"Based on the effect of Mystical Piper, since I drew a Level 1 monster, I get to draw again."
Yugen drew a card and immediately revealed another from his hand.
"The Spell card, Arms Hole!" Yugen declared. "I send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard to add one Equip Spell from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand."
He pulled the top card, glanced at it, and sent it to the Graveyard slot of his Duel Disk. The machine performed an automatic search, ejecting a card into his hand before shuffling the Deck.
"I add the Equip Spell, Wonder Wand, from my Deck to my hand."
"Searching for an Equip Spell..."
Tomoki still didn't understand what Yugen was planning, but he sneered. "Whatever you're scheming, you should know that as long as Metalsilver Armor is on the field, you cannot choose any monster other than Skull Archfiend of Lightning as the target of an effect. That includes your own monsters, so you won't even be able to activate that Equip Spell."
"My, that is quite the predicament," Yugen said, rubbing his temple as if nursing a headache. "As expected of a professional duo's combination. Not only did you set up such powerful monsters in a single turn, but you've even sealed off my ability to target my own creatures with Spells."
"Exactly. Your actions have been restricted to the absolute limit. It's a shame, reallysearching for equipment you can't even use," Tomoki boasted.
"True... Well, I suppose I have no choice then."
Yugen sighed and slowly pulled a card from his hand, looking as though he were being forced into a desperate, last-ditch effort.
"I Tribute your Summoned Skull and Skull Archfiend of Lightning to Special Summon this Level 8 monster to your side of the field in Defense Position! Awaken from the molten depths of the abyss, the power of destruction and rebirthLevel 8, Lava Golem!"
Tomoki stared blankly. "Huh?"
What the hell was this?
In the next instant, he watched in horror as his two Great Fiends melted into a pool of lava bubbling up from the ground. A massive, charred hand reached out from the magma, followed by a burning giant that slowly rose, trapping Tomoki inside a red-hot iron cage built into its chest.
The burning giant stood tall on his field, turned its head to look at him, and offered a surprisingly goofy, simple-minded grin on its abstract face.
It seemed to be saying, 'Hello, nice to meet you.'
[Lava Golem, DEF 2500]
Tomoki's mind spun as he locked eyes with the hulking simpleton.
Wait, just like that? His "invincible" Fiend-lock was broken just like that?
What was even more infuriating was that after Lava Golem settled onto his field, it let out a strange sound and exhaled a cloud of scorching steam, almost like it was burping after a heavy meal.
Apparently, two high-level Fiends tasted pretty good. The "Big Dummy" patted its stomach contentedly, looking like it was thanking him for the hospitality.
Tomoki: "..."
"Now that the equipped target is gone, Metalsilver Armor is naturally destroyed," Yugen said with a smile. "With that, the restriction on my targeting is lifted. Next, I activate the effect of Jester Confit in my hand. This card can be Special Summoned from my hand in Attack Position."
[Jester Confit, ATK 0]
"I activate the Equip Spell, Wonder Wand, and equip it to the Spellcaster-type Jester Confit. The equipped monster gains 500 Attack," Yugen continued. "However, I'll use the wand's other effect. By sending the equipped monster and this card to the Graveyard, I draw two more cards."
Tomoki frowned. He was becoming more certain that this guy was digging for something specific.
"Quick-Play Spell, The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh!" Yugen called out. "I Special Summon this card from my Deckcome forth, Winged Kuriboh!"
[Winged Kuriboh, ATK 300]
Tomoki's expression didn't change.
Oh, a Kuriboh. And then? He was going to ram him to death with a fluffball?
Tomoki had regained his composure. Even though his two trump cards had been eaten, he still possessed a monster with stats comparable to a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. A measly Kuriboh was just fodder.
"The Equip Spell, Opti-Camouflage Armor, can only be equipped to a Level 1 monster," Yugen said, revealing a new card. "The equipped monster can attack directly."
"Huh?" Tomoki remained confused.
Direct attack? Fine, that's impressive. But that piece of trash only has 300 Attack points. Using it to attack was more of an insult than actual damage.
"Under the cover of Opti-Camouflage Armor, Winged Kuriboh attacks directly!" Yugen commanded.
Tomoki sneered. "Hmph, a mere three hundred points"
"In this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Berserker Crush!" Yugen interrupted. "I banish a monster in my Graveyard from the game. Until the end of this turn, the ATK and DEF of Winged Kuriboh on my field become the same as the banished monster's!"
"Nani!" Tomoki's pupils shrank.
Wait... last turn, Magical Merchant had milled seven monsters into the Graveyard in one go!
"I banish Silent Magician LV8 from my Graveyard! Until the end of the turn, Winged Kuriboh gains its Attack power... which is 3500!"
[Winged Kuriboh, ATK 300 → ATK 3500]
"Three thousand five hundred ATK?!" Tomoki's face contorted.
Are you freaking kidding me? A Kuriboh with 3500 Attack points and a direct attack?!
Winged Kuriboh: "Kuri Kuri!"
