In the final round of the tournament, Yumi takes on Yuu. Is there more to her than it first seems, though?
The physical, mental, and emotional toll of her last two duels were starting to pile up. Both Shigeo and Taniguchi had managed to wear Yumi out in different regards, not to mention Izar's unwelcome appearance. All her life she'd dreamed of being a pro duelist, but never before had she actually thought of the kind of work that would go into what was an actual job.
Making her way back to the waiting room, only Yuu and Kaori were left there. Yuu looked toward her expectantly, showing what might have been a hint of genuine emotion for about the first time since they met. "Headed to the finals," she said weakly, plopping down in a chair and sighing. "Dueling is hard."
"Good job, kid," Kaori said from behind before drinking an entire bottle of water in only a few gulps. "Didn't think I'd be going up against two children this year, but it's pretty cool to see. I like how you knocked that last guy down a peg, too." Yumi nodded, still a bit troubled thinking about both Taniguchi and the last duel.
Shortly after, Yuu and Kaori were called to the arena for their match, a staff member showing up soon after to dress the wound Yumi put on her hand, disappearing down one of the corridors once it was done. Now all alone, she took out her deck and spread it across the table in front of her. She wanted to have one last look over everything before she took the final walk out there for the last duel of the day. Seeing all her cards like this helped her calm the growing anxiety in the pit of her stomach just a bit.
Glancing through row after row, her eyes lingered on the blank card for a moment. Though it didn't appear any different from when she'd first picked it up, something seemed different about it. Couldn't place what, though.
Turning towards the television, it looked as though the duel was wrapping up as Kaori's monsters were dismantled one after the other. Picking up her cards, Yumi placed them into her front pocket before taking the newly reborn Macrocosmus – The WORLD in hand and tearing it into as many pieces as she could, tossing it into the trash. This would hopefully be the last time she had to do it, though she couldn't really be sure of anything when it came to that card.
She spent the next few minutes psyching herself up and rehydrating, Yuu emerging victorious just as she'd hoped and expected. "Good job!" she greeted Yuu as she returned to the room, mustering up some enthusiasm. Short as it was, the rest in between matches did her some good.
Yuu walked up to her and leaned forward, not so subtly implying she wanted to be petted again. Yumi indulged her with a smile. "I guess we both made it like we promised," she said. They didn't have long to celebrate, but the feeling of accomplishment they shared was nice while it lasted.
Soon enough, they'd been called to take the field on either side. Just before parting ways, Yuu finally spoke. "Sorry. I have to win now." Yumi took that as the usual banter before a duel, shooting back with how she wouldn't be defeated so easily, though she received no response. Yuu's entire demeanor seemed to change in that moment, her movements becoming much stiffer and expression even colder than before.
Not thinking much of it (she assumed it was just Yuu's way of "flipping a switch" or maybe pre-game nerves), she took the field. The thrill of emerging to a cheering crowd was far from wearing off, Yumi fully acclimated to the performance aspect of dueling for the first time. She waved to her newly acquired fans, taking her place across from her opponent as if it was now the most natural thing in the world for her.
Wordlessly, Yuu removed her jacket to expose both her arms. Extending her left to the side, the metal plate that composed the top half of the forearm raised up, a strip of metal displaying three field markers moving forward as two others unfolded on either side from its bottom. As dim yellow lights illuminated several key areas of the playing field of her duel disk, her left hand bent down slightly as a deck holder jutted from her wrist.
Yumi was in awe of how cool she found all of that to be, having missed the beginning of Yuu's other two duels and making this the first time she'd actually seen her prosthetic transform. She barely managed to stop herself from blurting out how she wished she had an arm like that, realizing that might come off as insensitive given the extenuating circumstances that likely necessitated an arm like that.
Activating her own duel disk, Yumi approached the center while shuffling her deck, handing it off to Yuu when they met for the cut. "Let's both do our best. It's the finals, after all." She received no response, not even a nod. They took back their decks before returning to their respective sides of the arena, ready to begin the game.
