Fairy Tail: My Magic is a Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck — Chapter 193

Chapter 193: Anomaly! Tartaros, Absolute Zero Silver!

A dome of expanding pink Magic Power flared to life, casting a warm glow over the cowering villagers. Dark Magician Girl recovered from her earlier daze, hoisting her staff high to project a shimmering ward. The barrier deflected the relentless barrage of black halos raining from the sky, shielding those with weaker Magic Power from instant demonization.

“There are so many of them! Every single Magic Beast in the forest must have been drawn here!” Lucy gasped, pressing a hand over her mouth.

The corrupted creatures looked far more grotesque and ferocious than their normal counterparts. A timid newcomer to the guild might have frozen in terror at the sight. But Lucy had grown. Wrapped in the familiar hum of her Star Dress, she felt little fear toward these lesser foes. What truly unsettled her was the sheer, suffocating volume of the horde. Some beasts towered like small mountains, while others blotted out the sky in a dense, writhing black mass that stretched all the way to the horizon. Compared to this endless army, the once-spacious village suddenly felt like a claustrophobic cage.

“To corrupt and command an army of this scale… no wonder it ranks alongside the Phoenix as a legendary threat. A pity it had such a difficult birth.” Chase stood with his hands resting casually at his sides, his demeanor entirely unbothered as the monstrous tide advanced. He slowly reined in the surging fighting intent that had been rolling off his shoulders.

Just moments ago, he had been regretting his inability to properly test the Buster Blader’s true potential. Who knew the Devil King would be so accommodating as to activate a mass-corruption ability right on cue?

Chase lifted his gaze, locking onto the Buster Blader as the warrior rose from the distant, shattered ruins. His fingers traced a swift arc through the air, drawing two monster cards from his deck: Curse of Dragon and Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress.

This was the perfect opportunity. He intended to use the Devil King’s lingering demonization halos to turn his own Dragon-types into hostile forces, artificially triggering the Buster Blader’s maximum attack power multiplier.

With the Black Dragon Acnologia and the Five Dragon Gods looming as inevitable future threats, the Buster Blader’s anti-dragon specialization made it a vital trump card. Gathering concrete data on its scaling effects now would allow him to formulate proper countermeasures. At the very least, he needed a baseline to know whether to face those apocalyptic dragons head-on or execute a tactical retreat.

Testing this mechanic was a necessity. So, despite his itching desire to clash directly with the Devil King’s immense power, Chase suppressed his battle lust.

‘Let this monster get a good look at your true strength.’

Chase flicked his wrist, sending the two monster cards sailing right through the pink barrier maintained by Dark Magician Girl. “I will have to inconvenience you both for a moment…”

“Come forth! Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress! Curse of Dragon!”

Golden magic circles illuminated the darkened sky, slowly unfolding distinct sets of draconic wings. The dark blue wyvern and the skeletal yellow dragon materialized, diving straight into the swirling vortex of black halo energy released by the Devil King.

Understanding their master’s silent command, the two dragons lowered their natural defenses, willingly absorbing the invasive corruption. Their scales and bones blackened at a visible rate. Feral, violent roars tore from their throats as their eyes ignited with a hostile crimson glare, locking onto the ground below.

The summoning mechanics of Duel Monsters shared similarities with Lucy’s Celestial Spirit magic. Just as Lucy could force a gate closure if a spirit was compromised, Chase held absolute authority over his cards. Defeating the Devil King would break the control, or he could simply send the dragons back to the Graveyard. If things truly escalated, he still held the Spell Card Brain Control in reserve. The risks were entirely manageable.

His only lingering question was a technical one: would the system classify these corrupted creatures as Demon-types or retain their original Dragon-type status?

A colossal pillar of light erupting from the distant forest provided the immediate answer.

“My thanks. Since you are my companions, I will save you for last before cutting you down!”

The Buster Blader levitated within the blinding column of energy. The heavy armor that the Devil King had previously shattered now broke away completely, falling to the earth to reveal a scarred, muscular torso. Deep claw marks and jagged teeth wounds crisscrossed his skin, a visual history of countless battles against giant dragons.

Motes of golden light materialized from the surrounding air, drifting toward the massive Dragon Fang Greatsword in his grip. The blade absorbed the energy, humming with a resonant, metallic clang as its dull edge took on a lethal, radiant luster.

The oppressive aura radiating from the swordsman confirmed it. The anti-dragon effect was fully active. His attack power skyrocketed from a base of 2600 straight to 3600.

In terms of raw stats alone, he had just eclipsed Chase’s current ace monsters, Magician of Black Chaos and Black Luster Soldier.

“What manner of Magic is this?”

The Devil King recoiled, a primal sense of danger piercing through his arrogant facade. Fear flickered across his monstrous features. Had these lowly humans developed burst-type magic capable of instantaneous power multiplication during his centuries of slumber? Or had this swordsman simply been masking his true strength the entire time?

