Chapter 341: The Situation is Urgent, I'll Directly Use the Eight-Part Light Wheel
Ending his Battle Phase, Yugi thought for a moment after looking at his hand, then set two cards face-down. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
With Yugi's declaration, [Ojama Knight] was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, with [Ojama Yellow] and [Ojama Black] disappearing along with it.
Yugi: 3000 LP, Hand: 1
Dark Magician [ATK 2500]
Dark Magician Girl [ATK 2000]
Set Cards x3
After one round of offense and defense, it was Hayato's turn again.
The disadvantage of Yugi choosing not to defeat [Armed Dragon LV10] last turn, instead opting for the shortcut of attacking the two decoys Hayato had on the field—[Ojama Yellow] and [Ojama Black]—now became apparent.
If Yugi didn't have defensive measures prepared this turn, Hayato only needed to use [Armed Dragon LV10]'s effect to destroy both Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl on his field at once, and then he could attack directly to wipe out Yugi's remaining 3000 Life Points.
The pressure was now on Yugi's side.
"My turn, draw."
Hayato drew a card, glanced at it, and then discarded it. "I activate the effect of [Armed Dragon LV10] on my field! Once per turn, I discard one card from my hand to destroy all face-up monsters on my opponent's field!"
"And because the card I discarded was [Ojama Pink], its effect activates when sent from the hand or field to the Graveyard. Both players draw one card, then each chooses one card to discard."
Due to the "later activation resolves first" rule of Duel Monsters, [Ojama Pink]'s effect was processed before [Armed Dragon LV10]'s. Hayato drew one card, then sent [Ojama Blue], which had been added to his hand by the effect of [Ojamatch] earlier, to the Graveyard. Yugi discarded Tricky Elf Swordsman.
"When I discard an [Ojama] card using [Ojama Pink]'s effect, it has a follow-up effect to resolve." Hayato said, casually pointing a finger at an empty space on Yugi's field. "Designate one unused Monster Zone on the opponent's field; it cannot be used until the End Phase."
"Now, let's resume resolving [Armed Dragon LV10]'s effect. Things are urgent now, let's use its power to take out Yugi's monsters!"
Following Hayato's command, perhaps energized by the discarded [Ojama Pink], several serrated blades on [Armed Dragon LV10]'s abdomen began to spin rapidly. [Armed Dragon LV10] grabbed a spinning blade in each hand, treating them like saw discs, and threw them out!
Seeing that his Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl were about to be struck by the saw discs, Yugi didn't hesitate any longer, immediately activating his face-down card. "I activate my Set Card!"
"Quick-Play Spell Card, Dark Burning Magic!"
Facing the deadly incoming attack, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl exchanged glances, understanding each other's intentions implicitly. Undaunted by the approaching threat of death, they simultaneously raised their staves, combining their efforts to conjure a sphere of magical energy before pushing it towards Hayato's field.
The saw discs and the magic sphere grazed past each other, neither hitting the other initially. Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl were struck, instantly destroyed, and sent to the Graveyard. Meanwhile, [Armed Dragon LV10] on Hayato's field was hit by the master and apprentice's dying counterattack, engulfed and crushed by magical energy.
"This card can only be activated when I control monsters whose original names are Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. Dark Burning Magic can destroy all cards on my opponent's field."
Only then did Yugi calmly explain.
Hayato sighed helplessly. "You really refuse to lose out even a little, Yugi."
"But don't forget, Yugi. I haven't Normal Summoned yet this turn."
As he spoke, Hayato summoned a card from his hand. "I summon [V-Tiger Jet] in Attack Position!"
A mechanical aircraft modeled after a tiger appeared on Hayato's field. It circled the spacious tower top once, scouting the surrounding terrain, and firmly locked onto Yugi.
[V-Tiger Jet] [Level 4 / LIGHT]
[Machine / Normal]
[ATK 1600 / DEF 1800]
Hayato glanced at the remaining card in his hand; it was Limiter Removal, which he had just acquired through the effect of [Ojama Pink].
If he used Limiter Removal, although [V-Tiger Jet] on his field would be destroyed at the end of his turn, for this turn only, [V-Tiger Jet]'s attack points would double, soaring to a full 3200 points. A single blow would be enough to wipe out Yugi's remaining Life Points.
But could Yugi be dealt with that easily?
With two Set Cards on the field and one card in hand, Hayato wasn't certain of victory until Yugi's resources were completely depleted. Before that, it was better to chip away at Yugi's health first.
"[V-Tiger Jet], attack Yugi directly! Cyclone Assault!"
Facing the attacking [V-Tiger Jet], Yugi hesitated and thought for a moment. His hand contained Kuriboh, which had the effect of reducing battle damage to zero upon being discarded. Although he could use it now, Yugi felt it would be better to save it for later. For now, he would sacrifice some Life Points.
Yugi: 3000 -> 1400 LP
[V-Tiger Jet]'s attack went through, but Hayato was somewhat disappointed that he couldn't bait out Yugi's Set Cards or hand card. Setting Limiter Removal face-down, Hayato declared, "My turn ends here."
Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand: 0
[V-Tiger Jet] [ATK 1600]
Set Card
In the audience stands, Joey Wheeler saw that Hayato's offensive had temporarily concluded and couldn't help but unclench the fists he had been gripping tightly since just now, discovering his palms were covered in sweat.
"Both sides are incredibly strong duelists. Yugi and Hayato's duel is just like walking a tightrope; it feels like one wrong step could send either falling." Mai Valentine couldn't help but remark with emotion.
"Hmph, a duel of this level can only be called a 'warm-up'. If they can't even survive the probing stage, Hayato and Yugi aren't worthy of being considered my rivals." Kaiba's gaze remained fixed on the field, speaking without turning his head. "Are you about to get serious, Yugi?"
With his Life Points reduced to only 1400, Yugi placed his fingers on his Duel Disk, yet a smile full of interest appeared on his face. "This duel is really thrilling, Hayato."
"My passion has been completely awakened. Here I come, Hayato!"
Saying this, Yugi drew his card and barely looked at it before placing it directly into the Spell & Trap Card Zone on his Duel Disk to activate it. "Spell Card, Card of Sanctity!"
End of Chapter
"As Yugi activated Card of Demise, he drew five Cards from his Deck, bringing his Hand to six Cards. Hayato, having no Cards in hand, drew six Cards.
Although it has an Effect capable of competing for the strongest Hand replenishment in Duel Monsters, its drawback is that the opponent also benefits from the same Effect.
Despite also getting six Cards for free, Hayato still wanted to voice the same complaint: "As expected, the Pharaoh really can draw whatever he wants."
This line comes from the Original Work of Yu-Gi-Oh!, when Dark Yugi dueled Original Yugi. Dark Yugi no longer hid his Lucky Drawer nature and performed a move identical to the one just now, playing a Card without even looking at it. It was Marik, who had already turned over a new leaf at the time, who made this remark.
In the official Mobile Game, "Duel Links", Dark Yugi possesses an iconic Skill called "Destined Draw", which allows him to directly decide the next Card he draws when his Life Points are below 2000. This is the so-called "can draw whatever he wants".
