"This is my full power!"
Asuka began her plays, drawing another card from her hand. The green Spell Card shimmered with golden light.
"Spell Card, 'Preparation of Rites'!
Add one Ritual Monster with Level 7 or lower from your Deck to your hand. Then, you can add one Ritual Spell Card from your Graveyard to your hand!"
She drew from her Deck, quickly selected a card, and revealed it.
"I add Level 6 'Cyber Angel Idaten' from my Deck to my hand!"
The Deck was shuffled and re-inserted into the Duel Disk. Next, her Graveyard zone on the Duel Disk also flashed with golden light, and a card ascended from it.
"Just now, as a cost for 'Ritual Sanctuary' activating, this card was discarded. Ritual Spell 'Machine Angel Ritual' returns to my hand!"
She said, immediately placing the retrieved card onto her Duel Disk.
"Ritual Spell 'Machine Angel Ritual' activates! Tribute monsters from my hand and field whose combined Levels are equal to or greater than the Level of a 'Cyber Angel' Ritual Monster, and perform a Ritual Summon!"
She simultaneously revealed the two Ritual Monsters she had just acquired.
"I tribute Level 6 'Cyber Angel Benten' as a tribute, Ritual Summon!
Appear, embodiment of light and wisdom ——
—— Level 6, Cyber Angel Idaten!"
A mechanical Ritual Altar materialized, Benten's figure briefly appeared, quickly transforming into a pillar of light that pierced the sky. The full-figured and tall Cyber Angel manifested from within the light pillar.
[Cyber Angel Idaten, ATK 1600]
After becoming a physical card, Benten gained the powerful ability: "When this card is Tributed: You can add 1 LIGHT Fairy monster from your Deck to your hand." However, that was the physical card version from 10 years later. In the original Anime, it seemed to lack this effect.
But Anime characters can inherently draw the cards they need, so searching effects aren't particularly crucial.
Asuka then waved her hand.
"'Cyber Angel Idaten's effect! When this card is Ritual Summoned successfully, return one Spell Card from the Graveyard to your hand!" (Anime effect)
The physical card 'Idaten' was changed to only retrieve Ritual Spells, but it can retrieve from the Graveyard and also search from the Deck. The original Anime 'Idaten' could retrieve any spell, so one could say each has its pros and cons.
"I return the Spell Card 'Spell Books from the Pot' from my Graveyard." Asuka said, "Then, I activate Spell Card 'Spell Books from the Pot' again! Both players draw three cards from their Decks!"
Yugen calmly accepted the three additional cards from his opponent: "Are you planning to win this turn?"
Although providing resources to the opponent carried significant risk, Asuka's decision in the current situation wasn't necessarily a miscalculation. Because Yugen had the XYZ-Dragon Cannon on his field, which was completely immune, and with only 200 LP remaining, Asuka would almost certainly be condemned to defeat on the next turn if she did nothing. She could only gamble everything this turn.
This is similar to how in modern Yu-Gi-Oh, sometimes you're forced to "Maxx 'C' yourself." If your opponent activates a "Maxx 'C'" on your turn, every Special Summon you perform lets them draw a card. If you want to make a big play, you're forced to perform numerous Special Summons, sometimes giving your opponent over a dozen cards' worth of resources in a single turn.
But even with this clear understanding, many players will still choose to take the risk of giving their opponent half their deck's resources by "Maxx 'C'ing" their way into a full combo. As the saying goes, "gamble big, win big"; what if this turn, even with "Maxx 'C'" active, you can still finish off your opponent?
"Then, I Normal Summon 'Cyber Petit Angel'!"
[Cyber Petit Angel, ATK 300]
"'Cyber Petit Angel's effect! When this card is Normal Summoned successfully, add one Ritual Spell 'Machine Angel Ritual' from your Deck to your hand."
Asuka revealed her Deck again for a search, then immediately played the retrieved card again.
"From the Deck, I search for Ritual Spell 'Machine Angel Ritual' and reactivate it! This time, I tribute Level 2 'Cyber Petit Angel' and 'Cyber Angel Idaten' on my field, and perform an advanced Ritual Summon!
Using all my power to illuminate the path forward, Angel of Light, descend here ——
—— Level 8, Cyber Angel Dakini!!!"
The two angels disappeared into the Ritual Altar, and a spiraling pillar of light once again soared into the sky. The sacred four-armed angel spun out, two hands gripping long blue staves, and the other two holding swords, emanating a queenly, dignified aura.
