Reading settings
Chapter 563: Effect Too Long, Didn't Read, Negated
Although he saw Hayato add the [Diviner's Oracle] to his Hand, Dartz didn't realize what Hayato was planning to do next, and Hayato had no intention of explaining his upcoming strategy to Dartz.
Confidently explaining one's upcoming strategy, or vehemently praising an already completed strategy as "invincible," only to be overturned and defeated by the Protagonist saying "Sore wa dou kana (Japanese Phrase)"—this kind of "explanation death" is a classic way to lose in Yu-Gi-Oh!, but Hayato had no interest in trying it.
He preferred to reveal the despair of the Opponent's Field little by little through their shocked gaze.
To defeat Dartz, Hayato was indeed using a "pure" Drytron Deck this time. However, the [Diviner's Oracle] he just added to his Hand wasn't used by the Drytron's Ritual Monster, but rather belonged to the Ritual Spell of Herald of Perfection.
Hmm, why would a pure Drytron Deck have a Monster whose name doesn't sound like [Drytron] at all, instead of the archetype's Boss Monster or second-in-command [Drytron Ritual Monsters]?
What's so new about that? A proper Drytron Deck *does* include [Herald]!
Hayato actually brought [Drytron Ritual Monsters] too, but as for its use...
"I Activate the Ritual Spell Card Prepreparation of Rites from my Hand! I Tribute the Level 12☆ Drytron Meteonis Draconids from my Hand to Ritual Summon!"
"The stars shine brightly here, declaring what is the ultimate perfection under the Cyber Dragon Constellation's meteor shower! Descent, my Glory, my Tamashii!"
"Ritual Summon! Herald of Perfection!"
*Thump, thump, boom!*
Because Hayato pulled out a Drytron Deck, the Drytron Meteonis Draconids, which had instinctively prepared to appear, was ready to hit the Field. But unexpectedly, Hayato actually Tributed the Boss Monster of his mighty Drytron Deck!?
*Why didn't I see you were this kind of person back then?*
Tributing a [Drytron Ritual Monster] in a "pure" Drytron Deck to Ritual Summon Herald of Perfection—isn't this a form of NTR?
The Starlight of Drytron Meteonis Draconids scattered across the Ground. Appearing on Hayato's Field was a bizarre-looking creature that seemed like multiple spheres stacked together to form its body and limbs. From the pair of colorful large wings on its back, it was probably an Angel?
Herald of Perfection [Level 12☆/LIGHT]
[Fairy/Ritual/Effect]
[ATK 2000/DEF 3000]
Looking at the Monster Hayato Summoned, which had absolutely no connection to the Drytron Monsters he expected, even the experienced Dartz couldn't help but Rant: "That Monster doesn't look like a Drytron at all, how can this be considered a 'pure' Drytron Deck? And, it looks quite ugly."
"Nonsense, Herald of Perfection is clearly so cool!" Because of Herald of Perfection's Strength, Hayato said with a straight face, "How could there be a Monster in the World as cool as Herald of Perfection?"
After all, this Herald of Perfection was a Card Hayato spent a full 20,000 DP Points in the System's Shop to acquire a complete set of supporting Cards for, all to Increase the Strength of Hayato's Drytron Deck.
He originally wanted to use this Deck to give Kaiba and Yugi a "surprise," but Dartz ended up being the first person to experience the Herald of Perfection, affectionately known as "Kang Shifu" by countless Duel Monsters enthusiasts.
Looking at the two remaining Cards in his Hand, Hayato drew one of them: "I Set one Card from my Hand, then I Activate the Spell Card Card of Demise! Both players draw until they have 6 cards in their Hand. Since I have no Cards in my Hand, I can Draw six Cards in one go."
After exhausting his Hand with his Field Setup, Hayato used Card of Demise to Draw six Cards in one go.
Dartz looked at his Hand helplessly: "What a Pity, I only have five Cards in my Hand, so I can only Draw one Card, completely Wasted this opportunity."
Saying that, he also Drew a Card.
Hayato then Drew one Card from his six Hand Cards and Sent it to the Graveyard, saying: "Next, I Activate the effect of Drytron Alpha Thuban in my Graveyard! I Tribute the Ritual Monster Cyber Angel Benten from my Hand to Special Summon Drytron Alpha Thuban from my Graveyard in Defense Position."
"Similar to [Drytron Zeta Aldhibah], [Alpha Thuban] also has an Effect that can be Activated after being successfully Special Summoned by its own Effect. I Add one Ritual Monster from my Deck to my Hand. I choose the second Cyber Angel Benten from my Deck."
"And the Effect of Cyber Angel Benten: When this Card is Tributed, I Add one LIGHT Attribute Fairy Monster from my Deck to my Hand. I choose the third Cyber Angel Benten."
