Is this the world of Yu-Gi-Oh? Ada thief!

“Activate the effect of 【Abyss Beast - Druid Wurm】, open the set card in my back row!”

“Yugi” urgently activates a card from his back row, “Trap Card 【Skill Drain】, can only be activated by targeting a card on my field, and I choose 【Illusion Summoner God - Exodia】!”

An octagonal energy barrier appears as “Yugi” activates the card in front of 【Illusion Summoner God - Exodia】, 【Abyss Beast - Druid Wurm】 crashes directly into the barrier, but it's like hitting an absolute defense “AT Field”, completely unable to interfere with 【Illusion Summoner God - Exodia】 on the other side.

“Phew, luckily it's a targeting effect.” Relieved, “Yugi” smiles triumphantly, “The effect of Trap Card 【Skill Drain】 is that monster effects of both players that target the targeted card are negated. And the effect of 【Abyss Beast - Druid Wurm】 is targeting, so naturally it can't send 【Illusion Summoner God - Exodia】 to the graveyard.”

“Hmph, hmph, hmph, the 【Illusion Summoner God - Exodia】 that I finally Special Summoned isn't so easily dealt with by you!”

【“Yugi”: 2200 LP, Hand 1】

【Illusion Summoner God - Exodia】 【ATK 0】

【Primal Human Who Awakened From Eternal Slumber】 【ATK 2750】

【Millennium Dynasty Shield】 【DEF 3000】

Back Row: 【Set Card (Wrathful Karma Fire - Demonic Flame Cannon)】

Field: 【Stone Tablet Temple】

【Kobayashi Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 4 → 5】

Back Row: 【Branded Recurrence】 【Branded Beast】

After a round of offense and defense, Hayato's monsters on the field are all used up, leaving only two Continuous Spell/Trap Cards set in the back row, but his hand still has a full five cards as if he hasn't used them much.

In contrast, “Yugi” has also used up the set cards in his back row, leaving only the last one, which is the 【Wrathful Karma Fire - Demonic Flame Cannon】 that 【Illusion Summoner God - Exodia】 set with its own effect earlier.

Operatic music is played, and a heavy atmosphere accompanied by chanting echoes on the field, the 【Tragedy's Doomsday Actor】 that Hayato discarded rises again from the graveyard and comes before him, opening its chest to release a black-red ominous magic.

“When 【Tragedy's Doomsday Actor】 is sent to the graveyard by an effect, add one 【Doomsday】 monster other than 【Tragedy's Doomsday Actor】 from my deck to my hand, I choose 【Doomsday Conductor - Aluber】.”

Like Diabolo fighting Polnareff, not being able to figure out the opponent's Stand ability even after almost killing them, Hayato doesn't know if he has already figured out all the effects of 【Illusion Summoner God - Exodia】, the opponent can't possibly have a graveyard effect that gathers all five pieces of Old Exodia into their hand after being destroyed, right?

Therefore, he is still probing, the activation of the effects of 【Graceful Charity】 and 【Tragedy's Doomsday Actor】 one after another still hasn't made 【Illusion Summoner God - Exodia】 react in any way.

Then, let's try this — “I haven't conducted a Normal Summon this turn, Normal Summon this 【Doomsday Conductor - Aluber】 that I just searched to the field, and activate its effect.”

As Hayato speaks, he throws the mask in his hand forward, and a hand reaches out from the undispersed magic to catch the mask Hayato threw, a “boy” wearing a black-red clown costume turns around, dissipates the magic around him, and puts the mask on his face.

【Doomsday Conductor - Aluber】 【4 ☆ / DARK】

【Fairy/Effect】

【1800 / 0】

“When 【Doomsday Conductor - Aluber】 is Summoned/Special Summoned, add one 【Branded】 Magic/Trap Card from my deck to my hand, I choose 【Branded Fusion】.”

After a pause, Hayato plays another card, “Then is Magic Card 【Fusion Deployment】, show the opponent a Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck — 【Albion the Branded Dragon】, and then Special Summon one Fusion Material Monster with a card name written on this Fusion Monster from my hand/deck!”

“The Fusion Material requirement for 【Albion the Branded Dragon】 is 【Albaz the Shrouded】 plus one LIGHT/DARK Attribute monster, so I can Special Summon this 【Albaz the Shrouded】 from the deck!”

