Seeing that he was apparently being mistaken for another BOSS lying unconscious nearby, Yumi decided to just… go along with it.
While correcting them would make things simpler. Honestly, he was a little curious how this would play out.
So he stayed where he was, Duel Disk active, posture relaxed, saying nothing.
[Yumi, LP 4000]
[Yugi, Jaden, Yusei, LP 4000]
"I'll go first," Yusei said, already stepping forward. He placed his fingers on his deck without hesitation. "Draw!"
Yumi watched quietly as Yusei looked through his hand, expression calm but focused.
"Spell Card, Tuning!" Yusei placed the card down. "This lets me add a Tuner monster from my Deck to my hand. Then I send cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard equal to that monster's Level."
His deck shuffled smoothly, and a card jumped out.
"I'll add the Tuner Monster, Junk Synchron to my hand."
He slid the card into his hand, then immediately sent three cards from the top of his deck to the Graveyard.
The Tuner monster was a rather special existence among Duel Monsters.
They had abilities that other monsters did not have. They could adjust the level of monsters and integrate the power of multiple weak monsters to summon powerful power
Well, to put it very grandly, it was actually simple math within twelve.
Take a Tuner monster. Add a non-Tuner monster. If the total of their Levels matched the Level of a Synchro monster in the Extra Deck, you could Special Summon it.
For example. A Level 1 Tuner plus a Level 7 non-Tuner gave you a Level 8 Synchro monster. And a Level 2 Tuner plus a Level 4 non-Tuner gave you a Level 6 Synchro monster. And so on.
This summoning method was called Synchro Summon, and in the future, it would go on to completely dominate the Duel Monsters meta for a good while.
Which was exactly what Yusei intended to do.
Under normal circumstances, a Synchro Summon wasn't something you could casually perform anywhere. It relied on a perpetual motion system known as Momentum, which produced Planetary Particles that acted as the medium for synchronization.
In other words, without Momentum, Synchro Summoning shouldn't have been possible.
But, in the current DM era, it should have been completely impossible. Still, that didn't really matter. After all, this was a protagonist.
And Yu-Gi-Oh's protagonists normally have their built-in cheat.
As a Signer, Yusei had his own Planetary Particles, even if he traveled back to the Jurassic, he can still play synchronism. This was the power of the main characters.
"I summon the Tuner Monster, Junk Synchron!"
Yusei placed the card onto his Duel Disk. A short, compact machine warrior materialized on the field, orange armor gleaming faintly, a small engine humming on its back.
[Junk Synchron, 1300 ATK]
"Junk Synchron's effect!" Yusei continued. "When this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower monster from my Graveyard."
He glanced toward the Graveyard zone.
"Show yourself, Speed Warrior!"
A card launched out, and Yusei set it into place. A lean warrior in black clothing and dark gray armor appeared, small wheels spinning beneath his feet as he landed.
[Speed Warrior, 900 ATK]
"Tuning Speed Warrior together with Junk Synchron!"
Junk Synchron reached back and pulled the cord embedded in its body. The engine roared briefly before its form began to glow. It split into three bright green rings that expanded outward, surrounding Speed Warrior.
The rings glowed brightly, and both monsters dissolved into streaks of light.
[3+2=5]
"Show yourself!" Yusei declared. "Junk Warrior!"
A larger machine warrior emerged from the converging light, purple-blue armor locking into place as it landed firmly on the field. A long, ragged white scarf trailed behind it, fluttering slightly as it straightened.
[Junk Warrior, 2300 ATK]
"I'll set two cards," Yusei said, placing them down behind Junk Warrior. "Turn end."
Two face-down cards materialized on the field, neatly aligned.
Yumi smiled faintly as he placed his fingers on his deck.
"Draw."
He glanced at his hand, then immediately moved.
"Spell Card, Take Over 5! I send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard."
Five cards slid cleanly off the top of his deck and vanished into the Graveyard zone. Then he placed down another card.
"Spell Card, Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! This lets me add a Sky Striker card from my Deck to my hand."
His deck shuffled, and a card shot out smoothly. Yumi caught it between two fingers and raised it slightly so the other three could see.
"I'll add Sky Striker Ace – Raye. And since I have three or more Spells in my Graveyard…" He drew another card. "…I get to draw one more card."
He slid the extra card into his hand before immediately pulling another forward.
"I summon Sky Striker Ace – Raye."
Blue data gathered in front of him, forming into a familiar, slender figure. Raye landed lightly on the field, pale blonde hair drifting as she steadied herself, katana held comfortably in her hands.
[Sky Striker Ace - Raye, 1500 ATK]
Yugi, Jaden, and Yusei all stared.
They had been expecting more dragons. Or machine dragons. Or at the very least, something enormous and vaguely threatening, like a dragon.
