"Chumley, could he have thought of a way to break through?" Joey was a little surprised. "Summoning a new Monster would incur Backlash, and with (Ojama King) as his only Monster on the Field, possessing no ATK, how is Chumley going to win this Duel?"
"Could he be relying on Equip Spell Cards to boost (Ojama King)'s ATK?"
Tristan thought of a possibility, but Bakura shook his head, denying it. "That's too difficult. Although he replenished a large number of cards in his Hand with (Card of Sanctity)'s Effect, it would be too difficult to Enhance (Ojama King), which has 0 ATK, to a level that surpasses (Cyber Ogre)."
"No, it's not impossible." Mai Valentine, however, thought of something and said with a smile, "Although it's an Evolved form, don't forget, Chumley's (Ojama King) is still an Ojama Monster."
Mai Valentine thought of this, and Sheppard, opposite Chumley, also thought of it: 'Could it be that, thanks to the (Card of Sanctity) he just activated, Chumley drew the powerful Ojama-exclusive Field Spell — (Ojama Country)?'
'If ATK and DEF were swapped, (Ojama King) would instantly become a super powerful Monster with (Blue-Eyes White Dragon)-level ATK, while my (Cyber Ogre)'s ATK would only be 1200.' Sheppard frowned, calmly thinking, 'However, even if the Attack goes through, it would only inflict 1800 points of Damage to me. I should be able to endure it.'
But to everyone's surprise, as Chumley played the Card from his Hand, not only did the Field not change at all, but the massive (Ojama King) on his Field began to vanish?
"Originally, I prepared this Card for cards like (Magic Cylinder), but I didn't expect it to come in handy now." Chumley looked at Sheppard's Monster Field, which was now free of (Ojama King)'s presence. "Because it's a Level 6 Monster, its Tribute Summon requires one Tribute."
"Inheriting the power of (Ojama King), bringing me Life Points and hope, come forth! (Material Dragon)!"
(Ojama King) dissolved into countless specks of light, falling to the ground. A strong aura of life burst forth from beneath the earth. Accompanied by a long cry, a six-winged Wyvern, whose body resembled a wooden structure, erupted from the ground and soared above Chumley's Field.
(Material Dragon) [Level 6 / LIGHT Attribute]
[Dragon-Type / Effect]
[ATK 2400 / DEF 2000]
"He actually chose to Summon a new Monster, and one with 2400 ATK?!" Upon seeing the new Monster appear, Joey frowned instead. "Could that guy Chumley have forgotten about (Dark Cure)? After Summoning (Material Dragon), he's going to take a full 1200 points of Damage!"
A dark orb of light appeared from Chumley's Field, and violently struck Chumley, who wore a confident expression. But after the orb collided with him, his Life Points, which should have decreased, not only didn't drop but actually increased!?
Chumley: 2100 LP → 3300 LP
Seeing Sheppard's puzzled expression opposite him, Chumley then explained, "(Material Dragon) symbolizes the most primal matter left behind from the Time of Creation, a symbol of life force. As long as (Material Dragon) remains on the Field, any effect that inflicts Damage will instead become an effect that recovers Life Points."
"In other words, the existence of (Material Dragon) is the antithesis to (Medication's Side Effect), which synergizes with (Dark Cure)."
"One Card converts life force into Damage, while another converts Damage into life force?" Sheppard murmured, his eyes narrowing. "So, will you try to Attack, Chumley-kun?"
"Of course!" Chumley played a Card. "Equip Spell Card, (Megamorph)! If my Life Points are lower than my Opponent's, the equipped Monster's ATK can become double its Original ATK!"
(Material Dragon) ATK 2400 → 4800
"Then I'll flip my Set Card, (Cyber Shadow Gardna)!" Sheppard flipped the Card that had returned to his Backrow last Turn. "I will Special Summon it to my Field again, and then, due to (Cyber Summon Blaster)'s Effect, you will take 300 points of Damage!"
Lightning bolts shot out, striking Chumley precisely.
Chumley: 3300 LP → 3000 LP
"That's just negligible Damage. I enter the Battle Phase!" Chumley looked at the (Material Dragon) that had swelled in size on the Field. "(Material Dragon) Attacks (Cyber Ogre), Primal Regression!"
Although it brings Life Points and hope, (Material Dragon) showed that it could also pack a punch. With a flap of its massive wings, six emerald energy rays locked onto (Cyber Ogre) from different directions, instantly overwhelming it.
"That's great, that takes down (Cyber Ogre)!" Joey said excitedly. "And with a full 4800 ATK, Mr. Sheppard will take 2900 points of Damage in one go. This gives Chumley the advantage!"
However, Mai Valentine and Yugi simultaneously noticed something amiss on the Field. Exchanging glances, they did not explain the specific situation to Joey, as the situation on the Field was still unclear.
Looking at the smoke enveloping (Cyber Ogre), and Sheppard's Life Points, which showed no fluctuations, Chumley knew well the 'smoke and no damage' rule, and he clutched a Card in his Hand.
"What a fierce Attack. I was just moments away from having most of my Life Points wiped out in one go." As the smoke gradually dissipated, accompanied by Sheppard's explanation, the figure of (Cyber Ogre) stood unharmed, with a mechanical head clamped in its mouth. From its appearance, it was clearly another (Cyber Ogre)?!
He held up a Card from his Hand, showed it, and then Sent it to the Graveyard. Sheppard explained, "I can Activate this Effect by Sending one (Cyber Ogre) from my Hand to the Graveyard, to negate one battle involving a (Cyber Ogre) on the Field."
"Not only that, (Cyber Ogre) can also absorb the power of its allies, increasing its ATK by 2000 until the end of its next battle."
Swallowing the remains of its discarded brethren whole, (Cyber Ogre) moved its metallic joints. The red light in its electronic eyes visibly brightened.
(Cyber Ogre) ATK 1900 → 3900
"Is this new power brought about by the (Card of Sanctity) from earlier? It seems I'm not the only one who benefited from that Card." Chumley drew a Card from his Hand, but did not rush to play it, instead gently placing it on the Field, looking at Sheppard opposite him.
"Using Machine-Type Monsters that can be Special Summoned in large numbers to actively reduce the Opponent's Life Points, to counter Aggro Decks with the (Dark Cure) and (Medication's Side Effect) Combo and then using (Cyber Ogre) to bait an Attack, creating an opening for a Counterattack."
"As expected of the future master of Cyber Style, you have your own top-tier understanding of Dueling. Such a Dueling style has probably already approached perfection."
"But Mr. Sheppard, perfection implies a limit!"
(end of chapter)