"Appear, Avatar of Apophis!"
The two cards released black mist, and two snake-men appeared, each holding a scimitar and shield.
[Avatar of Apophis: DEF 1800] ×2
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"What!? Those are Trap Cards!?"
Jonouchi stared at the two monsters in confusion.
"They're Trap Monsters—Trap Cards used as Monster Cards."
Yugi explained from below the stage.
"Trap Monsters!? Cards like that actually exist!?"
King beside him was astonished.
"Yes, those kinds of Trap Cards are relatively rare, but they do exist. Although Trap Monsters can't be activated on the turn they're set and have relatively low ATK, because they're Trap Cards, they can be activated consecutively, allowing multiple summons in a single turn."
Yugi spoke with a somewhat grave expression. Both "Marik" and Jonouchi heard him.
"Just as he said, these are the Trap Monsters I use in place of Monster Cards."
"Marik" nodded slightly.
"I see, so there are Trap Cards like that. Learned something new."
Jonouchi punched his palm as realization dawned on him.
"But even though those two Avatar of Apophis have the same DEF as the two monsters on my field, you haven't forgotten the effect of Flame Swordsman, have you?"
He reminded "Marik."
"Yes, of course I know..."
As he spoke, "Marik" flipped over the third Set Card on his field.
"So I activate the Continuous Trap, Royal Decree!"
As long as this card remains in the Spell & Trap Zone, face-up Continuous Trap Cards on both sides of the field, except Royal Decree, cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.
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"What!?"
Jonouchi was shocked. He had not expected there to be a card specifically for protection.
"Damn it! That means I can't attack this turn..."
He gritted his teeth, then looked at his hand and smiled again. He inserted one of the cards into his Duel Disk.
"I set one card..."
[Katsuya Jonouchi Hand: 2 → 1]
He paused, glanced at both his Set Card and the Iron Knight, and recalled a technique Yugi had taught him before Duel City began. Then he smiled confidently.
"Heh, I'll let you live for now. I end my turn."
Jonouchi finally ended his turn.
Jonouchi's Counterattack
"My turn."
"Marik" calmly drew a card.
["Marik Ishtar" Hand: 1 → 2]
"I end my turn."
He ended his turn without doing anything.
"All right! No more Set Cards!"
Jonouchi flipped over the card he had set during the previous turn.
"'Marik,' you've fallen into my trap! I activate the Trap Card, Chainsaw Insect!"
Activate this card by targeting 1 face-up monster you control. Equip this card to that monster as an Equip Card that increases its ATK by 500.
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"The monster I choose to equip is Fuh-Raid the Iron Knight!"
A bomb attached to chains appeared before the Iron Knight.
"That idiot Jonouchi! If he equips it to Fuh-Raid the Iron Knight, won't it be destroyed by that monster's own Side Effect!?"
Knowing the Iron Knight's effect, Mai cursed. She thought Jonouchi had completely lost his mind while dueling.
"No, this is fine. Jonouchi-kun's true objective is to destroy that card."
Yugi did not look worried at all.
At that moment, Jonouchi spoke.
"Here I go, 'Marik'! I activate the monster effect of Fuh-Raid the Iron Knight!"
When this card is equipped with an Equip Card, activate this effect. Destroy those Equip Cards.
"I destroy Chainsaw Insect, which is being used as an Equip Card. But when Chainsaw Insect is destroyed, its other effect activates."
When this card, being treated as an Equip Card, is destroyed by an effect, target 1 card on the field. Destroy that card.
"Of course, I'm destroying the Continuous Trap, Royal Decree!"
As he spoke, the bomb on his field flew across to the other side, followed by an explosion.
Boom—!!
That Continuous Trap was instantly blown away.
"Hmph! I see. I never expected Fuh-Raid the Iron Knight's negative effect to be used like that. Even garbage cards have their uses. I learned something. But Yugi, you must have taught him that powerful combo, right?"
President Kaiba turned to Yugi. In his view, someone as simple-minded as Jonouchi could never have come up with a move like that.
"Ahaha..."
Having been seen through by the President, Yugi gave an awkward laugh.
