"Duel!" x2
[Yugen, LP 4000]
[Shark, LP 4000]
"Looks like I get the first move, draw a card."
Yugen drew a card, then immediately played a card from his hand.
"Summon 'Elemental Hero Bubbleman' in defense position!"
[Elemental Hero Bubbleman, Defense Power 1200]
From the sidelines, Judai: "Huh? Is Yugen using the same Elemental Hero as me today?"
However, that's not actually the case. Yugen added him mainly for Strong Desire Hero's card-drawing ability, and since Strong Desire Hero is water attribute, it can also serve as ammo for triggering the Abyss Soldier's bounce effect when needed.
"Bubble Hero successfully summoned: When you have no other cards on your field, draw two cards from your deck." (animation effect)
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Angel's Charity,' draw three cards from the deck and discard two cards from your hand," Yugen said, "Then cover two cards and end the turn."
"Then it's my turn!"
Shark drew a card, squinting as he scanned Yugen's defensively positioned Bubble Hero on the front field.
Elemental Heroes, huh... Quite a common deck. But even as a first-year student, Chronos actually recommended him as an opponent, so he must have some exceptional skills.
Shark: "I summon 'Illusion Shell Dragon'!"
The elegant black Other Dimension Illusion Dragon, although a four-star, has an attack power of 2000. Moreover, as a low-level attacker with such high attack, it does not have any side effects, making it a valuable rare card.
[Illusion Shell Dragon, Attack Power 2000]
"Let me see what you're scheming!" Shark shouted, "Battle! Use 'Illusion Shell Dragon' to attack 'Elemental Hero Bubbleman'!"
Yugen's backfield immediately flipped over: "Then I activate the Cover Card, Continuous Trap - Super Gravity Net!
All monsters on the field Level 4 and above cannot attack!"
The powerful gravitational force from the trap card suppressed the entire field instantly. Before Illusion Shell Dragon could make a move, it was pinned by the extraordinary gravity, rendered immobile on Shark's field.
"Super Gravity Net?" Shark frowned.
A self-lock strategy?
But Elemental Hero combined with self-lock... I've never seen this approach before.
"Then I'll cover a card on the field and end my turn."
Yugen: "My turn, draw a card."
At the same time, a golden light flashed in the graveyard section of his duel disc, and a Monster Card auto ejected from it.
"At this moment, the effect of the 'Assassin Snake' that I discarded to the graveyard last turn is activated.
As long as this card exists in the graveyard, it can return to the hand during my preparation phase."
He retrieved Assassin Snake back to his hand.
"Then Normal Summon 'Abyss Soldiers'!"
[Abyss Soldiers, Attack Power 1800]
Seeing the water warrior holding a trident emerge from the water curtain, Shark couldn't help but frown lightly.
Abyss Soldiers, not Elemental Heroes?
"Abyss Soldiers' Monster Effect allows discarding a Water Attribute Monster Card from the hand to send one card on the field back to its owner's hand."
Yugen revealed the "Assassin Snake" he had just returned to his hand.
"I'll discard the Water Attribute 'Assassin Snake' to the graveyard to send 'Illusion Shell Dragon' back to your hand."
Abyss Soldiers waved the trident in its hand, and a vortex of water erupted from underfoot. Illusion Shell Dragon rode the torrent, transforming back into a card and flying into Shark's hand.
Shark: "!"
He realized immediately that the infinitely recyclable Assassin Snake could be used as Abyss Soldiers' COST every turn, meaning this bounce effect is virtually costless...
"You actually got me with such a troublesome combo..."
Shark frowned with a cold snort.
"A bit impressive, but don't forget, neither Bubble Hero nor Abyss Soldiers can attack with your own 'Super Gravity Net' on the field blocking them."
He pushed up his glasses, chuckling lightly.
"What a pity, you cleared my field but can't attack. Looks like the 'Super Gravity Net's seal turned against you. Yugen's strategic tactics seem to need improvement..."
