"An immortal Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest... It really is strong. Quite impressive," Yugen nodded in agreement.
"Heh, it's too late for regrets now..."
The meat-mountain of an Emissary snorted twice with pride, but then he suddenly felt the atmosphere shift. Yue Xuan was far too calm.
The boy didn't look like he was struggling with a difficult opponent. On the contrary, his words carried a strange undertonealmost as if he were admiring someone else's prize possession with a look that said, 'That's a lovely thing you've got there.'
For a moment, the Emissary even felt as though Yugen's eyes flashed with the sharp radiance of a hunter looking at high-quality prey.
A chill ran down the Emissary's spine.
Is this guy crazy?
"I Set two cards and end my turn," Yugen said.
The special envoy shook off his unease once more.
"No matter. As long as I win this duel, you'll just be more nourishment for the God's resurrection!" the Emissary shouted. "My turn, draw! Go, Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest! Direct attack!"
The Green Baboon let out a thunderous roar, beating its chest before leaping into the air, throwing a massive fist directly at Yugen.
"I activate my face-down card," Yugen said with a snap of his fingers. "Continuous TrapUltimate Offering. During my Main Phase or my opponent's Battle Phase, I can pay 500 Life Points to Normal Summon a monster."
[Yugen: LP 4000 → LP 3500]
The Emissary frowned. "But Ultimate Offering only lets you Normal Summon level four or lower monsters. There isn't a single monster under four stars that can match my invincible Green Baboon"
"I Normal Summon Tsukuyomi," Yugen interrupted.
[Tsukuyomi: ATK 1100]
"When Tsukuyomi is successfully summoned, I can change one face-up monster on the field to face-down Defense Position," Yugen said with a smile. "So, Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest... why don't you take a seat?"
"Nani?"
The Emissary's expression changed as a crescent moon manifested behind the spirit. The rampaging Green Baboon froze mid-charge, its eyelids beginning to droop. It stumbled a few steps like a drunkard before collapsing face-down, turning back into a Set card on the field.
The sound of snoring even drifted up from beneath the card.
Emissary: "..."
"It looks like your Green Baboon needs a nap," Yugen quipped.
"Tch... then I end my Battle Phase," the Emissary growled. "But now you have a monster on your field. I Normal Summon Playful Possum."
[Playful Possum: ATK 800 → ATK 1300]
"Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Half Shut! It halves a monster's attack until the end of the turn and prevents it from being destroyed by battle. I'm halving the attack of my own Playful Possum!"
[Playful Possum: ATK 1300 → ATK 650]
"Playful Possum's effect! During my Main Phase, if my opponent controls a monster with higher attack than this card, I can destroy this card!"
The Emissary waved his hand grandly. "Die, Playful Possum!"
The cowardly possum peeked up cautiously, caught a glimpse of Tsukuyomi on Yugen's field, and let out a shrill scream.
Too scary! I must drop dead immediately!
BOOM!
The possum curled into a ball and exploded like a firework.
"At this moment, the effect of the second Green Baboon in my Graveyard activates!" the Emissary sneered. "When a Beast-type monster on the field is destroyed, I can pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon Green Baboon. Return to the field, Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest!"
[Emissary: LP 5000 → LP 4000]
A vortex opened in the Graveyard as the hulking, violent primate pounded its chest and roared, rising from the dead once more.
[Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest: ATK 2600]
Playful Possum's self-destruction seemed like a useless ability at first glance. But when paired with Green Baboon, it became exceptional. The possum could trigger the Baboon's revival at will, and because it was destroyed by its own effect, it would revive itself from the Graveyard during the next Standby Phase.
In other words, it was a renewable resource that could trigger the "immortal" Baboon every single turna vital link in this undying combo.
The Emissary bellowed, "I told you, the Green Baboon is immortal! No matter how many times"
"I activate my face-down card: the Trap Card, Floodgate Trap Hole," Yugen said calmly. "When a monster is summoned, it is immediately changed to face-down Defense Position, and its battle position cannot be changed."
