'Magical Stone Excavation'—activate again!
Everyone now knew what would happen: two 'Night Assailant' cards recycle infinitely, 'Magical Stone Excavation' activates infinitely, 'Rapid-Fire Magician' burns infinite life points.
Spectators couldn't help but feel relieved they weren't the ones getting destroyed. If they'd had to suffer this kind of mental torture—especially in a Shadow Duel—even if they survived, they'd probably be traumatized for life.
But Kaihara Ryusuke wasn't done yet!
"Counter Trap—'Magic Jammer'!" Kaihara shouted. "I discard a card to negate and destroy a Spell Card.
Your 'Magical Stone Excavation' is negated!"
The audience cheered.
"Nice move, boss!"
Even though 'Magical Stone Excavation' could recycle itself, negating just one broke the loop. No infinite recovery—no infinite ammo. Without it, 'Rapid-Fire Magician' could only do 400 damage per card, nothing to fear.
"Now your chain is broken." Kaihara sneered. "Impressive combo, but I bet that was your deck's strongest move, right?"
Indeed, for most decks, an infinite loop combo is the core strategy. Once broken, the rest of the cards lose much of their power.
But that's in most cases.
"Yeah, it's a bit of a headache having it negated. Manager, you're really good."
Kira shrugged.
"But, even though the activation was negated, I still discarded two 'Night Assailant' as the cost. So their effects activate, returning each other to my hand."
Kaihara watched Kira recover the two cards, unfazed.
Without the engine, what could he do?
"I activate the Spell Card 'Dual Gate.' By banishing this card and a copy in the Graveyard, I draw two cards."
One copy is banished from the graveyard, then Kira draws two cards.
"'Rapid-Fire Magician's' effect—400 points of damage."
[Kaihara, LP 3200 → 2800]
Kaihara didn't care about such minor damage anymore.
"Then I Normal Summon—Dark Crusader!"
[Dark Crusader, ATK 1600]
"ATK only 1600, and you're attacking?" Kaihara frowned.
He didn't mock the low attack—after that first turn, he felt an unnamed dread.
"Dark Crusader's effect: Discard a DARK monster from your hand, it gains 400 ATK."
Kira showed a card.
"I discard 'Night Assailant,' Dark Crusader gains 400 ATK."
Kaihara smiled. "That's only 2000."
"Then I activate the effect again, discarding another 'Night Assailant' for another 400 ATK."
Now Kaihara's expression changed.
"It's not once per turn!?"
"Exactly." Kira nodded. "And 'Night Assailant's' effect—you know the drill. When sent to the Graveyard, it recycles a Flip Effect monster.
I recover the first 'Night Assailant.'"
Kaihara's mouth twitched. The spectators' eyes went wide, jaws dropping.
"Discard the first 'Night Assailant,' Dark Crusader gains 400 ATK. Its effect triggers—recover another 'Night Assailant' from the Graveyard."
Kaihara: "..."
He was speechless.
Another infinite loop!?
Kaihara was shocked.
Three infinite loops in just two turns!
In his life, he'd only ever seen three infinite loops—all in this duel, in two turns, from the same opponent.
For this guy, infinite loops were as easy as eating or drinking.
The crowd was stunned. Those who had been too afraid to duel Kira earlier now felt lucky—that was the wisest decision they'd ever made. This Revolver was on a totally different level.
"Of course, after infinite loops, Dark Crusader's final ATK is…"
[Dark Crusader, ATK ∞]
Infinite attack!
Kaihara was numb.
It was his first time seeing infinite attack—on his opponent's side, no less.
"Dark Crusader, attack Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness!"
Kaihara couldn't let that go through. An infinite attack would obliterate him.
Facing the crushing pressure, Kaihara shouted, barely keeping his courage up.
"I activate the Trap 'Security Orb'! When your monster declares an attack, it switches to Defense Position!
'Dark Crusader' to Defense Position!"
[Dark Crusader, ATK ∞ → DEF 200]
Forcing it to defense, the threat was neutralized. Kaihara could finally breathe.
"Blocked the infinite attack loop! Not bad!" Kira praised, smiling. "Then 'Rapid-Fire Magician' switches to defense too. Turn end."
"My turn—draw!"
Kaihara declared.
This Revolver—he was too dangerous.
He'd never experienced such an absurd duel. Every time his opponent acted, it was like dancing on a razor's edge.
This turn, he'd summon his ultimate ace!
"'A Legendary Ocean' effect—Level 7 WATER monsters in hand become Level 6. I tribute Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness to Tribute Summon my signature monster,
----Levia-Dragon - Daedalus!"
The watery city churned, bubbles rising. The sea-blue dragon roared upward!
[Levia-Dragon - Daedalus, ATK 2600]
"Daedalus's effect: By sending the Field Spell 'Umi' to the Graveyard, destroy all other cards on the field!
I send A Legendary Ocean to the Graveyard—Daedalus, destroy everything!"
