With no better option, he played a Spell Card to steady things.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Spiked God Insecticide'." Yugen Do said. "Destroy all face-up Insect monsters on the field!"
Shuichi Watanabe: "???"
A massive hand emerged from a black vortex, clutching a can of insect spray. The mist washed across the field, and Doom Dozer was instantly torn apart, as if the world itself had cracked.
Shuichi Watanabe looked like he might crack with it.
After holding it in for several seconds, he finally asked, "Um, junior. Do you usually carry that card in your Deck?"
Yugen answered without hesitation. "Of course not."
"And then?"
"Obviously I put it in just to deal with you, senior." Yugen said frankly.
The honesty hit Shuichi Watanabe like a heavy blow, leaving his vision swimming. The surrounding students fell into silence, unsure what to say, while Manjoume showed a rare grin.
He knew it. He had known it from the moment Yugen studied the defenders' information before the duel. Choosing Shuichi Watanabe had never been random, and there was clearly a plan.
Though this senior looked like the strongest defender on paper, Yugen had noticed that only his Deck was completely pure. In a time when most decks mixed types and LV Series freely, such a clean insect build was easy to target.
That was why Yugen had chosen this unlucky senior as his assessment opponent.
Beside Manjoume, Lackey B could not help muttering, "Boss, your smile is getting kind of creepy again."
Manjoume replied, "Shut up."
The sudden use of insecticide from the other side caught Shuuichi completely off guard, and the open attitude of "I am targeting you" was even more unexpected. However, as a veteran who had seen countless battles, Shuuichi relied on his solid Duelist discipline and quickly suppressed the urge for reckless Duel. He spoke in a low voice, regaining control of the field.
"Then at this moment, the effect of 'Verdant Sanctuary' activates. When an Insect-Type monster on the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can add an Insect-Type monster of the same Level from my Deck to my hand."
He pulled out his Deck, spread it, searched through it, and selected another card to add to his hand. "The destroyed 'Doom Dozer' is Level eight, so I add the Level eight 'Doom Dozer' from my Deck to my hand."
A student from the Duel Department in the audience could not help blurting out, "'Doom Dozer', Watanabe's ace!" Someone else followed up, "Is it coming out? Looks like Watanabe is finally getting serious."
'Doom Dozer', Level eight, ATK 2800. By banishing two Insect-Type monsters from the Graveyard in Yugi Muto's name, it could be Special Summoned with ease, making it the strongest core of Shuuichi's Deck. No one doubted that on the next turn, Shuuichi would banish two Insects from the Graveyard and drop this powerful ace to launch a fierce attack.
Of course, that was only if the Doom Dozer was still in his hand next turn. "Summon 'Chief, Don Zaloog'."
[Chief, Don Zaloog, ATK 1400]
"Don Zaloog attacks directly!" The one-eyed chief drew his revolver and fired twice, the shots tearing straight across Shuichi Watanabe's completely unguarded field.
[Shuuichi, LP 4000 to LP 2600]
Shuuichi staggered slightly from the impact of the holograms, then quickly steadied himself, trying to maintain the calm air of a seasoned expert. "This level of damage is nothing."
"Effect of Don Zaloog. When it inflicts battle damage, your opponent randomly discards one card from their hand."
"Nani?!?" Shuuichi was startled and immediately tensed up again.
He had two cards in hand, both searched by 'Verdant Sanctuary'. One was Pinch Hopper, and the other was Doom Dozer, which was also the Tamashii of his Deck. That meant there was a one in two chance that his very Tamashii would be taken out by this shot.
"That will not do!" Shuuichi shouted. "Flip my face-down card, Trap Card-Sixth Sense! Declare two numbers between one and six, and have my opponent roll a die. If the result matches either declared number, I draw that many cards from my Deck. If it does not match, I send that many cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard!"
Just hearing the effect made it obvious this was an old forbidden card. If it hit, it was pure Card Draw from the Deck, and if it missed, it still dumped cards without discrimination, a violent trap with no real downside. Compared to the anime-only Card Draw engines that would never be printed without heavy nerfs, this card almost felt tame.
Yugen realized he might be getting used to this world. Seeing cards once worshiped on forbidden lists no longer inspired the awe they once did.
"I declare numbers five and six," Shuuichi said. Those were the usual choices, since the odds were the same no matter what, but the payoff was highest if they hit. With two numbers counting as success, the chance was one in three.
The die rolled and stopped on five. "Very good, then I draw five cards!"
Five cards were added to his hand in an instant, something Yugen was already used to seeing. His Tamashii was now mixed among them, turning the odds into one in seven.
The gun fired, and Chief Don Zaloog's shot punched a hole through one of the cards. "Hahahaha, it missed!" Shuuichi threw his head back and laughed, casually sending the pierced card to the Graveyard. "What a shame. Looks like luck is on my side today. Next turn, I will call forth my Tamashii, demon."
By then, Yugen had already ended the Battle Phase. He calmly drew another card and cut off the chant.
"Spell Card 'Confiscation'. Pay 1000 Life Points to look at your opponent's hand and choose one card to discard."
The senior's hearty laughter stopped cold.
[Yugen, LP 4000 to LP 3000]
"Come on, senior, show me your hand," Yugen said politely. Shuichi Watanabe clenched his teeth, his facial muscles twitching, before finally revealing his hand with a grim expression. It was the look of someone whose Tamashii had been completely exposed.
"Then please discard your Tamashii, senior," Yugen requested with courtesy. Shuuichi painfully pulled out his beloved ace and threw it into the Graveyard, his slow movements and expression looking almost constipated.
"But My Turn! is not over yet." Yugen unhurriedly produced another card from his hand.
"I will continue by activating this card from my hand. Continuous Spell, Insect Barrier. As long as this card remains on the field, all Insect-Type monsters on my opponent's field cannot declare an attack."
Shuichi Watanabe nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Even many spectators in the stands sucked in a sharp breath.
You really never planned to let the opponent Duel at all, did you?
"Are you serious," Shuichi Watanabe muttered. At this moment, he finally began to understand why this person had chosen him without hesitation as a challenge target. It was not courage, nor the will to challenge a peak.
He had picked him simply because he thought he was the easiest to bully.
"I set two more cards and end my turn." Yugen declared, waited a moment, and when there was no response, tilted his head and kindly reminded him, "It is your turn now, senior."
Senior, why are you not using Card Draw? Do you not want to draw?
Shuuichi clenched his teeth. "My Turn!." He was already thinking that the Duel Department would need to add a new rule in the future. Not only students from Osiris Red were forbidden from applying, even dogs would not be allowed.