Demise, King of Armageddon, defeated!
The colossal End-of-World Demon God dissipated into dust, and the oppressive atmosphere on the entire field seemed to suddenly lighten. The eerie azure flames on Sierre's body also receded a little, but he was still panting heavily.
"He actually defeated King of Armageddon, huh." Sierre let out a sigh of relief. "I underestimated you. You two really aren't ordinary kids."
"It's not over yet."
Judai revealed two more cards from his hand.
"Spell Card 'Double Attack'! By discarding one monster card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can select one monster on my field that is lower Level than the discarded monster. That monster can attack twice this turn.
I discard Level 5 'Elemental HERO · Necroshade' from my hand and select Level 4 'Elemental HERO · Bubbleman' on my field. This turn, Bubbleman can attack twice!
Now, enter the Battle Phase!"
Judai swung his arm, sounding the charge for his Heroes.
"First, 'Elemental HERO · Plasma Vice' attacks the face-down monster!" Judai said, "Plasma Vice's effect: When it attacks a Defense Position monster, if its ATK exceeds that monster's DEF, it can inflict piercing battle damage to the opponent!"
"Then activate the Set card!" Sierre's backrow also activated. "Trap Card 'Draining Shield'!
When an opponent's monster declares an attack, that attack is negated, and I recover LP equal to that monster's ATK!"
A transparent absorption barrier expanded, shimmering with rainbow-like streams of light. The electrical bombardment from Plasma Vice all slammed into the transparent barrier, turning into surging energy that was absorbed into Sierre's body.
[Sierre, LP 4800 → LP 7600]
"Ah, my LP actually increased instead... Then 'Elemental HERO · Bubbleman' attacks the face-down monster! Bubble Shot!"
Bubbleman knelt on the ground, wielding his bubble cannon. A series of bubbles, enveloped in water currents, shot out, washing over the face-down monster on the field.
It was a pot-shaped monster with a single toxic eye and an unpleasant, sinister smile.
Morphing Jar!
Yugen frowned slightly.
Well, he secretly Set another formidable card.
[Morphing Jar, DEF 600]
"Morphing Jar's effect: When this card is flipped, both players discard all cards in their hands," Sierre said. "Then, both players each draw five cards from their Decks."
Their hands were replaced again, and Morphing Jar immediately exploded into fragments under the bubble impact.
Judai: "Because of 'Double Attack's' effect, Bubbleman can attack twice this turn!
Go, Bubbleman's direct attack! Bubble Shot!"
Bubbleman fired his shoulder-mounted bubble cannon again. A series of bubbles burst forth, exploding directly on Sierre's face. Sierre's body swayed, staggering back a few steps.
[Sierre, LP 7600 → LP 6000]
"This level is still far from enough," Sierre stubbornly stood up.
Judai: "I'll Set two cards on the field. Turn end."
He then looked at Yugen with a hint of apology: "Sorry, his LP actually increased..."
"It's fine, you dismantled his setup," Yugen said.
Judai gave him another thumbs up: "I already had a feeling our cooperation is invincible!"
Sierre watched them silently, his face twitching, appearing even more annoyed.
"Companions, companions are precisely why one becomes weak."
Judai: "What did you say?"
"Heroes are always solitary, and must be so. This is the fate of the sword wielder."
Judai pondered for a moment, then said, "You keep saying that, about abandoning companions and spirits. But I feel like you haven't completely let go, have you?"
"What?"
"Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, you said it betrayed you, but you still carry it, still carry this deck, don't you?" Judai said, "If, as you say, your family has kept this card for generations, and you've considered it a friend since childhood, perhaps it's not so easy to abandon, is it?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Sierre said coldly. "I just said, a duel is simply about winning. Sacred Phoenix or King of Armageddon, they are merely Duelists' swords in their hands, and they only need to fulfill their role as swords.
Any weapon that can be utilized should be utilized to its extreme, that's all."
