"Battle phase!"
Tomoki waved his hand and shouted.
"Demon's Summon, attack the covered Monster!"
The demon spread its wings, releasing endless thunder. Lightning like an angry golden dragon roared and surged amidst the dark clouds, descending upon the covered monsters in Yugen's field.
Boom!
The cover card flipped, and the monster's image vanished in an instant, soon reduced to ashes under the thunder.
"Then the effect of the covered 'Magic-guided Grocer' activates," Yugen said, "When Magic-guided Grocer is flipped, turn over cards from the top of my Card Deck until a Magic or Trap Card appears.
The first confirmed Magic or Trap Card is added to my hand, and the rest are sent to the graveyard."
"Oh, searching for Magic Trap effects, is it?" Tomoki was unimpressed.
Yugen flipped seven cards from his deck in succession, then revealed the seventh card: "I add the Magic Card 'Name Deduction' to my hand, and send the rest to the graveyard."
Six cards swiftly sent to the graveyard.
Tomoki frowned slightly.
Name Deduction is also a magic card that flips cards from the deck top until an summonable monster appears, somewhat similar to Magic-guided Grocer.
Is this guy searching for a specific combination?
"But now you have no wall monsters on your field," Tomoki said, "Then 'Thunder Demon King - Skeleton Demon', direct attack!"
The thundercloud surged once again, and the electric light gathered in Skeleton Demon's hands, released like a javelin. The violent lightning swept toward Yugen's face, accompanied by a sharp roar.
"Then activate the cover card," Yugen said, "Trap Card 'Dimensional Confinement'. When the opponent declares an attack, that attacking monster is removed from the game."
Dimensional Rift emerged, blocking in front of Yugen, intercepting Skeleton Demon's aggressive lightning strikes.
"Hm, indeed, Dimensional Confinement is also a targeted effect, but you can only activate it on Skeleton Demon due to the effect of 'Rare Silver Armor'," Tomoki chuckled softly, "However, when Skeleton Demon becomes the target of an effect, its own effect also triggers.
Demon's Wheel!"
Six spheres, each imprinted with numbers 1 through 6, floated above Tomoki's palm, flames ignited from the sphere at number 1, starting to rotate clockwise.
"Replacing dice with these numbers, where the flame randomly stops represents the dice's decision. If any number of 1·3·6 appears, the activation of Dimensional Confinement becomes invalid."
The flame began to spin rapidly, like a swirling wheel of fire. Soon the flame started to slow down, stopping at the sphere with number 3.
"Ha, the number is 3," Tomoki's mouth curled up, "Thus, the effect of 'Dimensional Confinement' is nullified and destroyed!"
Skeleton Demon roared, the exploding electric light piercing through the Dimensional Rift. Even the dimensional barrier couldn't withstand the demon's power, quickly shattering.
"Therefore, the attack continues!"
Boom!
The lightning struck, as if the entire virtual stadium trembling under the thunderous impact. The deafening thunder resounded in the air, the electric light exploding centered around the demon, making Skeleton's body seem even more menacingly twisted amid the lightning fire.
The exploding data stream rolled across Yugen, the virtual body experiencing a brief image distortion while taking away the virtual LP of Skeleton Demon's Attack Power value.
[Yugen, LP 4000→LP 1500]
Yugen stood firmly, calmly taking the damage, smiling slightly: "As expected of a league veteran, truly an effective combination."
Saito Tomoki seemed quite pleased to hear this, puffing out his chest: "Naturally. Don't be discouraged, after all, I'm a professional. It's normal for you to feel pressure.
Just relax, all you have to do is perform normally."
Saying that he drew another card.
"Cover one card on the field, end of turn."
"Thank you, senior, then let me 'perform normally' next,"
Yugen replied warmly.
"My turn, draw.
Activate Magic Card 'Adversity's Treasure Scroll'. There is a Special Summoned monster on the opponent's field, while I have no monsters present, I draw two cards from my Card Deck." (Original Card)
Tomoki nodded as a patient senior showing approval: "Good. Don't think about winning or losing, focus on the duel, and show your style."
"Sure, senior." Yugen replied, "Then I'll activate the magic card 'Name Deduction' retrieved last turn. The opponent declares a Level until a monster that can be Normal Summoned appears, I flip the cards from the top of my deck.
If a monster of the declared Level is revealed, that monster is sent to the graveyard.
If the revealed monster has a different Level from the declared Level, that monster can be Special Summoned."
Tomoki thought for a moment.
Until now, Yugen had only used the Magic-guided Grocer, giving no hint of what kind of Card Deck it was. Normally, the probability of declaring 4 stars is the highest.
"I declare Level 4," Tomoki said.
"Okay, senior, then I'll start flipping."
Yugen flipped three cards in quick succession, with the third card revealing a Monster Card.
"What a pity, senior, I flipped a Level 1, 'Mysterious Flute Player'."
Tomoki nodded: "Summon it."
Meanwhile, feeling even more puzzled.
What on earth is this Card Deck?
"Then according to Name Deduction's effect, I Special Summon 'Mysterious Flute Player'."
[Mysterious Flute Player, Attack Power 0]
"Then send all remaining flipped cards to the graveyard."
Yugen placed the other two cards into the graveyard zone of the Duel Disc, with the two cards sequentially sent to the graveyard.
"Next, the effect of 'Mysterious Flute Player' activates," Yugen said, "Tribute this card and draw a card from the deck.
If a 1-star monster is drawn, I can reveal that card, then draw another card."
As he spoke, the flute player on his field had already begun a melodious tune, soon disintegrating into faint light dots and dissipating.
"Flute Player's effect, I draw a card from the deck."
Yugen drew a card, glanced at it, then revealed it.
"The card I drew is a 1-star monster 'Candy Clown', so I draw another card."
Yugen drew another card.
Tomoki now realized, including the previous "Magic-guided Grocer" was also a 1-star monster. So during the Name Deduction, he should have declared 1 star instead.
But who would have thought someone would have a deck full of 1-star monsters?
Unable to figure out what strategy the opponent had, Tomoki couldn't help but ask, "You wouldn't happen to have only 1-star monsters in your Card Deck, would you?"
"Of course not, there are high-star ones too," Yugen smiled, but paused for a moment before adding, "Though probably 90% of them are."
Tomoki was bewildered.
How are you going to win then?
Are you going to headbutt me to death with a Chestnut Ball?