Is this the poker world?Ada thief!

Chapter 1712 Untitled
Although Amon's turn had just ended, the outcome of this duel could already be predicted in advance by the sudden attack of Manjurokumo's [Original Stone Dragon - Imperial Topaz Dragon] - as long as the cards in Amon's back row weren't some disgusting cards.

Although the Cloud Monster - Storm Dragon still retains the blessing of the Sanctuary of the Sky, it has lost the seemingly useless resistance of not being destroyed in battle, making it a fragile creature that breaks at the slightest touch. As for the Cloud Monster - Eye of the Typhoon, it is even more useless. It is neither an angel nor a water-type monster, so it cannot benefit from either blessing and is essentially a blank monster with an attack power of 3000.

Meanwhile, Manjoume was just about to begin his turn.

"My turn, draw!" Manjoume drew a card from his deck without even looking at it, then played it out of his hand. "Next is the effect of this [Dark and Annihilation Dragon] in my hand. It can only be activated by banishing a Level 8 Dragon monster from my Fusion Deck. I banish this Level 8 LIGHT Dragon monster [Secret Dragon Knight], and then Special Summon this [Dark and Annihilation Dragon] from my hand!"

【Darkness and the Dragon of Annihilation】【8☆/Dark】

[Dragon Clan/Effect]

[2600/2100]

"Next, I will use the second effect of [Dark and Destroy Dragon], which allows me to choose one effect to apply once per turn. I choose to target a monster on the field that is not in Attack Position, which reduces [Dark and Destroy Dragon]'s ATK and DEF by 500 and destroys the targeted monster. Of course, I will choose to target [Cloud Monster - Eye of the Typhoon] on my opponent's field!"

The non-water-attribute [Cloud Monster - Eye of the Typhoon] will be easily destroyed by the effect of [Dark and Annihilation Dragon], but at the same time, Amon's face-down card in the back row will also be revealed.

"Chain the effect of [Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation] to activate my backrow face-down card - Counter Trap Card [Divine Punishment]."

As the card was revealed, the clouds surrounding the Sky City on the field, which was supported by clouds, turned pitch black like rain clouds, and red lightning suddenly burst forth within them, pressing down on the [Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation] that had just appeared on the field.

"Divine Punishment can only be activated when a monster's effect, Spell Card, or Trap Card is activated if [Sanctuary of the Sky] is on the field. Its effect is to negate and destroy the effect of [Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation] without paying any Life Points!"

The crimson lightning swept across the land, its primary target being Banjou's [Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation], as if it were a deliberate response to Banjou's earlier self-proclaimed title of lightning.

Manjōmu wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, he waved his hand again and said, "Then I will use the effect of my [Dragon Soul City] in the back row again to banish [Dark and Annihilation Dragon] from my graveyard to increase the attack of my [Original Stone Dragon - Imperial Topaz Dragon] by 700 points."

[Original Stone Dragon - Imperial Yellow Jade Dragon] [ATK2900→3600]

"And use the effect of [Original Stone's Light Piercing] from my graveyard to set it on my backfield."

After "making use" of the "Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation" that had just been hit by "Divine Punishment" and sent to the graveyard, Manjoume played his last card: "Next is this magic card, 'Magic Flowerpot,' which sends one of my Continuous Trap Cards to the graveyard. I draw two cards from my deck."

【万丈目准：3200LP，手牌1→2→1→2】

Unfortunately, while Manjou's [Dragon Soul City] has a second effect that can be triggered after being sent from the field to the graveyard, its activation time is not "situation" but "time". The effect of [Magic Flower Pot] interfered with the timing of that card, preventing it from taking effect, but at least it allowed Manjou to replenish his hand.

Upon seeing the card he had drawn, Manjoume suddenly chuckled and said, "Since black didn't work, and I'm not one to be bound by a single color, let's switch to this one next!"

"Similarly, I banish one Level 8 Dragon monster from my Fusion Deck to Special Summon this monster. I banish this Level 8 DARK Dragon monster, 'Forbidden Princess of the Demon Dragon,' and Special Summon 'Dragon of Light and Ascension' from my hand!"

【Dragon of Light and Ascension】【8☆/Light】

[Dragon Clan/Effect]

[2600/2100]

After playing "Dragon of Light and Ascension", Manjoume immediately played another card from his hand, saying, "If I successfully Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Dragon-Type monster, I Special Summon 'Armored Knight Dragon' from my hand!"

【Armored Knight Dragon - Knight Armored Dragon -】【3☆/Wind】

[Dragon Clan/Effect]

[1400/1900]

Although it is a Level 3☆ monster, after [Armored Knight Dragon - Knight Armored Dragon-] appears, Amon sees that the [Dark and Annihilation Dragon], which was just banished, has possessed [Armored Knight Dragon - Knight Armored Dragon-] and suddenly transformed it from a wind-attribute monster into a different form.

"If 【Armored Knight Dragon - Knight Armored Dragon-】 is successfully Special Summoned, its Attribute and Level will be changed to be the same as the Dragon-Type monster that I banished. The one I chose is, as you can see, 【Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation】."

