Within a single turn, the situation flipped sharply and became overwhelmingly unfavorable for him. He had to find a way out on this very turn.
"I activate the Spell Card Allure of Darkness! If the opponent has a Special Summoned monster on the field and I have no monsters, I draw two cards from my Deck! (ANIME EFFECT)"
When he saw one of the two newly drawn cards, Daichi Misawa could not help but smile. It was here, the move that could turn everything around.
"It looks like my Deck still hasn't given up on the top spot."
Daichi Misawa looked up with a grin and raised his Duel Disk. The Graveyard of the Duel Disk burst into brilliant golden light.
"First place, do you know what happens to carbon under immense pressure?"
Yugen replied, "It turns into diamond?"
He vaguely remembered Daichi Misawa saying something similar in the original story.
"Oh, worthy of first place. That's right," Daichi Misawa said. "On my very first turn, the monster I discarded to the Graveyard with the effect of Mathematician was Carboneddon!"
"Carboneddon's effect activates only when there are more than ten cards stacked above it in the Graveyard after it is sent there. By banishing Carboneddon from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one Hyozanryu from my hand or the Graveyard! (ANIME EFFECT)"
The effect fit Daichi Misawa's academic image perfectly, though by the original rules it was extremely hard to use. After being turned into a real card, it received major buffs, but right now he was using the original version.
"Now there are already more than ten cards stacked above Carboneddon in my Graveyard. The effect activates. Descend in your brilliant diamond form."
"Level seven, Hyozanryu, Summon!"
Before one could even see the dragon clearly, the light was blinding. A crystal-clear giant dragon rose into the sky, scattering prismatic light like rain and radiating unmatched luxury.
Hyozanryu, ATK 2100.
It was the kind of card that might not be terrifyingly strong, but was obviously expensive at a glance.
In the stands, Asuka Tenjoin said, "So he discarded that monster to the Graveyard with Mathematician's effect on the first turn. That means Daichi Misawa had already planned this far ahead from the start of the Duel."
"But Hyozanryu alone isn't enough to break the current situation," Ryo Marufuji said. "He should still have something else prepared."
Sure enough, Daichi Misawa smiled confidently. "After Black Luster Soldier and Meteor Black Dragon, legendary monsters keep appearing. Then I'll also burn everything I have and fight you."
"I activate the Equip Spell 'Megamorph' from my hand and equip it to Hyozanryu. When my Life Points are lower than my opponent's, the equipped monster's original ATK becomes double."
Hyozanryu's ATK rose from 2100 to 4200.
"Four thousand two hundred ATK!" The students stirred again.
The situation flipped once more.
"Go, Hyozanryu. Attack the Chaos Sorcerer!"
Yugen had 1600 Life Points left, and Chaos Sorcerer had only 2300 ATK. If the attack went through, it would deal 1900 damage directly.
This was Daichi Misawa's desperate comeback.
Hyozanryu opened its mouth as flowing light gathered inside, condensing into a spiraling beam that surged forward.
"Flip the set card," Yugen said with a wave of his hand. "Quick-Play Spell Enemy Controller!"
"Useless!" Daichi Misawa shouted. "Royal Decree is still on the field. Any trap is pointless!"
"I know," Yugen said calmly. "That's why I activate my second set card right after. Quick-Play Spell, Twin Twisters. I discard one card to destroy Royal Decree."
Daichi Misawa immediately understood. "So that's it. Because the later card resolves first, by the time Enemy Controller applies, the Continuous Trap Royal Decree is already gone, so the trap can resolve normally."
"Exactly."
As they spoke, a black storm swept across the back row, crushing the trap card into fragments.
"Therefore, Enemy Controller resolves normally. When the opponent declares an attack, I Special Summon one monster from my hand, and the attacking monster must attack that monster instead. (ANIME EFFECT)"
Daichi Misawa nodded. "I see. By Special Summoning a Defense Position monster from your hand, you avoid damage and protect Chaos Sorcerer."
"That's true," Yugen said with a smile. "But I'm not just avoiding damage."
He raised his hand.
"By Enemy Controller's effect, I Special Summon D.D. Warrior Lady in Defense Position from my hand, and it must battle Hyozanryu!"
Daichi Misawa said, "Nani?!?!"
