Chapter 216: Pile It On! 130 Dragon-Type Extra Deck Cards
"Why is she taking so long to choose?"
Masayo, who had just watched her own Extra Deck get stripped, looked out at her sister standing frozen over the selection screen and couldn't hide her confusion.
Shio offered a confident theory. "She's definitely stuck because Brother's Extra Deck has too many important cards."
The Eva system's approval was the only reason Ryoushuu hadn't called security.
Was this really about too many key cards?
There were just as many cards nobody cared about.
What the crowd couldn't see was the towering wall of despair Ryoushuu was staring at from inside the arena. From the outside, all anyone could tell was that the selection was taking an unreasonably long time, dragging all the way to the final seconds of the system countdown.
"I send Red Dragon Archfiend, Right Red Mark to the Graveyard."
The choice was finally made. The effect had already activated. Refusing to choose wasn't an option.
"That was impressive reaction speed, Jinguuji."
Amano meant it. She had stood before a wall of 260 cards, located a single specific monster she had seen used against her earlier, and made a clean decision before the clock hit zero, all while accounting for the time she'd spent in stunned silence. He was genuinely praising her.
Coming from Amano, though, Ryoushuu likely found it deeply insulting.
She had spent all that time and managed to strip a card that would have no meaningful impact on the rest of the duel. That felt like a personal insult from someone who had brought 260 cards into a sanctioned match.
Amano did not feel sorry for her.
She had just spent her turn wiping the floor with Masayo. Now the tables were turning. That was just how the game worked.
"Cowardly," Sakuya muttered from the stands. "Targeting Right Red Mark out of spite."
Ryoushuu set one card face-down and ended her turn.
She had chained Waboku to the Black Rose Dragon Assault Mode's board-wipe effect, but a battle-damage immunity trap couldn't stop an effect that destroyed everything outright. The chain hadn't saved her field. It had only bought her this one turn free of battle damage.
Even so, there was nothing on Ryoushuu's current field that Black Rose Dragon could break through. The weakest of her three remaining monsters, Dogmatika Sanctus at 2000 ATK, carried an effect that boosted all Dogmatika monsters by 500 points whenever it was targeted for an attack, pushing it past Black Rose Dragon's 2500. Rushing in headfirst wasn't an option.
"My turn. Draw."
Amano pulled his opening card.
"Trap Card activated. Common Man's Charity."
Common Man's Charity. Trap Card. Draw 2 cards from the Deck, then banish 1 Normal Monster from your hand. If you have no Normal Monsters in hand, send your entire hand to the Graveyard instead.
"I draw two, then banish Yuyu from my hand."
A budget, homemade echo of Graceful Charity, stitched together for a Normal Monster deck.
He had drawn into a Level 1 Tuner monster. Black Rose Dragon was Level 7. Combined, they reached Level 8 for another Right Red Mark. But Dogmatika was built specifically to punish Extra Deck monsters. Ryoushuu could spring effects from her hand the instant a monster came out of the Extra Deck, including negating its effects entirely.
Rather than giving her that opening, Amano chose a different kind of table flip.
He threw an unfamiliar Spell Card onto the Duel Disk, one none of them had ever seen.
"Quick-Play Spell activated. Assault Mode: Type Zero."
This was the power he had earned by pushing through Jack Atlas in the WRGP Chronicle.
Assault Mode: Type Zero. Quick-Play Spell. Release 1 Synchro Monster you control to Special Summon 1 Assault Mode monster that specifically names that monster, using Assault Mode rules.
"I release Black Rose Dragon from the field. By the power of Assault Mode, Special Summon."
In the same moment Black Rose Dragon raised its head to roar, the heavy black-and-gold plating of Assault Mode erupted across its frame, sealing the blazing rose-dragon body inside a brilliant suit of armor.
"Bloom, scorching fire of the ascending rose. Let the Assault form swallow the world."
"Explode, pitch-black flowers. Special Summon."
"Black Rose Dragon, Assault Mode."
Black Rose Dragon, Assault Mode. Level 9. FIRE. Dragon. Special Summon. Effect.
ATK 2900. DEF 2300.
This card cannot be Normal Summoned. It can only be Special Summoned by the effect of Assault Mode: Type Zero.
The moment it landed, a sea of crimson rose-fire erupted across the entire field without warning.
"Effect of Black Rose Dragon, Assault Mode." Amano slammed the card down and called it out. "When this card is Special Summoned, or when the opponent Special Summons a monster, activate this effect. Destroy all cards on the field."
