The battlefield remained silent.
Marcus's Duel Disk had already announced the result, but neither of them moved.
DUEL OVER.
Lazar stood there, breathing heavily.
His eyes remained fixed on the display.
Lazar LP: 100.
One hundred.
That was all he had left.
He looked down at Kuraz the Light Monarch before sending the monster to the Graveyard.
Marcus finally broke the silence.
"You know…"
Lazar looked over.
Marcus was staring at him with an amused expression.
"I really thought I had you."
"You did."
Marcus blinked.
Lazar shrugged.
"Several times."
"That doesn't make me feel better."
"It wasn't supposed to."
Marcus laughed.
"There he is."
Lazar raised an eyebrow.
"Who?"
"The guy who was annoying me five minutes ago."
"I've been here the whole time."
"Yeah, but now I know you weren't just being arrogant."
Lazar slid his cards back into his Duel Disk.
"I wasn't being arrogant."
Marcus gave him a look.
"You told me you were going to win while you had one hundred LP."
"I did win."
"That's not the point."
Lazar started walking away.
Marcus followed.
"Where are you going?"
"Somewhere that isn't here."
Marcus laughed again.
"You're seriously just leaving?"
"Do you have somewhere better in mind?"
"Actually…"
Marcus pointed down the street.
"Yeah."
Lazar stopped.
Marcus's expression became slightly more serious.
"My group."
Lazar looked at him.
"You have a group?"
"Of course I have a group."
"You never mentioned them."
"You never asked."
Lazar stared at him.
"You realize that's not how conversations work, right?"
Marcus grinned.
"Come on."
The two walked through the remains of what had once been a busy commercial district.
It was strange seeing the city this quiet.
Before everything happened, this place would have been filled with cars, adults rushing to work, people carrying shopping bags, children complaining about school.
Now there were only abandoned buildings and teenagers walking the streets with Duel Disks.
Every so often, Lazar noticed someone watching them from a window.
Some looked frightened.
Others looked suspicious.
A few looked at Marcus and immediately relaxed.
That told Lazar something.
Marcus wasn't just some kid who happened to be good at dueling.
People knew him.
They trusted him.
Eventually they reached an old supermarket.
The front windows had been covered with wooden boards.
Marcus knocked three times.
A small panel opened.
A pair of eyes looked through.
"Password?"
Marcus sighed.
"Seriously?"
"Password."
Marcus looked at Lazar.
Then back at the panel.
"Fine."
He leaned toward it.
"Chicken."
The panel immediately closed.
Lazar stared at him.
"What?"
"That was the password?"
Marcus shrugged.
"It changes every day."
The door opened.
"Today's password was actually dragon."
Marcus froze.
"…You couldn't have told me that before?"
"No."
Lazar walked inside.
Marcus followed.
"You're going to fit in perfectly."
The inside of the supermarket had been transformed.
Shelves had been pushed against the walls.
Old cardboard boxes had been turned into tables.
Blankets covered the floor.
There were around a dozen kids inside.
Some were playing cards.
Others were eating.
A few were repairing Duel Disks.
The moment Marcus entered, several heads turned.
"You're back!"
"Did you get anything?"
"Marcus!"
Then they noticed Lazar.
The room became quieter.
A younger boy pointed at him.
"Is that him?"
Marcus sighed.
"Apparently."
The boy's eyes widened.
"The guy who beat Jamal?"
Lazar looked at Marcus.
"You talk too much."
"I didn't tell him."
"You didn't have to."
Marcus smiled.
"News travels."
A girl sitting nearby looked Lazar over.
"You're the one who beat him with that weird Fusion monster, right?"
Lazar nodded.
"The Last Warrior?"
"Yeah."
"Then yes."
The girl smiled.
"Cool."
Lazar wasn't sure how to respond to that.
Marcus walked toward a table.
"Everyone, this is Lazar."
Lazar looked at him.
"I don't remember agreeing to an introduction."
"You're already here."
"That isn't an argument."
"It worked."
Marcus turned back toward the group.
"He's the reason I came back empty-handed."
A boy frowned.
"You lost?"
Marcus pointed at Lazar.
"Technically."
Lazar corrected him.
"Definitely."
A few of the kids laughed.
Marcus placed a hand over his chest.
"You wound me."
"You'll survive."
"I hope so."
The laughter faded.
Not because the joke wasn't funny.
Because everyone understood what Marcus had said.
In this world, that wasn't always guaranteed.
Lazar looked around.
These weren't duelists looking for entertainment.
They were survivors.
Some of them were younger than him.
Some barely looked old enough to understand what had happened to the world.
Marcus noticed Lazar's expression.
"They're the reason I duel."
Lazar looked at him.
Marcus's voice was quieter now.
"Food. Medicine. Duel Points. Whatever we need."
Lazar looked toward the shelves.
"How many Duel Points do you have?"
Marcus hesitated.
"About one hundred eighty."
Lazar frowned.
"That all?"
"After today's food and medicine?"
Marcus nodded.
"Yeah."
Lazar looked around the room.
"How long does that last?"
"Not long."
"And The Kings?"
Marcus's expression hardened.
"They're demanding three hundred."
Lazar stared at him.
"You're short by one hundred twenty."
"That's why they're here."
Lazar frowned.
"Why don't you just tell them you don't have it?"
Marcus gave him a humorless smile.
