Now the Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast on Daichi Misawa's field was selected by Machine Duplication and split into three, as two more heavy Machina units appeared on the field.
Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast, ATK 2800 x2
A student in the crowd cried out, "Using that method to Summon three level seven monsters at once!"
High above, Professor Chronos de Medici nodded repeatedly. "As expected of an elite freshman, Daichi Misawa is far more impressive than that Manjoume."
Even the frustration from earlier, when the student he had deliberately supported was crushed by Judai Yuki and risked letting a weak student rise into Yellow Dormitory, faded somewhat.
"But can it really go that smoothly?" Asuka Tenjoin said. "That Yugen's Duel is…"
Her gaze unconsciously shifted to the set cards in Yugen's back row.
From personal experience, she knew better than to ignore any single set card of his.
Sure enough, Yugen raised his hand and flipped one. "I activate my set card, the Trap Card 'Torrential Tribute.' When a monster is Summoned, special Summoned, or flip Summoned, destroy all monsters on the field!"
"Just as expected," Asuka Tenjoin said.
She knew Yugen would never let things be that simple.
The Duel had just begun, yet the offense and defense were already so intense that the surrounding students held their breath. Daichi Misawa had built an OTK formation in a single flashy turn, but now it seemed all his resources would be wiped out by a single card, putting him at a total disadvantage.
Even so, Daichi Misawa remained calm and instead showed a confident smile. "As expected. The statistics show that hand destruction and trap interference are tools you heavily invest in across all your Decks. But this was all anticipated. Watch closely, first place. This is my answer!"
He raised his hand, and when the face down card flipped, it felt as if immense pressure swept across the field.
"Continuous Trap, Royal Decree. As long as this card remains on the field, all other Trap Cards on both sides of the field are negated!"
The effect of Torrential Tribute was immediately nullified, and the raging flood turned into a fading illusion.
"Royal Decree." Ryo Marufuji murmured. "Against a trap focused Deck, its suppression is devastating. It looks like Daichi Misawa truly did thorough investigation in advance. In that case, his opponent is in a very bad position."
"With traps completely sealed and Morphtronic monsters on the field, even surviving this turn would be difficult. Breaking through such a formation on the next turn would be almost impossible."
"That is true. However." Asuka Tenjoin crossed her arms, leaning on the railing with a small smile. "Underestimating that guy comes with a price."
"Oh?" Ryo glanced at her. "I heard you dueled him before. Did you gain some insight?"
"Yes."
As she spoke, Asuka Tenjoin briefly recalled facing the Machina empowered by Fivefold Fusion, that overwhelming force. She remembered exhausting every option, only to be left with a deep sense of helplessness.
"I think the impression that he heavily relies on trap control might itself be part of his strategy." Asuka Tenjoin said.
"What do you mean?"
"He deliberately shapes that image so everyone remembers that as his most obvious trait. Anyone who analyzes him will naturally start from that point. If someone secretly gathers information to counter him, it should put him at a disadvantage. But if he intentionally uses that crafted image as bait…"
"…then the way the enemy chooses to counter becomes predictable, and the disadvantage turns into his advantage." Ryo understood, but frowned slightly. "If that is really the case, this freshman's thinking is extremely deep. And it only works if he can skillfully handle many different tactics even without relying on his usual ones. Are you sure he is that kind of Duelist?"
"I think he might be. He is very strong." Asuka Tenjoin said seriously.
Ryo smiled. "For someone who has only met him once, you have a lot of confidence in him."
Asuka Tenjoin replied, "That is not true at all. I just understand because I have faced him once."
"I activate the Equip Spell 'Power of the Guardians' and equip it to one 'Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast'!"
An Equip Card rose in Daichi Misawa's back row, and Golden Guardian Light Cage wrapped around the entire body of a Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast. The metal frame locked in place, giving the machine a guarded sheen.
"When the equipped monster battles, it gains a Spell Counter and its ATK increases by 500," Daichi Misawa said. "And by removing a Spell Counter from this card, I can protect the equipped monster from destruction by battle or card effects. Then I enter the Battle Phase!"
Daichi Misawa waved his hand and launched the attack.
"With traps sealed, you cannot stop my assault now. Like I said, this turn decides it, First Place. First, 'Mathematician' attacks the face-down monster!"
The face-down card flipped to reveal a blonde female magician crouched behind her staff.
Apprentice Magician, DEF 800.
Eight hundred DEF could not hold. Mathematician swung its wand, but instead of magic it fired a long stream of formulas and symbols that spun around the magician.
Apprentice Magician struggled to resist, but the pressure overwhelmed her. She clutched her head, cried out, and exploded in a burst of light.
Yugen could oddly relate to that.
Math really could make someone explode on the spot.
"'Apprentice Magician's effect," Yugen Do said. "When this card is destroyed by battle, I Special Summon one Level 2 or lower Spellcaster Type monster from my Deck in face-down Defense Position."
He spread his Deck and drew a card.
"'Apprentice Magician' itself is Level 2 or lower, so I set a second 'Apprentice Magician' from my Deck face-down."
"So it is a monster with a last words effect. Then Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast Unit One, attack the face-down magician again. At this moment, the effect of 'Power of the Guardians' equipped to Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast activates. Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast's ATK increases by 500!"
Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast, ATK 2800 to ATK 3300.
Heavy firepower shattered the second magician, and the last words effect triggered again.
"This time I set the Level 1 'Magician of Faith' from my Deck."
Magician of Faith, DEF 400.
"Then Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast Unit Two, attack Magician of Faith!"
The face-down card flipped, revealing a small magician. In that instant, she swept her staff, and sparkling light fell into Yugen's Duel Disk Graveyard zone.
"At this moment, Magician of Faith's effect activates. When this card is flipped, I can add one Spell Card from my Graveyard to my hand."
Yugen took the Spell Card that popped out of the Graveyard.
"I recover 'Delinquent Duo' from my Graveyard."
"Everything got blocked," Daichi Misawa said.
Now he only had one Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast left that had not attacked, with its ATK reduced to 400. Because of Shooting Star Bow - Ceal, it could still attack directly. (ANIME EFFECT)
"The last 'Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast' attacks directly!"
Yugen closed his eyes and stood straight, calmly taking the holographic bombardment.
Yugen, LP 3000 to LP 2600.
The damage barely mattered, more venting than real harm.
"Then I activate the other effect of 'Wonder Wand', sending this card and the equipped monster to the Graveyard to draw two cards. I send 'Wonder Wand' and 'Mathematician' to the Graveyard and draw two!"
After the Card Draw, he immediately played one of them.
"Spell Card 'Seven Star Sword'! Banish one Level 7 monster from my hand or field to draw two cards. I banish the Level 7 'Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast' on my field and draw two more. Then I end my turn!"
"To My Turn!, Card Draw," Yugen said. "First, I activate Spell Card 'Pot of Greed' and draw two cards from my Deck."
He then played the card recovered by Magician of Faith last turn.
"Spell Card 'Delinquent Duo'! I pay 1000 Life Points, randomly discard one card from my hand, then my opponent chooses one card from his hand to discard."
Yugen, LP 2600 to LP 1600.
"For the random one, discard the second card from the left," Yugen said casually.