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Chapter 429: Victory Brings More Than Just Joy, It Also Brings...
"Alright, my turn! Draw!"
Joey Wheeler glanced at the card he drew, raising an eyebrow. Coincidentally, the card he drew was the exact same one Northwood Reiko drew last turn: Pot of Greed.
Being able to draw two cards from his Deck without any cost was truly a lifesaver for Joey Wheeler, who currently had no way to defeat Reiko's Puppet King on the Field.
However, just drawing it wasn't enough to activate it; there was still a card blocking Joey Wheeler's way: the Dangerous Machine Type 6 he had activated himself.
"Although I really don't want Kaiba to say I only rely on luck, I believe my future is decided by myself." While feeling a bit unsure inside, Joey Wheeler still put on a confident stance, reaching out and pointing at the Dangerous Machine Type 6 in his Spell/Trap Zone.
"During my Standby Phase, Dangerous Machine Type 6 will roll a die, and its effect activates based on the points rolled!"
The glowing device lit up one after another, and the erratically moving light sphere instantly displayed and then instantly disappeared from "1", "1", "4", "5", "1", "4". Joey Wheeler, who had no confidence in his dynamic vision or ability to predict movement patterns, relied on his intuition and blurted out, "Alright, stop right there!"
Following Joey Wheeler's declaration, the speed of the light sphere dropped sharply, appearing consecutively after "3", "2", "5", "4". Seeing it about to stop on "1", Joey Wheeler's nerves became tense.
This isn't good! You see, if the points rolled by Dangerous Machine Type 6 were 1, the effect that would activate would be "Joey Wheeler discards one card from his hand". That meant the Pot of Greed he had finally managed to draw would be discarded because of this.
Damn it, gambling cards really aren't good things!
While extremely frustrated, Joey Wheeler once again made up his mind. Before, it was because Rex always ranted that he was strongest when using gambling cards that Joey Wheeler reluctantly stuffed those gambling cards he had previously removed back into his Deck.
After this Duel, I must get rid of all the gambling cards!
And just as Joey Wheeler made up his mind internally, the body of Dangerous Machine Type 6 suddenly trembled. The light sphere, which was about to stop on "1", suddenly moved one space forward, landing on the number "6".
Then, without waiting for Joey Wheeler to react, Dangerous Machine Type 6, which had triggered its self-destruct function for number "6", suddenly self-destructed. It was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, disappearing from Joey Wheeler's sight, as if afraid Joey Wheeler would see it and then decide to remove gambling cards from his Deck.
"Uh, because the points are 6, Dangerous Machine Type 6 will be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard." Joey Wheeler sent the card to the Graveyard, feeling slightly bothered.
He had just decided to remove gambling cards because of the high risk they brought, so how did it successfully activate in the blink of an eye?
Although it wasn't the most beneficial outcome for Joey Wheeler ("3" or "5"), at least it wasn't "1", and the Pot of Greed in Joey Wheeler's hand was saved.
"Then, I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed, drawing two cards from my Deck." Inserting Pot of Greed into the Spell & Trap Zone, Joey Wheeler rested his finger on his Deck and drew two cards. "Then, I Normal Summon the Gearfried the Iron Knight I just drew."
Joey Wheeler: 19 → 16
A knight clad in steel armor appeared on Joey Wheeler's Field, standing side by side with Gilthia the D. Knight.
Gearfried the Iron Knight [ATK 1800]
At the cost of not being able to use Equip Cards, the Gearfried the Iron Knight Joey Wheeler Summoned had outstanding ATK and DEF among Lower-Level Monsters.
However, at this moment, he and Gilthia the D. Knight were not facing monsters of the same Level, but Puppet King with an ATK as high as 2800 points. And in Joey Wheeler's Deck, the monster with the highest ATK was Summoned Skull, but it only had 2500 points and required one Tribute.
However, that was only the strongest monster "in Joey Wheeler's Deck". There was one such card that could create miracles.
