Kira drew, and quickly revealed a card.
"Spell Card, ’Graceful Charity.’ Draw three cards, discard two."
He drew, then discarded two.
"One of the discarded cards is ’Card of Compensation.’ When it’s sent to the grave, draw two cards."
"Then I switch my two ’Nimble Momonga’ to attack position."
[Nimble Momonga, ATK 1000]
"Battle Phase. Green Baboon, attack ’Black Sheep Token’!"
The baboon roared and punched.
"Activate Trap ’Relieve Monster’!" The King of Yamimakai declared. "When an opponent’s monster attacks, return a monster you control to hand, then Special Summon a Level 4 monster from your hand.
I target the ’Black Sheep Token’ you attacked."
"Tokens can’t return to the hand," Kira replied.
"True." The King of Yamimakai said, "The token is destroyed, but the Special Summon effect still applies.
I Special Summon a Level 4 monster from my hand."
He took a card. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel{f}ire.net
"I Special Summon ’Twin-Barrel Dragon’!"
[Twin-Barrel Dragon, DEF 200]
"When Twin-Barrel Dragon is Summoned, I target one card you control. Toss two coins—if both are heads, destroy that card."
"Testing your luck, huh?" Kira smiled. "Trying to take out the baboon?"
"Ha, that thing’s immortal—even if destroyed, it comes back. I’m targeting your set back row instead."
Twin-Barrel Dragon’s guns aimed at Kira’s back row.
"Clearing the back row first, I see." Kira snapped his fingers. "I activate my set card, ’Super Rush Recklessly.’ Destroy a Beast I control, return one monster you control to your deck."
"Destroy ’Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest,’ return ’Twin-Barrel Dragon’ to your deck."
The baboon, roaring, charged the dragon and exploded. Twin-Barrel Dragon turned into golden light and returned to the King of Yamimakai’s deck.
"Destroy, then return to deck, huh..." The King of Yamimakai gritted his teeth.
"Then, my other Green Baboon’s effect in the graveyard. When a Beast is destroyed, pay 1000 LP to Special Summon Green Baboon!"
[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 3000]
The baboon revived instantly, roaring.
[Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest, ATK 2600]
"And the revived baboon can attack this turn." Kira gestured, "Green Baboon and two ’Nimble Momonga,’ attack the remaining three ’Black Sheep Tokens’!"
The baboon and squirrels attacked, clearing the field.
"Damn baboon," the King of Yamimakai grumbled,
’No matter how many times I get rid of it, it comes back. Used my trap to blow it up and it just revived. And now he’s left another baboon in the graveyard, so even if I get rid of the one on field, the other will come back as long as he has LP left...
I can’t even launch a proper attack—every move just triggers more traps. My whole field got wiped in a blink...’
"Set three cards, turn end."
Kira now had three back row cards.
The King of Yamimakai winced.
"His monsters keep multiplying, his traps keep stacking..."
A deep, cold voice sounded in his ear.
Kira subtly frowned, as if sensing something.
A massive, shadowy figure, like a ghost, loomed behind the King of Yamimakai. Black mist cloaked his body, making him hard to see—only a pair of blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness.
Kira quickly realized it was another spirit.
A spirit much stronger than this King of Yamimakai.
"You need power," the voice said. "Without my help, you can’t win."
"Ugh..." The King of Yamimakai gritted his teeth.
"Understood," the King of Yamimakai said reverently. "Please, lend me your strength."
"Power isn’t free. You know the price."
The King of Yamimakai clenched his teeth.
"I understand... One price, one chance. Fair enough."
The red glow in the black mist’s eyes flared, the shadow body turning more solid. The mist wrapped around the King of Yamimakai, and a powerful aura erupted from him.
A surge of dark energy exploded from him, and Kira could feel the immense fate-force of this spirit spike sharply.
It was like he’d used a forbidden technique.
I activate Spell Card ’Spell Books from the Pot’—both players draw three cards!"
With a full hand, the King of Yamimakai’s cards radiated with ominous energy.
"Activate set card, Continuous Trap ’Embodiment of Apophis’! It becomes a monster and is Special Summoned.
Appear now, Trap Monster ’Embodiment of Apophis’!"
[Embodiment of Apophis, ATK 1600]
"I tribute ’Embodiment of Apophis’..."
He revealed a card brimming with dark power, the black mist forming a giant shadow in the air, its red eyes hungry for souls.
A deep purple light split the sky, like a falling star. The trap monster vanished in the light, a huge form coalescing—a demon from the abyss, formed from the shadows of night, exuding cold and terror, with dark energy swirling in a black vortex, devouring all.
"Embodying destruction, breaking the chains of bondage, awakening from endless darkness—
—Caius the Shadow Monarch, arise!!!"