Chapter 26: Can't Duel Even a Little Bit

"By the effect of 'Card of Demise,' I draw from my deck!"

Genichiro drew his cards and immediately revealed one from his hand.

"I tribute the two tokens summoned by 'Endless Flame' on the field for a Tribute Summon!"

A storm of tributes whipped up, within which a massive figure loomed indistinctly. Genichiro paused briefly, then grinned with triumph.

"Heh, that guy Ryuuzaki once owned this card too, but the idiot lost it during Duelist Kingdom! As for me, I would never allow it to leave my deck."

"Behold, the dragon born from the interplay of light and shadow, dwelling in the heart of the Evil Knight—"

"—Level 7, Evil Knight Dragon, Summon!"

[Evil Knight Dragon, ATK 2350]

You Xuan thought to himself, "Don't worry, it won't be leaving your deck. Because I'm taking it all."

Still, he gave his opponent some face and feigned surprise.

"It's 'Evil Knight Dragon'! Ryuuzaki's former ace, a rare card second only to 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon'!"

Its attack points were exactly 50 less than Red-Eyes; wasn't that literally "second only to"?

Genichiro grew even more arrogant, planting his hands on his hips. "Being amazed now is just the beginning. Fear, tremble, and then submit before this power!"

"So strong, incredibly strong. That's why I activate my face-down card."

You Xuan flipped over a card in his Spell & Trap Zone.

"Trap Card, 'Bottomless Trap Hole.' When a monster with 1500 or more Attack Points is Summoned, destroy it and banish it from play."

A vortex opened on the opponent's field; before the Evil Knight Dragon's summoning effects had even finished, the entire dragon plummeted straight down into a bottomless abyss, falling all the way into another dimension.

Genichiro: "."

At this moment, he was still holding that hands-on-hips pose, which, against the backdrop of being utterly ruined, made him look somewhat like a clown.

To put it diplomatically, the guy was already considering going to Gotham to star opposite Batman.

What he wanted to say right now was, "You've got this thing in your back row, and you're still acting all 'so strong'? Strong my ass!"

"Was it fun playing me for a fool?"

The sunny boy Genichiro, who had been snickering non-stop since the duel began, finally found himself unable to smile. Having two big monsters trapped and destroyed in a single turn was enough to make even someone with his mentality start feeling irritable.

But it didn't matter.

"Hmph, you have some skill. But don't get cocky; next, you will witness true despair and darkness!"

Although he was still saying this, Genichiro probably hadn't even noticed that his smile had vanished sometime ago.

"Activate my face-down card, Spell Card 'Foolish Burial'!" Genichiro declared. "This card allows me to send one monster from my Deck to the Graveyard."

"I send 'Balloon Lizard' from my Deck to the Graveyard."

He pulled out his deck, searched for the monster card, and sent it to the Graveyard.

"Then I activate another face-down card, Continuous Trap 'Limit Revival'!" Genichiro said. "I can Special Summon one monster with 1000 or less Attack Points from my Graveyard in Attack Position."

"I revive the 'Balloon Lizard' I just sent to the Graveyard!"

[Balloon Lizard, ATK 500]

"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Advanced Ritual Art' from my hand!" Genichiro continued his moves. "Tribute one Reptile-Type monster on the field to Special Summon one Dinosaur-Type monster from my hand!"

"I tribute the 'Balloon Lizard' on the field!"

Golden light erupted from the 'Advanced Ritual Art' spell card, enveloping the lizard on the field. Under the influence of the magic, the small lizard began to evolve rapidly, its size growing at a visible speed; in mere moments, it had grown to a height of over ten meters.

"From the depths of time, breaking free from the bonds of endless ages, descend here now! Evolution Summon, Level 8—"

"—Super Ancient Dinosaur Beast!!!"

[Super Ancient Dinosaur Beast, ATK 2700]

Despite stepping into trap after trap, he had summoned another ace big monster within a single turn!

Could anyone else do this? Could that Ryuuzaki do it?

Genichiro instantly felt a surge of heroic spirit and could barely restrain himself from bursting into laughter again.

"Don't tell me you're going to pull out another Bottomless Trap Hole to screw me again?"

"Activate my face-down card, Trap Card—'Trap in the Dark'," You Xuan calmly snapped his fingers again. "This can only be activated when my Life Points are 3000 or less."

"By paying 1000 Life Points, this card's effect becomes identical to that Normal Trap Card in the Graveyard."

