Yugioh [784-786]

Chapter 784: Damn You, Pegasus!

"By Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon's effect, Red-Eyes Black Dragon is revived!"

Joey shouted. A spiral pillar of flame roared skyward, molding itself into the silhouette of a burning black dragon. The armor like blazing magma slowly peeled away, returning to the most classic form: Red-Eyes Black Dragon!
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK 2400]

"Sorry to trouble you again, old friend," Joey smiled at Red-Eyes. "But I'll have to borrow your strength once more."

Red-Eyes seemed to truly understand and let out a domineering draconic roar in response.

"The Red-Eyes revived by Alternative Black Dragon has its ATK doubled!"

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK 2400 → 4800]

"Oh my God, four thousand eight attack points!" Pegasus feigned shock. "Unbelievable, Joey-boy!"

Joey squinted at him. "Your acting is way too over the top, Pegasus."

"Is it?"

Pegasus dropped the terrified look in an instant, gracefully brushed aside the hair covering half his face, and chuckled.

"My, I thought Joey-boy was the simple-minded type. Seems you're not that easy to fool."

Joey snorted heavily.

He hadn't forgotten Pegasus's underhanded hidden ability with Relinquished. Back then, Yugi had been burned hard by it.

When Relinquished has a monster equipped from absorbing it, if it's attacked, it can choose any of its equipped monsters to take the attack instead.

The equipped monster can be destroyed in place of Relinquished, and the battle damage is dealt to the original owner of the destroyed monster.

This effect is even nastier than its printed card version; the real card only nerfed it, not removed it.

The printed Relinquished, when it has an equipped monster and takes an attack, the controller also takes the damage, but they can reflect effect damage to the opponent equal to the battle damage they took.

Also, in the anime Relinquished could absorb only once per turn, but it had no limit on total equipped monsters. In the real card, it can equip at most one, and if it already has one equipped it can't absorb a new one.

So if Joey really charged in recklessly with his 4800-ATK Red-Eyes, Relinquished would simply use the equipped "Archfiend Black Skull Dragon" as a shield.

Black Skull Dragon would be destroyed instead of Relinquished, and the resulting 1600 battle damage would be reflected back to Joey, the original owner of Black Skull Dragon.

Relinquished itself would be unscathed. Next turn it would of course absorb Joey's 4800-ATK Red-Eyes, and Joey might truly be done for.

"My, pity you saw through that," Pegasus smiled. "But that means your hard-won 4800-ATK Red-Eyes can't attack. No matter how many you bring, they're just fodder for Relinquished."

"Is that so?" Joey huffed. "I admit, Relinquished is a tough monster. But the duelist isn't invincible—don't forget that, Pegasus.

I activate this card from my hand!"

He slammed a Spell onto his Duel Disk. Electricity traced along the disk as if power truly flowed into Red-Eyes; the dragon raised its head and roared.

"Spell Card 'Inferno Fire Blast'!"

"When you control 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon,' choose one Red-Eyes Black Dragon you control and inflict damage to your opponent equal to its original ATK!"

Pegasus's smile vanished.

"Original ATK!?"

"That's right. Alternative Black Dragon doubled Red-Eyes's original ATK!" Joey said. "Therefore, Red-Eyes's original ATK is now…"

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK 4800]

"Four thousand eight hundred."

Pegasus's face twitched.

A 4800-point Inferno Fire Blast—after taking that, not even his adopted sons would be able to identify the remains!

"Take this, Pegasus!" Joey shouted. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon—Inferno Fire Blast!"

Red-Eyes opened its jaws. Hellfire seemed to well up endlessly into its maw, coalescing into a spiraling black fireball spewed toward Pegasus!

"I activate my set card—Trap Card 'Graverobber'!"

Pegasus instantly sprung his trap.

"Take one card from your opponent's Graveyard and you may use Graverobber as that card immediately."

Joey's expression tightened.

"You bastard, using my card!"

In the original, the all-purpose Trap Graverobber was one of Joey's iconic cards, often the key to his victories.

