Chapter 956: Choosing a Way to Die

“Summon ‘Cross Transporter’!”

【Cross Transporter, DEF 400】

“Cross Transporter’s effect: Select one monster on your field, send it to the graveyard, and special summon one ‘New Space Hero’ from your hand.”

You Xuan said.

“I send Cross Transporter itself to the graveyard, and special summon ‘New Space Hero: Sky Hummingbird’ from my hand!”

【New Space Hero: Sky Hummingbird, ATK 800】

“And at this moment, Cross Transporter’s additional effect,” You Xuan said. “When Cross Transporter is sent to the graveyard, add one ‘New Space Hero’ from your deck to your hand.”

You Xuan drew a card that automatically popped out from his deck.

“I add ‘New Space Hero: Dark Panther No.2’ from my deck to my hand!”

His cards weren’t spirit cards—they were printed by his own factory, so having a No.2 unit was natural.

“Sky Hummingbird’s monster effect: Once per turn, restore your LP by 500 points for each card in your opponent’s hand.”

Mr. T: “My hand has three cards left.”

“Perfect. Thanks to the hummingbird, I restore 1500 LP.”

As he spoke, three flowers bloomed above Mr. T’s three hand cards. The hummingbird flapped forward, sipping nectar from each flower, then warm golden light streamed back into You Xuan’s body through its beating wings.

【You Xuan, LP 2400 → LP 3900】

Mr. T scowled. This nearly nullified all the damage he’d dealt so far.

“Next, activate the continuous spell ‘Soul Sharing,’” You Xuan said. “Select one monster on the field, and special summon one ‘New Space Hero’ from your hand. Then, the selected monster’s ATK increases by the ATK of the specially summoned ‘New Space Hero.’”

You Xuan revealed the card he had just drawn.

“Special summon the second ‘New Space Hero: Dark Panther,’ and add its ATK to the first Dark Panther.”

【New Space Hero: Dark Panther (No.2), ATK 1000】

【New Space Hero: Dark Panther (No.1), ATK 1000 → ATK 2000】

“Activate the spell card ‘New Space Gift’ again,” You Xuan said. “Since I now have three types of New Space Heroes on the field, draw three cards from my deck!”

You Xuan drew three cards, then revealed one of them.

“Third ‘New Space Gift’—draw three more cards!”

Mr. T watched him pile up cards, his hand now overflowing, and grew restless, yet said: “So what? Even with all those cards, you still only have a bunch of trash on the field.”

“Trash?” You Xuan laughed. “Then take a good look at what trash can do.”

Activate the effect of ‘Mechanical Unit: Fortress’ in my hand. This card can be special summoned by discarding mechanical-type monsters from my hand totaling Level 8 or higher.

I discard ‘Mechanical Unit: Giant Transform,’ and special summon ‘Mechanical Unit: Fortress.’”

【Mechanical Unit: Fortress, ATK 2500】

Mr. T: “？？？”

How did the art style suddenly shift from aliens to mechs?

“Next, activate the spell card ‘Purple Flame Spy,’” You Xuan said calmly. “Transfer control of one monster on your field to your opponent.”

“Here, I give you ‘Mechanical Unit: Fortress.’ No need to thank me.”

Mr. T: “？？？？？？”

He summoned a bunch of trash, then finally got one high-level monster—and now he was giving it to him?

What the hell was this?

“That’s it,” You Xuan said coolly. “Sorry, but you’re already dead.”

Mr. T frowned, his voice dark. “What nonsense are you talking?”

He racked his brain but couldn’t imagine how a few trash New Space Heroes and one mech fortress on his field could possibly mean death.

“I’ll set one card from my hand.”

You Xuan continued.

“Activate the effect of ‘New Space Hero: Dark Panther.’ Once per turn, Dark Panther can select one monster on your opponent’s field and gain its original name and effects until the end of the turn!”

