Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

[3800/2500]

"Entering the battle phase, I use [Celestial Knight] to attack your [Dark Knight - Gaia]!" After summoning [Celestial Knight], Yugi seemed to get carried away and attacked Hayato's back row card without any regard.

How could Hayato possibly let such a good opportunity slip by?

"Activate the cover card, [Explosive Armor]!" A beam of light shot out from Hayato's rear, entangling the [Celestial Knight] who was slowly walking towards [Gaia], causing cracks to appear on his armor, which was on the verge of exploding. "Target the [Celestial Knight] who initiated the attack, destroy him directly!"

"Useless! [Celestial Knight] symbolizes the final trump card 'Joker,' and cannot be easily defeated!" Yugi smiled confidently, as if he had expected this, and revealed a trap card from his hand. "When [Celestial Knight] is targeted by an effect, discard one card of the same type from your hand to make [Celestial Knight] immune to that effect!"

"Oh my, it's the same type of card." The Celestial Knight looked invincible and walked calmly toward the Dark Knight Gaia. He slowly drew his longsword from his waist. With a "clang," a blade of light seemed to be paused on Gaia. The Celestial Knight walked back and sheathed his sword as he did so.

"click"

The moment the sword was sheathed, [Dark Knight Gaia] seemed to have had its network latency fixed, and only then did it suddenly cry out in pain, as [Celestial Knight] destroyed it and sent it to the graveyard.

[Hayato: 3000→1200LP]

Hayato, whose health plummeted, glanced at his [Explosive Armor], which he still couldn't activate, and at the [Explosive Armor] that the game had discarded and sent to the graveyard. He said helplessly, "As expected. I'll be a dog if I use Explosive Armor again next time."

Chapter 156 Gransol (1/7)

Although the attack by the Celestial Knights has ended, the battle phase of the game is not over yet.

“If Dark Knight Gaia is destroyed, Hayato, you won’t be able to summon Dragon Knight Gaia anymore, right?” Yugi glanced at Gaia the Gale and the Cursed Dragon, making a decision in his mind. “However, better safe than sorry. I remember you have a Dragon Mirror, Hayato.”

"In that case, [Dark Magician], attack [Gaia, the Dark Knight of the Gale]!"

Dark magic transformed into an energy ball and struck [Gaia]. Although they were two different versions of [Gaia] with different attributes and effects, since they both ended up with the same fate, Hayato's second [Gaia] was also destroyed and sent to the graveyard, leaving only a [Cursed Dragon] with 2000 attack power on the field.

[Hayato: 1200→1000LP]

"Exactly 1000 points just now. After you, am I next in the invincible group?" Hayato glanced at the system, the lit-up function making him hesitate, unsure whether to activate it. However, recalling Gaia, who had just broken Pegasus's seal and responded to him, Hayato resolutely gave up using the system's new function.

Although using that feature would greatly increase the chances of victory, even if I used the [Celestial Knight] to win the game, I still really want to defeat the game with [Gaia] and the others.

The game doesn't have the ability to read minds, so it naturally doesn't know Hayato's inner turmoil at this moment: "Turn over. Your turn, Hayato."

[Game: 2300LP, 0 cards in hand]

[Black Magician] [ATK2500]

【Sky Knight】【ATK3800】

"My turn, draw a card."

Hayato glanced down at the cards he had drawn, then looked helplessly at the [Celestial Knight] on the field. With its resistance to negating effects when targeted, and its powerful offense and defense with no weaknesses, Hayato considered his deck. Not a single card could defeat the [Celestial Knight] alone.

"Change [Cursed Dragon] to Defense Position, my turn ends." Although the card I drew is useful, this one card alone is not enough to create a winning formula for the game.

[Hayato: 1000LP, 1 cards in hand]

【Cursed Dragon】【DEF1500】

【GaiKa】

Game: "My turn, draw a card."

Looking at the card he had drawn, Yugi smiled and said, "Although it's a little late, it's not too late."

"Spell Card [Whirlwind], destroy Hayato's face-down card in your backrow!"

A storm arrived, swirling up Hayato's face-down card in his backcourt. As it shattered, a dark shadow suddenly darted out from Hayato's field.

“You’ve fallen for it, Yugi!” Hayato smiled with satisfaction. “The card I set up was [Cursed Coffin], a trap that only activates its effect after being destroyed. I had already calculated that you would prioritize dismantling my trap!”

