Chapter 126

Manzaimu: "My turn, draw!"

The field was suppressed again, and his Life Points were reversed into a disadvantageous state. Manzaimu gritted his teeth.

Wouldn't this be no different from before?

So much effort, so much preparation...

He absolutely could not allow himself to fall again. Not here, not again in front of this guy.

"Quick-Play Spell 'Burial from a Different Dimension', return up to three monster cards from the banished zone to the Graveyard. I return 'Dark End Dragon', which was banished by VWXYZ, to the Graveyard!"

The phantom of the black giant dragon appeared again, sinking back into the vortex of the Graveyard.

"Then I activate the Equip Spell 'Premature Burial'!"

Manzaimu revealed a card from his hand.

"Pay 800 Life Points, select one monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it in Attack Position, and equip this card to it!"

【Manzaimu, LP 1000 → LP 200】

Actively paying his Life Points to a candle in the wind, a dark vortex erupted in the Graveyard zone, and the pitch-black, ferocious giant dragon appeared for the second time in the surging dark current!

"Resurrect Dark End Dragon!"

【Dark End Dragon, ATK 2600】

The Senior Lady in the stands: "Resurrected Dark End Dragon once again. In that case, as long as he uses Dark End Dragon's ability to remove VWXYZ, a direct attack would be Manzaimu's desperate reversal."

"Indeed." The senior next to her also nodded. "Dark End Dragon, that new trump card of Manzaimu's, really is a monster with terrifying abilities."

"But the destruction resistance on 'Dark End Dragon' resurrected by such means has also disappeared." Fujiki You Xuan said. "Then I activate my Set card, Trap Card 'Bottomless Trap Hole'!"

"When the opponent summons a monster with 1500 or more ATK, destroy it and banish it from the game."

The pitch-black pit opened under Dark End Dragon's feet, leading directly to the interdimensional trap hole. Having lost Hard-Arm Dragon's resistance, Dark End Dragon was completely unable to resist.

"Sure enough, I knew it wouldn't be that easy to pass," Manzaimu shouted. "Quick-Play Spell 'One with the Light and Dark'!"

"By offering a Light or Dark monster on my field as an Offering, I can Special Summon a Light or Dark monster with the opposite Attribute from my hand!" (Original effect)

This is also Manzaimu's card from the manga, which was only made into a physical card after more than a decade of effect modifications.

"Offer the Dark-Attribute 'Dark End Dragon' on the field as an Offering!"

The dark storm swirled, and the pitch-black giant dragon was instantly swallowed. Following that was a dazzling burst of strong light, shining and holy brilliance, the light like the rising sun, piercing through the curtain of darkness.

"Dispel the darkness, shine the brilliance, illuminate the path to victory—"

"—Light End Dragon, summon!!!"

Appearing from the brilliance, the huge and majestic dragon had eyes like brilliant diamonds, and its spread wings were like huge wings of light, blooming with a dazzling screen of light, showing the majesty and power of the holy halo to the fullest.

【Light End Dragon, ATK 2600】

This was also the first time Manzaimu had revealed his new trump card in public. Such a powerful and beautiful posture, the holy and brilliant dragon formed a sharp contrast with the dark dragon that had just gone down.

"So you still had a strategy against traps in your hand." Fujiki You Xuan smiled happily. "Isn't this quite an improvement?"

"Hmph, your infuriating attitude ends here!"

Manzaimu revealed two more cards from his hand.

"Spell Card 'Strange Clover'! By discarding a Level 4 Plant-Type monster from my hand, I can make one monster on my field attack twice this turn!"

"I discard the Plant-Type 'Killer Tomato' from my hand, so 'Light End Dragon' can attack twice!"

The Senior Lady on the stage frowned in confusion: "But even so, Light End Dragon's ATK is lower than Dragon Catapult Cannon's, so even adding attack frequency is meaningless..."

But no one doubted that Manzaimu still had a backup plan.

"Battle, 'Light End Dragon' attacks 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon'!"

Onlookers: "Attacking with a monster with lower ATK!?"

Manzaimu shouted: "At this moment, the effect of 'Light End Dragon' activates! When Light End Dragon battles, its own ATK decreases by 500 points, and the ATK of the opponent's monster it battles decreases by 1500 until the end of the turn!"

Manzaimu raised his arm.

"Light Expansion!!!"

