The demon clad in heavy black armor descended, its tail sweeping slowly like a steel whip. Its body was pierced with striking white blades, as if bones had burst through the skin.
The arrival of this being seemed to significantly augment the Supreme King's power. A dark miasma erupted centered on him, an overwhelming force that was almost suffocating.
[Evil Hero Malicious Bane, Attack Power 3000]
At the sight of this Evil Hero, Manjome and Ed immediately tensed up.
It's this guy!
"Watch out, Youyu!" Ed warned, "We were just defeated by this monster; it has terrifying abilities!"
The Supreme King said in a deep voice, "Evil Hero Malicious Bane, activate effect! Once per turn, destroy all monsters on the opponent's field with attack power lower than his!"
Malicious Bane opened his palm, clenched his five fingers into a fist sharply. The pitch-black wave swept across as if bringing all existence into an unfathomable dark abyss.
"Activate the Set Card!" Youyu flipped over a backfield card, "Trap Card 'Black Illusion'. This turn, negate the effects of all Spellcaster-Type Dark Attribute monsters on your field with over 2000 attack power, but they are not affected by the opponent's card effects!"
The consuming darkness of Malicious Bane crashed in, but the Black Magician merely flicked his wrist, the magic staff lifting the black magic array that spun open before him, forming a purplish-black shield that intercepted the dark surges.
Malicious Bane's effect failed to take effect, and the Supreme King immediately said, "Then activate the effect of 'Evil Hero Sinister Necrom' from the graveyard. Remove this card from the game to Special Summon other 'Evil Hero' from the hand or deck."
The Supreme King pulled the ejected card from the graveyard, then drew the automatically ejected card from the deck, coldly commanding, "Show yourself! Evil Hero Malicious Edge!"
A chaotic pillar erupted from the ground, the Dark Hero clad in dark tight armor leapt out, covered in steel spikes, the back of its hands armed with parallel blades.
[Evil Hero Malicious Edge, Attack Power 2600]
Both Manjome and Ed's faces changed slightly.
"In this situation, to summon two powerful Evil Heroes at once..."
"Battle." The Supreme King said coldly, "First, Malicious Edge attacks the Black Magician!"
Malicious Edge soared into the air, blades in hand raining down like a storm of petals. The Black Magician held his staff horizontally, a complex magic array transformed into a shield, countless steel blades scraping bright sparks off the shield, scattering in all directions.
[Youyu, LP 2400 → LP 2300]
"The other effect of 'Black Illusion'." Youyu said, "During this turn, Dark Attribute Spellcaster monsters cannot be destroyed by battle either."
Black Illusion, capable of granting the Black Magician absolute resistance to both battle and effects for one turn, is the top-tier defense magic in the Black Magic legacy.
The cost is that the protected monster's effects will be negated, although for the noble Black Magician, this cost can be ignored.
"Then have 'Malicious Bane' attack the Black Magician!"
Malicious Bane, the Supreme King's strongest Evil Hero, created celestial phenomena with just a momentary strike. The engulfing darkness hit the Black Magician, who knelt on one knee, guarding with a magic shield, struggling like a lone boat in a storm.
"At this moment, the effect of Field Magic 'Supreme King Castle'." The Supreme King said coldly, "Send a second 'Evil Hero Sinister Necrom' of level five from the deck to the graveyard. Until the end of the turn, Malicious Bane's attack power increases by 1000."
[Evil Hero Malicious Bane, Attack Power 3000 → Attack Power 4000]
Though the Black Magician defended against the damage, residual shock waves swept past Youyu. The pain of a top-tier Darkness Game made his knees bend slightly, brows furrowing lightly.
[Youyu, LP 2300 → LP 900]
"Set one card face-down, turn ends." The Supreme King said, "I told you, even you are no match for me. I've conquered countless worlds merged together, and this place will be no different."
Youyu ignored him: "My turn, draw!"
Evil Hero Malicious Bane was an Evil Hero that didn't appear in the GX Animation, but years later in the real card format became the new support of the Supreme King's Evil Hero series.
One can imagine if such a character had appeared in the GX Animation back then, it would undoubtedly have been an unbeatable artifact against all oppositions. Possessing immunity to all forms, massive attack points, and a board-sweeping 'Raigeki' effect of Forbidden Card level strength every turn without restricting itself from attacking.
More crucially, its summoning condition was exceedingly easy.
In every respect, it was incredibly overpowered.
Of course, for Youyu, it wasn't unmanageable.
"First, use 'Graceful Charity' to draw three cards from the deck and then discard two cards from the hand."
"Activate the Magic Card 'Fusion' from the hand." Youyu waved dramatically, "Fusion of 'Elemental Hero Liquidman' in hand, with the Water Attribute 'Chocolate Magician Girl'!
Fusion condition: Elemental Hero plus any Water Attribute monster! Fusion Summon!
Seal the sky and earth in ice! Appear from the depths of the freezing abyss—
—Elemental Hero Absolute Zero!"
The Liquid Elemental Hero and Water Attribute Sorceress merged, two streams of water sunk into the ground, a brilliance of dazzling ice crystals burst forth!
The hero in pure white armor soared out with a storm of frost, white cape fluttering, visor shining like a diamond.
Elemental Hero Absolute Zero, Summon!
Watching this fluttering snow-white cape, even the Supreme King's icy golden eyes showed an almost imperceptible moment of wavering.
"This guy, surely he remembers?"
Youyu didn't rush to act and paused briefly.
"When you were a child, you pestered me for a long time, wanting this Hero. You said he was both handsome and strong, and it was the kind of Hero you wanted to become."
Youyu fearlessly locked eyes with the king, as if trying to find a familiar shadow through those vacant golden eyes.
"A Hero can't be easily defeated like this, Judai."
The Supreme King's stern poker face cracked slightly.
His icy voice also seemed a bit impatient.
"It's useless," he said, "The only way to awaken that guy is to defeat me, there is no other way."
"As you wish." Youyu said, "I summon 'Elemental Hero Absolute Zero' in Defense Position."
[Elemental Hero Absolute Zero, Defense Power 2000]
"The effect of Liquidman, when used as 'Hero' Fusion Material and sent to the graveyard, lets me draw two cards from the deck, then discard one card from the hand to the graveyard."
After drawing two cards, Youyu quickly took a hand card and sent it to the grave.
"The card sent to the grave is, the Magic Card 'Card of Compensation'." Youyu said, "By its effect, I draw two more cards."
He then swung his hand dramatically.
"Set two cards on the field, and switch 'Black Magician' to Defense Position, turn ends."