"Battle!" Youyu directly entered the battle step, "Use Elemental Hero Nova Master to attack The Six Samurai - Nisashi!"
Nova Master unleashed flames with both palms, engulfing the dual-sword samurai in high-temperature energy. The latter weakly swung his blades a few times in mid-air, gave a miserable groan, and was incinerated into ashes by the scorching flames.
[Great Shogun Shien, LP 4000 → LP 2800]
Since we are in the spirit world, it's natural that Youyu's monster attacks are also real. After the high-temperature flames destroyed the monster acting as a shield, the remaining force continued to sweep towards Shien.
However, this Grand General stood tall, facing the onslaught of flames without blinking, enduring the impact with calm indifference.
"Hmph, not even a scratch," he said.
"Elemental Hero Nova Master's effect, when it destroys an opponent's monster in battle, I can draw a card," Youyu said, "Then continue the battle! Dark Magician, attack 'Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!'"
The Dark Magician swung its Magic Staff across the air, with a surge of magic power shooting forth, straight towards the one-eyed old man.
The old man's expression was resolute and fearless, raising his black blade with a determined look, ready to face death.
But his general had no intention of letting him sacrifice. Shien snorted, "Indeed, it's a strong attack, but the strategy is still immature!
Flip Cover Card, Trap Card - Six Style - Dual Wield!"
The red trap card flipped over, depicting the recently retreated Nisashi, expertly dancing with his dual blades.
"Six Style - Dual Wield can be activated only when there's just one attack position Six Samurai on the field, returning two cards on the opponent's field to their hand!"
The Dark Magician Girl exclaimed, "Return... return to the hand?"
Kuriboh also looked furious, "Kuriboh!"
The shadow of The Six Samurai - Nisashi appeared from the trap card, his dual blades crossing, effortlessly slicing through the magic onslaught. With a flash of his figure, the brilliance of his blade art was mesmerizing, rendering both the flaming Hero and the advanced Magician momentarily dazzled, both getting struck without realizing.
Since Nova Master is a Fusion Monster, it returned directly to the deck. Meanwhile, the Dark Magician returned to Youyu's hand.
"Now your field is completely empty, kid," Shien sneered, "In such a state, can you withstand the Six Samurai's attack in the next turn?"
Youyu didn't reply, quietly drawing two more cards from his hand.
"Set two cards, end the turn."
"Heh, nothing you can do, huh. The level of today's human warriors is just this mediocre after all," Shien mocked with an indifferent tone.
The Dark Magician Girl got somewhat angry, clutching her small staff tightly.
Don't say my master is useless!
"My turn, draw! First, I will also use Magic Card - Pot of Greed, to draw two more cards."
Upon glimpsing at the cards he drew, the general paused for a moment, the corner of his mouth curled into a slight smile.
This detail naturally didn't escape Youyu's notice.
Did he draw a crucial card?
Shien added the drawn cards to his hand.
"First, I activate Continuous Magic - Shien's Dojo!"
The card slotted into the Duel Disc, and the ground rumbled and trembled, with buildings rising out of the earth. Several traditional Sengoku-style structures enclosed the area, surrounding an expansive dojo.
"Shien's Dojo allows us to place a 'Bushido Counter' each time a Six Samurai is summoned,"
As he spoke, Shien immediately revealed his next warrior.
"Come forth, my loyal samurai! Summon The Six Samurai - Irou!"
Appearing this time was a samurai in black armor, with a black sword resting on his shoulder, sporting long, flowing black hair, and wearing a strip-shaped black visor, exuding a dashing appearance.
The Six Samurai - Irou, a swordsman skilled in swordsmanship, is modeled after the world-renowned Sengoku swordsman Sasaki Kojiro, known for his signature sword technique "Aerial Ace"—which is also a trap card in the Six Samurai series.
[The Six Samurai - Irou, Attack Power 1700]
"At this moment, a Bushido Counter is placed on the Continuous Magic Card - Shien's Dojo."
Pausing here, Shien gave a meaningful glance at a card in his hand.
"Finally... the time has come," he softly spoke, "Then let us once more, fight side by side."
His eyes reopened, filled with a ferocious flow of crimson, like an invisible aura spreading from this general as the center.
