TURN.3
"Then, my turn, draw."
Aleister drew a card from his Deck with a smug, carefree expression.
Youmi raised a hand to interrupt Aleister as he moved to enter his Main Phase: "The effect of Mirror Swordknight can also be used during the opponent's turn. During the Standby Phase, I Tribute Mirror Swordknight to Special Summon from my Deck a monster that has Chimera Fusion written in its text."
Aleister waved his hand, indicating that he had no response.
"I then Special Summon another Big-Winged Berfomet, and activate its effect to search Chimera Fusion and Gazelle, King of Mythical Claws from my Deck."
This Illusion Deck was somewhat weak in both the front and back row, but it could still churn resources.
''It's just that I don't know when they'll give me some other endboard monster.''
"Now I'm entering my Main Phase. No objections, right?"
After lightly asking for Youmi's opinion, Aleister admired the artwork of the cards in his hand, then slammed one down onto the field.
A red magic circle carrying unstable magical power suddenly unfolded beneath the two of them. It was the Invoker archetype's native Field Spell.
"Field Spell, Magical Meltdown. As the activation resolves—though you should be very clear about this already—I add one Aleister the Invoker from my Deck to my hand. Then, I Normal Summon Aleister, and activate its effect to search Invocation~"
No one knew whether Yuki had told him this meme, but Aleister actually sang a couple of lines with complete seriousness and proper rhythm.
''Invocation can't be stopped, but you think I can't stop a search?''
Youmi immediately banished Mirror Swordknight from the Graveyard, intending to interrupt Aleister's follow-up: "The effect of Mirror Swordknight in the Graveyard. While I have Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast on my field, when the opponent activates a monster effect on the field, I can banish this card to negate that effect."
''That Aleister in your hand—today you're dropping it no matter what.''
"Ah, so it's here… Can't be helped. I discard the 'myself' in my hand as the cost, and activate the effect of Invoked Mechaba, negating Mirror Swordknight's effect."
After hesitating for a moment, Aleister threw away the 'himself' in his hand.
"No Called by the Grave, huh. What a shame."
"Then the effect of the first 'myself' resolves. I search Invocation from my Deck."
This time, the Invocation that Aleister revealed was an alternate artwork version.
"I'll just activate it like this."
Before Aleister slapped Invocation onto the field, Youmi was already calculating in her mind.
After all, Magical Meltdown had the effect that as long as this card remains in the Field Zone, the activation of effects that include an effect to Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster cannot be negated, and when that Fusion Summon is successful, the opponent cannot activate Spell, Trap, or Monster effects.
Unless her set card was Imperial Iron Wall, either way, there was no stopping this Fusion.
"Chain activation: the effect of Berfomet the Mythical King of Phantom Beasts in the Graveyard."
"During the opponent's turn, I banish this card from the Graveyard, then target one of my own banished Beast, Fiend, or Illusion monsters other than Berfomet the Mythical King of Phantom Beasts. Special Summon that monster. I target Mirror Swordknight."
She herself had once played an Invoker Deck, so she hadn't forgotten that Invocation could use monsters from the opponent's Graveyard as Fusion Materials.
"Ah, you remember that very clearly, huh. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Then I banish Aleister from my Graveyard and Cornfield Coatl from your Graveyard, and Fusion Summon Invoked Raidjin~"
Cornfield Coatl was banished, and Youmi lost one of her countermeasures for when she got targeted.
"Complex-Attribute Decks really do get traitors easily when they run into a scumbag Deck…"
Aleister spread his hands, seeming a bit regretful that he hadn't been able to Fusion Summon Invoked Augoeides.
"Invocation's effect in the Graveyard recovers Aleister. Then comes the real highlight—I flip open my set card on the field." Aleister tapped his Duel Disk, and the face-down card slowly flipped face-up. "Normal Spell, Invocation."
"???"
Staring at the Invocation that was gradually revealed, Youmi was almost instantly left speechless.
''If you had this, why didn't you save it to negate Chimera Fusion? Why did you even set it?''
"Don't ask. I know exactly what you're thinking. Didn't I say this was going to be a duel full of fun? With the atmosphere this lively, how could I not put on a little show?"
With a sweep of his right hand, Aleister threw out another staff.
This time around, however, what was swept up within it were 'himself' and Invoked Mechaba on the field. "The materials are Aleister the Invoker and one monster Special Summoned from the Extra… I forgot, now it's called the Fusion Deck, right? I Fusion Summon the magnificent land of ultimate bliss—Invoked Elysium!"
