Spell Card-The Law of the Normal. In the anime, its effect was that you paid 1000 Life Points and declared the name of a monster card of Level 8 or higher. If that Monster was in the opponent's Deck, you added that Monster to your hand. (ANIME EFFECT)
After becoming a real card, the effect was strengthened even further. You had to pay 2000 Life Points, but you could declare any Normal Monster Card name, and if the declared monster existed in the opponent's Deck, you could either add it to your hand or Special Summon it to your field in Attack Position.
An effect that could steal a monster directly out of the opponent's Deck was extremely rare. If this thing could be developed successfully, then in a situation where you already knew the contents of the opponent's Deck, it would definitely become another nasty weapon for breaking their mental state.
Between classes, research, and daily Duel practice, the week passed quickly. At last, the day of the representative Duel with Judai Yuki arrived.
"Duel!" x2
Yugen, LP 4000
Judai Yuki, LP 4000
The arena was already packed early that weekend, with more than half of Duel Academy's students coming to watch. By now, both Yugen and Judai Yuki were well-known first-years at Duel Academy. With more than half of the first semester already behind them, both had proven through real results that they stood above the rest of this year's freshmen.
So this match would decide not only who would represent the main campus, but also who truly deserved to be called this year's strongest rookie.
"I go first. My Turn!, Card Draw!"
Judai Yuki drew, then immediately pulled a card from his hand.
"Spell Card-E - Emergency Call! I add one 'Elemental HERO' from my Deck to my hand."
Judai Yuki searched his Deck and pulled out a card.
"I add 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman' to my hand. Then I Normal Summon Elemental HERO Bubbleman in Defense Position!"
Elemental HERO Bubbleman, DEF 1200
"When Elemental HERO Bubbleman is Summoned successfully, if I have no other cards on the field, Draw two cards from the Deck!" (ANIME EFFECT)
It was an opening straight out of Greedman. Judai Yuki immediately refilled his hand with two more cards.
"Then I activate a Spell Card! 'Charge of the Light Brigade.' I send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard." (ANIME EFFECT)
It was also one of Judai Yuki's commonly used cards. It blindly milled the top five cards of the Deck, and on the next turn, by banishing this card in the Graveyard together with a card of the same name from the Deck, it could let him draw one card. The effect was extremely strong. (ANIME EFFECT)
When Yugen saw that card, he gave a faint, curious smile and narrowed his eyes. "That card, huh... interesting."
"My Turn! over." Judai Yuki smiled. "This semester, I've dueled all kinds of people, and quite a few of them were strong. But the one I wanted to face most was still you, Yugen."
He glanced at the cards in his hand, then at his own Deck. His voice stayed light, but there was real focus behind it.
"To be honest, your Duels always give me a lot of ideas, Yugen. I feel like I've learned a lot, and I feel like I've gotten much stronger. But at the same time, I also feel that only a Duel with you can really prove that."
"Interesting. That's exactly what I was thinking too." Yugen smiled.
For him, this Duel with Judai Yuki was also the best possible test of everything he had gained this semester. There was no better way to measure the results than against an opponent like this.
"My Turn!, Card Draw!"
Yugen spoke in a low voice.
"I'll activate the same card too."
With a wave of his hand, the image of a Spell Card appeared before him.
"Spell Card 'Charge of the Light Brigade'! I send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard!" (ANIME EFFECT)
Judai Yuki: "!"
A stir ran through the audience.
"The same card as big bro!" Sho Marufuji said in surprise.
"This semester, Judai Yuki and Yugen have both been learning from each other and influencing each other. So now their card choices are starting to overlap too, huh?" The gold-medal commentator Daichi Misawa was already in position.
Asuka Tenjoin smiled. "That's nice."
Yugen also sent the top five cards of his Deck to the Graveyard. Judai Yuki laughed and rubbed his nose. "What a surprise, using the same card as me. What did I say before? Strong Duelists really do make similar choices."
Yugen only smiled and did not answer. "Then I Normal Summon 'Lancer Dragonute.'"
Lancer Dragonute, 1600
"Lancer Dragonute attacks 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman'!" Yugen said with a wave.
Lancer Dragonute rushed forward, both swords slashing straight at the crouching greedy Hero. The strike came down fast and clean.
"At this moment, Lancer Dragonute's effect activates. When my monster attacks a Defense Position Monster, Once Per Turn, if its ATK is higher than the target's DEF, it deals piercing damage," Yugen said. "So Lancer Dragonute uses Break Strike on 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman,' and deals piercing damage!" (ANIME EFFECT)
The blade pierced through and split Elemental HERO Bubbleman apart. It exploded with a bang.
Judai Yuki, LP 4000 -> LP 3600
"Then I set two cards in the Back Row and end my turn."
"Then it's my My Turn!, Card Draw." Judai Yuki said. "At this moment in the Standby Phase, I banish 'Charge of the Light Brigade' in my Graveyard and another copy in my Deck, and draw one card from my Deck!" (ANIME EFFECT)
The image of the Spell Card rose from the Graveyard and vanished in flickering golden light. Judai Yuki immediately drew another card.
His draw speed increased again, and the moment he saw the card, the corner of his mouth lifted as excitement flashed in his eyes. Yugen recognized that look at once.
Whenever Judai Yuki was about to Summon one of his stylish Heros and show off the ace he was proud of, he always wore that same eager expression. It was the look of someone who had already seen his next move in his mind.
"It's here!" Judai Yuki raised the card in his hand and shouted. "I activate a Spell Card! 'Polymerization'! Come forth, my Elemental HERO!"
Yugen smiled.
"Sorry, Judai Yuki, but that won't do."
"Huh?"
"Since we already agreed to go all out, it would be disrespectful not to make a few targeted adjustments." Yugen said with a smile. "So today I prepared this card especially for you.
Continuous Trap 'Non-Fusion Area'!
As long as this card is on the field, in this Duel, neither of us can Fusion Summon!"
Judai Yuki sucked in a sharp breath.
What?
No Polymerization!?
The audience outside the field broke into an uproar as well. Everyone who knew Judai Yuki understood that he used a Hero Deck centered on lower-level Monsters, while nearly all of his real heavy hitters were in the Polymerization Deck. If he could not use Polymerization, then more than half of his power was effectively sealed away.
And this was far more brutal than the method in the original work where the math guy used 'Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell' to ban the Polymerization Spell. In the anime, Daichi Misawa had only shut down the single Spell Card 'Polymerization,' but Judai Yuki's Deck also had the Field Spell 'Fusion Gate' and 'Miracle Fusion,' which let Heros Polymerization from the Graveyard, among other options.