Chapter 236: Cyber Dragon Nova

"I normally summon, the Psychic Ace Pilot."

A Psychic-type monster sitting on an airplane appeared on the robber's field.

Psychic Ace Pilot, Level 2, Dark Attribute, Psychic Type, ATK 1000.

"ATK 1000…"

"Next, enter the Battle Phase! I activate the effect of Roadblock Octopus: this turn, only one monster on the field may attack, and that monster may attack directly!"

"What?!" Marufuji Ryo gasped in shock.

Choosing a direct attack right now??

Even though its ATK is only 1000—

At this moment, he understood even more clearly.

Indeed, just as he had thought before.

This man opposite him isn't a duelist at all—he's merely someone who obtained these so-called 【No.】 cards and, relying on their power, recklessly unleashes his malice—

But!

This is the opportunity!

"Activate the trap card! Intimidating Roar!" Marufuji Ryo had anticipated the opponent might use a direct attack to eliminate his final 1200 Life Points, so he had already prepared for this.

"This card's effect: this turn, your opponent cannot declare an attack!"

"Heh… you just dodged death." The robber laughed loudly, then glanced at the two cards in his hand, "But… I've already won!"

"I set two cards face-down. Your turn!"

"Of course, at this very moment, your monster will self-destruct, right?"

He stared at Cyber End Dragon, which shattered instantly into mist and vanished from the field.

Huh—

Huh—

Marufuji Ryo took a deep breath.

That was close.

He had almost been directly attacked by the power carried by that monster.

He clenched his fists, feeling his heart pound violently, his palms slick with sweat.

But—

Now, he should have already won!

If the attack goes through, if he attacks that Psychic monster…

Roadblock Octopus no longer has any Xyz Materials, so its effect is gone. He has already won!

"My turn, draw!"

He yanked a card from his deck, glanced down—and froze in horror.

What card is this?

I've never placed this card in my deck before—

Then, as if remembering something, he snapped back to awareness.

Was this the card he'd added to his deck during his last draw phase?

Back then, he'd been so startled by the robber that he'd shoved all the cards into his deck without checking what he'd drawn…

He carefully read the card's effect—and his expression changed.

No—

How can this effect be used?

He shook his head.

Besides, the battle phase can end right now! If the battle ends, if the battle ends…

"Battle! I attack Psychic Ace Pilot with Cyber Twin Dragon—"

"Wait." At that moment, the robber grinned again, "Activate the Continuous Trap Card!

Starlight Barrier (Note 1)"

!?

"While this card is on the field, if your opponent's monster attacks one of your monsters, change that attack into a direct attack on you!"

"What?" Marufuji Ryo blinked. What kind of trap card is this? With only 1200 Life Points left, using this trap is suicide—

"Not done yet!"

"Another Continuous Trap Card: Soul Barrier!" The robber laughed harder and harder, "As long as you control a monster, battle damage to you becomes zero!"

Damn—

Marufuji Ryo instantly realized the terrifying synergy of these two traps!

No wonder he'd used Roadblock Octopus even though his ATK was below 1200 last turn—it wasn't just to inflict more pain on him, but because he was confident enough to end the duel right now!

With these two cards on the field, since No. monsters can only be destroyed by other No. monsters in battle, his field will always have a monster present—direct attacks and piercing damage are useless!

Moreover, because attacks can be redirected to the player, he can also use Roadblock Octopus's effect to seize control outright!

A truly all-around "invincible" setup!

"Come on, Cyber Twin Dragon—attack me directly!"

Boom—

Cyber Twin Dragon struck the robber, but a thin transparent shield appeared before him, blocking the attack.

"Now, come here, Cyber Twin Dragon!!"

As in the previous turn, control of Cyber Twin Dragon was once again seized, swirling above the robber's field.

Now, Caesar's field was completely empty.

"Damn—damn—only you! I'll never forgive you!" Caesar's eyes turned blood-red.

