"Huh!? All monsters with attack power below 1500..." Judai's expression changed slightly.
"Exactly, this is the new type of virus evolved from the virus deck over the years, and it has surpassed the original tactics used by Seto Kaiba!" Beta laughed loudly.
All of your opponent's monsters in their hand, on the field, and for the next three turns with attack power below 1500 are destroyed. Although it doesn't destroy all the monsters in the deck that meet the criteria with one shot like the deadly poison just now, its suppression may not be weak.
The deadly poison with animation effects was a one-time deal, destroying all monsters in the opponent's deck with attack power above 1500 upon activation. However, if the opponent uses recovery Magic Traps to retrieve from the graveyard afterward, they will no longer be affected by the virus effect.
But the situation is different with this magic poison. Although it doesn't instantly destroy all the heroes in Judai's deck, all the monsters drawn in hand over the next three turns will also be destroyed.
In other words, he has no monsters to summon.
"Hahaha, did you really think that with a deck full of low-attack small fry, my virus would be helpless? I told you, the power of the evolved strongest virus is without blind spots!" Beta laughed.
"How could this be..." Marufuji Shou said, "If all monsters with attack power above 1500 and below 1500 are destroyed, doesn't that mean big brother can't summon any monsters?"
The Model Worker Couple, Wingman, and Blast Lady that were just drawn were both blown to the graveyard; Judai naturally had no monsters to sumon at the moment, and could only say, "Then I'll set one card face-down and end my turn."
"My turn, draw."
Beta drew a card, narrowing his eyes to scrutinize Judai's backfield.
"Only one face-down card before ending... Well, since you can't summon monsters, there's nothing more you can do, right?"
Beta sneered.
"It seems that your face-down card is your only hope for salvation. If that's the case, let me eliminate your last hope.
Activate face-down card, Equipment Magic 'Premature Burial'!
Pay 800 Life Points to resurrect a monster from the graveyard in attack position!"
[Beta, LP 1150→LP 350]
"I resurrect the card discarded to the graveyard last turn —
— Dark Storm Dragon, summon!"
A deep black rift in the air split open as if the barrier of space had shattered. Cold wind swept up dust and leaves from the ground, forming a soaring black tornado.
A massive dragon emerged slowly at the center of the storm, covered in black scales as if swallowed by the night. Two enormous black wings spread out, blocking the sky and sun, and as its wings flapped, the air around it seemed to be torn apart, making a sharp sound.
[Dark Storm Dragon, Attack Power 2700]
"Dark Storm Dragon is a Dual Monster, and while on the field, it can gain a new effect by performing another Normal Summon.
Therefore, I Double Summon the 'Dark Storm Dragon' to gain its new effect!"
Beta waved his hand grandly.
"Once per turn, send one face-up Magic or Trap Card on your field to the graveyard to destroy all Magic and Trap Cards on the field! Therefore, I send the Equipment Magic 'Premature Burial' to the graveyard, and all Magic Traps on the field are destroyed!"
The doomsday-like tornado erupted, heavy as thick ink, dragging everything into endless darkness. Judai's backfield face-down card was also swept into the air, shredded into light particles.
Trap Card, Divine Protective Shield - Reflective Mirror Force.
Marufuji Shou: "Oh no, big brother's Reflection Mirror Power was..."
"Hahaha! Too bad, it was Reflection Mirror Power. If it had activated smoothly, it might have given you a chance."
Beta shouted.
"Battle, Dark Storm Dragon's direct attack!"
The tornado swept in, creating countless small whirlwinds from the violent air current, rotating around the main tornado as if in a stormy feast. The raging wind with hidden blades swept over Judai.
"Ugh..."
[Judai, LP 4000→LP 1300]
Judai wavered, dropping to one knee.
"What's this pain..."
He immediately thought of the impact experienced while teaming up with Yugen in the Elf Realm.
Could this be... a Dark Duel?
He looked up at the man in black on the opposite side, increasingly certain that this man was no good.
