Complete lockdown!
"Yugen's move is impressive!"
Keihei's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but tug at his brother's sleeve.
"Angel O7 seals monster effects, Soga seals Traps, and the Magic Canceller handles Magic..." Keihei remarked, "Doesn't this mean Ameluda can't use any effects?"
"Hm, not necessarily," Kaiba snorted.
He could see that even with such a lockdown, there were ways to break through. But in Duel Monsters, truly unsolvable situations are rare, especially for a player of his caliber; he could always draw a card to break the setup.
Still, it's undeniable that this formation is enough to suppress the activation of most effects, and ordinary duelists would normally feel discouraged in such a situation.
However, as he said this, Kaiba also looked at Yugen with some admiration. When he turned to Ameluda, there was a faint, strange smile on his face.
"Let me see if you've made any progress over the years." Kaiba folded his arms, "Or, have you been stagnant and regressed instead?"
Ameluda closed his eyes briefly and smiled.
"Underestimating me, huh... Well, I didn't expect you to set up such a formation, which is quite unexpected."
Then he straightened up.
"I see. Although you are a student of the Duel Academy, you are indeed no opponent to be underestimated... Otherwise, there would be no value in battling.
So let me respond with full force.
My turn, draw a card!"
Ameluda drew a card, and at the same time, a vortex opened on the field, and a small frog jumped out onto the field.
"In the standby phase, if there are no Magic or Trap cards in my graveyard, I can special summon 'Yellow Springs Frog' that was discarded as the cost for activating the Toy Machine Box last turn!"
[Yellow Springs Frog, Attack Power 0]
"Angel O7 prevents my field monster effects from activating, but it doesn't restrict monsters in the graveyard," Ameluda said.
Yugen shrugged. The original effect of Angel O7 is generally stronger than the physical card—it doesn't require being upper-level summoned to have an effect, and the effect seal is one-sided, not affecting its own player. However, as a trade-off, its effect sealing range is limited to field monsters, less comprehensive than the physical card version.
If it were the physical card version of Angel O7, it would prevent monster effects in the graveyard from activating.
"Then I will use 'Yellow Springs Frog' as a tribute for an upper-level summon—"
Ameluda raised his arm.
"—Level 6, Giant Brain Monster!"
What appeared was an unsettling giant brain, waving several long tentacles and covered with eyes, giving off a bizarre vibe.
[Giant Brain Monster, Attack Power 2500]
As soon as it appeared, several large eyeballs focused on the Artificial Angel on Yugen's field. The pure white steel angel's image was reflected in the giant brain's pupils, and the halo soon dimmed, with the Light Domain seemingly drawn back into the angel's body.
"While the Giant Brain Monster is on the field, the effects of all Light Attribute monsters on the field are nullified."
Ameluda chuckled lightly and glanced at Kaiba out of the corner of his eye.
"Originally intended to counter someone's trump card, didn't expect it to be useful here."
Currently, the world's most famous Light Attribute handler is, of course, Kaiba, known for over three thousand years as the "King of Light." Kaiba's commonly used series, whether White Dragons or Divine Dragon Cannon, are all Light Attribute, making this monster feel specifically aimed at him.
But Kaiba wasn't bothered; he just let out a soft snort.
"Ameluda, that guy, prepared something like that to deal with my brother..." Keihei frowned, "But, doesn't Angel O7 nullify all monster effects on the field...?"
"Angel O7 prevents monster effects from activating, but ongoing effects still work," Kaiba calmly explained, "The ability of Giant Brain Monster doesn't need to be activated; it continuously takes effect while on the field.
So now it's turned the table, and Angel O7's effect is nullified instead."
"I see..." Keihei realized, "No wonder Ameluda, despite the years, hasn't regressed... No, it should be said he's improved. He quickly found a breakthrough in such a powerful lockdown formation..."
Ameluda continued: "The 'Jigangtis' in my hand can be special summoned by removing an Earth Attribute monster from the graveyard from the game!"
Another card exited from his graveyard.
"Remove the Earth Attribute monster 'KC-1 Clayton Tank' sent to the graveyard by 'Angel's Charity' from the game!" (Original Card)
Ameluda displayed the card that was removed, then slid it into the card box behind him.
"Special summon 'Jigangtis' from my hand!"