It was actually D.D. Warrior Lady.
D.D. Warrior Lady, DEF 1600.
As a model student, Daichi Misawa could not possibly forget this card's effect.
"Stop. I won't attack. Hyozanryu, come back!"
"Too late," Yugen Do said. "The monster Special Summoned by Enemy Controller must battle the attacking monster. Then D.D. Warrior Lady's effect activates."
"After battling an opponent's monster, both monsters are banished!"
D.D. Warrior Lady leapt forward in a suicidal charge. She took Hyozanryu's attack head-on, her blade slashing through as space shattered, and a powerful pull dragged both monsters into a spinning vortex toward the Different Dimension.
Daichi Misawa's eyes were almost red. "My Hyozanryu…"
A 4200 ATK Hyozanryu, practically an entire Obelisk Dorm by itself.
"Then I set three cards and end my turn," Daichi Misawa said.
With Royal Decree destroyed, his Underworld lock strategy had officially collapsed. On the bright side, at least he could use traps again, which was not necessarily bad in such a dire situation. There was still a chance.
"My Turn!, Card Draw," Yugen Do said. "I activate Quick-Play Spell Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Mirage of Nightmare, so I don't have to discard cards for its drawback."
"Then I enter the Battle Phase. Meteor Black Dragon attacks directly."
"That won't do," Daichi Misawa shouted. "At the moment you enter the Battle Phase, I activate my set card. Trap Card Threatening Roar!"
Invisible sound waves burst from the trap card and swept across Yugen's field. Meteor Black Dragon let out a low roar and covered its ears with its claws.
Daichi Misawa said, "During the turn Threatening Roar is activated, the opponent cannot declare attacks."
Yugen said, "In that case, I'll set one monster and end my turn."
"My Turn!! I activate Spell Card Pot of Greed and draw two cards from my Deck."
Daichi Misawa drew, frowning slightly as if he still had not found the decisive card.
"I'll gamble," he said. "Flip the set card, Trap Card Reckless Greed. In exchange for skipping my next two Card Draw phases, I draw two more cards!"
At this point in the Duel, if he could not decide the match this turn, his chances would only grow slimmer. This was a last stand.
"Flip the set card, Continuous Trap Call of the Haunted," Daichi Misawa shouted. "I revive a monster from the Graveyard in Attack Position."
"I revive the card I discarded to the Graveyard on the very first turn. Ruler of the cosmos, sovereign of countless worlds."
"Level eight, Cosmic Queen!"
Cosmic Queen, ATK 2900.
"Then I activate the Ritual Spell 'Litmus Doom Ritual' from my hand," Daichi Misawa continued. "By tributing monsters from my hand or field whose total levels are eight or higher, I Ritual Summon Litmus Doom Swordsman from my hand."
"I tribute the level eight Cosmic Queen. Cut through all darkness and sin."
"Ritual Summon. Level eight, Litmus Doom Swordsman!"
Cosmic Queen vanished in ritual flames, replaced by a swordsman wielding twin blades, a red cloak flowing gracefully.
Litmus Doom Swordsman, ATK 0.
"Litmus Doom Swordsman's base ATK is 0," Daichi Misawa said. "But when there is a face-up Trap Card on the field, its ATK increases by 3000. I have the Continuous Trap Call of the Haunted, so its ATK becomes 3000."
Litmus Doom Swordsman, ATK 3000.
This was the final trump card Daichi Misawa used in the original duel against Judai Yuki.
"I see," Yugen said with a smile. "Litmus Doom Swordsman is unaffected by any Trap Card effects and cannot be destroyed by battle. You chose it as another answer to me besides Royal Decree."
"That's right. This is the trump card I selected specifically to decide the winner with you."
"But even with traps on the field, its ATK still can't catch up to Meteor Black Dragon."
"I know," Daichi Misawa said. "But I haven't used my Normal Summon yet this turn."
"I will Summon this card, the monster I entrust everything to. Copycat!"
A one-star Spellcaster Type holding a small mirror that covered its face.
Copycat, ATK 0.
"Copycat's effect lets it copy the original ATK and DEF of one monster on the opponent's field. I choose your Meteor Black Dragon!"
The mirror locked onto the massive black dragon, and in an instant the small magician transformed into the same towering dragon form.
