. It was definitely not because Hayato wanted to see Little Blue's teary-eyed expression, standing alone between two giants after losing Little Pink to rely on.
Look at this Little Blue, she's so cute, how can I not bully her a little? If I punch her, she'll probably cry for a long time.
Recycling [Dragonmaid Changeover] from the Graveyard to his Hand, Hayato glanced at the monsters on his Field. [Dragonmaid Changeover]'s Recycling Effect is its second effect. Its first effect is just a standard [Polymerization]-like effect, selecting Fusion Material from the Hand or Field, but it's limited to Fusion Summoning Dragon Type Fusion Monsters.
And now, Hayato's Field has the Machine-Type Monster [Chimeratech Overdragon] which cannot change Battle Position, the Beast-Warrior [Grandsoil the Elemental Lord], and the pitiful, weak, but cute Little Blue.
On the surface, none of these monsters seem to match each other, and no monster can be Fusion Summoned. However, the Winning Equation was already assembled before. If you were observant, you might have noticed that in this "Pure" Dragonmaid Deck, Hayato also included a [Dragon Ruler] Engine!
"By banishing [Earth Conquer Dragon - Trace Dragon] and [Hardened Armed Dragon], two EARTH Attribute monsters from my Graveyard, I activate the effect of [Rock Conquer Dragon - Rust Dragon] in my Graveyard! I Special Summon it from my Graveyard! With this, the required Material is assembled!"
Hayato said, drawing [Dragonmaid Changeover] from his Hand and holding it above his head. "Activate Spell Card [Dragonmaid Changeover]! I send [Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon] and the Level 7 Dragon Type Monster [Rock Conquer Dragon - Rust Dragon] from my Field to the Graveyard as Fusion Material!"
"O perfect and elegant head maid who oversees five maids! I command you now, Seal Release, unleash your True Form!"
"Descent! Wagatama Soul!"
"Fusion Summon! [Dragonmaid Sheou]!"
"Yes, My Lord."
Accompanied by Hayato's shout, a dark figure shot out from behind him and rose into the air. It was a graceful and beautiful black Dragon, radiance blooming above Hayato's head.
Watching [Dragonmaid Sheou]'s shining appearance, Little Blue immediately turned into a fangirl, her eyes becoming starry eyes: "Oh oh oh! It's Butler Sister! And it's Butler Sister's Dragon Form!"
"Not only can she call out the other sisters, Butler Sister can also negate the power of Cockroaches and Rabbits! So strong, too strong! My power combined with Butler Sister's is simply invincible!"
The Dragon Form of [Dragonmaid Sheou] slowly landed under Little Blue's worshipful gaze. With a helpless expression, she looked at Little Blue and said, "Although I'm happy that you like me so much, Little Blue, stop staying on the Field and causing trouble for Master."
"Uwah! And here I thought I liked you the most, Butler Sister! Going to the Graveyard, I don't want to do that!" Little Blue threw a tantrum like a child, acting cute towards Hayato. "Master, don't send me into the cold Graveyard, at least for one Turn."
"But I refuse. Be a good girl and go to the Graveyard," Unfortunately, Hayato, as a Duelist focused solely on the game, drawing cards like a god, sent her back into the Graveyard without hesitation, ignoring Little Blue's pitiful gaze.
Look how self-aware [Rock Conquer Dragon] is. It knows it's destined to be sent back to the Graveyard as soon as it appears, so it just poked its head out from the Graveyard and went back in.
As Little Blue turned into a ball of light and was sent to the Graveyard, the farce temporarily ended. Only then did Dartz turn his gaze towards [Dragonmaid Sheou].
[Dragonmaid Sheou] [Level 10/LIGHT]
[Dragon Type/Fusion/Effect]
[3500/2000]
A powerful Fusion Monster with a Level as high as 10. Its ATK alone already surpasses the 3000 ATK of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], which is often used for comparison in daily life. Furthermore, Dartz wasn't deaf; he had heard the effect of [Dragonmaid Sheou] that the traitor Little Blue had casually mentioned just now.
It seems to have the ability to mobilize other [Dragonmaid] monsters, and it seems it can negate certain effects? Dartz speculated in his mind, as he couldn't quite understand what "Cockroaches" and "Rabbits" meant.
However, more than that, the relationship between that monster and Hayato seemed a bit too intimate, didn't it?
Watching [Dragonmaid Sheou] affectionately sticking close to Hayato, Dartz frowned. I already took a liking to Hayato back during the Duelist Kingdom! And that monster wasn't by Hayato's side at that time! I was here first!
Hayato, however, didn't know what Dartz was thinking. He stroked the Dragon Scale on [Dragonmaid Sheou]'s body, which looked sharp but felt incredibly good to the touch. Under the gaze of [Dragonmaid Sheou], who was slightly blushing, Hayato drew a card from his Hand and Set it in the Back Row. "I Set two cards. My Turn ends."
[Hayato: 2000 LP, Hand 1]
[Chimeratech Overdragon] [DEF 4000]
[Grandsoil the Elemental Lord] [ATK 2800]
[Dragonmaid Sheou] [ATK 3500]
[Future Fusion] [Set Card] [Set Card]
If the setup Hayato had made was before entering the Battle Phase, it would have been a sure kill. After all, Dartz only had one [Change of Fate] Set Card in his Spell/Trap Zone at that time. However, [Dragonmaid Sheou] has an Omni Negate for Spell/Trap/Monster Effects once. [Chimeratech Overdragon]'s Fatal Five Consecutive Hits, which wasn't negated or changed to Defense Position, would have been a sure kill.
Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped. After all, Hayato was able to Summon [Dragonmaid Sheou] thanks to [Dragonmaid Changeover] being sent to the Graveyard by Little Blue. Without [Dragonmaid Sheou], Hayato could at most only leave a few monsters on his Field that couldn't participate in battle as shields, and they might even become an opening for Dartz's counterattack.
