The moment the monster finished its summon, Yusaku swept his arm out and shouted again, "I link the entire [Simulated Totem Scholar]!"
"Link Summon! Link-1, [Loopback Bracelet]!"
As his words fell, the tiny mechanical frog at his feet burst into dazzling purple light and turned into a streak of radiance that shot straight into the giant link circuit opening silently in midair.
A moment later, a chubby ion-sphere unit carrying a battleship-like frame popped out of the circuit. It landed with a soft metallic clank.
[Loopback Bracelet]
[Link-1 / Cyberse / Effect]
[ATK: 300]
"Not done yet."
Yusaku continued.
"I now link the [Qiji – Luwu] on my field as material!"
"Link Summon! Link-1, [Link Decoder]!"
The glow around the Qiji monster turned into a deep violet stream, pouring into another newly formed link circuit overhead. Within the flowing light, phantom gears began to turn.
A dark gray mechanical disk gradually solidified in the light, then sank slowly to the ground, kicking up a ripple of dull gray energy where it landed.
[Link Decoder]
[Link-1 / Cyberse / Effect]
[ATK: 300]
Staring at the two monsters on Yusaku's field, each with ATK that didn't even break 1000, Fujiwara let out a cold snort of disdain.
"Looks like you really weren't lying. Your deck's got more than one summoning method. But so what? Everything you've summoned so far is just trash-level fodder."
Yusaku only gave him a flat glance, his voice calm but carrying a hidden edge.
"Don't rush it. The real fun is only just starting."
As his words fell, he spread his arms wide and shouted in a clear voice:
"I take the Link-1 [Loopback Bracelet] in my Extra Monster Zone and the Link-1 [Qiji – Makoto] in my GY as link material!"
"Link Summon! Link-2, [Splash Mage]!"
Two streams of light shot straight up, four glowing runes locking together midair to form a Link-2 circuit.
[Splash Mage]
[Link-2 / Cyberse / Effect]
[ATK: 1100]
"[Splash Mage]'s effect!"
"[Splash Mage]'s effect activates!" Yusaku rattled off rapidly. "I target 1 Cyberse monster in my GY and Special Summon it in Defense Position!"
"I choose [Qiji – Makoto] in my Graveyard and bring it back to the field!"
[Qiji – Makoto]
[ATK: 1000]
"Link Summon! Link-3, [Triple Swordsman]!"
Two even stronger streams of light tore through the air, exploding into blinding glare as they converged into a new link circuit. The circuit expanded in an instant to span several meters.
[Triple Swordsman]
[Link-3 / Cyberse / Effect]
[ATK: 2300]
Fujiwara's pupils quivered slightly.
"2300 ATK?"
"Next, I activate the effect of [Link Decoder] in the GY!"
Yusaku called out.
"Then I take the [Link Decoder] I just summoned and the Link-3 [Transcode Talker] as link material!" Yusaku's voice climbed higher and sharper. "Link Summon! Link-2, [Loopback Bracelet]!"
The two monsters simultaneously turned into swarms of light particles that surged like a tide into the waiting link circuit.
[Loopback Bracelet]
[Link-2 / Cyberse / Effect]
[ATK: 0]
"I activate the effect of [G Golem Crystal Heart]! I target 1 EARTH monster in my GY and Special Summon it to a zone this card points to, then place 1 G-Golem Counter on this card!"
"The only EARTH monster in my GY is [Transcode Talker]!"
"So I activate the effect and Special Summon [Transcode Talker] from my GY to a zone pointed to by [G Golem Crystal Heart]!"
[Transcode Talker]
[ATK: 2300]
"Next comes another Link Summon!"
Yusaku's shout cut across the field.
"I use [Transcode Talker] and [G Golem Crystal Heart] on my field as link material!"
"Link Summon! Link-3, [Decode Talker Heatsoul]!!"
Two blazing beams of energy blasted into the sky. When they collided, sparks flew in every direction before both vanished into the link circuit. In that moment, the circuit flared to life, surging with power.
Three link arrows lit up at once, blazing red as if the whole circuit had become a burning ring of fire.
From within that light, a warrior wrapped in a suit of flaming armor descended, gripping a blazing sword. Fire surged around him in a roaring storm so intense it seemed ready to burn the very air to ash.
[Decode Talker Heatsoul]
[Link-3 / Cyberse / Effect]
[ATK: 2300]
"Now I activate the Spell Card, [Mathmech Equation]!"
Yusaku slammed the card down.
"This card lets me target 1 'Mathmech' monster in my GY and Special Summon it. A monster Special Summoned by this effect has its ATK doubled until the end of this turn's next battle calculation."
"I target [Mathmech Sigma] in my GY and Special Summon it!"
[Mathmech Sigma]
[ATK: 1000→2000]
"Finally, I use [Mathmech Sigma] and [Qiji – Makoto] I just summoned as link material!"
