Mirror Force activated. Sacred blue radiance coalesced into a translucent barrier before Yuxuan, standing firmly in the path of Light and Darkness Dragon's fiery breath.
"What?" Manjoume frowned. "Useless! I already told you, no amount of traps will ever mean anything in front of Light and Darkness Dragon!
"Light and Darkness Dragon's effect activates once again, losing five hundred attack points to negate Mirror Force as well
"Huh?!"
Manjoume watched in horror as Light and Darkness Dragon ignored his command entirely, relentlessly spewing its breath into the reflective barrier. His heart practically stopped.
Why?
Why didn't its effect trigger?
"I take back what I said earlier. It seems you still haven't fully grasped the power of your new friend, Manjoume," Yuxuan said with a calm smile.
An effect that guaranteed negation upon activation certainly sounded invincible on paper, but a real duel quickly revealed that it was not nearly as foolproof as people imagined.
There was a hidden restriction on Light and Darkness Dragon: "This effect can only be activated once per chain."
In later eras, this rule was explicitly printed on the card text of Light and Darkness Dragon. However, the original print lacked that text; Konami had only noted in the official rulings that "it can only be activated once in the same chain."
Therefore, at the precise moment of the attack declaration, Yuxuan had first activated No Entry!! to force the dragon into defense position. Light and Darkness Dragon's mandatory effect was forced to trigger to negate it, but Yuxuan immediately chained Holy Barrier - Mirror Force right behind it.
Because both were activated within the single chain formed at the attack declaration timing, Light and Darkness Dragon's negation had already been spent on No Entry!!. It was legally unable to respond to Mirror Force.
"Well, even Light and Darkness Dragon has its weaknesses. Commit that fact to memory starting today. Don't mention it."
Yuxuan smiled softly.
"Mirror Force resolves successfully, destroying all attack position monsters on the opponent's field."
He swept his arm across Manjoume's field.
"Therefore, Armed Dragon LV10 and Light and Darkness Dragon are destroyed!"
Light and Darkness Dragon was shattered!
"Ugh..." Manjoume's expression turned utterly grim.
His ultimate ace, the dragon carrying all his hopes, his supposedly invincible Light and Darkness Dragon, had actually been outmaneuvered and removed just like that...
Only now did Manjoume finally understand.
It can't activate twice in the same chain, huh...
That truly was a massive blind spot for Light and Darkness Dragon.
Yet the problem was, even he had not known about it, so how on earth did Yuxuan know?
Looking up at Yuxuan again, Manjoume suddenly felt that this guy was becoming more and more unfathomable. It felt like every single time he believed he had made immense progress and stepped forward with overflowing confidence to reclaim his pride, he would invariably discover that Yuxuan was hiding far more beneath the surface than he had ever shown before.
Could it be that despite fighting tooth and nail to reach this level, the gap between them hadn't narrowed in the slightest?
No, impossible.
He absolutely refused to accept such a reality.
"Light and Darkness Dragon's final effect!" Manjoume roared. "When this card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, destroy all cards on my field! Then, special summon one monster from my graveyard to the field!"
The spectating crowd held their breath once more.
Did a dragon that already possessed such overwhelming strength truly have yet another hidden ability?
Manjoume pulled a card ejected from his graveyard.
"Revive from the graveyard once more
"Armed Dragon LV5!"
[Armed Dragon LV5, ATK 2400]
Both Armed Dragon LV7 and LV10 had strict summoning restrictions. Aside from specific LV monster support like Level Modulation that ignored summoning conditions, even if they were properly summoned first, they could not be revived from the graveyard by other card effects.
"Armed Dragon LV5, direct attack!"
Armed Dragon's razor-sharp claws slashed downward, sending a howling gale of crimson wind sweeping toward Yuxuan.
"In that case, I discard Kuriboh from my hand," Yuxuan said, "reducing the battle damage from this attack to zero."
"Kuri!"
Kuriboh popped onto the field. Armed Dragon's claw crashed into the furry ball, failing to pierce through.
Still not enough...?
Manjoume only just realized that he had started gasping for breath without noticing.
Yet this was already the limit of what he could do this turn.
"Fine. The battle phase ends, and I activate the spell card Card of Heaven and Earth! During a turn a tribute summon was performed, draw two cards. However, the drawn cards cannot be used this turn, and if they can be set, at least one must be set to the field."
