It just happens to be the perfect counter to this kind of lockdown Deck damage strategy."
"Once the bound Monster leaves the field, 'Torture Wheel' will also be Destroy!" Kohara ordered. "Then use the Equip!"
Daihara followed his instructions and played another card from his hand.
"Equip Spell, 'Megamorph'! I equip it to 'Prime Material Dragon'. If my Life Points are lower than my opponent's, the Equip Monster's ATK becomes double its original value!"
Prime Material Dragon, ATK 2400 -> ATK 4800.
"ATK 4800!" Daichi Misawa said. "Just as I said before. If Kohara could overcome his weak will, he'd actually be excellent in a real fight."
"All three Monster on his field are in Defense Position. In that case, start by Break Strikeing the most troublesome one first," Kohara said.
Daihara nodded. "With 'Prime Material Dragon', attack 'Ojama King'!"
Prime Material Dragon spat out a blast like burning light. Ojama King was pierced through the chest, let out a few vague, low cries of "Ojama Ojama," and exploded into pieces.
"But of course, if a Defense Position monster is Destroy, I do Student Council take damage."
Yugen closed his eyes and calmly let the transparent shockwave sweep across his field. Then he spoke in an even tone.
"Tch, I know that." Kohara said. "Set the other card we drew!"
Daihara did as told. "I set one card, and end my turn."
"Then it's My Turn!, Card Draw." Yugen said.
"Standby Phase. Your 'Bowganian' Student Council activates its effect and deals me 600 damage," Daihara said. "But because 'Prime Material Dragon' is on the field, that damage Student Council becomes recovery for the same amount of LP instead!"
Daihara, LP 2100 -> LP 2700.
"Oh, I accidentally gave the other side LP. That really is troublesome. In that case, all the lockdown burn methods are backfiring now." Yugen said.
"Exactly." Kohara sounded a little proud. "The bond between us turned the whole situation around in one breath."
"Impressive, impressive... Then I activate a Spell Card! 'Pot of Avarice'. I return five Monster from the Graveyard to the Deck, shuffle, and then draw two cards."
Five cards immediately rose out of the Graveyard. "I return 'Magical Merchant', the green, yellow, and black Ojama Yellow, and 'Ojama King' from the Graveyard to the Deck."
The Card returned to the Deck one after another, and the Deck automatically shuffled itself with a rapid rustling sound. "...Then I draw two cards."
After Card Drawing, he raised his brow slightly. "Hm, looks like I drew pretty well too."
Both Daihara and Kohara tensed up. What was going to appear this time?
But it was fine.
Kohara forced down his unease. On the previous turn, Daihara had pulled off that double miracle draw with 'Allure of Darkness'. Besides the lifesaving 'Prime Material Dragon', the other card he had drawn was also the powerful Trap 'Bottomless Trap Hole'.
As long as the opponent Summoned a monster with more than 1500 ATK, it could directly Destroy and banish it. That meant even if the opponent managed to bring out some powerful Monster, they could remove it immediately.
"I tribute 'Bowganian' for a Tribute Summon."
The moment the Monster Card hit the field, a brief red light seemed to flash through Yugen's eyes. It was as if the extraordinary power within that card had briefly merged with the Duelist's body at the instant of the Summon.
"The nemesis of traps, the artificial king who commands psychic power...
"Jinzo, Summon!"
Daihara x Kohara: "Nani?!!!?"
Jinzo, ATK 2400.
This was Jinzo's first appearance since entering Yugen's hands, and it seemed determined to make its debut as grand as possible. Mist spread across the field, and the red gleam in its eyes cut through the haze as its metal body strode forward. The steel king folded his arms and looked down on everyone with a ruler's arrogance while sparks danced over his body.
Its overbearing stare seemed to say that with a master like this and itself at his side, the two of them were already invincible. Now that I, Jinzo, have descended, victory is practically ours.
Kohara's face darkened. He had not expected it to be Jinzo, and if that was the case, then their powerful Back Row was nearly useless.
"I activate a Spell Card! 'Metamorphosis,'" Yugen said calmly. "Tribute one Monster on your field, then Special Summon a Fusion Monster of the same Level. I tribute the Level 6 'Jinzo'!"
Jinzo, which had just been preparing to make a flashy first entrance, froze in shock. Nani?! You're tributing me? Boss, this is my first time. How can you treat my first time like this?
But the Spell Card card had already appeared, and Jinzo's body dissolved into golden light and vanished. Daihara and Kohara both stood stunned for a moment. He tributed Jinzo? Something this good actually existed?
No matter what came out next, their Back Row traps would be live again, right? "By the effect of Metamorphosis, I Special Summon from the Fusion Deck in Defense Position. Level 6, Cyber Blader!"
After becoming a real card, Cyber Blader had been adjusted to Level 7, but in the original work it was Level 6. That was why the original Asuka Tenjoin often equipped Cyber Blader with the Spell Card "Fusion Weapon," which could only be equipped to a Fusion Monster of Level 6 or lower. Once the card was printed, that combination naturally could no longer be recreated.
Cyber Blader, DEF 800.
Asuka Tenjoin was speechless. What kind of sudden shift in style was this?
She was not surprised that Yugen had cards of his own. She knew he had many digitized cards because of his research, but who could have guessed that his Ojama lockdown strategy would suddenly bring out something completely out of place with the rest of the deck? Then she remembered the effect of this Fusion ace card, and she abruptly seemed to understand. The possibility that occurred to her was so shocking that her mouth fell open.
"Doesn't matter!" Kohara shouted. "No matter what Monster it is, as long as we trap it, it's all the same. Daihara, activate the trap!"
"Activating trap, Bottomless Trap Hole!" Daihara called. "Destroy any monster with 1500 or more ATK that the opponent Summoned, and banish it!"
Bottomless Trap Hole opened beneath Cyber Blader's feet. Cyber Blader merely glanced at it through its visor, then swept out an icy blade with casual ease. The Trap Hole snapped shut and vanished as if it had never existed.
"Why?" Kohara cried. "It resolved successfully, so your monster should have been Destroyed."
"Cyber Blader is a monster that gains different effects depending on the number of Monster on the opponent's field," Yugen explained calmly. "When there are exactly three Monster on the opponent's field, all effects of the opponent's Spells, Traps, and Monster cards are negated."
"What?!" The two of them nearly jumped at the same time, their eyes wide. All effects were negated? Then how were they supposed to play at all?
After its adjustment, the newer effect of Cyber Blader only negated effects the opponent activated, so continuous effects like Continuous Spell still worked. But the anime version of Cyber Blader matched the older printed effect, negating every effect on all of the opponent's cards. It was almost an absolute suppression that could not be broken.
That was why Cyber Blader had once become the core of one of the most vicious LOCK Decks in Yu-Gi-Oh! history, even though it had looked only average in the anime. The idea behind that lockdown Deck was simple. It used the classic Ojama Deck and combined it with Cyber Blader's three-effect condition to create an absolute seal.