Season 0: Theme Keycard #1 C20: Wishing Upon A Star

A/N: Just to clarify, the Blazing Phoenix is a Special Summon-only Monster, not a Ritual. I am planning to make Lenix the face of Ritual Summoning, but I'll have to introduce more Ritual Support first. Hell, I might even make a "Super Poly" for Rituals, which will allow me to keep Judai as Fusion's star, while letting Lenix own Rituals. Oh, and the Blazing Phoenix Custom Card will be uploaded in the next Chapter. I'm still working out a few bugs😅.

The warehouse stood at a slant against the dying light of the Sun, a colossal, rusted skeleton. Its corrugated iron walls glowed with a furious red, like old blood baked dry under the intense Summer heat. On its sides, rust-coated aluminum frames clung onto shattered windowpanes like empty eye sockets within a crumbling, weathered skull.

Hardy weeds pushed through cracks in the concrete foundation; reminders of nature’s ongoing project to reclaim what Mankind had taken from her.

The heavy, steel loading doors hung slightly crooked, letting out a low, mournful creak with each gust of wind, like the weary sighs of forgotten Souls trapped while a lone, flickering streetlamp cast elongated, twisting shadows that writhed across the warehouse’s surface. Locals whispered tales about this place—a fire, decades past, that had consumed the workers and machinery alike, leaving behind only ashened flesh and cooked organs.

They said on still nights, the wind carried their screams.

Others spoke of a government-funded operation gone wrong, which inevitably ended with a massacre and Vengeful Spirits, forever bound to the site of their violent demise… It was all superstitious nonsense, of course; tales told to scare naughty children from coming near a deteriorating structure.

No Ghosts haunted the place, just a potent Leyline with which Spirit Energy (Ba) flowed through; Energy so intense it'd ocassionally cause stray thoughts and emotions to bleed into reality, provided they were strong enough.

In ages past, when Magic was openly acknowledged and practiced, this would have been prime real estate, a nexus of unchecked power any Mage could tap in, not unlike the refined Duel Energy (DE) KaibaCorp now harnessed.

It was Magic in its entirety;

The very Essence of the Earth’s Life-Force unfiltered, and it was as potent and dangerous as anyone might have guessed, doubly so when mishandled.

Anyone foolish enough to try and draw directly from it would be subjected to a grim fate. Mages would turn to ash, and Spirits would be pulled into the Stream and disintegrated to feed the Stream.

But that didn't mean Leylines couldn't be ultilized at all. Any Spellcaster knew a carefully constructed Ritual could channel and direct it to achieve remarkable effects, albeit at the cost of the local ecosystem.

Where there's no Ba, there cannot be flora, which in turn affected the wildlife as well, however 'independent' from nature they had evolved to be.

Thankfully, Leylines were naturally-replenishing sources, furthermore, Lenix wasn't planning to use it all up anyway.

He'd have to call upon the Egyptian Gods, the Sacred Beasts and the Wicked Gods at the same time to even put any noticeable dent in the Well of Ba.

“Will this work?”

Gaze sweeping the interior of the warehouse one last time, Lenix crossed arms and shifted on the spot.

'It’s even stronger than I anticipated.' The Handmaiden’s thought echoed in his mind as she took a deep, almost greedy inhalation of the saturated air. 'I can almost taste the Earth’s Spirit.'

“So, it’s suitable?”

'It is more than, your Eminence.' Meryt excitedly answered. 'This wellspring has likely lain untouched for centuries. The Ba within is more than enough to give Jinzo a temporary form, with plenty left over to speed along her Holiness's Metamorphosis.'

“That's good… Let’s begin then.” On cue, Meryt’s translucent hand moved and pointed at the floor, a gesture so gentle and soft Lenix nearly missed it. 'Follow my lead.'

Lenix nodded, the edge of his chisel catching the weak light as he placed his hand over Meryt’s, their fingers overlapping. Moving in unison, their motions finally synced and slowly, a Circle began to take shape, a nigh perfect line etched into the concrete.

'Now, the Glyphs.' Ethereal finger tracing Ancient Symbols, she introduced. 'For Life… For Soul… For the Key.'

The hieroglyphs for Ka, Ba, and the looped cross of the Ankh appeared in bursts of flame, their shapes burnt into the Circle.

'Beyond these Foundation Runes, we must weave in the conduits, and the connection to our intended guest.'

