Joey had mentally prepared himself—Pegasus might be trouble.
Even fallen, he was still the Father of Duel Monsters, once chosen by the Millennium Eye. He designed the God-tier monsters, the Egyptian Gods and even the Sacred Beasts—the latter created after he'd lost the Eye.
No ordinary duelist could pull that off without immense destiny.
Even so, going for an OTK right off the bat was surprising.
It wasn't that Joey had a bad memory—when he first saw Toons in Duelist Kingdom, the rules were different. Everyone had only 2000 LP, and there was no such rule as monsters attacking the player directly.
So Toons worked differently then. Joey remembered that Toons could only be attacked by Toons: all of Yugi's monsters' attacks were dodged with exaggerated, slapstick antics. He didn't expect that trait to be standardized into "they can attack directly if the opponent controls no Toons."
Running into it for the first time now gave him a headache.
Toon monsters routinely have 2000–3000 ATK—if they can all go direct, that's busted.
Like now: a bonk from Toon DMG and one more hit would have finished him.
If he didn't have a second line of defense.
"I activate my set card!" Joey said. "Counter Trap 'Trap of Board Eraser!'
When a non-battle damage effect would be inflicted: negate that damage, then discard 1 random card from your opponent's hand!"
His counter neatly blocked the shadowy Red-Eyes's strike; the damage was negated.
Pegasus slapped his forehead theatrically: "Oh no! Unbelievable, Joey Boy!
Not only did my OTK fail, I have to discard a card!"
After two seconds of hamming it up, Pegasus smiled again.
"If… my last remaining card weren't this one, I'd be in trouble."
He revealed it.
"My only card is the monster 'Electric Snake.' When this card is discarded by an opponent's card effect and sent to the GY, I can draw 2 cards."
Joey's mouth twitched.
Come on, seriously? That lucky?
"I only have one card, so I must discard it."
Pegasus leisurely pitched the card.
"Then 'Electric Snake' activates—I draw two."
Joey: "…"
Well, that just proved Pegasus still had it. Even without the Millennium Eye's mind-reading cheat, he was a legendary, troublesome opponent.
Joey straightened, confidence returning.
Hey—he's a legend too.
They missed their match back then; time to make up for it and prove himself.
"I set one back row and end my turn," Pegasus said.
"Good—time to press the attack!" Joey said. "My turn—draw!"
He swept his arm.
"I tribute 'Red-Eyes Retro Dragon' to Tribute Summon!
Demon that calls lightning with the power of darkness—
—Summoned Skull, descend!"
The still air split; a blazing red body overlaid with intricate white bone plating appeared as black clouds rolled at its command. Light itself was shrouded, golden thunder smiting like divine wrath.
[Summoned Skull, ATK 2500]
This had been Yugi's monster, but after Yugi fused Summoned Skull with Joey's Red-Eyes, Joey's deck also developed related lines. Now he had his own versions.
"Then I activate the Spell 'Fusion Substitute'!"
He played the Spell.
"This card is treated as 'Polymerization' by rule, but it can only use monsters on the field as Fusion Material!"
Being "treated as Polymerization" is a rule text, not an effect—meaning it counts as Polymerization for all purposes, and the combined copies of Polymerization and this card in your Deck can only total three.
Unlike Polymerization, this can't fuse from the hand; only from the field. In exchange, by banishing this card from your GY, you can return a Fusion Monster from your GY to the Extra Deck and draw one—more of an endurance-focused Fusion Spell.
"I fuse 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon' and 'Summoned Skull' from the field!"
"Oh! Red-Eyes and Summoned Skull!" Pegasus said. "Are you showing me Black Skull Dragon, Joey Boy?"
He meant the monster Yugi made in Duelist Kingdom by fusing his Summoned Skull with Joey's Red-Eyes—the proof of their friendship.
"Haha—not quite."
Joey's face grew solemn.
"I don't know where Yugi is now—we haven't met in a long time—but our bond, our friendship won't fade with time or distance.
If anything, time has tempered it into something stronger.
Behold—the evolved Red-Eyes is proof!"
Joey raised his hand.
"From the evolution of friendship, a new crystal is born—descend now—
—Archfiend Black Skull Dragon!"
Same materials, same recipe, but a completely different flavor. A brand-new evolution of Red-Eyes and Summoned Skull, fusing into a pillar of blazing flame!
Black flames and lightning intertwined; churning stormclouds and golden bolts encircled a demonic dragon clad in bone, standing like a tyrant atop a volcano.
Archfiend Black Skull Dragon, descends!
[Archfiend Black Skull Dragon, ATK 3200]
"So Black Skull Dragon evolved into a new form…"
Pegasus murmured, growing more serious.
"Go, Archfiend Dragon—show your stronger, evolved might!
Attack 'Toon Dark Magician Girl'!"
The dragon roared; thunder gathered in its black flames, a pillar of fire shooting skyward!
"Whatever it evolved into…"
A glint flashed in Pegasus's eye.
"To be safe, you can exit the stage now.
I activate my set Trap, Mirror Force!
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls!"
"Muda!"
Joey cut the spell off.
"When Archfiend Dragon engages in battle, from the start of that battle to the end of the Damage Step… neither player can activate Spells, Traps, or monster effects!"
Pegasus's face finally changed.
"NANI!?"