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Trap Card - Enma's Judgment: The resurrection of the Fortress is negated!
"Looks like Ryoji still had a trick up his sleeve!"
Commentator Watanabe was spitting out words with excitement.
"It seems even the revival of the fortress was within his calculations. And because it's a counter trap, there's almost nothing Yuxuan can do to salvage the situation. The rhythm has been completely disrupted. It looks like continuing his counterattack will be very difficult. So, can he still declare an end to this turn and finish the match?"
However, the only thought running through Yuxuan's mind in this situation was...
Damn, I understand the Thorn Wall, but why do you also have Misawa's card?
Yes, this Enma's Judgment was famously used by a minor character, Daichi Misawa, in the GX anime. Originally a trap exclusive to the Zombie-type monsters, it allowed the player to summon a Zombie monster from their deck by banishing five Zombies from their graveyard.
But since Ryoji's deck focuses on dinosaurs, he obviously doesn't use Zombies. Still, in the anime environment, using it as a substitute for something like Bottomless Trap Hole isn't half bad.
After all, duelists in this world don't have much freedom when building their decks. They often just use whatever cards they happen to have. If someone happened to pull this card from a pack, even non-Zombie users might consider slotting it into their deck.
The fortress returned to the graveyard, but Yuxuan wasn't fazed. Another card emerged from the graveyard with a golden glow.
"The effect of Meklord Army - Hyper Transformation in my graveyard."
Yuxuan revealed the card that exited the graveyard zone.
"If this card is in the graveyard and my Meklord Army - Fortress is sent to the graveyard, I can banish that Fortress from the graveyard to special summon this card."
The destroyed Meklord Fortress returned to the field as a semi-transparent ghostly form, vanishing amidst a flickering golden light.
"Therefore, I'll banish the Meklord Army - Fortress from the graveyard to special summon Meklord Army - Hyper Transformation!"
The glowing fragments of the fortress reformed into a solid entity. The phantom armor began to transform—its massive metallic feet thudded onto the floor, its heavy treads shifted to the sides, and its main cannon rested on its shoulder. The alloy fortress slowly morphed into a towering mechanized robot.
Transform and roll out!
[Meklord Army - Hyper Transformation | ATK: 2600]
"Unbelievable! Yuxuan still had another trick prepared!"
Commentator Watanabe's face was flushed red, his emotions more intense than those of the duelists on the field.
"This was planned from the moment he discarded it as a cost to summon the Meklord Fortress earlier! He foresaw this many moves ahead!
Could this truly be the day we witness the rise of a new star!?"
Commentator Sasaki quietly wiped away the droplets of saliva splattered on his face and subtly edged a few centimeters away from his overzealous colleague.
But just as the fortress was about to complete its transformation, the massive mech suddenly stumbled, crashing down on one knee. Its body began flickering faintly before gradually fading away like wisps of smoke.
"What… what is this?" Commentator Watanabe exclaimed in shock. "Where's the Hyper Transformation?"
"Hahahaha!" Ryoji laughed triumphantly. "I already calculated that you had a backup plan hidden in your graveyard. Perhaps you did think two or three steps ahead of everyone else, but my strategy runs even deeper!
At the moment you activated Meklord Army - Hyper Transformation, I chained this card!"
Only then did everyone's attention shift to the trap card flipped face-up on Ryoji's field.
Trap Card - Lost.
"With Lost, I can remove one card from your graveyard directly from the game. Therefore, before your mech could revive, I removed your Meklord Army - Hyper Transformation from the game!"
Ryoji grinned smugly.
"So? Can you still claim that this is your final turn? Your mech has been crushed, and all your strategies and setups have been dismantled one by one. Meanwhile, I still have the invincible Dark Dinosaur on my field!"
Commentator Sasaki nodded silently. "Indeed. Though Yuxuan prepared multiple contingencies, Ryoji is no pushover either.
It's unfortunate, but regardless of what strategy he had planned, it seems powerless against this setup..."
Ryoji clearly thought the same.
"You've fallen into two traps and still think you can take me out?
You think you can overpower my Dark Dinosaur?"
"Come on, come at me. If you've got what it takes, go ahead—I'm waiting..."
Yuxuan paused, deep in thought.
Hmm... Such an odd request.
Since the opponent insists...
"I activate my set card."
He pointed to the back-row card at his feet, which flipped face-up.