Another mechanical Dragon similar in Style to [Drytron Zeta Aldhibah], Drytron Alpha Thuban, appeared on Hayato's Field. The two Heavenly Dragons stood on either side of Herald of Perfection, like loyal Subordinates.
Drytron Alpha Thuban [Level 1☆/LIGHT]
[Machine Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[ATK 2000/DEF 0]
Hayato's Hand Size also Increased again, reaching an exaggerated total of seven Cards.
"I Set one Card, and my Turn ends." After simply setting up his Field, Hayato uncharacteristically didn't Set a row of Set Cards in his Spell/Trap Zone, ending his Turn simply like this.
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 6]
[Drytron Zeta Aldhibah] [DEF 0]
Herald of Perfection [DEF 3000]
Drytron Alpha Thuban [DEF 0]
[Set Card]
Ignoring the Effects of Hayato's Monsters, he simply Summoned two Monsters with 2000 ATK and one Monster with 3000 DEF this Turn. While these values aren't bad, they aren't particularly terrifying either, and he only Set one Card, which is very unlike the Strategy Hayato usually employs.
The two Drytron Monsters actually don't have any particularly noteworthy Effects; aside from their Special Summoning method, they can basically be treated as two Vanilla Monsters with no Effects. If his Opponent was Kaiba with his Aggro Deck, Summoning a single [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] could easily Clear Hayato's Field in one Turn.
But, is that really the case?
Hayato looked at the Herald of Perfection on his Field, secretly feeling Proud: 'Herald of Perfection's Effect is to Negate and Destroy the Activation of a Spell/Trap/Monster Effect by Tributing one Fairy Monster from the Hand. It can also Negate and Destroy the Special Summon of multiple Monsters, and it doesn't have a once per Turn Restriction. It's because of this Effect that it's called 'Kang Shifu'.'
'And my Hand...' Looking at the six Fairy Monsters filling his six Hand Cards, Hayato just wanted to ask Dartz, *how satisfied are you?*
With a God Hand, what kind of Field Setup can Dartz possibly achieve against the invincible "Kang Shifu"? Victory is guaranteed, right?
"My Turn, Draw!" Dartz Drew a Card from the top of his Deck and looked down at it. "Hmm, I Activate the Spell Card Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand that I just Drew. This Card—"
"Hold on, the Effect is too long, Negated." Hayato put on a shameless Expression, casually Sent a Card from his Hand to the Graveyard, interrupting Dartz's speech. "Herald of Perfection's Effect, Activate by Discarding one Fairy Monster from my Hand."
"I Discard the Fairy Monster Herald of Green Light from my Hand! When the Opponent Activates a Spell/Trap/Monster Effect, Negate and Destroy that Activation!"
The Card Dartz placed in his Duel Disk had only just opened halfway and hadn't taken Effect yet. As Hayato Discarded a Card from his Hand, the colorful wings behind the Herald of Perfection on his Field switched to the green corresponding to Spell Cards. The emerald wings flapped fiercely, directly Crushing and Destroying Dartz's Card.
"Oh, I see. So that Monster's Ability is to gain protection by Discarding Monsters from the Hand."
His first Card was Negated, but Dartz didn't mind. Instead, he spoke about Hayato's Herald of Perfection with interest, "Guiding the Power of the Future through Discarding... I see, I understand what you meant by 'this Monster is very cool,' Hayato."
"It has nothing to do with its appearance. Although this Herald of Perfection is appearing in your Duel for the first time, I believe this Monster must be a manifestation of your spirit. Indeed, you are the same kind of person as me, Hayato."
"If you try to protect everything, you will only end up protecting nothing. Only by making the right Discards can you move towards a perfect Future."
"Huh? Is... is that so?" Hayato blinked, unable to figure out Dartz's thought Circuit.
*I just simply Negated one of your plays, is there a need to think so much? You're Dartz, not Demiurge, don't just randomly have your thoughts become Dihua!*
After praising Hayato a few times, Dartz Sent the [Ko'aki Meiru Diamond Core] that was Negated to the Graveyard and said, "However, Hayato, you used that protection Effect too early. How will you deal with this next Card?"
"Spell Card Core Blast! I can Activate this Card by revealing one [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] from my Hand! Destroy one Monster on the Field, then inflict 1000 Damage to both Duelists!"
Seeing the second Card Dartz played, Hayato was able to confirm that Dartz was using a Koa'ki Meiru Deck.
This Deck can be considered quite old in the history of Duel Monsters. And compared to Decks like [Dark Magician] and [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], which have kept up with the times despite being old, the Koa'ki Meiru Deck is quite "conservative." The entire Deck consists of only Normal Effect Monsters, without a single Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or Link Monster, not even Fusion or Ritual.
In the official Card Art Story, [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters were created by the famous Dark World scientists [Giant Mediocre Ghost] and [Magical Scientist] by recycling the Corpses of Monsters that died on the Battlefield, using the [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] as the Core to create a series of Experiment Subject-like Monsters.
