Evil Emperor Gaius, summon!
[Evil Emperor Gaius, Attack Power 2400]
Yugen immediately raised an eyebrow.
Goodness, so the true form of that Dark Elf turned out to be the Evil Emperor.
But this is just too coincidental.
How did you know I was collecting emperors?
The strongest among the early emperors delivered right to my doorstep, can you believe it? And it's even the version with an elf.
This made Yugen look at this Demon Realm Overlord with a softened gaze, feeling grateful that this person showed up on his own. Otherwise, if he had just left after obtaining the Divine Artifact, wouldn't he have missed such a generous gift package?
However, the Demon Realm Overlord was immersed in the inflation of power, seemingly unaware of the oddity in this person's gaze. He was laughing heartily.
"With the power of the Evil Emperor, you now have no chance at all!" declared the Demon Realm Overlord, "Evil Emperor Gaius, activate your effect!
When Evil Emperor has been successfully upper-level summoned, you can banish any card on the field from the game!
Banish 'Forest Guardian - Green Baboon' from the game!"
The Demon Realm Overlord showed a fierce expression.
"The immortal baboon is indeed troublesome, but in the face of the great power of the Evil Emperor, Kida! Disappear, trash!"
The Evil Emperor crossed his palms, and darkness energy fluctuations twisted the space, striking the Green Baboon head-on. The baboon roared unwillingly, but its form was still quickly drawn into the pitch-black fluctuations and disappeared on the other side of the dimension.
"This way that thing won't be able to revive again." The Demon Realm Overlord's eyes flashed red, "Then activate Equipment Magic 'Claw of the Dark Dragon Race'!
Equip it to the Evil Emperor, and his attack power increases by 600!"
[Evil Emperor Gaius, Attack Power 2400→Attack Power 3000]
"Furthermore, the Evil Emperor equipped with 'Claw of the Dark Dragon Race' cannot be destroyed by the opponent's card effects.
Even if destroyed in battle, the Evil Emperor can be immediately resurrected from the graveyard and equipped with this card again!"
The Demon Realm Overlord raised his arms and laughed maniacally.
"With the power of the Evil Emperor, I am now invincible! Evil Emperor, continue to crush the small fry! Attack the 'Swift Flying Squirrel'!"
Dark energy balls once again brewed in the Evil Emperor's palms, ready to burst from his chest.
"Unable to be destroyed by effects, and even revives from battle destruction, how terrifying..."
Yugen snapped his fingers.
"Then activate Covering Card. Trap Card 'Phoenix Wings' Bursting Wind', discard a card from your hand, select a card on your opponent's field... return it to the top of the owner's card deck!"
He pointed at the Evil Emperor, who was sharpening his claws for an attack.
"Then let's choose 'Evil Emperor Gaius', kindly return it to the top of the card deck for me."
The eyeballs of the Demon Realm Overlord almost popped out.
"Nani!?"
Not destruction but... bounce back to the deck?
Yameiro (stop)!
"No!" the Demon Realm Overlord screamed, "Evil Emperor, don't leave me..."
Phoenix Wings' Bursting Wind is a derivative power of the Phoenix God, a shadow of the Nephthys Phoenix God momentarily appearing in midair, wings flapping to stir a blazing storm. The Evil Emperor was swallowed by the fiery whirlwind, his form dissolving into shadow until turning back into a black fog that flew to the top of the card deck.
"Aaaaaaah!!!!" the Demon Realm Overlord roared.
Bounce back to the card deck, bounced back again!
"Then the 'Claw of the Dark Dragon Race', having lost its equip target, is also destroyed." Yugen smiled, "Of course, it's still your turn. Please continue."
"..."
Several seconds of silence.
The Demon Realm Overlord gritted his teeth, then continued.
"I'll set two cards on the field, ending my turn."
He exhaled deeply.
It's not over yet, the Evil Emperor hasn't completely abandoned him.
His Covering Card still hid the last chance, the last hope.
"My turn, draw." Yugen said, "Activate the Trap 'Destructive Medicine'. Destroy your own monster on the field and restore Life Points equal to that monster's attack power.
I'll destroy my 'Swift Flying Squirrel' on the field, restoring 1000 Life Points."
One of the squirrels exploded with a bang, its body's nutrients absorbed into Yugen's body.
[Yugen, LP 3000→LP 4000]
The Demon Realm Overlord looked serious.
Life Points restored... No, that's not the purpose here.
"Then the other 'Forest Guardian - Green Baboon' existing in the graveyard, its effect activates at this moment." Yugen said, "When a Beast Race monster on your field is destroyed, pay 1000 Life Points to revive the Green Baboon!"
[Yugen, LP 4000→LP 3000]
The whirlpool in the graveyard opened, and the wild baboon leaped out again, roaring fiercely at the Demon Realm Overlord's open field.
[Forest Guardian - Green Baboon, Attack Power 2600]
"That thing again..." the Demon Realm Overlord spat angrily.
"Forest Guardian - Green Baboon, direct attack."
The Green Baboon bellowed, leaping forward with a sudden punch to the face.
Here it comes!
The Demon Realm Overlord's eyes burned with even more red light.
His last chance, his counterattack!
"Trap Card - Counterattack Gate!" black energy seeped from his body, "When the opposing monster declares a direct attack, negate that attack and draw one card from the deck.
If the drawn card is a Monster Card, it can be summoned in Attack Position!"
"Oh? So it's the Counterattack Gate." Yugen understood.
"Precisely." The Demon Realm Overlord sneered, "And thanks to you, we both know the top card of my deck is, of course, a Monster Card!"
