Chapter 89: Mitani's Countermeasures
Chapter 89: Mitani's Countermeasures
"I'll continue by activating the Equip Spell Card, 'Power of the Guardian', to equip one of my 'Variable Machine Beast - Cannon Dragon'!"
Mitani played his Equip Spell Card, and a golden guardian aura enveloped one of the Cannon Dragons.
"When the equipped monster battles, it gains one magic marker, and its attack increases by 500," Mitani explained. "Additionally, by removing a magic marker from this card, I can protect the equipped monster from being destroyed by battle or card effects! Now, let's move to the Battle Phase!"
Mitani waved his hand and launched his offense.
"With your Trap Cards sealed, you have no way to counter my assault! Just as I said, we'll settle this within this turn, Number One! First, 'Mathematician' attacks the face-down monster!"
The facedown monster was revealed to be a blonde female magician, crouching with her staff in a defensive stance.
[Trainee Magician: 800 DEF]
As expected, the 800 defense was no match for the attack. The Mathematician waved its staff, but instead of a magical blast, it unleashed a string of mathematical symbols and formulas that swirled around the Magician like a form of mental assault.
The Trainee Magician tried to resist, but she couldn't withstand the power of mathematics. She clutched her head and let out a scream before exploding.
Yu Xuan could empathize with that feeling all too well.
Mathematics truly had the power to make people explode on the spot.
"'Trainee Magician's' effect activates," Yu Xuan said. "When this card is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Spellcaster-Type monster from my deck in face-down defense mode."
He fanned out his deck and drew a card.
"'Trainee Magician' is itself a Level 2 or lower monster, so I'll Special Summon another 'Trainee Magician' from my deck in face-down defense mode."
"Unbelievable! Cannon Dragon One, attack the face-down Magician!" Mitani exclaimed. "At this moment, the effect of 'Power of the Guardian' equipped to Cannon Dragon activates! Cannon Dragon's attack increases by 500!"
[Variable Machine Beast - Cannon Dragon: 2800 ATK → 3300 ATK]
The powerful cannon fire destroyed the second Magician, but of course, its effect also triggered.
"This time, I'll bring out 'Holy Magician' from my deck in face-down defense mode."
[Holy Magician: 400 DEF]
"Then, Cannon Dragon Two, attack the Holy Magician!" Mitani commanded.
The facedown monster was revealed to be a petite female magician. However, in an instant, she lightly swept her staff, and a burst of magical light spots landed in Yu Xuan's Graveyard.
"At this moment, the effect of 'Holy Magician' activates. When this card is flipped face-up, I can add a Magic Card from my Graveyard to my hand."
Yu Xuan drew the Magic Card that had popped out of his Graveyard.
"I recover 'Prank-loving Twin Devils' from my Graveyard."
Mitani: "He managed to block all my attacks."
This left Mitani with only the Cannon Dragon whose attack had been reduced to 400, but due to the effect of Meteor Bow, it could still attack directly.
"Finally, 'Variable Machine Beast - Cannon Dragon' attacks directly!"
Yu Xuan closed his eyes, standing straight and taking the brunt of the stereoscopic image's cannon fire with equanimity.
[Yu Xuan: 3000 LP → 2600 LP]
It was barely a tickle, more for show than actual damage.
"Now, I activate the second effect of 'Magical Wand,' sending this card and the equipped monster to the Graveyard to draw two cards.
I send 'Magical Wand' and 'Mathematician' to the Graveyard and draw two cards!"
After drawing, he immediately played one of the cards.
"Magic Card 'Seven-Star Treasure Sword'! By removing from play a Level 7 monster from my hand or field, I draw two cards! I remove from play the Level 7 'Variable Machine Beast - Cannon Dragon' whose attack was reduced to 400, and I draw two cards.
Then, my turn ends."
Yu Xuan: "My turn, draw phase.
First, I activate the Magic Card 'Pot of Greed' to draw two cards from my deck."
Yu Xuan then played the card he had recovered from the Graveyard during Mitani's turn.
"Magic Card 'Prank-loving Twin Devils'! Pay 1000 Life Points, randomly discard one card from my hand, and then let my opponent choose and discard one card from their hand."
[Yu Xuan: 2600 LP → 1600 LP]
"Let's discard the second card from the left as the randomly chosen card," Yu Xuan said nonchalantly.
In physical dueling, unlike online, "randomly discard a card" usually meant the opponent would choose a card at random from the player's hand in a face-down state.
"You don't think I could possibly have a second copy of 'Twin Devils' in my hand, do you?"
Mitani discarded the card Yu Xuan had indicated into the Graveyard and then smiled confidently.
"Your guess is correct.
But! My countermeasures against you are not limited to just that.
For 'Prank-loving Twin Devils,' I get to choose which card to discard from my hand, and I choose this one."
He revealed a Magic Card and sent it to the Graveyard.
"I discard 'Electric Snake' from my hand. When this card is discarded by an opponent's card effect, I draw two cards from my deck!"
