Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"I was a little nervous when you suddenly dragged me into the duel, but it turns out I was just a bluffing nobody."

Anubis, with a disdainful look, raised a finger and pointed it at Hayato: "You've already exhausted all your options with my servants, haven't you? In that case, just tear them to pieces!"

"First, there's the direct attack from [Sphinx Andrew]!"

After giving the order to attack, Anubis leisurely watched Hayato, whose face showed a mixture of resentment and disbelief, which pleased him greatly.

The lion-headed man, Sphinx Andrew, opened its gaping maw and charged straight at Hayato. Hayato had no doubt that its sharp claws, under the influence of the Dark Game, could easily tear his flesh apart.

However, after hearing Anubis's words, Hayato's "panic" and "helplessness" suddenly disappeared. Under Anubis's surprised gaze, Hayato's lips curled up: "You just said that you were going to attack me, right?"

"While I'm not entirely sure whether your dueling style leans towards recklessness or caution, you wouldn't be foolish enough to ignore my face-down cards in the back row unless I reveal that [Royal Announcement] is my last resort, would you?"

"When I show that as long as the Royal Announcement exists on my field, I can rest easy, you, who have countermeasures at your disposal, will naturally not watch me, the 'little brat' in your eyes, gloat."

"I only need to show a little 'panic' and 'helplessness' after the 'Royal Announcement' is disrupted, and I can easily lull you into a false sense of security, making you think that's all I'm capable of, and thus make you lose your vigilance against the real traps on my field!"

"What?!" With Hayato's words already so explicit, Anubis couldn't possibly still not understand. His eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Hayato, "You bastard, you actually tricked me!"

"Hmph, that's it. You've completely fallen for it, you idiot." Hayato reached out and pressed the button on the Duel Disk. "This is my true offensive strategy, Hayato Kobayashi. When it comes to strategy, you're no match for me, Hayato Kobayashi!"

"Submit to the sublime power of the Knights of Hanno! Activate the Trap Card [Divine Shield - Mirror Power -]!"

"When the opponent's monster declares an attack, destroy all of the opponent's attack-positioned monsters!"

Although the Sphinxes are 10 stars, the same level as the Egyptian God cards, they are merely guardians of the Pharaoh's tomb and cannot compare to the power of the gods. The Sphinx Andre's claws swung down at Hayato, which in turn activated Hayato's trap card.

A sacred mirror opened, separating Hayato and Sphinx Andrew. It not only completely isolated the latter's attack from Hayato, but also reflected an attack of equal power back along the same path, further spreading the disease to Sphinx Dereia!

"Roar!"

"ah!"

"boom!!"

Amidst the screams of the two Sphinxes, the power of the Divine Shield - Power of the Reflector - destroyed them simultaneously, causing them to explode in a deafening roar, and smoke and dust covered Anubis's territory.

"To use such underhanded psychological tactics during a duel ceremony, this is hardly a duel!"

Having lost two powerful monsters, and more importantly, having his confident kills completely out of the brat's calculations, Anubis felt utterly humiliated. His face darkened, and he roared at Hayato.

Hayato, however, just wore a smug expression: "Heh, since you're not a good person, then I don't need to pretend to be a gentleman."

"Oh, Nore!" Anubis glared at Hayato through gritted teeth, a fierce thought flashing through his mind. "But don't think this is the end. You destroyed my Sphinxes, which in turn created the stage for the strongest Sphinx to descend!"

"If both Sphinx Andrei and Sphinx Dereia are destroyed simultaneously, I must pay 500 Life Points to activate this effect!" Anubis draws a card from his deck, "Special Summon Sphinx Andrei Guinness from my hand and deck!"

[Anubis] [2000→1500LP]

Following the "no harm from smoke" principle, the smoke from the two Sphinxes destroyed on Anubis's field was pushed together as if grasped by a giant hand, turning into a swirling, rising tornado of smoke.

Then, a ferocious lion's claw pierced through the smoke, revealing the true form of the monster that had been born from it!

[Sphinx Andrguin] [10☆/Light]

[Beast/Special Summon/Effect]

[3500/3000]

A lion's body with four legs, a robust human form, vast wings that appear angelically white yet exude an aura of utter evil, and a bizarre head that combines a human face with a lion's face—[Sphinx Andraguinus] is essentially a stitch-on-stitch of [Sphinx Andraguinus] and [Sphinx Dereia]!

"This is my strongest ace monster, [Sphinx Andrguinus]!" Because his Life Points dropped again, Anubis's golden hair appeared a little gray, but his aura was almost at its peak, and the pyramid of light on his chest also flashed.

"You little brat who looks down on people, I'll admit your scheming is somewhat skillful, but before the invincible Sphinx Androgenus, let's see how you escape this time!" Anubis looked at Hayato and said coldly, "Even the incarnation of a god will bow down to such an attack and fall into darkness!"

