🚨 Important Note : For the continuity of this story consider to Support us on Pãtreon/Flokixy to access advance Chapters and To Support The Daily Update
Abyss Soldier. This Monster Card caused quite a stir in the meta when it first debuted. By discarding a single card from your hand, it could bounce any card on the field. It served as an excellent removal effect, and could even retrieve your own cards from the field.
However, its requirement to discard a Water-Attribute monster was a significant limitation, as Water was a niche attribute back then. Furthermore, its effect inherently resulted in a card disadvantage. These numerous restrictions prevented it from being incorporated as a versatile card into other mainstream decks of the time.
Thus, through the collective wisdom of countless duelists, a deck designed to maximize Abyss Soldier's potential, named "Abyss Control," was born.
As the name suggests, this deck revolved entirely around Abyss Soldier. Its best partner was "Killer Snake" (Sangan), a card that could return to the duelist's hand indefinitely from the Graveyard at the start of each turn. Conveniently, it was also a niche Water-Attribute monster, perfectly providing Abyss Soldier with infinite ammunition.
Although Abyss Control was once a top-tier deck and achieved respectable results, in the meta of its time, it was still historically categorized as a "Non-Chaos Deck."
Because Chaos decks back then were simply too powerful.
Nevertheless, Abyss Control had been top-tier at some point, and You Xuan felt its current strength was quite decent. And compared to the outright oppressive power of Chaos decks' "Dimensional Slice," he found this strategy actually more enjoyable.
Just look at now. See? Even that Beetle Knight on the other side was practically howling with 'joy'.
Beetle Knight: "You @*%@#"
The slow-witted Beetle Knight finally seemed to grasp the horror of this combination.
On the surface, Abyss Soldier might seem like just a generic monster that cleared the field by incurring card disadvantage. But in reality, when utilized skillfully, it could combine with a considerable number of other cards.
Especially with effects like "Royal Decree," which were equally annoying for both players, if used properly, it could become a one-sided suppression to some extent. It even became double critical damage when it came to messing with the opponent's mindset.
Just like the Beetle Armored Knight's mood at this very moment.
At first, when he saw Abyss Soldier, he scoffed at it, dismissing it as just a low-level fodder monster. But now, looking at those two monsters, they truly seemed like reapers from the abyss, the kind that wouldn't stop until they dragged you to the underworld.
"It can clear the field, open up the board, and even retrieve cards to avoid being restricted by 'Royal Decree'... What an interesting combination!"
Judai, as always, had an excited expression.
He felt that You Xuan's duels always produced thrilling combinations that excited him. Such creative dueling was truly fascinating, and he increasingly wanted to try a match himself...
"Damn it, don't underestimate me! My turn, Draw!"
Having his cards bounced back to his hand repeatedly, Beetle Knight's field was now as clean as a blank slate. His Life Points were down to a mere 400. Furthermore, once You Xuan's turn came, all his trap cards would be sealed by the openly revealed "Royal Decree." And even if he summoned a defensive monster, it would simply be bounced back to his hand again by "Abyss Soldier."
If he couldn't get rid of those two Abyss Soldiers this turn, he was finished.
"I activate the Spell Card, 'Allure of Darkness'! I draw two cards from my deck, then banish one DARK Attribute monster from my hand! According to the Spell Card's effect, I draw from my deck!"
As the two new cards were drawn into his hand, a glimmer of hope sparked in Beetle Knight's eyes.
"It's here! With this card..."
"Then, according to the effect of 'Allure of Darkness,' I banish the DARK-Attribute 'Death Mosquito' from my hand!"
Beetle Knight revealed the Monster Card in his hand. A dark vortex appeared mid-air, and the card was immediately pulled into it as if by gravity, vanishing from sight.
"Now, I Normal Summon 'Resonance Bug'!"
[Resonance Bug, ATK 1000]
After being repeatedly bounced back and forth, Resonance Bug looked somewhat weary. This was its third time being summoned to the field so far, yet its effect hadn't been activated even once...
