"It's my turn!" The field rotated back to Youyu for the next move.
Pandora's LP remained at 1550, with only one Dark Magician left on the field.
Youyu's side had the magician and apprentice; this turn, he just needed to swap out the Dark Magician with the opponent and then let the Dark Magician Girl directly attack to achieve victory!
...If the two Set Cards in the backfield didn't contain any traps.
Logically speaking, after Pandora activated the Dark Magic Curtain last turn, there would only be the last two cards in hand, which should make bluffing more likely?
Pandora isn't exactly a world protagonist, a Rare Card Hunter using fake cards with a deck that probably lacks bonds and connections, how could he pull off accurate card prints?
Youyu blindly guessed that he might have set two magic cards for bluffing!
A true duelist cannot retreat in battle, let's skip the chatter and charge straight in!
Youyu waved his hand grandly: "Attack with Dark Magician! Dark Magic!"
Both Dark Magicians raised their staffs, mimicking each other's moves, charging their powers for a moment, then simultaneously charged forward. Their magic staffs twirled dazzlingly, drawing black traces that collided in mid-air.
...What? Are you asking why top-tier mages need to engage in melee combat?
Isn't mage melee combat common knowledge?
Starting with ten attribute points, two in Lighting Technique, leaving eight, half strength, half speed, isn't this the standard setup for a mage?
Then Pandora seemingly was actually producing cards on the spot: "Ha! This level of attack was anticipated by me long ago! Trap Card activated, Black Magic Illusion!
This trap can only be activated when a Dark Magician exists on your field. Until the end of the turn, the Dark Magician will not be destroyed by battle, and is unaffected by the opponent's card effects!"
Pandora paused and laughed heartily: "Surely in terms of magician skills, I am one step ahead! Thus, only your Dark Magician gets destroyed, and the situation shifts in my favor!"
...Alright, he really did print the card. Youyu might have underestimated the opponent; maybe Pandora is also a true duelist, always drawing cards that fit perfectly for the situation.
...But it still doesn't matter!
"Activate Magic Card from hand - Dark Magician Multi-Shot! Increase the attack power of your own field's Dark Magician by the attack power value of the Dark Magician Girl until the end of the turn!" Youyu quickly played another card.
What? You ask why didn't you activate it first then attack?
Since the rules allow you to use magic cards as Quick-Play, why waste the chance!
Both sides' Dark Magicians were fiercely clashing magic staffs at a high speed, the clanging sound of the staffs unceasing. At this moment, the Dark Magician Girl on Youyu's side darted into the battlefield, her small magic staff surging with dark glow, accumulating magical power...
...Then thrust it like a spear towards the opponent's waist.
After all, master's and apprentice's ways run in the same line, as the master leads in close combat, the apprentice naturally can't be left behind.
Youyu speculated perhaps this set of skills even had a name, something like "Staff Fighting Technique," renowned in the magician world as an advanced technique, thoroughly researching all kinds of angles and postures for staff hitting...
...Alright, he couldn't make it any further.
The Dark Magician Girl's effect is to increase her attack power by 300 for each Dark Magician present in both graveyards, thus her attack power is now 2300.
[Dark Magician (Youyu's side), Attack Power 2500 → Attack Power 4800]
Magic card effect activated, the Dark Magician's attack power surged all at once to a staggering 4800 points! Even if it can't destroy by battle, damage calculation should still apply, 2300 damage is still enough to wipe out Pandora's remaining LP!
Boom!!!
Magical collision triggered a rumbling, explosions transformed into a black storm soaring into the sky, sweeping towards Pandora like tides.
Yet when the battle ended and magical power dissipated, Pandora was still smiling cheerfully standing on the opposite side, his Dark Magician remained on the field.
Moreover, it seemed there's more...
[Pandora, LP 1550 → LP 3250]
Youyu raised an eyebrow.
So not only was LP not deducted, it actually increased even more?
"Haha, that was really close, but I used this card in the nick of time." Pandora chuckled softly, popped out a Trap Card from the Duel Disk Grave Zone, "I activated the Trap Card 'Nutrient Z'.
This card can be activated when taking more than 2000 battle damage. Before that damage calculation, I can restore 4000 LP."
...Fine, he managed to survive again.
This card is indeed a trap produced in DM; if remembered correctly, Youyu thinks it was first used by Jonouchi.
Though it looks impressive restoring 4000 LP in one go, it's actually just that, long forgotten by modern Yu-Gi-Oh players.
With the effect of Black Magic Illusion in play, defeating the opponent's Dark Magician this turn is impossible.
"Then I'll Set one more card and end my turn." Youyu said.
