Chapter 685: Absolutely Suicide

"Continuous Trap 'Brain Control'!" Marik said. "The control of all monsters on the field returns to the original owner!"

Fujiki You Xuan understood: "The original owner of Lava Golem is you..."

"Not bad," Marik said. "So Lava Golem returns to my field!

Come back, Lava Golem!"

The iron cage in front of Fujiki You Xuan suddenly disappeared, and the Lava Golem on his head also dissipated like a burst of burning sparks. Then the sparks gathered and reshaped into the posture of a burning giant on Marik's field.

Lava Golem plus Brain Control, after eating the opponent's big monster, he patted his butt and returned to his field. Fujiki You Xuan himself was not unfamiliar with this combination, after all, he had used it himself.

"But is this really okay?" Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "Summoning Lava Golem back, although it is indeed a 3000 ATK hitter, but wouldn't it be bad to eat another 1000 points of damage in the next turn?"

"This doesn't have to worry at all," Marik said. "Activate Equip Magic 'Axe of Despair,' equip it to 'Lava Golem.'

The equipped monster increases its ATK by 1000 points, and the monster effect is negated!"

【Lava Golem, ATK 3000 → ATK 4000】 【685-1

On the side, Ishizu couldn't help but cheer for her brother in her heart once again.

Regaining control of Lava Golem not only significantly strengthened Lava Golem's attack power but also bypassed the effect damage, turning the original side effect of Dull Axe into a positive one.

It seemed that although he hadn't played cards for many years, Marik's fundamental strength was still there.

"Impressive," Fujiki You Xuan said. "However, even so, under the effect of 'Swords of Revealing Light,' Lava Golem cannot declare an attack."

"I know!"

Marik shouted.

"Quick-Play Spell 'Mystical Space Typhoon,' destroy 'Swords of Revealing Light'!"

A black whirlwind swept across the field, grinding the light-sealing domain that had sealed Marik's field into dust.

"With this, the attack lock is lifted!" Marik said. "Lava Golem, attack 'Submarineroid'!"

Lava Golem let out a roar, and the Dull Axe in its hand seemed to be coated with high heat from the lava on its body. With one swing, the high temperature seemed to distort space.

Although Submarineroid had a self-protection effect that switched it to defense after attacking, it had been sealed by the effect of "Element Absorber" in the previous turn, and none of the three submarines had been able to launch an attack, so naturally, they couldn't trigger the defense switch and could only remain in attack position.

As the axe fell, the submarine was split in two, exploding with a boom on Fujiki You Xuan's field.

"At the moment of battle, I activate the effect of 'Vehicroid Connection Zone' once again," Fujiki You Xuan said. "Send one 'roid' monster from the deck to the Graveyard to swap the submarine's attack and defense points only during damage calculation."

【Submarineroid, ATK 800 → ATK 1800】

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP 3500 → LP 1300】

Taking massive damage instantly, Fujiki You Xuan swayed and took two steps back. Seeing the attack go through, Marik couldn't help but feel his confidence surge, feeling that he was just a little bit away, as if victory were within reach.

Of course, he also knew that this opponent was truly cunning, and with his own LP running low, he couldn't afford to be careless. If the opponent used some trick to pull that submarine back onto the field next turn and he took a torpedo hit, he would be done for.

But he still had a countermeasure.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Nightmare's Steelcage'!" Marik said. "Both players cannot attack for the next two turns!"

The nightmare's fence sealed the field, covering Fujiki You Xuan's side like a cage. It was the very card Marik had used back when he manipulated the puppet to duel Atem with Slifer the Sky Dragon.

"Finally, I set two cards and end my turn."

Even Ishizu, watching from the side, felt that Marik's response this turn had no issues. In just one turn, he had turned danger into safety, neutralized the various crisis-inducing methods set by his opponent, successfully countered to such an extent, and even managed to set up a defensive line for the next turn.

Ishizu asked herself if she could have done better in such a situation.

Fujiki You Xuan: "My turn, draw."

Fujiki You Xuan looked at the Lava Golem on the opponent's field and smiled: "As expected of Mr. Marik, you can also use the power of Lava Golem to this extent."

"However, although it might sound arrogant for me to say this, while Mr. Marik is a pioneer, I believe I have already walked a few steps further on this path."

"What?" Marik frowned.

"I will use the Lava Golem on Mr. Marik's field as an Offering, and then give this monster to you."

Fujiki You Xuan raised his hand.

"Volcanic Queen, summon!!"

Marik: "???"

There's an even bigger expert!?

The invincible Lava Golem had spent its whole life eating the opponent's monsters, yet it probably never imagined that one day it would have such a day itself.

Lava Golem roared, and unwillingly, just like the monsters it had eaten before, it was dragged into the underground magma. Following that, flames erupted from the magma, and a queen burning like a phoenix soared into the sky!

【Volcanic Queen, ATK 2500】

Marik: "."

"Then, with the help of the effect of your Continuous Trap 'Remove Brainwashing' on your field, control of all monsters returns to their original owners. Therefore, please return Volcanic Queen to me."

Fujiki You Xuan hooked his finger toward Volcanic Queen.

Thus, Volcanic Queen flapped her wings and flew back to Fujiki You Xuan's field.