Emissary: "..."
The second Green Baboon slipped, tumbling into a deep pit. Just like the first one, it turned into a face-down card, and soon, the sound of "Zzz... snore..." echoed from the pit.
While it was true the Green Baboon could revive whenever it was destroyed, it was completely helpless if it was simply buried alive. It was functionally neutralized.
"Cunning brat..." the Emissary muttered, though he remained relatively composed. "I Set one card and end my turn."
"During the End Phase, Tsukuyomi's effect activates."
As Yugen spoke, Tsukuyomi dissolved into golden light and flew back to his hand.
"At the end of the turn she is summoned, Tsukuyomi returns to her owner's hand."
Emissary: "!"
The Emissary finally realized the severity of the situation.
Tsukuyomi could flip a monster face-down when summoned, and she returned to the hand at the end of the turn. Ultimate Offering allowed Yugen to summon her during the opponent's turn.
Did that mean he was going to be forced into a face-down position every single turn?
The Emissary's pupils contracted as he stared at the spot where Tsukuyomi had vanished. What kind of endless-flip combo is this?
Yugen: "My turn, draw. I activate the Spell Card, Card of Adversity! If my opponent controls a Special Summoned monster and I control no monsters, I can draw two cards."
He drew and immediately revealed a card from his hand. "I summon D.D. Warrior Lady."
[D.D. Warrior Lady: ATK 1500]
Emissary: "!"
He had seen this monster in battles with other tribes. He remembered its effect... When this card battles an opponent's monster, both monsters are Banished from the game.
It was the perfect "Saint of Banishment" effect to target the Green Baboon's weakness. The Baboon could regenerate from destruction, but if it was Banished, the immortality was broken.
The Emissary had two Baboons Set on the field, but one was stuck face-down due to Floodgate Trap Hole. If the remaining one was Banished, he would be halfway to defeat. He couldn't allow it.
"I activate my TrapTorrential Tribute!" the Emissary yelled. "When a monster is summoned, all monsters on the field are destroyed!"
A surge of blue water erupted, sweeping across the entire field. The two face-down Green Baboons and the newly summoned D.D. Warrior Lady were all wiped out.
"And at this moment, because a Beast-type monster on the field was destroyed, the effect of the third Green Baboon in my hand activates!"
The Emissary laughed maniacally. "I pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon the third Green Baboon!"
This was the old-school effect before the errata. In the modern game, Green Baboon could only trigger when a face-up Beast was destroyed, meaning face-down cards wouldn't satisfy the requirement. But here, the original power was intact. It was easy to see why this card had been such a terror to the environment in its primeit had been nerfed into oblivion later for a reason.
[Emissary: LP 4000 → LP 3000]
Green Baboon unit number three, summoned!
[Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest: ATK 2600]
"Furthermore, because of The Seal of Orichalcos, its attack increases!"
[Green Baboon: ATK 2600 → ATK 3100]
With this move, the two Green Baboons that had been flipped face-down were now in the Graveyard, which meant they were effectively "alive" again. As long as the one on the field was destroyed, the others could rise once more.
"Hahaha! Do you see? This is the power of a chosen Emissary of the God!" the Emissary boasted, his ego inflating once more. "You might be a special duelist, but against such power, you are nothing..."
Yugen smiled. "Is that really so?"
"What?" The Emissary frowned.
How could this kid remain so composed in the face of an immortal Green Baboon wall?
"Through the effect of Ultimate Offering, I pay 500 Life Points to Normal Summon Mystic Tomato," Yugen said calmly.
[Yugen: LP 3500 → LP 3000]
"Then, using Ultimate Offering again, I pay another 500 Life Points to Tribute Mystic Tomato for a Tribute Summon..." Yugen raised his hand. "Level six! Gaap the Divine Soldier!"
[Gaap the Divine Soldier: ATK 2200]
This was the same monster Yakou Tenma had swapped from Yugen's hand using Card Exchange during their duel. Back then, it had been useless, but in specific combos, it was devastating. Yugen had eventually tracked down a copy through Industrial Illusions.