Because the possibility of computer Calculation was 0% when designing the [Ko'aki Meiru] Series, these Experiment Subject Monsters had no possibility of future development, and it was reasonable that no subsequent enhancements appeared. At the same time, [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters were also very unstable, even having a "Self-Destruct" Effect.
---Although they felt like failed products, [Giant Mediocre Ghost] was very satisfied with their Effects, and even designed the [Giant Germ] based on himself with similar Effects.
The ultimate Destiny of the [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters was when [Giant Mediocre Ghost] modified [Gagagigo], causing [Gagagigo the Risen] to go berserk and tear everything apart, leading to chaos in the research base of [Giant Mediocre Ghost] and [Magical Scientist], forcing [Giant Mediocre Ghost] to press the [Self-Destruct Button] and [Forced Ejection Device]. The [Ko'aki Meiru] Series also ended because the most important Core, the [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core], was damaged.
This is the kind of Deck Dartz is using.
Hayato hadn't played with [Ko'aki Meiru] much and hadn't encountered Players who primarily used [Ko'aki Meiru], so he didn't know much about it. After all, this Deck didn't have Waifu Cards like [Dragonmaid] and wasn't strong enough. Knowing that Dartz was using [Ko'aki Meiru], Hayato's confidence greatly Increased.
*With this weak Deck, isn't my invincible "pure" Drytron going to Crush it?*
"Hoho, a Card similar to [Ring of Destruction], how weak, weak, weak! Herald of Perfection's Effect doesn't have a once per Turn Restriction! I will once again Discard a Fairy Monster Herald of Purple Light from my Hand to Activate its Effect!"
"Negate and Destroy the Effect of Core Blast!"
Core Blast, which consisted of six hexagonal metals surrounding an Energy Core and was somewhat similar to [Ring of Destruction] in Card Name, Effect, and Specification, also failed to Activate successfully. It had just revealed its shape when it was slapped into the Graveyard by the green wings of Herald of Perfection.
Hayato still had four Cards remaining in his Hand, while Dartz had five Cards left, one of which was confirmed to be the [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] he just revealed.
In front of the "Kang Shifu" Herald of Perfection, as long as Hayato's Hand is not depleted of Fairy Monsters, he can keep Negating. Dartz won't be able to make a play even if he's frustrated to death.
"Pure" Drytron is such a powerful Deck. The Title "Chongzhu Yishi Rongguang (Username)" wasn't given for nothing. What do you call a top-tier Ritual Deck? (Leans back).
Although Drytron also has the flaw of being very uncomfortable if Counter Cards are played against it, that situation usually only happens in formats like BO3 (best of three) in Hayato's previous life. In a Duel like this, where the Victory or Defeat is decided in one game, how could he be so unlucky as to encounter Counter Cards?
Hayato looked at Dartz smugly.
Seeing his second Card also "Negated," Dartz smiled slightly: "No once per Turn... does that mean unless I break through that Herald of Perfection, I basically can't use Spell/Trap/Monster Effects?"
"In that case, I Normal Summon this Monster."
As Dartz placed a Card down, a seemingly ordinary blue humanoid Monster appeared on his Field.
Koa'ki Meiru Doom [Level 3☆/WIND]
[Fiend Type/Effect]
[ATK 1700/DEF 800]
"[Ko'aki Meiru Doom]?"
Because he didn't know much about the [Ko'aki Meiru] Series, Hayato, who could fluently recite the complex Effects of Core Cards in certain Comboing Decks, didn't remember the Effect of the Monster before him.
"ATK 1700, huh? Hmph, useless. Without the support of other Card Effects, that Koa'ki Meiru Doom can't even Destroy my invincible Herald of Perfection, let alone Surpass the Drytrons."
Hearing this, Dartz, despite knowing that Hayato's Herald of Perfection had an Omninegate Effect that could be used unlimited times per Turn, nodded and said, "In that case, I'll Activate a Card that has the Effect of strengthening Monsters."
"Continuous Spell Card Core Overload Activate! While this Card is on the Field, it Increases the ATK of all Face-Up [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters on my Field by 500 Points!"
"In that case, I Activate the Effect of Herald of Perfection! I Discard the Fairy Monster [Outer Entity] from my Hand," Hayato Discarded a Card from his Hand and commanded Herald of Perfection, "Go, Kang Shifu, give it two slaps!"
The seven-colored wings behind Herald of Perfection changed color again, but at this moment, the unremarkable Koa'ki Meiru Doom on Dartz's Field suddenly opened its mouth and roared: "ROAR!!!"
Not only was Hayato startled, but even Herald of Perfection was frightened and suddenly froze its Body. The color of its wings stopped changing and even dimmed.