The Sesen signifies emergence, the blossoming of a new link.

'Carve it so it intertwines with the Ba; it represents the Spirit taking physical shape.'

Next, the Djed, the strong pillar that will anchor the Flow, and prevent it from overwhelming the Ritual and Jinzo's temporary Vessel.

'Overlap it with the Ankh, your Eminence.'

Then, the Tyet, the knot of Isis.

'—Which will create the pathway through which the Earth's Life-Force will flow… Let it touch the edges of both the Ka and the Ba, so it may bind the Spirit to the Ritual Circle and prevent it from attacking us, at least until an agreement is reached.'

“Done… What’s next?” Lenix inquired, wiping dust on his pants. “Should I carve the Wadj now?” The Scepters, though deceptively simplistic, served as the hieroglyphic conduits for Spirit Energy, enabling its circulation and containment within the ritual—batteries and circuitry, in layman's terms

'Not yet…'

Humming thoughtfully, a faint wisp from her palm encircled itself around the Ka, Ba, and Ankh.

'A Summoning Ritual is far more complicated than a simple Fusion Summon. We must encircle these foundational Symbols first, lest the intended purpose diverged…'

Completing the second, smaller Circle in minutes, Lenix wiped his sweat and ran a hand through his greasy hair as a grimace crossed his features. 'Gross.' For a second, Lenix's urge to stop and take a shower nearly overwhelmed the need for hastiness.

'Now, we'll carve the Wadj. There need to be eight in total, four positioned to align with the cardinal directions, and the other four within the second Circle.' Lenix stared down at their 'masterpiece,' then cracked his spine, before brushing away the loose debris and grit from the lines and retrieving the smelting crucible and a tael of gold.

Actual gold that, while less conductive than silver or copper, would it offer a stable energy flow. No wonder the ancients had developed such a taste for the metal. Mages were power and prestige personified, so it made sense that their valuables eventually became valuable to everyone else too.

Lenix had never even owned gold in the past, and now he was about to melt a decent chunk of it for a throwaway Ritual…

Whoever these kidnappers were, they’d damn well better have their affairs in order.

Holding the card aloft, Meryt gently lay it on, her voice taking on a more resonant quality. 'Now, your Eminence, recite with me… We will borrow her Holiness' powers to bring forth the Spirit into the Human Realm.'

The first gust signalled to Lenix they had succeeded. “Come to me…”

A monstrous gust slammed into the warehouse, a roaring beast of wind that howled through the broken panes and groaned against the rusted walls. “Come to me, I compel you!“ Dust, stirred from its decades-long slumber, erupted in a choking cloud, a swirling vortex that clawed at Lenix's eyes and filled his nostrils with the taste of decay.

“Come do my bidding, Daemon!“

The already dim light from the flickering streetlamp outside was devoured by a sudden, oppressive darkness, followed by jagged lines of erupting electrical surges erupted, casting brief, violent strobes of light that only served as little more than food for the gloom.

“THREE SOULS YOU'LL HAVE! THREE TO MAKE YOU A PERSON!“

One, to shape the Vessel;

One, to grant it Life;

And one, as Tribute to shoulder the disturbed Scales.

“Three Souls I promise you, Jinzo!“

The promise seemed to embolden the Ritual as electricity frantically tore through the very fabric of the air, affecting even the structure of reality which shuddered as the space itself became warped. Then, the sound of tearing silk—amplified a thousand times—knocked against Lenix's eardrums as the Rift fully took shape, a swirling kaleidoscope suspended.

“You… You promised me Souls. Where are they?“ Glitching like a faulty transmission, the Psycho Android glared at Lenix, wide, crimson glasses boring into Lenix upon spotting the Handmaiden. “Spirit-offerings will not work, human.“

Mechanical joints creaking, the Spirit stiffly reached out to Lenix.

'No matter. You will do…'

Showing no sign of fear, Lenix tilted his head and snorted. “Try it.“

And sure enough, before Jinzo could leave the Circle, the Spirit bounced against the other side of the invisible forcefield.

“What is this, human?“

Jinzo’s voice crackled as he slammed a gauntleted fist against the shimmering barrier. “What treachery is this?!!“

“There's no free meal in this world, Jinzo. You want Souls? You're gonna have to work for it.“

A low growl rumbled from the Android as it leaned forward. “What do you want?“

“I need you to trace a call…”

Jinzo’s pink, veined head pulsed, the lines writhing like worms beneath his skin as he emphasized, “You Summoned me, me, to trace a phone call? And you're offering three Souls in exchange? I can't tell if you are foolish, or insane. Possibly both.“

“I'm desperate, and in a hurry, so either you accept my offer,” With a snap of his fingers, the ground beneath the Circle split, revealing a surging Stream. “Or never see the light of day again.”

