Chapter 44
[Ding -- Bastion Misawa's Emotion Value +500!]
He had told Rowan to come at him with everything -- no need to hold back.
But that wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind when he said it.
What Bastion had counted on was this: Water Dragon and the face-down Hyozanryu were still on his field.
Bound as they were, unable to attack, they still served as heavy shields.
Rowan couldn't swing freely into him with two walls like that sitting in the way.
And unlike being locked under Nightmare Wheel with its grinding damage tick, neither of them were draining his LP.
He had time. He could wait, draw through his deck, and find the card that turned things around.
What he had not counted on was Rowan gifting him an eight-star "treasure."
A particularly cursed kind of rare card that could generously be called a powerful monster.
With only 1500 LP left, the moment he drew on his next turn, Lava Golem would drain another 1000 from him during his Standby Phase.
"But this is also where you slipped up, Rowan!" Bastion stood inside the cage, fingers curling into a fist, a spark of comeback hope lighting in his eyes.
"When Water Dragon is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, its effect activates! I Special Summon two Hydrogeddon and one Oxygeddon from my Graveyard, all in Attack Position!"
"Rise again -- Hydrogeddon! Hydrogeddon! Oxygeddon!"
Two surges of brown vapor and one rush of blue-green erupted from the ground, resolving back into the familiar shapes of two crouching quadrupeds and one winged gas dragon in an instant.
Bastion's field now held four monsters total, counting the treacherous Lava Golem standing among them.
Compared to Rowan's side -- one face-down monster in Defense Position, no set cards remaining -- the turnaround looked sharp and sudden.
"Watch out!"
Alexis and the watching students all reacted at once, eyes snapping to the rapidly shifted board state.
Even Crowler, who had been wilting in resignation, straightened up with renewed energy.
Had the dropout boy overplayed it?!
A gleeful thought began forming in Crowler's chest. If things had flipped, there was still a chance Bastion could win this after all.
His considerable investment in rare cards wouldn't go entirely to waste!
"No," Rowan said, smile as easy as ever.
"I didn't slip. I just expedited the ending."
He turned over the last card remaining in his hand and held it toward Bastion across the field.
"There's an old saying about courtesy -- when someone gives you a gift, you return one in kind. So while I'm giving you something, you'll need to give something back."
"Activate Spell Card from my hand -- Owner's Seal!"
"Owner's Seal?!"
Bastion's eyes went wide.
So did the eyes of nearly every student who heard the name and knew what it did.
Several of them just stood there, struck dumb.
Jaden and Syrus stared on in total confusion, with no idea why Bastion's face had just gone green.
"That card's effect returns control of all monsters on the field to their original owners," Alexis said, watching Rowan's figure in the distance, a quiet smile on her face.
"Which means... the Lava Golem that was just Summoned using Bastion's two monsters as Tributes is going to walk straight back to Rowan's side?!"
The gears turned for Jaden, Syrus, and a handful of others nearby who hadn't gotten there yet. Eyes went wide.
Jaws dropped.
That was horrifying.
You use my two powerful monsters as Tributes to Summon your own creature.
Then you take it back and attack me directly with it.
Was that even something a human mind could come up with?
"I'll accept your return gift, then. Come home -- Lava Golem."
The six-pointed seal blazed to life on Lava Golem's forehead as Owner's Seal resolved, and control shifted back to Rowan without ceremony.
Bastion watched it happen. His face went completely green.
You call this an exchange of gifts?
The monster was Summoned using my Tributes. You grew the fruit on my tree and then took it back as your share of the harvest.
Isn't there a more accurate word for that? Something along the lines of stealing?
I may not be the most widely read person alive, but I know what a scam looks like.
[Ding -- Bastion Misawa's Emotion Value +500!]
"Even so," Crowler's voice drifted from the sidelines, audibly doing arithmetic, "Bastion still has two Hydrogeddon at 1600 ATK and one Oxygeddon at 1800 ATK on his field in Attack Position. Even if the 3000 ATK Lava Golem is taken back, attacking the lowest-ATK Hydrogeddon only deals 1400 points of battle damage -- leaving Bastion with 100 LP remaining."
He seemed to be saying it as much to comfort himself as to analyze the situation.
"Which means Bastion still has a chance to fight back and win through Lava Golem's damage effect!"
"Who said anything about attacking the Hydrogeddon?" Rowan smiled and gave a small, casual gesture.
"Lava Golem attacks Oxygeddon. Grand Flamethrower."
He'd even named the move.
Lava Golem let out a wailing, otherworldly roar and drove a colossal fist of molten rock straight into the blue-green gas dragon on Bastion's field.
"What?! He's targeting the higher-ATK Oxygeddon?!" Crowler and most of the watching students openly registered surprise at the choice.
Jaden and Syrus were among them.
"Wait -- is he trying to use that effect...!"
Only Bastion himself, and Zane somewhere in the distance, flinched with sudden recognition. The answer had already arrived.
The magma fist connected.
Oxygeddon screamed and detonated -- not just an explosion, but a sheet of fire that erupted outward and swept across the entire dueling field in a roiling wave.
When it faded, Bastion was on one knee.
His 1500 LP had hit zero.
Only Rowan was still standing.