And Dartz only spoke at this moment, answering Hayato's confusion: "I'm afraid not, Hayato. If I remember correctly, your Herald of Perfection is a LIGHT Attribute Monster, right?"
"My [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters are built around the same Core, based on the remains of other Monsters. Although they cannot exist for long, they can Radiate a sufficiently dazzling Radiance in their short Life." Dartz's Finger pointed at Koa'ki Meiru Doom. "Even a Level 3☆ Monster can release powerful Power in this Instant."
"As long as Koa'ki Meiru Doom exists Face-Up on my Field, the Effects of LIGHT and DARK Attribute Effect Monsters Activated during the Main Phase will all be Negated!"
"The Effect of your Herald of Perfection has been Sealed by me, and the Card you Discarded cannot be returned!"
"Nani (Japanese Phrase)!?"
"How can someone bring this kind of Card?!"
Hearing this, Hayato's face showed an Expression of "Cannot Accept," his Face Art would score a ten even from Dark Marik.
Due to the interference of Koa'ki Meiru Doom, Herald of Perfection's Power was stripped away and couldn't be used. Furthermore, the [Outer Entity] Hayato Discarded couldn't be returned because it was the Cost to Activate Herald of Perfection's Effect. Dartz's Core Overload successfully Activated.
Instantly, the [Ko'aki Meiru] symbol on the left side of Koa'ki Meiru Doom's chest changed from its original bright yellow to crimson. Hot air directly melted its muscles and emerged, revealing the [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] buried within Koa'ki Meiru Doom's Body.
Koa'ki Meiru Doom [ATK 1700 → 2200]
Koa'ki Meiru Doom's Effect Negates the Effects of LIGHT and DARK Attribute Monsters, whether Activated on the Field or in the Graveyard. Therefore, although the [Outer Entity] Hayato Sent to the Graveyard also had an Effect that could be Activated, it would also be Negated, which made him very Annoyed.
And Dartz's Turn continued.
"This way, the troublesome Herald of Perfection cannot Influence me for the time being, but it is still necessary to deal with it."
"I Activate the Effect of Koa'ki Meiru Diamond Core in my Graveyard! I Banish this Card from the Graveyard to prevent my [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters from being Destroyed this Turn."
Saying this, Dartz Drew a Card. "Next, I Banish one [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] from my Hand! I Special Summon the ultimate [Ko'aki Meiru] Monster from my Hand!"
"Koa'ki Meiru Drago!"
The Koa'ki Meiru Diamond Core that was previously Negated took Effect in the Graveyard. After shattering, it scattered a curtain of Energy that enveloped Dartz's Field, granting the Monsters Dartz would Summon next the Ability to not be Destroyed.
Perhaps because he had passed his chuunibyou phase, Dartz didn't shout any cool Summoning Lines. A gradually shattering [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] appeared before him. As the Core radiating bright yellow Radiance dissolved, the powerful Energy contained within was released, transforming into a liquid silver metal Giant Dragon!
Koa'ki Meiru Drago [Level 8☆/WIND]
[Dragon Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[ATK 3000/DEF 2500 → ATK 3500/DEF 2500]
The standard male protagonist's second Ace Card panel of 3000/2500 ATK/DEF, after being empowered by Core Overload, Increased again, now having the Ability to break through Herald of Perfection's Defense!
Moreover, Koa'ki Meiru Drago also has an Effect that can be Activated—
"Once per Turn, during my Main Phase, I Activate the Effect of Koa'ki Meiru Drago! I choose one Card on the Opponent's Field and Destroy it directly!" Dartz extended his Finger towards Hayato's Field. "The Card I will Destroy is the Herald of Perfection on your Field, Hayato!"
"Core Heat Stream!"
The metal Dragon's Skull, whose skin was directly attached to its skeleton, faced the direction of the effect-Sealed Herald of Perfection. A scorching metal stream erupted from its mouth, heating even its Body to a glowing red. Behind the metal heat stream, the Herald of Perfection on Hayato's Field was completely Destroyed.
Thus, only two [Drytron]s in Defense Position with 0 DEF remained on Hayato's Front Row. On Dartz's Field, however, stood the Koa'ki Meiru Doom with 2200 ATK and the Koa'ki Meiru Drago with 3500 ATK.
"Over the long Years, I have come to understand a truth, Hayato. That is, if you are going to do something, you must do it to the Ultimate extent in one go. Half-hearted compromise changes nothing, whether it's changing the Future of the World or Duel Monsters."
Holding his last Card in Hand, Dartz waved his hand and commanded: "Now, enter my Battle Phase!"
*Thanks to Player "Chongzhu Yishi Rongguang (Username)" for the 1500 Points Tip, thank you, thank you.*
*Thanks to Player "jiajia" for the 500 Points Tip, many thanks.*
*The "Yu Lei Sao" in the Recommendation also wrote a Yu-Gi-Oh! book, recommending it.*
End of Chapter
Although he saw Hayato add the [Diviner's Oracle] to his Hand, Dartz didn't realize what Hayato was planning to do next, and Hayato had no intention of explaining his upcoming strategy to Dartz.
