"I Normal Summon Battle Ox~"
Camula summoned a monster with the head of a bull and black fur onto the field.
"I activate Battle Ox's effect. From my Deck, I send one Zombie monster to the Graveyard. I send Vampire Familiar to the Graveyard."
Battle Ox slammed its massive hammer down onto the ground, and a black bat it startled flew over to Camula's side.
"The effect of Vampire Familiar in the Graveyard activates. While this card exists in the Graveyard, I can activate this effect by sending one Vampire card from my hand or from among the face-up cards on my field to the Graveyard. Special Summon this card, though if this card Special Summoned by this effect leaves the field, it is banished. I choose to Special Summon it in Defense Position."
Camula briefly revealed Vampire Retainer from her hand and sent it to the Graveyard. The bat startled by Battle Ox flew onto Camula's field and began to cry out.
"The other effect of Vampire Familiar activates! When this card is Special Summoned, I can activate this effect by paying 500 LP. From my Deck, I add one Vampire monster other than Vampire Familiar to my hand."
"I add Vampire Grace to my hand. Next is the effect of Vampire Retainer. Just like Vampire Familiar, I discard Vampire Sorcerer from my hand and Special Summon it in Defense Position."
[Camula, LP: 4000 → 3500]
A ferocious wolf of black and white leapt out from within the mist and came to Camula's side.
"By the same logic, Vampire Retainer also has another effect similar to Familiar. When this card is Special Summoned, I can activate this effect by paying 500 LP. From my Deck, I add one Vampire Spell or Trap card to my hand. I add the Continuous Vampire's Domain to my hand and activate it directly."
The surrounding mist gradually transformed into a deep crimson blood fog, and a faint metallic scent of blood could be smelled in the air.
"Eh, so it really is a genuine Shadow Game, y'know!"
Professor Crowler glanced around, somewhat uneasy as he scratched at his arm.
Camula shot Professor Crowler a disdainful look as her Duel Disk ejected a card from the Graveyard. "I banish Vampire Sorcerer from my Graveyard to activate its effect. I can only activate this effect by banishing this card from the Graveyard. Once this turn, when I Summon a Level 5 or higher DARK Vampire monster, the Tributes required can become unnecessary~"
Zane frowned as his gaze swept across Camula's field. "A high-level Summon support card that removes the need for Tributes. But you already Normal Summoned Battle Ox this turn… I see. Is this the unused effect of Vampire's Domain?"
"Correct. As expected of someone who's my type~ I activate the effect of the Continuous Spell Vampire's Domain that's already on the field. Once per turn, I can activate this effect by paying 500 LP. In addition to my Normal Summon, this turn, only once, during my Main Phase, I can Summon one Vampire monster!"
[Camula, LP: 3000 → 2500]
Jaden showed no fear at all, instead bluntly complaining, "Even though they're called Vampires, isn't everything she's done so far just paying her own LP?"
"Because she's trying to lower her LP to enter revenge or frenzy—no, that just proves her plays will definitely bring returns worth sacrificing those LP, and she even has ways to recover them."
Youmi shook his head. He was just about to explain the opponent's objective when he misspoke the game for a moment. "What I'm curious about is how someone with such powerful finishing ability like Zane will respond when faced with this kind of 'advantage.'"
Ignoring the banter between Jaden and Youmi, Camula kept almost all of her attention fixed on Zane.
"I use the additional Summon granted by Vampire's Domain to Normal Summon Vampire Grace. And because of Vampire Sorcerer's effect, I don't need to Tribute any monsters."
Within the ominous blood fog, a noblewoman holding a cane in one hand and a wineglass filled with fresh blood in the other slowly emerged.
"Vampire Grace's effect activates. Once per turn, I declare a card type (Monster, Spell, or Trap) to activate this effect. My opponent sends one card of the declared type from their Deck to the Graveyard. I remember you're using a Cyber Dragon Deck that relies on Fusion tactics, right? I declare Spell Cards~"
Without a word, Zane sent a copy of Cyber Eternal to the Graveyard.
"Looks like you're not completely ignorant about me. You've done your homework, hm…"
After all, he was a well-known figure at Duel Academy. Asking around casually would tell anyone that he used Cyber Dragons, so it wasn't strange.
Acknowledging Zane's assessment, Camula immediately activated a heavyweight card. "Because I have a very reliable source of information~"
"I activate Mirage of Nightmare, then Set two cards. Turn end."
"Because of Mirage of Nightmare's effect, during your Standby Phase, I'll draw cards until I have four cards in my hand~ Though during my Standby Phase, I'll have to randomly discard a number of cards equal to the number I drew by that effect."
