Xue Lang is feeling pretty good about himself right now, quite inflated.
With the power of Youyu-san, he feels invincible!
So he first summoned Elemental Hero Wild Wingman in defense mode, set a card, and then set another card...
...and then directly ended his turn!
You never saw this coming, Kujaku Mai! This is my escape route!
Just kidding, Harpie Lady with an attack power of 1300 and three cards set in the back row, who would dare face her?
I can't win, I'm out of here...
But sadly, it seems that even escaping isn't going smoothly. Kujaku Mai chuckled, "Do you think just running away will work? This kind of duel won't work against me!
Activate the set card, Quick-Play Magic - Shadow of Eyes! Turn all male monsters on your field to attack position and force them to attack me!" (Animation effect)
"Nani!?" Xue Lang was shocked.
What the heck?
Turns out Duel Monsters cards have gender attributes!? How come I've never heard about it?
Xue Lang watched as the Harpie Lady on the opponent's field winked seductively, and his defending Elemental Hero Wild Wingman blushed and couldn't control himself, standing up from defense.
Xue Lang was anxious then.
Elemental Hero Wild Wingman, why the heck are you blushing like a bubble teapot!
Can't resist a wink, and you call yourself a hero?
"And it's not over, Continuous Trap activated!" Kujaku Mai shouted, "Widespread Ruin! As long as this card exists, when your monsters attack, their attack power is halved!" (Animation effect)
This time not just Xue Lang, but the spectators in the live stream were stunned.
"Wow, this card is pretty overpowered, isn't it? And it's a Continuous Trap?"
"That's the effect, but the physical card requires a 2000 LP upkeep per turn. If you don't pay, it self-destructs. But it seems there's no cost in the animation..."
"So isn't this thing invincible? How did Yugi deal with this card before?"
"Yugi... Yugi used 'Catapult Turtle' to launch a monster, breaking through that iron wall..."
"..."
Back in the day during Duelist Kingdom, young and reckless Kujaku Mai used to think she could outsmart Yugi.
Yugi: "I activate Brain Control! I gain control of your 'Harpie's Pet Dragon'!"
Kujaku Mai: "No way! Pet Dragon is absolutely loyal to its master, even if you seize control, it can't attack!" (Trying to outsmart)
Yugi: "Well, as you like. Then I'll use 'Catapult Turtle' to launch Pet Dragon, directly smashing through your 'Widespread Ruin'!"
Kujaku Mai: "@!(%&"
"..."
Unfortunately, Xue Lang isn't Yugi, he doesn't have that kind of skill to outsmart. If he did, maybe now he could claim Elemental Hero Wild Wingman has wings and can fly high enough to bypass the iron wall...
[Elemental Hero Wild Wingman, ATK 1000 → ATK 500]
Harpie Lady effortlessly countered, shredding the remaining 500 attack Elemental Hero Wild Wingman to pieces with a single claw.
[Xue Lang, LP 4000 → LP 3200]
Kujaku Mai continued to taunt, "What's wrong? Is that all you've got?"
Xue Lang thought, I really don't want this... but what do I do with a bricked hand?
...No, I need to pull myself together. This is the first time I'm dueling in front of Youyu-san, I can't embarrass him!
That's what he thought, but his current hand was all Normal Monsters, and there wasn't much he could do for now...
The situation completely turned in Kujaku Mai's favor. She activated the Magic Card 'Elegant Egotist', allowing her to Special Summon two more Harpie Ladies [ATK 1300] from her deck while she had Harpie Lady on the field, relentlessly attacking Xue Lang.
Xue Lang used the Trap Card "Negate Attack" when the first Harpie Lady attacked, negating one battle damage and drawing a card. But after taking direct hits from the subsequent two Harpie Ladies, his LP quickly dropped to the last 600 points.
With his Life Points critically low, if he continued to brick next turn, he'd be finished!
Youyu watched from the side, squinting slightly.
How did this guy build his deck? Why is it so prone to bricking?
Didn't I give him enough good stuff?
Is it really just bad luck?
[Xue Lang, LP 600]
With Life Points at 600, this was truly the last draw in the truest sense! Xue Lang closed his eyes, concentrating all his luck in his right hand, silently chanting Youyu-san's name in his heart—
—Destiny Draw!
YaDaZe! (Success!)
Xue Lang's face lit up with excitement, like a child weighing 500 pounds.
It's here, it's here, it's here!
"Continuous Magic, Mortal's Will!"
The Magic Card appeared, and the card image showed...
...Jonouchi??
This card must have been printed by President Haima, right?
The card's name is Mortal (Normal Monster) Will, but the person in the card image looking like Jonouchi is too much!
The crowd around the arena turned to Jonouchi with strange looks. The latter was furious, "Hey! What do you mean!?"
Mortal's Will's effect allows the player to draw an additional card if they draw a Normal Monster Card during their draw phase by revealing it to the opponent.
But this effect can only be triggered during the draw phase of the next turn, so Xue Lang has to survive Kujaku Mai's turn first.
