The colossal black bird materialized once more, its shadowy wings stretching wide as it loomed behind the girl, possibly Rio Kastle. The previous blue flame returned, spreading around them. It would look quite intimidating if they weren't underwater right now.
[Earthbound Immortal Aslla piscu, 2500 ATK]
She then waited, probably thinking Yumi would waste his Widow Anchor on this massive bird, but he isn't dumb. He knew that the anime version of the Earthbound Immortal is immune to the opponent's Spell and Trap.
Besides their somewhat powerful ability to attack directly, and can't be targeted for attack. One of their major downsides is that they can only exist on the field if there is a field spell on the field; otherwise, they will self-destruct.
The only reason characters in 5Ds never thought of this is because of the version they were playing, Speed Duel, where people basically play cards while driving a motorcycle. The version that the start of the duel will automatically activate the field spell, Speed World, and it can't be removed from the field, even if you play your own field spell over it. Once your field spell leaves the field, Speed World will reappear.
So if the characters in 5Ds just stop their motorcycle and decide to duel normally on the ground, each time an Earthbound Immortal appeared, they just need to destroy the field spell, and the big boss monster would also disappear.
Still, since they don't know about this weakness, Yumi really can't blame them.
Yumi's lips curled into a sly smirk.
"I'll tribute your Aslla Piscu… to Special Summon Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju!"
Probably Rio: "..."
The towering shadow of the Earthbound Immortal shrieked, its piercing cry reverberating through the water, before its form dissolved, reshaping into a colossal sea turtle with an armored shell and crushing gaze.
The girl's eyes shifted back to normal, and the strange markings across her back faded as quickly as they had appeared.
[Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju, 2200 -> 2400 ATK]
Although the Earthbound Immortal monster can't be targeted for attack or be affected by the opponent's spell and trap, that doesn't mean they have immunity to being tribute.
This is why the Kaiju archetype is both loved and hated by Yu-Gi-Oh players.
They loved it because they could easily clear out an opponent boss monster with a single card.
They hated it because their boss monster could easily be cleared out by a single card from the opponent.
"Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu's effect… when it leaves the field, all of your monsters are destroyed, and you take 800 damage," the girl said, her voice losing some of its earlier confidence.
"Yumi's effect still continues. Zero is unaffected by your card's effect," Yumi replied coolly.
The blue flames surged toward Zero, but the same shimmering firewall from before rose up, blocking the assault.
"I'll set three cards face-down."
Three cards shimmered into existence, neatly aligned behind Zero.
"Turn end."
"M-My turn." The girl's voice trembled as she drew her next card, tension still etched across her face. Her eyes scanned her hand, then a slow smile crept in, her confidence somewhat returning.
She slammed a card onto her duel disk. "I activate the Spell Card, Heavy Storm! Destroy all cards in the Spell and Trap Zones!"
A roaring cyclone erupted around them, the violent wind threatening to tear away every card on the field.
Yumi didn't even flinch. "Is that so? Trap Card, open, Starlight Road!"
With a casual wave of his hand, a radiant, star-filled light burst to life behind him. "When a card effect would destroy two or more cards on the field, I can negate it, and I can Special Summon one Stardust Dragon from my Extra Deck!"
From within the celestial glow, a slender figure with enormous, gleaming wings descended, Raye again. But her usual mecha armor was now fused with the majestic design of Stardust Dragon.
Her new form is based on the Capsule Monsters spin-off from Yu-Gi-Oh DM, where Yugi donned armor fused with his monsters. But instead of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon armor, Raye's gear radiated starry silver hues, every plate shimmering like a star in motion.
[Sky Striker Ace - Stardust, 1500 ATK]
"Sky Striker Ace - Stardust is always treated as [Stardust Dragon]." Yumi said with a faint smile, his gaze resting on his ace in her gleaming "new vest."
So this is how President Kaiba feels every time he discovers a new vest for his White Bride.
The girl admired Raye's new form for a bit before glancing down at her hand. She drew in a sharp breath and pulled out another card.
