Ryuga: "My turn, draw!"
After drawing, he paused slightly, then immediately revealed a smile.
"Heh, the combined blockade of 'Gravity Bind' and 'A Legendary Ocean,' plus the combo of 'Abyss Soldier' and 'Snake Whistle.' It's truly impressive that you could conceive of such a terrifying lineup.
But unfortunately, in front of this card, such a blockade is fragile!
From my hand, I activate the Spell Card—
—'Harpie's Feather Duster'!
It destroys all Spell and Trap Cards on your opponent's field!"
In DM, this was a super powerful backrow-clearing spell card owned by Mai Valentine and belonging to the Harpie deck. Its effect description was just one sentence, but it emphasized a simple and brutal efficiency.
The strongest backrow-clearing divine artifact!
"Hahahaha, 'A Legendary Ocean,' 'Gravity Bind,' destroy them all for me!" Ryuga laughed loudly. "It was hard for you to come up with such a blockade formation, but it won't work in front of me!"
"Then, I Chain activate my Trap Card, 'Raigeki Break'." You Xuan flipped his face-down card. "I discard one card from my hand to destroy one card on the field."
He drew a card from his hand and placed it on his Duel Disk; the card automatically slid into the Graveyard Zone.
"I destroy your 'Dark Triangle Wyvern'."
Black clouds churned in mid-air, and a demonic hand reached out, thunderbolts crashing from its fingertips. The ferocious Wyvern was utterly defenseless against the lightning and exploded into smithereens with a roar.
"Ugh, there was a trap after all..."
Ryuga frowned, pouting.
It was a bit upsetting to see the high-level monster he had painstakingly Summoned leave the field so easily, but it wasn't a major problem.
"However, your back row will be cleared by the power of 'Harpie's Feather Duster'! Destroy them!"
"Gravity Bind" shattered into fragments, and the field's gravitational restraint immediately vanished. The Harpie's feather swept through the air, and the three-dimensional projection of clear water suddenly turned murky. The beautiful underwater city was destroyed by the storm, collapsing in the tyrannical deluge.
"This way, your disgusting one-sided blockade is terminated!"
Ryuga regained his smile.
"Indeed. However, the face-down card you just destroyed was the Spell Card 'Divine Summoning Magic'," You Xuan said. "When this face-down card on the field is destroyed by an opponent's effect and sent to the Graveyard, I can select two Spell Cards from my Deck and Set them on my field." (Original effect)
The Duel Disk performed a search, quickly pulling out two cards.
"I Set the second Field Spell 'A Legendary Ocean' and the Continuous Spell 'Level Limit - Area B' in the Field Zone and back row respectively."
Ryuga's smile, which had only lasted a few seconds, immediately vanished again.
[Continuous Spell - Level Limit - Area B
Effect: All face-up monsters on the field with Level 4 or higher must change to Defense Position.]
This was essentially the Spell version of Gravity Bind, a staple partner for early stall decks.
Coupled with the other "A Legendary Ocean" he had just searched, this meant that this stall-lock formation would still be active on You Xuan's next turn. This way, Professor Ryuga wouldn't be able to duel at all again.
Ryuga's mouth twitched.
No, who the hell taught you to duel like this?
"Professor, your turn is still continuing," You Xuan reminded him with a smile.
"Tch, you don't need to be so chatty."
A vein throbbed on Ryuga's forehead.
Calm down. This brat is just trying to provoke me.
He realized that the sunny, polite image the opponent initially projected was nothing more than a disguise. This guy was actually black-hearted to the core. Both his dueling tactics and seemingly casual remarks were attempts to disrupt his rhythm.
The Continuous Spell could only activate on his opponent's next turn. He still had room to maneuver this turn.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Graceful Charity.' I draw three cards from my Deck, then discard two cards from my hand."
Ryuga drew cards, selected two to discard, then slammed down a monster card from his hand.
"I Summon 'Marauding Captain'!"
[Marauding Captain, ATK 1000]
"The effect of 'Marauding Captain': By Tributing itself, it can destroy a monster on the field!" Ryuga waved his hand. "I Tribute 'Marauding Captain' to destroy 'Abyss Soldier'!"
A brutal one-for-one removal card, crude but effective. A large group of Marauding Captains swarmed forward, immediately surrounding Abyss Soldier. Like human bombs, they exploded with a crash, instantly blasting a smoking crater onto the field.
"That damn soldier can just leave the field here!" Ryuga said. "Next, from my hand, I activate the Spell Card 'Ultimate Evolution Potion'!"
"I banish one Machine-Type and one Dinosaur-Type monster from my hand or Graveyard, and Special Summon one LIGHT Attribute, Dinosaur-Type monster from my hand or Deck!" (Anime effect)
This was also a Spell Card used by Hassleberry in the GX anime, but it wasn't made into a real card until ten years later.
"I banish 'Dark Triangle Wyvern,' a Dinosaur-Type from my Graveyard, and 'Transformable Machine Beast - Cannon Dragon,' a Machine-Type that I just discarded to the Graveyard!
The fusion of Dinosaur and Machine, only then can ultimate evolution be completed! Let me specially show you my ace!"
A golden light shot out from Ryuga's deck.
"A perfect masterpiece of technology and life fusing and evolving, a form that has evolved over countless years—
—Cyber Dinosaur, Summon!!!"
A massive Dinosaur, clad in pure white armor, gleamed with a cold luster. Its body, composed of countless precise electronic components, pulsed with azure electrical arcs. Every step seemed to be accompanied by thunder.
