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# Chapter 439: Fatal Combo
The effect of Change of Heart landed on empty space, but Hayato wasn't disheartened. However, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Tila Muku was quite serious.
Most widely circulated Vampire legends share a common point: Vampires can increase their numbers by giving others their own blood. Hayato had originally thought that forcing Vampire Fraulein to leave Tila Muku's Field might slightly lessen her influence over Tila Muku.
However, it now seemed that the control of Vampire Fraulein was already deeply rooted.
"That was close, you almost took my Master away from me." Tila Muku looked at Hayato with a pair of reddish eyes. "So, are you going to attack?"
Thanks to Hayato's previous actions, Tila Muku's Field was completely cleared of cards. There wasn't even a single Monster that could be used for Defense.
Her Field was wide open, so how could Hayato miss such a perfect opportunity?
"Although I got caught by Bottomless Trap Hole, I'll collect some interest first." Hayato said, waving his hand forward. "Go, E•HERO Avian, Direct Attack the Opponent!"
"Extreme Dive Bombing Crash!"
Although the Attack Name he shouted sounded like E•HERO Avian was about to unleash a "world-destroying" move that would scare Harpie Lady to death, in reality, E•HERO Avian merely flapped its wings and flew up, shooting the feathers from its back wings like darts from above.
[Tilla: 3000→2000 LP]
"Hehe, a painless attack."
Perhaps numb to losing Life Points, Tilla, who was directly hit by E•HERO Avian's darts, showed no expression of pain. Instead, she lightly brushed her short golden hair. "Though it was faint, I've remembered this pain."
"Next Turn, I will repay it double."
Hayato pursed his lips and Set the last card in his Hand in the Spell/Trap Zone. "Is that so? That's quite something, but do you have the Ability to Summon a Monster strong enough to give me sufficient pain?"
"My Turn ends."
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[E•HERO Avian] [ATK 1000]
[Face-down Defense Position Monster] (E•HERO Avian) X2
[Set Card]
"It seems you have no clear understanding of your situation." Tilla gave a cold laugh, not rushing to Draw a Card. She merely pointed proudly at her Graveyard. "I told you, Vampires are Undying. Even if you kill them countless times, they will Revive infinitely from the Graveyard."
"If I don't tear you to pieces, my Master won't be able to enjoy peaceful slumber."
"My Turn, Draw! Then, the Spell Card Pot of Greed!" Tilla inserted the card she drew into the Spell & Trap Zone, and with a sneer, drew two cards. "Haha, I drew some quite useful cards."
"I Activate the Spell Card Book of Life! This card can be Activated by targeting one Zombie-Type Monster in my Graveyard and one Monster in the Opponent's Graveyard."
"My Zombie-Type Monster is Special Summoned to the Field, and then that Monster of the Opponent is Banished."
The crimson in Tilla's eyes grew stronger. "Banish that annoying Lava Golem from your Graveyard, and then, I can Special Summon my Master who is Sleeping in the Graveyard—Vampire Fraulein—to the Field!"
As the ancient book appeared and opened in Tilla's Spell/Trap Zone, the wail of Lava Golem came from Hayato's Graveyard. The Graveyard Zone automatically ejected the Lava Golem card, and the Lava Golem on the card seemed to have its magma body slightly dimmed.
And as if absorbing the power lost by Lava Golem as Nourishment, Vampire Fraulein, who had voluntarily entered the Graveyard last Turn, licked her lips with her tongue and reappeared on the Field, looking smug.
And Tilla's fragmented spirit was once again brought under her Control.
[Vampire Fraulein] [ATK 2000]
"Next, I Normal Summon Vampire Baby." Playing a card from her Hand, Tilla revealed a bloodthirsty smile as she looked at the Vampire Baby in a black robe that appeared on her Field. "Now I'll show you what true Despair is!"
"Enter Battle Phase! First, I use Vampire Baby to Attack the Face-Down Defense Position E•HERO Avian!"
Although small in stature, upon receiving Tilla's Instruction, Vampire Baby completely revealed its nature as a bloodthirsty Fiend. Under the light of the Red Moon, it opened its mouth and revealed its still-developing fangs.
[Vampire Baby] [Level 3/DARK]
[Zombie/Effect]
[700/1000 → 1200/1000]
"Only During Damage Calculation, Zombie-Type Monsters will Increase their ATK by 500 points due to the effect of Vampire Kingdom. Therefore, Vampire Baby's ATK will Increase to 1200 points, which is enough to tear apart E•HERO Avian's Defense!"
Tilla laughed ferociously:
"Bloodlust Impulse!"
The E•HERO Avian card, which had been Set due to the effect of Bottomless Trap Hole, was flipped face-up by Vampire Baby's Attack. Before the E•HERO Avian, seeing the light of day again, could do anything, it was pounced upon by Vampire Baby and bitten on the neck.
Although it had powerful wings and sharp Claws, close combat was undoubtedly E•HERO Avian's weakness. Coupled with being caught off guard, Vampire Baby easily Destroyed E•HERO Avian. However, suspiciously, the Corpse of E•HERO Avian that was Destroyed by it merely shriveled up and was not Sent to the Graveyard.
And closely following Vampire Baby was Vampire Fraulein, who had long been anticipating the taste of Hayato's fresh Blood.
"Due to the effect of Vampire Domain, when a Vampire Monster inflicts Battle Damage to the Opponent, my Life Points can Recover the amount of Battle Damage." Tilla showed an expectant expression. "Vampire Fraulein Attacks that Attack Position E•HERO Avian! I'll take your Life Points!"
"Vampire Hunt: Crimson Cross!"
[Vampire Fraulein] [ATK 2000 → 2500]
Although she appeared as a delicate and Charming young girl, Vampire Fraulein's Level was not just for show. As a Level 7 Monster equal to Dark Magician, she couldn't possibly be a mere decoration. With a gentle flick of her wrist, a streak of blood, seemingly from nowhere, gathered in her hand to form a slender crimson cross Long Sword.
The crimson cross sword was thrown out. Although E•HERO Avian had prepared its Defense beforehand, its resistance was completely futile. The Long Sword easily Pierced through the wings and arms it had crossed in front of its body, directly stabbing its Heart.