[You Xuan, LP 3000 → LP 2000]

"And the one I choose is naturally this one."

The trap card in his back row rapidly transformed amidst a flow of data streams, changing into a different appearance.

"Trap Card—'Bottomless Trap Hole'! When a monster with 1500 or more Attack Points is Summoned, destroy it and banish it from play!"

Genichiro: "!!!"

His jaw dropped as he reached out desperately toward the big monster he had worked so hard to summon again, as if trying frantically to hold it back. But obviously, what could not be held could not be held; the Super Ancient Dinosaur Beast seemed to glance at him helplessly, then tilted its body and plunged headfirst into the deep pit, following the Evil Knight Dragon's path straight into another dimension.

Genichiro: "."

"Another Trap Hole? Another f***ing Trap Hole? Are you wholesaling trap cards or something?"

Genichiro began to don a mask of pain.

Looking at him, it was clear he couldn't stay sunny anymore.

Come to think of it, it was a bit eerie. Clearly, between the two people present, he was the Dark Duelist; he was the one supposed to bring darkness and pain to his opponent.

Yet, after playing just half the duel, he was startled to realize the mask of pain was actually on his own face.

This was the first time since becoming a Dark Duelist that he had discovered an opponent who was darker than himself!

In comparison, he suddenly felt that all his previous darkness had been merely superficial, relying solely on mental and physical damage to torment opponents to the brink of collapse.

However, the guy opposite was awesome. This fellow didn't need to borrow any external power; it was as if he were naturally, bone-deep gloomy. He didn't need any supernatural powers at all; just by playing cards, he could drive him to collapse.

In this situation, he really couldn't help but want to say, "Buddy, even though I'm a Dark Duelist, I still think your way of playing cards is a bit too dark..."

"If trash like this ever became a Dark Duelist, wouldn't that be disastrous?"

"I set two cards on the field. Turn end," he said gloomily.

There was nothing else he could do.

But there was still a chance.

Although he had been trapped to the point of helplessness, he still had confidence in his back row. His defensive line wasn't that easy to break through.

"My turn. Draw," You Xuan said. "First, I activate the Spell Card 'Pot of Greed' from my hand! I can draw two cards from my Deck, but during the turn this card is activated, I cannot activate any other Spell Cards besides this one." (Anime card)

He drew two cards.

"Next, I flip the face-down monster on my field."

"'Witch of the Black Forest' is Flip Summoned."

[Witch of the Black Forest, ATK 1100]

"Then, I tribute 'Witch of the Black Forest' to Special Summon this card from my hand..."

You Xuan drew the card from his hand, paused slightly, and turned his head to look beside him.

That illusory figure draped in robes, floating beside him, possessed a cold, expressionless, pale face as always, yet it gave a slight nod in his direction.

Perhaps because of some transcendent connection existing between master and spirit, although no words were spoken, he seemed able to receive the other's intent.

So You Xuan also nodded lightly.

"I'm counting on you."

He turned around, returning his attention to the duel.

"By sacrificing 'Witch of the Black Forest,' I Special Summon—"

"—Silent Magician!"

An ancient magic circle with pale blue patterns appeared, along with moonlight like water; ripples of light diffused outward as a slender, cold figure wrapped in white robes manifested, silver hair cascading like a waterfall, and the staff in her hand shimmering with brilliance as deep as the stars.

[Silent Magician, ATK 1000]

"So it has appeared, the spirit."

Genichiro scrutinized the Silent Magician that had arrived on the field with vigilance. However, she remained calm as still water, gazing forward as if he didn't matter at all.

"Silent Magician cannot be Normal Summoned; she can only be Special Summoned by tributing a Spellcaster-Type monster on my field."

You Xuan explained.

"And at this very moment, the effect of 'Witch of the Black Forest,' sent to the Graveyard as a tribute, activates."

"When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can add one monster with 1500 or less Defense Points from my Deck to my hand."

Limited to monsters with 1500 or less Defense, this incredibly powerful search effect once made her a Forbidden Card. In the current real-card environment, Witch of the Black Forest has been nerfed with the restriction "cards searched by this effect cannot be activated this turn," but naturally, such restrictions did not exist in this early anime world.

But Genichiro merely snorted upon hearing this, completely disregarding it.

"Heh, monsters with 1500 or less Defense? Aren't those all just worthless trash..."

You Xuan: "I add 'Jinzo - Psychocharger' from my Deck to my hand."

Genichiro nearly spat a mouthful of old blood.

