[Elental HERO Absolute Zero, ATK 6000!]
"Next, Terra’s effect activates. I can tribute an Elental HERO on my field, and Terra gains that monster’s ATK and DEF values!"
Koyo declared.
"So, I tribute ’Elental HERO Great Tornado.’ Terra gains its attack power!
Earth Magma!!!"
Great Tornado’s body dissolved into particles of light, all its energy absorbed into Terra.
Terra’s whole body instantly turned a fiery red, like magma erupting from deep in the earth. Unleashed, destructive power surged as a blazing dragon of molten lava fired from his back, exuding heat enough to lt tal.
[Elental HERO Terra Firma, ATK 2500 → 5300]
"Two monsters: one with ATK 5300, one with ATK 6000!"
Jaden’s eyes were full of awe.
This is the power of the man called the greatest hero on earth—Koyo, counterattacking from the brink!
Kira watched silently, chin in hand.
If it were him, he’d probably have Terra absorb Absolute Zero’s attack too. That way, Terra’s ATK would break ten thousand, and more importantly, he could trigger Absolute Zero’s best effect: "Absolute Zero"—when it leaves the field, destroy all opposing monsters.
Then he rembered: oh, right, that effect was added in the card ga’s version.
In the manga, Absolute Zero only gained ATK based on the number of WATER monsters on the field. But in the real card ga, that effect is ignored; people use Absolute Zero just for its field-wipe.
So even in Koyo’s powerful HERO deck, there are still areas to improve.
Too bad—if Absolute Zero had the field-wipe, Koyo could have done even more.
Actually, he thought, absorbing Great Tornado wasn’t strictly necessary. Terra’s boosted ATK would revert at the end of the turn.
But, well, it’s a soul card—powering up for morale is pretty normal.
"Battle!" Koyo shouted. "First, ’Elental HERO Terra Firma’ attacks ’Elental HERO The Shining’!"
Terra’s attack was more than enough. The opponent’s monsters, weakened by Great Tornado, had their stats halved. If Koyo’s all-out attack landed, it would be a coback from the edge!
Of course, things wouldn’t go that smoothly.
"Trap Card, ’Relieve Monster,’" the Arbiter said. "When an opponent’s monster declares an attack, I can return a monster from my field to my hand, then Special Summon a Level 4 monster from my hand."
He glanced at his monsters.
"I’ll return ’Elental HERO Phoenix Enforcer’ to my hand, and Special Summon this card—
—Orichalcos Kyutora." (Ani card)
Phoenix Enforcer disappeared in a blaze, returning to the deck. A bizarre, spiky monster appeared in his back row, its body dominated by a single eerie eye.
[Orichalcos Kyutora, ATK 500 → 1000] (Orichalcos boost)
"What?" Koyo frowned.
Not only was the monster’s appearance strange, but its position was odd—it appeared behind the four Elental HEROes, in the Spell/Trap zone.
"Seal of Orichalcos, second effect: my Monster Zones and Spell/Trap Zones are interchangeable. Monsters can be summoned to the back row."
The Arbiter explained calmly.
"Also, until all monsters in my front row are destroyed, you can’t target my back row monsters for attacks."
Koyo’s frown deepened.
Such a bizarre effect.
And that monster made him uneasy.
In the audience, Seto Kaiba narrowed his eyes.
"That guy."
He couldn’t possibly forget this card.
It was one of Dartz’s key cards.
"Abandoned the HERO deck and finally brought out his true monsters?" Kaiba said quietly.
In a way, it was an acknowledgnt of Koyo as an opponent.
But now, Koyo couldn’t back down.
"Battle resus, but my attack continues," Koyo said. "Continue attacking ’Elental HERO The Shining’!"
[Elental HERO The Shining, ATK 2750]
Earth Magma Slash!
Terra’s molten blade cut through The Shining, lting and destroying the hero.
"Nice!" Jaden said. "That’s massive damage!"
"No," Kira shook his head.
"Huh?"
After The Shining was destroyed, the fire and energy released were sucked into Kyutora’s eye—the newly summoned, ominous monster.
And the Arbiter’s Life Points were unscathed.
"What?" Koyo was shocked.
"Orichalcos Kyutora’s effect absorbs battle damage," the Arbiter said. "As long as it’s on the field, all battle damage I would take becos zero."
Koyo gritted his teeth.
Due to Seal of Orichalcos, he couldn’t attack Kyutora until the front row monsters were gone. But if Kyutora wasn’t destroyed, he couldn’t inflict any damage.
He glanced at the three remaining HEROes on the opponent’s field.
Normally, even if you couldn’t inflict damage, you’d at least reduce the opponent’s monsters.
