"Draw five cards!"
Kiku drew his cards all at once, while Yugen couldn't help but exclaim.
Impressive, truly impressive.
Nibelungen Treasure, by equipping your opponent's monster with "Nibelungen Ring," lets you draw five cards. It's a monster-level card-drawing engine with a very DM vibe.
So as the price for using a fake card that can draw 5 cards at once, this "Nibelungen Ring" must have a corresponding side effect, right?
Would it make sense not to give the opponent's monster a doubled attack power plus full resistance?
Then he heard Kiku continue to explain.
"The effect of equipping your field monster with 'Nibelungen Ring' is that the equipped monster cannot attack, cannot change its position, and its effect becomes invalid!"
Yugen pondered.
Hmm, that's quite a huge "side effect."
"However, the controller of the equipped monster can draw two cards during each draw phase." Kiku said, "But if any monster cards are drawn, one monster card must be discarded from them."
Only this sentence sounded somewhat like a side effect.
The opponent gets an extra card during each normal draw, which seems significant. Among them, discarding a monster card could more likely help stack the graveyard, considering today's perspective, since most of what's sent to the grave is still resources.
But it looked different back then. Monster cards in the graveyard were only useful if specially summoned via revive cards; otherwise, holding the resources in hand was more reliable.
Thus, during the period of the DM animation, the benefits of this grand Nibelungen combo were all one's own, and the side effects were all on the opponent. Even within the entirety of DM, it's hard to find a card more fake than this one.
"Next, I sacrifice the 'Valkyrie - Third Daughter' on the field for an upper-level summon!"
Kiku raised a card in his hand.
"Level five, Valkyrie - Second Daughter!"
It was the second daughter washed back by the Water Shield earlier.
[Valkyrie - Second Daughter, Attack Power 1600]
"I suppose you're not forgetting the effect of the second daughter, are you?" Kiku said, "When this card is successfully summoned, destroy one monster in the opponent's field.
Destroy 'Bouncing Turtle' for me!"
The second daughter's sword qi slashed out, cutting through the electromagnetic cannon on the turtle shell, and the old turtle exploded into a fireball.
"Now your field is clean again."
Keihei murmured, "But Yugen still has Ripple Shield in the backfield..."
Of course, the opponent couldn't possibly be unaware of this.
But even knowing this, Kiku shouted without hesitation, "Battle! Direct attack by Valkyrie - Second Daughter!"
"Huh?" Keihei was shocked, "Knowing it's a trap, he still attacks..."
"Oh? Even knowing, you still don't flinch and charge at my ripples?" Yugen chuckled, "Well then, accept your challenge."
He pressed a button on the duel disc, waving his hand casually.
"Then activate trap 'Ripple Shield: Wave Power'!
During the opponent's direct attack declaration, all of the opponent's monsters on the field are washed back to their owner's deck!"
Once again, the Water Shield activated. The Valkyrie's sword slashed into the infinite waves and, like before, was engulfed by the waves and flew back to Kiku's deck.
"Just as expected."
Kiku shouted.
"Then after the battle phase ends, enter Main Phase 2.
I activate the magic card 'White Bird Maiden'. You can special summon a Valkyrie monster from your hand.
Show yourself, Level Seven!
Valkyrie - Brunhild!"
Level seven, the highest level Valkyrie to appear. Brunhild had blue hair and a blue cloak, wielding a silver longsword that reflected a cold light, riding on a snow-white steed.
[Valkyrie - Brunhild, Attack Power 1800]
"Then use the magic card 'Heaven and Earth's Treasure Scroll'. In a turn where an upper-level summon was made, draw two cards from the deck. However, the drawn cards cannot be used this turn, and at least one card must be covered before the turn ends." (Original Card)
"I see, intentionally triggering the trap to summon the ace." Keihei said, "But in doing so, the battle phase is already past..."
"Is it really?" Kiku sneered, showing a wave of style.
Keihei: "Nani?"
"Now let me show you, Valkyries are warriors protected by the gods and aren't bound by such worldly rules!" Kiku shouted, "Activate the magic card 'Time Goddess's Mischief'!
Skip a whole turn and directly enter the next one's battle phase!" (Original Effect)
It's here, one of the two divine artifacts alongside Nibelungen that were deemed never to be physical cards. However, this thing betrayed its kind and joined the ranks of physical cards through a weakened form, while Nibelungen remains forgotten.
A playful twin-tail Time Goddess appeared on the field, winked, and with a wave of her magic staff, an entire turn was skipped, arriving at Kiku's battle phase once again.
"Go, Brunhild's direct attack!"
The Valkyrie's warhorse charged out, and the rippling sword light pierced through Yugen. Yugen staggered back half a step but steadied himself again.
[Yugen, LP 4000→LP 2200]
Kiku was elated.
Good, damage dealt.
Keep steady and you can win!
"Cover two cards, turn ends."
"In one turn, pulled out Nibelungen and Mischief together, going all out." Yugen dusted himself off.
"Let me take things a bit more seriously on my side too.
My turn, draw."
But before he could make any moves, Kiku shouted loudly.
"Activate cover card, trap card 'Overlord's Monopoly'!