Yugen didn't know what it was saying, but he felt like it was making a good point.
Wrapped in its optical camouflage, Winged Kuriboh flapped its tiny wings and swaggered right over the head of Lava Golem. Lava Golem covered its eyes with its massive palms, as if saying, 'I can't see him, I can't see him...'
"Tch, don't underestimate a pro!" Tomoki barked. "I activate my face-down card! The Trap, Defense Draw! One instance of battle damage becomes 0, and then I draw a card!"
Winged Kuriboh slammed its head with full force into a transparent barrier, only to be bounced back. It let out a frustrated "Kuri!" before flapping back to Yugen's side.
Tomoki wiped the sweat from his brow. That was too close. He was almost headbutted to death by a Kuriboh. If he had actually died to a Kuriboh, his professional career would have ended before it even truly began. It would have been a lifelong disgrace.
"That was close. What a shame," Mokuba added from the sidelines, though he looked like he found the idea of a Kuriboh finishing the match quite amusing.
"I set one card. Turn end," Yugen said.
"The effect of Berserker Crush ends, and your Kuriboh's Attack returns to normal," Tomoki snapped.
[Winged Kuriboh, ATK 3500 → ATK 300]
Leaving a weakling with 300 ATK on the field was like an invitation to a slaughter. Tomoki's expression turned cold as he let out a low chuckle.
He had almost suffered the humiliation of losing to a Kuriboh as a rising star. This turn, he would repay that debt with interest!
"My turn, draw!"
"During your Standby Phase, Lava Golem's effect activates," Yugen said calmly. "It deals 1000 damage to its controller."
"Argh!" Tomoki grunted.
[Tomoki, LP 4000 → LP 3000]
Trapped in that iron cage, Tomoki felt like he'd just been hit with a bucket of filth. That was dangerous. If he had taken that punch from the Kuriboh last turn, this burn damage would have finished him off.
"It's a terrifying combination, I'll give you that. But it looks like I've come out on top," Tomoki shouted. "I change Lava Golem to Attack Position! Now, die at the hands of your own monster!"
He swung his arm forward. "Lava Golem, attack Winged Kuriboh!"
Lava Golem had a terrifying 3000 ATK. Winged Kuriboh had only 300. The difference was tenfold. With Yugen's Life Points sitting at 1500, this single strike would end the game.
Tomoki's eyes gleamed with triumph. "I win!"
He hadn't even noticed that his mindset had shifted from "crushing a rookie" to "I'm going to kill this bastard." He was getting far too emotional.
"You need to stay calm, Senior. Getting hot-headed like this will only lead to mistakes on the professional stage," Yugen said with a slow shake of his head, speaking like a mentor.
Tomoki blinked. "Huh?"
Wait, who was the senior here? Why was this kid suddenly lecturing him?
"I activate my face-down card: the Quick-Play Spell, Transcendent Wings!" Yugen declared. "I discard two cards from my hand to evolve Winged Kuriboh into Winged Kuriboh LV10!"
Transcendent Wingsthe exclusive rare card for Winged Kuriboh. Though Yugen had given his first copy to Jaden when he first arrived at the Academy, he had found another in the specialized Kuriboh Deck he'd acquired from KaibaCorp.
Within a holy light of evolution, Winged Kuriboh grew rapidly, bathed in a brilliant radiance as it unfurled massive, angelic wings of pure white.
[Winged Kuriboh LV10, ATK 300]
"It evolved straight to Level 10?" Tomoki felt a sudden surge of dread. "But even at ten stars, its Attack is still only 300!"
"The effect of LV10," Yugen smiled, "allows me to Tribute this card during the opponent's Battle Phase to destroy all Attack Position monsters they control. Then, it deals damage to the opponent equal to the combined original Attack of the destroyed monsters."
Tomoki's brain stalled for a few seconds.
The Attack Position monsters on his field... wouldn't that mean...
He instinctively looked up at the "Big Dummy" looming over him. He found the iron-caged giant looking back down at him. The giant even pointed a finger at itself, as if to say, 'Yep, that's me.'
[Lava Golem, ATK 3000]
[Tomoki, LP 3000]
Tomoki: "..."
The genius youth was so angry he almost laughed.
One thousand damage during the Standby Phase, and Lava Golem's Attack just happened to be exactly three thousand. A four-thousand-point combo intended to kill him exactly, with not a single point of overkill.
"Winged Kuriboh LV10, effect activate," Yugen said. "I Tribute it to destroy Lava Golem and deal damage equal to its Attackthree thousand points!"
Winged Kuriboh vanished in a burst of golden light, and Lava Golem's body exploded immediately after. Molten lava erupted from the blast, incinerating Tomoki and his iron cage once again, reducing them to virtual ash.
As his LP hit zero and he was disconnected from the virtual arena, Tomoki looked up and exhaled a long, heavy breath.
He suddenly began to wonder if the professional world might be a bit too cruel for him.
Maybe he just wasn't cut out for dueling after all.
[Tomoki, LP 3000 → LP 0]
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