"Trap Card 'Curse Mirror'!"
Iwamaru raised his hand.
"Curse Mirror can only be activated when the opponent special summons a monster from the card deck. Those monsters are destroyed, and you draw one card from your deck!"
"Summoning from the deck..."
Yugen understood.
"'Army Dragon' is specially summoned from the card deck."
"Exactly," Iwamaru said, "Therefore, due to the effect of Curse Mirror, 'Army Dragon' is destroyed!"
A pitch-black surface emerged, reflecting the image of Army Dragon, at the center of which a blood-red vortex opened. It was as if a massive gravitational pull sucked Army Dragon into it, shredding it to pieces within the vortex.
"With Army Dragon destroyed, you have no monsters left to launch a suicide attack on the Black Scorpion Thief Gang," Iwamaru said, "Your combination has been unraveled!"
"Seems that way indeed."
Yugen shrugged his shoulders.
"Impressive, truly. Even this move got dismantled by you... It had always been effective before."
The members of the Black Scorpion, who were about to share high fives and celebrate, froze mid-pose, left looking at each other, momentarily unsure of what to say.
Damn.
Looks like the champagne was popped too early...
"What do we do?"
Zik looked to his teammates.
"How should I know?" Mina murmured, "Wasn't this move quite useful before?"
"Yeah, it worked well when the boss used it against us before."
"Is it possible that we're just too weak? This opponent seems a bit strong this time..."
Narrowly avoiding the deadly chain of the Jackpot Pot, Iwamaru stood with arms akimbo, head lifted, feeling a surge of courage, and couldn't help but laugh heartily.
"A very creative combination, and very deadly. You startled me, I must admit even I was caught off guard."
Iwamaru squinted, looking at Yugen.
"But you still slipped up, and here I stand. Want to know why?"
Yugen found his confidence amusing: "Oh? And why is that?"
"The reason is simple, because I am now stronger than you, stronger than anyone! I'm no longer that weak self vulnerable to the whims of fate!"
Iwamaru glanced at his own hand, clenching his fist tightly.
"Once, I was just an insignificant nobody," he murmured, "I loved dueling but lacked the talent, unable to walk that path.
I once thought of applying to Duel Academy, but couldn't even pass the entrance exam. I was just useless trash that no one would care about."
He lifted his head, a firm light seemingly flickering in his eyes.
"But someone like me was accepted by Lady Mizuchi."
"She gave me power, a power that allowed me to say a complete goodbye to the me of the past. Now I understand that in dueling, as in life, everything is guided by the current called 'fate'.
Only those on the right path deserve victory and happiness. That's why you can't win.
No matter what incredible tactics or dazzling attacks you bring out, you can't win!"
"Oh, is that so?"
Yugen maintained his calm smile.
"So you're saying you stand on the correct side. The path you're being guided by is the fate of victory?"
"Exactly," Iwamaru said, "The path lit by light is the correct path."
"Alright then... That's such a pity," Yugen sighed, "I, for one, am not quite suited for the path of light. I'm more inclined toward... let's say, the darker path."
He paused, giving a slight smile.
"But sometimes, taking a different path can be more interesting, don't you think? You can never be too sure with fate."
While speaking, Yugen calmly played another card: "Magic Card 'Stupid Burial', allows you to send one magic or trap card from your card deck to the graveyard.
I'll send this card from my card deck..."
He displayed the card retrieved from his deck.
"I'll send the third Magic Card 'Jackpot Pot 7' to the graveyard."
Iwamaru: "?"
The final Jackpot Pot 7; if this is also sent to the graveyard like the previous two, he'd lose. But Jackpot Pot 7 only has significance when sent to the graveyard by the opponent's effects; self-sending like this is useless.
The opponent should understand this.
"Next, I activate the Magic Card 'Phoenix God's Feather'," Yugen said, "Discard one card from my hand, choose a card in my graveyard, and return that card to the top of my deck.
I discard a card, and return the Magic Card 'Jackpot Pot 7' from my graveyard to the top of my deck."
Iwamaru: "?"
So you're putting Jackpot Pot 7 back on top of your deck, and then what?
Even if you draw it into your hand, what then?
"Set two cards, turn end," Yugen said, "Of course, during the end phase, the effect of Purple Flame Intermediary ends, and the Black Scorpion Thief Gang returns to my field."
Iwamaru frowned.
Can't figure out what this guy is thinking... but whatever.
"My turn, draw!" Iwamaru declared, "During this turn's preparation phase, the effect of the Trap Card 'Dormant Volcano' activates. Add one Fire Attribute monster from the deck to the hand.
I add 'Flame Emperor - Tiestaros' to my hand from my deck!"
"Then I shall also activate my set card," Yugen said, "Trap Card 'Reversal Reuse.'
Select up to two reversed monsters from my graveyard, special summon them in face-up defense or face-down defense position on the opponent's field."
Iwamaru: "?"
Sending me monsters again? What does this mean?
"This time, using the card that was sent to the graveyard by Take Over 5..."
Yugen smiled and revealed another monster card.
"I give you 'Devil Scout'."
A face-down covered monster appeared on Iwamaru's field. Before it was set down, an image of a blue demon briefly flashed on his field, featuring a huge single eye, its form a mix of horror and harmony.
[Devil Scout, Defense Power 500]
Iwamaru frowned: "So even if you summon a monster to my side..."
"Hold on," Yugen raised his hand, "Lastly, this card—
—Trap Card 'W Nebula Meteorite'!
All face-down monsters on both fields change to face-up defense positions!"
The face-down covered monster on Iwamaru's field flipped over, revealing the blue little demon crouching defensively on the field.
"At this moment, 'Devil Scout' activates its flip effect," Yugen said, "The flip effect of Devil Scout is for the opponent to draw three cards from their deck.
The cards drawn with this effect are revealed to both players, and if any magic cards are present, all magic cards must be sent to the graveyard."
Iwamaru pondered for two seconds.
Draw three cards, with all magic cards having to be...
Iwamaru: "..."
Iwamaru: "......"
Iwamaru: "............"
No... You... what the hell...
"Accepting the effect of 'Devil Scout', I draw three cards from my deck."
Yugen placed his fingers on the deck and chuckled softly.
"So, Mr. Iwamaru, who stands on the side of the correct fate. Can you tell me where the destiny of these three cards I'm about to draw will lead me?"
Iwamaru gritted his teeth audibly, unable to utter a sound for a long while.
Yugen drew three cards, looking surprised.
"Oh my, isn't this just a coincidence. It seems my next card's fate is precisely... this?"
Yugen revealed the top card of his deck.
"Magic Card 'Jackpot Pot 7'. According to the effect of 'Devil Scout', it must be sent to the graveyard.
And now that Devil Scout is your monster, naturally, it is 'sent to the graveyard by the opponent's card effect.' Hence the third Jackpot Pot 7 is also removed from play."
As he spoke, three Jackpot Pots simultaneously appeared in mid-air above Yugen's field, as if heralding a judgment of doom.
Yugen squinted.
"It seems the destiny awaiting you is 'destruction' indeed."