"You think they care?"
Lazar looked toward the boarded windows.
"The Kings."
Marcus nodded.
"The group controlling most of the area."
The name immediately brought back Emily's warning from Chapter 1.
Lazar crossed his arms.
"What exactly do they control?"
"Supply routes. Food. Medicine. Batteries. Some of the safer buildings."
"And in exchange?"
"Duel Points."
Lazar frowned.
"So they're taxing people."
Marcus nodded.
"Basically."
"And you pay?"
"We don't have much choice."
Lazar looked around the room again.
He understood now.
Marcus wasn't protecting a group because he wanted to play leader.
He was doing it because somebody had to.
Before Lazar could say anything else—
A voice came from outside.
"Lazar?"
Lazar froze.
He knew that voice.
He turned toward the entrance.
The door opened.
A familiar girl stepped inside.
She was around fourteen, perhaps fifteen.
Her clothes were dusty from the road, and she looked tired, but the moment her eyes met Lazar's, her expression changed.
Her eyes widened.
"You."
Lazar stared at her.
"Emily?"
Marcus looked between them.
"You two know each other?"
Emily ignored him.
She walked straight toward Lazar.
"You're alive."
Lazar raised an eyebrow.
"That's usually how this works."
Emily laughed.
It was the first genuinely relieved laugh Lazar had heard from her.
"You disappeared after Jamal."
"I didn't exactly have a forwarding address."
She shook her head.
"You gave us those Duel Points."
Lazar remembered.
Thirty-seven Duel Points.
He had handed them over after beating Jamal.
Emily had taken them back to her group.
"You still have them?"
"Some of them."
Lazar frowned.
"Some?"
"We had to use them."
"For food?"
"And medicine."
She looked down for a moment.
"We're down to twelve now."
Lazar nodded.
"But they kept us alive."
"That's what they were for."
Emily glanced around.
Then she noticed Marcus.
"You're Marcus."
Marcus pointed at himself.
"Depends who's asking."
"Emily."
Marcus looked at Lazar.
"You really know everyone."
"I don't."
Emily crossed her arms.
"He helped us."
Marcus's expression changed.
"I see."
Emily looked toward the others.
"We've been moving around since we left. We heard Marcus had a safe place here."
Marcus frowned.
"You were looking for us?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Emily hesitated.
"Because The Kings found our last shelter."
The room went silent.
Lazar's expression hardened.
"They found you?"
Emily nodded.
"They wanted payment."
"How much?"
"More than we had."
Marcus clenched his fist.
"So they're expanding."
Emily looked at him.
"They've been expanding for days."
Lazar looked between them.
"So this isn't just about your group."
Marcus shook his head.
"No."
Emily's voice became quieter.
"They're collecting from everyone."
Before anyone could continue—
Three loud knocks echoed through the supermarket.
Everyone froze.
Marcus looked toward the entrance.
"Already?"
Emily's face went pale.
"You know them?"
Marcus nodded.
"They're here."
Another three knocks.
Marcus stepped toward the entrance.
"Everyone stay back."
Lazar followed.
Marcus glanced at him.
"I said stay back."
Lazar shrugged.
"You're going to need someone to carry you back if things go badly."
Marcus smiled despite himself.
"You really don't know when to stop talking."
"Apparently neither do you."
Marcus opened the door.
Three teenagers stood outside.
The one in front was around seventeen.
He wore a clean black jacket despite the condition of the city.
His Duel Disk was noticeably better maintained than the others Lazar had seen.
He stepped forward with a confident smile.
"Marcus."
Marcus frowned.
"Yeah?"
The boy extended one hand.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
He gave a small, almost theatrical bow.
"Jimmothy Junior the III."
Lazar stared at him.
There was a brief silence.
Marcus looked at Jimmothy.
Then at Lazar.
Then back at Jimmothy.
"…Seriously?"
Jimmothy straightened his jacket.
"Completely serious."
Lazar rubbed his forehead.
"That's your actual name?"
"Passed down through three generations."
Marcus muttered,
"That explains a lot."
Jimmothy smiled.
"I represent The Kings."
The joking atmosphere disappeared immediately.
Marcus's expression hardened.
"What do you want?"
Jimmothy's smile remained.
"You're late."
"For what?"
"The payment."
Marcus clenched his fist.
"I told you we need another week."
"You told us that last week."
"We're short."
"That sounds like your problem."
Jimmothy glanced past Marcus.
His eyes moved across the supermarket.
The shelves.
The supplies.
The children.
Then they stopped on Lazar.
"And who is this?"
Marcus stepped slightly in front of Lazar.
"None of your business."
Jimmothy smiled.
"I've heard about him."
Lazar sighed.
"That's becoming a problem."
Jimmothy looked amused.
"You beat Jamal."
Lazar said nothing.
"You beat Marcus."
Marcus's expression tightened.
Jimmothy continued.
"Apparently you're pretty good."
"Apparently."
Jimmothy's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The Kings like good duelists."
Marcus immediately stepped between them.
"He's not interested."
Jimmothy laughed.
"You don't get to decide that."
He looked toward the room.
"We're collecting three hundred Duel Points from this group."
Lazar glanced at Marcus.
Marcus shook his head slightly.
They didn't have it.
Jimmothy continued.
"But I'll make you a deal."
He activated his Duel Disk.
