Chapter 21: Who Exactly Is Your Tamashii?!
"My Turn, Draw a Card!"
Drawing a Card with great momentum, Hayato consecutively drew two Cards from his Hand and placed them on the Duel Platform, just as he had during his Duel with Yugi yesterday.
"I Summon this Monster, [The Judgement Hand], and target it to activate [Axe of Despair]!"
[Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress] curiously watched the Card that appeared on the Field next to it, wanting to see what its comrade in battle looked like. However, only a flash of light shone within the Card Art. In the dazzling light, [Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress] couldn't help but turn its head away, but suddenly, a long blade was thrust into its back.
With a Tokiomi Tohsaka-esque expression, [Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress] turned its head in disbelief, discovering an arm that had emerged from the Card Art behind it and was floating in mid-air. The arm held a long blade radiating Malice, and it was this blade that had pierced through [Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress]'s chest.
[The Judgement Hand] [3☆/EARTH] [Warrior Type/Normal Monster] [1400/700]
Carrying unwilling resentment, [Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress] was Destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. That resentment surged into the long blade held by the arm.
"He actually Destroyed his own Monster? What kind of nonsensical Card is this?" Shouji didn't quite understand the Effect of [Axe of Despair]. In fact, aside from Yugi, who frequently dealt with Duel Monsters Cards, even Jonouchi needed someone to explain Hayato's Card's Effect to him.
Therefore, he was quite puzzled by Hayato's action of sending [Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress], which he had just managed to save, back to the Graveyard.
"Rest in peace, [Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress]. We will avenge you." Hayato put on an expression of "deep sorrow (I'm faking it)," Set another Card in his Spell/Trap Zone, and said to Shouji, "I'll use [The Judgement Hand] to Attack your [Mystical Elf]—"
"Idiot, are you stupid?" Shouji's face held a mocking smile. "[The Judgement Hand] is just a Monster with 1400 ATK. My [Mystical Elf]'s ATK is a full 500 points higher than yours. Are you seeking your own death?"
Hayato didn't answer Shouji. Instead, he thought seriously, "Let me think... I've got the Attack Name! Go, [The Judgement Hand], Light Still Remains!"
The Attack Name used was the ultimate move of a certain "supreme" LIGHT Attribute holy sword, but the aura emanating from [The Judgement Hand], which held [Axe of Despair], was one of evil darkness. [Mystical Elf] unwillingly unleashed a Magic Energy Counterattack, but [The Judgement Hand] swung the demonic blade, slicing the energy sphere and [Mystical Elf] in two.
"How is that possible!" Shouji's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "That was clearly just a weakling with 1400 ATK!"
[Shouji: 2000 LP → 1500 LP]
"A standalone [The Judgement Hand] indeed has 1400 ATK." The real Hayato, who was presenting his fist in Attack Position, raised a finger and pointed at [Axe of Despair] held by [The Judgement Hand] on the Field. "But you forgot about [Axe of Despair], which I just activated!"
"Its Effect is that it Tributes all Normal Monsters on your Field except the Equip Monster, and for every Tribute absorbed, the Equip Monster's ATK increases by 1000 points."
"In other words, [The Judgement Hand]'s current ATK is 2400 points!"
[The Judgement Hand ATK 1400 → 2400]
"Such a powerful Spell Card!" Shouji was utterly shocked.
"Save your surprise for when you lose and talk to yourself. I End my Turn. Hurry up and start your Turn." Hayato shuffled his Hand and rubbed his stomach. He had only eaten a few types of bread at home in the morning and was getting a bit hungry now.
[Hayato: 1500 LP, Hand 4 → 5 → 2] [The Judgement Hand ATK 2400]
"Damn it, my Turn!"
Shouji Drew a Card, looked down, paused for a moment, and then burst into laughter. "Hahaha, it seems heaven also thinks I should be the victor! I'll take down that annoying Monster right away, Hayato Kobayashi!"
"I Summon this Monster, and then activate a Spell Card!"
A pitch-black giant sword suddenly appeared above the Duel Field. The Malice contained within it was almost equal to that of [Axe of Despair]. The giant sword plummeted towards the Field, landing precisely in front of the Card of the Monster Shouji had Summoned.
