Quick-Play Spell—Mystical Space Typhoon, activate!

"Dimensional Fissure, begone!"

Demon King's eyes widened as he watched that ominous rift vanish amid the windstorm and lightning. Only then did he relax.

"Haha, not bad. I can tell you've studied my Yokai deck. Using Dimensional Fissure to banish the graveyard does cripple most of my deck, especially if you can use cards that benefit from banishing. That would be dangerous for me."

He paused, then changed his tone.

"But my duel is still a step ahead!

I activate the Spell Card 'Nobleman of Extermination' from my hand!"

A swordsman appeared from the card's image, eyeing Kira's three face-down cards.

"Nobleman of Extermination destroys a face-down Spell or Trap and banishes it. If it's a Trap, all cards with the same name are banished from both decks."

Demon King pointed at the center set card on Kira's field.

"That one!"

The swordsman swung his blade, but just as it was about to strike, the trajectory veered, and it hit the leftmost set card instead.

"What?" Demon King exclaimed. "Why didn't it hit the one I picked…?"

Then he saw the card's image—a Trap.

"Trap Card, 'Card of Pandora,'" Kira smiled. "When your effect targets a Spell/Trap in my zone, it can change the target to this card. Then I draw two cards." (Anime card)

Card of Pandora shattered, and Kira drew two cards.

"Tch, so you had protection."

Demon King frowned.

Then a thought struck him.

Wait. Card of Pandora can substitute for any targeted Spell/Trap, which means when he used MST on Dimensional Fissure, Kira could have activated this but didn't.

Why?

Does that mean the set card was more important than Dimensional Fissure?

Demon King snorted inwardly.

But no matter what, as long as he got rid of Dimensional Fissure, his yokai system could work again. Whatever traps were left weren't nearly as oppressive.

No matter what those cards were, he had nothing to fear now.

"I activate 'Gozuki's' effect again: once per turn, send a yokai from deck to the graveyard."

Regaining some confidence, Demon King searched his deck for a monster card.

"I send 'Mezuki' to the graveyard!"

"Mezuki, huh." Kira nodded. "At the start of your next turn, you can banish it from the graveyard to revive a yokai."

Also the manga version, not Kira's custom Zombie version.

"Hmph, you're prepared. But knowing changes nothing." Demon King grinned. "Gozuki and Mezuki together can instantly summon the most powerful yokai.

No one can withstand such a combo!"

"Indeed, it's impressive." Kira nodded. "That's why letting Mezuki reach the graveyard is dangerous.

So I activate Continuous Trap: 'Macro Cosmos.'

While Macro Cosmos is on the field, any card sent to the graveyard is banished instead!"

Demon King's smile froze for a second.

Then, as if history was repeating, his smile vanished, his face twisting with pain and disbelief.

Are you kidding me? You have that too!?

Macro Cosmos… what the hell is that!?

Not that he should know—after all, it was developed by Lyman, and never released to the public.

As one of the most infamous banish cards in the modern meta, seeing it for the first time was a huge shock—especially for someone whose deck relied on graveyard resources.

"While resolving Gozuki's effect, Macro Cosmos is already active." Kira smiled. "So your chosen Mezuki isn't sent to the graveyard—it's banished instead."

A starry background appeared, a black cosmos filled with stars. Mezuki was swept away by gravitational currents, vanishing into the void. Demon King instinctively reached out, as if to save it, but quickly realized it was hopeless—it was gone, reduced to atoms.

"Damn…"

His fists clenched.

Demon King turned, voice low.

"Remember this, kid. When I win, you'll regret angering me like this."

Kira smiled silently.

Jaden watched, more and more impressed.

He really thought Kira was amazing—always coming up with new ways to make his opponents so furious they started making mistakes.

"I tribute Crow Tengu and Onmoraki!"

Demon King shouted, raising his hand.

"Undying Nine-Tailed Fox, show your earth-shaking power! Revive from the grave—

—Nine-Tailed Fox, summon!!"

A pillar of flame shot up, energy gathering and forming a burning figure. Nine fiery tails danced in the air, the flames coalescing into the form of the fox spirit.

[Nine-Tailed Fox, ATK 2200]

"Nine-Tailed Fox can be Special Summoned from the graveyard by tributing two yokai on the field!"

This effect was faithfully recreated in the real card, though modified. In the manga, it could only use yokai as tribute and revive as many times per turn as you liked.

In the real card, you could tribute any monsters, and summon from hand or grave, but the effect could only be used once per turn.

And when Nine-Tailed Fox is destroyed, it can Special Summon two "Fox Tokens."

Clearly, this monster's biggest feature is its undying nature. Every time it's defeated, it leaves two tokens, which can be tributed to revive it infinitely.

But with Macro Cosmos out, this main ability was stripped away.

If it gets taken down once, Macro Cosmos kicks it straight to another dimension—banished, unable to revive at all.

"Now I activate Equip Spell 'Power of the Guardians' on 'Gozuki!'" Demon King continued. "Every time the equipped monster battles, place a Spell Counter on this card, and it gains 500 ATK.

You can remove a Spell Counter to prevent the equipped monster from being destroyed by any means!"

He waved his hand.

"Battle! First, 'Gozuki' attacks 'D.D Survivor!'"

Gozuki charged, warhammer smashing down. The Equip Spell shone with golden light, armoring Gozuki with a transparent shield.

"At this moment, Gozuki's ATK increases by 500, and a Spell Counter can protect it from destruction!"

[Gozuki, ATK 1700 → 2200]

"Absolute destruction immunity from Power of the Guardians—troublesome indeed."

Kira waved his hand.

"Then I activate the Trap 'Karma Cut.' Discard a card, then banish one face-up opponent's monster.

Banish 'Gozuki!'"

PS: 3 Bonus chapter at 2000.