"Thanks to D/D/D Sky King Zeus Ragnarok's effect, I still have one more Pendulum Summon left!" Genya was breathing hard, but the fanatic gleam in his eyes hadn't dimmed in the slightest. In one motion, he pulled two cards from his Extra Deck and slapped them onto his Duel Disk. "Pendulum Summon! Level 4 D/D Orthros, Level 2 D/D Scale Surveyor - return to the field!"
The two monsters had only just appeared when Genya immediately shouted, "I activate D/D Scale Surveyor's effect! When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, it can make its own Level become 4! I activate that effect - Level 2 to 4!"
[D/D Scale Surveyor]
[Level: 2 -> 4]
"I tune the Level 4 D/D Scale Surveyor with the Level 4 Tuner monster D/D Orthros!"
"Synchro Summon! Level 8 - D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried!"
[D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried]
[Level 8 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK: 2800]
"One last step!" Genya set the D/D/D Headhunt in his hand face-down in his back row. A sharp electronic hum rang across the field as the Set card appeared firmly at his feet. "I Set one card, and end my turn!"
Only after finishing everything did Genya fold his arms across his chest and look down at Yusaku with naked arrogance overflowing from his voice.
"Do you know what DDD really means?"
Yusaku raised a brow and asked flatly, "Oh? Does it have some special meaning?"
The moment those words left his mouth, a player at ringside suddenly shouted and shot his hand into the air.
"I know! The three D's are Destiny HERO - Dasher and Destiny HERO - Divine Guy, then they fuse into Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer!"
"Holy crap! So that's what DDD means?!"
"Phoenix Enforcer forever! That abstract interpretation gets full marks from me!"
As the overlapping chatter spread through the crowd, the corner of Yusaku's mouth lifted into a faint smile. He had still underestimated just how wild these players' imaginations could get.
"That's complete bullshit! What Phoenix Enforcer?!" Genya's face flushed red with anger at that sudden interpretation, and he roared furiously, "You saw him win one Duel and now you think he's got this match in the bag? Ridiculous!"
He whipped his head around, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Yusaku as he enunciated each word.
"DDD are the demons that rule over other dimensions. They are the kingly power that can conquer every dimension! And right now, I have already assembled four kings on my field - Deviser King, Cursed King, Wave High King, and Super Doom King!"
He swept a hand toward his back row, his tone overflowing with supreme confidence.
"And with my face-down card on top of that, I've got no less than ten disruptions on this field!"
Genya stepped forward.
"Now it's your turn, Yusaku! Go on and feel it for yourself. This is the true power of a DDD Deck. Taste what it means to fall into the abyss of despair!"
"The abyss of despair?" Yusaku lowered his gaze to the cards between his fingers. A cold hint of a smile curved across his lips. Then he pressed his slender fingers against the Deck on his Duel Disk, and the atmosphere around him instantly sharpened.
"My turn. Draw."
The moment he drew the card, he gave it only a glance before slapping it face-up onto his Duel Disk without the slightest hesitation.
"I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed. Any response?"
Genya kept his arms folded, chin tilted up, contempt plain in his eyes.
"It's just Pot of Greed. So what if you draw two cards?"
Hearing that, Yusaku's smile deepened, and his fingertip lightly tapped against the Duel Disk.
"Is that so? Then by Pot of Greed's effect, I draw two cards from my Deck."
The two cards slid into his hand. He swept his gaze across them, then immediately pulled one out and inserted it into his Duel Disk in one crisp, efficient motion.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card Into the Void. Its effect..."
He lifted his eyes to Genya, his expression calm but edged like a blade.
"It can be activated while I have three or more cards in my hand. I draw one card from the top of my Deck."
"Into the Void..." Genya frowned, and his expression turned more serious. "I remember that card. During the End Phase after it's activated, you have to discard your entire hand."
"That's right." Yusaku gave a slight nod, his smile unchanged. "You remember it well."
The doubt in Genya's face deepened.
"You actually put a card like that in your Deck? Don't tell me you don't realize that if you can't build a proper field this turn, then once it comes back to me, this Duel is over!"
"Of course I know that." Yusaku's lips curved up again. "That's why I only need to win before the turn is over."
"???"
Genya's pupils shrank. He froze for a moment, then let out a mocking laugh, his voice dripping with disdain.
"I've got more than ten disruptions on my field! Super Doom King makes all my monsters untargetable by card effects. Wave High King can negate two Special Summons. Deviser King, with four materials and a Dark Contract backing it up, can steal your monsters three times and use them as materials. Cursed King can negate Spells and Traps. With a field this complete, you dare say you'll end the Duel this turn?"
"If you're that proud of it, then have a taste of Lightning Storm."
Yusaku's tone was casual, almost offhand, but a faint killing intent flashed in his eyes.
Genya froze. "...What?"
In the next second, Yusaku slammed the card onto his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card Lightning Storm! Destroy all monsters you control!"
"In your dreams!" Genya snorted coldly and thrust a hand toward his Monster Zone. "I activate the effect of D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried! During either player's turn, I can target 1 face-up Spell or Trap on the field and negate its effects until the next Standby Phase!"
His finger pointed straight at Yusaku's Spell.
"With that effect, I negate your Lightning Storm!"