Our Little Blue is truly too strong!
Hayato shamelessly thought to himself, despite having personally sent Little Blue to the Graveyard.
"My Turn, Draw!" With annoyed feelings towards [Dragonmaid Sheou], Dartz began his Turn. He drew a card from the Top of Deck, and his eyebrow twitched. It seemed he had drawn a good card, but he kept a poker face.
And at the instant Dartz drew the card, Hayato shouted, "At this instant, [Dragonmaid Sheou] on my Field can activate her effect!"
"Activate during either player's Standby Phase! Special Summon one [Dragonmaid] monster with Level 9 or lower from my Hand or Graveyard," Hayato said, drawing the card from his Hand. "I Special Summon Little Pink, [Dragonmaid Ernus], from my Hand in Defense Position, and activate her effect when Special Summoned!"
"I Special Summon [Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon] from the Graveyard again! Come out, Little Blue!"
"Awoo!"
[Dragonmaid Sheou] spread its Wings, scattering starlight onto the ground, calling forth the two maids, [Dragonmaid Ernus] and [Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon]. As soon as Little Blue appeared, she immediately pounced into Little Pink's embrace affectionately. "Waaah! I absolutely love you, Pink Sister! As expected of my favorite Older Sister!"
"Didn't you just say you liked me the most, Little Blue!" [Dragonmaid Sheou] put on an angry appearance, looking at Little Blue, who had changed her tune after just one Turn.
What could Little Blue do?
"Ehehe~"
Little Blue on the Field used cuteness to get away with it against [Dragonmaid Sheou], while Hayato also drew three cards from his Deck and sent them to the Graveyard.
Dartz looked at the monsters crowding Hayato's Field and exclaimed, "Truly impressive, Hayato. In the blink of an eye, you've managed to setup so many monsters on the Field again. However, the power of spirits is unreliable, because no one knows when they might bring disaster."
Hayato heard Dartz's words and felt slightly helpless. Due to his personal experience, Dartz was full of prejudice towards the power of spirits. He believed that it was precisely because of the close proximity to spirits that the Atlantean Civilization fell into the Abyss under the influence of "Orichalcos". Furthermore, it was because spirits returned to humanity's side in the era three thousand years ago, during Dark Yugi's lifetime, that the idea of destroying humanity resurfaced.
"I disagree with your idea, Dartz." Hayato looked at the monsters on his Field and said seriously, "I regard each of my Spirits as important Companions. One could even say they are my dearest friends and family, like brothers. They entrust their power to me for me to command, and I naturally entrust my life to them with trust."
"Stop trying to sow discord!"
Seeing Hayato so stubborn, Dartz shook his head with a helpless expression and said, "I know you can't accept it, but Hayato, what I'm saying is the true result I obtained after my personal experience over the past ten thousand years. While spirits certainly favor humans because of certain human traits, they can also easily commit betrayal due to other external forces."
Dartz clearly remembers that the Atlantean Civilization was established by relying on the power of spirits, but after the descent of the power of "Orichalcos", those spirits did nothing to stop its power from integrating into the Atlantean Civilization and even started distancing themselves from humans, as if they were fleeing alone for self-preservation upon discovering the arrival of disaster.
Dartz could understand this self-preservation action; it could be explained as the spirits fearing the influence of the darkness of the Planet residing on "Orichalcos". However, what Dartz could not tolerate was that despite abandoning humans, the spirits intervened when Dartz discovered that saving everything was too late and planned to destroy the Atlantean Civilization to start anew.
"If you cannot believe this point, let me prove it to you, Hayato." Dartz said, waving his hand and ordered, "I activate the effect of [Relinquished] on my Field!"
"Once per Turn, it absorbs one monster from your Field as an Equip Card, and gains that monster's ATK/DEF." Pointing towards [Dragonmaid Sheou] on Hayato's Field, Dartz declare, "The monster I select is [Dragonmaid Sheou] on your Field, Hayato!"
"Get away from Hayato's side, you mere card spirit!"
If [Dragonmaid Sheou] were just a simple Duel Monster, Dartz wouldn't care so much. But he had long noticed that many of Hayato's cards had spirits residing within them. How could he tolerate these spirits staying by Hayato's side?
"Want to play monster stealing? Don't even think about it! I'm a Pure Love Faction, watch my Dragonmaids crush monster stealing!" Hayato frowned, chaining to the Effect Activation of [Relinquished], he declare, "The Effect of [Dragonmaid Sheou] can only be activated when the opponent activates a Spell/Trap/Monster Effect! It negates that activation and destroys it!"
"How dare you show off your petty tricks in front of me? I'm the only one who takes control of others' monsters!"
Accompanied by Hayato's double-standard declaration, [Dragonmaid Sheou]'s body once again scattered starlight. However, this time the radiance she released was not the light that summoned other Dragonmaids, but gathered in front of her, transforming into a sword of light that fiercely pierced [Relinquished] before it could even open its eyes.
[Relinquished] was lucky to have survived the attack from [Chimeratech Overdragon] before. This time, it couldn't escape the destiny of being destroyed and was sent into Dartz's Graveyard.
However, as the cost for negating and destroying [Relinquished], the radiance surrounding [Dragonmaid Sheou]'s body dimmed slightly. When she landed again, she could no longer maintain her Dragon Form and had to turn back into her human form. Little Blue, as if trying to flatter her, quickly stepped forward holding a cup of hot water pulled out from who knows where, but accidentally tripped over her own tail and fell down, spilling water all over the ground.
[Dragonmaid Hospitality] [ATK 3000]
"After that, [Dragonmaid Sheou] returns to my Fusion Deck, and I Special Summon [Dragonmaid Hospitality] to my Field."