Manjoume drew two cards, his brow furrowing slightly, before taking those two along with another card from his hand.
"I set two cards to my backrow," Manjoume declared. "Then, I activate the quick-play spell Super Rejuvenation!
"During the end phase of this turn, draw cards from the deck equal to the number of Dragon monsters discarded from my hand or tributed this turn.
"The Dragon monsters I discarded this turn are one from Trade-In and two from Graceful Charity. The Dragons tributed were Wish Dragon and two Dragon Tokens.
"Therefore, I draw a total of six cards from my deck!"
Manjoume's hand instantly swelled with six fresh cards.
As expected of the strongest draw engine for Dragons, it already carried the distinct flavor of the Dragon Ruler tier-zero format from Yuxuan's memories.
"Then it's my turn. Draw," Yuxuan said. "First, I activate the spell card Card of Adversity. When the opponent controls a special summoned monster and I control no monsters, draw two cards."
Yuxuan drew two cards from his deck.
"Next, the effect of the field spell Ojama Country. Once per turn, by sending an Ojama card from the hand to the graveyard, special summon an Ojama monster from the graveyard."
He sent a card from his hand to the graveyard.
"I discard the spell card Ojama Delta Hurricane!! from my hand. Revive, Ojama King!"
[Ojama King, ATK 0]
"Furthermore, because an Ojama monster is on the field, Ojama Country's effect switches the original attack and defense of all monsters!"
[Ojama King, ATK 3000]
"Ojama King, attack Armed Dragon LV5!"
Ojama King let out a resounding bellow, yanked up his tight red speedo, struck a muscle-flexing pose, and threw a flying superman punch. Armed Dragon was shattered in a single blow, detonating with a loud explosion.
[Manjoume, LP 3400 → LP 2100]
"Damn it! Beaten around by this clown monster again..." Manjoume raised his arms to shield himself, grinding his teeth.
He found these Ojama buffoons more infuriating and repulsive the longer he looked at them.
"I set two cards and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn. Draw!"
Manjoume glared darkly at Ojama King.
Ever since he learned that his opponent in this inter-school match would be this guy, he had lost his appetite and hadn't slept peacefully for a single night. Every time he closed his eyes, that bright, gentle, yet infuriating smile would involuntarily materialize in the darkness.
He had worked so hard and prepared so thoroughly for this day. He truly believed he had reached an unprecedented peak. But when he marched forward aggressively for his revenge match, what was waiting for him?
The three Ojama brothers, Ojama Tokens, Ojama King...
The only traditionally decent boss monster throughout the entire duel was Cyber Blader, and even that had merely served as an accomplice to the Ojamas...
Was his grand revenge battle going to sink at the hands of things like this?
Don't joke with me!
"I activate the trap card Breakthrough Skill from my graveyard! It can only be activated during my turn by banishing it from the game, targeting one face-up monster the opponent controls to negate its effects. I negate Ojama King's effects! With this, the lock on my monster zones is lifted!"
Manjoume drew another card from his hand.
"Next, I activate the spell card Monster Reincarnation! Discard one card from my hand to add one monster from my graveyard back to my hand.
"I return Light and Darkness Dragon to my hand!"
A sense of an impending storm washed over the field. The entire audience instinctively held their breath.
Is that dragon coming back again?
"And chaining to the activation of Monster Reincarnation," Manjoume continued, "the quick-play spell Celestial Transformation! Special summon one Fairy monster from the hand. Its attack is halved, and it is destroyed during the end phase.
"I special summon the Fairy monster The Agent of Creation - Venus!"
[The Agent of Creation - Venus, ATK 1600]
"Naturally, Venus has her attack and defense swapped by Ojama Country and her attack is halved, but none of that matters," Manjoume stated firmly.
"Chaining to the activation of Celestial Transformation, I use this card: the continuous trap Dragon's Rage!
"As long as this card remains on the field, when a Dragon monster on my field attacks a defense position monster, inflict piercing battle damage equal to the difference between its attack and defense!"
"Oh?" Yuxuan raised an eyebrow with genuine interest. "It looks like you're setting up quite an incredible formation."
"You'll understand soon enough," Manjoume said coldly. "Next, I activate the quick-play spell Chain Summoning! This card can only be activated at chain link 3 or higher.