However, the Yugi in front of Hayato is not a character from the Mobile Game. The Skill in the Mobile Game, which has a Life Point restriction and can only be used once, is actually a Continuous Ability for Yugi.
After glancing at the Cards he drew, Yugi played a Card from his Hand: "I Activate the Spell Card, Fusion!"
"From my Hand, I will use Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight as Fusion Material to Fusion Summon Arcana Knight Joker!"
The Fusion Vortex appeared, drawing in Yugi's three Monsters. His top-tier Knight from his Deck—Arcana Knight Joker—appeared!
Arcana Knight Joker [Level 9/LIGHT Attribute]
[Warrior-Type/Fusion/Effect]
[ATK 3800/DEF 2500]
"Entering the Battle Phase, go, Arcana Knight Joker! Attack V-Tiger Jet! Ace Card Holy Sword!"
Following Yugi's Command, Arcana Knight Joker drew the long sword from its waist and instantly vanished, reappearing behind V-Tiger Jet as if by Teleport. The sharp long sword was about to thrust forward.
Seeing this, Hayato immediately Activated his Set Card: "Activate my Set Card, the Quick-Play Spell Card Limiter Removal!"
V-Tiger Jet [ATK 1600 → 3200]
Just as the sharp long sword broke through a layer of V-Tiger Jet's Armor and was thrusting towards its Energy Core, with the Activation of Limiter Removal, V-Tiger Jet's inherent Load Limit for self-protection was Released. The Thrusters on its back operated beyond their Upper Limit, and just as it was about to be Destroyed, it reversed its position and fired a cannon blast towards Arcana Knight Joker.
However, even after Releaseing its limit and boosting its ATK to a full 3200 points, V-Tiger Jet was still no match for Arcana Knight Joker. It was easily Destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. But thanks to the counter-cannon blast before being Destroyed, the Damage Hayato received was greatly reduced.
[Hayato: 4000 → 3400 LP]
600 points of Battle Damage were inflicted upon Hayato. Although this wasn't a Dark Game that would cause physical Damage, the simulated Impact still forced Hayato to step back.
"The Effect of Limiter Removal is to double the ATK of all Machine-Type Monsters on my Field, but they are Destroyed at the end of the Turn. Since it was going to be Destroyed anyway, I might as well boost V-Tiger Jet's ATK as much as possible to reduce the Damage I received," Hayato explained.
Yugi wasn't discouraged. Looking at Hayato's empty Field, he instead smiled: "Is that so? But Hayato, I didn't say that Arcana Knight Joker's Attack was my Full Power."
"During the Battle Phase, I Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card De-Fusion! I will Release Arcana Knight Joker's Fusion state and Special Summon King's Knight, Jack's Knight, and Queen's Knight!"
As Yugi played the Card from his Hand, his Hand returned to having only one Card left. The Arcana Knight Joker on his Field transformed into three Warrior-Type Monsters in Attack Position, raising their long swords and pointing them uniformly at Hayato's empty Field. Their state looked quite good.
King's Knight [Level 4/LIGHT Attribute]
[Warrior-Type/Effect]
[ATK 1600/DEF 1400]
Queen's Knight [Level 4/LIGHT Attribute]
[Warrior-Type/Normal Monster]
[ATK 1500/DEF 1600]
Jack's Knight [Level 5/LIGHT Attribute]
[Warrior-Type/Normal Monster]
[ATK 1900/DEF 1000]
"A Monster Special Summoned during the Battle Phase can Attack! They're coming to Attack, Hayato!"
Yugi waved his Hand forward, giving the Command to his most frequently used Queen's Knight: "Queen's Knight, make a Direct Attack on the opponent!"
Taking elegant steps, Queen's Knight moved gracefully but without any slowness. A swift sword thrust struck Hayato, taking away 1500 points of his Life Points.
[Hayato: 3400 → 1900 LP]
"Next is Jack's Knight's Direct Attack, towards—"
Yugi was Commanding Jack's Knight to Attack when he heard Hayato interrupt him and play a Card: "In Chain to your Jack's Knight's Attack Declaration, I Activate the Effect of Rainbow Kuriboh from my Hand!"
"I will Equip Rainbow Kuriboh as an Equip Card to Jack's Knight, preventing it from Attacking!"
Jack's Knight, which had received Yugi's command but hadn't yet moved, saw a rainbow curtain fly out from Hayato's Hand, wrapping around it and immobilizing Jack's Knight. Rainbow Kuriboh, which had saved Hayato multiple times, jumped out of the Card and sat down on Jack's Knight's shoulder.
"Kuri~ Kuri!"
"Oh, then I'll leave him to you, Aibo. Thank you so much." Hayato, who was fluent in Kuriboh Language, understood Rainbow Kuriboh's meaning and gave it a Thumbs up.
Yugi also glanced at Rainbow Kuriboh and said somewhat helplessly, "Card of Demise helped me replenish my Hand, but it also allowed you to draw Rainbow Kuriboh, didn't it? That's a shame."
"However, King's Knight hasn't Attacked yet. Go, King's Knight!"
The last of the Three Knights—King's Knight—raised its sword high and struck downwards forcefully, dealing Battle Damage to Hayato once again.
[Hayato: 1900 → 300 LP]
Under Yugi's concentrated offensive this Turn, Hayato's Life Points plummeted from 4000 points all the way down to just 300 points in a single Turn. If not for Rainbow Kuriboh's presence, his Life Points would have been Depleted even before King's Knight's Attack.
However, Yugi's offensive ended here.
With only one Kuriboh Card in his Hand that he couldn't Set, Yugi ended his Turn: "I end my Turn."
[Yugi: 1400 LP, Hand 1]
King's Knight [ATK 1600]
Queen's Knight [ATK 1500]
Jack's Knight (Rainbow Kuriboh) [ATK 1900]
Set Card X2
"Phew, that was really dangerous, both the situation on the Field and my Life Points." Looking at his Life Points which were Life Point Locked at just 300 points, Hayato instead smiled, "Then Yugi, you'd better watch closely. This is my Struggle for Victory!"
"My Turn, Draw!"
"My Turn, Draw!"
Drawing a card and adding it to his Hand, Hayato hadn't even played any cards yet, but the people in the Audience Seats couldn't help but recall the brief yet deeply impressive scene from the previous Grouping Match because of Hayato's words.
Mainly, what Hayato just said was exactly the same as what he said back then.
However, the Monster Hayato was about to Summon next was not the "Cyber End Dragon ATK 8000" they had anticipated, but another Monster that hadn't appeared in a long time.
"I Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, **Ojama Magic Remodeling**," Hayato explained after showing the card he was activating. "This card's Effect is to reveal one Machine Type, LIGHT Attribute Fusion Monster from my Hand to the opponent, then Banish any number of **Ojama** Monsters from my Hand, Graveyard, or Field, and Special Summon from my Hand or Graveyard Fusion Material Monsters listed on that Fusion Monster equal to the number of Banished Monsters."
"The Monster I will reveal is **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**. Therefore, I Banish three **Ojama** Monsters from my Graveyard, and Special Summon the three Monsters **X-Head Cannon**, **Y-Dragon Head**, and **Z-Metal Tank**."