"But the effect of the Counterattack Gate is a 'Normal Summon'. If it's a five-star or above monster, it requires a tribute." Yugen reminded, cutting off the opponent's attempt to talk through it, "Even if you draw the Evil Emperor, you can't summon it."
"Hahahaha, you think I didn't consider even this?" the Demon Realm Overlord shouted, "Chain activation of Continuous Trap 'Cursed Statue', which can be Special Summoned on your field as a Monster Card!"
[Cursed Statue, Defense Power 1000]
"I see." Yugen nodded, "So you specially prepared another Trap Monster for this."
"Then resolve the effect of 'Counterattack Gate'. The Green Baboon's attack is negated, and I draw a card from my deck!"
The Demon Realm Overlord drew a card, then hissed out loud.
"Use the 'Cursed Statue' as a sacrifice, once again appear from the endless darkness, lend me your supreme might—
—Evil Emperor Gaius, re-summon!"
In the dark storm, scarlet eyes lit up, the evil emperor returned from the abyss!
[Evil Emperor Gaius, Attack Power 2400]
"The effect of the mighty Evil Emperor, upon a successful upper-level summon, remove a card from the game field!"
The Overlord of the Dark Demon Realm laughed throatily.
"Let's get rid of the second immortal Green Baboon as well!"
The Evil Emperor crossed both palms, distorted dark waves blasted out, engulfing the Green Baboon and making it disappear within the dimensional warp again.
"Now there are no Green Baboons in your graveyard, the immortal body completely dismantled!"
The Demon Realm Overlord laughed, seemingly finally releasing long-held frustration.
"How about it? Can you understand a bit now? This is the unparalleled might of the Evil Emperor!"
"Indeed quite powerful, even two Green Baboons have been taken down."
Yugen sighed, appearing helpless, as if he had made a difficult decision.
"No choice, I can only do this...
Activate the Trap 'Dark Upper-level Summon'.
Return monsters with Attack Power above 2400 and Defense Power of 1000 from the graveyard to the hand, then perform an upper-level summon of monsters with Attack Power above 2400 and Defense Power of 1000 from the hand.
So, the card discarded last turn with 'Phoenix Wings' Bursting Wind'..."
Yugen drew out the card retrieved from the graveyard.
"'Wind Emperor Leiza' returns to hand.
Then use the last remaining 'Swift Flying Squirrel' on the field as a sacrifice, upper-level summon! The ruler of storms—
—Wind Emperor Leiza, summon!"
The green storm rose straight into the sky like a tornado, the emperor of the storm descended with arms folded!
"Huh?" Evil Emperor Gaius' gaze turned sharp.
A fellow emperor?
"When Wind Emperor Leiza's upper-level summon is successful, a card on the field returns to the top of its owner's card deck." Yugen paused, smiling, "Therefore, 'Evil Emperor Gaius', return to the top of your card deck once more."
The Demon Realm Overlord's smile came to an abrupt halt.
"......Huh?"
The smile gradually faded, his expression turned into one of fear.
He looked back at the Evil Emperor on the field, his frightened expression seemed to say—
—Evil Emperor, quickly use your unbeatable Power of Exorcism to do something!
Yet the Evil Emperor looked at him with helplessness.
As if saying, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that there's truly nothing I can do, I'm powerless.
This situation has gone beyond my skill range...
And so the Evil Emperor turned into a black fog in the storm, flying back to the top of the card deck.
The Demon Realm Overlord clutched his head, letting out a painful wail.
Once again, the Evil Emperor has been bounced back to the card deck...
On the field, only Wind Emperor Leiza remained, arms folded high above, as though everything was under his control, exuding an aura of dominating the stars.
Now, who is the true ruler of the Underworld?
"Wind Emperor Leiza's direct attack," Yugen said.
The green storm rolled over, the Demon Realm Overlord was blown into the air by the storm, spinning helplessly above, while thousands of wind blades swept over him, finally plummeting back to the ground heavily in dizziness.
[Demon Realm Overlord, LP 4000→LP 1600]
"Ugh..."
The mighty Demon Realm Overlord, at this moment, seemed about to cry.
Filled with pain and grievance...
Despite having darkened, using forbidden power, and selling his soul to the most evil emperor, he still had to endure such humiliation...
...Wasn't it all worthless then?
"Alright, my turn is over." Yugen smiled, "Your turn."
Demon Realm Overlord: "..."
"Hm? Not drawing a card?" Yugen chuckled, "That's not right. Even though you now appear empty-handed and with an empty field, isn't there a saying? As long as a duelist has cards in their deck, there's a chance.
What if your next divine draw changes the world?
The Demon Realm Overlord's mouth twitched.
Upon hearing this, he felt even more like crying.
Darn it, you say that as if you don't know what my next card is?
What's the use of drawing a single Evil Emperor card when I'm empty-handed with an empty field...
The Demon Realm Overlord gritted his teeth.
"D-draw a card."
With difficulty, he drew the card from the top.
Sure enough, Evil Emperor Gaius.
The strongest card in his deck, embodiment of forbidden power, ace infused with the power of evil elves.
But in this dire moment, the ace arriving in hand, yet the two of them faced each other silently, as if stuck for words.
The Demon Realm Overlord wore an expression akin to constipation while looking at the single Evil Emperor card in hand, internally wishing the Evil Emperor would get lost.
I'm completely blocked by you here...
But the Evil Emperor was also helpless.
I really wish I could give you a divine draw, but I'm pinned down here by my Wind Emperor pal, what else can I do?
"If there's no operation, then it's my turn again." Yugen smiled, "Draw a card.
Wind Emperor Leiza, direct attack."
Demon Realm Overlord: "..."
[Demon Realm Overlord, LP 1600→LP 0]