"If you don't have the points…"
The Duel Disk locked into place.
"…then duel for them."
Marcus stepped forward.
"I'll do it."
Jimmothy looked at him.
"You've already dueled today."
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"So?"
"You're exhausted."
Marcus clenched his fist.
"I can still beat you."
Lazar looked at him.
Then at Jimmothy.
Then at the people behind them.
Emily.
Her group.
Marcus's people.
The younger kids.
The empty shelves.
The few remaining supplies.
Lazar slowly stepped forward.
Marcus turned toward him.
"Lazar."
Lazar held out his Duel Disk.
"I'll do it."
Marcus stared at him.
"You sure?"
Lazar looked at Jimmothy.
"No."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
Lazar continued.
"But I'm still doing it."
Jimmothy smiled.
"Then we have a duel."
He activated his Duel Disk.
Lazar's Duel Disk came to life.
The familiar holographic field began forming between them.
The room cleared away from the battlefield.
Marcus stepped back.
Emily watched Lazar silently.
Jimmothy looked directly at him.
"Three hundred Duel Points."
Lazar inserted his Deck.
"Fine."
The Duel Disks activated.
DUEL!
Turn 1 — Jimmothy Junior the III
Jimmothy Junior the III drew his opening hand of five cards.
He glanced through them casually, barely bothering to hide the amused smile creeping across his face.
"Hmm. This should be more than enough."
He selected one card from his hand and slid it into his Duel Disk.
"I'll Normal Summon Toichi the Nefarious Debt Collector in face-up Defense Position."
The monster appeared on the field.
Jimmothy Junior the III gave Lazar a knowing look.
"Don't worry. I'm not expecting you to understand the significance just yet."
He placed two more cards face-down.
"And I'll set two cards."
He leaned back slightly, looking far too pleased with himself.
"That concludes my turn."
A small grin crossed his face.
"Try not to lose before I have a chance to collect your debt."
Jimmothy Junior the III: 4000 LP — 2 cards in hand
Lazar: 4000 LP — 5 cards in hand
Turn 2 — Lazar
Lazar drew for his turn, bringing his hand to 6 cards.
Before he could begin his Main Phase, Jimmothy Junior the III interrupted.
"Ah-ah. Not so fast."
He flipped one of his Set cards.
"Endless Loan."
The Continuous Trap activated.
"Every time you Summon a monster, a Loan Token is Special Summoned to your field in Defense Position."
Jimmothy Junior the III gave him a smug smile.
"Every monster you summon comes with a little debt. Consider it a service fee."
Lazar's eyes moved toward Jimmothy's other Set card.
"Then I'll get rid of it."
He activated Heavy Storm, attempting to destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.
Jimmothy Junior the III immediately responded.
"Dark Bribe."
The Counter Trap negated Heavy Storm.
"Unfortunately, your little storm wasn't enough to clear the books."
Because of Dark Bribe's effect, Lazar drew another card.
Lazar: 7 cards in hand.
Lazar stared at Jimmothy for a moment before calmly selecting a monster.
"I Normal Summon Makyura the Destructor."
Makyura appeared on the field.
Immediately, Endless Loan activated.
A Loan Token was Special Summoned to Lazar's field in Defense Position.
Jimmothy Junior the III gave a satisfied nod.
"Another loan. You're becoming quite the reliable customer."
Lazar ignored the comment.
He entered his Battle Phase.
"Makyura! Attack Toichi the Nefarious Debt Collector!"
Makyura charged forward.
But Toichi remained standing after the attack.
Jimmothy Junior the III laughed.
"Did you already forget?"
He pointed toward the Loan Counter on the field.
"Toichi the Nefarious Debt Collector cannot be destroyed by battle while there is a Loan Counter on the field."
Lazar's expression tightened.
The attack had done nothing.
Jimmothy Junior the III adjusted his jacket.
"Don't worry. Everyone makes mistakes when they're borrowing."
Lazar said nothing.
Instead, he moved to his Main Phase 2 and set two cards face-down.
Then he ended his turn.
Jimmothy Junior the III's grin widened.
"Excellent. You're already building up quite the balance."
Lazar: 4000 LP — 4 cards in hand
Jimmothy Junior the III: 4000 LP — 2 cards in hand
Turn 3 — Jimmothy Junior the III
Jimmothy Junior the III drew for his turn.
He glanced at his hand, then at Lazar.
"Let's see… perhaps it's time to make this investment a little more interesting."
He activated Upstart Goblin.
"Upstart Goblin. I draw one card, and you gain 1000 LP."
Lazar's LP increased.
Lazar: 5000 LP
Jimmothy Junior the III drew his card.
His smile faded slightly when he noticed Lazar now had more LP than him.
"Wonderful. I'm actually losing money on this transaction."
He placed a monster onto his Duel Disk.
"Then I'll Special Summon Nefarious Trader in Attack Position."
The monster appeared on the field.
Jimmothy immediately pointed toward Lazar's Loan Token.
"And now, Toichi's effect."
Toichi the Nefarious Debt Collector activated its effect, inflicting 1000 LP of damage for each Loan Token on Lazar's field.
"There is one token."
A blast of energy struck Lazar.
Lazar: 5000 → 4000 LP
Jimmothy Junior the III adjusted his jacket.
"Interest collected."
He then Normal Summoned another monster.
"Next, I'll Normal Summon Hysteric Angel."
