136 The Nameless Pharaoh's Whim

"Yugi! At the very moment you declare your attack, I activate my other face-down card—the Quick-Play Spell, Instant Fusion!"

The Chaos Magician’s magic projectile fired toward Flame Wingman, but the speed of the Quick-Play Spell was even greater!

A brilliant fusion vortex emerged. Flame Wingman and Liquid Soldier were both sucked into the swirl. Because the attack target had vanished, the Chaos Magician’s attack was forced to stop.

"By fusing a WATER monster with an 'Elemental HERO' monster, I Fusion Summon! Elemental HERO Absolute Zero!"

The hero, born from the power of absolute zero, descended onto Youyi's field in a superhero landing pose.

"Liquid Soldier’s effect: when sent to the Graveyard as fusion material for an 'HERO' Fusion Monster, I can draw two cards and discard one."

Glancing at his new cards, Youyi added them to his hand and discarded the Fusion spell that Flame Wingman had searched earlier.

"Next, since the FIRE-attribute Flame Wingman has left the field as fusion material, Sunrise’s second effect is adjusted; his power bonus drops from 800 to 600."

"Another new hero... Very well, I end my Battle Phase."

Yugi had hoped that if he couldn't destroy the attack-position monster, he could at least eliminate the defensive one. He hadn't expected Youyi’s other face-down card to be "Instant Fusion," which allowed for a Fusion Summon during the Battle Phase or his opponent's turn!

Now, thanks to Sunrise’s effect, Absolute Zero’s power had risen above 3000. Yugi’s field contained three monsters, all with less than 3000 ATK, and the only card left in his hand wasn't meant for boosting power.

"At the end of my turn, I set a card...!"

Hearing Yugi declare the end of his turn and his intention to set a card, the corner of Youyi’s mouth curled upward.

However, just as Yugi was about to insert his final card into the Spell/Trap zone of his Duel Disk, he suddenly paused!

The card in his hand could not be set! It had to be used this turn! Otherwise...

'Where did this sudden thought come from?'

The card had already been inserted a few millimeters into the slot, yet that thought had erupted in his mind. As the card moved forward each millimeter, the feeling grew heavier!

'Could it be... does that new hero Yugi summoned this turn have a special ability?'

Such a sudden premonition couldn't be baseless! Yugi chose to trust his intuition.

Under Youyi’s gaze, which shifted from confusion to shock, Yugi fully inserted the card into the Duel Disk, but instead of setting it, he pressed the button to activate it!

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, 'Magicalized Fusion'! I send my 'Dark Magician' and 'Dark Magician Girl' from my field to the Graveyard as fusion material!"

With the master and apprentice sent to the grave as materials, the monster to be summoned was obvious—

"By combining Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl with another Spellcaster-type monster, I Fusion Summon! The Dark Magicians!"

The Master of Magicians, whom he had summoned once before in his duel against Kaiba, descended once more!

'Did Yugi sense the terrifying effect of Absolute Zero...'

Youyi, well aware of the effects of The Dark Magicians and the activation requirements for the face-down Quick-Play Spell "Dark Burning Attack," instantly understood Yugi’s intent behind the end-of-turn Fusion Summon.

It was likely the duel-instinct of a master duelist that alerted him to the deadly combo between Instant Fusion and Absolute Zero, turning what should have been a set card into an immediate play.

"Turn end."

Although Yugi didn't know where that premonition had come from, he had done all he could. Whatever happened next was in the hands of fate.

"At the moment you declare the end of your turn, the effect duration of 'Instant Fusion' expires. As the card states, Absolute Zero is destroyed at the end of the turn! However..."

As Youyi spoke, the time for the Instant Fusion ended, and Absolute Zero’s body began to collapse and decompose under the spell's drawback!

But this triggered his most powerful ability!

"Hah!"

With a roar, as he left the field, Absolute Zero unleashed the freezing power within him, instantly locking Yugi’s monster zone in ice!

The Dark Magicians and the Chaos Magician, all three spellcasters, could not resist the icy onslaught and were frozen solid like exquisite art pieces.

"Absolute Zero! ...When he leaves the field, he instantly freezes all monsters on the opponent's side of the field! And under the explosive cold, the ice sculptures shatter!"

*Boom! Boom!*

Two consecutive explosions echoed as Yugi’s two great magicians fell!

"But at this moment, the effect of The Dark Magicians triggers! When destroyed, I can Special Summon one 'Dark Magician' and one 'Dark Magician Girl' from my Deck, hand, or Graveyard! Come forth, the strongest master and apprentice of the magic world!"

The Chaos Magician’s "last words" effect couldn't be used since Yugi had no cards in his hand, but The Dark Magicians' effect allowed him to revive the pair that had just been sent to the Graveyard.

'So that premonition was about Absolute Zero’s removal effect!'

Watching Absolute Zero dissipate into ice crystals, Yugi felt lucky he had listened to his intuition. If he had set the card instead of activating Magicalized Fusion, his monster zone would be empty!

Without monsters, the Quick-Play Spell "Dark Burning Attack" would have been a dead card next turn due to the lack of activation requirements.

Furthermore, Youyi was a duelist whose skill was no less than his own! And Youyi still had "Miracle Fusion" searched by Sunrise! His lead in Life Points could be wiped out in a single turn, leading to his defeat.

While Yugi felt relief, Youyi secretly lamented the missed opportunity. The nameless Pharaoh’s combat intuition was still as sharp as ever! Incredible!

"My turn, draw!"

Just as Youyi drew his card, Yugi waved his hand and activated the Quick-Play Spell he had been holding onto:

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, 'Dark Burning Attack'! Since I control both 'Dark Magician' and 'Dark Magician Girl,' I destroy all cards on your field!"

"Disappear, you two heroes!"