Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light!
"Activating a Trap from the Graveyard?" Pegasus was startled.
A red Trap appeared above Joey's field, fading into a phantom. Golden blades formed a sealing array, stabbing down into the field, linking into a barrier of light that blocked all of Pegasus's attacks for the turn.
"I see. Seems shaking you off won't be so easy after all. Very well.
I'll set one card and end my turn."
Pegasus regained his composure and smirked.
"Even so, your crisis isn't over.
Your Red-Eyes has become Relinquished's fodder, and the board is firmly mine. At the end of the day, you're just a mere mortal…"
"Shut up."
Joey cut him off impatiently.
"Yeah, maybe you're right. I am just a mere mortal."
"So what if I am?"
"Even as a mortal, I've fought my way here. Whether the foe is a three-thousand-year-old priest, a god, or a demon—they're all just that."
"Will I lose? Of course. I've lost more times than I can count," Joey said, almost proudly. "But why can't I lose?"
"I'm just an ordinary guy. Naturally I'll lose, I'll fall. Even the dice people say I rely on have betrayed me before."
"But so what? If I fall, I just stand back up, don't I? Stand tall before those cheaters and say, head held high, I want another round!"
He thumped his chest, then looked blankly at Pegasus.
"You? You're not really Pegasus… Or even if you are, your brainwashing runs deep."
"What did you say?" Pegasus's face darkened.
"If it were President Pegasus, he'd understand this. Back in his Duelist Kingdom, I was a clueless rookie. But even so, through battles with gods and devils, I walked step by step to where I am now."
"You're right: I'm just a mortal. And like you said, many see me as Yugi's tagalong. Maybe I'll never catch up to him in my whole life.
But! I still haven't given up the chase, because I promised him—I'd become a true duelist!"
Pegasus: "…"
"My turn—draw!"
Joey drew, then raised a card high—the famous DM trio treasure, the gambler's signature card that belonged to him alone.
"Spell Card 'Roll of Fate'!"
"Roll one die. Then banish that many cards from the top of your Deck, and draw the same number!" (Anime card)
"No matter how prettily you say it, you end up relying on a die," Pegasus sneered.
"Shut it! Yeah, I'm rolling a die, so what?" Joey shot back. "At least I don't fear failure. Whatever number comes, I won't fear my fate!"
The die clattered.
A five.
The gambler was steady today.
"Good. I banish five cards from the top of my Deck," Joey shouted. "Then I draw five!"
He immediately slammed down one of the drawn cards.
"Spell Card 'De-Spell'—destroy any Spell on the field."
"A Spell…" Pegasus frowned, glancing at Relinquished. "Could it be…"
"That's right. Though my Red-Eyes was absorbed, as an Equip on the field it's treated as a Spell," Joey said. "I'm destroying Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
Green light shot out, striking the equipped Red-Eyes at Pegasus's backrow. Red-Eyes was destroyed and vanished.
Pegasus smiled lightly.
"So ruthless to your own Red-Eyes."
"Don't worry. My bond with Red-Eyes is irreplaceable. I'll show you now," Joey said. "I activate the Spell 'Silent Doom' to Special Summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position.
I Special Summon 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon' from the Graveyard—come back, Red-Eyes!"
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, DEF 2000]
"At this point, even if you bring back Red-Eyes, what good does it do?" Pegasus said. "Red-Eyes can't beat Relinquished—and did you forget?
Any damage to Relinquished gets dealt to you instead!"
"Shut up, I know!
I activate the Spell 'Polymerization'!
I fuse the Red-Eyes Black Dragon on my field with 'Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact' in my hand—
—Descend, Meteor Black Comet Dragon!!!"
It was as if the walls of time and space shuddered; even Pegasus's castle trembled at that dreadful power. A scorching heat wave rushed forth, subterranean magma roared like an enraged beast, and space itself seemed to ignite.
The dragon's body looked like pure fire condensed, the flames dancing and coiling upon it like living things. The heat it released could incinerate anything. Its eyes were two burning dark-red flames, exuding a king's dominance.
Meteor Black Comet Dragon—summoned!
[Meteor Black Comet Dragon, ATK 3500]
"Another Red-Eyes?"
Pegasus felt the oppressive pressure from this new Red-Eyes and couldn't help but tremble. But he quickly steadied himself.