He was utterly enraged!

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyber Repair Factory!"

"If you have a 【Cyber Dragon】 in your graveyard, you can activate one of its effects; if three or more Cyber Dragons are there, you can activate both effects!"

"First effect: add one Light-Attribute Machine-Type monster from your deck to your hand!" He angrily rummaged through his entire deck, scanning it, confirming its changes, then pulled one card into his hand, "I add Cyber Dragon to my hand!"

"Second effect: target one Machine-Type, Light-Attribute monster in your graveyard; return that card to your deck. I return Cyber End Dragon to my deck!"

"Next… Special Summon: Cyber Dragon!"

"Next! Set one card face-down. End turn!" Marufuji Ryo took a deep breath. If he didn't use this card now, he'd be pierced through by the monstrous power of Cyber Twin Dragon and die outright. He could never accept that—so he had to use this card!

"Hah… looks like this is your final turn. My turn, draw—" He glanced at the drawn card.

Hah. Mirror Force?

But I won't need it.

"Battle! This ends it—"

Marufuji Ryo bowed his head, face dark.

On one side, the robot turned to Kaito and asked, "Lord Kaito, should we prepare?"

He asked again.

Even Kaito looked disappointed.

Could this man truly be this weak?

But—

"Activate the trap card!!!"

"Cyber Overflow!!!!"

"To win, I must abandon my old friend!" Marufuji Ryo roared as he revealed the trap card.

"What?" The robber was stunned by Marufuji Ryo's roar.

"Exclude any number of 【Cyber Dragon】 from your hand, graveyard, or face-up monsters on your field—no more than one Cyber Dragon of the same Level. Then, destroy that many cards on your opponent's field!"

"I exclude Cyber Dragon from my graveyard, Cyber Dragon Type 3, and Cyber Core from my hand!"

"Destroy your field's No. 26, Cyber Twin Dragon, and Starlight Barrier!"

"This is my struggle to survive!!!"

The spectral souls of three Machine Dragons surged like streaks of light, smashing and obliterating the opponent's monsters and traps.

"Even if it can't be destroyed by battle against non-No. monsters, it's still a monster—it can still be destroyed by card effects!" Marufuji Ryo wore a wild grin he had never shown before.

It seemed—

In the instant he excluded his own Cyber Dragons, he finally liberated himself.

He finally understood what he truly wanted!

A duelist must—win!!!

"Tch…" The robber muttered under his breath, glancing at his hand, mumbling for a moment.

Doesn't matter—I still have this in my hand—

Trap Card: Mirror Force!

For the opponent to defeat me, since I control a monster, they must summon at least one monster to do so.

So, they'll inevitably try to Special Summon a monster.

When that happens, I'll activate this card and destroy all their face-up attack-position monsters, securing victory!

"Set one card. End turn."

"Hmph hmpf hmpf hmpf hmpf... My turn—Draw!"

Marufuji Ryo had never felt as light and free as he did right now.

He looked at the card he had drawn and couldn't help laughing even louder.

"Activate the Spell Card—Evolution Flame! Can only be activated if you control a face-up 【Cyber Dragon】 on your field. Destroy one card on your opponent's field—during the turn this card is activated, Cyber Dragon cannot make direct attacks!"

"What? If that's the case, how are you going to win?"

"Hmph hmpf hmpf... You'll see," Caesar grinned, pointing at the opponent's face-down card. "Destroy that card!"

Cyber Dragon gathered its power, then unleashed a searing white flame that blasted the robber's face-down card.

Sacred Shield—Mirror Force!

"Damn it! But now I'm invincible!"

"Invincible? Hahahaha, how ridiculous!" Marufuji Ryo laughed heartily, then Normal Summoned a new monster. "Normal Summon—Cyber Dragon Type 3."

"Hmph, that monster is also a 【Cyber Dragon】, isn't it? And you haven't Fusion Summoned either, have you?"