[Update Jammer]
[Link-2 / Cyberse / Effect]
[ATK: 2000]
"So what?" Fujiwara let out a sudden, sharp laugh. "You did all that Link Summoning and only managed to bring out a 2300 ATK monster. Don't tell me you think those two monsters can wipe my field clean?"
Yusaku drew a card glowing faintly in his Extra Deck and held it up.
"You're actually right." He nodded. "Those two really can wipe out every single monster on your field. Not a single one will be left standing."
Fujiwara: "???"
"Show yourself… and greet my strongest Link-4!"
As Yusaku's words rang out, the entire field suddenly trembled. A gigantic link circuit unfurled in the air above the arena, covering more than half the sky. Rivers of golden energy flowed inside it, and four link arrows around its perimeter lit up all at once, their pressure so suffocating it felt as though the very space beneath them might collapse.
Yusaku thrust his hand high, his voice piercing straight through the shimmering energy barrier and echoing across the battlefield.
"Link Arrows confirmed. Summoning conditions: 2 or more Effect Monsters!"
"I use [Transcode Talker – Soul of the Disciple] on my field and the Link-2 [Update Jammer] as my final link material!"
"Link Circuit, combine! Ride the unknown winds of this world—Link-4!!"
"Accesscode Talker!!!"
In the twilight haze of interlaced light, the two monsters on Yusaku's field were swallowed by swirling rays of red, gold, and crackling electricity. Like four shooting stars, they streaked skyward and dove into the colossal link circuit overhead.
The circuit was instantly flooded with resplendent sunlight. After a few seconds of violent energy churn, that light pulled tight and folded inward.
The golden energies within the circuit boiled over, erupting into such brilliance that nobody in the arena could look directly at it. Within that radiance, a towering figure slowly took shape.
He gripped a long spear of pure orichalcum, the lance-tip shining with silver light sharp enough to pierce the deepest darkness. Aura radiated off his body in waves, so dazzling and oppressive that just standing there, he seemed to lock the whole world in place. The air grew heavy and still, as if even time itself had slowed.
When his full form finally stepped out of the link-space, the energy of the entire arena shook around him. Fine cracks split the virtual ground beneath his feet, radiating out in web-like patterns. A whirling golden vortex spread from him in all directions, blasting away even the dust motes in the air.
[Accesscode Talker]
[Cyberse / Link / Effect]
[ATK: 2300]
"Only 2300 ATK, and you…"
"He's not just 2300 ATK." Yusaku cut in, sweeping his arm. "I activate [Update Jammer]'s effect, then chain it into [Accesscode Talker]'s own effect! I target the Link-3 [Decode Talker Heatsoul] in my GY. [Accesscode Talker] gains ATK equal to 1000 times that monster's Link Rating!"
[Accesscode Talker]
[ATK: 2300→5300]
Watching [Accesscode Talker]'s ATK skyrocket, Fujiwara's shoulders jolted stiffly. But when he saw the number stop at 5300, he relaxed and gave a disdainful snort.
"Only 5300? That's still not enough to end the duel!"
"5300 is more than enough."
Yusaku swept his hand out again.
"I activate [Accesscode Talker]'s effect, banishing the EARTH-Attribute [Decode Talker Heatsoul] from my GY. I destroy your [Link Decoder] on the field!"
[Accesscode Talker]'s body tensed as it took a half-step forward. With a snap of his arm, he whipped his orichalcum lance forward. The spear hummed violently, golden energy gathering at its tip and firing out like a beam of condensed starlight, leaving a long, blazing trail across the air as it struck straight for [Link Decoder]'s head!
"Boom!!"
The instant the tip landed its mark, the molten-rock outer shell of the target monster shattered. Golden energy detonated inside its body, blooming into a several-meter-wide vortex that swallowed it whole. When the light faded, not a single fragment remained.
"Once again, I activate [Accesscode Talker]'s effect. I banish the EARTH-Attribute [Transcode Talker] from my GY and destroy your [Borreload Savage Dragon]!"
Fujiwara's body stiffened. "That effect doesn't have a once-per-turn clause?"
"[Accesscode Talker]'s effect," Yusaku explained coolly, looking straight at him. "I can banish 1 Link Monster of a chosen Attribute from my field or GY, then destroy 1 card you control with that Attribute. Also, for the rest of this turn, I cannot attack with that Attribute again, and you cannot chain to this card's effect activation."
"So tell me: why do you think I went to all this trouble to keep Link Summoning?"
"T-that's impossible…" Fujiwara's voice was shaking. "There's no way a card this broken exists!"
"Judging from your face right now…"
Yusaku's tone didn't change at all.
"Looks like you still don't fully understand what you're up against."
He raised his arm yet again.
