Sure enough, this baiting tactic is still effective. Look at how the half of Pandora's face showing from under the mask has turned green with anger. With a wave of his big hand, he shouted: "Dark Magician! Crush that false illusion for me! Attack 'Magician's Robe'!"
The interrupted attack of the Dark Magician continued, and the mighty surge of magic power roared out from the staff, instantly annihilating the illusory robe.
However, since it was in defense position, it did not cause any damage to Youyu, serving no purpose other than venting his anger. As the dust settled, the Dark Magician still stood on the opponent's field, looking at him with a contemptuous smile at the corner of his mouth, which made Mr. Magician feel even more infuriated.
It feels a bit like your wife running away with someone else, yet still coming back to show off in front of you, as if your lungs are about to explode from anger...
"Set a card face down, end turn."
After declaring the end of his turn, Pandora did not forget to glare viciously at Youyu's Dark Magician, as if to say, "You traitor, remember this."
"My turn, draw a card."
Youyu glanced at his hand and thought for a moment.
Should I use my Dark Magician to swap with the opponent's?
In that case, both Pandora and Youyu will have empty fields next turn, which would instead put me at a disadvantage.
"Then I'll set a card as well." A face-down card appeared at Youyu's feet, "Turn end."
"Hey, don't dare to attack?" Pandora mocked again, "As expected of your timid duelist style. But dueling is a game where only the brave can win. Those who timidly defend will just sink deeper into a passive situation and ultimately sink even further.
Now let me show you. My turn, draw a card!
I want to activate the Magic Card - Thousand Knives!"
The signature Magic Card of the Dark Magician clan was played. The Dark Magician on Pandora's field smirked coldly, as knife after knife appeared out of thin air, forming a dense array suspended in mid-air, seemingly waiting for the magician to give the order to unleash a storm of knives.
"'Thousand Knives' can only be activated when a Dark Magician is on the field, destroying one monster on your opponent's field. Tear that detestable traitor to shreds! I will destroy your 'Dark Magician'!"
Pandora's Dark Magician waved his staff, and the countless flying knives instantly shot through the air with a sharp sound, surrounding from all directions.
But Youyu also had a plan: "Flip Cover Card - Mystical Refpanel!"
The Trap Card flipped open, projecting the image of a blue-haired lady holding a giant mirror.
She adjusted the mirror to face the projected Magic Card on Pandora's field, quickly reflecting the image of the Magic Card within the mirror. The countless flying knives suddenly disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace.
Pandora was shocked: "What did you do?"
"Mystical Refpanel can be activated when your opponent uses a Magic Card targeting a player or monster. It negates and seals that Magic Card's effect!" Youyu explained, "And sending 'Mystical Refpanel' to the graveyard allows me to activate the effect of the sealed Magic Card for myself!" (Anime effect)
Pandora's pupils shrank: "So that means my Thousand Knives..."
"That's right, I send Mystical Refpanel to the graveyard to activate the effect of 'Thousand Knives'! Destroy your Dark Magician on the field!"
The mirror in the hands of the mystical lady flashed, and the sealed Magic Card emitted a golden light. Countless blades gleamed with cold silver light, shooting straight out from the mirror like raindrops, heading directly toward Pandora's Dark Magician on that half of the field.
"Damn... Then I will open a Set Card, the Magic Card - Mystic Box!"
A black magic box filled with question marks appeared, quickly opening its doors. Pandora's Dark Magician took two steps back and hid inside the magic box, the doors closing tightly behind him.
"Hahaha! The Dark Magician is a master of wielding any spell, this level of attack is useless!" Pandora laughed, "Mystic Box allows the Dark Magician to escape being targeted by any attack or effect!" (Anime effect)
Youyu had half a mind to remind him that this seemed to be a Normal Magic Card... but decided against it.
Although he had achieved a staged victory in discussions with President Haima, successfully persuading him to modify and add some rules, issues about the speed of card effects and chains, timing, etc., were not mentioned.
The new rules only supplemented by stating "Normal Magic Cards cannot be activated during the opponent's turn," but during his own turn, there are no restrictions on how to use them...
"And according to the effect of 'Mystic Box,'" Pandora chuckled sinisterly twice, "I can choose your Dark Magician as a substitute to be destroyed! Disappear, traitor!"
The black magic box suddenly appeared on Youyu's field, trapping his Dark Magician inside without saying a word. Meanwhile, Pandora's Dark Magician had somehow magically slipped out of the magic box, folded his arms, and floated over with a triumphant look.
The countless flying knives shot straight toward the magic box on the field, intent on piercing the trapped Dark Magician into a sieve.
Youyu's mouth curled up: "Will it really be like this?"
Pandora was startled again.
Could it be he has another trick?
No, there wasn't a single Set Card left on his field; the only Set Card, 'Mystical Refpanel,' had just been used up, and there shouldn't be any means to counter 'Mystic Box' now.
But seeing the opponent so confident, Pandora couldn't help but suspect he might have overlooked something.
Could it be!?
