Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

“There’s no giant jet to summon miracles for you here, so unleash all the monsters on both sides of the field! And then, Primal Lifeform strikes!” Hayato slammed the card onto the Duel Disk. “Special Summon [Primal Lifeform - Nibiru] from my hand!”

"Go, [Primal Life Form - Nibiru], carrying with you the memories of despair!"

As Hayato's card touched the Duel Disk, the giant object in the sky came down directly above both of them, crushing all four monsters on Saotome Rei's field, leaving them no chance of survival!

"boom!"

Smoke and dust filled the entire area, and all that could be heard from Saotome Rei was Hayato's arrogant laughter: "Hahahaha, you really went all out to limit my deployment and set up a lineup sufficient to deal with my attacks, Saotome Rei. But it is precisely because of your repeated summoning that you have helped me complete the descent of Axis... I mean, [Primal Life Form - Nibiru]! You went too far!"

As the smoke cleared, all the monsters that Saotome Rei had managed to summon on the field entered the graveyard, and the dazzling light that had just filled the entire field had vanished!

The smile on Rei Saotome's face had also vanished; only Hayato remained smiling. After all, Duel Monsters was a very cruel game, where only one side could smile at a time.

Chapter 1240 Many people's first illusions are shattered when they are weaned.

“You know, despair has a ‘freshness’, you know?” Like a competent teacher, Hayato held up a finger and said, “At first, the appearance of the Clown and the Locked Bird could indeed plunge people into despair right away, but that kind of stimulation was too superficial. The more fearful and desperate one was, the more thoroughly the emotion of despair would disappear. There were even cases where one stopped feeling despair after reaching the extreme of despair.”

"True despair is not a static state but a dynamic one. The feeling of falling from a calm state to despair is never as intense as the emotion of falling from hope to despair in that instant. This is the [Primitive Life Form - Nibiru], a meteor of despair that unfolds gradually under the constraints of [The Clown and the Locked Bird], erasing everything the moment hope is born!"

Compared to cards like Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring that disrupt an opponent's initial development, Nibiru, while also a high-quality hand trap, is fundamentally different. It doesn't extinguish the opponent's hope from the start, but rather strikes suddenly and destroys everything just as their development is gaining momentum.

After a pause, Hayato pointed to Rei Saotome and continued, "Let me give you a little consolation. The follow-up effect of [Primal Lifeform - Nibiru] is to Special Summon another [Primal Lifeform Token] to the opponent's field."

"And its attack power and defense power are the sum of the attack power and defense power of the released monster."

[Primitive Life Form - Nibiru] [11☆/Light]

[Rock Faction/Effect]

[3000/600]

[Original Life Form Derivative] [11☆/Light]

[Rock Group/Derivatives]

【？ /？】→【6000/3300】

Watching his [Primal Life Form - Nibiru] separate into derivatives on the Saotome stage, Hayato's lips curled into a smirk as he said flippantly, "What's the point of summoning so many monsters? In the end, they all just become derivatives anyway. Aren't you going to say 'Thanks, Hayato-nii'?"

"After all, I gifted you a rather powerful monster, didn't I?"

Upon hearing Hayato's words, Rei Saotome angrily retorted, "What good is high attack power? It can't compare to the monster I've unleashed!"

"Isn't that what love is all about? What you lose is often not the same as what you gain, and that's true even in life. But don't thank me for teaching you this lesson, after all, there's no duelist more loving than me."

Hearing Hayato's words, Saotome Rei curled her lip: "Who wants to be grateful to you for something like that!"

Even though she had already played [Shining Barrier Statue] on the field, Saotome Rei only knew that Kobayashi Hayato's deck was full of cards centered around "Liberation" as the main tactic. But who would have thought that he would have a card that could liberate the opponent's monsters during the opponent's turn, and it just so happens to be the LIGHT attribute [Primal Life Form - Nibiru], which is not restricted by [Shining Barrier Statue]?

Was all my previous efforts wasted...?

Looking at the cards in her graveyard, Saotome Rei clenched her fist, but then revealed a confident smile: "You released my monster, and then sent another token filled with your humiliation to my field. Do you think you'll succeed? Absolutely not! I said I would expose your dark true colors to the whole world. How could I be so easily defeated by you!"

"You sent all the monsters on my field to the graveyard. But that actually helped me summon this monster!"

In Rei Saotome's graveyard, light shone forth, emanating from the Lightsworn monsters within. However, this was merely Rei's perception; in Hayato's eyes, the source of the light was clearly within Rei's body. More specifically, it was the power Saiou had left within her, being fully utilized during the duel, channeling the power of the monster cards in her graveyard that resonated with her into a card in her hand!

