Yugioh [730-733] (Patreon)

Chapter 730: The Soul-Devouring Card

"End Phase. You didn't forget your own BLS effect, did you?"

A rift to another dimension opened on The D's field. A ray of golden light shot out, turning into a card that fell into The D's hand.

Kira nodded. "The card in the opponent's hand that was banished by 'Evening Twilight Knight' granting BLS's power returns to the opponent's hand at the end of their next turn."

"Correct. The card you banished is back in my hand now."

The D waggled the card with a chilling smile, his eyes narrowing.

With this card added, Plasma would truly reach his strongest form. At that point, the duel would be as good as over.

"My turn. Draw."

Kira revealed the card he drew.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Burial Magic.' Banish 'Card of Adversity,' 'Trade-In,' and 'Super Soldier Synthesis' from my GY to draw two cards."

Three Spells rose from his GY as shimmering gold lights and vanished. Kira drew two cards.

"Then I Normal Summon 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman' in Defense."

The ever-confident blue HERO, encircled by bubbles, flew onto the field and knelt defensively.

"When Bubbleman is successfully Summoned, if you control no other cards, draw two cards." (Anime effect)

Kira drew two more, then glanced at them and set all the cards in his hand.

"I set three and end my turn."

"So you're even using scrub-level Elemental HEROes just to stall? Too weak, too weak! Before the Ultimate HERO, such lowly heroes don't even deserve to show up!"

The D continued.

"My turn! Draw!"

The instant he drew, Kira flipped a backrow.

"I activate my set card, the Trap 'Thunder of Ruler.' This card can only be activated during the opponent's Standby Phase. This turn, your Battle Phase is skipped."

"Hoh? Sealing the Ultimate HERO's attack with a trick like that? Fair enough," The D snorted. "Then first, I'll activate the card that was previously banished by you—the true key to unleashing Ultimate D's power—"

He revealed a Spell in his hand but, bizarrely, activated it by inserting the face-up card into the top of his Deck.

"Spell Card 'D - Force,' activate!"

Aster blinked. "D - Force? A Spell you activate by sticking it face-up on top of the Deck?"

"Correct! Once D - Force is activated, it must be inserted face-up on top of my Deck!" The D barked. "While D - Force is on top of my Deck, I cannot conduct my normal draw in the Draw Phase. But in exchange, I can unleash Plasma's ultimate power!"

Plasma roared. Bone wings spread as blood-red flames wreathed him, his aura and power surging.

"Empowered by 'D - Force,' Plasma releases his hidden effect: All monsters on the opponent's field have their effects negated!"

"NANI?" Aster gasped.

All monster effects negated—continuously! That's near top-tier suppression.

"And while D - Force is on top of my Deck, any effects that target my cards become negated!"

In the anime, that means any Spell/Trap/Monster effect that targets your own field will have its activation and effect negated and be destroyed.

In the anime, Plasma himself doesn't have one-way effect-steal by default; he must combo with D - Force to unlock the hidden effect. The real card was actually buffed: the printed Plasma silences the opponent's field on summon—opponent's monster effects are all negated.

But in the anime, Plasma can seize the effects of monsters he absorbs—an advantage the printed card lacks.

D - Force tantalized IRL players for years, but it did eventually get printed, and it's arguably stronger than the anime version.

In the TCG/OCG, D - Force is a Continuous Spell. The anime's D - Force only negated opposing Spell/Trap activations that targeted your cards, but the printed D - Force prevents your monsters from being targeted by any opponent's effects, including monster effects.

The printed D - Force also adds new effects: Plasma gains ATK equal to 100 times the total number of monsters in both GYs, cannot be targeted or destroyed by opponent's effects, gaining stronger protection than the original.

And with D - Force up, Plasma can attack twice each Battle Phase—another anime-only omission.

Overall, the printed Plasma system is significantly stronger than the anime's. If the printed D - Force is weaker anywhere, it's that as a Continuous Spell it remains on the field and can be cleared by blowout backrow removal like Heavy Storm or Harpie's Feather Duster.