"I told you, you have no chance at all." Beta said confidently, "I'll set one more card face-down on the field and end my turn."
After ending his actions, Beta coldly observed Judai.
"If you surrender now, you might suffer less pain."
"What are you talking about?"
Judai patted the dust off his body and stood up, still smiling happily.
"I've never seen such a fun strategy before, how could I quit halfway?"
"You...!" Beta mumbled.
Might be brain-damaged?
"Your deck has already been hit by a dual virus, you can't even perform a hand fusion."
Beta said coldly.
"In this situation, how do you expect to turn things around?"
"I don't know." Judai admitted frankly.
Beta: "?"
"Exactly because I don't know, it's fun, right?" Judai excitedly raised his right hand in a card-drawing stance, "Although I don't know what I'll draw, I can feel that this draw might change the world. Doesn't it excite you to think that way?"
Beta: "..."
No, I completely don't understand what you're talking about.
"Haha, if you don't understand, let me demonstrate for you. My turn, draw!"
Judai instantly played the card he drew.
"Magic Card 'Angel's Charity', draw three cards from the deck, then discard two to the graveyard."
"Kida." Beta chuckled, "Whatever monster you draw won't stay in your hand."
Judai discarded two cards to the graveyard.
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Hope of the Fifth Act'!" Judai said, "Add five 'Elemental Hero' cards from the graveyard to the deck and shuffle, then draw two cards from the deck.
In a situation where there are no other cards on the field or in my hand, draw three cards!
I shuffle the 'Elemental Hero Golden Blade Hero', 'Wilderness Hero', 'Wingman', 'Blast Lady', and the recently discarded 'Bubble Hero' from the graveyard back into the card deck!"
Five Monster Cards transformed into golden beams, flying back into his card deck one after another.
"I said, drawing more cards won't help." Beta shook his head, "Even if you recover those monsters, as soon as you draw them back to your hand, they will be destroyed immediately... Huh!?"
He noticed the card Judai chose to shuffle back, suddenly seeming to guess something.
"That's right, 'Demon Deck Destruction Virus' will only destroy monsters with an Attack Power of less than 1500 in your hand for the next three turns. If you draw a high-attack upper-level monster, it won't be destroyed.
So your goal could be..."
Beta instantly thought of the 'Elemental Hero Golden Blade Hero' with an Attack Power of 2600 among the cards shuffled back into the deck.
"In your graveyard, there's still the 'Elemental Hero Dark Necrofear' that was destroyed by the deadly poison. I remember that its effect is..."
"Oh, you actually figured it out?" Judai smiled, "That's right. When Dark Necrofear is in the graveyard, there's one chance during the Normal Summon of an 'Elemental Hero' upper-level monster without a tribute."
"But the only upper-level monster in your entire deck is the Golden Blade Hero that you just shuffled back." Beta said in a deep voice, "For your combo to succeed, you need to precisely draw that one upper-level monster.
Moreover, even if you summon the Golden Blade Hero, its Attack Power is only 100 points lower than the 'Dark Storm Dragon'. So you'll need to draw a card that can boost your attack power..."
"Hahaha, what's the fun in overthinking?" Judai laughed, "How exactly to play depends on what you draw, right?"
Beta: "..."
No, there's something wrong with your dueling mindset...
"Alright, then I'll draw! Since there are no other cards on my hand and field, according to the effect of 'Hope of the Fifth Act', I'll draw three cards from the deck.
Draw cards!"
Judai swiftly drew three cards.
Beta watched him intently without blinking.
Honestly, with such a thick deck, just shuffling back one card and drawing it so casually would be a joke...
"According to the effect of 'Elemental Hero Dark Necrofear' in the graveyard!" shouted Judai, "I'll perform a Normal Summon of 'Elemental Hero Golden Blade Hero' without tribute!"
"Nani!?"
A metallic hero, like a golden shell, flew out with engine flames blazing behind it, spinning mightily as it landed on the field in front of Judai.
