"Continuous Trap 'Mind Control Removal'!" Malik said. "The control of all Monsters on the Field returns to their original owners!"
Yugen immediately understood. "The original owner of Lava Demon God is you..."
"Correct," Malik said. "Therefore, Lava Demon God returns to my Field!
Come back, Lava Demon God!"
The iron cage in front of Yugen vanished in an instant, and the Lava Demon God above his head dissolved into a shower of burning sparks. Those sparks then gathered on Malik's Field, reshaping into the form of a blazing giant.
Lava Demon God plus Mind Control Removal—after feeding off the opponent's big Monster until nothing was left, it pats its butt and strolls back to its own Field. Yugen was more than familiar with this combo; he'd used it himself.
"But is that really a good idea?" Yugen chuckled. "Calling back Lava Demon God, sure, a 3000 Attack Power beater is nice, but that also means next turn you'll be eating another 1000 damage. Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
"There's no need to worry about that." Malik said. "I activate Equipment Magic 'Dull Axe' and equip it to 'Lava Demon God.'
The equipped Monster gains 1000 Attack Power, and its Monster Effect is negated!"
[Lava Demon God, Attack Power 3000 → Attack Power 4000]
At the side, Isis couldn't help but cheer for her brother again in her heart.
By taking back control of Lava Demon God, he not only massively boosted its Attack Power, but also dodged the effect damage, flipping Dull Axe's original downside into an upside.
Looks like even though he hadn't touched cards in years, Malik's foundation as a Duelist was still solid.
"Nice." Yugen said. "But even so, under 'Light Sealing Sword's' effect, Lava Demon God still can't declare an attack."
"I know that!"
Malik shouted.
"Speed Attack Magic 'Tornado'—I destroy 'Light Sealing Sword'!"
A black tornado swept across the Field, grinding the light-sealing domain that had locked down Malik's side into dust.
"Now the attack lock is lifted!" Malik said. "Lava Demon God, attack 'Submarine Robot'!"
Lava Demon God roared, the Dull Axe in its hand seeming to be coated in the scorching heat of its own lava. With one swing, the heat was so intense it looked like it warped space itself.
Submarine Robot did have a self-protection effect of switching to Defense after attacking, but last turn its effect was sealed by 'Element Absorber.' None of the three subs had managed to attack even once, so they naturally couldn't trigger the shift to Defense and had to remain in Attack Position.
The axe came down, cleaving the sub in two, and it exploded with a boom on Yugen's Field.
"At the moment of battle, I activate 'Giant Machine City's' effect once again." Yugen said. "I send one Giant Machine from my Card Deck to the Graveyard, and only during battle calculation, I swap the Attack Power and Defense Power of the Submarine."
[Submarine Robot, Attack Power 800 → Attack Power 1800]
[Yugen, LP 3500 → LP 1300]
Hit by massive damage in an instant, Yugen staggered back two steps. Seeing his attack go through, Malik's confidence swelled; he felt victory was just a tiny step away.
Of course, he also knew this opponent was deviously crafty, and his own LP were nearly gone—he really couldn't afford to slip. If the other guy casually pulled some trick next turn to drag that sub back onto the Field and he took one more torpedo, he'd be done.
But he still had countermeasures.
"I activate Magic Card 'Nightmare's Iron Bars'!" Malik declared. "For the next two turns, neither player can attack!"
The bars of a nightmare sealed the Field, forming a cage over Yugen's side. It was the very card Malik had used back then when controlling Puppet Puppet in his Duel against Atom with Sky Dragon.
"I set two cards, and end my turn."
Even Isis, watching from the side, felt Malik's responses this turn were flawless. In just one turn he turned the tables, dismantled all the crisis setups the opponent had laid, pushed his counterattack this far, and even laid down a defensive line for the turn after next.
Isis asked herself and felt that in such a situation, she probably couldn't have done any better.
Yugen: "My turn—draw."
Yugen glanced at the Lava Demon God on Malik's Field and smiled. "As expected of Mr. Malik, to be able to wield the power of Lava Demon God so freely...
But even if it sounds a bit arrogant, while you are indeed a pioneer on this path, Mr. Malik, I believe I've already walked a few steps further along it."
"What?" Malik frowned.
"I'm going to use the Lava Demon God on Mr. Malik's Field as a Tribute, and then present this Monster to you..."
Yugen raised his hand.
"From the volcano couple, Volcano Queen—summon!!"
Malik: "???"
Another expert!?
The supposedly invincible Lava Demon God had spent its life devouring enemy Monsters, yet probably never imagined that one day, this would happen to him too.
Lava Demon God let out a roar of unwilling fury, and just like the Monsters he had once devoured, he was dragged into the magma below. Then flames erupted from the lava, and a Queen burning like a Phoenix shot into the sky!
[Volcano Queen, Attack Power 2500]
Malik: "..."
"And with the help of the Continuous Trap 'Mind Control Removal' on Mr. Malik's Field, all Monsters' control returns to their original owners. So I'll be taking Volcano Queen back."
Yugen crooked his finger at Volcano Queen.
Volcano Queen flapped her twin wings and flew back to Yugen's Field.
Malik: "......"