Whereas in the anime, D - Force sits on top of the Deck after activation, so typical S/T destruction can't touch it.

"Well, it has protection, sure—but it only makes effects on Plasma invalid. If your Battle Phase is skipped, it still can't attack..."

The D paused, eyes narrowing.

"But that doesn't mean I can't attack at all! With the absorbed 'BLS' effect, Plasma can banish an opponent's monster. Banish 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman'!"

Plasma raised the dragon-head limb and fired blood hardened like a blade. A slash of blood-energy struck Bubbleman, ripping open a dimensional fissure that sucked him away.

"And there's also the effect granted by Evening Twilight Knight: once per turn, I can banish a random card from the opponent's hand... Though I'd like to, you have no hand."

The D shrugged, glanced at the two facedowns in Kira's back row, and chuckled.

"Looks like you anticipated that and set your hand to avoid the banish. Heh. Not bad. Struggle all you like. Your struggle only makes your soul tastier—better nourishment for Plasma."

"As I thought," Kira said coolly.

"Nourishment for Plasma? How many souls have you fed to that card by now?"

Aster jolted, whipping his head toward The D.

Feeding human souls to Plasma?

"Not many. Unfortunately, I never used this card in public for the past ten years... The underworld's shadow duels? Sometimes. It's eaten plenty.

But the most memorable was the first time. The first soul Plasma devoured—"

He narrowed his eyes and looked at Aster.

"—was your father, Aster."

Aster: "!"

Chapter 731: The Sealed Souls

"F-Father?"

Aster stared blankly at the blood-red, monstrous HERO on the field, stunned.

My father was devoured by the Plasma he created...? That has to be a lie.

No, impossible. How absurd—

But the next moment, he saw something that shattered his reason.

A human face began to emerge grotesquely on Plasma's bone wings. It squirmed, sprouting a nose and mouth, and even wore the glasses Aster knew so well.

Even though it was embedded in Plasma's body—shadowed and indistinct—its form instantly overlapped with Aster's memories.

"Dad!?"

Aster was so shocked he could barely think.

"Yes, your beloved father," The D laughed. "He was the first soul devoured by the Plasma he designed, and he's been trapped in the card ever since. Of course, he died long ago. What remains in Plasma is an unquiet soul. Ironic, isn't it?"

Aster clenched his fists, shaking with fury.

"The D, you scum!"

More disturbingly, the face on Plasma turned with effort, looked his way, and spoke.

"A-Aster, you've grown..."

"Father!"

Aster nearly rushed forward but collided with an invisible barrier and was blocked.

He realized then this duel had transcended the ordinary. Some kind of barrier encased the combatants; no outsider could enter.

He could only claw at the barrier and shout, "Dad!"

"Seeing how far you've come, I have no regrets," Mr. Phoenix said solemnly from within Plasma. "Listen, Aster. I made a mistake—a grave one.

Before Plasma was born, I heard it—the voice of the Light that would destroy the world."

"The voice of Light?" Aster froze.

"Yes. I tried to resist—truly—but I failed," Mr. Phoenix said with remorse. "They say Pegasus created the Egyptian God Cards under something like mind control, because he couldn't resist the Gods' power.

I fully understand that state now. I couldn't resist the influence of the Light of Destruction, and I designed this forbidden card—a card that should never have existed.

Not just because it's too strong, but because it was born for destruction. And as you can see, I paid the price..."

"No, Dad!" Aster rasped. "There must be another way..."

"There isn't. The Light energy lodged in this Ultimate D must be destroyed along with the souls imprisoned within it."

Mr. Phoenix's voice hardened.

"And this is only the beginning. The Light has begun to spread on Earth. A far stronger Light has arrived; the world is on a path to ruin. Only the strongest duelist can stop it."

His gaze softened.

"I thought the one to release me would be you, Aster. But that would be too cruel. If you don't have to do it yourself, all the better.

Live well, Aster. Surpass me. Become far better than I ever was."

He turned from Aster's cries to face Kira.

