The deck Yugen is using this time is not the "Emperor Control" build that won him the world championship years ago—after all, he only has one copy of the emperor "Wind Emperor Leiza," making it impossible for him to utilize the Emperor Control strategy.
However, he's now employing another powerful upper-tier deck from those days, the deck [Blast Wind Leiza] that came to fruition shortly after Wind Emperor Leiza made its debut. The deck's name is derived from its two core components, "Wind Emperor Leiza" and the Trap Card "Phoenix Wings Storm."
Therefore, it's quite clear that this is a "top control" type deck specialized in returning the opponent's cards on the field back to the top of their deck.
Players who have fallen victim to similar tactics can probably appreciate how aggravating this strategy is. It's annoying enough in reality, and even more so in this animation world filled with divine draws.
Take now, for example, that guy across the table looks like he's about to cry...
Yugen put a card from his hand into the graveyard of the Duel Disc.
"Therefore, I discard a card from my hand to bounce 'Dark Storm Dragon' back to the top of the deck."
Delta's eyes widened in despair.
He only had one card left in his hand, and it wasn't a card that could offer him hope of turning the game around in this situation. If Dark Storm Dragon got bounced back to the top of the deck, even if he managed to survive to the next turn, he would just end up drawing the Dark Storm Dragon again during the draw phase, leaving him with two immovable cards.
And so, it would come down to that old saying—
—Some people are alive, but they are already dead.
Is this the end...?
Delta struggled to lift his head and look forward, at Yugen standing in front of him. At that moment, he felt as if this person's presence was towering infinitely in his vision, transforming into an insurmountable mountain, an abstract entity called destiny.
Perhaps the opponent was right.
This card, finally bounced back to the top of the deck, was his predestined fate. Despite his utmost efforts, all he did was futile, a meaningless struggle.
In the end, he couldn't change anything, much like how he was destined to draw "Dark Storm Dragon" again in the next turn.
"I'm sorry, Father."
He instinctively closed his eyes.
But the opponent was too strong.
With eyes closed, a man's image seemed to appear again before him.
Still expressionless, without any sound, yet even so, that gaze felt like a cold steel blade, heavily striking at his heart.
The pain brought him back to his senses.
"No... it's not over yet."
He reopened his eyes, the echoes of his promise from the past resounding once more in his ears.
"I will never let you down."
He was the most outstanding among all the children, entrusted with all of his father's hopes, the most special one. He couldn't fail.
"Chain 'Phoenix Wings' Bursting Wind' to activate the Cover Card!" Delta shouted, "Speed Attack Magic—
—Magic Textbook!" (Original Card)
Yugen frowned.
Seems like... an anime-original card? What the heck was it again?
"This card can only be activated by discarding all the cards in your hand."
Delta discarded his hand to the graveyard, speaking in a low voice.
"Draw a card from the top of the deck, if it's a Magic Card, you can activate its effect outright, bypassing any cost. If not, send it to the graveyard."
Oh, Yugen remembered now, a card Ousama used. Back in Sky Arena, during the moment when Kaiba's Giant Divine Soldiers attacked Dark Game's Sky Dragon, Dark Game activated this card, discarded all his hand cards, then drew a "Celestial Treasure Scroll" with a divine draw, boosting Sky Dragon's Attack Power to 6000 in an instant, leaving Kaiba baffled...
It seemed now that it was indeed Delta's last opportunity to activate this card. If the effect of Phoenix Wings' Bursting Wind resolved and "Dark Storm Dragon" got bounced to the top of the deck again, then activating the Magic Textbook now would certainly result in drawing Dark Storm Dragon, not a Magic Card, making him virtually a dead man in the next turn.
This was Delta's truly desperate, last-resort draw, betting everything on it.
"Interesting." Yugen squinted slightly.
Can even an artificially created AI wield such unwavering fighting spirit to achieve a divine draw like a true Duelist with Destiny Power?
Once the effect resolves, Delta would end up completely empty-handed on an empty field.
He glanced at his deck, extending his hand to the topmost card, and closed his eyes.
In the darkness, the image of his father appeared once more before his eyes.
"..."
"—Draw!"
Delta drew a card, immediately lifting it high in the air.
"Magic Card—
—Dragon's Mirror!"
Yugen raised an eyebrow.
Good grief, he actually pulled it off.
"With the effect of Dragon's Mirror, by banishing the fusion material monsters from the graveyard, I can perform a Fusion Summon for a Fusion Monster!"
Delta shouted, as five cards swiftly exited the graveyard.
"I banish from the graveyard, 'Tyrant Dragon,' 'Bombardment Dragon' and 'Praying Dragon' discarded by Angel's Charity, 'Ice and Flame Dual Dragon' destroyed in the last turn, and 'Army Dragon' discarded just now as the activation cost of Magic Textbook...
... a total fusion of five Dragon Race!"
Five dragons appeared in sequence, getting swept into a whirlpool of fusion.
An eye-catching pillar of light surged upward from the vortex of five colors, Earth, Water, Flame, Wind, and Darkness. The divine dragon spread its golden wings, a massive divine dragon descended as if overshadowing the heavens and the earth!
"The world's strongest and most sinister composite divine dragon, descend with the power to shatter destiny—
—Five Emperors Dragon, Summon!!!"
[Five Emperors Dragon, Attack Power 5000]
The pinnacle of Yu-Gi-Oh!'s base stats, the first five-part fusion, Five Emperors Dragon descends!
