Although Yugen couldn't understand why, it seemed that President Kaiba was getting more fired up as the duel progressed.
It was really strange.
However, the situation was indeed starting to get tense now. With an attack power of four thousand five and near-invincible resistance, this card might not be too difficult to deal with in the future Yu-Gi-Oh! environments, but even for mainstream decks, not all have a solution.
In the current era, though, it was undoubtedly overpowered. Saying that President Kaiba had the power to dominate the times was not an exaggeration.
However, even in this era, it's not unsolvable.
Of course, that being said, Yugen now had zero cards in hand, and his field was completely wiped. If he only drew a simple defense monster, it wouldn't withstand President Kaiba's next turn's offensive.
Most of his usual defense, counter, or pitfall traps wouldn't work either. The current Ultimate Dragon had resistance that surpassed even the Phantom God, rendering most traps ineffective against it.
But this seemed to be an expected situation.
Seto Kaiba was never an opponent that could be defeated by mere tactics alone.
To win this duel, one must move a step further.
Thus, Yugen gently closed his eyes and placed his fingers on the card deck.
Just as Judai had said, don't think about what will be drawn next.
Don't think about the possible outcomes of this draw. Don't hope for something, nor fear not drawing something. Don't think, just feel.
Simply live in this moment as a Duelist, feeling this moment. Feel the flow of energy in the deck as if it contained blood, feel the rhythm of all his spirits, every card...
Yugen drew a card.
He kept his eyes closed the entire time, not even looking at what he had drawn.
With just a wave of his hand, he directly inserted it into the Duel Disc without even glancing at it.
"Activate Magic Card—
—Celestial Treasure Scroll!"
The dazzling rainbow light shot into the sky, scattering into a seven-colored splendor, as if the Treasure Scroll became a materialized shower descending like rain from the sky.
The spectators couldn't help but exclaim.
"Yugen, this guy...didn't even look to know what he drew?!"
Keihei was shocked.
He immediately recalled that this seemed to have happened before, during a game. At that time, even Kaiba found it incredible.
But Judai below the stage found it natural.
"Isn't that obvious?" Judai laughed, "A true Duelist is soul-connected with their deck. Sometimes, when you feel it, even without confirming with your eyes, you can sense the deck's response."
Jellyfish Head seemed to think this was basic, nothing particularly impressive.
Kaiba squinted his eyes and couldn't help but smile again.
It was that guy's card again.
Exactly the same, completely identical.
Back then, he had also pushed Atom into a desperate situation like this, even laughed and arrogantly declared victory. But even half a bottle of champagne later, that guy infuriatingly drew a Celestial Treasure Scroll at the brink of defeat...
It was that feeling!
Kaiba's heart surged with passion, his eyes seemingly igniting with flames. For a moment, the image of the young man overlapped fleetingly with that of an old acquaintance, as if the former king was wielding cards.
"Until the hand increases to six cards, both sides draw from the deck!"
Kaiba drew along with him, laughing loudly.
"Heh, created a chance for survival for yourself... but can you seize this opportunity?"
Indeed. With the card effectiveness of this era, even drawing six cards may not solve the All-Resistant Ultimate Dragon.
But...
Receiving the effect of the Celestial Treasure Scroll, the moment the card was drawn, Yugen seemed to feel it too.
An unusual stirring, as if some extraordinary force rippled through one of the cards he drew.
Unlike the Chaos Warrior, nor the Silent Magician, unlike any spirit he had acquired.
Some said there was a mystical affinity between Duelists and monster spirits. The "force" of a duelist itself could naturally attract spirits, and sometimes an originally ordinary card would birth a spirit when used long enough.
In this moment, he seemed to feel that newborn, spiritual power. Awakened through countless battles beside him, it was his own spirit.
With a card in hand, the corner of his mouth subtly curved upward.
It's here.
"First, summon this guy..." Yugen smiled, revealing a Monster Card in his hand, "Torture Giant."
"Eh? An Eight-Star Monster is going to be summoned directly?" Keihei was puzzled.
"But not on my field, rather on President Kaiba's field." Yugen explained, "Torture Giant can Special Summon two 'Torture Derivatives' on my field in attack mode, and then Special Summon itself on the opponent's field."
Two Derivatives appeared on Yugen's field.
[Torture Derivative, Attack Power 0] x2
"Then 'Torture Giant' is Special Summoned on your field, President Kaiba."
After a whirlwind storm, a sinister metallic giant slowly stood up on Kaiba's field, covered in horrifying weapon-like implements akin to torture devices.
[Torture Giant, Attack Power 3000]
"Oh oh, Yugen summons another monster that looks like a villain!" Judai teased.
The crowd was all amazed.
Giving the opponent such a powerful monster? What was that for?
This card was also from the GX Era's animation, but no one back then thought this ancient card would end up in legal trouble a decade later.
The reason was simple. Torture Giant could spawn on its own field and Special Summon itself on the opponent's field. In the link era, with the ability to bounce monsters back to the hand, you could keep bouncing Torture Giant back to your hand and reshuffle Special Summoning to quickly fill your field with derivatives, gaining substantial resource advantages.
Of course, in the early environments, this card didn't attract much attention, and its usage differed.
Kaiba frowned, and with what he knew about Yugen from the past half-year, he vaguely guessed something.
"You, could it be...?"
Yugen smiled.
"The fully resistant Ultimate Dragon, how strong, so strong, this is the power of President Kaiba right now.
So let President Kaiba see my ace. The strongest monster imbued with my soul!"
He drew out the card he held.
"Using President Kaiba's 'True Ultimate Blue-Eyes Dragon', and the 'Torture Giant' summoned to his field as sacrifices, special summon this powerful monster on President Kaiba's field!
Awakened from the abyss's lava, the force of destruction and rebirth—
—Level 8, Lava Demon God!!!"