Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

The so-called "guidance" is "Jester," the so-called "jaester" or "clown," but when the diamond-shaped black and purple marks on the Field Spell Card [Imprinted Theatre City - Desperate Death Village] converge towards a spot on Hayato's field, forming a clown-like headdress that is then worn on the head of a red-haired boy, it's really hard to laugh at his demeanor.

Evil, hatred, resentment, conspiracy—compared to the joyful and humble Joker, the one called "Albert of the Dead Prison" only gives off such a dark feeling, as if he came from the DC universe.

【The Guidance of Death Prison - Albert】【4☆/Dark】

[Angel Race/Effect]

[1800/0]

"If [Guidance of the Dead Prison - Albert] is successfully Normal or Special Summoned, its first effect is activated. Add one [Mark] Spell/Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. I choose the power of the Mark that [Guidance of the Dead Prison - Albert] possesses itself - [Mark of Hell].

Hayato retrieved a card and immediately played it, then activated "The Mark of the Dark" on the card in my graveyard and added it to my hand.

Behind [Albert, the Guide to the Dead Prison], the cloak suddenly unfurled, transforming into a pair of scarlet demonic wings. Simultaneously, numerous imprints were absorbed and surrounded him, forming rings of stars. After opening a [Imprint] portal on the ground, [Albus's Fallen Blood], which Hayato had previously sent to the graveyard as fusion material, was revived and returned to Hayato's hand.

It was at this moment that Edward unexpectedly noticed that as the power of the [Mark] was extracted, the [Guidance of Death Prison Village - Albert] on Hayato's field also casually threw off its mask to reveal its true face, which was just as the [Fallen Descendant of Albus] that returned to Hayato's hand showed its face at the same time. The two had completely different temperaments, but their faces were extremely similar.

(Albert's alternate art)

(Albus's painting)

"A hero burdened with a dark destiny? Hah, then let's see whose darkness runs deeper." Hayato snapped his fingers. "The follow-up effect of [Mark of Hell]! Banish the Fusion Material Monsters determined by a Fusion Monster of Level 8 or higher from my hand or field, and Fusion Summon that Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck. Monsters Fusion Summoned by this effect cannot attack directly this turn!"

"I banish 'Albert of the Dead's Land' from my field and 'Albus's Fallen Child' from my hand as Fusion Material to satisfy the Material requirement and add a LIGHT/DARK monster to the 'Dead's Land' monster!"

"The three sacred artifacts—sword, shield, and armor—held by the Twin Saintesses! Indelible marks 'branded' by the 'Hercules' power of the abyss, they have become merciless weapons, embarking on an eternal hunt for the Holy Son!"

Its name is 'Quem Queritis,' which means 'Whom are you looking for!'

Hayato's hand and the cards of his two "twins" on the field disappeared from the duel, but the power they left behind was completely captured and condensed into a giant blood sphere by the red and white mark on Hayato's field. A pair of "scissors" pierced out from the inside and then merged, violently slicing the blood sphere apart, revealing the ferocious and terrifying "battle angel" that was born within!

"Imprint Fusion! Level 8☆!"

"【Death Prison Village Actor - Holy Tomb Visitor】!"

[Death Prison Village Actor - Holy Tomb Visitor] [8☆/Light]

[Demon Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2500/2500]

"The first effect of 【Death Prison Actor - Holy Tomb Visitor】 can be activated once per turn during both players' Main Phases. Reduce the ATK of all monsters on both players' fields, except for Level 8 or higher Fusion Monsters, to 0 until the end of this turn!"

Hayato looked at the [D·Hero Blood Demon-D] on Edward's field, "Your card has always liked to seal other people's effects to suppress their resistance, hasn't it? Well, now it's my turn to strip your monsters of their power!"

"Baptismal chant!"

Despite his ferocious and terrifying appearance, and being a demon-type monster, [Death Prison Village Actor - Holy Tomb Visitor] is actually of the light attribute. When he opened his helmet to reveal his empty inner self, a hymn with a sense of mental pollution emanated and covered the entire scene!

Hayato's 8-star monster, Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon, naturally didn't feel anything. However, both Edward's monsters, whether in Defense Position, D. Hero Draws Gunman, or in Attack Position, D. Hero Blood Demon - D, were suffering greatly because of this song.