"Heh, spending Life Points just to drag out a high-level monster?" the Emissary sneered. "It's still no match for my Defender of the Forest."
"I activate Ultimate Offering's effect again," Yugen said evenly. "I pay 500 Life Points to summon Worm Gulse from my hand."
[Yugen: LP 2500 → LP 2000]
[Worm Gulse: ATK 1500]
"And one more time for Ultimate Offering. I pay 500 Life Points to Normal Summon Tsukuyomi from my hand."
[Yugen: LP 2000 → LP 1500]
[Tsukuyomi: ATK 1100]
"Hmm?" The Emissary narrowed his eyes. "That card again... I see. Green Baboon's Defense is only 1800. If you use Tsukuyomi to flip it face-down, Gaap the Divine Soldier can destroy it."
He let out a cold laugh. "But you haven't forgotten the two Green Baboons in my Graveyard, have you? They are immortal! Such petty tricks are useless"
Yugen ignored him. "Tsukuyomi's effect activates. When Tsukuyomi is summoned or flipped face-up, I can turn one monster on the field face-down. I choose... Tsukuyomi herself!"
Emissary: "?"
What kind of move is that?
The sorceress chanted her incantation as the crescent moon rose, and Tsukuyomi flipped herself into a face-down Set card.
"However," Yugen continued, "Gaap the Divine Soldier has a continuous effect. As long as he is on the field, all monsters must be in face-up Attack Position. Therefore, Tsukuyomi is forced back into Attack Position."
[Tsukuyomi: ATK 1100]
Emissary: "???"
He was completely baffled. What is the point of this?
"Now, the effect of the Worm Gulse I just summoned," Yugen said. "Each time a monster on the field is flipped face-up, this card gains one Worm Counter, and its ATK increases by 300."
[Worm Gulse: ATK 1500 → ATK 1800]
The Emissary scoffed. "A measly 300 attack"
"Tsukuyomi's effect can also activate when she is flipped face-up," Yugen chuckled.
Gaap the Divine Soldier's effect restricted Flip monsters from activating their effects, but Tsukuyomi was a Spirit monster, not a Flip monster. She was unaffected.
"Therefore, via Tsukuyomi's effect, she turns herself face-down. Then, because of Gaap, she is immediately forced back into Attack Position. Worm Gulse gains another counter and 300 more ATK. Then she flips down again... then up again..."
"..."
The Emissary's pupils shrank to pinpricks. His mouth hung open as a cold terror washed over him.
"This... this is..."
"AN INFINITE LOOP!!!"
Each time Tsukuyomi flipped, it triggered her effect to Set herself. But the moment she was Set, Gaap's forced-attack effect flipped her back up. Each cycle added 300 ATK to Worm Gulse.
"Correct," Yugen said. "After an infinite number of cycles, Worm Gulse's Attack Position becomes..."
[Worm Gulse: ATK ∞]
"INFINITE ATTACK?!"
The Emissary's face contorted, consumed by sheer dread. No, this couldn't be real. He began to tremble, his brutal features now masked in horror.
He finally realized that he was the one who had been blind. The person standing before him was a monster-tier powerhouse.
How could he be this unlucky? He was just hiding out in his club, looking for a bit of fun. Who had he offended to run into such a god-tier monster duelist?
"Now then."
Yugen crossed his arms, the massive Worm Gulse towering behind him with its infinite power.
"Any last words?"
The Emissary shook, forcing a smile that looked more pained than a sob. "It... it's a misunderstanding..."
But Yugen wasn't listening anymore.
"Worm Gulse, attack Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest." Yugen smiled faintly. "Let's see your 'immortality' handle this."
"WAAAAAAAGH!!!"
A piercing scream echoed through the area for a long time, silenced only when the green light of the Seal of Orichalcos dragged the foul soul away.
[Emissary: LP 3000 → LP 0]
---
Next up is the match against Jaden. It should be the longest game to date.
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