Confidently explaining one's upcoming strategy, or vehemently praising an already completed strategy as "invincible," only to be overturned and defeated by the Protagonist saying "Sore wa dou kana (Japanese Phrase)"—this kind of "explanation death" is a classic way to lose in Yu-Gi-Oh!, but Hayato had no interest in trying it.
He preferred to reveal the despair of the Opponent's Field little by little through their shocked gaze.
To defeat Dartz, Hayato was indeed using a "pure" Drytron Deck this time. However, the [Diviner's Oracle] he just added to his Hand wasn't used by the Drytron's Ritual Monster, but rather belonged to the Ritual Spell of Herald of Perfection.
Hmm, why would a pure Drytron Deck have a Monster whose name doesn't sound like [Drytron] at all, instead of the archetype's Boss Monster or second-in-command [Drytron Ritual Monsters]?
What's so new about that? A proper Drytron Deck *does* include [Herald]!
Hayato actually brought [Drytron Ritual Monsters] too, but as for its use...
"I Activate the Ritual Spell Card Prepreparation of Rites from my Hand! I Tribute the Level 12☆ Drytron Meteonis Draconids from my Hand to Ritual Summon!"
"The stars shine brightly here, declaring what is the ultimate perfection under the Cyber Dragon Constellation's meteor shower! Descent, my Glory, my Tamashii!"
"Ritual Summon! Herald of Perfection!"
*Thump, thump, boom!*
Because Hayato pulled out a Drytron Deck, the Drytron Meteonis Draconids, which had instinctively prepared to appear, was ready to hit the Field. But unexpectedly, Hayato actually Tributed the Boss Monster of his mighty Drytron Deck!?
*Why didn't I see you were this kind of person back then?*
Tributing a [Drytron Ritual Monster] in a "pure" Drytron Deck to Ritual Summon Herald of Perfection—isn't this a form of NTR?
The Starlight of Drytron Meteonis Draconids scattered across the Ground. Appearing on Hayato's Field was a bizarre-looking creature that seemed like multiple spheres stacked together to form its body and limbs. From the pair of colorful large wings on its back, it was probably an Angel?
Herald of Perfection [Level 12☆/LIGHT]
[Fairy/Ritual/Effect]
[ATK 2000/DEF 3000]
Looking at the Monster Hayato Summoned, which had absolutely no connection to the Drytron Monsters he expected, even the experienced Dartz couldn't help but Rant: "That Monster doesn't look like a Drytron at all, how can this be considered a 'pure' Drytron Deck? And, it looks quite ugly."
"Nonsense, Herald of Perfection is clearly so cool!" Because of Herald of Perfection's Strength, Hayato said with a straight face, "How could there be a Monster in the World as cool as Herald of Perfection?"
After all, this Herald of Perfection was a Card Hayato spent a full 20,000 DP Points in the System's Shop to acquire a complete set of supporting Cards for, all to Increase the Strength of Hayato's Drytron Deck.
He originally wanted to use this Deck to give Kaiba and Yugi a "surprise," but Dartz ended up being the first person to experience the Herald of Perfection, affectionately known as "Kang Shifu" by countless Duel Monsters enthusiasts.
Looking at the two remaining Cards in his Hand, Hayato drew one of them: "I Set one Card from my Hand, then I Activate the Spell Card Card of Demise! Both players draw until they have 6 cards in their Hand. Since I have no Cards in my Hand, I can Draw six Cards in one go."
After exhausting his Hand with his Field Setup, Hayato used Card of Demise to Draw six Cards in one go.
Dartz looked at his Hand helplessly: "What a Pity, I only have five Cards in my Hand, so I can only Draw one Card, completely Wasted this opportunity."
Saying that, he also Drew a Card.
Hayato then Drew one Card from his six Hand Cards and Sent it to the Graveyard, saying: "Next, I Activate the effect of Drytron Alpha Thuban in my Graveyard! I Tribute the Ritual Monster Cyber Angel Benten from my Hand to Special Summon Drytron Alpha Thuban from my Graveyard in Defense Position."
"Similar to [Drytron Zeta Aldhibah], [Alpha Thuban] also has an Effect that can be Activated after being successfully Special Summoned by its own Effect. I Add one Ritual Monster from my Deck to my Hand. I choose the second Cyber Angel Benten from my Deck."
"And the Effect of Cyber Angel Benten: When this Card is Tributed, I Add one LIGHT Attribute Fairy Monster from my Deck to my Hand. I choose the third Cyber Angel Benten."
Another mechanical Dragon similar in Style to [Drytron Zeta Aldhibah], Drytron Alpha Thuban, appeared on Hayato's Field. The two Heavenly Dragons stood on either side of Herald of Perfection, like loyal Subordinates.