There might be countless cards bearing a Monster’s image, but only one Spirit existed, unless they were a collective like the Goblins.

If Jinzo’s Spirit died here, every card ever made would vanish.

He would cease to exist entirely.

“EMPTY THREAT!!!“

Stepping forward, Lenix halted just before the Circle, a hair's breadth from Jinzo’s reach.

“Let’s play a little game. I’ll count to three, and we’ll see how 'empty' my threat is. One…”

The Android retaliated, unleashing a Cyber Energy Shock that crashed against the barrier with a force that'd have sent Lenix sprawling on the floor had he not firmly planted his right foot in the ground.

Thinking its effect to destroy Trap Cards on Summon (Anime) would free it, the Android's instantly proven wrong.

This was a Ritual; a Continuous Spell, not a Trap, and therefore it was immune to its ability.

Derangement contorting his features, the Duelist snarled in response. “TWO!“

“Three!” The Spirit sneered. “Go on, then! You haven’t got the guts, human!“

A cold smile flashed across Lenix’s face, and SNAP!

The Leyline surged, ripping apart Jinzo’s leg, then arm.

“MERCY—!“

And mercy Lenix granted Jinzo, but not before the suction had partially peeled away his armor and flesh. And to think it'd only been seconds…

Collapsing onto one knee, the Android glared, its glassed eyes not filled with not just hate, but with trepidation as well. Lowering into a crouch, so his gaze met Jinzo's, Lenix stared unblinkingly into the Android's glasses. “I was willing to play nice, but you know what? Fuck. That. Instead of your promised Souls, you'll get to exist as my fucking slave. How about that?”

'And they call us 'Monsters!' No wonder I was drawn to you.'

The Archfiend Emperor's teasing voice floated about, silenced by a scowl from his Contractor.

“You—” The threat died in Jinzo's throat, choked by the sight of the Duelist's raised fist.

"Now," He clapped, a blatantly fake smile plastered across his lips like a cheap sticker. "Let's try this again, shall we? Hi, I'm Lenix Owens, and you work for me."

It did not take long for the Android to submit, albeit begrudgingly, and following the completion of the Contract, Lenix felt a surge of strength flowing from the Spirit into him.

A Contract could not grant him the ability to Equip like a Bond initiated by Vorana, but it did still come with certain benefits depending on the Spirit.

In Jinzo's case, the Spirit had vastly improved his specs by enhancing his neural pathways and muscle function, pushing his ATK from the initial meager 95 to 150.

His DEF saw no changes, but a beggar couldn't be a chooser.

“Meryt, barrier down.”

The shimmering field dissipated instantly as the Android lurched forward.

One step beyond the circle's edge, and his Vessel began to crumple.

Metallic plates twisted, wires frayed, and his body folded in on itself. “You—!“

“Master.” Lenix corrected, bending the card between his fingers.

“Master, w-why?“

“Just wanted to see how it works.“

'And assert my authority,' went unspoken, but it's loud and clear to all.

“I'm calling our friends. You trace the call. Any hint of foul-play, and you're finished." Patting the disgruntled Spirit's spiked shoulder, Lenix smiled.

"Do this right, and you might get to be a 'real boy' still. But you'll still work for me, of course.“

Too much sweetness bred defiance; too much force provoked retaliation.

He had used the 'stick' twice, it's time for the 'carrot.'

“That's all you ever wanted, right?"

Refusing to deign Lenix's question with a response, the Android straightened his back. “You require me to track someone?“

“Several, but yes. You up for it?“

“Do I have a choice in the matter?“

“Absolutely-fucking-not.“

A sound between a guttural grunt and an annoyed hiss echoed from Jinzo's mask, but the Spirit seemed to have learnt his lesson.

Pleased with the Spirit's compliance, Lenix stretched his legs and settled against a crooked concrete pillar.

“Now we wait.” It had been three days, they should be calling any second—

* RING!

“Speak of the Devil…”

Glancing at the Android, Lenix answered. “Lenix speaking.”

