Chapter 512: The Evolved Red-Eyes

"When luck runs out, huh..."

Jonouchi closed his eyes slightly.

Then he let out a strange, humming laugh, one that was even a bit hair-raising.

"Oh? Is there something funny?" Pegasus asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No, nothing." Jonouchi chuckled. "Just suddenly felt that you, Pegasus, you guy..."

He raised his head, his eyes carrying a hint of contempt.

"... are really just a second-rate duelist now that you've lost the Millennium Eye."

"What did you say?"

Anger instantly appeared on Pegasus's face.

However, he controlled it well and immediately returned to normal.

"Is that so, Jonouchi-boy? It seems you really have the ability now. But let me see if you have the strength to match this confidence. I set two cards face-down."

He drew two more cards from his hand and waved them face-down.

"Turn end."

"As you wish, I'll let you see my power. My turn, draw!"

Jonouchi drew a card, but paused for a moment, glancing at the opponent's back row.

Three face-down cards, one of which was the "Mirror Force" that failed to activate last turn.

Pegasus might think that he, Jonouchi-sama, had forgotten about it, but unfortunately, Jonouchi-sama had a very good memory.

In any case, he had to find a way to deal with Mirror Force first. Having lost the Black Demon Dragon, he no longer had the arrogance to tank traps and had to attack cautiously.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Graceful Charity'."

Jonouchi inserted the Spell Card into his Duel Disk.

"Draw three cards from my deck, then discard two cards from my hand."

He currently had no way to bypass the traps in his hand.

"Please, my deck, give me some strength..."

Jonouchi drew.

"I set three cards face-down in my back row." Jonouchi said. "Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Card Destruction'! Both players discard their entire hands, then draw the same number of cards from their decks!"

Jonouchi added three face-down cards to his back row. Then he discarded his hand and drew again from his deck.

Pegasus also drew, humming with a laugh: "Trying to rely on drawing cards to find a breakthrough?"

"It's not over yet. Card Destruction discarded the Spell Card 'Card of Compensation'." Jonouchi said. "I can draw two more cards from my deck."

After drawing a large number of cards, Jonouchi was overjoyed.

"Grandpa was right after all, no matter when, as long as you believe, the deck will always respond."

Jonouchi's grandpa was naturally not his own, but Yugi's grandpa, the famous Millennium hostage Sugoroku Muto, who was also Jonouchi's mentor in dueling.

"I Normal Summon 'Red-Eyes Iron Knight - Gearfried'!"

Iron Knight Gearfried was a popular monster Jonouchi often used in the early days, once quite popular for its decent 1800 ATK as a Level 4 and its cool design.

And this Red-Eyes Iron Knight was the new alias for Iron Knight Gearfried. Over the years, the Iron Knight had also hitched a ride on the Red-Eyes train, gaining the noble Red-Eyes slot and becoming part of the series.

【Red-Eyes Iron Knight - Gearfried, ATK 1800】

"Then, the effect of 'Black Metal Dragon' in my hand," Jonouchi said. "During my Main Phase, I can target one 'Red-Eyes' monster on my field and equip this Black Metal Dragon from my hand or field to that monster."

"Equip to a Red-Eyes monster..." Pegasus said. "I see, Iron Knight Gearfried has also evolved into a member of the Red-Eyes."

"Correct, so Black Metal Dragon equips to Red-Eyes Iron Knight! A monster equipped with Black Metal Dragon gains 600 ATK!"

Jonouchi smiled. "But Pegasus-shacho, you shouldn't have forgotten the original effect of Iron Knight, right?"

"Iron Knight Gearfried is a monster that cannot be equipped with any cards." Pegasus was, after all, the father of Duel Monsters, and had that level of knowledge. "Any Equip Card equipped to Iron Knight will be destroyed."

"Correct, Red-Eyes Iron Knight has inherited a similar effect, but it's even more powerful! Once per turn, if Red-Eyes Iron Knight is equipped with an Equip Card, I can activate its effect. Destroy that Equip Card, then destroy one Spell or Trap Card in the opponent's back row!"