【D·hero Gunner】【1600/800→0/800】【

【D·hero Blood Demon-D】【ATK2700→0】【

"Entering the battle phase, use [Death Prison Actor - Holy Grave Visitor] to attack [D. Hero Gunner], followed by [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon]'s attack on [D. Hero Blood Demon - D]. Under this all-out attack, despair will be your end!" Hayato waved his hand. "Then, first up is the attack from [Death Prison Actor - Holy Grave Visitor]—"

"A spear that pierces through the ferocious battle!"

Chapter 1511 contains a combo that can be canceled.

"A spear that pierces through the ferocious battle!"

The Crimson Demon Knight aimed his sharp weapon at [D·hero Gunner], the blade of which, like scissors or sharp teeth, closed and transformed into a spear. Then, [Death Prison Actor·Holy Tomb Visitor] hurled the spear like an athlete throwing a javelin!

The thrown magic spear began to sprout and grow spikes in mid-air. In a very short time, the entire spear became a hedgehog-like mass and began to separate. Dozens of spear tips, like raindrops, locked onto [D·hero Gunner] on the field of Edward and fell!

With only 800 defense points, he was completely powerless against the attack of [Death Prison Actor - Holy Grave Visitor] and was easily destroyed and sent to the graveyard. All that was left on Edward's field was [D-hero Blood Demon - D], a single monster.

"[Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon], keep up the attack! Destroy that [D·Hero Blood Demon - D] too!" Hayato sneered. "That attack power of 6500 points is your true future, your true destiny, your true despair!"

"With this strike, your base score will be instantly wiped out. This is the strike of the 'Mad Dragon Chaos Cluster Cannon'!"

The power of Bai and He's imprint was mobilized by [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon]. Although [Death Prison Village Actor - Holy Tomb Visitor] was more authentic in terms of fusion material, [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon], which was blessed with [Inherited Power], was so powerful that it easily mobilized almost all the power around it that was visible to the naked eye.

The countless imprints summoned by [Imprinted City - Desperate Death Prison Village] were rearranged in the sky under the command of [Abyss Dragon - White Realm Reincarnation Dragon]. The diamond-shaped imprints, which were originally arranged in an orderly manner like a chessboard, were moved to almost surround [D·hero Blood Demon-D] on the field of Edward, as if countless eyes in the sky were looking down on him.

Beams suddenly shot out from those eyes, but instead of attacking immediately, they circled around Edward's [D·hero Blood Demon-D], compressing its movement space, waiting for it to have nowhere to avoid before gathering together to trigger an explosion of the largest possible scale!

Seeing the power of "Branded Mad Dragon Blast" closing in from all sides, Edward didn't wait until the last moment to activate the cards in his graveyard. Instead, before the attack arrived, he took the cards out of the graveyard and said, "Then, when the [D·hero] monster on my field battles for damage calculation, activate the effect of [D·hero Dreamer] in my graveyard!"

"Special Summon [D·hero Dreamer] to my field in Defense Position, then prevent my [D·hero] monster from being destroyed by that battle, and reduce the battle damage to me from that battle to 0!"

"Shatter, you illusion, you mirage!"

As Edward played his card, a clown-like warrior leaped onto his field. The light in his hand flashed, creating cracks in the air. Then, just as the attack of [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon] was about to arrive, the beams of light collided with the cracks in the air, shattering something like glass and revealing an empty space where nothing existed afterward.

A staggering 6500 points of combat damage, wiped out by a single card in a magical fashion?

Ed Phoenix: 4000LP, 1 cards in hand

【D·hero Blood Demon-D】【ATK0】

【D·hero Dreamer】【1☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[0/600]

[Future Integration]

Seeing this, Edward breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Hayato, saying, "It seems that the future you mentioned, Hayato-sensei, is not my real future."

"I'm actually quite pleased, Edward." Seeing that Edward easily blocked his monster's attack, which he thought would win, Hayato didn't show any anger or embarrassment. Instead, he seemed happy for Edward. "Only now are you starting to look decent. You've shown the hero you wanted to be."