The three Lightsworn monsters that were previously dumped into the graveyard by Nibiru, namely Luminas the Lightsworn Summoner, Raiden the Lightsworn Assassin, and Wolf the Lightsworn Beast, have all reappeared. Then, an unexpected monster appeared: Lightsworn Hound Lightning, a star card and famous sycophant in the card story.

Although it only has a mere 200 ATK and 100 DEF, the effect of the Flip Monster "Lightsworn Hound - Lightning" is more advanced than that of "Man-eating Bug," which targets and destroys monsters. It can target and destroy any card, and it also has the same effect as "Little Blue" which sends three cards to the Graveyard from the top of the Deck. It can even avoid traps and be used flexibly by abandoning the destruction of cards and only sending them to the Graveyard. It can be said to be quite useful.

Meanwhile, Saotome Rei's hand contains the Lightsworn Reinforcements, a card that, while currently useless, is quite useful in the Lightsworn deck. It has the same ability to send three cards to the graveyard and can also search for a lower-level Lightsworn card from the deck. The Lightsworn Reinforcements card art depicts Lightsworn Hound Lightning joining the battlefield.

As for why he's called a simp...

Ahem, let's put aside the topic of simps for now. Hayato doesn't recall ever using this card before Saotome Rei. The only time he could send it to the graveyard is—

Recalling the two monster phantoms that flashed through the slashes of [Lightsworn Assassin - Raiden] when it activated its effect, one of which jumped to [Lightsworn Beast - Wolf] on Saotome Rei's field using its own effect, Hayato looked at Saotome Rei and said, "I see. Of the two cards that [Lightsworn Assassin - Raiden] sent to the Graveyard, besides [Lightsworn Beast - Wolf], the other card was that simp?"

"I'm not some 'simp,' that's so rude!" Saotome Rei said unhappily. "But it's true that [Lightsworn Hound - Lightning] was sent to the Graveyard by [Lightsworn Assassin - Raiden] back then. And now, with 4 or more types of [Lightsworn] monsters in my Graveyard, the Special Summoning conditions for this card in my hand are met!"

The [Light Paths] behind Saotome Rei transformed into beams of light and flew into the card in her hand, their radiance converging into a brand new, pure white dragon.

"The supreme arbiter who made a pact with the primordial saints, upholding absolute justice, transforming into a dazzling light that shakes the earth, piercing through the chaos that devours darkness with radiance!" Holding the card above her head, Rei Saotome shouted, "Descend, Holy Beast Dragon!"

"【The Dragon of Judgment】!"

【Dragon of Judgment】【8☆/Light】

[Dragon/Special Summon/Effect]

[3000/2600]

"This is my strongest ace monster, the supreme dragon even more powerful than the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon—the Judgment Dragon!"

“Statistically speaking, it does have 100 more defense points than [Blue Eyes]. But as for its actual strength…” Hayato shrugged and said indifferently after hearing Rei’s words, “It feels… not as good as [Destruction Burst Gale Bullet].

"How arrogant! Then let's see the power of the [Dragon of Judgment] that you look down on!" Saotome Rei looked at Hayato with a displeased expression. "I will use it to deliver my judgment on you, Kobayashi Hayato, who has committed an unforgivable crime, right now, right here!"

As she raised her right hand, her [Judgment Dragon] on the field simultaneously raised its right claw, its crimson dragon eyes looking down over the entire field, light rapidly gathering in its crimson claw.

"You stole other people's cards for your own benefit, deceived young girls with a hypocritical facade, and just now you showed contempt for the power of the [Judgment Dragon]. Kobayashi Hayato, you have committed crimes of greed, lust, and arrogance one after another. You are no ordinary evil. You must be dealt a heavy blow!"

Visible points of light emanated from Saotome Rei's body, and as her Life Points decreased, the light flowed into the claws of [Judgment Dragon]. "Pay me 1000 Life Points to activate the effect of [Judgment Dragon] and destroy all other cards on both players' fields except for [Judgment Dragon]!"

"The Light of Judgment!"

Saotome Rei swung her right hand forward, and the [Judgment Dragon] also pressed down its right claw. The large amount of light energy gathered in the claw was compressed and then released, sweeping across the entire field in an instant!

Not only the large meteorite left behind by the [Primitive Life Form - Nibiru] embedded in the ground on Hayato's field, but even the alien life that split off from the meteorite on Saotome Rei's field was annihilated and destroyed instantly upon being struck by the light of the [Judgment Dragon]!