This was the ace monster used by Ryuga in the original work.
However, the Cyber Dinosaur in the original work was Dinosaur-Type. In the manga, it was also Summoned by the effect of "Super Evolution Pill," but in the real card game, it was changed to Machine-Type. And the real card's effect was "If your opponent controls only Defense Position monsters, this card can attack directly," the same as Hassleberry's "Dark Driceratops" effect.
However, after being made into a real card, Cyber Dinosaur's effect was changed to "When your opponent Special Summons a monster from their hand, this card can be Special Summoned."
[Cyber Dinosaur, ATK 2500]
"It's not over yet! Next is the Spell Card 'Double Attack'! Discard a monster card from your hand, then target one monster on the field with a lower Level than the discarded monster. That monster can attack twice this turn.
I discard the Level 8 'Dragon-Foot Beast - Brachiosaurus' from my hand, allowing 'Cyber Dinosaur' to launch two attacks this turn!"
Some students in the audience were already restless.
"A continuous attack after clearing the back row, isn't that an OTK?"
"This new professor is quite impressive."
"If this attack goes through, then You Xuan will..."
"Cyber Dinosaur"'s two consecutive attacks could deal a total of 5000 damage, while You Xuan only had "Bubbleman" with 800 ATK on the field.
Ryuga's expression was ruthless.
Before that stall-lock could be re-established, this turn would decide the winner!
"Then battle! First, 'Cyber Dinosaur' attacks 'Elemental HERO Bubbleman'!"
Cyber Dinosaur charged forward, its powerful mechanical jaws tearing. Its razor-sharp fangs ground "Bubbleman" into pieces, and the ensuing impact pushed You Xuan back half a step.
[You Xuan, LP4000 → LP2300]
With the attack successful, Ryuga's face showed an even harder-to-suppress delight. He impatiently roared, "Cyber Dinosaur attacks again! Second consecutive attack! Direct attack! I'll win this duel—"
"Don't be so hasty, Professor. You might not have noticed, but the card I discarded to the Graveyard as the cost for 'Raigeki Break' was this card."
You Xuan smiled, revealing a card that had been ejected from the Graveyard.
"'Executioner Makyura.' When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can activate Trap Cards from my hand during this turn."
Ryuga: "!!!"
Activate from hand!?
"Therefore, at the moment of the direct attack, I activate this card from my hand."
You Xuan played a card from his hand; the image of a Trap Card appeared before him.
"Trap Card, 'Ripple Barrier - Wave Force'!
When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack, all Attack Position monsters on your opponent's field return to their owner's Deck!"
"Na-Nani!?"
Ryuga instantly put on a face of agony.
Yamero (Stop)!!!
But it was already too late. A pale blue water barrier had already formed on You Xuan's field. The dull-witted Cyber Dinosaur crashed head-first into the water shield, instantly submerged and disoriented. After being swept away by the current, it transformed back into a beam of golden light and flew back into Ryuga's Deck.
Professor Ryuga's eyes turned red.
My Cyber Dinosaur...
This time, it wasn't even returned to the hand; it went straight back to the Deck.
And this way, he was left with an empty hand and an empty field, not a single card left. One second he was on the verge of a winning comeback, the next he was instantly in agony. Dueling truly was full of ups and downs, just like life.
So, with Professor Ryuga having no cards left, he obviously had nothing good to do. He could only grit his teeth and pass his turn under the opponent's sunny and friendly urging.
"Then, my turn, draw. During the Standby Phase, 'Snake Whistle' in the Graveyard returns to my hand again."
You Xuan chuckled as he retrieved "Snake Whistle" from the Graveyard. Seeing that thing again, Professor Ryuga's eyes seemed to get even redder.
"Then I Normal Summon my second 'Abyss Soldier'."
[Abyss Soldier, ATK 1800]
"Next, I activate these two cards that Professor helped me search last turn.
First, the Field Spell 'A Legendary Ocean,' which reduces the Level of my 'Abyss Soldier' to 3 again.
Then, the Continuous Spell 'Level Limit - Area B,' which forces all Level 4 or higher monsters on the field into Defense Position.
Oh, right, because of 'A Legendary Ocean''s effect, 'Abyss Soldier''s ATK increases again."
[Abyss Soldier, ATK 1800 → ATK 2000]
Ryuga's facial muscles twitched.
It's back, it's back again.
It's the same familiar formation, the same familiar feeling.
"Abyss Soldier,' direct attack."
The trident pierced his heart, plunging deep and leaving him feeling cold to the core.
[Ryuga, LP4000 → LP2000]
Ryuga clutched his chest, gritting his teeth.
"I set one card. My turn ends," You Xuan smiled. "Professor, please."
Ryuga's face was cold.
It wasn't over yet.
He could still draw a card; he still had a chance.
It's just a one-sided stall-lock plus a Level 3, 2000 ATK beatstick, plus an infinitely recycling bounce combo. Watch me top-deck a card and turn the tables.
"I activate my face-down card, Trap Card - 'Takedown'," You Xuan politely stated. "During your Draw Phase, the card you draw is immediately discarded."
Ryuga: "..."
The spectators: "..."
A card that had just been drawn went straight to the Graveyard before it could even be clearly seen. A long and eerie silence fell over the field.
It was as if a bleak, cold wind swept through the arena.
"Hmm, Professor, are you not going to do anything this turn? You're too polite. Well, your waiting time is over, and it's my turn again. Draw."
You Xuan waved his hand.
"Abyss Soldier,' direct attack."
[Ryuga, LP2000 → LP0]
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