"Really? Then why did you specifically come to this place, to this dimension, to search for this hidden ruin?" Judai said. "I think this isn't your first search, is it?
You've been traveling everywhere, searching for Sacred Phoenix's whereabouts, because you want to see its spirit, don't you?"
"Nonsense. I only do this to capture the spirit's power, to make it work for me." Sierre was unmoved. "Or perhaps I'm doing it to get revenge for its cold indifference towards us all those years ago, who knows?"
"At first, I thought that too, but through dueling, it's clear that's not the case." Judai shook his head. "Dueling is a clash of souls. Only through dueling can we understand each other.
You're strong, perhaps the strongest Duelist I've ever faced. Although you say monsters only need to be utilized, from the duel just now, I can feel that you have faith in your cards, faith in your monsters—you're a true Duelist."
"Nonsense, utter nonsense..."
"Of course you can deny it," Judai continued, "I don't care how you deny it. But with such an excuse, can you really convince yourself?"
Sierre: "..."
Though Yugen remained silent, he found himself starting to admire Judai's protagonist-level rhetorical power, passed down through generations of Yu-Gi-Oh protagonists.
You know, after this verbal assault, Yugen could actually faintly feel the opponent's aura seemed to weaken.
According to the Duel Academy's draw-card curriculum, it's probably Judai, as a Duelist, suppressing the opponent with his "momentum."
"So noisy."
Sierre shook his head and said coldly.
"Nonsense, just rambling. It's nothing more than a duel, what do you understand? How can you understand my thoughts?
My turn, draw!"
He pulled a card forcefully, drawing it from the Deck in a large arc.
"At the moment of entering the Standby Phase, 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys's' effect in the Graveyard has reactivated!" Sierre raised his voice, "Because 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' was destroyed by 'Demise, King of Armageddon's' effect last turn, its effect activates!
This turn, during the Standby Phase, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys will be reborn from the ashes!"
Pheonix flames shot into the sky, the golden Phoenix spread its wings within the green light barrier. The Phoenix's flames condensed, slowly re-materializing into the form of the golden divine bird.
"Then Sacred Phoenix's subsequent effect activates! When it's Special Summoned by its own effect, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field!" Sierre laughed heartily. "The combination of King of Armageddon and Sacred Phoenix means that after King of Armageddon clears the field each turn, Sacred Phoenix will be reborn the next turn, and sweep away all backrow!
Any Set card defense line is meaningless in front of this combo. You have no choice but destruction..."
"Activate Set card!" Judai interrupted his chant. "Trap Card 'Disappear'!
Banish one card from your opponent's Graveyard!"
Sierre: "!"
What!? You want to dig up my grave!?
Did you just print that thing on the spot?
"Therefore, I banish 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' from your Graveyard!" Judai said, "'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' is no longer in the Graveyard when the effect resolves, so it naturally cannot be Special Summoned, and will instead be banished from this game!"
The fiery illusion of Sacred Phoenix rose in mid-air, but immediately turned into a transparent phantom.
But just like that, it escaped the bondage of Orichalcos.
The binding mark on Sacred Phoenix's forehead shattered, its translucent body silently burned in the air, bowing its head to face Sierre.
Sierre also unconsciously looked up at it.
"Sacred Phoenix..."
In a trance, he seemed to hear a voice from a distant shore, as if breaking through layers of barriers, a faint voice from another dimension.
"I'm sorry."
Then the Phoenix's image completely burned away, disappearing from the field.
Sierre: "..."
He remained silent for a few seconds.
"Indeed, your bond with the spirit has never been broken," Judai continued. "It was just obscured by an evil force, wasn't it?
There must be some hidden truth about what happened back then too."
"My turn continues, entering the Main Phase," Sierre interrupted coldly.
"Sierre?" Judai frowned.
"No matter what, saying these things is meaningless now. I am no longer a descendant of Sacred Phoenix. I am one of the new Doma Swordsmen, and that is all."
Sierre looked up, speaking calmly.
"I will defeat you here. Then I will continue to move forward."