Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh! novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18 - 18: Victory Declaration

"Now, let's move on to my Main Phase."

Rex's fingers brushed over his freshly replenished hand, a cold sneer on his face.

"You were pretty cocky last turn, boy. But this is where it ends—this duel finishes right here!"

He revealed three cards at once: "I activate the Spell Card 'Polymerization'! I fuse 'Sabersaurus' and 'Two-Headed King Rex' from my hand!"

The Spell Card appeared, and the dinosaur monsters emerged from his hand onto the field, sucked into a swirling vortex of darkness. Lightning crackled as the fusion completed, thunderously striking the field and shrouding it in black smoke.

"Ruler of the abyss and hell, awaken from the endless dark abyss. Fusion Summon—

—Level 6, Horned Saurus!" (Anime card)

[Horned Saurus, ATK 2000]

This is an anime-only card, Rex's new ace after losing both Red-Eyes and Serpent Night Dragon in the DM series.

"But I'm not finished yet!" Rex continued.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Monster Reborn'! With this, I can resurrect a powerful dinosaur sleeping in my graveyard!"

The sacred mark of Monster Reborn appeared, and a card shot out of the graveyard slot on the Duel Disk, bathed in golden light.

"I revive from the graveyard the absolute king of dinosaurs—

—Dark Tyranno!"

A pitch-black dinosaur burst from a vortex of the underworld, roaring skyward and slamming its massive tail on the ground to kick up a cloud of dust.

[Dark Tyranno, ATK 2600]

"Huh? Dark Tyranno?" Kogashi exclaimed. "When did that monster get there...?"

"Probably when he used 'Graceful Charity' at the beginning," Sasaki replied. "He'd been planning for this from the start, preparing all the way until now. Even after his field was broken last turn, he managed to organize such a powerful counterattack this turn. As expected of a legendary duelist."

"I see, impressive. But why not revive 'Tri-Horned Dragon'? Isn't its attack even higher?" Kogashi wondered.

Sasaki smiled mysteriously. "Heh, looks like Rex Raptor already has a way to clinch the win. Just watch."

With two more boss monsters on the field, Rex laughed triumphantly. "How about it? The power of my dinosaurs! Ultimate offense—crushing the opponent with overwhelming strength, that's my duel now!

I'm not the same as before. I'm stronger than ever!"

However, Kira looked at the dark, menacing Dark Tyranno and had only one thought:

Rex, why are you using cards that belong to Jaden's underling Tyranno Hassleberry?

His only impression of this dinosaur was as Tyranno's ace in his debut episode, giving Jaden a tough fight—though of course, Jaden ended up pulling off a miracle comeback and made Tyranno his sidekick.

"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Enemy Controller' from my hand! This card can switch an opponent's Attack Position monster to Defense Position!"

Rex pointed to Kira's Machina Fortress on the field.

"I switch 'Machina Fortress' to Defense Position!"

[Machina Fortress, ATK 2500 → DEF 1600]

"I see," Kira said knowingly. "Dark Tyranno's effect allows it to attack the player directly if the opponent controls no Attack Position monsters (anime effect).

So that's your plan."

"Heh, you know your stuff, rookie." Rex smirked, "Exactly, that's my tactic.

And my 'Horned Saurus' can also attack directly this turn, since it was Fusion Summoned!"

The audience erupted in shock.

"Two direct attacks with 2600 and 2000 ATK! He can ignore the opponent's monsters!" commentator Kogashi exclaimed. "Isn't this an OTK (one-turn kill)!?"

"Exactly, that's Rex Raptor's strategy," Sasaki said. "It's truly overwhelming force."

With two dragons ready to strike, how could anyone lose?

"Go! First, 'Dark Tyranno'! Using its effect, bypass Machina Fortress and attack the player directly!"

Dark Tyranno roared and charged, dust flying as it leaped past Machina Fortress to bite at Kira.

"Then, I activate my face-down card—Trap Card: 'Call of the Earthbound'!" Kira raised his hand. "When your monster declares an attack, I can change its target."

He pointed to his Machina Fortress.

"I choose 'Machina Fortress' as the attack target for 'Dark Tyranno'."

"Tch." Rex clicked his tongue. "Using tricks to avoid the OTK, huh? But Dark Tyranno's ATK is still higher! Go, Dark Tyranno, wipe out that pesky Fortress!"

[Machina Fortress, DEF 1600]

In Defense Position, the Fortress couldn't withstand the ferocious dinosaur. The beast ripped the Fortress apart, sending chunks and black smoke everywhere, leaving nothing but scrap metal.

"Huh?" Kogashi was puzzled.

"Strange, Machina Gearframe's effect didn't activate?"

Normally, Machina Fortress would have been equipped with a "Machina Gearframe," which can take the destruction in place of the equipped monster.

Why didn't it activate?

Rex felt a sense of unease, and it was quickly validated.

"At this moment, 'Machina Fortress' activates another effect."

He stated it calmly as if he were just announcing an inevitable fact.

Rex was shaken. He thought his experience had given him nerves of steel, but when he heard Kira's words, his legs trembled uncontrollably. _{freewebnσvel.cѳm}

Not just because he was about to lose, after years of preparation, to a total no-name rookie on a minor stage.

But because, for a moment, he believed Kira's words.

As if, deep down, he truly believed he was about to lose this turn.

"You—what did you say?" Rex tried to shake off the thought.

Impossible.

He had a boss monster, he had backrow defense. There's no way the opponent could break through.

Yes, it had to be a bluff.

"From the graveyard, 'Machina Fortress's effect."

Kira calmly retrieved the Fortress from the graveyard.

"This card can be Special Summoned from the graveyard by discarding Machine-type monsters from my hand whose levels add up to 8 or more."

He revealed two cards.

"I discard Level 3 'Card Trooper' and Level 7 'Machina Fortress' to revive 'Machina Fortress' from the graveyard."

Cards were discarded, and a metallic storm swirled on Kira's field as the Fortress rose again, weapons at the ready.

[Machina Fortress, ATK 2500]

"Is that self-revival his confidence?" Rex narrowed his eyes, thinking quickly. "He must have some support cards in hand."

The Fortress was 100 points shy of Dark Tyranno. With any Equip Spell, it could easily surpass it.

Plus, Rex's own "Reckless Greed" meant he'd have to skip his next two Draw Phases. If he lost Dark Tyranno this turn, he was done.

But—

"Activate face-down card!"

Rex flipped his trap.

"Trap Card—Enma's Judgment! It destroys any monster your opponent Special Summons!"

A black vortex opened under Machina Fortress, destroying it before it could stabilize on the field.

Rex laughed: "Haha! You're not the only one who can use traps! Can you finish me this turn now!?"