[Cyber Angel Dakini, ATK 2700]
Cyber Angel Dakini was also Asuka's strongest monster used on TV, her true ace.
The physical card 'Cyber Angel Idaten', when tributed and sent to the Graveyard, could give a Ritual Monster on your field 1000 ATK, but that was also the physical card version.
"'Cyber Angel Dakini's effect!" Asuka gestured and said, "When this card is Ritual Summoned successfully, your opponent must choose one monster on their field and send it to the Graveyard!
And now you only have one monster on your field, so you have no other choice!"
Asuka pointed towards Yugen's field.
"You can only choose to send 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' to the Graveyard!"
The entire audience gasped once again.
Of course, there were also a few bewildered voices from the less knowledgeable students. For example, the struggling Marufuji Ryo from Osiris Red: "Huh? Wasn't 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' protected by 'Hyper Coat', making it unaffected by any Spell, Trap, or Monster effects?"
At this moment, the studious representative, Misawa Daichi, who had appeared beside them seemingly out of nowhere, explained with his arms crossed: "Because Dakini's effect doesn't affect the opponent's monster, but rather the opponent duelist.
'Must choose one monster on their field and send it to the Graveyard' is an effect applied to the opponent duelist. Classmate Yugen accepting this effect to send 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' to the Graveyard is essentially the same as him sending 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' to the Graveyard as a tribute himself. Therefore, even stronger resistances cannot withstand this type of field-clearing method."
"Ah, is that so!?" Marufuji Ryo was shocked.
Realizing this, everyone's gaze towards Asuka couldn't help but fill with even more admiration. Especially Senior Kohinata Seika, who seemed to have completely forgotten their competitive relationship, and even forgotten why they were dueling.
"Facing absolute immunity, an almost invincible monster, and with so few LP remaining. Even in such a situation, she found a way to turn the tide?"
"She actually found the weakness of absolute immunity?" Yugen smiled.
"There are no unbeatable monsters," Asuka also smiled and said, "Every monster has a method of being overcome. This is the test I, as a duelist, have presented."
"Not a bad answer, but... unfortunately, I won't be letting up either. Before Dakini's effect resolves, I activate my Set Card!"
Yugen raised his arm, and his face-down card flipped.
"Trap Card - Interdimensional Matter Transporter!
Until the End Phase, banish 1 face-up monster you control!"
High-tech teleportation equipment tore through dimensional barriers, creating a huge vortex that sucked the XYZ-Dragon Cannon into it, leaving no trace.
Asuka: "!!! "
It actually escaped?!
"Thus, when Dakini's effect resolves, there will be no monsters on my field," Yugen said, "Naturally, there's no way to choose a monster to send to the Graveyard."
"But then your field will be empty!" Asuka shouted, "'Cyber Angel Dakini' attacks directly!"
Dakini flew out, both blades slashing directly towards Yugen's empty field.
2700 ATK, this one attack would surely decide the victor!
But just as the blade was about to descend, a burst of white light suddenly erupted. A transparent, ethereal defensive gate blocked Cyber Angel's descending blade.
"Trap Card 'Counter Gate'," Yugen said, "Only activatable when an opponent's monster declares a direct attack. That attack is negated, and I draw one card from my Deck."
Dazzling white light exploded, instantly deflecting Cyber Angel's blade. Yugen drew a card smoothly, and Asuka's decisive attack was thus nullified.
"Alright. I set one card, End Turn."
Asuka's turn ended, and the surrounding students automatically let out a sigh of relief.
It was too intense!
Such high-speed offense and defense, layered strategies, truly thrilling for most students still in the "axe-swinging" stage. Regardless of the outcome, they were all thoroughly impressed with both duelists.
And at this moment, Asuka was under immense pressure.
She had exhausted all her strength, almost to the point of depletion, yet she could only reach this far. She still couldn't break through her opponent's defenses.
No, her opponent didn't even seem to show any obvious signs of nervousness.
Is this my current limit?
"During the End Phase, 'Interdimensional Matter Transporter's effect ends," Yugen said calmly, "'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' returns to the field."
[XYZ-Dragon Cannon, ATK 2800]
"Next is my turn, Draw Phase." Yugen said, "Dragon Cannon's effect activates. Discard one card from my hand, and destroy one card on your field.