【Armored Knight Dragon - Knight Armored Dragon-】【3☆/Wind→8☆/Dark】【ATK1400】

"Although the level and attributes have been changed, the attack power remains unchanged at 1400 points."

"That's enough!" Manjoume waved his hand. "Because next I'm going to use the second effect of [Light and Ascended Dragon] to perform a Fusion Summon using monsters from my hand and field as Fusion Materials! The materials I'll choose are [Armored Knight Dragon - Knight Armored Dragon-] and [Light and Ascended Dragon] itself!"

"The required fusion materials are a Level 8☆ Light-attribute Dragon-type monster and a Level 8☆ Dark-attribute Dragon-type monster, and the fusion must be performed via Chaos Contact!"

"By perfectly harmonizing the forces of light and darkness that have been intertwined across time and space, an absolutely invincible and resilient body is constructed, and a dazzling golden power is born here!"

"Spread your divine wings that transcend all living beings, and roar, Wagatsumashi!"

"Level 10☆, [Dragon King of Light and Darkness]!"

【Dragon King of Light and Darkness】【10☆/Light】

[Dragon/Fusion/Effect]

[3400/3000]

“I heard about it back in the academy. Manjoume’s trump card is the [Dragon of Light and Darkness].” O’Brien examined the monster in front of him, a “dragon” he had only heard of but never seen. “Is that the more advanced form that only exists in intelligence reports—the [Dragon King of Light and Darkness]?”

“He looks really strong. This is a complete checkmate for Amon,” Jim said, but then looked at Amon again. “However, I wonder if simply defeating his opponent through a duel will bring Amon Garlem back to normal, since he seems to be acting strangely.”

"Hmph, do you think I, Manjoume-sama, would bother summoning the [Dragon King of Light and Darkness]?" Manjoume said smugly, hearing the conversation outside the arena. He then pointed to the "empty" back behind Amon. "Although I destroyed that [King of Mist] using ordinary dueling techniques, it's clearly not enough to eliminate him." "The mist has receded somewhat, but I can see that guy is still entrenched behind someone else, refusing to leave. So, to deal with cards that harbor rebellious spirits, it's definitely better to use my monster, which also houses a spirit!"

"To ensure sufficient power to destroy that monster—the third effect of [Armored Knight Dragon - Knight Armored Dragon -] can only be activated if it is sent to the Graveyard, targeting one of my Dragon-Type monsters, and neither player can activate this effect in response to its activation!"

"I choose the [Dragon King of Light and Darkness] as my target, increasing its attack power by 1000 points!"

【Dragon King of Light and Darkness】【ATK3400→4400】

"I'm changing my [Dark Lord Diablos] from Defense Position to Attack Position. Now, I'm entering my Battle Phase!"

Diablos, the Dark Lord [DEF2000→ATK3000]

Ready, Manjoume entered the battle phase without hesitation, intending to decide the victor before the fifth round of this duel: "On my field are [Dark Lord Diablos] with 3000 attack power, [Primal Dragon Emperor Topaz Dragon] with 3600 attack power, and [Dragon King of Light and Darkness] with 4400 attack power. First, I will use [Dark Lord Diablos] and [Primal Dragon Emperor Topaz Dragon] to attack [Cloud Monster Storm Dragon] and [Cloud Monster Eye of the Typhoon] respectively!"

Because the effects of the [Primal Stone Dragon - Imperial Topaz Dragon] were erased and the Cloud Monsters lost their combat damage resistance, they were completely unable to resist the fierce attack of two powerful dragons with higher attack power than themselves. The [Dark Lord - Diablos] tore the [Cloud Monster - Storm Dragon] in half, and the [Cloud Monster - Eye of the Typhoon] had its eyes pierced and its head smashed by a stone thrown by the [Primal Stone Dragon - Imperial Topaz Dragon].

As the clouds dispersed, Amon, relying on the [Sanctuary of the Sky], looked up at Manjoume and said, "Because of the effect of the [Sanctuary of the Sky], the damage that the [Cloud Demon - Storm Dragon], an angel monster, inflicted on me is now 0."

"However, your [Cloud Demon - Eye of the Typhoon] is a monster from the aquatic race!" Wan Zhangmu waved his hand, "Try it out with these 600 points of combat damage first!"

[Amon Garram: 3200 → 2600 LP, 0 cards in hand]

Without giving Amon any time to adjust, Manjoume declared, "Next up is the direct attack from the [Dragon King of Light and Darkness]. Don't hold back, aim at the spirit behind that guy and attack with all your might!"

"Chaos Annihilation Bomb!"

Upon receiving Wan Zhangmu's command, the [Dragon King of Light and Darkness] extended its claws in front of it, making a grasping motion, and then suddenly pulled it behind it. As a result of this grab and tear, the [Sanctuary of the Sky] behind Amon suddenly cracked open, and a monster resembling a knight was pulled out from it. It was none other than the [King of Mist] that Amon had summoned earlier.