“—Mr. Owens... I'm calling regarding your car's extended warranty.”

Fist tightening around and reducing a pebble to dust, Lenix's lips thinned as he spat, “Put your brother on the phone.”

"—Oh, the pain! What's wrong with me, you son of a bitch?!"

“Your brother… Put. Him. On.“

“—How about you take some of that money you've been making and buy yourself a little humor. Fine. Whatever. Nobody appreciates comedy nowadays.“

Despite the annoyed grunt he let out, a genuine satisfaction tugged at the corner of Lenix's mouth.

It wasn’t about being difficult; it was about buying time.

Every extra syllable, every bit of backhanded sarcasm and threat was another fraction of a second for the Android to work his wonders…

Sure enough, Jinzo’s gauntleted hand suddenly clamped down on thin air, as if he’d just snatched a fly. The next moment, a crackling line of electricity was made visible in his palm—the same electromagnetic wave that enabled phones to make calls and text.

His power caused the device strapped to Lenix’s wrist to go dead for a heartbeat, the connection sliced clean by the Spirit’s almost nonchalant manipulation of the waves.

'You got their location?' Lenix mouthed, and Jinzo raised a single, gauntleted finger in response.

'A second?'

The Android shook, glitching in and out of reality.

'A minute?' Lenix asked again, and this time, the Spirit offered a curt nod.

“—Apology, Mr. Owens. I was planning to call you myself, but my brother got impatient. How are you?“

“Peachy. Where's Sachi? Let me talk to her.“

He just needed to hear her voice, to know she was safe. And for her to know that he hadn't given up, that he was coming. God, how scared she must be.

“—By God… You're just as impatient as my brother. Give me a—”

The words cut off abruptly as a high-pitched scream, Sachi’s, tore through the line.

Even distorted by the static, Lenix could discern the raw terror, the shock, the sharp spike of pain, quickly followed by ragged, panicked breaths of her captor on the line.

“—Ayumu! What in God’s name are you doing, you moron?!

—She tried to shoot me!“ Came the hurried, almost hurt reply.

The voice was only a pitch or two lower than Sachi's own. Good.

Just enough for him to differentiate between the kidnappers.

“What the fuck's going on over there? If you touch her, I swear—!“

The call cut off then and there, and Lenix immediately snapped towards the Android, lips pressed tight as he gnashed his teeth. “Did you get their location?“

Spotting the human's fingers caressing the card he's bound to, the Android nodded. "I did, but they're on the other side of the city, and it was a disposable phone. We must be quick if we want to catch them.“

“Other side—” An angry, smoldering sigh escaped his lips. “You and the Insects tail them. If they have split, form groups to follow. Meryt, how long will Nephthys' Ritual take?“

'If we make no mistake—'

“There will be none. There can be none.“

'Fifteen minutes, your Emience.'

“Then what are we waiting for?“

Even with its primary functions deactivated, Lenix could feel the Ritual humming beneath his feet as a steady flow of Spirit Energy entered the Wadji, just waiting to be used. If he focused, they might even be able to shave off a few minutes.

Clutching the smooth, cool surface of the purple card in his hand depicting an unhatched egg that promised of rebirth, Lenix closed his eyes and mentally pleaded. “Nephthys, I need you. I need you now…”

— [SK(GX)] —

“Aw, we gotta move again?“ Ichi grumbled, stretching as he climbed out of the hovel within which he'd piled pillows and cheap, camping mattresses. Aside from Ayumu and the two brothers, there're two more members to their group, who handled the procurement and return of vehicles—often by less-than-legal means,

And they had just pulled up in a slightly dented SUV to add to their 'collection' of sputtering scooters and aged four-seaters. Seeing their new transport, Hito, the more meticulous of the brothers, fixed his glasses and glared. “Are you serious?”

“Funds are running low…”

The only blonde amongst them explained, shrugging. “If we don’t save up, we won’t last until the end of Battle City. We could stay for a few days, you know? Changing location every day feels excessive.“

“We're dealing with Mages; no amount of caution is 'excessive.'”

“Well, then you need to tell your psychotic little brother to cut back on the pillows. The idiot spent a thousand ordering a King-sized bed he didn't even get to use. We're still waiting on the refund, by the way.“

“Urgh… I’m gonna be stuck on one of those things, aren’t I?” Hito sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose at both the indignity and his little brother's stupidity.