Yugen looked up at the formidable divine dragon, as though he could feel the overwhelming pressure from the elemental storm. Although Five Emperors Dragon was mocked by players as "not even a wall," the aura of a Duel Monster was certainly imposing.
"Direct attack of the Five Emperors Dragon!"
Delta roared at the top of his lungs.
Five mouths of the Five Emperors Divine Dragon opened simultaneously, breaths of five elements gathered in its maw, seeming as if to unleash an extinction-level attack.
Facing the vortex in Five Emperors Dragon's mouth with nothing on his field, Yugen did not flinch, merely murmuring as if talking to himself, "Even if it's the AI's persistence, it can reach this extent.
At least as far as a duel goes, it's an opponent worth respecting."
He paused for a moment and smiled slightly.
"However..."
Yugen waved his hand, and the vortex leading to the graveyard opened up in front of him.
"The effect of 'Resurrection Chestnut Ball' in the graveyard activates."
Delta was taken aback: "Resurrection Chestnut Ball? When...was it a card discarded last turn?"
"When an opponent's monster declares an attack, remove this card in the graveyard from play, and you can Special Summon any number of 'Chestnut Ball' monsters in your graveyard."
Yugen drew a card that was exiting the graveyard.
"I revive the 'Feathered Chestnut Ball' in the graveyard!"
[Feathered Chestnut Ball, Defense Power 200]
"This guy again?" Delta scoffed, "Really troublesome... then the battle rewinds, Five Emperors Dragon attacks 'Feathered Chestnut Ball'..."
"Don't rush." Yugen smiled, "There's also this card, the latest research result from our laboratory that hasn't been publicly released yet."
Ever since he obtained Wind Emperor Leiza, he specially formed a special project group related to the Emperor Series to conduct research and development on new Emperor cards.
"What?" Delta had an ominous feeling again.
"Trap Card 'Dark Upper-level Summon'." Yugen said, "It can return monsters with Attack Power 2400 or more and Defense Power 1000 in my graveyard to the hand.
And after that, you can Upper-level Summon monsters with Attack Power 2400 or more and Defense Power 1000 in your hand."
Delta was shocked.
Upper-level Summon during the opponent's turn!?
And a monster with Attack Power 2400 or more and Defense Power 1000, isn't that...
"That's right, so I return the 'Wind Emperor Leiza' in the graveyard to the hand." Yugen calmly said, "Next, I use the 'Feathered Chestnut Ball' on the field as a tribute for an Upper-level Summon!
The Emperor who wields the wind descends once again—
——Wind Emperor Leiza, Summon!"
The Feathered Chestnut Ball dissolved into golden light, a green storm erupted skyward, and an unassailable Emperor appeared in the fierce wind!
[Wind Emperor Leiza, Attack Power 2400]
"Then Wind Emperor Leiza's effect, upon successful summon, returns a card on the field to the top of the card deck."
Yugen pointed at Delta's field.
"Return the 'Five Emperors Dragon' to the card deck. Of course, since the Five Emperors Dragon is a Fusion Monster, it can't go to the top of the card deck, so it returns to the Fusion Card Deck instead."
The Emperor's hurricane erupted, and the green storm neutralized the elemental vortex of the Five Emperors Dragon's roar, consuming the Five-headed Dragon until it completely dissipated in the wind.
This made four.
Delta opened his mouth, looking at his now empty field, wanting to say something, but could only choke back his words silently.
All that remained on his face was sadness, grievance, and unwillingness.
Why...?
Bounced back to the card deck again...
He had already gone all out, clearly having performed beyond his usual level...
Is this what they call an unshakable fate?
"My turn, I draw a card."
Yugen calmly drew a card, then waved his hand again.
"Activate the final Cover Card, Trap Card - Recruitment Order.
Examine the top card of the opponent's card deck, if it's a monster that can be summoned, then Special Summon it to my field.
If it's another card, that card is added to the opponent's hand."
Delta: "!!!"
Still immersed in the grievance of the previous turn, Delta almost jumped up.
What?
Recruitment Order!?
Check the top card of his own card deck, and that card is...
"Come, let me see the top card of your card deck." Yugen smiled.
"You...you friggin'..."
Delta's face twitched for a moment.
Yet, even though he didn't move, the top card of his card deck automatically obediently popped out and hovered in mid-air, displayed for all to see.
"Ha, my luck is really good."
Yugen took the card that automatically flew into his hand, smiling as he showed it off.
"It's actually 'Dark Storm Dragon', perfect for a summon."
Delta: "......"
He swore, since he was born into this world, he'd never wanted to hit someone as much as he wanted to now.
"Then, Special Summon 'Dark Storm Dragon' onto my field."
[Dark Storm Dragon, Attack Power 2700]
Delta looked up, watching as the monster his father gifted him, which symbolized all his hopes, arrived on his opponent's side, and for a moment, he seemed to see his father's shadow within the dragon.
It just stood there, across from him, cold and knife-like gaze just like in his memories.
Delta opened his mouth again, but finally shook his head bitterly.
"Battle time. Wind Emperor Leiza, Dark Storm Dragon, direct attack." Yugen commanded.
Delta closed his eyes.
Sorry, father, but I've really tried my best.
But the opponent...he's not human...
[Delta, LP 3900→LP 0]