Chapter 10: Not Even Sparing Those in the Grave
Chapter 10: Not Even Sparing Those in the Grave
Dimensional Slash was one of the mainstream deck archetypes that dominated the early competitive scene of "Yu-Gi-Oh!". While it never claimed the title of World Champion, it was once a force to be reckoned with in the early meta, even giving the eventual champion a run for their money.
You Xuan's initial deck idea took inspiration from the champion's strategy of hand disruption. However, due to missing components and slight differences in the current meta, he merely adopted the underlying strategy and made adjustments to his build.
Dimensional Slash is one of the test builds he is currently experimenting with.
True to its name, the core strategy of this deck revolves around sending the opponent's cards to another dimension. This is achieved through cards like "Different Dimension Warrior," which forcibly removes both itself and an opponent's monster from the field, often trading up by getting rid of their high-cost beaters in exchange for his readily available low-level monsters.
Just as You Xuan is demonstrating right now.
Furthermore, since the banished monsters aren't sent to the graveyard, this build also disrupts meta decks that rely heavily on graveyard resources. The meta at that time was also filled with monsters that had "search-when-sent-to-the-grave" effects, and facing the Dimensional Slash build rendered those effects useless, making it a frustrating matchup.
You Xuan never got to experience that vintage meta first-hand, but he could imagine the frustration of duelists back then, who, after painstakingly summoning their beaters, would watch them get banished by a simple attack from a Dimensional Slash deck.
Much like Manjimaru is experiencing now.
The Different Dimension Warrior, in a last-ditch effort, slashes open a rift in the void, akin to the Dimensional Slash itself, creating a black hole on the field. The overwhelming gravitational pull captures both warriors, sucking them into the abyss beyond.
With their equipped target gone, the two Equip Spells at the back row fizzle out, shattering into golden fragments.
Manjimaru starts his turn with aggressive plays, expending all his resources to summon a beater that doesn't even get to swing once before it's booted off the field, nearly causing him to rage-quit.
But Manjimaru takes a deep breath, quickly regaining his composure.
Calm down. Stay calm.
It's just a mere eight-star beater, two Equip cards, and four cards from his hand.
No big deal.
"When the Equip Spell Card 'Jewel Sword' is sent from the field to the Graveyard, draw 1 card."
Manjimaru draws a card from his deck, finally regaining some lost resources. He takes a quick glance and sets the drawn card in his spell and trap zone.
"Set one card. End turn."
"My turn! Draw!"
You Xuan draws and then reveals another card from his hand.
"I summon 'Wilderness Warrior!'"
Wilderness Warrior
ATK: 1100
"Attack directly!" You Xuan commands, waving his hand. "Wilderness Warrior, attack your opponent directly!"
The warrior unsheathes her sword and soars towards Manjimaru.
However, Manjimaru has a counter ready. He flips the set card, "I activate my Trap Card, 'Absorb Shield'! Negate your attack and gain life points equal to the attacking monster's ATK!"
A translucent rainbow barrier materializes in front of Manjimaru, and the warrior's mighty blow lands on it, only to have her force absorbed and converted into a warm, golden glow that envelops Manjimaru.
Manjimaru: LP 4000 → LP 5100
"Hmph, what a pity. But this level of attack is well within my expectations." Manjimaru continues to boast.
You Xuan remains unfazed. Any seasoned duelist knows that in this game, you're either at zero or full life points. As long as you're not at zero, it's not that big of a deal compared to other resources in the game.
"I'll set one card. End turn." You Xuan declares.
"My turn! Draw!" Manjimaru draws and immediately plays a card from his hand. "I activate the Magic Card, 'Greed Jar'! Draw two more cards from your deck!"
Greed Jar, a staple in the GX protagonist's deck, is a must-have for every duelist.
"I summon Dark Blade, Warrior of the Dark World in attack position!"
The card's image appears, depicting a warrior clad in black armor and wielding twin blades, his body adorned with silver-white blades like sharp fangs.
Dark Blade, Warrior of the Dark World
ATK: 1800
"Now you'll see that my monsters are the cream of the crop, a far cry from those low-level scrubs!" Manjimaru proclaims confidently. "Go, Dark Blade! Destroy that Wilderness Warrior!"
A smirk plays on his lips as he lets out a cold snort.
Although that spooky thing from the netherworld banished his beater, it doesn't matter. Dark Blade, Warrior of the Dark World is also a powerful low-level monster with high market value. A four-star monster with 1800 ATK is nothing to scoff at.
Do you think you can pull another Different Dimension Warrior out of thin air and banish this one too?
The Dark Blade warrior lunges forward, twin blades flashing as it slices through the Wilderness Warrior, cutting her in half with a thunderous explosion.