"It's that unwavering will to refuse, to reject the destiny and future revealed to you by others, and to forge your own path—isn't that what makes a true 'hero of destiny'? The so-called 'hero of destiny' [D·hero] isn't a 'hero who endures the heavy burden of destiny while fighting,' but rather a 'hero who fights against destiny'!"

"Fight against fate...?" Ed paused, distracted by Hayato's words, and subconsciously looked at the monsters on his field. Whether it was a coincidence of the data settings or something else, Ed saw that his [D·hero Blood Demon-D] also turned its head to look at him at that moment.

At the same time, even Hayato's previous words came back to mind for Edward, and those ignored words resurfaced in his heart—

"The [D·heroes] never carried the burden of fate, nor did they fight in obedience to it. From beginning to end, all they carried was my fate, huh...?"

Just as Edward was muttering to himself, Hayato's eyes lit up and he suddenly shouted, "Great opportunity! Let's ambush them now!"

"[Abyss Dragon - White Realm Reincarnation Dragon], use 'Annihilation Punishment'!"

Taking advantage of Edward's distraction, Hayato launched a sneak attack, showing no regard for martial ethics. Hayato's [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon], which had already attacked once, actually started moving again under Hayato's command, using the aerial marks to surround [D·hero Blood Demon-D] as before.

This time, however, the [Abyss Dragon - White Realm Reincarnation Dragon] itself joined the attack, choosing the ground beneath [D·hero Blood Demon - D] as its target. Its continuous dragon breath created ever-expanding shockwaves, while its branded markings unleashed a barrage of indiscriminate bullets. In an instant, the solid ground collapsed, causing Edward and [D·hero Blood Demon - D] to be dragged downwards by gravity!?

Of course, unlike a certain red, four-legged mythical beast representing the earth, the wings on [D·hero Blood Demon-D]'s back are not just for show; he can fly. He even managed to grab Ed and [D·hero Dreamer] to prevent them from falling to their deaths like a certain witcher. However, just as Ed realized that Hayato had distracted him with a long lecture before launching a sneak attack, the [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon], taking advantage of the barrage of attacks, arrived a step ahead of him on the next level of [Branded Theatre City - Despair Death Prison]?!

Looking up at [D·hero Blood Demon-D] who was unable to move freely in the air because he was carrying someone, [Abyss Dragon - White Realm Reincarnation Dragon] revealed a human-like cold smile. After taking a deep breath, the red on his body became unusually bright, and then suddenly burst into light, along with a powerful shockwave!

The seemingly unstoppable spherical impact instantly cleared the newly opened next level of ground, even creating a large hole below connecting to the next level, but it also cleared enough space for the battle area. However, the fact that the virtual projection system was still running indicated that something had just happened, allowing [D·hero Blood Demon-D] and Edward, who should have been unable to avoid the attack, to escape unscathed.

[Hayato Kobayashi: 3900→2900LP, 4 card in hand]

[Ed Phoenix: 4000→3000LP, Hand 1→0]

"I can only activate this effect by discarding this card from my hand during the damage calculation for a monster's battle." With the help of [D·hero Blood Demon-D], Edward landed steadily and showed a card in his hand to explain the situation, "Under the effect of this [D·hero Dynamite Man], the battle damage to me from that battle became 0, and both players took 1000 damage."

"I see, so that's how it is. The recoil from the explosion gave you the acceleration to escape the attack?" Hayato stroked his chin, suddenly realizing.

"Don't give me that 'Oh, I see' look that's how it is, then so be it' kind of you're trying to get away with!" Edward frowned and looked at Hayato. "Hayato-sensei, what's wrong with your monster? It clearly attacked successfully, so why can it move again? I don't remember [Double Chance] activating under these circumstances!"

"Of course it's not because of [Double Chance], that's a card that can only be used when an attack is negated." Hayato chuckled lightly and spread his hands. "But I thought you could guess that, since I deliberately used more than one Dragon-type monster when I fused to summon [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon].

"There's no limit to the number of fusion materials. I could have fused with just one, but I used two. Yet, the [Abyss Dragon - White Realm Reincarnation Dragon] didn't increase its attack power or gain any obvious special effects despite the increased fusion materials. Shouldn't you, who fought Caesar, be able to guess what kind of effect it will have?"

Upon hearing this, Edward's eyes widened: "Could it be... an ability to add more attacks like [Chimera Overload Dragon]!?"