I discard one card from my hand, destroying 'Cyber Angel Dakini'!"
"I expected that!" Asuka shouted, "I activate my Set Card, Continuous Trap - Fiendish Chain!"
The Trap Card flipped, and thick green demonic chains shot out from the card, wrapping around the heavy Dragon Cannon like nimble snakes, binding it completely. It couldn't move an inch.
"'Fiendish Chain' can target one monster on your opponent's field, that monster cannot attack, and its effects are negated!" Asuka said, "Although your 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' was previously protected by 'Hyper Coat' and unaffected by Trap effects, 'Hyper Coat' was used as an Equip Spell.
And in the previous turn, you used 'Interdimensional Matter Transporter' to remove 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' from the field, so the Equip Spell naturally lost its target. Therefore, the 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' that has returned to the field no longer has Trap immunity!"
"Beautiful." The expert commentator Misawa Daichi continued to provide analysis for the match, "Thus, Dragon Cannon can no longer destroy cards, nor can it attack again, completely locking down Yugen's offensive!"
"Classmate Asuka is really amazing!" Judai's eyes also lit up, "Ah, ah, ah, I really want to duel her! And I really want to duel Classmate Yugen! They're both so strong!"
Yugen merely smiled.
"As expected, you still had countermeasures for XYZ. Truly impressive."
Whether it was the deck's strength or the duelist's fate, even at this stage, Asuka had clearly surpassed most Duel Academy students by a long shot. To call her a highly anticipated top rookie candidate was certainly not without reason.
But with that, her resources were completely depleted.
It's over.
"I Normal Summon 'V-Tiger Jet'," Yugen said calmly.
[V-Tiger Jet, ATK 1600]
"At this moment, the effect of Continuous Spell 'Different Dimension Hangar' activates," Yugen said, "When a monster is Summoned to my field, through Hangar's effect, I can banish a monster from my hand or field. If the Summoned monster's name is listed on that banished monster card, then that banished monster can be Special Summoned from the banished zone."
Yugen revealed another card from the banished zone.
"Therefore, I Special Summon 'W-Wing Catapult' from the banished zone."
[W-Wing Catapult, ATK 1300]
"'V-Tiger Jet' and 'W-Wing Catapult' transform and merge!"
The two newly appeared mechs began transforming and combining, emitting electric currents that drew them together, slotting into each other. They quickly completed their two-in-one transformation.
"VW-Tiger Catapult, Fusion Summon!"
[VW-Tiger Catapult, ATK 2000]
"Next, I use 'VW-Tiger Catapult' and 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' to further transform and merge!
Gathering power to become an indestructible divine dragon heavy cannon, unleash fire power that roars and shatters everything! Five-Layer Fusion ——
—— Level 8, VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!!!"
The two mechs once again began to transform, drawing each other in and assembling. As the sounds of metal friction and component operation grew louder and louder, they gradually transformed into a towering metal giant. Its steel feet stomped, shaking the very ground of the arena. Crimson dragon wings unfurled behind its back, and the steel giant's body continuously emitted dazzling arcs of electricity.
After transforming into the giant form, the position of the "Y" on the boss became a bit harder to describe. One could only say that the Great Evil God Zorc Necrophades would surely call it "masterful" upon admiring this kind of artistic design.
[VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 3000]
"It's actually a five-layer fusion?!"
Asuka looked up at the colossal steel giant, momentarily stunned.
My limit... is this where it ends?
"After the Fusion Summon, 'Fiendish Chain' naturally loses its target," Yugen said, "Then 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon's effect activates.
Once per turn, I can directly banish any one card on your field.
Therefore, I directly banish 'Cyber Angel Dakini' from the game!
Dimensional Bombardment!"
Electric arcs danced across the steel giant's body, and its cannon barrel locked onto Dakini. Dazzling electric arcs jumped, and a gorgeous electromagnetic cannon blast pierced through Dakini's body, turning it into an ethereal image.
"Next is 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon's direct attack!"
Yugen tilted his head, pondering a skill name.
"...Justice Descends from Heaven!"
Several cannon muzzles on the giant mech's body fired simultaneously, all cannons locking onto the target. Dazzling beams of light, scorching firepower, missiles filling the sky, an overwhelming bombardment that seemed to blot out the sky, surged forward.
Asuka gently closed her eyes.
So, that's it.
I lost.
Boom ——!
[Tenjoin Asuka, LP 200 → LP 0]