Chapter 1117: Roll the Dice

The earth trembled, countless cracks spreading like spiderwebs across the ground. Accompanied by deafening explosions, a crimson pillar of fire burst through the surface, dyeing the night sky blood-red. The flames twisted and coiled in the air, gradually condensing into the form of a colossal dragon. First, its fiery wings unfurled, blotting out the moonlight; then its long tail swept across the battlefield; finally, its ferocious head rose from the inferno.

As the fiery mantle fell away, the True Crimson-Eyes Black Dragon's obsidian scales gleamed with a metallic sheen in the firelight. It raised its head and let out a long, echoing roar, its draconic cry mingling with the sulfurous stench of hell.

True Crimson-Eyes Black Dragon, revived!

At that moment, the phantom of the True Crimson-Eyes Abyss Black Dragon appeared in midair, drifting like a ghost, unstable and wavering. The phantom began to burn, transforming into countless streams of dark crimson energy that flowed like rivers into the sea, pouring into the True Crimson-Eyes Black Dragon's body.

Having absorbed power, the True Crimson-Eyes Black Dragon's body suddenly swelled, magma-like red light seeping from the gaps between its scales. Its unfurled wings seemed ignited by black flame, and with every breath it exhaled scorching heat waves. When its claws struck the ground, the dueling arena's surface cracked, fissures spewing forth scalding steam.

【True Crimson-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK 2400 → ATK 4800】

「No matter how huge the monster, ATK is the way of kings! 」Joukouchi said, 「Come on, True Crimson-Eyes Black Dragon, attack【NO. 9 Heaven-Covering Star·Dyson Sphere】!

Black Flame Blast!!! 」

An ominous red light ignited deep within the True Crimson-Eyes Black Dragon's throat, and with a deafening roar, a black fireball tore through the air straight toward the heavens. Dark crimson lightning crackled across its surface, and wherever it passed, the air itself was scorched into twisted distortion. Just as it was about to strike the golden shell of the Dyson Sphere, golden ripples like water suddenly appeared in the void.

「Boom」—a dull thud, the Black Flame Blast detonated over ten meters from the target, as if it had struck an invisible wall. The golden barrier revealed a spiderweb-like pattern under impact, countless tiny light particles glittering within the black flames. The black fire flowed along the barrier's surface like ink dropped in water, churning and spreading before finally dissipating into wisps of black smoke in the night sky. The electronic circuitry on the Dyson Sphere's surface flickered faintly, as if silently mocking this futile attack.

Joukouchi gasped: 「What? 」

「Your tactics aren't bad, the legendary power of True Crimson-Eyes is indeed astonishing. 」

V said lightly.

「Unfortunately, it's useless against the Dyson Sphere. Because the effect of【NO. 9 Heaven-Covering Star·Dyson Sphere】is, when this card battles while possessing Xyz Materials and is attacked by an opponent's monster, that monster's attack can be directly negated! 」(Anime effect)

Joukouchi: 「! 」

Attack directly negated?

Isn't that equivalent to an attack blockade?

Indeed, that is the case. The actual card effect of Heaven-Covering Star·Dyson Sphere has also been weakened; a Dyson Sphere equipped with Xyz Materials can only negate an opponent's attack once per turn. But the original anime version had no such limit.

In other words, as long as this card remains on the field, the opponent's attacks are effectively completely sealed.

「Damn, the only reason you allowed my【True Crimson-Eyes Abyss Black Dragon】to attack through earlier was just to make me lose 400 LP, right? 」

Or perhaps because even if I summon a True Crimson-Eyes with 4800 ATK, the attack will still be negated anyway, so you have nothing to fear?

Yet Joukouchi still harbored doubts.

Even if my attack is sealed, how do you expect to win?

Joukouchi pondered: although my attacks will all be negated, you allowed me to summon a True Crimson-Eyes with 4800 ATK, while your Dyson Sphere has only 2800 ATK, so you shouldn't be able to initiate an attack yourself, right?

But at this moment, V still looked confident, as if he didn't even regard a True Crimson-Eyes with a shocking 4800 ATK panel as a threat. Why?

The answer was soon revealed. 「My turn, draw. 」V said coldly, 「【NO. 9 Heaven-Covering Star·Dyson Sphere】, activate its other effect!

When a monster with higher ATK than the Dyson Sphere exists on the opponent's field, remove one Xyz Material, and this turn the Dyson Sphere can attack the opponent player directly! 」

Joukouchi was stunned again.

「A direct attack with 2800 ATK!? 」Joukouchi exclaimed, 「Hey hey, this is too absurd!! 」

An attack blockade was bad enough, but now it can even strike face-on—how are we supposed to play?

Is this the power of Rank Nine Numbers?

An orbiting Xyz Material was absorbed into the Dyson Sphere's core, where a blinding white light ignited, like a supernova explosion too bright to stare at. The golden circuitry on the sphere's surface flared wildly, accompanied by a mechanical humming, as countless beams of light erupted from the core.

The sky filled with dense specks of light, like storm clouds pressing down before a downpour. These points of light plummeted rapidly, carving hundreds of blazing trails through the air. The first beam struck the ground with a deafening blast, instantly carving a massive crater. Immediately followed by the second, third, and hundreds more beams arriving in succession, the entire battlefield plunged into a frenzy of destruction.

The shockwaves from the explosions piled up, whipping up tens of meters high air currents, with smoke and dust forming a sky-covering curtain. Occasionally, remnants of light pierced the haze, casting eerie spots on the ground. Joukouchi was blown completely off his feet, flying upward before crashing heavily onto the ground on his back.

【Joukouchi, LP 3600 → LP 800】

「Ow ow ow」Joukouchi rubbed his head, 「Damn, so you just let my Abyss Black Dragon attack through earlier」

because the precondition for the Dyson Sphere's direct attack is that the opponent's field has a monster with higher ATK than itself. V allowed him to summon a True Crimson-Eyes with 4800 ATK last turn simply to satisfy the Dyson Sphere's face-smashing condition.

After all, even if the ATK were higher, it still couldn't reach the Dyson Sphere—there was no threat at all.

「Exactly, in the face of the Dyson Sphere, even the strongest power is meaningless. 」V drew two more cards, 「I set two cards face down, turn end. 」

「Damn, even the XYZ Dimension has monsters like this. 」Joukouchi took a deep breath, leapt back to his feet.

Dyson Sphere, attack lockdown plus face-smashing, plus this ATK panel—if I had to say something, it's actually a bit autistic, really.

「Being unable to be attacked is a bit troublesome, and speaking of which, Numbers seem to originally be unable to be destroyed by battle, so looks like this old man will have to pull out some real skill after all. 」

Joukouchi wasn't cowed by this; instead, he seemed even more fired up.

「My turn, draw! 」

Of course, if you know Joukouchi well, you've probably already guessed what「pull out some real skill」refers to.

It mostly means, the Gambler God is about to roll the dice.

「I summon this card in defense mode, 」Joukouchi said, 「Summon【Time Wizard】! 」