"Oh Death God, listen to my prayer and grant me power!"
"Absolute knockout, a force that can even defeat a king!"
As Tachibana Ikaku placed his fingers on the deck, even the aura of death surged, as if it adhered to that deck, accompanied by a terrifying force.
Dark red clouds covered the skies, and with a draw of the card, a celestial thunder streaked across the sky.
"Draw!"
With a soul-piercing draw, the god of death in the sky seemed to swing its scythe at this moment. The fleeting lightning illuminated the card in his hand.
Tachibana Ikaku burst into mad laughter.
"The card I drew is 'One-hit Kill! Iaido Drawing'!"
Despite being mentally prepared, shock still appeared in everyone's eyes involuntarily.
Marufuji Shou: "This guy... actually drew it."
Chazz solemnly said: "If you can ensure you definitely draw it, it truly is a lethal power. No wonder he's called the Death God Duelist..."
"I did it, I succeeded!" Tachibana Ikaku's face was excited, "I defeated the Duel King..."
"Cough cough, sorry to dampen your spirits," Yugen smiled, "But it seems that you are the one facing a problem now."
"Huh?"
Tachibana Ikaku was stunned, looked up blankly. Then he saw that trap on Yugen's field which had already been activated at some point.
With a jolt, he instantly realized that the only time the trap could have been activated was in response to his 'One-hit Kill! Iaido Drawing'. However, he had been too focused on praying to the Death God and drawing cards, too absorbed in his own world to notice the activation of the cover card.
"But even if you intend to counteract Iaido Drawing, it's useless." He frowned, "The activation of 'One-hit Kill! Iaido Drawing' cannot be negated by magic, trap, or monster effect and cannot be destroyed." (Original effect)
In the animation, Iaido was even a pseudo-four speed Iaido, activation cannot be negated, truly a killer draw in the literal sense.
But Yugen smiled slightly: "Really? You might want to take a good look at what I've activated."
Tachibana Ikaku frowned, stared keenly.
Trap Card - Natural Reflection...well, never heard of it, but it's normal for a Northern Academy dunce to encounter unrecognized cards.
But it doesn't matter, no trap is effective against his invincible Iaido Drawing.
Let me see the effect...
"This turn, any effect damage dealt to the opposing side's Life Points is entirely reflected back as damage to the opponent's own Life Points."
Tachibana Ikaku contemplated for two seconds.
Then his expression suddenly exaggerated.
"Na na na nani!?"
The damage reflects to... myself!?
"Yes, indeed a brilliant Divine Draw." Yugen smiled, "Since at the activation, Iaido Drawing's effect hasn't been processed, I don't know whether you can draw it... But to precisely draw from such a thick deck, impressive indeed."
He even clapped in appreciation.
However, in the backlash of Natural Reflection, this brilliant Divine Draw was about to take Tachibana Ikaku himself out, making the applause feel almost like sarcasm...
"Iaido Drawing's effect, our sides combined have four cards destroyed." Yugen said, "Then the 4000 damage dealt to me reflects back to you."
Like a sweeping iaido slash across the entire field, Yugen's covered monster, Junk Dealer, Natural Reflection, Tachibana Ikaku's own Death Lord, all were shattered under that slash, transformed into a vast energy rushing towards Tachibana Ikaku.
Tachibana Ikaku's expression twitched.
What a joke?
The godly draw obtained by selling his soul to the Death God, unexpectedly took himself out, that's too laughable.
If he dies like this, he might qualify for the top 10 funniest deaths in dueling history, right?
Boom!!!
The impact of the iaido slash blasted through Tachibana Ikaku, erupting into a sky-high black smoke.
However...
[Tachibana Ikaku, LP 1000]
"Eh? Still alive?" Marufuji Shou was stunned.
"Of course." Judai said, "Take a good look at his field, is that magic card 'Iaido Drawing'?"
Marufuji Shou squinted, scrutinizing the card on Tachibana Ikaku's field that was processing and gradually fading into a phantom.
Seemed like it was...
Emergency Food?
"Eh?" Marufuji Shou was surprised, "Not 'Iaido Drawing'?"
Chazz said: "That guy although seemingly didn't notice the activation of 'Natural Reflection', he used Emergency Food simultaneously with Iaido Drawing's activation, sending Iaido Drawing as COST to the graveyard, recovering 1000 Life Points."
"I see!" Marufuji Shou realized, "Though when Iaido Drawing's effect resolved there were still four cards on the field, the card on his field was Emergency Food and not Iaido Drawing... I didn't even notice..."
Tachibana Ikaku wiped his sweat: "Phew, if I hadn't used Emergency Food by chance, I'd be out now..."
Duel King, truly a terrifying guy. Seems like even with the Power of Death God, I'm not necessarily his match.
But precisely because of this, it makes the challenge worthwhile.
"The face-down monster on my field destroyed by Iaido Drawing just now was 'Scholar Spirit'." Yugen said, "This card sent to the graveyard lets me draw one card from my deck."
Tachibana Ikaku also calmed down.
"Then I activate the magic card 'Resurrection of the Dead'. Revive one monster destroyed this turn from the graveyard.
Awaken, Undying Death Lord!"
The dark vortex opened again, like a passage to the Netherworld. The scythe of the Death God split the pitch-black tornado, a Death God in a black robe gently descended onto the field, red eyes flashing beneath its hood.
[Undying Death Lord, Attack Power 1300]
"This ominous monster again," Marufuji Shou said, "So this guy even has all his monsters resembling Death Gods..."
"But it's a six-star, yet Attack Power is only 1300."
Judai muttered.
"There must be some special ability."
At least avoids the awkwardness of ending a turn with an empty field.
Though his deck primarily relies on a one-hit kill draw, but can't lose all fighting strength in one miss. Tachibana Ikaku knows that's not a way to duel truly adept opponents.
"I'll set another card face-down, turn ends."
"Then it's my turn, draw." Yugen said.
Tachibana Ikaku held his breath.
Duel King... How will he attack?
Unexpectedly, he felt a bit tense instinctively.
He then saw Yugen play a magic card: "Activate the magic card 'Name Deduction'. The opponent declares a level from 1 to 12, then cards are revealed from the top of my deck until a monster that can be normal summoned is found, the rest are sent to the graveyard.
If the revealed monster's level is different from the declared level, the monster is special summoned. If the same, then sent to the graveyard."
Tachibana Ikaku thought for a while: "Then I'll declare Level Four."
Yugen flipped nine cards consecutively from his deck, the ninth card revealed a monster.
"Magical Swordsmen - Destructors, indeed, Level Four." Yugen smiled, "Nice work. Since you declared the level correctly, Magical Swordsmen is sent directly to the graveyard."