Duels should be played with a smile.

"Interesting rules... it seems like this?"

He raised one hand high, and a circuit with eight arrows appeared above his head.

After he woke up, he had all the relevant knowledge, but this was the first time he had actually put it into practice.

He had similar experience, but it didn't apply in this world—though he did have a strong affinity for a card called "Battle of Wits".

"Using Nabel as material, Link Summon! Link 1 [Reincarnated Flame Beast Unicorn Rabbit]."

"Based on Nabel's effect, this card can be activated if it is sent to the Graveyard, allowing you to search your Deck for any other [Iron Beast] monster with the same name."

"I search for [Iron Beast Front Kras] and activate this card's effect. You can activate this effect by discarding 1 Beast-Warrior-Winged-Beast monster other than this card from your hand. Special Summon this card from your hand."

A monster flashed by, and Ella didn't notice what it was, but that didn't matter.

"In that instant! I discard the [Value-Added G] in my hand and activate its effect: I'll draw 1 every time you Special Summon!"

Ella is now just waiting for this G to pass; she'll need to spend some game time to save her life.

"It's a really interesting mechanism... If you approve it, I'll definitely stop trading."

"But luckily, I have a countermeasure. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Called Name of Annihilation], banish the same card from my deck, and negate your G."

Through the mask, Ella couldn't see Marvin's expression, but she could sense some emotions beyond calm from his words... This guy initially acted like such a charlatan, but he didn't seem to be entirely devoid of human feelings.

Of course, that doesn't stop Ella from finding this guy's sword-pointing quite annoying.

And before long, his dislike for the sword finger turned into disgust for Marvin.

"Chain process, I Special Summon Kratos... and then, it's time for the protagonist of my deck to make his appearance."

"Because Kras is a 2-star monster...so, descend!"

"【Satellite Shining - Blue Jet Spirit】!"

Chapter Twenty: Stitch! Anything can be stitched!

"I've heard this deck is pretty strong, so I'll give it a try! Special Summon [Satellite Shining - Blue Jet Spirit]!"

Marvin, who used to say "rest in peace" all the time, was completely different from his usual "go to sleep" attitude. If it weren't for his deep voice, one would really wonder if he would suddenly poke his temple with his finger.

"Another overpowered deck like Satellite Shining... It's clear you're in cahoots with the person he's talking about."

Ella's brows were full of disgust. When Leyou conveyed the message to her earlier, he mentioned all the relevant information, one of which was that the enemy's decks seemed to be the kind of mindless, overpowered decks.

The reason why Yuki-onna was able to turn the tide under those circumstances can only be said to be that her opponent had absolutely no connection with her deck, and the entire deck did not include that disgusting "Hero" system that countless people found repulsive.

Marvin didn't care about Ella's dislike, or rather, he didn't care about many things. In the Realm of Rest, nothing really made much of a difference.

"The effect of the Blue Jet Spirit: I search for [Satellite Flash - Carrot Sprite]!"

"That won't do!" Ella suddenly interrupted Marvin's actions, flipping over a face-down card.

If the proliferating G is allowed to unfold freely after it has been pointed out, then it is no different from surrendering.

"I might take your behavior as indifference!"

The only thing I can do to disrupt things right now is play from the back row. If the Carrot Sprite jumps down, then we're done for.

"A face-down Trap Card, [Trap Hole of Insects], can be activated when a monster your opponent controls is Special Summoned this turn; negate its effect and destroy it!"

A large hole suddenly appeared beneath the feet of the newly arrived blue jet spirit, which fell into it without any warning.

In the bottomless pit, the blue jet spirit, dazed and confused from the fall, scrambled to its feet, only to find itself surrounded by several extremely ugly humanoid creatures—although the trolls are considered quite attractive by normal humans, the satellite spirits' aesthetic sense is clearly different from that of humans.

Surrounded by the ugly creatures, the blue jet spirit tried to escape, only to find itself bound by countless spider silks and plants. At that moment, it knew that it was about to face a tragic fate.

"Very interesting... The mystery of chains can create endless possibilities in a duel."

When the blue jet spirit was defeated, Marvin didn't seem particularly anxious. Instead, he praised the chain mechanism.

"Just as you rejected my rest before, you have once again hindered the arrival of rest. However, I still have a backup plan."

"Blue Jet Spirit has been destroyed, but I still have other Satellite Shining monsters in my hand, and there are still Level 2 monsters on the field. Therefore, I will Special Summon [Satellite Shining Jet Spirit] from my hand!"

The Spray Spirit is an attack signal—this is the second round, and Marvin has no intention of concealing his offensive intentions.

Perhaps taking the initiative violates the precept of rest, but as long as the duel is won, rest will naturally come—it's just a slightly roundabout way. As long as the final result is achieved, does the process really matter?

"Based on the effect of Jet Spirit, I can search for the [Satellite Spirit] Spell/Trap Card, and I can search for the Quick-Play Spell Card [Satellite Spirit Illuminator]!"

Ella remained expressionless, and with three cards remaining in the back row, she made no response.

Perhaps they have run out of ways to deal with it, or perhaps they are waiting for the right opportunity.

Seeing that there were no obstacles, Marvin quickened his pace.

"Activate the [Satellite Shining Activator] that I just retrieved. Based on its effect, Special Summon [Satellite Shining Carrot Spirit]. Then I lose LP equal to 1000 of its ATK, and this turn I can only Special Summon Level 2, Rank 2, Link 2 monsters."