Before the words had even faded, the silver-armored Cursed King raised his enormous blade. A sharp slash of sword energy cut through the air, wrapped itself around Lightning Storm in front of Yusaku, and sent it straight to the Graveyard.
"Good. Then that means the only Spell and Trap negate on your field has been used up." Yusaku remained completely unfazed. Instead, a playful smile appeared on his face. "And you activated a monster effect."
He slowly revealed a card from his hand.
"I activate the Spell Card Thrust. Its effect is: choose 1 Normal Spell or Trap from my Deck other than itself and Set it. But if my opponent controls a monster, I can add that card to my hand instead."
Yusaku's gaze fell on Genya's Monster Zone.
"And since you do control a monster, I'll add the Spell Card Talent from my Deck to my hand."
After adding the searched card to his hand, he drew out another and revealed it.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card Hidden Armory! Its effect sends the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard, then lets me add 1 Equip Spell from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand."
"I send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard and add the Equip Spell Snatch Steal to my hand."
Yusaku's movements remained smooth and unhurried. Then he looked up at Genya, whose expression was steadily darkening.
"Oh, and I can't just let you die without understanding why."
Holding a card between two fingers, he slowly raised it.
"Let me show you what Deck I'm actually using."
Genya's brows knit together, and he was just about to speak when Yusaku sent one card to the Graveyard, pulled out another, and slammed it onto the Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card Sky Striker Mobilize - Engage!"
Its effect was delivered in the same steady, precise cadence as ever.
"If I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zone, I can add 1 'Sky Striker' card from my Deck to my hand, except another copy of this card. Then, if I have three or more Spells in my Graveyard, I draw one additional card."
"I add the Quick-Play Spell Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor to my hand. At the same time, I already have three Spells in my Graveyard - Pot of Greed, Hidden Armory, and Thrust - so I trigger the additional draw."
"A Sky Striker Deck?" Genya was briefly stunned, then let out a scornful laugh.
"I thought you had some kind of real trump card. I've got Deviser King and Super Doom King on my field. Your Sky Striker monsters don't even qualify to hit the board, much less break through my setup!"
Outside the field, Kazetaro immediately let out a mocking laugh.
"You don't even understand how Sky Strikers work, and you still dare run your mouth like that? Aren't you afraid you'll bite off your own tongue?"
A player beside him turned with a raised brow, annoyed. "Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?"
Kazetaro folded his arms, knowing light glinting in his eyes.
"Yusaku-senpai just searched Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor. That's not a standard Sky Striker line at all."
Another player blinked. "Then what, some NTR Sky Striker build? But most Sky Striker cards target, and with Super Doom King's protection, they shouldn't even be able to touch the opponent's monsters, right?"
At that moment, Kouki pushed up his glasses, a sly gleam reflecting off the lenses.
"It's simple. Steal the monster that grants the protection, and the protection disappears. Don't forget what card Yusaku-senpai searched with Thrust just now."
"Holy shit! I get it now. Heh heh heh..."
That player instantly caught on and let out a low laugh.
On the Duel field, hearing Genya's ridicule, Yusaku's smile turned even more amused.
"What if I told you I'm not playing a standard Sky Striker build?"
Genya: "??"
Before he could react, Yusaku had already slammed Talents onto the Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card Talent! It can be activated from the hand if my opponent activated an effect during my turn, and it gives me three options: first, I draw two cards. Second, until the End Phase, I take control of one monster my opponent controls. Third, I look at my opponent's hand and return one card from it to the Deck."
A single card with three separate effects. Genya's brows twisted into a knot, and his expression became truly grave.
In the instant of distraction that followed, Yusaku's voice rang out again, firm and absolute.
"I choose the second effect - take control of your D/D/D Super Doom King Bright Armageddon!"
"Wishful thinking!" Genya barked sharply. "D/D/D Super Doom King Bright Armageddon has a continuous effect - while it's in the Monster Zone, my opponent cannot target monsters on my field with card effects!"
Yusaku looked at him, his eyes full of mockery.
"Sorry, but Talent doesn't target. And changing control doesn't count as a Special Summon, so your Wave High King doesn't even get a chance to negate it."
"W-What?!" Genya's pupils shook violently, his face full of disbelief.
As the words fell, Talent in front of Yusaku erupted with brilliant golden light. A golden rope shot through the air, wrapped itself tightly around the Super Doom King on Genya's field, and dragged it by force into Yusaku's Monster Zone.
"And just like that, all the protection on your field is gone."
Grinding his teeth, Genya instinctively glanced at the face-down Trap on his field.
Yusaku caught the tiny movement at once and let out a light chuckle.
"Don't bother. That face-down card is the D/D/D Headhunt you searched, right? That Trap has to target. And now that Super Doom King is on my field, your Trap is just dead cardboard."
He folded his arms across his chest, a smile of total confidence playing across his lips. His tone was teasing, openly provocative.
"Honestly, your monster's pretty useful. With it here, none of the monsters I summon next will be targetable by effects either."
Those words hit Genya like a sledgehammer. His vision went black for a moment, and his chest heaved violently as he stared at his own monster standing on Yusaku's field while he had no way at all to get it back.
After all the effort he had put in, it had ended up as someone else's wedding dress.
The thought made his teeth grind with rage.
(End of Chapter)
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