"I haven't performed a normal summon this turn yet."
The Maze Brother took a deep breath and drew another card from his hand.
"I summon 'Emperor's Sea Horse' in attack position!"
[Emperor's Sea Horse, Attack Power 1700]
"Then I cover a card on the field and end my turn."
The Maze Brother ended his turn with a cold expression.
He began to suspect that perhaps he underestimated this pair of students in front of him.
Upon accepting the commission, because he heard it was a punishment duel at Duel Academy, with opponents being just two first-year students, he didn't pay much attention. But now, even though it wasn't yet a formal confrontation, both started to feel a bit of tension.
The duel hadn't even officially started, and two of their three major Demon Gods were already taken out in a single turn, one went to the Underworld and another to the Other Dimension. This kind of situation was rare in their past team experiences.
The two brothers exchanged a look and understood each other's thoughts through their eyes.
This duel may not be as easily won as they thought.
Of course, losing was out of the question, at most it would just take a bit more effort. After all, they were legends who had duelled with Muto Yuugi; losing a team match to two Academy freshmen would be a joke.
It was Judai's turn: "My turn, draw!
First, activate the Magic Card 'Pot of Greed,' draw two cards from the deck.
Next, I also cover a monster in the front field and then cover two cards on the field, ending my turn!"
As in the animation, the Academy used the Double Play Rule where "no one can attack in their initial turn." It wasn't until after all four people's rounds were over — that is, after Judai's turn ended — that the battle phase could begin.
The students watching the duel were holding their breath.
The real battle was truly about to start from this round.
"My turn, draw a card."
It was the Maze Brother's turn again.
"Activate the Magic Card 'Resurrection of the Dead'!"
The Maze Brother pulled out a card from his hand and discarded it to the graveyard: "Resurrection of the Dead allows me to discard a card from my hand and retrieve a monster from the graveyard to my hand.
The one I want to retrieve is, of course, 'Water Demon God - Siga' that you discarded with your 'Spiritual Breakdown' last turn!"
The ethereal shadow of the Water Demon God floated on the field, as if it was about to be retrieved from the graveyard. But before he could make any further moves, Judai suddenly interrupted.
"That's not happening! I activate my Cover Card, trap card 'Hero Rule 1- Five Freedoms!' (Original Card)
Up to five cards from both players' graveyards can be removed from play!"
The Maze Brothers' faces changed again: "What did you say!?"
"Therefore, I remove your 'Water Demon God - Siga', 'Sacrificial Puppet', 'Landmine Spider', and 'Dark Nominator' from play!" Judai declared.
A vortex in the graveyard opened, the shadow of the Water Demon God floated upward, immediately being plucked from the Underworld and taken away to the Other Dimension.
In the process, all their cards in the graveyard up to this point were simultaneously removed, thoroughly emptying it.
As a result, 'Resurrection of the Dead' lost its target and became void; the Maze Brother effectively wasted two cards in his hand.
A "井" character seemed to sprout on his bald head.
Mitzuwa in the stands wore a complex expression.
"Uh... a very well-handled move, but..." he was somewhat hesitant to continue.
Asuka: "You want to say that it doesn't quite match his style, right?"
"Not really... it must be my misconception." Mitsuzawa shook his head, unwilling to say more.
What more could he say?
Should he attribute it to the influence of a strong rival?
However, honestly speaking, watching the legendary duelists getting flustered was indeed amusing, and he was thoroughly enjoying it.
"To have dissolved two of our Demon Gods so quickly, you deserve a bit of praise." The Maze Brother said in a deep voice. "But if you think it's going to be that easy, you're severely underestimating us."
He glanced at his brother beside him.
"This time I'll be borrowing your monster."
"No problem, brother."
The Maze Brother shouted: "'Emperor's Sea Horse's' effect, when this card is used as a tribute for a Light Attribute monster's upper-level summon, it can be counted as two tributes.
Therefore, I will use 'Emperor's Sea Horse' as two tributes for an Upper-level Summon!"
The Emperor's Sea Horse seemed to split into clones, dividing into two on the field, merging into beams of light and diving into the vortex opening on the ground.
Intense light erupted, lightning surged, and a Demon God with a golden "雷" character on its chest appeared amidst a descending bolt of lightning.
"Thunder Demon God - Sangha, summon!!!"
[Thunder Demon God - Sangha, Attack Power 2600]
"Not finished yet!" Brother Maze shouted, "I want to use your card again!"
