Yu-Gi-Oh!: This isn't a duel!

"Great... Lady Luck really didn't abandon me."

"With this card, I can block all his interference methods this turn. Even those annoying monster effects won't be able to stop my combo!"

"The time for a counterattack has come!"

Accompanied by a melodious birdsong sound, Tsukuyomi Rion didn't hesitate and slammed the crucial card for victory into the Spell & Trap Zone of the Duel Disk:

"Spell Card activated—[Lyrical Birdstrike]!!"

"Only one card with this name can be activated per turn."

"You can only activate this effect if you control a 'Lyrical Croak' monster—negate the effects of all face-up monsters your opponent controls until the end of this turn!!"

"Before the sacred song, all other noises will fall silent!"

"Om-"

The light in the center of the arena converged, and a magnificent golden crown adorned with dazzling rubies appeared out of thin air. The crown slowly rotated, emitting visible ripples of golden sound waves.

These sound waves are not aggressive shocks, but rather a kind of oppressive "silence" commandment.

As the sound waves swept across, the electronic eyes of the monsters such as [Rapid Raptor - Powerful Forest Owl] and [Rapid Raptor - Intelligent Forest Owl] on the Youyang Field instantly dimmed, and the luster on their bodies seemed to be covered with a layer of grayish-white lime, plunging them into a state of complete stillness.

However, in this deathly gray silence, only one figure still stands proudly!

"唳——!!"

The golden [Rapid Raptor - Ultimate Falcon] let out a clear, disdainful cry.

Its enormous golden wings suddenly flapped, and the divine radiance that erupted instantly shattered the golden sound waves that were trying to entangle it!

Bathed in the wave of ineffectiveness, it remains as brilliant as ever, like a golden statue, untouched by the slightest dust.

"What?! They actually..."

Rion Tsukuyomi stared wide-eyed in surprise.

It's important to know that [Lyrical Robin - Bird Strike] is a powerful, field-wide nullification effect that doesn't target any monster. How could a monster possibly emerge unscathed from such a law-like suppression?!

"Don't be surprised."

Standing in the shadow of the Ultimate Falcon, You Yang calmly explained:

"【Rapid Raptor - Ultimate Falcon】is an all-resistant monster with absolute resistance - it is unaffected by any other card effects."

"Whether it's magic, traps, or monster effects, they're nothing more than a gentle breeze in its presence."

"All resistances...?"

Hearing Yu Yang's explanation, Tsukuyomi Rion was somewhat surprised, but quickly accepted the fact and nodded:

"It is indeed a troublesome monster."

"However... such a powerful monster with absolute resistance usually means that it lacks the ability to actively interfere during the opponent's turn."

"As long as it can't move, just ignore it this round and deal with it through combat or other means!"

After all—she also has monsters with all resistances!

Moreover, as far as she knew, all-resistance monsters rarely possessed the ability to interfere during the opponent's turn.

Except for a few special monsters.

Rion Tsukuyomi quickly calculated the next possible developments in her mind, convinced that she still had a chance to turn the tables.

However, just as she was preparing to take the next step, You Yang's soft voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"Since your spell card effect has already been activated..."

"Well then, it's time for my magic cards!"

"What?!"

Before Tsukuyomi Rion could react, Yu Yang had already waved his hand sharply, and the card that had been face down on the field was suddenly flipped over, bursting out with a dazzling, eerie blue light:

"I'll link your actions—open the cover card!!"

"Magic cards?!"

Rion Tsukuyomi's heart skipped a beat, her gaze fixed on the open card, a hint of doubt flashing through her mind.

"Isn't it a trap card?"

She remembered clearly that although there were two face-down cards on the field, one of them was a "Rank-Up Magic" that she had previously retrieved and placed using [Rapid Raptor - Wise Forest Owl].

Logically, that card should be used to prepare for the next round.

The remaining card was naturally the one that You Yang had stamped himself.

Could it be... a quick-play spell that can be activated during the opponent's turn?!

You Yang gave his opponent no time to guess; his voice became low and hoarse, like a summoner from the underworld:

"Quick-attack spell activated—[Advanced Magic - Phantom Knights' Assault]!!"

"Snap—Snap—!!"

As the card was erected, the originally futuristic arena floor instantly underwent a transformation.

Countless dark cracks spread across the earth, as if the gates to hell had been forcibly pried open.

