(Exchange of the Spirit), whose full name is (Exchange of the Spirit), before being weakened by the infamous KaibaCorp, dominated an era with its overpowered effect, trampling countless meta decks and super-meta decks underfoot, leaving no room for resistance.
Its effect is—when there are 15 or more cards in your Graveyard, you Pay 1000 Life Points to Activate it. Both players swap their Decks with their Graveyards.
When combined with Dark Ruler Ha Des's Effect, as long as you can quickly send 15 cards to your Graveyard, you can immediately Activate (Exchange of the Spirit)'s Effect during your Turn. If the opponent's Graveyard contains no cards, they could even be directly defeated at the start of their Turn due to having no cards to Draw after the Graveyard-Deck swap!
It can be called a Shadow Realm Card among Shadow Realm Cards; even Trap-heavy Duelists would shed tears upon seeing it.
However, Ishizu furrowed her brow as she watched Bandit Keith Activate Dark Mirror of Absorption, and asked the question that had long troubled her: "Marik, what method did you use exactly to interfere with the Millennium Necklace's Power?"
"Oh? So that's it. I was previously wondering how you, despite possessing the Millennium Necklace with its Foresight Ability, allowed me to infiltrate this place so easily with my people, and was even thinking you might have prepared some Trap Card waiting for me." Bandit Keith's face was forcibly twisted into a stiff smile. "So, your Foresight Ability has actually failed, huh? Hahahaha, how amusing!"
"Perhaps the Millennium Necklace is resisting you as well, Ishizu. It's resisting you because you stand with the Pharaoh, and thus refuses to show you the correct future!"
Chumley heard their conversation, his expression turned a little strange, and he lowered his head to glance at the Millennium Ring hanging on his chest. "Don't tell me it's you..."
"Miss Ishizu, don't be swayed by his words." Chumley, who had a suspicion, noticed the wavering on Ishizu's face and quickly spoke, "Has the Millennium Necklace's foresight gone wrong? I think I know the reason, but it's definitely not as Marik says. I'll tell you the exact reason after this duel."
Ishizu had always greatly trusted the Millennium Necklace's Prophecy, but because the visions of the future she had seen recently had repeatedly gone wrong, she couldn't help but partially believe Marik's words, wondering if the Millennium Necklace was truly resisting her.
Hearing Chumley's encouragement, Ishizu suddenly realized something was amiss with her mental state, and quickly refocused on the duel, returning a gentle smile to Chumley: "Thank you, Mr. Kobayashi, I will focus on the duel."
Noticing that Ishizu had successfully broken free from the force field hidden within Dark Mirror of Absorption and the magical energy secretly released from the Millennium Rod, "Bandit Keith" glared unhappily at Chumley: "You bastard, you actually ruined my plans!"
"So that's it, I was originally wondering why Miss Ishizu inexplicably became so despondent. You bastard, you just secretly used a Millennium Item, didn't you?" Chumley narrowed his eyes.
Marik's Millennium Rod symbolizes mental power, possessing the same ability as Pegasus's to remotely control someone's mind, having controlled others to duel more than once in the original plot. And compared to Pegasus's Millennium Eye, which he developed partway through, the Millennium Rod's control is even stronger, able to even brainwash from a distance or release magical energy.
Just now, he exploited Ishizu's shock at not foreseeing his Trap Card's activation, using the Millennium Rod's power to open a gap in Ishizu's usually firm mind. Although it was still far from directly controlling Ishizu, it was more than enough to influence her emotions.
As for why Chumley wasn't affected, that would be thanks to Bakura, who provided him with the useful Millennium Ring. The Millennium Ring, which possesses the ability to interfere with other Millennium Items, successfully helped Chumley block Marik's dirty trick. However, the Millennium Necklace might also have been affected at the same time.
In this way, it made sense why Ishizu's foresight had gone wrong multiple times in a row, because Chumley was likely involved in those futures she foresaw.
However, Chumley wouldn't reveal this matter for now. He'd apologize to Ishizu later; after all, he was also responsible for her mind having a momentary lapse.
(Exchange of the Spirit)'s Combo was interrupted, but Ishizu did not end her Turn because of this. Instead, she regained her composure and continued the duel: "I Summon Spirit of the Breeze in Defense Position, Set two cards, I End Turn."
[Ishizu: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Spirit of the Breeze DEF 1800]
[Set Card] X2
Now it was the other black-robed figure's Turn. He first drew a card, then took the monster on Bandit Keith's field as a Tribute to release it, and Set a monster in face-down position on his field, appearing quite mysterious. After Setting two cards, he uneventfully ended his Turn.
[Fodder Monster: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
[Face-down Defense Position Monster]
Now it was Chumley's Turn.
"My turn, Draw!" After drawing a card, Chumley's gaze swept across the field, then maliciously turned to Bandit Keith. "Speaking of which, Bandit Keith was defeated by me back then. I suddenly feel inexplicably like I'm back in Duelist Kingdom."
"But it seems Bandit Keith's Deck has been altered by you, hasn't it, three-year-old child?" Ignoring Bandit Keith's protest of "Who's a three-year-old child?!", Chumley played a card. "But coincidentally, my Deck isn't the same one I dueled Bandit Keith with back then either."
"I Activate the Spell Card, Polymerization! I fuse Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green from my hand!"
"Final Vent (Final Descent)! Come forth, Ojama King!"
The massive Ojama King, dragging its rotund body, landed on Chumley's field. While striking a pose no one would appreciate, nor ever would, it conveniently pulled three seals from its Pocket Dimension, threw them onto Bandit Keith's field, and Set three markers.
"When Ojama King is successfully Summoned, you can designate up to three zones on the opponent's field as unusable. I've heard of the Machina Deck; it's a Deck that excels at quickly Summoning a large number of Machine-Type monsters, isn't it? I certainly don't want to face a mechanical army." As Chumley spoke, he activated another card from his hand.
"Ojama Remodeling! I Banish three Ojama monsters from my Graveyard to Special Summon Fusion Materials for a Machine-Type, LIGHT Attribute Fusion Monster from my Deck. The Materials I will Special Summon for XYZ-Dragon Cannon are—X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank!"
"Then I Overlay them directly!"
Three glows of light appeared in the Graveyard, and three Machine-Type monsters appeared on the field, beginning to combine with each other. Seeing this, Bandit Keith had no choice but to Activate his Set Card: "I Activate my Set Card, Solemn Judgment! I Pay 1500 Life Points to Negate your Special Summon of a monster!"
On Bandit Keith's field, a white-bearded old man appeared, saying "You mustn't!" while waving his hand, driving away the X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank that were about to combine, banishing them from Chumley's field, out of the game.
[Bandit Keith: 4000 → 2500 LP]
Although his Life Points were reduced, having successfully prevented Chumley from Summoning that troublesome XYZ-Dragon Cannon, Marik didn't feel disadvantaged.
What puzzled him, however, was that Chumley's face actually wore an expression that seemed to say, "You fell for it."
(end of chapter)