Drytron Alpha Thuban [Level 1☆/LIGHT]
[Machine Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[ATK 2000/DEF 0]
Hayato's Hand Size also Increased again, reaching an exaggerated total of seven Cards.
"I Set one Card, and my Turn ends." After simply setting up his Field, Hayato uncharacteristically didn't Set a row of Set Cards in his Spell/Trap Zone, ending his Turn simply like this.
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 6]
[Drytron Zeta Aldhibah] [DEF 0]
Herald of Perfection [DEF 3000]
Drytron Alpha Thuban [DEF 0]
[Set Card]
Ignoring the Effects of Hayato's Monsters, he simply Summoned two Monsters with 2000 ATK and one Monster with 3000 DEF this Turn. While these values aren't bad, they aren't particularly terrifying either, and he only Set one Card, which is very unlike the Strategy Hayato usually employs.
The two Drytron Monsters actually don't have any particularly noteworthy Effects; aside from their Special Summoning method, they can basically be treated as two Vanilla Monsters with no Effects. If his Opponent was Kaiba with his Aggro Deck, Summoning a single [Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] could easily Clear Hayato's Field in one Turn.
But, is that really the case?
Hayato looked at the Herald of Perfection on his Field, secretly feeling Proud: 'Herald of Perfection's Effect is to Negate and Destroy the Activation of a Spell/Trap/Monster Effect by Tributing one Fairy Monster from the Hand. It can also Negate and Destroy the Special Summon of multiple Monsters, and it doesn't have a once per Turn Restriction. It's because of this Effect that it's called 'Kang Shifu'.'
'And my Hand...' Looking at the six Fairy Monsters filling his six Hand Cards, Hayato just wanted to ask Dartz, *how satisfied are you?*
With a God Hand, what kind of Field Setup can Dartz possibly achieve against the invincible "Kang Shifu"? Victory is guaranteed, right?
"My Turn, Draw!" Dartz Drew a Card from the top of his Deck and looked down at it. "Hmm, I Activate the Spell Card Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand that I just Drew. This Card—"
"Hold on, the Effect is too long, Negated." Hayato put on a shameless Expression, casually Sent a Card from his Hand to the Graveyard, interrupting Dartz's speech. "Herald of Perfection's Effect, Activate by Discarding one Fairy Monster from my Hand."
"I Discard the Fairy Monster Herald of Green Light from my Hand! When the Opponent Activates a Spell/Trap/Monster Effect, Negate and Destroy that Activation!"
The Card Dartz placed in his Duel Disk had only just opened halfway and hadn't taken Effect yet. As Hayato Discarded a Card from his Hand, the colorful wings behind the Herald of Perfection on his Field switched to the green corresponding to Spell Cards. The emerald wings flapped fiercely, directly Crushing and Destroying Dartz's Card.
"Oh, I see. So that Monster's Ability is to gain protection by Discarding Monsters from the Hand."
His first Card was Negated, but Dartz didn't mind. Instead, he spoke about Hayato's Herald of Perfection with interest, "Guiding the Power of the Future through Discarding... I see, I understand what you meant by 'this Monster is very cool,' Hayato."
"It has nothing to do with its appearance. Although this Herald of Perfection is appearing in your Duel for the first time, I believe this Monster must be a manifestation of your spirit. Indeed, you are the same kind of person as me, Hayato."
"If you try to protect everything, you will only end up protecting nothing. Only by making the right Discards can you move towards a perfect Future."
"Huh? Is... is that so?" Hayato blinked, unable to figure out Dartz's thought Circuit.
*I just simply Negated one of your plays, is there a need to think so much? You're Dartz, not Demiurge, don't just randomly have your thoughts become Dihua!*
After praising Hayato a few times, Dartz Sent the [Ko'aki Meiru Diamond Core] that was Negated to the Graveyard and said, "However, Hayato, you used that protection Effect too early. How will you deal with this next Card?"
"Spell Card Core Blast! I can Activate this Card by revealing one [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] from my Hand! Destroy one Monster on the Field, then inflict 1000 Damage to both Duelists!"
Seeing the second Card Dartz played, Hayato was able to confirm that Dartz was using a Koa'ki Meiru Deck.
This Deck can be considered quite old in the history of Duel Monsters. And compared to Decks like [Dark Magician] and [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], which have kept up with the times despite being old, the Koa'ki Meiru Deck is quite "conservative." The entire Deck consists of only Normal Effect Monsters, without a single Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or Link Monster, not even Fusion or Ritual.
In the official Card Art Story, [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters were created by the famous Dark World scientists [Giant Mediocre Ghost] and [Magical Scientist] by recycling the Corpses of Monsters that died on the Battlefield, using the [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] as the Core to create a series of Experiment Subject-like Monsters.
