Masked Hero Dark Claw, a hero brimming with charisma, merely standing there incites the urge to act.
Take Aigami, for example. At this moment, he very much wants to send that annoying dark figure to the Other Dimension...
"...My turn."
Aigami took a deep breath, calming himself.
Luckily, his Cubic Deck didn't overly rely on graveyard resources. Cubic monsters are mostly Special Summoned by overlapping themselves on 'Cubic Seed' monsters. Though graveyard lock has an effect, it's not devastating.
"Activate Magic Card 'Pot of Greed'," Aigami declared, "Draw two cards from the Card Deck."
Two new cards were drawn. As he was unfolding them, the dark hero on the opponent's field suddenly flashed, its claws striking at one of his cards.
Aigami watched, astonished, as the card in his hand got knocked away, whisked off by a swirling black vortex, vanishing into thin air.
...As if it went to the Other Dimension.
He looked up sharply at the dark Masked Hero, recalling, "Right, this guy has an effect that..."
"Yes, when a card is added from the deck outside of the draw phase, Masked Hero Dark Claw can banish one of the opponent's cards once per turn," Youyu explained.
"Tch, such troublesome effects... Now, I activate the effect of the Continuous Magic 'Cubic Karma' in the grave!" Aigami's peculiar cube-constructed Duel Disc shot out a card, "Banish 'Cubic Karma' from the game, and add a 'Cubic' monster to the hand from the Card Deck.
I add 'Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast' to my hand!"
Blade Garoodia, better known as the Indian divine bird "Garuda."
"Next, I shall summon from my hand... Appear! Second 'Cubic Seed Vijam'!"
[Cubic Seed Vijam, Attack Power 0]
"When there are two 'Cubic Seed' monsters on the field, overlap those monsters below, and this fellow can be Special Summoned from the hand!"
Aigami raised the searched card, its surface ablaze with endless red light.
"Dimension Special Summon! Appear, Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast!!!"
Gathering golden points swelled rapidly like golden bubbles bursting. The fiery god-bird emerged in a shower of dazzling light streams, its sharp wings cutting arcs of brilliance.
Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast, summoned!
"Blade Garoodia gains attack power from overlapping monsters' x1000 points." Aigami yelled.
[Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast, Attack Power 0 → Attack Power 2000]
Two thousand attack points, barely exceeding Airman, but still inadequate against Dark Claw and Dian.
However, Aigami clearly had a strategy: "Activate Magic Card - Cubic Wave! Double a monster's attack power on your field, and halve a monster's attack power on the opponent's field!
I double Blade Garoodia's attack power and halve 'Masked Hero Dian'!"
Overbearing golden waves erupted from the magic card, amplifying the red divine bird's strength while weakening the Masked Hero in diamond armor.
[Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast, Attack Power 2000 → Attack Power 4000]
[Masked Hero Dian, Attack Power 2800 → Attack Power 1400]
"And then, that annoying Equip Magic." Aigami drew another card, "Quick-Play Magic - Mystical Space Typhoon! Destroy that cursed 'Rainbow Veil'!"
The black whirlwinds summoned by lightning broke through the rainbow's shroud, reducing the Equip Magic to pieces. The rainbow glow around Dian dimmed instantly.
"Now, the obstacle is gone," Aigami smirked, waving his hand. "Attack! Blade Garoodia, crush 'Masked Hero Dian'!"
The crimson bird soared, its steely wings sweeping through the air. The arcs formed by blades turned into rotating golden rings, piercing the void.
"Flip Cover Card," Youyu said, "Trap - Simulation Battle. At the moment of damage calculation, halve the attack power of both monsters in battle, and the monsters won't be destroyed by this battle." (Anime Card)
[Masked Hero Dian, Attack Power 1400 → Attack Power 700]
[Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast, Attack Power 4000 → Attack Power 2000]
The trap released a transparent shield, the golden blades clashing against it. The collision of light and shield scattered endless sparks, the damage reduced by half swept past Youyu.
[Youyu, LP 4000 → LP 2700]
"Tch, but only during battle the attack power is halved. But 'Blade Garoodia' can attack twice per turn!" Aigami said, "So, this time the target is... Masked Hero Dark Claw!"
[Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast, Attack Power 2000→ Attack Power 4000]
The second strike, cutting through space, sharp golden blades flew in a spiral. The shining blades split the armor of Dark Claw, slicing the Dark Hero into two segments.
[Youyu, LP 2700 → LP 1100]
"Hmph, even the Duel King's Masked Hero is nothing special."
Having broken through the dual barriers of Dark Claw and Rainbow Veil, Aigami seemed reinvigorated, chuckling softly.
"The effect of 'Blade Garoodia the Cubic Beast'!" Aigami continued, "When it destroys a monster in battle, return this card to the deck and Special Summon all 'Vijam the Cubic Seed' stacked beneath it to the field!"
The golden divine bird shimmered with a golden glow before disintegrating like endless golden bubbles. It split into two, transforming back into two distorted 'Vijam the Cubic Seeds'.
[Vijam the Cubic Seed, ATK 0] x2
"After that," Aigami drew a card from the deck and said, "add a 'Buster Gundil the Cubic Behemoth' from the deck to the hand."
Buster Gundil the Cubic Behemoth, with its 3000 attack power and ability to attack three times in one turn, had powerful offensive capabilities. However, it required three 'Cubic' monsters on the field to meet the summoning condition, and clearly, Aigami was still one short.
"At the end of the Battle Phase, I activate the effect of the Continuous Magic 'Cubic Dharma'!" Aigami said, "Once per turn, by sending a 'Cubic' card from the hand to the graveyard, draw a card from the deck."
He sent a card from his hand to the graveyard, drew another card, glanced at it, and immediately inserted it into the Duel Disc.
"Set a card face-down, end turn."
Youyu glanced at the opponent's field setup.
Two Vijams remained standing, along with a Set Card.
Aigami knew he had 'Destiny Hero Plasma' in his hand; in the face of Plasma's power, Vijam wouldn't be able to hold the field. Aigami should have known this.
Which means, the Set Card in the back row might be something to protect Vijam... or a card to fend off an attack?
Or perhaps a trap specifically designed to deal with Plasma?
"My turn, draw. Magic Card 'Graceful Charity', draw three cards, then discard two cards from the hand."
Youyu almost didn't hesitate to select the two cards to discard, then directly inserted the remaining card into the Duel Disc.
"Magic Card 'Pot of Greed', draw cards from the deck until the hand reaches five."
Youyu didn't even bother to mention the drawback of having to discard the entire hand after five turns; saying it out loud even made him feel punchable...
Upon replenishing his hand and seeing a newly drawn card, Youyu's eyes moved slightly.
Oh, I've drawn something interesting again.
"I offer 'Elemental Hero Airman' and 'Masked Hero Dian' as tributes!" The two heroes on Youyu's field were enveloped by a white whirlwind.
Aigami: "?"
Two monsters as tribute?
Isn't it supposed to be Plasma?
"Tribute Summon!" A card in Youyu's hand was slammed onto the Duel Disc, "Perditious Puppeteer!!!"
The heroes vanished from the field, replaced by a menacing demon whose form was as elusive as mist, complex puppet strings entwining its clawed fingers.
[Perditious Puppeteer, ATK 2700]
Aigami: "???"
Is this thing a Hero?
Why would such a card be in the Duel King's Hero Deck?
This is an interesting question.
Knowing that this time he'd be playing with Aigami's Cubic Deck, as per usual, Youyu had made a slight pre-match adjustment.
As is well-known, Cubic Decks love to have 'Vijam the Cubic Seed' on the field. Though it only has 0 attack points, it has resistance to battle destruction and can 'Non-Dimensionalize' any opponent it fights, making it quite troublesome.
But Vijam the Cubic Seed is only Level 1, a one-star monster.
...which is why Youyu's Pure Hero Deck has this peculiar addition at the moment.
"'Perditious Puppeteer', activate effect!" Youyu slipped a card into the graveyard, "Once per turn, by discarding a card, gain control of all Level 3 or lower monsters on the opponent's field!
According to this effect, the two 'Vijam the Cubic Seeds' on your field belong to me now!"
Aigami: "???"