Apocalypse Knight, summon!
The red-masked swordsman appeared on the field clad in armor, wielding a longsword, with his eyes hidden behind goggles. As he landed, he skillfully twirled his sword.
[Apocalypse Knight, Attack Power 1400]
"The effect of Apocalypse Knight, upon successful summon, allows me to send any Dark Attribute monster from the card deck to the graveyard!"
Shadow Blizzard said as he pulled out his deck to search.
The precise ability to send any Dark Attribute card to the graveyard is simple, straightforward, and practical, and a powerful asset for Dark Attribute themed card decks.
The entire True Red-Eye family is predominantly Dark Attribute, and Shadow Blizzard's deck is primarily Dark Attribute as well. Apocalypse Knight naturally fits well as a plugin.
However...
"Hold on a moment."
Shadow Blizzard's search was abruptly interrupted by Yugen. He calmly flipped over his cover card and pointed to his backfield.
"I've activated the cover card, the Continuous Trap 'Inhaling Dark Shadow Magic Mirror'.
As long as this card exists on the field, all Dark Attribute monster effects activated on the field and in the graveyard... become nullified."
Shadow Blizzard froze in his movement, seemingly stunned for two seconds, then slowly looked up at the trap in Yugen's backfield.
A massive Magic Mirror appeared under the trap's effect, distinctly reflecting the image of the knight. Dark energy was being extracted from the knight and continuously absorbed into the Magic Mirror.
Apocalypse Knight wilted instantly, as if all energy had been drained from him. He slumped weakly to one knee, unable to muster any strength.
Shadow Blizzard: "..."
Inhaling Dark Shadow Magic Mirror, from its name, is clearly a Dark Attribute counterpart to the Flashing Magic Mirror.
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon and True Red-Eyed Black Dragon represent the Light and Dark Dragon Race respectively. If the effect of Inhaling Flashing Magic Mirror is "White Dragon Must Die," then the Dark Shadow Magic Mirror is evidently "Black Dragon Must Die."
His search action halted. Shadow Blizzard looked at the wilted knight on his field and then at the 90% Dark Attribute deck in his hand.
He suddenly couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
He instantly felt that there was no way to keep playing these cards.
"What's wrong?" Yugen narrowed his eyes, "Mr. Darkness, such a powerful duelist, couldn't possibly be stumped by a single trap card, could you?"
Could anyone's entire deck be countered by just one card? Can they?
Shadow Blizzard gritted his teeth and shouted.
"Then battle. Attack 'Tomb Guard' with 'Apocalypse Knight'!"
Even though the knight's effect was stripped, at least his attack stats remained. The guard raised his long spear attempting to block, but Apocalypse Knight deftly bypassed the spear and pierced the guard's throat with a single strike.
[Yugen, LP 4000→LP 3600]
"Turn... ends." Shadow Blizzard said heavily.
"Then it's my turn, draw a card."
Yugen waved his hand.
"First I'll activate the two cover cards on the field, two Trap Cards 'Goblin's Business Skills'.
Each allows me to draw 'Goblin's Business Skills' number of cards +1 from my card deck and then return one card from my hand to the bottom of the deck."
"You have no Business Skills in your graveyard." Blizzard retorted.
"Correct, which is why I activate the Speed Attack Magic 'Emergency Food' from my hand." Yugen replied, "Send the two Business Skills on the field to the graveyard, restoring 2000 Life Points.
This ensures that when processing the two traps, there are already two 'Goblin's Business Skills' in the graveyard.
Thus, I draw six cards from my deck in total and need to return two cards from hand to the bottom of the deck."
[Yugen, LP 3600→LP 5600]
With Life Points restored in a single breath, Yugen drew cards twice in succession and returned selected cards to the deck.
"Then activate the Continuous Trap 'Call of the Living Dead'!" Yugen declared, "Revive a monster from my graveyard in Attack Position.
Revive from the graveyard 'Guardian Sphinx'!"
[Guardian Sphinx, Attack Power 1700]
"Sphinx attacks 'Apocalypse Knight'!"
The knight was broken, and Shadow Blizzard's black robe billowed in the storm, fluttering menacingly.
[Shadow Blizzard, LP 3000→LP 2700]
"Main Phase 2, activate the effect of 'Guardian Sphinx'." Yugen stated, "This card can return to face-down Defense Position once per turn.
Re-cover Guardian Sphinx."
The Sphinx retreated once again, assuming the form of a cover card.
"Then set one monster in face-down Defense Position and end the turn."
Shadow Blizzard gritted his teeth.
His initial confidence when entering the field had vanished without a trace, leaving him feeling that the current situation was unprecedentedly challenging.
The annoying Sphinx could self-cover each turn, and when flipped, had the powerful ability to bounce all his monsters back. Even if he wanted to launch a quick offensive to break through the situation, there was still that Underworld Magic Mirror in the opponent's backfield...
Under such circumstances, the options available to him were extremely limited.
"Is Mr. Darkness not drawing a card?" Yugen smiled, "Or is it that you want to beg for mercy now, as I'm a kind person who can't bear to see others suffer, I'm the best to talk to."
Shadow Blizzard realized it was a mockery, using his own words against him.
"Stop being arrogant with me."
Shadow Blizzard gritted his teeth.
Are you kidding?
He, the mighty Darkness, who one day would envelop everything in darkness, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
"My turn, draw a card!" Shadow Blizzard declared, "Activate the Magic Card 'Pot of Magic Book', both sides draw three cards from their decks!" (Original Card)
Shadow Blizzard sped up his drawing, and his eyes flickered when he caught sight of a new card.
Ways to bypass the activation of that Underworld Magic Mirror and launch an attack, he still had them in his possession.
"First activate the cover card, Trap Card 'Sixth Sense'!" Shadow Blizzard called, "I declare numbers five and six, then the opponent rolls a die.
If five or six is rolled, I draw that number of cards.
If not, I send that number of cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard."
"Dice roll, is it?" Yugen noted.
However, it appeared that while Blizzard inherited the Gambling God's trump card and appearance, he failed to inherit the Gambling God's luck. The die landed, rolled a couple of times, and stopped at 3.
But he was unfazed, drawing three cards in quick succession.
"Then I send three cards to the graveyard."
Immediately, his backfield cover card flipped up.
"Open the cover card, Trap Card 'True Red-Eyed Soul'!" Shadow Blizzard announced, "Special Summon True Red-Eye Monster from the graveyard.
Rise, my soul, my flesh and blood, True Red-Eyed Black Dragon!"
The lava transformed once again into a soaring Fire Dragon twisting in the air, rushing down with transparent flames as it hit the ground, revealing the Black Dragon King's form.
True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, summon again!
[True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, Attack Power 2400]
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Black Flame Bullet'!" Shadow Blizzard shouted, "When 'True Red-Eyed Black Dragon' exists on my field, inflict damage to the opponent equal to True Red Eye's original attack power!"