"We'll start things off with Yumi!" the MC declared after word from the judge. Wasting no time, she drew her hand. Outside of a few glimpses on the TV screen earlier, she had no idea what Yuu would be using. The one thing she knew for sure was that she earned her place in the finals here and that she managed to beat Kazuhiko. With that in mind, the best approach would likely be a cautious one.
"I'll set a monster and two cards face-down. Your turn!" If all went well, Yumi would have set herself up for an Xyz Summon on the next turn, though whether or not that proved to be the best move would depend on her opponent's actions. Her need to show off certainly hoped for it if nothing else, as playing defensive never came natural for her.
"Draw," Yuu declared softly, speaking in front of Yumi for the first time. She slowly scanned the cards in her hand before deciding on a monster. "Mecha Hunter." The monster with its many blades appeared on the field, poised to fight. Despite this, Yuu remained nearly emotionless. "Magic Card, Pot of Greed. I draw two cards." As it said, she added two new cards to her hand, permanent poker face hiding whether or not they were of any use.
"Battle," she declared, pointing forward to command her machine to swing at Yumi's set card. The attack connected, a tiny brown ghoul screeching as it was cut in half.
Yumi, however, was pleased with the result. "Effect activate, Critter!" Since her monster left the field, she'd now be able to search another from her deck to add to her hand. After a few moments of consideration, she revealed one. "I think I'll pick Komboriboh." One shuffle later and the turn resumed.
Yuu ended her turn by setting two cards. "Draw!" Yumi declared, excited to turn the tables now that she was able to play again. "I'll Normal Summon my monster, Crane Crane, in Attack Mode! And when I do that, I can activate its effect to bring back Critter from my Graveyard!" The stage was set, though Yuu predictably remained devoid of a reaction.
"Xyz Summon!" she declared, her monsters overlaying onto each other. "Rank 3, Gurensaurus!" The dinosaur roared as it appeared on the field, jets of red fire exploding out of it. "Battle! Gurensaurus, attack Mecha Hunter!"
Despite its best efforts, Yumi's monster seemed to stumbled as it charged forward, a mechanical launcher raising out of the ground. "Trap activate, Compulsory Evacuation Device. Return the monster to the Extra Deck."
Yumi, however, was undeterred. "Not this time, because I activate my own Trap, God's Providence!" She reached into her hand and grabbed another Trap Card. "I can discard the same type of card you just used to negate its effect."
Just as soon as she did, though, a robed figure appeared on Yuu's field, sending out shockwaves that shattered her card to pieces. "Trap activate, God's Pronouncement. I negate a card by paying half my Life Points." With that, things were decided, Gurensaurus letting out a pitiful roar moments before it was swiftly launched into the air.
Though she had no choice but to end her turn, Yumi wasn't too upset about the loss. Though she might have lost a few cards, Yuu's Life Points were halved. As long as she could regain a foothold within the next turn or two, she'd be that much closer to winning. All that said, the fact she felt it fit to give up that much Life just to stop an Xyz Summon probably meant something big was coming.
As if in response to Yumi's worry, Yuu played another monster. "MD Base Unit," she declared, its effect activating once it appeared on the field. With two more copies in her hand, she was now able to summon one of the devastatingly strong boss monsters of her deck.
"Fusion," she declared, playing the card from her hand. The other two copies of her monster appeared beside it before spiraling into a single form. "Fusion Summon. Level 9, Machine God Dragon – Fusion." She summoned her card without any of the usual fanfare associated with someone using their strongest card, simply laying it on the field like anything else.
Trouble had just begun, though, as its effect went off after a successful summon. "Every monster in the Graveyard is banished to increase the monster's ATK," she explained, all three of her MD Base Units and Yumi's two cards being removed from the duel. As a result, Yuu now possessed a monster with 3500 ATK staring down her unguarded opponent.
"Battle," she declared again, Mecha Hunter being the first to attack.
Though she might have been hoping for a quick win, Yumi was determined to stop it from happening. "That won't work this time! I use my Trap Card, Emissaries of Reconciliation! Now I won't take any battle damage for the rest of the turn." Yuu was forced to allow this, ending her turn by setting an additional two cards.
