"If you like flowers so much, let me send you a few more."
Kira smiled and waved his hand again.
"Now, I activate the effect of 'World Carrotweight Champion' from my graveyard."
A spectral monster appeared on his field. Akiza asked, "Was that another monster sent to the grave by Sixth Sense?"
"Yes," Kira replied. "'World Carrotweight Champion' effect: Once per turn, while this card is in the graveyard, I can send any Plant monster except World Carrotweight Champion from my hand or field to the grave, then special summon World Carrotweight Champion from the graveyard."
He discarded a Plant monster from his hand.
"I special summon World Carrotweight Champion from the grave."
[World Carrotweight Champion—ATK 1900]
Akiza: "Black Garden's effect—World Carrotweight Champion's attack is halved!"
[World Carrotweight Champion, ATK 1900 → ATK 950]
"And Black Garden special summons another Rose Token to my field."
[Rose Token—ATK 800]
"Rose Flame triggers again for the Plant summoned to your field. Take another 500!"
Amidst the swirling petals, another burst of flame washed over Kira.
[Kira, LP 3000 → LP 2500]
"Battle phase," Kira declared. "Tytannial attacks 'Botanical Girl!'"
[Tytannial, ATK 1400]
[Botanical Girl, ATK 1300]
Tytannial's power was halved by Black Garden, but Botanical Girl—summoned before the field was activated—retained her full strength. Even so, Tytannial just barely had the edge.
With a swirl of blood-red petals, Botanical Girl was enveloped and exploded into a fireball.
[Akiza, LP 4000 → LP 3900]
The blast buffeted Akiza, only a 100-point damage, but the pain stung and made her sway.
"What?" Akiza pressed a trembling hand to her chest. "That blow—it felt so real... Is this psychic dueling as well?"
But this pain felt even deeper, as if scorching her very soul, not just her body.
Something even stronger—and scarier—than psychic dueling.
Akiza bit her lip.
Her foe was no ordinary enemy.
"Botanical Girl's effect activates. When sent from the field to the grave, I can add a Plant monster with 1000 DEF or less from my deck to my hand."
One of her cards popped out for her to take: "I add 'Phoenixian Seed,' with 0 DEF to my hand!"
Kira continued: "Next, World Carrotweight Champion attacks your Rose Token!"
[World Carrotweight Champion, ATK 950]
[Rose Token, ATK 800]
Like a carrot come to life, World Carrotweight Champion lunged forward, stabbing the rose's heart with its carrot-knife. The elegant bloom struggled, but ultimately burst apart.
[Akiza, LP 3900 → LP 3750]
"I set a card and end my turn."
"This pain is nothing compared to what I have in store for you!" Akiza snapped. "It's my turn! Draw!"
"I summon 'Phoenixian Seed'!"
The card Akiza just searched appeared on her field, an odd-eyed plant monster sluggishly looking about, its head capped with a fiery red tuft.
"I summoned a monster, so 'Black Garden' special summons a Rose Token to your field!" Vines coiled on Kira's side, forming a new rose monster.
[Rose Token—ATK 800]
"And since a Plant has been special summoned to your field, Rose Flame triggers! Another 500 damage!"
Another flame blasted Kira.
[Kira, LP 2500 → LP 2000]
Kira mused, "Black Garden plus Rose Flame basically means 'summon a monster, take 500 burn damage.' Impressive."
Early Akiza's Plant deck really was specialized in burning damage—perfect for stall tactics.
Akiza pressed on, "Phoenixian Seed's effect! I send it from the field to the grave to special summon 'Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis' from my hand! I send Bulb to grave—Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis, summon!"
Explosive flames twined like chains, and massive burning petals burst forth from scorched earth; fire danced around spinning, snake-like floral whorls.
[Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis—ATK 2200]
Kira raised an eyebrow.
Here it is—Akiza Izinski's signature Plant: Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis.
Banned card, too.
But that's a story for the future—after entering the Link era, Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis was infamously abusable in FTK loops and ended up on the ban list.
Many "pre-Link" cards ran afoul of this fate—powerful effects but no "once per turn" restriction.
Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis was one such card.
"Black Garden's effect," Kira reminded, "means your monsters must have their attack halved too. Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis, ATK halved."
Vines lashed out, binding the blossom.
[Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis, ATK 2200 → ATK 1100]
Akiza: "And with another monster summoned, Black Garden special summons yet another Rose Token to your field."
Another rose bud blossomed at Kira's side, in attack position.
"And again, a Plant monster special summoned to your field triggers Rose Flame!"
Akiza swung her hand.
"Five hundred more points!"
[Kira, LP 2000 → LP 1500]
…
…
PS: Please support me and read advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode