President Shimizu, LP 4000 to LP 3000.
"Damn it..."
"But do not think this is enough to make me surrender."
"Flip my set card, Continuous Trap 'Desert Sunlight'!" Yugen Do said. "As long as this card remains on the field, all face-up monsters cannot change their battle positions." (ANIME EFFECT)
President Shimizu instinctively looked up at the lava brute above him. The creature looked back and spread his hands helplessly.
See? I am locked by a trap. You are on your own.
'Lava Golem' had been Special Summoned to his field in Defense Position. If positions could not be changed, he could not switch it to Attack Position to use its 3000 ATK. It had become nothing more than a burden that burned him for 1000 every turn.
He pressed a hand to his chest and forced himself to calm down. There was still time. His Life Points were high enough, as long as he could strike back before the burn finished him.
"I activate another set card."
Another card on Yugen's field flipped up.
"Continuous Trap 'Rivalry of Warlords'. As long as this card remains on the field, each player can only control monsters of one Type, and cannot Summon monsters of other Types."
President Shimizu froze.
Only one Type?
He slowly looked up again and met 'Lava Golem's' gaze. The lava creature pointed innocently at its own head.
As if saying, is this my fault?
'Lava Golem' was a Fiend.
That meant he could not Summon monsters of any Type other than Fiend.
President Shimizu stood there in silence.
His mental defenses collapsed at once. He could endure his ace being eaten. He could endure being unable to attack and losing 1000 Life Points each turn.
But now this thing was also locking his monster Types, stopping him from Summoning anything else?
How was he supposed to play like this?
Hiro Shimizu looked at the 'Lava Golem' on his field, then at the face-up 'Rivalry of Warlords' in the opponent's Back Row, and finally at the handful of cards stuck dead in his hand. His expression turned blank for a moment. The blazing prison effect around 'Lava Golem' felt painfully fitting.
This was not a Duel. This was serving a sentence. He felt like an inmate counting down endless days.
Even his passion for the club was close to burning out. For a second, he even thought that if the club was going to be abolished, then so be it, as long as he could get out of this Duel.
Then his teammates' voices rang out beside him.
"Hang in there, President!"
"You cannot give up! Remember the memories we made in this clubroom!"
"If the room gets taken back, what happens to all our Spirit fan works and study discs?"
Hiro Shimizu trembled.
That was right. He had something he had to protect. He had a reason to fight.
How could he fall here?
He raised his head again, battle spirit burning in his eyes. Yugen fell silent for a second, wondering if he had just overheard something he should not have.
"The Duel is not over yet. I still have a chance!" Hiro Shimizu declared. "From my hand, I activate a Spell Card! 'Pot of Greed'! Draw two cards from the Deck! Let me show you the miracle of my blazing love, Draw!"
"I activate my set card, Quick-Play Spell 'Quick Summon'." Yugen flipped another card. "It lets me normally Summon a monster from my hand." (ANIME EFFECT)
A fairly common utility card in GX. Judai Yuki and Ryo Marufuji had both used it before.
Hiro Shimizu frowned. Chaining 'Quick Summon' to 'Pot of Greed' at this timing?
"I Tribute the 'Bowganian' on my field," Yugen Do said calmly. "Advance Summon the nemesis of magic, the machine that seals spells. 'Spell Canceller', Summon!"
'Spell Canceller', ATK 1800.
"As long as 'Spell Canceller' remains on the field, neither player can activate any Spell Cards, and all Spell Card effects on the field are negated." (ANIME EFFECT)
Hiro Shimizu almost threw his Duel Disk.
Monsters cannot be Summoned. Spells cannot be played. Was he determined to keep him from playing the game at all?
"When 'Pot of Greed' resolves, 'Spell Canceller' is already face up." Yugen smiled. "Therefore, the effect of 'Pot of Greed' is negated. What a shame, Senior. We will not see your fiery Draw."
Hiro Shimizu clenched his teeth, veins popping.
For a moment he seriously wondered whether the opponent had come to handle business or just to pick a fight. If it was the latter, he was succeeding.
