"Ugh!" Even after taking 2000 damage, Tokiomi maintained his elegance and refrained from crying out in pain.
"Wow, this hurts way more than getting hit by Ea. Hero King, are you okay?" Beast flicked its tail, seemingly unfazed. However, the sheen of its fur had noticeably dulled.
"A beast is a beast—reckless and foolish! Tokiomi, it has no cards on its field now. As long as my dearest friend enters the battlefield, victory is ours! This supreme honor shall be shared between us!" Gilgamesh mocked Beast's recklessness.
Summoning a Servant with over 2000 ATK would secure victory—but was it really that simple?
Beast gave the answer: "I activate the effect of [Tail of Beast IV] from my Graveyard! During the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it to the field as a Servant card. Additionally, I can designate a Servant that was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard this turn and copy its stats. Now then, Gilgamesh, come to my side."
A blazing tail emerged from the ground, twisting and reshaping itself into the likeness of Gilgamesh.
[Tail of Beast IV]ATK 3000
"Oh, and one more thing—if this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, it returns to my hand. After all, it is my tail."
"You dare to take my form?!" Gilgamesh gritted his teeth, seething at the sight of this mockery. "Tokiomi, find a way to get rid of that abomination!"
"What a demanding King," Tokiomi sighed with a wry smile. This was a life-or-death moment for him, yet Gilgamesh had already exercised restraint—though even this "restrained" version was difficult to deal with. "I Normal Summon [Kotomine Kirei]! By discarding two cards from my hand, I can Special Summon an Archer Servant from my Graveyard in Attack Position at the start of my next turn."
[Kotomine Kirei]Master – Level 4ATK 1600
"Master, are we hunting this monster?" Kotomine Kirei stepped onto the field, still wearing an apron and holding a kitchen knife, looking nothing like the former Executor of the Church. He was already familiar with Jiangliu's Noble Phantasm effects, so he wasn't particularly surprised.
"Yes." Although Tokiomi was annoyed by Kotomine's strange resignation, he knew better than to argue at a time like this. "The opponent is a being even the Hero King himself cannot defeat outright. We must prepare for the worst. If I lose, return immediately and inform the Church—they must treat this as a top-level threat."
Seeing Kotomine nod, Tokiomi proceeded with his turn. "My effect activates—when I'm sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I add the Equip Spell [Azoth Sword] from my deck or Graveyard to my hand. I equip [Azoth Sword] to [Kotomine Kirei]!"
[Kotomine Kirei]ATK 1600 → 1900
"[Azoth Sword]'s effect! I can banish cards from my Graveyard, increasing the equipped monster's ATK by 200 per card until my next turn. I banish three cards!"
[Kotomine Kirei]ATK 1900 → 2500
Even with 2500 ATK, he couldn't break through Beast's field, but Tokiomi's goal was to hold the line and survive until Gilgamesh's return.
"I return three banished Equip Spells to my deck to Special Summon [Enkidu] in Defense Position!"
As soon as Enkidu entered the field, he sensed something amiss. "This presence… It's similar to 'Mother.'" Tiamat also possessed the authorities of a Beast, something all Mesopotamian Servants were aware of. "I see now—Gil, you've gotten yourself into quite a mess."
"My dearest friend, I entrust everything to you. Just hold on until my next turn, and I will return to end this."
"I'll give it my all—just as I did when we fought the Bull of Heaven," Enkidu reassured him.
"I set one card face-down and end my turn," Tokiomi said, having exhausted his hand.
"Can I say that a Duelist's fate is inevitable? My turn—draw!" Beast raised its hand, readying its next move.
"I Normal Summon [Waver (Lord El-Melloi II)] and activate his effect!"
A grown-up, overworked Waver appeared on the field, but before he could voice his complaints, Beast cut him off. "I reveal the top three cards of my deck. Two go to the Graveyard, and I add the Field Spell [Non-Primate Survival Zone] to my hand."
"Be careful—she's setting up—" Waver tried to warn them, but Beast had already activated the card.
"Heh↑ Heh↓, this card's activation cannot be negated! When it's activated, I must banish all non-Beast Servants from both the field and Graveyard. Gilgamesh, you won't be showing up next turn!"
A realm that rejected humanity unfolded, sweeping the battlefield clean. The defensive line Tokiomi had carefully built was obliterated in an instant.
"Oh, and while this card is on the field, each player can only Special Summon one non-Beast Servant per turn. Additionally, all Beast Servants gain 1000 ATK and DEF, while non-Beast Servants lose 1000 ATK and DEF!"
[Tail of Beast IV]ATK 3000 → 4000
"Is that the end? Oh, don't be so tense! I'll end my turn here. Now, struggle for me a little longer!" Beast wagged its tail playfully, confident in its victory.
"My turn…"
"Wait, Tokiomi—failure is not an option in this battle!" Gilgamesh stopped him mid-action. "A Beast is the enemy of all humanity—we cannot allow it to grow unchecked. There is a card in my deck that can reverse this situation. Use a Command Spell. Hand over the cost of the Duel and the right to draw to me—order me to draw [Ea]! This is our only chance."
Tokiomi nodded, agreeing to Gilgamesh's plan.
"I command you with a Command Spell—Gilgamesh, wield [Ea] in your hand! I command you again with a second Command Spell—my King, draw [Ea] without fail!"
"Behold! The King's Draw!" Gilgamesh roared as he drew his card. The moment the card was pulled, golden-red light erupted.
An uncontrollable grin spread across Gilgamesh's face.
"It's over! I activate the Spell Card [Ea]! When this card is successfully activated, I skip my Battle Phase. [Ea]'s effect—destroy all cards on my opponent's field and deal 2000 damage!"
Gilgamesh burst into triumphant laughter, reveling in his overwhelming dominance. "Beast, remember this—you are the challenger! This is the price for angering the King!"