The blinding white light erupted from the body of that white dragon, the dazzling light dominating the entire field, enveloping the huge steel machine.

【Light End Dragon, ATK 2600 → ATK 2100】

【VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 3000 → ATK 1500】

Onlookers: "The ATK has been surpassed!"

"This way, it's Light End Dragon's advantage, crush that machine!" Manzaimu said.

The incandescent light was as fierce as a raging fire, instantly piercing through VWXYZ's heavy armor. A series of explosive sounds, the impregnable combined body was riddled with holes, like a dilapidated fortress ravaged by a storm, collapsing with a rumble.

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP 1900 → LP 1300】

"Final blow!"

Manzaimu shouted.

"Go, accept the effect of 'Strange Clover', Light End Dragon's second attack!!!"

"Flash Sublimation!!!"

The white light swept like a surging wave, and in the screen of light, it seemed as if ten thousand sharp blades were slashing towards Fujiki You Xuan. At that moment, Manzaimu couldn't help but hold his breath, his eyes wide open as if fearing to miss even a single moment.

Won.

But he didn't.

Boom!!!

The strong light hit an illusory barrier, and a translucent mechanical body appeared in front of Fujiki You Xuan, blocking his fatal blow.

"Nani!?" Manzaimu was shocked.

"'Kiteroid' in the Graveyard, battle damage from a direct attack to the player can be made 0 once." Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "Discarded by your 'Hand Destruction'. It seems there are risks to the effect of replacing hands for both sides."

"Ugh..." Manzaimu's face twitched.

Kite...

This feeling was already within reach, the moment his long-cherished wish was about to be fulfilled, only to suddenly find it was a daydream. It simply required a quick-acting heart-saving pill.

But the advantage is still mine!

"... Then I Set one card on the field, turn end." Manzaimu said coldly.

He still had one last hand, one last chance.

"Then my turn, draw." Fujiki You Xuan said. "Spell Card 'Treasured Card of Adversity', draw two cards if the opponent has a Special Summoned monster and I have no monsters." (Original card)

After drawing the card, he revealed one of the cards in his hand.

"Equip Spell 'Dimensional Destruction Cannon - Super Thunder Alliance'!"

"This card can Special Summon 【VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon】 from my Graveyard in Attack Position, ignoring its summoning conditions, and equip this card to it, negating the equipped monster's effects." (Original card)

This is also a support card used by Manzaimu in the anime, which was not made into a physical card.

"According to the effect of this card, 【VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon】 resurrects!"

【VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 3000】

"Then the effect of 'Machina Fortress' in the Graveyard. This card can be Special Summoned from the Graveyard by discarding Machine-Type monsters from the hand whose total Levels are 8 or higher."

"I discard the Level 8 'Machina Fortress - Super Transformation' from my hand, 'Machina Fortress' resurrects!"

The vortex leading to the Underworld opened, and the fully armed fortress also returned to the field.

【Machina Fortress, ATK 2500】

The Senior Lady swallowed her saliva: "Summoned two such powerful high-level monsters back in an instant to rewrite the situation..."

In this day and age, it's quite difficult for most duelists to summon a high-level monster, and those who can continuously bring out big monsters like the two on the field are already elite standouts.

Are this year's newcomers really all monsters?

"Battle." Fujiki You Xuan said. "'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon', attack 'Light End Dragon'!"

All the cannons of Dragon Catapult Cannon locked on, and the gorgeous energy beams and rocket barrages fired together, the momentum like a roaring fire dragon about to swallow Light End Dragon.

Senior Lady: "Attacking even though he knows Light End Dragon's effect..."

In this situation, according to calculations, it seems he should have used Machina Fortress to attack first.

If he used Machina Fortress to attack first, Light End Dragon would activate its effect, and Machina Fortress's ATK would drop to 1000, while Light End Dragon would be 1600. Fortress would be defeated, and Fujiki You Xuan would take 600 points of damage.

Then VWXYZ would attack again, Light End Dragon would activate its effect again, and Dragon Catapult Cannon's ATK would drop to 1500, but Light End Dragon would only have 1100 left. Manzaimu's LP would remain at 200, and if the attack passed, it would be Fujiki You Xuan's victory.

So why use VWXYZ to attack first? Calculation error?

"I don't know what you're planning... but at this moment, the effect of 'Light End Dragon' activates!" Manzaimu said. "Decrease its own ATK by 500 points, and decrease Dragon Catapult Cannon's ATK by 1500!"

