Chapter 154: Dark Magic Curtain
[Yugi: 1800 → 1500 LP]
Because he activated Graceful Charity, Yugi, whose Hand was empty, drew a full six Cards at once. The only Stakes he paid was the 300 Points of Damage caused by Necromancer's Temptation.
Hayato reminded him, "Yugi, you need to keep an eye on your remaining Life Points. If you only have 1500 Points, and five more Cards are Send to Graveyard, your Life Points will drop to zero."
"As long as my Life Points aren't zero, they're infinite. Being timid because my Life Points are too low isn't my style. In fact, I was actually thinking of lowering them further," Yugi said, playing a Card. "Magic Card, Dark Magic Curtain!"
[Yugi: 1500 → 1200 LP]
A large Stage appeared on Yugi's empty Field, covered by a large Curtain that prevented anyone from seeing what was behind it. Above the giant Stage, a Skeleton stood at the top, gripping the Curtain tightly, with eerie green flames burning in its hollow eye sockets.
"The Effect of Dark Magic Curtain is that during the Turn this Card is Activated, both Duelists can Special Summon a Spellcaster Type Monster from their Deck or Hand by paying half of their Life Points."
Hayato shook his head. "I don't have any Spellcaster Type Monsters in my Deck."
"Then, I won't be polite. By paying half of my Life Points, I Special Summon Dark Magician from my Deck." Yugi generously paid half of his remaining Life Points. As his Life Points disappeared, the Skeleton gripping the Curtain on the Stage also released its grip, letting the Curtain fall.
[Yugi: 1200 → 600 LP]
"Come forth, my most loyal servant, the highest-ranking Mage who wields powerful Magic, Dark Magician!"
Following Yugi's impassioned cry, Dark Magician, holding the Emerald Green Wand, elegantly appeared on the Field from behind the fallen Curtain.
[Dark Magician ATK 2500]
"He appeared! It's Yugi's Ace Monster, Dark Magician!" Téa was even more excited than Joey Wheeler and the others beside her when she saw Yugi Summon Dark Magician, standing up from her seat immediately.
"As expected, at a time like this, you Summoned Dark Magician, Yugi." Hayato wasn't surprised that Yugi was willing to Pay his Life Points to this extent to Summon Dark Magician, a Normal Monster with no Effect. Just like Blue-Eyes White Dragon is to Kaiba Seto, Dark Magician is a Card of extraordinary significance to Yugi, or rather, the Pharaoh.
Let alone Summoning Dark Magician by reducing his Life Points to 600, Hayato knew of even more outrageous plays, such as Tributing a Divine-Beast to Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon, or using Fusion, De-Fusion, and five Cards from the Opening Hand to Summon Elemental HERO Neos.
"Although 900 Life Points is insignificant for Summoning Dark Magician, for safety's sake, I'll recover some Life Points." Yugi Drew a Card and Activated it. "Magic Card, Supreme Fruit! If my Life Points are lower than yours, I recover 2000 Life Points."
[Yugi: 600 → 2600 → 2300]
"Tch, you brought your Life Points back up again?" Hayato looked annoyed as Yugi's Life Points, which had finally decreased, were raised back up by a single Card. "So, do you want to try Attacking my Gaia?"
"Although Dark Magician's ATK is higher than Gaia's, that Set Card in your Spell/Trap Zone worries me greatly," Yugi shook his head. "And unfortunately, I don't currently have Cards like Mystical Space Typhoon in my Hand. I don't want Dark Magician, whom I went through such trouble to Summon, to be sacrificed in vain like this."
"I Set two Cards in my Hand. My Turn ends."
[Yugi: 2300 LP, Hand 2]
[Dark Magician ATK 2500]
[Set Card] X2
Hayato glanced at the Sakuretsu Armor he had Set earlier and couldn't help to sigh. Yugi doesn't have Wind in his Hand; this was a rare opportunity for you to shine, Sakuretsu Armor, Sakuretsu Armor, I gave you a chance, but you're useless.
"Before your Turn ends, Yugi, I Activate my Set Card, Emergency Provisions." Under Yugi's gaze, which seemed to say "Just as I thought," Hayato Activated Emergency Provisions, a Card often linked with Nightmare's Mirage. "I Send Amulet of Ambition and Nightmare's Mirage from my Field to the Graveyard to recover 2000 Life Points."
[Hayato: 1900 → 3900 → 3000 LP]
Although Amulet of Ambition had the Effect of negating Damage by Discarding a Hand Card, as a Stakes, it would self-Destruct on the third End Phase of the opponent after its Activation. And now, it was Yugi's third End Phase.
Rather than letting it go to waste, it was better for Hayato to turn it into dried food and eat it.
"Then it's my Turn. Draw a Card." Because Emergency Provisions Sent several Cards from Hayato's Field to the Graveyard, although it triggered Underworld Temptation and deducted another 900 Life Points, it also cleared space for Hayato. "Activate Magic Card, Magical Flowerpot. I Send Necromancer's Temptation to the Graveyard, then Draw two Cards."
Since its Activation at the start of the Duel, Necromancer's Temptation on Hayato's Field had contributed the most Damage output. The total Life Points deducted from Hayato and Yugi because of Necromancer's Temptation combined was roughly over 3000. But now, Hayato was crossing the river and tearing down the bridge—no, he used Magical Flowerpot to Send it to the Graveyard.
At the same time, Hayato's Hand size reached an exaggerated eight Cards.
"First, I Activate Magic Card, Magical Stone Excavation. I Discard two Hand Cards to Recycle one Magic Card from the Graveyard." Sending two Cards to the Graveyard, Hayato picked up a Card from the Graveyard. "The Card I'm Recycling is Fusion from the Graveyard."
"Did he Draw an Ojama Monster again? No, with Ojama Black already Send to Graveyard, he shouldn't be able to gather the Material for Ojama King." When Yugi saw Hayato Recycle Fusion into his Hand, his first reaction was that Hayato wanted to Summon Ojama King now.
However, he also remembered that earlier, to withstand Queen's Knight's Direct Attack, he had Activated Amulet of Ambition's Effect at the Stakes of Ojama Black.
"The Monster I'm Summoning isn't Ojama King. Although it has the Effect of Locking Monster Zones, in the current situation, it won't bring me Victory." Hayato took out two Cards from his Hand and revealed them along with Fusion. "The Cards I'm Fusing are these two!"
"Curse of Dragon plus Gaia The Fierce Knight, the final equation is, Gaia the Dragon Champion!!!"
The Dark Knight holding a giant Lance mounted the yellow flying dragon that breathed scorching dragon flames. Following his Duel with Weevil Underwood, Hayato once again Summoned Gaia the Dragon Champion.
"With this, Gaia the Dragon Champion's ATK successfully surpasses Dark Magician's! Battle! Gaia the Dragon Champion Attacks Dark Magician!"
The duration of this Duel with Yugi shouldn't be too long, right? Spoiler alert, it won't end until tomorrow.
Finally, I can reveal that the protagonist will face off against Pegasus.
(End of this chapter)