"Duel!" x2
[Yugen, LP 4000]
[Marufuji Ryo, LP 4000]
"I'll go first, draw a card."
Yugen said.
"Set a monster in face-down defense position, then set a card face-down, turn end."
Marufuji Ryo: "My turn, draw a card!"
Glancing at his hand, he immediately drew a card from his hand.
"Magic Card 'Time Capsule'. Select a card from the deck and remove it from the game in face-down position. After activation, during your second standby phase, that card can be added to your hand."
Golden Cabinet and Time Capsule, now considered obsolete due to their slow speed, were powerful restricted cards in the early environment. Although you have to wait two turns, they have the effect of universal search, which was once very popular among players.
Unlike modern Yu-Gi-Oh! where victory is determined in one turn, waiting for two standby phases makes the grave grass grow several feet high. Early Yu-Gi-Oh! OTK was rare, and a dead draw usually meant passing the turn without action. A delayed search for two turns was completely worth waiting.
Marufuji Ryo picked a card from the deck and placed it into the Time Capsule in face-down position. The capsule closed, thoroughly sinking with a burst of gold light into the ground and disappeared.
Though he couldn't see what was being searched in the Time Capsule, Yugen could entirely guess it's the Magic Card "Power Combination".
A fusion magic card specifically for the Mechanical Race, the monster fused with this card has its attack power doubled.
Marufuji Ryo often started with a Time Capsule in the animation, and the card chosen in the capsule was always Power Combination...
"...Damn, look over there, doesn't that look like Caesar?"
"It really seems like it is. And his opponent... hissing~ isn't that the 'Master of the Yellow Robe'?"
A few people happened to pass by the street, seemingly academy students visiting Duel City during holidays. They were greatly surprised upon witnessing the chance encounter with the two big personalities of the academy in Duel City.
The Master of the Yellow Robe facing off against the academy's Caesar!
What kind of duel is this, where the title of academy emperor is wagered?
"Record it! Quickly record it!"
Several students hurried over.
Everyone knew, once this duel was recorded no matter who wins, it would definitely blow up upon returning to school, absolutely a duel of the highest attention level.
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Pot of Greed'." Marufuji Ryo said, "Draw two cards from the deck."
After drawing the cards, he paused for a moment, sweeping a glance at Yugen's backfield cover card.
Though he hasn't dueled against Yugen before, he had watched quite a few duels. He knows this person excels at trap formation, the backfield is likely formidable.
"Speed Attack Magic 'Tornado'." Marufuji Ryo said, "Destroy all magic and trap cards on the field. Destroy the backfield cover card."
A black cyclone lifted Yugen's cover card, and a bolt of lightning descended, shattering the trap card into fragments.
Yugen's lips subtly curled: "The cover card you destroyed is the Trap Card 'Fake Mark'. When this card is destroyed by a card's effect, draw one card. If it is destroyed by an opponent's Magic Card effect, draw two cards from the deck." (Original Card)
Marufuji Ryo understood: "Was I caught in a trick?"
"Because it was destroyed by your Speed Attack Magic 'Tornado', I draw two cards."
Yugen drew cards from the deck.
"Then I special summon 'Cyber Dragon'."
The legendary monster, the core of the cyber flow, the mechanical dragon appeared on his field amidst the spreading current, surrounding Marufuji Ryo with its steel body.
[Cyber Dragon, Attack Power 2100]
"Although Cyber Dragon is a Five-Star Monster, if there is a monster on the opponent's field and there isn't one on your own, it can be special summoned directly from the hand."
Marufuji Ryo waved his hand.
"Cyber Dragon attacks the covered monster."
Cyber Dragon opened its mouth, a spiraling blaze of golden light encircled by electric current blasted out. The covered monster flipped, the small frog with a halo above its head shattered beneath the light flow.
[Yellow Springs Frog, Defense Power 100]
"Yellow Springs Frog... A monster capable of self-revival."
Marufuji Ryo frowned, drawing a card from his hand.
"Set a card, turn end."
The students recording started commercializing the praise: "As expected of Caesar, immediately summoned an upper-level monster, cleared the backfield, while consolidating his own backfield formation."
The neighboring student nodded: "It can be said it was a perfect first turn, with both offense and defense."
Yugen: "..."
You don't say, Marufuji Ryo's opening move is identical to his debut battle against Judai, back then the golden commentator Division Operation classmate appraised the same way...
"Cyber Dragon, an upper-level monster that can appear instantly, truly powerful... is that the monster you take pride in?" Yugen smiled.
Marufuji Ryo also smiled, looking up at the Cyber Dragon guarding him.
"It's my friend."
As he spoke, Cyber Dragon seemed to echo, lowering its head to nod toward him.
However, it wasn't any surprise, the fact that Caesar's Cyber Dragon is an elf was already known to everyone.
"I've witnessed your duels, the fighting style called 'Caesar'." Yugen smiled, "Respecting every possibility in your opponent's existence, showcasing the strong bond between you and your monster through dueling, ending the opponent with the strongest form of Cyber Dragon.
This is your combat style, also the reason for Caesar's strength..."
He paused, squinting his eyes meaningfully.
"Well, naturally it would be best if you could keep winning this way..."
Marufuji Ryo paused, not entirely grasping his meaning, but still said.
"As long as you remain faithful to your duel and stay true to your path, even if you lose to a strong adversary, there's nothing to regret."
"Haha, true enough."
Yugen mysteriously smiled and said no more.
"Then my turn, draw a card." Yugen said, "Standby phase, the effect of 'Yellow Springs Frog' in the graveyard.
If this card is in the graveyard and there is no 'Yellow Springs Frog' on your field, this card is special summoned.
Therefore, I resurrect Yellow Springs Frog from the graveyard."
A beam of holy light descended, the little frog with angel-like wings and a halo above its head jumped back onto his field.
[Yellow Springs Frog, Attack Power 100]
"Then use 'Yellow Springs Frog' as a tribute, upper-level summon!"
Yugen raised his hand, a green storm whirled up, countless blades of wind swirling, as if the army of the wind was welcoming their general's arrival.
"Wind Emperor Leiza, summon!"
[Wind Emperor Leiza, Attack Power 2400]
"When Wind Emperor Leiza is successfully upper-level summoned, you can return a card on the field to the top of the deck." Yugen said, "'Cyber Dragon' returns to the top of the deck."
The green storm swirled, the strong wind engulfed Cyber Dragon, its metallic body vanished, transforming into a beam of golden light flew back to the top of Ryo's deck.
"Then Wind Emperor Leiza's direct attack."
The green wind blades swept the field, even the ground was sliced by the myriad air currents. The storm swept past Marufuji Ryo, the latter's body wavered.
[Marufuji Ryo, LP 4000 → LP 1600]
The watching students stirred.
"The Master of the Yellow Robe has taken the lead!"
A guy seemed like he's live streaming.
"Even Caesar is being suppressed..."
But Marufuji Ryo wasn't discouraged. After the wind blades swept past, he stood straight, smiling slightly: "As expected of the power of the imperial series, it is indeed an effective attack."
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Heaven and Earth's Treasure Scroll'." Yugen said, "During a turn when an upper-level summon has been conducted, draw two cards from the deck. But the drawn cards cannot be used this turn, you can set at least one if possible." (Original Card)
Yugen drew two cards.
"Then set two cards, turn end."