A body as pale as a corpse slowly stands up, a girl wearing a long black-red gauze dress appears on Hayato's field, holding a slender longsword, seemingly weak and powerless. But, “Yugi” just saw that the card art of the 【Albion the Branded Dragon】 that Hayato showed also had her appearing, and she even seemed to be the actual controller of that terrifying giant dragon.

【Albaz the Shrouded】 【4 ☆ / LIGHT】

【Magician Race / Effect】

【1500 / 1500】

“Both the attack power and defense power are 1500 points, and there's also 'Shrouded' in the name, and even the face looks a bit similar?” Malik looks at the dark and charming doll-like girl on the field, curiously saying, “Is it related to the 【Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous】 that older brother-in-law used before?”

“Children, don't destroy the worldview of Ave Mujica anymore.” Hayato waves his hand, “The connection between 【Albaz the Shrouded】 and that gluttonous Shrouded, is just that the former is the collection of the six hundred and sixty-odd predecessors who died before the latter became a Shrouded.”

“Oh my, that's scary.” Malik exaggeratedly cups his cheeks, “Playing so big, where did you get this? Is this still a 'Girl Band'?”

“Hmph, in short, 【Albaz the Shrouded】 has lost everything from the past, and her consciousness has long since turned to mud and become a puppet dancing at my fingertips. This, is 'Soprano Marionette'!” Hayato spreads his arms and grins evilly, with the monsters on the field as a backdrop, he is extremely evil.

“Really has no consciousness?” Looking at 【Albaz the Shrouded】 who is moving in small steps, quietly closing the distance with Hayato, and even quite creepily sniffing the scent on Hayato's body, Malik complains, “I see, it's hard to say. Older brother-in-law, you're playing so big, does older sister know?”

Meanwhile, the "Dice King" keenly noticed something: "Although Hayato used the 【Abyss Actor】 Deck just now, the card art of the two cards he searched out—the Continuous Spell Card 【Branded Regained】 and the Continuous Trap Card 【Branded Beast】—features the two monsters currently on his field."

"So, does that mean the 【Abyss Actor】, 【Despia】, and that 【Albaz the Ashen】 are all related card series?"

"Whoa, are you saying Hayato's Deck this time is actually a 'Pure XX' Deck?" Hearing his words, the "Car King" spoke in a tone as if the sky were falling, "How is that possible!?"

"Yeah, yeah, I can understand that feeling of surprise, but why do you two sound like 'Hayato, whom I know, would never do such a thing'?" Looking at the two, Malik complained, "More importantly, your boss, that old man called 'Yugi', seems to be in trouble."

"After so many probes, you still haven't activated the effect of 【Creator God of the End - Exodia】? Then, can I assume that, aside from the resistance to effect destruction, the ability to increase ATK equal to your LP, and the ability to Set cards during the End Phase, your 【Creator God of the End - Exodia】 has no other effects?"

Hayato looked at "Yugi" and sneered, "Having three effects is quite strong, but in terms of power, you still can't beat me, Kobayashi Hayato!"

"I activate the Spell Card 【Branded Fusion】! This card possesses the noble ability of a Deck Fusion, allowing me to send Fusion Material Monsters listed on a Fusion Monster from my hand, field, or even Deck to the GY, and Fusion Summon that Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, using 【Fallen of Albaz】 as Fusion Material!"

After several probes, Hayato saw that "Yugi" hadn't used his monster's effects or activated the unknown effect of the face-down 【Infernal Fire Blast】 in his backrow, so he finally confidently played the noble Deck Fusion Spell Card—【Branded Fusion】!

As long as it's a Fusion Monster that requires 【Fallen of Albaz】 as Fusion Material for a Fusion Summon, Hayato can easily summon it with the card 【Branded Fusion】, and he felt that the current situation was perfect for—

However, just as Hayato's 【Branded Fusion】 was about to activate, 【Creator God of the End - Exodia】, who had been silent for so long, suddenly raised its hand and grabbed 【Branded Fusion】, crushing it instantly!?

“Hoo hoo hoo, still lacking patience, Hayato.” Smiling triumphantly, "Yugi" held up five fingers and said, "It's true that a regular monster having three effects is already quite powerful, but my 【Exodia】 is the 【Creator God】, so naturally, it can't be viewed with the standards of ordinary monsters. Having been fused from five 【Forbidden One】 monsters as components, it naturally has five effects!"