Hayato looked at Dartz's [Relinquished] on the Field with a serious expression, while placing the [Dragonmaid Hospitality] card on his Duel Disk, and explained.
[Dragonmaid Sheou]'s negation effect is quite Omni Negate, but its flaw is that it can only be used once, after which it turns back into human form. And Dartz's operation was extremely obvious; he clearly intended to use [Relinquished]'s power to bait out [Dragonmaid Sheou]'s effect, to ensure that the card he drew this Turn could be activated safely.
And Hayato had no choice but to use [Dragonmaid Sheou]'s effect as he intended.
But it doesn't matter. Even if she lost her Dragon Form's negation effect, [Dragonmaid Hospitality]'s attack is still as high as 3000, and Dartz only has one card in Hand. There's nothing to be afraid of at all, okay? I'm single-mindedly dueling———
"Activate Spell Card, [Card of Demise]!"
Thanks to Papyrus's tip of 100 points, thank you.
Thanks to user "20161216202852501"'s tip of 100 points, thank you.
Author's Note: Today is another day I was screwed over by Little Blue's Mill.
End of Chapter
Chapter 664: Too Lazy to Come up with a Title is Also a Title
Hayato felt helpless that the card Dartz drew this turn was actually [Card of Demise]. Even if it were any other card, like Harpie's Feather Duster or Raigeki, Hayato would have a way to handle it. After all, his two Set Cards in the Spell/Trap Zone weren't just for show. However, Dartz just happened to draw [Card of Demise], which has an incredibly unfair card drawing effect.
"Draw from my Deck until my Hand becomes five cards." Dartz paused halfway through his sentence, and Hayato helplessly finished it for him. "Then you have to pay a huge cost, meaning you discard your entire Hand after five turns."
"Don't drag out the explanation for such an unfair effect, Dartz," Hayato waved his hand. "After returning, I'm definitely going to make Kaiba and Pegasus nerf this Card. Anyone who uses this Card is shameless."
Oh, Hayato has this Card too. Never mind then.
Looking at the five cards he drew, Dartz smiled and said to Hayato, "I'm afraid it won't be as you wish, Hayato, because in this Duel, after I drew this Hand of cards, the winning side is already obvious."
"To be able to draw [Card of Demise] at this crucial moment, without a doubt, the Destiny of this Planet is also leaning towards me, wanting me to destroy the worm-like Humans!"
"The Wind of Victory is blowing from behind me, Dartz!"
Saying this, Dartz drew a Card and held it overhead. "Just in case, I'll activate this Card first, the Spell Card [Harpie's Feather Duster]!"
"Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on both players' Fields!"
As Dartz activated [Harpie's Feather Duster] and inserted the Card into his Duel Disk, the area around them was surrounded by a suddenly rising hurricane. Although it said "Destroy all cards on both players' Fields," at this moment, only Hayato had Spell and Trap Cards. [Future Fusion] and the two Set Cards in Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone began to tremble in the strong wind.
However, Hayato had already anticipated this situation. He had already Set a Card that could deal with Front Row or Spell/Trap Zone destruction, and immediately pressed the Activate Set Card button.
"Don't think about destroying my Set Card in the Spell/Trap Zone, Dartz! I am the approaching Storm!" Hayato waved his hand, and the Card beside him opened, revealing the Card. "Witness this power! Trap Card, [Solemn Darkness]!"
"Can only be activated when your opponent activates a Spell/Trap/Monster Effect that would destroy a card(s) on the Field. Negate that Effect, then I send one DARK Attribute Monster with Level 3 or lower from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
This was the ultimate Trap Hayato had prepared, one that could negate both [Black Hole] and [Harpie's Feather Duster]. Just one [Harpie's Feather Duster] wanting to destroy Hayato's precious Spell/Trap Zone was fundamentally impossible to achieve. Even more, Hayato could perform precise milling of a powerful Monster Card from his Deck.
Thinking this, Hayato caught the Level 1 "powerful monster" searched by his Duel Disk—[Infernity Necromancer]—and sent it to the Graveyard. And in front of him, the phantom of [Infernity Necromancer] appeared, aimed at the approaching Storm, raised the revolver in its hand, and pulled the trigger.
The Storm was instantly broken through by a seemingly tiny bullet, and the full power figure of [Infernity Necromancer] also dispersed from Hayato's side.
"Thank you, [Infernity Necromancer]." Thanking the Card beside him, Hayato looked at Dartz and said, "Did you see, Dartz? This is the proof of mutual trust between me and my cherished Cards. Don't think about shaking the bond between us."
Dartz saw that although [Harpie's Feather Duster] revealed one of Hayato's Set Cards in the Spell/Trap Zone, it didn't achieve maximum effect. He originally didn't care much, just considering that he had already dismantled one of Hayato's Traps with [Mystical Space Typhoon]. But hearing that Hayato still believed in the power of spirits, he frowned.
Knowing Hayato was difficult to convince, Dartz took a deep breath and said, "Is that really so, Hayato? Nothing can shake the bond between you? No, that's not it. Spirits are existences not worth trusting."
Drawing a Card, Dartz chose to prove his point to Hayato with facts. "I activate this Equip Spell Card, [Contract with the Abyss]! Pay 800 Life Points, revive one Ritual Monster from my Graveyard, and equip this Card to it."
"Continue to fulfill the unfinished contract, revive from my Graveyard, [Relinquished]!"
A contract appeared on Dartz's Field. As a dark aura surged from Dartz's body, his Life Points transformed into blood-red characters slowly appearing on the contract. The paper was torn open by a pair of claws, and [Relinquished], which was previously destroyed by [Hestia], appeared on Dartz's Field once again.