Ichi might be good for wetwork, explosives, and firearms—a skillset that had proven useful, admittedly—but beyond that, he's pretty much 'allergic' of everything else, including planning and being a half-decent human being.

In all fairness, a small part of Ichi's current state was likely his own fault, a consequence of one too many accidental head drops during their less-than-conventional upbringing. He’d always meant well, of course, but there were only so much he's capable of as a child himself. “The Mitsubishi's mine. You guys split the rest.“

After a minute of low-toned arguing and pointing, the group finally settled on who would take which.

With that sorted, a wiry man with a nervous twitch, turned to Hito. “Where’s the hostage? We ain't got all day.”

Licking his lips, Hito gestured at the room. “See for yourselves.“

Humming to himself, Ichi was the first to skip into the back of the warehouse, only to stop dead in his tracks, eyes widening in disbelief as he caught sight of the disheveled and beaten girl.

Having gone to check on the vehicles after dialing Lenix, Ichi had missed the whole ordeal and was completely flabbergasted at the state their hostage's in.

He's even more flabbergasted he wasn't the one who did it.

His brother's not the type to resort to real violence, only threats, and that Ayumu-guy was clearly a pussy.

“Holy shit, bro! I was gone for 10 minutes! What happened?“

A rush of frustrated red climbed from of Hito’s neck to his face as he mumbled, “Ayumu happened…”

“He,” Ichi scoffed, poking at the rapidly swelling bruise blooming on Sachi’s cheek with a careless finger, a strange, almost manic laugh escaping him. “That fucking pussy did this…? Never thought he had it in him.”

Gaze flicking from the girl to the guilty party cowering behind the door, Ichi mockingly cooed. “There's our conquering rapist! How are you feeling?“

“Shut up…” Ayumu growled, stepping out from the cover of the shadows, his face bearing fresh bruises—a split lip and a darkening contusion around his left eye. Ichi whistled, looking Ayumu up and down, clearly amused by the latter's battered appearance.. “… Well, well, well. If she did that to you, I’m officially changing your nicknames from ‘pussy’ and ‘moron’ to ‘inbred,' 'cause ain't no way.“

“She didn't do it,”

His elder brother called out from behind them, grabbing his handkerchief and wiping his fist as if he could still feel Ayumu's blood on it.

“I did.“

“At least we don't have to waste more chloroform." Ichi shrugged casually and clapped. "It's my turn to move her today, isn't it?"

“I'll take her—”

Before Hito could finish the sentence, Ichi's hand was already around Sachi's shoulder. "Come on, have a little faith in me!"

"Ichi," Hito warned, then sighed. "Take good care of the girl, or you'll be answering to the Doctor."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Ichi muttered, shooing his brother away and roughly shoving Sachi into the backseat like a cheap doll.

After a brief reminder, Hito pinched the bridge of his nose again and barked. “Time to get moving… I've detailed your route in the maps, we'll meet up at dawn.“

Dispersing like startled rats, each of the group chose a different route, then the slightly dented SUV, two sputtering scooters, and two battered four-seater were quickly loaded with their meager belongings.

Within minutes, the abandoned mall stood empty once more.

Whistling to the melody of 'Eye of the Tiger,' Ichi secured Sachi's seatbelt with a careless tug and teased the unconscious girl.

“Buckle up, princess, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride. We don't wanna mess up that pretty lil' face of yours now, do we?“

The SUV lurched forward, tires squealing against the cracked asphalt as Ichi peeled away from the abandoned mall.

Glancing at Sachi in the rearview mirror, a cruel smirk twisting his lips.

"Damn… Ayumu really did a number on you, huh?“

Sachi remained slumped in the backseat, her head lolling side to side as her consciousness stirred at the voice.

Undeterred by her silence, Ichi continued the monologue.

"You know, you're lucky. If it was up to me, you'd be in a much, much worse state." He laughed again, a harsh, almost manic sound. "But hey, the boss wants you alive, so alive you stay."

Finally, Sachi Fujita came to, biting back a groan to feign unconsciousness.

Tapping his fingers against the steering wheel and downing a beer, his gaze flicked between the road and the rearview mirror. "Shouldn't have tried to escape… You'd think a rich girl like you would know how to behave."

A surge of anger flared in Sachi's chest, her teeth grinding together.