Hysteric Angel appeared on the field.
Jimmothy pointed toward Makyura.
"Hysteric Angel, attack Makyura the Destructor!"
The attack was declared.
Lazar immediately flipped his Set Trap.
"Waboku!"
A protective barrier surrounded Lazar's field.
"For this turn, I take no battle damage, and my monsters can't be destroyed by battle."
Hysteric Angel crashed into Makyura, but Makyura survived.
Jimmothy clicked his tongue.
"Ah. Insurance."
Lazar smirked.
"Something like that."
Jimmothy Junior the III wasn't particularly bothered.
"Fine. I'll simply make another investment."
He set one card face-down.
Then he ended his turn.
"Your move, Lazar. Let's see how much more debt you're willing to accumulate."
Lazar: 4000 LP — 4 cards in hand
Jimmothy Junior the III: 4000 LP — 1 card in hand
Turn 4 — Lazar
Lazar drew his card.
He looked over his hand before selecting a Spell.
"I activate Metalsilver Armor and equip it to Makyura the Destructor."
The armor locked onto Makyura, strengthening the Warrior.
Lazar then placed another monster onto his Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon Command Knight in Attack Position!"
Command Knight appeared beside Makyura.
Immediately, Endless Loan activated.
Another Loan Token was Special Summoned to Lazar's field in Defense Position.
Jimmothy Junior the III gave an amused smile.
"Another one? You're really starting to accumulate quite the debt."
Lazar ignored him.
"Command Knight's effect gives all Warrior monsters I control 400 ATK."
Makyura's ATK rose to 2000, while Command Knight reached 1600 ATK.
Lazar entered his Battle Phase.
"Command Knight! Attack Nefarious Trader!"
Command Knight charged forward.
Nefarious Trader was struck and destroyed.
However, Jimmothy Junior the III simply smiled.
"Don't celebrate yet."
He activated Spirit Barrier, his Continuous Trap.
"As long as I control a monster, I take no battle damage."
The attack destroyed Nefarious Trader, but Jimmothy Junior the III took no battle damage.
Then Nefarious Trader's effect activated.
"Now, let's make sure that transaction wasn't entirely one-sided."
Nefarious Trader's effect Special Summoned another Loan Token to Lazar's field in Defense Position.
Jimmothy Junior the III laughed.
"You destroy my trader, and somehow you're the one who ends up with more debt."
Lazar's expression hardened.
He moved on without responding.
"Makyura the Destructor! Attack Hysteric Angel!"
Makyura charged forward and destroyed Hysteric Angel.
Lazar then set one card face-down.
He lowered his Duel Disk.
"End turn."
Jimmothy Junior the III folded his arms, still wearing that irritating smile.
"Excellent. Your account continues to grow."
Lazar: 4000 LP — 3 cards in hand
Jimmothy Junior the III: 4000 LP — 1 card in hand
Turn 5 — Jimmothy Junior the III
Jimmothy Junior the III drew his card.
His eyes immediately went toward Makyura and the Metalsilver Armor equipped to it.
A slow grin appeared across his face.
"Ah… that armor."
He raised a card.
"You know, Lazar, I was beginning to wonder whether you had actually figured out what I was doing."
He activated Mystical Space Typhoon.
"Let's correct that."
The storm tore across the field, destroying Metalsilver Armor.
Jimmothy Junior the III gave a quiet laugh.
"I'll admit it. That little piece of equipment came dangerously close to ruining my entire plan."
He paused.
Then he looked at the last card in his hand.
"But fortunately…"
His grin widened.
"…I planned for that."
He slowly raised the card.
"Allow me to introduce you to the part of the contract you failed to read."
He revealed the card.
Illegal Business Practices.
For the first time in the duel, Jimmothy Junior the III looked genuinely excited.
"This…"
He held the card up between two fingers.
"…is how you turn a small debt into a fortune."
He activated the Equip Spell.
"Illegal Business Practices equips to Toichi the Nefarious Debt Collector!"
The Equip Spell attached itself to Toichi.
Jimmothy Junior the III's smile became downright vicious.
"Its effect doubles the effect damage inflicted to my opponent by the equipped monster."
He looked directly at Lazar.
"And what happens to be standing on your field?"
His eyes moved toward the Loan Tokens.
"One…"
He pointed.
"Two…"
Then the third.
"…three Loan Tokens."
Lazar's expression hardened.
Jimmothy Junior the III raised his hand.
"Toichi!"
The monster's effect activated.
"For every Loan Token on your field, inflict 1000 points of damage to your Life Points."
Three tokens.
3000 damage.
Jimmothy Junior the III then tapped the Equip Spell.
"But thanks to Illegal Business Practices…"
His grin returned.
"…that damage is doubled."
3000 → 6000 damage.
Jimmothy Junior the III spread his arms.
"Six thousand."
He laughed.
"Your Life Points are only four thousand."
His voice became almost theatrical.
"So unless you've suddenly discovered a way to pay a debt with a negative balance…"
He pointed toward Lazar.
"…this duel ends right here."
The effect was about to resolve.
Lazar's hand moved toward his Set card.
"Not yet."
Jimmothy's smile faltered.
Lazar flipped it face-up.
"Collective Power!"
Jimmothy's eyes widened.
Lazar targeted Makyura the Destructor.
"All Equip Spells are moved to the monster I selected."