"I've heard it all from within Plasma—you're the current Duel King. Please defeat us and save this world. Perhaps... it will lighten my sins. Thank you."

The face faded; the bone wings returned to normal.

The D laughed. "Such moving words. Seems you can't have it both ways, can you?"

He narrowed his eyes smugly.

"To end this with me, you'll have to personally consign every soul sealed in Plasma over the past ten years to oblivion—every innocent one. Can you do it, Duel King?"

Kira thought for a couple of seconds.

Then he raised his head and, as if to himself, said, "Looks like they really underestimated me..."

"What?"

"Nothing," Kira smiled faintly.

The Light of Destruction trying moral blackmail to shackle him—now that's rare.

But moral blackmail only works if you have morals to leverage.

"My turn. Draw!" Kira said. "I activate the Spell 'Graceful Charity': draw three, then discard two."

"Since one discarded card is the Spell 'Card of Compensation,' I draw two more."

The D frowned.

This guy's resolve hasn't wavered at all.

No matter. Plasma is invincible. Right now, it shuts down monster effects and can't be targeted. With D - Force effect, victory is basically assured.

With Plasma on your face, how do you lose?

"I set a monster face-down in Defense."

Kira set a card to the Monster Zone.

"I activate my set Continuous Trap 'Ultimate Offering.' Pay 500 LP to get an additional Normal Summon. I pay 500 and set another monster face-down."

[Kira LP 3800 → 3300]

"Setting two monsters at once?" The D said. "Trying to shore up your defense against Plasma?"

But as he said it, he realized it couldn't be that simple.

Plasma has BLS's power now: it can banish two monsters a turn and can attack multiple times. Two little walls mean nothing, and the opponent knows that.

"Flip a set card," Kira said, revealing his last backrow. "Trap 'Desert Sunlight.' Switch all my monsters to face-up Defense Position."

The D instantly guessed. "Flip effects, huh?"

Then he laughed again.

"Useless! I told you, with D - Force on top of my Deck, Plasma unleashes his hidden ability—your monsters' effects on the field are all negated, flips included!"

"Not necessarily," Kira smiled, offering no further explanation. "My flip monsters are these two: 'Morphing Jar' and 'Nightmare Penguin'!"

[Morphing Jar DEF 600]

[Nightmare Penguin DEF 1800]

"Morphing Jar's effect: when flipped, both players discard their entire hands, then draw five cards. Nightmare Penguin's effect: when flipped, target one card your opponent controls and return it to the hand!"

Chapter 732: Breaking the Lock

"Morphing Jar and Nightmare Penguin?" The D frowned. "You want to bounce Plasma with Penguin? Useless! I said your monsters are blank under Plasma—no effects..."

"Only 'on the field,'" Kira said. "If Plasma negates my monsters on the field, what if they're not on the field?"

"What?"

"Quick-Play Spell 'Mystik Wok': tribute a monster on the field and gain LP equal to its ATK or DEF."

Kira raised a hand.

"I tribute 'Morphing Jar'—"

[Morphing Jar ATK 700]

"—and gain LP equal to its ATK."

[Kira LP 3300 → 4000]

"Healed? Even so, it's meaningless before Plasma—"

He stopped mid-sentence, pupils shrinking.

Wait—this is...!?

"Noticed?" Kira smiled. "Right. Morphing Jar resolves while already in the GY because it was tributed by Mystik Wok before resolution. Since it's no longer on the field at resolution, Plasma doesn't negate it."

Same trick he used to break Sartorius's Light Barrier: tribute-escape, a classic.

"And Morphing Jar's effect..."

The D's heart lurched.

Damn, the Jar's effect is—!

"Exactly. Morphing Jar forces both players to discard their entire hands and then draw five."

Kira pointed at the top of The D's Deck.

"And you must draw five cards into your hand—including that face-up 'D - Force' on top."

"I see!" Aster realized. "'D - Force' only unleashes Plasma's hidden power while it's face-up on top of the Deck. If it's drawn—"

Plasma's hidden abilities all shut off!

