"The effect of Book of Eclipse—I set Rose Tentacles face-down!"
The red-covered book appeared above the field, its pages turning slowly. A darkened sun hung in midair as if being eaten by shadow, shining down coldly; the light and shade became strangely sinister.
Under the swallowed black sun, the vine seemed to fall into hypnosis, sinking into "sleep" and becoming a horizontal, face-down monster card. At the same time, Trueman's King Kong also "fell asleep," dropping prone and turning into a face-down card.
Book of Eclipse didn't just neutralize Kira's vine and the triple-attack—it also set King Kong face-down, preparing it for next turn's offense. When King Kong flips, it can destroy up to two cards on the field, a powerful removal effect comparable to Gladiator Beast Gyzarus.
And because Rose Tentacles was set face-down and no longer a valid equipped target, the Equip Spell Power of the Guardians in Kira's back row shattered into pieces with a snap.
"With just one card you dismantled that formation. Not bad—you're not as trash as you look," Kira chuckled.
Trueman didn't mind the mockery and smiled back. "Oh? Still in the mood to sneer—so that's the king's confidence, is it?"
He wanted to see whether this man could remain so calm when forced to the brink.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Heaven and Earth'," Kira said. "In a turn you performed a Tribute Summon, draw 2 cards. But cards drawn by this effect cannot be used this turn—and if you can Set cards, you must Set at least 1 of them to the field."
Kira then took another card from his hand.
"I Set one card. End my turn."
Then Kira smiled. "Book of Eclipse doesn't only set monsters, right?"
Trueman snorted. "At the end of the turn in which Book of Eclipse is activated, all face-down monsters on your opponent's field are flipped to face-up Defense Position. And for each monster flipped by this effect, your opponent draws 1 card."
Kira only had Rose Tentacles, so it flipped from face-down to face-up.
"I draw 1 card."
Kira drew.
In fact, in the old duelist community from his previous life, Book of Eclipse had a famous "moment." In a World Championship finals match, after a player used it, both players forgot to resolve the end-of-turn flip and the opponent's draw effect.
Even funnier, the judge seemed to forget too. They played many turns before suddenly remembering—but by then, rewinding wasn't realistic, so the players agreed to just continue as-is.
People always meme the Pharaoh's "making up rules," but "talking your way through it" has always been a core Yu-Gi-Oh tradition—even at today's Worlds Champion, it's not as if such incidents never happen.
At its core, "talking your way through" is just persuading the other side with your tongue. If you say it confidently enough that your opponent can't refute it and believes you, then rules become smoke.
Modern tournaments aren't free of it; it's just harder than in the early days. A would-be rules-lawyer must be extremely fluent in "K language," understand loopholes, and know which effect timings can be disputed.
If you can convince both the opponent and the judge, you become the absolute rule. Harder—but in essence not so different from how the Pharaoh dominated Duelist Kingdom.
Trueman said: "My turn. Draw."
"I activate Pot of Greed, and draw 2 cards from my Deck."
Trueman drew, then narrowed his eyes behind the sunglasses and thought for a moment.
Then he said: "Once again, I flip my face-down Primineral Kongreat to face-up Defense Position."
The set monster flipped; the pitch-black rock giant ape rose again, roaring and pounding its chest with both fists.
[Primineral Kongreat, ATK 3000]
"When King Kong is flipped, destroy up to two cards on the field!"
Trueman thought for two seconds, then pointed at Kira's field.
"Destroy Rose Tentacles—and the Continuous Spell The World Tree!"
Kira had only said The World Tree could gain counters from Plant destruction, without revealing its full function. Trueman instinctively sensed it was dangerous—possibly a combo key—and decided it had to go.
"At this moment, my Trap also triggers," Kira said. "Trap Card 'Card of Pandora'."
The face-down flipped open—and bizarrely, the Trap swapped places with the targeted The World Tree, appearing directly in the path of King Kong's punch.
"Card of Pandora can only be activated when a card in your Spell/Trap Zone becomes the target of a card effect," Kira said. "Change that effect's target to this card, then draw 2 cards." (Anime Card)
King Kong's mighty punch was forced off course, redirected to the Trap. The blow shattered the Trap card.
Of course, it also smashed Rose Tentacles on the field.
"I draw 2 cards," Kira said.
At the same time, one indicator light lit up on the The World Tree.
"Because a Plant-Type monster on the field was destroyed, The World Tree gains 1 'Flower Counter'."
Trueman frowned, annoyed he hadn't destroyed his intended target, but then immediately played another card.
"Next, I activate the Spell 'Double Attack'.
By discarding a monster from your hand, this card lets a monster you control with a lower Level than the discarded monster attack twice this turn."
Trueman discarded a monster.
"I discard my Level 9 'Infernal Flame Emperor' to let Primineral Kongreat attack twice this turn!"
Kira laughed. "Even so, you prioritized destroying my monster and my Continuous Spell—so you're looking down on my face-down back row that much?"
Trueman snorted. "Because there's no need.
Enter the Battle Phase. And at this moment, I activate this card—"
He raised his hand and played yet another Spell.
"I activate the Spell 'Anti-Magic Arrows'!
This card can only be activated at the start of the Battle Phase, and no other card effects can be activated in response to it.
After this card resolves, until the end of the turn, neither player can activate any Spell or Trap Cards!"
Kira nodded in realization. "I see. So that's why you ignored my back row."
Trueman looked pleased. "Exactly. No matter what you set, it's meaningless. In front of Anti-Magic Arrows, your face-downs are completely useless.
Go, King Kong!"
King Kong roared as if answering its master's command.
"Direct attack the Duel King!"
King Kong's fist came down again, the wind screaming—like a thunderclap smashing straight toward him. The sealing arrows fell like dense rain, pinning Kira's remaining face-down cards like a pincushion, nailing them to the ground so they couldn't move at all.
A refined vampire lady giggled softly at Kira's ear. "Do you need me again, Master?"
"Yes—please," Kira smiled. "I'll reward you properly tonight when we get back."
He revealed a card in his hand.
"When my opponent declares an attack, I Special Summon 'Vampire Fraulein' from my hand in Defense Position."
A pale, elegant vampire under a parasol landed gracefully, then lazily yawned.
"Honestly, Master. You really know how to put people to work."
[Vampire Fraulein, DEF 2000]
…