"Bingo!" Hayato snapped his fingers, looking towards Edward's back row. There, thanks to the counter-damage of [D·hero Dynamite], the power of [V·hero] in Edward's graveyard was successfully triggered, causing [V·hero Incremental] to appear in Edward's back row, ready to jump onto the field at second speed to trigger its effect as soon as both players' main phases begin.

Unfortunately, Edward won't be able to wait until Hayato's main phase two.

"The first effect of [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon] is that it gains the number of attacks based on the number of fusion material monsters used in its Fusion Summon. However, it is limited to attacking monsters and cannot directly attack like Kaiser's personal-limited [Chimera Overload Dragon] which can attack duelists..."

Hayato paused for a moment, then looked at the [D·hero Blood Demon-D] with 0 ATK on Edward's field, a cold smile playing on his lips. "But if the target is a monster with 0 ATK, then it's not much different from a direct attack, is it?"

"As a response to your previous triple attack with [V·hero Trinity], wouldn't it be better to finish it off with this card? Since [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon] uses three Fusion Materials, here comes the Third Impact!"

"【Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon】, this time there shouldn't be any other cards to hinder your battle. Then let despair be branded into your opponent's heart!" Hayato waved his hand, "Endless flesh is torn apart, bones and blood are pulverized and drained, and the destiny at the end will be revealed. Dust will burn, steel will melt, and water will evaporate!"

"The wind rises and the clouds surge, the vegetation withers, and then a fiery rebirth occurs!"

As Hayato chanted, [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon] mobilized the surrounding marks for the third time, but this time those marks no longer dispersed; instead, they were continuously devoured into his body by [Abyss Dragon - White World Reincarnation Dragon].

The [Teaching Dragon Kingdom] is a nation where everyone bears the "Holy Mark," but the truth of the "Holy Mark" is that it is an unactivated mark. When the [High Priest of Teaching] activates the [Ritual of the Cursed], the "Holy Mark" devours all the lives of the people and reverses... no, it reveals the truth and becomes the marks that fill the sky in this [Marked City - Desperate Death Prison Village].

In other words, the [Abyss Dragon - White Realm Reincarnated Dragon] is now devouring the power of all life within the [Dragon Kingdom] in the past, and unleashing its final attack!

"If you have a throat, roar! If you have ears, listen! If you have a heart, pray! Its name is Albedo Renatos, its name is the War of Destiny, its name is Inevitable Death!"

"Descend, this—"

With a swing of his arm, the bright orange light released from the fusion of the white and khaki marks instantly pierced through the entire theater city. Ed only heard Hayato's last shout before his sight was robbed, leaving him only able to see endless light—

"—Liberator of fate!"

(Arch-Tempered Eel)

Everything in his sight was melting away. Edward suddenly felt a slight loss of weight, but it wasn't because he had been knocked down to the next level of the Branding City. Rather, he was directly sent flying by the impact of the attack. The 6500 points of combat damage instantly wiped out his remaining 3000 points.

As for [D·hero Blood Demon-D]? He was eliminated the moment [Abyss Dragon - White Realm Reincarnation Dragon] attacked. Even reducing the impact on Edward is something he can't do now with 0 attack power.

"Resilient, invincible, the strongest!"

Hayato, hands on his hips, burst into arrogant laughter, shouting, "Crush! Shatter! Cheers!!!"

"That line, it seems to be someone else's." Asuka thought of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon user she encountered last year and complained, "And the change of expression is so fast. He was acting like he was concerned about his students and was compassionate before, but how come he was laughing so exaggeratedly after winning the duel?"

"Hehe, because duels can bring smiles, you know, Tenjouin-kun." Turning his head, Hayato gave Asuka a thumbs-up.

Is that what that sentence meant?

"What an interesting duel!"

Asuka turned around and found that Judai and the others had also arrived here. They had been watching the duel from the other side since the beginning, and only came to join her after the duel ended.

"Judai? When did you arrive?" Asuka waved and greeted him. "It's a beautiful day today too."

"Indeed. Long time no see, Asuka." Jaden nodded in response, laughing heartily. "Although it seems we didn't make it to first place, seeing such an interesting duel was definitely worth the ticket price!"