As Hayato inserted the card into his Duel Disk, the Phantom Images of **Ojama Yellow**, **Ojama Green**, and **Ojama Black**, which Hayato had previously sent to the Graveyard one after another, emerged from the Graveyard Zone. They all struck poses that, while cool, looked completely unsuitable for these three comedic characters, and a faint sound of "Ayi Ya Ya~" could even be heard.
The crucial point was that these three comedic characters, upon appearing, completely failed to notice what card Hayato had Activated to pull them out of the Graveyard. Upon seeing the top of **Jack's Knight**'s head on Yugi's Field, standing opposite Hayato, **Ojama Yellow** became particularly agitated.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I really didn't expect this. I thought only clowns like me would be Traitors, I never thought even a thick-browed, big-eyed guy like you, you Rainbow Bastard, would betray us!" **Ojama Yellow**'s tone was impassioned and stirring, enough to make one cry. It turned around and spoke righteously to Hayato, "Just for my sake, Aniki, Attack that Rainbow Bastard!"
Then, it saw itself struggling, tied to an experimental table on the card art of **Ojama Magic Remodeling**.
"W-What is this?!"
Just as **Ojama Yellow** and its two brothers hadn't reacted, **Ojama Magic Remodeling** began to take effect. A large amount of Armor appeared out of thin air on Hayato's Field, directly smashing onto **Ojama Yellow** and the others.
Hayato, who drew three Monster Cards from his Deck and placed them one by one on the Field, paid no mind to the miserable state of **Ojama Yellow** and the others. He casually stuffed their cards, which popped out of the Graveyard Zone, into his pocket.
Of course, when he drew, a **Cyber Petit Dragon** did not appear in his Hand.
The Armor that had smashed "killed" **Ojama Yellow** and the others began to combine with each other. Within a few breaths, the Armor pieces finished uniting, and the red, blue, and yellow Mecha Units were ready on Hayato's Field.
**X-Head Cannon** [Level 4 / LIGHT]
[Machine Type / Normal Monster]
[1800 / 1500]
**Y-Dragon Head** [Level 4 / LIGHT]
[Machine Type / Union / Effect]
[1500 / 1600]
**Z-Metal Tank** [Level 4 / LIGHT]
[Machine Type / Union / Effect]
[1500 / 1300]
"The gathered metal hearts will calculate a new possibility leading to the Future! I'll directly Overlay **X-Head Cannon**, **Y-Dragon Head**, and **Z-Metal Tank**!" Hayato raised his hand above his head and gestured. The three-colored Mecha on the Field began to combine and transform, stacking upon each other. "Come forth, my Tamashii, **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**!"
**XYZ-Dragon Cannon** [Level 8 / LIGHT]
[Machine Type / Fusion / Effect]
[2800 / 2600]
With **Z-Metal Tank** as the base, **X-Head Cannon** forming the head, and **Y-Dragon Head** serving as the awkwardly positioned Energy transmission core, **XYZ-Dragon Cannon** made a rare appearance. As soon as it appeared on the Field, it immediately condensed a Laser Sphere, locking onto **Jack's Knight** on Yugi's Field, which was equipped with **Rainbow Kuriboh**.
"I Discard one card from my Hand. I will use **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**'s Effect. Target one card on my opponent's Field and Activate this Effect; Destroy that opponent's card."
Hayato drew a card from his Hand and Discarded it to the Graveyard. It was **Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight**. Because of Yugi's **Card of Demise**, Hayato still had a full five cards in his Hand after Summoning **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**. While rich in Resources, this also meant **Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight** couldn't utilize its Effect at all, becoming a complete Brick.
As the card was placed into the Graveyard Zone of the Duel Disk, **XYZ-Dragon Cannon** on Hayato's Field, having accumulated enough Power, fired fiercely. A beam of Laser rushed towards **Jack's Knight**.
Facing the incoming Attack, **Rainbow Kuriboh** slyly jumped away from **Jack's Knight**, leaving **Jack's Knight**, which was restrained by **Rainbow Kuriboh**'s Effect and unable to move, to face **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**'s Attack directly.
However, the competition of Duel Monsters is not limited to just Monster versus Monster. What truly determines the outcome of the Battle depends on both players.
"You won't Destroy my Monster!" Yugi flipped over a Set Card in his Backrow. "In Chain to **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**'s Effect, the Set Card I Activate is the Quick-Play Spell Card, **Forbidden Chalice**!"
"Until the End Phase, increase **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**'s ATK by 400, and as a cost, its Effect is Negated!"
As Yugi's Set Card was Activated, a golden cup filled with a scarlet, blood-like liquid appeared above **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**'s head on Hayato's Field. As the golden cup gradually tilted, the blood-red liquid seeped into **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**'s mechanical body, causing a series of electric sparks. The Laser beam shot from the mouth of **Y-Dragon Head**, which formed the crotch area, disappeared before hitting **Jack's Knight** due to running out of Power.
**XYZ-Dragon Cannon** [ATK 2800 → 3200]
"Tsk, how troublesome." Vaguely hearing the gasps from Joey Wheeler and others in the Audience Seats, "Its ATK has already surpassed **Blue-Eyes White Dragon**," Hayato frowned slightly, feeling helpless.
Because **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**'s Effect didn't have a Once per turn restriction, Hayato had originally planned to use the five cards in his Hand to snipe and Destroy all of Yugi's cards on the Field one by one, then Direct Attack to bait out Yugi's last card in Hand—though it was likely **Kuriboh**, since **Rainbow Kuriboh**, that spy, had just told him so.
But now, not a single card was Destroyed, and **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**'s Effect was Negated.
However, the Winning Equation Hayato had prepared wasn't just one.
"Normal Summon **W-Wing Catapult**."
Under Yugi's grave expression, Hayato used his Normal Summon for this Turn. A completely blue Flying Vehicle with a groove in the center for placing something appeared on Hayato's Field.
**W-Wing Catapult** [Level 4 / LIGHT]
[Machine Type / Union / Effect]
[1300 / 1500]
Yugi, who was quite familiar with the Deck Hayato used, was wary of **W-Wing Catapult**, but then seemed to remember something and his brows slightly relaxed: "Hayato, are you trying to Summon **VW-Tiger Catapult**? But unfortunately, **V-Tiger Jet** was sent to the Graveyard in the previous Battle."
"Don't underestimate me, Yugi. Reviving a Monster from the Graveyard isn't a difficult thing." Hayato drew a card from his Hand and placed it into the Duel Disk. "I Activate the Spell Card **Call of the Haunted**. If I have a Machine-Type Monster on the Field, Target one Level 4 or lower Machine-Type Monster in my Graveyard."
"Special Summon that Machine-Type Monster with its Effects Negated, and Destroy it and Send it to the Graveyard during the End Phase."
A card popped out of the Duel Disk's Graveyard Zone and was placed onto the Field by Hayato: "Regenerate, **V-Tiger Jet**!"
The yellow tiger-shaped Flying Vehicle, the Partner of **W-Wing Catapult**, regenerated from Hayato's Graveyard. Although it would be sent to the Graveyard during the End Phase, couldn't he just Banish it from Play before then?
Without even needing to hear Hayato's explanation, Yugi already knew the Monster Hayato was about to Summon, which was **VW-Tiger Catapult**. The two blue and yellow Flying Vehicles split their structures and pieced together, completing a much larger mechanical flying wing combination.
**VW-Tiger Catapult** [Level 6 / LIGHT]
[Machine Type / Fusion / Effect]
[2000 / 2100]
Similar to **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**, **VW-Tiger Catapult**'s Effect also didn't have a Once per turn restriction, and the Activation Conditions were the same, requiring discarding a card from the Hand. Hayato still had two cards in his Hand, which could be used to Activate their Effects, but **VW-Tiger Catapult**'s Effect was much more useless compared to **XYZ-Dragon Cannon**'s, merely allowing the change of a Monster's Battle Position.
Looking at the last Set Card in Yugi's Backrow, Hayato hesitated slightly.
If he were to Attack with the two Monsters now, if he was lucky and Yugi didn't have **Kuriboh** in his Hand, he could likely Deplete Yugi's remaining 1400 Life Points. However, if Yugi had Set an Attack Declaration Trap in his Backrow—like the Power of Hano's Sublimity, for example—then the one who would lose would be Hayato himself.
After a brief moment of thought and consideration, Hayato resolutely ordered: "If I don't do this, it really won't work."
"I Banish **XYZ-Dragon Cannon** and **VW-Tiger Catapult** from my Field! Accel Fusion Summon!"
As everyone knows, Accel Synchro Summon is when a Synchro Monster and a Synchro Monster Synchro Summon, so Accel Fusion must be a Fusion Monster and a Fusion Monster... Logically completely correct!
**XYZ-Dragon Cannon** and the newly appeared **VW-Tiger Catapult** immediately executed Hayato's command, dismantling into incredibly fragmented parts and beginning to piece together. The Mobile Firepower and Aerial Fortress combined with each other, and a tall humanoid form quickly took shape!
"Limiter Release, Level 8! Main Bass Booster Control, All Clear! Infinite Power, now released here, rush towards the other side of dimensions! GO! Accel Fusion! COME ON! **VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon**!!"
After stealing Yusei's lines, Hayato finally went after Yusei's close friend, shamelessly "borrowing" someone else's Summoning chant.
However, Yugi and the others didn't know that Hayato's lines were swiped from someone else. Leaving others aside for now, Kaiba, upon hearing Hayato's long string of technical terms and English in his Summoning chant, his eyes lit up, looking quite interested.
Although his facial muscles were still so stiff they could be used as a cutting board for ribs, Kaiba was probably thinking hard at this moment about what kind of cool and stylish lines he should use next time he Summons his wife, **Blue-Eyes White Dragon**.
And Yugi, looking at the giant robot standing tall behind Hayato, had a grave expression: "**VW to Z**, huh..."
The **VWXYZ** Deck was most active during the Duelist Kingdom. After that, **Ojama** and **Armed Dragon** could occasionally still be seen in Hayato's Deck, but **VWXYZ** rarely appeared.
However, this didn't mean **VWXYZ** wasn't strong enough. On the contrary, the ultimate monster of the **VWXYZ** Deck—**VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon**—could be said to be quite Powerful in both size and stats.
**VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon** [Level 8 / LIGHT]
[Machine Type / Fusion / Effect]
[3000 / 2800]
"**VW to Z** is the Decisive Battle Weapon formed by the combination of **XYZ-Dragon Cannon** and **VW-Tiger Catapult**, inheriting the Effects of both Monsters," Hayato said, pointing his hand towards Yugi's last Set Card in the Backrow. "Target one card on the opponent's Field and Banish that card directly!"
"However, because the power has been increased from 'destroy' to 'banish', this Effect can only be used Once per turn by **VW to Z**."
Along with Hayato's Commentary, the tall mechanical humanoid behind him raised the arm composed of **Z-Metal Tank** and shot out an extremely thin red Laser, effortlessly erasing the Set Card in Yugi's Backrow in the blink of an eye.
Before the card was Banished from Play, Hayato also saw Yugi's Set Card. Just as he had guessed earlier, it was indeed **Mirror Force**—the Power of Hano's Sublimity.
Fortunately, Hayato wasn't greedy for "defeating Yugi this Turn" and instead Summoned **VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon**, cautiously clearing the last Set Card in Yugi's Backrow.
Now, Hayato could feel relieved and confidently launch an Attack against Yugi, whose Backrow was now empty!
"Then, entering my Battle Phase! Use **VW to Z** to Attack **King's Knight** on your Field, Yugi!" Hayato waved his hand and ordered, "Style, Undefeated of the East! Super Overlord Film Bomb!"
The name of the move Hayato shouted was one thing, but **VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon**'s Attack method was another. After all, it was just a combined machine, not a Super Robot Gundam. **VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon** couldn't shoot energy waves from its hands out of thin air. Instead, all weapons on its entire body activated simultaneously. Missiles, autocannons, Energy beams, and Lasers instantly engulfed **King's Knight** on Yugi's Field!
"Boom!"
With a loud bang, the Virtual Projection System's Simulation even Recreated the Vibration that the Attack should have caused. The Smoke and Dust stirred up when **King's Knight** was Destroyed even engulfed Yugi's figure.
# Chapter 344: The Advent of the Traitor Dragon
Although everyone's vision was momentarily shrouded by smoke and dust, there's a saying, "High places are cold." This is not only because the temperature is considerably lower at high altitudes but also because the wind is stronger.
A gentle breeze dispersed the smoke and dust kicked up by the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon]'s attack at the top of the Duel Tower, revealing Yugi, a confident smile on his face. On his Field, King's Knight was indeed destroyed and disappeared, but Yugi's Life Points remained unchanged.
Queen's Knight and Jack's Knight, which were not chosen as Attack Targets, remained as before, and Rainbow Kuriboh was even bullying the immobile Jack's Knight.
In front of Yugi, Kuriboh's figure slowly dissipated. Seeing this, Hayato showed an expression of understanding.
"The moment the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] attacked King's Knight just now, I activated the Effect of Kuriboh in my Hand," Yugi showed the last card in his Hand and sent it to the Graveyard. "Only the Battle Damage I would take from this battle becomes 0."
[Yugi: 1400 LP]
Hayato looked at his Hand. After Summoning the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon], he only had two cards left.
"I Set one card and end my turn."
Leaving one Monster Card in his Hand that couldn't be Set, Hayato ended his turn.
[Hayato: 300 LP, Hand 1]
[VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] [ATK 3000]
[Set Card]
Seeing Hayato end his turn, Yugi couldn't help but sigh in relief. Although on the surface, Hayato's Life Points were precarious, the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] was like an insurmountable wall protecting Hayato. Yugi knew that if he wanted to win the Duel, he had to take down the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon].
Although the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon]'s two Effects were limited to being used only during Hayato's own turn, putting aside other things, its incredibly balanced ATK and DEF alone were sturdy enough. In Yugi's Deck, there were almost no monsters that could directly break through the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon], except...
