The Queen's final evolution. Her body grew rapidly under a halo of transparent light, her looks and figure becoming increasingly regal. Her attire and jewelry also became more luxurious and dazzling.
Allure Queen LV7, Summon!
[Allure Queen LV7, ATK 1500]
"Field Spell 'Allure Palace' also increases Allure Queen's ATK by 500!"
[Allure Queen LV7, ATK 1500 → ATK 2000]
"And now, Allure Queen LV7's effect! Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can charm one monster on the opponent's field!"
The Queen announced proudly:
"And now that I've evolved to LV7, my charm has been fully unleashed! I can now absorb monsters regardless of their Level—I can charm and absorb any monster at all!
Charm and absorb 'Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World' as well!"
The LV7 Queen blinked those expressive, speaking eyes of hers, and arcs of lightning shot out—literally. That electric pulse struck Netherlord of Dark World. The burly demon shuddered, then as if possessed, his gaze turned vacant as he staggered toward the Queen's side, coming to a stop behind her like a puppet.
"And now, the effect of the Continuous Spell 'Allure Dance'!" the Queen continued. "As long as this card remains on the field, whenever my Allure Queen equips an opponent's monster by her own effect, she gains ATK equal to that monster's attack value!"
Kira: "So you've finally given the Queen the ability to gain attack from her equipped monsters."
For a low-ATK boss monster like the Queen, this was indeed a rather important boost.
"That's right. Therefore, Allure Queen gains ATK equal to the 2400 of 'Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World' that she's absorbed!"
[Allure Queen LV7, ATK 2000 → ATK 4400]
In an instant, her power shot past Obelisk and approached Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon levels. Even the Queen herself felt her chest lift higher, as if her whole being had become a lot more confident.
The two powerful high-Level monsters her opponent had summoned this turn were instantly all absorbed. Flush with success, the Queen felt like the world belonged to her alone. She shouted and waved her arm: "First, switch 'Queen's Bodyguard' back to Attack Position."
"The battle phase!
'Allure Queen LV7', attack 'Brron, Mad King of Dark World'!"
Dark World Mad King's face twisted slightly as he cast a questioning look at his master.
As if saying, You're not seriously sending me to fight that, right?
Kira chuckled, not letting him go to his death. Instead, he calmly slipped a card from his hand into the Graveyard.
"At the moment of attack declaration, I discard 'Sphere Kuriboh' from my hand. Monster effect activates.
The attacking monster is forced to change to Defense Position."
Kuriboh was tossed into the Graveyard. A round golden Kuriboh-like ball with tiny hands popped out onto the field, unleashing a domineering golden shockwave. The force pressed down onto the Queen, and she immediately held her breath, shifting from offense to defense and crouching low into a guarding stance.
[Allure Queen LV7, ATK 4400 → DEF 2000]
Allure Queen LV7's original DEF was 2000. "Allure Dance" only allowed the Queen to gain ATK from her equipped monsters, not DEF. However, the Field Spell "Allure Palace" increased both ATK and DEF by 500, so at this moment, her DEF was 2000.
"Tch, to think you blocked it with such a trash monster." The Queen spat, annoyed. "The Royal Guard's attack is still too weak to break through Brron, so I'll skip their attack for now."
She drew another card from her hand.
"I activate the Spell Card 'One Day of Peace'!
Both players draw one card, and until the end of the opponent's next turn, all damage both players take becomes 0!"
Kira nodded slightly and drew a card. A transparent barrier spread out from the Spell Card in the Queen's backrow, covering the entire field in a faint golden protective film.
Within this barrier, monster battles and destruction could still occur, but all forms of damage were nullified, granting both sides what looked like a rare turn of truce and respite.
Or at least, that's what the Queen thought.
"My turn. Draw."
Kira glanced at the card he'd drawn. After a pause, he suddenly smiled slightly and looked up.
For some reason, when the Queen met those clearly smiling eyes, a chill ran down her spine.
"You don't really think that, since neither of us can inflict any damage this turn, this is going to be a rare chance to rest and catch our breath, do you?"
The Queen froze.
She didn't answer, but a seed of doubt had taken root in her heart.
Is it not?
Are you going to somehow kill me through One Day of Peace?
"A Duel is a battlefield. On a battlefield, there is never a real ceasefire, and there is no such thing as absolute safety. If you can't even grasp that much, then it seems, Queen, that you're not a very qualified leader."
Rage flared in her chest. "What did you say?"
His disdain and provocation infuriated her, yet at the same time, a deep, gnawing unease grew in her heart.
What is he going to do?
"The effect of 'Genta, Gateman of Dark World' in my hand."
Kira revealed the monster in his hand.
"I discard this card from my hand to the Graveyard, and add one 'The Gates of Dark World' from my Deck to my hand."
He sent the monster to the Graveyard. An image of a Dark World demon holding a huge shield flickered briefly on the field.
"Then I activate the Field Spell 'The Gates of Dark World' again!"
The dark domain reopened. A new Field Spell was activated, shattering the old one. Dark, evil energy swept across what remained of the Queen's palace in an instant. The erupting darkness corroded the walls; the magnificent pillars crumbled as if weathered by centuries.
The dome slammed to the ground with a thunderous crash, scattering into rubble. In its place, a pitch-black realm unfolded again. A towering, imposing gate rose up from the earth as the world once again sank into darkness.
"Since your Field Spell was destroyed, the Queen's ATK and DEF drop accordingly," Kira said.
[Allure Queen LV7, ATK 4400 → ATK 3900]
[Allure Queen LV7, DEF 2000 → DEF 1500]
The Queen snorted coldly and held her tongue.
"'The Gates of Dark World' effect: I banish 'Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World', a Fiend-Type monster, from my Graveyard, then discard a Fiend from my hand to draw one card."
Kira cycled his hand.
The Queen said in a low voice, "The Fiend you discard from your hand is going to trigger a monster effect again, isn't it?"
"Haha, you're starting to get the hang of it." He smiled. "Exactly. I just discarded 'Ceruli, Guru of Dark World'.
When this card is discarded to the Graveyard by a card effect of a 'Dark World' card, it Special Summons itself to the opponent's field in Defense Position."
The Queen: "?"
For a moment, she thought she'd heard wrong.
But when she saw that clump of dark energy fly from his Graveyard to her field and materialize as a short, hunched little demon squatting on her side, a string of question marks popped up in her head.
Huh? On my field?
What in the world?
…