"Black Feather - Armored Wings, attack 'Phantom Demon Emperor Rabiel'!"
With an Attack Power of only 2500, as the Armored Wings spread its wings and charged towards Rabiel, the disparity in size seemed almost like a mantis trying to stop a cart.
Yugen squinted: "However, this guy's effect is..."
At this moment, the Armored Wings had already punched the Phantom Demon Emperor. But of course, with such a vast difference in power, the Phantom Demon Emperor remained unmoved, as if it was merely hit by a mosquito, showing no reaction.
However, of course, the Armored Wings won't be destroyed in battle, so it remained unscathed itself.
Yet as the Armored Wings retreated, if one looked closely, they might even glimpse a tiny nail-like object seemingly left on the gigantic body of the Phantom Demon Emperor where the punch was delivered.
Clero: "Effect of Armored Wings! This card turns the battle damage it receives to itself into 0, and after the battle, it can plant a wedge onto the monster it battled with!"
In K language, this means placing a wedge counter.
"Next, use the effect of Armored Wings!" Clero shouted, "Armored Wings removes the placed wedge counter, and until the end of the turn, the Attack and Defense Power of the monster with the counter becomes 0!"
"Oh?" Yugen said, "This effect can be activated during the battle phase..."
He pondered for a moment, realizing that in the animation, Armored Wings often removed the wedge right after placing it during the same battle phase, then other Black Feathers would swoop in and finish the job.
This makes it much stronger than the Physical Card. The effect of the Physical Card version of Armored Wings seems identical to the original, but in reality, Physical Card Armored Wings can only remove the wedge during its main phase.
This means that if Armored Wings attacks the opponent and plants a wedge, it must finish the battle phase before it can remove it. In other words, if you want to destroy the monster with the wedge, the soonest you can zero out its Attack Power and attack is in the next turn.
This makes it less efficient than the animation. Delaying by a turn introduces many variables; by the next turn, the opponent might use the monster with the wedge as material, or the Armored Wings might not survive until then.
Clero: "Turn the Attack Power of Phantom Demon Emperor Rabiel to 0!"
As the wedge was removed, cracks spread from the location of the wedge insertion on the Phantom Demon Emperor's body. Rapidly, lines of cracks spread across his chest like a quickly radiating spider web, causing the gigantic Phantom Demon to resemble a ceramic item about to shatter, covered in scars.
[Phantom Demon Emperor Rabiel, Attack Power 4000 → Attack Power 0]
"Next, continue the battle!"
Clero shouted.
"Black Feather Black Spear Blaster, attack 'Phantom Demon Emperor Rabiel'!"
This highlights the strength of the animated Armored Wings, where the effect allows teammates to finish the job in the same battle phase. The avian beast warrior of Black Spear leaps forward, spiraling spear blasting out with a transparent cyclone, piercing into the cracking area on the Phantom Demon Emperor's chest.
A rumbling sound ensues, and the Phantom Demon Emperor's body crumbles with a loud crash, disintegrating into countless pieces and collapsing into a heap of rubble.
[Yugen, LP 7400 → LP 5700]
"How about that! Defeated the strongest Phantom Demon!" Clero said, "This is the strength of my Black Feathers, if comrades unite their powers, no enemy is undefeatable!"
Yugen dusted off the dirt on his body: "You are indeed right about that..."
But he shifted his tone and smiled.
"Well, even if it is your proud Black Feather, you haven't reached your ideal realm yet."
"What?"
Clero was angry.
"What do you mean?"
Questioning his strength was one thing. Though reluctant to admit, Clero had to confront the fact that the opponent was very strong, possibly stronger than himself. If faced head-to-head with Godwin, he likely wouldn't stand a chance.
But the opponent wasn't questioning his strength; he questioned Clero's handling of Black Feather and the bond with his own monsters!
This was intolerable!
"The potential of Black Feather is far beyond what you imagine, Clero Hogan. What you are currently demonstrating is just a very limited portion." Yugen paused and glanced at the other two.
"In fact, Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas, too, your card decks have infinite possibilities. Whether your decks can evolve to that point, whether you can unlock that potential, relies on yourselves."
All three were quietly surprised.
What was this guy saying all of a sudden?
Indeed, Yusei's Synchroist, Jack's Resonator, and Clero's Black Feather all have potential far surpassing the current era, backed by future enhancements. Their decks and they themselves are still raw, with huge room for progress.
That said, if not for this, Yugen wouldn't have bothered to battle them. Yugen's significance as the antagonist here is precisely to encourage them to progress quickly.
Then Yugen laughed and said, "Well, no matter how great the potential, if it doesn't awaken, it's just potential. To unlock this potential, to evolve, first, you need to survive today."
Clero gritted his teeth: "Stop being arrogant...
My battle phase has ended, but my turn isn't over yet!"
He played another card from his hand.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Shield Shattering'! It can destroy a monster in Defense position on the field!
Destroy your 'Chaos Illusion' turned into Defense position by Yusei!"
A green magic beam speared through, piercing through the defensive black sludge on Yugen's field. The whirlpool of chaos burst open, disintegrating into fragments.
Clero: "Aside from Phantom Demon, your Chaos Illusion can transform back into Phantom Demon next turn...don't think I forgot about this!
I have a counter for this trick!"
He drew two more cards from his hand.
"Set two cards face-down in the backfield, end my turn!"
Clero threw his fist in the air, shouting.
"No matter what kind of Phantom Demon or other tricks you conjure! The bond between us and our monsters, the bond within our Satisfaction Friends, will never lose!"
"Hahaha, excellent, that's the spirit." Yugen clapped.
"Exactly, that's how it should be. With bonds, nothing is impossible. Just keep that up."
The three: "..."
A world-ending opponent suddenly snatching their lines—momentarily, you couldn't tell if it was sarcasm or something else.
"But it's still not enough, not enough." Yugen shook his head.
"This level of enthusiasm won't defeat me, nor truly overthrow the Phantom Demon." Yusei's heart chilled.
Can't truly defeat... Could it be that just defeated Phantom Demon could resurrect again?