Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

However, at this moment, Rafiru's base score has been restored to 1000 points due to [Nightmare's Iron Chains], and the situation has changed slightly compared to the previous round.

Rationally speaking, Rafael should take away the relatively more threatening [Catapult Turtle] at this moment to avoid his still few life points being threatened and killed. Even Yugi thinks so, and has already begun to consider whether there are any other cards in his deck that can be used after losing [Catapult Turtle].

However, to Yugi's surprise, after discovering that he had a [Soul Cutter] in his hand that could directly destroy monsters on his field, Rafael chose it without hesitation: "Then, I choose [Soul Cutter] to add to my hand."

"Hmm?" Yugi was slightly surprised, but then he remembered that Rafael had repeatedly said that he "would not let monsters be sent to the graveyard," and he understood why Rafael had chosen [Soul Captor]. So he took the card out of his hand and threw it at Rafael, who caught it.

After obtaining the [Soul Captor] card, Rafael seemed to have no intention of activating it. Instead, he held it in his hand and pressed the button to activate the face-down card: "Spell Card [Angel's Charity], I draw three cards from my deck and then discard two cards from my hand."

After drawing three cards, Rafael unhesitatingly sent one of them to the graveyard. Soul Catcher was returned to Yugi and sent to the graveyard. Then, with a wave of his hand, he declared, "Now, let's begin my battle phase."

"[Guardian-Hill] launches a direct attack on the Nameless Pharaoh!"

"An arrow of unwavering resolve!"

As the arrow shot from the bow, passing over the [Super Magister - Dark Mage Apprentice] sealed by crystal and the [Elf Swordsman Who Twistes Enemies] bound by chains, heading towards him, Yugi calmly pressed the button: "Chain Attack Declaration, I activate the face card [Soul Barrier]!"

"As long as I have a monster on my field, the battle damage to me becomes 0!"

As the card was activated, Yugi's figure instantly became illusory and hazy in Rafiru's eyes, as if something was separating the two of them. Meanwhile, the arrow fired by [Guardian-Shell] passed right through Yugi without causing any damage.

[Game: 2800 → 2800 LP]

“A card that uses monsters as a barrier,” Rafael said curtly, seemingly unconcerned that the attack had failed. “In that case, I’ll end the Battle Phase.”

"Then, I'll cover a card, and my turn ends."

Rafael ended his turn so easily, and his behavior at this moment felt a bit strange to the game, because it was completely different from the feeling he had given in the previous duels. At this moment, Rafael was like a fisherman who had already prepared his bait and cast his line, needing to do nothing else but quietly wait for the fish to bite.

[Rafiru: 1000LP, 1 cards in hand]

【Guardian - Hill】(Meteor Bow - Blazing Flame)【ATK700】

[Guardian - Grail] (Gravity Axe - Roar) [DEF1000]

【Backup Guardian】【DEF2200】

【Master Craftsman - Tiger Iron】【DEF500】

[Face Card] x2 [Crystal Seal]

Just before his turn was about to begin, Rafael, who had just finished his turn, suddenly spoke up: "Breaking the [Crystal Seal] is actually very simple. No matter how strong a crystal is, it will crack when it expands inside."

"Therefore, when the attack power of a monster sealed by the Crystal Seal increases, the Crystal Seal will automatically break."

"What?" Yugi, his fingers resting on the Duel Disk in preparation for drawing a card, didn't immediately understand Rafael's meaning. But the moment he looked down, a look of surprise appeared on his face. "Wait a minute, this is!"

He suddenly remembered that the [Orichalcos Barrier] that Rafael had given him had the effect of increasing the attack power of all his monsters by 500 points!

Chapter 625 Dark Will

"My turn, draw a card." With a strange feeling, Yugi drew a card from his deck.

Flipping the card over, it revealed the card of "Legendary Dragon" [Eye of Timaeus].

Although the card 【Eye of Timaeus】 is extremely powerful, and the 【Super Magical Knight - Red-Eyes Dragon Knight】 that can be summoned directly by skipping the step of collecting fusion materials with its effect is so strong that it seems like cheating, it came at a really bad time.

Although there are two monsters on the field, both "Elf Swordsman Who Tricks the Enemy" and "Super Magician - Dark Magician's Apprentice" are essentially useless due to the influence of the Raferu card. "Eye of Timaeus" is completely ineffective under these circumstances and is simply a card that gets stuck in your hand.

I have three cards in my hand. The Eye of Timaeus is stuck in my hand and I can't use it. The Catapult Turtle is a Level 5 monster and I can't Tribute it to the boss without a tribute. Although I won't be harmed for a while because of the Soul Barrier, I can't just sit here and wait to die.

There are ways to resolve this situation.

“Nameless Pharaoh, I hereby reiterate my understanding: in this world, ‘will’ is more distinguishing than ‘good and evil’ in terms of human existence.” Rafael spoke casually during the game’s reflection, his free right hand resting on his chest.

