Rex Raptor snorted, unconcerned. He had expected traps from the start, and sending low-level monsters first was a calculated risk. Losing one strong trap to a 1400 attack monster was a trade he could accept.
"Battle Phase ends," he continued. "Now I tribute both Swiftfoot Velociraptor to perform a Tribute Summon. From the endless darkness, break free and answer my call. Level seven, Triceratops Dragon, appear!"
The two dinosaurs vanished into a swirling vortex, and massive claws and fangs emerged. The giant dragon landed with a heavy step, and the arena shook under the vivid visuals and feedback. "Attack 2850."
"Triceratops Dragon!" Wataru Komatsu said. "A fierce opening followed by the summon of such a powerful High-Level Monster. This shows Rex Raptor is fully acknowledging the challenger's strength."
Standing in the storm of his summon, Rex Raptor felt his presence swell. "See this? This is my new dragon. Stronger than the Red-Eyes and the Evil Knight Dragon I lost back then. It's proof that I have risen again!"
Yugen snapped his fingers. "Flip the face-down card. Trap Card, Trap Hole. When your monster is summoned, it is flipped face-down into Defense Position and can never change its battle position."
The imposing dragon did not even steady itself before sliding into the pit and vanishing from the field. The arena fell quiet for a moment, with Rex Raptor frozen in his summoning pose, a cold draft making the scene feel strangely empty.
Watching him, Yugen felt a brief and odd sensation. It was the feeling that he had truly done something cruel.
Rex Raptor let out a long breath.
Tri-Horned Dragon had gone down the moment it hit the field, but it was still acceptable. It hurt his mentality a bit, yet everything so far was within what he had expected.
He, Rex Raptor, had seen far worse storms before. Back then, when his Red-Eyes Black Dragon had been turned into a fossil by that punk Joey Wheeler using Time Wizard and a single spin of the wheel, he had endured it. Compared to that, this was nothing.
"But my turn isn't over yet."
Rex Raptor drew another card.
"I activate the Continuous Spell Mirage of Nightmare from my hand. During my opponent's Standby Phase, this card lets me draw until I have four cards in hand. As a side effect, during my own Standby Phase, I must randomly discard the same number of cards I drew."
Yugen showed no change in expression.
As expected of the anime world, he casually played another card that had been banned for ages.
"Next, I set two cards in my back row. Turn end."
It was Yugen's turn to draw. "Then it's my turn. I draw."
"At this moment, the effect of Mirage of Nightmare activates," Rex Raptor said. "I draw four cards from my deck."
The power of a forbidden card was obvious. Rex Raptor's hand, which had been emptied last turn, instantly returned to four cards.
However, Yugen calmly followed up with his own draw. "Spell Card Pot of Greed. I draw two more cards from my deck."
As if he was saying everyone had a few forbidden cards of their own.
After drawing, Yugen continued, "First, I summon the card I searched last turn."
The monster card slapped down onto the monster zone of the Duel Disk with a sharp sound.
"Machina Gearframe, in Attack Position."
Machina Gearframe, ATK 1800.
"Machina Gearframe's effect activates. When this card is successfully summoned, I add one Machina Armored Unit monster from my deck to my hand, except another Machina Gearframe."
"So that's how it is. The Machina Peacekeeper that was destroyed last turn can search Machina Gearframe when it's destroyed, and then Machina Gearframe can search Machina Fortress."
"Which means that from the very start, Yugen's entire setup was aimed at this card, Machina Fortress!"
"Looks like things are about to get interesting," Takeshi Sasaki said with a smile.
"I add this card from my deck."
Yugen revealed the card he had just searched.
"Machina Fortress is added to my hand."
He then showed Machina Fortress together with another monster card in his hand.
"Next is the effect of Machina Fortress. Although this is a Level 7 High-Level Monster, it can be Special Summoned from my hand or Graveyard by discarding Machine-Type monsters from my hand whose total Levels are eight or higher."
"I discard the Level 8 Machina Megaform from my hand to the Graveyard, and Special Summon Machina Fortress from my hand!"
A card was sent to the Graveyard, and the heavy alloy Machina Fortress immediately landed on his field. Thick metal treads, pale blue armor, and a long cannon barrel seemed to declare that bigger caliber meant justice.
Machina Fortress, ATK 2500.
"Battle," Yugen said. "First, Machina Fortress attacks the face-down Tri-Horned Dragon!"
Tri-Horned Dragon, DEF 2350.
The massive main cannon on Machina Fortress lowered slowly as it locked on. Ammunition loaded, and with a thunderous blast and flash of light, the shell spun through the air and slammed into the set card. The poor Tri-Horned Dragon never even got to reveal itself before it was blown to ash.
"Next, Machina Gearframe attacks directly!"
The red armored warrior kicked off the ground, its metal body riding a spiral of air as it flew forward. Rex Raptor hurriedly covered his head and braced himself, but the image of the alloy flying kick still smashed into him and sent him sprawling.
Rex Raptor, LP 2600 to LP 800.
The audience erupted in shock.
A returning legend against a newcomer should have been a one-sided match without suspense. Instead, it was one-sided all right, just completely the other way around.
That Rex Raptor was being suppressed.
"This really wasn't what I expected," someone said on the commentary desk.
"Rex Raptor's field doesn't look good at all right now," Wataru Komatsu said.
"Indeed. He's completely suppressed and only has 800 Life Points left. On the other hand, Yugen's LP hasn't moved at all."
Yugen, LP 4000.
After confirming Yugen's unmoving Life Points again, Takeshi Sasaki frowned.
Was this really a newcomer?
From the earlier matches until now, he had pushed through everything with overwhelming force. Looking back at all of his duels so far, it felt like he had never been under real pressure.
And now he was suppressing even that Rex Raptor to this extent.
Where had this unheard-of monster come from?
"Main Phase 2."
Yugen's turn was not over yet.
"I activate the other effect of Machina Gearframe. Once per turn, this card can equip itself to one Machine-Type monster on my field as an Equip Card."
"I equip Machina Gearframe to my Machina Fortress."
Machina Gearframe leapt up and transformed with a series of metallic clanks, combining onto Machina Fortress.
"When the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle or card effect, Machina Gearframe can be destroyed instead," Yugen said. "Also, once per turn, while equipped, Machina Gearframe can Special Summon itself back to my field."
"That's an incredible combo," Wataru Komatsu said. "Machina Gearframe not only searches Machina Fortress from the deck, it can also equip to it and give it protection from destruction."
"And there's more," Takeshi Sasaki added. "By becoming an Equip Card, it also protects Machina Gearframe itself. That way, the opponent can't try to break through by targeting the lower ATK Machina Gearframe."
"And next turn, even if it's needed to attack and help finish things, it can jump back onto the field on its own."
"Offense and defense together, that's too strong," Wataru Komatsu said