Chapter 268: The Thunder Emperor of Ice
The attack of Total Defense Shogun was blocked by Rainbow Kuriboh, which Hayato activated from his Hand.
"I activate the effect of Rainbow Kuriboh from my Hand. When an opponent's monster declares an attack, it automatically jumps out to save me," Hayato said, placing the Rainbow Kuriboh Card into his Spell & Trap Zone. "Rainbow Kuriboh will be equipped to Total Defense Shogun as an Equip Card, preventing it from attacking again."
Watching his Total Defense Shogun on the Field being pushed back onto his own Field by a seven-colored light barrier, Hesiod clicked his tongue in annoyance and said, "Then I'll end my Turn."
[Hesiod: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Total Defense Shogun] [DEF 2500]
[Tripwire] [Card Trader]
"Alright, my Turn, draw a Card." After drawing a Card, Hayato checked Hesiod's Backrow, confirming that aside from the two Continuous Spell Cards, he hadn't Set a pile of traps for a Heavy Trap Strategy like himself.
"I activate the Continuous Spell Card Mirage of Nightmare, and Set a Card from my Hand." Hayato placed two Cards from his Hand into his Spell & Trap Zone, then held the last Card in his Hand and said triumphantly, "Then, because I only have one Card left in my Hand, this Monster's effect can be applied!"
"When he is the only Card left in my Hand, I can Tribute Summon him directly without Tributing!" Hayato slapped the Card onto his Duel Disk.
"Bind the storm to the tip of the spear, the Dark Knight of the tempest and the wild hunt, come forth, my glory, my Tamashii!"
"Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight!!!"
A storm gathered on the Field. Holding the reins in one hand and a heavy Lance in the other, Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight appeared on Hayato's Field, its sharp gaze from beneath its helmet fixed on the Total Defense Shogun on the opposite Field.
[Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight] [ATK 2300 → DEF 2100]
"You actually Summoned a Monster with 2300 ATK without Tributing and with no side effect!" Hesiod's expression was slightly serious, but he still spoke with feigned ease, "However, Total Defense Shogun has a DEF of 2500 points. Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight's ATK can't compare to it."
"Yes, that's true." Hayato glanced at the Set Card in his Backrow. Although he had a Card Set that could increase Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight's ATK, the activation conditions weren't met yet, and using it just to attack a Total Defense Shogun in Defense Position would be too wasteful.
"My Turn ends."
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight] [DEF 2100]
Mirage of Nightmare Two Set Cards
"It's my Turn, draw a Card." After drawing a Card, Hesiod looked at the drawn Card with dissatisfaction. "I activate the effect of Card Trader on my Field. During the Standby Phase, I return one Card from my Hand to the Deck, Shuffle it, and then draw one Card."
Saying this, he was about to return the Card in his Hand to his Deck.
Just then, Hayato also spoke, "In this case, the effect of Mirage of Nightmare activated on my Field applies."
"I replenish my Hand to 4 Cards, but during my Turn's Standby Phase, I also have to discard a number of Cards equal to the number drawn, which is four."
The two of them simultaneously drew Cards from their respective Decks. However, Hesiod only drew one, while Hayato drew four.
"Mirage of Nightmare, which can replenish the Hand in large quantities... So, your other Set Card must be Emergency Provisions, right?" Hesiod said with certainty.
Because the Ghouls had many informants, they kept statistics on the Cards used by famous Duelists, even if they were only used once. In Hayato's information, besides the integrated "Ojama Armed XYZ" of LV Monsters, Fusion Monsters, and Union Monsters, and the relatively less used Performapal Cards, it was specifically noted that Hayato frequently used several sets of generic cards.
Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, Rainbow Kuriboh, and Earthbound Immortal had the highest usage rate compared to other Cards. In addition to these, it was also written that Hayato particularly favored using Cards with draw effects, such as Card of Sanctity, Card of Fate, Pot of Greed, and Mirage of Nightmare.
Although it had the side effect of requiring Hand Discard, Hayato's Mirage of Nightmare seemed to be stuck together with Emergency Provisions like glue, always appearing together.
"But Kobayashi Hayato, having a large Hand doesn't mean you have the advantage." Hesiod placed the Card he had just drawn onto the Field and activated it with considerable satisfaction. "This Turn, I will show you the true power of my Deck!"