Instead, they got a schoolgirl with a sword.
"Henshin," Yumi added casually.
Raye's body glowed with a bright golden light. The armor shattered and reassembled instantly, her usual outfit replaced by angular, flame-colored armor. Mechanical wings unfolded behind her as she landed with more weight this time.
"Sky Striker Ace - Kagari!"
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari, 1500 ATK]
The three look somewhat shocked at the transformation, as Yumi forgot to tell them how she changed form.
"Kagari's effect," he continued without missing a beat. "When she's Summoned, I can add a Sky Striker Spell from my Graveyard to my hand."
A card popped out of his Graveyard.
"I'll add Engage back and activate it." Yumi said, immediately activating it again.
His deck shuffled once more.
"I'll add Sky Striker Maneuver – Jamming Waves to my hand." He drew again. "And since I still have three or more Spells in my Graveyard, I draw one more."
Without pausing, Yumi raised the newly added card.
"Spell Card, Jamming Waves. I destroy the set card on your left."
Blue energy rippled outward. Yusei's face-down card flipped up for just a moment, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, before shattering into fragments of light.
"Now, I activate The Claw of Hermos!" Yumi raised the card high as a red-scaled, long-clawed dragon appeared, roaring loudly.
"I sent The Tyrant Neptune in my hand to the grave and Fusion Summon!"
The ground seemed to darken as a massive reptilian tyrant appeared beside Hermos, its presence immediately unsettling.
It smiled sinisterly before laughing ominously, sending a chill down the spines of the other three Duelists.
Neptune: Ahahahaha! The Master finally rewarded me with a new support card!
The Tyrant Neptune was just happy that it finally got a new card that supports it. Well, it's more like it supports another card, but hey, this is still progress! This means its dedication and hard work have been acknowledged by the Master.
Sooner or later, it will get its own support!
The Tyrant Neptune merged with The Claw of Hermos, their forms collapsing inward.
"Show yourself," Yumi said flatly. "Tyrant Scythe."
A massive black-metal scythe slammed into the ground, its blade embedded deep as an ominous aura pulsed outward.
[Tyrant Scythe, 0 ATK]
"Now," Yumi continued, "Kagari gains 100 ATK for each Spell in my Graveyard."
The metal wings behind her spread wide as faint flames rose along the armor.
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari, 1500 -> 2200 ATK]
"I activate Tyrant Scythe's effect, equipping it to Kagari!" Yumi said as Kagari stepped toward the scythe, her fingers wrapped around its handle before pulling it free from the ground.
The moment she lifted the scythe, the black, ominous shadow of the Tyrant Neptune rose behind her, laughing excitedly. This caused the other three protagonists to tense up while Yumi sighed. He knew that this reptile was just happy. But its laugh is enough to scare children.
"Tyrant Scythe's effect, once per turn, I can Tribute a monster on the field, and the equipped monster gains that monster's ATK, DEF, and effect until the end of this turn,"
That earned him three confused looks.
"Tribute a monster? But you only have one monster..." Yugi murmured before his eyes widened.
"I never said the monster needs to be on my field." Yumi said calmly as Raye swung the scythe.
A sharp arc of energy tore across the field and struck Junk Warrior, engulfing it in golden light before it vanished completely.
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari, 2200 -> 4500 ATK]
"Battle," Yumi said calmly. "Kagari, direct attack."
Hearing the command, Kagari charged forward, scythe in hand, ready to swing down at the three in front of her.
"Tyrant Slaughter!"
"Trap Card! Defense Draw!" Yusei shouted, flipping his final face-down. "I take zero battle damage from this battle and draw one card!"
The attack landed, but the energy dispersed harmlessly.
Kagari stepped back, scythe resting against her shoulder, eyes still locked on her opponents.
Yusei exhaled shakily, sweat running down his face as he drew a card.
That was close; he almost got OTK'd.
Yumi glanced at his hand one last time. "I set three cards face-down. Turn end."
Three cards appeared behind Kagari as she relaxed her stance slightly.
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari, 4500 -> 2200 ATK]
"Sorry," Yusei said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I almost cost us the Duel."
He knew it without anyone needing to point it out. Compared to the two Duelists who edged their name into history standing beside him, his experience, especially against something like this, was still lacking.
"Don't sweat it, Yusei," Jaden said immediately, flashing his usual easy grin and giving him a thumbs-up. "We're still in this."
Yugi nodded in agreement. "It's fine. As long as we believe in the heart of the cards, there's nothing we can't overcome."
Then his expression shifted as he turned toward Yumi, eyes sharpening just a little.
"My turn. Draw!"
Yugi drew and didn't even get a chance to look at his hand.