"I activate my last card, the Spell Card Fusion!" Joey Wheeler flipped over the last card in his hand. It was the most important foundation for Fusion Summoning—the Fusion Spell Card. "I have two Warrior Type monsters with different Attributes on my Field. I will use Gilthia the D. Knight and Gearfried the Iron Knight as Fusion Material!"
"Gleam of Steel, Radiance of Magic, indomitable Warrior souls intertwine, Steel's Magic, overflowing with passion, touch and transform! Become the final hope, the strongest Gem Warrior!"
"Fusion Summon! Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode!"
Iron Magic Knight - Gilthia Fried, which Joey Wheeler had used in his Duel against Kaiba during Battle City, reappeared. Its skirt adorned with magic gems fluttered in the wind, and the battle blade in its hand was raised, pointing directly at Puppet King.
Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode [Level 8 / Light Attribute]
[Warrior Type / Fusion / Effect]
[ATK 2700 / DEF 1600]
One was a strong warrior with a cape, and the other was a boss with a skirt. Although Puppet King had slightly higher ATK, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode had a stronger aura. Besides, ATK is something that can be changed.
"Enter my Battle Phase. Here I come, Reiko." Joey Wheeler waved his arm forward. "I use my Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode on my Field to attack Puppet King, and because it's a battle against a monster, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode has an effect that can be activated!"
"Once per turn, during damage calculation when Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode battles an opponent's monster, I can banish one Spell Card from my Graveyard to increase Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's ATK by half of its DEF until the End Phase!"
"I banish Pot of Greed from the Graveyard, increasing Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's ATK by half of its DEF, which is 800 points!"
Following Joey Wheeler's declaration, he took out the Pot of Greed card from his Graveyard and stuffed it into his pants pocket. On the Field, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode charged towards Puppet King while muttering something under his breath, imbuing his weapon with magic as the gems on his body lit up one by one.
Seeing this, Northwood Reiko also pressed her Set Card activation button. "Joey Wheeler-kun, I won't just give up like this. I'm already a Duelist who dares to face battle head-on!"
"I activate my Set Card, the Quick-Play Spell Card Forbidden Lance! This card decreases the ATK of one monster by 800 points until the End Phase, and it is unaffected by the effects of other Spell/Trap Cards besides this one!"
Looking at the confident Northwood Reiko, Joey Wheeler nodded in satisfaction. "Amazing, Reiko, I can feel the Duelist's pulse surging!"
"Then I, Katsuya Joey Wheeler, must also cheer up and respond to these feelings!"
Following Reiko's pressing the Set Card, Joey Wheeler also pressed his Set Card activation button. Almost synchronized with Reiko's Set Card, both sides' Set Cards opened simultaneously.
"The Quick-Play Spell Card Forbidden Dress can decrease the ATK of one monster by 600 points, and make it unaffected by card effects and unable to be destroyed by effect."
Joey Wheeler glanced at the Forbidden Lance Reiko activated. "Last turn, when Puppet King attacked my Red-Eyes Black Dragon, I did think about activating this card, but my intuition made me hold back, and thankfully I held back."
"Otherwise, at that time, you would chain to my Forbidden Dress to activate Forbidden Lance, right? In that case, I not only couldn't change the result of Red-Eyes Black Dragon being destroyed, but also wasted a card. See? My intuition is pretty accurate, isn't it?"
As he spoke, Joey Wheeler also scratched the back of his head and laughed.
And on both sides' Fields, the effects of Forbidden Dress and Forbidden Lance were activated one after another, intertwining and landing on the target monsters. Puppet King was covered in a layer of screen, and Forbidden Lance also accurately pierced Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode.
Seeing this, Northwood Reiko let out a sigh of relief. Looking at Joey Wheeler, she said with a smile, "You're incredible, Joey Wheeler-kun. Even the Set Card I activated was within your calculations. I originally thought I could use Forbidden Lance to counter Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode."
"Now it seems my Puppet King is indeed destined to be destroyed, and I will also take 500 points of damage because of this."