"Quick-Play Magic - Hand Destruction, both players discard two cards from their hands and draw two cards each. Then set a card, and that's it for my turn."
"Although I don't know what you intend to do, you have no chance anymore!" Kujaku Mai shouted, "My turn, draw! Three Harpie Ladies! Direct attack!"
With only 600 Life Points left, any Monster that touches Xue Lang would result in a loss.
But it's okay! He has Youyu's power protecting him!
Let me show you what the power of a 40 favor level simp looks like!
"Activate Set Card!" Xue Lang shouted, "Counter Trap - Negate Attack! Opponent's Monster attack is invalidated, forcing an end to the Battle Phase!"
"Tch, did you hang on again? Then the turn ends." Kujaku Mai pouted.
It seems like sister Kujaku Mai's bond with her Deck might not be strong enough, otherwise, she would have already drawn a Feather Sweep and blown Xue Lang's back row away, ending it with a single strike.
Harpie Lady's Feather Sweep, Kujaku Mai's representative Magic Card, can destroy all the opponent's Magic Trap Cards on the field.
Xue Lang became excited at this moment.
Alright! The opportunity has arrived!
Next comes his performance time!
"My turn, draw! I drew a Normal Monster Card! At this moment, the effect of 'Mortal's Will' activates, I draw another card!
Draw! Card of Death (Monster Card), I draw another one!
Draw! Card of Death!
Draw! Card of Death!
..."
Xue Lang now feels like he's reached the pinnacle of life.
Hahaha, performing signature moves in front of the King! Only those who've experienced it know the thrill! (Note)
This kind of Deck is also the charm of Yu-Gi-Oh! — executing such a combo can bring joy for a year!
"Draw! Card of Dea... uh, it's not?"
Xue Lang reflexively wanted to continue drawing, but found that this time he drew a Trap Card.
But—it doesn't matter!
"At this moment, Quick-Play Magic - Reload activates! I shuffle all my hand cards back into the deck, then draw the same amount of new cards!
And because Reload is a Quick-Play Magic, after activating, it's still the draw phase, so the effect of 'Mortal's Will' can continue to trigger!
I continue to draw! Card of Death!
Draw! Card of Death..."
Xue Lang operated continuously, drawing a large hand before stopping.
Kujaku Mai was a bit frightened by this never-before-seen combo.
"But... but no matter how many cards you draw, at the end of the turn you still have to discard down to six!" she said.
Xue Lang chuckled, "Don't rush, sister Mai, now let me show you the true hidden power of Hero! Field Magic - Fusion Gate activates! This way, Fusion can be performed without Fusion Magic!
Fusion of 'Elemental Hero Burstinatrix' and 'Elemental Hero Lady Heat' from the hand!
Come forth! Elemental Hero Inferno!
Gleaming gold and red light swept into the whirlpool of fusion, giving birth to the armored Flame Hero.
[Elemental Hero Inferno, Attack 2300]
"Then fusion of Sparkman and Clayman in hand!
Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"
Again, two beams of light converged into the whirlpool, manifesting as a giant in golden armor. In the sky, thunder rolled, and lightning surrounded the giant.
[Elemental Hero Thunder Giant, Attack 2400]
"Continue fusing! Wildheart and Avian fuse!
Fusion Summon! Elemental Hero Wild Wingman!"
[Elemental Hero Wild Wingman, Attack 1900]
"Not done yet! Continue fusing! Fusion Sparkman with Blazewoman from the hand!
Fusion Summon! Elemental Hero Grandman!"
Elemental Hero Grandman, fusion condition is two Normal Monsters with Hero in their name, and its attack is the fusion materials' total level x300. When a Monster is destroyed by battle, sacrifice itself to special summon another Elemental Hero Fusion Monster ignoring summoning conditions.
[Elemental Hero Grandman, Attack 2100]
Kujaku Mai had never seen such a spectacle, somewhat stunned, "Is this... four fusions in one turn!?"
Jonouchi was also astonished, "What kind of strategy is this!? It's too strong, isn't it?"
Yugi was somewhat surprised too, "This person's duel... seems very thoughtful!"
Even President Haima couldn't help but glance at him, although he didn't speak, he seemed thoughtful.
This routine might indeed be rare in the animated world view, very fresh for everyone. However, for physical card players, this combo is interesting but not uncommon.
...Players generally refer to such similar routines as juggling…
"The effect of Elemental Hero Wild Wingman, discard a card to destroy a Magic Trap Card on the field, I destroy 'Iron Wall of Screen'!
Lastly, this card…"
Xue Lang played the last card.
"Magic Card - Quick Attack! Fusion Monsters can attack this turn!
Thus it ends!
Total attack of Elemental Heroes!"
(Note: Yu-Gi-Oh! DM Episode 162, the famous scene where Yugi beats Haga to death, using the effect of the Magic Card "Berserker Soul," continuously drawing Monster Cards to give repeat attacks to Haga, whose LP is zero.
Berserker Soul, draw a card from the deck and send it to the graveyard. If it's a Monster Card, allow one more attack from your Monster.)