Ushio's Brutal Onslaught
[Officer Ushio, LP: 3900]
[Yugi Muto, LP: 4000]
On the Life Point counter, Yugi held a slight lead, but that lead was about to become as vast as the difference between New Domino City and the Satellite Sector!
The defeated Assault Dog called out two comrades from Ushio's Deck, but before the new monster holograms could fully materialize, the aggressive Ushio had already launched a fierce attack: "You have no Set cards, you can't stop any of my upcoming attacks!!"
"Trash! Scum! Worthless good-for-nothing!!"
"Take this mighty blow from a true strongman and crawl into the junkyard to whine!!"
"Assault Sentinel!!"
"Revolving Cannon!!"
"Boom! —"
Another heavy cannon blast erupted. The spiraling projectile precisely struck Yugi's monster. Though the rising flames and thick smoke were only simulated impacts, Yugi still felt a burning sensation in his chest.
"Bang!!!!!!! ——"
Even with the Trap Card's boost, Necro Gardna was ultimately defeated. Before the searing pain in his chest and lungs could fully dissipate, Yugi saw four more cannon shots flying directly at him.
"Assault Dogs!! Direct Attack!!!"
"Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! ——"
Compared to the previous battle damage, the combined direct attack from the two Assault Dogs was truly devastating! A huge amount of damage was deducted from Yugi's Life Points. Amidst the roaring, the affected Duel Runner rapidly lost speed.
"Beep! Beep! Beep! ——"
[Yugi Muto] [LP: 4000 → 1300] [SPC: 1 → 0]
"Hahahahahaha!!" Ushio's grating cackle drifted from the increasingly distant front. As he ended his turn, he didn't forget to mock disdainfully, "Just two turns, and you're already this pathetic?"
"Then next turn, this officer will take your life!!"
"Use this last chance to struggle desperately!!"
Under Speed Duel rules, for every 1000 points of damage a Duelist takes, one Speed Counter is deducted. The moment his SPC was cleared to zero, Yugi's already underperforming Duel Runner became even slower. Ushio had already rounded the curve ahead, but Yugi was still at least forty meters in a straight line from there.
"Damn it..."
Yugi bit his lip. Losing in a Speed Duel would cause the Duel Runner to be inoperable for a period of time. This was precisely why Security officers often used Speed Duels to pursue Underground Duelists who owned Duel Runners. If he lost this Duel, he wouldn't even be able to run!
Looking at the cards in his hand, Yugi's face was grim. The person who built this Deck clearly lacked a deep understanding of Duelling; in other words, it barely resembled a proper Deck at all, looking like a random handful snatched from a pile of loose cards. Even though the Extra Deck contained decent Synchro Monsters, the current card combination made summoning them incredibly difficult.
Finally, Yugi's gaze fell upon a card he had drawn last turn. It was the monster card he had cherished for years in his necklace as a memento, the one his friend Joey Wheeler had entrusted to him. Although its stats weren't high, it was a Tuner monster—the only hope to turn the tide right now!
"To Synchro Summon that monster, I need to summon two monsters in one turn..." The recent simulated impact caused sweat to bead on Yugi's forehead. "These cards can't Special Summon at all. Only by drawing that card can I turn this around..."
Speeding through the icy gale, Yugi thought of the card his best friend, Joey Wheeler, had given him.
"Joey..."
"Please!!"
A Spark of Hope: The Synchro Summon
"My turn! Draw!!"
"Swish! —"
A silvery-gray arc swept past. The Duel Runner beneath him also carved a perfect arc through the turn!
Flipping his new hand, Yugi, his face solemn, slowly looked down. Within the radiant card art was a brilliant golden glow!
It's here!!
Yugi's eyes lit up, his spirit invigorated. In this final desperate moment, he launched a counterattack: "Speed Spell – SP: Boost! Increase my Speed Counters by four! As a cost, at the end of this turn, my SPC will be reduced to one!"
Ushio scoffed disdainfully: "Worried about a difference in speed win, so you want to catch up a bit? But this is pointless! I can still wipe you out with just monster attacks!"
"I activate this card for one purpose only!" Yugi declared, summoning his friend's monster. "That is to pave the way for this card's summon!"
"From my hand, I activate the effect of Magical Striker! By banishing one Spell Card from my Graveyard, I Special Summon this card!"
Broken magical energy was absorbed by a shining golden light. The small spellcaster-warrior leaped forth, rapidly flying on a golden magic spear.
[Magical Striker] [Level 3] [EARTH / Warrior / Effect] [ATK/DEF: 600/200]
"Hahahahahaha! You're making me laugh!" Ushio mocked. "This low-level trash can't even take down one of my monsters!"
"But, as long as it's here, I can perform a Synchro Summon!!" Yugi declared loudly in response.
"Nani?! A Synchro Summon?!" Ushio was clearly taken by surprise.
By now, the sun had completely set. The first faint glimmer of starlight was appearing in the sky.
Yugi played the card symbolizing his own Duelist spirit. The two monsters gathered on the field, then valiantly leaped skyward. Under the boundless starry sky, they condensed all their power together, releasing a dazzling burst of light!
"I Synchro Summon in Attack Position – Quickdraw Synchron!!" Yugi declared loudly. "Now, on my field, I have a total of Level 6 between a Tuner monster and non-Tuner monsters, so I can Synchro Summon this card!"
"Level Six!!"
"Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!!!"
[Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier] [Level 6] [WATER / Sea Serpent / Synchro / Effect] [ATK/DEF: 2300/1400]
Gazing at the two monsters that had rushed towards the brilliant light, Yugi unconsciously thought of himself and Joey Wheeler, who once raced side-by-side on the track. But the battlefield of the Speed Duel gave him no time for nostalgia. As the icy winds and dragon roars continuously echoed, he had to launch a counterattack against his enemy!
The magnificent ice crystal dragon, carrying an intensely cold aura, chased after the enemy with Yugi. Its powerful, enormous ice wings needed only a single flap to glide for a hundred meters!
Looking back at the majestic ice dragon, which exuded an imposing presence even without fury, Ushio suddenly realized the danger. He gritted his teeth, his expression shifting from arrogance to caution.
"Finally, it's time to counterattack!" Yugi discarded two cards from his hand, shouting above the surging, chaotic winds, "The effect of Quickdraw Synchron! If this card is sent to the Graveyard for a Synchro Summon, I can decrease the ATK of one monster on your field by 500!"
"I choose – Assault Dog!!"
"Then, I activate the effect of Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier! By discarding two cards from my hand, I return your other two monsters to their owner's hand!!"
"Enter Battle Phase!!"
"Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!! Attack Assault Dog!!!"