Lazar was shaking with fear.
Especially after seeing Kira bring out a Duel Disk, his face turned desperately bitter. "Is this... is this the legendary Shadow Duel?"
"Oho, worthy of a Vice Director. You know your stuff," Kira chuckled.
"Correct."
Lazar's face fell even further. "So, does that mean you're going to silence me?"
"Unfortunately, yes. You've learned things you shouldn't have—there's no helping it," Kira said, feigning helplessness.
Lazar looked like he was about to burst into tears. "I swear I won't tell anyone—I'll act like none of this happened today! You're still the great Director Goodwin. I absolutely won't say a word!"
"Ahaha, that's truly touching. But I still prefer a more... physical method," Kira smiled sweetly. "Why take unnecessary risks?"
After a moment's struggle, Lazar gritted his teeth, drew his own Duel Disk, and stepped forward.
"Looks like I really don't have a choice. If so..."
He took a deep breath and strapped on his Duel Disk, stepping up.
"Then let's do it! I have things I have to protect too!"
Yes—he had a wife and son, a family relying on him. Everything he did, whether flattery or dirty work, was for their sake. What happened to him didn't matter, as long as his family was safe.
Lazar steeled himself.
"I'm the pillar of my family. My wife and son are waiting for me... I absolutely can't fall here!"
Kira smiled. "Oh? Such touching resolve."
"Duel!" ×2
[Kira, LP 4000]
[Lazar, LP 4000]
"I'll go first—draw!"
Lazar took the first turn.
"I Normal Summon 'Jester Lord'!"
In Yu-Gi-Oh's world, Decks are usually closely tied to their owners—and Lazar looked like a clown, so his Deck was also clown-themed.
Jester Lord was a classic circus clown: a pale face, a comical red nose, messy green hair, juggling circus balls in his hand.
[Jester Lord, ATK 0]
"Then I set four cards and end my turn!"
"Four set cards in the back row on your first turn, not bad! You've got potential," Kira praised.
5DS really is the Dimension of Traps. Even a clown like Lazar has a natural instinct for backrows.
Lazar let out his trademark cackling laugh. "That's not all.
When Jester Lord is the only monster on my field, for every Spell/Trap card on the field, its ATK increases by 1000!
Right now, I have four set cards, so Jester Lord's attack becomes—"
[Jester Lord, ATK 0 → ATK 4000]
"A 4000 ATK monster? Not bad, not bad. I'll have to be careful," Kira said. "My turn—draw."
"I Normal Summon 'Scrap Beast.'"
[Scrap Beast, ATK 1600]
"Jester Lord's effect only applies when he's the only monster on the field. With another monster now summoned, Jester Lord's ATK returns to normal."
[Jester Lord, ATK 4000 → ATK 0]
"Hehe, of course I prepared for that!"
Lazar raised his hand high.
"I activate my face-down—Continuous Trap 'Imperial Register'!
Whenever a monster's ATK drops on my field, until the end phase, the dropped value is added back to a monster's ATK! (Anime Card)
So the 4000 points Jester Lord just lost, I can give right back!"
[Jester Lord, ATK 0 → ATK 4000]
"Oh? A combo tailored for Jester Lord's effect. Not bad," Kira nodded. "Now he keeps that 4000 ATK. That makes things tough for me."
Lazar said firmly, "Like I said, I cannot fall so easily! I have people to protect!"
"A touching husband and father," Kira laughed.
"A man grows stronger for those he must protect... Admirable spirit. But it's a shame—you know too much, so I still have to shut you up.
I activate Spell Card 'Foolish Burial'—I send a monster from deck to Graveyard.
I send 'Scrap Chimera' from my deck to the Grave."
The deck automatically ejected Chimaera, and reshuffled itself.
"Next, I Special Summon from hand, 'Scrap Orthros.'"
[Scrap Orthros, ATK 1700]
"If you control a 'Junk' monster, you can Special Summon this from your hand. As a cost though, I have to destroy one 'Junk' monster I control.
I destroy 'Scrap Beast.'"
With a loud bang, the Scrap Beast exploded into flying scrap.
"'Scrap Beast's effect: When destroyed, I can retrieve another 'Junk' monster (except itself) from the Grave to my hand.
So I return 'Scrap Chimera' I just sent to the Grave to my hand."
Lazar's expression became serious.
First he sent it to the Grave, then used retrieval to pick up Chimaera.
He's aiming for a Synchro Summon!
Kira continued, "Next, Quick-Play Spell 'Quick Summon' from my hand—lets me Normal Summon a monster from my hand.
I Normal Summon 'Scrap Chimera'!"
[Scrap Chimera, ATK 1700]
"Scrap Chimera's effect: When summoned, I can Special Summon a Junk Tuner from my Graveyard.
I Special Summon 'Scrap Beast' from the Grave!"
The previously destroyed Scrap Beast returned via a swirling vortex.
[Scrap Beast, ATK 1600]
Now the field had two Tuners and a non-Tuner...
"I won't let you Synchro Summon!"
Lazar shouted.
"I activate my set card—Continuous Trap 'Discord'! For three turns, neither player can Synchro Summon! (Anime Card)"
As the trap flipped, waves of transparent sound filled the field, forming a silent barrier.
"You read my move and blocked Synchro Summoning. Not bad," Kira said, revealing another card.
"In that case, I activate Continuous Spell 'Infected Mail.'
Once per turn, I select a Level 4 or lower monster I control; this turn, it can attack directly."
Lazar: "So since you can't overcome Jester Lord's 4000 ATK, you're aiming to win with direct attacks?"
He sneered coldly: "But it's useless! I activate my set card—Continuous Trap 'Tuning Barrier'! While either player controls or has a Synchro Monster in the Grave, neither can declare attacks for their next three turns!" (Anime Card)