026 Lightning Hero: Let all evil spirits vanish!ヾ(⌐ ■_■)

Gravekeeper: “Come! Rise once more! My army of zombies!!”

(Armored Warrior Demon Slayer →→ Armored Warrior Zombie, 5 stars →→ 3 stars, Attack: 1500 →→ 1950)

(Crawling Dragon →→ Dragon Zombie, 5 stars →→ 3 stars, Attack: 1600 →→ 2080)

(Killer Clown →→ Killer Clown Zombie, 4 stars →→ 2 stars, Attack: 1350 →→ 1755)

These three undead zombie beasts were all real-life zombie-type monster cards in the previous world’s Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game.

“Next, I summon another undead monster—‘Pumpkin King of Ghosts’!”

A massive one-eyed pumpkin plant-like monster rose from the graveyard field, as imposing as a fortress.

(Pumpkin King of Ghosts, 6 stars, Defense: 2000 →→ 2600)

“True to its name, the Pumpkin King of Ghosts has a special ability that benefits ‘zombie monsters’!”

The castle-like Pumpkin King extended three thick dark green tendrils from its body, reaching above the three zombie monsters and touching each one.

At the moment of contact, vein-like energy spread and branched out, ultimately controlling the three zombie monsters as if linked to their nervous systems.

“With the Pumpkin King of Ghosts’ tendrils continuously supplying ‘ghost energy’ to my zombie army, at the start of each of my turns, their power will increase by 10%!”

The spell card “Call of the Haunted,” though usually a one-time-use card, had been altered so that the three zombie monsters it revived not only cannot be destroyed in battle or by card effects, but each time they are destroyed and revived, their power increases by 10%!

Furthermore, with the Pumpkin King of Ghosts acting as a perpetual power station, each turn on the Gravekeeper’s turn, the three zombie monsters’ attack increases by another 10%!

This is truly an infinitely strengthening “Invincible Zombie Combo”!

“Go! Dragon Zombie! Zombie Death Breath!!”

With its attack now boosted to 2240, the Dragon Zombie charged at the only monster on the dueling field under the Gravekeeper’s command.

“Counterattack! Clayman!”

That’s right! Once again, it’s Clayman!

Seeing the grotesque and disgusting Dragon Zombie, whose attack was lower than his own defense, launch an attack, Clayman revealed himself in defense position, unwilling to even touch it. He simply raised a wall of earth to block the attack, then smashed it with his fist, sending debris flying like meteors toward the Gravekeeper on the opposite side.

(Gravekeeper: 2000LP →→ 1840LP)

“Tch! I didn’t expect a monster with 2400 defense!”

The 160 points of recoil damage weren’t much, but it still irritated the Gravekeeper.

Although 20% of the graveyard field was “plain,” which should boost warrior-type monsters, the land here was so saturated with the aura of death that the bonus for warriors had dropped from 30% to 10%. Coupled with Clayman’s own attributes, the 20% boost brought his defense to the current 2400.

“With 2400 defense, just give me a few turns and my zombie monsters will surpass it!”

After his harsh declaration, the Gravekeeper ended his turn.

“My turn, draw!”

The card drawn was the second workhorse in his deck after “Clayman”—Sparkman.

‘A Light-attribute Sparkman...’

Looking at Sparkman’s attribute, Yugi’s eyes brightened. He knew exactly how to make use of it.

“I summon ‘Elemental Hero Sparkman’ in attack mode! He gains a 10% boost from the ‘plain’ field!”

(Elemental Hero Sparkman, 4 stars, Attack: 1600 →→ 1760)

“Go! Sparkman! Attack ‘Killer Clown Zombie’!”

Hearing Yugi’s attack declaration, the Gravekeeper laughed, and the three behind him doubled over with laughter.

“You’re actually attacking my ‘Killer Clown Zombie’?”

Indeed, with Sparkman’s attack at 1760, the only valid target was the Killer Clown Zombie, whose attack was just 5 points lower, but the Gravekeeper still couldn’t help but mock:

“A five-star duelist, and that’s the best monster you can summon! Sacrifice 5 life points just to trigger ‘Call of the Haunted’s’ boost effect on Killer Clown Zombie! Not a loss at all!”

Trading five life points for an attack boost on Killer Clown Zombie seemed like a bargain, especially since on his next turn he could command the now-stronger Killer Clown Zombie to counterattack and take out Sparkman!

“Who said Sparkman’s attack is only 5 points higher than your clown?”

“What?”

The Gravekeeper looked at the display screen in front of him, checking Sparkman’s attack value—and was stunned by what he saw.

“Wh-what’s going on? Why is Sparkman’s attack so high!?”

Hearing the Gravekeeper’s exclamation, the three spectators quickly turned to the small monitors along the edge of the dueling platform. Upon seeing the numbers, all three widened their eyes in shock.

(Elemental Hero Sparkman, Attack: 2240)

The same attack as Dragon Zombie!

“Sorry! My Sparkman is a Light-attribute hero warrior, while your ‘Killer Clown Zombie’ is a shadowy undead beast that crawled back from the grave! Under Sparkman’s ‘divine radiance,’ all monsters of darkness are banished!”

Thus, Sparkman’s attack, bolstered by a 30% attribute advantage, rose from 1760 to 2240!

“Go! Spark Flash!!”

“Hah!”

With a shout, Sparkman flipped acrobatically above the zombie clown’s head, and with a burst of dazzling light, forced a deep, agonized howl from the clown zombie!

(Gravekeeper: 1840LP →→ 1355LP)

“Tch! Even so, my clown zombie will remain on the field! And, thanks to your attack, its power increases by 10%!”

(Killer Clown Zombie, Attack: 1755 →→ 1890)

“I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

With a trap card face-down, Yugi ended his turn, and Sparkman’s attack dropped back to 1760 at the end of the turn.

“My turn, draw!”

“Come! My zombie army, strengthen again!”

It was now the Gravekeeper's turn, and his zombie army powered up once more.

(Armored Warrior Zombie, Attack: 1950 →→ 2100)

(Dragon Zombie, Attack: 2240 →→ 2400)

(Killer Clown Zombie, Attack: 1890 →→ 2025)

As he admired his twice-strengthened zombie horde, the Gravekeeper nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the card he had just drawn.

“!”

Seeing the magic card in his hand, the Gravekeeper’s breath quickened.

“It seems this duel is about to end...”

From the back row, Keith, who was spectating, clearly noticed the Gravekeeper’s change in demeanor. After all, the cards that greatly benefited this duel had all been added to the deck by him.

In fact, before the duel started, he had explained the key tactics of this match to the Gravekeeper. Drawing a particular card and reacting like this could only mean it was one of those “single-monster victory” trump cards he had provided!

“I summon the monster ‘Medusa’s Wraith,’ then activate the spell card ‘Polymerization’ from my hand!”

Hearing the Gravekeeper excitedly shout “Polymerization,” Yugi frowned. In his memory, the Gravekeeper during the Kingdom arc never used cards related to fusion.

But now... Wait!

Yugi remembered—the Gravekeeper indeed hadn’t used fusion cards in the Kingdom arc, but did so later, in the City arc, during the puzzle chip gathering, in a duel with “Yami Bakura.”

If his memory was correct, then the monster the Gravekeeper was about to fusion summon now was—