Youyu vaguely sensed something amiss. Out of caution, he promptly activated a Set Card without further ado: "Flip Cover Card, Trap Card - Magician Navigation! Special summon 'Dark Magician' from the hand, then special summon a spellcaster with a level of 7 or lower from the deck!
"I special summon a 'Dark Magician' from both my hand and deck!"
The pitch-black magic array opened, and two figures in red robes flew out one after another, their staffs crossed as they stood on either side in front of Youyu.
[Dark Magician, ATK 2500] x2
Shien was unfazed, slowly drawing a card from his hand with his back to Youyu.
"This card can be special summoned directly from the hand when there are two or more 'The Six Samurai' on the field." He raised the card high, "Here I come! I special summon my true self—
—Great Shogun Shien!"
Youyu: "..."
Although somewhat expected, seeing it with his own eyes still felt a bit out of place.
I summon myself, can that even work...
Grand General: No one stop me, I'm personally entering the field to duel!
As the card slapped onto the Duel Disc, a visible energy storm erupted. The general in red armor landed heavily on the field, wielding a long blade. The moment he landed, an overpowering aura of a king seemed to dominate the entire field, even suppressing the two top-tier magicians on Youyu's side.
[Great Shogun Shien, ATK 2500]
At last, the general himself has donned his armor for battle. It seems like a manifestation of his true self.
Most of The Six Samurai monsters are modeled after famous warriors and historical figures, and as their leader, Shien is no exception.
The prototype of Great Shogun Shien is none other than the so-called "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven," Oda Nobunaga, one of the Three Heroes of the Warring States period.
At the first sight of his true form descending, Youyu felt it.
This spirit... possesses incredible strength!
"But... but your attack power is only 2500!" tried the Dark Magician Girl encouragingly to cheer her master's side up, "It only matches our master's..."
Unintentionally, the girl placed a huge FLAG on her master and her teacher's heads...
Shien smirked, inserting the next card into the Duel Disc.
"Continuous Magic Card - The A. Forces." The magic card appeared beside Shien, "For every Warrior-Type on my field, all warriors' attack points increase by 200.
There are three warriors on my field, so their attack power increases by 600 points."
[Great Shogun Shien, ATK 2500 → ATK 3100]
[The Six Samurai - Irou, ATK 1700 → ATK 2300]
[Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, ATK 2100 → ATK 2700]
"Oh no!" exclaimed the Dark Magician Girl, "The attack power has surpassed..."
"Mere magicians are completely unable to halt the advance of samurais." Shien waved his hand, "Battle! First, Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, attack the first Dark Magician!"
The one-eyed elder leaped into the air, slashing through the air with his blade, slicing the red-robed magician in two, which then exploded spectacularly.
[Youyu, LP 2600 → LP 2400]
"What a brief and uneventful duel," Shien shook his head, slightly disappointed, "After such long years, the first human warrior I encounter is such a weakling of this degree?
Next, is my own vision, Great Shogun Shien, attack the second Dark Magician!"
The general assumed a draw stance, thrusting forward with a trajectory black as ink trailing behind him. The unsheathed sword bore an unmatched force and dominion, sweeping toward the Dark Magician.
If this strike succeeds, Youyu's field would become empty. And Shien still has The Six Samurai - Irou yet to attack; if a chain of attacks succeeds, this turn will determine the outcome!
But Youyu obviously wasn't going to let it end so easily: "Trap Card - Attack Invincibility! This card allows me to activate one of two effects. Choose one monster on my field; it cannot be destroyed by battle or effects until the end of the turn; or, the battle damage I take this turn becomes 0."
Youyu pointed to the Dark Magician on the field.
"I choose to protect the 'Dark Magician' from being destroyed."
A transparent energy shield appeared in front of the magician, Shien's blade slammed heavily against the transparent shield, sparks flew in all directions, yet it could not pierce this protective layer.
"Withstood the attack, huh? Well, that makes it more interesting," Shien said blandly, "But even if not destroyed, you still have to endure the damage."
[Youyu, LP 2400 → LP 1800]
"Irou's attack points are no match for the Dark Magician, so my battle ends here." Shien stated, "Setting two cards, I end my turn."