Chapter 228: The Misunderstanding

"The immortal green baboon? Indeed, it's strong—remarkably so." Fujiki You Xuan nodded in agreement.

"Hmph, even if you regret it now, it's too late."

The large meat-beast messenger snorted twice in triumph, then suddenly felt the atmosphere turn wrong.

Because the other's tone was still far too calm.

It didn't sound like he was troubled by the opponent's strength—instead, his words strangely gave off the impression of "your wife is amazing."

He even briefly thought he saw a glint in the man's eyes, like a hunter spotting a prime prey.

The messenger's spine chilled.

Is this guy insane?

"I set two cards face-down. End of my turn." Fujiki You Xuan said.

The envoy once again brushed off his unease.

"Regardless, as long as I win this duel and offer you to the gods as fuel for revival, it's all that matters," the messenger barked. "My turn—draw!"

"Go! Forest Warden—Green Baboon! Direct Attack!"

The green baboon roared, pounded its chest again, leapt into the air, and swung its fist toward Fujiki You Xuan.

"Then, activate my face-down card," Fujiki You Xuan snapped his fingers. "Continuous Trap—Blood Compensation."

"During your Main Phase or your opponent's Battle Phase, pay 500 Life Points to normally summon one monster."

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP 4000 → LP 3500】

The messenger frowned. "But Blood Compensation only allows normal summoning of Level 4 or lower monsters. There's no Level 4 or lower monster that can match my invincible green baboon."

"I normally summon 'Tsukuyomi.'" Fujiki You Xuan said.

【Tsukuyomi, ATK 1100】

"When Tsukuyomi is summoned, flip one monster on the field to face-down defense position," Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "So, 'Forest Warden—Green Baboon,' turn face-down."

"Nani?"

The messenger's face changed—he turned to see a new moon appear. The once-raging baboon, mid-charge, suddenly blinked heavily, staggered like a drunkard, then collapsed with a thud, becoming a face-down card.

Beneath the face-down card, a snoring sound emerged.

The messenger: "."

"Looks like your green baboon needs a nap," Fujiki You Xuan smiled.

"Tch. Then, end my Battle Phase," the messenger growled. "But now you have a monster on the field."

"I normally summon 'Dumbass Opossum.'"

【Dumbass Opossum, ATK 800 → ATK 1300】

"Then activate Quick-Play Spell—Half Seal. Reduce the ATK of one monster on the field by half, and give it the effect that it cannot be destroyed by battle. I target my own monster—Dumbass Opossum!"

【Dumbass Opossum, ATK 1300 → ATK 650】

"Dumbass Opossum's effect: During your Main Phase, if your opponent's field has a monster with higher ATK than this card, you can destroy this card."

The messenger waved his hand.

"Die, Dumbass Opossum!"

The cowering opossum timidly lifted its head, stole a glance at Fujiki You Xuan's Tsukuyomi, then screamed.

Too terrifying—I must perish immediately!

Boom!

The opossum curled into a ball and exploded into a burst of fireworks.

"At this moment, the effect of my other green baboon in the graveyard activates," the messenger sneered. "When a Beast-type monster on the field is destroyed, pay 1000 Life Points to special summon a green baboon."

"Return to the field—Forest Warden—Green Baboon!"

【Messenger, LP 5000 → LP 4000】

A vortex opened in the graveyard; the towering, furious baboon pounded its chest and roared as it rose again.

【Forest Warden—Green Baboon, ATK 2600】

Dumbass Opossum's effect—self-destruction—seemed utterly meaningless at first glance. But paired with the green baboon, its performance becomes exceptional.

Dumbass Opossum can actively destroy itself to trigger the green baboon's summoning effect. And when destroyed by its own effect, it revives from the graveyard during your next Standby Phase.

Meaning, it can infinitely revive each turn, then self-destruct again, retriggering the green baboon's revival—essentially an inexhaustible renewable resource, a vital component of this immortal combo.

The messenger roared: "I told you—the green baboon is immortal! No matter how many times—"

"Activate my face-down card: Trap—Bottomless Pit," Fujiki You Xuan said. "When a monster is summoned, immediately flip it to face-down defense position, and it cannot change its position voluntarily."

The messenger: "."