As he spoke, Hesiod's demeanor became stiff and cold again. "On my Field, [Tripwire], Card Trader, and Rainbow Kuriboh, which you sent to my Field and is treated as an Equip Spell Card, the total number of Spell Cards is three!"
"I Offer these three Spell Cards as Tribute!"
In the sky above, lightning flickered faintly. Around the two Duelists, the temperature in Domino City suddenly began to drop rapidly. Among the Duelists who hadn't worn much clothing for the sake of fashion, sneezes were heard incessantly.
"Three Spell Card Tributes... As expected, you really are..." As Hesiod raised the only Card in his Hand high, the apparition behind him, which Hayato had been watching, became clearer.
However, even before it fully formed, Hayato had already recognized the Monster's true identity. Its name was...
"Knows the past and future, the hidden demon that toys with people's hearts, controls the celestial phenomena of Thunder and ice, descend here!"
"Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"
It appeared: Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!
Hayato watched as the lightning struck the ground from the sky, shattering the large block of ice that had formed. From the sky-filled ice shards, a dark yellow figure descended behind Hesiod. Its thin, bone-like wings spread and flapped fiercely, shaking off specks of ice.
[Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder] [Level 10 / LIGHT / Thunder / Special Summon / Effect]
[4000 / 4000]
The moment Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder appeared on the Field, Hayato felt the anger of The Winged Dragon of Ra placed in the Card Box at his waist. It was understandable, because Hayato remembered that the "Three Sacred Beasts" Cards were, in a sense, actually designed by the wicked KaibaCorp under the guise of "paying homage to the Three Egyptian God Cards" for their Card Selling Plan.
Therefore, the "Three Sacred Beasts" Cards were also designed to be extremely similar to the "Three Egyptian God Cards". It was difficult to distinguish between Uria, Lord of Searing Flames and Slifer the Sky Dragon, and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder also imitated the appearance of one of the "Three Egyptian God Cards"—specifically, The Winged Dragon of Ra that Hayato possessed.
"Alright, alright, I'll teach him a lesson for you, so be good." After appeasing The Winged Dragon of Ra, Hayato looked at Hesiod, who wore a distorted smile.
"This is the ultimate power I command, and my strongest Monster. Despair and submit before this Monster, King of Games!" Veins were clearly bulging on Hesiod's temples, and he enjoyed it with a look of intoxication. "Power, I feel infinite power flowing into my body!"
Just like when Haga Summoned Uria, Lord of Searing Flames before, Hayato noticed that the surroundings were already enveloped by an invisible magic power, and this magic power was continuously spreading outwards.
Within the area covered by the magic power, the temperature noticeably decreased, and many people visibly became weaker. The Duel Spirit Power gathered on the Duelists was also being absorbed by the magic power.
And this power was being constrained by the magic power and collected at the Terminal, which was Hesiod. Hayato saw that Hesiod's slightly receding hairline actually lowered, his slightly thinning hair also became thicker, and even his skin became whiter and smoother.
He was actually absorbing the collected power to make himself younger?!
Before Hayato could be surprised for too long, Hesiod impatiently ordered Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder behind him:
"Plunder more power for me, Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder! Attack that Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight! Paradise Lost Thunderclap!"
Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder received the command, raised its two bone claws, and gathered a massive lightning sphere between them, about to smash down towards Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight.
Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight pulled the reins of the warhorse beneath him, wanting to urge it into an evasive maneuver, but when he looked down, he was surprised to find that the ground had been covered by a layer of solid ice. No matter how much force the warhorse beneath Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight exerted, it remained unable to break free.
"Don't think about escaping! Take this hit, Kobayashi Hayato!"
Hesiod said with a triumphant smile. Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder also smashed down the lightning sphere in its hands, as if another sun had appeared from the ground. The dazzling lightning engulfed the unable-to-evade Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, and the shockwave impacted Hayato.
"Ugh!"
Hayato couldn't help but let out a muffled groan. Although his Life Points didn't decrease because Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight was in Defense Position, the impact still caused him considerable damage.
"It's not over yet! My offensive is far from over; now is the main event!" Hesiod said triumphantly when he saw that Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight on Hayato's Field was truly destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard.
"'Hamon (Amon)'s true identity is 'Amon (Amon)', the Seventh Demon among The 72 Demons of Solomon, possessing the magic power to cause harmony or discord among people."
"When a monster is destroyed by battle, inflict 1000 points of effect damage to the opponent Duelist!"