[Saotome Rei: 4000 → 3000 LP]

Saotome Rei was willing to lower her own Life Points to destroy both the [Primal Life Form Token] and [Primal Life Form - Nibiru] that Hayato left on her field, so that the field would be clean and only her monsters would remain on the field!

“This is a proper result. How wonderful it would be if everything were so pure, without any unnecessary things getting in the way.” Looking at the only remaining [Judgment Dragon] on both sides’ fields, Saotome Rei said to Hayato, “I will end this turn like this, and then during my End Phase, the second effect of [Judgment Dragon] will activate, sending four cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard.”

Saotome Rei flipped over the top four cards of her deck and sent them to the graveyard one by one. But then she retrieved one card and said, "If a card is sent from the deck to the graveyard by a monster's effect, the effect of 'Lightsworn Archer - Felis' in my graveyard is activated, and I Special Summon it to my field!"

The green-haired catgirl archer arrived at Saotome Rei's venue, standing guard beside the sacred [Judgment Dragon] in a defensive posture, her bow and arrows drawn but ready to be released at any moment.

【Saotome Rei: 3000 LP, 1 card in hand (Light's Reinforcements)】

【Dragon of Judgment】【ATK3000】

【Lightsworn Archer - Felis】【4☆/Light】

[Beast Warrior Race/Effect]

[1100/2000]

The younger a child is and the less they have experienced, the more they are filled with fantasies about everything, thinking that everything is in the best possible state. Although Saotome Rei is intelligent and precocious, she also has such fantasies, fantasizing that Hayato is the perfect duelist she imagines, and fantasizing that her feelings can be accepted by Hayato and that she can have a beautiful romance.

With such naive fantasies, she was completely unaware of Saiou's intentions and genuinely believed that he was a good person who was helping her. However, after arriving at Duel Academy Island, she was confronted with a "shocking truth" when she met Hayato face to face: Hayato deliberately ruined her image.

Her Lightsworn deck symbolizes a part of her fantasy of a perfect world. At this moment, the Judgment Dragon arrives precisely because of her inner desire, correcting everything on the field back to the most perfect state in her imagination.

However, at the same time, the [Judgment Dragon] was also passively absorbing the power left behind by Saiou and gradually awakening. Although the [Love Maiden] shared some of the destructive light magic, even if the [Judgment Dragon] could not control Saotome Rei, it would subtly change her mental state and make her personality extreme.

This reminded Hayato of the end of the Light Path, which began with the sudden selection of the girl Minerva as a saint, who rose to become the leader of the Light Path and even able to communicate with the supreme Judgment Dragon. The internal divisions that had accumulated over a long period of conflict between the concepts of "justice" and "absolute justice" finally evolved into a split.

A group of "original" Lightwalkers, including Lighthound Lightning and Lightwalker Luminas, rebelled against Lightwalker and became Twilight Path. Their beliefs even gave rise to Black Dragon Punishment, which represents "ideals" and is completely opposite to White Dragon Judgment, which represents "truth".

A civil war broke out between the Light Path and the Twilight Path, and the black and white dragons, representing truth and ideals, also clashed. In the end, the Justice World, which upheld absolute justice, was completely destroyed in the light that shone during the battle.

It must be said that Saiou truly placed his power on the person most compatible with him. The card in the Lightsworn deck that symbolizes the end of the Lightsworn is named after the "Light of Destruction" residing within him. Even Rei Saotome's own thoughts are similar to Saiou's; both fantasize about a perfect world, except that Saiou's is due to his childhood experiences, while Rei Saotome's is simply due to heartbreak.

Given this context, Hayato, as the protagonist, certainly cannot stand idly by and watch Rei Saotome become increasingly extreme under the influence of Saiou. Being the most benevolent and kind-hearted man, he must use a peaceful approach to move Rei, and use love and justice to dispel her doubts. He must tell her that although her fantasies are full of contradictions with the reality of the world, as long as she keeps striving forward and never stops, the road ahead will continue to extend, and one day she will surely achieve her ideal world—

"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh, you think you can defeat me, Kobayashi Hayato, a god, with a duel of this level? Your naive fantasy is disgusting." Hayato held three cards in his hand, one hand on his hip, laughing maniacally like a villain. "You even used your own monster to refuse my, Kobayashi Hayato's, blessing? The price of defying a god is irreparable fear, fear of my divine talent!"

Are you prepared to face despair?

"My turn, draw a card!"

Chapter 1241 The term "rewind" originates from the automatic rewind mechanism used when a magnetic tape playback malfunctions.

"My turn, draw a card!"

