"Heavy Storm, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field!"
The ultimate tool for clearing the back row, instantly sweeping the entire field. Yugen's "Insect Barrier" defense line on the field collapsed, and his three set cards in the back row were simultaneously caught in the storm.
"At that moment of destruction, one of those Trap Cards, 'No Entry!!', activates its effect, changing all Attack Position monsters on the field to Defense Position.
I'll use this effect to change 'Don Zaloog' to Defense Position."
[Don Zaloog, ATK 1400 → DEF 1500]
Another Trap Card caught in the storm, from the shattered afterimage, was vaguely discernible as a "Bottomless Trap Hole".
Just a glimpse of that red hole's afterimage leaving the field sent a shiver down the spine of the spectators, making them think even more, "I don't want to duel that person."
"You also just destroyed another set card, it was the Spell Card 'Spell Calling'," Yugen calmly stated, "When this card is destroyed by an opponent's card effect and sent to the Graveyard, I can randomly choose two Spell Cards from my Deck to set on my field." (Anime effect)
In the anime, Yuki Judai used this Spell Card, but when it was made into a physical card, its effect was cut down to only being able to search for one Quick-Play Spell Card.
Although the activation condition of only being able to activate when destroyed by the opponent was a bit troublesome, the effect of being able to choose two Spell Cards was still incredibly powerful.
"I will search these two cards from my Deck."
Yugen drew two cards from his Deck.
"I'll set the Spell Card 'Reinforcement Of The Army' and the Spell Card 'Monster Reborn' on my field."
"But then you'll have no attack lock and no traps!" Watanabe Hidekazu yelled, "The effect of 'Hundred-Footed Horror' in my hand!
When your opponent has a monster on the field, and you have no monsters on your field, this card can be Special Summoned without Tributing by halving its original ATK!
Therefore, I Special Summon 'Hundred-Footed Horror'!"
[Hundred-Footed Horror, ATK 1300]
"Next, I activate the Equip Spell 'Axe of Fools'!" Watanabe Hidekazu shouted, "When 'Axe of Fools' equips a monster, that monster's ATK increases by 1000, and its effects are negated!
Hundred-Footed Horror's effect is negated, so the side effect of its Special Summon is cleared, and its ATK returns to 2600! Then, receiving the boost from Axe of Fools, its ATK increases to 3600!"
[Hundred-Footed Horror, ATK 1300 → ATK 3600]
"Following that, I activate the Equip Spell 'Nitro Unit'!" Hidekazu said, "This card can only be equipped to an opponent's monster. When the equipped monster is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, it inflicts damage to the opponent equal to the equipped monster's ATK!
I'll equip 'Nitro Unit' to 'Don Zaloog'!"
A stick of dynamite was immediately tied to the defensive Zaloog, whose rough face was filled with a look of utter despair.
"Hundred-Footed Horror, attack 'Leader Zaloog'!"
[Leader Zaloog, DEF 1500]
The giant insect easily crushed the beleaguered leader, causing the Nitro Unit tied to him to detonate in a chain reaction. With a loud explosion, the fiery blast swept across Yugen's half of the field, and the shockwave swept over him.
[Yugen, LP 3000 → LP 1600]
"Then I'll set two cards on the field, turn end!" Watanabe Hidekazu shouted.
"..."
"As expected of Watanabe," the senior student with a large chest on the spectator stand continued to comment, "To be able to break through such a situation and regain control with one move..."
"Indeed. And looking at his stance, his back-row setup should also consolidate his defense, he's found his footing." The Duel Club student next to her also said, "Although that freshman relied on some... ahem... special methods to gain an advantage, it seems he's stopped there.
However, his performance has been quite dazzling, the judging panel should still allow him to pass."
Watanabe Hidekazu himself actually thought the same.
On the field, he had Hundred-Footed Horror with a colossal 3600 ATK. One of his two set cards in the back row was the Trap Card "Security Ball," which could switch an opponent's monster to Defense Position when it attacks. And if destroyed by an opponent's Spell or Trap Card, it could also destroy one monster on the field.
