Time Magician: My attack power is 500. Stellar Swordsman: What a coincidence! My attack power is also 500!

“Hmph~” The Dark Demon Dragon snorted softly, magma-colored flames still scattering from the corners of its mouth. It was clear that the 2,500 points of life lost by Ryuzaki in an instant were caused by it!

“When the fused Dark Demon Dragon finishes its battle phase, it deals damage to the opponent equal to the original attack of a ‘Red-Eyes’ normal monster in my graveyard! Then that 'Red-Eyes' monster is returned to the deck.”

Jonouchi had three monsters in his graveyard, and a damage value of 2,500—so it was clear the returned monster was the malicious Demon, the double monster.

[Jonouchi: 3700 LP, Hand: 1, Monster Zone: Demon Dragon · Dark Demon Dragon, Spiny Dragon Token, Spell/Trap Zone: 0]

The Black Stone had two effects, but only one can be activated per turn. Furthermore, for the Dark Demon Dragon’s second effect to work, there must be a “Red-Eyes” normal monster in the graveyard. So Jonouchi didn’t use the Black Stone’s effect to return “Red-Eyes Black Dragon” to the deck. After switching the token to defense, he ended his turn.

“My turn, draw!”

Ryuzaki glanced at the two cards left on his field. As long as “Great Earthquake” remained, it locked down Jonouchi’s three spell/trap zones, but its other effect wouldn’t trigger until his third standby phase—it was still two turns away. For now, it was just a lockdown card.

The other card, the monster Spiny Dragon, seemed nearly useless: it only created tokens for the opponent to use as tributes, and it could only activate if it destroyed an opponent’s monster in battle and sent it to the grave!

Everything now depended on the “Pot of Greed” in his hand—would he draw the key card to turn the duel around?

“Spell card ‘Pot of Greed’—draw! …And then, a second ‘Pot of Greed!’ …Yes!”

Two monster cards and a quick-play spell—a huge boost to Ryuzaki’s hopes of turning the tables!

“I Special Summon the Level 3 effect monster ‘Swiftfoot Velociraptor’ from my hand!”

As the dinosaur appeared on Ryuzaki’s field—so similar to the real Velociraptor from the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous Jonouchi had seen on TV—Jonouchi could only blink in confusion.

A cost-free summon that doesn’t use up the normal summon for the turn? Little bro, are you cheating?

Under Jonouchi’s intense gaze, Ryuzaki began explaining the raptor’s effect:

“This card can be Special Summoned directly from the hand! But, in exchange, it has a nasty side effect for its owner—if it’s Special Summoned by its own effect, your opponent can select a monster from their own graveyard to revive!”

Jonouchi: !!

No wonder it could come out so easily—it let the opponent choose a monster from their grave to bring back!

Jonouchi looked over Ryuzaki’s field, then at his own, hesitated, and finally chose to revive the Black Stone from his grave, bolstering his defenses.

With Red-Eyes Black Dragon in the graveyard, as long as Dark Demon Dragon had battled, at the end of the battle phase it could inflict 2,400 damage to Ryuzaki, enough to finish him off in one blow!

“With this, I have enough tributes to summon the strongest dinosaur in my deck!”

Jonouchi: ?

“I tribute ‘Jurassic Spiny Dragon’ and ‘Swiftfoot Velociraptor’! Advanced Summon—Jurassic Behemoth!!”

“Roar—!”

A gigantic dinosaur, two stories tall, covered head to toe in red-black stone-like armor, with protruding needle-like spikes on its surface, appeared.

The boss of the “Jurassic” series of high-level effect monsters—the Behemoth! (Jurassic Behemoth, Level 9, ATK: 3000)

“I activate Behemoth’s effect! By banishing the 200-ATK ‘Jurassic Alioramus’ from my graveyard, Behemoth’s attack increases by 1,000 until the end of the turn!”

The power of the little Alioramus’s soul was absorbed by the massive Behemoth, causing it to instantly grow taller by about a meter and bulk up in size!

(Jurassic Behemoth, ATK: 3000 → 4000)

“Jonouchi! I know what you’re waiting for—you want me to attack your Dark Demon Dragon with Behemoth, just so you can trigger its effect to deal me damage equal to the ‘Red-Eyes’ monster’s attack in your graveyard!”

