His invincible Fiend lock had just been broken like that?
What made it worse was that after Lava Golem planted itself on his field, it opened its mouth and let out a strange sound, followed by a puff of hot breath. It felt like it had eaten well and was burping. After swallowing two high-level Fiend in one go, the iron fool patted its belly in satisfaction, as if to say thanks for the meal.
Tomoki: "..."
"Then with its equipped target gone, Raregold Armor is naturally Destroy too." Yugen smiled. "That means the lock on my targeting effects is Release.
"Now I use the effect of Performage Trick Clown in my hand. This card can be Special Summoned from my hand in Attack Position." (ANIME EFFECT)
Performage Trick Clown, ATK 0
"Activate the Equip Spell Wonder Wand, and equip it to the Spellcaster-Type Performage Trick Clown. The equipped monster gains 500 ATK," Yugen said. "But with the other effect of Wonder Wand, I send the Equip card and this card to the Graveyard, then draw two more cards from my Deck."
Tomoki frowned. He was now even more certain that this guy was digging for something.
"Quick-Play Spell Flute of Summoning Kuriboh!" Yugen said. "Special Summon this card from the Deck.
"Come on, Winged Kuriboh!"
Winged Kuriboh, ATK 300
Tomoki felt nothing at all.
Oh, Kuriboh.
And then what? Was he going to ram Kuriboh into him to death?
Tomoki calmed down again. He had been shaken after losing his two aces, but even so, he still had a powerful Monster on the field with stats equal to Blue-Eyes White Dragon. A trash mob like Kuriboh...
"The Equip Spell Opti-Camouflage Armor can only be equipped to a Level 1 Monster." Yugen showed the card. "The Equip Monster can attack directly."
"Hm?" Tomoki was still confused.
Oh, a direct attack. How impressive.
But that trash only had 300 ATK. The humiliation factor was greater than the damage.
"With the cover of Opti-Camouflage Armor, Winged Kuriboh attacks directly!" Yugen declared.
Tomoki sneered. "Hah. It's only 300 ATK..."
"At this moment I activate the Quick-Play Spell Berserker Crush!" Yugen said. "Banish one monster in my Graveyard. Until the End Phase, the ATK and DEF of Winged Kuriboh on my field become the same as the banished Monster." (ANIME EFFECT)
"Nani?!!"
Tomoki's pupils Shrink.
Right. Last turn, Magical Merchant had dumped seven Monster into the Graveyard in one go.
"I banish Silent Magician LV8 in the Graveyard. Until the end of the turn, Winged Kuriboh gains the same ATK as Silent Magician. That is 3500!"
Winged Kuriboh, ATK 300 to ATK 3500
"ATK 3500!?" Tomoki's face twisted.
Are you messing with me?
A Kuriboh with 3500 ATK that can attack directly!?
Winged Kuriboh: "Kurikuri!"
Yugen had no idea what it was saying, but he felt that Kuriboh was absolutely right.
Covered in optical camouflage, Winged Kuriboh flapped its little wings and flew straight over the head of Lava Golem in the Front Row. Lava Golem covered its eyes with both huge hands, as if saying I can't see it, I can't see it.
"Tch, don't look down on professionals." Tomoki shouted, "I activate my face-down card, the Trap Card Defense Draw! One instance of battle damage becomes 0, and after that I draw one card from my Deck."
Winged Kuriboh slammed its head into the transparent barrier with full force, but achieved nothing. It could only let out two disappointed cries of "kuri" before flapping back in front of Yugen.
Tomoki wiped away sweat.
Damn, that was close. He had almost really been beaten to death by a headbutt from Kuriboh. If he had actually died to Kuriboh, he felt his pro career would have ended before it even started. It would have been a lifelong disgrace.
"That was close. What a pity," Mokuba Kaiba said as well.
Getting punched to death by Kuriboh would have been pretty funny.
"Then I set one card in my Back Row." Yugen said. "End turn."
"Then Berserker Crush's effect ends, and your Kuriboh's ATK returns to normal," Tomoki shouted.
Winged Kuriboh, ATK 3500 to ATK 300
That 300 ATK weakling remained on the field, looking so defenseless that it almost tempted people into crime. Tomoki's face turned cold as he let out a low laugh. He had almost suffered the humiliation of dying to Kuriboh. This turn, he would collect that debt with interest.
"My Turn! Draw!"
"Standby Phase, effect of Lava Golem." Yugen said. "It deals 1000 damage to its controller."
Tomoki: "Urgh..."
Tomoki, LP 4000 to LP 3000
Inside the iron cage, Tomoki gave a muffled groan, as if something disgusting had just been dumped on him.
That had been dangerous. If Kuriboh's attack had gone through last turn, then this burn from Lava Golem would have finished him right now.
"It really is a terrifying combo, but it seems I'm still better," Tomoki shouted. "Change Lava Golem to Attack Position!
"Die by the hand of your own Monster!"
He waved his hand and roared.
"Lava Golem, attack Winged Kuriboh!"
Lava Golem had a terrifying 3000 ATK, while Winged Kuriboh had only 300, a full tenfold gap. Yugen had only 1500 Life Points left, so this one blow would end the Duel.
A sharp light flashed in Tomoki's eyes. "I win!"
But even Tomoki himself had not noticed that at some point, his starting mindset of casually crushing a weak opponent had turned into wanting to beat this bastard to death. Without realizing it, he had gotten worked up as the Duel went on.
"Stay calm, senior. If you get tilted that easily, you'll suffer for it on the pro stage."
Yugen shook his head and spoke with sincere concern.
Tomoki: "?"
Hold on. Between us, who's the senior here?
Why was this guy suddenly lecturing him?
"I activate my face-down card, the Quick-Play Spell Transcendent Wings." Yugen said. "I discard two cards from my hand and evolve Winged Kuriboh into Winged Kuriboh LV10."
Transcendent Wings, a Rare Card made for Winged Kuriboh. Although the first copy that came to Duel Academy had been given to Judai Yuki, the Kuriboh-focused Deck that Yugen later obtained from Kaiba Corporation also had one.
Bathed in the holy light of evolution, Winged Kuriboh rapidly grew, its whole body shining as it spread huge pure wings like an angel.
Winged Kuriboh LV10, ATK 300
"It evolved straight to Level 10?" Tomoki felt a bad premonition rise in his chest. "But even at Level 10, it only has 300 ATK..."
"LV10's effect," Yugen said with a smile. "During the opponent's Battle Phase, tribute this card. Destroy all Attack Position Monster on the opponent's field, and deal damage to the opponent equal to the total ATK of the destroyed Monster." (ANIME EFFECT)
Tomoki's brain froze for several seconds.
The Attack Position Monster on his own field, then...
He instinctively looked up at a certain iron fool, only to find that the iron fool was also looking down at him. It even raised a hand and pointed at itself, as if to say yes, me.
Lava Golem, ATK 3000
Tomoki, LP 3000
Tomoki: "..."
The genius boy nearly laughed from sheer anger.
Standby Phase had already burned him for 1000, and then Lava Golem just happened to have exactly 3000 ATK. After that full combo, the total was exactly 4000 damage. Not a single point more or less. It killed him perfectly clean.
"Then Winged Kuriboh LV10, Effect Activation." Yugen said. "I tribute it, Destroy Lava Golem, and deal you damage equal to Lava Golem's ATK, which is 3000."