No. That was impossible.

The Devil King snapped his head toward the village, glaring directly at Chase. His predatory intuition screamed that this sudden escalation was directly linked to the two dragons the human had just summoned. He had been born during the era when dragons ruled the skies, intimately familiar with their terror. A moment ago, he had been gloating over stealing two of them for his army. Now, he realized he had walked into a trap.

But no matter how hard the ancient demon racked his brain, he could never comprehend the specific mechanics of a Duel Monster’s effect.

And he was completely out of time to try.

The empowered Buster Blader moved. He swung his greatsword through the empty air, unleashing a colossal wave of compressed sword energy. The crescent beam shattered the sound barrier, tearing a path through the sky as it plummeted toward the Devil King.

The sheer kinetic force of the strike cleaved the earth itself, carving a shocking, abyssal ravine through the heart of the forest.

At the bottom of the newly formed canyon, the Devil King staggered. His chest was a mangled ruin of flesh and bone. Black blood poured freely from a massive laceration stretching from his left shoulder down to his abdomen.

“Insolent human… how dare you!”

The Devil King’s eyes burned a furious scarlet. All attention shifted away from Chase and Éclair, locking entirely onto the Buster Blader. “I will tear you to shreds!”

A guttural roar shook the heavens as massive, leathery demon wings tore through the flesh of his back. Wrapped in a frantic hurricane of dark magic, the Devil King launched himself upward at blinding speed.

“Hahaha! Perfect! I was thinking the exact same thing!”

The Buster Blader showed zero hesitation, raising his glowing greatsword to meet the incoming charge.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A cataclysmic aerial battle ignited. Blinding holy sword light clashed against suffocating demonic energy, detonating like rapid-fire fireworks across the horizon. The resulting shockwaves shredded the cloud cover, echoing like thunder over the landscape.

Back at the village, the army of demonized beasts, led by the corrupted Winged Dragon and Curse of Dragon, launched their assault.

The ground quaked beneath the stampede, kicking up a massive dust storm. Wherever the horde trampled, stone houses and wooden structures collapsed like fragile toys.

The apocalyptic scale of the destruction sent the Village Chief and the remaining locals scrambling backward. They huddled tightly behind Lucy and Chase, too terrified to take another step.

“I will leave the cleanup crew to you two.”

Chase stifled a bored yawn, glancing sideways at Lucy and Dark Magician Girl. These mindless beasts offered zero challenge, and he had no desire to waste energy on them. They were, however, the perfect target practice to evaluate Lucy’s recent training.

“Leave it to me! I call dibs on Curse of Dragon and Winged Dragon!” Dark Magician Girl threw her hand into the air, bouncing on her heels.

Whether it was the chaotic influence of hanging around the Fairy Tail guild, or just a sudden spark of mischief, she seemed highly motivated by the prospect of legally beating up her own teammates. The lesser beasts looked intimidating, but their actual combat power was pitifully low. They were the kind of fodder even Lucy could handle without breaking a sweat.

“I can hear your thoughts, you know! Your gaze is incredibly offensive right now!” Lucy snapped, catching the subtle pity in the spellcaster’s eyes. She planted her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffing out in annoyance.

“Well then, Lucy, why don’t you take the dragons?” Dark Magician Girl offered with a sweet, innocent smile.

Lucy glanced up. Curse of Dragon was currently spewing torrents of black, melting hellfire, while the Winged Dragon was generating localized tornadoes just by flapping its wings.

Lucy swallowed hard, her expression instantly shifting into one of righteous fury directed at the smaller beasts. “You foul demon monsters! Prepare to be thoroughly crushed!”

“Open! Gate of the Lion, Leo!”

“Star Dress: Leo Form!”

Golden light enveloped her, swapping her clothes for an elegant, combat-ready gown. Without a second of hesitation, Lucy and Loki charged directly into the swarm of ground-level beasts, moving with astonishing speed.

“Oh dear, I completely forgot to mention that the Devil King’s aura makes the corrupted beasts significantly stronger. And there are quite a lot of them.”

Watching Lucy dive headfirst into the mob, Dark Magician Girl’s lips curled into a playful, slightly wicked smirk.

Chase sighed internally. She had definitely been spending too much time with Mirajane.

Her teasing finished, Dark Magician Girl’s expression sharpened. She hopped onto her staff, transforming into a streak of brilliant pink light as she rocketed into the sky to intercept the two rampaging dragons.

Explosions rocked the valley. Chaotic shockwaves bloomed in every direction, pushing the multi-front war between the Fairy Tail mages and the ancient demonic forces to its absolute peak.

Amidst the deafening chaos, Chase remained an island of calm. Aside from casually flicking a card now and then to vaporize any beast that managed to slip past Lucy’s defenses, his focus was locked on the sky.

