"Trap Card 'Mirror of Oaths'!"
T-Bone raised his hand.
"Mirror of Oaths can be activated when your opponent Special Summons a monster(s) from their Deck. Destroy those monsters, then you draw one card!"
"Special Summoned from the Deck..."
Kira understood.
"'Troop Dragon' is Special Summoned from the Deck."
"Correct," T-Bone said. "Therefore, Mirror of Oaths destroys Troop Dragon!"
A jet-black mirror surfaced, reflecting Troop Dragon's image. A blood-red vortex opened at its center, dragging the dragon into it and shredding it to pieces.
"With Troop Dragon destroyed, you no longer have a monster to suicide into the Dark Scorpions," T-Bone said. "Your combo is broken!"
"Seems so."
Kira shrugged.
"Impressive. You even cracked this one... It used to always work."
The Dark Scorpion crew froze mid-high-five and victory pose, looked at each other, and fell silent.
This is bad.
We popped the champagne too early.
"What now?"
Chick looked to the others.
"How should I know?" Meanae muttered. "Didn't this always work before?"
"Yeah, the boss used this on us once—it worked great."
"Maybe we're the weak ones. This opponent might actually be strong this time..."
Having defused the would-be checkmate at the last second, T-Bone stood hands on hips, head thrown back, feeling a rush of pride. He laughed loudly.
"A very creative combo—deadly, too. You scared me; I'll admit it."
He narrowed his eyes at Kira.
"But you still failed. I'm still standing. Do you know why?"
Kira found his confidence amusing. "Oh? And why is that?"
"The reason is simple: I am stronger now—stronger than you, stronger than anyone! I'll never again be that weak self who's tossed about by fate!"
T-Bone glanced at his hands and clenched them tight.
"Once, I was a nobody," he murmured. "I loved Dueling, but I lacked the talent to walk that path.
I wanted to apply to Duel Academy, but I couldn't even pass the entrance exam. Someone like me... was just trash no one would ever notice."
He lifted his head, a firm light in his eyes.
"But even so, Lady Sarina accepted me."
"She gave me power—power to bid farewell to my past self. Now I understand: whether in the Duel or in life, everything is guided by a torrent called 'fate.'
Only those on the correct path deserve victory, deserve happiness. That's why you cannot win.
No matter how astonishing your tactics, how flashy your attacks—you cannot win!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Kira kept his calm smile.
"So you're saying you're on the correct side. The path you're being led down right now... is the fate of victory?"
"Exactly," T-Bone said. "The path illuminated by light is the right path."
"I see... That's a shame," Kira sighed. "I, by nature, am ill-suited to the path of light. I'm more inclined to... let's say, the shady side."
He paused, then smiled slightly.
"But sometimes, taking an unorthodox route is more interesting, no? Fate is fickle."
Kira casually played another card: "Spell Card 'Foolish Burial Goods'—send one Spell/Trap from your Deck to the Graveyard.
From my Deck, I'll send..."
He showed the card he searched.
"The third 'Jackpot Pot 7' to the Graveyard."
T-Bone: "?"
That's the last Jackpot Pot 7. If it goes like the first two, he loses. But Jackpot Pot 7 only works when the opponent sends it by effect—sending it yourself does nothing.
The opponent should know that.
"Next I activate the Spell 'A Feather of the Phoenix'—discard a card, target a card in your Graveyard, and place it on top of your Deck.
I discard a card to return 'Jackpot Pot 7' from my Graveyard to the top of my Deck."
T-Bone: "?"
So you put Jackpot Pot 7 on top. And then?
Even if you draw it, so what?
"I set two cards and end my turn," Kira said. "Of course, during the End Phase, Shien's Spy wears off, and the Dark Scorpion crew returns to my field."
T-Bone frowned.
He couldn't figure out what this guy was plotting... but whatever.
"My turn—draw!" T-Bone said. "In this Standby Phase, the Trap 'Dormant Volcano' takes effect: both players can add one FIRE monster from the Deck.
I add 'Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch' to my hand!"
"Then I'll activate my set card," Kira said. "Trap Card 'Reverse Reuse.'
Select up to two Flip monsters in your Graveyard and Special Summon them to your opponent's field in face-up Defense or face-down Defense."
T-Bone: "?"
Sending me more monsters? What is this supposed to be?
"This time, the card that got sent by Take Over 5 earlier..."
Kira grinned and revealed a monster.
"I'll give you 'Hiro's Shadow Scout.'"
A face-down monster appeared on T-Bone's field. Before it set, a small blue demon flashed briefly—one huge eye, a design somewhere between creepy and clownish.
[Hiro's Shadow Scout, DEF 500]
T-Bone frowned. "So even if you Summon monsters to my side—"
"Don't rush," Kira raised a hand. "Lastly, this card—
—Trap Card 'W Nebula Meteorite'!
Flip all face-down monsters on the field to face-up Defense Position!"
The face-down monster on T-Bone's field flipped— the little blue demon crouched in defense.
"At this moment, 'Hiro's Shadow Scout's' Flip effect activates," Kira said. "Hiro's Shadow Scout's Flip: the opponent draws three cards from their Deck.
Reveal those cards to both players; if any are Spells, all Spells among them must be sent to the Graveyard."
T-Bone thought for two seconds.
Draw three; all Spells must be...
T-Bone: "..."
T-Bone: "... ..."
T-Bone: "... ... ..."
You've gotta be ki—
"Accepting Hiro's Shadow Scout's effect, I draw three from my Deck."
Kira placed his fingers on his Deck, chuckling softly.
"Well then, Mr. T-Bone who stands on the correct side of fate—can you tell me where the destiny represented by the three cards I'm about to draw will lead me?"
T-Bone clenched his teeth hard, but couldn't utter a word.
Kira drew three, then feigned surprise.
"Well now, isn't this a coincidence. It seems the destiny of my next card is... this."
Kira revealed the top card of his Deck.
"Spell Card 'Jackpot Pot 7.' Per Hiro's Shadow Scout's effect, it must be sent to the Graveyard.
And right now, Hiro's Shadow Scout is your monster, so this counts as 'sent by an opponent's card effect.' Therefore, the third Jackpot Pot 7 is also banished."
As he spoke, three Jackpot Pot 7s emerged above Kira's field, like reapers delivering a verdict.
Kira narrowed his eyes.
"It seems the destiny awaiting you... is 'annihilation.'"