The main body was destroyed by [Whirlwind] and sent to the graveyard, but the ominous power within [Cursed Coffin] lingers on Yugi's field, ready to strike. With [Cursed Coffin] destroyed, Yugi must make a choice—discard a card from his hand or destroy a monster on his field.

It's called a choice, but there really isn't one. The game currently has no cards in hand, and the [Celestial Knight] is stronger than the [Dark Magician]. After much deliberation, the game makes its choice: "Sorry, [Dark Magician], please rest in the graveyard for a while."

"Then, avenge the sacrifice of the Dark Mage, Celestial Knight!" The gamer swung his hand forward. "Attack the Cursed Dragon!"

A breathtaking slash was unleashed once more. [Celestial Knight] effortlessly struck, as if plucking a leaf from the ground, easily slaying the dragon that had taken hold of Hayato's field. However, because he had switched to Defense Position beforehand, Hayato's Life Points did not decrease further.

"End of round."

[Game: 2300LP, 0 cards in hand]

【Sky Knight】【ATK3800】

Hayato: "My turn, draw a card."

"Phew, just in time." Although the smiling face on the card was disgusting, Hayato believed that no card player could resist the powerful effect of this card. "Spell Card, [Pot of Greed]. I return 5 monster cards from my graveyard to my deck, and then draw two more cards."

From Hayato's graveyard, [Atoris], [Disruption Black], [Cursed Dragon], and two [Gaia] were returned to his deck. Hayato shuffled the deck slightly and drew two cards.

"Then I Normal Summon [Card Gunner] and activate its effect. Send the top 3 cards of the Deck to the Graveyard. This card gains 1500 ATK for every 500 cards sent to the Graveyard."

[Card Gunner] [ATK 400 → 1900]

"1900 attack power, that's half of the [Celestial Knight]'s power. Could it be that you, Hayato, drew that [Gigantification] card?"

Yugi was very impressed with that card. Hayato's current base score is lower than Yugi's, which puts him right in the effective range of [Giant Form]. If he equips [Card Gunner], he can take down [Heavenly Knight] together.

“No, I didn’t draw [Gigantic]. Instead, I drew another monster that can defeat [Celestial Knight],” Hayato said, showing his hand. Yugi immediately noticed the unusually high rank of that monster card.

"Last turn, I used [Magic Stone Excavation] to send two [EARTH] monsters to the Graveyard, and just now [Card Gunner] sent three more [EARTH] monster cards to the Graveyard. Now I have exactly five EARTH monsters in my Graveyard!"

As Hayato spoke, afterimages appeared on his field—

【Soul Tiger】

[Little White Rabbit]

Shield Warrior

Earth Warriors

【The Fanren of the Underworld】

The five-bodied monster's figure transformed into five burning flames, connecting with each other on Hayato's field to form a huge array, as if it were offering a sacrifice to some being.

Hayato slammed the card in his hand onto the field: "Nothing is impossible for the earth that gives birth to all things; everything is contained within it! Special Summon from my hand if there are only five EARTH monsters in my Graveyard!"

"Don't close your eyes, game! Witness the glory of the gods! Descend! [Gransol, the Earth Spirit God]!"

The earth rumbled, thunder roared, and hearts trembled. Before everyone's eyes, a colossal figure burst forth from the earth, so tall it seemed to reach the heavens. Just looking at its imposing silhouette on the field, a thought suddenly popped into the game player's mind—

The being before me has transcended the realm of Duel Monsters. It is not a monster, but a god.

【Grantor, the Earth Spirit】】【ATK2800】

Chapter 157 The Final Battle (2/7)

【Grantor, the Earth Spirit】】【ATK2800】

"Wealth belongs to the earth, but the earth is also the resting place of souls. As the god of the earth, [Grantor], upon successful summoning, can choose one monster from both players' graveyards and revive it to my field!"

Hayato said, glancing at Yugi with ill intent, "I chose [Dark Magician Girl] from your graveyard, Yugi!"

The colossal spirit raised its massive arm and slammed it into the ground, carving out a huge, square-shaped boulder, like a coffin sculpted from rock. The boulder gradually cracked open, revealing the [Dark Magician Girl] that had been destroyed earlier.

Dark Magician Girl was also taken aback. How did she end up on Hayato's field?

