"Alright, my Turn, Draw!" Hayato drew a Card and looked at it, a smile appearing on his face. "It came just in time, huh? Did it see some tempting food and get impatient?"
"Then, let's go all out!" Hayato's gaze sharpened. He placed a Card from his Hand onto the Deck Zone of his Duel Disk. "First, I'll prepare the stage for your arrival!"
"Activate the Field Spell Card, [Mausoleum of the Emperor]!"
The ground rumbled and trembled. Amidst a noisy sound of earth breaking, Marik watched with wide eyes as a solemn mausoleum rose from the ground, surrounding the area.
"As long as [Mausoleum of the Emperor] is on the Field, both players can pay Life Points instead of Tributing for a Tribute Summoned Monster. Each Tribute requires 1000 Life Points." Hayato said, watching the Life Points on his Duel Disk rapidly decrease. "Now, I will pay 2000 Life Points."
[Hayato: 4000→2000LP]
"He's willing to pay 2000 Life Points to Summon a Monster?" Watching Hayato casually spend half his Life Points, Marik's pupils contracted. "Could it be that Monster!"
"Using a king to defeat a king? Then I'll return the favor with the same logic, Marik!"
"I'll use this God to defeat your God! Come forth, Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca!"
The pitch-black vulture burst from the ground, messing up the original mausoleum. Soaring into the sky, completely unafraid of Slifer the Sky Dragon's divine might, was none other than Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca, held by Hayato!
"Damn it! But it's useless! Even the God you possess cannot defy the power of Osiris! Marik said through gritted teeth. He didn't know how many of his subordinates' memories he had seen this Earthbound Immortal Monster in. He understood its powerful Effect perfectly.
"Although it possesses the powerful Effect of Direct Attack and directly reducing Life Points, the biggest weakness of Earthbound Immortal is that its ATK and DEF are both only 1. While it cannot be Destroyed by Battle due to its Effect 'cannot be selected as an Attack Target', Osiris's Thunder Force isn't counted as an Attack!"
A sphere of lightning flew out, accurately hitting the soaring Earthbound Immortal. But under Marik's astonished gaze, Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca flew out of the smoke and dust from the explosion completely unharmed?!
[Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca] [0/1]
"The moment Slifer the Sky Dragon's Effect activated, I Chain activated this Card." Marik shifted his gaze from the Earthbound Immortal and Slifer the Sky Dragon confronting each other overhead, looking at Hayato. On his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone, a Spell Card was activated.
"The Quick-Play Spell Card Forbidden Lance. Although it decreases the Monster's ATK by 600, it also makes it unaffected by card Effects and prevents it from being Destroyed by card Effects."
Hayato's face held a smile: "Then, I Activate Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca's Effect! I skip my Battle Phase this Turn and directly change my opponent Duelist's Life Points to 1!"
"Polar Star Obedience!"
"Ugh... Aaaaargh!!!" Feeling the terrifying suction force emanating from Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca in the sky, as if it were trying to suck his soul out of his body and tear it in half, Marik let out a painful wail.
[Marik: 4500→1LP]
"Marik!"
"Master Marik!"
Ishizu Ishtar and Rishid outside the Field called out Marik's name worriedly, but Hayato felt no pity because of it.
From the moment this Duel began, it was already a life-or-death Dark Game!
As early as the start of the Duel, when no device for Virtual Projection flew out from Marik's Duel Disk, Hayato knew that this guy had the same intention as himself—to project the images of Duel Monsters using Dark Magic instead of Virtual Projection.
From the moment they started drawing cards, the two of them had already fallen into a Dark Game. Although Marik had previously used Golden Ladybug's Effect to recover 500 Life Points, that only increased the Life Points he lost all at once.
Let alone him, Hayato, who had just paid 2000 Life Points all at once, appeared normal on the surface, but in reality, his entire body was in terrible pain. That's why Marik was so surprised earlier that Hayato would Tribute half his Life Points.
"Hoo... Hah... Hoo... Ugh!" Because of Wiraqocha Rasca's Effect, his Life Points were drained all at once to only 1. Although Marik could still barely remain standing, his breathing was extremely heavy, like bellows pumping air to fuel a blacksmith's forge.
Just when Hayato thought he was about to collapse, he heard Marik slowly straighten his hunched back, staring fixedly at Hayato with venomous eyes:
"Kobayashi... Hayato!"
"Hmph, can he still keep going?" Hayato frowned, looking at Wiraqocha Rasca in the sky. Previously, using Wiraqocha Rasca in a normal Duel could bring about an impact similar to a Dark Game. In a Dark Game, Wiraqocha Rasca was operating at full power.
But the fact that this guy Marik could still persist made Hayato somewhat impatient. Powerful Cards often came with risks. When an Earthbound Immortal Card was used, it wasn't just Marik who bore its pressure, but Hayato himself as well.
Let's finish this as quickly as possible.
That was the thought, but unfortunately, Hayato had already used up all the Cards in his Hand. The two Set Cards on the Field weren't ready to be used yet, and the Battle Phase was skipped because he activated Wiraqocha Rasca's Effect.
With no other choice, Hayato simply changed the Battle Position of Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 on his Field: "I change Armed Dragon Thunder LV10 on my Field to Attack Position, then End Turn."
[Hayato: 2000LP, Hand 0]
[Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca] [ATK1]
[Armed Dragon Thunder LV10] [ATK4000]
[Set Card] X2 Ojama Pajama Party
Field: [Mausoleum of the Emperor]
"My Turn, Draw!" After Marik drew a Card, he looked down at it, his expression momentarily stunned. But then, he burst into maniacal laughter, as if he had already won the Duel.
Because he was laughing so wildly, Marik, who was already weak due to having only 1 Life Point, almost passed out. "Cough, cough, Kobayashi Hayato, I have to admit, you are indeed very strong."
"But the power of my God is still above yours!"
Marik proudly displayed the Card in his Hand. Although its border was the same yellow as a Normal Monster, the border of the Card Marik showed was slightly more golden: "In the name of the Sun God, I shall unleash the Divine Punishment Scourge upon you!"
(End of Chapter)