Chapter 59: The Power of the Deck

"My turn, draw!"

It was Yuxuan's turn.

"Activate the Magic Card, 'Card of Safe Return'—no, 'Card of Demise'." Yuxuan said, "Draw cards from the deck until I have five cards in my hand. During the Standby Phase of the fifth turn after this effect is activated, discard all cards in my hand to the Graveyard."

This was the first time he had used this card in a real duel after acquiring it.

Although the attack power of Silent Magician LV8 was higher than that of Desperado Barrel Dragon, the opponent could use a Speed 2 destruction effect the moment the Battle Phase started, making it impossible to attack safely.

"Then I set three cards face-down on the field and end my turn," Yuxuan said.

"Hahaha! Relying on skipping the Battle Phase to dodge the effect of 'Desperado Barrel Dragon', and in the end, all you can do is turtle up and reinforce your defenses?"

Bandit Keith let out a harsh, cackling laugh.

"Well, in the face of my power, your helplessness is only natural.
My turn, draw!"

He shoved the drawn card directly into his Duel Disk, and three streams of golden light immediately flew out from his Graveyard.

"Magic Card, 'Spell Textbook of Burial'! Banishing three Magic Cards from my Graveyard from play, I draw two cards!" (Anime card)

The three streams of golden light successively transformed into the images of three magic cards before dissipating amidst a flickering golden glow.

"Banishing 'Trade-In', 'Smashing Ground', and 'Devil's Sanctuary' from the Graveyard, and now I draw two cards!"

After drawing the cards, he glanced at his hand and smirked again, "Heh, what a great card to draw.
I Normal Summon 'BM-4 Bomb Spider'!"

[BM-4 Bomb Spider, Attack Power: 1400]

Yuxuan remembered this monster; it was a troublesome card he had encountered back in the physical card game era. Once per turn, Bomb Spider could target one Machine-Type, DARK monster you control and one card your opponent controls, and destroy both.

Meanwhile, the effect of "Desperado Barrel Dragon" allowed it to be Special Summoned directly from the hand when a Machine-Type DARK monster you control was destroyed. Therefore, one could Normal Summon Bomb Spider to blow up an opponent's card and itself, triggering the big boss in the hand to jump straight out.

Additionally, it had a secondary effect: when a Machine-Type DARK monster you control destroyed an opponent's monster by battle or its own effect, it inflicted damage to the opponent equal to half the destroyed monster's ATK. Thus, every monster destroyed by Desperado Barrel Dragon would deal extra burn damage, making it the ultimate partner working in perfect synergy with Desperado Barrel Dragon.

However...

"Open the face-down card, Trap Card - Trap Hole!" Yuxuan raised his hand, flipping one of his face-down cards in the backrow. "When a monster with 1000 or more ATK is summoned, destroy it directly.
Destroy 'BM-4 Bomb Spider'!"

Despite its powerful effect, Bomb Spider barely got its footing before it plunged into a vortex that opened up on the ground, tumbling into the abyss with a booming explosion that left behind a ball of fire.

"Another annoying trap..." Bandit Keith muttered unhappily. "Then I activate a Magic Card from my hand, 'Monster Slot'!
Select one face-up monster you control, then banish a monster with the same Level from your Graveyard from play.
I choose the Level 8 'Desperado Barrel Dragon' on my field!"

Simultaneously, a burst of golden light bloomed in his Graveyard zone, and a card popped out.

"Banishing the Level 8 'Metalzoa' from my Graveyard from play!
After that, I can draw a card from my Deck. If the card drawn by this effect happens to be a Level 8 monster as well, that monster can be Special Summoned!"

Yuxuan narrowed his eyes.

Drawing a single card, and having it land precisely on a Level 8 monster. Purely in terms of probability, the likelihood seemed practically negligible.

Yet he also knew that in the anime world, characters who activated such cards and effects almost never drew a blank.

Coupled with...

His gaze swept back to the "Seal of Orichalcos" surrounding them both.

Keith was already quite the early-game mini-boss tier character in the anime, and when you factored in the destiny-manipulating plot armor of the seal where whoever used it died...

"Watch this, my draw!"

Bandit Keith raised his right hand high, and the six-pointed star of Orichalcos on his forehead emitted a blinding green glow, spinning as if coming to life. Invisible energy seemed to pour from the seal straight into his hand.

"Draw!"

Sure enough, immediately after drawing, he burst into loud laughter and proudly displayed the card he had drawn.

"What I drew is the Level 8 Mecha Motor Ω!
Therefore, Mecha Motor Ω is Special Summoned directly!"