Continuous Trap - Limited Rebirth. You can special summon a monster with 1000 or less ATK from your graveyard in attack position.
When that monster switches to defense position, both it and this card are destroyed.
"Hmm?" Ryoji raised an eyebrow.
"A monster with 1000 or less ATK that can't switch to defense? All fodder, right..."
"The card I'm reviving is this one."
Yuxuan picked up a card from his graveyard.
"Card Gunner!"
[Card Gunner | ATK: 400]
Card Gunner, one of Jaden Yuki's frequently used monsters in the later seasons. By discarding the top three cards of your deck, it gains 1900 ATK for the turn. Additionally, when it's destroyed, the player draws a card.
This card excels in graveyard setup, attack power, and card advantage, making it a staple in competitive decks during its time. In fact, it was so dominant that it eventually became restricted.
But Ryoji clearly didn't see its potential: "Hmph, just fodder as expected..."
"You'll see soon enough. Next, I activate a spell card from my hand..."
Yuxuan waved his hand, and a green spell card materialized before him.
Spell Card - Machine Duplication.
"You can select one Machine-type monster with 500 or less ATK on your field and special summon up to two copies of it from your deck.
Naturally, I'll choose the Card Gunner with 400 ATK!"
He drew two additional copies from his deck.
"I special summon two more Card Gunners!"
[Card Gunner | ATK: 400] x3
"Three monsters at once?"
Ryoji forced himself to stay calm.
"But fodder is still fodder, no matter how many you bring out..."
"The effect of Card Gunner." Yuxuan continued his play. "Once per turn, you can send the top three cards of your deck to the graveyard.
For each card sent this way, this card's ATK increases by 500 until the end phase.
Therefore, I'll activate the effects of all three Card Gunners, sending nine cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard!"
A cascade of cards flew out of his deck, landing one by one in the graveyard zone.
"Each Card Gunner gains 1500 ATK!"
[Card Gunner | ATK: 400 → ATK: 1900] x3
"The last card I'll play is this..."
Yuxuan revealed the final card to end the match.
Quick-Play Spell - Restriction Removal! Until the end of the turn, all Machine-type monsters on my field double their ATK!
"N-Na… Nani!?!?"
Ryoji gasped in disbelief, as did both commentators. The audience erupted into cheers, nearly shaking the stadium.
All Machine-types doubled their ATK, meaning these three Card Gunners...
[Card Gunner | ATK: 1900 → ATK: 3800] x3
"ATK… 3800, and three of them at once!?"
Commentator Watanabe felt his jaw drop.
Is this even possible!?
Sasaki sucked in a breath, feeling as though a tidal wave had crashed over him.
With the restrictions lifted, the three gunners crackled with electricity, their bodies rapidly expanding. From tiny figures, they grew into towering mechs akin to Gundams.
The once-menacing Dark Dinosaur now had to crane its neck upward to face the towering machines, trembling in fear as cold sweat dripped down its virtual brow.
"First, one Card Gunner destroys Dark Dinosaur!"
Two loud booms echoed as the cannons fired. The black dinosaur was pierced through the torso and exploded in a fiery blast.
Ryoji: "Ugh!"
[Ryoji | LP: 2800 → LP: 1600]
With all his back-row cards exhausted and resources depleted, Ryoji had no way to defend himself.
"Next, the remaining Card Gunners attack Ryoji directly!"
The barrels locked onto their target, electricity sparking around them. Twin cannons roared, firing spinning shells trailing burning smoke toward Ryoji.
Amidst the fiery explosions, Ryoji's vision blurred. For a fleeting moment, Yuxuan seemed to overlap with another figure from his memories.
In the roar of the cannons, he swore he heard the voice of a long-lost friend echoing in his ears.
The first Duel King, Yugi Mutou.
"No matter what kind of card it is, it has value."
"Even the weakest monster has meaning. Dismissing a card with a single word like 'fodder' shows disrespect for its potential. That's not worthy of being called a duelist."
"..."
Countering two consecutive traps and still managing to rebuild such a formation. Such power, such overwhelming dominance—this was the feeling of strength he had always sought.
The Card Gunner, with only 400 ATK, seemingly insignificant fodder, delivered such a devastating chain combo.
For a brief moment, Ryoji almost thought he was facing Yugi Mutou himself...
But the illusion vanished as quickly as it came.
Instead, he found himself engulfed in a barrage of firepower.
[Ryoji | LP: 1600 → LP: 0]