Now he truly realized how smart it had been to play Nightmare's Iron Bars last turn for safety. Without that cage protecting him, if Volcano Queen had gotten one clean hit in, he'd already be dead.
"Because of Nightmare's Iron Bars, I can't attack this turn... But, unlike Lava Demon God, the Queen's abilities aren't limited to just devouring Monsters."
Yugen said.
"I activate Volcano Queen's second effect. Once per turn, I send one other card on my Field to the Graveyard to inflict 1000 damage to my opponent!
I'll send the Field Spell 'Giant Machine City' to the Graveyard, and inflict 1000 damage!"
Malik's pupils contracted.
So this thing even has a burn effect...?
Malik instantly realized that when the opponent said "the student surpasses the master" just now, he really wasn't kidding. As long as there was even one monster on the opponent's field it could devour it, and it even came with a burn effect. In certain situations, the level of Underworld bullshit this thing pulled had already surpassed Lava Demon God!
But no matter what, Malik was the founding father of the Underworld style—how could he throw in the towel so easily?
"Then I activate my set card," Malik shouted, "Speed Attack Magic 'Painful Soul Curse'!
Reflect the damage effect of that card back at the opponent!"
Sensing that the clash between the two had reached a critical point, even Isis, an outsider, couldn't help but instinctively hold her breath.
The Volcano Queen's 1000 damage, with their current Life Points, would be an instant kill if it hit Malik, and while Yugen's remaining Life Points wouldn't drop straight to zero, he'd still be burned down to a candle flickering in the wind.
But Yugen also had a counter: "Then I activate my set card, Trap Card 'Natural Reflection'!
This turn, all effect damage dealt to my side by cards is reflected back at my opponent!"
I reflect your reflection!
Seeing his lethal reflection reflected right back at him, Malik's face changed drastically, and he immediately raised his hand to fire off another card from his backrow.
"Continuous Trap 'Demon Race's Chain'! Choose one monster on the field; it cannot attack, and its Monster Effect is also negated!"
The Demon Race's Chain shot out from the Trap, tying Volcano Queen up like a zongzi, barely managing to haul Mr. Malik back from the brink.
"Indeed, with that, the Volcano Queen's effect is negated, which means the 1000 damage is also gone."
With Volcano Queen's effect damage gone, the reflection from Painful Soul Curse naturally disappeared, and thus the reflection of that reflection from Natural Reflection also ceased to exist.
Malik let out a long breath.
It looked like he'd finally weathered the storm.
It wasn't like he'd never faced stronger opponents before, but for some reason, this Duel with this particular man felt incredibly dangerous; a BOSS that cranked the sense of urgency all the way to max was something he'd rarely seen in his life...
Yugen said, "Then I'll continue by activating the Magic Card 'Revive the Dead'."
Malik: "!"
There's more?
No, calm down. Even if he has Revive the Dead, no matter what he brings back, under these Nightmare's Iron Bars it can't attack. I should be safe for now...
"I Revive 'Lava Demon God' from the Graveyard."
Malik: "???"
Now Mr. Malik was totally confused.
What the hell does that mean? He's bringing out Lava Demon God?
But under Nightmare's Iron Bars, Lava Demon God can't attack either. That means next turn, it'll actually be Yugen who has to eat Lava Demon God's 1000 damage, leading directly to his own self-destruction.
Has he gone insane?
"But what I'm Reviving isn't my own Lava Demon God." Yugen smiled with narrowed eyes. "Revive the Dead can bring back any monster from either Graveyard.
What I'm Reviving is the Lava Demon God in your Graveyard, Mr. Malik."
Malik: "Huh?"
He was dumbfounded for about half a second, then Malik looked over at that Continuous Trap in his own backrow.
Continuous Trap – Mind Control Removal. All monsters on the field return to their original controllers.
And then Malik instantly froze.
Na... nani!?
Oh no, this guy is trying to...
"That's right." Yugen smiled. "Revive the Dead's effect brings Lava Demon God back to my field. But then, because of your own Mind Control Removal, since this Lava Demon God was Revived from your Graveyard, he has to return to his original controller—that is, to your field."
Yugen pointed toward Malik's field.
"Go, Lava Demon God. Go back to your master's field."
And so the freshly Revived iron blockhead happily toddled his way over to Malik's field.
As for Malik...
...his face right now was uglier than if he were about to cry.
No... don't.
I don't know you; I'm not your master.
Don't come over here!
But it was useless. Lava Demon God, dumb as ever, walked onto his field, grinning like an idiot.
As for Mr. Malik's mood at that moment, the only way to describe it was that he was so speechless he could choke.
Numb. Completely numb.
He was already considering kicking this iron blockhead out of his Card Deck the moment today was over.
To actually get burned to death by his own Lava Demon God—this kind of death was way too ridiculous.
Oh, and by the way, even the Mind Control Removal that dragged Lava Demon God back was his own card.
In this situation, even if that little God of Death grade-schooler showed up, he'd immediately rule this as suicide, no doubt about it.
"Then my turn ends here." Yugen smiled. "During this turn's Standby Phase, Mr. Malik, your own Lava Demon God's effect deals 1000 damage to its controller.
Please accept it."
Malik: "..."
[Malik, LP200 → LP0]