"The (Dark Magician)? So you've finally Summoned your Ace Monster, Yugi! But, it's too slow, too late!" Pegasus's face twisted into a wicked smile. "I have already Summoned (Relinquished), and it has absorbed enough nourishment to grow. Its Attack is far superior to your (Dark Magician)!"
"I can see it clearly. You have no cards in your hand capable of further increasing (Dark Magician)'s Attack. And by the next Turn, even your (Dark Magician) will become nourishment for (Relinquished), along with Hayato's (Performapal Sky Magician)!"
"It's true, I have no monster in my hand that can help me defeat you." Yugi didn't deny Pegasus's words, but he still pointed resolutely at (Relinquished) on Pegasus's field. "But, you say my (Dark Magician) can't defeat (Relinquished)? That's not necessarily the case!"
"(Dark Magician), unleash your burning rage! Attack (Relinquished)! (Dark Magic Attack)!"
"You're courting death, Yugi! (Relinquished), (Shield of Sacrifice)!" Pegasus's hair defied gravity and floated upwards. Following his command, (Relinquished) folded its wings, using the previously absorbed (Performapal Sky Magician) as a shield before it. "Its Attack from absorbing (Performapal Sky Magician) is 2800! Take this 300 points of reflected Damage, Yugi!"
He watched as (Dark Magician)'s magic blast struck (Relinquished), but the counterattack from (Relinquished) that Pegasus expected never came. The Energy Cannon fired by (Performapal Sky Magician) only put up a slight resistance before being dispersed by (Dark Magician)'s Attack, and the area where (Relinquished) stood was shrouded in smoke and dust.
"How could this be?"
"Heh heh, Pegasus, the reason I activated 'Trap Booster' just now wasn't merely to activate 'Reverse Reuse' from my hand." Yami Yugi sneered, picking up a card. "As the cost to activate 'Trap Booster', I sent 'Archfiend of Gilfer' to the Graveyard."
"When this card is sent to the Graveyard, its effect can be activated. It can be treated as an Equip Card and equipped to any monster on the field, decreasing that monster's Attack by 500. Since your (Relinquished) loves taking other people's cards so much, I'll gladly give you a hand."
(Relinquished) [ATK 2800 → 2300]
Just as he was about to pick up 'Archfiend of Gilfer' and send it back to the Graveyard, Yugi looked at the duel arena before him and suddenly froze.
"Wh-Why is this happening?" The 'Archfiend of Gilfer' card was stuck fast to the duel arena, impossible to remove. Ruling out a malfunction with the duel arena, there was only one other possibility for this situation—
(Relinquished), the monster equipped with 'Archfiend of Gilfer', hadn't been Destroyed?!
"Hoya hoya! How dangerous! Such outstanding Dueling sense, to even turn the cost for activating a card's effect into an advantage for yourself. You truly are Yugi."
Pegasus clapped his hands as if applauding Yugi's series of brilliant moves. "But unfortunately, (Relinquished) is invincible!"
"Although in terms of Attack, your (Dark Magician) is superior to the weakened (Relinquished), the one that just took the Attack from (Dark Magician) wasn't (Relinquished) at all!"
As the smoke and dust gradually cleared, Yugi discovered to his astonishment that a large bulge had formed on (Relinquished)'s body where it had been struck by (Dark Magician)'s Attack. At some point, the (Rainbow Kuriboh) that had transformed into a rainbow to trap (Relinquished) had also been devoured by it, and was even used as a defensive shield!
"Ku-ri..." Taking too much Damage, (Rainbow Kuriboh) let out a final cry, turning into motes of light as it was sent back to Hayato's Graveyard. And along with it came the Damage from (Dark Magician)'s earlier Attack, which Pegasus should have taken.
[Hayato: 4000 → 3800 LP]
"Ugh!" Hayato almost cried out from the sudden, sharp pain. It was only 200 points of Damage, yet it brought a level of pain far exceeding what the Solid Vision could simulate.
He had sensed something was off ever since Pegasus Summoned (Relinquished). Now, having confirmed it with his own body, it was just as he thought...
"Yugi, be careful. The moment Pegasus Summoned that (Relinquished), this game became a Shadow Game!"
"A Shadow Game?!" Yami Yugi was also startled to hear this.
Unlike a normal Duel where one would only feel pain, the physical burden a Shadow Game placed on a duelist was real. In severe cases, taking a large amount of Damage at once could be fatal, even if one's Life Points weren't depleted.
He now knew he had to avoid taking Damage as much as possible, but Pegasus's (Relinquished) on the field was so powerful. How could avoiding Damage be easy?
"Not only can it steal monsters and absorb the effects and power of other monsters, but it can even reflect Damage to others?" Yugi looked at (Relinquished), thinking for the first time that perhaps Pegasus was right.
A (Relinquished) this powerful might truly be an invincible monster.
"I Set two cards from my hand. My Turn ends."
[Yugi: 2300 LP, Hand: 2]
[(Dark Magician) ATK 2500]
[Set Card x2]
"My Turn! Draw!" Pegasus drew a card and casually Set it to his back row. His one normal right eye scanned Hayato's and Yugi's fields, as if searching for its next prey.
"I activate (Relinquished)'s effect, to absorb a monster as nourishment!"
Pegasus's eye was fixed on the lone (Dark Magician) on Yugi's field. But just as Yugi thought his (Dark Magician) was about to be absorbed, Pegasus suddenly looked over to Hayato's field. "My target is (Performapal Sky Apprentice)!"
"He didn't choose the (Dark Magician) with higher attack, but went for (Performapal Sky Apprentice) instead?"
"Heh heh, the presence of (Dark Magician) poses no threat to the invincible (Relinquished). However, (Performapal Sky Apprentice), which has an effect that can directly destroy a monster, is quite a troublesome creature."
Pegasus grinned wickedly. "Swallow (Performapal Sky Apprentice)! (Relinquished), Dark Hole!"
Just as when it absorbed (Performapal Sky Magician), (Performapal Sky Apprentice) was captured by a purple psychic force emanating from (Relinquished)'s single eye. The orifice on its torso opened wide, and it swallowed (Performapal Sky Apprentice) in a single gulp.
(Relinquished) [2300/2000 → 3100/2800]
"3100 Attack!" Yugi exclaimed in surprise. "That's even higher than (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)!"
"Go, my strongest monster, (Relinquished)! Attack (Dark Magician)!"
"(Illusion Magician Concerto)!"
On the two bony wings of (Relinquished), the master and apprentice pair, (Performapal Sky Magician) and (Performapal Sky Apprentice), appeared. Their eyes were lifeless as they raised the rings in their hands. Six beams from a Magic Cannon were fired, instantly engulfing Yugi's (Dark Magician).
(end of chapter)