It was a high-quality trap that combined defense with deceptive counter-attack capabilities.
The other card was the Trap Card "Divine Wrath," which allowed him to recover LP equal to the attacking monster's ATK when an opponent's monster declared an attack. This was also a defensive trap.
His defense line was almost flawless.
But at this moment, Hidekazu hadn't realized.
In fact, the moment he blew away that "Spell Calling" causing Yugen to activate his deck search, this duel was basically over.
Yugen: "My turn, draw."
The winning equation was complete.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Giant Trunade'! All Spell and Trap Cards on both sides of the field return to their owners' hands!"
A storm picked up, and "Monster Reborn" on Yugen's field, along with the two set cards on his opponent's field, all returned to hand.
Watanabe Hidekazu looked at the two traps that returned to his hand, pursing his lips.
His back-row defense was gone, but it wasn't a big problem. Even without the boost from "Axe of Fools", Hundred-Footed Horror's ATK only dropped back to 2600, which was still high enough. And his LP was still 2600.
Could it be that you can still one-turn kill me?
Yugen drew another card that "Giant Trunade" had returned to his hand: "I activate this card, searched last turn via 'Spell Calling', the Spell Card 'Reinforcement Of The Army'. From my Deck, add a Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type monster to my hand.
I'll add 'Gearfried the Iron Knight' to my hand."
Gearfried the Iron Knight, in the DM era, was one of Jonouchi's signature monsters. However, by the GX era, it had become a common low-level utility card. In Marufuji Ryo's recollections, even the elementary school students he dueled used it.
Yugen: "Normal Summon 'Gearfried the Iron Knight'!"
[Gearfried the Iron Knight, ATK 1800]
"Next, I activate the Spell Card that returned to my hand, 'Monster Reborn'!" Yugen stated, "I'll Special Summon this card that was discarded to the Graveyard through 'Graceful Charity'—
——'Mythical Beast Cerberus'!"
[Mythical Beast Cerberus, ATK 1400]
The Iron Knight and Mythical Beast appeared simultaneously. Any experienced physical card player would now immediately link this to "that card" that strikes fear into the hearts of duelists, and might even be preparing to surrender at five times speed.
Because upon seeing these two monsters together, no one would not know what they were about to face.
One of the earliest, and most insane combos in Yu-Gi-Oh! history.
Watanabe Hidekazu frowned: "Summoning so many small monsters, what exactly do you intend to do?"
"Don't worry, the last card I want to use is this."
Yugen waved his hand.
"Equip Spell 'Butterfly Dagger - Elma'!"
[Equip Spell, Butterfly Dagger - Elma
Effect: The equipped monster gains 300 ATK. When this card is destroyed while equipped to a monster and sent to the Graveyard, this card can return to its owner's hand.]
At first glance, it seemed like a very normal and useless equip card, clearly a worthless, ordinary item. In reality, a newcomer just starting Yu-Gi-Oh might even feel confused as to how such an unremarkable card earned its notorious status as a permanently forbidden card.
Evidently, no one at the scene realized the gravity of the situation at this moment; no one understood what Yugen was planning.
"Butterfly Dagger - Elma, equip to 'Gearfried the Iron Knight', ATK increases by 300." Yugen said, "But 'Gearfried the Iron Knight' also has an effect.
It cannot be equipped with any Equip Cards. When it is equipped, that Equip Card is immediately destroyed.
Therefore, 'Butterfly Dagger - Elma' is immediately destroyed."
Hidekazu: "?"
Destroying your own Equip Card, what does this even mean?
"At this moment, 'Butterfly Dagger - Elma's' second effect activates. When this card, equipped to a monster, is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, it returns to its owner's hand.
Therefore, I return 'Butterfly Dagger - Elma' from the Graveyard to my hand."
Hidekazu frowned: "But even so, this still doesn't mean anything."
