Though it was called a "Worm," the huge creature that appeared on Kira's field didn't look like a worm at all. Its massive body was reminiscent of a kaiju from Japanese tokusatsu shows, but with a far more horrific aesthetic. Its entire shell looked as though it had been soaked in blood, a deep crimson carapace. It stood upright like a biped, but its maw was bristling with sharp teeth, slick with thick, viscous fluid.
Worm Victory—Summon!
[Worm Victory, ATK 0]
Professor Bonaparte tensed up. "That looks like a very bad bug-de aru…"
Crowler: "Monsters with 0 attack are usually the dangerous ones, none."
Reality would soon prove the professor's experience absolutely correct.
"The effect of Worm Victory," Kira explained. "This card gains ATK equal to the number of Reptile-Type monsters with 'Worm' in their names in my Graveyard x 500."
Both professors froze.
The number of Worm monsters in Kira's Graveyard… That meant—
Chazz: "Future Fusion already dumped twenty-five Worms straight from his Deck."
"I currently have twenty-five Worms in my Graveyard," Kira continued. "So Worm Victory's ATK becomes…"
[Worm Victory, ATK 0 → ATK 12,500]
"Mamma mia!"
The two professors shrieked in unison.
"Tw-tw-twelve thousand five hundred attack!?" Crowler stammered. "What kind of monster is this, none!?"
Bonaparte drooped. "Can we really win against an opponent like this? Acting-Chancellor…"
Back when Crowler was acting chancellor, Bonaparte had always called him that. Even though the chancellor had returned and Crowler was no longer acting chancellor, Bonaparte had grown too used to the nickname.
Crowler shook his head, forcing himself to refocus. "Don't… don't say such defeatist things! There's… there's still a chance! We can't give up, none!"
Jaden folded his arms, laughing. "Kira really doesn't intend to let the professors have it easy, huh."
Syrus sighed. "I'm suddenly starting to feel kind of sorry for them…"
Bonaparte also perked himself up again.
"Honestly, Professor Crowler is completely unreliable—it all comes down to me." Professor Bonaparte said, "My turn, draw!"
At the same time, the cute little toy soldier on his field began to glow.
"The effect of Toy Soldier! During your Standby Phase, if this card is on the field, you can Special Summon any number of 'Toy Soldier' from your Deck!"
Bonaparte pulled two cards from his Deck.
"I Special Summon my other two 'Toy Soldier' to the field!"
[Toy Soldier, ATK 800] x2
Three Toy Soldiers at once!
"Then I activate the Spell Card 'Pot of Greed' to draw two cards."
"Now watch—this is my finishing combo!" Bonaparte declared. "I activate the Spell Card 'Fife and Drum Corps'!
This turn, all monsters I control with 1000 or less ATK have their ATK doubled!" (Anime card)
[Toy Soldier, ATK 800 → ATK 1600] x3
"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Forced March'!" Bonaparte continued. "All of my monsters' ATK are halved, and this turn they can all attack my opponent directly!" (Anime card)
"Nice!" Crowler shouted. "That way you bypass his front line and deal massive damage in one go!"
Bonaparte: "Battle! I halve my three Toy Soldiers' ATK and attack Kira directly-de aru!"
[Toy Soldier, ATK 1600 → ATK 800] x3
The three Toy Soldiers raised their horn-shaped rifles in unison. With three sharp bangs, bullets flew straight at Kira, completely ignoring the towering Worms on his front line.
But Kira remained unruffled. "I activate my Set card, the Continuous Trap 'Spirit Barrier'!"
His backrow flipped, and as the Trap took effect, a faint, transparent energy wrapped around all three Worms on his field. The energies linked together into a pale golden barrier between Kira and the three monsters.
The Toy Soldiers' bombardment slammed against the golden barrier, sending ripples across its surface before washing away—without dealing so much as a scratch.
"Your idea was good," Kira said lightly. "But as long as Spirit Barrier is on the field and I still control a monster, I take no Battle Damage."
"NANI?!"
Bonaparte's face froze. He turned and eyed the giant Worm with deep dismay.
"So that means we have to go through those worms?"
A nasty Worm that bounced monsters back to the hand when flipped, and a colossal 12,500-ATK super behemoth…
The professor's scalp tingled. Once again, a familiar question surfaced in his mind.
Can we really win against this opponent?
He bit down hard.
No. He couldn't think like that. This Duel had to be won—whether it could be or not, there was no retreat.
"I Set one card and end my turn-de aru," Bonaparte said.
"Then at last it's my turn again—draw."
Kira drew, then immediately revealed a card.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Graceful Charity.' I draw three cards, then discard two from my hand to the Graveyard."
He tossed two cards, then flipped his face-down monster.
"I flip summon 'Worm Yagan'!"
[Worm Yagan, ATK 1000]
The Worm stood upright again, revealing its ghastly form. A baleful force burst from its body, surging straight toward Crowler's field.
"Worm Yagan's flip effect: I return one monster on my opponent's field to the owner's hand."
Kira snapped his fingers.
"I bounce Professor Crowler's 'Ancient Gear Soldier' back to his hand!"
The defending soldier was wrapped in dark currents and turned into a beam of light, flying back into Crowler's hand.
Crowler's field was instantly wiped clean, and his face changed drastically.
"Next, I flip my face-down 'Worm Xex' back into Attack Position."
[Worm Xex, ATK 1800]
"Battle!" Kira declared. "Worm Victory, attack Professor Crowler directly!"
The crimson giant let out a thunderous roar and hurled a fist that split the air, swinging straight down at Crowler's head.
A direct 12,500-ATK face-smash!
Crowler's eyes were filled with despair.
"This is the end for me, none…"
Too strong. They'd had no chance from the very start.
Kicked out of the Academy, forced to swallow his pride and ask a student for an interview—only for the interview itself to end in such failure. Maybe, he thought, his life as Vellian Crowler had been nothing but one long failure…
But at that moment, a shout came from his side.
"I activate my Set card, the Trap Card 'Toy Cannon'!"
Bonaparte roared.
"I change your monster to Defense Position and inflict 400 damage to you!" (Anime card)
Crowler: "!"