"Spell Card, Pot of Greed! This lets me draw two cards."
Before she could celebrate, one of Yumi's set cards flipped up in a shimmer of violet light.
"Continuous Trap, Mystical Refpanel!" Yumi announced. "Once per turn, when a Spell Card targets a player is activated, I can change the target to the other player instead!"
From the glowing panel, a purple-skinned woman with cascading blue hair stepped forward, lifting a gleaming, ornate mirror.
This card was originally just a normal trap card, but Yumi changed it to a continuous trap to make it resemble the Mystical Refpanel used in the DM anime by Yugi, which can stay on the field for as long as he wanted even after activating it effect, it can seal the opponent spell card, and let the user decide what to do with it.
What makes the first-generation Duel King so powerful is that he has the ability to use BISS (Because I Said So). Drawing up rules and effects, however the fuck he wants.
Basically, he cheated.
Like using a normal monster to attack his own equip spell, the Moon, during his opponent's turn. To create an effect that also doesn't mention the destroy spell, as he said it does.
Then the time he fused a normal monster with a spell card, to make something that isn't even in the game.
And even the Mystical Refpanel used by him also suddenly gained a new effect that wasn't written on it card, its effect is bound to a spell that targets a player toward the other player.
In his duel with his best friend, who was brainwashed at that time, he used this Mystical Refpanel to seal off the spell effect, giving a long friendship speech, before choosing himself as the target for the spell to go through.
Even during the final duel of GX, when Jaden was brought back in time to duel Yugi.
The HERO player played fair and square, doing what he could to win. Then Yugi used BISS, using Mystical Refpanel to seal off one of Jaden's spell card that target a card, not the player.
But instead of using the card immediately, he actually let it sit there for a bit before using it to help him summon a god.
The moment was epic, sure.
But the execution is... disappointing in a way.
Like Jaden was about to win and become the next King of Game, achieving his goal since the very first episode of GX, then Yugi suddenly activated his cheat to summon out a God Card.
The image of Pot of Greed shimmered inside Mystical Refpanel's mirror, then rippled and vanished as Yumi drew two cards.
Her lips tightened in frustration. Without missing a beat, she pulled out another card.
"I'll Normal Summon Ice Knight in Attack Position!"
Frost swirled before her, solidifying into a jagged pillar of ice that cracked apart to reveal a warrior clad in deep blue armor, a white cape fluttering behind him. In his right hand gleamed a short, double-headed spear.
[Ice Knight, 1300 ATK]
"Ice Knight gains 400 ATK for each Aqua monster I control, and with my field spell boosting all WATER monsters by another 200…"
[Ice Knight, 1300 -> 1700 -> 1900 ATK]
Another card slid into her Duel Disk.
"I play the Spell Card, Ice Mirror! I target one Level 3 or lower WATER monster I control, Special Summon another with the same name from my Deck, but it can't attack this turn."
Her gaze flicked to Ice Knight.
"Originally Level 4… but thanks to A Legendary Ocean, all WATER monsters in both hands and on the field are reduced by one Level. Meaning… my Ice Knight is Level 3!"
The ice reformed beside the first warrior, shattering to reveal its twin.
[Ice Knight, 1300 -> 1900 -> 2300 ATK]
She took a deep breath and revealed another card. "Spell Card, Ocean Gift! I draw one card for each WATER monster I control!"
Another printed card that doesn't exist in the real world or the show.
Her voice softened. "Please, my deck… don't fail me now."
She drew three cards in one smooth motion. Her eyes scanned them, and her lips curved into a soft, grateful smile.
"Thank you… my deck."
With renewed confidence, she slammed the first card onto her Duel Disk."Spell Card, Monster Reborn! Rise from the grave! Ice Beast Zerofyne!"
A figure emerged from a whirl of snow and frost, not a beast at all, but a white-skinned woman whose deep-blue crystalline spikes fanned out into wings.