[Elemental Hero Golden Blade Hero, Attack Power 2600]
"You actually... drew it..." Beta was shocked.
Could this guy be the legendary born card prodigy?
Even though Hayato had seen Judai's similar feats countless times, he couldn't help but say, "Judai's card draw... is truly unreasonable..."
Golden Blade Hero's Attack Power is slightly lower than Dark Storm Dragon, but only by a meager 100 points. And with only 350 Life Points remaining, if the Jellyfish Head pulls a 500-point attack power boost card, it's all over.
After witnessing such an exact feat of divine draw, he dared not take the risk.
"Activate Trap - Fallen Pit!" Beta shouted, "When a monster with an Attack Power of 1000 or more is summoned, destroy it immediately!"
A pitch-black void opened beneath Golden Blade Hero's feet, causing it to stumble and fall inside, exploding into fragments with a boom.
"Ah!" said Marufuji Sho, "Big Brother's rare summoning of a comeback monster..."
"Hahaha, so this was your reversal strategy? What a shame it didn't work out."
Beta pretended to remain calm as he laughed heartily, but secretly, he was all sweaty.
Dammit, this Jellyfish Head is something else. He actually drew it, scared the hell out of me...
Luckily, I'm still the better duelist...
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Miracle Fusion' from my hand!" Judai said with a smile.
"Ah?"
Beta's laughter came to an abrupt halt.
What? A miracle... fusion?
"This card allows my heroes to fuse in the graveyard." Judai said, "By removing the required cards for an 'Elemental Hero' Fusion Monster from the field or graveyard, I can perform a Fusion Summon!"
He paused and smiled briefly.
"However, I'm going to use this card from the graveyard as a substitute Fusion Material."
He pulled out a Monster Card from the graveyard.
"Fusion Curse-Sealed Creatures - Light, one of the monsters discarded by Angel's Charity. This card can act as a substitute for one Fusion Material.
So I will use 'Fusion Curse-Sealed Creatures - Light' as a substitute for 'Elemental Hero Flame Wingman', and fuse it with the 'Elemental Hero Lightning Hero' in my graveyard!
In the shining glory, it appears——"
The Curse-Sealed Creatures transformed into the form of Flame Wingman, merging with Lightning Hero amidst a vortex of light. A dazzling brilliance erupted, enveloped in holy light, like an Elemental Hero donning high-tech armor, emerging in the stream of light.
"Elemental Hero Shining Flame Wingman, summon!"
[Elemental Hero Shining Flame Wingman, Attack Power 2500]
"To think it could be fused from the graveyard..." Beta gritted his teeth.
"Furthermore, Shining Flame Wingman's Attack Power increases by 300 points x the number of Elemental Heroes in my graveyard." Judai smiled, "There are still 'Elemental Hero Dark Necrofear' and 'Elemental Hero Golden Blade Hero' in my graveyard, so the Attack Power increases by 600!"
[Elemental Hero Shining Flame Wingman, Attack Power 2500→Attack Power 3100]
"Attack Power 3100!?" Beta was shocked.
"And when Shining Flame Wingman destroys a monster in battle, it inflicts damage equal to the destroyed monster's Attack Power... However, it seems it won't be needed right now." Judai smiled.
Beta: "..."
Meaning I owe you a few more lives, huh?
"Battle!" Judai declared, "Shining Flame Wingman, attack 'Dark Storm Dragon'!"
The metallic wings seemed to be wrapped in holy light, with the radiance condensing into the shape of flames. Shining Flame Wingman held its palms together before its chest, and a brilliant light beam erupted from its palms, tearing through the dense forest like lightning, piercing the Dark Storm Dragon, and sweeping past Beta's body with a howl.
Beta was blasted into the air, spinning in the storm and falling off the cliff, his eyes still flickering with unwillingness at the end.
The anger in his eyes seemed to say——
——How are you so good at drawing cards?
[Beta, LP 350→LP 0]