Not only that, but after breaking through E•HERO Avian, the cross Long Sword suddenly burst into a rain of blood. The splashing blood droplets were like Sharp Blades, cutting a wound on Hayato's face, who was standing behind E•HERO Avian.
[Hayato: 4000→2500 LP]
After silently enduring the Damage, Hayato watched as the blood rain that had caused him Damage abruptly stopped and returned to Vampire Fraulein's body. Feeling the Power she had absorbed from Hayato, both Vampire Fraulein and Tila Muku's faces flushed.
[Tilla: 2000→3500 LP]
"Turning Blood into your own Power? Hmph, I guess I should say, as expected of a Vampire?" Hayato felt the feeling of weakness coming from his body. Losing 1500 Life Points in one go, although not as intense as the Pain Hayato felt during Duels with other Dark Duelists, it was still significant.
"Can I take that as a compliment?" Vampire Fraulein stuck out her tongue and licked her lips, seemingly savoring the taste she had just felt from Hayato. "Well then, my Battle Phase ends."
Vampire Fraulein, as a Duel Monster, directly declared the end of the Battle Phase on behalf of Tilla. At the same time, the body of E•HERO Avian, which was still on Hayato's Field and had been Destroyed by Vampire Baby earlier, moved strangely.
"The Monster that Vampire Baby Destroyed will become my Familiar after the Battle Phase ends."
Hearing Vampire Fraulein's explanation, Hayato frowned. "The so-called 'Embrace'?"
"You're finished, Tila Muku. I'm the only one who gets to Take Control of others' monsters, and not only did you refuse to have your monster Taken Control of by me, you even Took Control of my E•HERO Avian. Next Turn, I will definitely defeat you in one turn!"
Tilla narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Are you angry? But making threats is useless, because you cannot defeat my Master, the Invincible Vampire Fraulein!"
"My Turn ends."
[Tilla: 3500 LP, Hand 0]
[Vampire Fraulein] [ATK 2000]
[Vampire Baby] [ATK 700]
[E•HERO Avian] [DEF 1000]
[Vampire Domain]
Field: [Vampire Kingdom]
In Tilla's view, Hayato's words were just empty threats, as she didn't believe there was any possibility of her being "defeated in one turn".
Thanks to the effect of Vampire Domain, her Life Points had recovered to a full 3500 points, practically as if she hadn't taken any Damage. And the weakest Monster on her Field, Vampire Baby, had an ATK of 1200 points when combined with the Boost from Vampire Kingdom.
What did this mean?
Even using Vampire Baby as a weak point, "Dan Kuroto" would need to Summon a Monster with an ATK of 3500 + 1200 = 4700 or more in one Turn.
Even the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Fusion Summoned using three legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon as Material, only had 4500 ATK. "Dan Kuroto" would need to Summon a Monster stronger than Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to defeat her, and as far as Tilla knew, such a Monster was not something just anyone could possess and Summon in one Turn with an Empty Hand.
"My Turn, Draw." Hayato calmly drew a card from his Deck, then pressed the Activate Set Card Button on his Duel Disk. "Then, I Activate the Trap Card I Set last Turn, Reckless Greed."
"The effect of this card is that I can Draw two cards from my Deck, but as a cost, my next two Draw Phases will be skipped."
Tilla sneered. "You would use such a card, overdrafting your Future for the present? Hehe, do you really believe you can Summon a Monster stronger than Vampire Fraulein in this Turn?"
Hayato returned a cold laugh. "Before Drawing a Card, no one knows what their Future holds. But a True Duelist can Control their own Future. Even Drawing a Card can be created by oneself."
"My Draw can even dominate the Future!" He sharply drew two cards from his Deck. At the same time, two large "X" marks appeared above Hayato's head, signifying that the cards for his next two Draw Phases had been drawn now.
If he couldn't defeat Tila Muku in one Turn as he had said last Turn, then Hayato, with no cards to replenish his Hand, had only Defeat in his Future.
However, looking at the cards in his Hand, Hayato showed a confident smile. "It seems the Goddess of Fortune is on my side."
"I feel it, the Wind of Victory is constantly blowing from behind me!" Drawing a card from his Hand, Hayato Summoned it to the Field. "Then, the Monster that carries my hope for victory, descend here!"
"My Glory, my Tamashii!"
"The Invincible Kuriboh!"
Light flashed, and on Hayato's Field, a bewildered Winged Kuriboh looked at the eerie environment around it, its voice trembling slightly. "Ku, Kuriri!?"
[Winged Kuriboh] [Level 1/LIGHT]
[Fairy/Effect]
[300/200]
Looking at Winged Kuriboh, Vampire Fraulein contemptuously raised her head, completely disregarding it. Tilla also sneered, "In the end, the Monster you Summoned is just a Weak Monster of this level?"
"What use is a Monster with no Combat Power like this? And you even Summoned it in Attack Position?"
"Heh heh, you'll know that soon enough. Knowing the Future in advance will only plunge you into Despair too early." Hearing this, Hayato didn't explain anything. Instead, he played his other two cards one after another. "First, I Activate the Spell Card Will."
"The effect of this card is that when my Monster is Sent to the Graveyard this Turn, I can Special Summon 1 Monster with 1500 or less ATK from my Deck."
"Then, the final puzzle piece to Victory, I Activate the Equip Spell Card Junk Impact."
"The effect of this card is that when the Equipped Monster Battle Destroys a Monster, it inflicts Damage to the Opponent's Life Points equal to half the ATK of the Destroyed Monster."
Tilla became even more Confused by Hayato's actions.
"What use is that Equip Card in your current situation? What kind of Monster can that furball with wings Destroy, even if it's Equipped with that Equip Card that doesn't Increase ATK?"
"Or are you trying to make me laugh to death with this nonsensical actions?"
"It's like trying to stab someone with a wooden stick without a spearhead, utterly ridiculous!"
Hearing this, Hayato smiled confidently. "Who says you can't stab someone without a spearhead?"
