The four-eyed Fiend had never heard of it. But judging from this man's play so far, the boss had a bad feeling it would not be anything good.
"I Normal Summon Gearfried the Iron Knight."
Gearfried the Iron Knight, ATK 1800
"Next, I activate the Equip Spell Smoke Grenade of the Thief and equip it to Gearfried the Iron Knight," Yugen said. "But Gearfried the Iron Knight's own effect destroys any Equip Card equipped to this card. So by Gearfried the Iron Knight's own effect, Smoke Grenade of the Thief is Destroy."
All the Fiend were stunned. They could not understand it at all, since he had knowingly equipped a card to a monster that could not keep it.
If this had happened at the start of the last turn, the four-eyed Fiend might already have mocked him for forgetting his own effect and misplaying. But after suffering through the previous turn, the boss no longer dared underestimate him. Every move that looked meaningless now made him instinctively feel that a trap had to be hidden inside it.
"Smoke Grenade of the Thief, Effect Activation," Yugen said with a smile. "When this card equipped to a Monster is Destroyed by another card's effect, I can look at your hand and choose one card for you to discard." (ANIME EFFECT)
The four-eyed Fiend's expression changed sharply. Again? I was already stripped bare once, and now you are doing it again?
Gearfried the Iron Knight and Smoke Grenade of the Thief worked together perfectly, letting him check the opponent's hand and precisely cut one card from it. Because of that, this two-card package naturally became part of the Gearfried Butterfly Dagger - Elma combo Deck back then, serving as an alternate route when the Butterfly Dagger - Elma infinite loop could not be completed.
The ability to remove one specific card from the opponent's hand was very strong, and it could also pave the way for an infinite loop one-turn kill.
Compared with the Butterfly Dagger - Elma line, though, the Gearfried the Iron Knight and Smoke Grenade of the Thief combo had less impact on competitive play. So even though it had always existed, this old card stayed quiet in the Card Pool for twenty years without drawing much notice. Only later did a new Deck called Infernoble Knight drag this forgotten old card back out and make it work overtime until it finally got itself banned.
Another hand card was blown away. The four-eyed Fiend stared at the lone card left in his hand, and his eyes almost filled with tears. He felt like he had done nothing at all in this duel, as if it had not even properly begun, and yet he was already down to a single card.
"Spell Card Premature Burial," Yugen said. "It can equip an Equip Card from either Graveyard to a monster on my field." (ANIME EFFECT)
This was also a Spell Card from a DM side story that only became a real card nearly twenty years later. In the original version it had been a Normal Spell, but in real printing it was changed into a Quick-Play Spell. The boss Fiend twitched, and his breathing quickened again.
"An Equip Card in the Graveyard? Do not tell me..."
"Correct. I equip the Equip Spell Smoke Grenade of the Thief to Gearfried the Iron Knight again."
Yugen took out the card that returned from the Graveyard and smiled faintly. "Then Gearfried the Iron Knight's effect destroys Smoke Grenade of the Thief again. Therefore, by Smoke Grenade of the Thief's effect, I look at your hand again and choose one card for you to discard."
"Of course, I have already looked at it three times, so there is really nothing left to see. I will just discard your last card too."
The four-eyed Fiend fell silent. Good. Now he did not even have a single card left.
"Then Gearfried the Iron Knight and Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu attack directly," Yugen ordered.
Gearfried the Iron Knight and Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu charged out one after the other. A blade pierced through him, and a hammer smashed into the Fiend's skull. The four-eyed Fiend, LP 4000 -> LP 1700.
The two Monster took turns beating him until his vision spun and he nearly cried from humiliation. The pain was not only physical, but mental as well. Never before had he wanted so desperately to feel even a little participation in a Duel.
Please, just let me play one card.
"I Set one card on the field and end my turn," Yugen said.
The four-eyed Fiend took a deep breath and forced himself back up. It was not over yet. He still had Life Points left, and the Duel was still going.
Forget everything else. At the very least, he wanted to play one card.
"My Turn! Draw!"
Light returned to all four of the Fiend's eyes at once. Good. "I I activate a Spell Card! Pot of Greed! Draw two cards from the Deck!"
Drawing two more cards might still give him a chance to strike back.
"Then I activate my face-down card," Yugen said. "Trap Card Trap of Darkness. When my Life Points are below 3000, I can pay 1000 Life Points and this card gains the effect of one Trap Card in the Graveyard, then that Trap is banished." (ANIME EFFECT)
Yugen, LP 3000 -> LP 2000
The four-eyed Fiend stared blankly. At a moment like this, it was going to copy a Trap effect from the Graveyard? What kind of effect was he planning to take?
"So I make Trap of Darkness gain the effect of Fairy's Hand Mirror in the Graveyard," Yugen said with a smile.
The Trap Card card on the Back Row flashed with golden light and changed into the image of Fairy's Hand Mirror. A Spirit flew out holding a round mirror, and in the mirror was the image of Pot of Greed. The four-eyed Fiend twitched again.
This development... could it be...?
His breathing turned ragged, his throat went dry, and the shock on his face slowly changed into despair as he understood the problem.
"That is right. Fairy's Hand Mirror can transfer the effect of a Spell that targets one player to the other player." (ANIME EFFECT) "So I transfer the effect of your Pot of Greed to myself."
"So I Draw two cards from the Deck."
Yugen drew two cards, then smiled and made a polite gesture for him to continue. "Come on. It is still your turn. Please, go ahead."
The four-eyed boss screamed. He still had no hand and no field, while the other side had just drawn two more cards. How was he supposed to duel like this?
Stupid Fairy's Hand Mirror. I take your Cold Wave, and you take my Pot of Greed? What kind of Fiend could come up with a tactic this hellish?
"Not planning to continue? Then it is my Turn! again. Draw."
Yugen gave a casual wave. "Then Gearfried the Iron Knight attacks directly."
Gearfried the Iron Knight's blade slashed down, ending the four-eyed Fiend's futile fury as he was cut down onto his back. The four-eyed Fiend, LP 1700 -> LP 0.