"This turn, I can perform up to three normal summons!"
"So that was your goal." Yuxuan nodded lightly.
"First is this guy... I normal summon Black Brachios!" Manjoume declared. "When this card is successfully summoned, change one monster on the field to face-up defense position!"
[Black Brachios, ATK 1800 → ATK 1100] (Swapped)
He pointed straight at Ojama King on Yuxuan's field.
"Turn Ojama King to defense position!"
[Ojama King, ATK 3000 → DEF 0]
"I see!" Hayato realized from the stands. "The continuous trap Dragon's Rage gives Dragon monsters piercing damage!"
"Does he want to pierce through and score a one turn kill in one shot?" Sho asked in realization.
"..."
"By the effect of Chain Summoning, my second normal summon!" Manjoume shouted. "I normal summon a second Wish Dragon, and its effect activates!
"Tribute Wish Dragon to special summon two Dragon Tokens!"
[Dragon Token, ATK 0] x 2
"Then, through Chain Summoning's effect, my third normal summon!
"Tributing the two Dragon Tokens, boundary of light and dark, descend once again
"Light and Darkness Dragon, summon!"
The sacred dragon of light and shadow, Manjoume's brand-new ace, materialized a second time amidst a tempest of contrasting elements!
[Light and Darkness Dragon, ATK 2800 → ATK 2400] (Swapped)
"Here I come, Yuxuan! I'll show you the absolute limits of what I possess right now!"
Manjoume yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Activate the effect of The Agent of Creation - Venus! Pay 500 life points to special summon one Mystical Shine Ball from my deck!"
[Manjoume, LP 2100 → LP 1600]
"Huh?" Sho blinked in confusion. "Wait, wouldn't that just get negated by his own dragon"
Before he could finish, Manjoume had already begun explaining: "Correct! Light and Darkness Dragon's effect is mandatory! It loses 500 attack and defense, and negates the effect of The Agent of Creation - Venus!"
[Light and Darkness Dragon, ATK 2400 → ATK 1900]
Everyone watching was dumbfounded.
Negating his own card's effect? What kind of play is that?
"However, Venus's effect is not once per turn! So I pay another 500 life points to special summon Mystical Shine Ball from my deck!"
Manjoume narrowed his eyes.
"Naturally, this effect is negated by Light and Darkness Dragon once again, reducing its attack and defense by another 500 points!"
[Manjoume, LP 1600 → LP 1100]
[Light and Darkness Dragon, ATK 1900 → ATK 1400]
The onlookers grew more and more baffled, but Yuxuan had already guessed what Manjoume was planning.
Manjoume had pulled off a similar play in the manga.
"I continue activating Venus's effect," Manjoume said in a heavy voice. "Each time, I pay 500 life points, and Light and Darkness Dragon loses 500 attack.
"This loop continues until Light and Darkness Dragon's attack can no longer be reduced by 500 points!"
[Manjoume, LP 100]
[Light and Darkness Dragon, ATK 400]
"He actively lowered his life points to such a precarious value..." Sho muttered. "And Light and Darkness Dragon has become so weak that its effect can't even activate anymore..."
Has he just given up?
Manjoume paused his plays for a brief moment, gazing up blankly at Light and Darkness Dragon, which now appeared weathered and completely exhausted.
"The current Light and Darkness Dragon is just like how I was not long ago," Manjoume spoke to himself. "Suffering the greatest blow of my life, falling from the absolute pinnacle, battered, bruised, and hanging on by a thread...
"However!"
His tone snapped, turning fierce and resolute.
"Even if it's an endless hell, even if I have to crawl on hands and knees, I will climb my way back!
"And all that pain and hardship, everything that failed to destroy me, will only forge me into someone strongertogether with Light and Darkness Dragon!"
Manjoume raised his voice, throwing his hand forward to flip face-up his final trap.
"Watch closely, Yuxuan! This is the obsession of a loser! Trap card, Reverse Trap!
"Until the end of this turn, all effects that increase or decrease attack and defense are reversed!
"At this moment, Light and Darkness Dragon has only 400 attack points remaining and cannot decrease any further, failing its activation condition. Thus, Reverse Trap resolves successfully without being negated!
"And after the effect resolves, Light and Darkness Dragon gains attack and defense equal to all the stats it lost from its own effect!"
