Chapter 510

"Nani!?"

Pegasus is only now starting to panic.

He cannot activate any card effects—his invincible strongest shield, Mirror Force, is actually useless.

Also, although cartoon monsters had the 'mouth-play' effect of flexibly avoiding opponent's attacks and being untouchable during the Duelist Kingdom period, as they entered Battle City and the duel rules gradually began to be standardized by the Kaiba Corporation, these early non-standard 'mouth-play' effects were also banned.

So later, when Pegasus made a limited-time return in the theatrical version and GX anime, it could be seen that under modern rules, his cartoon monsters had lost their invincible resistance from back then and were instead modified into the ability to attack the opponent directly.

Of course, to compensate for the weakening brought about by the version change, Pegasus was not without countermeasures.

The new card 'Toon Kingdom' that appeared in the GX anime was his reinforcement for the resistance that the cartoon monsters lost.

"Then the effect of 'Toon Kingdom'!" Pegasus shouted, "When a Toon monster on your field battles and would be destroyed by battle, you can banish one card from the top of your deck instead, to replace that monster's battle destruction!" (Original effect)

This effect is the same as its activation cost, and both have been changed compared to the physical card.

When Toon Kingdom was activated in the anime, it required banishing five cards from the top of the deck, and when replacing destruction, it also banished one card from the top of the deck.

After becoming a physical card, when activated, it banishes three cards from the top of the deck 'face-down', and when replacing destruction, it also banishes one from the top of the deck 'face-down'.

Don't underestimate the two words 'face-down'. In the Yu-Gi-Oh! that has developed to this day, although it cannot be said that everyone can use banished cards as hand cards, there are not a few decks that can do this—for many decks that are good at playing the banish system, banished cards are like returning home; they are almost no different from hand cards... no, or rather, it should be said that they are even more convenient than being in the hand.

But face-down banishing is different. So-called face-down banishing is banishing with the back facing up. And in the rules of Yu-Gi-Oh!, the face-down state belongs to an 'indeterminable' state.

Cards in the face-down state cannot have their card types determined, so there are almost no recovery means. And even if this card has an effect that 'triggers when banished', most similar effects cannot be triggered in the case of face-down banishing.

In other words, for many decks, face-up banishing might be like returning home, but the face-down state is truly equivalent to being non-existent in this game.

Jonouchi reminded him: "But when Archfiend Black Skull Dragon attacks, no card effects, including Spell effects, can be activated!"

To prevent the opponent from trying to 'mouth-play'.

"But it's only 'cannot activate', not all card effects are negated."

Pegasus retorted with justification.

"The effect of 'Toon Kingdom' is a continuous effect; it can be applied continuously without activation, so it is not affected by the effect of Black Skull Dragon.

Therefore, I send one card from the top of my deck to be banished, to replace the battle destruction of 'Cartoon Dark Magician Girl'!"

Pegasus drew a card from the top of his deck and placed it on the table next to him to indicate it was banished. The lightning and flames blasted by Archfiend Black Skull Dragon with all its might hit in front of the Cartoon Magician loli. Under the reflection of the electric light, the loli's small face was scared pale, and she didn't dare to move.

But the transparent barrier released by Toon Kingdom blocked all the lightning and black flames in front of her.

"But the only thing that can be negated is destruction," Jonouchi shouted, "Battle damage is still applied!"

【Pegasus, LP 4000 → LP 2800】

Blasted back two steps by the impact of black flames and lightning, Pegasus's face turned red and white, and after standing firm, he hummed.

"Not bad, Jonouchi-boy."

But before he could finish, Jonouchi clicked his tongue twice, shook his finger triumphantly, and chuckled.

"You didn't think that the evolved Black Skull Dragon only had this level, did you?"

"What?" Pegasus's expression changed again.

"The subsequent effect of Archfiend Black Skull Dragon activates!" Jonouchi shouted loudly.

"At the end of the Battle Phase in which this Fusion Summoned card battled, you can target one 'Red-Eyes' Normal Monster in your Graveyard!

Return that monster to the deck, and inflict damage to the opponent equal to the original ATK of the selected monster!"

Pegasus: "!!!"

Pegasus's eyes widened, and his state at this time was probably what is commonly known as 'pupil earthquake'.

Because he was truly panicking.

The Red-Eyes monster in the Graveyard, wouldn't that be...

"That's right, I return 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon', which was just fused and sent to the Graveyard, to the deck!"

Jonouchi pulled the Red-Eyes Black Dragon that automatically exited to his hand from the Graveyard.

At the same time, the Black Skull Dragon on the field roared, and a dragon shadow separated from its body. The translucent Red-Eyes image soon seemed to be burning all over, as if flames were attached to the black dragon's body, turning into a ferocious burning fire dragon!

"Inflict damage to you, Pegasus, equal to the ATK of Red-Eyes Black Dragon, which is 2400 points!"

Black Skull Dragon roared with its head up, and the burning Red-Eyes blasted out like a cannonball. The flames swallowed Pegasus whole, and even his elegant red suit seemed to be burning.

"Ahhhhhh—"

!. Read

Losing his gentlemanly elegance and composure, Pegasus screamed in pain.

【Pegasus, LP 2800 → LP 400】

"How about that, you card-printing scumbag!"

Jonouchi was triumphant.

"Do you know the power of my friendship with Yugi now?"

He was very ashamed of Pegasus's behavior as a designer printing exclusive cards for himself and having exclusive rules back then. After years of slapping his face, he felt quite good at this moment.

"Set one card, turn end." Jonouchi said.

Pegasus's figure swayed, as if he had finally managed to stand firm.

He breathed heavily, reaching out to rub his hair, which had been blown into a mess, as if unconsciously, and it took a long while for him to recover.

Then he raised his head, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Jonouchi.

"It seems you are really a bit different, Jonouchi-boy."

Pegasus was no longer speaking in the playful tone he had used before.

It seemed he had truly become serious.

Although Jonouchi hadn't mentioned it to anyone, he had actually been training these years.

Yes, he hadn't participated in any competitions, nor had he been active in the dueling world. But this didn't mean he had completely given up dueling.

On the contrary, he had a dream, or rather, a wish.

That is to get rid of the title of 'God of Gamblers'!

To this day, even though many people mention his glorious deeds of breaking into the Battle City top four, contending with the Egyptian Gods, and defeating the Doma swordsmen, they would still use the phrase 'dumb luck' as the final summary.

And he found that besides using the phrase 'luck is also a part of strength', it was actually difficult to refute. Because many of his key battles really couldn't do without dice and coins...

But now he wants to change!

He wants to prove that he, Jonouchi, doesn't just have dumb luck.

Even without dice and coins, he is a legendary duelist!

(End of chapter)