"My turn, Draw Card." After drawing a card, Yugi immediately activated this card, the only one in his Hand. "Spell Card, Cost Down! I Tribute the Jack's Knight on the Field and draw two cards from my Deck."
In the DM era, although the proportion of Effect Monsters in Duelists' Decks began to increase, the majority were still Normal Monsters. Yugi, who strongly recognized the concept of Card Advantage, included three copies of Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity in his Deck, and also included Cost Down, which could be used to gain Hand advantage by utilizing Normal Monsters to the greatest extent.
As the Jack's Knight, with a look of "finally free" on its face, was sent to the Graveyard, the Rainbow Kuriboh equipped to it was sent to Hayato's Graveyard, and Yugi also drew two cards from his Deck.
His luck was good.
"Spell Card, Pot of Avarice! Return five monsters from my Graveyard to my Deck. After Shuffling the Deck, I draw two cards."
Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Jack's Knight, King's Knight, and Kuriboh were returned to Yugi's Deck. Yugi's Graveyard, which had accumulated a few cards from the previous battle, became much emptier, leaving behind only a pile of Spell/Trap Cards and the lone Mystical Swordsman of the Forest.
After drawing two cards, Yugi's Hand returned to 3 cards, but Yugi knew deeply that if he wanted to use that monster to defeat Hayato, just a few cards in Hand would be far from enough. And the card that could replenish his Hand significantly was sleeping in his Graveyard.
"Spell Card, Magical Stone Excavation! Discard two cards from my Hand. Then, I can activate it by targeting one Spell Card in my Graveyard." After Yugi revealed Magical Stone Excavation, he sent two cards from his Hand to the Graveyard. Hayato could vaguely see that one of them seemed to be a monster.
"That Spell Card is added to my Hand, and the Spell Card I'm adding to my Hand is—" Yugi said, showing the Spell Card he recovered from the Graveyard. "Normal Spell Card, Card of Demise."
Both players had their Hands greatly replenished again. The only one who felt it wasn't enough was Hayato, who drew five cards, while Yugi took the opportunity to replenish his Hand with a full six cards. For excellent Duelists like Hayato and Yugi, who knew how to maximize the conversion of Hand Resources into actual advantage, a card like Card of Demise was simply too useful.
That's why there was a reason Card of Demise was weakened so much after becoming a physical card.
After drawing five cards, Hayato slightly raised an eyebrow, seemingly having drawn some good cards, and his gaze couldn't help but turn towards Yugi. Although Yugi's Hand was facing away from him, a subconscious feeling guided Hayato's gaze to focus on the last card Yugi added to his Hand.
That aura... Is it a god?
Seemingly noticing Hayato's gaze was fixed on the card on his far right, Yugi smiled. "That's a sharp consciousness you have, Hayato. You noticed, didn't you? I've already drawn a god."
"It's Slifer the Sky Dragon, isn't it? But Yugi, any of those gods require three Tributes to summon," Hayato glanced at the only Queen's Knight remaining on the Field. "You only have one monster on the Field that can be Tributed."
"In that case, why don't I just summon enough Tributes?"
Yugi said with a smile, and at the same time, drew a monster from his Hand and summoned it to the Field. "I Normal Summon King's Knight!"
In the previous turn, the King's Knight that was destroyed by Battle by Hayato's [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] had just been Shuffled back into the Deck by Yugi using Pot of Avarice. Unexpectedly, Yugi summoned it again so quickly.
After appearing on the Field, the knight in heavy armor raised the long sword in its Hand. The Queen's Knight beside it also made the same movement in sync.
"Attendant, come to my side!" As King's Knight gave the command, after the two monsters simultaneously raised their swords, Jack's Knight came from Yugi's Deck to the side of the master it served. "Yes, Master!"
"When King's Knight is summoned successfully, I can activate this Effect if Queen's Knight is on the Field. Special Summon Jack's Knight from my Deck," Yugi explained, with a confident smile on his face. "Although I used my Normal Summon opportunity, this way, the three Tributes needed to summon a god are gathered."
"Activate the Spell Card, Double Summon! This turn, I can Normal Summon a second time. Then, I Tribute the three monsters on the Field!"
King's Knight, Queen's Knight, and Jack's Knight, the three monsters, simultaneously raised their swords above their heads. Their forms dissipated and became transparent, turning into three red light pillars reaching straight up to the sky.
As Yugi held a card in his Hand high above his head, the morning sky was covered by dark, heavy rain clouds in just a few breaths. Amidst the lightning and thunder, a red figure like a long serpent, bathed in lightning, weaved through the dark clouds.
"When Thunder roars in the chaotic sky, the ancient book of magic is sealed beneath chains, its power limitless! The time of the convergence of good and evil has arrived, open the ritual to call forth the judgment of the Underworld!" Yugi placed the card with the unique red border from his Hand onto the Duel Disk. "Descend here! Slifer the Sky Dragon!"
"Dun dun, dun dun dun dun dun dun, dun dun, dun dun..."
Around the Duel Field, accompanying the advent of Slifer the Sky Dragon, stirring orchestral music sounded as accompaniment for the god's appearance. Although the Three Egyptian God Cards were Duel Monster Cards created by Maximillion Pegasus based on ancient Egyptian stone tablets, the modern orchestral music playing now sounded perfectly fitting, perfectly highlighting the god's majesty!
The only one who was probably dissatisfied was Hayato. Because this BGM was clearly the classic BGM "Wrath of God" that he had given to Mokuba to put into his Duel Disk. Hayato finally understood what Mokuba meant when he told him there would be a surprise upon reaching their destination on the S.S. Anne Airship.
"Hey, Mokuba, translate this for me, what do you call a surprise!?"
"Don't be so stingy, Brother Hayato. Such great background music, it would be a waste not to play it now," Mokuba said, trying to appease Hayato.
Hayato actually didn't take the music too much to heart. In fact, he was just interacting with the outside to relieve the pressure of facing a god directly.
Although he did have a monster on the Field, because Yugi still had three cards in Hand, Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK was equal to the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon]'s, both being 3000 points.
However, due to the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon]'s size, it was currently standing behind Hayato. There was no cover whatsoever between Hayato and Slifer the Sky Dragon; they were directly staring each other down.
Swallowing hard, Hayato had to admit something. Compared to the state used by that guy Marik, the Slifer the Sky Dragon controlled by Yugi was clearly much more majestic. The feeling was almost comparable to The Winged Dragon of Ra from the DM era and The Winged Dragon of Ra from the GX Era.
Although the latter was a fake card and was restrained by "The God's Restraint," a card specifically for controlling gods.
After Summoning Slifer the Sky Dragon, Yugi didn't perform any other operations. Instead, after glancing at the cards in his Hand to confirm his next strategy, without even Setting two cards just for show, he directly declared: "Then, I end my turn."
[Yugi: 1400 LP, Hand 3]
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 3000]
Although he Summoned Slifer the Sky Dragon, one of the Three Egyptian God Cards, Yugi had simply summoned it. It wasn't that he didn't want to use it to attack; there was simply no Attack Target.
