The setup in Youyu's first move is enough to annihilate most players and NPCs at this stage!
"Through the 'Bond of Master and Apprentice' set on the field, activate the Magic Card 'Dark Magic Attack'!" Youyu raised his hand, and the card in front flipped open, "When there's a 'Dark Magician' on my field, destroy all Magic Trap Cards on the opponent's field!"
The flipped Magic Card swiftly released its power, filling the Dark Magician. The Dark Magician on the field raised his Magic Staff, and a vast amount of energy began to brew, swirling between the staff, and though he hadn't made a move, the momentum felt as if it could destroy the world.
But at that moment, Heart Flying with the Wind raised an arm, and one of the Set Cards in front of him flipped open.
"Counter Trap - Disarm!" Heart Flying with the Wind opened a Trap Card in front of him, "Return a 'Gladiator Beast' Monster from the hand to the Deck, then the activation of a Magic Card is negated and destroyed!"
He revealed a card from his hand.
"I shuffle 'Gladiator Beast Darius' from my hand back into the Deck, negating 'Dark Magic Attack'!"
A Gladiator Beast with a horse head shape appeared as a phantom, raising its hand to launch a milky white energy spear. The magical curtain was pierced, the spear shot towards the Magician with unstoppable force.
The Dark Magician had no choice but to temporarily abandon casting the powerful spell, positioning his Magic Staff in front of him to conjure a Magic Array for defense. But this action interrupted his brewing powerful spell.
The decisive blow failed, Youyu raised an eyebrow, then gestured: "Then battle. Use Dark Magician Girl to attack Gladiator Beast Dimacari!"
Receiving her master's order, the girl proudly raised her head and shouted, swinging her staff as a magical shockwave shot towards Dimacari.
Heart Flying with the Wind continued flipping a Set Card: "Trap Card - Defense Tactics! This can only be activated when there's a 'Gladiator Beast' on my field; this turn, my Monsters won't be destroyed by battle, and battle damage I take becomes 0!"
The Dark Magic's power hit an invisible barrier in front of Dimacari, seemingly being dispersed by an unseen force.
"You've even withstood the battle." Youyu shrugged, "Then my Battle Phase ends."
"At this moment, the effect of 'Gladiator Beast Dimacari'!" Heart Flying with the Wind declared, "After Dimacari battles, at the end of the Battle Phase, return 'Gladiator Beast Dimacari' to the Deck and Special Summon another 'Gladiator Beast' from the Deck!"
The dark, bull-headed Gladiator Beast on the field turned into a beam of light, returning to Heart Flying with the Wind's Deck, and soon he retrieved the next card he wanted.
"I Special Summon, 'Gladiator Beast Murmillo'!"
As its name suggests, a blue fish-like Gladiator Beast appeared on the field, carrying two large-caliber cannons on its back.
"The effect of Murmillo!" Heart Flying with the Wind announced, "When Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Gladiator Beast', destroy one Monster on the field!
I destroy one 'Dark Magician' on the field!"
Murmillo quickly adjusted its aim, firing a cannon-like water stream from the two heavy cannons on its back! The blue water pillar instantly pierced through one of the Dark Magicians, which soon dissipated as a phantom.
Youyu drew a card: "Then I set a card, and end my turn."
The players were now deep in excited discussion.
They initially thought this player, randomly chosen by Youyu, was just a lucky passerby, but now he appeared as a top-level master in their eyes.
Surely Youyu sensed the opponent's unique skills, which is why he accepted the challenge!
"My turn, Draw!"
Heart Flying with the Wind also noticed by now that this NPC was unlike any other he had encountered so far.
Through a recent series of fortunate events, he had acquired the "Gladiator Beast" Deck.
He hadn't gone online to search for Deck builds; the entire Deck construction was based on his own testing and preferences. However, since acquiring this Deck, he hadn't lost a single match against in-game NPCs.
Although the village-like Heart Flying with the Wind didn't recognize Youyu, just from this single round of exchange, he realized this NPC was extraordinary!