"The subjective definition of 'good and evil' can also change due to subjective thinking, and different positions can also lead to changes in 'good and evil'. Only 'will' is a characteristic of a person that will not change due to external things."

"There is a dormant darkness in everyone's heart, even in your heart, nameless pharaoh. The manifestation of this darkness is 'hunger', a 'hunger' for achieving one's own goals, for which one is willing to pay any price. This is the 'dark will'."

"In this duel, I witnessed your growth, and I saw that 'hunger' in your eyes, nameless pharaoh!"

Rafael's gaze met Yugi's, and whether it was an illusion or not, Yugi vaguely saw flickering black flames in Rafael's eyes.

“No, no, I have never relied on the darkness in my heart!” Yugi argued. “I am different from you people of Dorma, and I will not fall into darkness!”

Rafiru merely gave a nonchalant smirk: "Then try to prove yourself, nameless pharaoh, prove that the light in your heart will not be swallowed by darkness."

"【Orichalcos Barrier】If the user's mind is weak, they will be devoured by the darkness within and become a slave to power. However, a duelist like you should be able to utilize it. Since you deny the darkness within, then try using that card."

Upon hearing Rafael's words, Yugi couldn't help but look at his last card in his hand, which was the [Orichalcos Barrier] that Rafael had just exchanged using the [Hand Exchange] effect.

Even without activating the card, just holding it in his hand, Yugi could feel an invisible force emanating from the card, subtly filling the space around him. The "Orichalcum Fragment" pendant he had taken from Grimo, which was in his pocket, vibrated faintly but clearly.

【The Seal of the Crystal】is unaffected by the effects of other cards, and cannot be removed by any effect other than its own.

The way to break the seal on the crystal is to increase the attack power of the Archmage - Black Mage Apprentice;

Then, the [Orichalcos Barrier] in his hand has the ability to increase the attack power of monsters.

Once the [Orichalcos Barrier] is activated, the attack power of [Super Magister - Black Mage Apprentice] will be increased, and the [Crystal Seal] will be broken, thus resolving the current predicament.

As long as the [Orichalcos Barrier] is activated...

The light from the "Orichalcos fragment" in Yugi's pocket grew brighter and brighter unnoticed by anyone, and Yugi's thoughts involuntarily drifted toward "activating the [Orichalcos Barrier]".

Gradually, he raised his right hand, about to touch the [Orichalcos Barrier].

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out, abruptly bringing the game's will back to reality: 'Another me!'

"A, Aibo?"

Suddenly realizing that he had just had the thought of "using the [Orichalcos Barrier]", Yami Yugi was startled and looked at the phantom of Omoya Yugi that appeared beside him with a worried expression.

'You can't use that card, my other self.' Perhaps it was just my imagination, but after receiving the [Orichalcos Barrier] card from Rafael, the brilliant gold on the [Millennium Puzzle] dimmed slightly, and even Yugi's figure became more ethereal. 'You felt it too, didn't you? This card possesses evil power.'

“Yes, I understand, Aibo, even without this card.”

Listening to Yugi's words, Yami Yugi reconsidered. Although he still wanted to activate the card, he regained some composure and wasn't swayed by Rafael's earlier words. After a moment's thought, he lowered the Duel Disk he had raised: "My turn, end."

[Yugi Muto: 2800LP, 3 cards in hand]

[Super Mage - Dark Mage Apprentice] (The Seal of the Crystal) [ATK2800]

[The Elven Swordsman Who Tricks the Enemy] (Hood Strike) [ATK600]

[Soul Barrier]

Rafael frowned, watching the game end without any action being taken: "Aren't you going to activate the power of the [Orichalcos Barrier], nameless pharaoh?"

"I will defeat you, Rafael, to reclaim [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl], to fulfill my promise to save the world," Yugi said earnestly. "But it will be through the combined efforts of myself and my deck, without the power of [Orichalcos Barrier]!"

"Yeah……"

Although Yugi spoke with great conviction, Rafiel noticed the conflicted look in Yugi's eyes whenever he glanced at the [Orichalcos Barrier].

Just as Hayato once said to Rafael, the higher one stands, the less one wants to go down. Yami Yugi is a competitive person. With a strong desire to win, how could he easily give up victory when he knew of a path that offered hope of winning?

Rafael is very close to achieving his goal. Now, let him give it one last push.

"My turn, draw a card." Rafael draws a card from his deck and plays it immediately. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card [The Magic of the Clean Graveyard]."

Chapter 626 So, don't use the cards the other side gives you. by Shark

“The Continuous Spell Card [The Magic of the Clean Graveyard],” Rafael said, inserting the card into the Duel Disk. “This card can only be activated when there are no monsters in my Graveyard, and when a monster is sent to my Graveyard, [The Magic of the Clean Graveyard] will also be destroyed.”