"Once more, I activate [Accesscode Talker]'s effect! I banish the EARTH-Attribute [G Golem Crystal Heart] from my GY and destroy your [Legendary Klesha Six Samurai – Kizan]!"
The third lance shot forward with a howl, the air around it visibly warping under the heat. This time the shaft shone with the brightest gold yet, the energy density high enough to feel almost solid. The air it tore through compressed into visible shock waves that spread out in rings.
The white-hot lance smashed toward Kizan with unstoppable force.
"Don't even think about it!" Fujiwara screamed, triggering another effect. "I activate the GY effect of [Secret Six Samurai – Fuma]! If a 'Six Samurai' monster I control would be destroyed by a card effect, I can banish this card from my GY instead!"
"I banish [Secret Six Samurai – Fuma] and have it take this destruction in Kizan's place!"
A sheet of golden light burst from the Graveyard and wrapped itself around Kizan like a translucent barrier. The lance slammed into that shield, golden ripples and the barrier's own radiance grinding violently against each other, shrieking as they clashed. Cracks spidered across the barrier before it shattered in a rain of light, and the lance too broke apart, dissolving into scattered motes.
After banishing the card, Fujiwara threw his head back and laughed wildly.
"Didn't see that coming, did you, Yusaku?! I still had a way to protect my monsters!"
"Doesn't matter." Yusaku's tone didn't even twitch. "I only need that effect to work once per target group."
Fujiwara: "?"
"And again," Yusaku continued, "I activate [Accesscode Talker]'s effect. I banish the WIND-Attribute [Update Jammer] from my GY and destroy your [Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En]!"
[Accesscode Talker] didn't hesitate. A fourth lance formed in his hand, this one blazing with pure white light. The energy was so concentrated it seemed almost like solid crystal, radiating overwhelming destructive pressure as it shot straight at Shi En.
This time there was no barrier to stop it. The lance punched straight through Shi En's armor, pure white radiance exploding inside his body and blowing the Six Samurai general apart into a cloud of glittering fragments. The impact cratered the ground beneath where he had stood.
"Once more, I activate [Accesscode Talker]'s effect. I banish the DARK-Attribute [Linkuriboh] from my GY and destroy your last defending monster, [Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En]!!"
A fifth golden spear whistled through the air, its spinning tip forming a miniature energy vortex. Like a falling star, it streaked down and drilled through the remaining Six Samurai monster's chest. The runes lighting the shaft flared to full brightness, and the monster's body crumbled away into streams of data-like particles that scattered on the wind.
"Now the game is over."
Yusaku lifted a finger and pointed directly at Fujiwara.
"I enter the Battle Phase. [Accesscode Talker], attack him directly!"
Golden light poured off Accesscode Talker's body. He gathered all of it into a titanic spear, three times thicker than any he had thrown before. The intricate patterns along its length were running at full capacity, torrents of golden energy surging like a waterfall through the circuitry.
With a roar, he hurled it. The lance tore across the field with annihilating force, churning up shards of stone and raging shockwaves wherever it passed.
It slammed straight through Fujiwara's body without meeting the slightest resistance. The impact flung him into the air like a rag doll. He hit the ground with a heavy thud and a muffled groan.
[Fujiwara, LP 8000 → 2700]
"Hahahahaha!" Fujiwara staggered upright, laughing hysterically. "Yusaku, I'll admit you're strong. One card and you wiped my entire field. But you still fell one step short. On my next turn, with my Continuous Spell and the monsters in my hand, I'll finish this duel!"
"The duel is over." Yusaku's gaze remained perfectly calm. "But the one who's finished… is you."
Fujiwara's smile froze. "?"
Yusaku turned over a card in his GY and revealed it.
"You forgot something," he said quietly. "When [Accesscode Talker] hit the field, you activated [Update Jammer]'s effect, didn't you?"
Fujiwara frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"[Update Jammer]'s effect," Yusaku said, enunciating each word like a verdict. "If this card is used as Link Material for a Link Summon and sent to the GY, the Link Monster that was Link Summoned using this card can make a second attack during this Battle Phase."
Fujiwara's pupils shrank to pinpoints, the smile on his face going rigid.
"Tw… two attacks?!"
"That's right." Yusaku's voice carried the final judgment. "Which is why I said… the game is already over!"
"Battle!" Yusaku slashed his arm down. "Second direct attack—[Accesscode Talker]!"
As his command rang out, the warrior on the field swung his spear in a wide arc. A crescent of blinding light shot forth, crackling with electricity as it screamed across the arena.
"Impossible! I don't accept this!!"
Staring at the attack filling his vision, Fujiwara let out a desperate, broken scream.
BOOM!!!
The deafening blast swallowed his cries. Surging golden energy engulfed Fujiwara's body in an instant. The entire virtual stadium shook under the impact as the shockwave rolled outward, kicking up a storm of dust and debris.
[Fujiwara, LP 2700 → 0]
(End of Chapter)
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