[Sacrificial Demon, Attack Power 0 → Attack Power 1200]
Watching as the Black Magic Refiner he had snatched was taken back by his opponent, Daryup finally started to understand what strategy the Duel King was employing today.
The Sacrificial Demon would snatch the opponent's monster and then be sent to the graveyard by the Magic Race Barrier as COST, drawing three cards in a single stroke. Then the Magic Guide could make the Sacrificial Demon jump back and forth repeatedly. After jumping out, its state reset, and it could snatch the opponent's monster again...
Just thinking about it felt like a huge gain.
The Sacrificial Demon was only Level One, so the Magic Guide only needed to remove one Mana Indicator to resurrect the Sacrificial Demon. And now the Magic Guide still had seven indicators left, theoretically allowing the Sacrificial Demon to resurrect up to seven times.
What a specialized Minotaur!
"Sacrificial Demon, Magic Guide, direct attack."
With Yugen's command, the two monsters flew out from beneath him with the wind at their backs, charging straight into the plane pursuing them, delivering two sharp slaps to Daryup.
"Ugh!"
[Daryup, LP 4000 → LP 1100]
"Then I cover one card and end my turn."
Yugen waved to cover the backfield. The cover card also materialized beneath his plane, moving swiftly alongside it.
"You bastard... don't get too complacent." Daryup said coldly, "At the end of your turn, all your monsters lose one Life Star!
Among them, the Sacrificial Demon's Life Stars drop to zero and is directly destroyed!"
Sure enough, as the Lifes Stars dropped to zero, the Sacrificial Demon vanished into mist.
"Now it's my turn, draw!" Daryup shouted, "Activate the Magic Card 'Pot of Greed,' draw two more cards from the deck!"
He had once battled the Duel King. Although defeated that time, it was an experience he was proud of. He always felt that he was just a little bit away, just a bit away from defeating Muto Yuugi and achieving a legend.
This time... it's going to be different!
Thinking of this, dark energy flashed in his eyes, erupting outward.
Clearly, his mind was also influenced.
The obsession, desires, and inner darkness of a Duelist were ideal points of entry for mind control, amplifying even the slightest hint of darkness to make them easier to manipulate as puppets.
This was a commonly used soft-control method of the Spiritual Series. Many Demon Kings disliked overly interfering with a Duelist's free will, preferring to use hypnosis and cognitive rewriting for control. It allowed puppets to better exert their power without being hindered by excessive interference.
But this was also an advanced Spiritual Series technique, requiring someone strong and proficient in mind control to accomplish.
"Magic Card 'Angel's Charity,' draw three cards from the deck, then discard two from the hand."
Daryup discarded two cards from his hand.
"Among the cards just discarded, there was a 'Z Stingray People.' Its effect allows Special Summoning two 'Alien Abduction Derivatives' to the field when sent to the graveyard." (Original Card)
[Alien Abduction Derivative, Attack Power 500] x2
"Then sacrifice the two Abduction Derivatives for an Upper-level Summon!"
Daryup raised his hand, shouting loudly.
"Appear! The greedy hunter of cosmic life, feeding on Life Stars —
— Greedy Star, summon!!!"
[Greedy Star, Attack Power ?]
It appeared, the same monster with a ferocious demonic face on its chest that had just battled the Silent Magician in aerial combat.
"The Attack Power of Greedy Star becomes its number of Life Stars x300 points," Daryup declared, "Its initial Life Stars are 7, so its Attack Power is 2100!"
[Greedy Star, Attack Power ? → Attack Power 2100]
"Then the Magic Card 'Exotic Trifolium,' discard a 4-Star Plant Race card from the hand, granting a monster on the field the ability to attack twice."
Daryup discarded a card from his hand.
"Discard 'Killer Tomato' from my hand, allowing Greedy Star two attacks this turn!"
"First, attack the 'Magic Guide'!"
The star opened its vicious maw, greedily and brutally swallowing the Mage, and after a series of crushing, grinding it to pieces.
[Yugen, LP 4000 → LP 3600]
"Greedy Star's additional effect allows it to devour Life Stars of the enemy destroyed in battle!" Daryup announced, "The Magic Guide had three Life Stars left, so Greedy Star gains three extra Life Stars, becoming ten, and its Attack Power rises to 3000!"
[Greedy Star, Attack Power 2100 → Attack Power 3000]
"Second attack, a direct attack by Greedy Star!"
Greedy Star roared, breaking through the clouds from the opposing plane to charge at Yugen.
"Activate the cover card, Trap Card 'Enemy Attack Alert'," Yugen declared, "At the opponent's attack declaration, Special Summon a monster from the hand and force it to battle the attacking monster." (Original Effect)
Yugen slapped down a monster from his hand.
"Special Summon 'Black Forest Witch'!"
[Black Forest Witch, Defense Power 1200]
Greedy Star devoured the witch whole and continued its cruel chewing, absorbing yet more energy.
"The witch had four Life Stars, all devoured by Greedy Star," Daryup announced, "The star's Life Stars increase to 14, and its Attack Power becomes 4200!"