"That dragon might be big, but don't get used to seeing it around. I'm taking it down this turn!" Though her confidence was a crowd pleaser, Yumi's hand at the moment didn't exactly have the funds to cash the check her mouth just wrote. She was relying on her next draw to make due, which her deck would reward with just the card she'd need.
With a smile, she carried out her plan. "I summon Wallrus in Attack Mode!" The monster rose up, slapping together its brick flippers and anticipating a fight. "Then, I equip it with Necklace of Supplantation. With this, my Normal Monster gains 500 ATK for the Level difference between it and whatever monster it attacks. That means when I attack your dragon, Wallrus will gain a whole 3500 ATK!"
Unfortunately for Yumi, this wouldn't come to pass. "Trap card, Magic Jammer." By discarding her Scanner card, Yuu successfully nullified Yumi's equipment and left her with nothing but a 400 ATK monster to defend herself. For obvious reasons, she opted not to return it to the top of her deck.
With a nervous laugh, Yumi scratched her head. "I guess it'll get to stick around for at least one more turn. Your move, I have to end now." Though she wanted to appear confident (at least halfway so), the truth was she may very well lose the game once Yuu began her turn. Her opponent was unbelievably strong, employing airtight strategies with some of the rarest and most powerful cards she'd ever seen. Even if she did manage to make it to her next turn, what would she be able to do with such a miniscule hand?
Yuu began her turn, seemingly drawing nothing of use as she rushed straight to the Battle Phase. "Battle," she declared, Machine God Dragon rearing up and sending a yellow beam of energy straight towards Yumi's monster. Though the attack clearly connected, Yumi still stood defiantly. Much to everyone's surprise, her Life Points were far less affected than they should have been.
"I banish Majesty Guard from my Graveyard to halve the battle damage I take from your dragon," she explained, now sitting at 2450 in total. Despite the announcer declaring it an expert maneuver, it did little to preserve her Life in the long term beyond simple survival. Mecha Hunter's next attack sent her falling, knocking off another 1850 and leaving her with only 600.
Yumi still fought on, however, quickly regaining composure and preparing to start her turn. With nothing left to do, Yuu declared her End Phase, prompting Yumi to draw. "I'll activate my own Pot of Greed to draw two more cards!" Luck had shined down on her once more, giving her just what she needed for a reversal.
"I'll summon Big Bat Knight!" she announced, the tiny baseball player appearing on her field and taking a few practice swings to prepare for battle. "You've probably noticed by now, but I'm not just playing cards for the sake of it. Whenever I have a monster like this, my Equip Cards aren't far behind! I activate Expert Heart!"
Her knight felt a surge of courage wash over it, fire burning brighter in its eyes than ever before. "But that's not all, since I'm activating the effect of Komboriboh in my hand. Whenever an Equip Magic Card is used, I can take another from my Graveyard that I'd be able to use and add it back to my hand." Her choice was clear, given it was the only one currently residing in her Graveyard.
"One more for good measure. I'm activating Necklace of Supplantation again and equipping it to my Big Bat Knight!" She looked to Yuu with a smile. "No objections this time?" Receiving no response, she took that to mean she was right. "Then I'm going to attack! Big Bat Knight, take out Machine God Dragon – Fusion!"
With the necklace in full effect, Big Bat Knight's ATK grew to 4100, smashing its enemy to pieces with a single swing and lowering Yuu's Life Points to 1400. For the first time all duel, she finally seemed to react with a wince as her monster went down.
"Amazing! Yumi overcame Yuu's huge Fusion Monster! With that, Yumi has officially taken the lead in terms of field, but can she hold it forever? What will Yuu do to fire back?" Despite the announcer and the crowd's enthusiasm, Yumi couldn't enjoy the duel any longer. Her opponent almost seemed like she was in distress and it was starting to become worrisome.
