[Dark Realm's Tutor: Saruli, Defense Power 300]
The Queen looked at the tutor who appeared on her field, utterly bewildered.
Although she liked charming the opponent's monsters to use for herself, she felt something was off with the one given to her voluntarily.
"Effect of Dark Realm's Tutor: Saruli," Yugen said, "If this card is successfully Special Summoned by an 'Dark Realm' card effect, the opponent selects and discards one card from their hand."
The Queen frowned, "Is the aim to make me discard one card from my hand..."
"No, no, no, it's 'the opponent selects and discards one card from their hand.'"
Yugen added with a smile.
The Queen paused for half a second and then realized.
Right, since the tutor was placed on her field, from the tutor's perspective, the "opponent" actually referred to Yugen...
At first glance, this card seems utterly nonsensical. Its effect gives the opponent a monster for free and causes self-discard of one card. Looking at this card outside the context of the system, it's just a self-destructive trash card, leaving most people scratching their heads as to why this saboteur card even exists.
But even the Queen quickly realized that within the Dark Realm system, the seemingly pointless card suddenly found its place.
Dark Realm inherently relies on effects triggered by discarding cards from the hand.
Moreover, if this hand-discarding effect is triggered by the opponent, a hidden stronger effect is activated.
And Dark Realm's Tutor not only has an effect that allows self-discarding, but it also first defects to the opponent's camp, manually turning it into an "opponent's effect". Thus, Dark Realm cards triggered by the tutor have their power multiplied.
"Exactly, since the tutor is now on your field, I will discard a card from my hand."
Yugen revealed a card from his hand and said.
"I discard 'Dark Realm's Military God: Silva' from my hand."
The Queen frowned, "Again, an effect triggered upon discard?"
"Haha, as expected of Her Majesty the Queen, so perceptive," Yugen laughed, "Congratulations on guessing correctly, your reward is this—
—When Silva is discarded, it Special Summons itself to the field!"
[Dark Realm's Military God: Silva, Attack Power 2300]
"Moreover, if discarded by an opponent's card effect, this additional effect is applied." Yugen squinted, "The opponent selects two cards from their hand and returns them to the bottom of the deck in the preferred order."
The Queen: "!"
She glanced uneasily at her hand cards.
Choosing two to return to the deck...
So this was his real plan?
Place the tutor on her field, turning the tutor into an "opponent's effect". Because of the Temporary Truce, he couldn't inflict battle damage this turn, so he targeted her hand cards instead...
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Dark Realm Trade'. Both players draw a card from their deck and discard one card from their hand."
The Queen frowned, drew a card, then selected a card from her hand to discard. Yugen did the same.
As Yugen discarded his hand card, a powerful force erupted from his graveyard. A massive dark shadow flashed across his field, accompanied by a thunderous dragon's roar.
"I just discarded 'Dark Realm Dragon God: Grafa'," Yugen said gravely, "When Grafa is discarded by a card effect, it can destroy one card on the opponent's field."
Yugen beckoned with a finger.
"Destroy 'Charming Queen LV7'."
The Queen screamed as she was struck by the Dragon God's breath, shattering her in darkness. Nearby guards gritted their teeth, but they could only shield the Queen from battles; they were powerless against effect destruction.
The Charming Queen was the core of the opponent's entire deck, with all other cards serving as components to support her. If the Queen is broken, both the guards and the Enchanting Dance on the back field lose their meaning, becoming nothing more than blank cards.
"Next, the second effect of 'Dark Realm Dragon God: Grafa'," Yugen continued, "While this card is in the graveyard, one can return any 'Dark Realm' monster from the field to hand, except Grafa, and Special Summon itself.
I will return 'Dark Realm's Military God: Silva,' which was Special Summoned by its own effect, to my hand and revive—
—Dark Realm Dragon God: Grafa!"
The surging darkness burst out, with the enormous shadow appearing as though passing through the gate of the Dark Realm, transforming into a physical entity. The demon dragon descended with kingly might!
[Dark Realm Dragon God: Grafa, Attack Power 2700]
Yugen: "Next, activate the Magic Card 'Dark Corridor', adding a 'Dark Realm' monster from the deck to the hand, then discarding one card."
This card, though released in physical form much later, had appeared quite early in the animation.
In its initial appearance in the GX animation, the card was named 'Dark Realm Road', but in the overseas broadcast, the subtitle changed to 'Dark Corridor'.