The effect resolved.
Illegal Business Practices tore itself away from Toichi and shifted across the field, attaching itself to Makyura.
Jimmothy Junior the III stared.
"…What?"
Lazar looked straight at him.
"You said the card doubles the damage inflicted by the equipped monster."
Jimmothy's expression slowly changed as he realized what had happened.
Illegal Business Practices was no longer equipped to Toichi.
The Equip Spell was now attached to Makyura.
Toichi's effect resolved.
Three Loan Tokens.
3000 damage.
But there was no longer anything doubling it.
Lazar's LP dropped.
4000 → 1000 LP
And he remained standing.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Jimmothy Junior the III finally let out a quiet breath.
Then he smiled.
Not his usual smug grin.
Something more genuine.
"Well…"
He straightened his jacket.
"I'll give you that one."
Lazar stared back.
Jimmothy looked toward the card that had just saved Lazar.
"That was actually clever."
He then glanced at the remaining cards on the field.
"But don't misunderstand."
His smirk returned.
"I'm still collecting."
Jimmothy Junior the III set no further cards.
"I'll end my turn."
He lowered his Duel Disk.
"Your move, debtor."
Lazar: 1000 LP — 3 cards in hand
Jimmothy Junior the III: 4000 LP — 0 cards in hand
Turn 6 — Lazar
Lazar drew his card.
He looked at it for a moment before a small smile appeared.
"Perfect."
He activated the Normal Spell he had just drawn.
"Token Thanksgiving!"
A wave of energy spread across the field.
"Every Token on the field is destroyed. And for every Token destroyed, I gain 800 Life Points."
The three Loan Tokens disappeared from the field.
Lazar gained 2400 LP.
Lazar: 1000 → 3400 LP
Jimmothy Junior the III stared at the empty space where the Loan Tokens had been.
"All that debt…"
His expression tightened.
"…gone?"
Lazar looked toward Toichi.
"Now let's see how useful your collector is without them."
He entered the Battle Phase.
"Command Knight! Attack Toichi the Nefarious Debt Collector!"
Command Knight charged forward.
With no Loan Tokens remaining on the field, Toichi's battle-protection effect was no longer active.
Command Knight struck.
Toichi the Nefarious Debt Collector was destroyed.
Because Toichi was in Defense Position, Jimmothy Junior the III took no battle damage.
Lazar immediately pointed toward Jimmothy.
"Makyura the Destructor! Direct attack!"
Makyura charged straight toward Jimmothy Junior the III.
There was nothing left to stop it.
Makyura dealt 2000 battle damage.
Jimmothy Junior the III: 4000 → 2000 LP
Lazar then set one card face-down.
He lowered his Duel Disk.
"I end my turn."
Jimmothy Junior the III looked at his destroyed monster.
His smug expression had faded.
Then, slowly, a grin returned.
"Well…"
He adjusted his jacket.
"Looks like the debtor has finally started fighting back."
Lazar: 3400 LP — 2 cards in hand
Jimmothy Junior the III: 2000 LP — 0 cards in hand
Turn 7 — Jimmothy Junior the III
Jimmothy Junior the III drew his card.
The moment he saw it, a grin spread across his face.
"Well, well…"
He raised the card.
"Looks like fortune has decided to give me a second chance."
He revealed it.
"Card of Sanctity!"
The Spell activated.
"Both players draw until they have six cards in their hands."
Both players replenished their hands.
Lazar: 6 cards in hand.
Jimmothy Junior the III: 6 cards in hand.
Jimmothy immediately continued.
"Now, let's clean up some unfinished business."
He activated Double Cyclone.
"I'll destroy my Endless Loan…"
The Continuous Trap was destroyed.
"…and your Set card as well."
Lazar's Set card was destroyed.
The card was revealed.
Sakuretsu Armor.
Jimmothy gave a small sigh.
"Such a shame. I would've hated to see that activate."
He continued.
"Next, I'll activate Sinister Justice."
The Spell was placed onto the field.
"And now…"
Jimmothy revealed another card.
"Leading Question."
He revealed M-Warrior #1 and M-Warrior #2 from his hand.
"The Fusion Materials are M-Warrior #1 and M-Warrior #2!"
He activated Polymerization.
The two monsters disappeared from his hand as their images appeared within the Fusion vortex.
"Two warriors become one!"
The vortex erupted.
"Fusion Summon! Karbonala Knight!"
Karbonala Knight emerged.
Karbonala Knight — 1500 ATK.
Jimmothy pointed toward Command Knight.
"Karbonala Knight! Attack Command Knight!"
Lazar's eyes narrowed.
"Wait. You're attacking with a monster that's weaker than Command Knight?"
Jimmothy Junior the III simply grinned.
"Of course."
He raised his hand.
"Because now I activate the effect of Leading Question!"
The effect activated.
"Karbonala Knight is a Level 4 or lower Fusion Monster."
Karbonala Knight began glowing.
"So while it's battling, Leading Question grants it 800 additional ATK!"
Karbonala Knight: 1500 → 2300 ATK.
Lazar's expression changed.
"So that's your trick…"
Karbonala Knight crashed into Command Knight.
Command Knight was destroyed.
The difference was 700 ATK.
Lazar: 3400 → 2700 LP
With Command Knight destroyed, its effect disappeared.
Makyura the Destructor lost its additional 400 ATK.