"Are you okay?" she asked, not yet having ended her turn. Yuu stared ahead blankly, intent only on continuing the duel. After some considering, she continued, "Do you like Duel Monsters?" Though it wasn't a response, Yumi noticed her opponent's eyes waver for just a moment.
"It doesn't seem like it," she said. This was different from anything she'd encountered before. With Sakuya, it wasn't so much that she disliked dueling but that she was tired of it, her passion for the technical aspects of the game still showing through whenever she'd teach her new things about it. Even Taniguchi's poor sportsmanship and bad attitude seemed to indicate someone who took the game too seriously rather than someone who outright hated it (though enjoyment was another matter altogether).
But for Yuu, she felt nothing. There was no hint of passion in her movements, no underlying sense of joy to be playing a game she loved at such a proficient level. Even her earlier expressions of affection, however faint, completely disappeared now that she was forced to take the field. But why would she be here if she hated it so much?
In truth, Yumi felt bad for her. Maybe it was parents who wanted to pressure her into a hobby or career she didn't want or some sort of other external factor like that, but it was clear Yuu didn't want to be here despite her immense skill. "I'll end my turn now," she said, hoping to find some sort of answer to all of this if they continued their duel.
Yuu began her turn by drawing a card, quickly summoning it. "Magical Mirror Master Reflect Bounder." A peculiar monster, it seemed like it would be troublesome to get around. More immediately, though, it offered Yuu an opportunity. "Battle," she declared, Reflect Bounder charging a ball of energy to fire at Big Bat Knight.
Though its ATK increased, it still wasn't enough. A one Level difference only netted a 500 ATK gain, meaning Yumi still took 100 damage from the battle. Though her monster would survive and thrive due to Expert Heart's effect, it would now be vulnerable from an attack from Mecha Hunter.
Continuing with the onslaught, Mecha Hunter lurched toward Big Bat Knight, swinging down with a set of blades intending to rend it apart. Rather that the knight, however, its attack met with a black fluffy blob appearing in its way. "Since you're attacking a monster equipped with an Equip Card, I can banish my Komboriboh to stop the destruction and negate all damage," Yumi explained, having planned ahead far enough to prevent something like this from happening.
That, however, was the end of her pre-planning, everything from that point forward forced to be improvisation. Her hand was depleted as were any cards in her Graveyard she could fall back on. Though her monster remained formidable, she had very few Life Points to play with anymore. The wrong monster that could overcome the necklace's effect would almost certainly mean the end.
Beginning her turn, she drew another card. Though not quite good enough to win the game then and there, it was certainly a start. "I activate Common Fusion!" Yumi declared. "I'll send Flame Viper and Trakodon from my deck to the Graveyard as material, then Fusion Summon! Level 5, Pragtical!" Clasping her hands together and bringing them down just as rehearsed, her monster appeared. Though not overly strong on its own, the effect of the card summoning it would certainly prove useful in removing pesky monsters.
"Let's go, Pragtical! Destroy Mecha Hunter!" With a swipe of the dinosaur's tail, the machine was no more. Yuu only took 50 damage from the attack, but the loss of a strong monster would prove problematic regardless. "I'll end my turn there."
Yuu began her turn by playing Angel's Charity, letting her draw 3 more cards. Her decision on what to discard was swift, sending Necroface and Power Bond to the Graveyard. "Burial from a Different Dimension, activate." Using this card she, strangely, only returned two copies of MD Base Unit to her Graveyard. Not so strange, though, was the usage of its effect, returning the third in exchange for adding one to the hand.
"I summon MD Base Unit," she declared, using its effect to add the other two back to her hand. Despite making a show out of getting them back to her, however, Yuu didn't seem to have any plans for the monsters at present. "I set one card. Turn end." Without so much as a Synchro Summon, her turn came to a close with a 0 ATK monster on the field.
"I draw!" Yumi said. "I'll activate Arms Hole, sending the top card of my deck to the Graveyard to grab a new Equip Card." The card sent as cost was Friendly Fire, somewhat of a relief knowing it wasn't too big of a loss. In return, Yumi was able to add Rusty Sword to her hand. Though she wasn't planning to use it this turn, it seemed like a good idea to have some insurance in her hand.