Yu Xuan watched with interest.
This guy had some interesting tricks up his sleeve. And the fact that he was playing cards like this meant that he likely also had "Compensation Notes" in his deck, even if he hadn't drawn into them yet.
You Xuan shrugged nonchalantly and smiled gently. "I knew you were prepared, I was just curious to see how you would respond."
"Oh? You're still this calm? Impressive, as expected of Number One," Mitani remarked with a smile. "Then let me witness the full extent of your dueling prowess when you get serious."
"I've always been serious," You Xuan said with a playful smile. "Now, I activate the Magic Card, 'Hand Destruction.' Both players discard their entire hands and then draw the same number of cards."
Both players discarded their hands and proceeded to draw new cards. However, a card immediately popped out from Yu Xuan's Graveyard.
"Among the discarded cards was the Magic Card, 'Compensation Notes.' When this card is sent from the hand to the Graveyard, draw two more cards from your deck," You Xuan explained.
Mitani remained silent but became even more focused. Despite You Xuan's casual demeanor, Mitani couldn't help but feel that his opponent wasn't the least bit nervous.
It was as if all his countermeasures and the apparent advantage he had on the field meant nothing to You Xuan.
But this only fueled Mitani's dueling spirit further.
"I will make you take this duel seriously!" Mitani declared.
"I told you I'm not holding back," You Xuan said. "But since you insist, I'll show you one of my trump cards, as promised.
Remove from play the Light Attribute 'Holy Magician' and the Dark Attribute 'Trainee Magician' from the game, and Special Summon them!"
Mitani's expression shifted slightly as he realized the implications. "The requirement to remove Light and Dark Attributes... Could it be...?!"
"The souls of Light and Darkness, sacrificed to the chaos of the field, summon forth the legendary warrior!"
The two magicians transformed into streams of light and dark energy that intertwined and merged into the churning black clouds above, as if entering the depths of chaos itself. Suddenly, a beam of golden light burst forth, like a sword cleaving through the chaos, and a magnificent warrior clad in armor descended amidst the golden radiance.
"The creation of the heavens and earth—
—Chaos Soldier, the Envoy of Creation, I summon you!"
[Chaos Soldier - Envoy of Creation: ATK 3000]
The entire arena erupted in a frenzy.
"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Professor Strong, covering his face with his hands in astonishment. "A Chaos Soldier!"
Asuka on the high platform also trembled in surprise. "Ho-How is this possible? The Envoy of Creation... But that's..."
"The legendary ace monster of Yugi Muto, the Duel King," Caesar finished.
Even Kaiser Ryo, sitting on the high platform, was stunned for a moment before his gaze toward the field turned eager.
His dueling spirit stirred within him.
The jellyfish-haired boy beside him naturally shared the same sentiment.
"Oh my, that's so cool! A Chaos Soldier! An actual Chaos Soldier!" Judai exclaimed, shaking Marufuji Ryo excitedly.
"I really want to duel with Yu Xuan!"
"B-Bro, you're choking me," Marufuji Ryo managed to say.
However, no one was more shocked than Mitani, who was facing the legendary warrior head-on. He took an involuntary step back, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Your ace monster is... this creature?!"
At that moment, Mitani had no idea that he was facing a variation of the very same "Chaos" deck that had dominated the competitive scene in the real world during its time.
For an extended period, Chaos was the undisputed top-tier deck, and all other Yu-Gi-Oh! decks were either categorized as "Chaos" or "non-Chaos." You either joined the hyper-aggressive meta or suffered defeat.
The pair of "Trainee Magician" and "Holy Magician" that You Xuan had used for defense in the previous turn was also a classic combo used in early Chaos decks.
One was a Light Attribute, and the other was a Dark Attribute. The Trainee Magician had a useful defensive ability that triggered upon destruction, allowing it to search for the Holy Magician from the deck. In turn, the Holy Magician boasted the powerful ability to recover a Magic Card.
It was important to remember that in the early days of Yu-Gi-Oh!, numerous broken Magic Cards ran rampant, many of which were now banned. These Magic Cards were often far more powerful than regular monsters, capable of single-handedly changing the tide of a duel.
The Magic Card recovered by Holy Magician could be anything from the infamous "Pot of Greed" to game-changing cards like "Angel's Charity" or the Hand Destruction Trio. They could even be field-wiping cards like "Black Hole" or "Heavy Storm."
This defensive duo could then set up the conditions to summon the Chaos Soldier from the deck on the following turn, securing victory.
"The effect of 'Chaos Soldier - Envoy of Creation'!" You Xuan announced. "Chaos Soldier can exclude a monster on the field from play by forfeiting its attack this turn!
Remove from play the 'Cannon Dragon' equipped with 'Power of the Guardian'! Chaos Dimensional Slash!"
The Chaos Soldier raised its sword high, the blade glowing with light on one side and darkness on the other. A torrent of light and dark energy intertwined, forming a dual-colored vortex that soared into the sky.