[Dartz: 2000→1200 LP]
[Relinquished] (Contract with the Abyss) [ATK 0]
Oh no! There isn't a Card on my Spell/Trap Zone that can negate [Relinquished]'s effect again. Looking at [Relinquished] that appeared on Dartz's Field again, Hayato was filled with tension.
Although he had put Cards like [Skill Drain] in his Deck that could negate Monster Effects, it could be seen from how Hayato just chose to use [Hestia]'s effect to negate and destroy [Relinquished] instead of choosing to activate a Set Card, that Hayato hasn't drawn those Cards yet.
Of course, actually, he couldn't draw them anymore.
Looking at [Imperial Order], [Skill Drain], and his ace card in the Deck, the invincible [Psychic Ectoplasm], which were sent into the Graveyard by Little Blue's milling at the start of the turn, Hayato sighed silently. To think you sent my "Pendulum" Cards to the Graveyard, unforgivable, Little Blue!
(Little Blue: You even thanked me last turn!)
Although at the start of Main Phase 1, Dartz had already activated [Relinquished]'s effect, which can only be used once per turn, to bait out [Hestia]'s negate, as [Relinquished] was sent to Graveyard and then revived, its effect was reset and can be activated again.
Duel Monsters, it's quite magical, isn't it?
"Activate [Relinquished]'s effect, once per turn, target one Monster on the opponent's Field, equip that Monster onto it, and make [Relinquished] gain the same ATK/DEF as the equipped Monster."
While saying this, Dartz pointed his finger towards [Chimeratech Overdragon] on Hayato's Field, which had the highest ATK. "The Monster I select is your [Chimeratech Overdragon], which was changed to Defense Position by [Change of Fate]. Rather than meeting your end in this unsightly stance at the end of ruin's destiny, why not become one of the materials for my world destruction!"
Amidst [Chimeratech Overdragon]'s unwilling roars, the purple radiance emitted from [Relinquished]'s wide single eye enveloped its entire body, causing the massive giant machine dragon to slowly sink underground. In its place, protrusions in the appearance of [Chimeratech Overdragon] appeared on [Relinquished]'s spread fleshy wings, as if it were being sealed inside.
And Hayato could only watch his old friend leave his side, helplessly facing [Relinquished] whose ATK began to soar.
[Relinquished] (Contract with the Abyss, Chimeratech Overdragon) [ATK 0→4000]
Having been listless for a long time, always having the status of a small fry on the Field, [Relinquished], after acting weak for nearly two turns, finally rose up by absorbing [Chimeratech Overdragon]'s power, instantly becoming the existence with the highest ATK on the entire Field.
Although Dartz's [Relinquished], compared to Pegasus's [Relinquished], could not only only absorb one Monster but also couldn't gain [Chimeratech Overdragon]'s effect, and even the retained effect of reflecting damage became shared damage, a Monster with 4000 ATK is already powerful enough on its own.
Especially since [Grandsoil the Elemental Lord] with 2800 ATK and [Dragonmaid Hospitality] with ATK of one Blue-Eyes on Hayato's Field were both in Attack Position.
However, just based on Dartz's current Field setup, although it would bring some trouble to Hayato, it wasn't fatal. At most, it would just reduce his Life Points to a flickering candle.
For victory, Hayato even started shamelessly cheering himself on in his heart.
But the problem was, after utilizing [Relinquished] to absorb [Chimeratech Overdragon], Dartz did not have the idea to enter Battle Phase. Instead, he drew a Card from his Hand again, planning to continue his Field setup.
"Seeing your Monster switch to the opponent's side, Hayato, how do you feel now? I told you, didn't I? The power of spirits is unreliable. For them, it shouldn't be trust, but complete and utter domination." Looking at Hayato, Dartz inserted a Card into the Spell & Trap Zone and said with composure, "Spirits are just such unreliable existences!"
"With this [Raigeki], I will destroy all those annoying card spirits around you, Hayato!"
As Dartz's Card activated, four powerful bolts of lightning fell from thin air above Hayato's Field, striking down simultaneously towards the four Monsters.
I have to say Dartz is really cunning. First, he put on an appearance of wanting to stop [Five-Headed Dragon]'s descent, so he wanted to use [Harpie's Feather Duster] to destroy [Future Fusion] and the two unknown Set Cards, forcing Hayato to activate [Solemn Darkness] in order to reduce losses.
And so now, Hayato, whose other Card in the Spell/Trap Zone was not a Card like [Solemn Darkness] that could negate destruction, could only watch helplessly as the lightning struck down.
[Grandsoil the Elemental Lord], [Dragonmaid Laundry Dragon], [Dragonmaid Ernus], [Dragonmaid Hospitality], all destroyed!
"Boom!"
While the power of [Raigeki] destroyed all the Monsters on Hayato's Field in one go, Dartz's proud laughter also rang out.
"Hmph hahahaha, finally! Those annoying monsters have finally left your side, Hayato!"
The laughing Dartz put on a perfect face art that would make Marik silent and Vector cry, looked at Hayato and said, "How pitiful, Hayato. Look, the spirits have indeed left you one after another, haven't they?"
"You should know, only I am your friend, only I need you!"
"Stop right there! Are you some kind of dramatic character?" Afraid that Dartz, who was getting hyped up, would next say words like "I'm sorry, I love you," Hayato, who got goosebumps, quickly interrupted him and said.
Seeing Hayato's expression of resistance, Dartz didn't care either. Instead, he waved his hand and said, "You still don't want to join me, Hayato, but it doesn't matter, because without a doubt, this Duel is already over. Humanity's destiny is only one, which is after you are defeated by me, welcome destruction, and become the fertile soil for the birth of the New World!"
"Next, I enter my Battle Phase! First is, [Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands]'s direct attack!"
"Bronze Throne!"