The same board-wipe it carried in base form, now wrapped in explosive armor, with the added trigger of responding to the opponent's Special Summons. Every card on the field, including Black Rose Dragon, Assault Mode itself, was consumed in a storm of burning rose petals.
This time Ryoushuu had no second negation to chain.
"I chain to Black Rose Dragon, Assault Mode's effect with Waboku."
A Trap that granted battle immunity. Useless against a destruction effect sweeping the entire field.
Dogmatika Thunder Fleurdelis. Destroyed.
Dogmatika Sanctus. Destroyed.
Dogmatika White Relic. Destroyed.
Waboku. Destroyed.
Black Rose Dragon, Assault Mode. Destroyed.
One detonation. Ryoushuu's field was ash.
Amano couldn't help himself. "You're not much better than your sister."
Masayo had lasted one turn before Black Rose Dragon wiped her. Ryoushuu had survived one extra turn before the Assault Mode version finished the job.
From below the stage, Masayo's eyes trembled slightly.
That line had included her. Somehow, impossibly, hearing Amano lump her in with her own sister sent something sharp and strange through her chest. Not entirely unpleasant.
But the Assault Mode board-wipe was different from the original in one crucial way. The field clearing hadn't stripped Amano's board completely.
"Because Assault Mode was destroyed, its effect activates. I Special Summon 1 Black Rose Dragon from the Graveyard."
Amano pulled the card back out and set it on the Duel Disk.
Black Rose Dragon. ATK 2400.
"Even if our fields are both cleared," Ryoushuu said, steadying her voice, "my Waboku chain means I take no battle damage this turn."
Fair. Which meant this turn was for building, not finishing.
"I Normal Summon The White Stone of Ancients in Defense Position."
The White Stone of Ancients. Level 1. LIGHT. Dragon. Tuner. Effect. ATK 600. DEF 500.
The tiny luminous 1-star Tuner dropped onto the field and immediately threaded its synchronization ring through Black Rose Dragon's body.
"I tune Level 1 The White Stone of Ancients with Level 7 Black Rose Dragon."
One plus seven. Eight stars.
"Holy light gathers upon these wings. Strike down my enemy with that radiant force."
"Synchro Summon. Level 8."
"Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon."
Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon. Level 8. WIND. Dragon. Synchro. Effect.
ATK 3000. DEF 2500.
A blade of crystalline wind tore through the dying rose-flame and Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon swept down onto Amano's field.
"I set two cards face-down. Turn end."
The moment Amano's End Phase was declared, a thunderous, arrogant dragon roar shook the field from somewhere deep inside the Graveyard.
"End Phase. The White Stone of Ancients activates from the Graveyard."
When this card is sent to the Graveyard during the turn it was sent, Special Summon 1 Blue-Eyes monster from the Deck.
There was only one Blue-Eyes monster in Amano's Deck right now.
"Roar alongside the synchro dragon's wind. Special Summon. Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
"ROAR."
Blue-Eyes White Dragon. ATK 3000.
Amano threw the card guided by the white light of The White Stone of Ancients onto the Duel Disk. The holographic Blue-Eyes materialized and stood side by side with Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon.
From the Gold Stage of Synchro Academy, where she had been lounging around with nothing to do, Rin Seiya's mind suddenly produced the words out of nowhere.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon. 3000.
Shio pumped her fist. "Brother's got two monsters matching Blue-Eyes's ATK."
One of those monsters was Blue-Eyes White Dragon itself, but still.
Up on Fusion Academy's Gold Stage, Kaiba Chiaki's expression grew noticeably more serious as she watched Amano effortlessly pull out Blue-Eyes White Dragon through a Tuner combination. She had seen him do something similar in the Battle City Chronicle. Even now in the tournament, the same pattern was repeating. That Tuner could bring out Blue-Eyes this smoothly.
The thought settled into her mind unexpectedly. She had been so focused on Fusion strategy that the possibility of a Blue-Eyes Synchro path had never seriously occurred to her.
Amano had cleared Ryoushuu's field and come back with two 3000-ATK monsters pressing the advantage.
This was not the same picture as the students who had been crushed earlier today. Was a first-year student genuinely about to become the first person to break Fusion Academy's Silver Stage?
Ryoushuu moved immediately.
"On your End Phase, I also activate a card from my Graveyard. Evil Dogmatika Script."