"Thank you for the advice, sensei," Yugen replied politely, "but I have a little idea of my own, too... Activate the Magic Card 'Planet Transformation' from my hand, allowing me to add one Field Spell from my deck to my hand.
The field I will add from my deck is this one..."
He revealed the spell he retrieved from his deck.
"Field Spell 'Legendary City - Atlantis'!"
An additional slot popped out on one side of his duel disc.
"Then activate directly!"
The holographic seawater immediately engulfed the entire field, making it seem as if the entire area was submerged underwater. The ancient lost city surrounded all sides, while piercing sunlight filtered down from the water's surface, leaving a long, splendid path of light in the body of water.
"When 'Legendary City - Atlantis' is present in the field zone, the Level of all Water Attribute monsters in both player's hands and on the field decrease by one star!" Yugen declared, "Moreover, Water Attribute monsters gain 200 Attack Power!"
[Elemental Hero Bubbleman, 4-Star → 3-Star, Attack Power 800 → Attack Power 1000]
[Abyss Soldiers, 4-Star → 3-Star, Attack Power 1800 → Attack Power 2000]
Shark: "What!?"
The substitute teacher immediately realized the fearsome nature of this combo.
The Legendary City lowers the star level of Water Attribute monsters, bringing Abyss Soldiers and Bubble Hero just below the threshold of Super Gravity Net's seal. Thus, the attack restrictions on Yugen's side were lifted, leaving Shark himself as the only one locked.
This was also one of the commonly used combinations back in the day with [Abyss Control]. It reflects the tactical style of this control deck, such as combining Abyss Soldiers with "Royal Palace Notice" for one-way trap sealing and combining "Super Gravity Net" with "Legendary City" for a one-way attack seal, all reflecting a unilateral locking suppression control approach.
In fact, this deck contains many other similar small combos. Whether dealing with attacks, summons, or magic traps, the suppressive approach is typical of the card decks from the early environment, the kind that gets more infuriating the more you battle it.
Furthermore, Abyss Soldiers' original Attack Power of 1800 was enhanced to 2000. That means defeating this thing in battle requires Shark to deploy a three-star or lower monster with over 2000 Attack Power.
Watching from the stands, Asuka Tenjouin pondered for a couple of seconds: "It is indeed... a strategy in his usual style..."
"Indeed."
Mitsuzawa, another member of the Yugen Victim's Association, appeared at some unknown point, nodding with arms crossed.
"Fujiki Yugen...he's the kind of duelist who, if presented with two winning options, will undoubtedly prioritize winning by using methods that prevent the opponent from dueling."
"Hmm..." Asuka agreed with that sentiment.
Shark: "......"
Hmm, his blood pressure was showing signs of subtly rising.
"Change 'Elemental Hero Bubbleman' to attack mode, then battle phase," Yugen declared. "Direct attack with 'Abyss Soldiers'!"
Abyss Soldiers surged forward, trident swirling in a vortex of water, thrusting straight at Shark's face.
"It's not that easy!" Shark shouted, "Open the cover card! Trap Card 'Hero's Visit'! When the opponent declares an attack, choose a card at random from my hand.
If the chosen card is a Monster Card, Special Summon it onto my field. If not, send it to the graveyard!"
This is a card often used by Judai in the animations. Although the card name includes the word "hero," it's actually unrelated to the Hero Card Deck and serves as a general-purpose trap.
Shark's hand consisted of five cards.
Yugen pointed at random: "Then the second card from the left."
"Ha ha ha ha! Unfortunately, the card you picked is this one..."
Shark revealed the card selected by Yugen.
"Level Six, Dark Triangular Monster Bird Dragon!!"
[Dark Triangular Monster Bird Dragon, Attack Power 2400]
"As expected of a teacher, the attack didn't go through so easily," Yugen chuckled lightly, "Since it didn't, my battle rolls back, and I won't attack for now.
End the battle phase, entering Main Phase 2."
He drew another card from his hand.
"Cover another card onto the field, ending my turn."