[Jigangtis, Attack Power 1900]
"Then Jigangtis will attack the Magic Canceller!"
Jigangtis roared, swinging its massive club towards the white metal machinery and smashing it into scrap metal, exploding with a loud bang.
[Yugen, LP 2000 → LP 1900]
Keihei: "Ah, so the Magic Seal has disappeared..."
"Then the Giant Brain Monster attacks 'Artificial Human - Telekinesis Intimidator'!"
The tentacles of the Giant Brain Monster swept in, binding the limbs of the Artificial Human. Soga struggled desperately, but could not resist at all. Light beams shot out from all its eyes simultaneously, instantly engulfing Soga, whose steel body soon decayed and shattered into dust.
Soga: Damn, another day being cannon fodder...
[Yugen, LP 1900→LP 1800]
"Battle phase ends." Ameluda smiled, "With this, the lock on Magic and Traps is entirely lifted, making activating Magic Cards possible again.
Therefore, I activate this card from my hand, the Magic Card 'Celestial Treasure Scroll'!"
Here it comes, the most common draw supplement divine artifact in DM.
"Both players draw from the deck until they have six cards in hand."
Ameluda drew cards, and Yugen followed suit.
Quickly spreading out the newly drawn hand, Ameluda lifted his gaze and glanced at the white Artificial Angels on Yugen's field, chuckling softly.
"Though O7's effect is temporarily nullified, leaving him is still a massive threat. Once the 'Giant Brain Monster' leaves the field or becomes nullified, the powerful suppression of Angel O7 will resume.
So, to be cautious..."
He waved his hand, playing another card he just drew from his hand.
"Magic Card 'Hammer Strike', destroy the monster in attack position on the field with the highest Attack Power!"
[Giant Brain Monster, Attack Power 2500]
[Jigangtis, Attack Power 1900]
[Angel O7, Attack Power 2500]
"Angel O7 and the Giant Brain Monster have equal attack power," Keihei said.
"When there are two or more monsters with the same Attack Power, the effect activator can choose one of them to destroy," Kaiba explained calmly.
"Is that so?"
Ameluda waved his hand again: "Of course, the one I choose is your 'Angel O7', destroy it."
The heavy hammer fell, crashing down and smashing the Artificial Angel to pieces.
"The situation has instantly reversed, leaving Yugen with an empty field now," Keihei said solemnly.
"And that's not all." Ameluda said, "Activating the Magic Card 'Spider Silk', you can add one card from the opponent's graveyard sent there one turn ago to your hand." (Original Card)
Spider Silk shot out from his Magic Card, entering Yugen's Duel Disc's graveyard, extracting a card.
"The card I add to my hand is 'Revive the Dead'!" Ameluda said, "Then I activate 'Revive the Dead', reviving a monster from the graveyard!
The one I want to revive is a monster from your graveyard—
—Artificial Human - Telekinesis Intimidator!"
[Artificial Human - Telekinesis Intimidator, Attack Power 2400]
Soga, forced out for overtime with a tearful face.
Being cannon fodder, fine, but to be kidnapped by the opponent...Boss, you must believe I was forced!
"Next, activate the Magic Card 'Waste Trader'!" (Original Card)
This was also a card Ameluda used against Kaiba back then, but most of this person's card deck was never turned into physical cards, mostly being original cards.
It's worth noting that most of the cards from Doma were never turned into physical cards. Even if they were, many only came out ten or twenty years later. Part of the reason might be the excessive number of fake cards in this chapter, and it took over a decade for the physical card environment to match the strength of those old animation cards.
For example, one of the well-known cards is the Magic Card "Soul Supplement" used by Lafiru of the Three Musketeers, which allows you to revive any number of monsters from the graveyard by paying Life Points. This thing is still a Forbidden Card even today.
"Waste Trader allows me to choose up to one or two Warrior Race or Mechanical Race monsters from the graveyard and Special Summon them in attack position, with their original attack power halved.
The one I want to revive from the graveyard is, of course, this card..."
Ameluda pulled out a Monster Card from the graveyard and forcefully placed it on the Duel Disc.
"Return once more, Magic Canceller!"
[Magic Canceller, Attack Power 1800→Attack Power 900]
Keihei immediately realized something.
Wait, this development is...
...Ameluda has returned a reverse lock!?