As soon as she raised a hand to declare an attack, Yuu's set card opened. "Threatening Roar," she explained, "prevents attacks this turn." Yumi's arm dropped to her side quickly, sighing as she was forced to end her turn. She was starting to get impatient about destroying Reflect Bounder now, having been prevented from doing so for so long now.
Yuu began her turn, seemingly getting just the card she needed to reverse the situation in her favor once more. "I summon MD Support Unit." Using its effect, she banished Scanner in her Graveyard to summon a second copy of the Support Unit from her deck in Attack Position. With the right cards assembled, she could now make her move.
"Synchro Summon," she declared, MD Base Unit forming three rings in which the two Support Units passed through, their Levels adding up to 9. "Machine God Dragon – Synchro." Yet another massive robotic dragon appeared on her field, this one in Defense Position. It was easy to see why given its nonexistent ATK.
"I return Scanner to the Graveyard to banish Big Bat Knight," she said, a pair of red beams shooting out of the dragon's eyes that passed over the crowd, field, and eventually Yumi's monster, eradicating it with a single pulse of energy. In return, Yuu's Life Points grew to 2550, the monster itself gaining Big Bat Knight's original ATK. Though still weak, using that effect just once more would make it more than strong enough to steamroll almost anything Yumi could summon.
She ended her turn after that, refraining from turning Reflect Bounder to Defense Position. The reasoning was simple enough, in that forcing Yumi to use Common Fusion now meant she'd be unable to do so later on against a significantly more powerful Machine God Dragon.
Yumi chose to capitalize on this anyway, worried Pragtical might not even be there to use with Common Fusion should she hesitate. "Attack Reflect Bounder, and I'll banish Common Fusion to negate its effect." Though she succeeded in lowering Yuu's Life Points to 2350, her turn didn't amount to much more than that. Setting a card, she ended.
If nothing else, Yuu would at least be prevented from using her monster's effect again immediately. After all, she was out of banished Machines, and nothing on the field enabled her to change that. Honestly, she knew she was kidding herself, the nagging fear she'd be proven wrong quickly becoming reality. "Soul Release, activate."
Yuu's targets all came from her own Graveyard, eliminating Scanner, Necorface, Mecha Hunter, Reflect Bounder, and MD Support Unit. The true aim of this card was obvious, though, as Necroface's effect activated to banish another five cards from both their decks. For Yuu, it was another Mecha Hunter and Support Unit followed by Shretsdder, Pot of Greed and Avarice, and Card Gunner.
For Yumi, it was much worse. Mirror Force, Rusty Swordsman, Golden Fiddle, Sunlight Unicorn, and Resurrection of the Dead; all gone. All five cards that could easily be party to winning the duel rendered unusable in an instant. What's worse, Pragtical would soon join them.
"Effect activate," Yuu said, returning MD Support Unit to her Graveyard. Pragtical was taken away, Machine God Dragon's ATK raising to 3000 while its owner's Life Points increased to 4250. Whatever lead Yumi had had at one point, it was all but gone now. "Attack," she declared after it switched positions.
Unable to form a true defense, all Yumi could do was activate Attack Nullification, saving her for one more turn before Yuu's dragon could completely annihilate the last of her Life Points. Despite how bleak things looked, she didn't plan to simply give up, drawing her card with confidence.
By the looks of it, her deck wasn't done fighting, either. "I'll summon Hat-Trick Magician!" she said, the wizard appearing on her field in a puff of smoke. Equipping it with Rusty Sword, its usual wand transformed into the oversized weapon. "Now attack! Rusty Slice!" Despite only having 2700 ATK, the monster rushed in and prepared to do battle with its stronger foe.
"I'll pay 400 Life Points to raise Hat-Trick Magician's ATK by the same amount, making 100 points higher than your dragon's ATK!" Receiving the last bit of enhancement it needed, Yumi's monster easily sliced through a beam of energy shot by Machine God Dragon, cutting its head in two and destroying it. Though Yuu's Life Points were only hit for 100 damage, it was a serious blow both to her card advantage and her morale.