"Since it's the battle phase, I will launch another attack! Attack the opponent directly, [Sphinx Andrguin]!"

Chapter 519 Of course it's six o'clock!

"Sphinx Andrgenis, which was Special Summoned during the Battle Phase, can attack again. Go ahead and attack the opponent directly, Sphinx Andrgenis!"

[Sphinx Andrew Guinness] [ATK3500]

Anubis glanced at Sphinx Andrgenius on his field, his gaze fixed coldly on Hayato.

Since the start of the duel, his impression of his opponent has been constantly reversed. Now he no longer regards Hayato as a brat who just got lucky and obtained the [Wisdom Wheel], but as a powerful opponent.

The ritual of dueling was widely practiced in Egyptian courts thousands of years ago, and Anubis himself was a master of it during his lifetime; if not invincible, he was at least hard-pressed to find a worthy opponent. However, in his first dueling ceremony after his resurrection a thousand years later, he unexpectedly encountered a formidable opponent like Hayato, who even calculated the opponent's psychology.

Anubis was also seeing this style of fighting for the first time, but it was probably the last time.

This time, Anubis confirmed Hayato's back row, and now only the single-effect card [Frontline Base] remains. There are no other traps or monsters that could be of any use.

Hayato's base score is 4000 points, while [Sphinx Andrguinus]'s attack power is a full 3500 points. Although this attack cannot wipe out all of Hayato's base score, Anubis felt that Hayato would be seriously injured if he didn't faint, given the high damage he received in the Duel Ritual.

To be honest, if Hayato's "Royal Announcement" hadn't consumed Anubis's "Whirlwind" card, he could have used "Whirlwind" to disrupt "Skill Drain" and release the effect of "Sphinx Androgynus," and then paid more Life Points to further increase the attack power of "Sphinx Androgynus."

In that case, even the last 500 base points wouldn't be left for Hayato; it would be a decisive blow, but unfortunately, it can't be traded.

With his hand empty and the field practically nonexistent, Anubis thought to himself, "My attack should definitely be able to get through, right?" He narrowed his eyes.

After all, you can't expect another monster to jump out of the graveyard.

The enormous monster, Sphinx Andrgenis, charged towards Hayato, bringing its claw down with tremendous force. Its sheer size even obscured Anubis's view, preventing him from seeing Hayato immediately. However, the sound that reached his ears made him frown, because the sound accompanying Sphinx Andrgenis's claw strike wasn't the sound of claws piercing muscle, but rather a loud "bang."

"In the event that your Sphinx Andrgenius directly attacks me, I Special Summon the invincible Rainbow Kuriboh from my Graveyard in Defense Position. Well done, Aibo, much stronger than Disruptor Yellow and the others."

Normally, if they heard Hayato say that, [Disruption Yellow] and the others would definitely jump out to protest, saying things like, "[Disruption's] life is also a life," or "Putting aside the facts, we haven't been of any use at all."

However, because of Anubis's previous [Black Hole], [Disruption Yellow] and the others are still looking listless, making Hayato a little unaccustomed to their quiet state.

In front of Hayato, the small Rainbow Kuriboh bravely withstood the attack from Sphinx Andrgenis, which had no defense piercing effect. Its small body had its limits of strength, and despite its valiant struggle, it was eventually destroyed. However, because it was in defense position, it protected Hayato from harm.

"Kuriri~"

"Tch, those weak little monsters are really too much of a nuisance." Anubis realized from Hayato's words and the fact that Sphinx Andrguinus had stepped aside that Hayato had once again factored in his actions. "But when was that thing?"

"When I used [Angel's Charity], besides [Disruption Magic], the other card I discarded was [Rainbow Kuriboh]," Hayato explained, casually putting the destroyed [Rainbow Kuriboh] card into his pocket. "Because if a [Rainbow Kuriboh] Special Summoned by this effect leaves the field, it will be banished. You saved my life again, Aibo."

"Hmph, you seem to have a good relationship with the elves? But I am the King of Destruction. Only destruction can create the future, and your destroyed monsters will become my nourishment!"

Anubis grinned and raised his hand. His Sphinx Andrgenis opened its palm in sync with the movement of the Sphinx Andrgenis. A ball of light flew out from the Sphinx Andrgenis's claws and poured into the Pyramid of Light on Anubis's chest.

This time, Hayato saw it with exceptional clarity; it was clearly a portion of the power of the Rainbow Kuriboh!

"Curry..."

"You dare to lay a hand on my prized card, you bastard!" Even Hayato was furious, hearing the gradually fading sound of [Rainbow Kuriboh] in his ears, seeing its image dimming in the card, and Anubis's eyes glowing red as he stole its power. "Anubis, you Babar!"

"Heh, if you wanted to be angry, you should have been angry when those other Pokémon were destroyed."

