"Shooting Star Dragon's effect!" Yusei declared, "By banishing itself from the game, once per turn, it can negate an opponent's monster attack!"
Youyu's eyes subtly widened, slightly taken aback.
Goodness, over the years, he almost forgot about Shooting Star Dragon's animated effect.
Because for the most part, the effects of the physical card Shooting Star Dragon and the animated one are the same, he completely forgot this subtle difference.
The physical card Shooting Star Dragon can only use its effect to negate an opponent's attack by banishing itself during the opponent's attack declaration. However, the animated version is different; in the anime, the Shooting Star Dragon can banish itself at any point during the opponent's turn, and thereafter retains the opportunity to negate an attack during the entire turn.
The biggest distinction is that it replaces the relatively weak attack declaration-triggered effect of the physical card, with an actively triggerable one.
This can be seen as indirectly adding a very strong layer of resistance to Shooting Star Dragon. If the opponent uses some tricky effect to clear the field or targets Shooting Star Dragon with card effects like banishing from play or returning the card to the deck, at that moment Yusei can choose to chain Shooting Star Dragon's effect and have it banish itself to avoid the opponent's onslaught.
This way, the Shooting Star Dragon can return from the banished zone at the end of the turn, still present for the next turn.
That makes it particularly difficult to defeat.
In the moment of distraction, Shooting Star Dragon had already transformed into starlight and vanished from Yusei's field. The beams of starlight were sealed around Youyu's "Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons," ready to bind him should he make any slight move.
"I see," Asuka rested her delicate chin on her hand, "If it banishes itself, even Gaia with an attack of 5200 will have its attack negated if it strikes.
Moreover, a monster summoned through 'Spiral Fusion' can only attack twice consecutively if there is another monster on the opponent's field. But since this Duelist named Fudo Yusei proactively banished his own monster, there's nothing on the field, so Gaia cannot perform another consecutive attack."
"And not only that, the Field Magic 'Charging Gaia' was originally capable of sealing out all effects within the Battle Phase," Mitsuzawa Daichi explained, "But now that Shooting Star Dragon has already activated its effect during the Main Phase, even 'Charging Gaia' cannot interfere.
This means that even on Gaia's field, Shooting Star Dragon can negate Gaia's attack!"
Similar handling of effects can be referenced with Judai's favorite, "Necro Gardna." Necro Gardna's effect also activates at any point during the opponent's turn, nullifying one attack during that turn, similar to Shooting Star Dragon's animated effect.
"That's incredible!" Xiang, clueless about the exact mechanics, was still full of admiration, "This Duelist can calculate so much? So strong!"
Youyu thought for a moment, turning the card that was laid horizontally on his Duel Disc, face-up.
"I'm switching the first 'Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons' I left on the field last turn back to Attack Position."
[Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons, Defense 2100 → Attack 0]
Yusei was slightly surprised.
Last turn, Gaia's attack was already reduced to 0 after using its card-destroying effect. What was the point of switching it to Attack Position in this situation?
"Battle."
Youyu immediately entered the Battle Phase, and the field seemed to come alive at that moment. Waves of heat surged in the middle of the field, and the two D-Wheels were racing high-speed along the outer edge, the spinning tires trailing dragon-like flames.
"At this moment, Field Magic 'Charging Gaia' activates," Youyu stated, "As long as 'Gaia the Magical Knight' is on the field, the opponent cannot activate any Magic, Trap, or Monster Effects during the Battle Phase."
Sure enough, Yusei turned his head, realizing that his life-saving 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow' card was now bound by flames, paralyzed in place.
"Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons, direct attack!"
The first in was the second Gaia summoned this turn. The attack power of 5200, with Prison Flame entwined around the spiral lance, roared out alongside the golden dragon!
Yusei waved his hand: "Then Shooting Star Dragon's effect activates, negating one attack by the opponent this turn!
I will negate 'Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons' attack!"
The banished Shooting Star Dragon reappeared as an afterimage, standing firmly like a shield in front of its master, completely blocking Gaia's lethal strike.
Then the afterimage disappeared, and Gaia was forced to bounce back to its original position.
"Because I have no monster on the field, 'Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons' cannot perform a second attack," Yusei said.
"I know." Youyu paid it no mind, "Then I'll have the other 'Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons' attack directly!"
[Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons, Attack 0]
Yusei: "!"
Attacking with Gaia who has an attack of 0?
There's no way someone would go for such an embarrassingly aggressive slap, right?
But circumstances proved Youyu certainly wasn't that boring. Just as Gaia charged out riding the dragon, thrusting its spear, a card sprang out from Youyu's graveyard.
"From the graveyard, the effect of 'Gaia the Fierce Knight Origin'," he said, "During either player's Battle Phase, by banishing this card from the graveyard, I can select one monster on the field whose attack is different from its original attack and have it return to its original attack."
Yusei's pupils contracted slightly.
The attack is different from the original attack...
...Right!
Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons, its effect was to "lower its attack by 2600 to destroy a card," which would drop its attack to 0, obviously different from its original attack.
Gaia the Fierce Knight Origin was designed to pair with this effect!
"I see," Yusei murmured, "So that's why Gaia the Fierce Knight Origin was summoned first, to use it as a sacrifice and send this card to the graveyard...
...As expected of Youyu, always one step ahead in strategy."
The Gaia the Fierce Knight Origin in the graveyard was banished from the game, and its surging power swiftly flooded into the charging knight!
[Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons, Attack 0 → Attack 2600]
The deadly charge, the scarlet lance energy shot fiercely through Yusei and his D-Wheel! The intense vibration made him groan, and the D-Wheel skidded violently, teetering momentarily on the edge of collapse.
[Yusei, LP 4000 → LP 1400]
"End of the Battle Phase." Youyu's D-Wheel chased after, relentless, "Next, I activate from my hand the Quick-Play Magic Card—
—'Burial from Another Dimension'!"
Yusei: "!"
"Return up to three cards banished from either side back to the graveyard," Youyu smiled, "I don't have to say which card, do I?
I will return your 'Shooting Star Dragon' from the banished zone back to the graveyard!"
Shooting Star Dragon let out a mournful cry from the void before an irresistible force also captured it, dragging it deep into the Netherworld.
"When Shooting Star Dragon is banished by its effect, during the End Phase it would normally be Special Summoned from the banished zone," Youyu said, "But if it's no longer in the banished zone at that time, the effect won't resolve."
Saying this, he drew two more cards.
"I set two cards face-down and end my turn."