Something troublesome was about to arrive.
"I Normal Summon a second Angel O1!"
Angel O1, ATK 200.
"Angel O1's second effect. While it was Special Summoned and remains on the field, I gain an additional opportunity this turn to perform a Tribute Summon for a Level 7 or higher monster in addition to my Normal Summon."
He raised both hands.
"I Tribute both Angel O1!"
The two small angels vanished in a burst of light. White armor reflected a bright glow as a radiant halo formed above the descending figure.
"Guardian of steel wings, awaken here and now. Angel O7, Summon!"
Angel O7, ATK 2500.
Artificial Angel Descends.
A sacred field of white light spread rapidly, covering the entire arena like a forbidden zone that sealed all power.
Angel O7, Summon!
Gekko Tenma said, "As long as Angel O7 remains on the field, all Monster effects on your field cannot be activated!" (ANIME EFFECT)
So that is how it worked in the original version. Yugen Fujiki quickly understood. He only remembered the real card effect, which was even harsher, sealing not only on field monster effects but also effects in the hand, Graveyard, and even those that were banished.
However, the real card was a double edged sword, sealing both players once it was on the field. The original version only locked the opponent. It also did not seem to require a Tribute Summon to apply its effect, which made it far easier to use and much more oppressive.
"So this is Gekko Tenma's ace." Daichi Misawa swallowed. "It is powerful. But with its current ATK, it cannot defeat Black Luster Soldier."
Before he could finish, Gekko Tenma cut in. "I activate a Spell Card! 'Allure of Darkness'! Draw two cards from the Deck, then banish one DARK Monster from my Deck. Therefore, I draw two cards." (ANIME EFFECT)
Gekko Tenma drew two cards smoothly.
"Next, I banish the DARK 'Darklord Zerato' from my Graveyard."
He raised the card, and the Card was swallowed by a dark vortex that opened in midair.
"But then I activate the Equip Spell 'D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation'!" Gekko Tenma declared. "By discarding one card, I can return one banished Monster to the field in Attack Position!"
He discarded a card to the Graveyard.
"Revive 'Darklord Zerato'!"
The vortex of the Different Dimension opened again, and the dark marquis with fallen angel wings descended, black feathers drifting through the air as he gripped his greatsword.
Darklord Zerato, ATK 2800.
"One more thing. The two cards discarded by 'Graceful Charity' and 'D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation'."
Two cards slid out of the Graveyard, and Gekko Tenma revealed them.
"'Stone Statue of the Aztecs' and 'Rock Spirit'! I banish these two Rock Monsters from my Graveyard!"
As the two Rock monsters vanished into the vortex, the ground of the Duel field split open in a massive Rift. Stones burst outward as a towering rock giant rose from beneath the earth.
Gaia Plate the Earth Giant, Summon.
Gaia Plate the Earth Giant, ATK 2800.
Yugen glanced sideways. Even Jim Cook's ace was here. Then again, as one of the heads of the world's top card company, it was not strange for Gekko Tenma to have a Rare Card like this.
"This is my full power!" Gekko Tenma shouted.
"Gaia Plate the Earth Giant, attack 'Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning'!"
Asuka Tenjoin gasped. Attacking with lower ATK meant there was definitely an effect.
"Gaia Plate the Earth Giant's effect! During damage calculation, the battling opponent's ATK is halved!" (ANIME EFFECT)
Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning ATK 3000 to 1500.
The rock giant's fist shattered the shield of Black Luster Soldier, and the warrior dissolved into golden light.
Yugen LP 2000 to 700.
"Angel O7, direct attack!" Gekko Tenma called.
Victory seemed within reach, but he felt the same strange hesitation his brother Yako Tenma once described when standing at the edge of triumph.
"I activate my set card," Yugen Fujiki said. "Quick-Play Spell Scapegoat. Special Summon four Sheep Tokens in Defense Position."
Four Sheep Tokens, DEF 0.
As expected. Gekko Tenma frowned.
"Then 'Darklord Zerato' and Angel O7 each use Break Strike on a Sheep Token!"
The two monsters struck, cutting down the tokens in flashes of light.
Gekko Tenma let out a long breath. He had come close, but it was not enough.
"My turn ends."
"Whew, that was dangerous." Yugen smiled. "Gekko Tenma really pushes hard. That kind of offense is not easy to handle."
Dangerous? Gekko Tenma remained in Silence. He could not sense any panic from Yugen at all.
After a moment, Gekko Tenma smiled faintly. "May I ask something, Yugen?"
"What is it?"
"When was the last time you went all out in a Duel?"
Yugen fell quiet. Daichi Misawa and Asuka Tenjoin also looked at him with curiosity.
He only smiled helplessly. "I do not know why everyone says that. I am very serious right now against Gekko Tenma."
"I see. Forgive me for asking."
"My Turn!, Card Draw."
Yugen glanced at his draw and played a card immediately.
"Spell Card 'Pot of Greed'. Both players draw three cards from their Deck." (ANIME EFFECT)
After the Card Draw, he took a deep breath.
"Since Gekko Tenma thinks so, this turn I will call upon one of the strongest aces in this Deck to break this situation. That should prove I am serious."
Gekko Tenma stiffened at once. One of the strongest aces? He immediately thought of the record Yako Tenma had shown him, of that unreasonable new form of Black Luster Soldier that had overwhelmed everything.
Was he going to reveal it now?
Yugen had already played another card.
"Spell Card 'Metamorphosis'! I Tribute one monster on my field to Special Summon a Fusion Monster of the same Level!"
He pointed at a small Sheep Token.
"I Tribute the Level 1 Sheep Token! With a ritual of transformation, I call forth the eye of illusion.
Level 1, Thousand-Eyes Restrict, Summon!"
Gekko Tenma stared.
You Summon... what exactly did you just summon?
"Thousand-Eyes Idol.Relinquished??"
Gekko Tenma's eyes widened. He had not expected the Duel to suddenly turn in this direction. The shift was so abrupt that even he was caught off guard.
Of course he recognized this monster. It was the signature card of his adoptive father, Maximillion Pegasus. He also knew that when Yugen visited Yako Tenma last time, he had obtained a replica of Thousand-Eyes Restrict, so it was not strange for him to possess Relinquished.
What shocked him was not Relinquished itself. It was the method.
"You used Scapegoat to transform into Thousand-Eyes Restrict?"
Thousand-Eyes Restrict was originally a Fusion Monster summoned with Polymerization. Its materials included the Ritual Monster Relinquished and the specific material Thousand-Eyes Idol. That Fusion was difficult to bring out under normal conditions.
But by combining Scapegoat with Metamorphosis, it could be cheated out with surprising ease. In competitive play, this interaction was one of the main reasons Thousand-Eyes Restrict became forbidden. What was once considered a flashy collector card later turned into a universal field-clearing weapon because of such loopholes.
Thousand-Eyes Restrict, ATK 0.
Gekko Tenma quickly steadied himself after the shock of seeing his father's card appear. He spoke in a calm voice.
"Even so, while Angel O7 is on the field, none of your Monsters can activate their effects. That includes Thousand-Eyes Restrict."
Without effects, its threat dropped sharply.
"Maximillion Pegasus's ace is indeed troublesome."
Yugen nodded. A golden light shone from the Graveyard, and a Trap Card slid out.
"So I activate Breakthrough Skill from the Graveyard."