"ATK 3500—a powerful monster, I admit. But it still can't beat Relin—"
"Meteor Black Comet Dragon's effect!" Joey said. "When this card is Fusion Summoned: send one 'Red-Eyes' monster from your hand or Deck to the GY, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to half that monster's original ATK!"
Pegasus was startled.
Direct burn again—
[Pegasus, LP 400]
In other words, as long as the chosen Red-Eyes had at least 800 ATK, this would be lethal!
"I send 'Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon' from my Deck to the GY!" Joey said. "Black Metal's ATK is 2800, so Pegasus—you take half of that… 1400 damage!"
The Comet Dragon soared high. Black Metal Dragon's phantom flashed, then turned into blazing fire and merged into the Comet Dragon, surging at Pegasus with raging fury!
But Pegasus had a counter!
"I activate the Trap 'Energy-Absorbing Monolith'!"
A huge absorption panel appeared in his backrow. The raging fire smashed into it and turned into a warm flow that poured into Pegasus!
"Energy-Absorbing Monolith turns effect damage you would take into LP recovery!"
[Pegasus, LP 400 → 1800]
"NANI!"
Joey was stunned again.
"Damn you, Pegasus—you even blocked that!?"
"Puhuhuhu… Hahahaha—"
Pegasus beamed.
"For a mortal, you really are impressive, Joey-boy. I can see you've given it your all. I have to admit—you've surpassed yourself again and again."
He paused, then sneered twice.
"But this is the end. Your limit seems to end here. Next turn, Relinquished will absorb your Comet Dragon.
Though the process grew complicated, the outcome won't change—"
"So what?" Joey stuck out his tongue.
"What?"
"Comet Dragon's power doesn't stop there," Joey said. "Even if I'm a mere mortal, I won't back down, and I won't run from battle.
What a man should do is charge forward and flatten everything with unwavering courage!
Battle!"
Joey declared the attack, brimming with spirit.
"Meteor Black Comet Dragon—attack Relinquished!"
"Pointless struggling!" Pegasus barked. "Relinquished—use 'Archfiend Black Skull Dragon' to block!"
Comet Dragon and Black Skull Dragon—Joey's two aces—rushed each other from opposite fields with their ultimate techniques!
Pegasus smiled coldly.
Use Black Skull as fodder, then absorb Comet Dragon next turn for the finish.
He had won.
As for that "charge forward like a man"…
Pegasus smirked.
Just bluster to make defeat look gallant.
"I activate my set card!" Joey said. "Trap Card 'Universal Adapter'!
Choose one monster on your opponent's field; all other monsters on the field have their ATK become the same as the chosen monster's!
I choose Relinquished—Meteor Black Comet Dragon's ATK becomes equal to Relinquished's!"
[Meteor Black Comet Dragon, ATK 3500 → 3200]
Pegasus: "???"
What? Self-nerf?
He froze for two seconds, trying to parse Joey's intent.
To mitigate damage?
But even if damage reflects, it'd only be 300. Why bother?
"Indeed, whether your ATK is higher or lower than Relinquished, you'll take the battle damage yourself. This is the only way to avoid damage."
Pegasus frowned.
"But that means your 'Meteor Black Comet Dragon' will also be destroyed by battle.
And I'll use 'Archfiend Black Skull Dragon' to be destroyed instead of Relinquished!"
As expected, the two aces clashed, tip to tip. A terrifying blast of shock and molten flame swallowed both Comet and Black Skull—mutual destruction.
"And my Relinquished remains unscathed," Pegasus sneered. "So you've given up and chosen a dignified exit for your monster?
Well, that's not unreas— Huh!?"
His tone suddenly spiked at the end, eyes going wide.
On Joey's field, that towering frame, that proud draconic head, those dark-red eyes like molten lava flowing within—
That was…
Red-Eyes!?
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK 2400]
"I wanted a double KO," Joey said. "Meteor Black Comet Dragon has another effect: if it's sent from the Monster Zone to the GY, Special Summon one Normal Monster from your GY!"
"N-nani!?" Pegasus blanched.
Impossible.
This guy—just a mere mortal—
Did he truly surpass my duel?
[Relinquished, ATK 0]
"Now Relinquished has lost its equips, lost its ATK, and has nothing to stand in for destruction or to take damage for you.
Go, Red-Eyes!"
Joey shouted.
"Let him taste the fury of us common folk!
Inferno Fire Blast!!!"
Red-Eyes roared; black flame spiraled from its jaws—
[Pegasus, LP 400 → LP 0]