Completely bewildered, the King of Mist was caught precisely by the Dragon King of Light and Darkness with his other hand. His head was gripped by the claws, and no matter how much he struggled, he could not pry the Dragon King of Light and Darkness's claws off.

Facing the struggling King of Mist in its hand, the Dragon King of Light and Darkness calmly opened its mouth and began to inhale. Its attack power surpassed that of Obelisk the Tormentor and even approached that of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. With just a breath, it stirred up a huge storm, completely swallowing the surrounding clouds and mist!

—Then, the chaotic dragon breath, formed by the interweaving of light and darkness, was released at point-blank range towards the [King of Mist], engulfing Amon's body behind him!
"Crack!"

"Wow——!"

In reality, from the perspective of O'Brien and Jim outside the arena, the [Dragon King of Light and Darkness] simply tore aside the [Sanctuary of the Sky] blocking his way, came to Amon's front, and then used his full-force dragon breath to instantly send Amon flying and crashing into the trunk of a tree. The sound of shattering glass came from behind him, and his basic score was instantly reduced to zero without any surprise.

[Amon Garlem: 2600LP→0]

Although the effect seemed quite severe, it was somewhat surprising that Amon Garlem, who had been knocked down, stood up from the ground as if nothing had happened, showing no sign that he had just been defeated in the duel.

He looked rather bewildered, glancing around in confusion: "Why am I here?"

Even though O'Brien and Jim couldn't see the elves, they instantly understood that Amon had successfully broken free from the control of the "King of Mist".

"Looks like you've regained consciousness, Amon Garlem?" O'Brien stepped forward, examining Amon who appeared unharmed. "What happened to you? Why did you disappear? Why did you become like that? And why did you attack us?"

“Don’t ask him so many questions right now, Bro~” Jim patted O’Brien on the shoulder, signaling him not to rush him, and stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with him to ask Amon, “Right now, there should only be one focus. Amon Garlem, is what happened to you related to Professor Cobra—Professor Klaus Wallis?”

Amon nodded. Although he didn't understand how he got here, he roughly recalled and gave an answer: "Although I'm not very clear about what happened in between, I'm sure that the last part of my memory is when Klaus Wallis—that is, Professor Cobra—was entangled with me in a fight, and I was hit by a force and lost consciousness."

"What was hit was my deck. In a daze, I could feel that my cards seemed to have their own consciousness and were forcibly stuffed into my body. Until just now, I had been feeling like I was trapped in a crowded little dark room."

“That makes sense then.” Manjoume finished packing up his deck and stepped forward, saying, “I thought that ‘King of Mist’ was some kind of foreign spirit, but it turns out it’s your own card? I’ve heard Hayato-sensei talk about being backfired on by your own spirit before, and now I’ve actually seen a real-life example of it—although there was some external interference involved.”

"It was probably that force that forcibly awakened the spirit in your card, and then used some means to forcibly trap your spirit into your body, which led to you losing consciousness and being controlled by the spirit, becoming a puppet-like existence."

Manjoume's casual attitude in mentioning elves as if it were water made Amon feel rather awkward. After all, even though he had experienced being controlled by elves, he was still just an "ordinary person" like O'Brien, Jim, and many others who could not see elves. He touched his body and said, "But now, I no longer feel the sensation of an elf trapped inside my body."

"Of course, because I, Manjoume, personally drove away the spirit for you." Pointing to himself proudly, Manjoume had the right to be arrogant. "Don't worry, there won't be any aftereffects. Although I did make the [Dragon King of Light and Darkness] exert a bit more force, at most it will just make your muscles sore."

“The one who’s really in trouble is me.” As soon as he finished speaking, Manjoume raised his wrist, revealing the “Death Bracelet” that was always glowing.

Although the Duel Energy in the Duel Disk, which had shielded him from the effects of the "Death Gloves" many times, had been continuously collected, the expenditures were ultimately greater than the incomes. After this duel, the Duel Energy in Manjoume's Duel Disk was finally exhausted. Manjoume had already sensed that he was still able to stand normally thanks to the last remaining Duel Energy.

As Manjoume raised his wrist, the duel energy in his duel disk was completely depleted. The power of the "Death Gloves," which Professor Cobra had already turned up to its maximum when he discovered Jaden and his group, began to absorb Manjoume's stamina. In just a breath, he was forced to kneel on one knee in a rather disheveled state, unable to stand up.

“Death Gauntlet!” Amon glanced at his hand instinctively, and seeing his empty wrist, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Luckily, I took it off during Principal Hayato’s duel, and Professor Cobra didn’t put it back on me.”

"Principal Hayato's duel?" Jim and O'Brien helped Manjoume up, one on each side. Jim was curious when he heard Amon's words.

"This isn't the time to talk about that. If I'm not mistaken, you're not the only ones here, are you?" Amon looked around, recognizing this forest as the underground forest he had visited before, and said seriously to the three people in front of him, "I'm not the only one being controlled by Professor Cobra. I'll go with you. We must stop Professor Cobra and that Pokémon with him as soon as possible!"

　No witty remarks today, please vote!

(End of this chapter)