"Take it, brother, no need to be formal with your little brother!" Maze Brother said.
Brother Maze: "Activate the face-down Covering Card left on the field, Magic Card 'Dimension Fusion'!
Pay 2000 LP to Special Summon as many monsters as possible that were banished from the game!"
[Maze Brothers, LP 8000→LP 6000]
The students outside the field were all shocked upon hearing this.
"Monsters banished from the game, that means...?"
"That's right, thanks to you, only our monsters have been banished, so only we can perform a Special Summon!"
Brother Maze laughed heartily.
"Return from the Other Dimension all at once! Appear here!
Water Demon God - Siga!
Wind Demon God - Shuga!"
A storm of wind and water erupted sky-high, with two great Demon Gods, green and blue, appearing in sequence! The green whirlwind's airwaves and the tsunami-like torrent, with the words "Wind," "Water," and "Thunder" clearly imprinted on the chest of the three Demon Gods, formed a barrier of three colors.
[Water Demon God - Siga, Attack Power 2500]
[Wind Demon God - Shuga, Attack Power 2400]
Three great Demon Gods, summoned simultaneously!
A student couldn't help but say, "Summoned the three great Demon Gods in one go!"
"As expected of the legendary Duelist, not so easy to deal with." Mitsuzawa said solemnly, "It seems that angering them has made their attack even more fierce."
Brother Maze: "Enter the battle phase!
First, 'Wind Demon God - Shuga', attack that miscellaneous monster 'Ojama Yellow' acting as a wall!"
The Wind Demon God crossed its palms. In an instant, the sky above the field seemed to project dense dark clouds, like a dark, heavy sky. The whirlwind howled, stirring up a cloud of dust, and the storm's wind blades slashed through the air like countless sharp knives, emitting a piercing scream, sweeping towards the opposing field's occupied monster zone.
[Ojama Yellow, Defense Power 1000]
Poor Ojama Yellow had no resistance in the face of the storm, shattering into golden light on the spot.
Yugen: "Activate the Cover Card, Trap Card 'Disruption Group'! When a face-up 'Ojama' monster on your field is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, shuffle that monster back into the deck!" (Anime Card)
The destroyed Ojama Yellow turned into a beam of golden light and flew back into the deck, then the deck automatically shuffled in the Duel Disc with a swishing sound.
The top two cards automatically popped out.
"And afterwards, draw two cards from the deck and discard one card from your hand."
Yugen drew the cards, then selected one from his hand and sent it to the graveyard.
"The card I just discarded is the Magic Card 'Disrupting Magic'!"
The graveyard area of the Duel Disc bloomed with golden light, and the Magic Card automatically returned.
"The effect of 'Disrupting Magic', when this card is sent to the graveyard from your hand or field, add one 'Ojama Green', 'Ojama Yellow', and 'Ojama Black' each to your hand from the deck."
Three more cards automatically popped out, and after drawing them into his hand, the deck once again automatically shuffled with a swishing sound.
"Even if you get so many miscellaneous monsters, what's the point?" Brother Maze was indifferent, "Continue the attack.
Then use 'Water Demon God - Siga' to attack the monster you have covered on the field!"
This time, it was the monster Judai had covered that was struck. The Covering Card turned over, revealing a fluffy little ball with white wings flapping.
"Kurikuri!"
[Feathered Chestnut Ball, Defense Power 200]
The small Chestnut Ball was destroyed in the storm, but immediately released a white energy shield to protect the two of them.
Judai: "The effect of Feathered Chestnut Ball! During the turn this card is destroyed, all battle damage I would take becomes 0!"
"Damage negating ability? In that case, continuing the attack is meaningless, end of the battle phase."
Brother Maze raised his arm high.
"Now, let me show you our ultimate trump card!
Sacrifice 'Thunder Demon God - Sangha', 'Wind Demon God - Shuga', and 'Water Demon God - Siga' on the field!"
The three Demon Gods were each engulfed by pillars of light of thunder, wind, and water, energy soaring to the sky, and under the Duelist's command, they fused into one.
"When the power of the three great Demon Gods combines, the force of generations of guarding appears here! Come forth, our brother's trump card—
——Gate Guardian!"
The fusion of the three great Demon Gods, with the words "Thunder," "Wind," "Water" sequentially imprinted on the chest and abdomen, the three-colored Demon God descended with a bang, causing the entire dueling field to tremble as if under the power of a Demon God's descent!
[Gate Guardian, Attack Power 3750]
Gate Guardian, summoned!!!