The girl had always been quite content with her life, rarely harboring the kind of pent-up rage that tended to erupt at inopportune moments, so it was quite the struggle to restrain herself from physically attacking her captor. But he was driving at a dangerous seventy-five kilometers per hour, and a fight would likely send them both careening off the mountainside road, and he had a gun under the windshield, thus she could only suppress her anger.

If someone asked her at that moment, Sachi wouldn't hesitate to admit she wouldn't spit on these scums even if they were on fire.

“You know, back in the day—” His voice suddenly trailed off, attention seemingly fixed on something outside the windshield. Sachi, sensing a shift in his demeanor, cautiously cracked open her eyes to find his eyes were wide, and his jaw slack. What was he looking at? "What the fuck?"

He muttered, his voice laced with awe and a hint of fear for the first time since she's taken.

Curiously, Sachi followed his gaze, breath catching in her throat at the sight. High above the sprawling cityscape, a 'second sun' blazed, the brilliant, fiery shape streaking across the night sky and casting an otherworldly glow over Domino City.

"A Shooting stars…" Ichi whispered nervously. "Never seen one so bright."

Then again, he had never seen one either.

Looking back at Sachi, the man's usual grin returned. “You're in luck, girl! Make a wish!!!“

'I wish Lenix's her—'

Before her thought could fully form, the "Shooting stars" abruptly changed course, hurtling towards them with the impossible speed of its namesake. "What the fuck?!"

Sachi shivered as she heard Ichi yell, and then felt him swerve violently to the right, causing the SUV to skid on the asphalt.

'What just attacked us?!'

She knew she shouldn't, yet Sachi couldn't resist the urge to open her eyes just as the bird-like creature slammed down in front of them.

The tires screeched, the momentum throwing Sachi into the chair in front, and her captor face-first into the steering wheel as the car spun sideways, coming to a jarring halt just inches from the beast, whose flaming wings had spread wide to block their path forward. "What the FUCK?!"

Ichi screamed, voice laced with terror.

Just then, Sachi caught a glimpse of the familiar pair of green she'd dreamt of for the past three days.

She'd wished her boyfriend were there, and it seemed the “shooting star” had answered.

Immediately raising her hands to block the bruises on her face, Sachi then slammed both her feet into the driver seat to stop her captor from turning the car around. “Fuck, you bitc—”

Like a sheet of paper, the SUV's door went flying, tore into by the 5 meters tall humanoid upper-torso of Nephthys.

The Blazing Phoenix snarled, then her hands closed around Ichi, the intense heat radiating from the Phoenix quickly melting through his leather jacket as if it were tissue paper.

"Argh, fuck!" He screamed as the scent of burning leather and flesh filling the air.

“Sachi—!“

On top of the Phoenix's back, her boyfriend hurriedly climbed over his Monster's shoulder, yet before he could reach her, Ichi roared. “You fuckers are dead!“

His jacket was completely gone, reduced to ash, and from the blazing remains, a card tumbled into Ichi's outstretched hand. Sachi caught only a flash of light before another monster materialized, nearly as colossal as the Blazing Phoenix herself.

The creature was a walking contradiction, a nightmare made real.

Its primary head, a golden lion's, snarled, a guttural rumble that shook the very air, while the secondary wolf head, perched upon its shoulder, hissed and snapped, ravenous red eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

The beast’s powerful, clawed hands were adorned with pulsing, glowing orbs and intricate, metallic armbands, moved with a terrifying grace, probably capable of crushing bone and rending steel with equal ease.

Yet, it was the wings that truly defied comprehension.

Not feathered, not leathery, but crafted from metal and cruelly grafted into the Beast, ending in razor-sharp edges that could slice through most materials on Earth.

The creature’s reptilian lower body and the long, scaled tail lashing behind it coiled around the Blazing Phoenix as it ripped into her.

The impact of the two monstrous forms sent Lenix flying twelve-meters away, before he managed to roll and land in a crouched stance.

Blazing Phoenix of Nephthys

ATK: 3000

Chimera the Illusion Beast

ATK: 3100

A second, identical Chimera materialized beside the first, and together, they lunged at Nephthys.

The Phoenix, forced to abandon her captive, screeched in defiance, only to get stabbed by razor-sharp wrist-blades, extending from the Chimera's claws.

And as if the physical assault wasn't enough, the Illusion Beast's Effect began to warp Nephthys's very essence, distorting the Blazing Phoenix's majestic form until she, too, was little more than an Illusion.

Blazing Phoenix of Nephthys

ATK: 3000 » 0