The examiner in sunglasses now seemed to have a better understanding of why this candidate had come up to him to ask if the examiner's mood could affect his test scores before the duel began.
Because if it could, he now had the urge to mark a big "X" on this candidate's file and tell him to get lost as far as possible.
In just the first round, with half of the hand cards gone and the field still empty, a "Blast Armor" that hadn't even had a chance to be set was discarded. A powerful trap that could directly destroy the opponent's monster during attack, yet it was sent to the Underworld without even having a chance to be set...
Of course, that thought only flashed through his mind.
The examiner with sunglasses temporarily suppressed that urge.
Calm, stay calm. His current identity was that of an examiner, a professional one, who could not get angry no matter what happened.
Yugen entered with the number 001, and his test was already the most watched among the candidates present. After this round, even more eyes were focused on this part of the examination hall, and many people were curious about him.
"That guy named Yugen is the top candidate this year." Asuka Tenjouin leaned against the railing, "How should I put it, his duel... it's a bit different from what I imagined the top candidate to be like..."
"..."
Over here by Chazz.
Minion A: "It's starting, it's starting! Yugen is about to begin again!"
"Yes, that's it! That's the feeling!" Minion B echoed, "This unfolding, this direction... Even Brother Chazz was caught to the point of no return!"
"You guys are exaggerating."
Chazz muttered.
He did struggle for a few rounds... before falling into the abyss of the Underworld.
He then showed a gloomy, eerie expression.
"But if they think that's all there is, they are too naive. For that bastard, this is just the beginning..."
The two minions looked at him with sympathetic expressions.
"Brother Chazz is indeed experienced..."
"Yes, he knows how to make people feel sorry..."
Chazz: "Shut up!"
"..."
"My turn, draw card."
Yugen calmly inserted another card into the Duel Disc.
"Magic Card 'Mischievous Twin Fairies,' pay 1000 Life Points to randomly discard one of the opponent's cards from their hand, and the opponent then selects another hand card to discard."
[Yugen, LP 3000→LP 2000]
A blue and a red demon flew out, one holding a card from the examiner as they laughed mockingly and left.
Examiner: "......"
The secret art of evaporating hand cards.
He adjusted his sunglasses and looked down at the only remaining card in his hand.
[Continuous Magic - Knightly Spirit.
Effect: Monsters on your field and monsters with the same Attack Power in battle will not be destroyed.]
A completely meaningless thing.
Rounding up, he already had no cards left to play.
If this were an anime, the examiner with sunglasses should now be at the verge of a volcanic eruption, with steam shooting straight out of his head.
The only thing stopping him from angrily smashing the Duel Disc and rolling up his sleeves was his solid professional ethics and constant self-suggestion.
I am professional, I cannot get angry, I can't...
Yugen: "Normal Summon 'Black Forest Witch.'
[Black Forest Witch, Attack Power 1100]
"Black Forest Witch attacks directly."
[Examiner, LP 4000→LP 2900]
The examiner stood there with a dark expression, not moving an inch as he took the attack, with an attitude as if storing up a rage meter.
"Turn ends."
"..."
Minion A in the grandstand: "It's really like Brother Chazz said."
Minion B shook his head, even starting to feel a little sorry for the hapless examiner.
Chazz said nothing, but with fingers interlocked, he leaned forward watching the duel's development, unknowingly... a smile appeared on his face.
"Heh heh... heh heh heh..."
Chazz couldn't suppress the upward curve of his lips.
Honestly, he wasn't sure why either.
But seeing that examiner suffer down there, it felt like watching himself yesterday.
Suddenly there was an inexplicable sense of delight.
It was only then that he suddenly realized, that when he's not on the opposite side, an Underworld duel could actually bring such joy...
Minion B peeked at the increasingly exaggerated smile on Chazz's face from behind, and couldn't help but whisper: "Boss, your smile is quite creepy..."
"..."
"My turn, draw card!"
The examiner calmed his breathing, trying to keep his focus on the duel.
"Activate from the hand, the Magic Card 'Silent Dead,' which can resurrect an ordinary monster in the graveyard in defense position, but monsters summoned by this effect cannot attack.
The card I'm reviving is the one you discarded to the graveyard last turn..."
The examiner took the card from the Duel Disc's graveyard slot.
"Thousand-Year Shield!"
The enormous shield emerged from the vortex of the Netherworld, blocking the examiner's field.
[Thousand-Year Shield, Defense Power 3000]
"It's actually the Thousand-Year Shield!"
Students immediately exclaimed.
Rumored to be a legendary shield passed down from the Ancient Egyptian royal family, it can even withstand the legendary Bursting Gale Bullet of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, making it an indestructible legendary monster.
"End of turn."
Although he wanted to do more, the examiner also had no more cards to play. But this is a Thousand-Year Shield with Blue-Eyes White Dragon level defense; it shouldn't be broken easily.
Holding out until the next turn still holds hope.
"My turn," Yugen said, "Activate from hand the Equipment Magic 'Magical Wand.' Only a Mage Race monster can equip it.
I equip 'Black Forest Witch,' the equipped monster's Attack Power increases by 500."
[Black Forest Witch, Attack Power 1100→Attack Power 1600]
"Then the second effect of 'Magical Wand' activates. By sending the equipped monster and this card to the graveyard, draw two cards.
I send 'Black Forest Witch' and 'Magical Wand' to the graveyard, drawing two cards."
The two new cards drawn, Yugen then spreads his card deck out from the Duel Disc.