"Besides, I never said Junk Impact would be Equipped to Winged Kuriboh." He pointed a finger at Tilla's Vampire Baby. "I will Grant this powerful Equip Card to your Monster!"
"Then, Enter my Battle Phase."
After completing all the preparatory steps, Hayato squatted down under Tilla's gaze, which was mixed with Confusion and Contempt. Looking at Winged Kuriboh, who had shrunk to his feet out of Fear, he gently placed his hand on Winged Kuriboh's head.
"Kuriboh, my dear Kuriboh!"
"Ku, Kuri?"
Although it's a Fairy-Type Monster, it's extremely afraid of the night and eerie environments, Winged Kuriboh trembled and looked up at Hayato with teary eyes.
"I can feel your Fear. After all, this is your first time participating in Duel Monsters."
"But Kuriboh, my dear Kuriboh! This is a Trial, a Trial from Fear. Only by Surpassing this Fear can you achieve Growth."
While Winged Kuriboh was dumbfounded, Hayato grabbed the top of its head with one hand, like grabbing a basketball, lifting the entire Winged Kuriboh into his hand. He then aimed towards Vampire Baby.
"So, Attack bravely, Kuriboh! Your Target is Vampire Baby!"
As he spoke, Hayato actually raised the Winged Kuriboh he was holding high above his head, assuming a throwing motion and charging up!
"H-how could he!" Even Vampire Fraulein widened her eyes. She had thought Hayato would comfort the frightened Winged Kuriboh next, but the action he was making now was clearly—
"Ora!"
"Spinning Piercing Yellow Furball!"
"He's actually throwing out the Monster he didn't want to Attack with?!" Tilla looked at Winged Kuriboh smashing towards her Field like a football. Besides her surprise, she also showed a cold laugh. "Although I don't know why you're using this Suicidal Attack."
"But don't forget, the Monster Destroyed by Vampire Baby will become my Monster after the Battle Phase ends this Turn. This effect can Activate even if it's attacked passively!"
"Finish off that furball, Vampire Baby!"
[Vampire Baby] [ATK 700 → 1200]
Winged Kuriboh's own ATK was only a mere 300 points, while Vampire Baby had 700 ATK even without the Boost from Vampire Kingdom. With a swing of its Claws, the Winged Kuriboh, scared to tears by Hayato, was immediately Destroyed.
At the same time, both Hayato's and Tilla's Life Points changed.
[Hayato: 2500→1600 LP]
[Tilla: 3500→4400 LP]
Because Vampire Baby inflicted 900 points of Battle Damage to Hayato, Tilla enjoyed the Life Force flowing back to her due to the effect of Vampire Domain with a look of Pleasure. But just as she was enjoying this incredibly pleasant feeling, she suddenly let out a muffled groan. "Ugh!"
[Tilla: 4400→4250 LP]
Very abruptly, Tilla, who hadn't been attacked by any Monster, suddenly lost 150 Life Points. The Value was exactly half the ATK of Winged Kuriboh, which had just been Destroyed by Vampire Baby.
Looking at the Confused Tilla, Hayato took a deep breath, ignoring the feeling of weakness coming from his body, and showed a proud smile. "How is it? How does the taste of my Life Points feel?"
Because of the deep control over Tilla, Vampire Fraulein, who received most of the Power when absorbing Life Points, felt the greatest Pain just now. This nauseating feeling, as if the absorbed blood was mixed with poison, although only 150 points of Damage, still made her extremely uncomfortable.
"You bastard, what did you do!?"
"The effect of Junk Impact is that after the Equipped Monster Battle Destroys a Monster, it inflicts Damage to the Opponent. Unfortunately, the Opponent in this effect is not me, but you, because I am the Controller of this card." Hayato pointed proudly at the Equip Spell Card on his Field. "Therefore, after Battle Destroying Winged Kuriboh, you will take Damage equal to half of its ATK."
"But you Destroyed my Monster, that's unforgivable!"
"You were the one who attacked first!"
Hearing Hayato's words, which sounded angry but were clearly full of Pleasure, Tilla didn't want to take the blame for something that had nothing to do with her and retorted directly. At the same time, having recovered from that faint Pain, she showed a cold laugh again. "It's just a mere 150 points of Damage, which isn't even as much as I recovered."
"Just that much Damage, is this what you meant by defeating me in one Turn?"
Hearing this, Hayato raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Along with this crisp finger snap, at the position where Winged Kuriboh had just been Destroyed on Hayato's Field, the EARTH Attribute Elemental HERO—E•HERO Clayman—appeared in Attack Position.
[E•HERO Clayman] [ATK 800]
"Special Summon During the Battle Phase?" Tilla was also startled, then suddenly remembered one of the three cards Hayato had Activated earlier. "It's that Will!"
"Bingo~" Hayato crossed his arms over his chest and said proudly, "Due to the effect of Will, every time my Monster is Sent to the Graveyard this Turn, I can Special Summon one Monster with 1500 or less ATK from my Deck."
"And because it's a Monster Summoned during this Battle Phase, E•HERO Clayman can still Attack."
As he spoke, Hayato pointed his finger towards Vampire Baby. "Winged Kuriboh is a Monster I cherish greatly, and you evil Monster actually harmed it and even Destroyed it! That's a heinous crime!"
"Although its ATK isn't as high as yours, don't think you can escape this sin peacefully!"
"E•HERO Clayman, Attack Vampire Baby!"
"Arctic Sandstorm!"
Using an Attack Name that sounded very powerful, capable of even defeating a gorilla, E•HERO Clayman was actually just clumsily swinging its fists. Seeing this, Tilla didn't even bother to rant about the shameless act of the Opponent actively attacking with a Monster and then framing her for attacking it. Instead, she laughed wildly.
"Hahahaha, it's useless, useless! What can a mere E•HERO Clayman, a Normal Monster with only 800 ATK, do? That Kid who used [E HERO] earlier and overestimated himself by challenging Mutou Yuugi was already stupid enough, I didn't expect you to be even stupider!"
