"Miracle's Wake's effect: Scrap Beast returns!"
[Scrap Beast, ATK 1600]
The number of opponents' monsters changed during the attack declaration, naturally causing a battle step rewind. Sherry skipped the attack, then drew another card from her hand and set it.
"Set one card, end my turn."
By now, Sherry understood: Rather than the 1000 reflected damage from Dimension Wall, her opponent clearly cared more about keeping a monster on his field.
He likely even knew her "Centaur Mina" could negate traps. That wasn't impossible, either.
Her Centaur Mina was rare, but not one-of-a-kind rare. As Director of the Sector Security, Goodwin's vision and resources would give him details on many rare cards.
At that moment, "Goodwin" finally spoke: "Such boldness! I can see your fighting resolve. But…are you certain you know why you're fighting?"
"Of course," Sherry answered with resolve. "Revenge. I've said it before—this is the ultimate meaning of my life, the thing I have to accomplish no matter what!
From the moment my parents, my family, my life itself were stolen, it was decided!"
"Oh, is that so." Kira nodded. "Because everything was taken from you, so you want revenge. But is that really what you want?
Or, because you can't face the truth of having lost everything, you had to make revenge your purpose just to keep moving forward?"
Sherry's expression grew strange. She scoffed, "I don't know what nonsense you're spouting. If you think a few choice words are enough to shake my will or disrupt my performance, then you underestimate my duelist resolve!"
"Haha, sorry, maybe I'm not explaining myself well."
Kira smiled.
"I mean, if someone offered you a new path right now—a road that isn't revenge, a new possibility—would you still be willing to devote everything to vengeance?"
Sherry's face shifted faintly.
"If you're trying to win me over, such cheap ploys won't work," Sherry replied coolly. "Stop being clever. Let's keep dueling, Goodwin!
If you've really investigated me and my past, you'd know that no condition, no matter what, can shake my steel will!"
"No need to be so final. You don't even know my terms yet. But I admit, whatever I offer might be empty talk at this point. First, I'd better show you my skill."
Kira raised his duel disk and drew a card.
"My turn, draw."
He swept out a Spell card.
"Spell Card, 'Spell Books from the Pot!'
Both players draw three cards from their deck."
"Next, Quick-Play Spell, 'Mystical Space Typhoon' – destroy your backrow set card!"
A black tornado laced with lightning shrieked toward Sherry's set card.
"Centaur Mina can only negate traps, not spells—right?" Kira smiled.
Sherry snorted: "Then I'll chain Mystical Space Typhoon with my set card – Trap Card, 'Superficial Peace!'
This turn, none of either player's monsters can be destroyed by battle. Also, if my monster inflicts battle damage to you, for each such damage I can destroy one Spell/Trap card you control!"
"I see, a card to protect your monster on defense."
Kira played another monster card onto his duel disk.
"This card can't be normal summoned, but when I control a 'Scrap' monster, I can Special Summon it from hand.
Special Summon 'Scrap Orthros!'"
A black-metal armored dog, twin metal canine heads side by side on a steel neck. Each head's four glowing eyes—one pair dark violet, the other forest green—radiated a chilling aura like phantoms from the underworld.
[Scrap Orthros, ATK 1700]
"But there's a drawback when it's Special Summoned this way," Kira said. "I must destroy a 'Scrap' monster I control.
I choose 'Scrap Orthros' itself to destroy."
Both Sherry and Akiza outside the ring were stunned: "You Special Summon with its effect, but then destroy itself?"
What's the point of such a summon?
At that moment, Kira revealed another card in his hand.
"Quick-Play Spell, 'Scrapstorm!'"
Countless scrap parts—remnants of various mechanisms—rained down, even covering his own two-headed hound beneath the downpour.
Kira explained, "Scrapstorm can only be activated if you have a 'Scrap' monster on your field.
Send a 'Scrap' monster from deck to grave, draw one card, then destroy a 'Scrap' monster you control."
He displayed the Scrap monster being auto-searched from his deck, sending it to the grave.
"Send 'Scrap Chimera' from deck to grave, then draw one card."
He drew.
"Then destroy 'Scrap Orthros!'"
With a crash, Scrap Orthros was shattered beneath the barrage, parts scattering into the scrap torrent.
Sherry understood: "'Scrapstorm' is a Quick-Play Spell, so you can chain it to 'Scrap Orthros's effect. Both must target a 'Scrap' monster you control for destruction,
So if both target Orthros, you save on the number of monsters you must sacrifice."
"Not only that," Kira smiled, "Scrap Orthros has its own monster effect!
If destroyed by a 'Scrap' card effect and sent to grave: Add a 'Scrap' monster (except another Orthros) from grave to hand."
The shade of the destroyed hound floated briefly above Kira, howling, as he retrieved a card from his grave.
"So, I add 'Scrap Chimera' from grave to my hand!"
Sherry's heart stirred.
Scrapstorm sends a Scrap monster from deck to grave, then Scrap Orthros, when destroyed, pulls a Scrap monster from grave to hand. He's basically fetching monsters straight from the deck to his hand!
And both required monster destruction, both fulfilled by targeting the same monster, saving resources.
Orthros itself was Special Summoned by effect, so he still has his Normal Summon for the turn.
Sherry sized up the silver-haired man opposite her.
This guy wasn't just a symbol of authority—he was a real strong duelist!
…