Just as before, the loss of this Machine God Dragon elicited a reaction from Yuu. She trembled slightly, to the degree that the only ones who were able to pick up on it were the judge and Yumi. When asked if she could continue, Yuu ignored the man's words and drew a card, her expression changing from one of apathy to a dark determination. It was clear she wouldn't allow herself to lose this duel.
From inside the tunnel, the woman who had previously spoken to Yuu during the preliminary rounds watched the finals unfold. She noticed the subtle changes in the child's demeanor and playstyle throughout the duel, making note of them to someone on the other end of a phone call.
"About as expected, yes," she spoke into an earpiece. "It's more of a challenge than she was prepared for, but she won't lose. Overall, it's probably a good thing to expose her to a situation like this by this stage. Take account of emotional responses and deficiencies in her game like this to work it out of her before the real thing." She stopped speaking, listening intently to what the other person was telling her. "Understood. We'll go over changes once the duel ends."
Despite the almost dire situations Yuu was in now, this woman was completely unfazed. She had no doubt whatsoever that she would win. How could she lose, she thought, with what her next card would be?
Cards Used in Order of Appearance
Macrocosmus - The WORLD
DARK
Rank 4
Fiend/Xyz/Effect
? ATK/? DEF
2 or more Level 4 monsters
This card's ATK and DEF become the combined ATK and DEF of the monsters used as Xyz Material when summoned, respectively. Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card and banish any number of Spell Cards in both Graveyards; this card gains 300 ATK for each card banished by this effect, until the End Phase. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 of the Spell Cards that was banished by this effect to your hand.
Mecha Hunter (Mechanicalchaser)
Dark
Level 4
Machine
1850 ATK/800 DEF
Critter (Sangan)
DARK
Level 3
Fiend/Effect
1000 ATK/ 600 DEF
When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: Add 1 monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck to your hand.
Komboriboh
DARK
Level 1
Fiend/Effect
300 ATK/ 200 DEF
When a monster is targeted by an Equip Spell Card: You can discard this card and target 1 Equip Spell Card in your Graveyard that could be equipped to an appropriate monster on the field; add that target to your hand. When a monster you control is targeted for an attack while it it equipped with an Equip Spell Card: You can banish this card from your Graveyard to target that monster; this turn, that target cannot be destroyed by battle and you take no battle damage from attacks involving that target.
Crane Crane
EARTH
Level 3
Winged Beast/Effect
300 ATK/900 DEF
When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 Level 3 monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target, but its effects are negated. You can only use this effect of "Crane Crane" once per turn.
Gurensaurus (Grenosaurus)
FIRE
Rank 3
Dinosaur/Xyz/Effect
2000 ATK/1900 DEF
2 Level 3 monsters
When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.
Compulsory Activation Device
Normal Trap Card
Target 1 monster on the field; return that target to the hand.
God's Providence (Ultimate Providence)
Counter Trap Card
When a Spell/Trap Card or monster effect is activated: Discard the same type of card (Monster, Spell, or Trap); negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card.
God's Pronouncement (Solemn Judgment)
Counter Trap Card
When a monster would be Summoned, OR a Spell/Trap Card is activated: Pay half your Life Points; negate the Summon or activation, and if you do, destroy that card.
MD Base Unit
EARTH
Level 3
Machine/Tuner/Effect
0 ATK/0 DEF
When this card is Summoned: Add up to 2 "MD Base Unit" cards from your Deck or Graveyard or that are banished to your hand. While this card is in your Graveyard, you can return 1 of your banished Machine-Type monsters to the Graveyard; add this card to your hand. You can only use each effect of "MD Base Unit" once per turn.
Fusion (Polymerization)
Normal Spell Card
Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as Fusion Materials.