The colossal Invoked Elysium suddenly manifested, its massive form practically blotting out the entire academy.
"Whoa, how can there be a monster this big?! Our school's either having celestial anomalies or giant monsters popping up every day lately. Isn't this basically the end of the world?!"
"Looks like it's a duel over on the Slifer Red side. Let's hurry over and watch the show."
"Who are the two dueling over there? They look insanely strong?!"
Ignoring the astonished cries of the onlookers, Youmi only blurted out her instinctive complaint: "Someone actually runs this thing? You don't even want Invoked Mechaba anymore?!"
Looking at the overwhelmingly majestic Elysium, he suddenly also wanted to summon some absurdly massive monster just to play around.
"Invoked Elysium has the effect that while this card exists in the Monster Zone, its Attribute is also treated as DARK, EARTH, WIND, FIRE, and WATER. In other words, every Attribute except Divine."
"It also has a once per turn Quick Effect that can be activated by targeting one Invoked monster on your field or in your Graveyard. Banish that monster, and then banish all monsters on the opponent's field that share an Attribute with it."
As Aleister spoke each Attribute, he extended one finger at a time. After describing the banish-all effect, he clenched his hand into a fist.
"I target Mechaba! All the monsters on your field are getting banished~"
Six-colored radiance burst forth from the countless glowing crystals embedded across Elysium's body, raining down upon Youmi's field.
Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast and Nightmare Magician tried desperately to resist, but were still absolutely overwhelmed and erased without a trace.
Mirror Swordknight, which had just returned to the field, and the Big-Winged Berfomet Special Summoned this turn didn't fare any better, being banished straightaway into nothingness.
"Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, Nightmare Magician, Mirror Swordknight, Big-Winged Berfomet!"
Having never expected Aleister to take such a risky play, Youmi panicked slightly, but quickly noticed the problem.
"Wait, that's not right. If that's the case, wouldn't it have been better to use Raidjin as Fusion material? Why did you banish Mechaba?"
That way, you wouldn't even be giving up Mechaba for the next turn.
So casually banishing a pseudo-triple negation boss like that... was Mechaba really that worthless?
The reason Aleister could make such a generous move, in Youmi's mind, could only be one thing.
"Don't tell me?!"
That thing that almost never gets played in an Invoker Deck… he actually put it in himself?
Aleister's other set card slowly flipped open. Amid a burst of frenzied light, the two massive monsters that had vanished earlier both returned to his field.
"Omega Summon. This card can be activated by targeting up to one Invoked monster among any number of your own banished monsters with the same name. Special Summon those monsters in Defense Position. I Special Summon the banished Invoked Mechaba."
"Well? That means there's no real loss now, right~"
Aleister smugly reached out and counted the Invoked monsters on his field.
"Strong. So strong. That's ridiculously strong."
Faced with such an overwhelming board, Youmi couldn't help but lower his head and stomp the ground hard. With that massive helmet in the way, Aleister couldn't see Youmi's expression, which felt like a real shame.
"I flip my set card: Mispolymerization. This can only be activated when a Fusion Monster is Special Summoned. Return all Fusion Monsters on the field to their owners' Fusion Decks."
After flatly reading out a couple of lines of praise, Youmi immediately flipped his own set card.
"WTF?!"
A corrosive purple mist instantly covered the entire field, Youmi's side included.
However, with Youmi's field empty, the mist—effective only against Fusion Monsters—meant nothing to him.
On Aleister's side, though, it was disastrous. He had nothing but Fusion Monsters on the field.
If it weren't for Magical Meltdown still being on the field and the fact that there were still allied monsters present earlier, Youmi would have ended things long ago.
If I can't deal with Magical Meltdown, then you think I can't deal with your Omega Summon?
"Invoked Raidjin's effect activates! Once per turn, I can target one face-up monster on the field and change it to face-down Defense Position! This is a Quick Effect, so I can chain it—I turn Elysium face-down Defense Position!"
All of Aleister's monsters had been summoned this turn. Once set face-down, they couldn't be flipped back up this turn at all. Compared to keeping Mechaba, it was better to leave a massive 4000 Defense wall on the field.
The purple mist dispersed. Aleister had lost card advantage, and Youmi's field was also empty.
"Even though I really don't want to, my turn ends!"