The second green baboon slipped on its own feet, tumbled into a deep pit, and became a face-down card like the first—soon, the same "hrrr-lu-lu~" snoring emerged beneath it.

The green baboon may revive no matter how many times it's destroyed—but if it's sent face-down to the graveyard, it's powerless—effectively removed.

"Cunning little brat."

But the messenger remained composed.

"I'll set one card. End of my turn."

"At the End Phase, Tsukuyomi's effect."

As Fujiki You Xuan spoke, Tsukuyomi on the field turned into a golden streak and flew back into his hand.

"At the End Phase of the turn Tsukuyomi was summoned, it returns to its owner's hand."

The messenger: "!"

Only now did the messenger realize the severity of the situation.

Tsukuyomi can flip one monster face-down when summoned, then return to hand at the end of its summoning turn. Blood Compensation allows her to be summoned during your opponent's turn.

Meaning—he'd be forced to take a face-down card every single turn?

The messenger's pupils shrank, his gaze locked on the direction Tsukuyomi had vanished.

What kind of face-down combo is this?

Fujiki You Xuan: "My turn—draw."

"Activate Spell Card—Adversity's Bounty. When your opponent has a special-summoned monster and you have none on the field, you may draw two cards." (Original card)

He drew, then immediately revealed a card from his hand.

"Summon 'Dimensional Warrior.'"

【Dimensional Warrior, ATK 1500】

The messenger: "!"

He'd seen this warrior before in battles with other tribes—he remembered her effect:

"When this card battles an opponent's monster, both are banished from the game."

Perfectly countering the green baboon's weakness—a banishing effect. No matter how many times the green baboon revives, if it's banished, its immortality is broken.

Now, the messenger had two face-down green baboons—but one was already rendered useless by Bottomless Pit's effect. If the other was banished too…

He could not allow it.

"Activate Trap—Torrential Tribute!" the messenger roared. "When a monster is summoned, destroy all monsters on both fields!"

A torrent of blue water surged, sweeping across the entire field. Both face-down green baboons and the newly summoned Dimensional Warrior were destroyed.

"And at this moment, because a Beast-type monster on the field was destroyed, the effect of my third 'Forest Warden—Green Baboon' in my hand activates!"

The messenger laughed.

"Pay 1000 Life Points—third green baboon, special summon!"

Same as the original, pre-nerf effect. After the source number nerf, the new green baboon only triggers when a Beast-type monster is destroyed in face-up position—face-down monsters don't qualify.

Clearly, this original green baboon once had massive meta impact—otherwise, why would its text and rulings have been slashed so brutally? It's been trimmed down to near noodle-thinness compared to its original form.

【Messenger, LP 4000 → LP 3000】

Forest Warden—Green Baboon Mk. III, summoned!

【Forest Warden—Green Baboon, ATK 2600】

"And due to 'Orichalcos's Barrier,' its ATK increases!"

【Forest Warden—Green Baboon, ATK 2600 → ATK 3100】

With this, the two face-down green baboons now went to the graveyard—effectively revived. Whenever the field's green baboon is destroyed, the graveyard's copies can revive again.

"Hahahaha! See? This is the power of the god-chosen messenger—me!" The messenger swelled with pride. "You may be a peculiar duelist—but against this power, you're useless."

Fujiki You Xuan smiled.

"Is that really so?"

"What?"

The messenger frowned.

This man, faced with his immortal green baboon formation, still had such calm?

"Blood Compensation's effect: Pay 500 Life Points to normally summon 'Killer Tomato.'" Fujiki You Xuan said calmly.

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP 3500 → LP 3000】

"Then use Blood Compensation again: Pay 500 Life Points to tribute Killer Tomato for a Level 6 summon."

Fujiki You Xuan raised his hand.

"Level 6—God of War Gai Bu!"

【God of War Gai Bu, ATK 2200】

It was the same monster he'd lost to Ye Xing in their duel—exchanged from his opponent's hand via "Hand Exchange." Back then, it was useless—but in specific combos, it had value, so Fujiki You Xuan later bought a copy through International Illusion Society.

"Hmph, you went through the trouble of paying Life Points just to summon a Level 6?" the messenger sneered. "Too bad—it still can't beat my Forest Warden."