Jimmothy Junior the III then revealed the effect of Sinister Justice.
"And now for the other part."
He pointed toward Karbonala Knight.
"Since my Level 4 or lower Fusion Monster inflicted battle damage…"
His grin returned.
"I gain 800 Life Points!"
Jimmothy Junior the III: 2000 → 2800 LP
Jimmothy looked down at his hand.
There were no cards left.
He gave a small shrug.
"And that's everything."
He ended his turn.
Lazar: 2700 LP — 6 cards in hand
Jimmothy Junior the III: 2800 LP — 0 cards in hand
Turn 8 — Lazar
Lazar drew his card.
His eyes moved across the field.
Karbonala Knight stood opposite him, but its earlier boost from Leading Question had already worn off. Outside of battle, the Fusion Monster was back to its original 1500 ATK.
That was considerably less intimidating.
But Lazar wasn't taking any chances.
He looked at his hand, considered his options, and finally placed one of his cards onto his Duel Disk.
"I Set one monster."
The card appeared face-down on Lazar's field.
Jimmothy raised an eyebrow.
"Hiding behind a face-down?"
Lazar didn't answer.
Instead, he switched Makyura the Destructor into Defense Position.
Makyura lowered itself, taking a defensive stance beside the newly set monster.
Jimmothy gave a small laugh.
"Interesting."
Lazar looked directly at him.
"I end my turn."
Jimmothy's grin widened.
"Then I believe the honor of continuing this little business arrangement falls to me."
He reached toward his Deck.
"Let's see what I can collect this time."
Turn 9 — Jimmothy Junior the III
Jimmothy drew his card.
For the first time in the duel, he had cards in his hand again.
He looked at them.
Then at Lazar.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Well… looks like fortune hasn't abandoned me yet."
He raised one of the cards.
"I'm activating Pot of Greed."
The Spell Card appeared on his Duel Disk.
"Simple enough."
Two cards slid from the top of his Deck and into his hand.
Jimmothy looked over his newly replenished hand and chuckled.
"Now that's more like it."
He glanced toward Lazar's face-down monster.
"Let's see what you're hiding."
Jimmothy then placed another card onto his field.
"I Set one monster face-down."
The card appeared beside Karbonala Knight.
Then Jimmothy raised another card.
"And now…"
He equipped it to Karbonala Knight.
"I activate the Equip Spell—Lightning Blade!"
Lightning crackled around the Fusion Monster.
"Karbonala Knight gains 700 ATK!"
Its ATK rose from 1500 to 2200.
Jimmothy pointed toward Lazar's face-down monster.
"Karbonala Knight! Attack!"
The Fusion Monster charged forward.
"Destroy his face-down monster!"
The attack connected.
The card flipped face-up.
Lazar's eyes narrowed.
Big Shield Gardna.
Its massive shield absorbed the initial impact, but Jimmothy immediately laughed.
"Oh, you picked the wrong monster to hide behind!"
Leading Question activated its effect.
"Because Karbonala Knight is a Level 4 or lower Fusion Monster, it gains another 800 ATK during this battle!"
Karbonala Knight surged with power.
2200 → 3000 ATK.
Big Shield Gardna's 2600 DEF was no longer enough.
The Fusion Monster smashed through the shield.
Big Shield Gardna was destroyed.
Jimmothy lowered his hand, wearing a triumphant grin.
"See?"
He looked directly at Lazar.
"It's all about knowing when to make your move."
Karbonala Knight remained on the field, its temporary 800 ATK boost fading after the battle.
Its ATK returned to 2200 from the Lightning Blade boost.
Jimmothy's grin remained.
"And we're only getting started."
Turn 10 — Lazar
Lazar drew his card.
His eyes immediately stopped on it.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Perfect."
Jimmothy raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? That sounds promising."
Lazar didn't answer.
He placed a monster onto his Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon Gearfried the Iron Knight."
A warrior clad in massive iron armor appeared on the field.
Gearfried stood completely still, his body almost entirely concealed beneath the heavy armor.
Jimmothy looked at him.
"Gearfried?"
Lazar stared at the warrior.
"There's something you don't know about him."
The armor suddenly rattled.
"Gearfried wasn't sealed inside that armor by an enemy."
Jimmothy's expression changed.
"He sealed himself."
A crack appeared across the armor.
Lazar continued.
"His power became too great."
Another crack.
"He reached a point where even he knew he couldn't keep fighting without eventually losing control."
The armor began glowing.
"So he made the armor himself."
Jimmothy stared.
"The armor was his restraint."
Lazar nodded.
"Exactly."
The cracks spread across Gearfried's body.
"He willingly sealed his own strength away."
Lazar raised a card.
"Until someone gave him a reason to release it."
He placed it onto his Duel Disk.
"I activate Release Restraint!"
The field exploded with light.
CRACK!
Gearfried's helmet shattered.
CRACK!
The armor around his chest split apart.
Piece after piece broke away.
Jimmothy raised his arm against the shockwave.
Lazar shouted:
"Gearfried!"
The final piece of armor exploded.
"I tribute Gearfried the Iron Knight!"
The warrior vanished into the light.
"And release everything you've been holding back!"
The light erupted.
A new warrior emerged.
His sword was drawn.
His presence alone was overwhelming.
Lazar pointed forward.
"Gearfried the Swordmaster!"