Veins bulging on his forehead, the Aleister who had been so smug moments ago now felt his blood pressure skyrocketing.
How could he have forgotten that in this era, Mispolymerization was still a valuable standalone card?
TURN.4
"Don't be so angry. Didn't you say yourself that duels should be more fun? My turn, draw~"
After drawing a card from his Deck, Youmi immediately activated it.
"I activate Pot of Greed and draw two cards."
"Hmmm, in that case, let me show you something interesting. I activate the Continuous Spell The True Sun God!"
"As this card's activation resolves, I add either a card that lists The Winged Dragon of Ra in its card text, or The Winged Dragon of Ra itself, except The True Sun God, from my Deck to my hand. I add Ancient Chant to my hand."
Ever since Youmi added the strengthened versions of the 'Egyptian God Cards' that Pegasus had created into his Deck, this was the first time he had actually used them.
After all, his opponent was one of the 'Seven Stars'.
Although using the Egyptian God Cards would definitely draw attention, not many people knew his true identity, and he was still sealed up like an iron barrel anyway.
At worst, he could just say it was part of a performance.
After all, the game returned these cards to him so that he could use them. It wasn't like he was supposed to leave them sitting in a binder to fade.
"The Winged Dragon of Ra… but how are you going to gather the three tributes a god needs?"
"Hey, did I hear that wrong? Did someone over there just say the name 'Egyptian God Cards'?"
"'Egyptian God Cards'? No way. Weren't the legendary Egyptian God Cards already lost?"
Youmi didn't answer Aleister's question. He simply Normal Summoned a monster.
"I Normal Summon Ra's Disciple. When this card is Normal Summoned, Special Summoned, or Flip Summoned, I can Special Summon up to two Ra's Disciple from my hand or Deck. While this card remains in the Monster Zone, I cannot Special Summon monsters except by using Ra's Disciple's effect, and these three monsters cannot be Tributed except for the Tribute Summon of an Egyptian God monster."
In no time at all, three warriors clad in golden armor stood at the front of Youmi's field.
"Tch… I didn't think it'd end up like this."
Youmi began chanting the summoning incantation for The Winged Dragon of Ra. With each syllable, golden flames gradually lit up across his body.
"Spirits sing, ancient power governs all things! Its name, its soul, even its flesh. When heaven and earth converge, the ritual to summon the Sun God begins! Descend—The Winged Dragon of Ra!"
Flames that sent the temperature skyrocketing erupted as The Winged Dragon of Ra appeared on the field, surveying the people around it who gazed upon it with reverence.
"Kid from the Ten Thousand Dragon family, long time no see."
"Put out the fire first. I'm about to die of heat inside this armor."
With no mood to reminisce with The Winged Dragon of Ra, Youmi only felt like he was about to be cooked alive.
The Winged Dragon of Ra obediently flapped its wings, extinguishing the flames from its arrival and leaving behind nothing but scorched ground.
"Due to the effect of Ancient Chant, The Winged Dragon of Ra's Attack and Defense become the combined original values of the monsters used as Tributes."
[The Winged Dragon of Ra, ATK: ? → 3300]
[The Winged Dragon of Ra, DEF: ? → 1800]
Golden flames ignited across The Winged Dragon of Ra once more, raising both its Attack and Defense. Though it didn't break 4000, it was more than enough to deal with Aleister's mere 3100 LP.
"The Winged Dragon of Ra's effect activates. I pay 1000 LP and target your set Elysium, destroying it. Divine Phoenix!"
[Youmi, LP: 4000 → 3000]
The face-down Elysium was destroyed outright, leaving Aleister's field barren.
"Battle Phase! The Winged Dragon of Ra attacks you directly—Blaze Cannon!"
Orange-gold divine flames burst from The Winged Dragon of Ra's mouth, scorching Aleister. Even as he hastily opened a spellbook to deploy a protective barrier, it shattered instantly, blasting him away.
[Aleister, LP: 4000 → 0]
The Duel Monsters projections vanished. Youmi put his discarded arm guard back on and walked over.
"All right, I've got something to ask you, what are you doing?"
Aleister, who had rolled across the ground several times, crawled back over with a shameless grin despite his clothes being scorched, then suddenly dropped to the ground in a deep bow.
"Aleister's drifted for half his life, regretting only that he never met a worthy master sooner. If you do not abandon me, I am willing to acknowledge you as my boss and go through fire and water without any hesitation!"
...
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