Evil Dogmatika Script, activated from the Graveyard: Banish this card, then target 2 Dogmatika monsters in your Graveyard with different Levels. Add 1 of them to your hand. Return the other to the bottom of the Deck.
"I return Dogmatika White Relic to the bottom of the Deck. I add Dogmatika Thunder Fleurdelis to my hand."
The turn exchanged. After the long End Phase, Ryoushuu drew her card.
"My turn. Draw. I activate Pot of Greed. Draw 2 more cards."
She surveyed her hand, then looked across the field at Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon standing at 3000 ATK.
"Main Phase. I activate the effect of Dogmatika Thunder Fleurdelis from my hand."
Dogmatika Thunder Fleurdelis. During your or your opponent's Main Phase, if a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck is on the field, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon had come from the Deck, not the Extra Deck. Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon was the target of this condition.
Ryoushuu had one goal with this play. Force Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon to burn its once-per-turn negation.
Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon's effect was too dangerous to leave active. Once per turn, when any monster effect activated, Crystal Wing could negate and destroy it, and then gain ATK equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK. If Dogmatika Thunder Fleurdelis resolved successfully, it could set an additional Dogmatika Trap from the Deck directly to the field. And because Amano had a 2500-ATK or higher Synchro Monster, that Trap could be activated the very same turn it was set. The follow-up threat was too serious to let through.
Amano raised his hand.
"Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon effect."
Once per turn, when a monster effect activates other than Crystal Wing: negate that activation and destroy that monster. When Crystal Wing destroys a monster with this effect, Crystal Wing gains ATK equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK until the End Phase.
"I negate and destroy Dogmatika Thunder Fleurdelis. Crystal Wing Absorption."
Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon. ATK 3000 to 5500.
The once-per-turn negation was spent. But the ATK climb was nothing to dismiss.
With that handled, Ryoushuu continued.
"I activate Preparation of Rites. I search 1 Ritual Spell and add the named Ritual Monster to my hand from the Deck or Graveyard."
Preparation of Rites: Search 1 Ritual Spell Card from the Deck and add it to the hand. Then add 1 Ritual Monster whose name is written in that Spell Card's text to your hand, from the Deck or Graveyard.
"I search Dogmatika Gospel and Dogmatika Alba Zoa and add both to my hand."
Ryoushuu continued the chain.
"Quick-Play Spell, Graceful Charity. Draw 3, then send 2 to the Graveyard."
She drew three, then discarded Dogmatika White Relic and Dogmatika Theo, the Iron Hammer.
Now she had the full combination assembled.
"From my hand, Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous. When the opponent controls a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, this card Special Summons itself."
Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous. Level 4. LIGHT. Spellcaster. Effect. ATK 1500. DEF 1500.
The silver-hammered saint materialized, clasped her hands together, and activated the mark on her forehead.
"When Dogmatika Ecclesia successfully Special Summons herself, I search Dogmatika Punishment from the Deck and activate it directly."
Dogmatika Punishment, Continuous Spell: Upon activation, add 1 Dogmatika Ritual Monster or 1 Dogmatika Ritual Spell to the hand. If the opponent controls a monster, add 1 additional Dogmatika card.
"I search Dogmatika Gospel and Dogmatika Alba Zoa from the Deck and add both to my hand."
Gospel in hand. Boss monster in hand. The Ritual Summon could go through.
Ryoushuu activated Dogmatika Gospel first.
"As Ritual Tribute, I offer Level 8 Dogmatika Sanctus from my hand and Level 4 Dogmatika Ecclesia from the field. Combined Level 12."
She turned the second card around to face the arena. The Level 12 Ritual Monster she had been searching for since the duel began.
"The elegy that leads the world to ruin. Recite the final verse of the sacred scripture."
"Ritual Summon. Level 12. Dogmatika Alba Zoa."
Dogmatika Alba Zoa. Level 12. LIGHT. Spellcaster. Ritual. Effect.
ATK 4000. DEF 4000.
Can only be Ritual Summoned using Dogmatika cards.
What descended from the ritual was not a beautiful young woman like most Dogmatika monsters. It was something deeply wrong, a massive and unsettling shape that clashed violently with the elegant aesthetic surrounding it.
This was the true nature of Dogmatika. Behind the prosperous, pristine exterior, something monstrous had been waiting all along. Maybe that was Ryoushuu too.