"Due to the effect of Vampire Kingdom, my Vampire Baby's ATK will Increase to 1200 points. The Battle with E•HERO Clayman will inflict 400 points of Battle Damage to you, and this Damage will be converted into 400 points of Life Point recovery for me, perfectly canceling out half of E•HERO Clayman's ATK!"
"Since you're so eager to give me monsters, I'll ruthlessly Destroy them with Vampire Baby and then take possession!"
Facing the clumsily attacking E•HERO Clayman, Vampire Baby completely repeated the action it used to Defeat Winged Kuriboh just now. With a swing of its Claws, it easily cut through E•HERO Clayman's tough body. The Destroyed body of E•HERO Clayman, like the fallen Winged Kuriboh before it, remained on Hayato's Field, seemingly waiting to be Controlled by Tilla after the Battle Phase ended.
Tilla and Vampire Fraulein synchronized their movements and opened their arms, waiting to absorb the Power from the Battle Damage. At the same time, they also paid a little attention, guarding against the Damage from Junk Impact that would come along with the Life Force.
"Ugh!"
[Tilla: 4250→3850 LP]
As the Damage landed, Tilla and Vampire Fraulein both showed expressions of Pain. Unlike actively paying Life Points to use the various Abilities of the Vampire Deck, after unleashing the full Dark Game, every instance of Damage inflicted by Hayato felt like a sharp knife piercing directly into their souls.
Ferociously baring her fangs, Vampire Fraulein endured this wave of Pain, then couldn't help but sneer, waiting for the arrival of the absorbed Life Force. But even after a second E•HERO Clayman appeared on Hayato's Field due to the effect of Will, neither Vampire Fraulein nor Tilla received any Life Point increase, which suddenly made them feel a sense of panic.
"W-what happened?!"
"Why aren't my Life Points recovering!"
Glaring at Hayato, who wore a smug smirk, Vampire Fraulein gritted her teeth and said, "You bastard, what did you do!?"
"Me? I didn't really do anything." Hayato shrugged, indicating he hadn't done anything, but his face held a righteous expression. "I have to thank Winged Kuriboh for sacrificing itself for me!"
"Although its body died from your Damage, Winged Kuriboh's heroic soul has always been protecting me. During the Turn Winged Kuriboh is Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard, the Battle Damage I take becomes 0. To be saved by Kuriboh, I'm truly moved!"
Beside Hayato, the Soul Form of Winged Kuriboh, separated from its body, looked resentful, seemingly still thinking about how Hayato had just thrown it out like throwing Iggy.
However, annoyed as it was, it still exercised its effect, constructing a Protective Barrier in front of Hayato that, while seemingly weak, was actually difficult for even a Deity to break through.
Listening to the self-satisfied Hayato's words, Vampire Fraulein panicked.
"After being Destroyed, Battle Damage becomes 0?!" Widening her crimson eyes, Vampire Fraulein looked on in Disbelief. "In that case, my Vampire Baby won't be able to inflict Battle Damage to you!"
"Along with that, the Life Point recovery effect of Vampire Domain won't be able to Activate, and what follows is your monsters attacking me infinitely, then being Destroyed by Vampire Baby and inflicting Damage to me due to the effect of Junk Impact?!"
"You bastard, you said you were using some 'Pure HERO' Deck at the beginning, what kind of messy strategy is this for a Hero!"
"What do you mean messy strategy? This is righteous Group Attack!"
Hayato looked at Vampire Fraulein, who had analyzed the subsequent strategy herself without needing his explanation, and gave a cold laugh.
"To put it another way, you can completely think of my monsters as Cheating Characters in an Arcade Game with Infinite Continues, and I've been given Forced Invincibility so I won't take damage. Although your Life Points are still 3850, how many attacks can you withstand?"
"I'll just Wear Down your Life Points like this through infinite attacks." Hayato said, waving his hand again to give the command, making the E•HERO Clayman on his Field Attack once again. "Do you have enough Life Point reserves, Tila Muku?"
"As for me, I'm going to continue until I clear the game."
"Go, E•HERO Clayman, this is a Necessary Sacrifice!"
"Ugh!"
[Tila Muku: 3850→3450 LP]
E•HERO Clayman had just been Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard, and E•HERO Bubbleman, with the same 800 ATK, immediately followed, appearing and attacking again.
"E•HERO Bubbleman! Aria of the Bubble Shadow!"
"Uwaah!"
[Tila Muku: 3450→3050 LP]
[Tila Muku: 3450→3050 LP]
[Tila Muku: 3050→2650 LP]
"E•HERO Clayman! Primal World Stripping Technique!"
"Cough!"
[Tila Muku: 2650→2250 LP]
"Support Dog!"
"Ugh ugh!"
[Tila Muku: 2250→1850 LP]
[Tila Muku: 1850→1450 LP]
[Tila Muku: 1450→1050 LP]
"Hero Kid!"
"Uwaahahaha!"
[Tila Muku: 1050→900 LP]
[Tila Muku: 900→750 LP]
[Tila Muku: 750→600 LP]
"E•HERO Knospe!"
One suicidal attack after another. Although none of the monsters had an ATK higher than Vampire Baby's 1200 ATK, due to the effect of Junk Impact, Tilla's Life Points, despite having stronger monsters, were reduced again and again. Along with that, Vampire Fraulein, whose senses were linked to hers, also became weak and listless from the continuous extreme Pain, gasping for breath.
Looking at the bud-like monster that appeared on Hayato's Field, Tilla's spirit almost collapsed. The red in her eyes had faded enough that her original green pupils were faintly visible.
"E•HERO Knospe has the effect to Direct Attack the Opponent. So, this is the Final Blow, Tila Muku." Hayato's hand brushed across his chest, calling upon a bit of the power of the Millennium Ring and intervening in the Dark Game. "E•HERO Knospe, Direct Attack the Opponent!"
"Flower Breathing: Final Form - Vermillion Eye of the Other Shore!"
Watching the flower in its palm fully open and radiate with a beautiful bloom as E•HERO Knospe approached her, Tila Muku's Will finally completely collapsed. Pointing at E•HERO Knospe, she shouted:
"Don't... don't come near me!!!"