"Quick-Play Spell, Awakening from Within!" Yumi flipped one of his face-down cards open the moment the card hit Yugi's hand. "You draw two cards, and I get to add a monster from my Deck to my hand."
A counter-printed card to the anime-only Awakening from Beyond, which is a normal spell, and adds a monster from the grave instead of the deck.
Yugi drew the two cards. At the same time, a card popped out of Yumi's deck.
"I'll add Droll & Lock Bird to my hand." He raised the card briefly.
Yugi looked down at his hand, but before he could even play, Yumi waved his hand again.
"Trap Card, Talisman of Reversal." Another face-down flipped open. "When you add a card from your Deck to your hand outside your Draw Phase, I draw until I have the same number of cards in my hand."
Yumi calmly drew, one card after another, until seven fresh cards joined his hand.
Yugi watched the process with growing tension. The last thing he needed right now was an opponent with overwhelming attack power and a full hand, especially one who had almost ended the Duel before he even got a proper turn.
But before Yugi could even pick a card in his hand to play.
"Trap Card, Trickstar Reincarnation." Yumi flipped another card. "Banish your entire hand. Then you draw the same number of cards."
Yugi stiffened as the eight cards in his hand were removed from play. He folded them in his hand, but before he could even banish them.
"And I chain Droll & Lock Bird."
Yumi raised the monster card and sent it to the Graveyard.
"When you add a card from your Deck to your hand outside your Draw Phase, I can discard this. Until the end of this turn, neither of us can add cards from the Deck to the hand."
Yugi: "..."
There was a long pause.
Slowly, reluctantly, he accepted the outcome. His entire hand was gone, and he wasn't allowed to replace it.
"…Turn end," Yugi said, with absolutely nothing he could do.
Yumi is determined not to let Yugi play
Although this Yugi still hasn't reached the bullshit-level of card printing shown at the end of his journey, Yumi isn't risking it. Who knows what random bullshit and suddenly new card effect would appear if he let Yugi play?
He could directly print an effect into a blank card during mid duel, who knows what else he could do.
"Draw."
Yumi drew and briefly looked down at his hand, eyes scanning the cards as if he were checking off a list rather than planning anything flashy.
"I banish Take Over 5 in my Graveyard and another copy from my Deck," he said evenly. "To draw two cards."
The two cards vanished in soft golden particles, dissolving cleanly as Yumi drew twice more. His hand barely paused before moving again.
"Spell Card, Take Over 5." He raised the third copy. "I send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard."
Five more cards dropped into the Graveyard without ceremony. The flames around Kagari's armor flared slightly.
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari, 2100 -> 2400 ATK]
"I set three cards face-down."
Three new cards appeared behind Kagari, replacing the ones he had used earlier. The field was once again packed with backrow.
"Equip Spell, Blade Graveyard." He placed the card down. "I equip it to Kagari. She gains 800 ATK."
Around Kagari, old swords stabbed into the ground one by one, forming a ring. The blades stood upright like grave markers, their edges humming faintly as the area transformed into a silent field of steel.
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari, 2400 -> 3200 ATK]
Yumi raised his hand slightly.
"Kagari, direct attack."
Kagari surged forward, scythe held low at first, then pulled back as she closed the distance. Her gaze locked on Yugi, unblinking.
"Tyrant Slaughter."
The scythe came down in a clean arc. For a brief moment, Kagari's eyes glowed gold, the shadow of the Tyrant Neptune flickering behind her.
The impact sent the three duelists rolling backward across the field, their footing completely broken.
[Yugi, Jaden, Yusei, LP 4000 -> 800]
Yumi lowered his arm. "Turn end."
He watched as the three Duelists slowly pushed themselves back up, still reeling, while Kagari returned to her position, scythe resting at her side.
"He's even stronger than before…" Yusei murmured, staring at Kagari on the field. Shock showed on his face, mixed with a bit of quiet frustration.
"Sorry," Yugi said, still catching his breath as he pushed himself upright. "I didn't expect him to be this powerful…"
"It's alright, Yugi-san," Jaden said, forcing a smile as he rolled his shoulders. "Just like you said, so long as we're together, there's no way we'll lose."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted back to Yumi, before realizing just how similar their jacket were.
He wants to ask about the Slifer Red jacket, but he remembered what Yubel had told him. Remembered how Yusei and Yugi had both, independently, warned him just how dangerous this opponent was. Whatever question he had could wait.
Jaden decides to get serious.
His eyes flare golden using his Supreme King's power, which causes Yumi's eyes to flare crimson in response.
"It's... the same power as me?" Jaden murmurs before quickly shifting his eyes to Yubel's, which only causes Jaden to feel more tense seeing Yumi's enormous spirit energy, along with the sea of spirits standing beside him.
"My turn…" Jaden placed his fingers on top of his deck, feeling the pressure.
"Draw!"