Kira repeated,
"Guard Mines's effect is negated, so the destruction of Hyper Librarian proceeds!"
As the protective wall of bombs shattered and was ground to pieces, the lingering mines detonated, swallowing the Librarian in thunderous blasts.
"To think you had a trap not just to counter my attack, but another to protect your own traps… Is this a King's strategy?"
Antinomy murmured.
"But my tactics don't stop there!"
He thrust out his arm, ejecting a card from his Duel Runner's Graveyard slot.
A figure made of crystal appeared before him, its body dissolving into energy and fusing with the Librarian.
A transparent armor formed over the Librarian, crystal energy shielding him as the landmines detonated mercilessly. The shell cracked and crumbled, but the Librarian remained unscathed.
Kira caught on.
"That was the monster you just discarded with 'Angel Baton,' right?"
"Exactly!"
Antinomy replied.
"That was 'T.G. Metal Skeleton'!
As long as it exists in the GY or on the field, if a TG monster of mine would be destroyed by battle or card effect, I can banish 'T.G. Metal Skeleton' to prevent that destruction!"
A black vortex spun open as the Skeleton was banished from the Graveyard to another dimension.
"So my Hyper Librarian is saved from Widespread Ruin!"
Antinomy pointed at Kira.
"Since Librarian is not destroyed, the battle continues! Hyper Librarian attacks, direct!"
Antinomy held his breath.
He'd just perfectly countered both of Kira's defenses — not just his direct attack trap, but his whole trap-interference setup, neutralized in his favor. If both Hyper Librarian and Rush Rhino connected, their combined damage would clear over 4000 LP — lethal in a single turn!
"This is the Duel King of the future Riding World — impressive!"
Kira grinned.
"But if it ended so easily, that'd be letting down the pride of my dimension!"
He burst out laughing, sent another card from the hand tray, and slammed it onto his duel disk.
Streams of light and data surged from the plate, bursting from his Duel Runner.
At the last possible instant, just before the Librarian's attack landed, thick darkness erupted in front of his Duel Runner.
A vortex of dark-purple mist tore through the air, lightning-veined thunderstorms, and soul-blue fires rising from the rift in eerie wails.
A dragon over twenty meters long emerged, its abyss-black scales bristling with jagged bone spines like a guillotine, the mask of a demon draped over its brow, jaws roaring with purple-black eldritch fire that seemed to freeze time itself.
The Hyper Librarian halted, staring up in dread.
"What!?"
Antinomy was stunned.
"Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord!
When your opponent's card is negated by your Counter Trap, this monster can be Special Summoned from your hand!"
[Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord, ATK 2800]
"You just had your 'Guard Mines' negated by my 'Trap Jammer,' so my Dark Dragon Lord is special summoned now."
Antinomy was incredulous.
A third layer of defense — and still a further line sneaking into the offensive!
Was all of it just build-up for the Dark Dragon Lord?
"But, since a new monster was Special Summoned during the attack, battle steps rewind!"
Antinomy explained.
"Attack declaration canceled. Librarian, fall back!"
The Librarian swiftly withdrew, returning to Antinomy's side on alert.
"But even if you forfeit the attack, you can't completely avoid the backlash." Kira smirked.
"What?"
Antinomy frowned.
Kira explained:
"Dark Dragon Lord's effect — when Special Summoned because a Counter Trap negated my opponent's card, depending on the card type negated, I get another effect.
Since I negated a Trap, I can destroy one card on your side of the field."
Antinomy paled.
A secret offense layered under three defenses!
This guy...
"Sorry, but it looks like you still can't protect your Librarian."
"Dark Dragon Lord, destroy 'T.G. Hyper Librarian!'"
The Dark Dragon Lord roared, unleashing a current of black lightning.
The Librarian tried to retreat, but the darkness relentlessly hunted him down.
Antinomy's eyes narrowed, but once more he held his ground:
"Then I activate my face-down: Continuous Trap 'Metal Coat!'
After activation, it equips to a monster, and that monster cannot be destroyed by card effects." (Anime card.)
He indicated the Librarian.
A layer of metallic armor formed around the Librarian, gleaming silver.
The Dark Dragon Lord's overwhelming fury crashed against the shell, explosive shockwaves dispersing, the armor absorbing the blow.
"Whoa — even that was blocked? Impressive."
Kira was sincerely impressed.
That Librarian was like an immortal cockroach, defense after defense, still not gone.
Yet Antinomy was secretly anxious.
He'd laid all these counters, originally reserved for future ace Synchro summons — but in just one round had been forced to burn them all.
This was the power of a King?
He realized: Against this man, even the slightest mistake would be fatal.
Burying traps was one of this King's greatest talents — he'd have to tread carefully.
"I set one card face-down and end my turn!"