"Add 'Dark Realm's Tutor: Saruli' to my hand from the deck," Yugen said leisurely, "And then discard 'Dark Realm's Tutor: Saruli' that was just added to the hand."
The Queen: "!"
Instantly discarding after fetching...
That tutor's effect was...
"Exactly, when the tutor is discarded, it is Special Summoned on the opponent's field," Yugen smiled.
The Queen gritted her teeth and watched as that pesky little demon old man appeared on her field again.
[Dark Realm's Tutor: Saruli, Attack Power 100]
"Then the tutor's effect, being successfully Special Summoned by a Dark Realm card effect, the opponent selects and discards a card from their hand."
The Queen's pupils shrank.
Before the opponent had even played, she had already foreseen what Yugen was going to discard.
Just now, Yugen returned the Dark Realm card from the field to his hand in order to special summon the Dragon God from the graveyard...
"Of course, I discard 'Dark Realm's Military God: Silva' from my hand."
Yugen smiled.
"Silva, when discarded to the graveyard by card effect, special summons itself."
[Dark Realm's Military God: Silva, Attack Power 2300]
"Furthermore, if discarded by the opponent's card effect, it forces the opponent to select two cards from their hand and return them to the bottom of their deck."
Yugen's finger hooked again.
"Go ahead, choose two cards from your hand to return to the bottom of your deck."
He paused and added with a smile.
"You can do it in any order you like. It's quite considerate, isn't it?"
Queen: "........."
What the...
Her Majesty the Queen's face flushed with anger, her chest heaving dramatically. Yet after grinding her teeth furiously for a while, she realized she could do nothing about it, and begrudgingly returned two cards—also her last cards—to the bottom of her deck.
Now she had no cards left.
"Let's battle." Yugen said, "Dark Realm Dragon God: Grafa, Dark Realm's Military God: Silva, Dark Realm's Mad King: Blom.
Attack the two remaining 'Dark Realm's Tutor: Saruli' and 'Queen's Guard' on your field!"
An all-out assault by the Dark Realm swept over, and the queen's field was cleared instantly.
The queen's previously pale face was now a mix of ashen gray with a tinge of red—purely from anger, of course.
In the previous round, she summoned her strongest form, absorbing two strong superior monsters from the opponent and built an advantageous situation, which was completely destroyed within this single round... No, it wasn't just her field's advantage that's destroyed, even her hand was not spared!
In one round, clearing her entire field and depleting all her hand cards, literally driving her to a point of ammunition exhaustion. She was still alive solely because of the temporary shelter provided by the "Temporary Truce."
But when this round ends, that shelter will vanish too.
The queen looked down at her deck, her face grave.
No matter what, this final draw would determine her fate.
Will she lose here?
The queen gritted her teeth.
What a joke.
She was the Charming Queen, one of the most loyal followers of the Evil God. She had already decided to bring back the Elf desired by the Evil God no matter the cost.
How could she lose in such a place, and in this humiliating manner?
She would use this last draw to create the most magnificent reversal!
"Activate the cover card." Yugen said leisurely, "Trap Card 'Seal of Engraving'. Skip the opponent's next draw phase."
The queen froze.
What?
Her brain seemed to crash, and after a few seconds of delay, she slowly looked down to see a clock-like array appearing on her duel disc mounted deck.
Her deck was sealed.
"Alright, my turn ends." Yugen gestured invitingly, "It's your turn. But you can't draw cards this turn.
Other than that, do whatever you want."
The queen bit her lip.
Other than that, do whatever? Do what?
Do what, just stare blankly?
Only now she realized it was all fake.
There were no last chances, no divine draw miracles.
Her field was empty, her hand depleted, and even the chance for a divine draw was stripped away...
Even if an immortal with full Destiny Power came to aid at this point, it would be futile.
Even the divine draw master needs the ability to draw to turn the tables, right?
Even the physical card master, able to reprint cards in front of others at least needs a card in hand to print, right?
The queen sat dumfounded with a bitter face, resembling a wooden figure without any action.
Yugen patiently demonstrated gentlemanly patience, never urging, just smiling at her.
Until time ran out.
"If you aren't planning to act, then it's my turn again."
Yugen drew a card and waved his hand with a smile.
"Then, Dark Realm's Military God: Silva, Dark Realm Dragon God: Grafa, direct attack."
[Queen, LP 0]