"And I used 'Desert Sunlight' to flip my monsters, so both Morphing Jar and Nightmare Penguin have mandatory triggers.

When multiple mandatory effects trigger at the same time, I can choose their order."

In other words, self-ordered chain building.

Simple principle: on a single chain, first-in resolves last. With multiple mandatory triggers, place what you want to resolve last at the end to control resolution order.

"So I'll chain them as follows:

Chain 1: Nightmare Penguin, targeting 'Destiny HERO – Plasma' to return it to hand. Chain 2: Morphing Jar, both players discard hands and draw five. Chain 3: Mystik Wok, tribute Morphing Jar to ensure Jar isn't negated by Plasma."

Kira explained.

"Thus Jar dodges suppression via tribute-escape; we both draw five. Since 'D - Force' leaves the top of your Deck, Plasma loses its 'negate opponent monsters' and targeting protection.

Then Chain 1—Penguin—resolves last. With D - Force no longer active, all of D - Force's resistances vanish, so Penguin bounces successfully."

Kira crooked a finger at the opponent's field.

"Return 'Destiny HERO – Plasma' to the hand."

A chain of plays later, both flips resolved cleanly. Plasma roared but was engulfed by a geyser and shot back as a blood-streaked arrow into The D's hand.

Naturally, with Plasma gone, the equipped BLS was released and went to Kira's GY.

The D's eyes bulged in disbelief.

"Impossible! Plasma empowered by D - Force is invincible—how was it broken!?"

Aster watched the dazzling sequence, shaken even as a pro duelist.

Tribute-escape, self-ordered chains... A seemingly unbreakable Plasma undone by a few small cards woven together, effortlessly...

To Kira, this was nothing remarkable.

Isn't this basic dueling?

Anyone still dueling these days can self-chain, right?

"I set three and end."

"Damn you, bouncing my Plasma..."

The D glanced at his hand, then looked up darkly.

"You'll regret this."

Aster was amazed by Kira's play, but once the emotions faded, unease returned.

Though he'd dismantled the board, the crisis wasn't over. Plasma and D - Force were merely back in The D's hand—a time bomb with a hidden fuse.

As soon as three tributes are assembled, Plasma returns, and D - Force can be re-activated...

The D was a former world champion, and now seemed stronger than ever. Aster had no doubt that assembling three tributes again wouldn't be hard.

"My turn. Draw!"

Sure enough, The D's eyes gleamed viciously.

"Your neat counterattack only delayed the inevitable! If you fear Ultimate D so much, then this turn I'll—"

"Flip a set card," Kira said impassively. "Trap 'Mind Crush.' Declare a card name. If the opponent has it, they must discard all copies."

The D's smug look froze.

Huh?

He's calling my hand?

"I declare 'D - Force,'" Kira said. "If you have it, please discard it."

He even said please.

He could've declared Plasma, but he wasn't sure if the anime Plasma had a revival restriction. If not, tossing it only invites Monster Reborn or any revival—helping the opponent.

Even with a restriction, monsters are usually easier to recur than Spells. Monsters in GY are often resources; Spells rarely are.

And in the anime D–system, without D - Force, Plasma is almost toothless. No protection, no global negation. Just a pitiful 1900 ATK for an 8-star.

Oh right, it can still absorb a monster and gain its power. But Kira's field is a Jar and a Penguin—free to donate without impact.

From The D's twitching, contorted face, Kira knew he picked right.

"Kisama!"

Chapter 733: The Strongest Warrior

And so The D discarded his strongest trump, "D - Force," to the GY.

Voluntarily.

He didn't look happy about it. His face kept twitching as he muttered "I'll kill you," and the like.

"You think losing D - Force changes anything?"

The D barked.

"My Plasma still wields the world-ending Light. I'm still the strongest duelist!"

He revealed a card.

"Spell 'Graceful Charity': draw three, then discard two."

Then he immediately summoned a monster.

"Normal Summon 'Lekunga'!"