Marik: "."

Now he deeply felt how clever his decision to play Nightmare's Steelcage for safety last turn had been. If it weren't for the protection of this fence, Volcanic Queen's attack would have gone through, and he would be finished by now.

"Because of the effect of Nightmare's Steelcage, I cannot attack this turn. However, the Queen is different from Lava Golem; her abilities are not limited to just eating monsters."

Fujiki You Xuan said. "I activate Volcanic Queen's second effect: once per turn, send one other card you control to the Graveyard to inflict 1000 points of damage to your opponent!"

"I send the Field Spell 'Vehicroid Connection Zone' to the Graveyard to inflict 1000 points of damage!"

Marik's pupils contracted.

There's actually a burn effect too...

Marik immediately realized that the opponent wasn't joking when he said the student had surpassed the master. It only required one monster on the opponent's field to be eaten, and it also came with a burn effect; the 'underworld' level of this thing actually surpassed Lava Golem in certain situations!

But no matter what, he, Marik, was the originator of the 'underworld' style; how could he admit defeat so easily?

"Then I activate my face-down card," Marik shouted. "Quick-Play Spell 'Soul-Pain Curse'!"

"Reflect the effect of the card that inflicts damage back to the opponent!"

Feeling that the battle between the two had reached a crucial stage, Ishizu, as an outsider, couldn't help but instinctively hold her breath.

Volcanic Queen's 1000 damage, in terms of their LP, would be a one-hit kill if it hit Marik, and while Fujiki You Xuan's remaining LP wouldn't be fatal, it would be reduced to a flicker in the wind.

But Fujiki You Xuan also had a countermeasure: "Then I activate my face-down card, Trap Card 'Natural Reflection'!"

"This turn, all effect damage from cards received by my side is reflected back to the opponent!"

I reflect your reflection!

Seeing that his own lethal reflection was actually reflected back, Marik's expression changed drastically, and he immediately raised his hand to activate his backrow again.

"Continuous Trap 'Fiendish Chain'! Negate the effects of one monster on the field and prevent it from attacking!"

The fiendish chains shot out from the trap, binding Volcanic Queen tightly, which at least managed to save Mr. Marik's life.

"Indeed, this way the effect activated by Volcanic Queen is also negated, so the 1000 points of damage are gone."

(No errors in the content, read it all!)

Volcanic Queen's effect damage doesn't exist, so the reflection from Soul-Pain Curse naturally doesn't exist, and therefore the reflection of the reflection from Natural Reflection no longer exists.

Marik let out a long breath.

It seemed he had finally managed to hold on.

He hadn't encountered stronger opponents before, but for some reason, he felt that only today's duel with this person was extremely dangerous; a boss that could put such immense pressure on someone was truly rare in his life.

Fujiki You Xuan said: "Then I will proceed to activate the Spell Card 'Monster Reborn'."

Marik: "!"

There's another move?

No, stay calm. Even if there is Monster Reborn, no matter what is revived, it cannot attack under this Nightmare's Steelcage. He should be safe for now...

"I revive 'Lava Golem' from the Graveyard."

Marik: "???"

Mr. Marik was completely baffled by this.

What does that mean? Pulling Lava Golem?

But under Nightmare's Steelcage, Lava Golem cannot attack either. If that happens, by the next turn, Fujiki You Xuan himself would have to take the 1000 points of damage from Lava Golem, directly leading to his own destruction.

Is he crazy?

"However, the one I am reviving is not my own Lava Golem," Fujiki You Xuan said with a smile. "Monster Reborn can revive any monster from either Graveyard."

"The one I am reviving is the Lava Golem in your Graveyard, Mr. Marik."

Marik: "Huh?"

After being stunned for about half a second, Marik then looked at the Continuous Trap in his backrow.

Continuous Trap - Remove Brainwashing. Control of all monsters on the field returns to the original controller.

Then Marik immediately froze.

Na... Nani!?

Oh no, this guy wants to...

"Correct," Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "The effect of Monster Reborn revives Lava Golem to my field. But then, because of your own Remove Brainwashing effect, since it is a Lava Golem revived from your Graveyard, it must return to the original controller, which is your field."

Fujiki You Xuan pointed to Marik's field.

"Go, Lava Golem. Return to your master's field."

Thus, the silly iron-headed monster that had just been revived started walking happily toward Marik's field.

And Marik...

His expression at this moment was worse than crying.

No, don't...

I don't recognize you, I am not your master.

Don't come over here!

But it was useless. Lava Golem arrived on his field with a blank expression and gave a silly smile.

And Mr. Marik's mood at this moment could only be described as speechless.

Numb, completely numb.

He was already considering kicking this silly iron-head out of his deck after today.

To actually be burned to death by his own Lava Golem, this is just too ridiculous.

Oh, by the way, even the Remove Brainwashing that pulled Lava Golem back was his own card.

In this situation, even if the child detective came, he would have to rule it a suicide on the spot, without any suspense.

"Then my turn ends," Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "During the Standby Phase of this turn, the effect of your own Lava Golem, Mr. Marik, inflicts 1000 points of damage to the controller."

"Please accept it."

Marik: "."

【Marik, LP 200 → LP 0】

(End of chapter)