Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

A miniature version of the Orichalcos Barrier appeared on the [Orichalcos Vessel], its single eye wide open. The damage from the [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon], which would be considered a heavy blow in a normal duel, was all redirected to its location and absorbed into the barrier. After the barrier disappeared, apart from the [Orichalcos Giant] vanishing from the field, there was no indication that Jonouchi had just attacked.

[Archive of Orichalcos] [Absorb 2600]

Seeing the puzzled looks on the three people's faces as they looked at the numbers that appeared next to the [Orichalcos Vessel], Dartz calmly explained, "When the [Orichalcos Vessel] is face-up on my field, it acts as a container to store all the combat damage I take."

"Your attack is ineffective, Saruuchi Katsuya."

“It’s Jonouchi!” Jonouchi corrected angrily. “But that monster doesn’t have any resistance to combat destruction, does it?”

"That's right, so I placed this monster in the frontcourt as a barrier."

As Dartz finished speaking, to Jonouchi's astonishment, the [Orichalcos Giant] that had just been destroyed in the battle actually returned to Dartz's field.

Not only that, its attack power has also increased!

[Orichalcos Giant Spirit] [ATK900→1400]

"How weird! Didn't I destroy that monster? How come this thing suddenly reappeared?!"

Jonouchi didn't understand what was happening, but Yugi glanced back at Malik, who was lying on the ground watching the show, and then turned back to Jonouchi and said, "That monster, I guess it's very likely to have the same troublesome effect as [Resurrect Slime]. It can return to the field every time it's destroyed, and it might even have the side effect of increasing its attack power after being resurrected."

"However, it's a bit too unusual for a monster to have both formidable strength and resilient vitality. There must be some kind of flaw in it."

Dartz looked at the game, smiled, and nodded, saying, "Not bad analysis, Nameless Pharaoh. The effect of [Orichalcos Giant] is pretty much exactly what you said."

"Each time it is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to the Graveyard, it can be Special Summoned back to my field in Attack Position, and gains 500 ATK on top of its original value. It can be said to be a card that gets stronger the longer it is fought. Combined with the damage-absorbing [Orichalcos Vessel], it can be very strong."

As Dartz spoke, he raised his hand and made a gesture of lamenting the loss of the Korean market, "The only drawback is that I can't enter the card draw stage when it's on my field."

"Using the future to exploit the present? Ha, what a reckless monster. No matter how strong its vitality and potential for development, it's just a small fish bound by the present." Kaiba mocked Dartz using the [Orichalcos Giant], glancing at the bewildered Jonouchi. "Hey, you mediocre guy, hurry up. If you can't solve the problem, quickly replace the person. I'll demonstrate to you how to deal with that kind of monster."

"Tch, don't try to tell me what to do, Kaiba!" Jonouchi scratched his head in annoyance, but he was certain that he had no way to deal with Dartz's current combo. If Dartz had explained the combo before the turn started, he wouldn't have been unable to come up with a solution, but with the battle phase over and the [Red-Eyes Fusion] still active, he could only helplessly draw a card.

"End my battle phase, then cover two cards in my hand. End turn."

[Within the city: 4000LP, 2 cards in hand]

【True Red-Eyes Black Dragon】【ATK3500】

[GaiK] X2

"My turn, due to the effect of [Orichalcos Giant], skips the draw phase." Under the influence of [Orichalcos Giant], which highlights the role of an "insider," Dartz can only start this turn with the two cards he already had from the previous turn.

At the start of this round, Kada made an unexpected move for Jonouchi: "I enter my combat phase and then use [Orichalcos Giant] to attack [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon]."

"What?!" Jonouchi raised an eyebrow. "They actually deliberately rammed their own monster into us?"

Before Jonouchi could react, the [Orichalcos Giant] had already crashed headfirst into the [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon] and was burned to ashes by the dripping lava.

[Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon]: ...

I managed to get a kill, but it was basically the enemy running right into me, so there was absolutely no sense of accomplishment...

The attack recoiled towards Dartz, but just like the previous round, the [Orichalcos Vessel] took the damage for Dartz, and the number next to it increased from 2600 to 4700, an increase of 2100 points.

The next moment, the [Orichalcos Giant] revived on Dartz's Field, its attack power now increased to 1900 points.

The game's expression suddenly changed drastically: "Oh no! Could it be that the monster's revival effect doesn't have a one-time limit per turn?!"

"Within the castle, Dartz is using your [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon] to boost the attack power of his monsters. We must stop him immediately!"

"What?" Jonouchi belatedly realized what was happening and pointed at Dartz, shouting, "How could you treat your own monster like this? No wonder you let Hayato join you; you're just like everyone else!"

"Since that's the case, I don't need to pretend to be a gentleman when dealing with someone like you. Activate the card!"