Receiving Dartz's instruction, [Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands], which had been slacking off the whole time since appearing from the opening hand, finally had the opportunity to display itself. The countless palms behind it that would trigger trypophobia clenched into fists, and shouting "Ora! Ora!", it rushed towards Hayato.
[Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands] [ATK 1400]
Even though before, Hayato still had a Field full of Monsters, including powerful Monsters like [Chimeratech Overdragon], [Grandsoil the Elemental Lord], and [Dragonmaid Hospitality], at this moment, even a weak monster with less than 1500 ATK could declare attack on Hayato.
In the Spell/Trap Zone, the future entrusted to [Future Fusion] hadn't arrived yet, and another Set Card with unclear meaning was also not activated by Hayato. [Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands]'s fist hit Hayato's chest, deducting a large portion of Hayato's remaining Life Points.
[Hayato: 2000→600 LP]
"Ugh!" Covering the spot on his chest that was hit, Hayato couldn't help but slightly bend at the waist because of the pain. Even in an ordinary Duel, when Life Points are reduced to 600 points, it will also bring a certain burden to a person's body. Not to mention that Hayato is currently in the gathering place of the "Darkness of the Planet"—inside the "Orichalcos God"—conducting a Dark Game with Dartz.
Looking at Hayato, who had an expression of unbearable discomfort after being attacked by [Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands], Dartz also sighed helplessly. "It shouldn't have been like this, Hayato. You and I shouldn't have reached this point now."
He also put away [Forbidden Dress] which he had originally prepared to play from his Hand. This was a Card prepared to defend against [Sakuretsu Armor] and [Mirror Force]. But it seems that Card in Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone isn't a Trap applicable during Attack Declaration? In that case, there's no need to use it.
"This is the last one! [Relinquished]'s direct attack! Here, defeat Hayato Kobayashi!"
Dartz extended his hand and pointed at Hayato. "Oblivion Impact!"
"After this attack, your Life Points, like a flickering candle, will be cleared, and I will gain victory!" Looking at Hayato, Dartz's voice lowered. "It's over, Hayato, my hero."
And as Dartz gave the attack command, several mechanical dragon heads it had absorbed from [Chimeratech Overdragon] were revealed on [Relinquished]'s fleshy wings. Even though it was a mechanical construct, Dartz could see "unwillingness" and resistance from [Chimeratech Overdragon].
But, under the blessing of Dartz and the power of the "Orichalcos God," although [Relinquished] was not in the same state as when Pegasus used it, it was not something [Chimeratech Overdragon] could resist. Six beams of laser light filled with destructive aura shot out from the mouths of the mechanical dragon heads, attacking towards Hayato.
And Hayato's figure was submerged in the smoke and dust stirred up by the attack.
Dartz felt a slight regret, lowered his raised arm, thinking the Duel was over, and was about to step forward to recycle Hayato, who he had defeated.
Although it was a Dark Game, Dartz never had the idea of killing Hayato. So during the last attack, after also referencing Hayato's body state, he made [Relinquished] attack while holding back power. The current Hayato, after being hit directly by [Relinquished]'s attack with 4000 ATK, although not to the point of death, should have already fallen unconscious.
So next, he would regain control of the "Orichalcos God" whose connection was previously interrupted, go back outside, and take care of the Nameless Pharaoh, Seto, and that Katsuya Jounouchi.
Thinking this, Dartz was about to dispel the Duel Disk constructed on his arm with the dark magic power of the "Orichalcos God." But, to his surprise, the Duel Disk did not dispel according to his feelings?
This seemed a bit wrong. It was as if the Duel was still continuing?
The smoke and dust slightly dispersed. Dartz saw that Hayato's figure actually still appeared standing upright, and couldn't help but widen his eyes. Because he suddenly discovered that although [Chimeratech Overdragon] was forced to attack under [Relinquished]'s control, those six laser beams were all swept onto the ground around Hayato, not attack Hayato by even a single bit?!
"It seems my battle isn't over yet, Dartz, and my spirits are unwilling to attack me." Looking at Dartz, who had an expression of surprise, Hayato forced a smile and said. And in Dartz's stunned gaze, he saw the dark power filling the body of the "Orichalcos God" actually start to gather towards Hayato's surroundings, leaving behind a strange pattern beneath his feet?
"Trap Card, [Tribute to The Doomed]! Can only be activated when my Life Points are 3000 or less and an opponent's direct attack is declared. Negate that attack, then Special Summon two [Tribute Token]s on my Field."
"Furthermore, I add one Card with 'Earthbound Immortals' in its name from my Deck to my Hand."
Two stone statues slowly rose and stood tall in front of him from the mural beneath his feet. Hayato glanced behind him at the card spirits that were greedily absorbing the dark power because they had been hungry for too long, drew a Card from his Deck, looked at Dartz and said, "If I'm dealing with you, the villain who wants to destroy the world, wouldn't it be better to use this Card?"
"I add [Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca] to my Hand!"
Chapter 665: One Soul Guides the Light, One Soul Guides the Darkness
"Earthbound Immortal!" Dartz watched as Hayato added Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca to his Hand, the phantom behind him receding into the card. Dartz's expression turned somewhat fierce.
When a person lives long enough, they naturally come to know many things, such as the True Name of the Nameless Pharaoh from three thousand years ago, or the Wicked God that crawled out of the Underworld five thousand years ago. Because he was apprehensive of certain things, although Dartz knew Dark Yugi's True Name, he couldn't say it. However, he had no such reservations about the familiar monster before him.
Five thousand years ago on the Nazca Plain in South America, Dartz personally witnessed a war: a war between a Red Dragon leading five Flying Dragons and the Great Evil God and the Beast God it led. Spirits possessing great power swept humans along, forcing them to participate, and even chose their respective emissaries, leaving their mark on them.
At the end of the war, both sides almost annihilated each other, with neither claiming victory. The Spirits, who were not fundamentally harmed, fell into slumber, turning into the stone tablets and murals left as traces in the World, while humans became the sole victims.