The Monster crawled out of the Card and immediately grasped the giant sword before its eyes. In just an instant, the Monster's body was covered in black-purple Malice, and two eyes could vaguely be seen within the darkness.
"[Sword of Obsession] can increase my Monster's ATK and DEF by 500 points simultaneously, and when it's sent to the Graveyard, it returns to the top of my Deck. My obsession is immortal!" Shouji glared fiercely at [The Judgement Hand], as if that hand were Hayato's perverted hand resting on Miho Nosaka's shoulder. "The [Necrofear Earl] I Summoned originally had 2000 ATK, and with Dual Wielding,"
"Its ATK is 2500 points!"
[Necrofear Earl] [5☆/DARK] [Demon Type/Normal Monster] [2000 → 2500/700]
"Slice that annoying hand into pieces and burn it to ash! Dark Sword Slash!"
The silent Undead grinned hideously. The Rapier it originally held in its left hand was thrown, pinning [The Judgement Hand] in place. Holding [Sword of Obsession] in its right hand, it approached with a Jump Slash. After a flurry of magnificent Swordsmanship, [The Judgement Hand] was chopped to shreds and then completely incinerated by Demonic Fire.
[Hayato: 1500 LP → 1400 LP]
His Life Points took damage, but Hayato wasn't nervous. Instead, he watched [Necrofear Earl] with interest. "I didn't expect you to have this kind of 'Powerful Monster' too, even if it is a bit ugly."
At least by current standards, 2000 ATK was already quite good.
However, Shouji, who had defeated [The Judgement Hand] with [Necrofear Earl], was very displeased with his contributing Monster—he had ordered his Subordinates to collect "elegant" or "noble" Monsters. Which Idiot had stuffed this aesthetically displeasing Card in?
Damn it, after dealing with Hayato Kobayashi, he would definitely find out who that person was when he got back!
"I End my Turn!" Shouji declared the End Turn, and even waited for Hayato for a moment, afraid he would activate the Set Card.
[Shouji: 1500 LP, Hand 5 → 6 → 4]
"Then, my Turn."
Hayato Drew a Card. He didn't Summon a Monster, but instead activated his Set Card. "I didn't expect you to have a few tricks up your sleeve. Then I activate this Card and Summon my Tamashii!"
"Huh? Is Hayato going to Summon [Death Stalker]?" Jonouchi, who was watching, couldn't help but say when he heard Hayato. "But [Death Stalker]'s ATK is only 900, right? Even with [Axe of Despair], it wouldn't be a match for [Necrofear Earl]."
"I think, Hayato-kun has his own plan," Yugi said.
Hayato had said during his Duel with Yugi that his Tamashii was [Death Stalker], so hearing his declaration now, they all thought he was going to Summon [Death Stalker].
But the Card Hayato had Set flipped open, and printed on it were three ugly Monsters dancing.
"I activate [Ojama Trio]! I'll give these three Powerful Monsters to you!"
Three Monsters flew out from the Card Art. They were none other than [Ojama Yellow/Black/Green], which Hayato had bought from Kame Game Shop a few days ago. However, they didn't appear on Hayato's Field. Instead, they flew straight to Shouji's Field, casually found a spot to lie down, and magically produced beach chairs, umbrellas, and sunscreen, looking like they were slacking off on vacation.
"What are these disgusting Monsters?! Why are they on my Field?!"
Echoing Shouji's roar was Jonouchi's involuntary question, "Hayato, who exactly is your Tamashii?!"
"Foolish, who said a person can only have one Tamashii? How could Tamashii be such an inconvenient thing?"
Actually, the Ojama Trio's strength isn't bad, especially in the three-Zone environment of DL. If you Fusion Summon Ojama King first turn, you can completely fill the opponent's Zones. You can also combine it with Manjoume's Ojama Country skill to become a big Monster with 3000 ATK.
However, it has no Resistance and needs to be supplemented with Traps like Interference Barrier to prevent being easily dealt with by things like Tribute to the Doomed.
The first volume is almost finished, please recommend and collect! The best is to leave some comments so I don't feel like I'm writing alone.
(End of Chapter)