Saying this, Northwood Reiko looked at Puppet King.
Puppet King [ATK 2800 → 2200]
"No, Reiko, it should be 1300 points of damage."
"Huh?"
Seeing the surprised expression on Reiko's face, Joey Wheeler said proudly, "Heh heh, don't think you're the only genius, Reiko. I, Joey Wheeler, am best at calculating! The card that was successfully activated from the start was only my Forbidden Dress!"
As if cooperating with Joey Wheeler's words, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode, pierced by Forbidden Lance, suddenly reached out, grabbed Forbidden Lance, and pulled it out, revealing his armor which showed no signs of damage.
"Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's second effect is, once per turn, when a Spell, Trap, or Monster Effect that targets him is activated, negate that effect, and I can choose one card on the Field to destroy."
The Magic Knight held Forbidden Lance. This golden spear that was originally meant to be used against him now became his weapon. As Joey Wheeler wished, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode didn't even take a running start and threw Forbidden Lance like a javelin.
Joey Wheeler stretched out his hand, pointing at Northwood Reiko's Puppet King on the Field. "Although normally speaking, at this moment, choosing to destroy Puppet King is the optimal choice, but!"
"Reiko, you responded to me with such passionate courage, I must also respond with a passionate battle!" Joey Wheeler turned his finger. "Therefore, the card I choose to destroy is that Tragedy of the Battlefield on your Spell/Trap Zone that represents your past!"
The golden spear fell, destroying the Tragedy of the Battlefield on Northwood Reiko's Spell/Trap Zone, which she originally used to employ the Deck Reduction Strategy. And on Reiko's Front Row, the large-bodied Puppet King also clashed with Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode.
Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode [ATK 2700 → 3500]
The heavy greatsword collided with the light magic battle blade. The seemingly one-sided weight difference was turned around by the magic power applied to the battle blade. After several swings, the Magic Knight dodged Puppet King's horizontal sweep with a low bend, straightened up and crashed into its embrace, using his sharp blade to pierce the latter's chest.
Boom!
Puppet King's body was directly detonated by the magic power attached to the sharp blade, leaving no trace. And Northwood Reiko also took 1300 points of battle damage, just as Joey Wheeler said.
"Ugh!"
Northwood Reiko: 4000 → 2700 LP
Even though it was the first time she had taken such high damage, Reiko didn't feel the fear she had before at all. Instead, because of the intense battle, she truly felt the charm of Duel Monsters for the first time.
And...
Looking at Joey Wheeler's confident smile, Reiko's cheeks slightly flushed.
Joey Wheeler didn't notice this at all. Instead, he held up three fingers. "Finally, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's third effect."
"This card, which was Fusion Summoned using only monsters on the Field as material, can make two attacks during the same Battle Phase." Stretching out his hand and pointing at the completely empty Northwood Reiko on the Field, Joey Wheeler once again issued the attack command.
"This one is the final attack, Reiko."
"Despite your best efforts, stand tall. As a Duelist, you've done your best."
"Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode, direct attack the opponent Duelist!"
Compared to the force used when attacking Puppet King just now, the Magic Knight's movements were much more casual when direct attacking Reiko. He merely symbolically swung his blade, creating a gust of wind that messed up Reiko's hair while taking away her remaining Life Points.
Northwood Reiko: 2700 LP → 0
"Phew, I lost..." Looking at her Life Points dropping to zero, Reiko let out a long breath, but then raised her head and winked playfully at Joey Wheeler. "But this Duel made me very excited and thrilled!"
"How about it? Exciting Duels are definitely more interesting than scary Duels, right? Hahahaha." Joey Wheeler said proudly. "That was a truly interesting Duel."
In the Spectator Area, Tristan looked at the creaking iron handrail being squeezed by Kujaku Mai, his eyebrows slightly raised. He looked gleefully at Joey Wheeler on the Field, who was laughing loudly and shaking hands with Reiko.
