Chapter 124: Response and Numbering (Seeking monthly votes)

Assassin LP: 4000 → 2000.

"Could it be... Countdown to the End??"

"This is bad, it's actually this card!"

Many students panicked the moment they saw this card appear.

Serena, of course, recognized this card as well. The moment she saw it, her trust in Tenjou Hikari instantly turned into worry.

Because this card was simply too "dangerous."

"I pay 2000 Life Points to activate it." The assassin grinned, explaining the effect of the card every student knew. "Twenty turns after this card is activated, I will win!"

Following his shout, a giant, pitch-black, grinning face appeared above the track, and immediately after, 20 colorless flames began to burn slowly in the air.

20 turns.

Normally, a duel would be decided long before twenty turns had passed.

But—

That was under "normal circumstances."

Any student who knew even a little about this card knew that a deck containing it was not the kind of deck that could be "taken down in twenty turns."

"Next, I set a monster, set a card, and end my turn."

"Ah—I knew it!"

"That's so despicable! Using a card like that on the first turn without giving anyone a chance to react!"

"Exactly!"

The assassin didn't care in the slightest.

He was after Tenjou Hikari's life, not his reputation.

"At this moment, the moment of the end takes a step forward!"

"Turn one!"

Boom—

A cluster of black flames burned and turned crimson red.

19 turns left.

"My turn, draw." Tenjou Hikari remained unaffected and began his draw.

He glanced at his hand.

"I activate the Continuous Spell, Brilliant Fusion."

"Ha, Fusion, is it..." The assassin seemed not to care at all.

"This card's effect can only be activated if the opponent controls a monster." Tenjou Hikari picked up his Extra Deck and made a selection. "Send the fusion materials listed on a Gem-Knight Fusion Monster card, other than a Rock-Type, from my deck to the Graveyard, and Fusion Summon that monster from my Extra Deck.

When this card leaves the field, that monster is destroyed. After this effect is activated, I cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck for the rest of the turn, except for [Gem-Knight] monsters."

Tenjou Hikari scanned the field: "I send Gem-Knight Garnet and Gem-Knight Crystal from my deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon—the heroic red knight.

Gem-Knight Ruby."

Unlike Crystal, a knight clad in bright red armor appeared on his field.

Gem-Knight Ruby, Level 6, Earth Attribute, Pyro-Type, ATK 2500.

"Ah! It's Ruby!" Serena clapped her hands in realization. "Right, since he paid 2000 Life Points for Countdown to the End, he only has 2000 left. If he attacks with Ruby, which has piercing damage, and the set monster has less than 500 DEF, the duel will be decided in one turn!"

"Piercing?"

"As expected of Tenjou Hikari, he thought of a strategy in an instant."

Ruby swung the war scythe in his hand, appearing above the set card, and brought the blade down. The scythe pierced through the set monster, which turned out to be a giant blue-skinned mouse.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!!!"

The blue-skinned mouse shrieked.

"It's Giant Rat, with 1450 DEF!"

"Beautiful, that's 1050 points of damage!"

Assassin LP: 2000 → 950.

"When Giant Rat is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one Earth-Attribute monster with 1500 or less ATK from my deck. I Special Summon another Giant Rat."

Another large blue rat appeared on the field.

Giant Rat, Level 4, Earth Attribute, Beast-Type, ATK 1400.

?

This was too old-school.

Many students were confused.

If it was just like this, wanting to hold out for 20 turns was nothing but a pipe dream.

"I set a card and end my turn."

At the same time, another flame was ignited in the sky.

"Hehehe, Tenjou Hikari, you must be thinking that if it's like this, it's impossible to last 20 turns, right?"

The assassin drew a card, looked at it, and sneered.

In fact, it wasn't just the students; even the assassin said it out loud.

Paying 2000 Life Points at the start and then just taking hits—how could he possibly last 20 turns?

That was impossible, absolutely impossible.

But—

He had that much confidence.

"My turn. Let me show you the source of my confidence. You want to defeat me with piercing damage? A mere thousand-something points isn't enough!

I activate the Trap Card.

Three of a Kind!"

Huh?

Tenjou Hikari was momentarily surprised to see this card.

The card art depicted three Gaias facing each other.

"Three of a Kind? What card is that? I've never heard of it."

"Don't ask me, I don't know either..."

Some students looked at each other in confusion.

A card they had never seen before.

Clearly, none of the students present had ever seen or even heard of this card.

44 sneered: "The effect of Three of a Kind: Declare a type of monster card in the Extra Deck. Both players reveal their entire Extra Decks, and the player with more cards of the declared type gains 3000 Life Points."

"Oh, that's really... Senior Tenjou used a Fusion Monster, so he should have one less than the opponent."

"That's not necessarily true. Very few people can fill their Extra Deck like Senior Hikari."

In this world, Extra Deck monsters were quite rare.

"Heh, I declare... Xyz Monsters!"

"What?"

"Ah!?"

"What did he say—"

Tenjou Hikari was slightly surprised, but only slightly: "I have 0 Xyz Monsters."

"Ha... I have—1!" The assassin revealed a black card.

"1?!"

"Ho, how is that possible!"

"This guy actually obtained an Xyz Monster like Senior Kaiser!?"

"And it's a usable Xyz Monster?!"

Assassin LP: 950 → 3950.

"Good, now I don't need to worry about my Life Points." He grinned. "Next, I Normal Summon a third Giant Rat!"

"And then..."

Tenjou Hikari noticed a red light suddenly flare on the assassin's forehead, and a strange character appeared on his hand.

"What is that!?"

A student exclaimed.

They couldn't tell what it was, but they could see that the assassin was about to use some kind of powerful "power," a special power that ordinary spirits couldn't use!

"Oh?" Tierra watched the man's actions with great interest.

"Ahhhhhhh—" The string of characters on his hand grew brighter, eventually manifesting completely and enlarging, enveloping him.

Tenjou Hikari tried to discern it.

Oh—

85, is it?

"I build the Overlay Network with two monsters!!"

The two Giant Rats transformed into black spheres, and immediately after, a giant, rotating black vortex appeared in front of the assassin.

Pop—pop—

The two black spheres collided into the vortex, and after a moment of suspension, a giant cube slowly rose, engraved with a massive, otherworldly number—85!

At the same time, the number glowed red, and the giant cube cracked and rotated, revealing an eyeball inside, observing the world gloomily.

"Appear!"

"Rank 4!"

"No. 85: Crazy Box!"