"The effect of 'Black Forest Witch.' When this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, add a monster with Defense Power below 1500 from the card deck to the hand.
I add this card from the card deck to my hand."
He pinched a card between his fingers and displayed it.
"Mahaviru, Defense Power 1400, added to the hand," Yugen said. "Then normally summon 'Mahaviru,' in attack position."
[Mahaviru, Attack Power 1550]
Mahaviru, originally in Muto Yuugi's card deck, was later gifted to Matsuzaki Anzu and played an important role in the animation as well.
"Then activate the Equipment Magic 'Explosive Flame Shot' from the hand."
Yugen inserted yet another card into the Duel Disc, and the image of a Magic Card appeared in the backfield.
"The equipped monster's attack power will increase by 400 points," Yugen said. "And when the equipped monster attacks a Defense Position monster, if its attack power is higher than the defense power, it will inflict piercing damage."
The examiner understood: "I see. You plan to increase your attack power at once with the equipment and deal piercing damage to my defense monster?"
But the Thousand-Year Shield has three thousand defense points, breaking through won't be easy, not to mention dealing effective damage.
To pierce through the Thousand-Year Shield for a straight win, the student would need to stack up an attack power of 5900 points all at once, which is almost impossible...
"Who said I'm going to equip my monster?"
Yugen smiled slightly, pointing at the opponent's field with the Thousand-Year Shield.
"The target I wish to equip is... 'Thousand-Year Shield!'"
[Thousand-Year Shield, Attack Power 0 → Attack Power 400]
Examiner: "?"
Equipping the opponent's monster? What does it mean?
Do you think this game is not only about allocating resources for yourself but also about allocating resources for the opponent?
"Then activate the Speed Attack Magic 'Tornado,' which can destroy one Magic or Trap Card on the field," Yugen said. "What I want to destroy is the 'Explosive Flame Shot' on my field."
Examiner: "??"
This operation is becoming increasingly confusing.
It can't be that you feel you have already secured the victory and are giving him two cards to show goodwill?
A black tornado swept Yugen's field's Magic Card into the air, and a lightning bolt descended from above, shattering it into pieces.
"This is pointless," the examiner couldn't help but say. "Even if you do this, my Thousand-Year Shield still...
...Nani!!?"
He stared wide-eyed, utterly shocked to find his field unexpectedly empty.
The Thousand-Year Shield was gone.
No way...
Where's my shield?
That big shield?
He couldn't help but ask loudly: "Where did my shield go?"
Yugen smiled: "I sent it to the Other Dimension."
Examiner: "???"
What the heck? Do you believe I won't send you to the Other Dimension?
Seeing the examiner close to boiling over in anger, Yugen patiently explained: "The Equipment Magic 'Explosive Flame Shot' not only has the ability to increase the attack power of the equipped monster and grant it piercing abilities, but it also has a side effect, teacher.
That is when this card leaves the field, the monster it is equipped to is banished from the game."
This statement caused a stir among the spectators.
"This... using a Magic to enhance the opposing monster and then using the side effect to remove the monster..." Asuka looked complicated, "how should I say, it's indeed very impressive, but..."
For a moment, she couldn't find the right words.
But in her mind, the summary could simply be two words flipped over and over.
Underworld.
"It's exactly that feeling, like a strategy this guy would come up with."
Although Chazz was initially startled by this combo, he quickly accepted the scenario.
Yes, because standing opposite is a dog after all.
To come up with such a strategy and usage, somehow it seems only natural.
Yugen calmly revealed two more cards.
"Activate the Equipment Magic 'Demon's Axe,' and the Equipment Magic 'Power of the Mage,' equipping them to 'Mahaviru.'
The black mage on the field slowly opened her eyes, the demon-headed axe floated beside her, and golden magic power enveloped her body.
"The effect of Demon's Axe is to increase the equipped monster's attack power by 1000 points.
The effect of Power of the Mage increases the attack power by 500 points for each Magic or Trap Card on my field. There are two equipped, so it increases by 1000 points.
In total, both equippings increase the attack power by 2000 points."
[Mahaviru, Attack Power 1550 → Attack Power 3550]
"And now for the effect of 'Mahaviru' itself!" Yugen said, pointing at the mage on the field, "for each card equipped to her, this card's attack power increases by 500.
Since there are two equipped in total, the attack power increases by 1000 more."
[Mahaviru, Attack Power 3550 → Attack Power 4550]
The arena was once again overwhelmed by a wave of astonishment.
"Attack power... 4550!?"
One of the examinees yet to appear, Marufuji Sho, was appalled: "That's higher than the legendary Obelisk... no, even higher than the attack power of the True Ultimate Blue-Eyes Dragon!"
It's already the highest attack power that appeared in the entire test arena today.
"This guy... can casually reach such a high attack power?"
One of the lackeys almost fell out of his seat.
Chazz was not very surprised, but his face only grew darker.
Yes, he had already seen that this dog thing wasn't just good at tricking people.
Chazz had long suspected that he did it simply because he enjoyed it.
Or rather, that messing with people was also a part of his strategy.
But even if you ignore that part, this guy...
...is also very strong.
Because just with a little thought, it's clear that the examiner has no more cards to play and no defenses left, and could be finished by simply piercing the Thousand-Year Shield, but he chose not to.
Apparently, he found sending the examiner's Thousand-Year Shield to the Other Dimension more enjoyable as a duel.
"Mahaviru," Yugen said, "direct attack."
[Examiner, LP 2900 → LP 0]