Because of this, Dartz, who was already very dissatisfied with Spirits, grew increasingly disgusted with them. And he also wouldn't forget that among the Beast Gods led by the Wicked God, the most active and strongest one was precisely the Giant Eagle that had just appeared behind Hayato.
How come another new card popped out from Hayato's side?!
No, calm down, calm down. Rafael had reported the Earthbound Immortals' existence to me before during Battle City. There's no need to be surprised.
Dartz took a deep breath to regain his composure. Looking at Hayato, he said, "I recognize that monster, Hayato. That was an Evil Spirit from five thousand years ago that controlled humans like puppets, manipulating war and souls. Are you going to use that monster to battle me?"
Hayato was also not surprised that Dartz recognized Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca. Looking at the card in his Hand, he shrugged, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth: "Perhaps once this card stood on the side against humans, but what determines the good and evil of power is not it, but me, the User. Even the most ferocious power in the World, if used by a kind person, can also be used for protection."
"And as everyone knows, there is no Duelist kinder than me."
"Tsk, even if the one saying this is you, Hayato..." Dartz frowned, drew out his entire Hand, and inserted them into his Duel Disk. "Then, my Battle Phase ends. I Set two cards. My Turn ends here."
[Dartz: 1200 LP, Hand 0]
[Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands] [ATK 1400]
[Relinquished] (Contract Fulfillment, Chimeratech Overdragon) [ATK 4000]
[Set Card] [Set Card]
'Although on my Field, I have two monsters in Attack Position, Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands and Relinquished, my current Life Points are also running low.'
'But, if I remember correctly, the effect of Hayato's Grandsoil the Elemental Lord recorded in Industrial Illusions' internal database states that if a face-up Grandsoil the Elemental Lord leaves Hayato's Field, Hayato's next Battle Phase will be forcibly skipped.'
'That is to say, the Five-Headed Dragon that is about to appear is fundamentally not a concern. If it cannot battle, Hayato cannot inflict damage to me at all. And when it's my next turn, I only need to use Relinquished to attack Five-Headed Dragon, and I can use its effect to transfer battle damage to Hayato and achieve victory.'
'And among the two Set Cards in my Back Row, Forbidden Dress can effectively grant Relinquished protection.' Dartz tilted his Duel Disk, glancing at the name of the card revealed in the Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone. 'In a desperate situation, there is still this card that can be used.'
"My Turn," just as Dartz was thinking to himself, Hayato placed his finger on the Duel Disk and drew a card. "Draw!"
"Then, because of Future Fusion's effect, during the Standby Phase, I Fusion Summon this powerful monster!"
"Five kinds of radiance merge into one, in the name of the divine, I command you to retreat! Descend, the dark dragon that surpasses the ultimate power!"
"Fusion Summon! Five-Headed Dragon!"
From the Fusion Vortex, which had already been activated for the future that finally arrived at this moment, a claw stretched out and stepped onto the Ground. Then, one after another, five ferocious dragon heads of different appearances emerged.
[Five-Headed Dragon] [Level 12/DARK]
[Dragon Type/Fusion/Effect]
[5000/5000]
Looking at the giant dragon appearing on Hayato's Field, Dartz was not afraid at all. He said confidently to Hayato, "Although Five-Headed Dragon's ATK is higher than Relinquished's, and if you declare an attack on Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands you can clear my Life Points, I think you can't do that now, Hayato?"
"Ah, because of Grandsoil the Elemental Lord's effect, my Battle Phase this Turn was skipped. So Five-Headed Dragon temporarily cannot declare an attack on you this Turn." There was no need to lie about this, so Hayato nodded and confirmed what Dartz said.
Dartz smiled upon hearing this. "In that case, it seems it's my victory, Hayato. With just those two cards in your Hand, there is no possibility of victory whatsoever."
"Are you going to rely on that Earthbound Immortal which is just a Small Fry in the absence of a Field Spell Card?" Dartz said, mentioning Hayato's Earthbound Immortal with a contemptuous expression. "That's why I've advised you many times, right, Hayato? There is no need to place your precious trust in these Card Spirits."
"Hmph, that's not necessarily true, Dartz. A Duel doesn't end until the very last moment." Drawing a card from his Hand, Hayato raised it high above his head. "During my Main Phase, I will Tribute the two Tribute Stone Tablet Tokens on my Field as a sacrifice! The power that crosses five thousand years, return to the Earth!"
As Hayato played the card, the two Tribute Stone Tablet Tokens on his Field, Special Summoned by Tribute of Honor, turned into dust, scattered with the wind, and ascended into the sky.
Tribute Stone Tablet Tokens had no special power, their ATK and DEF were also 0. Additionally, they have the effect that they cannot be Tributed for the Tribute Summon of monsters other than Earthbound Immortals. It can be said they were originally prepared for the Earthbound Immortals.
The dust that ascended into the sky, as Dartz and Hayato watched, surprisingly gradually gathered into a giant stone heart. Accompanied by its eerie beating, both saw that the circuits within the heart were already filled with purple energy!
"Darkness? Resentment? Soul? Take it all if you need it! Absorb everything to your heart's content, and then bring me victory, strongest Earthbound Immortal!"
Facing the heart in the sky, Hayato called out the monster's name, "Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca!"
As his voice fell, the giant heart suddenly radiated light. Accompanied by a mournful hawk cry, the stone heart transformed into a giant black-purple vulture, hanging high in the sky!
[Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca] [Level 10/DARK]
[Winged Beast Type/Effect]
[1/1]
Unlike its usual appearance in the past, at this moment Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca was not connected to the Earth with tail-feather-like lines providing power; it was merely flying high in the sky. But even so, its aura was already terrifying.