I hope you can still laugh later, Jo~u~no~chi~
"Alright, my turn! Draw!"
Joey Wheeler glanced at the card he drew, raising an eyebrow. Coincidentally, the card he drew was the exact same one Northwood Reiko drew last turn: Pot of Greed.
Being able to draw two cards from his Deck without any cost was truly a lifesaver for Joey Wheeler, who currently had no way to defeat Reiko's Puppet King on the Field.
However, just drawing it wasn't enough to activate it; there was still a card blocking Joey Wheeler's way: the Dangerous Machine Type 6 he had activated himself.
"Although I really don't want Kaiba to say I only rely on luck, I believe my future is decided by myself." While feeling a bit unsure inside, Joey Wheeler still put on a confident stance, reaching out and pointing at the Dangerous Machine Type 6 in his Spell/Trap Zone.
"During my Standby Phase, Dangerous Machine Type 6 will roll a die, and its effect activates based on the points rolled!"
The glowing device lit up one after another, and the erratically moving light sphere instantly displayed and then instantly disappeared from "1", "1", "4", "5", "1", "4". Joey Wheeler, who had no confidence in his dynamic vision or ability to predict movement patterns, relied on his intuition and blurted out, "Alright, stop right there!"
Following Joey Wheeler's declaration, the speed of the light sphere dropped sharply, appearing consecutively after "3", "2", "5", "4". Seeing it about to stop on "1", Joey Wheeler's nerves became tense.
This isn't good! You see, if the points rolled by Dangerous Machine Type 6 were 1, the effect that would activate would be "Joey Wheeler discards one card from his hand". That meant the Pot of Greed he had finally managed to draw would be discarded because of this.
Damn it, gambling cards really aren't good things!
While extremely frustrated, Joey Wheeler once again made up his mind. Before, it was because Rex always ranted that he was strongest when using gambling cards that Joey Wheeler reluctantly stuffed those gambling cards he had previously removed back into his Deck.
After this Duel, I must get rid of all the gambling cards!
And just as Joey Wheeler made up his mind internally, the body of Dangerous Machine Type 6 suddenly trembled. The light sphere, which was about to stop on "1", suddenly moved one space forward, landing on the number "6".
Then, without waiting for Joey Wheeler to react, Dangerous Machine Type 6, which had triggered its self-destruct function for number "6", suddenly self-destructed. It was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, disappearing from Joey Wheeler's sight, as if afraid Joey Wheeler would see it and then decide to remove gambling cards from his Deck.
"Uh, because the points are 6, Dangerous Machine Type 6 will be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard." Joey Wheeler sent the card to the Graveyard, feeling slightly bothered.
He had just decided to remove gambling cards because of the high risk they brought, so how did it successfully activate in the blink of an eye?
Although it wasn't the most beneficial outcome for Joey Wheeler ("3" or "5"), at least it wasn't "1", and the Pot of Greed in Joey Wheeler's hand was saved.
"Then, I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed, drawing two cards from my Deck." Inserting Pot of Greed into the Spell & Trap Zone, Joey Wheeler rested his finger on his Deck and drew two cards. "Then, I Normal Summon the Gearfried the Iron Knight I just drew."
Joey Wheeler: 19 → 16
A knight clad in steel armor appeared on Joey Wheeler's Field, standing side by side with Gilthia the D. Knight.
Gearfried the Iron Knight [ATK 1800]
At the cost of not being able to use Equip Cards, the Gearfried the Iron Knight Joey Wheeler Summoned had outstanding ATK and DEF among Lower-Level Monsters.
However, at this moment, he and Gilthia the D. Knight were not facing monsters of the same Level, but Puppet King with an ATK as high as 2800 points. And in Joey Wheeler's Deck, the monster with the highest ATK was Summoned Skull, but it only had 2500 points and required one Tribute.
However, that was only the strongest monster "in Joey Wheeler's Deck". There was one such card that could create miracles.