The sea dragon roared, the underwater city collapsed, and a torrent swept the field—total field wipe.
"Then Daedalus attacks directly!"
A surging whirlpool shot from the dragon's mouth, slamming into Kira.
[Kira, LP 4000 → 1400]
"Hahaha! This is my true power—the ocean's ruler, Levia-Dragon - Daedalus!"
He was finally confident. If he could just survive to the next turn…
"My turn—draw," Kira said. "I activate 'Graceful Charity'—draw three, discard two."
Two cards to the grave, another golden burst.
"One discarded card is 'Card of Compensation'—when sent to the Graveyard, draw two more."
"Then I Normal Summon 'Monster Eye.'"
[Monster Eye, DEF 350]
Several floating eyeballs appeared—creepy monsters that seemed to sap sanity.
Kaihara frowned.
What now?
"The other card discarded with 'Graceful Charity' is 'Makyura the Destructor,' so I can activate Traps from hand this turn," Kira said.
"I activate the Continuous Trap 'Call of the Haunted' from hand, reviving 'Rapid-Fire Magician' in attack position."
[Rapid-Fire Magician, ATK 1600]
"That thing again?" Kaihara frowned. "But at most, you only have one 'Night Assailant' left—and no 'Magical Stone Excavation.'
Even if you revive it, no infinite loop."
"True."
Kira smiled.
"Next, from my hand, I activate the Continuous Spell 'Brain Research Lab.' As long as this is on the field, when I would pay Life Points to activate the effect of a Psychic-Type monster, I can place a Psychic Counter on this card instead."
"Psychic-Type? But you have none on the field… Wait, are you going to burn with 'Rapid-Fire Magician' again?"
"No, 'Rapid-Fire Magician' only triggers with Normal Spells. 'Brain Research Lab' is a Continuous Spell."
Kira said.
"But next, I activate 'Spell Reproduction' from my hand—discard two Spell Cards to recover a Spell from the Graveyard."
A weaker version of 'Magical Stone Excavation'—it can only discard Spells, so even with two 'Night Assailant,' it won't work in the loop.
"I discard two Spell Cards to recover 'Magical Stone Excavation' from my Graveyard. 'Rapid-Fire Magician' effect—400 damage."
[Kaihara, LP 2800 → 2400]
"So what?" Kaihara said coldly. "You can use 'Magical Stone Excavation' to recover 'Spell Reproduction,' but you can't recycle your hand. No infinite loop."
"Not necessarily." Kira smiled. "Monster Eye's effect—pay 1000 LP to retrieve 'Polymerization' from the Graveyard.
And the effect isn't once per turn."
Kaihara: "?"
Retrieve 'Polymerization' from the Graveyard?
"Yes—so I pay 2000 LP to retrieve two 'Polymerizations' from the Graveyard," Kira said.
Kaihara's pupils shrank—he suddenly understood.
Right.
Discard two 'Polymerizations' to activate 'Spell Reproduction' and recover 'Magical Stone Excavation.' Use Monster Eye's effect to recover both 'Polymerizations,' then discard them again for 'Magical Stone Excavation' and recover 'Spell Reproduction'...
Another infinite loop!
He panicked for a moment, then calmed down.
"No, Monster Eye's effect costs 1000 LP per use. You don't have that much LP..."
Then he looked at 'Brain Research Lab' on Kira's field, realization dawning.
"Your hand—do you also have...?"
"Oh? Did you guess? Pretty sharp."
Kira smiled.
"Makyura the Destructor's effect lets me activate Traps from hand.
Continuous Trap 'DNA Surgery'—declare a Type; all monsters become that Type.
Of course, I declare 'Psychic-Type.'"
Now Monster Eye became Psychic, and with 'Brain Research Lab' on the field, activating its effect cost no LP—just place a counter.
The last piece of the puzzle fell into place.
Kaihara's face twitched, unable to believe what he was seeing.
What a cosmic joke.
Yet another infinite loop in the same duel!?
"Monster Eye's effect: pay 2000 LP to recover two 'Polymerizations' from the Graveyard. But with 'Brain Research Lab,' I don't pay LP.
Activate 'Magical Stone Excavation,' discard two 'Polymerizations' to recover 'Spell Reproduction.'
'Rapid-Fire Magician'—400 damage.
Monster Eye effect, recover two 'Polymerizations.' Then activate 'Spell Reproduction,' discard two 'Polymerizations' to recover 'Magical Stone Excavation.'
'Rapid-Fire Magician'—400 damage."
400 damage at a time, over and over, like a relentless bee stinging Kaihara endlessly...
The room was silent.
No one spoke—no one dared.
Everyone watched as their manager was ruthlessly executed by this endless loop.
Finally, after countless cycles—
"'Rapid-Fire Magician' effect—400 damage." Kira smiled. "Sorry, but it looks like... you're done."
[Kaihara, LP 0]
Kaihara: "..."