Acid Storm and the Goddess's Revival

"Acid Storm? That's a deck straight-up designed to snipe Bardi!"

Eden's face flushed red with fury.

Cards that target specific types or archetypes were fairly common, but Acid Storm—a card that worked against Machine-type creatures—was one you rarely saw. The reason was simple: very few players built their decks around Machine-type creatures. And even those who did never filled their entire deck with them like Ricardo had.

"Hmm~ We saw that coming, but~ this is too much~."

Adella was just as pissed. She might act like a carefree, always-smiling airhead, but she was still a noble lady from a prestigious house. Well-versed in political games, she'd already suspected the circumstances behind a deck-destruction player like Nico Müller suddenly showing up as a guest instructor.

But she hadn't expected him to pull off something this blatant.

A spark of flame flickered in her emerald eyes, which carried the faint scent of fresh grass.

"Hmph." "Eek...!"

Alessia didn't even show anger anymore. Arms crossed, she simply let her cold crimson eyes glint ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠coldly.

"Turn end."

Meanwhile, ignoring the chilling aura he was subtly emanating, Ricardo calmly passed his turn without any special moves.

The only card on his field was Machinary Deep Sea Dragon - Nautilus, which couldn't build his Factory Gauge. With his Factory tapped out from summoning it, Ricardo's situation looked grim.

"Bardi..." "Hang in there~ Ricardo~!"

Ricardo nodded silently at Adella's cheer.

"Then it's my turn. I tribute Dark Demon - Micyuna for Devil's Contract - Price of Ruin. Micyuna is Rank 2, so by Ruin's effect, I recover 1,000 Soul Points."

Iron chains erupted from the ground, constricting the balloon-like swollen demon.

-Squeeeek?

Micyuna writhed its tentacles in panic, but soon its feeble resistance ceased, crushed by the chains and exploding outright.

Vreeeeeng!

At the same instant, swarms of locusts burst from the demon's fleshy mass.

Müller narrowed his eyes, savoring the girls' screams like fine classical music, then spoke with a sinister grin.

"At this moment, Micyuna's special ability activates. When sent to the graveyard as tribute for a card named Devil's Contract, it special summons the Advance Creature, Apocalypse Yellow Sea."

And then. Müller paused deliberately, pointing a bony finger at Ricardo.

"Apocalypse Yellow Sea also has a special ability. Upon summon, it sends 6 cards from the opponent's deck to the graveyard and self-destructs."

"...!"

Ricardo's eyes widened, hand covering his mouth.

The locust swarm with human faces cackled grotesquely as it lunged at his deck.

Vroooom!! Crunch crunch crunch crunch...

"Ahh...!" "Damn, Bardi's deck is nearly halved now!"

As his friends groaned, Ricardo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grimaced over his hand at the sight of 6 cards devoured from his deck.

"On top of that, I summon Dark Demon - Taros."

Screeek, screeek, screeek...

From the thick fog blanketing Müller's field came the sound of oars rowing. Soon, a gaunt demon astride a rickety boat revealed itself.

"That ends my turn. At the same time, by Ralquia's special ability, I pay 500 Soul Points."

"..."

Ricardo silently drew his card. As if refusing to give him time to think, Müller quickly added,

"Don't forget Ruin's effect, Bardi. Tribute your only creature on the field... Nautilus!"

Müller's wide eyes gleamed with twisted glee, as if thrilled beyond measure at having buried a legendary dragon with his own hands.

"Tch..."

Ricardo gritted his teeth and lifted the Nautilus card from the Battle Table.

-Kyaaaaah... Waaaaaahhn─!!

Against the siren wail of Lost World, Nautilus shattered with a mournful cry.

The students—especially Alexander, who'd once lost to it—gaped in shock.

"Heh heh heh...! At this moment, Dark Demon - Taros's special ability activates!"

Müller cackled, extending his hand toward Taros.

"Taros is the ferryman of hell! His toll is steep. When an opponent's creature is sent to the graveyard by a card named Devil's Contract, it mills that many cards from the opponent's deck equal to the creature's Rank!"