"I activate my last card, the Spell Card Fusion!" Joey Wheeler flipped over the last card in his hand. It was the most important foundation for Fusion Summoning—the Fusion Spell Card. "I have two Warrior Type monsters with different Attributes on my Field. I will use Gilthia the D. Knight and Gearfried the Iron Knight as Fusion Material!"
"Gleam of Steel, Radiance of Magic, indomitable Warrior souls intertwine, Steel's Magic, overflowing with passion, touch and transform! Become the final hope, the strongest Gem Warrior!"
"Fusion Summon! Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode!"
Iron Magic Knight - Gilthia Fried, which Joey Wheeler had used in his Duel against Kaiba during Battle City, reappeared. Its skirt adorned with magic gems fluttered in the wind, and the battle blade in its hand was raised, pointing directly at Puppet King.
Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode [Level 8 / Light Attribute]
[Warrior Type / Fusion / Effect]
[ATK 2700 / DEF 1600]
One was a strong warrior with a cape, and the other was a boss with a skirt. Although Puppet King had slightly higher ATK, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode had a stronger aura. Besides, ATK is something that can be changed.
"Enter my Battle Phase. Here I come, Reiko." Joey Wheeler waved his arm forward. "I use my Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode on my Field to attack Puppet King, and because it's a battle against a monster, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode has an effect that can be activated!"
"Once per turn, during damage calculation when Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode battles an opponent's monster, I can banish one Spell Card from my Graveyard to increase Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's ATK by half of its DEF until the End Phase!"
"I banish Pot of Greed from the Graveyard, increasing Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's ATK by half of its DEF, which is 800 points!"
Following Joey Wheeler's declaration, he took out the Pot of Greed card from his Graveyard and stuffed it into his pants pocket. On the Field, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode charged towards Puppet King while muttering something under his breath, imbuing his weapon with magic as the gems on his body lit up one by one.
Seeing this, Northwood Reiko also pressed her Set Card activation button. "Joey Wheeler-kun, I won't just give up like this. I'm already a Duelist who dares to face battle head-on!"
"I activate my Set Card, the Quick-Play Spell Card Forbidden Lance! This card decreases the ATK of one monster by 800 points until the End Phase, and it is unaffected by the effects of other Spell/Trap Cards besides this one!"
Looking at the confident Northwood Reiko, Joey Wheeler nodded in satisfaction. "Amazing, Reiko, I can feel the Duelist's pulse surging!"
"Then I, Katsuya Joey Wheeler, must also cheer up and respond to these feelings!"
Following Reiko's pressing the Set Card, Joey Wheeler also pressed his Set Card activation button. Almost synchronized with Reiko's Set Card, both sides' Set Cards opened simultaneously.
"The Quick-Play Spell Card Forbidden Dress can decrease the ATK of one monster by 600 points, and make it unaffected by card effects and unable to be destroyed by effect."
Joey Wheeler glanced at the Forbidden Lance Reiko activated. "Last turn, when Puppet King attacked my Red-Eyes Black Dragon, I did think about activating this card, but my intuition made me hold back, and thankfully I held back."
"Otherwise, at that time, you would chain to my Forbidden Dress to activate Forbidden Lance, right? In that case, I not only couldn't change the result of Red-Eyes Black Dragon being destroyed, but also wasted a card. See? My intuition is pretty accurate, isn't it?"
As he spoke, Joey Wheeler also scratched the back of his head and laughed.
And on both sides' Fields, the effects of Forbidden Dress and Forbidden Lance were activated one after another, intertwining and landing on the target monsters. Puppet King was covered in a layer of screen, and Forbidden Lance also accurately pierced Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode.
Seeing this, Northwood Reiko let out a sigh of relief. Looking at Joey Wheeler, she said with a smile, "You're incredible, Joey Wheeler-kun. Even the Set Card I activated was within your calculations. I originally thought I could use Forbidden Lance to counter Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode."
"Now it seems my Puppet King is indeed destined to be destroyed, and I will also take 500 points of damage because of this."