The power of the guardian was an excellent ability that could protect monsters from being destroyed by battle or card effects, but it was useless against the dimensional slash that sent them to another dimension.
"Now, I banish the Light Attribute 'Shining Angel' that was sent to the Graveyard last turn, along with another Dark Attribute 'Trainee Magician' from my Graveyard!" You Xuan declared.
Mitani: "!"
That summoning condition again?!
Do you have another Envoy of Creation up your sleeve?!
Of course, that was impossible. But after using the Greater Envoy, You Xuan still had the Lesser one in his arsenal.
"Wielding the power of light and darkness, the magician now descends—
—Chaos Sorcerer, I summon you!"
[Chaos Sorcerer: ATK 2300]
"I activate the effect of Chaos Sorcerer! Once per turn, by forfeiting its attack, I can banish one monster on the field.
Banish the remaining 'Variable Machine Beast - Cannon Dragon'!"
The Chaos Sorcerer whirled his hands, light and dark energies swirling in his palms. A chaotic vortex erupted from beneath the Cannon Dragon, consuming the heavy mecha without resistance.
Mitani: "..."
No way, sir! Back to the other dimension again?
Manjoume, who had been dejected after being crushed by Judai earlier, finally lifted his head, his eyes glinting with a hint of excitement.
This move was familiar to him.
Yes, this is what I've been waiting for! Banish them all! Send them away to another dimension!
"However, this means he can't perform an attack this turn." Mitani took a deep breath.
Both the Greater and Lesser Envoys of Creation shared the same ability, and neither could attack during the turn they used the Dimensional Slash.
"That's not necessarily true," You Xuan interrupted.
Mitani: "?!?"
"Indeed, after using that effect, the Envoy of Creation cannot attack. But that doesn't mean my offense is over."
You Xuan revealed another card from his hand.
"I activate the Magic Card, 'Fusion! By offering one monster on my field as a Tribute, I can Special Summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck with the same Level as the Tributed monster!
I Tribute 'Chaos Soldier - Envoy of Creation'!"
Mitani: "!!!"
That's right! By Tributing the Chaos Soldier that has already activated its effect, he could continue his offensive this turn.
Moreover, since the Chaos Soldier was Level 8, he could easily Special Summon another powerful Level 8 Fusion Monster!
"Empowered by the meteor, the victorious Black Dragon emerges, wielding the power of molten lava—
—I summon the Level 8 Meteor Black Dragon!!!"
A pitch-black dragon with wings unfurled, as if flowing with molten lava, descended upon the field. It was the evolved form of the True Red-Eyes Black Dragon, obtained from the Duel Monsters Club.
[Meteor Black Dragon: ATK 3500]
Mitani's expression shifted slightly: "He actually... summoned the legendary evolution of the True Red-Eyes Black Dragon without needing the original..."
'Fusion' was also a Magic Card often used by Judai, though he typically used it to evolve "Elemental HERO Bubbleman" into "Rainbow Neos."
In reality, no one would usually play it this way.
The combination You Xuan was using was, in fact, a common Combo in top-tier decks back in the day. The Chaos Soldier had an incredibly simple summoning condition and could effortlessly banish an opponent's monster to another dimension. Meanwhile, 'Fusion' offset the drawback of being unable to attack after using the Dimensional Slash, allowing for the easy summoning of a high-level Fusion Monster that would otherwise be challenging to bring out.
During that era, the world champion often used "Cyber Twin Dragon" as their Level 8 Fusion Monster of choice, boasting an attack of 2800 and the ability to attack twice in one turn. After clearing the field with the Chaos Soldier, they would then Tribute it to Special Summon the Twin Dragon, instantly dealing a devastating 5600 damage.
However, in this world, it was unlikely that Kaiser had the Twin Dragon in his deck, and You Xuan hadn't come across it in the market yet. Additionally, the other Level 8 Fusion Monsters he had found either had summoning restrictions or were underwhelming. While the Meteor Black Dragon was merely average, it at least offered a respectable 3500 ATK, and most importantly, it was readily available.
"Meteor Black Dragon, attack directly!"
The Meteor Black Dragon opened its maw, spewing forth a column of lava-like fire that swept across Mitani.
"Gah!"
[Mitani: LP 4000 → LP 500]
Mitani's life points plummeted, leaving him kneeling on the ground, smoke rising from his body as if he had been singed by the attack.
As his powerful monsters were banished one after the other, with no means to defend against this relentless assault, Mitani suddenly realized something.
Perhaps, from the very beginning, You Xuan had anticipated the possibility of him using "Trap Lock."
By combining Chaos and Dimensional Slash, You Xuan continuously banished Mitani's monsters while pressing forward with aggressive attacks. Mitani's monsters kept getting banished by annoying effects, and due to his own "Royal Decree," he was unable to use Trap Cards for defense. In this situation, it was Mitani himself who ended up being crippled by his own "Trap Lock."
(End of Chapter)
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