No matter what Yugi was pondering inwardly, the duel on the field continued.
“Then I equip the <Black Metal Dragon> from my hand to <Red-Eyes Slash Dragon> as an Equip Card, increasing its ATK by 600!”
<Red-Eyes Slash Dragon>, ATK 2800 -> 3400
Although it couldn’t actively destroy Equip Cards like <Iron Knight>, as long as an effect that targeted a card on its controller’s field was activated, <Slash Dragon> could send its Equip Card to the Graveyard to negate and destroy that effect.
In the current environment, most back-row traps were targeting effects, making <Slash Dragon> extremely effective.
“I enter the Battle Phase!
<Red-Eyes Slash Dragon>, attack <Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight>!”
“At this moment, I activate its effect!
I equip a Warrior-Type monster from the Graveyard, increasing its ATK by 200!”
<Red-Eyes Slash Dragon>, ATK 3400 -> 3600
“Take this, Slash Assault!”
For most opponents, with their back row sealed and then taking a consecutive assault from ><Slash Dragon> and <Red-Eyes Black Dragon>, the duel would already be over.
But Yugi didn’t use his set cards at all.
Instead, he tossed a card from his hand into the Graveyard.
“I discard <Envoy of Chaos> from my hand and target my <Gaia> to activate its effect!
Until the end of this turn, its ATK increases by 1500!”
<Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight>, ATK 2300 -> 3800
“And monsters that battle <Gaia> will have their ATK revert to their original ATK during damage calculation!”
<Red-Eyes Slash Dragon>, ATK 3600 -> 2800
“D*mn it!” Jounouchi Mai’s heart jolted.
But there were very few cards that could be used during the damage step, and she had no way to respond.
“Counterattack, Gaia, Spiral Spear Strike!”
Facing the onrushing <Slash Dragon> that attacked with its wing blades, <Gaia> showed no mercy, raising his spear and thrusting down with all his might.
“Annihilation!”
Jounouchi Mai, LP 3500 -> 2500
“Whenever a monster from either player’s hand or field is sent to the Graveyard, <Gateway to Chaos> gains one Spell Counter.
Your <Slash Dragon> and its two equipped monsters were all sent to the Graveyard, plus <Envoy of Chaos>, so I gain a total of four Spell Counters at once.”
<Gateway to Chaos>, Spell Counters 0 -> 4
“It’s not that simple!” Jounouchi Mai clenched her teeth.
Originally, when <Red-Eyes Slash Dragon> is destroyed, it can Special Summon as many monsters equipped to it as possible.
Unfortunately, due to the self-restriction applied on the turn <Red-Eyes Fusion> is activated, preventing any other Summons or Special Summons that turn, the equipped monsters could not be revived.
“I enter Main Phase 2.
I set one monster in face-down Defense Position, switch the <Red-Eyes Black Dragon> that didn’t attack into Defense Position as well, then set one more card.
Turn end.”
On the turn <Red-Eyes Fusion> is used, the only thing you can really do is set monsters.
It can only be said that, by modern Yu-Gi-Oh!
standards, this card’s effect isn’t particularly powerful, yet it even comes with risks.
“My turn, draw!”
Since the opponent had gone into full retreat mode, it was time to press the attack.
Yugi shouted, “I activate the effect of <Gateway to Chaos>!
I remove three Spell Counters to add one Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand!”
“I activate the Spell Card I just added to my hand, <Super Soldier Synthesis>!
I send <Beginning Knight> and <Evening Twilight Knight> from my hand to the Graveyard to Ritual Summon…”
“One soul guides the light, one soul guides the darkness.
In the end, light and darkness create the chaotic environment, <Black Luster Soldier>, descend!”
The flames of the ritual blazed fiercely.
The two tribute monsters transformed into streams of black and white that converged at the center.
Finally, a handsome man clad in ornate armor, wielding a longsword and shield, cleaved the flames apart with a single strike and appeared stylishly on the field.
<Black Luster Soldier>, ATK 3000
“Although it’s not written on the card, based on the effects granted by <Beginning Knight> and <Evening Twilight Knight>, <Black Luster Soldier> gains multiple effects.
First, I activate its first effect, once per turn, I target one monster on your field and banish it!”
Yugi pointed forward.
“I banish your face-down Defense Position monster!”
“D*mn it…”
Jounouchi Mai frowned.
The monster she had set was <Red-Eyes Baby Dragon>.
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, it can activate its effect to Special Summon one Level 7 or lower “Red-Eyes” monster from the Deck, then equip itself to that monster.
If it had been destroyed by battle, Jounouchi Mai could have directly Special Summoned <Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning> from the Deck, then turned it into an Equip Card, and even <Blast with Chain> would have had a chance to come into play.
Unfortunately, Yugi banished it outright, leaving <Red-Eyes Baby Dragon> with no opportunity to activate its effect.
I activate it again and banish your <Black Metal Dragon>!”
That thing could search a “Red-Eyes” card every time it hit the Graveyard.
Yugi wasn’t about to let it keep jumping around.
“Next, I activate another effect granted by <Evening Twilight Knight> to <Black Luster Soldier>.
Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I randomly select one card from your hand and banish it until your next End Phase!”
“No!
My <Time Wizard>!” Jounouchi Mai cried out, but could only watch helplessly as her face-down hand card vanished into thin air.
“Good grief, you even have this thing?
You’re pushing your luck way too far, you lucky b*stard.”
Yugi wiped the sweat from his brow.
With her skin tone and his luck, it felt like <Time Wizard> would succeed every single turn and straight-up kill him.
“I now enter the Battle Phase!
<Black Luster Soldier>, attack <Red-Eyes Black Dragon>!
Chaos Slash!”
“Hah!”
<Black Luster Soldier> leapt high into the air, bringing his longsword down in a sweeping arc that split <Red-Eyes Black Dragon> clean in two.
“Another effect granted by <Beginning Knight> to <Black Luster Soldier>!
When this card destroys an opponent’s monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, it can attack again!”
“Boom!
Boom!”
Both “Red-Eyes” monsters shattered completely, and now Jounouchi Mai had no monsters left on her field.
“I attack directly with my <Arisen Gaia>!
At this moment, I flip my face-down card and activate the Trap Card <Armory Call>!
I add one Equip Spell Card from my Deck to my hand, then equip it to a monster on the field!”
“I equip <Lucky Iron Axe> to Gaia, increasing his ATK by 500!”
<Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight>, ATK 2300 -> 2800
If this attack landed, the duel would already be decided.
Yet there was little joy on Yugi’s face, because Jounouchi Mai still had two set cards.
Even if one of them was most likely the useless <Blast with Chain>, the other was still an unknown threat.
Sure enough, Jounouchi Mai swung her hand.
“Flip my face-down card and activate the Trap Card, <Amazoness Willpower>!”