The sovereign of merfolk from another world—now is the time to reveal your madness!
"Use your frenzy and immortality to crush every one of my enemies!"
"Fusion Summon! Level 9 — Tearlaments Kaleido-Heart (face-up Attack Position)!"
The moment Youye's voice fell, the ground beneath him was instantly engulfed in writhing blue tendrils. They coiled together and retracted, revealing a man with a twisted, manic expression appearing on Youye's field.
[Tearlaments Kaleido-Heart]
[Fiend / Fusion / Effect / DARK / Level 9]
ATK: 3500 (original 3000) / DEF: 3000
As Kaleido-Heart appeared, his crazed smile stiffened immediately when he noticed Mellow's disapproving glare on the field. He stiffly redirected his gaze toward the five monsters on the opponent's side.
Youye wasn't surprised at all. Tearlaments were the very first archetype he ever used, and the Tearlaments' spirits naturally knew him well. In their world, Reinoheart wasn't the leader, far from it—his status was extremely low. The entire "Pearl World" was ruled by the Naiad mermaids.
Hence the title: "the merfolk lord from another world."
"Youye declared:
'Kaleido-Heart's on-summon effect activates—targeting one card on your field and returning it to the Deck. I choose your Galaxy-Eyes Hope Harbinger Dragon!
"And because a Tearlaments monster is returning to the Deck, my Field Spell Pearl World activates as Chain Link 2, targeting your Imsety for destruction!"
"So you're avoiding triggering Imsety's effect?"
Billmu narrowed his eyes—he now understood Youye's intention.
But he wasn't panicking.
His Continuous Trap was still on the field.
With it active, Imsety and the other Horus monsters could simply revive themselves again.
This was the power of the Horus archetype—eternal revival.
Yet Billmu had no idea that Youye had already planned around this from the start.
Why didn't he remove the Field Spell? Easy—
Because there was a 'god' in his opponent's Graveyard.
Chain resolution:
CL2 — Pearl World destroys Imsety on Billmu's field.
CL1 — Kaleido-Heart returns Hope Harbinger to the Deck (Hapi and Duamutef, used as XYZ materials, go to the Graveyard).
"I link the Mellow on my field with Chaos Ruler, using both as Link Materials!
Link Summon—Little Night, the Knight of the Evening Twilight (LINK-2)!"
"Little Night's effect activates—targeting your Continuous Spell King's Sarcophagus—banish it!"
Billmu instantly responded:
"Chain Link 2—Kanopius Guardian! I Special Summon a Horus monster from the Graveyard!"
He felt pained to lose King's Sarcophagus, but he couldn't miss this timing—everything depended on how many monsters he could keep this turn.
If he kept enough bodies, he still had hope.
But—
"Chain Link 3—my Graveyard's 'god', Mudora the Sword Oracle!
I banish it, then target up to three cards in the Graveyards and return them to the Deck!"
At that moment, Billmu's expression froze.
He didn't know what Mudora did, but he knew one thing:
Mudora was obtained from the Duel Pact.
Therefore, Youye was guaranteed to have prepared for this.
And now—Mudora's sudden activation caught him completely unprepared.
Because he had exactly three Horus monsters in his Graveyard.
If Youye returned them to the Deck, Kanopius Guardian's effect would fizzle due to no valid targets.
And that wasn't even the worst part—
The worst part was that with his Graveyard emptied, he would lose all his recursion.
Even if he top-decked King's Sarcophagus later, it would be useless.
"You planned all this the moment you summoned that dual-typed Tearlaments searcher, didn't you…"
As a rank-earth duelist, Billmu finally understood the moment he spoke.
"Of course," Youye replied calmly.
"Tearlaments is a real-time strategy deck. Thinking this far ahead is basic."
"I naturally choose the three Horus monsters in your Graveyard as Mudora's targets."
Chain resolution:
CL3 — Mudora: Imsety, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef return to Billmu's Deck.
CL2 — Kanopius Guardian: No valid targets → fizzles.
CL1 — Little Night: King's Sarcophagus is banished.
"My Graveyard's Chaos Ruler activates—I banish the LIGHT monster Fairy Tail – Snow from my hand and the DARK monster Shaddoll Beast from my Graveyard to revive Chaos Ruler!
If it leaves the field, it is banished!"
"Battle Phase!
Kaleido-Heart attacks Horus the Black Flame Deity!"
Blue tendrils hardened into spears and thrust forward.