The Swordmaster landed on the field.
Jimmothy stared.
"So that's his true form…"
Lazar nodded.
"That was the power he sealed away."
Then Lazar raised another card.
"But I'm not done."
He placed it onto his Duel Disk.
"Equip Spell—Divine Sword-Phoenix Blade!"
A blazing sword appeared in Gearfried's hand.
Flames erupted from the weapon.
"Divine Sword-Phoenix Blade gives Gearfried 300 additional ATK!"
Gearfried's ATK rose.
2600 → 2900 ATK.
Jimmothy's eyes narrowed.
"And there's more."
Lazar pointed toward Gearfried.
"Gearfried the Swordmaster has an effect that activates when he's equipped with an Equip Spell."
The Divine Sword-Phoenix Blade burned brighter.
"It allows him to destroy any monster on the field."
Jimmothy's eyes widened.
"Any monster?"
Lazar pointed directly at Karbonala Knight.
"That's right."
He raised his hand.
"Gearfried!"
The Swordmaster raised the Divine Sword-Phoenix Blade.
"Destroy Karbonala Knight!"
SHING!
A blazing slash tore across the field.
Karbonala Knight was struck.
The Fusion Monster exploded into fragments of light.
Jimmothy clenched his teeth.
"Damn it!"
Lazar lowered his hand.
"2900 ATK."
He looked at Jimmothy.
"And an effect that can destroy any monster while he's equipped."
But Lazar's eyes then shifted toward the remaining face-down monster.
"One more."
He turned toward Makyura.
"Makyura the Destructor."
The monster stepped forward.
"Attack his face-down monster!"
Makyura charged.
Jimmothy's expression suddenly changed.
His frustration disappeared.
A smile returned.
Lazar noticed.
"…Why are you smiling?"
Makyura struck the face-down monster.
FLIP!
The monster revealed itself.
Invader of the Throne.
Its 1700 DEF absorbed the attack.
Makyura's 1600 ATK wasn't enough.
The attack failed.
Lazar took the difference.
100 damage.
Lazar: 2700 → 2600 LP.
Lazar's eyes narrowed.
Then Invader of the Throne's effect activated.
A strange energy surrounded the two monsters.
Jimmothy laughed.
"You really should've looked before you attacked."
Lazar's expression hardened.
The effect took hold.
Gearfried the Swordmaster was pulled away from Lazar's side of the field.
"Wait!"
Gearfried vanished—
and reappeared beside Jimmothy.
At the same time, Invader of the Throne switched sides and appeared under Lazar's control.
Silence.
Lazar stared across the field.
The warrior he had just released.
The warrior whose power he had finally unleashed.
The warrior now equipped with the Phoenix Divine Blade, standing at 2900 ATK—
was now controlled by Jimmothy.
Jimmothy slowly walked toward Gearfried.
He looked up at the Swordmaster.
Then back at Lazar.
A massive grin spread across his face.
"You know what the funniest part is?"
Lazar remained silent.
Jimmothy pointed toward Gearfried.
"You spent an entire turn telling me this magnificent story about how he sealed away his own power…"
He laughed.
"…then you released him."
His grin widened.
"Gave him a divine sword."
He tapped the blade with one finger.
"Boosted him to 2900 ATK."
Then he pointed at himself.
"And somehow…"
He laughed again.
"…I ended up owning him."
Lazar's fist tightened.
But Lazar wasn't finished.
He calmly reached for another card.
Jimmothy's smile faltered.
Lazar placed it face-down on his Duel Disk.
"I Set one card."
The card locked into place.
Lazar looked across the field at Jimmothy.
Then at Gearfried.
"I end my turn."
Jimmothy's grin slowly returned.
"Fine."
He raised his Duel Disk.
"Then it's my turn."
The battlefield fell silent.
Turn 11 — Jimmothy Junior the III
Jimmothy drew his card.
His eyes widened.
Then his familiar grin returned.
"Well, well…"
He held the card up.
"Looks like the debt collector just received another miracle."
Lazar watched him carefully.
"What is it?"
Jimmothy laughed.
"You'll see."
He placed the card onto his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card—Dark Spell Regeneration!"
Dark energy spread across the field.
"This lets me bring a Spell Card back onto my field."
Jimmothy pointed toward his Graveyard.
"And the card I'm bringing back…"
His grin widened.
"…is Card of Sanctity."
The Spell Card returned to his field.
Lazar's eyes narrowed.
"Again?"
"Why not?"
Jimmothy activated it.
"Card of Sanctity!"
The effect took hold.
"Both players draw until they have six cards in their hands!"
Cards rapidly filled both players' hands.
Jimmothy laughed as he looked at his newly replenished hand.
"Now that's what I call a fresh start."
But he wasn't finished.
He immediately grabbed another card.
"Actually…"
His smile became vicious.
"I think I'll clean up the entire field."
He slammed the card onto his Duel Disk.
"Heavy Storm!"
A violent storm erupted across the battlefield.
Wind tore through the field as lightning crashed down upon every Spell and Trap.
Jimmothy's own cards were caught in the storm.
Sinister Justice.
Leading Question.
Spirit Barrier.
All three were destroyed.
Jimmothy didn't even flinch.
"If I'm going to destroy everything…"
He laughed.
"…I'm not making exceptions for myself."
The storm continued.
Lazar's face-down card was destroyed.
