Merlot: "My turn, draw a card."
He glanced at the card he drew and revealed it immediately.
"Magic Card 'Angel's Charity.' Draw three cards from the deck, then discard two cards from the hand."
He calmly selected two cards from his hand and sent them to the graveyard.
"Next, activate the Magic Card 'Magic Removal'!" Merlot said, "It can destroy a Magic Card on the field. If it's a covered card, you can reveal it; if it's a Magic Card, it must be destroyed."
Kak: "Want to see my Cover Card?"
"Not at all." Merlot smiled faintly. "'Mecha Team - Skeleton' is a Monster Card, but when the Alliance Monsters are used as equipment on the Magic Trap Area, they are treated as Magic Cards.
Thus, use Magic Removal to destroy Skeleton."
Green light shot from the magic he played, striking the orange-red armor on the Steel Giant. The alloy skeleton was dissolved by the magical glow, turning into a pool of molten iron, disappearing into nothingness.
"Then, activate the Magic Card 'Sword Fighting Training Institute,' add one monster with 'Sword Fighting Beast' in its name and four stars or less from the deck to the hand."
Merlot proceeded with deck search.
"Add 'Sword Fighting Beast - Gun Fight' from the deck to the hand."
"Then, normally summon 'Sword Fighting Beast - Gun Fight'!"
A green tornado swirled, with a Bird Beast Warrior equipped with broad steel wings suspended high above the field.
[Sword Fighting Beast - Gun Fight, Attack Power 1500]
"Then, return 'Sword Fighting Beast - Gun Fight' and 'Sword Fighting Beast - Fish Fighting' from the field to the deck..."
Merlot raised his right hand, clenched his fist in mid-air.
"Fusion!"
Kak was startled: "Fusion without using magic?"
The Sword Fighting cards were unearthed by the International Fantasy Association, but previously it was only in stone tablet form, not even made into cards. So, its abilities or usage were completely unknown, even by the Illusion Association.
"Indeed, Sword Fighting Beast fusion can return monsters from the field to the deck directly for fusion without needing Fusion Magic."
Merlot gently closed his eyes, as if chanting a spell.
"Fusion condition: 'Sword Fighting Beast - Gun Fight' with any Sword Fighting Beast monster.
The warrior of ancient raptors, fused with the soul of a Sword Fighter, transforming into a hardy warrior! Fusion Summon—
—Sword Fighting Beast Caesar!"
The legendary emperor of Ancient Rome, who also left an impressive mark in Yu-Gi-Oh! history. Anyone who experienced that era knew the fear of being dominated by Caesar, the undeniable top champion of the Sword Fighting beast era, the absolute ace.
[Sword Fighting Beast Caesar, Attack Power 2400]
"When Sword Fighting Beast Caesar is successfully special summoned, it can destroy up to two cards on the field," Merlot pointed to Kak's field, "Your 'Mecha Team - Giant Transformation' and the Covering Card at the center of the back field.
I'll destroy these two."
Caesar Emperor soared, wings spreading as two green tornadoes—one left and one right—rushed toward the Steel Giant and the back field Cover Card, each tornado filled with countless feathered arrows!
"Then I'll chain the Covering Card you targeted!" Kak shouted, "Trap Card 'Riding!'
Select an Alliance Monster from your graveyard to equip to a monster on your field that qualifies for equipment!"
He withdrew the Monster Card from the graveyard, inserted it into the Duel Disc as magic once again.
"Equip 'Mecha Team - Skeleton' to 'Mecha Team - Giant Transformation' from the graveyard again!"
The orange-red steel armor was re-equipped on the Giant Transformation. The green tornado shattered the already activated Riding Trap in the back field, while the other tornado struck the body of the Steel Giant, only fracturing the outer armor.
"Mecha Team - Skeleton's effect is to substitute when the equipped Mechanical Race monster is destroyed." Kak declared.
Caesar's destructive power surprised him, but his exquisite skill successfully fended it off. Although the Sword Fighting Beast's abilities were formidable, its attack power wasn't as high as the Giant Transformation.
"Battle." Merlot declared, "Sword Fighting Beast Caesar, attack 'Mecha Team - Giant Transformation.'
"What?"
Kak was shocked again.
Attacking despite having lower attack power...
But Caesar had already ascended, and the tornado swirled again. The green storm became a tornado, carrying countless feathered arrows towards the Mecha Giant.
Kak's mind raced.
It's impossible for it to be a suicidal attack; there must be something up its sleeve. Although he couldn't guess the purpose at the moment...
"Activate Cover Card!" Kak flipped another Cover Card, "Second Trap Card 'Riding!' Equip an Alliance Monster to a suitable monster on the field from the graveyard.
I once again equip 'Mecha Team - Skeleton' to the Giant Transformation from the graveyard!"
The overworked Mecha Skeleton seemed unable to find peace, dragged once again from the graveyard, becoming equipment armor to protect the Giant Transformation.
"Oh, even though your attack power is higher, you activated a trap, which is rather cautious. But your choice was indeed wise..."
Merlot leisurely revealed a card from his hand.
"Speed Attack Magic 'Sword Fighting Beast's Resilience.' The attack power of a Sword Fighting Beast on your field increases by 500 points until the end of the turn."
[Sword Fighting Beast Caesar, Attack Power 2400→Attack Power 2900]
Seeing this card, Kak couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Close call.
Luckily, he chose to activate Riding. Sword Fighting Beast's Resilience belongs to the speed-type attack power altering magic, which can be activated during the damage calculation step when both monsters battle.
According to Yu-Gi-Oh! rules, apart from Counterattack Trap, most card effects cannot be activated during the damage calculation step. If he had hesitated to activate the second Riding, then during the damage step, when the opponent used Speed Attack Magic to boost Caesar's attack power, Kak would have missed the timing and been unable to activate the Cover Cards.
"Once again, 'Mecha Team - Skeleton' substitutes for destruction!"
The Skeleton armor absorbed Caesar's explosive blow once more, and the Mecha Giant remained standing.
[Kak, LP4000→ LP3700]
"You've even defended against this, not bad." Merlot squinted, "However, what will you do next time?"
Kak was again shocked.
Another round?
After defending against so many attacks, is there more?
"At the end of a battle phase in which Sword Fighting Beast Caesar has battled, Caesar returns to the deck."
As Merlot spoke, Caesar transformed into golden light and returned to his deck.
"Special summon any two Sword Fighting Beasts other than 'Sword Fighting Beast - Gun Fight' from the deck." Merlot waved his hand, "Return 'Sword Fighting Beast Caesar' to the deck, special summon two new Sword Fighting Beasts onto the field.
Sword Fighting Beast - Fish Fighting!
Sword Fighting Beast - Madox!"
[Sword Fighting Beast - Fish Fighting, Attack Power 800]
[Sword Fighting Beast - Madox, Attack Power 1700]
It was Merlot's first time seeing Madox, but he had just witnessed this ugly fish, his pupils constricted.
"Fish Fighting, its effect is..."
"Indeed, when special summoned by Sword Fighting Beast's effect, it destroys monsters on the field." Merlot snapped his fingers, "Destroy Mecha Team - Giant Transformation."