Copycat, ATK 3500.
The field suddenly became a standoff between two Meteor Black Dragons.
"It's not over yet. I activate the Spell Card Double Attack. I discard one monster from my hand and choose a monster on my field with a lower level than the discarded monster. That monster can attack twice this turn."
Daichi Misawa sent a card to the Graveyard.
"I discard the level eight Water Dragon from my hand and choose my level one Copycat. This turn, Copycat can attack twice."
The surrounding students stirred once again.
From such a desperate situation, under the absolute pressure of Chaos power, Daichi Misawa had carved out an opening yet again.
Outside the field, Judai Yuki grew more excited. "He turned it around again from that kind of field. Daichi Misawa is really strong."
Manjoume narrowed his eyes at Yugen and muttered, "You can't be done yet, can you?"
He would not allow this guy to lose to someone else before fighting him again.
"Copycat, first attack. Attack Chaos Sorcerer!"
The black dragon it mimicked opened its jaws, unleashing a brutal blast. Chaos Sorcerer was engulfed in flames and reduced to ash.
Yugen's Life Points dropped from 1600 to 400.
Yugen staggered back two steps and smiled. "Impressive, second place."
"You're still this calm, first place," Daichi Misawa said with a grin. "Then I'll have to work even harder."
"Second attack. Copycat, attack Meteor Black Dragon!"
Both mighty dragons opened their jaws, meteoric flames pouring out without restraint. The blasts collided at the center of the Duel field, molten fire spreading across the ground until both dragons melted away.
Daichi Misawa's momentum surged.
Meteor Black Dragon was destroyed.
"Then Litmus Doom Swordsman attacks the face-down monster!"
He could feel it, clearly feel the scales tipping back in his favor.
Litmus Doom Swordsman was one of his strongest trump cards. With Blue-Eyes White Dragon-class ATK, immunity to battle destruction, and resistance to traps, it was the perfect counter to his opponent.
He could already see the light of victory.
"The monster you're attacking is D.D. Warrior Lady," Yugen said calmly. "When this card battles a monster, both that monster and this card are banished from the Graveyard."
D.D. Warrior Lady, DEF 1000.
Daichi Misawa said nothing.
The surrounding students said nothing.
Once again, a dimensional Rift opened. Endless gravity surged as Litmus Doom Swordsman and D.D. Warrior Lady were pulled into the vortex and vanished.
All that so-called immunity and resistance became meaningless.
Before the absolute power of Dimensional Slash, all beings were equal, all sent to Different Dimension.
No one exclaimed, no one commented, and for a moment no one made a sound. An eerie silence filled the field.
After a long pause, Ryo Marufuji said quietly, "Your judgment was right. He really isn't the kind of Duelist whose tactics can be easily locked down."
Asuka Tenjoin nodded, her expression complicated.
Sometimes, when someone is determined to mess with another person's mindset, there really is no stopping it.
"My Turn!, Card Draw."
In the midst of silence, Yugen continued his plays without a hint of agitation.
"I activate the Spell Card Pot of Desires. I banish three Spell Card from my Graveyard and draw two cards. (ANIME EFFECT)"
Images of three Spell Cards rose from the Graveyard and dispersed as golden light.
"I banish Delinquent Duo, Card Destruction, and Graceful Charity from my Graveyard and draw two cards."
"I activate Spell Card The Warrior Returning Alive and return one Warrior-Type monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning to my hand."
"Next, I banish the Light attribute Shining Angel discarded earlier by Card Destruction and the Dark attribute Chaos Sorcerer from my Graveyard."
"I offer Light and Dark to the field of Chaos and call forth the strongest legendary warrior. Heaven and earth are sundered."
"Level eight, Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning returns!"
Brilliant golden light erupted from a Chaos vortex, slamming into the ground as blades of light and darkness cut through the air.
Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, ATK 3000.
Daichi Misawa was speechless.
"Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning attacks Daichi Misawa directly."
"Envoy Twin Break Slash!"
Light and dark gathered along the blade, and the strike fell. Daichi Misawa stared as the sword light drew closer, then let out a long breath and closed his eyes.
So be it. He had done everything he could.
Daichi Misawa's Life Points dropped from 500 to 0.