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"It's my turn. Draw."
You Xuan slapped down a monster card.
"I'll special summon Candy Clown!"
[Candy Clown, ATK 0]
"This card can be special summoned in attack position from my hand without any conditions," You Xuan explained. "Next, I'll tribute Candy Clown for an advanced summon!
The king who wields telekinesis—Level 6—
—Jinzo, the Psychic Shocker, is summoned!"
The Jinzo that had been retrieved earlier via Black Forest Witch stepped onto the battlefield amidst sparks of electricity and grinding mechanical parts.
[Jinzo, ATK 2400]
"To think it's already here so soon. What a troublesome thing," Thief King Zorc muttered under his breath.
With Jinzo on the field, its invisible psychic restraints immediately locked down the back row, turning the battlefield into an absolute no-man's land for traps.
This would maximize the suppression of the opponent's back row. You Xuan pointed at the enemy field: "Silent Magician LV8, attack Revolver Dragon!"
The vortex of magical energy lifted the hem of the magician's robe as she levitated atop her magic array. A bolt of white lightning struck the steel dragon, causing it to explode with a metallic shriek and vanish from the field.
[Thief King Zorc, LP 900 → LP 500]
Bracing himself against the magical backlash from his destroyed monster, Zorc staggered half a step back but quickly regained his composure. "However, at this moment, the effect of Desperado Revolver Dragon in my hand activates."
He flipped over a card from his hand, its surface glowing with flowing golden light.
"When a Machine-type, Dark-attribute monster on my field is destroyed by battle or an effect, I can special summon this card from my hand!"
The card slammed onto the duel disk, and a surge of electrical current coursed through the system.
"Amidst the symphony of metal and fire, the soul of a deadly machine awakens—appear now—
—Level 8, Desperado Revolver Dragon!"
Massive steel feet seemed to sink into the ground as they landed with a thunderous crash. A long mechanical tail lashed the ground like a steel whip, while the dragon's hands and head were all shaped like revolver barrels, emitting a heavy metallic roar.
[Desperado Revolver Dragon, ATK 2800]
"Hahaha! This is my new ace—the ultimate form of Revolver Dragon!" Thief King Zorc roared. "And thanks to the effect of Ophanim's Barrier, Desperado Revolver Dragon's attack power increases by 500!"
[Desperado Revolver Dragon, ATK 2800 → ATK 3300]
Zorc continued, "Furthermore, the effect of Desperado Revolver Dragon activates!"
Miss Spirit, who had been nervously watching the duel from the sidelines, gasped. "You can activate its effect during the opponent's turn?"
"That's right. The effect of Desperado Revolver Dragon can be used once per turn, whether it's during the opponent's or my own battle phase."
Zorc smirked confidently.
"I'll flip three coins. Based on the number of heads rolled, I can destroy up to that many face-up monsters on the field!"
You Xuan's brow furrowed slightly.
Desperado Revolver Dragon was indeed one of the most powerful monsters in the early meta. Its ability functioned similarly to a "two-speed nuke"—the capability to destroy cards even during the opponent's turn, which was extremely rare in those days.
Although limited to activation during the battle phase, it was still incredibly difficult to deal with.
Of course, in the holographic duel system, coin flips were represented by the spinning of revolver cylinders. After the wheels spun rapidly, one of the three barrels completed loading a bullet.
"It seems I only hit one this time, but that's enough," Thief King Zorc declared. "Go, Desperado Revolver Dragon! Destroy Jinzo!"
The trigger was pulled, and cannon fire tore through Jinzo's body. With a burst of fiery explosion, the android shattered into ash.
You Xuan raised his arm to shield himself from the smoke and debris, his mind racing.
Choosing to prioritize destroying Jinzo over Silent Magician...
It was natural to assume this was done to neutralize Jinzo's troublesome "trap lockdown" ability. That meant the facedown card on the back row...
As expected, Thief King Zorc let out another triumphant laugh before declaring, "Now that Jinzo is gone, the trap lockdown has disappeared!
I activate the facedown card—Trap Card, Compulsory Evacuation Device! Return one monster on the field to its owner's hand!"
Zorc sneered coldly.
"Silent Magician LV8 is an LV monster, meaning it can only be summoned through LV upgrades. Once returned to the hand, it's effectively banished. So bid farewell to it now!"
"Then I activate the quick-play magic card, Forbidden Lance!"
You Xuan immediately countered. The power of the magic condensed into a holy spear, which landed in the hands of Silent Magician. A divine wave radiated out, shielding her from the trap's effects.
"Forbidden Lance reduces the targeted monster's attack by 800 points until the end of the turn, granting immunity to magic and trap effects. Therefore, the effect of Compulsory Evacuation Device is negated."
[Silent Magician LV8, ATK 3500 → ATK 2700]
"Tch... Persistent little brat," Thief King Zorc grumbled.
"I'll set one more card face-down. Turn end," You Xuan declared. "At this moment, Silent Magician's attack returns to its original value."
[Silent Magician LV8, ATK 2700 → ATK 3500]
"My turn! Draw!" Zorc announced. "I activate the magic card Cost Down. By discarding a Level 8 monster from my hand, I draw two cards from my deck.
I'll discard Metal Demon Zoah from my hand and draw two cards."
After drawing the two cards, he gave them a quick glance before refocusing on Silent Magician.
"If you refuse to return, then you'll be destroyed!
Desperado Revolver Dragon, activate its effect!
During the battle phase, flip three coins. Based on the number of heads rolled, select monsters on the field to destroy!"
Once again, the revolver cylinders began to spin. Each cylinder had a fifty-fifty chance, but just one successful roll would be enough to destroy Silent Magician. Unless the opponent was someone like Jiyu or Cheng Daozi, there was almost no chance of missing entirely.
"I activate the facedown card—Trap Card, Amnesia!" You Xuan revealed his trap. "When a face-up monster on the opponent's field activates its effect, negate that activation and force that monster into defense position!
Negate the effect of Desperado Revolver Dragon!"
The spinning revolver cylinders suddenly jammed, halting mid-spin. Electrical sparks crackled across the steel dragon's body as it staggered forward, clutching its head and collapsing to one knee, as if it had forgotten how to aim properly.
[Desperado Revolver Dragon, ATK 3300 → DEF 2200]
"What a persistent little bug..." Zorc muttered in frustration. "Fine. I'll set two cards face-down. Turn end."
Miss Spirit, watching from the sidelines, was holding her breath.
Both fields were occupied by monsters far beyond her comprehension as a small spirit. The intense back-and-forth exchanges felt like a single misstep could reduce her to dust.
"So terrifying..."
The world of duelists truly was a frightening place.