[Tila Muku: 600 LP → 0]
The effect of Change of Heart landed on empty space, but Hayato wasn't disheartened. However, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Tila Muku was quite serious.
Most widely circulated Vampire legends share a common point: Vampires can increase their numbers by giving others their own blood. Hayato had originally thought that forcing Vampire Fraulein to leave Tila Muku's Field might slightly lessen her influence over Tila Muku.
However, it now seemed that the control of Vampire Fraulein was already deeply rooted.
"That was close, you almost took my Master away from me." Tila Muku looked at Hayato with a pair of reddish eyes. "So, are you going to attack?"
Thanks to Hayato's previous actions, Tila Muku's Field was completely cleared of cards. There wasn't even a single Monster that could be used for Defense.
Her Field was wide open, so how could Hayato miss such a perfect opportunity?
"Although I got caught by Bottomless Trap Hole, I'll collect some interest first." Hayato said, waving his hand forward. "Go, E•HERO Avian, Direct Attack the Opponent!"
"Extreme Dive Bombing Crash!"
Although the Attack Name he shouted sounded like E•HERO Avian was about to unleash a "world-destroying" move that would scare Harpie Lady to death, in reality, E•HERO Avian merely flapped its wings and flew up, shooting the feathers from its back wings like darts from above.
[Tilla: 3000→2000 LP]
"Hehe, a painless attack."
Perhaps numb to losing Life Points, Tilla, who was directly hit by E•HERO Avian's darts, showed no expression of pain. Instead, she lightly brushed her short golden hair. "Though it was faint, I've remembered this pain."
"Next Turn, I will repay it double."
Hayato pursed his lips and Set the last card in his Hand in the Spell/Trap Zone. "Is that so? That's quite something, but do you have the Ability to Summon a Monster strong enough to give me sufficient pain?"
"My Turn ends."
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[E•HERO Avian] [ATK 1000]
[Face-down Defense Position Monster] (E•HERO Avian) X2
[Set Card]
"It seems you have no clear understanding of your situation." Tilla gave a cold laugh, not rushing to Draw a Card. She merely pointed proudly at her Graveyard. "I told you, Vampires are Undying. Even if you kill them countless times, they will Revive infinitely from the Graveyard."
"If I don't tear you to pieces, my Master won't be able to enjoy peaceful slumber."
"My Turn, Draw! Then, the Spell Card Pot of Greed!" Tilla inserted the card she drew into the Spell & Trap Zone, and with a sneer, drew two cards. "Haha, I drew some quite useful cards."
"I Activate the Spell Card Book of Life! This card can be Activated by targeting one Zombie-Type Monster in my Graveyard and one Monster in the Opponent's Graveyard."
"My Zombie-Type Monster is Special Summoned to the Field, and then that Monster of the Opponent is Banished."
The crimson in Tilla's eyes grew stronger. "Banish that annoying Lava Golem from your Graveyard, and then, I can Special Summon my Master who is Sleeping in the Graveyard—Vampire Fraulein—to the Field!"
As the ancient book appeared and opened in Tilla's Spell/Trap Zone, the wail of Lava Golem came from Hayato's Graveyard. The Graveyard Zone automatically ejected the Lava Golem card, and the Lava Golem on the card seemed to have its magma body slightly dimmed.
And as if absorbing the power lost by Lava Golem as Nourishment, Vampire Fraulein, who had voluntarily entered the Graveyard last Turn, licked her lips with her tongue and reappeared on the Field, looking smug.
And Tilla's fragmented spirit was once again brought under her Control.
[Vampire Fraulein] [ATK 2000]
"Next, I Normal Summon Vampire Baby." Playing a card from her Hand, Tilla revealed a bloodthirsty smile as she looked at the Vampire Baby in a black robe that appeared on her Field. "Now I'll show you what true Despair is!"
"Enter Battle Phase! First, I use Vampire Baby to Attack the Face-Down Defense Position E•HERO Avian!"
Although small in stature, upon receiving Tilla's Instruction, Vampire Baby completely revealed its nature as a bloodthirsty Fiend. Under the light of the Red Moon, it opened its mouth and revealed its still-developing fangs.
[Vampire Baby] [Level 3/DARK]
[Zombie/Effect]
[700/1000 → 1200/1000]
"Only During Damage Calculation, Zombie-Type Monsters will Increase their ATK by 500 points due to the effect of Vampire Kingdom. Therefore, Vampire Baby's ATK will Increase to 1200 points, which is enough to tear apart E•HERO Avian's Defense!"
Tilla laughed ferociously:
"Bloodlust Impulse!"
The E•HERO Avian card, which had been Set due to the effect of Bottomless Trap Hole, was flipped face-up by Vampire Baby's Attack. Before the E•HERO Avian, seeing the light of day again, could do anything, it was pounced upon by Vampire Baby and bitten on the neck.
Although it had powerful wings and sharp Claws, close combat was undoubtedly E•HERO Avian's weakness. Coupled with being caught off guard, Vampire Baby easily Destroyed E•HERO Avian. However, suspiciously, the Corpse of E•HERO Avian that was Destroyed by it merely shriveled up and was not Sent to the Graveyard.
And closely following Vampire Baby was Vampire Fraulein, who had long been anticipating the taste of Hayato's fresh Blood.
"Due to the effect of Vampire Domain, when a Vampire Monster inflicts Battle Damage to the Opponent, my Life Points can Recover the amount of Battle Damage." Tilla showed an expectant expression. "Vampire Fraulein Attacks that Attack Position E•HERO Avian! I'll take your Life Points!"
"Vampire Hunt: Crimson Cross!"
[Vampire Fraulein] [ATK 2000 → 2500]
Although she appeared as a delicate and Charming young girl, Vampire Fraulein's Level was not just for show. As a Level 7 Monster equal to Dark Magician, she couldn't possibly be a mere decoration. With a gentle flick of her wrist, a streak of blood, seemingly from nowhere, gathered in her hand to form a slender crimson cross Long Sword.
The crimson cross sword was thrown out. Although E•HERO Avian had prepared its Defense beforehand, its resistance was completely futile. The Long Sword easily Pierced through the wings and arms it had crossed in front of its body, directly stabbing its Heart.