[Marvin LP: 8000 → 7000]

Despite taking a slightly longer route, the Carrot Sprite, who had just been stopped by Ella, still appeared on the field.

Now, at least one of Ella's trap cards is going to be useless.

Moreover, Marvin's story is not over yet.

"Then there's the last card in my hand, [Satellite Shining - Red Sprite], which I also Special Summon to the field based on its effect."

Now, both Guai Xiao Kang and Mo Xian Kang were standing on the field, forming a tight blockade.

The circuit that had flashed before reappeared a second later.

"Use the Unicorn Rabbit and the Level 2 monster Kratos on my field as materials to set up arrows!"

"Link Summon! Link 2! [Satellite Shining - Mischievous Sprite]!"

Whether it was because Marvin lacked the inclination or simply didn't understand the traditions of this world, after summoning so many monsters, Marvin didn't utter a single summoning incantation.

Although when he told riddles before, his words were always well-structured and coherent.

"Still no response? I'll continue." After looking up to observe Ella and finding her expressionless and unable to gather any information, Marvin shook his head slightly and continued his operation.

"The effect of Naughty Spirit can be activated by targeting Kratos in my Graveyard and Special Summoning it."

"Then..."

Marvin raised his hand once more, and in a flash of light, the two satellites, Shining, flew into a vortex that suddenly appeared in the sky.

"This time it's an Xyz Summon... To be honest, I've only ever experienced Fusion. The feeling of an Xyz Summon is quite amazing."

"Stack the Spray Spirit and the Carrot Spirit together!"

"Xyz Summon! Rank 2! [Giant Jet Satellite Shining]!"

The combined power of the two satellites, Shining, transformed into an even larger jet, calling for a miracle—though the realm of rest does not need miracles.

It must be admitted that few monsters with the ability to summon monsters in a deck are easy to deal with, and Giant Jet is clearly one of the best among them.

so...

"When you Special Summon, I'll chain-activate a face-down Trap Card! [Bottomless Trap Hole]!"

"Depending on the effect, any monster with 1500 or more ATK that is Special Summoned at this time will be destroyed and banished!"

The gates of Naraku suddenly opened beneath the massive jet of water. Even though the jet was several times larger than the combined size of the two original monsters, the pit leading to the abyss of hell could accommodate it.

“A futile struggle… I’m more curious about your backup plan.” Marvin’s voice remained as calm as before; he wasn’t too surprised by Ella’s sudden attack.

Because they are fearless and have nothing to fear.

"Chain your Naraku, activate the effect of Carrot Sprite, release the Mischievous Sprite on my field, negate and destroy your effect!"

Although Mischievous is a Link 2 monster, its effect has already been activated, so it's clearly more useful to leave Kratos with its effect still active.

The Carrot Sprite's effect activated, disintegrating the Mischievous Sprite's body into immense power, which was then integrated into the body of the giant jet. Replenished with the energy of its own kind, the giant jet became even larger, and the pit that could have contained it was now burst open.

"Your trap is strong, but unfortunately, the Realm of Rest cannot contain it... Activate the effect of Kras on the field, banish Nabel and [Fairy Tale Animal Kitten] from the Graveyard, and Special Summon 1 Link 2 Beast/Beast-Warrior/Winged Beast Link Monster from the Extra Deck."

The power of the Iron Beasts Front converged on the field, but Ella noticed the kitten being used as material.

Fairy tale animals... Ella is quite familiar with this series. The original characters are all 2-star or 2-tier, which is a good match for the satellite Shining. The race is also all beast, which is also a good match for the Iron Beast Front.

Not to mention... if it weren't for the self-restraint of the satellite Shining, Ella would likely be facing an even worse situation.

The Iron Beasts were masters of rallying their allies. After sending two of their companions out to call for reinforcements, two “powerful” warriors dressed in ancient attire arrived together shortly afterward.

Although the art style might seem a bit off, they are indeed of the Beast Warrior race.

"Special Summon based on Claes' effect!"

"Connection 2! [War of the Chinese Alliance - Twin Dragons]!"

【Wind·Link 2·Beast Tactics·Attack Power 1100·Arrow↙↘】

Ella recognized the pair at a glance. There are only a few Link 2 games that Iron Beast Front can release. Of course, there is another reason: Leyou really likes the prototype of this series, so Ella also knows a little about those characters.

"The situation... is not good."

The opponent's board presence doesn't seem strong enough to defeat you, so the next draw will be crucial.

Ella had already placed her hand on top of her deck.

Within her body, the source code, forcibly put to sleep, remained silent and motionless. Around the source code, black and white energies overlapped, transforming into gray before enveloping the source code.

The power of rest will put everything to sleep, and no matter how strong one's power is, one cannot resist this "trial" without the will to resist it.

The despair that quietly arises from the inability to fight back can lead people to choose to fall into a state of rest without having to think.

If you don't need to think about anything, you won't despair—but isn't eternal rest another kind of despair?

Because in eternal rest, there is no hope of changing things or making everything better.

Fortunately...

"I refuse to settle into rest; the light of hope will illuminate the long night."

"I am not afraid of any despair, for all despair is my food."

Hope and despair intertwined, surrounding the restless power covering the source code, attempting to erode it and break through even the slightest gap.

While Ella was working hard in silence, Marvin, after summoning the two dragons, had not stopped his efforts.

"The effect of Giant Jet removes Jet Spirits used as Xyz Material, and Special Summons 1 Level 2 monster from your Deck according to the effect."

"I'm recruiting [Iron Beast Front Girl] by special recruitment."