In the original anime version of Jaden, Dark Panther could even copy the target monster’s ATK, effectively functioning as a perfect copy.

Unfortunately, although You Xuan successfully replicated the New Space deck, the cards he produced were all real-card versions, which were generally weaker than their anime counterparts.

Jaden quickly noticed: “You Xuan’s Dark Panther doesn’t seem fully powered.”

Too bad. If he could copy the Five Emperors Dragon’s ATK at the same time, that would’ve been impressive.

“It’s fine. Enough,” You Xuan smiled.

He snapped his fingers.

“The target I select with ‘New Space Hero: Dark Panther’ is—”

You Xuan pointed at the heavy mech on his opponent’s field.

“Mechanical Unit: Fortress!”

Mr. T was bewildered.

Copy Fortress’s name and effects?

But wasn’t that mech originally yours? If you wanted its effects, why not just keep it to begin with?

But soon he understood—the key wasn’t the copied effect.

The key was the act of “copying the opponent’s effect.”

“At this moment, your ‘Mechanical Unit: Fortress’ activates its effect,” You Xuan said. “When Fortress becomes the target of an opponent’s monster effect, check your opponent’s hand and discard one card from it.”

Mr. T frowned.

All this trouble just to make him discard his own card?

“Go ahead. Look at my hand and pick one you like.”

You Xuan smiled and revealed his two remaining cards.

At that moment, Mr. T clearly saw: the two remaining cards were identical monster cards.

【Image of Catastrophe, ATK 1500 / DEF 0】

Effect: When this card is sent from the hand to the graveyard by an opponent’s card effect, the opponent takes 2000 damage.

Mr. T froze.

Huh?

“Not choosing? Then I’ll pick for you—both are the same anyway.” You Xuan grinned. “I’ll take this one.”

“I discard one ‘Image of Catastrophe.’ Since it was discarded by your ‘Mechanical Unit: Fortress’ effect, Catastrophe’s effect triggers.”

“Deal 2000 damage to your opponent.”

Mr. T: “Ugh!”

【Mr. T, LP 4000 → LP 2000】

Mr. T staggered back, his LP slashed by 2000 in one blow. A chill surged through him—he finally began to grasp You Xuan’s intent.

He still had one ‘Image of Catastrophe’ in hand. If Fortress’s effect triggered again, another 2000 damage would kill him outright.

And on You Xuan’s field, there was still a second ‘New Space Hero: Dark Panther!’

But—

Mr. T growled, “Your other Dark Panther was summoned by the effect of ‘New Universe Expansion.’ Monsters summoned by that trap have their effects negated!”

You Xuan acted as if he hadn’t heard. “Activate the effect of the second ‘New Space Hero: Dark Panther.’ Copy the name and effects of one monster on your field.”

“I copy ‘Mechanical Unit: Fortress’ again!”

Mr. T gasped: “Wait! Your Dark Panther’s effect is negated!”

Are you kidding? Is this blatant nonsense?

“Listen, do you even understand dueling?” You Xuan said lazily. “‘Effect negated’ doesn’t mean you can’t activate it. A negated monster can still activate its effect.”

“It just fails to resolve during the effect processing step. But the act of activation itself is still legal.”

“And ‘Mechanical Unit: Fortress’ activates whenever it becomes the target of an opponent’s monster effect. Whether Dark Panther’s effect is negated is irrelevant.”

Mr. T stared blankly.

Huh? Is that how it works?

“Therefore, Fortress’s effect activates again. You must check my hand and discard one card.”

You Xuan revealed his last remaining card.

“Go ahead. Pick one.”

Choose your preferred way to die. Oh, sorry—it seems you only have one option.

Mr. T: “...”

“Not choosing? Fine. I’ll pick for you.”

You Xuan calmly sent his last card to the graveyard.

“Final ‘Image of Catastrophe’ discarded—deal 2000 damage!”

【Mr. T, LP 2000 → LP 0】

(End of Chapter)