Cards of Remnant

Chapter 34: Burning the Candle - Part 2

"I activate my trap card, Skill Successor," Yang announced, her third facedown flipping up to reveal an image of Lava Battleguard gaining strength from Swamp Battleguard. Hot Red Dragon Archfiend was engulfed in a flame-like aura (ATK 1800), the gargoyle dragon defiantly staring down Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's oncoming double attack.

Yang Xiao-Long: 2200 Life Points

The mystic lightning crashed into the muscular demon, Follow Wing flaring to prevent its destruction by battle as Bumblebee danced to avoid the cast-off electricity.

Yang Xiao-Long: 400 Life Points

"When Skill Successor is activated on the field, I can target one monster on my field and boost its attack by four hundred until the end of the turn," Yang explained.

"So I don't have enough damage to take you out in one turn," Blake growled, Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon losing Drummerilla's boost as the Battle Phase ended (ATK 3000). "Of course, if you were taking this seriously, I wouldn't have had enough to take you out anyway."

Yang looked at her partner with a profound sadness, her eyes fading from red back to purple. "Are you really not hearing anything that I'm telling you with this duel, Blake? Anything that your monsters are trying to tell you?"

Blake gritted her teeth and slammed her final card into her duel runner's disk. "I activate Pendulum Storm!"

Crack! Two thick lightning bolts smashed down through Blake's Pendulum Scales, Radish Horse and Odd-Eyes Valet obliterated in a thunderous crash. Fierce winds shrieked around the cat faunus in the tempest's wake, a cyclone racing around her duel runner, even making it difficult for her to stay upright on her shaking vehicle.

"Grr… every card in the Pendulum Zones is destroyed and in exchange, I can destroy one spell or trap on your field," Blake shouted, struggling to keep her duel runner upright against the force of her own spell. "So say goodbye to your Follow Wing!"

The tornado screeched across the field and shredded Follow Wing, the golden glow fading from Hot Red Dragon Archfiend's wings. Since Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's effect protection would expire at the end of her turn, she had to get rid of Yang's protection for her ace as well. With its attack points cut down by more than half, Blake could take one hit by it so that she could recover and take it down if it was vulnerable.

"I end my turn!" Blake yelled.

Yang frowned, Hot Red Dragon Archfiend's flaming aura fading (ATK 1400). "You got rid of Odd-Eyes Valet. That has a good defense ability. You sure you wanted to get rid of it?"

"Take your turn."

Yang sighed and shook her head as she drew for her turn. "Okay. Hard way it is. I activate Monster Reborn and revive Red Lotus King, Flame Crime. You know the deal when it's special summoned. You take four hundred points of damage for each Fire-Attribute monster on my field."

Red Lotus King, Flame Crime cackled back onto the field, kneeling on a sideways card in defense mode. The devil conjured a fireball in its palm and hurled it at Blake, the cat faunus' duel runner swinging back so that Bumblebee rocketed ahead around the corner.

Blake Belladonna: 2800 Life Points

"You alright?" Yang called back.

"I'm fine!" Blake insisted. "Make your move!"

Yang sighed. "Hot Red Dragon Archfiend activates its special ability. "All other face-up attack position monsters on the field are destroyed. Absolute Power Blaze!"

The dragon's claw lit with a hellish fire. Finally uttering its trademark thunderous roar, Hot Red Dragon Archfiend slammed its fist down into the track, and a wall of blinding flames tore across the asphalt, washing over Rune-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Performapal Drummerilla. The Fusion Monster and Pendulum Monster shattered into shards of essence, their aura bodies scattered to pieces by the burning conflagration.