"I don't quite understand. This was published by Industrial Illusions after all," Pegasus smiled.

"In that case, you're surely most familiar with Graverobber's effect.

The card I'll take from your Graveyard is… Counter Trap 'Trap of Board Eraser'!"
"When an effect other than battle damage would inflict damage, negate the effect damage to yourself, then you may also discard one random card from your opponent's hand."

Pegasus chuckled.

"Now then, show me your hand."

Joey wordlessly revealed his cards.

"Oh, 'Red-Eyes Spirit,' a Trap that can revive any Red-Eyes monster from the Graveyard. That won't do." Pegasus snapped his fingers. "This card disappears, Joey-boy."

The Trap vanished to dust from Joey's hand.

"Tch, damn you, Pegasus," Joey muttered.

"Hahaha, I'll take that as a compliment," Pegasus smiled. "It's a pity your Inferno Fire Blast combo failed.

But it's still your turn. Come, Joey-boy—what will you do now?"

Joey grunted.

"On the turn I activate Inferno Fire Blast, Red-Eyes can't attack. My turn's over."

"Oh? Ending just like that?" Pegasus said with a smile.

"Is that really wise, Joey-boy? Could it be—your perfectly powered-up Red-Eyes will become Relinquished's fodder next turn?"

Joey: "…"

"Oh! I forgot, sorry. Even if you could attack, damage to Relinquished would only rebound and speed your defeat. So you're 'utterly helpless,' yes?"

Joey: "…"

Pegasus laughed heartily.

"In that case, I'll take it from here, Joey-boy!

My turn, draw!
Go, Relinquished—absorb Joey-boy's soul—and his Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Chapter 785: Relinquished Tightens the Noose

"Relinquished's effect!" Pegasus called out, laughing. "Absorb Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Anime Relinquished has no limit on total absorbed monsters, only once per turn, and it stacks the ATK of all absorbed monsters. Each time it would be destroyed by battle, it can use an equipped monster as a shield instead.

Truly offense and defense in one—Pegasus's proudest self-printed ace.

Once it gained Red-Eyes's power, his Relinquished would be unstoppable!

"Not so fast!" Joey cut in. "I activate my set card!

Continuous Trap 'Dimension Gate'!"

His backrow flipped. The moment the Trap activated, a massive blue dimensional vortex appeared on his field. Its powerful pull caught Red-Eyes, attempting to draw it in. The deep blue tide looked like it led to some unknown beyond.

"Dimension Gate's effect: When it activates, I can choose one face-up monster I control and banish it!" Joey said. "I choose Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

"Oh?" Pegasus narrowed his eye with interest. "So you're giving up your ace to dodge me—are you that afraid of Relinquished?"

He knew exactly what Joey was doing. The monster banished by Dimension Gate wasn't completely gone; when the Continuous Trap left the field, the monster would return.

And when the opponent declares a direct attack, a face-up Dimension Gate can send itself to the Graveyard to revive the banished monster.

Relinquished's effect can only activate in the Main Phase, not in the Battle Phase. So Pegasus would have to attack into Joey's empty field, and Joey would resummon Red-Eyes as a shield.

Then either Pegasus would attack into Red-Eyes and destroy it, or go to Main Phase 2 to absorb it, either way Joey survives the turn.

"Heh, as a defensive tactic, not bad. But…"

Pegasus's smile turned cold.

"You're still too green!"

He swept his arm; his backrow responded.

"Quick-Play Spell 'Mystical Space Typhoon'!" Pegasus revealed it. "Destroy one Spell/Trap on the field.

I'll destroy the Continuous Trap 'Dimension Gate'!"

A black squall engulfed the vortex, pitch lightning crashing down. The Gate was obliterated.

"While Dimension Gate can revive the banished monster when it goes to the Graveyard, as a Continuous Trap, if I destroy it before its effect resolves, it won't bring anything back."

Pegasus sneered.

"So its effect won't resolve. It's simply destroyed."

"NANI?" Joey flinched.

Damn Pegasus—so troublesome he even shut down the banish-escape route…

"Hahahahaha—"

Pegasus laughed triumphantly.

