Yu-Gi-Oh!: This is the real duel!

"Come on!! Dark Magician!!!"

An ancient scroll unfolded, emanating a miraculous radiance. The Dark Mage Hemote leaped out, his white hair fluttering as a dark red robe appeared like a gathering flame.

Dark Magician

【Seven Stars】

[Dark Attribute/Mage Race]

[Attack/Defense: 2500/2100]

"The moment you successfully summon, I activate a trap card!" Seeing Yuche summon his trump card, Antidote decisively activated a trap, "Trap Hole! Destroy the Dark Magician directly!!"

"boom--------------"

Beneath the collapsed pit lay a multitude of sharp knives and barbs!

But Hermoti seemed to have been prepared all along. He did not show any surprise. Instead, he calmly opened his arms, ready to accept this sacrifice.

"Chain Trap!" Youche responded with a spell card, "Quick-Play Spell Card - Level Adjustment! Raise Dark Magician's level by one star!!"

"And because your card destroyed my Level 8 Dark Magician and sent him to the graveyard, I can now activate the Quick-Play Spell Card—A Deal with a Demon!!"

"Special Summon the powerful, immortal dragon from my deck—Raging Death Dragon!!!"

“Nani…” Antid’s gaze darkened.

It's not surprising that Youche used a dark magician as bait.

but……

He actually managed to add that seemingly meaningless new card—the Level Adjustment—to his deck?!

Could this guy's goal have been this summoning?!

"Rumble rumble rumble rumble ——————————"

As the dark magic dissipated, the earth began to tremble violently. Amidst the shattered flying rocks, a death dragon, exuding an aura of decay, awoke and let out a sharp roar!

[Rampaging Death Dragon]

[Eight Stars]

[Dark Attribute/Undead]

[Attack/Defense: 3500/0]

"Next, activate the Spell Card—Shallow Graveyard!" Yuche announced. "Both duelists select one monster from their respective Graveyards and Special Summon it to the field in Defense Position!"

"The monster I chose is Dark Magician, and since you have one less monster in your graveyard, the Bone King's attack power will decrease to 3000!!"

"Entering battle phase!!"

"The berserk Death Dragon attacks the Bone King!!"

"boom------------------"

Antid chose to resurrect another Bone King from the graveyard, and faced with the powerful attack of the Raging Death Dragon, he could only endure it!

"Splash splash splash splash splash——————"

The colossal Bone King was shattered in a single blow, and as it crumbled into a skeleton, the powerful impact also swept towards Antid.

"Beep beep beep beep——————"

Antide, LP: 4000 → 3500

"The effect of the Bone King activates!" Antid shouted. "When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, banish one Bone or Bone King from the Graveyard to Special Summon this card again! I choose to revive the Bone King in Defense Position!!"

A defensive posture?!

Youche noticed this detail.

Logically, without knowing the effect of the Raging Death Dragon, most people would choose to revive the monster in attack mode, because in the opponent's eyes, the monster would no longer have a chance to attack again.

However, Antid summoned the Bone King, whose defense was zero, in a defense-ready position.

This likely indicates that he knew the effects of the Berserker Dragon, but if he did, why would he waste materials from the graveyard to forcibly resurrect the Bone King?!

Is it for some other tactic?

Looking at Gaika in Antide's backcourt, Youche couldn't help but speculate.

The answer to this question is quite simple: just launch another attack!

"However, the Berserk Death Dragon can attack each of the enemy monsters once during the battle phase!!" Youche shouted, "Berserk Death Dragon! Attack the Bone King!!"

"boom------------------"

The emerald green, venomous dragon breath swept across the battlefield, once again shattering Antid's monster with overwhelming force.

And everything went exactly as Youche had predicted.

Despite knowing the effects of the Berserk Dragon, Antidote chose to resurrect the Bone King once again!

The shattered skull bones reassembled, and the terrifying one-star monster was reborn from destruction. Eerie smoke billowed outwards, and through the smoke, Antid could be seen calmly and sinisterly smiling.

Chapter 225 The Array of Immortality

"Boom—Boom—"

Two more shattering explosions rang out as the berserk death dragon, with its seemingly limitless attack count, rampaged across the enemy's battlefield!

When the sound of the skulls collapsing came again, all the skeletons on Antidote's field turned to ashes. Except for the only Skeleton King in the graveyard, the other three skeletons and the Skeleton King were all sent to the banished zone.

