"My turn. I draw."
Kira said lazily.
"Alright, then at the moment we enter the Standby Phase, the effect of 'The Deep Grave' Special Summons 'Granmarg the Rock Monarch' from your Graveyard to my field.
Come on, hand over your Rock Monarch to me."
T-Bone's expression twitched again.
But there was nothing he could do. A golden light shot out from his Deck to Kira's field, materializing as that awe-inspiring golden monarch.
[Granmarg the Rock Monarch, ATK 2400]
"Then let me immediately test the Rock Monarch's power," Kira said. "Granmarg the Rock Monarch, direct attack T-Bone!"
A golden heavy punch, like a meteor slamming down. As that crushing pressure surged in like Mount Everest collapsing from above, T-Bone's expression darkened further.
"Activate face-down," T-Bone said in a low voice. "Continuous Trap 'Limit Reverse.' Special Summon from the Graveyard an Attack Position monster with 1000 or less ATK."
"1000 or less ATK," Kira mused. "The Mine Golem, then?"
Up to this point, that seemed to be the only valid target in T-Bone's Graveyard.
"No, I'll revive this guy from the Graveyard. I only had one chance to discard this card via 'Graceful Charity.'"
He slapped a monster card onto the Duel Disk.
"Revive 'Obsidian Dragon' from the Graveyard!"
[Obsidian Dragon, ATK 800]
The Rock Monarch's fist pierced Obsidian Dragon's body straight through. Its chest was blown open, yet its form did not shatter. Instead, it weirdly released a mass of dark red virus that rapidly spread toward the Rock Monarch's body.
Just like the scene when the Crush Card Virus erupted last turn.
"Oh?" Kira squinted, intrigued.
"Hahahaha!" T-Bone laughed. "Taste this damned virus yourself!
In that instant just now, I activated the Trap 'Graverobber'!"
"Hm?"
Kira raised an eyebrow.
The Gambler's card?
"Graverobber can steal any one card from the opponent's Graveyard to use!" (Anime effect)
This is a famous card that was heavily nerfed from manga to OCG/TCG. The real card can only steal Spell Cards and you must take 2000 damage to use it.
The original had no LP cost and wasn't limited to Spells—any card could be stolen.
From how it plays, if you steal a Spell/Trap, you can activate it as Graverobber's effect if its conditions are met. If it's a Monster, that monster is Special Summoned to your field.
"The card I want from your Graveyard is, of course, 'Crush Card Virus'!" T-Bone said. "When my DARK monster with 1000 or less ATK is destroyed, the virus triggers!"
[T-Bone, LP 3600 → 2000]
"Destroy all monsters with 1500 or more ATK in your hand, on your field, and in your Deck!"
The virus immediately rebounded, swallowing the Rock Monarch on Kira's field, and then continued surging through his Deck.
"Impressive—using the opponent's own weapon against them." Kira smiled. "Now that all 1500+ ATK monsters on both sides have been blown away, things are about to become the Paralympics."
"I will not lose," T-Bone said gravely. "I now bear the power of the Four Monarchs, and the expectations of Lady Sarina and the Society. I will not betray them. No matter what, I will defeat you here!"
"Is that so? Then good luck."
Kira smiled.
"I still haven't conducted my Normal Summon this turn. So I'll set a monster in face-down Defense, then set a card, and end my turn."
"Then my turn—draw!"
A glance at the drawn card made T-Bone's eyes light up.
It was exactly what he needed.
"Spell Card, 'Pot of Avarice'!" T-Bone declared. "Return five monsters from your Graveyard to your Deck, then draw two cards!"
"I see," Kira smiled. "Recycling the Monarchs the virus destroyed."
"I'll return the Four Great Monarchs, 'Mobius the Frost Monarch,' 'Granmarg the Rock Monarch,' 'Zaborg the Thunder Monarch,' 'Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch,' plus one 'Mine Golem'—five cards—to my Deck."
The five cards slid out of the Graveyard and were shuffled back into the Deck.
"Then I draw two!"
The Monarchs were back in the Deck, but drawing them now depended on bonds and fate.
Of course, T-Bone currently had quite a bit of fate on his side—the Monarchs were his power source—so the odds weren't bad.
"However, Pot of Avarice is also 'drawing outside the Draw Phase,'" Kira reminded him. "Continuous Trap 'Appropriate.' Whenever the opponent draws outside their Draw Phase, I draw two cards as well."
Kira also drew.
T-Bone drew two; seeing one of them, he smirked.
As expected of the power granted by Lady Sarina—the most fitting cards arrived.
"Your 'Appropriate' that piggybacks on my draws to farm resources is certainly a nuisance," T-Bone said. "So let it disappear here!
First I set a card.
Then I activate the Spell 'Heavy Storm'!
Destroy all Spells and Traps on both sides!"
A raging gale howled, as if to overturn the entire arena. Even the huge mine at T-Bone's back row collapsed with a thunderous crash, turning into rubble.
Kira's Appropriate and his set card were swept up and shredded.
But just before the set card dissipated, a giant golden slot machine appeared, topped with the smirking face of Pot of Greed.
"What?" T-Bone was taken aback.
"One of the set cards you just destroyed with Heavy Storm was 'Jackpot 7.'"
Kira showed the card with a smile, then flicked it into the air. It vanished in a flutter of gold light.
"When 'Jackpot Pot 7' is sent to the Graveyard by an opponent's card effect, it is banished. If three copies of 'Jackpot Pot 7' are banished by this effect, you immediately win the Duel."
T-Bone: "!"
What jackpot nonsense did he just hit?
It was the same alternate win condition as Exodia the Forbidden One...
He was stunned for a moment by the alt-win, then calmed down quickly.
Stay cool—nothing to fear. You need three copies, and they all must be destroyed by the opponent's effects. Now that he knows of their existence, he can play around it. For the opponent to collect all three would practically require his cooperation—almost impossible.
Just a gag card. Nothing scary.