At Level 12 with 4000 ATK matching Obelisk the Tormentor, Dogmatika Alba Zoa also granted every Dogmatika monster on the field immunity from the effects of the opponent's Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Link monsters.
Dogmatika monsters Amano controlled were not immune to anything because he did not control any Dogmatika monsters. But that was not the point of the effect. The point was that Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon could no longer negate Ryoushuu's cards.
"Now that a Ritual Monster is on the field, Dogmatika Punishment activates."
Dogmatika Punishment, Continuous Spell: Once per turn, while a Dogmatika Ritual Monster is on the field, reveal either player's Extra Deck, then send 1 monster from it to the Graveyard.
"From my own Extra Deck, I send Elder Entity N'tss to the Graveyard. And I activate N'tss's effect on being sent."
Elder Entity N'tss. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, target 1 card on the field and destroy it.
Ryoushuu pointed across the arena.
"I target Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon."
Crystal Wing's once-per-turn negation was already gone. There was nothing left to stop a monster effect that targeted a card on the field.
"Not on my watch." Amano flipped a face-down. "Quick-Play Spell. My Body as a Shield."
My Body as a Shield: Pay 1500 LP. Negate the activation of 1 card that includes the effect to destroy a monster on the field and destroy it.
Amano LP: 3200 to 1700.
The javelin of the Elder Entity, an ambush launched from the Graveyard, was intercepted at the cost of fifteen hundred life points. Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon remained standing.
Ryoushuu's composure broke for just a moment.
She had planned to destroy Crystal Wing after forcing its negation. The follow-up from N'tss should have landed clean. Instead, Amano had used My Body as a Shield to block a Graveyard effect, something she had not counted on.
Even with Dogmatika Alba Zoa's immunity protecting her own monsters from Crystal Wing's negation, Crystal Wing still had its passive ATK-boosting effect. That could not be stripped by Alba Zoa's protection.
Ryoushuu looked at her hand.
She had Dogmatika Gospel and one other card. A monster. Dogmatika Cardinal, Four Sacred Dragons.
Dogmatika Cardinal, Four Sacred Dragons carried a very specific summon condition.
To Special Summon it from the hand, she had to banish a total of 4 Extra Deck monsters from both Graveyards combined.
Right now the count was this: Ryoushuu had Elder Entity N'tss in her Graveyard. That was one Fusion monster. Amano had Red Dragon Archfiend, Right Red Mark and Black Rose Dragon in his Graveyard. That was two Synchro monsters. Three total. One short.
If Amano had not banished Star Chalice Divine Child, Eve earlier, the fourth slot would have been filled.
Eve: "Ha."
Ryoushuu had intended to destroy Crystal Wing first, then use the fourth monster to unlock the Cardinal. My Body as a Shield had ended that sequence.
Without Dogmatika Cardinal, Four Sacred Dragons, this turn could not eliminate Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon. And if Crystal Wing stood through this turn at 5500 ATK, her 4000 ATK Dogmatika Alba Zoa would be destroyed in the next exchange.
She knew the risk. She made her choice anyway.
"I activate the effect of Dogmatika Alba Zoa."
Dogmatika Alba Zoa, effect: During your Main Phase, your opponent must apply 1 of these effects. For every 2 cards in their Extra Deck, they send 1 card from their hand or Extra Deck to the Graveyard. OR they return all Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Link monsters they control to the Extra Deck.
The choice was effectively made for Amano. No sane player would voluntarily send Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon back to the Extra Deck.
"This is a real gamble, Ryoushuu."
She bit down and forced a smile. "Win or lose, this one roll. I'm betting my duel on your pile of filler cards."
"Then I'll take that bet." Amano raised his Duel Disk. "Let's find out which wins. My pile of filler Extra Deck cards, or your Extra-Deck-stripping Dogmatika."
Dogmatika Alba Zoa's effect: for every 2 cards in Amano's Extra Deck, he sends 1 card to the Graveyard.
In the previous turn, Amano had shown Ryoushuu 260 cards.
In the next instant, every person watching witnessed something they had no frame of reference for.
Amano's Duel Disk burst open and launched 130 Extra Deck cards into the air. They spread across the sky above the arena in a cascade of color and light, each one roaring as it fell, a rain of 130 dragon cards descending from above.
130 simultaneous dragon roars.
130 Dragon-Type Extra Deck monsters, all heading for the Graveyard at once.
The Fusion Academy Silver Stage itself seemed to crack under the weight of the noise.
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