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

"Open before me once more! Circuit connecting to an unknown other world!"

"The summoning condition is 2 or more 'Phantom Tempest' monsters!"

Titania's voice seemed to resonate with the vibrations of the entire virtual world, solemn and grand:

"The seal on deep networks has been broken, and the computational power of ultra-high dimensions has materialized at this moment!"

"The ultimate predator that devours all data, reveal your form that will make the world tremble!"

"Link Summon!!"

"Descend, LINK-4—[Phantom Spirit - Administrator Titania]!!"

boom--!!!

With a deafening roar, the connection circuit completely collapsed.

A huge, yellow and white figure slowly rose from the torrent of data.

She wore a magnificent data robe and held a floating disk that gleamed with a sharp, cold light. Her majestic face made her look like the absolute empress of this electronic realm, looking down at the ants at her feet.

【Phantom Spirit - Titania】【LINK-4】【↑】【←】【→】【↓】【Dark/Mage/Link/Effect】【Attack Power: 3000】

"The chain continues."

Even after summoning her ace, Titania's movements remained as precise as a surgeon's scalpel.

"At this very moment, the final effect of [Phantom Dispersion: Privacy King Banshee], which was just sent to the graveyard as material, activates!"

"If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can target 1 'Phantom Spirit' card in your Graveyard; add that card to your hand."

"Recycle - Perpetual Trap in the Graveyard [Haunted Deadlock of the Metamorphosis Swarm]!"

She quickly added the card that popped out to her hand, then pointed to the majestic queen on the field:

"At the same time, the appearance effect of [Phantom Spirit - Manager Titania] is activated."

"If this card is Link Summoned, you can activate this effect. Set 1 'Transfiguration' Trap Card from your Deck to your field."

"Cover-up - Trap Card [Transforming Spirit Materialization]!"

As a card, leaving a trail of afterimages, landed face down in the back row, Titania swiftly drew two more cards from her hand and slammed them down.

"Click, click."

"Finally, I'll put two more cards on."

At this moment, her back row was filled with three face-down cards exuding a dangerous aura, while her front row stood an absolute ace with an attack power of 3000, as well as a [Phantom Spirit - Sixteen Witches Hestia] with powerful interference capabilities.

This is a perfect formation that can be described as an impenetrable fortress.

Titania lowered her arm, and her cold words, accompanied by the static of data, slowly announced the end of the round:

"Round... over."

In the virtual space, suppressed data streams crisscrossed the surroundings, emitting a low buzzing sound.

You Yang stared intently at the three Gevoka cards emitting a dark red glow in Titania's back row, his brows unconsciously furrowing into a knot.

Is their main tactic really this kind of troublesome deep pit strategy?

The three unknown face-down cards are like three minefields that could explode at any moment.

This is undoubtedly an extremely difficult challenge for the deck he is currently using.

Not only that, he glanced down at his starting hand of five cards. Perhaps because he was in a non-realistic data world and was being subjected to some unknown interference, his luck was a bit bad, and his hand structure seemed somewhat sluggish.

I always feel like my luck is just not good...

You Yang smiled bitterly to himself, but the fighting spirit in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning slightly white.

After all, what he held in his hands this time was a deck that symbolized miracles and courage, and he would never back down no matter what desperate situation he faced!

"My turn, draw a card!"

You Yang took a deep breath, his eyes instantly becoming sharp as knives.

With a crisp scraping sound as his fingertips traced the edge of the card, a faint stream of data light traced a beautiful arc in mid-air as he drew the card.

He quickly glanced at the newly drawn card, then his gaze locked onto the three face-down cards opposite him.

In the game of duel, the true depth of a so-called pit can only be known by stepping into it yourself.

You Yang's mind immediately sprang into action. Based on the available hand of cards, he quickly devised a strategy of probing and launching attacks simultaneously.

However, just as You Yang's fingers touched the cards in his hand, preparing to take the first step—

"Motion prediction, intervention decision."

"At that moment, I opened the card!"

Titania's emotionless, synthesized voice suddenly rang out, ruthlessly interrupting You Yang's rhythm. She mechanically raised her right arm, her cold fingertips lashing upwards.

As she moved, the card on the far left of the backcourt flipped over with a piercing system notification sound, emitting a dazzling purplish-red light.

"Activate the Continuous Trap Card - [Phantom Necromancer Protocol]!"

Titania's empty electronic eyes were fixed on You Yang, proclaiming the absolute rule:

"Based on its effect, as long as this card is in the Spell & Trap Zone, the activation of the effects of my own 'Transforming Spirit' cards, and the effects of those activations, will absolutely not be negated."

