"Camellia Titania, attack 'Ten Thousand Hands God'!"
Faced with the suddenly formidable attack formation, Eddie's expression remained calm.
"Then I'll activate the cover card, the Trap Card 'Dimensional Confinement'!"
A pitch-black dimensional rift spun open, resembling a giant mouth ready to swallow Camellia whole.
"Upon declaring an attack, the attacking monster is directly banished from the game!"
The rift approached, just about to engulf Yugen's Camellia on the field. Yugen immediately responded, snapping his fingers.
"Then I'll use Camellia Titania's effect.
When a Magic, Trap, or Monster Effect targets cards on the field, sacrifice a Plant Race monster on the field, negate and destroy the activation!"
Eddie frowned slightly: "Such a powerful plant capability."
"I said, never underestimate the potential of any race," Yugen smiled, "I'll sacrifice 'Giant Plant', making 'Dimensional Confinement's activation invalid and destroy it!"
Dimensional Confinement was also a targeting effect, and Giant Plant dissipated into light. Camellia's myriad petals filled the pitch-black rift, quickly shattering the trap.
"The battle continues, Camellia Titania, defeat Ten Thousand Hands God!"
Ten Thousand Hands God was pierced through the chest, exploding destructively. Eddie raised his arm in front of him, the blast's impact causing him to stagger.
[Eddie, LP4000→LP2600]
"Next, set three cards, turn end."
"My turn, draw card."
Eddie's face remained impassive.
"Then I'll activate the Ritual Magic 'High Ritual Technique'.
Send Ordinary Monsters from the deck to the graveyard until the Levels equal that of the Ritual Monster. Ritual Summon the Ritual Monster in the hand."
He opened his deck, drawing a card from it.
"I'll send the Level 8 'Triangular Demon Dragon' from the deck to the graveyard as the Ritual's tribute, Ritual Summon!"
The ritual altar appeared, igniting with eerie green flames. In the wavering fire, a dark shadow emerged, the red cloak striking against the green haze.
It was as if a terrifying entity once sealed in stone now entered reality, carrying extreme disdain and hatred for the world, spreading a tangible darkness.
"The Demon God that destroys worlds, descends." Eddie intoned, "Dark Ruler Zok, summon."
[Dark Ruler Zok, Attack Power 2700]
"Zok," Yugen murmured, "Is it really that Zok?"
Yes, it's the DM finale, the Great Evil God Zok defeated by Light Creation God.
Of course, this Zok seems much weaker, merely an Eight-Star Ritual Demon unworthy of the Great Evil God's stature. But this Ritual Monster wasn't just a random ordinary demon from K Society; its original user was Great Evil God Zok's human form, Dark Bakura.
The card's prototype was played by Dark Bakura in the tabletop RPG "Monster World," the evil faction's boss.
So calling it the Great Evil God itself isn't accurate, but it isn't unrelated to that Great Evil God either.
"Let me guess, is it the Great Evil God's guise?" Yugen asked, "Is that your true identity?"
But Eddie shook his head.
"Great Evil God Zok is dead," Eddie said blandly, "What remains is just a shell once incarnated by him centuries ago."
He glanced at his right hand, clenching his fist as if sensing a power within. A darkness seemed to radiate from Zok, extending to him, swirling around him.
"This duel is almost sufficient now," Eddie said.
Yugen frowned slightly, suddenly seeming to realize something.
"Your goal, is it merely to summon this guy? Dark Ruler Zok?" Yugen asked, "What is this, a resurrection ritual through the Dark Duel?"
Eddie shook his head, uninterested in explaining, simply waved his hand.
"Dark Ruler Zok's effect activates.
Once per turn, during your main phase, roll a dice and determine the applicable effect based on the dice number.
If 1 or 2, destroy all monsters on the opponent's field.
If 3, 4, or 5, choose one monster on the opponent's field to destroy.
If 6, then destroy all monsters on your field."
"Only the number 6 is a drawback," Yugen nodded, "A 1/6 chance of failure."
"But true power surpasses even fate," Eddie said.
With that, a die appeared and rolled in the darkness mid-air, spinning twice before stopping on the ground.
Number 4.
"Just number 4, huh."
Eddie seemed slightly dissatisfied with the result, tightened his fist again, like sensing the power within him.
"It's adequate, at least.
Number 4's effect allows selecting one monster on the opponent's field to destroy. Destroy 'Camellia Titania'."
Zok stood still in place, not even moving. The darkness around him surged out like a tide, instantly swallowing Camellia, quickly grinding it into dust.
Yet once the darkness faded, Eddie noticed a Trap Card flipped open in Yugen's back field at some unknown time.
A Continuous Trap, Summon Restriction - Rampaging Monsters.
Noticing Eddie's gaze, Yugen smiled, "This was activated when you summoned Zok.
As long as this card is on the field, monsters we Special Summon must be in an attack position, and they must attack whenever possible during a chance to do so."
Eddie frowned, pondering for a moment, "No matter, Zok's power exists for attack."