"...This thing has 1500 or less Defense!?"

[Jinzo - Psychocharger, ATK 2400, DEF 1500]

This was one of the ace cards within Insector Weevil's deck in the anime, "Jinzo," a new card from the booster pack Just Kaiba had given, whose Defense points barely scraped by, exactly 1500.

This was the strength of Witch of the Black Forest. You could never guess what gods and demons lurked among the cards with 1500 or less Defense in the card pool.

"The effect of 'Candy Jester' in my hand; this card can be Special Summoned to my field in Attack Position."

[Candy Jester, ATK 0]

"Next, I tribute Candy Jester for a Tribute Summon—"

"—Level 6, Jinzo - Psychocharger!"

The Candy Clown's form dissolved into points of light, which then gathered to form a swirling summoning storm. Tremendous energy erupted from the storm, accompanied by a metallic body, the sound of mechanical friction, and crackling, leaping sparks of electricity.

Jinzoujin - Telekinetic Shocker, summon!

[Jinzoujin - Telekinetic Shocker, ATK 2400]

At this moment, Genichiro felt as though he was splitting apart.

As the trump card that once rampaged through Fangu City in years past, few would fail to recognize Jinzoujin. It was famous for its absolute suppression via "Trap Sealing," so clearly, as long as this thing remained on the field, Genichiro's backrow trap formation had become mere decoration.

And the part that really made him split apart was actually...

This thick-browed, big-eyed thing has a DEF of only fifteen hundred?

Not too much, not too little, exactly fifteen hundred?

Genichiro even couldn't help but suspect for a moment that the opponent had secretly altered the values on the card right there on the spot just to pull off this combo.

"Silent Magician's ATK increases by 500 points times the number of cards in my hand; I have two cards in hand, so its ATK increases by 1000."

[Silent Magician, ATK 1000 → ATK 2000]

With that, the total damage output reached 4400; if this round of total attack went through, Genichiro would be instantly finished.

"Battle, end it."

You Xuan waved his hand.

"Silent Magician, Jinzoujin - Telekinetic Shocker, direct attack!"

Milky-white magical light swirled around the staff, while between the palms of the android, power began to charge, with electric sparks crackling and leaping.

"Not so easy!" Genichiro shouted loudly. "Activate face-down card, Quick-Play Spell 'Half Shut'! Halve the ATK of one monster on the field; during this turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle.

I choose your 'Jinzoujin - Telekinetic Shocker' on the field; its ATK is halved!"

Although his traps were sealed, he still had spells he could use. Although he couldn't completely block the attack, this would at least reduce the total damage output to 3200, allowing him to barely scrape by with his life.

"Muda."

You Xuan snapped his fingers.

"Silent Magician, activate effect. Once per turn, when a Spell Card is activated, you can negate that activation!"

Genichiro: "!"

There was such a thing?

Wait...

Spell activations are also negated, and then, because Jinzoujin is on the field, traps are completely sealed...

Isn't that a double seal on both Spells and Traps!?

Only now did he belatedly realize the terrifying nature of this formation.

The Dark Forest Witch of the Spellcaster type could Special Summon Silent Magician, and sending the Witch to the Graveyard could search for Jinzoujin. Meanwhile, Silent Magician on the field could negate Spells, while Jinzoujin directly sealed Traps.

How the hell do you fight this?

The activation of Half Shut was immediately imprisoned under Silent Magician's magical binding and exploded into fragments.

Realizing in his heart that all was lost, Genichiro made a final, desperate attempt to flip open his remaining backrow.

"Activate! Activate for me! Mirror Force - Sacred Barrier, bounce it back for me! Bounce it the f*** back..."

But the opposing Jinzoujin crossed its arms, and within those mechanical eyes, a red glow flashed briefly, as if saying—

—Sit down.

An invisible wave of telekinetic power swept across the entire field; the Sacred Barrier, which had just begun to show signs of agitation, was immediately pressed back down, never making another sound.

Genichiro despaired.

Heh heh.

This is negated, that is negated...

I try to hit you, but I can't hit.

I can't duel this at all; only the opponent gets to duel.

I have already been stripped of the right to duel.

Silent Magician and Jinzoujin successively launched their final fierce assault; a vast torrent of light pushed flat across Genichiro's entire half of the field, swallowing even Genichiro, who was streaming with tears, within that wave of light.

[Onitsuka Genichiro, LP 4000 → LP 0]

Nine thousand words in one breath! Asking again—



(End of Chapter)