[Ice Beast Zerofyne, 2000 -> 2200 ATK]
"So… is that your ace monster, Rio?" Yumi asked, arms folded. He recognized it instantly; this was the card she had discarded for Damage Condenser.
"Hm… you could say that." Her voice softened into a smile, momentarily forgetting her mission to take Raye from him.
She straightened, eyes flashing. "I activate Ice Knight's effect, allowing me to Normal Summon a WATER monster this turn!" She raised another card high. "I tribute… my two Ice Knights… and the Gameciel you gave me!"
Yumi and Momoyo both stiffened, a triple tribute.
Triple-tribute monsters usually meant one of two things: either a card with an overwhelming effect… or a god.
"I'll Normal Summon The Tripper Mercury!"
In a burst of light, a blue-armored warrior appeared, gripping twin sabers as his white cape flared dramatically behind him.
[The Tripper Mercury, 2000 -> 2200 ATK]
Yumi's early excitement quickly faded the moment he saw that monster. Although it belongs to the Legendary Planets series, a one-of-a-kind set of cards, until Yumi shows up.
Still, Yumi found this planet monster quite disappointing. If tribute two monsters, it makes all the opponent monsters turn to attack position, if use three monsters, it changes all of the opponent monsters' ATK to zero. And if we added the real-life effect, then it can attack twice.
The effects sounded powerful on paper, that is, until you realize.
If this thing charged into a Mirror Force, then what?
This three-for-one is quite similar to Zane's four-for-one.
"The Tripper Mercury's effect activates-"
"Quick-Play Spell, Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor!" Yumi cut her off without hesitation, not bothering to listen to an effect he already knew, and was about to nullify. "I'll target The Tripper Mercury, negate its effect, and since I have three or more Spells in my graveyard, I'll also take control of it!"
A massive mechanical claw erupted from the spell's hologram, latching onto the newly summoned monster.
"I won't let you! I chain with Ice Beast Zerofyne's effect! Once per turn, I can negate as many cards you control as possible, then my monster gains 300 ATK for each one!" Rio's smirk returned, confident in her counter.
In her mind, it was perfect timing, using Zerofyne after Yumi had activated Widow Anchor would dodge its effect while maximizing her own ATK boost. Widow Anchor would fizzle, and her monster would fully be strengthen by it effect.
"Too bad!" Yumi pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "Quick-Play Spell, Effect Shut! When you activate a monster's effect, I can negate it and destroy that monster!"
Yumi quickly activated his final face-down, using the power of his AIBO.
This card was originally used by Jaden during Season 4 of the anime. Yumi felt that if this card were to be printed in real life, it could become a meta hit with its simple yet powerful effect.
"W–What?" Rio's eyes widened as the chain resolved.
Zerofyne was blasted apart, its fragments dissolving into digital shards. With its effect erased, The Tripper Mercury's ability fizzled, and the giant mech was promptly wrenched over to Yumi's field by Widow Anchor's claw.
Rio could only stare at Yumi, the shock plain on her face. Her plan had collapsed in seconds.
"Ughhh!" Rio clutched her head, staggering as pain twisted her face. Her eyes began to darken to pitch black, and from her back, ominous markings snaked their way into view.
"That fool… she actually revealed her identity," she muttered under her breath, fingers brushing across her cheek.
"Oi!" Yumi's voice rang out like a whip. "Return control to her, you're burning away her life force."
Rio's gaze lifted, but the warmth was gone, replaced by a cold, alien stare. "You think I care if this girl lives or dies?" Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "I'll set two cards face-down… and end my turn."
Two holographic panels materialized on her field as The Tripper Mercury was returned to her control.
"Release her." Yumi said again, his voice like steel. His golden eyes locked on the intruder now wearing Rio's skin.
"That's none of your concern… Darkness." The voice was low and sharp, but it carried the weight of an ancient grudge.
"Darkness?" Yumi blinked.
The final boss from GX? The Season 4 endgame villain? Why in the world would this Earthbound hard-to-kill chicken mistake him for that?
His expression hardened. "Fine. I'll drag you out of her one way or another. Draw!"