A snow-white storm rose to the sky, revealing white armor in the wind and snow. The Hero walked on the ice crystals, with his cape turning into a pure white battle flag, dyed by the snowflakes.
Elemental Hero Absolute Zero, Summon!
[Elemental Hero Absolute Zero, Attack Power 2500]
"Set one card on the field, end turn." Youyu said.
The water-elemental hero mastering ice and snow had always been a reliable figure in the Elemental Hero series. Just standing on the field without doing anything could fill people with a sense of reassurance, as if the entire field was under the unassailable protection of the Absolute Zero domain.
"Then it's my turn."
Z-ONE said deeply, as a card flew out from his Card Deck inserted into his Duel Disc, automatically coming to rest in front of him.
Yugi had already retreated to the outside of the field, observing the duel as a spectator.
"This person took Aigami's Card Deck...then he should also be using Cubic Monsters." Yugi said, "Cubic Monsters have extremely terrifying offensive capabilities. If you're not careful, you could be instantly killed in a single turn."
If someone else said this, it might not be worth noting, but the fact that the speaker was Muto Yugi, who had just obliterated Aigami by cleverly outplaying Cubics...
"Hm!" Kaiba said coldly, "An opponent of this level will be thoroughly defeated by Youyu soon enough."
Youyu: "....."
Well, I'm doing my best to push the Final Boss here, President, could you please not lay any strange flags for me...
Although Z-ONE might also be using a Cubic Deck, it's clear that in Yu-Gi-Oh World, the same Card Deck can yield vastly different results in different hands.
Despite being the Final Boss spanning the DM, GX, 5DS eras of the Yu-Gi-Oh World, even if Z-ONE were to wield a Leo Wizard Deck, he would be worth caution.
Beside him, Aigami: "My Card Deck..." (didn't garner anyone's attention)
Drawing a card into his hand, Z-ONE quickly selected another card in his hand. That card flew out automatically, landing precisely on the protruding Duel Disc device in front of him.
"Summon from my hand, 'Buster Gundil the Cubic Behemoth'." he said.
A stream of golden particles formed a vortex in midair. An eye opened, and below extended the twisted body of "Buster Gundil the Cubic Behemoth".
[Buster Gundil, Attack Power 0]
As expected, the starting point of the Cubic Deck appeared.
No matter how strong Z-ONE is, Buster Gundil remains the core card of the Cubics. Cubic Monsters overlap, transform, separate, and re-overlap, with the entire process inseparable from this Buster Gundil.
If that's the case...
"Flip Cover Card!" The Trap Card in front of Youyu flipped over, "Trap Card - Chain Disappearance!"
As soon as he saw this card, Aigami's eyelid twitched, as though he recalled a particularly unpleasant memory.
"Activate when an opponent summons, special summons, or flips a Monster with 1000 or less attack power."
Youyu raised his hand, pointing at the Buster Gundil, which had an attack power of 0, on Z-ONE's field.
"Remove that Monster, and all cards with the same name from the opponent's hand and Card Deck, from the game!"
A chain flew out from the surface of the Trap Card, echoing with a harsh metallic screech of high-speed friction. The chain pierced through the Buster Gundil on Z-ONE's field, and continued straight through, puncturing the other two lying dormant in Z-ONE's Card Deck.
Three Buster Gundils, as if pierced by a fateful chain transcending dimensions, vanished successively into thin air under the distortion of the dimensions.
"Beautiful!" Yugi praised, "That Monster called 'Buster Gundil' is the core of the Cubic Deck. If that thing disappears, that Card Deck is almost entirely debilitated in combat power!"
Kaiba, who had also fought against the Cubics, certainly understood this point. Seeing the Cubic Deck he had struggled against for so long being effortlessly neutralized by Youyu with a single card, Kaiba merely smirked slightly: "Not bad at all. For that guy, it's to be expected to accomplish as much."
But Youyu did not let down his guard.
Because Z-ONE also showed no signs of panic.
"'Chain Disappearance' is indeed a beautiful countermeasure." A muddled, echoing voice came from beneath the metallic shell, "Now to activate the Magic Card 'Roll of Fate.'
Roll a die, and draw a number of cards equal to the result. Then, banish the same number of cards from the top of your deck from play."
A die was thrown, rolling on the ground until the face showing the number "5" faced upward.
"The number rolled is '5'." he said, "Therefore, I will draw five cards from my Card Deck."
"Leaving it to luck, huh?" Yugi said.
"Luck is also a part of strength." Kaiba said calmly.
Spectator Jonouchi: When I roll the dice, you're certainly not saying the same thing, bastard!
"Activate the Magic Card 'Double Summon' from your hand, granting the privilege of a second summon.
I Normal Summon 'Duza the Meteor Cubic Vessel'.
Tentacle-like metal arms reached out from the swirl of golden light. The Cubic Monster with a spherical body spun into view, with a chest of steel adorned with ancient crimson patterns.
[Duza the Meteor Cubic Vessel, Attack Power 1600]
"When Duza is successfully summoned, send any 'Cubic' card from your Card Deck to the graveyard."
A card from Z-ONE's Card Deck flew out automatically, hovering briefly in mid-air to display itself to everyone, before making its way to his graveyard.
It seemed as if every card in his deck were tiny winged fairies, who needed only a command, even a mere thought, to obey their master and complete all expected tasks automatically.
"Send the Continuous Magic 'Cubic Karma' to the graveyard." Z-ONE said, "Then activate the effect of 'Cubic Karma' in the graveyard.
By removing 'Cubic Karma' from play, add a 'Cubic' Monster from the deck to your hand."
Again, a card flew from Z-ONE's deck, hovering in the air for everyone to see.
"The card I add to my hand is... 'Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord'."
Youyu: "!"
Aigami: "!"
Youyu's surprise stemmed from recognizing this card and knowing it shouldn't appear here.
Aigami's surprise was because...
...his Card Deck didn't contain such a thing!
"Quick-Play Magic - Trap Booster. You can discard a Trap Card from your hand; the effect of that Trap Card can be activated as this card's effect."
Z-ONE revealed a Trap.
"Trap Card - Sound the Retreat! Return all Monsters on your field to the owner's hand."
As his words ended, the pitch-black mass "Duza the Meteor Cubic Vessel" disintegrated into countless light particles and returned into Z-ONE's hand.
"Next, I reveal from my hand 'Duza the Meteor Cubic Vessel', 'Dark Garnex the Cubic Beast', 'Blade Garoodia the Cubic Emperor', three 'Cubic Monsters.' The card in my hand may be Special Summoned directly."
A card spun outward, as an immense darkness erupted from that small card.
"Crimson Nova the Dark Cubic Lord!!!"