Chapter 1087: Puppet Magic Sword

Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit, destroyed.

After a series of exchanges in attack and defense, Kaito finally felt that he had gained a slight advantage—though even this small edge felt incredibly hard-won.

Kaito pressed his advantage in one go: "It's not over yet! Next is 'Photon Papilloperative', attack 'Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit'!"

The light sword of Photon Papilloperative sliced through the air, the blade trailing a brilliant blue streak of light, like a meteor tearing through the night sky. When the sword tip touched the metallic shell of Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit, there was no harsh clashing sound, only a blinding white light erupting at the point of contact.

The body of Gearspring Spirit was like fragile glass under the blade of light; starting from the waist, cracks instantly spread across its entire body. The next second, its armored shell disintegrated into countless fragments, each piece burning in the air and dissipating into tiny specks of light. The shockwave of the explosion kicked up a gale, but Photon Papilloperative stood unmoved, the light sword still held firmly in its hand, the tip slightly lowered as if it had just made a casual swing.

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP2500 → LP2100】

"With this, all your Gimmick Puppets are destroyed," Kaito said coldly. "Next is the Spell Card 'Burial of the Ritual Spell', banishing the Spell Cards 'Photon Slasher', 'Acceleration Light', and 'Galaxy Cyclone' from the Graveyard to draw two cards from the Deck."

"Finally, I set three cards. Turn end."

Joey said: "That kid is really not to be underestimated; he feels strong."

As he spoke, he glanced at Fujiki You Xuan: "Hey, hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it looks like things are getting tricky," Fujiki You Xuan sighed. "If I go down in a bit, the heavy responsibility of protecting our dimension will fall on you, senior."

"Cut it out."

Joey rolled his eyes.

"Your life is tough as nails, don't think I don't know. It's not easy for an old fox like you to flip over."

Despite saying the situation was bad, his face was still full of smiles. Joey thought, *I don't believe a word you say, you old fox, you're wicked. *

Kaito also looked solemn. Although he had turned the situation around on the field, this duel didn't give him any real sense of having gained the upper hand.

The feeling mainly came from his opponent's composure; there was absolutely no sign of the unease one should have when their formation is broken. It was as if everything was still under his control.

"What's going on with this guy?" Kaito frowned.

It felt different from any opponent he had ever seen before.

"My turn, draw."

Fujiki You Xuan drew a card.

"During this turn's Standby Phase, I activate the effect of the Spell Card 'TakeOver5' in the Graveyard."

"During the Standby Phase, by banishing this card existing in the Graveyard along with a card of the same name from the Deck, I can draw one card from the Deck."

And so, Fujiki You Xuan calmly drew an additional card.

"Then, I Normal Summon 'Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit' from my hand."

With heavy armor covered in spikes and a pair of metal pincers sparking in the air, the Gearspring Spirit beetle warrior landed on the field once again.

【Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit, ATK 1600】

Kaito: "The second one?"

He remembered that this guy's effect seemed to be able to retrieve Gimmick Puppets from the Graveyard as equipment. Since that was the case, the one to be retrieved was naturally...

"The effect of Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit!" Fujiki You Xuan said. "Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can select one 'Gimmick Puppet' monster from my hand or Graveyard to equip to this card."

"I retrieve 'Gimmick Puppet - Humpty Dumpty' from the Graveyard as equipment!"

Kaito couldn't help but grit his teeth: "It really came." Humpty Dumpty, it was Humpty Dumpty again; he knew it.

Awakened from the Graveyard once more, the Humpty Dumpty machine flew above Fujiki You Xuan, quickly switching forms, changing from human to armed form, and landing in the hands of its teammate, Gearspring Spirit.

And the Gearspring Spirit equipped with Humpty Dumpty could gain Humpty Dumpty's Level, and its ATK and DEF would also increase by Humpty Dumpty's ATK value.

【Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit, ATK 1600 → ATK 2100】

Of course, this effect was never the main point.

"The effect of Humpty Dumpty, no need to explain, right?" Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "Gimmick Puppet - Humpty Dumpty's effect is that by sending this equipped card to the Graveyard, I can destroy one card on the field!"

"I send Humpty Dumpty to the Graveyard to destroy 'Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon'!"

The model worker Humpty Dumpty was launched as a cannonball once again. Through the hands of Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit, Humpty Dumpty's six metal wings folded completely, and orange-red propulsion flames burst from the gaps in its shell, shooting toward Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon like a red-hot iron nail. The trajectory left in the air was not dust, but a golden light trail ionized by high heat, with a transparent air wave like a sonic boom exploding behind it.

"Equipping Humpty Dumpty in various ways, then using Humpty Dumpty's effect to destroy my card. Then, while destroying, you can also trigger other effects of the equipped monster to search or expand..."

Kaito said, suddenly opening his eyes wide and shouting.

"I've already seen through this attack pattern!"

"Activate Set Card, Trap Card 'Bomb Defense'!"

Countless black spheres the size of fists emerged from the void, their surfaces covered in magma-like cracks, hovering in front of the Photon Dragon to form a honeycomb-shaped defensive array. The black spheres exploded with churning flames; these explosive flames actually solidified into a net in the air, and every subsequent exploding black sphere was precisely embedded into the nodes of this death net.

"'Bomb Defense' can only be activated when the opponent activates an effect that would destroy a monster on their field," Kaito said. "That activation is negated and destroyed, and the opponent takes 500 points of damage!"

At this moment, the entire bomb wall had connected into a rotating flame tornado; the outermost layer was a blue-white high-temperature air wave, the middle layer was a constantly restructuring molten lava fluid, and the core was a pitch-black explosion center that absorbed all sound. The moment Humpty Dumpty touched the flame tornado, its armor melted like taffy, and it was blown to smithereens before it could even touch the Galaxy-Eyes.

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP2100 → LP1600】

"Oh, you have a strategy for Humpty Dumpty, defended well," Fujiki You Xuan said. "But even if Humpty Dumpty's destruction effect is negated, Humpty Dumpty as an Equip Card is still sent to the Graveyard."

"Then the effect of 'Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit' activates. If the equipment on itself is sent to the Graveyard, I can add one 'Gimmick Puppet' card from my Deck to my hand."

Fujiki You Xuan's Deck began to execute an automatic search, a card popped out, and after he drew it, the Deck automatically shuffled.

"I add the Equip Spell 'Gimmick Puppet's Magic Sword - Puppet King Sword' from my Deck to my hand."

Kaito: "Isn't it only monsters that can be searched?"

"Not bad, but Gearspring Spirit's effect is to search for a Gimmick Puppet 'card', it didn't say it had to be a monster."

Fujiki You Xuan smiled and said.

"Then I will equip the Equip Spell 'Gimmick Puppet's Magic Sword - Puppet King Sword' to 'Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit'."

The magic sword landed in Gearspring Spirit's hand, and a golden magic sword was embedded into the back of Gearspring Spirit's pincer-like hand, with bursts of golden current added to Gearspring Spirit. The latter roared "Ahhh," as if its power had skyrocketed.

"The equipped Gearspring Spirit's ATK increases by 800 points."

【Gimmick Puppet - Gearspring Spirit, ATK 1600 → ATK 2400】