"An Attack of 5000 on Slifer the Sky Dragon makes it a fine opponent for my Obelisk."
Turn.3
Although there was also the option of ramming Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon into Slifer the Sky Dragon to deal with it, Twin Burst only had 3000 Attack, and taking 2000 damage would cause an immediate loss.
"My turn, draw. I activate Card of Demise—until my hand becomes five cards, I draw from the Deck. As the cost, during my fifth Standby Phase after activation, I must discard my entire hand."
Pulling out the overwhelmingly powerful original-effect Card of Demise, Kaiba drew five cards in one breath and then revealed a triumphant smile. "Hmph, it seems the goddess of fortune always stands by my side."
Youmi stared at Kaiba with the expression of someone looking at a fake-card dealer, thinking: ''If you have the real Card of Demise, then you deserve to win.''
How could anyone think discarding your entire hand five turns later counts as a cost? If I'd drawn five cards, why would I even give you five turns?
"I Normal Summon Dark Blade, and then—"
Because he wasn't clear on Slifer's exact effect, but at least knew that Slifer couldn't destroy Twin Burst with its effect, Kaiba first Normal Summoned a monster to test Slifer's special ability.
Right then, the moment Warrior of the Dark World appeared on his field, it was hit by the blast of Divine Thunder from Slifer's second mouth, its Attack reduced by 2000, and then destroyed.
"Nani?! I see… this must be Slifer's special ability."
Seeing only a charred patch left on the ground, Kaiba frowned and reached a conclusion.
Yami Yugi nodded to Kaiba's deduction and explained:
"Just now, Slifer's special ability activated. When your opponent successfully Normal or Special Summons a face-up monster, Slifer releases a Divine Thunder blast from its second mouth.
"Depending on its position, it reduces that monster's Attack or Defense by 2000. If this ability reduces that monster's Attack or Defense to 0, it is immediately destroyed. This is Slifer the Sky Dragon's ability—Divine Thunder! This effect has no once-per-turn restriction, so it activates every time you Summon or Special Summon a monster, even if that monster is also a God."
"I see. It is indeed a powerful effect.
"As long as I Summon a monster with more than 0 Attack or Defense but less than 2000 Attack, it will be instantly destroyed by Slifer.
"And since Slifer can raise its Attack and Defense based on the number of cards in hand, it truly is a formidable monster." Seto Kaiba nodded, acknowledging Slifer's strength.
"Then there's only one way. I flip my Set Card and activate the Equip Spell Megamorph, equipping it to Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon. Its effect: if my LP are lower than yours, the equipped monster's Attack becomes twice its original Attack. If my LP are higher, its Attack becomes half. Since I only have 2000 LP, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon's Attack becomes 6000!"
Smirking at the 5000 Attack Slifer, Kaiba declared the Battle Phase and ordered Twin Burst to attack: "Entering the Battle Phase—Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, crush that God! Twin Photon Burst!"
The two heads of Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon gathered energy together and unleashed their breath at once toward Slifer the Sky Dragon. Slifer, unwilling to lose, fired its own Thunderforce Attack, but due to the difference in Attack, it was already at a disadvantage.
"I activate my Set Card, Jar of Greed, and draw one card from the Deck!"
A gold-rimmed red jar spat out a card as Yami Yugi added one more card to his hand, symbolizing that Slifer's Attack had now reached 6000—enough to drag Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon down with it.
Just then the situation suddenly shifted. As the smoke from the clash between the Twin Photon Burst and the Thunderforce Attack cleared, the unharmed silhouette of Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon emerged.
"Why is Twin Burst… Ah, I see, it has resistance to being destroyed by battle. But if that's all, Kaiba, be careful you don't get overturned next turn."
Though the situation wasn't absolutely in his favor, Yami Yugi still saw a path to victory.
"Don't think it ends here! Quick-Play Spell De-Fusion!
"I undo the Fusion of Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon and Special Summon the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons used as materials to my field in Attack Position. Since the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons retain their attack counts after defusion, they can attack you directly."
Using De-Fusion—the card whose effects the anime alternated between original and OCG—Seto Kaiba called back both Blue-Eyes White Dragons and launched a direct assault on Yami Yugi. "If you still have something like Kuriboh in your hand, just throw it out!"
"Then I'll do as you wish, Kaiba!" Yami Yugi revealed the card he had just drawn—a Kuriboh.
"I discard Kuriboh to negate the damage from the first Blue-Eyes White Dragon!
"But next, I take a direct hit of 3000 Attack from the second Blue-Eyes White Dragon, so I activate the effect of Gorz the Emissary of Darkness in my hand! When I control no cards and take damage from a card you control, I can Special Summon this card from my hand.
"And since I took battle damage, I also Special Summon a Emissary of Darkness Token whose Attack and Defense become the value of that battle damage!"
According to the Duel City rules, the winner could take a card from the loser's Deck as spoils. Although Yugi didn't want to break Bakura's Deck, Bakura—knowing his dark personality within the Millennium Ring had caused trouble—handed Gorz to Yugi before the semifinals.
Even though this card had been given to Yami Bakura by a Rare Hunter, it was a real card.
Understanding Bakura's intent, both Yami Yugi and Yugi added it to their Deck—and unexpectedly used it here.
"Tch, so it's Bakura's card…"
Kaiba clenched his teeth as he looked at the Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End in his hand. If Yami Yugi had used Gorz on the first turn and put its Token in Attack Position, Kaiba could've secured an immediate victory. But now, though he had the DARK Dark Blade in the Graveyard, he didn't have a single LIGHT monster.
"I activate the Continuous Spell Mirage of Nightmare. According to its effect, Yugi—during your Standby Phase, I draw until I have four cards in my hand. And during my Standby Phase, I randomly discard the same number of cards drawn by that effect."
Kaiba played yet another fake-card-tier original effect, then Set one more card. "I Set one card and end my turn."
Seeing this, Youmi thought:
'That Set card… isn't it probably Emergency Provisions, right?'
...
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