Demon King: "Wryyyyyy——"
Exclude! Exclude! Exclude again!
Why the hell do you exclude so much!??
Dimensional Rift opens once more, the gravity like an invisible hand lifts the Minotaur. Even the Power of the Guardian shield on him can't protect, as the Minotaur disappears to the other side of the dimension, it explodes into fragments.
"Ahhh! Then use the Nine-tailed Fox to attack, give me an attack! Smash that broken thing..."
On Yugen's field, there is only the "Survivor from Another Dimension." Nine tails of the Nine-tailed Fox swing simultaneously, energy seemingly converging from the tails into its mouth, launching like a fiery cannonball.
This time there was no obstruction. The Survivor from Another Dimension was engulfed by the fireball and quickly burned to ashes.
[Yugen, LP 4000→LP 3600]
"Impressive indeed, you touched my Life Points." Yugen praised the unyielding effort of his opponent, "Keep up the momentum."
Demon King: "..."
Clearly, the attack went through, but why does the feeling of helplessness become stronger...
The Demon King kept a sullen silence, drew another card to cover the field at the end of the turn, but his teeth ground together audibly.
"Don't get so fired up, it's bad for your health and the duel too."
Yugen advised earnestly.
Demon King: "..."
"At the end phase of your turn, the 'Survivor from Another Dimension' returns. This card is Special Summoned back to the field during the end phase it is excluded from the game."
[Survivor from Another Dimension, Attack Power 1800]
"Then the card I discarded when I activated 'Cause and Effect Severance' earlier was 'Interdimensional Scout,'" Yugen said, "Due to the 'Great Cosmos,' when the Scout is discarded it doesn't go to the graveyard, directly excluded from the game.
With the Scout's effect, this card that is excluded from the game can be summoned in attack position during the end phase."
[Interdimensional Scout, Attack Power 800]
"My turn, draw a card."
Yugen paused for a moment.
"Well then, it should be just about over..."
The Demon King felt a chill in his heart.
The opponent's tone was so calm. It didn't sound like a victory declaration, nor did it have a sarcastic or taunting intent, but it felt like he was calmly narrating the upcoming events.
Yugen glanced at the card in his hand and smiled slightly.
"Haha, I understand, don't rush, very soon I'll give you a chance to be on stage."
The Demon King only then sensed that there was something ominous in his hand.
Something that made him uneasy even just being held in the hand, not yet summoned.
"First, use the 'Interdimensional Scout' as a sacrifice for an Upper-level Summon. Ice Emperor, freeze everything——
——Mobius the Frost Monarch, summon!"
Snow fell, the realm of ice crystals unfolded, the tall and mighty Ice Emperor descended as if in the midst of a snowstorm.
The space seemed shrouded by a pure, cold power, even the air froze into crystal-clear ice crystals, like a still painting.
Ice Emperor struck with a hand, expanding the realm of ice crystals. The ground formed a thin layer of frost, rapidly spreading as the Ice Emperor's power was unleashed, turning the surrounding into a silver-clad ice realm, as if everything wore a silver armor.
The icy wind howled, carrying countless ice crystals and snowflakes. The cover card on the Demon King's field was instantly sealed in ice, then shattered like glass into icy shards.
Trap Card, Divine Wind Shield - Power of the Atmosphere.
When the opponent declares an attack, all attack position monsters on the opponent's field return to their owner's hand. A life-saving divine artifact, the last trump card for a turnaround.
But under the Ice Emperor's power, it was of no use. Upon successful Upper-level Summon of Ice Emperor, up to two Magic or Trap cards on the field are destroyed.
"Ugh, even the Divine Wind Shield is..."
The Demon King gritted his teeth, looking up at the Ice Emperor.
But no, it's not this monster.
That ominous wave, the dark power, still lurked in the opponent's hand...
"Activate Continuous Trap 'Blood Compensation,' pay 500 Life Points to conduct another Upper-level Summon." Yugen said calmly.
[Yugen, LP 3600→LP 3100]
"Sacrifice 'Survivor from Another Dimension' for an Upper-level Summon."
He slowly drew out a card in his hand.
The moment that card was slapped onto the Duel Disc, it was as if some dark existence broke free from its bonds.
Darkness surged and exploded, even the starry sky of the Great Cosmos seemed to dim. Like black clouds covering the stars, and it wasn't ordinary darkness, but a void so profound it could swallow everything.
Dark red beams descended from the heavens, like the tentacles of demons reaching straight to the earth. As the ground trembled, an indescribable presence seemed to awaken. A gigantic shadow rose slowly from the abyss, its form becoming clearer, deep purple like countless tiny dark particles condensing, and its crimson eyes exuded an evil yet alluring glow.
The invisible pressure rose to the extreme.
The Demon King stared wide-eyed, shivering all over.
He felt it, this was the thing.
That terrifying pressure, the root of the evil force.
Under overwhelming pressure, he looked at Yugen in shock and fear.
He started to regret not investigating the enemy thoroughly beforehand. Now thinking about it, being targeted by New Doma, going as far as commissioning him to deal with it, couldn't possibly be someone easy to deal with?
But now it was too late to regret.
"The effect of Evil Emperor Gaius, upon successful Upper-level Summon, directly excludes any card on the field from the game."
Yugen glanced at Gaius.
"Show your skills."
The Evil Emperor nodded, then extended a hand, five fingers spread, the pitch-black palm directly reaching towards the abyss.
The space warped under his dimensional power, locking onto the location of the Nine-tailed Fox. The Nine-tailed Fox was completely unable to resist, its immortal authority was useless before the Evil Emperor, helplessly vanishing along with the space twist.
"When destroyed, the Nine-tailed Fox can Special Summon Derivatives, but excluding it means it won't activate."
Yugen said lightly.
The Nine-tailed Fox's physical card was later changed to trigger only when "destroyed and sent to the graveyard," but the original version didn't need to, it could trigger as long as the Nine-tailed Fox was destroyed. In other words, even if the Great Cosmos was on the field, it still had its dying words.
But with the Evil Emperor's power directly excluding it, there was no such trouble.
"Of course, if directly excluded, the Nine-tailed Fox's resurrection effect won't be usable either. The Nine-tailed Fox can only infinitely resurrect in the field when existing in the graveyard..."
Yugen paused, smiling slightly.
"Well, of course, you didn't have the chance to use that effect anyway."
The two great monarchs of ice and darkness crossed their arms, standing before the Demon King like two towering mountains.
The Demon King's expression had turned to fear.
"You...you can't possibly be a student of Duel Academy..."
He looked with difficulty at the imposing presence of the Evil Emperor, unable to help but ask.
"What exactly are you..."
"Believe it or not, I'm really just an ordinary student. See, I'm even wearing the uniform."
Yugen laughed and shrugged.
"Mobius the Frost Monarch, Evil Emperor Gaius, direct attack."
The icy darkness dual strikes, the intertwining power of the monarchs seemed to transform into a tornado directly leading to Hell. The Demon King screamed, clutching his head as he was swallowed by the tornado, marking the end of the duel.
[Demon King, LP 3000→LP 0]