"My turn, draw card."
Yugen drew a card and smiled.
"Lord Demon's renowned card deck, comprised of mythical creatures from various folklores. Skillfully wielding the power of these creatures, he's renowned as the Demon King..."
"Hahaha! Kid, you really know your stuff."
The Demon King laughed heartily but then waved his hand dismissively.
"The past isn't worth mentioning. Heh, to be honest, they call me the Demon King not just for that reason..."
He paused, eyeing Yugen with a sinister look, licking his lips.
"Well, you'll naturally understand why after you've lost."
Judai, on the side, didn't fully grasp what he was saying but inexplicably felt a chill down his spine...
Yugen: "An important trait of monsters is their immortality, able to resurrect from the grave countless times. And with the revived monsters, various strategies can unfold..."
"Oh, you've done your homework, kid." The Demon King said with a smile, "Very good, I'm starting to like you already."
Indeed, amassing monsters in the grave and reviving them for a fierce assault is key to mastering monsters."
"That's only natural. Facing a renowned expert like you, I must be prepared in advance."
Yugen smiled and drew a card from his hand.
"So, I'll use this card—
—Continuous Magic 'Dimensional Rift'!"
Electric currents surged in the space, countless lightning bolts slicing through as sharp blades. A black scar-like rift was forcefully torn open, straddling the center.
"Dimensional Rift, as long as this card exists on the field," Yugen said, "all monsters sent to the graveyard from us are not sent there...they are directly banished from the game!"
The Demon King's cheerful expression lasted about a second.
Then the smile gradually vanished, his mouth opened slowly, uncontrollably, into ten thousand degrees of shock.
You…what did you say!?
Not sent to the grave...all banished?
It felt like it took several seconds for his brain to process the information, at that moment, the Demon King felt as if thunderbolts struck, CPU nearly frozen.
Huh?
First card play, physically deleted his graveyard from existence?
Isn't this a direct explosion?
With the graveyard gone, how does he play his monster card deck?
"Next, I summon 'Survivor from Another Dimension,'" Yugen said.
[Survivor from Another Dimension, Attack Power 1800]
"Survivor from Another Dimension, attack 'Minotaur.'
The Demon King was finally pulled back to reality from the massive blow, gritting his teeth: "Tch, it's not that easy! Then I activate the Cover Card!
Trap Card 'Demon's Reinforcements!'" (Original Card)
Monster-exclusive trap, this card hasn't been physicalized.
"Demon's Reinforcements, pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon two monsters of level 4 or lower from the grave!"
[Demon King, LP 4000→LP 3000]
"I pay 1000 Life Points, revive the two monsters discarded by 'Angel's Charity'!"
The Demon King swiftly drew two cards from the grave.
"Revive! Demon-Breaking Crow Tengu, and Yin Demon Luo Ghost!!!"
[Demon-Breaking Crow Tengu, Attack Power 1400]
[Yin Demon Luo Ghost, Attack Power 1200]
"Monsters can unleash their greatest power when revived from the grave!"
The Demon King shouted.
"Crow Tengu and Yin Demon Luo Ghost, each activate their effects!
Crow Tengu special summons from the grave to destroy an opponent's monster!"
He pointed to Yugen's field.
"Destroy 'Survivor from Another Dimension!'"
A sinister current swept over Yugen's battlefield, shrouding the robed warrior whose body shattered in the current.
"And then comes Yin Demon Luo Ghost's effect!" The Demon King continued, "When this card is Special Summoned from the grave, I draw a card from my deck!"
"Whoa, got blocked there." Judai commented on the side, "This guy's quite something too."
Yugen, however, didn't mind, smiling as he drew four more cards.
"Then, I set four cards face-down, and end my turn."
Simultaneously, with a wave of his hand, another black void dimension opened. The robed warrior who had just been shattered returned to the field, cloaked and hooded.
The Demon King was shocked: "Survivor from Another Dimension...why? Wasn't it defeated by Crow Tengu's effect just now..."
"Survivor from Another Dimension's effect," Yugen explained, "When the face-up card on my field is banished from the game, it Special Summons in the End Phase."
[Survivor from Another Dimension, Attack Power 1800]
The Demon King's pupils shrunk.
He had already vaguely seen the frame of Yugen's setup.
With Dimensional Rift on the field, both players' graveyards were essentially nonexistent, and all monsters sent to the grave were banished.
On his side, his monster card deck's graveyard was effectively wiped out, as a significant portion of his deck's monster effects were related to the graveyard, basically paralyzing him.
Meanwhile, under the same conditions, 'Survivor from Another Dimension' and 'Dimensional Rift' form an almost immortal combination. No matter combat or effect destruction, as long as 'Dimensional Rift' exists, 'Survivor from Another Dimension' will be banished and then revive due to its effect.
Consequently, it can be inferred that the opponent's deck is likely entirely geared towards banishment.
The scenario had become one in which his side's resources were chained to their grave and paralysed, while the opponent's banished cards were treated as resources.
What an exorcism strategy!
Realizing this, the Demon King's eyes reddened.
Only now did he fully understand that when the opponent said they studied him and knew the monster card deck's attributes, it wasn't out of any dull show of respect for a master.
It was simply to mess with his mind after figuring him out!
"It's your turn, Lord Demon King." Yugen reminded, "If you don't make a move soon, you'll run out of time."
"Tch, I'm well aware...My turn, draw card."
By now the Demon King realized that the opponent he's facing today is extraordinary. His resources in the grave may be fewer, but he had slightly accumulated some on his first turn.
In this situation, if it becomes a long battle, the farther it goes, the fewer resources he can use, and the more the opponent has banished, leaving no leeway for struggle.
He must come up with a plan.
However, as he drew his card, a bright idea dawned on him.
"Hahaha!" The Demon King laughed, "Did you think I'd be helpless just because you sealed my grave with 'Dimensional Rift'? Too naive!
Activate Speed Attack Magic 'Tornado' from my hand, destroy the Magic Trap Cards on the field."
He sneered, pointing directly at Yugen's backfield.
"Say goodbye to 'Dimensional Rift'!"