"Nice struggle, Joey-boy, but accept reality! Red-Eyes is mine!"

Joey's defense was broken; Red-Eyes was absorbed into Relinquished. After one unwilling roar, Red-Eyes was swallowed by the churning black mist, its cry cut off. Like a marionette with strings severed, it became part of Relinquished's power.

"This is truly the end… But to die by your soul's Red-Eyes and your camaraderie's Black Skull Dragon together—there's honor in that.

Rest in peace, Joey-boy."

Pegasus closed his eye, paused mysteriously, then smiled coldly.

"And then, be reborn as an emissary of Light."

"What?" Joey frowned.

But Pegasus didn't elaborate. He shouted, "Relinquished—finish Joey-boy!"

Relinquished's single eye opened, a strange green light blooming. Bound by chains of darkness, Red-Eyes and Archfiend Black Skull Dragon flew out together; black flame and hellfire converged, as if to melt Joey entirely.

Flames blazed sky-high, shockwaves spread. Flickering light cast grim, twisted shadows on wall and ceiling like demons laughing.

But just before the inferno touched Joey—

"Then I activate my set card!" Joey cried. "Continuous Trap 'Fairy Boxs'!"

A huge box appeared on his field, pocked with holes like a whack-a-mole game.

"Fairy Boxs: Each time an opponent's monster declares an attack, you must call a coin toss! If you call it right, the attacking monster's ATK becomes 0!"

One of Joey's classic life-saver traps from his early days, part of the Coin-and-Dice bundle.

Honestly, if he didn't have to, Joey didn't really want to rely on this card.

Because he'd resolved to prove himself.

And yet, here he was relying on a coin again…

He realized it had always been like this. Every time he faced a sufficiently strong opponent, he'd exhaust every trick and outplay, and in the final moment he'd have to pull out dice and coins. Like a curse.

Maybe this was the legendary Gambler.

Whatever. Coin it is. He'd do it.

"Come on then, damn you, Pegasus!" Joey said. "Got the guts to face me in a coin toss?"

"At last, the legendary coin," Pegasus chuckled. "But alas, I'm not in the mood. I won't play coin games with you today."

"Nani?"

"Counter Trap 'Trap Jammer,'" Pegasus said. "When your opponent activates a Trap Card during the Battle Phase: negate its activation, and destroy it!"

Joey: "!"

His last line of defense—beneath the giant box, a magic circle flared. The box dissolved away without a trace.

"This time, it really ends," Pegasus declared. "Vanish, Joey Wheeler!"

Boom!
A burning storm swept through like a fiery tornado. Joey and half his field were swallowed, black flames lancing up to the ceiling.

"My, not a bad showing. But unfortunate," Pegasus smiled. "My duel is perfect. As I said, the power gap hasn't changed since Duelist Kingdom…
Hm?"

Pegasus's expression shifted.

As the flames and smoke cleared, Joey Wheeler… was still standing.

"What?" Pegasus gaped. "Why? I should have broken through all your defenses…"

"Not all."

Joey smiled and motioned to another Trap.

"What I sent to the Graveyard last turn wasn't just Red-Eyes—there was also this card.

'Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light.'"

Joey held up the Trap.

"During your opponent's turn, I can banish this from the Graveyard. For the rest of this turn, your opponent cannot attack directly!"

Chapter 786: The Fury of the Common Man

Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light!

"Activating a Trap from the Graveyard?" Pegasus was startled.

A red Trap appeared above Joey's field, fading into a phantom. Golden blades formed a sealing array, stabbing down into the field, linking into a barrier of light that blocked all of Pegasus's attacks for the turn.

"I see. Seems shaking you off won't be so easy after all. Very well.

I'll set one card and end my turn."

Pegasus regained his composure and smirked.

"Even so, your crisis isn't over.

Your Red-Eyes has become Relinquished's fodder, and the board is firmly mine. At the end of the day, you're just a mere mortal…"

"Shut up."

Joey cut him off impatiently.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. I am just a mere mortal."

"So what if I am?"

