Raku watched the Duel Arena.
He was thinking about something.
Did the Gunkan Suship Deck really have a monster with 2500 Attack?
Raku searched through his memory.
The signature monsters of past protagonists: Dark Magician, Elemental HERO Neos, Stardust Dragon, Number 39: Utopia, Firewall Dragon... all of them had 2500.
"And I overlay [Gunkan Suship Ikura] and [Gunkan Suship Shari]!"
Yunagi's voice rang especially loudly amid the noisy background of the izakaya. The deck beneath his feet suddenly closed together, and a golden pillar of light burst out from the sea.
"Ride the waves and break through the storm! Come forth, my soul–[Gunkan Suship Ikura-class Dreadnought]!"
Boom!
The massive sound wave sent the flags around the field fluttering wildly. The battleship loaded with ikura shell rounds let out a heavy metallic grinding noise. Due to the continuous effect of [Gunkan Suship Shirauo-Class Carrier], Ikura's Attack increased.
[Gunkan Suship Ikura-class Dreadnought, ATK: 2200 → 2500]
Raku immediately gave a salute.
"My apologies, sir. I failed to recognize you earlier. So you really are a 2500 after all."
Phila looked quite confused from the side and could only shrink her neck along with Mr. Spirit's reaction.
"After that, I activate the first effect of [Gunkan Suship Ikura]: since [Gunkan Suship Shari] was used as material, I draw 1 card from my Deck."
Yunagi cleanly drew a card and slapped it onto his Duel Disk in one smooth motion.
"Finally, I Set two cards and end my turn."
The lanterns of the izakaya on the field swayed gently.
Augustus raised a hand, disgust visible on his face.
"How utterly inelegant. Actually placing food onto the Duel field. This greasy smell is practically the regression of civilization."
"Grandma once said that no matter how big the problem is, you need to eat your fill before you have the strength to face it."
Standing beneath the blazing sun, Yunagi slowly raised a finger.
"Dueling is the same. You can't Duel your opponent on an empty stomach. Not only would you fail to perform at your best, it would also disrespect your opponent!"
Augustus let out a breath, unwilling to continue talking with Yunagi.
"What a boring person. Food belongs on the dining table. My turn, draw!"
He swept his hand through the air in a dramatic arc.
"I activate the Field Spell Card, [Megalith Portal]."
The originally clear blue sky above the arena was instantly swallowed by dark clouds. Alongside a deep rumbling sound, three gigantic stone statues towering into the heavens descended from the void. They were ancient deities carved from rough stone, their heads lowered as their cold gazes overlooked the modern battleship on the field.
"Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, [Megalith Unformed]. I choose its second effect."
The card in Augustus's hand emitted a chilling glow.
"Until the total Levels become twice the Level of the Ritual Monster being Ritual Summoned, I Tribute [Megalith Phaleg] from my hand, then Ritual Summon [Megalith Ophiel] from my Deck in Defense Position."
Thud,
A massive crater appeared in the center of the arena.
A pure white angelic statue slowly rose upward as layers of heavy stone peeled away, revealing the sacred figure hidden within.
Solemn and majestic.
[Megalith Ophiel] DEF 2500.
"A Quick-Play Spell that Ritual Summons directly from the Deck?!"
The students in the stands erupted into wave after wave of shocked cries.
In most people's understanding, Ritual Summoning meant cumbersome Level matching, losing hand advantage, and relying on luck to prepare everything ahead of time during the first turn.
But the Augustus before them had completed a leap in resources in an instant.
Not only the audience, even Eiko, who had been standing with her arms crossed and watching coldly, now frowned deeply, her blue eyes narrowing slightly.
"A Speed 2 Ritual Summon, huh."
Eiko's voice was colder than usual, and her hand unconsciously rested on the card case at her waist.
This kind of Summoning method, which could even be activated during the opponent's turn as disruption, was downright destructive within the current tactical system.
At the same time, Mozu, seated in the Xyz Academy director's section, let out a cold snort.
"It's just a Speed 2 Ritual."
Augustus adjusted his monocle, the golden chain swaying into a cold arc as he lowered his head.
"First effect of [Megalith Ophiel]. If this card is Ritual Summoned, add 1 other 'Megalith' monster from the Deck to the hand."