The Buster Blader was performing beyond expectations. Fueled by Chase’s steady supply of Magic Power, the swordsman was actively suppressing the Devil King. The initial stalemate had been broken. Victory was a mathematical certainty.

If merely two dragons provided this level of amplification, Chase could only imagine the sheer devastation the Buster Blader could unleash if he ever faced the ten thousand dragons from the Eclipse Gate timeline. The visual alone would be staggering.

He just needed to figure out if the attack multiplier had a hard cap, and how heavily it drained his own reserves. Chase narrowed his eyes, analyzing the internal flow of his magic. The drain had accelerated, confirming that the card’s potential was tied to his own stamina.

Still, for a standard seven-star monster to exhibit this level of scaling was an incredible asset. And that was before factoring in the eventual possibility of summoning the Dark Paladin.

“Éclair! Éclair! What is happening to you?!”

Momon’s panicked shrieks shattered his concentration.

Chase turned to see Éclair collapsed on the dirt. She was clutching her head, her delicate features twisted in absolute agony. The half of the Phoenix Stone hanging from her neck was reacting violently to the Devil King’s suffocating aura, pulsing with a blinding, scorching light.

Fragmented memories she had previously suppressed were violently tearing through her consciousness, threatening to shatter her mind.

Chase frowned. If this continued, her psyche would fracture completely. He stepped forward, gently pulling the panicked Momon away from the radiant heat.

A Spell Card materialized between his fingers, blooming with pure white light. Three ethereal, glowing swords descended from the sky, forming a triangular cage around the glowing pendant.

Under the absolute sealing authority of the Swords of Revealing Light, the violent energy within the Phoenix Stone was forcefully suppressed. The blinding glow faded into a dull hum, and Éclair’s tense body went limp as she lost consciousness.

“She is just asleep. Her breathing is stable.” Chase reached down, lightly ruffling Momon’s feathered head to calm the trembling creature. Since Éclair had crafted this body from random materials, the texture was a bit rougher than Happy’s fur, but the sentiment remained.

“Thank you, Lord Chase! Thank you so much!” Momon bowed repeatedly, wiping away tears.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chase replied smoothly. He was about to ask Momon a lingering question regarding its gender, but a blinding flash of light swallowed his words.

A colossal mushroom cloud erupted over the distant tree line, painting the sky in shades of violent orange and black.

From the heart of the raging inferno, a battered, blood-soaked figure staggered forward. In his hand, he carried a strangely shaped, petrified stone egg.

The Devil King had fallen.

“Chase… the target is eliminated. I have reached my limit… I will return to rest.”

The Buster Blader cast a fleeting glance toward the sky where Curse of Dragon and the Winged Dragon were still engaged, a hint of regret in his posture. His physical form, having exhausted its borrowed time, shattered into countless motes of golden light that drifted away on the wind.

The stone egg slipped from his vanishing grip, hitting the dirt with a heavy thud. It rolled a few feet before coming to a stop directly against Chase’s boots.

“Rest well. You earned it.”

Chase waved a hand toward the fading light particles, then crouched down to retrieve the heavy stone egg.

“The anomaly has been resolved. Now then, Village Chief, I believe it is time to discuss the payment for this commission—”

As Chase turned around to hand the egg over, his pupils violently contracted. Every muscle in his body locked.

The air had stopped moving.

A terrifying, suffocating wave of Magic Power materialized out of thin air, carrying a cold so absolute it burned the lungs. In a fraction of a second, a pale purple glacier of solid ice erupted across the battlefield.

The charging beasts, the roaring dragons, Loki, Dark Magician Girl, and Lucy—every single living entity engaged in combat was instantly entombed in unbreakable frost. The shallow purple ice spread like a plague, devouring the landscape, the buildings, and the forest. Within three breaths, the chaotic warzone was transformed into a dead, silent, frozen wasteland.

Crack.

A localized hurricane of golden lightning shattered a section of the crystal floor.

Chase stepped out from the falling ice shards, his eyes dark and lethal. He had reacted just in time to activate a card, teleporting himself and the cowering villagers out of the immediate freeze zone. He stared coldly at the lone figure now standing casually at the village entrance.

“Oh? Even with me suppressing my aura, you managed to detect the shift, activate a spell, and relocate the civilians.”

The man surveyed the empty space where the villagers had been just seconds prior, letting out a low, amused chuckle. “I suppose I should expect nothing less from a Fairy Tail S-Class Mage.”

Silver steel armor glinted under the refracted light of the frozen wasteland. Stitched over his left breast was a single, unmistakable word: ‘Zero’.

The man bore a striking resemblance to Gray Fullbuster. He was a member of the Nine Demon Gates, the elite vanguard of the dark guild Tartaros.

The Ice Devil Slayer Mage. Silver of the Absolute Zero.