But that ominous eye, especially the way it absorbed energy, gave him a chill.
"So, will you continue attacking?" the Arbiter asked.
"I stop my attacks. End turn."
Koyo took a deep breath.
He couldn’t say why—maybe it was a duelist’s instinct.
As if a voice inside warned him: don’t attack, or sothing worse will happen.
"Oh? You sensed danger from Kyutora and stopped? Heh, sharp instinct for soone with no idea of my tactics—truly the gift of a top duelist.
But it changes nothing."
The Arbiter slowly raised his arm.
"My turn. Draw."
"I activate my set card, Trap Card ’Alchemy Cycle.’ All my face-up monsters’ original ATK becos 0."
[Elental HERO Nova Master, ATK 500]
[Elental HERO Great Tornado, ATK 500]
[Elental HERO Escuridao, ATK 600]
[Orichalcos Kyutora, ATK 500]
Only Escuridao, due to a HERO in the graveyard, had more than 500 ATK; the rest reverted to 500.
Koyo was confused: "You reduced your own monsters’ ATK to zero?"
"Now, battle."
The Arbiter waved his hand.
"Elental HERO Escuridao, attack ’Elental HERO Absolute Zero.’"
[Elental HERO Absolute Zero, ATK 5000]
With only Absolute Zero and five monsters on the field, Absolute Zero’s ATK dropped slightly, but was still 5000.
Escuridao was instantly frozen and shattered.
"Battle damage is still absorbed by Kyutora," the Arbiter said. "Plus, when a monster with 0 ATK is destroyed by battle due to ’Alchemy Cycle,’ I draw one card."
He drew a card.
"Next, Nova Master attacks Absolute Zero."
[Nova Master, ATK 500]
[Absolute Zero, ATK 4500]
Nova Master was frozen and shattered.
"Again, battle damage is absorbed; I draw a card," said the Arbiter. "Next, Great Tornado attacks."
[Great Tornado, ATK 500]
[Absolute Zero, ATK 4000]
Great Tornado was also frozen and destroyed.
"Finally, Orichalcos Kyutora attacks Absolute Zero."
[Orichalcos Kyutora, ATK 500]
[Absolute Zero, ATK 3500]
"Even this monster is attacking?"
Koyo started to sweat.
A terrible sense of foreboding—there was a trick here.
He could feel it, hidden behind that eerie eye.
Sothing was about to erge!
Kira sighed softly: "This is it."
"To force ’that one’ out, Koyo is a proud duelist," Kaiba said calmly. "But it’s over."
Only they understood what was coming next.
When Absolute Zero froze Kyutora as well, as the latter was annihilated by the HERO’s power, it was as if a forbidden seal had been broken.
Even the Seal of Orichalcos responded—six-pointed stars flickered green, the earth shook, and the sky was filled with a green glow, as if fearing the arrival of a demon god.
"When Orichalcos Kyutora leaves the field in any way, its hidden seal is broken."
The Arbiter raised his Duel Disk, and a pillar of green light shot from his deck as a massive demon god descended.
Orichalcos Shunoros, summoned!
"Orichalcos Shunoros?"
Koyo looked up, feeling it took everything he had just to face this god. The pressure was so great he could barely move his fingers.
Even Kaiba’s face darkened, silent for a mont.
This is it.
Back when he and Atem tead up against Dartz, Kaiba only made it to this point. He lost to this god.
"That’s right. Shunoros’s ATK equals the total battle damage Kyutora absorbed before leaving the field, plus 500 from the Seal of Orichalcos.
So now, Shunoros’s ATK is—"
[Orichalcos Shunoros ATK ? → ATK 17950]
Seventeen thousand, nine hundred fifty!
"That monster’s back, brother!" Mokuba also shuddered.
"Yeah," Kaiba grunted.
In fact, when he and Atem fought it, Shunoros’s ATK was over twenty thousand—this is actually a bit less.
But the result is the sa.
"You made it this far, so I’ll acknowledge your effort," the Arbiter said. "Letting summon Shunoros was beyond my expectations.
But it’s about ti to finish this. Next—"
His voice was calm.
"Orichalcos Shunoros, attack ’Elental HERO Terra Firma.’"
It was as if all the barrier’s power channeled into the god, green light swirling around its body, forming a ring that slashed through Terra.
Terra was cut in half, the ring continuing its path, striking Koyo directly.
Koyo let out a muffled grunt, his body flying back uncontrollably.
His vision blurred, the voices calling his na faded away.
So, in the end, I lost.
A little regret, but he had done his best.
At least, he fought to the very end as a duelist.
[Koyo, LP 100 → LP 0]
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