Chapter 126: The Inside Spy's Erasure

Wan Zhangmu: “My turn, draw!”

The field was once again suppressed, his life points flipped into a dire state. Wan Zhangmu clenched his teeth.

Doesn’t this just bring us back to where we started?

All this effort, all this preparation.

He could not allow himself to fall again. Not here. Not in front of this man.

“Quick-Play Spell ‘Burial from a Different Dimension’—return up to three monster cards from the banished zone to the graveyard. I return the ‘Dark End Dragon’ banished by VWXYZ!”

The shadow of the black dragon reappeared, sinking once more into the vortex of the graveyard.

“Then, activate the Equip Spell ‘Premature Burial’!”

Wan Zhangmu revealed a card from his hand.

“Pay 800 life points to special summon one monster from my graveyard in attack position, and equip this card to it!”

【Wan Zhangmu, LP 1000 → LP 200】

He voluntarily drained his life points to a flickering candle. A dark whirlpool erupted from the graveyard, and the monstrous black dragon reappeared for the second time amid the churning shadows!

“Revive the Dark End Dragon!”

【Dark End Dragon, ATK 2600】

The senior on the stands: “The Dark End Dragon has been revived again. Now, if he uses its effect to destroy VWXYZ and attacks directly, Wan Zhangmu will achieve a desperate reversal.”

“Indeed,” the senior beside her nodded. “The Dark End Dragon—Wan Zhangmu’s new ace—is truly a terrifying monster.”

“But the revival via this method removes the Dark End Dragon’s destruction immunity,” You Xuan said. “I activate my face-down card: Trap Card ‘Bottomless Trap Hole’!”

“When your opponent summons a monster with 1500 or more ATK, destroy it and banish it.”

A pitch-black pit opened beneath the Dark End Dragon’s feet, leading straight to the dimensional hole. The Dark End Dragon, stripped of its armored resistance, could not resist.

“I knew it wouldn’t be this easy!” Wan Zhangmu roared. “Quick-Play Spell ‘Face-Down Defense’!”

“By tributing a light- or dark-attribute monster on my field, I can special summon a monster of the opposite attribute from my hand!” (Original effect)

This card, too, was Wan Zhangmu’s from the manga, later real-worldized after over a decade of effect revisions.

“Tribute the dark-attribute ‘Dark End Dragon’ on my field!”

A dark storm surged, swallowing the black dragon whole. Then blinding light exploded—radiant, holy, like the first rays of the rising sun, piercing through the veil of darkness.

“Dispelling darkness, light shines forth, illuminating the path to victory—

—Radiant End Dragon, summon!!!”

Emerging from the radiance, a vast and majestic dragon, its eyes like brilliant diamonds, wings spread as colossal wings of light, unleashing a dazzling curtain of brilliance—a divine halo showcasing supreme majesty and power.

【Radiant End Dragon, ATK 2600】

This was Wan Zhangmu’s first public unveiling of his new ace—a powerful, beautiful form, a sacred luminous dragon standing in stark contrast to the dark dragon just banished.

“You kept a trap countermeasure in hand,” You Xuan chuckled. “You’ve improved quite a bit.”

“Hmph! Your infuriating attitude ends here!”

Wan Zhangmu revealed two more cards from his hand.

“Spell Card ‘Strange Clover’! By discarding a level-four Plant-type monster from my hand, one monster on my field can attack twice this turn!”

“I discard the Plant-type ‘Killer Tomato’ from my hand—now, the Radiant End Dragon can attack twice!”

The senior on the stands frowned in confusion: “Even so, Radiant End Dragon’s ATK doesn’t surpass the Dragon Cannon. Adding another attack won’t matter.”

But no one doubted Wan Zhangmu had another trick.

“Battle! Radiant End Dragon, attack VWXYZ-Dragon Cannon!”

The crowd: “Attack with a lower-ATK monster?!”

Wan Zhangmu shouted: “At this moment, Radiant End Dragon’s effect activates! During battle, its ATK decreases by 500, and the opponent’s monster’s ATK decreases by 1500 until the end of the turn!”

Wan Zhangmu raised his arm.

“Light Expansion!!!”