Hayato's Field had only the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] monster. Its ATK was equal to Slifer the Sky Dragon's, both being 3000 points. Although the god's protection was strong, that didn't mean the god couldn't be destroyed by Battle. If Yugi attacked, it would only result in a mutual destruction.
After that, Hayato, whose Hand Resources were full, would just need to find a way to deplete Yugi's remaining 1400 Life Points. The difficulty wouldn't be high at all.
On the contrary, by not attacking now, Yugi could pose the greatest threat to Hayato.
Although the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon]'s Effect was powerful, neither banishing nor changing its ATK/DEF position could deal with a god. And if Hayato couldn't get rid of Slifer the Sky Dragon within one turn, his defeat could almost be declared.
The stalemate could only last until Yugi's next drawing cards. Once Yugi's Hand was replenished to four cards, Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK would also increase to 4000 points. If the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] remained in Attack Position, besides being destroyed by Slifer the Sky Dragon, it would also cause Hayato's Life Points to be directly depleted.
And even if the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] was changed to Defense Position, its DEF of only 2800 points could only block one attack from Slifer the Sky Dragon with 3000 ATK. Yugi could completely summon another monster from his Hand to direct attack Hayato.
As for Summoning other monsters to serve as shields against attacks? This kind of strategy might work against the other two gods, but only against Slifer the Sky Dragon. Because of its mandatory activation Thunder Force Effect, it earned the nicknames "Traitor Dragon" and "Lackey Cleaner." Monsters summoned would only become instant cannon fodder.
The only thing Hayato could do was probably to make the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] and Slifer the Sky Dragon mutually destroy each other, and then Summon other monsters to the Field after the Battle Phase.
What Yugi had anticipated was exactly the same as Hayato's current dilemma. His Deck only had one Limiter Removal that could increase the ATK of Machine-Type monsters, but he had used it earlier on V-Tiger Jet to prevent being instantly defeated by Celestial Knight in one turn, and he hadn't drawn any cards in his Hand yet that had the Effect to recover Spell Cards from the Graveyard.
Did he really have to make the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] and Slifer the Sky Dragon mutually destroy each other?
"My turn, Draw Card." He glanced at the card he drew; it was Power of Inheritance. Although it could be used to increase the [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon]'s ATK to help it crush Slifer the Sky Dragon, the awkward reality was, in Hayato's Hand, there was currently no way to summon a monster with ATK or DEF of 2000 or more that couldn't be destroyed by "Thunder Force."
Wait a minute, did I forget something?
Hayato thought to himself and looked down at the Graveyard Zone on his Duel Disk. Quite a few Dragon-Type monsters had gathered there. If Hayato hadn't exchanged Dragon's Mirror with Joey Wheeler earlier, he might have included Five-Headed Dragon in his Deck. In that case, he might have been able to utilize this pile of Dragon-Type monsters in the Graveyard, but there are no 'ifs'.
But as he looked, Hayato suddenly remembered something—it seemed that in this Duel, he had already properly Special Summoned [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] and Armed Dragon LV7?
Which means...
Thinking of this, Hayato smiled confidently. "Yugi, you're not thinking, are you, that the only choice I can make is to have [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon] and Slifer the Sky Dragon mutually destroy each other?"
"Then congratulations, your wish has come true!" Hayato said, pointing his Hand towards Slifer the Sky Dragon from afar. "This is a necessary sacrifice! Destroy yourself with the god, [VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon]!"
# Chapter 345: Call Out My Name!
"As expected, you made that choice, Hayato. But I won't let you have your way!"
Watching the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon faithfully execute Hayato's command, charging resolutely in a suicidal Attack against his Slifer the Sky Dragon On the Field, Yugi also declared firmly, "During your Battle Phase, I Activate the Effect of a Card in my Graveyard!"
"By Banishing Electromagnetic Turtle from my Graveyard, I will end this Battle Phase immediately!"
Just as the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon's Attack was about to hit Slifer the Sky Dragon, a bionic turtle made of steel leaped out from Yugi's Graveyard Zone, blocking the way for Slifer the Sky Dragon.
Although Electromagnetic Turtle was Destroyed in an instant, the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon's Attack was also blocked, foiling Hayato's plan to take down Slifer the Sky Dragon with it.
However, Hayato wasn't surprised by the appearance of Electromagnetic Turtle. When Yugi used Magical Stone Excavation to Send to Graveyard Cards from his Hand earlier, he had guessed that one of them might be Electromagnetic Turtle. It turned out he was right.
Yugi looked at the protected Slifer the Sky Dragon with a confident smile, but as soon as he shifted his gaze to Hayato, he noticed that the tall VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon behind Hayato was rapidly falling apart!
Only then did Yugi notice that an revealed Spell Card had appeared on Hayato's Field.
"The Quick-Play Spell Card, Mysterious Chinese Pot. Anyway, by the Next Turn, VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon would have difficulty escaping the Destiny of being Destroyed by Slifer the Sky Dragon, so I must fry it up and eat it immediately."
[Hayato: 300 → 3300 LP]
Hayato Activated Mysterious Chinese Pot in a Chain to Electromagnetic Turtle's Effect, Tributeing VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon. This Operation left Yugi quite confused.
Even though he recovered 3000 Life Points, Hayato had lost the last Barrier On the Field. Wouldn't he still have to face Slifer the Sky Dragon's Direct Attack Next Turn?
Looking at the bewildered Yugi, Hayato smiled and said, "Yugi, did you know that there's a Linkage between the three Decks I use: Ojama, Armed Dragon, and XYZ?"
"It's not just Ojama Linkage with Armed Dragon or XYZ. The final form of XYZ—VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon—also has the ability to Linkage with Armed Dragon!"
"The Card I'm about to use next has been seen by no more than five people. So, here I come!"
Just as VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon was Send to Graveyard by Hayato, a red and blue light shone in the Graveyard Zone of the Duel Disk on Hayato's wrist.
Behind Hayato, the Armed Dragon LV7 that had appeared earlier and the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon that had just entered the Graveyard appeared as Phantom Images. They both bent sideways, their hands touching each other's fingers, converging into a giant orange Magic Orb.
"Only in a Duel where I have Special Summoned both Armed Dragon LV7 and VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, I can Banish the above Cards from my Hand or Field or Graveyard to Special Summon Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon!!"
"Os!"
After the Magic Orb dissipated, the Monster that Hayato Summoned by Banishing two powerful Monsters that could be called series Terminals from his Graveyard revealed its true form—V-to-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon disassembled, transforming into sturdy Armor that attached itself to the robust Armed Dragon LV7. While compensating for Armed Dragon LV7's lack of mobility with mechanical Power, it also gained sufficient flexibility thanks to Armed Dragon LV7.
However, despite its imposing presence, because it was Summoned while Slifer the Sky Dragon was On the Field, Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon had just managed to strike a cool pose, displaying its cool Armor and giant cannon, when it was blasted in the face by a Thunder Force passively Activated by Slifer the Sky Dragon.
[Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon] [10Star/LIGHT Attribute]
[Machine Type/Fusion/Effect]
[3500/3000 → 1500/3000]
Its cool entrance was ruined by Slifer the Sky Dragon, and although its ATK was inferior to Slifer the Sky Dragon, the unyielding Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon glared angrily at the disdainful Slifer the Sky Dragon in the sky. If the Battle Phase hadn't already passed, it would have likely foolishly Attacked Slifer the Sky Dragon, whose ATK far exceeded its own.
After Summoning Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon, Yugi noticed Hayato hesitate while looking at his Hand. After glancing at his Slifer the Sky Dragon On the Field, he Set three Cards On the Field and Declared, "Set three Cards in my Hand. My Turn End."
[Hayato: 3300 LP, Hand 3]
[Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon] [ATK 1500]
[Set Card] X3
"My Turn, Draw Card." Yugi drew a Card from his Deck and saw that it was Dark Magician Girl, which had been Recycled back into the Deck earlier.
Because of the Mysterious Chinese Pot Hayato Activated last Turn, his Life Points had Recovered to 3300. Even though the 3000 ATK VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon was replaced by the 1500 ATK Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon, and Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK had also Increased to 4000, it was still difficult to Deplete Hayato's Life Points.
Moreover, Dark Yugi, who often watched Original Yugi's Duels, would not take the three Cards Hayato had just Set in his Backrow lightly.
Summoning other Monsters now would likely trigger the Traps Hayato had laid, not only failing to reduce Hayato's Life Points but also causing Slifer the Sky Dragon's ATK to decrease. Rather than doing that, it would be better to use Slifer the Sky Dragon, which ignores Traps, to Destroy Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon first.
As for the completely unknown Effect of Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon, Yugi didn't pay it any mind. Since Hayato didn't Activate its Effect immediately after Summoning it, perhaps its Effect was Weak?
However, what Yugi completely failed to realize was that it wasn't that Hayato didn't want to actively use Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon's Effect, but rather that he couldn't. Its Effect was one of the few in Duel Monsters that could only be Activated during the Opponent Duelist's Turn.
"Slifer the Sky Dragon, Attack Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon!" Yugi ordered with a wave of his hand, failing to notice the corner of Hayato's mouth curling up, "Superconductive Wave - Thunder Force!"
[Slifer the Sky Dragon] [ATK 4000]
The red long Dragon opened its gaping maw, and a beam of lightning instantly converged within its mouth, transforming into a Light Pillar that struck towards the weakened Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon on Hayato's Field.
Although slightly regretful that Yugi didn't Summon other Monsters or Set two Cards, Hayato still commanded, "This is fine. Go, Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon!"
"Erase the God!"
"Nani?!"
To Yugi's astonished gaze, the Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon, whose ATK was reduced to only 1500, showed no fear facing the incoming Attack from Slifer the Sky Dragon. It simply raised the metal cannon barrel in its hand resolutely, operating it at full Power.
A beam of orange light burst forth instantly, shattering the "Superconductive Wave - Thunder Force" in the blink of an eye and pushing it back towards the bewildered Slifer the Sky Dragon, directly pierced through its two mouths.
Slifer the Sky Dragon, possessing what could be called the strongest Protection in Duel Monsters, was actually countered when Attacking Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon, which only had 1500 ATK?!
"How is that possible?!" Yugi wasn't the only one surprised. In the Audience Seats, Kaiba was even more agitated.
In his mind, the God Cards were the strongest Power in Duel Monsters, but right before his eyes, Slifer, one of the Three Egyptian God Cards alongside Obelisk, was actually slain!
"How did that guy Hayato do it?"
What Joey Wheeler said was the common question in everyone's hearts at this moment.
And Hayato didn't leave them in doubt for too long. Facing Yugi's questioning Gaze, Hayato explained, "Indeed, the Protection of the God Cards is in some ways almost impregnable."
"They are unaffected by Monster Effects of Monsters below Level 10☆, Spell Cards not Activated in the current Turn, and Trap Cards targeting the God itself. They cannot be Destroyed by Effect by Cards other than Gods. Spell Cards Activated in the current Turn and Monster Effects of Monsters Level 10 or higher, unless they are Divine Attribute Monster Effects, only last for one Turn."
"But in other words, if there is a Monster that is Level 10☆ or higher, whose Effect is not Destroying, wouldn't it just happen to counter the God's Protection?" Hayato said, pointing to the imposing Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon On the Field.
"Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon, because the movement aspects are entirely handled by Armed Dragon LV7, VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon can concentrate all its Power into one point. But because of this, its startup speed becomes much slower, making it impossible to use actively during my Turn."
"Once per Opponent Duelist's Turn, I Activate this Effect by Banishing one Card from my Deck, Banishing all Cards On the Field or in the Graveyard of the Opponent Duelist."
After taking down the high and mighty God with one shot, Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon became even more rampant. It turned its cannon barrel towards Yugi's Graveyard Zone and fired another shot. With this shot, all the Cards in Yugi's Graveyard vanished without a trace in an instant, including the Three Knights Yugi used to Summon the God earlier, and the Mystical Swordsman of the Forest who had been slacking the whole time.
"All my Monsters were Banished!" Yugi widened his eyes, looking somewhat helplessly as all the Cards in his Graveyard were Banished from Play. "Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon actually has such a Powerful Effect, I was really careless."
"Not only that, as long as Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon is On the Field, the Opponent Duelist cannot Activate the Effects of Cards with the same Name as the Cards that have been Banished by Both players," Hayato added. "This means that Cards like Card of Demise, Pot of Avarice, Magical Stone Excavation, and Cost Down, even if you have a second or third copy in your Deck, you cannot use them if you Draw Card them."
Although on the surface, Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon's Banish Effect has extremely strong field-clearing ability, Hayato felt that its most powerful aspect was actually its Banish Seal ability. To say nothing else, Players who focus on Banish and Send to Graveyard, like Thunder Dragon Players, would practically drop dead on the spot if they faced Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon.
Yugi took two deep breaths before he Recovered from the shock of a God being 'destroyed' by an Effect. He was somewhat relieved that thanks to the threat of the three Cards Hayato had Set, he hadn't Summoned any Monsters and incurred additional losses. Now, even though the God had been repelled, he still had the Power to Counter.
After all, a God Card is just a powerful Power. What truly determines the outcome of a Duel is the Strength of the Duelist.
"I Normal Summon Magician's Valkyria, then Activate its Effect. This Turn, I can perform an additional Tribute Summon of a Spellcaster Type Monster. I Tribute it as a Tribute, and Tribute Summon Dark Magician Girl in Attack Position!"
Dark Magician Girl, who had been Send to Graveyard by Armed Dragon LV10 in the previous Duel, returned to the Field. Noticing the Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon opposite her, Dark Magician Girl showed a pouting expression, seemingly wanting Revenge, and glanced at Yugi.
Yugi nodded helplessly to comfort her, "Wait a moment, Dark Magician Girl, you'll get your chance for Revenge."
"When Magician's Valkyria is Send to Graveyard from the Field, its second Effect Activates. I can Add to Hand one Spellcaster Type Normal Monster from my Deck or Graveyard. I choose Dark Magician."
After Search Decking for the Dark Magician Card and Add to Hand, Yugi had three Cards left in his Hand. Because he had used the Fusion Card when Summoning Celestial Knight earlier, after it was Banished by Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon, Yugi's ability to use Fusion and Cards with the same Name was Sealed. But fortunately, his Deck contained Cards with similar Fusion Effects.