"Yugi, your Dark Magician Girl is a pretty powerful monster, but she'll be mine in the next second." Hayato enjoyed the thrill of beating up other people's monsters and activated his last card, "Spell Card, Magic Wand."

"This card can only be equipped to a Spellcaster monster, increasing the equipped monster's ATK by 500. Also, I can send the equipped monster and 'Magic Wand' to the Graveyard and draw two cards." Hayato finished explaining the effect, then chuckled, "I equip 'Magic Wand' to 'Dark Magician Girl,' and then use the effect of 'Magic Wand' to Tribute it, drawing two cards."

The game left me completely bewildered. Hayato had previously stated that his deck didn't actually contain any "Spellcaster" monsters, so logically he had no reason to include the "Magic Wand" card, yet he did.

Based on the previous "Witch Hunt" card, we can confirm that Hayato had long planned to send his monster over!

Hayato draws two cards, sets one face down, and then activates the other: "Ambush a card, then equip [Dull Axe] to [Earth Spirit], increasing its ATK by 1000!"

Dense earth element gathered in the Earth Spirit God's hand, conjuring a gigantic axe of equal size to the Earth Spirit God, its dimensions seemingly capable of cleaving through chaos. In return, the mysterious patterns that once adorned the Earth Spirit God's body dimmed.

[Gransol, the Earth Spirit] [ATK 2800 → 3800]

"In the battle phase, I will use [Gransol, the Earth Spirit] to attack [Celestial Knight]!" In perfect synchronization with Hayato's raised hand, [Gransol] raised its axe high above its head, and for the first time, [Celestial Knight] on the field also drew its sword and held it in its hand, ready to fight.

"Vanish, [Celestial Knight]! Ultimate Move—Golden Impact!"

As if the sky were collapsing, the giant axe slammed down towards the [Celestial Knight], but the Supreme Knight, with unwavering resolve and undaunted by the giant's imposing aura, bravely swung his sword to meet the attack. The massive battle axe clashed with the sharp sword, sending shockwaves sweeping across the entire arena, and dust instantly enveloped both sides.

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, everyone saw that the figure of the [Celestial Knight] had disappeared from the field, and an exaggeratedly huge sword wound was left on the chest of the [Earth Spirit God], which was gradually fading away.

With both sides having equal attack power, the final outcome was that the Earth Spirit God broke through the Celestial Knight's defense, but the Celestial Knight also inflicted a fatal wound on the Earth Spirit God. Both sides were eliminated at the same time, perishing together.

“Powerful cards often come with risks. Skipping my next battle phase when [Earth Spirit] leaves the field.” Hayato placed the [Earth Spirit] card into the graveyard. “But my turn isn’t over yet!”

"【Card Gunner】, launch a direct attack on the game!"

A beam of energy struck the empty game screen with pinpoint accuracy.

[Game: 2300LP → 400LP]

"It's just a fatal blow. I still have 400 base points." The game's eyes remained sharp as ever, showing no sign of giving up. "Moreover, at the end of the turn, the attack power of [Card Artillery] will be restored to its original value."

"Tch, that's right." Hayato nodded helplessly. "My turn is over."

[Hayato: 1000LP]

[Card Gunner] [ATK 1900 → 400]

【GaiKa】

Hayato's gaze fell on the face-down card in his back row. He'd tried so hard, used almost everything he could, yet he still couldn't defeat Yugi?

There's a certain amount of resentment.

In the game, as long as you draw a monster with an attack power of 1400 or higher, you can destroy the [Card Gunner] and empty your own life. For the game, that's not a problem at all.

Just as Hayato had predicted, the game drew a card:

"My turn, draw a card!"

"Normal Summon: [Dark Dragon King]!"

Just like in Hayato's first duel with Yugi, Yugi summoned the [Dark Dragon King] with an attack power of 1500. With a determined gaze, Yugi looked at Hayato and said, "This is the final blow, Hayato."

"Yes, it's the final battle, the last battle." Hayato smiled. "However, I'm still not quite willing to let you beat me again, Yugi. Forgive my struggle!"

"Activate the face-down card, [The Final Battle!]"

As Hayato activated his card, a cloud of smoke suddenly filled the arena, obscuring everything and making it impossible to see anything. Yugi let out a wail, realizing that the [Dark Dragon King] he had just summoned had been destroyed.