Chapter 24: The Strategy to Disrupt the Monster

"Heroes have their stages to fight on, and small fry have the streets they know best. Field spell, Ojamas Country!"

The expanding semi-spherical barrier across the field vanished in a burst of dazzling light. Immediately afterward, countless tiny, spherical dwellings suddenly sprouted from the flat ground. The houses possessed such bizarre shapes that they hardly looked fit for human habitation—and indeed, they were not.

Peeking from the windows of these numerous huts, a multitude of bizarre-looking creatures could be seen hiding within. Judging by their appearance and style, they were clearly members of the Ojama series, just like the Ojama Yellow currently on Hayato's side of the field.

After the field spell was activated, Ojama Yellow scurried around for a moment before darting into one of the houses, emerging shortly with a pile of odd paraphernalia—a shovel, a kite string, a rubber ball, and so on. Its movements were as practiced and familiar as if it were returning to its own home.

"Ah~ How nostalgic~ Without Aniki, I thought I'd never be able to come back home~" Dragging a baseball bat much larger than its entire body with both hands, Ojama Yellow stepped out of the house and sighed in a nostalgic tone.

Well, this actually was its home.

"To think you have a rare Field Spell card, when I don't even have a single one." Weevil wore a jealous expression as he looked at the Field Spell Hayato had played. It had only been a month since Pegasus released this brand-new series of card packs. Although Weevil had heard rumors that some people had unboxed entirely new card types like Field Spells, he hadn't managed to get his hands on one suitable for an Insect Deck yet.

"So what if you do? Even if your monster is powered up by the field, it's still just small fry! My Sword Horn Beetle has grown weaker from losing the field, but that doesn't mean you've gotten any stronger!"

Ignoring Weevil's taunts, Hayato issued a direct command: "Alright, scum, nostalgia time is over. Take out that beetle on the other side! Home run attack!"

"Yes, Aniki!"

Setting the rubber ball down, Ojama Yellow grabbed the baseball bat with both hands and spun its entire body around. After building up momentum for a few turns, it swung the bat, sending the ball flying straight toward Weevil's Sword Horn Beetle.

"Before you mock me, take a close look at your monster, you insect jerk."

Seeing Weevil open his mouth to retort, Hayato cut him off before he could speak, pointing a finger at the Sword Horn Beetle. Weevil looked over and finally noticed that, at some point, all the Ojama monsters from the houses in Ojamas Country had swarmed out and were repeatedly harassing the Sword Horn Beetle—some tickling it, some splashing red paint on it, and others tossing lime dust.

In short, it was nothing but hooligan tactics.

Infuriated by the near-constant harassment from the Ojama monsters, the Sword Horn Beetle boiled with countless layers of rage. Completely ignoring Ojama Yellow's so-called "home run attack," it spun around to give furious chase to the Ojama monsters, who were scattering in all directions as they sensed danger. Its back was turned completely toward Hayato!

"Yellow, aim straight!"

"Right in this guy's ass!"

Among the fleeing Ojamas, Hayato caught sight of Black and Green. Scrambling for their lives as the Sword Horn Beetle pursued them, they still hadn't forgotten to encourage their brother Yellow to hit hard.

"Nii-san~~~"

Ojama Yellow's eyes welled up with tears as it pinched a handkerchief from goodness knows where to wipe them, waving goodbye to Black and Green just as they were overtaken. While the Sword Horn Beetle's sharp horn skewered both Ojama Black and Ojama Green in a single thrust, the baseball batted away by Ojama Yellow struck its rear flank.

"Boom!"

Though it was merely a rubber ball, the moment of impact triggered a massive explosion. The completely defenseless Sword Horn Beetle was blasted into pieces in an instant, and Weevil took battle damage as well.

"That's impossible! The ATK of my Sword Horn Beetle is—"

"The effect of Ojamas Country. While an Ojama monster is on the field, the ATK and DEF of all monsters on the field are swapped," Hayato explained to the disbelieving Weevil. "Though the Sword Horn Beetle's ATK is quite high, the price it pays is that its defense is simply too low."

Sword Horn Beetle: ATK 2400 → 600 | DEF 600 → 2400
Ojama Yellow: ATK 0 → 1000 | DEF 1000 → 0
Weevil: 4000 LP → 3600 LP

"Main Phase Two. I set three cards face-down in my backrow and end my turn."

Glancing at Weevil, who hung his head as if deep in thought, Hayato concluded his turn. "As I said before, hold out your dominant hand, Insect Weevil. I will crush you while you're fighting at your absolute best!"

Hayato: Hand 5 → 6 → 0
Ojama Yellow: ATK 1000
Face-down Card | Face-down Card | Face-down Card

"My turn, draw."

With a gloomy expression, Weevil drew a card from his deck. Staring at the card he had just drawn, he hesitated for a moment before playing it: "Activate Spell Card, Card of Demise! My hand will be replenished back to six cards through its effect." He drew five more cards from his deck, instantly refilling his hand, which had been reduced to just a single card.

"However, I also get to enjoy the benefit of Demise." Hayato's hand had been zero, fewer than Weevil's. Thanks to Card of Demise, he drew a full six cards from his deck in one go.

To be honest, Hayato felt genuinely thrilled at this moment.

"Damn it all, he's hitching a free ride." Weevil looked quite displeased watching Hayato draw his cards, but he had no choice. To pull off his previous combo, he had spent the majority of his hand and lacked any powerful cards left. If he didn't use Demise to replenish his hand, Hayato would launch direct attacks next turn and massively deplete his Life Points.

"Hayato Kobayashi, that Ojamas Country on your field is a massive nuisance. But while your monsters get stronger from it, so do mine! Attack Position, summon Skull-Mark Ladybug!"

A ladybug with a completely pitch-black shell appeared on Weevil's side of the field, bearing skull-like markings upon its back.

Skull-Mark Ladybug: Level 4 | Earth | Insect / Effect | ATK 500 | DEF 1500

"Because of the effect of your Ojamas Country, the ATK and DEF of my Skull-Mark Ladybug are swapped. Next, I activate this card, Odd-Eye Clover! By discarding a Level 4 Plant-Type monster from my hand, one monster on my field can attack twice this turn."

Weevil discarded a Plant-Type monster from his hand into the Graveyard—Spike Seeder, a rare Plant monster capable of synergizing with Insect-Types. True to Weevil's action, the figure of Spike Seeder materialized on the field, only to be pounced upon and voraciously devoured by the Skull-Mark Ladybug the instant it appeared.

Skull-Mark Ladybug: ATK 500 → 1500 | DEF 1500 → 500

"A monster with 1500 ATK can attack twice? If that happens, Hayato's in trouble! Won't he take 2000 points of damage?" Among the onlookers, Joey couldn't help but gasp in astonishment at the brand-new combo Weevil had pulled off.

Yugi shook his head. "It doesn't work that way, Joey. If Weevil destroys Hayato's Ojama Yellow, the ATK of his Skull-Mark Ladybug will revert to 500, making it 1000 damage in total." Even so, 1000 points of damage was by no means a small amount, and Yugi cast a worried glance toward Hayato.