Chapter 97: The Rampaging Bone King

Brainwash was also a magic card used in the game, requiring only 800 LP to steal one of the opponent’s monsters, and was once considered a banned card destined for permanent exile. But after being neutered in 2017, it was finally released.

Even without considering the anime, in the real-world environment during GX’s era, Brainwash was never banned. It was imprisoned in 2010, which was already the late period of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s.

【You Xuan, LP 4000 → LP 3200】

Without further ado, You Xuan naturally targeted the opponent’s Bone King again. The Bone King monster, already affected by Brainwash, staggered dazedly and once more crossed over to You Xuan’s side of the field.

The opponent’s Bone King’s eye sockets seemed ready to burst. If there was anything more infuriating than having your own Tamashi stolen by the opponent during a duel, it would be having your own body stolen.

But it wasn’t over yet.

“Of course, I have no ‘Bone’ cards in my graveyard, so even if the Bone King comes to my field, its attack power is just a pitiful 0.”

You Xuan said calmly.

“So I’ll sacrifice the ‘Bone King’ for a Level-Up Summon!”

Appear, Level Six—

—Chaos Magician, Summon!”

The mighty Bone King, barely set foot on the field before dissolving into golden light; all bone towers collapsed with a clatter, and a vortex of magical energy surged skyward. The staff cleaved through the magical whirlwind as the Chaos Magician made a grand entrance.

【Chaos Magician, Attack 2400】

“Chaos Magician’s direct attack!”

A sphere of chaotic magic erupted from the staff, exploding against the Bone King’s face, sending the skeletal frame reeling backward, black smoke billowing from its robe.

The Bone King staggered to steady itself: “Ugh, damn it.”

【Bone King, LP 4000 → LP 1600】

“I’ll set two cards face-down. End of my turn.”

“Don’t get too cocky—I am the Bone King! I am immortal!”

The Bone King straightened its body.

“My turn, draw!”

“Activate the magic card ‘Book of the Vial’—both players draw three cards.”

The Bone King drew from its deck.

“Then, magic card ‘Feather of the Phoenix’—discard one card from hand to return one card from the graveyard to the top of the deck. I discard one card to return ‘Bone King’ to the top of my deck!”

“Now activate the effect of ‘Bone Prince’ in my graveyard!”

“By banishing ‘Bone Prince’ and two other ‘Bone’ cards from the graveyard, I can special summon the returned ‘Bone King’ from my deck!”

“I banish the Prince, a Bone, and a Bone Lady from the graveyard!”

The Bone Prince, Bone, and Bone Lady dissolved into black mist, as if opening a pitch-black teleportation vortex. A torrent of energy erupted from within; bone towers surged upward as the Bone King returned once more!

【Bone King, Attack ?】

“Now I have three fewer Bones in my graveyard, but the card I just discarded was another ‘Bone Princess.’ So I now have ten Bones in my graveyard.”

“Therefore, my avatar’s attack power becomes—”

【Bone King, Attack 10000】

The skeletal soldiers beneath the altar: “Another ten thousand attack power—easy!”

“No wonder Bone King is supreme!”

“These sacrifices had no chance at all!”

“.”

“Not over yet.” The Bone King glared fiercely at You Xuan.

It now realized: this sacrifice was different from the others. In just a few turns, its avatar had been turned against it twice—this was an extreme insult.

It couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that this man was more obsessed with possessing its body than winning the duel.

Such a horrifying quirk forced it to be on guard.

“You’re different from other sacrifices,” the Bone King intoned coldly. “But the outcome won’t change. I’ve defeated countless enemies, crossed mountains of corpses and endless bones to reach my current status.”

“What I’ve endured exceeds your imagination!”

It was not born a king—it was once merely one among countless common bone monsters.

Yet it endured hardship, trained under top martial artists, and waged war against countless undead spirits. It had been defeated, had fallen—but always rose again.

In the end, it defeated all its enemies, carved its way out of seas of blood and piles of corpses, rising from the most ordinary roadside bones to become a king—and even wed the beloved Lady.

It was the King of Bones, the sovereign of this land of the dead!

It would never allow anyone to insult it like this—especially not on its own territory!

“Activate the effect of ‘Bone Nightmare’ in my hand!”

The Bone King shoved a card directly into the graveyard and roared.

“By discarding this card from hand, I can special summon one ‘Bone Lady’ that has been banished!”

“Therefore, I now summon the Queen of the Bone World, my beloved—”

—Bone Lady, Summon!”

The summoned figure was still a skull, but now dressed with the air of a noblewoman.

Though one wonders if any gentleman could be so refined as to find a skull charming.

【Bone Lady, Defense 2200】

The newly summoned Bone Lady raised her gaze coldly, surveying the battlefield.

“Do I really need to show up again?” Bone Lady said flatly.

“Haha, yes, I still need your power,” Bone King chuckled. “Now that you’re here, I’m invincible!”

“When ‘Bone Lady’ is on the field, all Level 3 or lower undead monsters on the field, except ‘Bone Lady,’ cannot be destroyed by battle, nor affected by any spell or trap effects!”

Bone Lady’s ability activated—an invisible undead magic formed an unseen resistance around Bone King, as if a faint, shimmering vortex swirled between the two bones.

“Now your cheap tricks won’t work!” Bone King roared. “And since ‘Bone Nightmare’ was discarded to the graveyard, the number of Bones in my graveyard has increased—my own attack power rises further!”

【Bone King, Attack 10000 → Attack 11000】

“This attack ends it!”

“My ‘Bone King’ attacks your ‘Chaos Magician’ directly!”

“Flip face-down: Continuous Trap ‘Soul Barrier,’” You Xuan’s back-row card flipped over. “As long as you control a monster on your field, your battle damage becomes zero.”

The Chaos Magician shattered under the Bone King’s blow, but the released energy did not vanish—it formed a soul barrier blocking You Xuan’s front. The undead magic’s impact spread only along the trap’s protective layer, causing no real damage.

“Tch. Barely survived another turn thanks to a trap? Fine, my turn ends.”

“Then, during your End Phase, activate Trap ‘Explosive Ambush.’ Pay 2000 LP to special summon one monster from your graveyard in face-down defense position.”

“I discard this card from my graveyard—”

【You Xuan, LP 3200 → LP 1200】

You Xuan revealed the card summoned from the graveyard.

“‘Dark Spirit Servant – Dak’ covered in face-down defense position.”

A covered monster card appeared on his front row.

“Another trap to shore up defenses?” Bone King sneered. “Well, under my wife and I’s perfect union, there’s nothing else you can do.”

“With my wife here, I have no weaknesses.”

“My turn.” You Xuan pointed at the covered monster. “Flip summon the covered ‘Dark Spirit Servant – Dak.’ Flip effect activates: I gain control of one dark attribute monster on your field.”

“I take control of ‘Bone Lady.’”

Bone King rolled up its sleeves: “I’m gonna kill you.”

(End of Chapter)