Ryuzaki, wearing a look of having seen through Jonouchi’s plan, slid a spell card into his duel disk as he spoke:

“So, before battle begins, I’ll use this spell card to ‘enhance (or perhaps weaken)’ your Dark Demon Dragon!”

Jonouchi: ?

You’re enhancing my monster? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?

But in the next moment, Jonouchi was completely stunned!

A goddess in plain white robes descended from the sky, holding a golden chalice. Hovering above the Dark Demon Dragon’s head, she tilted the cup, pouring down its shimmering nectar.

(Demon Dragon · Dark Demon Dragon, ATK: 3200 → 3600, effect negated)

Jonouchi: ???

Staring at the new stats of Dark Demon Dragon displayed by the 3D projection, Jonouchi was dumbfounded!

What the hell? Its attack increases, but my monster’s effect is negated?!

“Quick-play spell ‘Forbidden Chalice’!”

Ryuzaki had seen the transformation as well.

“This quick-play spell boosts a face-up monster’s attack by 400, but as the price for this unknown power, its effect is sealed until the end of the turn!”

Jonouchi: “……”

Can I refuse this boost? Or… would you like to use it on your own monster instead? _|＼○＿

In any case, facing a Behemoth whose attack rivals that of “The God of the Earth” among the three Egyptian gods, Jonouchi’s Dark Demon Dragon could only be slaughtered! And because of the Chalice’s seal, he couldn’t deal Black Dragon’s effect damage to Ryuzaki and win in a single blow as planned!

(Jonouchi: 3700 LP → 3300 LP)

[Ryuzaki: 2100 LP, Hand: 0, Monster Zone: Jurassic Behemoth, Spell/Trap Zone: Great Earthquake]

“My turn… draw.”

All that remained in his hand was the quick-play spell “Dice of the Devil” (anime version) and the second “Pot of Greed” he’d just drawn. How could he win with this?

Now Jonouchi was in the same predicament as Ryuzaki had been—all depended on the next “Pot of Greed” draw! Otherwise, no amount of life points would be enough to withstand another attack!

“Second ‘Pot of Greed,’ activate!”

As he drew, Ryuzaki seemed to glimpse a flash of golden light as the cards flipped through the air—was he seeing things?

“Normal Summon ‘Earthstar Swordsman’!”

Earthstar Swordsman’s attack was only 200 points higher than the “filler monster” Kuriboh. What was Jonouchi planning with such a weak monster—and in attack position, no less?

With only 500 attack, Earthstar Swordsman could do nothing to change the situation on its own!

Sensing Ryuzaki’s confusion, Jonouchi patiently explained:

“But! If I pair this with these two cards, maybe even a low-level, low-attack monster like ‘Earthstar Swordsman’ can ‘slay (defeat) a dragon!’”

As Jonouchi activated the two cards, two little monsters appeared on the field, each clutching a die.

One, holding a blue die with tiny angel wings on its pink hat, appeared on Jonouchi’s side; the other, a black-clad little devil clutching a crimson die, leered mischievously as it landed on Ryuzaki’s side.

“Quick-play spell ‘Angel’s Dice!’ With the blessing of a little angel, one monster on my field with 500 or less attack multiplies its attack by the final roll of the blue die until the end of the turn!”

“Quick-play spell ‘Devil’s Dice!’ With the curse of the little devil, one face-up monster on your field has its attack divided by the final roll of the red die until the end of the turn!”

As the effects were explained, the little angel and devil rolled their dice, spinning them like tops. Ryuzaki swallowed repeatedly, eyes wide, watching as the dice spun until—

“Clack! Clack!”

Two crisp sounds—the dice stopped rolling.

“Angel’s Dice: Final result—6!” / “Devil’s Dice: Final result—6!”

Both players called out simultaneously, then looked up, locking eyes in shock.

Both were filled with disbelief—Jonouchi hadn’t expected to roll a 6; Ryuzaki hadn’t expected to be hit with a 6!

(Earthstar Swordsman, ATK: 500 → 3000)

(Jurassic Behemoth, ATK: 3000 → 500)

The 3D projection made it look as if the two monsters had swapped attack points!

And so, the final result—

“Ryuzaki! Sorry, but last time I beat you with ‘Time Wizard’—this time, I win with ‘Earthstar Swordsman!’”

Jonouchi beamed; Ryuzaki managed a strained smile.

Both monsters had 500 attack—could it be that I, Ryuzaki, am truly doomed to be defeated by Jonouchi's 500-attack monsters?!