Chapter 645 The Unexpected Person

"Activate my face-down card in the back row," Jonouchi pressed the button on his Duel Disk to activate face-down cards, revealing one of his face-down cards in the back row. "Trap Card [Gravity Release]!"

"Break free from the shackles of gravity!"

As the card was activated, all the monsters on both sides suddenly lost their balance. [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon] folded its wings and switched to defense position, while [Orichalcos Giant] and [Orichalcos Vessel] were also forced to change their battle positions.

[True Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK3500→DEF2000]

[Orichalcos Giant Spirit] [ATK1900→DEF1500]

[Orichalcohol Equipment] [ATK1000→DEF500]

“Because I saw those monsters that can keep resurrecting from the graveyard, I subconsciously thought of that gloomy guy from Onibomb. I wondered if you, Daz, were planning to use monsters on the field as tributes to summon a high-level monster.” Jonouchi rubbed his nose. “Although it’s not what I guessed, well, hmph, it still came in handy, my face-down card.”

"The effect of [Gravity Release] is to change the battle position of all face-up monsters on your and your opponent's field. Because of this effect, [Orichalcos Giant], which is now in Defense Position, cannot attack again, and even if it attacks again, it will not be destroyed in battle with [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon], which is in Defense Position!"

According to the three, the tactics that Dartz has revealed so far are nothing more than using his invulnerability to combat to make the [Orichalcos Giant] keep committing suicide in order to increase its attack power. Faced with such tactics, Jonouchi's way of dealing with them can be said to be the most appropriate.

"Well done, Jonouchi!" Yugi praised. "Now, the [Orichalcos] can no longer rely on your [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon] to increase its attack power."

Seahorse also curled the corners of his mouth slightly: "Hmph, even mediocre people can occasionally have some talents that are barely acceptable."

Looking at the expressions on the faces of the three gamers, Dartz smiled slightly: "In that case, I really can't make the [Orichalcos Giant] continue attacking."

"Flip a card over, and my turn ends."

[Dartz: 10100LP, 1 cards in hand]

[Orichalcos Giant Spirit] [DEF1500]

(Backcourt) [Orichalcum Vessel] [DEF 500] [Absorption 4700]

【GaiKa】

(Field) [Orichalcos Barrier]

The effect of the traitor [Orichalcos Giant] has begun to show. With no further resources available, Dartz now only has one card left in his hand and is about to go empty-handed, with only one face-down card remaining in his back row.

After reaching the castle, the enemy he now faces is Kaiba, who excels at strong attacks.

"My turn. Witness the skills of a true duelist, you mediocre fellow." Kaiba rested his finger on his deck, not forgetting to give Jonouchi a jab. "Draw!"

The card he drew was none other than the spell card [Fusion]. And since he had already drawn the [Fusion] spell card, it was almost a no-brainer what other cards Kaiba had in his hand.

"A monster that grows stronger the more it destroys? Hmph, so what? At this level, it's no match for me on my path to the future." With that, Kaiba played a card from his hand onto the Duel Disk. "Quick-Play Spell Card, [Enemy Controller]!"

"Oh! It's [Enemy Controller], is it going to be used to change the battle position of the opponent's monsters, and then deal a lot of damage in one go with a powerful monster?!" Outside the duel arena, amateur commentator Ryuzaki, who never stops talking, guessed.

“Under normal circumstances, Seto Kaiba might indeed use that tactic,” Malik, who was lying on the ground “struggling” unlike Ryuzaki, had a different opinion, “but [Enemy Control] has more than one effect, and it just so happens that Katsuya Jounouchi left a monster on the field…”

"Release my [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon], and then gain control of your [Orichalcos Giant] until the end of this turn!" Ignoring the bewildered expression on Jonouchi's face, Kaiba declared resolutely, releasing [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon], "←→AB!"

"Yo-yo, seahorse!"

Although Jonouchi desperately wanted to start a fight with Kaiba right now, it was Kaiba's turn and he was in charge. Even if Jonouchi beat Kaiba up, it wouldn't change the fact that his [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon] had already been unleashed by Kaiba.

The enormous black dragon was sent to the graveyard, and the [Enemy Controller] that appeared on the Seahorse Field seemed to have had its batteries replaced, with several buttons showing signs of being pressed. Then, the [Orichalcos] that should have been in Defense Position on Darts Field stiffly moved and slowly walked to the Seahorse Field to continue in Defense Position.

[Orichalcos Giant Spirit] [DEF1500]

"Tch, anyway, I managed to transfer this troublesome monster over at the cost of my [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon], right? In that case, Dartz will only have that [Orichalcos Vessel] on the field that can negate battle damage."

After much persuasion, Jonouchi temporarily put aside his idea of ​​beating up Kaiba and looked at the [Orichalcos Giant], saying, "If I remember correctly, the effect of [Enemy Controller] should only last for one turn. Before Dartz's next turn comes, try to deal as much damage as possible, you bastard Kaiba."