"Of course it does," Yugen said, "I still have a 'Mythical Beast Cerberus' on my field. As long as it remains on the field, each time either player activates a Spell Card, place one Spell Counter on it.
Also, this card's ATK increases by 500 points for each Spell Counter on itself."
[Mythical Beast Cerberus, ATK 1400 → ATK 1900]
Watanabe Hidekazu: "Only 500 ATK, that's barely... umph!?"
He began to realize something was wrong.
Wait a minute, could it be...?
"Equip Spell 'Butterfly Dagger - Elma' is equipped to 'Gearfried the Iron Knight' again. But because of The Iron Knight's own effect, it is immediately destroyed again.
Then, Butterfly Dagger's own effect, it returns to my hand from the Graveyard.
Because another Spell Card was activated, 'Mythical Beast Cerberus' ATK increases by another 500."
[Mythical Beast Cerberus, ATK 1900 → ATK 2400]
"You... you... this..." Watanabe Hidekazu began to tremble.
Even the slowest of the watching students had now realized what was happening.
This is an INFINITE LOOP!
One of the earliest, and one of the simplest to achieve, infinite loops in Yu-Gi-Oh! history.
Butterfly Dagger equips to The Iron Knight, is self-destroyed by The Iron Knight's effect, and then returns to hand by its own effect, allowing Spell Cards to be activated an infinite number of times in one turn.
Correspondingly, Mythical Beast Cerberus' ATK can also increase infinitely within this infinite loop!
However, in actual play, this wasn't actually a top-tier deck back then. After all, Butterfly Dagger was only forbidden in March 2005, and before that, it didn't leave a particularly good record in world championships. This indicates that while the infinite loop was indeed vicious, its nature was still more of a "gimmick," and its actual performance could not surpass the dominant decks of that era.
Before Yugen's transmigration, he had, out of interest, tried to construct this deck using the original card pool. But in actual play, he found it far less vicious than he imagined. The success rate wasn't high, and even if all the combo pieces were assembled, a single interruption would immediately lead to a sudden death, so it truly couldn't compete with the top-tier decks of its time.
It's just that Konami has always been unforgiving of infinite loop combos. Historically, almost everything related to infinite loops has been banned.
But what's called a "gimmick" has always been something that feels great when it succeeds.
In real-life card games, there's a time limit for turn operations, but this world doesn't have one. The anime world only limits how long you can be inactive before your turn is forcibly ended, but there's no limit on the total turn time.
Witnessing the Mythical Beast's ATK infinitely soaring, Watanabe Hidekazu was almost suffocating from shock, trembling uncontrollably for a long time, unable to utter a word.
"Brother... you... this..."
"Butterfly Dagger activates again, Mythical Beast's ATK increases further!"
[Mythical Beast Cerberus, ATK 12400]
He already wanted to cry.
It was almost impossible to imagine how painful a physical impact from such a monstrous ATK would be.
He wanted to say, no, brother, we don't seem to have any enmity, do we?
Is this really necessary?
The other students watching were already numb, even the host's jaw was practically on the ground.
This kind of play stunned even Manjome, who thought he had already seen through this scoundrel.
He stared with wide eyes for a long time, unconsciously muttering.
"Who are you, really?"
The entire arena was silent, as if completely petrified, all watching Yugen operating like a broken record.
[Mythical Beast Cerberus, ATK 22400]
"Hmm, that's enough."
Although he could keep going, endlessly performing the loop was also very tiring.
Speaking of which, it's impressive that his senior hasn't surrendered and run away yet. He's truly a man.
So, in gratitude for his senior's refusal to run.
"'Mythical Beast Cerberus' attacks 'Hundred-Footed Horror'!"
[Hundred-Footed Horror, ATK 2600]
Watanabe Hidekazu: "..."
Like a roar from hell, a terrifying impact swept over him in waves.
[Watanabe Hidekazu, LP 2600 → LP 0]