"I end My Turn!"
There was nothing else he could do.
"Then, my turn. Draw." Yugen Do drew. "Before entering the Standby Phase, I activate my set Trap Card, 'Return from the Different Dimension'. I Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. I Special Summon 'Bowganian'." (ANIME EFFECT)
'Bowganian', DEF 1000.
"'Bowganian's' effect deals 600 damage to the opponent during each of my Standby Phase."
A metallic arrow shot forward. Hiro Shimizu staggered back as if pierced through the chest.
Hiro Shimizu, LP 3000 to 2400.
"Set one card. End turn."
"My Turn!"
"Standby Phase, 'Lava Golem's' effect." Yugen smiled. "One thousand damage."
"Gah!"
Hiro Shimizu, LP 2400 to 1400.
Burned again by the bubbling lava, Hiro Shimizu grit his teeth. At this rate, next turn 'Bowganian' would deal 600 more, leaving him at 800 Life Points. Then 'Lava Golem' would burn him for another 1000 on his own turn.
He could not Summon any of the monsters in his hand. He could not activate Spells. He felt completely trapped.
Then he glanced at the card he had just drawn. His eyes lit up.
There was still hope.
"Set one card. End turn."
"Then, my turn.." Yugen drew. "'Bowganian' deals 600 damage."
Hiro Shimizu, LP 1400 to 800.
Another arrow struck. He swayed but stayed standing.
"Set one more card. End turn," Yugen said with a smile.
On Hiro Shimizu's next turn, 'Lava Golem' would trigger again and finish the Duel. But.
"My Turn!! At this moment I activate my set Trap Card, 'Ballista Squad'!"
Hiro Shimizu shouted.
"I Tribute a monster on my field to Destroy one card on your field! I Tribute 'Lava Golem' and Destroy your 'Spell Canceller'!"
The club members, who had nearly lost hope, burst into cheers.
"One card removed both 'Lava Golem' and 'Spell Canceller'!"
"With no monsters on his field, the restriction from 'Rivalry of Warlords' is Released! And he will not take burn damage from 'Lava Golem' anymore!"
'Lava Golem' dissolved into light. 'Spell Canceller' was blasted apart. Finally breaking free of Lockdown Array, Hiro Shimizu threw his head back and shouted.
He was out of prison.
"And with the Spell lock Released, I can activate a Spell Card again!"
He steadied himself. In his hand were Spell Card 'Monster Reincarnation' and 'Warrior Returning Alive'. With them, he could recover monsters from the Graveyard, rebuild his combo, and turn the Duel around.
"Flip my set card," Yugen Do said calmly. "Trap Card 'Ojama Trio'. Special Summon three 'Ojama Tokens' to your field."
Three 'Ojama Tokens', DEF 1000 each.
The moment 'Lava Golem' left, the trio of Tokens rushed in to take its place. One took out snacks, one opened a newspaper, and one started snoring.
Hiro Shimizu froze mid motion with a card in hand.
The cheering members also went silent.
The field fell quiet except for crunching snacks and soft snores. With the Tokens on his field, 'Rivalry of Warlords' still applied.
If anything had changed, it was only that his restriction shifted from Fiends to Beasts.
He had escaped, but not completely.
"Y you..."
"If you have nothing else to do, then My Turn! again." Yugen smiled. "Draw."
"Standby Phase, 'Bowganian' deals 600 damage."
Hiro Shimizu, LP 800 to 200.
"Then I normally Summon 'Machina Submarine'."
'Machina Submarine', ATK 800.
"Both the submarine and 'Bowganian' are Machine-Type, so they are unaffected by 'Rivalry of Warlords'. And 'Machina Submarine' can attack you directly."
"..."
"'Machina Submarine' attacks directly."
The small submarine rose, eyes sharp. A torpedo launched and streaked over the Tokens' heads.
The explosion threw Hiro Shimizu to the ground.
Hiro Shimizu, LP 200 to 0.
After delivering the final blow, 'Machina Submarine' slowly descended, standing proudly on the field like an unsinkable vessel.