Hayato drew the card and, without even glancing at it, inserted it directly into the Duel Disk, saying, "Activate the Spell Card [Hand Elimination]. Both players discard all cards in their hands, and then each draws cards from their deck equal to the number of discarded cards."

“I have three cards in my hand, so I draw three cards.” With that, Hayato sent all three cards in his hand to the graveyard without hesitation, and then drew three new cards.

"They're doing this right from the start?" Saotome Rei glanced at the "Light's Reinforcements" card in her hand, which had finally lost the restriction of "Clown and Locked Bird" and could be used on her next turn. Reluctantly, she sent it to the graveyard and drew another card.

"This is just a necessary sacrifice. And you, who are using the Lightsworn deck which consumes cards just by existing, what right do you have to judge me? Don't tell me this is some kind of 'sacrifice for the greater good'."

Hayato sneered, “【Lightsworn Beast Wolf】 and 【Lightsworn Archer Felis】, when your Lightsworn cards are sent to the Graveyard by monster effects from the Deck, some of your Lightsworn cards have special effects that can be activated… However, my 【Shadowdew】 is superior to your Lightsworn!”

"It doesn't need to be a monster's effect, and it's not even limited to cards from the Deck. It can activate when Shaddoll monsters go to the Graveyard, and the three cards I just sent to the Graveyard are all Shaddoll monsters!"

"Self-chained, C1 [Shadowdove Flame Core - Dream Prison] C2 [Shadowdove Lizard] C3 [Shadowwing - Wendy]!"

Behind Hayato, the three-body Shaddoll, which had just been sent to the graveyard by [Hand Card Annihilation], awoke and appeared as a phantom. Due to the chain reaction of the second-to-first-to-arrive and reverse processing, the first to act was [Shadowwing-Wendy].

The girl who once rode spirit beasts had completely changed her innocent demeanor. Dressed rather scantily, she also sported numerous purple tattoos on her body, each imbued with the power of [Shadowdew], making her appear quite alluring. With a wave of her staff, [Shadow Wing - Wendy] summoned a new familiar, and a card in Hayato's Duel Disk lit up.

"The effect of [Shadowwing Wendy] can only be activated if she is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect." Hayato said, drawing the searched card from his deck. "Special Summon one [Shadowdome] monster other than [Shadowwing Wendy] from my deck to my field in face-down Defense Position."

The card was placed horizontally on the duel disk, and then, in the shadow beneath Hayato's feet, a pair of bright red eyes suddenly opened, as if something was hidden within them.

Hayato's actions continued. Following [Shadow Wing - Wendy] was the effect of [Shadow Lizard]. The [Starman], which once represented the power of the stars in the sky, fell into a vile reptile manipulated by others. Its claws, covered in golden armor, grabbed the ground and forcibly pulled the monster from Hayato's deck and dragged it to the graveyard.

"If Shaddoll Lizard is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, you can activate this effect. Send one Shaddoll card from my Deck, other than Shaddoll Lizard, to the Graveyard. I chose the monster card Shaddoll Hound."

Sending yet another card to the graveyard, Hayato's last remaining Shaddoll monster is a warrior from hell, its entire body covered in jeweled armor that has turned crimson due to absorbing excessive energy, and its hair-like Shaddoll core thrashing wildly like countless pythons.

"【Shaddoll's Flame Core - Dream Prison】Can be activated if it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect. Send the original Attribute type of a monster on the field from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard."

"At this moment, the only monsters on both sides' fields have the LIGHT attribute, which is your Lightsworn monsters, so I'm sending one card to the Graveyard."

Hayato then said, "After the chain ends, the effects of Shaddoll Hound, which was sent to the graveyard by the effect of Shaddoll Lizard, and Shaddoll Falcon, which was sent to the graveyard by the effect of Shaddoll Firecore - Dream Prison, will activate."

"[Shaddoll Hound]'s effect: If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, you can target one monster on the field and change its battle position. I choose a face-down Defense Position monster I control."

"And the effect of [Shadowdow Falcon]: If this card is sent to the Graveyard by an effect, activate this effect and Special Summon it to my field in face-down Defense Position."

The Shaddoll Falcon, which had just been sent to the graveyard, returned to Hayato's field with a single turn and swooped down to hide in Hayato's shadow. Meanwhile, the other Shaddoll, which had been hiding in Hayato's shadow, also appeared amidst the barking of Shaddoll Hound, who was once a Starman.

It was a lion-like beast whose body was made of rock and had been mechanically modified with many purple gems embedded in its body. However, the Nature Beast, which once fought for Nature, was now a slave of Shaddoll—the Shaddoll Beast.

【Shadowbeast】【5☆/Dark】

[Mage Race/Reverse/Effect]