"Evolution Burst!"
The beam blasted the suicidal doll part head-on. It couldn't withstand the blast and exploded into fragments.
[Alice, LP 4000 → 2950]
But her intent immediately became clear.
"At this moment, I flip my set Trap 'Necro Dollmeister'!" Alice said. "When a monster with 'Doll Part' in its name you control is destroyed by battle, you can activate this.
Special Summon two monsters with 'Doll Part' in their names from your Deck, in Attack Position!" (Anime card)
Alice searched and pulled two more monsters.
"I Special Summon 'Doll Part Red' and 'Doll Part Pink'!"
Matching the prior art style, Doll Part Red was a pair of damaged doll legs, one foot still wearing a red high heel. Doll Part Pink was a ragged doll torso—only the body, with head and limbs as pitch-black hollows and a huge crack around the waist.
[Doll Part Red, ATK 0]
[Doll Part Pink, ATK 0]
"Then I activate my set Trap 'Soul Resurrection' to Special Summon a Normal Monster from my GY in Defense Position!" Alice said. "I Special Summon the destroyed 'Doll Part Blue' in Defense Position!"
The creepy doll head returned to the field.
"Head, body, hands and feet are gathered. Let me guess," Kira said. "You're going to combine them?"
"Missing just one last step." Alice smiled, then continued: "'Doll Part Blue,' attack your 'Alice the Wandering Doll'!"
Doll Part Blue charged to its death again.
[Alice the Wandering Doll, DEF 1000]
As expected, Alice herself took the reflected damage and staggered back a half step.
[Alice, LP 2950 → 1950]
"But at this moment, Alice's effect activates as well," she said. "When she becomes a target of attack, she inflicts 500 damage to her controller—that is, me."
[Alice, LP 1950 → 1450]
The doll girl gritted her teeth and took her own damage, then said, "After that, her control shifts again. Please return my doll to me!"
The porcelain doll Alice returned to Alice's field.
"With this, we're ready!" Alice cried. "Finally, I activate the Spell 'Marionette Burial'!
While 'Alice the Wandering Doll' is on my field, tribute one each of Doll Parts Gold, Blue, Red, and Pink from my field to Special Summon 'Doll Chimera' from my hand or Deck!"
The four parts fused into a shaggy-haired, ferocious, crawling doll. Its hollow eyes and expressionless face exuded eerie dread.
[Doll Chimera, ATK 0]
"Doll Chimera cannot be Normal Summoned and can only be Special Summoned by 'Marionette Burial,'" Alice explained. "Its ATK increases by 400 for each 'Doll Part' monster in my GY.
I have four Doll Parts in my GY, so it gains 1600 ATK!"
[Doll Chimera, ATK 0 → 1600]
The moment it appeared, Kira sensed from it a hateful aura, like a mass of grudges.
He understood. This was the original body of the card that had been torn—the spirit of hatred that had corroded the doll girl's heart.
But it was just a spirit turned dark by resentment—not some ultra-ancient demon god nor an invader from space, with no heavy background. Creepy, yes, but in terms of supernatural weight, nothing special.
And even corrupted, all it wanted was "to beat those hateful duelists until they no longer wanted to duel." And before that, it would even do chores and cook for them…
Thinking of it that way, it was kind of cute.
If that counted as evil, then by comparison Kira figured he must be heinous beyond redemption.
"This is the terrifying Doll Chimera that drags all duelists into a country of despair where they can see no hope and lose the heart to duel…"
Alice was declaiming her lines with fervor when she frowned.
"What are you laughing at?"
"N-no reason," Kira waved. "Just remembered something funny… Don't mind me, you go on."
He really wasn't trying to be snarky. But this thing—needing to assemble an Alice plus four Vanillas on board and a specific Spell to summon, and then… just this.
If a spirit didn't personally pilot it, who on earth could play this deck…
Alice flushed.
"D-don't underestimate Chimera! You'll regret it!
I activate the Spell 'Doll Hammer' to destroy one of my monsters, draw two from my Deck, and change the battle position of one of your monsters!
I destroy my own 'Doll Chimera' and switch your 'Cyber Dragon' to Defense Position!"
[Cyber Dragon, DEF 1600]
Doll Chimera exploded as soon as it arrived. Alice drew two.
Kira raised an eyebrow.
The doll girl's deck looked like max difficulty to pilot, but that Spell was pretty good—targeted destruction, draw acceleration, and a free position change. Solid utility.
Alice drew, then declared:
"At this moment, 'Doll Chimera's' effect activates! When this card would be destroyed, by sending two 'Doll Part' cards from my Deck to the GY, I can negate its destruction!"
She revealed two cards.
"I send two more 'Doll Part Blue' from my Deck to the GY to negate Chimera's destruction!"
"I see—no matter how many times it's destroyed, it can revive. And each revival mills more doll parts, making it stronger," Kira nodded.
"Exactly!" Alice said proudly. "I just sent two more parts to the GY, so Chimera's ATK increases by another 800!"
[Doll Chimera, ATK 1600 → 2400]
"Now do you understand? Chimera is undying and can grow infinitely stronger!" Alice shouted. "This is the power of the cursed doll cast aside and despised by duelists!
No matter how many times it's cast into hell, it revives endlessly. It is resentment incarnate—an absolutely undying cursed monster!"
...
2 Bonus chapters at 500 PS