"Even as a mortal, I've fought my way here. Whether the foe is a three-thousand-year-old priest, a god, or a demon—they're all just that."

"Will I lose? Of course. I've lost more times than I can count," Joey said, almost proudly. "But why can't I lose?"

"I'm just an ordinary guy. Naturally I'll lose, I'll fall. Even the dice people say I rely on have betrayed me before."

"But so what? If I fall, I just stand back up, don't I? Stand tall before those cheaters and say, head held high, I want another round!"

He thumped his chest, then looked blankly at Pegasus.

"You? You're not really Pegasus… Or even if you are, your brainwashing runs deep."

"What did you say?" Pegasus's face darkened.

"If it were President Pegasus, he'd understand this. Back in his Duelist Kingdom, I was a clueless rookie. But even so, through battles with gods and devils, I walked step by step to where I am now."

"You're right: I'm just a mortal. And like you said, many see me as Yugi's tagalong. Maybe I'll never catch up to him in my whole life.

But! I still haven't given up the chase, because I promised him—I'd become a true duelist!"

Pegasus: "…"

"My turn—draw!"

Joey drew, then raised a card high—the famous DM trio treasure, the gambler's signature card that belonged to him alone.

"Spell Card 'Roll of Fate'!"

"Roll one die. Then banish that many cards from the top of your Deck, and draw the same number!" (Anime card)

"No matter how prettily you say it, you end up relying on a die," Pegasus sneered.

"Shut it! Yeah, I'm rolling a die, so what?" Joey shot back. "At least I don't fear failure. Whatever number comes, I won't fear my fate!"

The die clattered.

A five.

The gambler was steady today.

"Good. I banish five cards from the top of my Deck," Joey shouted. "Then I draw five!"

He immediately slammed down one of the drawn cards.

"Spell Card 'De-Spell'—destroy any Spell on the field."

"A Spell…" Pegasus frowned, glancing at Relinquished. "Could it be…"

"That's right. Though my Red-Eyes was absorbed, as an Equip on the field it's treated as a Spell," Joey said. "I'm destroying Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Green light shot out, striking the equipped Red-Eyes at Pegasus's backrow. Red-Eyes was destroyed and vanished.

Pegasus smiled lightly.

"So ruthless to your own Red-Eyes."

"Don't worry. My bond with Red-Eyes is irreplaceable. I'll show you now," Joey said. "I activate the Spell 'Silent Doom' to Special Summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position.

I Special Summon 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon' from the Graveyard—come back, Red-Eyes!"

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, DEF 2000]

"At this point, even if you bring back Red-Eyes, what good does it do?" Pegasus said. "Red-Eyes can't beat Relinquished—and did you forget?

Any damage to Relinquished gets dealt to you instead!"

"Shut up, I know!

I activate the Spell 'Polymerization'!
I fuse the Red-Eyes Black Dragon on my field with 'Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact' in my hand—

—Descend, Meteor Black Comet Dragon!!!"

It was as if the walls of time and space shuddered; even Pegasus's castle trembled at that dreadful power. A scorching heat wave rushed forth, subterranean magma roared like an enraged beast, and space itself seemed to ignite.

The dragon's body looked like pure fire condensed, the flames dancing and coiling upon it like living things. The heat it released could incinerate anything. Its eyes were two burning dark-red flames, exuding a king's dominance.

Meteor Black Comet Dragon—summoned!

[Meteor Black Comet Dragon, ATK 3500]

"Another Red-Eyes?"

Pegasus felt the oppressive pressure from this new Red-Eyes and couldn't help but tremble. But he quickly steadied himself.

"ATK 3500—a powerful monster, I admit. But it still can't beat Relin—"

"Meteor Black Comet Dragon's effect!" Joey said. "When this card is Fusion Summoned: send one 'Red-Eyes' monster from your hand or Deck to the GY, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to half that monster's original ATK!"

Pegasus was startled.

Direct burn again—

[Pegasus, LP 400]

In other words, as long as the chosen Red-Eyes had at least 800 ATK, this would be lethal!