If this bug gets sent to the Graveyard, I'll win.
"Spell Card, 'Hatch'!" Beetle Knight declared. "By Tributing one monster from my field, I Special Summon one Insect-Type monster from my deck with one Level higher than the Tributed monster! I Tribute the Level 4 'Resonance Bug' from my field!"
Resonance Bug dissipated from the field, and a summoning vortex opened on the ground.
"Therefore, I can Special Summon a Level 5 Insect-Type monster from my deck! I'm summoning this guy—"
"—Level 5, Millennium Scorpion!"
Its carapace seemed forged from the essence of midnight, an enormous, jet-black scorpion, its surface gleaming with an eerie cold light, its tail swinging with a terrifyingly massive stinger.
[Millennium Scorpion, ATK 2000]
"Next, Resonance Bug's effect activates!" Beetle Knight stated. "When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, I add one Insect-Type monster with Level 5 or higher from my deck to my hand! I add the Level 8 'Demon Excavator Bug' from my deck to my hand!"
At the moment of the search, Beetle Knight was almost moved to tears. This damn effect had finally activated...
"Now things are finally looking up!"
"'Demon Excavator Bug's effect!" Beetle Knight roared. "By banishing two Insect-Type monsters from my Graveyard, this card can be Special Summoned directly! I banish 'Resonance Bug' from my Graveyard, as well as one 'Resonating Bug' I discarded on my first turn!
Watch closely! This is the strongest Insect-Type monster, bestowed upon me by the gods—"
"—Level 8, Demon Excavator Bug, Summon!"
The earth cracked open. A massive body, its hard shell covered in sharp protrusions and fissures, burst through the ground, letting out an earth-shattering shriek.
[Demon Excavator Bug, ATK 2800]
"Next is Resonance Bug's subsequent effect! If this card is banished, I send one Insect-Type monster, other than 'Resonance Bug,' from my deck to the Graveyard! I send 'Skull-Marked Ladybug' from my deck to the Graveyard."
He sent the card he searched from his deck to the Graveyard. However, the Graveyard zone on his Duel Disk quickly glowed golden, and the ethereal image of a ladybug adorned with a skull pattern materialized behind him.
"'Skull-Marked Ladybug's effect! When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I gain 1000 Life Points!"
[Beetle Knight, LP 400 → LP 1400]
Having recovered some Life Points, Beetle Knight immediately regained his composure and eagerly commanded: "Battle! 'Demon Excavator Bug,' attack 'Abyss Soldier'!"
Quickly, get rid of this soldier from the underworld!
"I activate my Set Card, the Trap Card 'Dimensional Prison'!" You Xuan calmly revealed a back-row card. "When an opponent's monster declares an attack, banish that monster!"
The void shattered, dimensions cracked. Demon Excavator Bug, seemingly charging too fiercely, couldn't stop in time and crashed headfirst into the other side of dimensions.
Beetle Knight: "Aaaaaah!!!"
Powerless rage.JPG.
This time, it wasn't just bounced to my hand; it went straight to another dimension?! Can we even play properly anymore?!
"Then, 'Millennium Scorpion' attacks! Attack! Get rid of that idiot..."
This time, there was no obstruction. Millennium Scorpion's attack went through successfully. Abyss Soldier was clutched by massive pincers and snapped in half.
[You Xuan, LP 4000 → LP 3800]
It barely hurt.
The attack didn't fully resolve, as one Abyss Soldier still remained on the opponent's field.
"What a disgusting monster... However, 'Millennium Scorpion' gains 500 ATK when it destroys a monster by battle! After that, I Set two more cards to my field. Turn End!"
[Millennium Scorpion, ATK 2000 → ATK 2500]
Beetle Knight took a deep breath.
On the surface, next turn, that 'soldier from the underworld' would bounce his Millennium Scorpion, and then a direct attack would end the duel. The situation was overwhelmingly disadvantageous for him.
However—
Beetle Knight's peripheral vision flickered to the two Set Cards in his back row.
He still had a sliver of a chance!