Heart Flying with the Wind was intrigued now.
Playing cards, winning against easy opponents all the time, what's the fun in that?
Who wouldn't want to duel against the strong?
Moreover, regardless of card skills, this NPC...
...was also handsomely more attractive than others by a billion points.
Definitely not an ordinary person!
"My turn!" Heart Flying with the Wind immediately went on the counterattack, "Magic Card - Night Beam! Destroy one set Magic or Trap Card on the opponent's field. The targeted card cannot be activated!"
He pointed to Youyu's Set Card in the back row.
"I destroy that card!"
Compared to common clear cards like Mystical Space Typhoon, Night Beam was not particularly handy, mainly because it's a Normal Magic, slow, and could only destroy Set cards.
But its advantage is the targeted card cannot be activated, making it occasionally worth considering.
Of course, Heart Flying with the Wind's reason for opting for this card rather than the more generic "Mystical Space Typhoon" was simply that he only had this one...
But for the duel's current situation, it was just right. The golden light of the Magic Card shattered Youyu's backfield Set Card into pieces, revealing it to be a "Bottomless Trap Hole".
Bottomless Trap Hole, a Trap that can directly destroy a Monster the opponent summons with 1000 or more attack points.
If not for drawing a "Night Beam" at the right moment to neutralize it, stepping into that trap might have led to an immediate defeat.
Clearing the backfield, Heart Flying with the Wind regained composure, entering a counterattacking rhythm: "Summon 'Gladiator Beast Bestiari', in Attack Position!"
A bird Gladiator clad in green metal armor appeared on his field, spreading its massive metal wings.
[Gladiator Beast Bestiari, Attack 1500]
"On the field, 'Gladiator Beast Bestiari' and 'Gladiator Beast Murmillo', return to the Deck for Fusion!" Heart Flying with the Wind raised his arm, "Fusion condition is 'Gladiator Beast Bestiari' plus any Gladiator Beast monster, return the Fusion Material from the field to the Deck!
Fusion Summon——
——Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!!!
The figures of the two Gladiator Beasts fused mid-air, revealing a form clad in black armor from within the storm.
Sturdy black armor, blood-red gemstones, a slight sci-fi tinge in the green metal wings, the eyes of the ancient King shimmered with a dangerous red glow, the moment it descended from above carried an unrivaled kingly aura!
Players on the side were frantically taking screenshots.
Gyzarus!
The iconic King of the Gladiator Beast Deck back then!
[Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, Attack 2400]
At the same time, this is currently Heart Flying with the Wind's main ace within his Gladiator Beast Deck.
Among the chaos of countless Fusion Monsters in the Gladiator Beast lineup, this was the only one he currently had.
"The effect of Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!" Heart Flying with the Wind continued, "When Special Summoned, destroy up to two cards on the field! Destroy the remaining 'Dark Magician' and 'Dark Magician Girl'!"
Gyzarus soared up, spinning its form, beating its expanded wings mid-air, raining down countless red spikes like a storm!
Without appropriate card support, neither the Dark Magician nor the Dark Magician Girl could withstand such power. The Magician and Apprentice mages struggled to form Magic Arrays in defense, but soon they were bombarded and exploded by the ancient King's assault, both swiftly exiting the stage.
In just one round, the three Magicians summoned by Youyu, along with the Set Card in his backfield, were all wiped out clean.
"Battle!" Heart Flying with the Wind continued, "Direct attack with 'Gladiator Beast Gyzarus'!"
Gyzarus screeched sharply, trailing swirling green streams behind, diving like a bomber straight towards Youyu!
Boom!!!
A violent explosion, the impact swept across the ground, and the smokescreen was torn into chaos.
[Youyu, LP 3000 → LP 600]
Youyu raised an arm in front of himself to endure the strike, his body swaying slightly, then he looked up at Gyzarus, who was spreading its wings and retreating to its owner's field, and couldn't help the slight lift at the corner of his mouth.
The Gladiator Beast Deck...
...sure is tempting!