Not only that, but after breaking through E•HERO Avian, the cross Long Sword suddenly burst into a rain of blood. The splashing blood droplets were like Sharp Blades, cutting a wound on Hayato's face, who was standing behind E•HERO Avian.
[Hayato: 4000→2500 LP]
After silently enduring the Damage, Hayato watched as the blood rain that had caused him Damage abruptly stopped and returned to Vampire Fraulein's body. Feeling the Power she had absorbed from Hayato, both Vampire Fraulein and Tila Muku's faces flushed.
[Tilla: 2000→3500 LP]
"Turning Blood into your own Power? Hmph, I guess I should say, as expected of a Vampire?" Hayato felt the feeling of weakness coming from his body. Losing 1500 Life Points in one go, although not as intense as the Pain Hayato felt during Duels with other Dark Duelists, it was still significant.
"Can I take that as a compliment?" Vampire Fraulein stuck out her tongue and licked her lips, seemingly savoring the taste she had just felt from Hayato. "Well then, my Battle Phase ends."
Vampire Fraulein, as a Duel Monster, directly declared the end of the Battle Phase on behalf of Tilla. At the same time, the body of E•HERO Avian, which was still on Hayato's Field and had been Destroyed by Vampire Baby earlier, moved strangely.
"The Monster that Vampire Baby Destroyed will become my Familiar after the Battle Phase ends."
Hearing Vampire Fraulein's explanation, Hayato frowned. "The so-called 'Embrace'?"
"You're finished, Tila Muku. I'm the only one who gets to Take Control of others' monsters, and not only did you refuse to have your monster Taken Control of by me, you even Took Control of my E•HERO Avian. Next Turn, I will definitely defeat you in one turn!"
Tilla narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Are you angry? But making threats is useless, because you cannot defeat my Master, the Invincible Vampire Fraulein!"
"My Turn ends."
[Tilla: 3500 LP, Hand 0]
[Vampire Fraulein] [ATK 2000]
[Vampire Baby] [ATK 700]
[E•HERO Avian] [DEF 1000]
[Vampire Domain]
Field: [Vampire Kingdom]
In Tilla's view, Hayato's words were just empty threats, as she didn't believe there was any possibility of her being "defeated in one turn".
Thanks to the effect of Vampire Domain, her Life Points had recovered to a full 3500 points, practically as if she hadn't taken any Damage. And the weakest Monster on her Field, Vampire Baby, had an ATK of 1200 points when combined with the Boost from Vampire Kingdom.
What did this mean?
Even using Vampire Baby as a weak point, "Dan Kuroto" would need to Summon a Monster with an ATK of 3500 + 1200 = 4700 or more in one Turn.
Even the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Fusion Summoned using three legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon as Material, only had 4500 ATK. "Dan Kuroto" would need to Summon a Monster stronger than Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to defeat her, and as far as Tilla knew, such a Monster was not something just anyone could possess and Summon in one Turn with an Empty Hand.
"My Turn, Draw." Hayato calmly drew a card from his Deck, then pressed the Activate Set Card Button on his Duel Disk. "Then, I Activate the Trap Card I Set last Turn, Reckless Greed."
"The effect of this card is that I can Draw two cards from my Deck, but as a cost, my next two Draw Phases will be skipped."
Tilla sneered. "You would use such a card, overdrafting your Future for the present? Hehe, do you really believe you can Summon a Monster stronger than Vampire Fraulein in this Turn?"
Hayato returned a cold laugh. "Before Drawing a Card, no one knows what their Future holds. But a True Duelist can Control their own Future. Even Drawing a Card can be created by oneself."
"My Draw can even dominate the Future!" He sharply drew two cards from his Deck. At the same time, two large "X" marks appeared above Hayato's head, signifying that the cards for his next two Draw Phases had been drawn now.
If he couldn't defeat Tila Muku in one Turn as he had said last Turn, then Hayato, with no cards to replenish his Hand, had only Defeat in his Future.
However, looking at the cards in his Hand, Hayato showed a confident smile. "It seems the Goddess of Fortune is on my side."
"I feel it, the Wind of Victory is constantly blowing from behind me!" Drawing a card from his Hand, Hayato Summoned it to the Field. "Then, the Monster that carries my hope for victory, descend here!"
"My Glory, my Tamashii!"
"The Invincible Kuriboh!"
Light flashed, and on Hayato's Field, a bewildered Winged Kuriboh looked at the eerie environment around it, its voice trembling slightly. "Ku, Kuriri!?"
[Winged Kuriboh] [Level 1/LIGHT]
[Fairy/Effect]
[300/200]
Looking at Winged Kuriboh, Vampire Fraulein contemptuously raised her head, completely disregarding it. Tilla also sneered, "In the end, the Monster you Summoned is just a Weak Monster of this level?"
"What use is a Monster with no Combat Power like this? And you even Summoned it in Attack Position?"
"Heh heh, you'll know that soon enough. Knowing the Future in advance will only plunge you into Despair too early." Hearing this, Hayato didn't explain anything. Instead, he played his other two cards one after another. "First, I Activate the Spell Card Will."
"The effect of this card is that when my Monster is Sent to the Graveyard this Turn, I can Special Summon 1 Monster with 1500 or less ATK from my Deck."
"Then, the final puzzle piece to Victory, I Activate the Equip Spell Card Junk Impact."
"The effect of this card is that when the Equipped Monster Battle Destroys a Monster, it inflicts Damage to the Opponent's Life Points equal to half the ATK of the Destroyed Monster."
Tilla became even more Confused by Hayato's actions.
"What use is that Equip Card in your current situation? What kind of Monster can that furball with wings Destroy, even if it's Equipped with that Equip Card that doesn't Increase ATK?"
"Or are you trying to make me laugh to death with this nonsensical actions?"
"It's like trying to stab someone with a wooden stick without a spearhead, utterly ridiculous!"
Hearing this, Hayato smiled confidently. "Who says you can't stab someone without a spearhead?"
