Chapter 26: Unfortunately, Your Lord Is in the Stratosphere

"What, what an incredible combo!" exclaimed one of the observing duelists.

"This is Insector Haga's signature tactic: using magic and traps to buff and debuff monsters on the field, then launching a devastating counterattack all at once!"

"That guy named Hayato is in serious danger."

"Damn insect jerk, stop your attack already, [Skull Stalker]!" Jonouchi watched with burning anxiety. If he could step onto the field, he might actually rush up and physically hold back the impending attack of the [Skull Stalker].

"I'm afraid that won't work, Jonouchi," Yugi explained. "Hayato already declared his attack just now, and Haga's monster merely changed its battle position, which doesn't trigger the replay rules of combat."

"Hayato's going to be in a real bind now."

However, unlike Yugi and the others worrying on the sidelines, when Hayato saw Haga's [Skull-Mark Ladybug] shift into defense position, he spoke with a somewhat peculiar expression: "I actually expected your backrow to be something like [Grave of the Super Ancient Organism] or [Widespread Ruin], but instead you went with a defensive counterattack tactic that changes to defense position?"

"A monster with 2500 defense points? Impressive, truly impressive."

"Then I won't hold back. I activate my set card, [Guillotine of the Underworld]!"

Hayato activated the face-down card he had set right from the start of the duel. Haga didn't immediately recognize what kind of card it was: "[Guillotine of the Underworld]? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."

Meanwhile, down below, Yugi—who "has loved heavy backrow traps ever since he was a kid" thanks to his grandfather running a card shop—instantly blurted out the effect of [Guillotine of the Underworld] based on his background: "I remember that card is a trap that can only be activated when an opponent's monster in attack position is changed to face-up defense position. Its effect is to destroy all monsters in defense position on the opponent's side of the field?!"

As Yugi recited the card's effect, the eyes of Jonouchi and the others grew brighter and brighter. Haga also suddenly recalled the card's text, and his face turned somewhat pale: "You mean—!!!"

"How could anyone run a card like this!?"

"That's right, blind defense only leads down the path of Louis XVI; without battle, there is no survival. Haga, you love using underhanded methods to avoid combat, but that exact habit is what leads you to your defeat!" Hayato looked at the giant guillotine projected on the field, and the [Skull-Mark Ladybug] whose head was wedged into the blade, its bug face filled with sheer bewilderment.

"—Executioner's sentence carried out! Death paves the way for tomorrow's hope!"

The massive blade suspended high above the guillotine instantly plummeted. Even with its sturdy carapace and securely fastened shield, the [Skull-Mark Ladybug] failed to withstand the descending giant falling blade and was destroyed with a sharp *crunch*.

"Damn it!" With the [Skull-Mark Ladybug] destroyed and his proud combo shattered without having any effect, Haga was both furious and aggrieved. "Because the [Skull-Mark Ladybug] was sent to the graveyard, I can recover 1,000 points of Life Points!"

[Haga: 3600 LP → 4600 LP]

"However, because the [Skull-Mark Ladybug] has been destroyed, the wall blocking my monsters' advance no longer exists." Hayato waved his arm. "Launch an all-out attack on the insect scum, [Skull Stalker] and [Elf Swordsman]!"

"Crimson Needle!" "Iai • Elegy of the Lion!"

Although the attack names Hayato shouted out were cool and stylish, the two monsters on the field literally just ran up to Haga's duel platform in an ordinary fashion, delivered an ordinary attack, and then retreated in an ordinary fashion. Even so, quite a few duelists in the audience cheered excitedly:

"What a cool attack!"

"That swordsmanship is so graceful, I need to go collect an [Elf Swordsman] card myself!"

"Hey, didn't you say yesterday on the ship that you wanted to trade your [Bitter Choice] for my [Elf Swordsman]? I'll trade with you now."

"No way, I wouldn't do it even if you threw in that [Lightning Vortex]."

Even Anzu, who usually had little interest in Duel Monsters, grabbed Yugi's arm with sparkling eyes: "Hey, Yugi? I remember you have several [Elf Swordsman] cards, right? Would you give me one? I'll go on a date with you in exchange?"

"Cough-ack!" The virtual projection system integrated into the duel platform used the same intensity of impact simulation as the one used earlier by Yugi and Kaiba. Previously, he had only been grazed by the shockwave of [Ojama Yellow], but this time, taking direct attacks from two monsters consecutively, Haga felt a very real sense of pain.

[Haga: 4600 LP → 3700 LP → 2300 LP]

Knowing full well the golden rule of either securing a one-turn-kill or holding back just in case the opponent pulls a scripted comeback, Hayato saw that Haga's Life Points had dropped to 2300 and proceeded to set three cards from his hand. "I'll spare your life until the next turn; keep struggling on in futility for a little longer, Insector Haga. I set four cards face-down, and end my turn."

[Hayato: 5000 LP, Hand 7 → 3]
[Elf Swordsman] [ATK 1400]
[Skull Stalker] [ATK 900]
[Face-down Card] [Face-down Card] [Face-down Card] [Face-down Card] [Face-down Card]
Field: [Ojama Country]

Looking at Hayato's field, Haga couldn't help but shiver involuntarily. The two monsters lingering in the front row weren't much of a threat, and that [Ojama Country] was now nothing more than scrap paper with the [Ojama] monsters gone. However, the five completely filled face-down cards in Hayato's backrow were truly terrifying.

Haga considered his own dueling style to be quite toxic already. Dinosaur Ryuzaki, that simpleton who won runner-up in the National Duel Monsters Tournament, had gotten so furious after his duel against Haga that he cursed him as an underhanded villain simply because he had been locked down by various trap cards the entire match.

Someone really ought to let that simpleton duel this detestable Hayato Kobayashi just to see what a truly twisted board looks like.

"What are you dawdling for? Draw your card already, I've been waiting so long my flowers are withering."

Hearing Hayato across from him remain completely oblivious to his own oppressive "T-setting" while urging him to draw quickly, Haga swallowed his anger and angrily drew a card. When he saw what he had drawn, he froze for a moment.

"Hehe, Hayato, do you really think you've gained the upper hand? Watch closely, this is my true trump card!"

"Come forth, my precious [Larva Moth], and equip it with the [Cocoon of Evolution] from my hand!"

[Larva Moth] [Level 1/Earth] [Insect/Normal] [ATK 300 / DEF 200]

"He actually equipped a monster card onto another monster card!? What kind of bizarre move is that?" Jonouchi watched as, true to Haga's words, a small caterpillar materialized on the duel field, immediately began spinning silk, and transformed into a massive cocoon dominating the area.

However, this time it wasn't Yugi who answered his confusion, but a woman's voice: "That is Insector Haga's true signature combo; a powerful monster will eventually hatch from inside that cocoon. It looks like Insector Haga is finally getting serious."

Before Jonouchi could turn his head, a very familiar scent of perfume drifted into his nose. He looked back and saw, as expected, Mai Valentine, whom he had briefly crossed paths with on the cruise ship.