A grotesque green creature with a huge round brow and a single blood-red eye, its twisted green tentacles writhing.

[Lekunga ATK 1700]

"Lekunga's effect: banish two WATER monsters from your GY; Special Summon one 'Lekunga Token' in Attack Position."

The D showed two WATERs from his GY—clearly the ones he just discarded.

"Banish 'Jar Turtle' and 'Aqua Spirit' to Special Summon 'Lekunga Token'!"

Two WATER monsters vanished; the green eye's tentacles thrashed as water coalesced into a smaller, similar tentacled eye.

[Lekunga Token ATK 700]

"Next I activate 'Fiend's Sanctuary' to Special Summon a 'Metal Fiend Token'!"

[Metal Fiend Token ATK 0]

"So fast—he's already got three tributes..." Aster said grimly.

It was obvious: Plasma was the core of The D's deck. Everything else either supports it or supplies tributes. Even without D - Force, D is still the best plan.

He had no choice—Plasma is his source of power, the card that put him on top.

Just like many duelists insist on summoning their ace, even if it's just a high-level vanilla. The more "beyond" the duelist, the more true this becomes.

"Tribute three monsters. Once more, stain the world blood-red!"

The D roared.

"Ultimate D—Destiny HERO – Plasma, Summon!!!"

The three monsters collapsed into blood-mud. From the churning gore, the sinister fiend rose again, bone wings spraying a blood-red that seemed to blot out the sky.

[Destiny HERO – Plasma ATK 1900]

Without D - Force, its effects were far worse; even its aura felt weaker.

"Plasma: once per turn, equip and absorb a monster!" The D shouted. "Absorb 'Nightmare Penguin'!"

Blood arrows fired and turned to tendrils, binding the little penguin and draining it, gaining half its ATK.

[Nightmare Penguin ATK 900]

[Plasma ATK 1900 → 2350]

"Then Plasma attacks directly! Blood-Red Terror!"

A storm of blood-arrows flew, but crashed into a gray-black transparent barrier.

"I banish 'Necro Gardna' from my GY," Kira said. "Once this turn, negate an attack."

The D frowned.

"Fine. I set two and end."

He exhaled.

Even without D - Force, at least Plasma was back. Fate should still be on his side.

He'd always won like this. Even when he didn't include Plasma in official events, Plasma gave him power to crush anyone. There's no reason he'd lose now.

Unless this man's power surpasses even Ultimate D.

Impossible. No one surpasses Ultimate D. It must be so.

Otherwise killing Aster's father, hiding the truth, enduring this power's torment—would all be a joke?

"My turn. Draw," Kira said. "You seem very confident in that so-called Ultimate HERO."

"Of course," The D said. "Plasma's power is absolute!"

"I see..."

Kira nodded lightly.

"Then I'll shatter that first."

The D blinked. "What?"

"I banish LIGHT 'Silent Magician' and DARK 'Evening Twilight Knight' from my GY."

Kira raised a card.

"Offer the souls of Light and Darkness to the field of Chaos—let the legendary warrior descend again. Heaven and earth, be cleaved—

—Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, Summon!"

Light and Darkness entwined and vanished into a chaotic vortex. A sword aura split the void; the swordsman stepped forth from nothing.

[Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning ATK 3000]

"Envoy..." The D said low. "A legendary warrior, daring to challenge Ultimate D?"

"You've got it backwards," Kira said coolly.

"You're the one doing the challenging."

The D: "!"

"'Evening Twilight Knight' that I just banished—its other effect activates. When banished, add one Ritual Monster from your Deck to your hand."

Kira took the card that popped from his Deck.

"I add another 'Black Luster Soldier' to my hand."

He only had one Envoy, but multiple copies of the original Ritual "Black Luster Soldier" from KaibaCorp's lab.

"Envoy, effect: once per turn, banish a monster on the field," Kira said. "Banish 'Destiny HERO – Plasma.' Chaos Dimension Slash!"

The Envoy's blade cut, sword-light rending the void itself, leaving a dimensional scar streaking toward Plasma.