For a moment, the Five-Headed Dragon and Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca on Hayato's Field formed a stark contrast with the relatively much smaller Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands and Relinquished on Dartz's Field, making it difficult to distinguish which side was truly the villain.
"If there is no face-up Field Spell Card on the Field, Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca's additional effects are negated, and it will be destroyed at the End Phase. Therefore, I place all my destiny on this last card, Dartz."
Flipping over the last card in his Hand, Hayato showed it to Dartz. When Dartz saw the card in Hayato's Hand, he was also stunned for a moment. "Destiny, huh?"
"Since you have always firmly believed that humanity's destiny has no hope, and only destruction can bring a future of rebirth, then let's use your destiny and my destiny to have a final showdown." Saying this, Hayato inserted the card into his Duel Disk. "The card I activate is, Card of Fate!"
"Roll a die once, draw cards from the Deck equal to the result, then banish the same number of cards from the Top of Deck from the game." Accompanied by Hayato's explanation, a die appeared out of nowhere above the Field as the two watched. "Which side destiny stands on, what humanity's destiny truly is, let destiny itself choose."
"However, Grandma once said that as long as I want it, destiny is destined to only stand on my side!" Saying this, Hayato waved his Hand. "Die, roll!"
The die that would decide the final direction of this Duel landed and began to roll. At this moment, whether it was Hayato or Dartz, both seriously looked at the die, waiting for destiny to decide the final points.
Would Hayato roll a high number of points, draw a large quantity of cards, and thus defeat Dartz, or would Dartz's destiny be superior, causing Hayato to only draw fewer cards?
The rolling of the die gradually stopped, revealing the final answer --- points, 3!
"Hmph hmph, hehe hahahaha! Although the points are still a bit high, if it's only three, it's still 'small', right?"
Seeing that the final points were only three, Dartz couldn't help but show a relaxed smile. "This also means that destiny is on my side, right, Hayato? The World is also waiting for me to destroy humanity and create a new civilization and a new World."
"3 points, huh? This number is really..." Hayato lowered his head, placed his finger on the Duel Disk, and the corner of his mouth slowly curled up. "...couldn't be better!"
"Draw!"
With a loud shout, Hayato suddenly drew three cards from the Top of Deck. The cards traced a golden trajectory in mid-air.
"Humans are terrible, even I cannot deny this point. So from the very beginning, I didn't expect this die roll to roll numbers like five or six points."
"But, it surprisingly exceeded my expectation of two points by one point! Humanity undoubtedly still has a lot of hope, Dartz!"
After drawing, he also banished three cards from the Top of Deck. Glancing at the cards he drew in his Hand, Hayato had already seen the hope for victory. "I will use the cards in my Hand to prove it to you!"
"Activate Field Spell Card, Chaos Field!"
With the activation of the Field Spell Card, the surrounding darkness receded, but light did not arrive either. Instead, it fell into a state of chaos.
The boundary between light and dark became blurred. In this kind of environment, Hayato drew a card from his Deck. "Because of Chaos Field's activation, I can search from my Deck one Chaos Soldier Ritual Monster or a Gaia the Fierce Knight card and add to Hand."
"However, this is just a bonus."
"Because a Field Spell Card is on the Field, the power of Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca on my Field is liberated." Hayato pointed to Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca in the sky and said, "Once per Turn, by skipping my Battle Phase this Turn, in exchange for this huge stakes, I change the opponent's Life Points to 1 point!"
The Battle Phase that was originally skipped because of Grandsoil the Elemental Lord's effect was utilized by Hayato a second time. He pointed his finger at Dartz: "Return your Life Points to heaven!"
"Polar Star, obey!"
As Hayato's order was given, Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca suddenly spread its giant wings. Soul energy was released at full power, almost forcibly pulling Dartz's corrupted soul out from his body!
[Dartz: 1200 → 1 LP]
"Ugh!" Even Dartz, facing the power of Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca, his body was surprisingly shaken.
He raised his head and glanced at Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca. Dartz's breathing became a bit heavy, but he still persisted and said, "Tsk, even so, my Life Points have not reached zero yet, enough to last until the next turn."
"There is no next turn, Dartz. Despair is your End Point." The second card in his Hand was played by Hayato. It was like a replica of Raigeki from before; this time, lightning flashed above Dartz's head. "Taking others' precious treasures, remember this pain well, and enjoy the pleasure of the path to Hell!"
"Spell Card Raigeki Break! Destroy both monsters on my Field, and inflict damage to your Life Points equal to the number of monsters destroyed x 300 points!"
Glancing at the Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca and Five-Headed Dragon on his Field, Hayato said without hesitation, "Sacrifice yourselves for the great cause!"
The thunder boomed down, engulfing Dartz's figure. But just as Hayato thought this strike could clear Dartz's Life Points, he saw the lightning that should have struck Dartz instead diverted towards a flipped-up card on Dartz's Back Row.
"Trap Card Energy Absorbing Plate! It really is just as I expected, Hayato. You still like using Effect Damage type cards so much." Although his Life Points were only 1 point, Dartz had a certain victory appearance. "Cards like The Bandit, Psychic Ectoplasm, and Raigeki Break, you've used them too many times."
"I prepared this card precisely because I thought you might use Effect Damage type cards to clear my Life Points in a situation where you cannot enter the Battle Phase!" Dartz explained proudly. "Energy Absorbing Plate can only be activated when an effect that would inflict damage to me is activated by the opponent. Instead of receiving damage, I recover Life Points equal to the same value."
"That is to say, my current Life Points don't decrease, but instead increase!"
[Dartz: 1 → 601 LP]
"Nani!?" Hayato widened his eyes, watching Dartz surprisingly successfully survive his finishing blow, with a disbelief expression.