Saying this, Northwood Reiko looked at Puppet King.
Puppet King [ATK 2800 → 2200]
"No, Reiko, it should be 1300 points of damage."
"Huh?"
Seeing the surprised expression on Reiko's face, Joey Wheeler said proudly, "Heh heh, don't think you're the only genius, Reiko. I, Joey Wheeler, am best at calculating! The card that was successfully activated from the start was only my Forbidden Dress!"
As if cooperating with Joey Wheeler's words, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode, pierced by Forbidden Lance, suddenly reached out, grabbed Forbidden Lance, and pulled it out, revealing his armor which showed no signs of damage.
"Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's second effect is, once per turn, when a Spell, Trap, or Monster Effect that targets him is activated, negate that effect, and I can choose one card on the Field to destroy."
The Magic Knight held Forbidden Lance. This golden spear that was originally meant to be used against him now became his weapon. As Joey Wheeler wished, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode didn't even take a running start and threw Forbidden Lance like a javelin.
Joey Wheeler stretched out his hand, pointing at Northwood Reiko's Puppet King on the Field. "Although normally speaking, at this moment, choosing to destroy Puppet King is the optimal choice, but!"
"Reiko, you responded to me with such passionate courage, I must also respond with a passionate battle!" Joey Wheeler turned his finger. "Therefore, the card I choose to destroy is that Tragedy of the Battlefield on your Spell/Trap Zone that represents your past!"
The golden spear fell, destroying the Tragedy of the Battlefield on Northwood Reiko's Spell/Trap Zone, which she originally used to employ the Deck Reduction Strategy. And on Reiko's Front Row, the large-bodied Puppet King also clashed with Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode.
Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode [ATK 2700 → 3500]
The heavy greatsword collided with the light magic battle blade. The seemingly one-sided weight difference was turned around by the magic power applied to the battle blade. After several swings, the Magic Knight dodged Puppet King's horizontal sweep with a low bend, straightened up and crashed into its embrace, using his sharp blade to pierce the latter's chest.
Boom!
Puppet King's body was directly detonated by the magic power attached to the sharp blade, leaving no trace. And Northwood Reiko also took 1300 points of battle damage, just as Joey Wheeler said.
"Ugh!"
Northwood Reiko: 4000 → 2700 LP
Even though it was the first time she had taken such high damage, Reiko didn't feel the fear she had before at all. Instead, because of the intense battle, she truly felt the charm of Duel Monsters for the first time.
And...
Looking at Joey Wheeler's confident smile, Reiko's cheeks slightly flushed.
Joey Wheeler didn't notice this at all. Instead, he held up three fingers. "Finally, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's third effect."
"This card, which was Fusion Summoned using only monsters on the Field as material, can make two attacks during the same Battle Phase." Stretching out his hand and pointing at the completely empty Northwood Reiko on the Field, Joey Wheeler once again issued the attack command.
"This one is the final attack, Reiko."
"Despite your best efforts, stand tall. As a Duelist, you've done your best."
"Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode, direct attack the opponent Duelist!"
Compared to the force used when attacking Puppet King just now, the Magic Knight's movements were much more casual when direct attacking Reiko. He merely symbolically swung his blade, creating a gust of wind that messed up Reiko's hair while taking away her remaining Life Points.
Northwood Reiko: 2700 LP → 0
"Phew, I lost..." Looking at her Life Points dropping to zero, Reiko let out a long breath, but then raised her head and winked playfully at Joey Wheeler. "But this Duel made me very excited and thrilled!"
"How about it? Exciting Duels are definitely more interesting than scary Duels, right? Hahahaha." Joey Wheeler said proudly. "That was a truly interesting Duel."
In the Spectator Area, Tristan looked at the creaking iron handrail being squeezed by Kujaku Mai, his eyebrows slightly raised. He looked gleefully at Joey Wheeler on the Field, who was laughing loudly and shaking hands with Reiko.
I hope you can still laugh later, Jo~u~no~chi~
