Taking only six hundred damage, Makoto Kajiki brushed it off. "That is it? That does not hurt at all." It was clear he still had not realized how serious the situation was.
Yugen smiled slightly. "My battle phase is over. Next, I activate the equip spell Power of the Guardians from my hand and equip it to Magical Attacker. Then I end my turn."
A layer of golden light wrapped around Magical Attacker, yet its attack did not change at all. Makoto Kajiki frowned in confusion. It looked like an equip that did nothing.
In this world, duelists could not freely check the opponent's card effects during play. Unless you already knew the card well, you had to react based on experience and judgment alone.
"My turn," Makoto Kajiki declared.
He drew a card and immediately spoke again. "I normal summon Mechanicalchaser in attack position."
Mechanicalchaser, attack 1600.
"With more Machine monsters on the field, Perfect Machine King gains another 500 attack."
Perfect Machine King, attack 3200 to 3700.
Makoto Kajiki pointed forward. "Mechanicalchaser, attack Magical Attacker!"
As Mechanicalchaser stepped forward, the golden light around Magical Attacker began to flash before the blow even landed. Yugen spoke at once.
"At this moment, the effect of Power of the Guardians activates. When the equipped monster enters the attack declaration stage of a battle, this card gains one spell counter."
Power of the Guardians, spell counters 0 to 1. Magical Attacker, attack 600 to 1100.
"Hah, that tiny boost means nothing," Makoto Kajiki shouted. "Battle continues. Destroy that weak monster."
The metal fist slammed down, but only a faint golden ripple spread out. When it faded, Magical Attacker was still standing there, completely unharmed.
Makoto Kajiki stared in shock.
"Another effect of Power of the Guardians," Yugen said calmly. "If the equipped monster would be destroyed, you can remove one spell counter to negate that destruction."
Power of the Guardians, spell counters 1 to 0. Magical Attacker, attack 1100 to 600.
Makoto Kajiki blinked in disbelief.
"Wait," he said sharply. "You said the counter is placed during the attack declaration, right? I was the one attacking. Your monster never declared an attack, so why did it get a counter?"
For a moment, he wondered if he was being fooled by fast talk.
"Is this your first day dueling?" Yugen asked, half-lidded eyes fixed on him as he explained patiently. "The text does not say when the equipped monster declares an attack. It says during the attack declaration stage of a battle."
Makoto Kajiki froze.
"Whether you attack or I attack, as long as monsters enter battle, there is an attack declaration stage. So the effect triggers either way."
Yugen continued to explain the rules in a steady, almost instructional tone. Makoto Kajiki felt a chill run through him as the implications sank in.
That meant every time it was attacked, the monster gained a counter, and every time a counter was removed, destruction was negated. Equipped like this, the monster was practically impossible to kill.
"Hold on," Makoto Kajiki muttered, frowning. "Battle damage should still apply."
"Oh, that is Magical Attacker's own effect," Yugen replied. "While it battles, all damage dealt to me becomes zero."
Makoto Kajiki's eyes went wide.
Because of Power of the Guardians, Magical Attacker could not be destroyed by battle or effects as long as counters were available. Because of its own effect, its controller took no battle damage. On top of that, it could attack directly, and with each battle its attack would only keep rising.
Makoto Kajiki sucked in a sharp breath, his face pale with shock. Someone who could come up with such a filthy tactic had to be completely shameless. What kind of monster duelist even did this?
Makoto Kajiki let out a long, heavy breath.
He was really stupid, truly stupid. He had watched yesterday's match and assumed the grim reaper across from him would banish monsters to another dimension like he did to Manjoume. He never imagined the guy would change routes and lock himself into this kind of shut-in play.
But why did this guy even have so many different nasty routes anyway? Was there not a single straightforward strategy in his book?
Only now did Makoto Kajiki realize the thing standing across from him was more like a rabid dog than a person. His Perfect Machine King had not even attacked yet, but even if it did, it would mean nothing.
The effect of Power of the Guardians was not once per turn. Even if he swarmed the field with five monsters and attacked together, it would only repeat the same loop of placing counters, removing counters, and negating battle destruction. Left with no options, he could only stare and end his turn.
Now it was Yugen's turn. He did not waste words, did not summon anything, and went straight to the Battle Phase. Magical Attacker flew arrogantly over the opposing field and unleashed a direct barrage.
At the moment of attack, the effect of Power of the Guardians triggered again, adding another spell counter. Magical Attacker's attack rose back to 1100 and landed a clean hit for eleven hundred damage.
Makoto Kajiki, LP 3400 to LP 2300
"I set one card. Turn end," Yugen said.
"Tch. My turn."
The sense of danger pressing on Makoto Kajiki grew even stronger. He had to deal with that cursed combo on the other side, or he really would be beaten down by direct attacks like this.
"Draw!"
Makoto Kajiki glanced at the card he drew and burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Using equipment and monster effects to support each other into an unbreakable combo is impressive. But my counter is even better! I activate the Quick-Play Spell from my hand, Mystical Space Typhoon! It destroys one Spell or Trap on the field. I destroy the Equip Spell Power of the Guardians!"
The dark spiral of Mystical Space Typhoon swept across the field, and the Spell in Yugen's back row shattered. The golden shield around Magical Attacker vanished, and its attack dropped back to normal.
Makoto Kajiki had studied his opponent's matches in advance. He had already noticed that Yugen seemed to love trap-heavy tactics that made people miserable, so he had packed three copies of Mystical Space Typhoon and one Heavy Storm just to deal with this kind of deck.
Magical Attacker, attack 1100 to attack 600
"Nice strategy, but that Spell was your weak point," Makoto Kajiki said smugly. "Battle! Go, Perfect Machine King, crush that disgusting trash!"
Machine King surged forward as if it had been holding back all along, swinging its iron hammer to smash the small monster to pieces.
"Flip my set card."
Yugen snapped his fingers as the back row opened.
"Continuous Trap, Gravity Bind. Any monster of Level four or higher on either side cannot attack."
Makoto Kajiki: "."
A greeting best left unspoken.
It felt like ten thousand molten demons were stampeding through Makoto Kajiki's chest. He had a Level four monster and a Level eight monster on the field, and the Mystical Space Typhoon he had just drawn was already spent on Power of the Guardians. This single card sealed off all attacks again.
But he still had a way out.
"I Normal Summon Dark Jeroid in Defense Position."
Dark Jeroid, DEF 1500
"Turn end."
"I see, so you still had that," Yugen said with understanding.
He remembered this card from the anime, used by Judai Yuki. Its effect would allow it to destroy an opponent's Spell or Trap next turn if it survived.