"Duel!" x2
[Youyu, LP 4000]
[Kaiba, LP 4000]
It's still the order determined randomly by the Duel Disc, and this time, Youyu goes first.
"Humph, you're going first?" Kaiba folded his arms and snorted coldly, "Then go ahead and give it your all, come at me hard, You↑yu↓! I won't tolerate any holding back!"
In his mind, Youyu mused, President, what makes you think I'd hold back against you...
Although Kaiba surely got a bunch of new cards recently, making him stronger than before. But Youyu hasn't been idle either, and his newly acquired cards aren't much fewer than Kaiba's.
After a trip to Egypt for some 'limited-time event,' his stash of Crystal Stones also reached a new high. After two days of exhausting card draws, he now has quite a few new cards.
So, as the president wishes, let's give him a thrill.
"I'm going first, draw card." Youyu drew a card and played it without hesitation, "Magic Card - Pot of Greed. Draw two cards from the deck."
The corner of Kaiba's mouth curled: "Humph, always fond of these kinds of cards, huh."
He's already meticulously studied Youyu's style and thinks he fully understands him.
He found that no matter what deck he uses, Youyu always seems to particularly favor cards that accelerate card drawing, passage, and increase the number of cards in hand.
This is evident from the card records that Youyu swiped from the Kaiba Company deck...
Humph, You↑yu↓, little did you know, I already know your tricks inside out!
"Quick-Play Magic - Hand Destruction!" Youyu revealed his next card, "Both players send two cards from hand to the graveyard, then draw two cards from the deck."
"Swapping hand again?" Kaiba scoffed as he picked out two cards to discard and drew from the deck, "Right in line with your style."
"At this instant," after drawing, Youyu quickly played another card, "Quick-Play Magic - The Cost of Desire! Activated when an opponent increases their hand size outside the draw phase! Special Summon two monsters in Defense Position from hand!"
Youyu swiftly pulled out two cards from his hand and flipped them: "Come forth! Elemental Hero Blazeman! Elemental Hero Shadow Mist!"
A whirl of flames erupted, with the flame hero clad in a red bodysuit appearing with a clear shout. Alongside him was the heroine wrapped in mysterious dark mist, donned in a black bodysuit, who emerged taking a defensive stance.
[Elemental Hero Blazeman, DEF 1800]
[Elemental Hero Shadow Mist, DEF 1500]
"Blazeman's effect!" A card auto-popped out of Youyu's deck, "When successfully summoned or special summoned, add a 'Fusion' Magic Card to hand from the deck."
Kaiba watched as he showed and added the Fusion card to his hand without a word.
"Next is 'Elemental Hero Shadow Mist's' effect! When successfully special summoned, add a 'Change' Quick-Play Magic from the deck to hand."
Youyu drew another auto-ejected card, and his deck shuffled automatically.
"Adding Quick-Play Magic 'Masked Change' to hand."
With precision, he drew out the card from his hand.
"Set one card face-down, end turn."
Mokuba, spectating, muttered: "'Masked Change', Youyu bro's key 'Masked Hero' card, can transform any Hero on the field into powerful 'Masked Hero' at any time..."
He glanced at the fiery and dark heroes on Youyu's field, pondering secretly.
In other words, the face-down card at the backfield, most likely, is 'Masked Change'. Youyu bro plans to choose the appropriate hero to transform based on the situation in brother's turn...
Kaiba naturally thought of this as well.
"Masked Change" is a Quick-Play Magic that can be activated anytime. Even if the opponent uses Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy it, it can be triggered immediately to transform the hero on the field.
This way, it can even deceive the opponent and consume a wind from their hand, depleting their resources.
Kaiba squinted.
However!
If you think such a simple trick would work on me, Kaiba Seto, then you're underestimating me!
"My turn, draw!" He drew a card and declared tersely, "Activate Magic Card - Night Beam! This card can destroy one face-down card on the opponent's field. The card targeted by Night Beam cannot activate in response!
Mokuba's eyes lit up: "Amazing, brother! This way, even 'Masked Change' can't activate..."
The Magic Card Night Beam appeared, shooting a piercing gold light from its card face, like a locked cannon beam, straight toward Youyu's face-down card on the backfield!
But Youyu... just slightly curved his lips.
"Maybe not."
Kaiba's eyelid twitched.
He's heard this line so often it's about to trigger a physiological reaction, but for the opponent to throw this line so early in the duel is quite a first.
Usually, this line is tossed when both sides are fiercely battling at crucial points, used to disrupt his mindset...
Seeing the gold beam of Night Beam directly hit the set card, the covered card was pulverized by the high concentration energy. Kaiba's pupils constricted, genuinely surprised.
The card wasn't "Masked Change" as he thought.
It was actually a red Trap Card.
"The set card you destroyed is Continuous Trap - Mirror Force Launch." Youyu waved his arm, revealing the destroyed Trap Card image.
"When this card is destroyed, it can be re-set from the grave to the field." The set card returned to Youyu's feet, "Furthermore..."
His deck auto-searched and reshuffled, ejecting a card into his hand.
"...In this effect's activation scenario, I can set a 'Sacred Barrier Mirror Force' from the deck to the field. Moreover, the card set by this effect can be activated in the turn it's set!"
A golden flash underfoot, a card appeared face-down on his backfield.
...Haha, didn't expect this, President!
Feel the power of Hanno's nobility!
As said before, after acquiring 'Sacred Barrier Mirror Force', Youyu's card pool now contains the 'Barrier' deck series.
This 'Mirror Force Launch' card was acquired shortly after returning from Egypt, with strong effects of searching and retrieving 'Sacred Barrier Mirror Force'.
However, since Mirror Force triggers only upon attack declaration, its concealment and surprise are part of its strength. Searching with this Continuous Trap would definitely cue the opponent it's a 'Mirror Force' at the backfield, reducing its effect.
Yet, even so, it remains a highly usable specialist Trap.
See, Kaiba is tricked into a healthy, happy smile with this card...
"Hahaha!!"
Kaiba laughed in a three-part manner.
"Interesting, you satisfy me greatly, You↑yu↓!" Kaiba laughed.
Always calculating one more step than himself, this is the kind of opponent he wants!
If not a man who surpasses himself, he'd have no reason of value to defeat!
Kaiba chuckled coldly.
But it ends here.
After today, he would surpass Youyu!
For Kaiba Seto, is not a man to remain oppressed beneath others forever.
"Summon 'Archfiend Cavalry'!"
Appearing on Kaiba's field was a skeleton fiend clad in red armor, with eyes glowing scarlet in the deep eye sockets. Holding a spiral spear resembling woodland white bones, beneath him a steed of blue flesh, its head aflame in eerie blue fire.
[Archfiend Cavalry, ATK 1900]
Quite fitting Kaiba's personal preference for low-star high-attack monsters.
"Archfiend Cavalry is level four but has 1900 attack points." Mokuba muttered, "But Youyu bro's backfield has 'Sacred Barrier Mirror Force', attacking recklessly could..."
"Humph, if you hesitate, you'll never take a new step, my dueling always moves forward!" Kaiba shouted, "Battle! Archfiend Cavalry attacks 'Elemental Hero Blazeman'!"
"Huh!?" Mokuba looked surprised.
Youyu watched the blue-flamed head of the blue-hued steed galloping close, keeping a straight face, and didn't disappoint the president.
"Activate the set card!" Youyu waved his hand, the set card flipping released a radiant blue glow that instantly enveloped the field, "Sacred Barrier Mirror Force! At the opponent's attack declaration, destroy all opponent's Attack Position monsters on the field!"