"Rematch! I demand a rematch!"
Caius felt utterly humiliated. He'd finally gotten a chance to show up and then got casually blown away like some random scrub. His pride couldn't take it.
But very soon he gained a deeper understanding of a certain truth: be careful what you wish for.
Because sometimes…wishes actually do come true.
He was still shouting when suddenly the world lurched. Before he could process what was happening, he suddenly found himself back on the field.
He blinked and looked down at his own body.
No longer a semi-transparent ghost, but a solid—well, virtual-solid—holographic form.
Why though? Hadn't he just been blasted to pieces?
Then he noticed that at some point, Jim's back row had gained a new Quick-Play Spell.
"Before the battle resolved, I activated the Quick-Play Spell 'Half Life'," Jim explained with a smile. "I can target any one monster on the field.
This turn, if that target would be destroyed by battle, once only, I can halve that monster's ATK and make that destruction not happen!" (Anime card)
['Caius the Shadow Monarch', ATK 2400 → ATK 1200]
Caius finally understood. That was why he hadn't been sent off.
But why? Who uses their own card to stop an opponent's monster from being destroyed?
Kira reminded him: "Skull Knight's monster effect."
"You've already noticed?" Jim grinned. "Right. Skull Knight's effect: if your opponent controls a monster, during the Battle Phase he can attack once more."
Caius: "!"
Now he saw it.
If he'd been destroyed and left the field, Jim would have had no monsters to attack and Skull Knight couldn't have used his extra attack. By pulling Caius back, Jim ensured "there is a monster on the opponent's field," fulfilling the condition for a second attack.
And on top of that, Caius's ATK had been halved, letting Skull Knight land heavy damage with the follow-up blow!
Caius flew into a rage.
So the plan is to beat my corpse then, huh?
Jinzo drifted out from the side, openly mocking him. "You wanted a rematch. Make it count."
Caius swore, "Shut the hell up! This doesn't count—"
The second half of his sentence was cut off by Jim's shout: "Skull Knight's additional attack!"
Another slash came down. The first time at least he'd managed an even trade; this time, Caius looked like a total scrub, cursing non-stop as he was helplessly cut down and kicked off the field again.
[Kira, LP 1800 → LP 600]
The Shadow Monarch retreated with a black scowl. Jinzo floated there with arms crossed.
Caius glared at him. "You say one word…"
Jinzo didn't hesitate: "Trash."
Caius exploded. The two ghosts immediately started brawling on the sidelines.
"Nice offensive sequence."
Kira nodded with a faint smile, acknowledging Jim's play.
Jim didn't answer.
But this was very likely his last hurrah.
With Necrovalley followed by Macro Cosmos, his Graveyard was nearly empty and he had no way to load any new resources. His Fossil Deck might as well have been turned to stone.
"Set one card. I end my turn," Jim said quietly.
"My turn. Draw."
Kira glanced at the card he'd drawn and smiled lightly.
"To pilot a Fossil Deck and push this far in such an overwhelmingly unfavorable situation… not bad at all. With my LP down to just six hundred, looks like I'll have to get at least a little serious…"
Jim wasn't surprised; he gave a wry smile instead. "So the King hadn't been serious at all, after all."
"From my hand, I activate a Spell Card."
Kira revealed the card in his hand.
"Spell Card 'Unexpected Dai.' If I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck."
He swept his hand.
"I Special Summon 'Gladiator Beast Andal'!"
['Gladiator Beast Andal', ATK 1900]
"Gladiator Beasts?" Jim was stunned.
He'd never heard of that Deck.
"Then I Special Summon 'Test Tiger' from my hand!"
['Test Tiger', ATK 600]
"While I control a 'Gladiator Beast', I can Special Summon 'Test Tiger' from my hand.
Next, Test Tiger's other effect: I tribute this card, return one 'Gladiator Beast' I control to the Deck, and Special Summon any 'Gladiator Beast' from my Deck.
I tribute Test Tiger, return 'Gladiator Beast Andal' to my Deck, and Special Summon any 'Gladiator Beast' I want.
Come forth! 'Gladiator Beast Augustus'!"
A pitch-black storm swirled, and a bird-beast gladiator warrior with a sharp beak and massive black wings descended with domineering presence.
