"My turn, draw."
A golden light appeared in Yugen's graveyard, and two cards swooshed out.
"The effects of the two 'Sinister Serpents' in my graveyard activate. During my Standby Phase, if 'Sinister Serpent' is in my graveyard, it can return to my hand from the graveyard."
Two cards were drawn from the graveyard zone and returned to his hand.
The Insect Knight's face twitched.
More ammunition replenished…
He had already understood the operating method of the opponent's deck combination. Sinister Serpent was the inexhaustible ammunition for that Netherworld soldier.
As expected, Yugen immediately sent one of the Sinister Serpents he just retrieved back to the graveyard.
"'Abyss Soldier's effect activates. By discarding a Water-Attribute monster from my hand, I can return any card on the field to its owner's hand.
Therefore, I discard the Water-Attribute 'Sinister Serpent'."
"I knew it!"
The Insect Knight shouted loudly.
"Open face-down card, Trap Card 'Memory Loss'! When an effect is activated by an attack position monster your opponent controls, negate that activation, and change that monster to defense position!"
Judai: "Huh? But shouldn't he know that there's a 'Royal Decree' on Yugen's field?"
Yugen raised an eyebrow.
This posture, it seems there's a countermeasure against Royal Decree?
"Interesting, then I'll accept the challenge." Yugen said, "Then activate face-down card, Continuous Trap - Royal Decree!
All Trap Cards on both players' fields have their effects negated!"
The Royal Decree that had been returned by Abyss Soldier once again displayed its might, an invisible pressure sweeping out, suppressing the entire field.
"Just as planned!" the Insect Knight shouted, "Counter Trap - Wiretap!
When a Trap Card is activated, negate that activation, and that card returns to its owner's deck!"
As expected, there was a countermeasure.
Yugen raised his chin and gently stroked it.
The counterattack power took effect, and Royal Decree's activation was immediately forcibly ended. The Trap Card turned into a golden light and shot back into Yugen's duel disk's deck, the deck automatically shuffling itself.
"Even 'Royal Decree', the trap card's bane, is nothing to fear as long as its activation is negated before the effect applies.
At the same time, the later-moving effect will be resolved first. Therefore, when 'Memory Loss' effect is being resolved, 'Royal Decree' is no longer in place, thus my activation of Trap Card 'Memory Loss' effect becomes valid!
According to 'Memory Loss' effect, 'Abyss Soldier's activation is negated, and it is changed to defense position!"
The Insect Knight laughed.
"Stay put obediently, Abyss Soldier!"
The power of the netherworld seemed to be temporarily bound. Under the restraint of the trap, Abyss Soldier reluctantly knelt halfway on the ground, lowering its body and immediately changing to a defensive stance.
[ Abyss Soldier, ATK 1800 → DEF 1300 ]
"With this, your combination is broken through." The Insect Knight said triumphantly.
He could see that, whether for attacking or maneuvering, that Abyss Soldier was the absolute core of the opponent's strategy. As long as Abyss Soldier's effect was negated, there was nothing to fear.
Next turn, his insect army would launch a counterattack from a desperate situation, blowing the bugle of reversal.
Could you possibly pull out another Tricky from up your sleeve and kill me in the next second?
"Open face-down card, Continuous Trap - Call of the Haunted." Yugen said, "Special Summon one monster from my graveyard to the field in attack position. I choose to revive the other 'Abyss Soldier' in my graveyard."
Insect Knight: "."
The graveyard vortex opened, and clear water shot out from it. A Water-Attribute soldier emerged from the depths, returning to the field again. The vortex beneath it leading to the underworld seemed to blow out gusts of cold wind.
Yugen indicated that it was impressive, a very exquisite play.
But what are you going to do with the second one?
Having foreseen the unavoidable future that was about to happen, the armored bug's face twisted: "Please don't, I beg you..."
However, he didn't expect Yugen to not rush to activate the effect, but instead calmly take out a card from his hand.
"Equip Spell 'Big Bang Shot', equip it to your 'Millennium Scorpion'."
Come on, bro, take a smoke, don't be shy.
Insect Knight: "?"
What is the meaning of suddenly giving me an equip card?
"'Big Bang Shot' equipped monster gains 400 ATK. Also, when it attacks a defense position monster, if its ATK exceeds the DEF, it can inflict piercing battle damage." Yugen said with a chuckle, "Take it, don't be shy."
[ Millennium Scorpion, ATK 2500 → ATK 2900 ]
Millennium Scorpion's ATK would increase by 500 when it destroyed a monster by battle, so its ATK increased to 2900.
"But of course, you also know that powerful power often comes with risks. So 'Big Bang Shot' also has a side effect." Yugen explained with a smile, "When this card leaves the field, the equipped monster is banished directly from play."
The Insect Knight pondered for a moment.
When it leaves the field, the equipped monster is directly banished from play...
He suddenly understood something, his expression instantly twisting: "You... you couldn't possibly be planning to..."
"You guessed right, too bad, no prize." Yugen smiled, "The effect of the second 'Abyss Soldier' activates. Discard the other Water-Attribute 'Sinister Serpent' from my hand to return any card on the field to its owner's hand.
The card I want to return is, of course, the Equip Spell 'Big Bang Shot'."
The Equip Spell instantly turned into a golden light and flew back to Yugen's hand.
"Of course, because I'm the owner, it will still return to my hand. But because 'Big Bang Shot' left the field, the equipped monster must be banished from play.
Banish 'Millennium Scorpion' from play!"
The dimensional fissure opened again, and a huge suction force made the Millennium Scorpion fly up from the ground, directly being sucked into it and kicked out of this game.
The Insect Knight looked at his field, which had become clean as a blank sheet of paper again, and couldn't cry.
No way…
Why is there such a dog combo in the world?
And what kind of bastard could come up with this kind of tactic?
Judai was also dumbfounded: "Ah, this…"
Directly using Abyss Soldier to bounce the opponent's monster could clear the field, but the bounced monster returning to the hand was still a usable resource.
However, using Abyss Soldier's effect combined with Big Bang Shot's side effect could directly banish the opponent's targeted monster without needing to bounce it back to the hand. At the same time, because Big Bang Shot would be bounced back to his own hand, it could be repeatedly used, and Sinister Serpent could also infinitely revive itself, so the whole process almost had no resource consumption.
Although Yugen felt that reaching this step was basically a win, the opponent actually still had cards in hand. What if the opponent had drawn a Kuriboh and barely survived this turn? In that case, banishing Millennium Scorpion directly to another dimension was much more satisfying than just bouncing it back to the hand, thus wasting one more card resource from the opponent.
Yeah, that's right, it's absolutely not because sending Millennium Scorpion to another dimension for a duel was more fun.
But the opponent didn't seem to feel that way.
The Insect Knight had already given up struggling and put on a mask of pain.
Please just give me a quick and painless end…
He wanted to quickly leave this unfriendly world and go reincarnate.
Next life, he would absolutely never touch cards again.
"Battle." Yugen waved his hand and ordered, "Abyss Soldier, direct attack!"
Looking at the dark soldier drawing its sword and rushing over, the Insect Knight sighed and closed his eyes.
Saying it might sound a bit unconventional, but after experiencing his monster being repeatedly bounced back to his hand, being sent to another dimension, and the 'blanket towards Royal Decree' for several turns, now that such a straightforward slash was about to fall on his head, what popped into his head wasn't fear of death.
But relief.
Too good, finally no more dueling…
[ Insect Knight, LP 1400 → LP 0 ]