Yugen: "The activation of Bomb Defense is negated, Super Librarian continues the destruction!"
Watching the freshly constructed Bomb Defense array get crushed and scattered one after another, even the golden shards were swallowed by the Trap Interference Array below. With the obstruction gone, the landmines kept detonating, surging in to devour the Librarian.
"On top of a Trap that counters my attack, he actually set a Trap to escort his Traps..." Antinomy muttered. "So this is the King's strategy?"
"However, my tactics aren't limited to just this!"
Antinomy raised his arm. A card popped out from the Graveyard slot of his D-Wheel, and a humanoid skeleton seemingly built of crystal appeared on his field. Its body turned into energy and was absorbed into the Librarian.
A transparent outer layer immediately formed over the Librarian, like armor made of crystal energy, firmly covering his body and blocking the outside. The landmines around him exploded in succession, flames constantly battering his form; the armor kept cracking and peeling, yet the Librarian himself remained completely unharmed.
Yugen had already figured it out: "That Monster you discarded to the Graveyard via 'Angel Divine Staff' just now?"
"Exactly!"
Antinomy said.
"The Monster discarded to the Graveyard by Angel Divine Staff's effect is 'Technology Attribute: Transparent Metal Skeleton'!
As long as this Monster exists on your own field or in your Graveyard, whenever a Technology Attribute Monster you control would be destroyed by battle or by an effect, you can banish 'Technology Attribute: Transparent Metal Skeleton' from the Game instead to substitute for that destruction!"
A black vortex opened above Triangle Eagle, and the Metal Skeleton's card was sucked into the Other Dimension beyond the vortex.
"Therefore, 'Technology Attribute: Super Librarian' is protected from the destruction of Universal Landmine!"
Antinomy pointed at Yugen.
"Since Super Librarian wasn't destroyed, the battle continues. Super Librarian resumes a direct attack!"
Antinomy instinctively held his breath.
He had cracked the opponent's Double Trap as well!
By his own standards, his play this turn could already be called flawless; every Trap that countered his attack, every escorting Trap, all had been splendidly defused. At this rate, if Super Librarian's and Assault Rhino's attacks both go through, their combined output of over 4000 would complete a one-turn kill right here!
"So this is the Duel King of the future Riding world, truly impressive."
Yugen added another word of praise.
"But if I got taken down this easily, that'd be way too embarrassing for our Dimension."
He let out a hearty laugh, drew one more card from the hand zone on his D-Wheel, and slapped it onto his Duel Disc with a swish.
Data transmitted; prismatic light and overflowing currents burst out along the Duel Disc mounted on the D-Wheel. At the very instant the Librarian's strike was about to reach his face, an enormous mass of surging Darkness was unleashed, rapidly condensing into form before his D-Wheel.
Billowing dark-violet mists detonated outward, and the void was torn open into a gaping abyssal rift. Pitch-black thunderclouds churned and roared, streaked with blood-red Lightning, while countless ghostly blue soul-flames surged up from the crack, circling and lingering like the wails of vengeful spirits.
A gigantic Dragon over twenty meters long, its body clad in abyss-black scales, loomed before them. Jagged bone spikes on its spine jutted upward, grotesque like the side blades of a guillotine. Its dragon head seemed hidden beneath a Demon mask, and the purple-black netherfire dripping between its fangs devoured all light, as though even time itself froze with each breath.
The Librarian, charging midway, couldn't help but hastily halt his steps, gazing up at the massive Demon Dragon, not daring to advance.
Antinomy: "Nani?"
Yugen: "Netherworld King Dragon - God of Judgment. When a card your opponent controls has its activation negated by your own Counterattack Trap, this card can be Special Summoned directly from your hand!"
[Netherworld King Dragon - God of Judgment, Attack Power 2800]
"Just now your Trap 'Bomb Defense' was negated by my Counterattack Trap 'Trap Interference Array', so Netherworld King Dragon - God of Judgment was Special Summoned." Yugen said.
Antinomy: "After a Double Trap there's actually an even further line of defense; the second Trap was all foreshadowing laid for Netherworld King Dragon..."
He grit his teeth.
This guy's Duel strategy… could it really be above his own?
"However, because during the attack a new Monster was Special Summoned to your field and the number of Monsters changed, the battle is rewound."
Antinomy said.
"I cancel the attack command. Come back, Super Librarian!"
The Librarian obeyed and hurriedly withdrew, ceasing his attack and returning to Antinomy's side on guard.
"But even if you forgo the attack, you can't completely avoid the backlash of your offense." Yugen said with a grin.
Antinomy: "What?"
Yugen: "Netherworld King Dragon - God of Judgment's effect: When this card is successfully Special Summoned, depending on the type of your opponent's card that was negated by your Counterattack Trap, it gains different effects.
The card I negated was a Trap Card. When you negate the activation of an opponent's Trap Card, you can choose and destroy one card on their field."
Antinomy's face changed again: "Damn..."
Beyond the Triple Defense, there was actually an offensive option hidden!
This guy...
"I'm sorry, but you probably still won't be able to keep your Librarian." Yugen chuckled. "Netherworld King Dragon - God of Judgment, destroy 'Technology Attribute: Super Librarian'!"
The Netherworld Dragon let out a roar, Lightning in its jaws turning into a pitch-black torrent that blasted forth without end. Even though the Librarian had already retreated, that dark current doggedly pursued him, completely inescapable.
Antinomy frowned slightly, yet continued to play his hand: "Then I activate a Cover Card, the Continuous Trap 'Metal Shell'!
After this card is activated, it becomes an Equipment Card and equips to one Monster I control. The equipped Monster cannot be destroyed by card effects." (Original Card)
Antinomy indicated his Librarian.
"Use 'Metal Shell' to protect 'Technology Attribute: Super Librarian', making it unable to be destroyed by card effects!"
A layer of metallic covering surfaced over the Librarian's body, armor gleaming with a steel sheen. Netherworld King Dragon's domineering impact slammed straight into the Librarian; a transparent Shock Wave spread in all directions, seemingly offset by that layer of shell.
"Whoa, you even blocked that; you really do have some skills."
Yugen expressed genuine admiration.
The Librarian on the other side was like an Immortal cockroach; layers of defense kept coming, and even this couldn't finish him off—something Yugen himself hadn't quite anticipated.
Antinomy, for his part, was secretly shocked as well, now lightly panting from the intense offensive and defensive exchanges.
The layers of backup he'd placed down were originally meant as preparation for a long game, ideally reserved for the Ace he would bring out later via Accelerated Synchro, as tools to protect his big Monster. Yet he'd been forced to burn through all of them in just this single turn.
So this is King Level combat?
He could feel it—facing this guy as an opponent, he couldn't afford even the slightest carelessness.
Whatever else this guy may be, he's definitely a master of digging pits; he had to respond with utmost caution.
"I set one card face-down. Turn end!"