[Light and Darkness Dragon, ATK 400 / DEF 800 → ATK 4400 / DEF 4800]
"What!?"
The entire arena erupted in shock.
To use such a combination to surge past four thousand attack and defense in one go?
"Not only that, but this means Light and Darkness Dragon's negation effects are revived!" Misawa said, his breath hitching. "With forty-four hundred attack points, it has enough stats to activate eight consecutive times, negating spells, traps, and monster effects eight times over!"
"And because Dragon's Rage is on the field, Light and Darkness Dragon's attacks carry piercing damage," Alexis added with a grave look. "If Ojama King with zero defense is attacked..."
"It's an OTK!?" Sho cried out in shock.
Jaden remained thoroughly thrilled: "What an awesome combo! What an incredible duel!"
"Go, Light and Darkness Dragon, seize victory for me!" Manjoume roared. "Attack Ojama King! Pulverize that inferior trash monster!"
A breath of interwoven light and darkness surged forth as if tearing through space itself! The sky seemed to crack and the earth trembled as the tempest prepared to obliterate everything!
"This is everything I brought back from hell!" Manjoume took a step forward unconsciously. "Every mountain that once stood before me, I will shatter with this very power!"
"Well, it's certainly good for young people to have ambition," Yuxuan said with a nod.
"However, when you immerse yourself too deeply in your own world during a duel, openings are bound to appear."
"What?" Manjoume frowned.
"Activate face-down card, quick-play spell Emergency Provisions," Yuxuan said. "Send any number of spells and traps on my field to the graveyard; gain 1000 life points for each."
"Trying to recover life points to survive this blow? But that effect will be negated by Light and Darkness Dragon!" Manjoume shouted. "Light and Darkness Dragon, lose 500 attack and defense to negate the activation of Emergency Provisions!"
[Light and Darkness Dragon, ATK 4400 / DEF 4800 → ATK 3900 / DEF 4300]
"Of course it's negated. But just like when you used Mini-Guts to break through the Cyber Blader lock, only the card's effect is negatedthe activation cost cannot be negated," Yuxuan explained calmly.
"'Sending any number of spells and traps on the field to the graveyard' is the activation cost of Emergency Provisions, not its effect. Therefore, I send the field spell Ojama Country to the graveyard.
"All monsters on the field have their attack and defense swapped back to normal!"
[Light and Darkness Dragon, ATK 3900 → ATK 4300]
[Ojama King, DEF 0 → DEF 3000]
"Ugh, using the cost of the card to send the field spell away, huh?" Manjoume grumbled.
"You're not the only one who knows how to make use of activation costs," Yuxuan smiled.
"Even so, that only mitigates a portion of the damage! Emergency Provisions was negated, so you don't recover any LP. Under Dragon's Rage, you still take piercing battle damage equal to the difference between its attack and defense..."
"Don't be in such a rush. Why do you think I specifically waited until the exact moment of your attack declaration to activate Emergency Provisions again?" Yuxuan smiled.
Manjoume's pupils contracted. He immediately remembered how Light and Darkness Dragon had been dealt with earlier.
In a single chain, Light and Darkness Dragon can only negate a card effect once...
"Could it be you"
"Indeed. Still at the timing of the attack declaration, activate face-down card!" Yuxuan declared. "Trap cardD2 Shield!
"Target one face-up defense position monster on my field; its defense becomes double its original defense!"
Manjoume's eyes went wide with sheer terror.
Double its original defense... wouldn't that mean...
[Ojama King, DEF 3000 → DEF 6000]
"Six thousand defense!?"
Watching Ojama King's body rapidly swell to more than double its size, looming like an insurmountable white mountain that pierced the clouds, Manjoume froze completely.
No... this can't be happening, right?
He had fought his way back to this point, performed to such an absolute extreme, and in the end, he still couldn't overcome a single Ojama?
Ojama... Ojama...
Manjoume's face crumpled in despair.
He felt as though he would never, for the rest of his life, be able to step out from the shadow of the Ojamas...
"Ojama!"
Ojama King bellowed, swinging a massive hand that smacked the sacred breath of Light and Darkness Dragon right back along its original trajectory. It struck the dragon and erupted in a colossal explosion.
[Manjoume, LP 100 → LP 0]
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