Blinding white light erupted from the white dragon, dominating the entire field, engulfing the massive steel machine.

【Radiant End Dragon, ATK 2600 → ATK 2100】

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

The crowd: “ATK has been surpassed!”

“Now Radiant End Dragon holds the advantage—crush that mech!” Wan Zhangmu said.

White-hot light blazed like wildfire, instantly piercing VWXYZ’s heavy armor. A series of explosions tore through its indestructible fused body, leaving it riddled with holes like a fortress battered by storm and rain, collapsing with a thunderous crash.

【You Xuan, LP 1900 → LP 1300】

“Final blow!”

Wan Zhangmu roared.

“Go! Activate ‘Strange Clover’—Radiant End Dragon, attack again!!!

Flash Ascension!!!”

White light surged like a tidal wave; within the radiant curtain, countless blades slashed toward You Xuan. At that moment, Wan Zhangmu involuntarily held his breath, eyes wide, afraid to miss even a single instant.

Won.

But not yet.

BOOM!!!

The blinding light struck an ethereal barrier—a translucent mechanical body materialized before You Xuan, blocking his killing blow.

“What?!” Wan Zhangmu gasped.

“The ‘Kite Man’ in my graveyard can nullify direct battle damage to the player once,” You Xuan smiled. “Your ‘Hand Destruction’ triggered the card swap effect. It seems there’s risk for both sides.”

“Ugh,” Wan Zhangmu’s face twitched.

Kite

This feeling—so close, the long-held dream nearly fulfilled—only to realize it was all a waking dream. It demanded a quick-acting heart pill.

But the advantage is still mine!

“I’ll set one card face-down. End my turn,” Wan Zhangmu said coldly.

He still held one final card. One last chance.

“My turn, draw,” You Xuan said. “Spell Card ‘Adversity’s Bounty’—when my opponent has a special-summoned monster on the field and I have none, draw two cards.” (Original card)

After drawing, he revealed one card from his hand.

“Equip Spell ‘Dimensional Destruction Cannon—Super Thunder Alliance’!”

“This card can special summon ‘VWXYZ-Dragon Cannon’ from my graveyard in attack position, ignoring summoning conditions, and equip it to itself. The equipped monster’s effects are negated.” (Original card)

This was a support card used by Wan Zhangmu in the anime, never real-worldized.

“By this card’s effect, ‘VWXYZ-Dragon Cannon’ is revived!”

【VWXYZ-Dragon Cannon, ATK 3000】

“Next, activate the effect of ‘Mechanical Troops—Fortress’ in my graveyard. By discarding from my hand mechanical-type monsters totaling 8 or more levels, I can special summon it from the graveyard.”

“I discard the level-eight ‘Mechanical Troops—Super Transformation’ from my hand—‘Mechanical Troops—Fortress’ is revived!”

The vortex to the netherworld opened, and the heavily armed fortress returned to the field.

【Mechanical Troops—Fortress, ATK 2500】

The senior swallowed hard: “In an instant, two powerful upper-level monsters have returned, completely reversing the situation.”

These days, most duelists struggle to summon even one upper-level monster. Those who can continuously summon such beasts like these two are already elite.

Are this year’s freshmen all monsters?

“Battle,” You Xuan said. “‘VWXYZ-Dragon Cannon’, attack ‘Radiant End Dragon’!”

All cannons of the Dragon Cannon locked onto their target. Brilliant energy beams and rocket volleys fired in unison, a roaring fire dragon ready to devour the Radiant End Dragon.

The senior: “He’s attacking despite knowing Radiant End Dragon’s effect…”

Logically, he should attack first with the Mechanical Fortress.

If he attacked first with the Fortress, Radiant End Dragon’s effect would reduce the Fortress’s ATK to 1000 and raise its own to 1600. The Fortress would be destroyed, and You Xuan would take 600 damage.

Then VWXYZ attacks. Radiant End Dragon activates its effect again—Dragon Cannon’s ATK drops to 1500, but Radiant End Dragon’s drops to 1100. Wan Zhangmu has 200 LP left. If the attack lands, You Xuan wins.

So why attack first with VWXYZ? A miscalculation?