A crimson energy shield instantly opened on her field, cloaking all the morphing sprites in an indestructible cloak of logic.

"Alright, the defensive barrier has been built."

Titania looked down at You Yang with an emotionless gaze, "Let me see what you, as a human, still have the ability to struggle."

Despite Titania's suffocatingly cold and oppressive aura, You Yang's lips curled into a fanatical smile.

Without hesitation, he drew a card from his hand and slammed it heavily onto the duel disk, his decisive action seemingly cleaving through the oppressive atmosphere of the virtual space!

"I activate the Normal Spell Card from my hand—[Hero's Arrival]!"

As the card was activated, the data stream above You Yang's head surged violently, transforming into a dazzling beam of searchlight that shone straight down.

"The condition for this card is: if you have no face-up monsters on your field, you can activate it by paying half of your Life Points!"

[Youyang: LP 8000 → 4000]

Just as his health points were rapidly decreasing and frozen at 4000, a sudden change occurred!

The fluctuations in the surrounding data suddenly flashed with a blinding white light, and You Yang felt a strong tearing sensation sweep over his entire body.

To his astonishment, he discovered that his arms and torso had begun to flicker violently, becoming somewhat transparent, and he could even vaguely see the data code floating behind him through his flesh!

Moreover, an indescribable chill washed over me.

You Yang could clearly feel that his connection with this real world seemed to have been shortened considerably in the instant he paid out his life points.

If I lose this data duel, I will most likely be stripped of my physical body forever and left in this cold data ruin!

But... so what?!

The flames burning in You Yang's eyes did not go out even for a second.

Despite the intense dizziness caused by his body becoming ethereal, he pulled out the card that represented hope from his deck and, with a do-or-die spirit, slammed the duel disk down!

"Based on the effect, Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Elemental HERO monster from your Deck!"

"I choose to Special Summon Elemental HERO Skywalker from my deck!"

"No matter how dire the situation, a hero is never too late!"

"Descend, my hero!"

boom--!

As if responding to You Yang's indomitable wish, a violent hurricane suddenly swept through the virtual space.

Countless green data streams converged in the gale, accompanied by a crisp engine roar that pierced the sky, and a hero clad in azure armor and equipped with huge turbojet wings on his back descended angrily onto the battlefield, bringing with him a gale that tore everything apart!

【Elemental Heroes: Sky Warrior】【★4】

[Wind/Warrior/Effect] [Attack: 1800 / Defense: 300]

The wind whipped at You Yang's robes as he pointed to the proud hero standing on the field and loudly issued his command:

"I activate the entrance effect of [Elemental HERO Sky Knight]!"

When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can activate one of the following two effects!

"First, destroy a maximum number of Spell/Trap Cards on the field equal to the number of other 'HERO' monsters you control."

"Second, add 1 'HERO' monster from your Deck to your hand."

You Yang's gaze was sharp as a knife: "I choose to activate the second effect!"

Add a Hero Monster from your Deck to your hand!

Despite You Yang's overwhelming momentum, Titania's doll-like face remained completely unmoved.

She simply watched all of this coldly with her electronic eyes flashing red light. Just as Sky Knight's search effect was about to activate, her hand once again swept down mercilessly like a precise machine, revealing another face-down card in the back row.

Before the dazzling storm of Skywalker's appearance had completely subsided, Titania's emotionless, synthesized voice pierced the battlefield like a sharp blade.

"Action confirmed. At this instant, I open the card!"

With her stiff yet swift wave of her hand, the face-down card in the center of the backcourt suddenly flipped over, bursting out with an eerie, dark purple light.

"Activate the Trap Card - [Phantom Spirit Materialization]!"

Titania's electronic eyes, flashing red light, were fixed on the field, mechanically announcing the card effects:

You can activate this card by targeting 1 "Transfiguration" monster in your Graveyard.

"Special Summon that monster in Attack Position, equip this card to that monster as an Equip Card. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster."

"I'm activating against the [Phantom Disturber - King of Privacy Banshee] in the cemetery!"

Just when You Yang thought the other party was simply reviving a monster, Titania's enormous queen—[Phantom Spirit - Titania Management]—suddenly erupted with a high-frequency data roar.

"Tactical calculations continue."

"Then, at that very moment, I chained the activation of [Phantom Spirit Materialization] and activated the effect of [Phantom Spirit: Manager Titania]!"

Titania's fingers tapped rapidly in the void like a piano, weaving a cruel web of chains:

"Once while this card is face-up, during either player's Main Phase, you can send 1 card you control to the Graveyard, then target 1 Effect Monster your opponent controls—gain control of that Effect Monster, and treat it as a 'Transforming Spirit' monster!"