If an expert like me gives you even one or two pointers, you'll benefit from it for life, Tomoki thought.
At the same time, Mokuba Kaiba arrived outside the field to watch.
"Hm, a pro player right away... well, semi-pro."
Mokuba Kaiba checked the opponent's information. Saito Tomoki, a newly signed rookie in the pro scene. His professional debut would be next week.
After reading that, Mokuba Kaiba looked at Tomoki with a complicated expression. This guy had a match next week, so hopefully today's loss would not wreck his mindset.
"Duel!" x2
Yugen, LP 4000
Tomoki, LP 4000
The indicator light on the Duel Disk lit up, showing that Tomoki had the right to choose who went first. The genius boy glanced at the disk and said, "I won't relax just because my opponent is an amateur. My Turn! Draw!
From my hand, I activate a Spell Card! 'Ancient Rules,' and Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from my hand!"
An ancient scroll appeared in his Front Row. Painted across it was an old-style image of Megazowler, and golden light surged over the surface.
"From my hand, I Special Summon a Level 6 Normal Monster!
The strongest of the Demon Tribe, the king of Fiend commanded by the Duel King... Summoned Skull!"
Black clouds churned like a vast whirlpool stirred by an invisible hand. Lightning flashed through them like silver dragons darting back and forth.
The huge Fiend emerged from the storm, its body wrapped in white bone. Lit by the lightning, it looked savage and terrifying, every inch of it seeming to speak of endless slaughter and bloodshed.
Summoned Skull, ATK 2500
"Yugi Muto's monster," Mokuba Kaiba murmured.
Summoned Skull was a Level 6 monster that needed only one Tribute to Summon, yet it carried 2500 ATK, which kept it popular as a heavy hitter and preserved its status as a Rare Card. It had even developed a new evolved form, and professional teams had judged that it still had room for further evolution.
Of course, most of the ace monsters Yugi Muto had used back then had now been proven to possess evolutionary potential.
"Then I Set 1 card in the Back Row and end my turn," Tomoki said.
"Then, my turn. Draw." Yugen drew two cards. "I Set 1 Monster in the Front Row, Set 1 card in the Back Row, and end my turn."
Hm?
Tomoki raised an eyebrow, and a trace of contempt entered his eyes. That was it?
"With such a slow Duel style, you'd get taught a lesson fast in the cruel pro world. Let me show you how harsh that world is."
Tomoki smiled confidently.
"Then I'll be in your care, senior," Yugen replied politely.
"Naturally. My Turn!, Card Draw!"
Tomoki drew, then immediately pulled out two more cards. He discarded one to the Graveyard and played the other at once.
"Spell Card 'Cost Down'! I discard 1 card so all Monsters in my hand lose 2 Levels.
As a result, the Level 6 'Archfiend's Thunder' in my hand drops by 2 Levels and becomes Level 4, so I can Normal Summon it without a Tribute!"
Tomoki raised the card high.
"After a long evolution, the king of Fiend takes on a new form. Descend as the ruler who commands thunder, Archfiend's Thunder, Summon!"
Towering bolts of lightning crashed from the black clouds and exploded across the field. It looked almost identical to Summoned Skull, but its entire body was wrapped in terrifying electricity, with bone plated over it like armor and a roar that sounded like rolling thunder.
Archfiend's Thunder, ATK 2500
"As expected, Summoned Skull's evolved form has appeared," Mokuba Kaiba thought. "Summoning two major Fiends onto the field at once, this rookie is not bad."
Too bad he had met the wrong opponent.
Hopefully today's Duel would not affect his condition for next week's debut.
"Then I activate my Set card," Tomoki said in a low voice. "Equip Spell, 'Raregold Armor'!
As long as the equipped monster remains on the field, all of your Card effects can only choose the Equip Monster as their target.
I equip 'Raregold Armor' to 'Archfiend's Thunder'!"
"Oh?" Yugen nodded, one hand resting against his chin. "That is kind of interesting."
"Raregold Armor's range is not limited to monsters on the field." Tomoki let out a cold laugh. "That includes both players' Graveyard and banished monsters too. Now you cannot choose any of them as effect targets.
Activating an Equip Spell on your own field is also a targeting action, so you cannot do that either. Even if you want to use an Equip Spell, you can only equip it to my 'Archfiend's Thunder.'
You cannot even activate 'Monster Reborn,' because 'Monster Reborn' also activates by targeting a monster in the Graveyard." (ANIME EFFECT)
Tomoki curled his lips into a sneer.
Yugen nodded. "And when 'Archfiend's Thunder' becomes the target of an effect, it can trigger an extra effect too, right?"
"Heh, your knowledge base is pretty solid." Tomoki sounded thoroughly confident. "Correct. When the skeletal Fiend becomes the target of an opponent's effect, I can roll a die.
If I roll a 1, 3, or 6, that Effect Activation is negated and Destroyed."
"So the success rate is only fifty percent," Yugen said, understanding at once.
"Oh, this rookie actually has something," Mokuba Kaiba thought, now viewing Tomoki a little more highly.
"If that's the case, then a huge number of Yugen's Card uses are sealed off, aren't they?"
"Battle Phase!"
Tomoki swung his hand and shouted, "Summoned Skull, attack the face-down monster!"
The Fiend spread its wings and unleashed endless lightning. Thunder rolled through the black clouds like furious golden dragons, and the dueling momentum came crashing down from the sky toward the face-down monster on Yugen's Front Row.
Boom!
The set card flipped open, and the image of the Monster flashed for an instant before the lightning reduced it to ashes.
"Then the effect of the face-down Magical Merchant activates," Yugen said. "When Magical Merchant is flipped, I reveal cards from the top of my Deck until a Spell or Trap Card appears."
"I add the first Spell or Trap Card I reveal to my hand, and all the rest go to the Graveyard."
"Oh, so it's an effect that searches for Spells and Traps." Tomoki did not look concerned.
Yugen revealed seven cards from his Deck in succession, then showed the seventh. "I add the Spell Card Reasoning to my hand and send the rest to the Graveyard."
Six cards clattered into the Graveyard, and Tomoki frowned slightly as he watched.
Reasoning also revealed cards from the top of the Deck until it found a Spell Card that could Summon a monster, so it was somewhat similar to Magical Merchant. Was this guy digging for some specific combo?
"But now you don't have any wall Monster on your field," Tomoki said. "Then Archfiend's Thunder, attack directly!"
The thunderclouds churned again, and lightning gathered in the skeletal Fiend's hand like a spear before it was hurled forward. Violent electricity roared toward Yugen's face with a sharp explosion.
"Then I activate my set card," Yugen said. "Trap Card Dimensional Prison. When the opponent declares an attack, banish that attacking Monster."
A crack in the Rift opened within the Dimension and appeared in front of Yugen, blocking the fierce lightning crashing toward him from the skeletal Fiend. Tomoki gave a small laugh.
"That's right, Dimensional Prison is also a targeting effect, so because of Raregold Armor, you can only activate it on the skeletal Fiend. But when the skeletal Fiend becomes the target of an effect, its own effect also activates."
"Fiend's roulette!"