## Chapter 154: Dark Magic Curtain
[Yugi: 1800 -> 1500 LP]
By activating (Card of Sanctity) with an empty Hand, Yugi was able to draw a full six cards at once. The only price he paid was 300 points of Damage from (Skull Invitation).
Hayato offered a reminder, "Yugi, you really need to pay attention to your remaining Life Points. With only 1500, your Life Points will hit zero if just five more cards are sent to the Graveyard."
"As long as my Life Points haven't hit zero, they're infinite. Being timid just because my Life Points are low isn't my style. In fact, I was actually thinking of lowering them even further." Yugi said as he played a Card, "Spell Card, (Dark Magic Curtain)!"
[Yugi: 1500 -> 1200 LP]
A grand stage appeared on Yugi's empty Field, concealed by a massive curtain that obscured the view of what lay behind it. Above the enormous stage, a Skeleton clung tightly to the top of the curtain, with ghastly green flames burning in its empty eye sockets.
"The effect of (Dark Magic Curtain) is that, during the Turn this Card is activated, either duelist can Special Summon one Spellcaster-Type Monster from their Deck or Hand by paying half of their Life Points."
Hayato shook his head. "I don't have any Spellcaster-Type monsters in my Deck."
"In that case, I won't hold back. I pay half of my Life Points to Special Summon (Dark Magician) from my Deck." Yugi boldly paid half of his remaining Life Points. As his Life Points vanished, the Skeleton clinging to the curtain released its grip, letting the curtain fall.
[Yugi: 1200 -> 600 LP]
"Come forth, my most faithful servant! The highest-ranking magician wielding powerful magic, (Dark Magician)!"
Following Yugi's impassioned cry, (Dark Magician), holding his emerald-green staff, emerged gracefully from behind the fallen curtain and appeared on the Field.
[Dark Magician] [ATK 2500]
"There it is! It's Yugi's Ace Monster, (Dark Magician)!" Seeing Yugi Summon (Dark Magician), Téa became even more excited than Joey and the others beside her, jumping to her feet.
"As expected. In a situation like this, you'd of course Summon (Dark Magician), Yugi." Hayato wasn't surprised that Yugi was willing to pay his Life Points down to such a level to Summon (Dark Magician), a Normal Monster with no Effect. Just like (Blue-Eyes White Dragon) is to Seto Kaiba, (Dark Magician) is a Card of extraordinary significance to Yugi, or rather, to Yami Yugi.
Summoning (Dark Magician) by reducing his Life Points to 600 was nothing. Hayato knew of even more absurd plays, like Tributing a God to Summon a (Blue-Eyes), or a starting Hand Fusion and De-Fusion for a five-for-one to summon Ultraman.
"While a mere 900 Life Points is nothing for the sake of Summoning (Dark Magician), I'll recover some just to be safe." Yugi drew a card and activated it. "Spell Card, (Supreme Fruit)! Since my Life Points are lower than yours, I regain 2000 Life Points."
[Yugi: 600 -> 2600 -> 2300]
"Tch, you raised your Life Points back up again?" Hayato watched in annoyance as the Life Points Yugi had worked so hard to lower were restored by a single card. "So, are you going to try attacking my (Gaia)?"
"Although (Dark Magician)'s Attack is higher than (Gaia)'s, that Set Card in your Back Row has me worried," Yugi said, shaking his head. "And unfortunately, I don't have a Card like (Mystical Space Typhoon) in my Hand right now. I don't want to sacrifice the (Dark Magician) I worked so hard to Summon for nothing."
"I Set two cards from my Hand. My Turn is over."
[Yugi: 2300, Hand: 2]
[Dark Magician] [ATK 2500]
[Set Card] x2
Hayato glanced at the (Sakuretsu Armor) he had Set earlier and couldn't help but sigh. *Yugi doesn't have a Typhoon, this was a rare chance for you to shine. Oh, Sakuretsu Armor, Sakuretsu Armor, I gave you a chance, but you were no use.*
"Before your Turn ends, Yugi, I activate my Set Card, (Emergency Provisions)!" As Yugi looked on with an "I knew it" expression, Hayato activated the (Emergency Provisions) he often paired with (Mirage of Nightmare). "I send (Abyssal Talisman) and (Mirage of Nightmare) from my Field to the Graveyard to regain 2000 Life Points."
[Hayato: 1900 -> 3900 -> 3000 LP]
Although (Abyssal Talisman) had an effect that could negate Damage by discarding from the Hand, it came with a Cost: it would self-destruct during the third End Phase of the opponent after its activation. And right now, it was Yugi's third End Phase.
Rather than let it go to waste, Hayato might as well turn it into provisions.
"And now, it's My Turn! I Draw!" Because (Emergency Provisions) sent several cards on his Field to the Graveyard, it triggered (Skull Invitation) and cost him another 900 Life Points, but it also cleared up some space for Hayato. "I Activate the Spell Card, (Magical Planter)! I send (Skull Invitation) to the Graveyard, then Draw two cards."
From its activation at the start of the Duel until now, the (Skull Invitation) on Hayato's Field had been his biggest source of Damage output. The total Life Points that Hayato and Yugi had lost due to it added up to more than 3000. But now, Hayato was callously discarding his trusted tool—no, using (Magical Planter) to send it to the Graveyard.
Simultaneously, Hayato's Hand size swelled to an astonishing eight cards.
"First, I Activate the Spell Card (Magical Stone Excavation)! By discarding two cards from my Hand, I can Add to Hand one Spell Card from my Graveyard." Sending two cards to the Graveyard, Hayato picked up a card from it. "The card I'm adding to my hand is (Polymerization) from my Graveyard!"
*Did he draw (Ojama) monsters again? No, with (Ojama Black) already in the Graveyard, he shouldn't be able to gather the materials for (Ojama King),* Yugi thought when he saw Hayato add (Polymerization) to his Hand. His first reaction was that Hayato was trying to Summon (Ojama King).
However, he then remembered that Hayato had used (Ojama Black) as the Cost to Activate the effect of (Abyssal Talisman) to withstand the Direct Attack from (Queen's Knight).
"I'm not Summoning (Ojama King). Although its effect can lock down Monster Zones, it won't bring me victory in this situation." Hayato took two cards from his Hand and revealed them alongside (Polymerization). "These are the two cards I'm going to Fuse!"
"(Curse of Dragon) plus (Gaia The Fierce Knight)! The final equation is... (Gaia the Dragon Cha—mpi—on)!!!"
The dark knight, holding a massive lance, mounted the yellow wyvern that spewed scorching dragon flames. Following his Duel with Weevil Underwood, Hayato had once again Summoned (Gaia the Dragon Champion).
"With this, Gaia's Attack Points have successfully surpassed (Dark Magician)'s! It's time to Battle! (Gaia the Dragon Champion), Attack (Dark Magician)!"
---
Author's Notes:
This Duel is dragging on a bit, but it should be fine, right? Spoiler alert: it won't end until tomorrow's chapter.
Also, I can reveal that the protagonist will face Pegasus.
(end of chapter)