[Greedy Star, Attack Power 3000 → Attack Power 4200]
"Black Forest Witch's effect," Yugen declared, "When sent to the graveyard, I can add a monster with Defense Power 1500 or less from the deck to my hand."
He took a card he retrieved from the deck.
"Add another 'Magic Guide' to my hand."
Daryup's pupils shrank.
That thing again...
The Magic Guide could revive a Mage Race by removing an indicator. And with the Sacrificial Demon in the graveyard being Level One, only one indicator was needed to revive it...
Daryup gritted his teeth.
Damn it, is it obvious that my monster will be wrecked again next turn?
He had stacked up thirteen Life Stars in the Greedy Star...
"Uh... then I'll cover one card and end my turn," Daryup said coldly, "Of course, at the end of my turn, our Greedy Star loses one Life Star.
However, even then, it still has 13 Life Stars, no big deal."
"My turn, draw a card."
Yugen said indifferently.
"Summon 'Magic Guide'.
[Magic Guide, Attack Power 1700]
"And then, as I searched last turn, I play the Magic Card 'Magic Mastery', which places a Mana Indicator on 'Magic Guide'," Yugen said, "Also, because a Magic Card was activated, Magic Guide gains two additional Indicators, making a total of three Mana Indicators.
Next, I activate its effect, by removing one Indicator, I can special summon a Level One Mage Race monster from the graveyard.
Yugen took a card from the graveyard.
"Of course, the card I revive from the grave is this one, come back—
—Sacrificial Demon!!!"
The vortex leading to the Netherworld opened, and a chilling aura swept out. The Sacrificial Demon appeared on the field, its sinister single eye eerily gazing at the opponent.
[Sacrificial Demon, Attack Power 0]
"Sacrificial Demon's effect, absorbs monsters on the opponent's field." Yugen snapped his fingers, "Let's borrow your trump card, Greedy Star."
The Greedy Star, which had devoured countless monsters, was ultimately absorbed by the Sacrificial Demon and helplessly drawn into it, becoming nourishment, a rather ironic taste.
Daryup gritted his teeth.
"But even if absorbed, as an Equipment Card, Greedy Star's Attack Power is...?" He said coldly, "The Sacrificial Demon cannot gain Attack Power from it."
"I know."
Yugen smiled.
"So next, I activate this card, Magic Card 'Storm'.
Destroy all Magic, Trap Cards on my field, and then destroy the same number of Magic Trap Cards on the opponent's field."
Daryup was taken aback.
That's right, Greedy Star absorbed from myself, from the opponent's perspective, now counts as "my field's Magic Trap Card"...
Yugen said: "Consequently, destroy your backfield cover card."
Daryup's mouth twitched.
Pilfered my monster, then used my monster as ammunition to bomb my backfield...
Suddenly he felt that his Minotaur skill today was simply no match for the opponent's various high-level techniques, which were like a Minotaur master.
Frontline monster absorbed, backfield cover card bombed. Instantly, it reached a crucial moment of life and death, and at this time, Daryup couldn't afford the slightest negligence.
"Activate cover card, Trap Card 'Battlefront Return', resurrect monster in defense position from the graveyard.
I will resurrect this card—
—Z Stingray People!"
[Z Stingray People, Defense Power 2100]
Yugen understood.
The Fish People, when sent to the graveyard, could leave two Derivatives on the field, useful for defense, or as resources for next turn's upper-level summoning.
And its 2100 defense isn't weak either; indeed, it's quite a solid line of defense.
At this point, Daryup slightly breathed a sigh of relief.
This way, at least this turn has safely passed. The one-time-per-turn Minotaur ability of the Sacrificial Demon was used, and even if Yugen manages to remove Z Stingray People, there are still Derivatives for defense...
"Activate Magic Card 'Sudden Mutation'. Send Level One 'Sacrificial Demon' to the graveyard to transform, special summon Level One Fusion Monster."
Yugen said expressionlessly.
"Let Sacrificial Demon mutate and transform, arriving in an evolved form—
—Thousand-Eyed Sacrificial Demon, summon!"
[Thousand-Eyed Sacrificial Demon, Attack Power 0]
"Thousand-Eyed Sacrificial Demon's effect, once per turn, absorbs one opponent's monster." Yugen lazily waved his hand, "Thousand-Eyed Sacrificial Demon, absorb 'Z Stingray People'."
[Thousand-Eyed Sacrificial Demon, Attack Power 0→Attack Power 2400]
Daryup: "......"
No way...
There's still more!?
How can you be so overpowering???
Is it never-ending?
"Of course, since Z Stingray People is absorbed by Thousand-Eyed Sacrificial Demon and not sent to the graveyard, its final effect won't be triggered."
Yugen smiled.
"Thus, you have no monsters or backfield left.
Battle. Thousand-Eyed Sacrificial Demon's direct attack."
The sinister eye of Thousand-Eyed Sacrificial Demon opened, from its pitch-black body, the corrupted Z Stingray People flew mercilessly at its master, striking a furious blow.
[Daryup, LP 1100→LP 0]