"Light Expansion!"

【Light End Dragon, ATK 2100 → ATK 1600】

【VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 3000 → ATK 1500】

"I don't know what backup plan you're considering, but this blow will be the finale!"

Manzaimu shouted, waving his hand to flip over his last back row card.

"Damage Calculation step, activate Set card! Quick-Play Spell - 'Forbidden Chalice'! Increase one face-up monster's ATK by 400 points, and negate its effects!"

"Oh? This card..." Fujiki You Xuan quickly understood Manzaimu's intention. "So what you want to negate is..."

"Hahahaha! That's right, what I want to negate is the effect of my own 'Light End Dragon'!"

Manzaimu laughed.

"Light End Dragon's effect becomes negated, so the ATK it lost due to its own effect is restored, and it gains an additional 400 points of ATK!"

【Light End Dragon, ATK 1600 → ATK 2600 → ATK 3000】

The onlookers couldn't help but exclaim.

"Negated its own effect to restore ATK, cleverly utilized the side effect and even increased ATK..."

"Light End Dragon's ATK reduction is a continuous effect, so once negated, the ATK will be restored. But its effect of reducing the opponent's monster's ATK is the type that activates upon activation, so Dragon Catapult Cannon's ATK will still be maintained at 1500 until the end of the turn..."

If the battle succeeds, Fujiki You Xuan will take 1500 points of damage, turning it into Manzaimu's desperate counterattack!

Manzaimu: "This is the end! Light End Dragon, counterattack! Flash Sublimation..."

"Don't be in such a hurry." Fujiki You Xuan smiled, interrupting the chant. "Activate Set card, Trap Card - Intercept Shield!" (Original card)

A trap used by Dark Yugi Atum in the original work. The King used this card to cover Kaiba; it's also an old card from the DM era.

"Offer one monster on my field as an Offering, and add that monster's DEF to the target monster's ATK." Fujiki You Xuan said. "Because it's an ATK-changing effect, it can be activated during the Damage Calculation step."

"And because it's during the Damage Calculation step, even if the number of monsters on the field changes, it won't cause an attack replay."

Manzaimu's face changed slightly: "Nani!?"

"Therefore, I offer 'Machina Fortress' as an Offering, and its 1600 DEF is added to 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon'."

Machina Fortress dissipated into golden light, and energy poured into Dragon Catapult Cannon. The steel giant that had been wilting instantly received an energy refill!

【VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 1500 → ATK 3100】

Everyone couldn't help but exclaim again: "The ATK has been surpassed again!"

The Senior Lady couldn't help but stroke her heaving chest: "In such a situation, actually..."

"Damn it..." Manzaimu's expression twisted.

Having come this far, is there still no way to cross this barrier?

But it's not over yet.

For the activation of 'Intercept Shield', Machina Fortress was used as an Offering, and Fujiki You Xuan had no means to attack again. Although Light End Dragon couldn't be saved, he would still have 100 Life Points left.

It's not over yet.

"Why do you think I chose to use 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon' to attack?" Fujiki You Xuan suddenly asked.

Manzaimu was stunned.

Huh?

How would I know why?

"I don't know why, I just feel like finishing the final blow with this guy in a duel against you feels more appropriate." Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "Of course, the premise is having the confidence to finish him off, otherwise it's disrespectful to the opponent, right?"

Manzaimu's pupils contracted.

What does confidence to finish him off mean?

Could there still be a backup plan at this stage?

"Activate Trap Card 'Skill Successor' from the Graveyard." Fujiki You Xuan revealed a trap that popped out of the Graveyard. "During my turn, banish this card from the Graveyard, and one monster on my field gains 800 ATK until the end of the turn!"

【VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 3100 → ATK 3900】

Manzaimu's eyes widened.

Activated from the Graveyard? How do you still have traps in the Graveyard?

Could it be the hand destruction from the beginning...

Manzaimu was about to vomit blood.

What kind of traitorous hand destruction...

"This is the finale." Fujiki You Xuan said. "VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon attacks!

Justice from Above!"

The rocket barrage swept in, and the artillery fire swept across the field. Light End Dragon was helplessly swallowed under the dense firepower, causing a series of explosions on Manzaimu's half of the field.

【Manzaimu, LP 200 → LP 0】

(End of Chapter)