“However, it’s clearly just a weak monster, yet its power is greater than the previous ones combined. That’s quite unexpected.” Anubis felt the immense power and a wicked smile appeared on his face. “You have to pay for what you want to gain. This is the great power bestowed upon me by ‘light.’ However, I can make your spirit pay the price by destroying it.”

"With this power, I will forever stand at the pinnacle, becoming a great being who holds the destiny of mortals in his hands! Hahahaha!"

"Next round will be your death day, brat. My round is over."

Anubis: 1500 LP, 0 cards in hand

[Sphinx Andrew Guinness] [ATK3500]

[Pyramid of Light] [Skill Draw]

Anubis looked at Hayato, who had angrily lowered his head, and said arrogantly, "Come on, brat, offer up your ugly struggles before me, the Sphinx Androgenus, and then face the defeat that I have already decided!"

"Ah, Sorewadoka na."

"Ok?"

Under Anubis's puzzled gaze, Hayato's anger reached its peak, but it also calmed his mind. With a serious expression, Hayato's fingers rested on the deck: "The one who decides my fate is not you, but myself. I will change my destiny!"

"In this round, I will unleash my ultimate wrath upon you. Prepare to be kicked until you cry by my log-thick thighs after your defeat!"

"My turn, draw a card!"

Hayato, empty-handed, drew the card he had staked his game on. Seeing the card he had drawn, a smirk appeared on Hayato's lips: "Let me show you the final changes I've made to my own destiny, Anubis!"

"Activate the Spell Card [Treasure of Fate], roll a die, draw a card equal to the number rolled, and then banish the same number of cards from the top of my deck!"

Hayato inserted the card into the Magic Trap Zone of the Duel Disk, and a die appeared out of thin air above his head and fell, rolling across the field.

"Dice? That kind of luck-based thing, you actually entrust your fate to something like that?" Anubis watched the dice roll with disdain, the numbers changing from "1", "4", "3" over and over. "And it's a gambling card with the same side effects as an excluded card."

“A true duelist can utilize the negative effects of cards as well, and as I said before, the outcome of this duel is up to me.” Hayato pointed to the dice rolling on the field, their speed gradually slowing down. “In Lelouch’s name, I command you to stop!”

Although Anubis couldn't understand what "Lelouch" was or where he came from, the dice did slow down as Hayato called for a stop, and finally stopped. When they stopped, the number on the dice was the maximum value "6"!

"Ya☆da☆Zai!" Hayato smugly placed his hand on the deck and then drew a card. "Since the points are 6, I can draw six cards from the top of the deck at once, and then banish those six cards!"

Before banishing, Hayato showed Anubis the six cards he had banished: [Gransol, Earth Spirit], [The Interloper of Purple Flames], [Toll], [Torrent Burial], [Little Roadrunner], and [Restriction Release].

Aside from the card 【Gransol】, which caught Anubis's attention due to its exquisite artwork and decent attack power, the other cards left Anubis bewildered in various ways, and he couldn't understand what kind of bizarre deck Hayato was using.

After discarding the cards, Hayato was slightly taken aback when he looked at the six cards in his hand. He couldn't help but glance at the three [Disruption] brothers who were still lying dead beside him.

Then, he showed a helpless expression: "I really didn't expect that in the end, it would be those few who would avenge me."

“Anubis, you’ve already paid off your life points so many times in this duel, so I’ll pay off my life points a little bit in return.” Hayato said, playing a card from his hand. “Activate the Spell Card [Demon’s Dressing Room], pay 800 life points, and then reveal the top four cards of my deck.”

[Hayato: 4000→3200LP]

As Hayato paid out his Life Points, a pillar surrounded by a red curtain appeared in his back row. Lights illuminated the pillar, projecting several blurry figures onto the curtain, and Hayato flipped over the top four cards of his deck to reveal them.

【Disruption·Yellow】

【Disruption and Green】

【Disruption·Black】

【Explosive Armor】

"From the cards revealed, I Special Summon Level 3 or lower Normal Monsters to my field, and return the rest of the cards to the Deck. Since all three [Disruption] Monsters are Level 3 or lower, I Special Summon them all to my field in Attack Position!"

【Disruption·Yellow】【ATK0】

【Disruption·Black】【ATK0】

【Disruption·Green】【ATK0】

"We..." "Again..." "We're back!"

Because their main bodies were summoned, [Disruption Yellow] and the others finally shed their previous weakened state. The three brothers hugged each other, and then each of their three heads spoke, looking as if they were imitating [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon].

"Special Summon three monsters with 0 ATK in Attack Position? Have you finally gone mad?" Anubis thought that Hayato was trying to use [Disrupt Yellow] and the others in Defense Position as a shield to buy time, but he didn't expect Hayato to choose to put them all in Attack Position.

However, he then thought of Hayato's previous scheme and felt that Hayato couldn't possibly be that stupid.