Machine God Dragon – Fusion
EARTH
Level 9
Machine/Fusion/Effect
3000 ATK/2100 DEF
MD Base Unit + 2 Machine-Type monsters with the same level
Must be Fusion Summoned with the above monsters, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. When this card is Fusion Summoned: Banish all monsters in both player's Graveyards, then increase this card's ATK by 100 for each card banished by this effect. When this card attacks, it is unaffected by the effects of opponent's Spell Cards until the end of the Damage Step. This attacking card cannot be destroyed.
Emissaries of Reconciliation (Waboku)
Normal Trap Card
You take no battle damage from your opponent's monsters this turn. Your monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn.
Wallrus
WATER
Level 2
Beast
400 ATK/800 DEF
Necklace of Supplantation (Amulet of Ambition)
Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a Normal Monster. If it battles a monster with a higher Level, the equipped monster gains 500 ATK x the difference in Levels (during that battle only). When this card is sent to the Graveyard, you can return it to the top of your Deck.
Magic Jammer
Counter Trap Card
When a Spell Card is activated: Discard 1 card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.
Scanner
LIGHT
Level 1
Machine/Effect
? ATK/? DEF
Once per turn, you can select 1 of your opponent's monsters that is removed from play. Until the End Phase, this card's name is treated as the selected monster's name, and this card has the same Attribute, Level, ATK, and DEF as the selected monster. If this card is removed from the field while this effect is applied, remove it from play.
Majesty Guard
Normal Trap Card
Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, also halve all damage you take this turn. During either player's turn, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; halve the battle damage you take from one opponent's monster this turn.
Big Bat Knight
EARTH
Level 3
Warrior
1100 ATK/500 DEF
Expert Heart
Equip Spell Card
You can only equip this card to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: Cannot be destroyed by battle once per turn. When you take damage from an attack involving this card: This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the damage you took.
Magical Mirror Master Reflect Bounder (Reflect Bounder)
LIGHT
Level 4
Machine/Effect
1700 ATK/1000 DEF
Before damage calculation, if this card is being attacked by an opponent's monster, and was in face-up Attack Position at the start of the Damage Step: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the attacking monster's ATK. If you do, after damage calculation: Destroy this card.
Common Fusion
Normal Spell Card
Fusion Summon 1 non-Effect Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using Normal Monsters from your hand, field, or Deck as Fusion Material. When the card Fusion Summoned by this effect battles an opponent's monster: You can banish this card in your Graveyard; negate that monster's effects and apply its original ATK and DEF when calculating damage until the end of the Battle Phase.
Flame Viper
EARTH
Level 2
Pyro
400 ATK/450 DEF
Trakodon
EARTH
Level 3
Dinosaur
1300 ATK/800 DEF
Pragtical
EARTH
Level 5
Dinosaur/Fusion
1900 ATK/1500 DEF
Angel's Charity (Graceful Charity)
Normal Spell Card
Draw 3 cards, then discard 2 cards.
Necroface
DARK
Level 4
Zombie/Effect
1200 ATK/1800 DEF
If this card is Normal Summoned: Shuffle all banished cards into the Deck. This card gains 100 ATK for each card shuffled into the Main Deck by this effect. If this card is banished: Each player banishes 5 cards from the top of their Deck (or their entire Deck, if less than 5).
Power Bond
Normal Spell Card
Fusion Summon 1 Machine Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as Fusion Materials, and it gains ATK equal to its original ATK. During the End Phase of the turn this card is activated, you take damage equal to the amount of ATK gained from this effect at the time of the Summon.
Burial from a Different Dimension
Quick-Play Spell Card
Target up to 3 banished monsters; return them to the Graveyard.
Arms Hole (Hidden Armory)
Normal Spell Card
Send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard; add 1 Equip Spell Card from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand. You cannot Normal Summon/Set during the turn you activate this card.
Friendly Fire (Bad Aim)
Normal Trap Card
When your opponent's card or effect is activated: Target 1 card on the field (other than that card); destroy it.
Rusty Sword
Equip Spell Card
You can only equip this card to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: This card's original ATK increases equal to its DEF. When this card attacks, during the Damage Step: You can pay Life Points in multiples of 100 (maximum 500); this card gains ATK equal to that amount.