Zane remained unfazed. "You definitely have cards to deal with its side effect. There's no need for me to worry about that right now."
Camula smiled. "Then feel free to imagine whatever you like. My turn is over. Please, make your move~"
TURN.2
"My turn, draw. Didn't get it, huh…" Looking at his dead hand, Zane let out a sigh. "Standby Phase. Any actions?"
The Mirage of Nightmare on Camula's field flashed.
"Looks like you don't have Mystical Space Typhoon, huh~ Mirage of Nightmare's effect. I draw cards from my Deck until I have four cards in my hand!"
"HiaHiaHia Looks like you're done for, little student"
Camula stuck out her tongue and laughed twice.
"Nice hand, is it? Well, can't be helped. Main Phase. If only my opponent controls a monster, Cyber Dragon can be Special Summoned from my hand."
Zane first Special Summoned Cyber Dragon from his hand, then activated a Spell card to follow it up. "Next is the Normal Spell Evolution Burst. If I control a face-up Cyber Dragon, I can target one card on my opponent's field and destroy it. Cyber Dragon cannot attack the turn this card is activated. I target your set back-row card, the one in the middle."
The silver-white Cyber Dragon fired a beam of searing light, converting the power meant for battle this turn into a tool to clear away traps.
"Don't rush. The card you targeted, I'll flip it open right now~ Normal Trap Vampire Takeover. This card can only be activated if there is no card in the Field Zone, and the only face-up monsters you control are Zombie monsters. Activate one Vampire Kingdom from your Deck."
"After that, you can Special Summon one DARK monster with 'Vampire' in its name from your Graveyard in face-up Defense Position~"
A majestic empire gradually took shape within the blood fog, but before it fully materialized, Camula activated another set card.
"Chain, flip open Emergency Provisions. I send Vampire Takeover and Mirage of Nightmare to the Graveyard and recover 2000 LP~"
[Camula, LP: 2500 → 4500]
Watching Camula's combo, Alexis, who was observing from the sidelines, finally couldn't help but complain. "You drew four cards, activated a Field Spell, and your LP is actually 500 higher than when you started! There has to be a limit to how busted this is!?"
Camula shot Alexis a contemptuous glance and stuck out her tongue. "Your imagination just isn't vivid enough, little girl. So then, anything else you want to do, Zane?"
"I activate Cyber Emergency to search my Deck for Cyber Dragon Core. I Normal Summon it, then use its effect to search my Deck for Cyber Repair Plant. Then I activate the effect of Cyber Dragon Nachster in my hand, discarding Cyber Dragon to Special Summon it."
Even though Evolution Burst had effectively gone to waste, Zane's sequence didn't change because of it.
"The effect of Cyber Dragon Nachster. When this card is Summoned or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one Machine monster from my Graveyard with 2100 Attack or Defense. I Special Summon Cyber Dragon from my Graveyard, then…"
Zane glanced at his hand. After a long pause, he activated a card onto the field.
"Allow me to apologize for my actions. I activate the Continuous Spell Clockwork Night. Due to this card's effect, all monsters on the field become Machine monsters. Additionally, all Machine monsters I control gain 500 Attack and Defense, while all Machine monsters my opponent controls lose 500 Attack and Defense."
Inside the ornate castle, a massive number of mechanical gears suddenly appeared and began to turn.
Unaware of what was about to happen, Camula mocked him. "What is this supposed to be? Such an unaesthetic Continuous Spell. Trying to suppress my Attack with this method? There's no need to apologize. I'll show you it's all pointless~"
Zane glanced at Youmi, then turned his gaze back to the field. "What I'm apologizing for isn't something so simple. The material requirement is Cyber Dragon plus one or more Machine monsters. I send the two Cyber Dragons on my field, Cyber Dragon Core whose name is treated as Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dragon Nachster which is also treated as Cyber Dragon, and on your field, Vampire Grace and Battle Ox, which are now Machine monsters, to the Graveyard. I Special Summon Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!"
(This was corrected from the first version, where two lower-level Vampire monsters were mistakenly forgotten, making the Special Summon condition impossible to fulfill.)
The six Machine monsters gradually twisted together into a single mass of light, transforming into six stacked, tire-like mechanical bodies that landed on Zane's field.
From within those mechanisms, six mechanical dragon heads extended outward.
[Chimeratech Fortress Dragon] (Clockwork Night effect applied) ATK: 6500
Seeing this massive monster on Zane's field, Youmi suddenly felt a surge of lingering psychological trauma. "Why are you struggling again even at full LP, hey!?"
...
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