Teacher Daitokuji was very angry, extremely angry.
He even wanted to give Judai a failing grade for his trial performance.
To be fair, he intended to test Judai's alchemy skills, which in simpler terms meant seeing Judai fuse cards.
Instead, he didn't expect Jellyfish Head to be blowing all kinds of wind at his Alchemy Furnace, showing poor card ethics that were extremely unfriendly.
Who the heck taught you to play cards like this!?
Such a promising (losing cards) alchemy genius, how did he get trained into becoming like this?
"Great! The Alchemy Furnace is done with!" Judai charged forward, "Next is using 'Elemental Hero Featherman' to attack 'Alchemy Beast - Salamandra the Steel'!"
"Too naive, Judai! Such a simple attack is useless against a top-notch Alchemist!"
Daitokuji raised his arm, and a set card flipped over.
"Counter Trap 'Negate Attack'! The opponent's monster attack is nullified, and the battle phase is forcibly ended!"
Although the Alchemy Monsters of Daitokuji are mostly troublesome to summon and have terrible panels, their specialty is being able to attack players directly. Using traps to block and intercept the opponent's offensive, then coordinating with Alchemy Beasts to bypass the front row for direct attacks, that's roughly the strategy of this alchemy tactic.
This deck might appear a bit weak, but it can't hold up to the actual strength of Teacher Daitokuji.
Don't be fooled by his apparently timid demeanor and how he runs from danger faster than anyone else, it's all just acting. At least in the early stages of GX, his strength is definitely top-notch, with the other six of Seven Stars not even on the same level.
If you're unsure just how strong this teacher is, seeing his perpetually squinting eyes might give you a hint.
After all, there's an old saying, "Squinty eyes are monsters."
This isn't baseless talk, it's a reliable conclusion derived from a large-scale statistical analysis across countless parallel universes, with countless strong individuals possessing this common trait.
It can even be traced back to the legendary War God Xing Tian...
Though Judai didn't know what the opponent was planning, nor did he understand the special effects of those seemingly weak monsters, he was never one for using his brain much in the first place.
When it comes to card play, he just goes with whatever comes to mind, playing purely on instinct.
For instance, now, with Judai's attack blocked and the battle phase forcibly ended, without a second word, he plays another card—
——I'll just give you an eight-star treasure!
"Using 'Alchemy Beast - Salamandra the Steel' and 'Alchemy Beast - Ouroboros the Bronze' as tributes, I special summon 'Lava Golem' on your field!"
Two lava pillars burst into the sky, devouring the two Alchemy Beasts. A hideous, grotesque lava giant appeared on Daitokuji's field, its searing iron cage dangling deliberately right in the center, trapping Daitokuji inside.
[Lava Golem, ATK 3000]
Daitokuji: "..."
Damn it! Judai, where's your fusion?
Why do you always play these weird things? What about your pride as an Alchemist!?
Of course, this is only Teacher Daitokuji's wishful thinking. Judai never considered himself an Alchemist or anything; he just thinks playing cards should be fun, and now, he's having fun...
There's no denying the Lava Golem's "cage the controller" design is not only interesting but quite scientific.
Because if you hand over such an eight-star treasure, without locking up your opponent, it's all-too-likely to escalate from card play into physical conflict...
Judai sets a card face down, ending this turn.
"At the instant of your Standby Phase, the effect of 'Lava Golem' activates," says Judai, "During the Standby Phase, it deals 1000 damage to the controller!"
[Daitokuji, LP 4000 → LP 3000]
After taking burn damage from the Lava Golem, Daitokuji scoffs: "But at the same time, you also handed me a powerful monster equivalent to a Blue-Eyes White Dragon's strength.
I attack 'Elemental Hero Featherman' with 'Lava Golem'!"
Indeed, when it comes to sheer power, Lava Golem is quite formidable. Such antics of gifting your opponent an eight-star monster can easily play against you if not careful.
Poor Featherman has only 1000 ATK, and if this punch lands, it'd deal 2000 damage, making it seem like Judai is at a loss.
Yet, Featherman seems quite confident in the face of Lava Golem's massive fist. After all, this eight-star giant was a gift from his master, who surely had arrangements in place...
"Flip the set card! Trap Card 'Mirror Gate'!" Indeed, Judai flips over the set card, "When an 'Elemental Hero' on your field is attacked, exchange control with the attacking monster only for this turn, and continue damage calculation!"
Featherman folds his arms smugly.
Heh, see? My master had it all planned out...
... um, wait, something seems off.
Control... exchange?
What!?
The Mirror Gate activates, and in the blink of an eye, Lava Golem and Featherman switch positions. Featherman flickers to Daitokuji's field, while Lava Golem eerily shifts to Judai's side.
Featherman: Master, you betrayed me!
And then was pulverized by the Lava Golem.
[Daitokuji, LP 3000 → LP 1000]
That's not even the worst of it. The most irritating part? The trap effect of 'Mirror Gate' only lasts one turn.
What does this mean?
This means the eight-star treasure Lava Golem, after giving Daitokuji a punch in a lightning-quick rebellion to Judai's side, instantly switches back to Daitokuji's field.
This ugly, hot brute stands there, putting Daitokuji back into that iron cage, with a silly, grinning demeanor, almost as if saying: "Hey bro, that was just a joke, not really a traitor, please don't take it to heart..."
Overall, it just looks like it's asking for a beating...
...
Anyway, Daitokuji-sensei is exceptionally good at stalling. In the next turn, with an "Altar for Tribute," he fried this headache-inducing goofy Golem, at least regaining some dignity. Despite the unfavorable conditions, he still engaged in an intense 300-round battle with Yuki Judai, back-and-forth with great excitement.
A series of fierce exchanges ensued, ultimately allowing Daitokuji to witness Judai's formidable fusion prowess—randomly grabbing any two Elemental Heroes and fusing them into a new hero, making the Alchemist Lord Daitokuji exclaim in genuine appreciation.
During the heat of the battle, Daitokuji became highly enthused, resolutely determined to give it his all, and unveils his trump card: "Continuous Trap 'Macro Cosmos' activates!"
The trap flips, the terrain changes dramatically, and the background switches to a deep, boundless cosmic space.
"When 'Macro Cosmos' activates, special summon 'Helios - The Primordial Sun' from the deck!"
[Helios - The Primordial Sun, ATK ?]
"Helios - The Primordial Sun's attack will increase by 100 points per monster banished from the game... and!"
He emphasizes, pointing to this continuous trap beside him.
"While 'Macro Cosmos' is on the field, all cards sent to the graveyard by both players are banished instead!"
"Eh? That strong!?"
In awe, the first thought that Judai's mind conjures—
——This is a card Teacher Youyu would definitely love!