Chapter 511: Relinquished Descends

"My turn, draw."

Pegasus stood up straight, his expression showing he had become completely serious.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Sanctity'."

Pegasus revealed the card he had drawn.

"Both players draw from their decks until they have six cards in their hands."

Both players drew from their decks.

"Next, I activate the Ritual Spell 'Pre-Preparation of Rites'!" Pegasus said. "I choose one Ritual Spell Card from my deck, then add one Ritual Monster whose name is written on that Ritual Spell Card from my deck or graveyard to my hand, for a total of two cards."

"Ritual Spell?" Jonouchi quickly made the connection. "Ma Saka (Could it be)..."

"It is exactly that 'Ma Saka'."

Pegasus sneered, pulled the deck from his Duel Disk, spread it in his hand, and quickly selected a card to add to his hand.

Yes, that was correct. As the father of Duel Monsters and CEO of Industrial Illusions, Pegasus surprisingly still used an old-fashioned Duel Disk, lacking the automatic search and shuffle functions of the new KaibaCorp models.

However, Pegasus was a nostalgic person by nature. In fact, during the *Pyramid of Light* movie era, when Duel Disks were already fully popularized, Pegasus still refused to use one, insisting on his old, bulky dueling field equipment, for which he was even teased by Seto Kaiba for being an antique.

Even the current Duel Disk was something he had only recently started using.

"I add the Ritual Spell 'Black Illusion Ritual' and the Ritual Monster 'Relinquished', which is mentioned on the Black Illusion Ritual, from my deck to my hand."

"It's really appearing, isn't it? Relinquished?" Jonouchi assumed a defensive stance.

Relinquished—he naturally couldn't forget it. This was the early-game NTR monster that had once forced Yugi into a bitter struggle and left a deep psychological shadow on everyone who was young at the time.

He knew this was Pegasus's trump card, one he only revealed when facing opponents he felt even his Toons couldn't handle.

"I activate the Ritual Spell 'Black Illusion Ritual'!" Pegasus said. "By Tributing monsters from my hand or field whose total Levels are one or higher, I perform a Ritual Summon of 'Relinquished' from my hand!

I Tribute 'Toon Dark Magician Girl' on my field!"

The Toon magician girl covered her eyes in fear, then was swallowed by a churning mass of darkness.

A green light pierced through the dark mist, as if a massive, mysterious altar stood in the void. Sharp claws like blades from the abyss, a massive body embedded with a green-glowing eye—it looked like a gaze from another dimension, exuding unspeakable terror.

【Relinquished, ATK 0】

"It's here, Relinquished." Jonouchi gritted his teeth. "The monster that once left Yugi helpless..."

"Hahaha, excellent. It seems you still remember that fear." Pegasus laughed. "Let me help you relive it!

Relinquished's effect: once per turn, it can absorb one monster on the opponent's field as an Equip Card and gain that monster's ATK and DEF!"

Pegasus waved his hand triumphantly.

"I shall receive your crystallization of friendship, Dark Flare Dragon - Black Demon Dragon!"

Relinquished's green eye slowly opened. Then came the surging, massive darkness—a formless black mist. Even the mighty Dark Flare Dragon could not resist. Even the undying flames in the Demon Dragon's hands seemed to dissipate into the darkness until it was completely swallowed and vanished.

Then, when the flames reignited, they were already on the opposite field.

Dark Flare Dragon - Black Demon Dragon had been absorbed into Relinquished's body.

【Relinquished, ATK 0 → ATK 3200】

"Oh, look, what a beautiful figure!" Pegasus mocked him to his face. "Your crystallization of friendship is truly not bad." Jonouchi's mouth twitched.

"Damn you, Pegasus..."

Just wait until I finish you off.

"Battle." Pegasus said with a smile. "To die at the hands of your own incarnation of friendship can be considered a fitting end, Jonouchi-boy.

Relinquished, attack Jonouchi-boy directly!"

Relinquished released another large mass of black mist, like formless hands wrapping around the bound Black Demon Dragon. Like a marionette, the Black Demon Dragon mechanically moved its claws, and a burning fireball struck directly at Jonouchi.

"But Relinquished can only absorb ATK, not monster effects!"

Seeing the fireball about to strike, the churning flames clearly reflected in Jonouchi's pupils. At the critical moment, he pressed the button on the back of his Duel Disk.

"I activate my face-down card, the Trap Card 'Energy Booster Super Z'!

When I take 2000 or more battle damage, during damage calculation, I gain 4000 Life Points!"

【Jonouchi, LP 2000 → LP 6000】

The erupting flames arrived immediately. The damage, partially converted into reality, almost blew Jonouchi off his feet. He spun in the air several times, covered in black smoke, and landed heavily on the ground in a sorry state.

!. Read

【Jonouchi, LP 6000 → LP 2800】

With such an exaggerated knock-back effect, a normal person would surely be dead or crippled after being hit like that.

But as everyone knows, those who duel year-round have physical constitutions far beyond normal people, let alone a super-soldier like Jonouchi, who once fought hand-to-hand in armor against Valon in a Shadow Game.

After being blown into the air and spinning so many times, he only stayed down for three seconds before supporting himself back up, wiping the corner of his mouth.

"Damn you, Pegasus, that really hurt..."

"You're in good spirits, Jonouchi-boy."

Pegasus smiled playfully.

"You may have indeed improved quite a bit, but unfortunately, that changes nothing."

Jonouchi frowned.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I mean, you are called a legendary duelist, but in fact, you are completely insignificant."

Pegasus said calmly.

"People call you a legend, but whenever they talk about you, all they mention is that you are 'the best friend of the original King of Games'."

"But if you strip away that filter, in fact, you should understand yourself that you are just a mortal."

Pegasus's face was half-hidden under his long hair, and the other half was covered in shadow, appearing quite eerie.

"You are an insignificant mortal who is always dragged into the world of the extraordinary by various coincidences. But even so, that doesn't mean you have become like them."

"To have survived until now in battle after battle against gods and demons, you have relied on nothing but luck. But luck will eventually run out one day. When that time comes, what do you intend to do?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 512 =====