"Through the effect of the True Red-Eyed Sub-Dragon, the True Red-Eyed Black Dragon is resurrected!"
Joey shouted loudly, and a flame column spiraled skyward, transforming into the form of the burning Black Dragon. That armor like flames and lava slowly peeled away, reverting back to the classic form of the True Red-Eyed Black Dragon!
[True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, Attack Power 2400]
"Sorry, I'm troubling you again, old friend." Joey smiled at the True Red Eye, "but I still need to borrow your strength."
True Red Eye seemed to truly understand, letting out a domineering dragon roar in response.
"The True Red Eye resurrected through the effect of the True Red-Eyed Sub-Dragon doubles its attack power!"
[True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, Attack Power 2400 → Attack Power 4800]
"Oh My God, the attack power is actually four thousand eight!" Beckas acted terrified, "Unbelievable, Joey Boy!"
Joey squinted: "Your acting is too exaggerated, Beckas."
"Is it?"
Beckas's terrified expression disappeared in a second, elegantly flicking the long hair covering half his face, and lightly chuckling.
"Well, I thought Joey Boy was the simple-minded type, but you're not that easy to fool."
Joey snorted heavily.
He hadn't forgotten the hidden ability of Beckas's Underworld Sacrificial Demon; back then, the game was cruelly tricked.
When the Sacrificial Demon absorbs the opposing monster as equipment, if attacked, it can choose any equipped monster on it to withstand the attack.
The equipped monster can replace the Sacrificial Demon and be destroyed by battle, and the battle damage is taken by the original owner of the destroyed monster.
This effect is even more sinister after becoming a physical card, though after becoming a physical card, it was only weakened, not entirely deleted.
The Sacrificial Demon in the physical card state bears the attack when equipped with a monster, though the controller must also take damage, but can reflect the effect damage of the same value as the battle damage they received back to the opponent.
Moreover, in the animation, the Sacrificial Demon, while it can absorb only one monster per turn as equipment, has no limit on the number of equipped monsters on it. After becoming a physical card, it can only equip one at most, and cannot absorb new monsters as equipment when equipped.
So if Joey were to recklessly use the True Red-Eyed Black Dragon with doubled attack power to four thousand eight directly, the result would be the Sacrificial Demon using the equipped "Fierce Demon Dragon - Evil Demon Dragon" as a shield to withstand the attack.
Dark Evil Dragon would substitute for the Sacrificial Demon in being destroyed, and the resulting 1600-point battle damage would rebound to Joey, taken by Joey as the original owner of Dark Evil Dragon.
The Sacrificial Demon would remain unscathed, then in the next turn, it would surely absorb Joey's True Red Eye with four thousand eight attack power, and by then Joey might truly have no escape left.
"Well, though it's a pity to be seen through." Beckas chuckled, "But so, Joey Boy's hard-earned summoning of a True Red Eye with four thousand eight hundred attack power is unable to attack, coming after more would only be fodder for the Sacrificial Demon..."
"Is it so?" Joey snorted twice, "I admit, the Sacrificial Demon is a tricky monster, but as a duelist, you are not invincible, remember that Beckas.
I'll then activate this card from my hand..."
Joey waved and placed a Magic Card on the Duel Disc. Electricity carried through the Duel Disc as if real power surged into the True Red Eye's body, causing the Black Dragon to roar up.
"Magic Card 'Black Flame Bullet'!"
"When 'True Red-Eyed Black Dragon' is on your field, choose one True Red-Eyed Black Dragon and deal damage to your opponent equal to that True Red Eye's original attack power!"
Beckas's smile vanished.
"Original attack power...!?"
"Indeed, the True Red-Eyed Sub-Dragon doubles, is the True Red Eye's 'original attack power'!" Joey said, "Thus, the original attack power of the True Red-Eyed Black Dragon now is..."
[True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, Attack Power 4800]
"Four thousand eight hundred..."
Beckas's face twitched.
A black flame bullet of four thousand eight, if consumed, even his son wouldn't recognize his remains right?
"Take this, Beckas!" Joey shouted, "True Red-Eyed Black Dragon, Black Flame Bullet!"
True Red-Eyed opened its mouth, as if the hellfire from the depths of the underworld endlessly poured into its mouth, gathering into a spiral black flame ball and spewing it at Beckas!
"Activate Cover Card, Trap Card 'Tomb Raider'!"
Beckas immediately activates the trap.
"Obtain a card from your opponent's graveyard and use Tomb Raider as that card instantly." (Original effect)
Joey's expression twitched.
"This guy, using my card!"
The original multi-purpose trap Tomb Raider was one of Joey's signature cards back in the day, a decisive key in many of Joey's battles.
"I don't understand, this was a card issued by our International Fantasy Association."
Beckas smiled with squinted eyes.
"Then you should be most familiar with the effect of the Tomb Raider.
I want to obtain from your graveyard, of course, this one... Counterattack Trap 'Blackboard Eraser Trap'!
When the effect deals damage other than battle damage, negates the effect damage received, afterward selects a card from the opponent's hand and discards it."
Beckas lightly chuckled.
"Then let me see your hand cards."
Joey was silent, showing the cards in his hand.
"Oh, it's 'True Red-Eyed Soul', a trap that can resurrect any True Red-Eye Monster from the graveyard. That's bad." Beckas flicked his fingers, "Then let this card vanish, Joey Boy."
The trap in Joey's hand turned to ashes and dissipated.
"Tch, damn Beckas." Joey muttered.
"Hahaha, I'll take that as acknowledgment of my strength." Beckas laughed, "Too bad your Black Flame Bullet combo didn't work.
But now it's still your turn. Come on, Joey Boy, what will you do next?"
Joey made a muffled hum.
"In the turn 'Black Flame Bullet' is activated, True Red-Eyed Black Dragon cannot attack. My turn ends."
"Oh? Just ending like this?"
Beckas said with a smile.
"Is it really good, Joey Boy? Isn't—summoning the True Red Eye in perfect status like this, entering the next turn, again just becomes fodder for the Sacrificial Demon?"
Joey: "..."
"Oh! I forgot, Sorry. Even if able to attack, the damage to the Sacrificial Demon would only rebound accelerating self-destruction, this is the so-called 'helpless' isn't it?"
Joey: "......"
Beckas laughed heartily.
"In that case, let me graciously receive, Joey Boy!
My turn, draw card!
Come, Sacrificial Demon, absorb Joey Boy's soul, absorb the True Red-Eyed Black Dragon too!"