Jonouchi pointed at the trap Pegasus had kept face-down since the last turn.

"I destroy your previous face-down card, the Trap Card 'Mirror Force'!"

Black Metal Dragon exploded with a boom the moment it was equipped to Iron Knight. Iron Knight swung the blade in its hand, and the sword energy released sliced Pegasus's face-down card in two—it was indeed that Mirror Force.

"Tsk."

Pegasus pursed his lips.

A pity, the strongest shield never got to make an appearance in the end...

"And, 'Black Metal Dragon' destroyed by Iron Knight's effect also has something to say." Jonouchi laughed. "When Black Metal Dragon is sent from the field to the graveyard, I can add one 'Red-Eyes' card from my deck to my hand."

Jonouchi searched his deck, pulled out a Red-Eyes, and revealed it.

!. Read

"I add 'Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon' from my deck to my hand!"

"The combination of Iron Knight and Black Metal Dragon, destroying my Mirror Force to dismantle my defense, while the destruction effect also triggers a search..." Pegasus's expression was solemn.

Although he called Jonouchi an insignificant mortal who just got lucky, that was partly trash talk, just normal psychological warfare during a duel. In his heart, he didn't dare to be the least bit careless about the strength Jonouchi had shown in this duel.

"Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon cannot be Normal Summoned, it can only be Special Summoned by Tributing a Red-Eyes monster from my hand or field."

Jonouchi said.

"Therefore, I Tribute 'Red-Eyes Iron Knight'—

—Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon, Summon!!!"

Soaring flames swallowed the steel knight, and from the endless fire came a dragon's roar that seemed to pierce the heavens.

The hall was shrouded in thick black smoke, and mottled firelight seemed to leap across the sky. The lava river churned as if stirred by an invisible giant hand, and with a roar, a giant dragon formed, its body pitch black. Every scale seemed to have been baptized by lava, its dark red eyes filled with ominous wildness, and its roar shook the mountains.

【Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon, ATK 2400】

"A new Red-Eyes subspecies?" Pegasus said. "But with only 2400 ATK, that level of power cannot defeat Relinquished, which has gained the power of the Black Demon Dragon."

"Tsk, so arrogant even after stealing someone else's monster..."

Jonouchi hummed dismissively.

"Then keep your eyes wide open and watch, the strongest evolution of my Red-Eyes! Battle, 'Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon' attacks 'Relinquished'!"

Pegasus was startled.

Committing suicide with a low-ATK monster...

Something's fishy!

At this moment, the dragon's breath had already been exhaled from the Alternative Black Dragon's mouth, turning into a churning fireball that roared toward Pegasus.

Relinquished also opened its large green eye, exhaling black mist, and from that mist, it released the NTR'd Black Demon Dragon to intercept.

The Alternative Black Dragon was naturally no match for it, and was beaten back in a single blow, exploding in the flames.

【Jonouchi, LP 2800 → LP 2000】

Jonouchi raised his arm to block in front of him, but let out a chuckle.

"Just as planned."

Pegasus: "What?"

"The effect of Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon. If this card is destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect, I can Special Summon one Level 7 or lower Red-Eyes monster from my graveyard. I choose to Special Summon this card, which I sent back to the graveyard at the start of this turn via 'Graceful Charity'."

He pulled a card from his graveyard and showed it to Pegasus.

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Jonouchi said. "And, when the monster Special Summoned by Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon's effect is 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon', its original ATK becomes doubled!"

Pegasus: "!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 513 =====

"What I am Special Summoning is this card, which was sent back to the Graveyard at the start of this turn via 'Graceful Charity'."

He removed a card from his Graveyard and showed it to Pegasus.

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Jonouchi said, "And, when the target Special Summoned by the effect of Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon is 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon', its original ATK becomes doubled!"

Pegasus: "!"

(End of chapter)