Chapter 1342

Dark Armed Dragon

Bakura's calm attitude also made Dartz feel slightly displeased.

This guy, even after seeing the activation of the second layer of the barrier, didn't show the slightest sign of panic.

Dartz silently drew two more cards from his hand.

"I Set two cards and end my turn."

"Is it over already? Then it must be my turn." Bakura said, "Draw!"

After drawing, he scanned his hand and smiled as he played another card.

"Let me see what fun thing I should mess with this time... Ha, this one will do." Bakura said, first playing a monster card, "First is this guy I searched to my hand last turn!"

"I Normal Summon 'Mammoth Zombie'!"

The figure of a purple mammoth appeared, but its body was essentially a skeleton, with not a scrap of fur to be found. A putrid, corpse-like stench emanated from the mammoth's head, looking at first glance as if it had just been dug up from a grave.

【Mammoth Zombie, ATK 1900】

"Next is this card," Bakura said, "Spell Card 'Forced Transfer'! This card allows both players to each choose one monster on their field and exchange control of those monsters!"

Dartz glanced at the Magic Space Fortress on his field and said calmly, "I only have 'Magic Space Fortress Ziggurat' on my field right now..."

"Exactly, so you can only choose to exchange 'Magic Space Fortress Ziggurat' for my 'Mammoth Zombie'."

Bakura chuckled with a strange laugh.

"And there is one thing I will be merciful enough to tell you in advance. The monster effect of Mammoth Zombie is that when there are no Zombie-type monsters in its controller's Graveyard, this face-up card on the field must be destroyed!"

"Furthermore, when destroyed by this effect, the Duelist controlling this card must also take damage equal to this card's original ATK!"

Dartz realized: "I see, that really is a terrifying combination."

By exchanging control with Mammoth Zombie, Dartz would then have no Zombie-type monsters in his Graveyard, causing Mammoth Zombie to self-destruct, and it would also burn him for 1900 Life Points.

This was quite a cost-effective deal.

It was equivalent to Bakura getting the opponent's big monster for free without any cost, while simultaneously planting a self-destruct bomb on the opponent to burn 1900 HP. This combo could very easily land an OTK effect, wiping out full health in one strike.

Bakura laughed: "Correct! When I searched for 'Mammoth Zombie' earlier, this was the combo I was aiming for! Did you think I wouldn't have anticipated the possibility of you destroying my 'Zombie World'?"

Clearly, Bakura's implication was that this move was a backup plan he had prepared from the start in case "Zombie World" was destroyed. If Zombie World were on the field, the monsters in Dartz's Graveyard would be turned into Zombie-types, so Mammoth Zombie wouldn't self-destruct even if it were exchanged.

"It is indeed a beautiful combination, but unfortunately..."

Dartz closed his eyes and smiled lightly, then, as the opponent wished, tapped his Magic Space Fortress Ziggurat on the field.

"I choose the Magic Space Fortress for the exchange."

Bakura said loudly: "I choose 'Mammoth Zombie'!"

The magic of Forced Transfer was released, and a faint green light enveloped both monsters. But a moment later, the green magic dissipated, and in the end, nothing happened.

Bakura frowned: "Forced Transfer had no effect?"

Dartz smiled and explained: "By the way, I seem to have forgotten to tell you. The monster effect of Magic Space Fortress Ziggurat is that this card is unaffected by any Spell or Trap card effects from the opponent."

"Spell and Trap immunity... No wonder." Bakura nodded and said calmly, "I underestimated you. A move of this level seems useless."

"That is exactly so." Dartz said nonchalantly, "I originally viewed you as a great enemy, but if this is all you have, it is quite disappointing."

Bakura laughed upon hearing this.

"Interesting, truly interesting. Three thousand years ago, you were just a snake hiding in the gutter, not daring to show your head, yet today you dare to be this arrogant."

Dartz was neither angry nor did he speak.

"Fine, fine, fine, then I'll show you half a percent more of my strength." Bakura said, "Then I activate the Spell Card 'Monster Recovery'! Shuffle all cards in my hand and on my field back into the Deck, then draw five cards from the Deck!" (Original effect)

A dark vortex immediately opened on Bakura's field; the Mammoth Zombie on his field was pulled and deformed by a powerful gravitational force, being sucked into the vortex. At the same time, his remaining hand cards also vanished within it.

Five cards popped out from the top of the Deck, which he drew into his hand in succession.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Graceful Charity', draw three cards from the Deck, then discard two cards from my hand."

After Bakura changed his hand, he quickly held one of the cards above his head.

"Then let's test your mettle with this guy first! When there are exactly three Dark-attribute monsters in my Graveyard, this card can be Special Summoned directly from my hand! Appear—"

"—Dark Armed Dragon!!!"

A powerful trump card that almost any top-tier Dark-attribute deck in the early era would consider including, the pitch-black dragon flew out into Bakura's field amidst surging black mist; its entire body looked as if it were equipped with alloy armor, covered in spikes, with silver plating reflecting a cold, chilling gleam.

【Dark Armed Dragon, ATK 2800】

"2800 Attack, originally higher than the Magic Space Fortress." Dartz said, "But now that Magic Space Fortress Ziggurat has received the barrier boost, its Attack is higher than this Armed Dragon."

"Is that so? Then let me show you what this guy can do." Bakura said, "Dark Armed Dragon, effect activate! This card can destroy any one card on the field by banishing one Dark-attribute monster from my Graveyard!"

"Using Graveyard resources as ammunition for destruction, eh." Dartz frowned slightly.

This was indeed a tricky effect.

"Correct, your Magic Space Fortress has resistance to Spells and Traps, but it doesn't seem to have any against monster effects." Bakura sneered, "I've found the flaw.

I banish one Dark-attribute monster from my Graveyard to destroy 'Magic Space Fortress Ziggurat'!"

Bakura drew the Dark-attribute monster that had just been discarded to the Graveyard by "Graceful Charity"; the monster's phantom turned into ammunition and loaded into the Armed Dragon's body, firing a shot from a distance.

The fortress was hit head-on by the cannon, pierced from end to end. The floating steel giant immediately exploded all over with boom after boom, the continuously erupting flames swallowing the entire fortress as it crashed, trailing a burning trajectory.

"And there's also the Set card!" Bakura said, "Hand over your Set card in the back row too! I banish 'Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon' from the Graveyard as well, and your Set card in the back row is destroyed!"

The second round of ammunition was loaded, and the Armed Dragon fired a shot, directly locking onto Dartz's Set card in the back row; the stance seemed determined to tear through all his defensive lines on the field in one go.

(End of chapter)