"Hmph, shut up, you mediocre talent. I have no need to listen to your orders." Kaiba turned his head and glanced at Jonouchi. "I remember that [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon] should have an effect that's quite suitable for a mediocre talent like you, right? Don't waste time, activate it already!"

"I'll say the same thing back to you, so don't try to boss me around!"

Jonouchi and Kaiba were at each other's throats again. If Dartz, their biggest enemy, weren't in front of them, they might have started fighting each other at any moment.

However, although the atmosphere was very unpleasant and they were arguing fiercely, perhaps this was actually the way Kaiba and Jonouchi were most used to getting along with each other. Jonouchi was quick to act and took out a card from the graveyard: "When [Meteor Dragon - Meteorite Black Dragon] is sent from the field to the graveyard, you can target one of the Normal Monsters in my graveyard to Special Summon that monster."

"While the Gemini Monster [Red-Eyes Thunder King - Evil Fiend] is on the field or in the Graveyard, it can be treated as a Normal Monster. I Special Summon it in Attack Position!"

A Thunder Demon, bearing a striking resemblance to [The Summoning of the Demon], and almost like a cousin, emerged from the city's cemetery, flapping its massive, bat-like wings and landing beside the [Orichalcos Giant].

"That monster is... I see. Was it the [Red-Eyes Insight] that was sent to the graveyard to gain the power of [Red-Eyes] and [Demon's Summon]?" Yugi looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar monster in front of him, as if he could see Jonouchi's growth and strength once again, and couldn't help but show a gratified smile.

Jonouchi chuckled smugly: "Hehe, the power of the 'Devil's Summoning' that the game gave me, Ryuzaki's 'Red-Eyes', and the 'Double Monster' entrusted to me by Baron, let them weep for the power of 'Red-Eyes Fiend King - Evil Demon'!"

"With just one Normal Summon, the power of [Red-Eyes Thunder King - Evil Fiend] as a Gemini Monster will be unleashed. It can destroy all monsters on the opponent's field with DEF lower than the ATK of [Red-Eyes Thunder King - Evil Fiend] once per turn, and [Red-Eyes Thunder King - Evil Fiend] has an ATK of 2500!"

Kaiba couldn't help but glance at the monster specially summoned by Jonouchi: "You were so close to defeating Blue-Eyes? Even I have to admit, you're a mediocre talent."

"Then, I will perform my Normal Summon for this turn, and what I will summon is—"

Just when Jonouchi thought Kaiba was indeed going to perform a double summon to unleash the power of "Red-Eyes Fiend King - Evil Demon" as he had planned, Kaiba unexpectedly played a monster card from his hand and placed it on the Duel Disk!?

"The White Spirit Dragon in my hand!"

"Seahorse! Orochi!!"

Jonouchi was pulled back by Yugi again because Kaiba's [White Spirit Dragon] was a Level 8 monster, which meant that its appearance required two monsters provided by Dartz and Jonouchi on the field at that moment as tributes.

After completing its mission as a sacrifice, the [Orichalcos Giant] was returned to Dartz's graveyard, while the [Red-Eyes Thunder King - Evil Demon], which had only appeared for a few dozen seconds, was also buried back in the graveyard within the city.

Instead, a white dragon gracefully descended onto the seahorse track.

【White Spirit Dragon】【8☆/Light】

[Dragon Clan/Effect]

[2500/2000]

"While your idea is clever, I should have said not to boss me around, you mediocre fool. My vision of the future is far more distant than yours." After summoning the White Spirit Dragon, Kaiba pointed to Dartz's only face-down card in the back row. "I don't think the opponent will let your plan proceed smoothly."

"When [White Spirit Dragon] is successfully Normal or Special Summoned, target one Spell/Trap Card on your opponent's field and banish it. I've chosen that face-down card in your backrow, Dartz!"

Even the Seahorse, whose face is always full of "recklessness," wouldn't ignore the opponent's face-down card after having a countermeasure. [White Spirit Dragon] landed on its feet and stood up, its wings stirring up a fierce gale that swept towards Dartz's backcourt face-down card.

Quite cooperative with the seahorse, Dartz also showed a puzzled expression: "You've got some skills, as expected of you, Seth. Well, how could you possibly obediently follow someone else's plan?"

"In that case, I will show you the sublime power of Dorma!"

Upon hearing Dartz's words, everyone tensed up. While it was possible it was just a gimmick, the name sounded so ridiculous—would Dartz pull out a cheat card with an unfair effect?

Even Hayato from another dimension stared wide-eyed, wondering what other tricks Dartz could pull.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Dartz neither played the mysterious card from his hand nor printed a card from his deck; he simply pressed the button to activate the face-down card:

"In response to the effect of [White Spirit Dragon], I activate the face-down card in my back row—"

"[Divine Punishment]!"

"Discard one card from my hand; negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect and destroy it!"

game:"..."

Jonouchi: "Ah, this..."