He pointed to his own machine. "I designate Machina Fortress as the new attack target for Ultimate Tyranno."
"Tch," Rex Raptor clicked his tongue. "Trying to dodge the OTK with a cheap trick?"
"But Ultimate Tyranno still has higher power! Ultimate Tyranno, wipe that annoying machine off the field!"
Machina Fortress stood in Defense Position with 1600 defense. The turned machine stood no chance against the savage dark dinosaur. With a furious roar, the beast tore into it, ripping the massive frame apart as parts flew and black smoke burst out again and again. In moments, it collapsed into scrap metal with a series of heavy explosions.
"Huh?" Wataru Komatsu froze.
"That's strange. Why didn't Machina Gearframe's effect activate?"
By all rights, Yugen's Machina Fortress was equipped with Machina Gearframe. Its frame should have been able to take one destruction in place of the equipped monster.
So why didn't it trigger?
Rex Raptor felt a faint sense of unease, and it was confirmed at once.
"At this moment, another effect of Machina Fortress activates," Yugen said.
Before it was sent away, he revealed the card again. "When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can destroy one card on your field."
He pointed at the dragon that had not attacked yet. "I destroy Hell Horned Dragon!"
In its final moment before breaking apart, Machina Fortress fired its main cannon one last time. The dying shot hit Hell Horned Dragon square in the head, and the dragon let out a scream before being blown to pieces by modern firepower.
"Damn it," Rex Raptor snarled.
"B-beautiful!" Wataru Komatsu jumped to his feet, unconsciously giving Yugen a thumbs-up.
"With a single exchange, he not only blocked Rex Raptor's double direct attack, but also destroyed his trump card from Polymerization! The deadly two-hit assault was calmly dismantled!"
"And at this point, Yugen is still at 4000 Life Points, completely unharmed. The relentless offense of a legendary Duelist still hasn't broken his defense even once!"
"That really was unexpected," Takeshi Sasaki said.
"Yugen Fujiki is an unbelievable newcomer. If someone told me he was actually a pro wearing a disguise, I'd believe it."
To fight the legendary Rex Raptor to this extent made it hard to accept that he was a rookie.
"Then I set two cards and end my turn."
After his offense failed again, Rex Raptor looked a bit frustrated. Still, he had regained the upper hand on the field. Ultimate Tyranno remained with its massive 2600 attack, while his opponent's field was empty, and his back row was solid enough to feel safe.
"Draw."
After drawing, Yugen narrowed his eyes slightly. "Hmm, what a shame. It looks like you might not even get another turn."
Rex Raptor froze. The commentators and the entire audience were stunned as well.
What did they just hear?
A victory declaration?
"W-what an unbelievable turn of events!" Wataru Komatsu was practically leaning over the desk.
"Yugen has just declared victory against Rex Raptor, the legendary Rex Raptor!"
If he had said that at the very start, people would have laughed at the rookie for being arrogant. But after witnessing his control over the duel these past turns, far fewer felt that way now.
There was no sense of boasting or excitement in his voice. That calm certainty was the most frightening part. He spoke as if he were simply stating a fact that was about to happen, without provocation or mockery.
Rex Raptor felt his heart shake. He thought his years of experience had given him nerves of steel, yet at that moment his legs trembled, and he nearly stumbled. It was not just the thought of losing here, after returning as a king, on a minor stage against a nameless newcomer.
More than that, when he heard those words, a part of him almost believed them. As if somewhere deep down, he accepted that this turn might really be the end.
"W-what did you say?" Rex Raptor forced himself to snap out of it.
Impossible. He still had a boss monster and solid back row. There was no way the opponent could break through.
It had to be a bluff.
"The effect of Machina Fortress in the Graveyard," Yugen said calmly, taking the monster card back from the Graveyard zone of his Duel Disk.
"This card can Special Summon itself from the Graveyard by discarding Machine monsters from the hand whose total Levels are eight or more."
He revealed two cards. "I discard a Level 3 Machine, Card Trooper, and a Level 7 Machina Fortress. I Special Summon Machina Fortress from my Graveyard!"
As the two cards hit the Graveyard, a storm of metal surged across Yugen's field. Machina Fortress rose again with roaring engines, its cannons locking back into place. Machina Fortress returned with 2500 attack.
"So that self-revival is the source of his confidence," Rex Raptor thought, narrowing his eyes. "That means he must have support cards in hand."
Its attack was only 100 lower than Ultimate Tyranno. With any boost, it could break through easily. And because of the effect of Reckless Greed, Rex Raptor would skip his next two Draw Phases. If he lost Ultimate Tyranno now, it would be over.
But then.
"Flip the face-down card!"
Rex Raptor activated his back row. "Trap Card, Judgment of Yama! This card destroys a monster your opponent Special Summons!"
A black vortex opened beneath the machine. Before Machina Fortress could steady itself, it exploded into fragments with a thunderous blast.
Rex Raptor laughed loudly. "Hahaha! Traps aren't your monopoly! Now what? Can you still say you'll finish me this turn?"
Trap Card chained to Judgment of Yama, and the revival of Machina Fortress was negated.
"Rex Raptor actually kept something like that in reserve!"
Wataru Komatsu spoke fast and loud, words flying with his breath.
"It seems even the revival of Machina Fortress was within his calculations. Because it was a counter trap, Yugen Fujiki has almost no room to recover, and the tempo is forced to a stop. If so, continuing a counterattack will be very hard. Can he still stand by his claim to finish the duel this turn?"
Facing this situation, the only thought in Yugen's mind was simple.
All right, Kenzan I can accept, but why do you even have Misawa's card?
That "Judgment of Yama" was a card used by the well-known background duelist Daichi Misawa in the GX series. It was originally a Zombie-Type-only trap, and if you banished five Zombie-Type monsters from your Graveyard, you could Special Summon a Zombie-Type from the Deck. Of course, Rex Raptor played Dinosaurs and clearly had no Zombie-Type monsters, but in an anime-style environment it could still work as a rough substitute for Trap Hole.
After all, Duelists in this world did not have much freedom in deck building. They often used whatever they had on hand, and if someone happened to pull this card from a pack, even a non-Zombie-Type player might consider running it.
Machina Fortress returned to the Graveyard again, but Yugen did not mind. Another card in the Graveyard exited in a flash of golden light.
"The effect of 'Machina Megaform' in the Graveyard."
Yugen revealed the card being removed from the Graveyard.
"When this card is in the Graveyard, and 'Machina Fortress' you control is sent to the Graveyard, you can banish that 'Machina Fortress' to Special Summon this card."