Mirror Force.
Then another card was caught in the storm.
Divine Sword-Phoenix Blade.
The Equip Spell shattered.
Gearfried's ATK immediately dropped.
2900 → 2600 ATK.
Jimmothy pointed toward Lazar's monsters.
"And now…"
His eyes gleamed.
"…the real cleanup begins."
He raised another card.
"Raigeki!"
A massive bolt of lightning descended from above.
The entire field shook.
Makyura the Destructor was struck first.
Then Invader of the Throne.
Both monsters were destroyed.
Smoke covered the field.
When it cleared—
Lazar had nothing left.
Jimmothy's field was nearly empty as well.
Except for one card.
He smiled.
"Almost."
Jimmothy placed another monster onto his field.
"I Normal Summon Skeleangel!"
A small skeletal angel appeared.
900 ATK.
Jimmothy looked across the now-empty battlefield.
Lazar had no monsters.
No face-down cards.
No protection.
Jimmothy had a monster.
His grin widened.
"That's it."
He pointed directly at Lazar.
"Your field is completely clean."
Jimmothy raised his hand.
"Skeleangel!"
The monster prepared to attack.
"Attack Lazar directly!"
Skeleangel charged forward.
Jimmothy laughed.
"It's over!"
But Lazar didn't move.
Instead, he calmly looked toward his Graveyard.
"You're forgetting something."
Jimmothy's smile froze.
"…What?"
Lazar raised his hand.
"Makyura the Destructor."
Jimmothy's eyes widened.
"You destroyed it…"
"Exactly."
Lazar smiled.
"And this turn, Makyura lets me activate a Trap Card directly from my hand."
Jimmothy's expression dropped.
"No…"
Lazar pulled a card from his hand.
The Trap Card he'd just drawn from Card of Sanctity.
"I'm activating…"
He slammed it onto his Duel Disk.
"Remove Brainwashing!"
The Trap activated.
Jimmothy stared.
"Remove Brainwashing…"
Lazar pointed across the field.
"Its effect returns all monsters to their original owners."
Jimmothy's face went pale.
The effect spread across the field.
Skeleangel remained where it was.
But Gearfried—
the monster Jimmothy had stolen—
began glowing.
The control over the Swordmaster broke apart.
Jimmothy reached toward him.
"Wait!"
Gearfried disappeared from Jimmothy's side.
And returned to Lazar.
Jimmothy stood frozen.
His own trap had just given Lazar his strongest monster back.
Lazar looked at Gearfried.
Then at Jimmothy.
"Thanks."
Jimmothy clenched his teeth.
"…You have got to be kidding me."
But Lazar didn't attack.
He simply looked at the battlefield.
"Your turn is over."
Jimmothy's shoulders dropped.
His entire carefully constructed advantage had collapsed.
He had destroyed almost everything.
He had cleared Lazar's field.
He had brought out a monster for the finishing attack.
And somehow—
Lazar was still standing.
Jimmothy lowered his Duel Disk.
"I end my turn."
Turn 12 — Lazar
Lazar drew his card.
He looked at his hand.
Then at the Graveyard.
His eyes stopped on one card.
Divine Sword-Phoenix Blade.
Jimmothy noticed.
"What are you looking at?"
Lazar didn't answer.
He picked up two cards from his Graveyard.
"First…"
He raised them.
"I banish two Warriors from my Graveyard."
The cards disappeared into the banishment zone.
Big Shield Gardna.
Makyura the Destructor.
Lazar then reached toward the Graveyard.
"And that lets me return Divine Sword-Phoenix Blade to my hand."
The Equip Spell returned.
Jimmothy's eyes widened.
"No…"
Lazar equipped it to Gearfried.
"Equip Spell— Divine Sword-Phoenix Blade!"
The divine weapon erupted into flames.
Gearfried's power surged.
2600 → 2900 ATK.
The moment the Equip Spell was equipped, Gearfried's effect activated.
Lazar looked toward Jimmothy's only monster.
Skeleangel.
"Gearfried."
The Swordmaster raised his blade.
"Destroy Skeleangel."
A blazing slash crossed the field.
BOOM!
Skeleangel was destroyed.
The field was silent.
Jimmothy's last monster was gone.
Lazar looked at him.
Jimmothy's LP stood at:
2800.
Gearfried's ATK:
2900.
Jimmothy's eyes widened.
Lazar lowered his hand.
"This ends here."
Gearfried stepped forward.
His Divine Sword -Phoenix Blade burned brighter.
Jimmothy stared at him.
"You've got to be…"
Lazar pointed directly at him.
"Gearfried the Swordmaster."
Gearfried raised his sword.
"ATTACK!"
He launched forward.
Lazar shouted the attack's name.
"PHOENIX DIVINE SLASH!"
The Swordmaster's blade tore through the battlefield.
The attack struck Jimmothy directly.
2900 ATK.
Jimmothy's remaining 2800 LP shattered.
2800 → 0.
The Duel Disk announced the result.
WINNER: LAZAR.
Jimmothy stood completely still.
His eyes remained fixed on the Gearfried who had once belonged to him for only a few moments.
Then his Duel Disk powered down.
The duel was over.
Lazar had won.
And somehow, despite everything Jimmothy had thrown at him—
the final blow had come from the warrior Lazar had released from his own restraints.
Gearfried the Swordmaster.