The Winged Dragon of Ra, summon!
Scorching winds swept through the confined space, the hot air waves cracking the floor tiles. The body, shining like gold, was coated in a fiery armor, even the air turned red from the heat.
"In this critical moment, you actually drew the Winged Dragon!?" Jonouchi raised his arm to shield himself and shouted.
The priestess Mana was sitting on the ground, stunned by the spectacle: "The Prince is amazing, everyone is amazing..."
"No, the attack power of the specially summoned Winged Dragon is 0!" Honda said, "According to the effect of 'Clear Kuriboh', the attack of the Sky Dragon will be forcibly transferred to the Winged Dragon. Youyu has still won!"
"No." Yugi's expression was solemn, "The specially summoned Winged Dragon possesses a powerful force for quick attacks!"
The Pharaoh closed his eyes, arms crossed in front of him, and began to chant incantations softly.
Flames burned fiercely, the vast divine power within the golden god-bird exploded, reaching the strongest "Phoenix" state.
In the Phoenix state, the Winged Dragon is unaffected by any card's effects, cannot be destroyed by battle, and the battle damage it inflicts on its controller is 0.
Additionally, when the Winged Dragon is specially summoned and enters Phoenix state, the player can pay 1000 Life Points to destroy all of the opponent's monsters on the field.
And this is exactly the effect the Nameless Pharaoh activated now.
[Nameless Pharaoh, LP 3000 → LP 2000]
The heat wave erupted like a volcano, lava sweeping over the ground. The intense tide quickly engulfed Youyu's entire field, turning all the iron debris on the ground into a flowing hot stream.
The Sky Dragon roared unwillingly, but it was only inferior to the other two Egyptian Gods. Its rank and divine power were no match for the formidable Winged Dragon. The Phoenix's flames flowed unhindered, reducing it to ashes.
Fortunately, the Sky Dragon still played a role.
Just like in the animation when Yugi battled against Marik, when "Slifer the Sky Dragon" is present on the field, the Phoenix's field-clearing effect can be entirely absorbed by the Sky Dragon, leaving the other monsters unaffected.
So at least Youyu still has monsters on the field to act as a wall, which is barely considered good news.
The special summoned god can only exist for one turn. At the end of this turn, the powerful Winged Dragon will return to the graveyard to slumber, but this doesn't mean it can be taken lightly.
As demonstrated in past duels, the Winged Dragon sleeping in the graveyard is the most terrifying. Unlike the other two Egyptian Gods, the Winged Dragon resurrected from the grave will transform into the invincible "Phoenix," possessing horrifying instant kill capabilities.
We still need to find a way to deal with this trouble here.
"End of the Battle Phase, entering Main Phase 2." Youyu drew another card from his hand, "Equip Magic 'Premature Burial', pay 800 Life Points to resurrect a monster from the grave and equip this card to that monster.
The one I want to resurrect is 'Elemental Hero Shadow Mist'!"
[Youyu, LP 3000 → LP 2200]
The Equip Card appeared in the backfield, and the corresponding Monster Zone opened up into a dark vortex. Shadow Mist, dressed in black, flew out, binding with the Equip Card.
[Elemental Hero Shadow Mist, Attack Power 1000]
"With the effect of 'Surviving Treasure', draw three cards from the deck.
Then Shadow Mist's effect, when successfully special summoned, add the Quick-Play Magic 'Mask Change' from the deck to the hand." A card popped out from Youyu's deck, "I add the Quick-Play Magic 'Mask Change' to my hand.
Then activate the Quick-Play Magic 'Mask Change'!
Send the hero monster on the field to the grave, and special summon the corresponding attribute's Masked Hero.
I send 'Elemental Hero Shadow Mist' to the grave, Mask Transform!
Born from the abyss, the knight, embodiment of Dark Law! Descend here——
——Masked Hero Dark Claw!!!
A black air current erupted in the domain oppressed by the Winged Dragon, and a fierce black armor covered Shadow Mist's body. The dark Masked Hero appeared in a half-squat posture, he slowly stood up straight, the claws of his five fingers spread open, and an introverted dark aura slowly dispersed.
[Masked Hero Dark Claw, Attack Power 2400]
"Oh, Youyu's new Masked Hero has appeared!" Jonouchi cheered, but also felt puzzled, "But the Battle Phase of this turn is over, attacking further isn't possible.
And with the 'Phoenix' state Winged Dragon present, it's not possible to inflict damage on the opponent's player. Why would Youyu…?"
Youyu drew two more cards: "Set two cards on the field, ending this turn."
Pausing briefly, he then fiercely pointed at the phoenix blazing flames in midair.
"At this moment, the Winged Dragon will return to the graveyard due to its own effect." Youyu explained solemnly, "Then the effect of 'Masked Hero Dark Claw'. As long as Dark Claw is on the field, all of the opponent's cards sent to the graveyard are banished instead of going to the graveyard."
"Eh?" Honda, the layman, was surprised, "Is that possible? But isn't the god immune to Monster Effects…?"
"No." Yugi shook his head, "The gods are indeed immune to Monster Effects, but only when they are present on the field. Once they leave the field, a god is just an ordinary card."
The gods are not invincible; the seemingly insurmountable effect, the near-perfect resistance, actually have exploitable weaknesses.
In this aspect, perhaps no one, including the Pharaoh's Dark Yugi himself, would dare to say they understand better than Yugi.
Even though Yugi and Dark Yugi have always supported each other as partners, as a duelist, he has rehearsed countless times in his mind, imagining how he would fare against Dark Yugi and his ultimate card the Three Egyptian Gods.
Though Yugi might seem harmless on the surface, deep down he might have simulated scenes of him taking down the Three Egyptian Gods a hundred times, a thousand times already, knowing their various weaknesses inside out.
True to what Yugi said. As the turn ended, the sun was descending to silence. The divine flames on the Winged Dragon's sacred body gradually extinguished, as the Phoenix turned into a beam of fire intending to fly back to the graveyard, only to crash into the invisible domain of the dark hero.
Even the strong Egyptian God, once the appearance time is over, its aura fades away, facing the invincible "Masked Hero Dark Claw" it's powerless, it can only obediently be banished to the Other Dimension Space within that domain of Dark Law.
"This black Masked Hero… even possesses the power to counter 'Phoenix'!" Jonouchi exclaimed in shock.
Yugi nodded his head: "Masked Hero Dark Claw, his ability is a perfect counter to the Phoenix resurrected repeatedly from the grave. It seems Youyu has also privately researched ways to counter the Egyptian Gods."
Indeed, Youyu-san and I are kindred spirits. Yugi thought to himself.
Youyu was unaware of his thoughts.
But if he knew, Youyu would surely deny it——
——What? As a mere You, how could I compare myself to a big shot like you?
I'm not, I haven't, big shot please stop praising me…
Another thing that must be clarified.
My Dark Claw isn't targeting Phoenix specifically.
Whereas all of you here, who love to bounce repeatedly from the graveyard, resurrect over and over again, are just trash.