Attacks sealed!
Joey finally started to understand the workings of her deck.
Ice Counters—she used every means to put these on his monsters, freezing them and controlling the battle.
"Cold Fusion" wasn't just to break his Fusion—it was to slap Ice Counters on the Red-Eyes and Summoned Skull, so Joey would lose his attack power on the "Absolute Zero Barrier" field.
He could expect that any monster he summoned next would also be hit with Ice Counters one way or another. And once a monster had one, it couldn't attack.
"Not bad," Joey muttered, and drew another card.
"I'll set a card and end my turn."
"You're already falling into my rhythm, Joey. From here, you'll only sink deeper into this world of ice and snow."
Elinor said coldly.
"My turn, draw!
I activate the spell 'Pot of Greed'—draw two cards."
She drew.
"Then I Normal Summon 'Majiosheldon!'"
[Majiosheldon, ATK 800]
"'Majiosheldon' can be Special Summoned from the Graveyard during your next Standby Phase if it was used for a Tribute Summon," Elinor explained. "Next, I activate this card:
Continuous Spell 'Precious Cards from Beyond!'
If I Tribute Summon using two or more monsters, I draw two cards."
Joey: "All cards supporting Tribute Summons...you going to bring out a high-level monster now?"
"That's right. Watch—this is the ace of the Ice Deck, master of snowstorms and blizzards!
I activate the spell 'Double Summon'—I get an extra Normal Summon this turn.
I Tribute 'Majiosheldon' and 'Cold Enchanter' to Tribute Summon!"
Snow flurried, swirling into a blizzard that engulfed her monsters. The icy magician spun, descending atop a flurry of white snow.
Level 8—Ice Master, summoned!
[Ice Master, ATK 2500]
The Ice Counter deck's boss, and Alexis's ace in the manga. The real card version can be Special Summoned by tributing two WATER monsters, but in the manga, it must be Tribute Summoned.
"Thanks to 'Precious Cards from Beyond,' since I used two monsters for a Tribute Summon, I draw two cards."
Elinor drew.
"Now the effect of Ice Master!" she declared. "By sending 'Absolute Zero Barrier' to the graveyard, I destroy all monsters with Ice Counters on the field!"
"A field wipe!?"
The real card kept the field wipe, but since 'Absolute Zero Barrier' was never printed as a card, the effect was changed in the card game. In the manga, Ice Master must Tribute herself to wipe the field.
Full field wipe!
Joey's Red-Eyes and Summoned Skull, both with Ice Counters, were shattered as ice walls collapsed and blizzards raged.
"Now the field is empty." Elinor said, "Ice Master attacks directly!"
"Then I activate my set card!" Joey shouted. "Quick-Play Spell 'Skull Dice!' Roll a die—target one monster on your opponent's field, and its ATK becomes 1/n of its original value, where n is the number rolled!" (manga effect)
Skull Dice was a Quick-Play Spell in the manga, but made into a Trap in the real card game, and heavily weakened.
"Another die roll," Elinor muttered, but stayed defiant. "But if you roll a 1, the ATK doesn't change."
Of course, even she knew the odds were low.
Even rolling a 2 would halve her monster's ATK—pretty good odds for Joey.
The little devil appeared in midair, rolled the die, and it landed.
A 5.
"Alright, it's 5!" Joey said. "Ice Master's ATK becomes one fifth!"
[Ice Master, ATK 2500 → 500]
The endless snowstorm now hit Joey with the force of a dull blade. With the ATK reduced by the die, the damage was much less.
[Joey, LP 4000 → 3500]
"Stopped by the die, huh." Elinor frowned. "Fine, I set a card and end my turn."
"My turn, draw!"
Joey's eyes sparkled.
"Alright, here's my next card.
Spell card—'Roll of Fate!'"
One of the big three "draw and banish" cards of the DM protagonist team, notorious for wild luck swings.
"'Roll of Fate'—roll a die, draw that many cards, then banish the same number from the top of your deck."
The die appeared, rolled, and landed.
A 4.
"Great, I draw four, then banish four from the top of my deck!"
Joey drew with gusto.
"Next, I activate the spell 'Silent Doom,' to revive a Normal Monster from the grave in Defense Position.
I call forth the soul of the Black Dragon—
—Red-Eyes Black Dragon, revived!"
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon, DEF 2000]
"Now, I activate the effect of 'Dragon Ice' from my hand," Elinor said. "When my opponent Special Summons a monster, I can discard one card to Special Summon this from my hand or graveyard."
She revealed Dragon Ice.
"I discard Dragon Ice from my hand to Special Summon it from the graveyard!"
[Dragon Ice, DEF 2200]
"Not bad—self-discard and self-summon," Joey praised. "Now I Tribute my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!
In a new form, it returns to the field—
—Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon, Special Summon!"
[Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon, ATK 2400]
"Alternative Black Dragon?" Elinor frowned.
A rare evolution, almost never seen in public.
"That's right. Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon can be Special Summoned by tributing a Red-Eyes monster from your hand or field.
And you'll soon see how powerful it is."
Joey grinned, then dramatically waved his hand.
"Go!
Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon, attack 'Ice Master!'"
The dragon roared, opening its mouth as endless black flames gathered.
[Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon, ATK 2400]
[Ice Master, ATK 2500]
Elinor frowned: "Attacking with a weaker monster!?"