The Black Flame Deity exhaled dark fire in an attempt to resist—
But with Kaleido-Heart at 3500 ATK vs. Horus's 3000 ATK, the clash lasted barely a second before hundreds of spear-tendrils skewered it like a pincushion.
Because this was a Dark Duel, illusory tendrils pierced through Billmu's body as well, tearing holes in his robe.
"Chaos Ruler attacks Galaxy-Eyes Photon Chick!"
A sphere of mixed light and darkness exploded from its claws, annihilating the monster instantly.
Pain surged through Billmu's body as the damage carried over.
Billmu LP: 8000 → 7000
"And finally—Little Night attacks your Horus's Servant!"
Several kunai spun through the air, destroying the last monster.
Billmu stared at his now-empty field—only Forbidden Droplet and a Continuous Trap remained.
Just moments ago, he had four giant monsters.
Now—nothing.
"I set two cards and end my turn.
Your move."
Youye concluded calmly.
Billmu took a deep breath, maintaining the composure befitting a rank-earth duelist.
He mentally sorted through the confirmed and unknown threats:
Confirmed enemy effects:
Kaleido-Heart: 1 bounce
Pearl World: 1 destruction per return
Chaos Ruler: mill-5 was irrelevant
Little Night: 1 banish
Unknown variables:
Any additional Kaleido-Heart effects
The hidden back row
The nature of the two new sets of cards
Billmu had never felt such pressure.
Still, he could fight back.
"My turn—draw!"
Hope flashed in his eyes.
He drew his archetype's field spell.
If Youye's backrow wasn't a Spell/Trap negation, he still had a chance—maybe even victory.
No responses in the Draw Phase.
They proceeded to Main Phase 1.
"I activate the Field Spell Stone Wall of the Royal Tomb!
Its continuous effect allows it to be treated as King's Sarcophagus!"
"In my Graveyard, Hapi can Special Summon itself when King's Sarcophagus is on the field!"
As Hapi appeared, Youye's lips curled slightly.
The duel had already ended the moment Billmu activated that field spell.
Why didn't he simply activate his Tearlaments Counter Trap to win instantly?
Simple—
People were watching him.
He needed to conceal his trump cards unless necessary.
Now that victory was certain, preserving information was more valuable.
"I activate my Trap—Ishizu's Screeching Claw!
I target one of your monsters, flip it face-down, then send a Tearlaments monster from my Deck to the Graveyard!
I target Hapi!"
Billmu's eyes lit up.
"You activated something! Good—my chance!"
"Chain Link 2—Kanopius Guardian!
I Special Summon a Horus monster from my Graveyard!"
You did not respond further.
Chain resolution:
CL2 — Kanopius Guardian: Special Summons Horus the Black Flame Deity.
CL1 — Screeching Claw: Sets Hapi face-down and sends Tearlaments Mermay to the Graveyard.
"My May's effect activates in the Graveyard!
And since a Tearlaments monster was sent, Kaleido-Heart activates as Chain Link 2, targeting your Trap Kanopius Guardian—returning it to the Deck!"
Billmu's hope was shattered instantly.
The moment his last source of recursion became Youye's target, he knew—
You purposely gave him that "chance."
Because once Kanopius Guardian was gone, he would lose all resource generation.
Field presence and card advantage would collapse entirely.
Worst of all—
He had no way to stop it.
"I Chain Link 3—Kanopius Guardian again! Revive a Horus monster!"
He hesitated for a long time before committing.
He had no choice.
This was a Dark Duel.
Losing meant death.
A rank-earth duelist lived over two hundred years.
He refused to die here.
Chain resolution:
CL3 — Kanopius Guardian: Special Summons Horus's Servant.
CL2 — Kaleido-Heart: Returns the Guardian to the Deck.
CL1 — May: Fuses with King of the Swamp to Fusion Summon Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World!
"And since a Tearlaments monster returned to the Deck, Pearl World activates again—targeting your Black Flame Deity for destruction."
A new giant monster—Grapha—appeared on Youye's field.
Billmu now had only a Level 1 Horus Servant left.
As a Dark Duelist—especially a rank-earth duelist—he naturally knew Grapha's effects.
With a pseudo-Omni-negate on Youye's field, even activating his Graveyard's Death-Wish Dragon effect would be meaningless.
In the observers' chamber—
As Grapha descended, the Silver Princess spoke softly:
"It's over. Youye wins—completely."
The Eternal King beside her felt her gaze.
Corners of his lips curled upward.
"If Youye's potential is truly this overwhelming…
Then the Zeng family no longer has any meaning.