"Chimera Overload Dragon's direct attack!"
Marufuji Ryo shouted, his pupils constricting and heart racing.
Armored Electronic Wings cleared the entire field, leaving no wall monsters, no cover cards.
Even with a Chestnut Ball, Undead Guardian, or Kite Robot to block, it could only withstand one or two attacks. Now Chimera Overload Dragon could attack eighteen times, making it impossible to block.
Victory!
Yugen remained calm, slowly drawing another card from his hand.
"The Chestnut in my hand..."
"Kida!" Marufuji Ryo interrupted eagerly, "Chimera Overload Dragon can attack eighteen times; the Chestnut Ball can't defend!"
Not to mention a single Chestnut Ball, even if every card Yugen had was a Chestnut Ball, it wouldn't help.
After a slight pause due to the interruption, Yugen chuckled softly and continued.
"... 'Little Chestnut Ball' effect, or you might call it 'Spherical Chestnut Ball,'" Yugen said with a smile, "when your opponent declares an attack, send this card from your hand to the graveyard, and the attacking monster switches to defense mode."
Marufuji Ryo: "?!".
Such a Chestnut Ball?
"A new research achievement, though not developed by me, but a Kaiba Group product," Yugen said.
A golden spherical Chestnut Ball jumped onto the field, spinning twice around Chimera Overload Dragon. The fierce Overload Dragon instantly fizzled out, losing its momentum.
[Chimera Overload Dragon, Attack Power 10400→Defense Power 14400]
Marufuji Ryo gritted his teeth in frustration.
Switching to defense, even eighteen attacks couldn't reach.
Damn, just a little bit more...
"Set a card, turn over." He declared the end reluctantly.
Then he suddenly realized that this might be the first time in a duel that he felt so unwilling as victory slipped from his fingertips.
"Haha, it's indeed a shame. If my hand didn't have the Spherical Chestnut Ball, just a regular Chestnut Ball, I would've been beaten."
"But it was just slightly off."
Yugen drew another card.
"My turn, draw a card."
In the preparation phase, the effect of 'Yellow Springs Frog' in the graveyard activates. When there are no Magic or Trap Cards on your field, you can special summon this card."
"My field was cleared clean by your Armored Electronic Wings, so naturally, there are no Magic Traps. Hence, Yellow Springs Frog revives."
[Yellow Springs Frog, Defense Power 100]
"Then I activate the Magic Card 'Pot of Greed,'" Yugen continued, "shuffle five monsters in the graveyard back into the deck, then draw two cards."
Five cards in the graveyard popped up sequentially, displayed by him.
"I shuffle back the Wind, Earth, Thunder, Evil Emperors, and 'Chimeric Fortress Dragon' into the deck, and draw two cards."
As he saw the last card shuffled back being "Chimeric Fortress Dragon," Marufuji Ryo's eyelids involuntarily twitched.
But he quickly suppressed the uneasy thought.
Stay calm; there's nothing to fear. Chimeric Fortress Dragon requires Cyber Dragon plus other Mechanical Race monsters to summon; my field has only Chimera Overload Dragon. It can't defeat me...
Having only seen Chimeric Fortress Dragon once, the kid was already PTSD...
"I draw two cards."
Yugen drew the cards, calmly displaying one of them.
"Magic Card 'Black Magic Veil.' Pay 1000 Life Points to special summon a Dark Attribute Mage Race monster from the hand or graveyard."
[Yugen, LP 5400→LP 4400]
Marufuji Ryo was shocked: "That's the legendary Duel King's ace Black Mage's support card..."
He was stunned, looking at Yugen.
His expression seemed to ask, surely you won't have Black Mage too?
"Ahahaha, I certainly don't have such a legendary and rare card as Black Mage. But a Dark Attribute Mage Race doesn't have to be Black Mage."
Yugen laughed softly.
"I special summon 'Black Forest Witch.'
[Black Forest Witch, Attack Power 1100]
"Then use 'Black Forest Witch' as a tribute for an upper-level summon."
Yugen waved his hand.
"The Emperor ruling over ice and snow, now descends—
—Mobius the Frost Monarch, summon!"
The realm of ice expanded, instantly freezing the entire field as if ten miles were sealed, as if the heavens and earth were frozen.
"When Mobius the Frost Monarch is upper-level summoned, select up to two Magic Trap Cards to destroy," Yugen said, "destroy your backfield cover card and the Armored Electronic Wings that's serving as an equipment card."
Marufuji Ryo watched as ice crystals rapidly spread toward his field, speaking in a deep voice.
"The Emperor Series has powerful attack effects upon summoning, suppressing monsters and the backfield alike, paired with 'Yellow Springs Frog's infinite regeneration combo, indeed a fearsome threat.
But I've grasped the Emperor's weakness."
He raised his hand, the backfield cover card flipping over.
"Counterattack Trap 'Stack Return!'
When a monster activates its effect upon being summoned, negate that activation and effect, and destroy the monster!"
"Oh?"
Yugen nodded in acknowledgment.