“I don’t know what you’re planning,” Wan Zhangmu said, “but at this moment, Radiant End Dragon’s effect activates! It reduces its own ATK by 500 and lowers Dragon Cannon’s ATK by 1500!

Light Expansion!”

【Radiant End Dragon, ATK 2100 → ATK 1600】

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

“I don’t know what your final trick is—but this blow will be the finale!”

Wan Zhangmu roared, flipping open his last back-row card.

“During damage calculation, activate my face-down card: Quick-Play Spell ‘Forbidden Chalice’! Increase the ATK of one face-up monster on the field by 400 and negate its effects!”

“Oh? This card,” You Xuan quickly grasped Wan Zhangmu’s intent. “So you intend to negate…”

“Hahaha! Yes! I’m negating my own Radiant End Dragon’s effect!”

Wan Zhangmu laughed.

“Since Radiant End Dragon’s effect is negated, its ATK returns to normal, and then gains an additional 400!”

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

The crowd gasped in unison.

“Negating its own effect to restore ATK—cleverly exploiting the side effect to boost it further.”

The Radiant End Dragon's reduction of its own attack is a continuous effect, so once negated, its attack will recover. But its effect lowering the opponent's monster's attack is a triggered effect activated upon use, so the attack power of the Dragon Cannon remains at 1500 until the end of the turn.

If the battle resolves, You Xuan will take 1500 points of backlash damage—this becomes Wan Zhangmu’s desperate counterattack!

Wan Zhangmu: "It ends here! Radiant End Dragon, strike back! Radiant Ascension!"

"Don't rush." You Xuan smiled, interrupting the chant. "Activate Gai Card: Trap Card—Counter Shield!" (Original card)

This trap was once used by the Dark Game Atem in the original, and the King used it to protect Kaiba—it’s a classic from the DM era.

"Sacrifice one monster on your field, and add that monster’s defense to the target monster’s attack," You Xuan said. "Since this is an attack modification effect, it can be activated during the damage calculation step."

"And because it’s activated during the damage calculation step, even if the number of monsters on the field changes, it won’t trigger an attack rebound."

Wan Zhangmu’s expression shifted slightly: "Nani!?"

"Therefore, I sacrifice 'Mechanical Troops: Fortress,' adding its 1600 defense to the attack power of 'VWXYZ-Dragon Cannon.'"

The Mechanical Fortress dissolved into golden light, its energy surging into the Dragon Cannon—the once-diminished steel giant instantly regained full power!

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

The crowd gasped again: "Its attack has surged past again!"

The senior student couldn’t help pressing her hand to her heaving chest: "Under these circumstances...?"

"Damn it..." Wan Zhangmu’s face twisted.

After going this far, he still couldn’t break through this barrier?

But it wasn’t over.

To activate "Counter Shield," the Mechanical Fortress had been sacrificed—You Xuan now had no further means of attack. Though the Radiant End Dragon was lost, he still had 100 life points remaining.

Not yet finished.

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

Wan Zhangmu froze.

Huh?

How would I know why you did that?

"For some reason, I just felt finishing this duel with this monster felt more fitting," You Xuan smiled. "Of course, that’s only if you have the confidence to deliver the final blow—otherwise, it’d be disrespectful to your opponent, right?"

Wan Zhangmu’s pupils contracted.

What does "confidence to deliver the final blow" mean?

At this point, could there still be a hidden move?

"Activate the trap card 'Skill Inheritance' from the graveyard." You Xuan revealed a trap card that popped up from his graveyard. "During your turn, banish this card from your graveyard to increase the attack of one monster on your field by 800 points until the end of the turn!"

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

Wan Zhangmu’s eyes widened in shock.

You activate a trap from the graveyard? How the hell do you still have traps buried there?

Did you just pull another hand-erase from the start?

Wan Zhangmu felt like vomiting blood.

What the hell is this insider hand-erase...

"This is the finale," You Xuan said. "Attack with VWXYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

"Justice from Above!"

A barrage of rockets swept across the field, artillery fire obliterating everything. The Radiant End Dragon was helplessly swallowed by the torrent of fire, triggering a chain of explosions across Wan Zhangmu’s side.

【Wan Zhangmu, LP 200 → LP 0】

(End of Chapter)