"T.G. Metal Skeleton—attack 'Marshmallon'!" Antinomy declared.
If this attack went through, it was his victory!
But even as victory seemed in hand, Antinomy felt no thrill—no sense of triumph.
Could I really win?
Just then, another Trap card sprang up beside Kira's Duel Runner.
"I activate my Set card: the Continuous Trap 'Spirit Barrier.'
So long as I control a monster, all battle damage I take becomes 0!"
A transparent wave burst from the little Marshmallon, forming an impenetrable shield of pure soul energy.
"There was another trick," Antinomy realized.
Wait—that Spirit Barrier effect should prevent all battle damage, even piercing. With "Blade Blaster" dealing 2700 damage to his Morphing Jar earlier, if Kira had activated Spirit Barrier then, he would have taken no damage.
Instead, he chose to take it, sacrificing most of his LP to Special Summon Marshmallon.
Why risk so much for such a weak monster? Could there be more to this?
"You're very perceptive; you've caught on," Kira grinned.
"If you have a sense of danger, you're absolutely right."
His earlier fluster was gone; now he wore a mischievous, trickster smile.
"In order to activate 'Damage Condenser,' I discarded a card from my hand," Kira said, flashing a card.
"The card I discarded was… 'Makyura the Destructor.'"
A grim, ghostly executioner appeared above Kira's Duel Runner.
Antinomy: "That card is…"
"That's right. If 'Makyura the Destructor' is sent to the Graveyard, its controller can activate Trap Cards directly from their hand that turn," Kira explained.
He paused before continuing, smiling.
"Remember I said I wasn't the top duelist of my dimension, that there are those even greater than I?"
Antinomy pondered.
"Now you'll witness an invincible combo devised by that true king!"
He drew two cards from his hand.
"I activate both these cards directly from my hand!
First, the Continuous Trap 'Dimension Sphinx'!"
A golden statue, resembling the ancient Sphinx, appeared—a monument of endless energy, adding a new protective barrier atop Spirit Barrier.
Metal Skeleton's attack struck the barrier. Marshmallon, immune to battle destruction, took the blow, and the leftover damage was nullified by Spirit Barrier—then reflected back by the Sphinx.
A golden energy wave rebounded, directly striking Antinomy.
[Antinomy, LP 4000 → 3200]
Antinomy gasped: "What—why did I take the damage?"
Kira explained, "Dimension Sphinx activates: When your Attack Position monster battles and is attacked by a monster with higher ATK, the opponent takes damage equal to the difference."
Antinomy understood.
Marshmallon's ATK is 300, Metal Skeleton has 1100. Marshmallon can't be destroyed by battle, battle damage is reduced to 0 by Spirit Barrier, so only the Sphinx reflects 800 damage.
Kira continued, "But I'm not done. The second card: Continuous Trap 'Dimension Mirage!'
Select one Attack Position monster the opponent controls. Whenever your Attack Position monster survives battle with that monster, you can banish a monster from your Graveyard to force that monster to attack again!"
Antinomy froze, then realization struck—his face changed utterly.
"Another attack… masaka (no way)!?"
Kira revealed a card banished from his Graveyard—Morphing Jar.
"I banish Morphing Jar from my Graveyard to activate Dimension Mirage. Now, Metal Skeleton must attack Marshmallon once more."
Antinomy fully grasped it now.
A pseudo-infinite loop!
Each time Metal Skeleton attacks Marshmallon, Dimension Sphinx inflicts 800 damage to Antinomy. With Dimension Mirage, as long as Kira banishes monsters from his Graveyard, Metal Skeleton must keep attacking.
Kira had at least three monsters in the Graveyard: Morphing Jar, Van'Dalgyon, Makyura the Destructor. Antinomy, now at 3200 LP, would be destroyed after just four iterations.
In other words: if Kira's discarded cards included at least one more monster, Antinomy was finished.
Even Z-ONE, watching from beyond the void, murmured, "He assembled such a terrifying combo in an instant—what a fearsome duelist."
Z-ONE immediately thought of the same legendary, starfish-headed Duel King. This setup was so reminiscent of that king's style.
Could it really be him?
"Antinomy… will you end here?" Z-ONE wondered.
This instant, the duel flipped from Antinomy's victory to his desperate crisis!
His Metal Skeleton, pulled by the Dimension Mirage, attacked Marshmallon again.
Antinomy didn't hesitate—he revealed his set card.
"I activate the Continuous Trap 'Scrubbed Raid!'
By sending one card I control to the Graveyard, I can force the Battle Phase to end immediately!"
He pointed to the Metal Skeleton being forced to attack repeatedly.
"I send 'T.G. Metal Skeleton' to the Graveyard—force end Battle Phase!"
...
…
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