Unlike the warm or holy glow of ordinary magic cards, this card spews forth thousands upon thousands of clusters of ghostly blue flames.

Those were flames belonging to the dead, devoid of any heat, yet capable of freezing a person's soul instantly.

Under the eerie glow of the will-o'-the-wisps, the Ultimate Falcon behind You Yang appeared even more majestic and cold, like a mechanical Grim Reaper commanding an army of the undead.

"Quick Attack Spell - [Advanced Spell - Phantom Knights' Assault] effect activated!"

You Yang's voice sounded particularly eerie in the glow of the ghostly blue flames, as if he were reciting a forbidden incantation:

"During your Main Phase or your opponent's Main Phase, you can target 1 DARK Xyz Monster on your field that does not have Xyz Material."

"Special Summon 1 DARK Xyz Monster that is 1 Rank higher than the targeted monster by overlaying it on the target monster as an Xyz Summon!"

"And overlay this card below as Xyz Material."

"Is this the effect?"

Upon hearing the complex activation conditions, Tsukuyomi Rion's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and she secretly began to calculate:

"Such demanding conditions... It must be a specific attribute, a specific class, and it must happen to be in a state where there is no excess material."

"The owl on his field is level 4, and it will be level 5 after it is upgraded."

"A Rank 5 Dark attribute monster... Under these specific conditions, is there any powerful being worth such a great deal of trouble to summon?"

Rion Tsukuyomi didn't take this effect to heart. As far as she knew, Rank 5 was usually just a stepping stone, and there were rarely any ultimate trump cards that could seal the deal.

On the contrary, Class 4, which is lower than Class 5, has many powerful beings.

However, Roland's expression changed drastically the moment he heard the keywords "Class 5" and "Dark Attribute".

Those always-squinting eyes suddenly snapped open, their pupils reflecting a deep sense of dread.

"Tier 5...Dark attribute..."

"If I remember correctly, one of the two cards that You Yang had before perfectly met this condition..."

Roland's voice trembled slightly, as he stared intently at the card You Yang slowly drew from the Extra Deck, as if he were looking at a demonic sword about to be unsheathed.

"No way... could it really be that card?!"

As Roland murmured softly, the atmosphere on the field suddenly became tense.

You Yang pinched the card, which emanated an ominous black aura, between two fingers, a malicious smile curving his lips:

"Are you afraid? Are you trembling? It's too late!"

"I'm targeting [Rapid Raptor - Mighty Owl], which has no materials on the field—I'm stacking it as one card!!"

"Phantom Knights, wandering in purgatory, transform your millennia-long resentment into the power to tear apart dimensions!!"

"Upgrade Transformation!!"

"Waaaaah—!!"

With this command, the blue will-o'-the-wisps flying all over the sky seemed to be summoned by some evil will, and emitted a sharp and piercing howl.

They were no longer burning statically, but instead surged wildly toward the lone [Rapid Raptor - Martial Wood Owl] on the field.

"Sizzle—Snap!"

The sophisticated mechanical raptor was enveloped by countless ghostly flames, and its originally hard super alloy armor began to melt and twist eerily under the licking of the ghostly flames.

It let out a final, mournful electronic cry before being forcibly melted and reforged into some indescribable form by that force from another dimension.

Youyang raised his hands high, as if welcoming the arrival of an ancient ruler, his chant filled with madness and chaos:

"Listen to the blasphemous sound of the piccolo from the depths of the universe!"

"Rolling through chaotic palaces, roaring through chaotic nightmares!"

"All things are His dream; when He awakens, all rules return to nothingness!"

"Tear apart the dimensions of reality!"

"Class 5—"

"Descend, [Outer God Azathoth]!!"

"boom------!!!"

There was no explosion of fire, nor any sacred thunder.

The familiar dueling arena vanished in that instant.

It wasn't destroyed, but rather forcibly covered by some higher-dimensional being.

In the spot where the Fiery Owl originally belonged, now lurked a massive mass of flesh and shadow that defies precise description in human language.

It has no fixed shape; it is like a chaotic mass made of protoplasm that is constantly boiling, expanding, and contracting.

On that dark, oily surface, countless huge, cloudy eyeballs opened and closed erratically.

Each eye seemed to reflect a universe heading towards destruction, exuding a madness that could shatter one's reason.

"Swoosh—"