"As expected!" The D didn't panic. "I activate my set Continuous Trap 'Fiendish Chain'! Negate Envoy's effects, it can't change battle position, and it can't declare attacks!"

Sickly green chains shot out toward the Chaos warrior.

"Empowered by Plasma, I am invincible!" The D's eyes were bloodshot, nearly deranged. "What of a legendary warrior? He won't lay a finger on D!"

"Is that so?" Kira said. "Looks like you're underestimating not just me, but the legendary warrior as well."

Envoy gave him a nod.

"Flip my set Trap 'Super Soldier Rebirth'!" Kira called. "Send a 'Black Luster Soldier' monster I control to the GY; Special Summon from my hand, ignoring summoning conditions, a 'Black Luster Soldier' with a different name!"

The D's heart lurched. "Ignoring summoning conditions!?"

"Right—the 'Black Luster Soldier' I fetched with Evening Twilight Knight."

Kira revealed the Ritual monster.

"Reincarnate, Envoy—open the Gate of Chaos once more and descend—

—Black Luster Soldier, Rebirth Summon!"

Chaos flared around the Envoy, blasting apart the incoming chains. In the maelstrom of chaos, sword-energy surged, and the Black Luster Soldier returned in different armor.

[Black Luster Soldier ATK 3000]

"Envoy went to the GY and is no longer on the field, so 'Fiendish Chain' lost its target and fizzled," Kira said.

The D growled, "But this Black Luster Soldier is just a 3000 ATK vanilla. It can't defeat Plasma..."

He stopped, pupils shrinking again.

"You've realized," Kira smiled. "Envoy's 'Chaos Dimension Slash' was activated already, but before it resolved, Envoy went to the GY via 'Super Soldier Rebirth' and left the field.

When it resolves, 'Fiendish Chain' has no valid target to bind, so the activation of Chaos Slash still resolves."

As he spoke, the sword aura of the now-gone Envoy seemed to cleave across space. The dimension split, and a tidal suction dragged Plasma into the rift!

"Another tribute-escape!?" Aster was stunned.

He'd seen many strong duelists, but someone who wielded tribute-escapes and chain ordering this fluidly—perhaps only this one.

"Envoy can't attack the turn it uses Chaos Dimension Slash—but that was the Envoy who's gone to the GY. It has nothing to do with the freshly summoned 'Black Luster Soldier.'"

Kira said, "This Black Luster Soldier can still attack.

Black Luster Soldier—direct attack!"

Expressionless, the Soldier drew his blade with a casual swing; a lethal wave of sword-energy streaked toward The D's face.

The D's expression twitched.

What a joke.

He's the world champion, empowered by the invincible Ultimate D.

He sold his soul—promised he'd never lose again.

Promised he'd be the pinnacle of the world.

With Plasma already summoned today, how could he possibly lose?

Unacceptable.

He had one last move: "I activate my set Trap—

—Dimensional Prison!"

Aster: "!"

He still had that hidden ace!

"When an opponent's monster declares an attack: banish that monster!" The D's eyes were crimson. "Disappear, Black Luster Soldier—"

He choked mid-sentence, eyes wide.

With a casual slash, the Soldier's sword-energy ripped open Dimensional Prison's rift. The void hole was meaningless before the Chaos blade; it flickered and vanished.

He was dazed, unwilling, and uncomprehending.

Why!?

Even if it's a 'legendary' swordsman, isn't it a vanilla? How does it ignore Dimensional Prison?

"Counter Trap," Kira said, pointing at his last set. "'Super Soldier Shield.'

While you control a 'Black Luster Soldier' monster: when a monster effect, Spell, or Trap that targets a monster on the field is activated, negate the activation and destroy it."

Kira paused, then said coolly:

"I told you—you underestimated the legendary warrior."

The D stared blankly at the incoming slash—unstoppable, a blow his fate-bent tricks could not bar.

In that instant, the glory of the past ten years felt like a joke—so ridiculous, so small.

[The D LP 1300 → 0]