Because the possibility of computer Calculation was 0% when designing the [Ko'aki Meiru] Series, these Experiment Subject Monsters had no possibility of future development, and it was reasonable that no subsequent enhancements appeared. At the same time, [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters were also very unstable, even having a "Self-Destruct" Effect.
---Although they felt like failed products, [Giant Mediocre Ghost] was very satisfied with their Effects, and even designed the [Giant Germ] based on himself with similar Effects.
The ultimate Destiny of the [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters was when [Giant Mediocre Ghost] modified [Gagagigo], causing [Gagagigo the Risen] to go berserk and tear everything apart, leading to chaos in the research base of [Giant Mediocre Ghost] and [Magical Scientist], forcing [Giant Mediocre Ghost] to press the [Self-Destruct Button] and [Forced Ejection Device]. The [Ko'aki Meiru] Series also ended because the most important Core, the [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core], was damaged.
This is the kind of Deck Dartz is using.
Hayato hadn't played with [Ko'aki Meiru] much and hadn't encountered Players who primarily used [Ko'aki Meiru], so he didn't know much about it. After all, this Deck didn't have Waifu Cards like [Dragonmaid] and wasn't strong enough. Knowing that Dartz was using [Ko'aki Meiru], Hayato's confidence greatly Increased.
*With this weak Deck, isn't my invincible "pure" Drytron going to Crush it?*
"Hoho, a Card similar to [Ring of Destruction], how weak, weak, weak! Herald of Perfection's Effect doesn't have a once per Turn Restriction! I will once again Discard a Fairy Monster Herald of Purple Light from my Hand to Activate its Effect!"
"Negate and Destroy the Effect of Core Blast!"
Core Blast, which consisted of six hexagonal metals surrounding an Energy Core and was somewhat similar to [Ring of Destruction] in Card Name, Effect, and Specification, also failed to Activate successfully. It had just revealed its shape when it was slapped into the Graveyard by the green wings of Herald of Perfection.
Hayato still had four Cards remaining in his Hand, while Dartz had five Cards left, one of which was confirmed to be the [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] he just revealed.
In front of the "Kang Shifu" Herald of Perfection, as long as Hayato's Hand is not depleted of Fairy Monsters, he can keep Negating. Dartz won't be able to make a play even if he's frustrated to death.
"Pure" Drytron is such a powerful Deck. The Title "Chongzhu Yishi Rongguang (Username)" wasn't given for nothing. What do you call a top-tier Ritual Deck? (Leans back).
Although Drytron also has the flaw of being very uncomfortable if Counter Cards are played against it, that situation usually only happens in formats like BO3 (best of three) in Hayato's previous life. In a Duel like this, where the Victory or Defeat is decided in one game, how could he be so unlucky as to encounter Counter Cards?
Hayato looked at Dartz smugly.
Seeing his second Card also "Negated," Dartz smiled slightly: "No once per Turn... does that mean unless I break through that Herald of Perfection, I basically can't use Spell/Trap/Monster Effects?"
"In that case, I Normal Summon this Monster."
As Dartz placed a Card down, a seemingly ordinary blue humanoid Monster appeared on his Field.
Koa'ki Meiru Doom [Level 3☆/WIND]
[Fiend Type/Effect]
[ATK 1700/DEF 800]
"[Ko'aki Meiru Doom]?"
Because he didn't know much about the [Ko'aki Meiru] Series, Hayato, who could fluently recite the complex Effects of Core Cards in certain Comboing Decks, didn't remember the Effect of the Monster before him.
"ATK 1700, huh? Hmph, useless. Without the support of other Card Effects, that Koa'ki Meiru Doom can't even Destroy my invincible Herald of Perfection, let alone Surpass the Drytrons."
Hearing this, Dartz, despite knowing that Hayato's Herald of Perfection had an Omninegate Effect that could be used unlimited times per Turn, nodded and said, "In that case, I'll Activate a Card that has the Effect of strengthening Monsters."
"Continuous Spell Card Core Overload Activate! While this Card is on the Field, it Increases the ATK of all Face-Up [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters on my Field by 500 Points!"
"In that case, I Activate the Effect of Herald of Perfection! I Discard the Fairy Monster [Outer Entity] from my Hand," Hayato Discarded a Card from his Hand and commanded Herald of Perfection, "Go, Kang Shifu, give it two slaps!"
The seven-colored wings behind Herald of Perfection changed color again, but at this moment, the unremarkable Koa'ki Meiru Doom on Dartz's Field suddenly opened its mouth and roared: "ROAR!!!"
Not only was Hayato startled, but even Herald of Perfection was frightened and suddenly froze its Body. The color of its wings stopped changing and even dimmed.
And Dartz only spoke at this moment, answering Hayato's confusion: "I'm afraid not, Hayato. If I remember correctly, your Herald of Perfection is a LIGHT Attribute Monster, right?"