"Activate the effect of 'Blood Sacrifice' again," Fujiki You Xuan said calmly. "Pay 500 Life Points to summon 'Gulus Gulus Yichong' from my hand."

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP2500 → LP2000】

【Gulus Gulus Yichong, ATK 1500】

"Now use 'Blood Sacrifice' once more—this time, normally summon 'Tsukuyomi' from my hand."

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP2000 → LP1500】

【Tsukuyomi, ATK 1100】

"Huh?" the messenger frowned. "I get it—this card again. The Green Baboon's DEF is only 1800. If you use Tsukuyomi's effect to flip it face-down, the Divine General Gai Bu can destroy it."

But he immediately sneered.

"But you didn't forget I still have two more Green Baboons in my graveyard, did you? Green Baboons are immortal—no clever trick like this will work."

Fujiki You Xuan ignored him: "Activate Tsukuyomi's effect. When Tsukuyomi is successfully summoned or flipped face-up, it can change one monster on the field to face-down defense position."

"The monster I will change to face-down defense position is Tsukuyomi itself!"

The messenger: "?"

What kind of move is this?

The female mage chanted a spell—the new moon rose, and Tsukuyomi itself transformed into a face-down card placed on the field.

"But the effect of 'Divine General Gai Bu,'" Fujiki You Xuan said, "whenever this card remains on the field, all monsters on the field must be turned face-up attack position."

"Therefore, 'Tsukuyomi' is forcibly returned to attack position."

【Tsukuyomi, ATK 1000】

The messenger: "???"

He was thoroughly confused.

What was the point of this?

Fujiki You Xuan: "The effect of the monster I just summoned—'Gulus Gulus Yichong.' Whenever a face-down defense monster on the field is flipped face-up, this card gains one 'Insect Counter,' increasing its ATK by 300."

【Gulus Gulus Yichong, ATK 1500 → ATK 1800】

The messenger frowned: "Just 300 ATK?"

"Tsukuyomi's effect can also be activated when it is flipped face-up—it can change one monster on the field to face-down defense position," Fujiki You Xuan smiled lightly.

Although Divine General Gai Bu's effect restricts "effects of flipped monsters from activating," Tsukuyomi is not a flipped monster—it is unaffected.

"Therefore, according to Tsukuyomi's effect, I turn Tsukuyomi itself face-down defense position."

"Then, because Divine General Gai Bu remains on the field, Tsukuyomi is forcibly returned to attack position."

"Gulus Gulus Yichong's effect: when a face-down monster on the field is flipped face-up, its ATK increases by 300."

"."

The messenger's pupils shrank; his mouth opened involuntarily, slowly, as dread began to creep over him.

This… this is…

An infinite loop!!!

Every time Tsukuyomi flips, its effect triggers, allowing it to flip itself back face-down—but the moment it is face-down, Divine General Gai Bu's forced effect flips it back again.

Each cycle increases Gulus Gulus Yichong's ATK by 300.

Fujiki You Xuan: "Correct. After infinite cycles, Gulus Gulus Yichong's ATK will become…"

【Gulus Gulus Yichong, ATK ∞】

"Infinite ATK!?"

The messenger's face twisted, nearly consumed by terror.

No, this can't be real.

He began trembling; the cruel, fleshy face now held only shock and disbelief.

Only now did he realize—he was the one with blind eyes. This man before him was clearly a monster-level master.

But how unlucky was he?

He'd just been hiding in the club for some fun—who had he angered?

Why did he have to run into a duelist this absurdly overpowered?

"Enough."

Fujiki You Xuan crossed his arms; behind him loomed the colossal Gulus Yichong, its ATK now stacked to infinity.

"Any last words?"

The messenger trembled, forcing out a smile worse than crying.

"M-misunderstanding…"

But Fujiki You Xuan wasn't listening.

"Gulus Gulus Yichong, attack 'Forest Warden—Green Baboon.'" He smiled faintly. "Try to survive with your immortality."

"Ughhhhh!!!"

A piercing scream echoed endlessly through the heavens and earth, only ceasing when the barrier's green light dragged away the foul soul.

【Messenger, LP3000 → LP0】

The next match is against Xiang Dai—likely the longest duel so far.

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(End of Chapter)