"Besides, I never said Junk Impact would be Equipped to Winged Kuriboh." He pointed a finger at Tilla's Vampire Baby. "I will Grant this powerful Equip Card to your Monster!"
"Then, Enter my Battle Phase."
After completing all the preparatory steps, Hayato squatted down under Tilla's gaze, which was mixed with Confusion and Contempt. Looking at Winged Kuriboh, who had shrunk to his feet out of Fear, he gently placed his hand on Winged Kuriboh's head.
"Kuriboh, my dear Kuriboh!"
"Ku, Kuri?"
Although it's a Fairy-Type Monster, it's extremely afraid of the night and eerie environments, Winged Kuriboh trembled and looked up at Hayato with teary eyes.
"I can feel your Fear. After all, this is your first time participating in Duel Monsters."
"But Kuriboh, my dear Kuriboh! This is a Trial, a Trial from Fear. Only by Surpassing this Fear can you achieve Growth."
While Winged Kuriboh was dumbfounded, Hayato grabbed the top of its head with one hand, like grabbing a basketball, lifting the entire Winged Kuriboh into his hand. He then aimed towards Vampire Baby.
"So, Attack bravely, Kuriboh! Your Target is Vampire Baby!"
As he spoke, Hayato actually raised the Winged Kuriboh he was holding high above his head, assuming a throwing motion and charging up!
"H-how could he!" Even Vampire Fraulein widened her eyes. She had thought Hayato would comfort the frightened Winged Kuriboh next, but the action he was making now was clearly—
"Ora!"
"Spinning Piercing Yellow Furball!"
"He's actually throwing out the Monster he didn't want to Attack with?!" Tilla looked at Winged Kuriboh smashing towards her Field like a football. Besides her surprise, she also showed a cold laugh. "Although I don't know why you're using this Suicidal Attack."
"But don't forget, the Monster Destroyed by Vampire Baby will become my Monster after the Battle Phase ends this Turn. This effect can Activate even if it's attacked passively!"
"Finish off that furball, Vampire Baby!"
[Vampire Baby] [ATK 700 → 1200]
Winged Kuriboh's own ATK was only a mere 300 points, while Vampire Baby had 700 ATK even without the Boost from Vampire Kingdom. With a swing of its Claws, the Winged Kuriboh, scared to tears by Hayato, was immediately Destroyed.
At the same time, both Hayato's and Tilla's Life Points changed.
[Hayato: 2500→1600 LP]
[Tilla: 3500→4400 LP]
Because Vampire Baby inflicted 900 points of Battle Damage to Hayato, Tilla enjoyed the Life Force flowing back to her due to the effect of Vampire Domain with a look of Pleasure. But just as she was enjoying this incredibly pleasant feeling, she suddenly let out a muffled groan. "Ugh!"
[Tilla: 4400→4250 LP]
Very abruptly, Tilla, who hadn't been attacked by any Monster, suddenly lost 150 Life Points. The Value was exactly half the ATK of Winged Kuriboh, which had just been Destroyed by Vampire Baby.
Looking at the Confused Tilla, Hayato took a deep breath, ignoring the feeling of weakness coming from his body, and showed a proud smile. "How is it? How does the taste of my Life Points feel?"
Because of the deep control over Tilla, Vampire Fraulein, who received most of the Power when absorbing Life Points, felt the greatest Pain just now. This nauseating feeling, as if the absorbed blood was mixed with poison, although only 150 points of Damage, still made her extremely uncomfortable.
"You bastard, what did you do!?"
"The effect of Junk Impact is that after the Equipped Monster Battle Destroys a Monster, it inflicts Damage to the Opponent. Unfortunately, the Opponent in this effect is not me, but you, because I am the Controller of this card." Hayato pointed proudly at the Equip Spell Card on his Field. "Therefore, after Battle Destroying Winged Kuriboh, you will take Damage equal to half of its ATK."
"But you Destroyed my Monster, that's unforgivable!"
"You were the one who attacked first!"
Hearing Hayato's words, which sounded angry but were clearly full of Pleasure, Tilla didn't want to take the blame for something that had nothing to do with her and retorted directly. At the same time, having recovered from that faint Pain, she showed a cold laugh again. "It's just a mere 150 points of Damage, which isn't even as much as I recovered."
"Just that much Damage, is this what you meant by defeating me in one Turn?"
Hearing this, Hayato raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Along with this crisp finger snap, at the position where Winged Kuriboh had just been Destroyed on Hayato's Field, the EARTH Attribute Elemental HERO—E•HERO Clayman—appeared in Attack Position.
[E•HERO Clayman] [ATK 800]
"Special Summon During the Battle Phase?" Tilla was also startled, then suddenly remembered one of the three cards Hayato had Activated earlier. "It's that Will!"
"Bingo~" Hayato crossed his arms over his chest and said proudly, "Due to the effect of Will, every time my Monster is Sent to the Graveyard this Turn, I can Special Summon one Monster with 1500 or less ATK from my Deck."
"And because it's a Monster Summoned during this Battle Phase, E•HERO Clayman can still Attack."
As he spoke, Hayato pointed his finger towards Vampire Baby. "Winged Kuriboh is a Monster I cherish greatly, and you evil Monster actually harmed it and even Destroyed it! That's a heinous crime!"
"Although its ATK isn't as high as yours, don't think you can escape this sin peacefully!"
"E•HERO Clayman, Attack Vampire Baby!"
"Arctic Sandstorm!"
Using an Attack Name that sounded very powerful, capable of even defeating a gorilla, E•HERO Clayman was actually just clumsily swinging its fists. Seeing this, Tilla didn't even bother to rant about the shameless act of the Opponent actively attacking with a Monster and then framing her for attacking it. Instead, she laughed wildly.
"Hahahaha, it's useless, useless! What can a mere E•HERO Clayman, a Normal Monster with only 800 ATK, do? That Kid who used [E HERO] earlier and overestimated himself by challenging Mutou Yuugi was already stupid enough, I didn't expect you to be even stupider!"