"Another card with a self-destruct effect..." Yugi frowned, looking at the [Magic of the Clean Graveyard] that appeared on Rafael's field. The card depicted a graveyard where monsters were buried.

Even if Rafael didn't reveal the specific card effect, Yugi could guess from the card art and name that "The Magic of the Clean Graveyard" must be a card closely related to the number of monsters in the graveyard.

"During each of your preparation phases, Nameless Pharaoh, you will suffer damage from your graveyard due to the effect of [The Magic of the Clean Graveyard]. Each monster buried in the graveyard because of your actions will deal 100 damage to you."

In the card art for "The Magic of the Clean Graveyard," graveyards depicting monsters appear, including the tombstones of five monsters: "The Magician's Staff," "Dark Magician," "Dark Magician Girl," "Dark Knight Gaia," and "Super Magician Knight - Dark Magician Rider."

Because of the existence of the [Soul Barrier], Rafael cannot deal combat damage to the game until he clears the two monsters on the field. It seems that he has changed his strategy and intends to reduce the game's basic score by using effect damage.

However, it's only 500 damage per round, which is enough to sustain the game's current base score of 2800 for a while longer.

After activating "The Magic of the Clean Graveyard," Rafael glanced at "The Elf Swordsman Who Tricks the Enemy" on the field and said, "In addition, I will activate the effect of 'Guardian - Hill' on the field. By sending one Equip Spell Card equipped to Hill to the Graveyard, I can destroy one monster on my opponent's field."

"My choice is naturally the Elven Swordsman who can manipulate enemies on your field, Nameless Pharaoh."

As Rafael finished speaking, [Guardian-Hill] forcefully drew back her longbow, and an arrow shot out, instantly destroying the [Elf Swordsman Who Tampered with Enemies] who was bound by iron chains on the game field and sending him to the graveyard.

At the same time, having lost the burden of the magic card [Meteor Bow - Blazing Flame], [Guardian - Hill] regained its original attack power.

[Guardian - Hill] [ATK700→1700]

However, although his attack power was restored, Rafael was still unable to deal combat damage to Yugi due to the presence of [Soul Barrier]. After turning [Guardian-Hill] card to defense position, Rafael declared, "My turn is over."

[Rafiru: 1000LP, 1 cards in hand]

[Guardian - Hill] [ATK1700→DEF1400]

[Guardian - Grail] (Gravity Axe - Roar) [DEF1000]

【Backup Guardian】【DEF2200】

【Master Craftsman - Tiger Iron】【DEF500】

[Face Card] x2 [Crystal Seal] [The Magic of the Clean Graveyard]

Seeing Rafael's field filled with only Defense Position monsters, clearly determined to defend to the end, Yugi frowned. With the presence of "The Magic of the Clean Graveyard," the situation was gradually turning against Yugi, and he needed to draw cards from his deck that could increase the ATK of the monsters on the field more urgently than before.

Even a magic wand wouldn't matter.

However, when Yugi placed his finger on the deck, he didn't notice that the "Orichalcos Barrier" in his hand and the "Orichalcos Fragment" in his pocket resonated and flickered. It seemed like nothing happened, but when Yugi flipped over the card he drew, he found that it was not the card he needed, but the Ritual Monster "Chaos Illusionist".

However, even without Ritual Spell Cards, [Chaos Illusionist] still has the ability to be used independently and to retrieve cards from the deck, which is quite good.

Just as the game was about to add the newly drawn [Chaos Illusionist] to his hand, Rafael suddenly pressed the button on the Duel Disk: "Your expression is too obvious, Nameless Pharaoh. You drew a monster card, and it's a usable one, isn't it? Then, during your draw phase, when you draw a card normally, activate the face-down card on my back field."

"Trap Card [Knock Off]: Your opponent discards the card they drew directly to the Graveyard!"

"Tsk..." Because of the card's effect, Yugi, annoyed by the face-down card Rafael had opened in the back row, sent the "Chaos Illusionist" card, which he hadn't even warmed up yet, into the graveyard. The card art of "The Magic of the Clean Graveyard" changed again, and a beam of white light suddenly shot out, shining on Yugi.

"Well!"

[Game: 2800 → 2100 LP]

With the addition of [The Elf Swordsman Who Tricks the Enemy] and [The Chaos Illusionist], the number of monsters in the Graveyard in the game has now reached seven. During the Standby Phase after the Draw Phase, it directly received 700 points of effect damage from [The Magic of the Clean Graveyard].

The deduction of basic points is a minor issue, but the problem is that the cards drawn this turn were sent to the graveyard due to "Knock Off," which means that his resources are still the same three cards left over from the last turn. Without using "Orichalcos Barrier," he can't do anything at all.

With a helpless expression, Yugi, unable to do anything, put down the Duel Disk he had just raised: "My turn is over."