The body was green, with dragon-headed armor on the wrists. The hero dashed out on the gale, spinning rapidly, enveloped in a storm of flames.
[Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, Attack Power 2100]
"Battle!" Youyu waved his hand, "Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, attack the opponent's face-down monster!"
The Flame Wingman flapped its white wings, soaring into the sky, its long tail trailing behind, its flame-wrapped form shooting towards Anubis's field like a fired cannonball.
"Hmph." The King of Destruction chuckled lowly, raising his palm, "In this moment, you have stepped into the trap set within my domain—the Trial of the Traveler!"
The Set Card in his backfield flipped over, revealing a Continuous Trap Card, "Trial of the Traveler."
When the opponent declares an attack, they must randomly select a card from their hand and guess if the selected card is a Monster, Magic, or Trap Card. If they guess incorrectly, the attacking monster must bounce back to the owner's hand.
In the original DM anime, Yugi's grandfather, Muto Sugoroku, also used this card.
"Come, make your choice." Anubis extended his palm, three cards suspended in his hand, "Is the card you guessed a Monster, Magic, or Trap?"
Three cards in hand... Is this purely a luck game?
"Then I choose that one." Youyu pointed to the leftmost card in Anubis's hand, "I guess it's a Magic Card."
"Magic, is it?" Anubis chuckled, wiggling his finger, and the card hovering in mid-air turned over.
Though it was quite distant, with the poor light in the tomb Youyu couldn't clearly see what the card was, the card image and color unmistakably suggested it was a Monster Card.
"It seems you have failed the trial." Anubis mocked, "The trap you triggered will compel your servant to return. Disappear!"
The Flame Wingman, mid-flight, appeared to be obstructed by an invisible force and paused stiffly, its entire body erupting in flames, grunting "Ugh," as it transformed into a blaze and returned to Youyu's Card Deck.
The "Trial of the Traveler" bounces the attacking monster back to the owner's hand. However, because Flame Wingman is a Fusion Monster, it cannot return to the hand, so it goes back to the Card Deck.
The effect resolution ended, and the card Anubis revealed turned back over. The four cards in his hand quickly shuffled together, their positions exchanged and dispersed, making it impossible to discern which card it was.
Even though Youyu still had "Elemental Hero Airman" on the field to attack, even breaking a defending monster wouldn't deal damage to the opponent.
If the Airman were bounced back by the effect of "Trial of the Traveler," Youyu's field would be completely empty next turn.
"...This turn ends." Youyu temporarily gave up the pursuit.
"Hmph, is this all? Frankly, it's a little disappointing." Anubis snorted, "But before your battle ends, I shall trigger this other trap!"
He waved towards another Set Card before him, which flipped open amidst a thick black smoke, as if crimson blood dripped along its border.
Continuous Trap - Ultimate Offering!
This card allows players to pay 500 Life Points to Normal Summon a monster from their hand, either during their Main Phase or the opponent's Battle Phase.
"With my blood as the price, and the servant advancing on the field as the sacrifice!" Anubis declared, "I summon a more advanced servant from my hand, maintaining its concealed state!"
[Anubis, LP 4000 → LP 3500]
As he spoke, the face-down monster in front of him vanished with a white whirlwind as the sacrifice.
In its place was another face-down monster.
"Now it's my turn." Anubis continued.
The top card of the Card Deck floating in black mist disappeared, transported to float in front of Anubis.
After drawing the card into his hand, Anubis gestured towards his field.
"Concealed servant, reveal your true form!"
Youyu quickly understood that Anubis's maneuver was "flipping his face-down monster," transitioning the covered monster on the field from face-down Defense Position to Attack Position.
The card flipped over, projecting from it a golden, gigantic sculpture, with a massive and sturdy body and a dignified face, so imposing that it seemed unbeatable.
Guardian Sphinx, Reverse Summon!
[Guardian Sphinx, Defense Power 2400 → Attack Power 1700]
"Sphinx's ability," Anubis said, "The moment it reveals itself, all of your servants are mandated to return!"
Guardian Sphinx, when reverse summoned, returns all monsters on the opponent's field back to their owner's hand.
The statue released blinding golden light, enveloping Youyu's entire Airman. Airman raised his arm to defend himself, but was still unable to resist, becoming a stream of golden light returning to Youyu's hand.
Youyu frowned slightly.
Guardian Sphinx... Anubis truly possessed some troublesome entities.
This thing has a Defense Power of 2400, able to bounce back all of the opponent's monsters with every reverse summon. Worse yet, it has the effect of "turning itself back into face-down Defense Position once per turn."
This means it can bounce all of the opponent's monsters every turn, which was quite unyielding in the dueling environment many years ago.
Youyu remembered that as a child there was a friend who particularly liked using this monster when playing cards together.
And then... then Youyu would summon his fist for a physical duel three hundred rounds with that friend...
"You with no more servants cannot defend!" Anubis exclaimed, "Go now, Guardian Sphinx's attack!"
The golden sculpture's head moved subtly. Its eyes shot out beams of golden light, as if piercing through, striking directly at Youyu with a "boom," bursting into thick black smoke.
[Youyu, LP 4000 → LP 2300]
Youyu staggered back a few steps, his knees slightly bent, and couldn't help but grimace.
Clearly worthy of being the "King of Destruction," the impressive force of damage from the duel was undeniable...
"Next, activating Guardian Sphinx's other ability," Anubis stated, "Each round can revert back to its hidden state once."
As he finished, the great golden sculpture disappeared from the field. The colossal sphinx statue retracted back into a small card, set back in face-down position on the field.
"Setting another spell, this round is over."
Anubis waved his hand, another Set Card appeared beside him.