Catapult Turtle, Summon!
Yugen frowned slightly. So even Catapult Turtle had appeared. This monster had left a heavy mark in the history of Yu-Gi-Oh!, known as one of Yugi Muto's signature cards and a core piece in countless flashy first turn knockout combos.
"The effect of Sword of Deep-Seated. When this card on the field is sent to the Graveyard, I Draw one card from my Deck." (ANIME EFFECT)
It was also the original Equip Card once used in the first match between Manjoume and Yugen.
"Next is the effect of Catapult Turtle," Gekko Tenma said. "By Tributing a monster on my field, it inflicts damage to you equal to half that monster's ATK."
The key point of this effect was that it had no Once Per Turn. That was exactly why it had become a core part of so many one turn kill strategies. In this world, there was no reason for Catapult Turtle to have any such restriction.
"This is bad. Waboku can stop battle damage and battle Destroy, so he switched to effect damage instead. Yugen only has 2000 Life Points, and Maximillion Pegasus has more than enough ammunition on the field."
Daichi Misawa's expression turned serious. Asuka Tenjoin also felt her heart tighten as she looked at Yugen. Could he block this?
"First, United We Stand!" Gekko Tenma declared. "I Tribute United We Stand to inflict damage equal to half its ATK!"
United We Stand still had 3700 ATK. This alone would deal huge damage.
Yugen snapped his fingers.
"Counter Trap, God's Wrath," Yugen said calmly. "Discard one card. Negate the Effect Activation of an effect monster and Destroy it!" (ANIME EFFECT)
He sent a card from his hand to the Graveyard. Dark clouds gathered above the field as thunder roared, and a bolt of divine lightning tore through the sky and blasted Catapult Turtle into fragments.
"Even that was stopped. Impressive."
Gekko Tenma raised his arm against the shockwave and dust, a faint smile on his face.
"However, since I Summoned Catapult Turtle this turn, from my hand I I activate a Spell Card! Card of Sanctity!"
A Spell Card appeared before him.
"In a turn I performed a Tribute Summon, Draw two cards from the Deck. The cards drawn cannot be used this turn, and if I Set them, I must Set at least one." (ANIME EFFECT)
He drew two cards.
"Next, I activate the Spell I just Set!"
He waved his hand.
"Spell Card Premature Burial!"
As the Spell flipped face up, several Equip Card appeared on his field.
"A second one?" Daichi Misawa gasped.
Yugen was briefly surprised, then understood. A key card in this kind of Deck strategy would never be limited to just one copy.
"I won't repeat the effect," Gekko Tenma said. "I Special Summon United We Stand, Mage Power, and Sword of Deep-Seated from the Graveyard as Equip Monsters with 500 ATK and DEF!" (ANIME EFFECT)
United We Stand, ATK 500 Mage Power, ATK 500 Sword of Deep-Seated, DEF 500
"They also gain their original Equip effects and increase their ATK! There are five monsters on the field, so United We Stand gains 4000 ATK!
I have four Equip Cards in my Front Row and one Set card in my Back Row, five Spell and Trap Cards in total. Mage Power gains 500 ATK for each, increasing by 2500!"
United We Stand, ATK 500 to 4500 Mage Power, ATK 500 to 3000
This time, the lowest ATK monster, Sword of Deep-Seated, was in Defense Position.
"I Set three more cards to my Back Row!" Gekko Tenma shouted. "For each new Spell or Trap Card, Mage Power gains another 500 ATK, for 1500 more!"
Mage Power, ATK 3000 to 4500
"In an instant, he's back to this formation," Daichi Misawa muttered. "Two 4500 ATK monsters."
Fortunately, the Battle Phase had already passed this turn. With Waboku in play, Gekko Tenma could not attack again for now.
Asuka Tenjoin said nothing, but she felt the same. A Legendary Duelist truly lived up to the name.
Her gaze drifted to Yugen. He looked exactly the same as always.
She had noticed this long ago. In every Duel, whether facing experts, beginners, or legends, he showed the same calm. It always felt as if he was simply playing casually and somehow won along the way.
"My Turn!, Card Draw," Yugen said. "The moment we enter the Standby Phase, the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys that was Destroyed last turn in the Graveyard activates its effect.
Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys that was destroyed by a card effect is reborn in my next Standby Phase!"
Gekko Tenma's expression changed. "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys? When was that…"
Then he realized. It was the card destroyed from the hand by Devotee of Nephthys last turn.
"Correct. The card destroyed from my hand was Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys," Yugen said. "Since it was destroyed by an effect and not discarded, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys can trigger.
Be reborn in flames that burn everything!"
Tenma Yuelin frowned. "It can trigger from being destroyed in the hand…"
Blazing fire gathered in the sky, forming a burning divine bird that descended in a pillar of light.
Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, ATK 2400
Daichi Misawa immediately understood. "Right. Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys can Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field. The Equip Cards he called out are still Spell Card!"
Asuka Tenjoin nodded. "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys is the natural enemy of this Equip strategy!"
Yugen raised his arm as the flaming divine bird burned behind him.
"Effect of Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. When it is Special Summoned by its own effect, Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on your field!" (ANIME EFFECT)
"In this situation you used the Nirvana Effect to Summon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys?" Gekko Tenma frowned. "It really is the most troublesome Monster for me right now. But…"
He raised his arm and flipped another face down card. "I activate a Trap, Lost Wind!" The seal released from the Trap Card like a magic circle and locked around Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys's body. The flames around it dimmed at once, as if bound in place.
"Lost Wind places a curse on one Monster on the field," Gekko Tenma said. "The cursed monster has its special abilities negated and loses 500 ATK!" (ANIME EFFECT)
Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, ATK 2400 to ATK 1900.
Asuka Tenjoin could not help but sigh. "So close. If Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys's effect had resolved, it would have almost cleared the field."
Yugen remained calm. Against an opponent at this level, eight cards across the Front Row and Back Row were never going to fall without resistance.
"Main Phase. I activate 'Trade-In'," Yugen Fujiki declared. "I Tribute a Level 8 or higher monster I control to draw two cards. I Tribute the cursed 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' and draw from my Deck." (ANIME EFFECT)
The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys broke apart into light and scattered into the Deck. Yugen drew two cards and glanced at one of them, a faint smile forming on his lips.
Gekko Tenma sensed it immediately. He had drawn something that could turn the Duel around.
"I activate 'Graceful Charity.' I draw three cards, then discard two from my hand to the Graveyard." Yugen completed the Card Draw and selected two cards to send away.
"Next, I will Summon this card. I Tribute 'Devotee of Nephthys' on my field."
A Card slapped onto the Duel Disk. "Advance Summon! Magebane Weapon, Spell-Sealing Weapon—
—Spell Canceller, Summon!"
"Nani?!?"