"Due to the effect of Vampire Kingdom, my Vampire Baby's ATK will Increase to 1200 points. The Battle with E•HERO Clayman will inflict 400 points of Battle Damage to you, and this Damage will be converted into 400 points of Life Point recovery for me, perfectly canceling out half of E•HERO Clayman's ATK!"
"Since you're so eager to give me monsters, I'll ruthlessly Destroy them with Vampire Baby and then take possession!"
Facing the clumsily attacking E•HERO Clayman, Vampire Baby completely repeated the action it used to Defeat Winged Kuriboh just now. With a swing of its Claws, it easily cut through E•HERO Clayman's tough body. The Destroyed body of E•HERO Clayman, like the fallen Winged Kuriboh before it, remained on Hayato's Field, seemingly waiting to be Controlled by Tilla after the Battle Phase ended.
Tilla and Vampire Fraulein synchronized their movements and opened their arms, waiting to absorb the Power from the Battle Damage. At the same time, they also paid a little attention, guarding against the Damage from Junk Impact that would come along with the Life Force.
"Ugh!"
[Tilla: 4250→3850 LP]
As the Damage landed, Tilla and Vampire Fraulein both showed expressions of Pain. Unlike actively paying Life Points to use the various Abilities of the Vampire Deck, after unleashing the full Dark Game, every instance of Damage inflicted by Hayato felt like a sharp knife piercing directly into their souls.
Ferociously baring her fangs, Vampire Fraulein endured this wave of Pain, then couldn't help but sneer, waiting for the arrival of the absorbed Life Force. But even after a second E•HERO Clayman appeared on Hayato's Field due to the effect of Will, neither Vampire Fraulein nor Tilla received any Life Point increase, which suddenly made them feel a sense of panic.
"W-what happened?!"
"Why aren't my Life Points recovering!"
Glaring at Hayato, who wore a smug smirk, Vampire Fraulein gritted her teeth and said, "You bastard, what did you do!?"
"Me? I didn't really do anything." Hayato shrugged, indicating he hadn't done anything, but his face held a righteous expression. "I have to thank Winged Kuriboh for sacrificing itself for me!"
"Although its body died from your Damage, Winged Kuriboh's heroic soul has always been protecting me. During the Turn Winged Kuriboh is Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard, the Battle Damage I take becomes 0. To be saved by Kuriboh, I'm truly moved!"
Beside Hayato, the Soul Form of Winged Kuriboh, separated from its body, looked resentful, seemingly still thinking about how Hayato had just thrown it out like throwing Iggy.
However, annoyed as it was, it still exercised its effect, constructing a Protective Barrier in front of Hayato that, while seemingly weak, was actually difficult for even a Deity to break through.
Listening to the self-satisfied Hayato's words, Vampire Fraulein panicked.
"After being Destroyed, Battle Damage becomes 0?!" Widening her crimson eyes, Vampire Fraulein looked on in Disbelief. "In that case, my Vampire Baby won't be able to inflict Battle Damage to you!"
"Along with that, the Life Point recovery effect of Vampire Domain won't be able to Activate, and what follows is your monsters attacking me infinitely, then being Destroyed by Vampire Baby and inflicting Damage to me due to the effect of Junk Impact?!"
"You bastard, you said you were using some 'Pure HERO' Deck at the beginning, what kind of messy strategy is this for a Hero!"
"What do you mean messy strategy? This is righteous Group Attack!"
Hayato looked at Vampire Fraulein, who had analyzed the subsequent strategy herself without needing his explanation, and gave a cold laugh.
"To put it another way, you can completely think of my monsters as Cheating Characters in an Arcade Game with Infinite Continues, and I've been given Forced Invincibility so I won't take damage. Although your Life Points are still 3850, how many attacks can you withstand?"
"I'll just Wear Down your Life Points like this through infinite attacks." Hayato said, waving his hand again to give the command, making the E•HERO Clayman on his Field Attack once again. "Do you have enough Life Point reserves, Tila Muku?"
"As for me, I'm going to continue until I clear the game."
"Go, E•HERO Clayman, this is a Necessary Sacrifice!"
"Ugh!"
[Tila Muku: 3850→3450 LP]
E•HERO Clayman had just been Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard, and E•HERO Bubbleman, with the same 800 ATK, immediately followed, appearing and attacking again.
"E•HERO Bubbleman! Aria of the Bubble Shadow!"
"Uwaah!"
[Tila Muku: 3450→3050 LP]
[Tila Muku: 3450→3050 LP]
[Tila Muku: 3050→2650 LP]
"E•HERO Clayman! Primal World Stripping Technique!"
"Cough!"
[Tila Muku: 2650→2250 LP]
"Support Dog!"
"Ugh ugh!"
[Tila Muku: 2250→1850 LP]
[Tila Muku: 1850→1450 LP]
[Tila Muku: 1450→1050 LP]
"Hero Kid!"
"Uwaahahaha!"
[Tila Muku: 1050→900 LP]
[Tila Muku: 900→750 LP]
[Tila Muku: 750→600 LP]
"E•HERO Knospe!"
One suicidal attack after another. Although none of the monsters had an ATK higher than Vampire Baby's 1200 ATK, due to the effect of Junk Impact, Tilla's Life Points, despite having stronger monsters, were reduced again and again. Along with that, Vampire Fraulein, whose senses were linked to hers, also became weak and listless from the continuous extreme Pain, gasping for breath.
Looking at the bud-like monster that appeared on Hayato's Field, Tilla's spirit almost collapsed. The red in her eyes had faded enough that her original green pupils were faintly visible.
"E•HERO Knospe has the effect to Direct Attack the Opponent. So, this is the Final Blow, Tila Muku." Hayato's hand brushed across his chest, calling upon a bit of the power of the Millennium Ring and intervening in the Dark Game. "E•HERO Knospe, Direct Attack the Opponent!"
"Flower Breathing: Final Form - Vermillion Eye of the Other Shore!"
Watching the flower in its palm fully open and radiate with a beautiful bloom as E•HERO Knospe approached her, Tila Muku's Will finally completely collapsed. Pointing at E•HERO Knospe, she shouted:
"Don't... don't come near me!!!"
[Tila Muku: 600 LP → 0]