Even though a lifeline is extended now, Pandora's hand cards have been completely depleted, the chances of drawing a reversal card next turn are indeed not high.
That's why LP in Yu-Gi-Oh is quite a deceptive thing. It looks like Pandora restored 4000 health impressively in one go, but it's actually useless. With no cards left in hand, he's essentially a dead man, once Youyu's next turn comes, whether he has 1000 or 3000 health, he'll be taken out in one wave, completely indifferent.
Unless he can print another Pot of Greed next turn...
"Hahahaha! It seems today is destined to be your death day!"
Pandora's triumphant laughter echoed, his voice so theatrical that Youyu almost thought a vampire from a neighboring set had crossed in, with lines like "this is my escape route" echoing unconsciously in his ears...
"Activate Magic Card - Card of Sanctity! Both players refill their hands to six cards!"
Youyu: "..."
This... brother, that's really not interesting.
Just like that, how is anyone supposed to duel against you?
...Well, Youyu reflected carefully, thinking he probably shouldn't have been so hopeful.
Throughout the six completed seasons of Yu-Gi-Oh!, in hundreds of episodes, have there been any duelists stuck in a handless situation and hand-cycled?
Doesn't seem like it, right?
And why the heck didn't Pandora have such good things in his deck last time?
If he'd loaded a few Pot of Greeds earlier, Youyu wouldn't have needed to work so hard opening packs afterward...
Both players' hands were refilled to six cards.
The absolutely unfavorable situation on Pandora's side instantly took a turn. This is also why the physical card doesn't include "Card of Sanctity" - because it possesses such a powerful, game-changing force.
"Hahaha, it's here! Finally, it's here!" Pandora raised a card, "This turn, let me show you the true power hidden by the Dark Magician, witness the true form of the ultimate magician!
Watch closely, for this is the new power and ace I've returned from hell with, begrudging and furious after you defeated me last time!"
Youyu raised an eyebrow.
What could be so powerful?
"Keep your eyes wide open, this is the true form only a Master of Dark Magicians can command!" Pandora laughed, playing a Magic Card, "Ritual Magic, 'Black Magic Ritual' activate!
Sacrifice the level 1 Mystic Lamp in my hand and the level 7 Dark Magician on the field, for a total level of 8 monsters as tribute!
A true magician reveals their authentic form amidst chaotic darkness, releasing a power that can overturn the rules! Ultimate Magician -
- Magician of Black Chaos, Ritual Summon!"
The Dark Magician and Mystic Lamp vanished into a sacred altar, two dark currents converging there, erupting above the altar.
Amidst the whirlpool of magical power appeared the figure of a jet-black mage, a slender body, attire like tight-fitting clothing, a long black Magic Staff, sacred magic swirling around the entire body.
[Magician of Black Chaos, Attack 2800]
This time, Youyu indeed showed a look of surprise: "This is..."
"The ultimate magician, the true form of the Dark Magician!" Pandora swelled with pride, "Chaos Magic is the endpoint of Black Magic, a duelist of your caliber couldn't possibly defeat it!"
So that's it, Magician of Black Chaos, huh?
No wonder they say the Ghouls can copy any card; Youyu always thought only Muto Yugi had this card.
"Next is Magic Card - Diffusion Wave-Motion!" Pandora shouted, "Pay 1000 LP, this turn one of my magicians on the field can attack all monsters on your field!"
Go, Magician of Black Chaos, use your chaos magic to crush everything!
[Pandora, LP 3250→ LP 2250]
The dark magician raised the Magic Staff, chanting ancient spells. Writings of ancient priests crawled all over his body, following the trajectories of a specific array, forming a surging magic power, gathered at the top of the staff.
The Magic Staff of the Magician of Black Chaos swung down suddenly, the magical impact divided into two under the effect of "Diffusion Wave-Motion", shooting towards Youyu's Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician on the field...
Boom!!!
The explosive sound and erupting smoke swallowed the figures of the magician and apprentice.
"Heh heh, with this, the magician and apprentice are both defeated. Your life is also quickly going to...
...!?"
Pandora stopped abruptly as if biting his tongue, looking across in shock.
Emerging from the dissipating smoke was also a slender figure, a straight posture, jet-black tight attire, a slender black Magic Staff...
...looking identical to the "Magician of Black Chaos" on Pandora's field!
"How can it be!?" Pandora was astonished.
"Unexpectedly, in the end, we had the same plan." Youyu smiled lightly, pointing to a Magic Card beside him, "The moment the Dark Magician was attacked, I activated Quick-Play Magic - Dedication through Light and Darkness! Sacrificing the Dark Magician on my field to Special Summon from my deck -
- 'Magician of Chaos'!"