"..."
Meanwhile, "Marik" silently watched the scene. He had not expected Jonouchi to dismantle his powerful Trap Card so quickly. With it gone, the rest of the duel would not be so easy.
"Then I end my turn."
For the moment, "Marik" had no way to deal with the two monsters on Jonouchi's field, so he could only end his turn.
"Heh, 'Marik,' you finally don't have any Set Cards left. Now it's my turn—draw!"
[Katsuya Jonouchi Hand: 1 → 2]
After looking at the card he had drawn, Jonouchi smiled smugly and slapped it onto his Duel Disk.
"With this card, all your shields will be gone. I summon Harpie's Brother from my hand."
A birdman knight was projected onto Jonouchi's field.
[Harpie's Brother: ATK 1000] [Katsuya Jonouchi Hand: 2 → 1]
"It's useless, Jonouchi. Harpie's Brother only has 1000 ATK. He can't defeat Avatar of Apophis."
"Marik" reminded Jonouchi.
"Hmph, of course I know that. But have you forgotten Flame Swordsman's effect? I activate this monster's effect and transfer its ATK to Harpie's Brother!"
[Flame Swordsman: ATK 1800 → 0] [Harpie's Brother: ATK 1000 → 2800]
"Have you gone stupid? I thought you had some strategy, but you actually transferred Flame Swordsman's ATK to a monster with lower ATK than Fuh-Raid the Iron Knight. What a foolish decision."
"Marik" shook his head in disappointment.
"The stupid one is you, 'Marik'! Harpie's Brother may have relatively low ATK, but he has the ability to attack twice during the same Battle Phase!"
Jonouchi taunted "Marik."
"What!?"
"Marik's" pupils suddenly contracted.
"Heh, here I go, 'Marik'! I use Harpie's Brother to attack those two Avatar of Apophis!"
Harpie's Brother pierced through both monsters with his sword, destroying the two monsters on "Marik's" field.
"This is bad!!"
Next, "Marik" would have to face the Iron Knight directly.
"Take this, 'Marik'! Fuh-Raid the Iron Knight, attack him directly!"
The Iron Knight slashed "Marik" with his blade.
"Ugh—!"
He had finally taken damage.
["Marik Ishtar": LP 4000 → 2200]
"That ends my attacks. Then I switch Flame Swordsman to Defense Position."
Flame Swordsman immediately crouched into a defensive stance.
[Flame Swordsman: DEF 1600]
"Finally, I set one card and end my turn."
Jonouchi set his final card and ended his turn.
[Katsuya Jonouchi Hand: 1 → 0]
The Sealed Card
"That was indeed a splendid counterattack, Jonouchi..."
Having recovered, "Marik" spoke to Jonouchi.
"Hm!?"
Jonouchi raised an eyebrow.
At that moment, "Marik" drew a card.
"My turn, draw!"
["Marik Ishtar" Hand: 2 → 3]
When he saw the card he had drawn, his eyes suddenly widened. It seemed he had drawn a card that should not have appeared, and he stood there stunned for quite a while. Then his gaze drifted toward the area below the stage. Naturally, Jonouchi noticed "Marik's" expression.
"Hey, 'Marik,' what are you looking at? Why aren't you making your move already?"
Jonouchi impatiently urged him on.
"Hey, Other Me! Did you notice where he's looking?"
At that moment, Yugi's gaze shifted toward the direction "Marik" was looking, and he asked King in his mind.
"Yes, I noticed, AIBO! The man standing there is the one named 'Nam.' So the man on the Duel Stage called 'Marik' really is..."
Before King could finish, Yugi took over.
"Just as we guessed before, he's an impostor—a substitute for the real 'Marik.' The true Marik is that man called 'Nam.'"
Yugi said to King with near certainty, and King agreed with the deduction.
After a while, "Marik" finally looked back at the field, as though he had received some important instructions.
Then he gritted his teeth, put away the card he had drawn this turn, and inserted another card from his hand into the Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card Swords of Revealing Light from my hand."
After this card is activated, it remains on the field and is destroyed during the opponent's End Phase three of the opponent's turns later.
Before you continue