"My [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters are built around the same Core, based on the remains of other Monsters. Although they cannot exist for long, they can Radiate a sufficiently dazzling Radiance in their short Life." Dartz's Finger pointed at Koa'ki Meiru Doom. "Even a Level 3☆ Monster can release powerful Power in this Instant."
"As long as Koa'ki Meiru Doom exists Face-Up on my Field, the Effects of LIGHT and DARK Attribute Effect Monsters Activated during the Main Phase will all be Negated!"
"The Effect of your Herald of Perfection has been Sealed by me, and the Card you Discarded cannot be returned!"
"Nani (Japanese Phrase)!?"
"How can someone bring this kind of Card?!"
Hearing this, Hayato's face showed an Expression of "Cannot Accept," his Face Art would score a ten even from Dark Marik.
Due to the interference of Koa'ki Meiru Doom, Herald of Perfection's Power was stripped away and couldn't be used. Furthermore, the [Outer Entity] Hayato Discarded couldn't be returned because it was the Cost to Activate Herald of Perfection's Effect. Dartz's Core Overload successfully Activated.
Instantly, the [Ko'aki Meiru] symbol on the left side of Koa'ki Meiru Doom's chest changed from its original bright yellow to crimson. Hot air directly melted its muscles and emerged, revealing the [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] buried within Koa'ki Meiru Doom's Body.
Koa'ki Meiru Doom [ATK 1700 → 2200]
Koa'ki Meiru Doom's Effect Negates the Effects of LIGHT and DARK Attribute Monsters, whether Activated on the Field or in the Graveyard. Therefore, although the [Outer Entity] Hayato Sent to the Graveyard also had an Effect that could be Activated, it would also be Negated, which made him very Annoyed.
And Dartz's Turn continued.
"This way, the troublesome Herald of Perfection cannot Influence me for the time being, but it is still necessary to deal with it."
"I Activate the Effect of Koa'ki Meiru Diamond Core in my Graveyard! I Banish this Card from the Graveyard to prevent my [Ko'aki Meiru] Monsters from being Destroyed this Turn."
Saying this, Dartz Drew a Card. "Next, I Banish one [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] from my Hand! I Special Summon the ultimate [Ko'aki Meiru] Monster from my Hand!"
"Koa'ki Meiru Drago!"
The Koa'ki Meiru Diamond Core that was previously Negated took Effect in the Graveyard. After shattering, it scattered a curtain of Energy that enveloped Dartz's Field, granting the Monsters Dartz would Summon next the Ability to not be Destroyed.
Perhaps because he had passed his chuunibyou phase, Dartz didn't shout any cool Summoning Lines. A gradually shattering [Ko'aki Meiru Iron Core] appeared before him. As the Core radiating bright yellow Radiance dissolved, the powerful Energy contained within was released, transforming into a liquid silver metal Giant Dragon!
Koa'ki Meiru Drago [Level 8☆/WIND]
[Dragon Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[ATK 3000/DEF 2500 → ATK 3500/DEF 2500]
The standard male protagonist's second Ace Card panel of 3000/2500 ATK/DEF, after being empowered by Core Overload, Increased again, now having the Ability to break through Herald of Perfection's Defense!
Moreover, Koa'ki Meiru Drago also has an Effect that can be Activated—
"Once per Turn, during my Main Phase, I Activate the Effect of Koa'ki Meiru Drago! I choose one Card on the Opponent's Field and Destroy it directly!" Dartz extended his Finger towards Hayato's Field. "The Card I will Destroy is the Herald of Perfection on your Field, Hayato!"
"Core Heat Stream!"
The metal Dragon's Skull, whose skin was directly attached to its skeleton, faced the direction of the effect-Sealed Herald of Perfection. A scorching metal stream erupted from its mouth, heating even its Body to a glowing red. Behind the metal heat stream, the Herald of Perfection on Hayato's Field was completely Destroyed.
Thus, only two [Drytron]s in Defense Position with 0 DEF remained on Hayato's Front Row. On Dartz's Field, however, stood the Koa'ki Meiru Doom with 2200 ATK and the Koa'ki Meiru Drago with 3500 ATK.
"Over the long Years, I have come to understand a truth, Hayato. That is, if you are going to do something, you must do it to the Ultimate extent in one go. Half-hearted compromise changes nothing, whether it's changing the Future of the World or Duel Monsters."
Holding his last Card in Hand, Dartz waved his hand and commanded: "Now, enter my Battle Phase!"
*Thanks to Player "Chongzhu Yishi Rongguang (Username)" for the 1500 Points Tip, thank you, thank you.*
*Thanks to Player "jiajia" for the 500 Points Tip, many thanks.*
*The "Yu Lei Sao" in the Recommendation also wrote a Yu-Gi-Oh! book, recommending it.*
End of Chapter