['Gladiator Beast Augustus', ATK 2600]
"When Augustus is Special Summoned by a 'Gladiator Beast' effect, I can Special Summon a 'Gladiator Beast' from my hand in Defense Position."
Kira slapped down another card from his hand.
"I Special Summon 'Gladiator Beast Bestiari'!"
['Gladiator Beast Bestiari', DEF 800]
"Bestiari's effect: when Special Summoned by a 'Gladiator Beast' effect, he destroys one Spell or Trap on the field."
Kira crooked his finger at Jim's back row.
"I destroy your face-down card."
Jim's set card flipped and burst apart with a crack.
'Sakuretsu Armor'.
Kira: "…"
This time he was honestly speechless.
Seriously?
'Sakuretsu Armor' No. 2?
To be fair, 'Sakuretsu Armor' was a "powerful" generic Trap for its time, not just in the anime but in the real card game meta back then. Kira had met plenty of duelists who loved running it; that in itself wasn't strange.
But two consecutive Sakuretsu Armors? This was a first.
With that in mind, when he looked at Jim again, an unexpected respect welled up in Kira's heart.
A real man.
Jim: "?"
He was still busy lamenting how his second 'Sakuretsu Armor' had died young before it even fired… So why did he suddenly feel like the Duel King was looking at him with a weird kind of admiration?
"Next I Normal Summon 'Gladiator Beast Equeste'."
['Gladiator Beast Equeste', ATK 1600]
"Then I return Augustus, Bestiari, and Equeste—all three 'Gladiator Beasts' I control—to the Deck for a Triple Contact Fusion!"
Jim was shocked. "A triple Contact Fusion?"
"That's right. 'Gladiator Beasts' can Fusion Summon without Polymerization," Kira said. "Fusion materials: 'Gladiator Beast Augustus' plus any other two or more 'Gladiator Beasts'!
Wavering souls of ancient gladiators, gather under the Emperor's name and offer forth your supreme might—
—'Gladiator Beast Andabata'!!!"
Designed personally by Pegasus himself while under the light of the "Light of Destruction", and boasting an anime-exclusive effect, the triple Fusion 'Gladiator Beast Andabata'!
['Gladiator Beast Andabata', ATK 1000]
"And then Andabata's effect: when he's Fusion Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Gladiator Beast' Fusion Monster, ignoring its Summoning conditions!"
Kira raised yet another card.
"A gladiator bird of ancient times that survived countless battles, merging with the soul of the gladiator to become a seasoned champion! Fusion Summon—
—'Gladiator Beast Gyzarus'!"
Bearing the name of a Roman emperor, the champion of the arena—the green bird-beast warrior descended in a whirling emerald gale!
['Gladiator Beast Gyzarus', ATK 2400]
"Two Fusion monsters like that in an instant…" Jim was stunned. "What terrifying burst potential…"
"You're surprised already? It's still a bit early for that."
Kira smiled.
"Gyzarus's effect: when he's Summoned, I can destroy up to two cards on the field."
Jim: "!"
So not only had Kira blown away his back-row 'Sakuretsu Armor' defense, he could keep destroying more…
Even though "Gladiator Beasts" was a Deck he'd never heard of, the destructive power he was seeing ranked among the strongest of any Deck he'd faced.
Jim still didn't realize that his own Fossil Deck, if properly developed, would have similarly enormous potential.
But that was a matter for the future. In GX's era, Fossils didn't even exist as real cards yet, while Gladiator Beast had already taken a World Championship.
On Jim's field he only had two cards left to begin with: Skull Knight up front and 'Sacred Defense Barrier' in the back. Under the storm of Gyzarus's wings and cyclones, both were obliterated in an instant.
Of course, even that Skull Knight was not granted the mercy of a Graveyard; he too was banished by Macro Cosmos.
That meant even if Jim somehow survived this turn, it would be almost impossible for him to maintain any fighting force afterwards.
And Kira's Gladiator Beasts weren't even at their limit.
He'd simply stopped there because Jim's field was completely empty. If there had still been targets, he could have kept going.
"Battle."
Kira's voice was calm.
"'Gladiator Beast Gyzarus'—attack directly."
[Jim, LP 1600 → LP 0]