"The battle is on," Eddie said, "Dark Ruler Zok, attack the Duel King directly."
A crimson glow flashed in Zok's eyes, as if it carried a thirst for blood and the duelist's power, coming to engulf with boundless darkness.
Even Yugen felt an intense terror emanating from it.
"Although I don't know exactly what you're trying to achieve, there is one thing I do agree with. This duel should end here."
He slowly raised his arm.
"Activate the cover card, Continuous Trap 'Silver Screen Mirror Wall'!
As long as this trap is on the field, all attacking monsters on the opponent's side have their attack power halved!"
A transparent silver mirror wall rose from the ground, like an iceberg, blocking Yugen.
The trap originally used by Peacock Dance in Duel Kingdom. No cost was required during the Duel Kingdom era, but after being made into a physical card, it added the cost of the user needing to pay 2000 Life Points every standby phase to maintain this card's presence, or else it gets destroyed.
Eddie said, "Trying to halve Zok's attack power to reduce damage?"
"Reduce damage? Not at all," Yugen said calmly, "No, I intend to finish the duel in this turn.
Chain activate the cover card, Continuous Trap 'Call of the Living Dead', revive a monster from your graveyard in attack mode to the field.
I Special Summon 'Cactus Warrior' from the graveyard."
[Cactus Warrior, Attack Power 1900]
Eddie realized: "If using Zok to attack, the Silver Screen Mirror Wall will cut Zok's attack power in half, which means Zok will be counterattacked by Cactus Warrior.
And because the number of monsters on the field changes, the battle rewinds, I won't attack..."
He paused abruptly, realizing something.
Eddie: "!"
That's right.
He can't stop, cannot cancel the attack.
Because Dark Ruler Zok is a monster that was Special Summoned. The restriction of summoned monsters - the limitation of Rushing Monsters, a Special Summoned monster must attack.
And now on Yugen's field, there's only Cactus Warrior. If he can't cancel the attack, he has to continue attacking Cactus Warrior.
"Seems you've realized it," Yugen smirked, "Indeed, Zok's attack can't stop, it continues towards Cactus Warrior.
And in this moment, the Silver Screen Mirror Wall triggers, and Zok's attack power is halved."
[Dark Ruler Zok, Attack Power 2700 → Attack Power 1350]
Ramming into the Silver Screen, Zok gets dazed, severely weakened. The small cactus seizes the moment, hitting with a spiked slap, exploding Zok into fragments.
[Eddie, LP2600 → LP2050]
Eddie raised his arm to block the impact, speaking calmly: "I see, the Rushing limitation forces me to attack, and the Silver Screen Mirror Wall triggers a counter when attacking.
Using this combination to ensure Zok is defeated..."
"No, it's not to ensure Zok's defeat," Yugen waggled his finger, "it's to ensure your total defeat."
Eddie: "!"
"Cactus Warrior's effect, when this card destroys a monster in battle, Special Summons a 'Needle Derivative' in defense position on the opponent's field."
[Needle Derivative, Defense Power 500]
"At this moment, the effect of the Continuous Trap 'Summon Limitation - Rushing Monsters'," said Yugen, "forces the Special Summoned monster to change to attack position."
[Needle Derivative, Attack Power 500]
Eddie: "!"
His pupils contracted, throughout the duel, that calm expression finally showed waves of shock.
The effect of the Cactus, on destroying a monster, it summons a Derivative on the opponent's field.
Summon Limitation - Rushing Monsters forces the Special Summoned monster to attack and requires it to attack.
In other words, the summoned Derivative must attack the Cactus again. The Cactus destroys the Derivative and summons a new Derivative. The new Derivative then changes to attack, forced to keep attacking...
This is an infinite LOOP!
Amid the amazement, the Needle Derivative already crashed into the Cactus, self-destructing explosively. Of course, during this time, its attack power was halved by the Silver Screen Mirror Wall.
[Eddie, LP2050 → LP400]
"Again, a monster was destroyed in battle, Cactus Warrior continues on your field to Special Summon 'Needle Derivative'," Yugen said, "the effect of the Summon Limitation, the Derivative is forced to change to attack and must attack."
[Needle Derivative, Attack Power 500]
He paused briefly, smiling.
"The final blow. Any last words?"
At this point, Eddie snapped out of the shock of this sudden infinite loop.
Then his expression returned to normal, giving Yugen a smile.
"Impressive, truly remarkable, I cannot help but admire. No wonder you're the absolute king of the dueling realm."
As he spoke, a wave of darkness surged in his eyes. His mouth no longer moved, it seemed as though it wasn't him speaking, yet there was a voice flowing from within him.
"Looking forward... to the next... encounter."
Yugen frowned.
Next encounter, what's that supposed to mean?
But at this moment, the Needle Derivative was forced by the trap effect to unwillingly turn to attack, compelled to launch another kamikaze assault on the Cactus.
The small Cactus gave another simple slap, shattering the small Derivative, and at the same time, ending the match.
[Eddie, LP400 → LP0]