"Then, as expected, you've run out of options, Hayato." Looking at his Life Points, which were just 1 point higher than Hayato's, Dartz exclaimed, "What a long Duel, just like the ten thousand years of time I crossed to restart the World. However, it has finally reached its End Point."
"If I wasn't mistaken just now, the card you added to Hand was a blue border Ritual Monster, right? A Chaos Soldier Ritual Monster. But it's really a pity, even if your other card is a Ritual Spell Card, there are no more sacrifices that can be Tributed. And even if you summon a monster with very high ATK, you still cannot attack."
"The die you rolled just now, even if it was just one more point, perhaps it could have created an opportunity for victory for you. But it's a pity, just like no matter how many redeeming qualities humanity has, they cannot create a future of miracles and hope. Destiny favors me, Dartz!"
"Hahahaha!"
But---
"Sore wa dou kana!"
What Dartz didn't expect was that at this very moment, Hayato surprisingly still hadn't given up. Instead, he confidently raised the card in his Hand: "You say I cannot summon this monster? Then watch me, Dartz! My puzzle of victory has already been assembled in the Graveyard!"
"Life is a process of accumulating pain that will eventually reach its end. But this does not mean that life is a story composed of death and end."
"The monsters that sacrificed themselves in this Duel are all engraved in my memory. Their death was not without meaning. At this moment, reveal the name of legend!"
"The time for coronation has arrived!"
As Hayato raised the card in his Hand, the surrounding chaos began to gather towards the card. At the same time, in front of Hayato, an Altar surprisingly slowly rose from Underground!
"Ritual of the Super Soldier is the card that was sent to the Graveyard by House Dragonmaid's effect before. Its effect cannot be activated in the turn it was sent to the Graveyard." Hayato took out the card representing the altar from the Graveyard. "Banish Ritual of the Super Soldier from the Graveyard, and one LIGHT Attribute and one DARK Attribute monster, and activate! From my Hand, I Special Summon one Chaos Soldier Ritual Monster, ignoring its summoning condition!"
"The DARK Attribute one is, Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight!"
"The LIGHT Attribute monster is, Butler!"
"One soul guides the light, one soul guides the darkness. My light is eternity, my darkness is truth, an existence that illuminates everything and pioneers the path! Appear!"
"My, Tamashii!"
"Legendary Swordsman - Black Luster Soldier!"
Transcending the boundary between light and darkness, Gaia absorbed power from Butler. The power of light and dark harmonized in its Hand, turning into a Chaos Sword that surpasses everything. The armor on its body also transformed and ascended under the influence of this ultimate power!
[Legendary Swordsman - Black Luster Soldier] [Level 8/EARTH]
[Warrior Type/Ritual/Effect]
[3000/2500]
"ATK is equal to Blue-Eyes White Dragon's!" Dartz widened his eyes, looking at the Chaos Soldier that appeared on Hayato's Field. Although Dartz knew that Chaos Soldier Ritual Monsters existed, that was definitely not the appearance of this monster on Hayato's Field. That aura was as if it were a sharp sword that could separate light and darkness!
And the one holding this sword is undoubtedly the existence who can in a single thought become the Hero who saves the World and the Demon King who destroys the World!
Dartz couldn't help but look at Hayato, slightly lost in thought, not knowing what he was thinking about. Immediately after, he then spoke: "But, Hayato, you cannot enter the Battle Phase. Furthermore, speaking of House Dragonmaid, I just saw her send your Psychic Ectoplasm to the Graveyard. What means of attack do you still have now?"
"That's right, Little Blue is skilled at milling. She sent my Psychic Ectoplasm to the Graveyard. Just thinking about it is terrible, I even want to remove her from this 'pure' Dragonmaid Deck of mine." Because Legendary Swordsman - Black Luster Soldier's summon banished Butler, Hayato naturally felt his purity had increased once again. He inserted the card in his Hand into the Duel Disk.
"However, who said I can only run one Psychic Ectoplasm in my Deck?"
"Activate Continuous Spell Card Psychic Ectoplasm! Both players Tribute one monster on their own Field during their respective End Phase, and inflict damage to the opponent equal to half of that monster's original ATK!"
"Then, my Turn ends. Next, Psychic Ectoplasm takes effect! This is a necessary sacrifice!"
Hayato waved his Hand and pointed at Dartz. "Go, Gaia! No, Legendary Swordsman - Black Luster Soldier!"
"Pioneer a new Future!"
His finger moved away from the start button on the Duel Disk. Knowing that even using Forbidden Dress couldn't stop Hayato, Dartz watched Legendary Swordsman - Black Luster Soldier turn into a spirit form, crossing over Relinquished and Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands, these two monsters, one light and one dark, charging towards him and raising the sword in its Hand. He helplessly closed his eyes.
I failed. There's nothing that can be done. After all, it's Hayato.
However, light and darkness were perfectly harmonized together. I truly saw an incredible scene. This memory can definitely be utilized next time.
"I have to admit, you are stronger now."
"It's your victory, Hayato. No, humanity---"
"Boom!"
[Dartz: 601 LP → 0]
As Dartz's Life Points completely reached zero under Legendary Swordsman - Black Luster Soldier's strike, Field Spell Card Chaos Field, however, experienced violent fluctuations. The light and darkness separated by a single sword caused a violent impact. In an instant, Hayato appeared in mid-air and saw from afar, not far away, the giant serpent "Orichalcos God" wailing and falling towards the sea.
In Hayato's ear, the system's settlement sound also sounded.
[Congratulations Duelist on achieving victory, Dartz 1/1 defeated]
[Reward Settlement in progress]
(Author's Note: Reaching this point, I actually haven't decided yet whether or not to write 5D's. After all, GX isn't off by many years, but 5D's is off by a time span of decades, which is a bit far. But I'll prepare the plot device first; whether or not I use it is another matter.)
(End of Chapter)