"I Activate the Spell Card, Dark Magic Secret Art. I Send to Graveyard the Fusion Materials from my Hand or Field required for a Fusion Monster Card that includes Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl. The Fusion Materials I choose are Dark Magician Girl On the Field and Dark Magician that just joined my Hand."
"Fusion Summon, Archmage - Dark Magician and Disciple!"
The Card Yugi had just added to his Hand was Send to Graveyard. A dark purplish-red Vortex appeared on Yugi's Field, and Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl stood together under a very perfunctory Effect covering them, completing the Fusion.
[Archmage - Dark Magician and Disciple] [8Star/DARK Attribute]
[Spellcaster Type/Fusion/Effect]
[2800/2300]
Seeing the appearance of Archmage - Dark Magician and Disciple, Hayato didn't hesitate and immediately Activated his Set Card in the Backrow: "So Powerful, too Powerful. I Activate my Set Card, Bottomless Trap Hole."
"When the Opponent Duelist Summons, Flip Summons, or Special Summons a Monster with 1500 or more ATK, Destroy and Banish those Monsters with 1500 or more ATK!"
A bottomless, deep Pitfall appeared beneath the feet of Archmage - Dark Magician and Disciple, who had just finished Fusion and was striking a cool pose. However, Dark Magician reacted quickly. Before falling into the Bottomless Trap Hole, he pushed Dark Magician Girl in mid-air. Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl landed on either side of the Bottomless Trap Hole, completely unharmed.
However, this was just the scene displayed by the Virtual Projection.
"It's Bottomless Trap Hole, you really waited a long time," Yugi said helplessly. "Although Archmage - Dark Magician and Disciple was ultimately Banished, there was indeed a process of being Destroyed. When it is Destroyed, I can Activate its Effect. I Special Summon one Dark Magician and one Dark Magician Girl from my Graveyard, Hand, or Deck."
[Dark Magician] [ATK 2500]
[Dark Magician Girl] [ATK 2000 → 2300]
Hayato noticed that the Dark Magician Yugi Special Summoned using Archmage - Dark Magician and Disciple's Effect was not the same Dark Magician he had Send to Graveyard when Fusion Summoning Archmage - Dark Magician and Disciple, but another one Special Summoned from the Deck.
Because of this, with one Dark Magician in the Graveyard, the ATK of Dark Magician Girl on Yugi's Field Increased by 300.
On paper, the combined ATK of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl on Yugi's Field had reached 4800, which was exactly equal to Hayato's Life Points of 3300 plus Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon's 1500 ATK. However, Yugi's Battle Phase for this Turn had already passed, so even though he had enough ATK, he couldn't Destroy Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon.
Setting his last Card in Hand On the Field, Yugi Declared, "Set a Card. My Turn, End."
[Yugi: 1400 LP, Hand 0]
[Dark Magician] [ATK 2500]
[Dark Magician Girl] [ATK 2300]
[Set Card]
"My Turn, Draw Card."
Hayato Draw Card a Card and showed a mischievous smile: "Although Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon has the Effect of Sealing Cards with the same Name as Banished Cards, this ability only targets you, Yugi."
"I Activate the Spell Card, Magical Stone Excavation. By Discarding two Cards from my Hand, I Recycle one Spell Card from my Graveyard." Saying this, Hayato Discarded two Cards from his Hand, Recycled a Spell Card from his Graveyard back to his Hand, and showed it to Yugi, "The Card I Recycled is Limiter Removal."
"Although its main body is Armed Dragon, Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon's primary Attack method is handled by V-to-Z Dragon Catapult Cannon, so it is classified as Machine Type. I Activate the Equip Spell Card, Card 7, and Equip it to Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon to Increase its ATK. Then I Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Limiter Removal!"
The Armor on Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon began operating at full Power, even overloading. White smoke began to rise from the overheating. Armed Dragon felt the Power that had been stripped away by Thunder Force return to its body, and it couldn't help but let out a long roar towards the sky:
"Roar!!"
[Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon] [ATK 1500 → 2200 → 4400]
"This is the final blow, Yugi!" Hayato pointed at Dark Magician Girl on Yugi's Field. "Although it's regrettable, my Target is also the King of Games. Let's decide the outcome with this Attack!"
"Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon, Attack Dark Magician Girl! Annihilation Utopia!"
With the Thrusters behind it Activated, Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon, despite its large size, moved with astonishing speed. In just an instant, it swept across half the Field and charged towards Dark Magician Girl. Dark Magician Girl only had time to unleash a Magic Orb to try and block it, but the times had changed. Dark Magician Girl was Destroyed and Send to Graveyard in an instant.
Yugi was also pushed back half a step by the aftermath of the Attack, and his Life Points decreased accordingly.
[Yugi: 1400 → -700]
"Hmm, he took 2100 Damage."
Hayato glanced at the amount Yugi's Life Points decreased, and nodded. It was exactly as he calculated.
"Huh?!"
"At the moment of Damage Calculation, I Activated this Card." Yugi, who was slightly out of breath from taking 2100 Damage, still had a confident smile on his face. "Nutrient Z. I can only Activate it when I receive 2000 or more Battle Damage. At that Damage Calculation, I Recover 4000 Life Points."
"As fellow Duelists, Hayato, I can feel your Duelist's Heart that yearns for Victory, but that's not enough to eliminate me just yet. I also have reasons why I must keep winning."
"When it comes to the desire and Resolve for Victory, I won't lose to you. I haven't lost yet!"
Looking at the determined expression on Yugi's face, Hayato was also startled, then smiled: "Is that so? My apologies, I thought too simply. I actually thought I could end the Duel with you so easily."
"My Turn End. Well then, continue, Yugi!"
As Hayato Declared the End of his Turn, Armed Dragon Catapult Cannon exploded with a roar due to overload. The blast of air blew back Hayato's hanging hair. With no Cards left in his Hand, he raised his hand and brushed his Bangs upwards. His previously low-hanging hair stood up as if gelled.
[Hayato: 3300 LP, Hand 0]
[Set Card] X2
In the previous Turn, Hayato had gambled everything upon seeing a chance for Victory. After Yugi successfully withstood Hayato's Attack, the drawback of Hayato's gamble became apparent. He was left with only the last two Set Cards On the Field, while Yugi still had a Dark Magician On the Field.
"My Turn, Draw Card."
After dropping low, Both players' Life Points had successively Recovered to the same 3300 points. As a price, Both players' Hands and Resources On the Field were basically consumed.
The Card Yugi drew was Mystical Space Typhoon, which has the simple and brutal Effect of directly Destroying one Spell/Trap Card. But the problem was that Hayato had two Set Cards in his Backrow, and Yugi could only choose one of them to Destroy.
In other words, it was time to rely on the "Duelist's Intuition" again.
Yugi thought for a moment, inserted Mystical Space Typhoon into his Spell & Trap Zone on the Duel Disk, and pointed at one of the Set Cards on Hayato's Field: "I Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Mystical Space Typhoon! I choose to Destroy the Set Card on your right, Hayato!"