"Chain-2. Second effect of the Field Spell [Megalith Portal]. If a Ritual Monster is Special Summoned, target 1 Ritual Monster in the Graveyard and return it to the hand. I recover the [Megalith Phul] that was used as Tribute earlier."
"Next, I chain to your effect."
Yunagi's voice suddenly cut in. The deck beneath his feet let out a harsh grinding sound.
"Chain-3. I activate the Trap Card, [Bottomless Trap Hole]."
A pitch-black crack instantly split open across the arena floor. Purple viscous sludge surged forth like greedy tentacles, violently wrapping around the white angelic statue that had just descended.
"When the opponent Special Summons a monster with 1500 or more Attack, destroy and banish it. Ophiel has 1600 Attack. Disappear into the abyss."
The sludge instantly swallowed the statue whole. Then space twisted, and Ophiel completely vanished into the rift between dimensions.
"Bottomless Trap Hole, hm. What an ancient and malicious Trap."
Augustus actually smiled faintly.
"Chains resolve backward. Chain-3: Ophiel is banished. Chain-2: [Megalith Portal] recovers Phul. Finally, Chain-1–destruction does not equal negation. Even after being banished, Ophiel still completed its guidance from the edge of the dimension. I add [Megalith Notrah Plura] from my Deck to my hand."
The whole stadium erupted.
Under normal circumstances, Ritual Summoning was an extremely card-negative Summoning method.
Yet after this entire exchange, Augustus's hand, which originally held six cards, still had five remaining.
Together with the Field Spell on the field, his resources were effectively unchanged from the start. If Yunagi hadn't used [Bottomless Trap Hole], Augustus would have actually gained advantage instead.
"This isn't traditional Ritual Summoning at all."
The other students all realized it.
This man who looked as rigid as an old-world Junker aristocrat actually possessed a more innovative mindset than anyone else.
"So this is the so-called result of archaeological research?" Mozu spoke.
Augustus gave no one time to react. He flipped a card around and displayed it at the center of the Duel Disk's holographic screen.
"First effect of [Megalith Notrah Plura] in my hand. I reveal this card. For the rest of this turn, you cannot activate effects in response to the activation of my 'Megalith' Ritual effects."
"What?!"
Yunagi had never expected such an escorting effect.
"After the effect resolves, I activate the first effect of [Megalith Phul], which I just recovered. I discard this card from my hand."
Augustus's voice rose higher.
"Until the total Levels become equal to or greater than the Ritual Monster being Ritual Summoned, I Tribute [Megalith Notrah Plura] from my hand! Ritual Summon in Defense Position–[Megalith Hagith]!"
Boom!
Another massive stone statue descended onto the field.
"A Ritual Summon activated through the Ritual Monster's own effect?!"
Cries of disbelief erupted from the Xyz Academy seating area.
This had already completely shattered the common understanding that Ritual Spells were the core of Ritual Summoning. Up to this point, Augustus had continuously Ritual Summoned without using a single Ritual Spell Card. As expected of someone personally chosen by the Ritual Academy director.
"My philosophy is to inherit the past and open the future. Only by inheriting the experiences of those before us and fully digesting them can we create a new future."
Behind Augustus, countless gigantic phantom stone statues faintly emerged.
"First effect of [Megalith Hagith]. If this card is Ritual Summoned, search 1 'Megalith' Spell or Trap from the Deck. The card I add to my hand is the Continuous Spell–[Megalith Anastasis]."
He directly slammed the green-glowing card into his Spell/Trap Zone.
"The wisdom of our predecessors shall continue eternally. This is... the echo of history. I activate the first effect of [Megalith Anastasis]. Discard 1 card from my hand."
Without hesitation, he sent [Megalith Promotion] from his hand to the Graveyard.
"From the Deck, add 1 Level 4 or lower 'Megalith' monster and 1 Level 8 or higher 'Megalith' monster to my hand. I search [Megalith Phul] and [Megalith Aratron]."
Yunagi stood across from him as sweat slid down the side of his face.
This level of resources. This speed of circulation.
"So this is the true power of the Ritual Academy." Eiko stared fixedly at the screen. "Even Pendulums would struggle to match this kind of resource cycling rate..."
...
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