Indeed, it's a trap that truly restrains the Emperor. A counterattack trap specifically targeting effects activated upon summoning is indeed a bit aimed at the Emperor, and being a noble counterattack trap, the so-called back-row killer Frost Monarch has indeed kicked an iron plate today.
The ice crystal on the field instantly shattered, the snowy domain disappeared, and the Frost Monarch was also blown apart by the trap's force.
"This should defend against it..."
Though thinking this way, Marufuji Ryo couldn't help but feel tense.
Because in this way, his tactics, his defenses were truly nearly exhausted. Yet Yugen still gave him a sense of ease and an unknown number of backup plans.
Even having a Chimeric Overload Dragon with over 10,000 attack in both offense and defense on the field couldn't bring much sense of security.
"However, the effect of the 'Black Forest Witch' I just sent to the graveyard as a tribute has also activated. When this card is sent to the graveyard, you can add a monster with Defense Power below 1500 from your card deck to your hand."
Defense Power below 1500...
Marufuji Ryo's eyelid twitched.
That's right, the entire Emperor family bucket's Defense Power is all below 1500.
Moreover, the Emperor just shuffled back into the deck by Pot of Greed...
This means he can freely search any one Emperor from his card deck!
"Exactly, I add 'Evil Emperor Gaius' from the card deck to my hand."
Yugen drew out the Evil Emperor automatically ejected from the card deck.
In the instant he revealed that card, there seemed to be a cold aura swirling overhead. The phantom of the Evil Emperor seemed faintly discernible in that current, coldly overlooking all living beings like a superior.
"Then I activate the Magic Card 'Double Summon', allowing an additional Normal Summon this turn."
Yugen waved his hand.
"I offer 'Yellow Springs Frog' as a tribute.
The embodiment of destruction, breaking free from the chains of imprisonment, awakening from endless darkness, descending once more—
—Evil Emperor Gaius, summon!"
The Dark Emperor, proclaimed the most evil and strongest among the early Four Great Emperors, awakened like a Demon God, descending once again with supreme authority!
[Evil Emperor Gaius, Attack Power 2400]
"Evil Emperor's effect, upon successful Upper-level Summon, can banish any card on the field from the game..."
Observers were all shocked.
"Oh no, if the Chimeric Overload Dragon is banished, Caesar's field will become completely empty..."
There will be nothing left to stop the advance of the Master of the Yellow Robe!
"No, it's not over yet..."
The black flame in Marufuji Ryo's eyes hasn't extinguished.
He has not lost, nor does he want to lose!
"The effect of the Trap Card 'Skill Imprisonment' discarded by 'Wall of Power'. Marufuji Ryo shouted, "Banish this card from the graveyard, choose a card on your field, and during this turn, all monster effects targeting that card are negated!
I use Skill Imprisonment to protect the 'Chimeric Overload Dragon', even the Evil Emperor cannot..."
"You've become anxious, Marufuji." Yugen interrupted him.
Marufuji Ryo was taken aback.
"Don't be so eager to activate it, look carefully, which target is chosen by the effect of 'Evil Emperor Gaius'?"
Marufuji Ryo: "?"
Now, only Evil Emperor and Chimeric Overload Dragon are confronting each other on the field, if not choosing Overload Dragon, then who...
He then widened his eyes, noticing the dark vortex emanating from within the Evil Emperor, who was spreading its arms, activating the power of endless darkness...
...Surprisingly focused on the Evil Emperor itself.
"Na…Nani? Are you...you going to..."
Marufuji Ryo suddenly thought of a certain extremely terrifying possibility, momentarily unable to speak.
"Evil Emperor Gaius, upon successful Upper-level Summon, banish any card on the field from the game...but there's a subsequent effect."
Yugen stated calmly.
"If the card banished with this effect is a Dark Attribute monster, you can additionally inflict 1000 points of damage to the opponent."
Pausing for a moment, Yugen smiled brilliantly in the dark storm raised by the Evil Emperor.
"Evil Emperor Gaius, is itself a Dark Attribute monster."
Marufuji Ryo: "........."
No...No way?
Proclaimed to be invincible, the Academy's Caesar, after reaching this point, finally faced psychological collapse.
This duel, is really...
If hitting face-forward counts as losing huh?
Yet Yugen thought it was meant to be so. A duel, at its core, compares who zeros out the opponent's Life Points first.
Blasting the Chimeric Overload Dragon with attack power over 10,000 face-forward might be handsome, but there's no extra reward.
Winning is enough.
"Evil Emperor Gaius's effect, banish Evil Emperor itself from the game.
Moreover, since Evil Emperor itself is a Dark Attribute monster, add 1000 points of damage!"
[Marufuji Ryo, LP 600]
The surging darkness brewed to its peak, Evil Emperor Gaius rose into the air, its entire body seemingly transformed into a spirit body, launching a fearless charge at Marufuji Ryo in the storm.
Evil Emperor Gaius, a suicidal human bomb!
Boom!!!
[Marufuji Ryo, LP 600→LP 0]