You Xuan: LP 4000 → LP 3300
You Xuan remains composed despite having his monster destroyed, calmly sifting through his deck in search of the right cards.
As he spoke, he drew the searched card from his Deck.
".Summon Dimensional Warrior in Attack Position!"
Dimensional Warrior
ATK: 1200
Manjimaru: "!"
No, not again?
This monster was also familiar to Manjimaru. Dimensional Warrior, when it battles an opponent's monster, removes that monster and this card from the game.
It was another monster in the Dimensional Slash build, with an effect identical to that of the Dimensional Lady Warrior.
As the Dimensional Warrior took its place on Manjimaru's field, Manjimaru's eyes twitched, and he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
No way!
How are these underworld creatures still able to fly out of my Deck?!
This won't do, I need to stay calm and not lose my composure.
Manjimaru glanced at the corner of his eye at a card in his hand.
There is a way to deal with these underworld creatures.
"I set one card face-down on the field. End turn." Manjimaru declared.
You Xuan's gaze swept across Manjimaru's back row, taking in the newly set card.
It seemed that he had a countermeasure for the Dimensional Warrior.
A slight smile curved You Xuan's lips.
It doesn't matter.
"My turn, draw!"
You Xuan drew his card and revealed it.
"I summon 'Reimeitsu Shi: Kaikuu' in Attack Position."
A bald monk clad in a kasaya appeared, his face fierce and holding prayer beads that looked ready to be used as a blunt instrument.
In short, he looked like a martial monk who was keen on "convincing" others with reason.
Reimeitsu Shi: Kaikuu
ATK: 1800
Manjimaru narrowed his eyes, taking in the large monk.
With an Attack of 1800, it matched the Dark Blade, Warrior of the Dark World. Was he planning on a mutual destruction? Or perhaps...
"Battle." You Xuan said, "First, 'Dimensional Warrior' attacks 'Dark Blade, Warrior of the Dark World'."
As expected, it was coming.
"Don't even think about it! I activate my face-down! Trap Card, Explosive Armor! When an opponent's monster declares an attack, destroy that monster!"
A spark flashed in Manjimaru's eyes as he waved his hand, revealing his set card.
"Explosive Armor's effect activates! Your monster is destroyed!" Manjimaru exclaimed, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Heh, so you were planning on using your monster's effect to remove my monster from play? Too bad, the same trick won't work on me twice! It's your own monster that will be destroyed!"
You Xuan raised an eyebrow.
So he had an Explosive Armor. That was interesting.
Every Yu-Gi-Oh! fan knew that throughout the history of the game, Explosive Armor had made numerous appearances in the anime, but to date, it had never successfully been activated, much like it was cursed. And that curse would not be broken by You Xuan today.
"I activate my face-down as well." You Xuan flipped another set card, "Counter Trap Card, Thief's Seven Tools! By paying 1000 Life Points, negate and destroy the activation of your Trap Card."
Manjimaru's eyes widened in surprise.
What?!
Damn it! How do you still have a counter for my underworld creature?!
You Xuan: LP 3300 → LP 2300
Manjimaru's Trap Card was countered, and the unfortunate Explosive Armor crumbled into pieces, continuing its legacy of never successfully being activated. The battle continued, and the Dark Blade, Warrior of the Dark World slashed at the Dimensional Warrior, but just before its demise, the Dimensional Warrior opened a rift in the dimensions, a black hole that sucked both monsters into the abyss, vanishing without a trace.
You Xuan: LP 2300 → LP 1700
With that, Manjimaru's field was left empty, with no monsters in play or set cards.
"Next, the Reimeitsu Shi: Kaikuu." You Xuan continued, "Attack Manjimaru directly."
At the command, Kaikuu stepped forward, and the prayer beads in his hand shot out like hidden weapons, slamming into Manjimaru's forehead. The impact made his head ring, and he felt as though he had been struck by the Buddha himself.
Manjimaru: LP 5100 → LP 3300
"At this moment, the effect of Reimeitsu Shi: Kaikuu also activates." You Xuan explained, "When Kaikuu inflicts battle damage to your Life Points, you can banish up to two monsters from your opponent's Graveyard."
Although he could banish up to two monsters, every monster Manjimaru had played so far had been banished to another dimension, leaving only the "Female Swordsman - Canaan" that was used as a Tribute and another monster card that he had discarded in his Graveyard.
Thus, You Xuan chose to banish those two remaining monster cards.
With that, Manjimaru's only monsters, both on the field and in the Graveyard, had been banished, and he was left thoroughly discombobulated.
That's too much!
Are you not even going to spare those in the grave?!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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