"【Left Leg of the Forbidden One】 grants it resistance to being destroyed by any effects; 【Right Leg of the Forbidden One】 grants it the ability to increase its ATK by the amount of my LP once per turn during damage calculation in battle;"

"【Exodia the Forbidden One】 allows it to negate the activation of a Spell/Trap Card once per turn by chaining to its activation; 【Left Arm of the Forbidden One】 brings the effect of Setting one 【Exodia】 Spell/Trap Card during either player's End Phase;"

"And, finally, 【Right Arm of the Forbidden One】 activates mandatorily during my Standby Phase, causing me to lose 1000 LP."

"Five components, bringing five different effects? How amazing!" Bakura praised, but then became somewhat puzzled, "However, isn't the last effect a negative effect that deducts your own LP? But why is there a right hand?"

"Are you serious? Isn't it reasonable that using the power of the right hand would deduct LP?" Malik said, raising his hand as if to make a rather lewd gesture, but in the next moment, Hayato threw a stone at him, hitting him squarely on the forehead, preventing him from successfully harassing them with his actions and only allowing him to squat on the ground, covering his head.

"I was already unhappy that my effect was negated, and you, a three-year-old, came just in time." Tossing a stone up and down in his hand, Hayato looked at "Yugi" with a displeased expression and said, "You're something else, hiding that Spell/Trap negation so well."

Wearing a sullen face, Hayato waved his hand again: "You can negate a Spell/Trap once, but what if I use a monster effect to Fusion Summon? Hehehe, don't blink! This is the invincible power engraved upon 【Despia】, the 【Branded】 of Ash—Branded Fusion Contact!"

"During either player's Main Phase, the second effect of 【Albaz the Ashen】 activates! Using monsters from my hand or field as Fusion Material, I Fusion Summon one Level 8 or higher Fusion Monster!"

"I will use the 【Despia】 monster on my field, 【Aluber the Jester of Despia】, and the LIGHT Attribute 【Albaz the Ashen】 as Fusion Material, fulfilling the Fusion Material requirement of 【Despia】 monster plus LIGHT/DARK Attribute monster!"

"Under the Branded of Ash, the scorching flames rise, let's hold this grand masquerade here, no one can refuse, no one can escape!" Sending the two cards on his field to the GY, Hayato took out a Fusion Monster Card with a purple border and held it above his head, "If you have already entrusted yourself to a heavy slumber, then there is no harm in staining yourself. Disguise? The meaning of the mask on your face is—'Do not fear, I am the gift'!"

"Branded Fusion Contact, Level 8!"

"Put on the mask—【Masquerade the Blazing Dragon】!"

【Masquerade the Blazing Dragon】【Level 8 / DARK】

【Fiend / Fusion / Effect】

【2500 / 2000】

Hearing that "Yugi's" 【Creator God of the End - Exodia】 actually had an effect that forcibly activated and caused him to lose LP, Hayato decisively changed his mind, which was to play the famous 【Masquerade the Blazing Dragon】. Among duelists in another world, this card has the nicknames "600 Dragon" and "Blood Tax Dragon" because—

"【Masquerade the Blazing Dragon】 is the evolved form of 【Aluber the Jester of Despia】, no, it would be more appropriate to describe it as his 'true self'. Taking off the 'mask' and becoming 'Masquerade', putting on the 'mask', but revealing the 'true self', don't you think it's very interesting?"

Hayato arrogantly spread his arms wide, "The effect of 【Masquerade the Blazing Dragon】 is 'taxation'! I declare that from this moment on, 'Yugi', you have to pay taxes to activate monster card effects, you have to pay taxes to activate spell card effects, and you have to pay taxes for trap cards too!"

"Huh?" Not understanding Hayato's meaning, the "Car King" outside the field made a confused sound.

"Even sneezing requires taxes!"

Hayato pointed at him and said without looking back, "This is the power of 【Masquerade the Blazing Dragon】—"

"As long as 【Masquerade the Blazing Dragon】 summoned by Fusion Summon is present in the Monster Zone, the opponent cannot activate card effects without paying 600 LP!"