As long as it's on the field, Cyber Dragon Type 3 is treated as a 【Cyber Dragon】—meaning it, too, cannot make direct attacks!

"Hmph... hmpf hmpf hmpf! Can only be activated when Cyber Dragon Type 3 is successfully Summoned. All 【Cyber Dragon】s on your field become Level 5!"

"Huh?" The robber blinked in surprise.

Not just him—

Even Kaito, who had been watching the duel intently, and the robot preparing for his own duel, dropped their crossed arms, widened their eyes, and stared in shock at Marufuji Ryo's move.

"Wait?"

"Hmph hmpf hmpf... Hah! Build an Xyz Network using two Level 5 monsters! Isn't that how it goes?"

"What?" Kaito's cold expression shattered completely!

Two silver-white metallic dragons twisted and merged into a newly formed black vortex on the field, then transformed into golden spheres.

"Eternal seeker of higher, newer evolution—Mechanical Dragon!"

"Now, shed your broken old form and ascend to a new realm!"

A metallic dragon, coated in black paint and armored with pure black wing plating, slowly emerged from within.

"Wha... what?"

"That guy... just performed an Xyz Summon!?" The robot's mechanical eyes nearly popped out.

Kaito blinked.

So that's how it is—

Even an Otherworlder has a chance.

"Xyz Summon... Rank 5, Cyber Dragon Nova!"

Cyber Dragon Nova, Rank 5, Light Attribute, Machine Type, ATK 2100, Xyz Materials: 2.

"An Xyz Summon—To win, he's even abandoned the Summoning method of his own world!?"

"Summoning method? Hmph! What I aim for is VICTORY!!!" Caesar waved his hand. "Activate Cyber Dragon Nova's monster effect: Remove one Xyz Material to revive one Cyber Dragon from your graveyard!"

Zzzt—

A golden orb was swallowed by Cyber Dragon Nova, which then activated its effect, pulling one Cyber Dragon from the graveyard onto the field.

"Battle! Cyber Dragon, attack Psychic Master!"

Cyber Dragon unleashed a scorching white stream of light—responding to its master's fury—as it obliterated the monster.

"Ugh—" The robber shielded his eyes with his hand and growled under his breath.

"Now, with Cyber Dragon Nova making a direct attack, you win!? Not bad, Otherworlder!" The robot couldn't help commenting.

"Hmph hmpf hmpf! Cyber Dragon Nova's monster effect: Once per turn, your turn or your opponent's, you can banish one Cyber Dragon from your hand or field. This card's ATK increases by 2100 points!!!"

"I banish the Cyber Dragon on my field!"

"Wha... what?!"

"Quick, Master Kaito! Why is that Otherworlder doing this? He could've just attacked and won already!"

"Hmm..." Kaito frowned slightly but said nothing.

It didn't matter to him.

He had no interest in the Otherworlder's affairs. Besides... if his own Galaxy-Eyes were constantly being snatched away by an opponent, perhaps he'd feel just as furious.

"Banishing the Cyber Dragon makes Cyber Dragon Nova even stronger!"

Cyber Dragon Nova, ATK: 2100 → 4200.

Even surpassing the Cyber End Dragon he'd always favored—

"Cyber Dragon Nova, direct attack!"

"Evolution Flame—Nova!!"

"This is my desire for victory!!!"

"Disappear, loser."

Chapter Three. Though labeled the third chapter, it's actually about the length of two updates, since it doesn't lend itself well to splitting and is under 4k words, so I'm posting it as-is. Please vote for monthly tickets, please vote for monthly tickets~ At month's end, just a little more~

P. S. Note 1: Starlight Barrier was released many years before Z4 and has nothing to do with Z4 itself.

By the way, Note 1: Starlight Body Barrier is an old card released many years before Z4, and has no relation to Z4 itself.



(End of Chapter)

(End of Chapter)