"I send 'Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon' from my Deck to the GY!" Joey said. "Black Metal's ATK is 2800, so Pegasus—you take half of that… 1400 damage!"

The Comet Dragon soared high. Black Metal Dragon's phantom flashed, then turned into blazing fire and merged into the Comet Dragon, surging at Pegasus with raging fury!

But Pegasus had a counter!

"I activate the Trap 'Energy-Absorbing Monolith'!"

A huge absorption panel appeared in his backrow. The raging fire smashed into it and turned into a warm flow that poured into Pegasus!

"Energy-Absorbing Monolith turns effect damage you would take into LP recovery!"

[Pegasus, LP 400 → 1800]

"NANI!"

Joey was stunned again.

"Damn you, Pegasus—you even blocked that!?"

"Puhuhuhu… Hahahaha—"

Pegasus beamed.

"For a mortal, you really are impressive, Joey-boy. I can see you've given it your all. I have to admit—you've surpassed yourself again and again."

He paused, then sneered twice.

"But this is the end. Your limit seems to end here. Next turn, Relinquished will absorb your Comet Dragon.

Though the process grew complicated, the outcome won't change—"

"So what?" Joey stuck out his tongue.

"What?"

"Comet Dragon's power doesn't stop there," Joey said. "Even if I'm a mere mortal, I won't back down, and I won't run from battle.

What a man should do is charge forward and flatten everything with unwavering courage!

Battle!"

Joey declared the attack, brimming with spirit.

"Meteor Black Comet Dragon—attack Relinquished!"

"Pointless struggling!" Pegasus barked. "Relinquished—use 'Archfiend Black Skull Dragon' to block!"

Comet Dragon and Black Skull Dragon—Joey's two aces—rushed each other from opposite fields with their ultimate techniques!

Pegasus smiled coldly.

Use Black Skull as fodder, then absorb Comet Dragon next turn for the finish.

He had won.

As for that "charge forward like a man"…

Pegasus smirked.

Just bluster to make defeat look gallant.

"I activate my set card!" Joey said. "Trap Card 'Universal Adapter'!
Choose one monster on your opponent's field; all other monsters on the field have their ATK become the same as the chosen monster's!
I choose Relinquished—Meteor Black Comet Dragon's ATK becomes equal to Relinquished's!"

[Meteor Black Comet Dragon, ATK 3500 → 3200]

Pegasus: "???"

What? Self-nerf?

He froze for two seconds, trying to parse Joey's intent.

To mitigate damage?

But even if damage reflects, it'd only be 300. Why bother?

"Indeed, whether your ATK is higher or lower than Relinquished, you'll take the battle damage yourself. This is the only way to avoid damage."

Pegasus frowned.

"But that means your 'Meteor Black Comet Dragon' will also be destroyed by battle.

And I'll use 'Archfiend Black Skull Dragon' to be destroyed instead of Relinquished!"

As expected, the two aces clashed, tip to tip. A terrifying blast of shock and molten flame swallowed both Comet and Black Skull—mutual destruction.

"And my Relinquished remains unscathed," Pegasus sneered. "So you've given up and chosen a dignified exit for your monster?

Well, that's not unreas— Huh!?"

His tone suddenly spiked at the end, eyes going wide.

On Joey's field, that towering frame, that proud draconic head, those dark-red eyes like molten lava flowing within—

That was…
Red-Eyes!?

[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ATK 2400]

"I wanted a double KO," Joey said. "Meteor Black Comet Dragon has another effect: if it's sent from the Monster Zone to the GY, Special Summon one Normal Monster from your GY!"

"N-nani!?" Pegasus blanched.

Impossible.

This guy—just a mere mortal—
Did he truly surpass my duel?

[Relinquished, ATK 0]

"Now Relinquished has lost its equips, lost its ATK, and has nothing to stand in for destruction or to take damage for you.

Go, Red-Eyes!"

Joey shouted.

"Let him taste the fury of us common folk!

Inferno Fire Blast!!!"

Red-Eyes roared; black flame spiraled from its jaws—
[Pegasus, LP 400 → LP 0]