Threatening Roar
Normal Trap Card
Your opponent cannot declare an attack this turn.
MD Support Unit
EARTH
Level 3
Machine/Effect
0 ATK/0 DEF
You can banish 1 Machine-Type monster from your Graveyard; Special Summon 1 "MD Support Unit" from your hand or Deck in face-up Attack Position. This effect of "MD Support Unit" can only be used once per turn. Banish the monster summoned by this effect at the End Phase of this turn.
Machine God Dragon – Synchro
EARTH
Level 9
Machine/Synchro/Effect
? ATK/3000 DEF
MD Base Unit + 2 non-Tuner Machine-Type monsters
Must be Synchro Summoned, and cannot be Special Summed by other ways. The ATK of this card is equal to the combined ATK of all non-Tuner monsters used to summon it. Once per turn: You can return 1 banished Machine-Type monster to your Graveyard; banish 1 face-up monster on your opponent's side of the field, and if you do, gain Life Points equal to half its ATK on the field. This monster gains ATK equal to the ATK of monsters it banishes.
Soul Release
Normal Spell Card
Target up to 5 cards in any Graveyard(s); banish them.
Shretsdder (Shreddder)
EARTH
Level 4
Machine/Effect
1600 ATK/1000 DEF
Once per turn: You can send 1 Machine-Type monster from your hand to the Graveyard, then target 1 monster your opponent controls with a Level less than or equal to the sent monster's; destroy that target.
Pot of Greed and Avarice (Pot of Desires)
Normal Spell Card
Banish 10 cards from the top of your Deck, face-down; draw 2 cards. You can only activate 1 "Pot of Desires" per turn.
Card Gunner (Card Trooper)
EARTH
Level 3
Machine/Effect
400 ATK/400 DEF
Once per turn: You can choose a number from 1 to 3, then send that many cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard; this card gains 500 ATK for each card sent to the Graveyard this way, until the end of this turn. If this card you control is destroyed and sent to your Graveyard: Draw 1 card.
Holy Barrier – Mirror Force (Mirror Force)
Normal Trap
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.
Sunlight Unicorn
LIGHT
Level 4
Beast/Effect
1800 ATK/1000 DEF
Once per turn: You can excavate the top card of your deck, and if it is an Equip Spell Card, add it to your hand. Otherwise, place it on the bottom of your Deck.
Rusty Swordsman
EARTH
Level 4
Warrior
1500 ATK/1000 DEF
Golden Fiddle
Equip Spell Card
You can only equip this card to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: This card gains ATK equal to its Level x 200 while in Attack Position and DEF equal to its Level x 300 while in Defense Position. If this card is selected as an attack target while in Attack Position: You can switch this card to Defense Position.
Resurrection of the Dead (Monster Reborn)
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 monster in either player's Graveyard; Special Summon it.
Attack Nullification (Negate Attack)
Counter Trap Card
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target the attacking monster; negate the attack, then end the Battle Phase.
Hat-Trick Magician
DARK
Level 4
Spellcaster
1200 ATK/1500 DEF
Took a little longer to get this done than I wanted to. Kind of expected in December, but I still wish I could have made the deadline. I had a pretty good thing going with a once a month update schedule. Might double down here to get back on track, and since I already have a lot of the next one planned out. We'll see what happens.
Plenty of hot frothy dueling action in this one. I had actually planned for this chapter to be two originally, with one focusing on each of the MGD cards, but I think the finished product is a lot quicker and flows better. Not like each one would be revealing a new card, since we saw both of them earlier. Still got the next one for that, though.
I think I mentioned before, but we're only a couple chapters away from the end of this arc. Wasn't actually expecting to make it this far, but here we are. Maybe we'll even make it to the end. That would be a first for people on this website.
2017 was a pretty garbage year overall. Even though 2018 seems like it's shaping up to be just as bad, I'm hoping at least a few good developments can come out of it. But we're still early on and it might yet be a surprise. I hope all of you can at least find something worthwhile going forward. For me, I'll just be writing more of this.
Thanks for reading. Always remember to brush your teeth.