Playmaker uses his ace monster, Excode Talker, to counter Spectre's Sunvines. In order to finish Playmaker off, Spectre evolves his Sunavalon into its ultimate form. Having driven Playmaker into a corner, Spectre delivers the finishing blow against him...
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Big Damn Heroes: Subverted. Kusanagi completes the LVSS in time and attempts to bring Akira out of the thorny prison... but it fails to work.
- Deliberate Injury Gambit: Playmaker goes for mutual destruction between his Excode Talker and Spectre's Sunavalon Dryatrentiay, costing him 400 LP by the Effect of Sunavalon Force, which leads to the end of Spectre's impenetrable combo.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: After a failed attempt to bring Akira out of the thorny prison, he convinces Playmaker to steel his conviction, and to move forward in spite of the sacrifices made in an attempt to stop Hanoi's ambitions.
- Heroic Sacrifice: After convincing Playmaker to steel his conviction and move forward, Akira sacrifices himself by touching the vines and infecting himself with the virus (and presumably gets absorbed into the Tower of Hanoi like Blue Angel did), to Spectre's surprise. Kusanagi doesn't take Akira's sacrifice well at all, and it fuels Playmaker's rage and determination to decimate Spectre.
- Hoist by His Own Petard:
- Since Spectre controls no Sunavalon Monsters after his Sunavalon Dryatrentiay is destroyed, the rest of the cards on his Field are destroyed by their own effects.
- Spectre attempts to invoke this on Playmaker with the Effect of Sunavalon Cursed Reborn, but never gets the chance to as Playmaker, with the Effect of Link Atrocity, depletes all of Spectre's LP with a single attack.
- Insult Backfire: Ai accuses Spectre of playing dirty for taking Akira hostage and coaxing Playmaker into either forsaking him to defeat Spectre, or let himself be defeated due to his reluctance to act while a life is at stake. Spectre, however, has no problem interpreting Ai's words as complimentary, admitting that he'll use whatever means to achieve his goals.
- I Regret Nothing: After he is defeated by Playmaker, Spectre gloats that he holds no remorse for the atrocities committed by his own hands.
- It's Personal: After Playmaker gloats that Revolver would be disappointed if Playmaker met his end at the hands of someone other than Revolver, Spectre has Sunavalon Dryanome fix the bridge, and vows to end Playmaker personally.
- Mythology Gag: Playmaker defeating Spectre before allowing Cursed Reborn's Effect (which would've otherwise costed Playmaker the Duel) to activate is similar to how Yuya defeats Yuri before Starving Venom's Effect could activate, which would've destroyed all of Yuya's Monsters had Yuri's LP not been fully depleted.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Had Spectre not allowed himself to be goaded into taking down Playmaker by his own hands and let him fall to his doom instead, Playmaker would not have had the opportunity to face Revolver himself, not to mention never defeating Spectre in the first place. He himself admits that afterward.
- One-Hit Kill: In addition to increasing Excode Talker's ATK to 4000, Playmaker's Link Atrocity reduces the ATK of Spectre's Sunavalon Dryatrentiay to 0, allowing Playmaker to deplete all of Spectre's LP with a single attack.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: You know something's wrong when Spectre completely loses his shit, addresses Playmaker condescendingly, and curses him for destroying Sunavalon Dryatrentiay.
- Precision F-Strike: Spectre snaps at and curses Playmaker for destroying Sunavalon Dryatrentiay, which he reveres as sacred.
- Rage Breaking Point:
- Playmaker destroying Sunavalon Dryatrentiay is the real last straw for Spectre, who then completely loses his shit and snaps at Playmaker for annihilating what Spectre reveres as sacred and motherly.
- Akira's sacrifice is this to Playmaker, who proceeds to absolutely DESTROY Spectre while completely disregarding the Hanoi's taunts and attempts to break him mentally while Yusaku is burning on his vengeful brand of justice and hatred of the Hanoi.
- Speak Ill of the Dead: After Akira’s Heroic Sacrifice, Spectre posthumously mocks him for leaving the fate of the world to a guy who can’t win against him, not knowing that without a hostage, Playmaker can now lay waste to him without reservation.
- Taking You with Me: Invoked. Playmaker activates Link Surge Counter to make Excode Talker's ATK the same as that of Spectre's Sunavalon Dryatrentiay during battle only, destroying both Monsters; all of Spectre's cards on his Field are subsequently destroyed by their own effects as he no longer controls a Sunavalon Monster.
- This Cannot Be!: Spectre reacts in surprise to Akira sacrificing himself, something that Spectre did not anticipate Akira would do.
- Villainous BSoD: After losing to Playmaker, Spectre joyfully says he regrets nothing and goes Laughing Mad, before freezing in horror at the sight of his Sunavalon tree burning. Remembering his childhood and shedding tears, he could only call it "Mother" before getting buried under the burning debris.