Dark Demon - Taros swung its oar wide. From beneath hell's fog, piranha swarms leaped up and tore into Ricardo's deck.

'Hmm, no third dragon, huh?'

In Magic & Creature, graveyard cards were public info—viewable anytime. Müller had been checking Ricardo's graveyard habitually.

Thanks to that, he'd spotted another dragon, Gustav Dora, buried there... but nothing else noteworthy.

'Well, two dragons are rare enough.'

Though 20 cards remained in the deck, most key cards were likely gone. Academy rules required exactly 20 Support Cards, after all.

Convinced of victory, Müller relaxed with a smug smile.

Ricardo, staring him down, flipped one of his face-down Spell Circles on the table.

One of the two he'd set on his first turn.

"Spell Circle activate: Distortion Shot."

Waaaaaahhn...!!

Lost World screamed as if tearing apart. From its ruins emerged a clunky device on four wheels, its barrel gleaming gray.

"Destroys one Spell Circle on the opponent's field. The one I target is..."

Ricardo's finger pointed at the dark clouds blanketing the field.

"Acid Storm."

Kreeeeek...

At its master's will, Distortion Shot's barrel whirred irritably, aiming at the clouds.

Boom─!

Gray flames spewed forth, dispersing the storm.

"And at this moment, Lost World's effect activates."

Not done yet, Ricardo declared the Zone's hidden power.

"Lost World's effect!?" "As expected... there was more to it."

As students buzzed, Eden stroked his chin and nodded, intellect gleaming behind his glasses.

"Hey, Rogers. You knew something?" "Don't keep it to yourself—spill for us!" "It's not that I knew... it's simple."

"Simple?"

"Lost World's revealed effect was too basic, right? Just fetching Rusty Factory without Mana Crystal cost."

True enough.

Lost World's known effect was deploying Rusty Factory for free. Powerful, sure—especially with Factory's gauge-building—but limited to deck searches. If unlucky and no Factory in deck, it was dead.

"That doesn't add up."

Zone cards embodied a player's psyche, like symbols.

Alexander's Maritime Kingdom Belluraca boosted Water-types and deployed seas.

Diego's Gorgon Swamp powered Snake-types and built Venom Gauge each turn.

But Ricardo's? No stat boosts, just a potentially useless search? No way.

A man wielding two dragons wouldn't have such a meager domain.

"Activates only when your deck is 20 cards or fewer: Special Summon Machinery Colossus - Libertus from deck, hand, or graveyard. In fact, this is the only way to summon her."

Müller’s eyes bulged in horror. The students gasped too.

"Not just deck and hand..." "From the graveyard!?"

This world had no magic to fully resurrect the dead.

Same in Magic & Creature.

Even Cursed Marionette was just undead-ified via black magic—a puppeteering trick. It started at 0 stats, so no noticeable drop, but undeading usually weakened. Reenacting full power via puppetry? Impossible. Even skilled necromancers enhancing corpses couldn't call it true revival. History's black mages ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠broke against death's wall, descending into madness.

If like the old world with no black magic, faith might sustain resurrection hopes. But this world, glimpsing death's absoluteness through deep study, feared and craved conquering it—yet knew it unbeatable.

Except a few madmen. And Ricardo.

Ruuuuumble...!

A reincarnate who'd tasted wretched death in that world and revived here. He was different. He had to be.

"Rise, Libertus!"

At the call of one returned from death's embrace—the goddess statue in the dead world's heart began to stand. Dyed in Ricardo's psyche, mechanizing her very form.

Her left arm, buried underground, punched through concrete, grasping a half-ruined building to prop herself. The Declaration of Independence once clutched in that hand was gone.

A crown of seven horns. Her face remained stern and severe, but no goddess escaped war's horrors. Her right face shattered, exposing innards; crimson lava wept from its eye like bloody tears.

"Libertus, special ability activate."

The torch in her right hand—once banner of liberty and reason—unleashed a torrent of flame. Like a goddess's wail, witnessing a world's demise and fall.

Groooowwwl...

And simultaneously.

Kabooooom!!

The old world's grave began to overflow.