Pandora's heart trembled, realizing he might have overlooked something.
'Mystic Box' is a Magic Card specifically designed to cooperate with the Dark Magician, only allowing the Dark Magician to escape from the magic box.
But he overlooked one point: the monster on Youyu's field is also a Dark Magician!
That is to say, the opponent's Dark Magician might also escape from this magic box, and this 'Mystic Box' might be ineffective against the opponent!
Damn it! How could I have overlooked such an important issue!
However, in fact, Youyu didn't even consider that possibility... or if he heard Pandora's self-made explanation, he would feel like he lost a billion.
Damn, you can just make stuff up like that? Why the hell didn't I think of it?
Turns out I'm still too young, I can't keep up with the thinking loops of DM duelists at all...
But at this moment, Youyu was completely unaware of this. He waved his hand: "Activate the Trap Card from the graveyard, 'Magician Navigation'!"
Seeing the dark vortex on the ground and the spinning red trap flying out from the ground, Pandora was even more shocked: "Activating a trap... from the graveyard!?"
Is that even allowed?
"If you have a Dark Magician on your field, you can banish 'Magician Navigation' from the graveyard to choose one face-up Magic Trap Card on the opponent's field, and negate its effect until the end phase!
I'm negating the effect of 'Mystic Box'!"
The Trap Card flew out of the graveyard, spinning upward, transforming into a flash of golden light and dissipating.
At the same time, a huge magic circle appeared on Youyu's field. The black magic box instantly shattered, and Youyu's Dark Magician reappeared on the field, holding up a green magic staff, the swirling magic power shredding the magic box into pieces .
"Next, the effect of the Magic Card that was released from 'Mystical Refpanel' will continue to activate," Youyu waved his arm, "Your Dark Magician will be destroyed by the effect of 'Thousand Knives'!"
"Ugh..."
Pandora gritted his teeth in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. He could only watch as his Dark Magician was pierced by a barrage of thousand knives, becoming fragments buried in the graveyard.
An intense exchange of offense and defense, but in the end, Pandora still came up short.
Pandora began to doubt his life.
Am I really inferior to this kid?
He snatched the Dark Magician from me in less than a month, and a month ago his ace was just a third-rate duelist with a useless monster with 1600 attack points!
(Electric Man: (#`O′))
"This kid can surpass me? Can he surpass me in mastering the Dark Magician? I absolutely refuse to accept it!" Pandora gritted his teeth, "I haven't summoned yet this turn... I activate the Magic Card - Dark Magic Curtain! Pay half of my LP to special summon a Dark monster from the deck! (Anime effect)
Show yourself from my deck, second 'Dark Magician'!"
[Pandora, LP 1550]
The dark curtain appeared, like a demonic entity revealing a mysterious veil. Dark red magic power poured out from beneath the flowing curtain, a dark red figure descended, landing on Pandora's field on one knee.
[Dark Magician, Attack 2500]
Although there's a bit of a blood sacrifice, this at least avoids the embarrassment of going empty next turn. Combined with the cards left in hand, it should be enough to last until the next turn.
Pandora continued: "Then I set two Set Cards, and end my tu...
...!!?"
Pandora hadn't finished saying "end my turn," and suddenly he was shocked to find that the Magic Card he just activated, 'Dark Magic Curtain', somehow ended up on the opponent's field!
Pandora was taken aback, unlike anything before.
What's going on? Is even this Magic Card going to be turned against me?!
"'Dark Magic Curtain', is a card that allows you to pay half of your LP to special summon a Dark monster," Youyu smiled lightly, "But within this turn, this effect can also be used by me."
Actually, the text on the anime card says "a player can pay half their LP to summon a Dark monster from their deck," but Youyu admitted he wouldn't have thought that the "player" here could include the opponent if it weren't for the anime's teaching.
Moreover, the "summon a Dark monster" description is quite enigmatic. He has played cards for years and had only heard of Spellcaster-Type, what is this Dark monster supposed to be...
...But that doesn't matter!
The anime clearly already taught him how to improvise with this card during the Dark Yugi vs. Pandora duel, now he just needed to follow suit!
He hadn't even said a word yet, but Pandora, realizing the truth in shock and horror, quickly came to his own conclusion: "That's right! The effect of Dark Magic Curtain is 'a player can special summon a dark monster', so of course, the player here includes the other side… he can also use this card's effect!"
Youyu nodded slightly.
Yes, yes, you're learning well. To understand it without me even having to explain shows real potential.
Youyu didn't have a second Dark Magician, but he had this.
Now I'll recreate an iconic scene from the anime for you!
"Activating Dark Magic Curtain's effect!"
[Youyu, LP 4000 → LP 2000]
"Special summon from the deck, Dark Magician Girl, the great apprentice of the Dark Magician!"
The curtain was lifted, releasing a vibrant magic energy. The brightly dressed Magic Girl flew out from the flowing curtain, playfully blinking her big eyes, landing like she was riding a broom on her little magic staff beside her master.
[Dark Magician Girl, Attack 2000]