A mighty, towering mecha appeared, its entire body clad in crimson armor as though scorched by raging flames. Its sleek and sharp lines radiated danger, its eyes looked ready to release searing red beams of light, and cold blades sprang from its wrists.

[Mecha Motor Ω, Attack Power: 2800]

Yuxuan: "..."

The Barrel Dragon series belonged to Bandit Keith's deck, and Mecha Motor was a deck used by Bandit Keith in the spin-off manga. Even "Metalzoa," which he had just banished from the Graveyard, was indeed a card he had used in the anime.

However, to cram so many different archetypes and such a chaotic engine into a single deck, smoothly avoiding bricking entirely while actually pulling off such interlocking combos and mutual support...

No wonder they said a pile of mismatched cards was the true path to victory in the anime.

"Also due to the effect of the 'Seal of Orichalcos', Mecha Motor's ATK increases!"

[Mecha Motor Ω, Attack Power: 2800 -> Attack Power: 3300]

"Nothing can protect your magician this time!" Bandit Keith roared. "Then I change 'Desperado Barrel Dragon', which was switched to Defense Position last turn, back to Attack Position, and enter the Battle Phase!
Effect of 'Desperado Barrel Dragon'! Toss a coin three times, and destroy opponent's monsters based on the number of heads!"

"Activate face-down card," Yuxuan responded calmly. "Continuous Trap - Safe Zone!
Select an Attack Position monster you control. A monster protected by this card cannot be targeted by your opponent's effects, nor can it be destroyed by battle or card effects."

The trap took effect, generating a powerful transparent forcefield barrier that shielded Silent Magician within, defending against the incoming artillery fire from the revolver.

"Hoh, is that so? What of it, then?" Bandit Keith sneered dismissively. "Effect of 'Desperado Barrel Dragon'! Desperado Trigger!"

Miss Elf sprite looked surprised: "Even knowing it can't be destroyed, he's still activating it?"

Yuxuan also frowned: "However, with the protection of 'Safe Zone', Silent Magician cannot be destroyed."

"That's not necessarily true! Before resolving the coin toss of Barrel Dragon's effect, I activate the Continuous Trap - Gun Fire!"

Bandit Keith's backrow flipped open, revealing a Trap Card depicting a Barrel Dragon opening fire—clearly a dedicated trap exclusively for the Barrel Dragon archetype.

"Once per turn, when a coin-tossing effect is activated, different effects can be triggered based on the number of heads!"

Bandit Keith waved his hand.

"According to the effect of Desperado Barrel Dragon, spin the chamber!"

The cylinder spun wildly, ammunition loaded, and the two revolver barrels lit up with blinding fire.

"Hahahaha, looks like your luck isn't very good today, I got two heads!" Bandit Keith declared. "Of course, you only have Silent Magician on your field, and she is protected by 'Safe Zone', making her immune to destruction.
However, at this very moment, the effect of 'Gun Fire' activates!"

The trap card glowed with golden light, releasing energy that materialized like ammunition loading directly into the Barrel Dragon on the field.

"First is the first effect. When one or more heads are rolled, inflict 500 points of damage to the opponent!"

The barrel on the left side of the dragon fired, a blast tearing across the entire field and piercing straight through Yuxuan's body. Yuxuan grunted, staggering back half a step.

[Yuxuan, LP 1900 -> LP 1400]

"Second effect! When two or more heads are rolled, select one card on the opponent's field and destroy it!
The card I choose to destroy is, of course..."

Bandit Keith pointed triumphantly toward Yuxuan's backrow.

"Continuous Trap - Safe Zone!"

The second shot fired, and a lethal projectile punched straight through the backrow trap. The trap card exploded into golden points of light and dissipated, causing the protective barrier surrounding Silent Magician to vanish right along with it.

"The side effect of 'Safe Zone'," Yuxuan said faintly. "When 'Safe Zone' leaves the field, the chosen monster is destroyed. Therefore, 'Silent Magician LV8' is destroyed."

Silent Magician's form gradually grew ethereal and translucent, fading away piece by piece. She turned around helplessly, exchanging a final glance with her master, as if apologizing for her inability to protect him any longer.

"It's fine," Yuxuan said calmly. "You've done enough. Leave the rest to me."

Silent Magician nodded, her figure dissolving as she left the field.

"That annoying spellcaster is finally gone, and with that, it's over!"

Bandit Keith watched as the finish line of victory drew within arm's reach, his expression twisting into an even more ecstatic grin as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"This is the final blow! Direct attack with Mecha Motor Ω!"