This card can only be activated during the opponent's preparation phase. The opponent cannot attack this turn!"
"Hmm, my attack got blocked too." Yugen nodded, "Very cautious indeed."
He casually revealed the cards in his hand.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Adversity's Treasure Scroll'. If there is a Special Summon monster on the opponent's field and no monsters on my field, draw two cards from my deck." (Original Card)
Yugen drew two cards.
Then he sent one to the graveyard.
"Effect of 'Mecha Team - Fortress' in the graveyard. By sending Mechanicals from your hand with a total Level of Eight-Star or higher to the graveyard, this card can be Special Summoned from the graveyard.
I send the Eight-Star 'Mecha Team - Giant Transformation' from my hand to the graveyard and revive 'Mecha Team - Fortress' from the graveyard."
[Mecha Team - Fortress, Attack Power 2500]
Kiku frowned.
Why has the style suddenly changed to mecha?
But it doesn't matter. Even if he immediately summons an Upper-Level Monster, during the effect of Overlord's Monopoly, the opponent cannot attack.
At least I'm safe this turn...
"Activate Cover Card, Continuous Trap 'Restricted Revival'." Yugen said, "Revive a monster from the graveyard with Attack Power less than 1000.
I Special Summon this card from the graveyard——
——Bouncing Turtle!"
[Bouncing Turtle, Attack Power 1000]
Kiku couldn't hold back.
Why is it still you!?
How obsessed are you with this dumb turtle...
A moment ago, they were wondering about the change in the opponent's card deck style, and now it seemed to make sense.
It's not really a mecha, just a turtle's cannon. The inclusion of Mecha Fortress is purely because it has a self-reviving ability, its race is Mechanical, utilizing Restriction Removal it can achieve extremely high attack power, a self-regenerating quality cannon.
The opponent is entirely focused on Bouncing Turtle specialization, everything revolves around Bouncing Turtle.
Kiku now has only 1000 Life Points, the opponent only needs to fire Mecha Fortress using Bouncing Turtle for a single shot to eliminate him.
No way!
"Continuous Trap 'Demon Race's Chain', binds a monster on the field with a demon's chain, rendering its effect invalid.
Bind the 'Bouncing Turtle'!"
Demon's chain shot out from the trap, filled with rich dark aura, tying up Bouncing Turtle.
Kiku let out a long relieved sigh.
How satisfying!
Damn turtle, fire, why don't you fire one more for me?
Yugen seemed completely unfazed.
"Is that so... Then activate the Magic Card 'Inherited Power', send a monster from the field to the graveyard, transferring its attack power to another monster on my field until the end of the turn."
Kiku was stunned.
What's the intention?
Giving the attack power of Bouncing Turtle to Mecha Fortress?
"But you cannot attack this turn." Kiku frowned, "The effect of Overlord's Monopoly, you can't even enter the battle phase."
Even if the attack power is stacked to high levels, what's the point?
"I know." Yugen smiled and nodded, "I give Mecha Fortress's attack power to Bouncing Turtle."
Mecha Fortress dissolved into golden specks, merging into the Bouncing Turtle.
[Bouncing Turtle, Attack Power 1000→Attack Power 3500]
Kiku: "?"
Sure, your turtle now has more power than Blue-Eyes White Dragon, so what? What's the point?
"Activate the effect of Bouncing Turtle." Yugen said indifferently, "Sacrifice a monster on the field, dealing damage with half the attack power to the opponent's monster."
Kiku was alarmed, thinking the opponent was bluffing, quickly interrupted: "Wait! Your Bouncing Turtle effect was already negated by Demon Race's Chain!"
"Yes, the effect is negated, but it doesn't mean it can't be activated." Yugen calmly said, "The activation cost of Bouncing Turtle is 'sacrifice a monster on the field', the cost must still be paid.
Therefore, I use 'Bouncing Turtle' itself as the cost and sacrifice it to activate its effect."
Bouncing Turtle once more entered a ghostly state, as if burning its soul for a final blow.
"Huh?"
Kiku was stunned for a moment.
"Fine, activate if you can. Though even if you activate, your Bouncing Turtle's effect has been negated by Demon Race's Chain, unable to resolve..."
"Not really." Yugen smiled, "Demon Race's Chain can only bind a face-up monster on the field, making its effect ineffective.
But look, is my Bouncing Turtle still on the field?"
Kiku stared blankly for two seconds, then slowly opened his mouth wide.
Uh oh...
He just realized.
Bouncing Turtle activated its effect, paying its cost. Therefore, when its effect was being processed, it had already gone to the graveyard, not on the field, hence Demon Race's Chain couldn't bind it.
Escape via the activation cost of its own effect!
Such maneuver, such capability...
"You...you really..."
Kiku stared, speechless.
"Bouncing Turtle's attack power was 3500 when it sacrificed itself, therefore Bouncing Turtle fired and dealt 1750 points of damage."
Yugen lazily raised his hand.
"Chambering."
"Fire."
The shadow of Bouncing Turtle transformed into an electromagnetic cannon shot, seemingly piercing through space!
[Kiku, LP 1000→LP 0]