“Such a fierce offensive…” Kyoko, who had been captured by the Doma assassins, whispered, “but something feels off.”

"Yeah, why would that guy keep reviving the Bone King even though he knows the effects of the Bone King monster?" Jonouchi asked疑惑地问道, "Wouldn't that banish all the monsters on his field?"

Wang Yang frowned and said, "This duelist named Antid has a very strong fighting spirit. He is also a very powerful duelist, and may even possess card spirits. Youche must be careful..."

Card Spirits...

At that moment, Jonouchi also noticed in a daze that the dark magician on the field did not seem to be a simple projection, but rather some kind of special spirit.

Recalling everything he had experienced in the Noya Space, and combining it with recent events and the conversation between Yuzuru and Yugi that he had overheard, Jonouchi, who had always been known as "Ordinary Bone," had a vague understanding of that strange life form.

Now, it seems like anyone can see the card sprites clearly...

If having card-based spirits makes you stronger, then shouldn't you go find one yourself?

Jōnei thought to himself, his heart filled with anticipation.

Just then, a clock-shaped mage jumped out of his duel disk and smashed the head of the man inside the city with his staff.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Jonouchi winced in pain, then looked in surprise at the Time Magician that flew out of his deck. "So I already had Card Spirits, I just couldn't see them myself!"

The Time Magician stood with his arms crossed, adopting an air of superiority.

"With such a powerful spirit, why would I need to look for others? Hahaha!" Jonouchi couldn't help but laugh excitedly.

Although Time Magician was a card Yugi gave him in Duel Kingdom, it was also a card that accompanied him all the way and helped him turn the tide in many crises.

Recalling their past bond, and looking at the adorable spirit before him, Jonouchi suddenly felt an indescribable surge of emotion.

Upon hearing Jonouchi's words, the Time Magician nodded in satisfaction, but instead of returning to its deck, it joined the others in watching the duel.

In the second main phase, Yu Che sets up two face-down cards, ending the turn immediately.

At the same time, Antid's sinister and terrifying laugh rang out. His tall, thin, and pale appearance was indeed somewhat similar to his trump card—the Bone King.

"Now, it's time to answer your questions." Antidote swung his arm, swept out cards, and shouted, "My turn! Draw!"

"Place three cards face down!"

"Activate the Spell Card - Heavenly Treasure Card!!"

"Replenish both duelists' hands to six cards each!!"

This unique card replenishment method allowed Antid to gain a large amount of extra hand resources. Amidst the golden light that rained down, he suddenly revealed the trap cards he had set down in the previous turn.

"Next, activate the Trap Card—Return from Another Dimension!!" Antidote proclaimed. "Pay half of your LP to Special Summon as many banished monsters as possible to my field!!"

"With this effect, I will resummon three skeletons and one skeleton king!!"

"Because there is a Bone King in the graveyard, the Bone King's attack power on the field will be increased to 1000!!"

"Click click click click————————————"

Four dimensional rifts were simultaneously torn open by the pale, skeletal hand, and hideous, grotesque white bones emerged from the other dimension, opening their jaws and emitting eerie shrieks!

[White Bones]

One star

[Dark Attribute/Undead]

[Attack/Defense: 300/200]

The White Bone King

One star

[Dark Attribute/Undead]

Attack/Defense: ? /0

"Beep beep beep beep————————————"

Antide, LP: 3500 → 1750

White Bone King, Attack Power: ? → 1000

The scene of suddenly summoning four monsters was certainly terrifying, but what puzzled everyone was that Antidot, without exception, put all four monsters into a defensive stance.

"What?" Kaiba Keihei, who had just tried to escape but failed, came to his senses and asked in confusion, "The return from another dimension can only make the monsters exist for one turn. When the turn ends, these monsters will all disappear again!"

“That’s true,” King said with a grim expression. “There’s practically no card that can protect all monsters from negative status effects. And with only one turn of effect, Antidote still chose to put Skeleton in defense position… This guy’s tactics are just as bizarre as his deck!”

“Heh, they do exist, Pharaoh.” Antidote glanced coldly at the crowd. “It’s just that those cards all require a specific condition.”

"Now, please witness the arrival of the great barrier!!"

"Field Spell Card activated - Orichalcos Barrier!!!"

"Smack!"