Yugi took two monsters from the Graveyard, and at the same time, a giant appeared behind him—a dark-skinned hunk in black armor, very similar to Exodia.
[Ultimate Seal God Exodius: ATK 0] [Yugi Muto's hand: 5→4]
Next, Yugi inserted another card into his Duel Disk. "Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Hand Destruction] from my hand. Both players send two cards from their hands to the Graveyard, then each draws two cards from their Deck."
[Yugi Muto's hand: 4→3]
"I send [Right Leg of the Forbidden One] and [Left Arm of the Forbidden One] from my hand to the Graveyard."
After Yugi discarded the two cards, the President calmly discarded two cards from his own hand as well.
Seeing the President's expression, the King was immediately startled. "Hm!? He doesn't care that the cards he just added to his hand were discarded... Could Kaiba's other card not be [Ancient Rules]?"
Yugi understood at once. "Just as I thought. Kaiba must have considered the possibility that I had [Hand Destruction], so he didn't add a more important card from his Deck to his hand."
He just didn't know what the other card was, so he might as well draw first.
"Draw!!"
Yugi and the President each drew two cards.
As they looked at their hands, the corners of both their mouths rose unconsciously. It seemed they had both drawn good cards.
Before Yugi used his, however, he continued, "According to [Ultimate Seal God Exodius]'s special ability, this card gains 1000 ATK for each Normal Monster in my Graveyard."
"There are two Normal Monsters in my Graveyard, [Right Leg of the Forbidden One] and [Left Arm of the Forbidden One], so its ATK rises by 2000."
[Ultimate Seal God Exodius: ATK 0→2000]
The President folded his arms and said with interest, "Hmph! So you're using it as a tribute monster?"
"Interesting!"
"But that amount of ATK still isn't enough..."
Yugi had naturally prepared for that as well. He placed another card from his hand onto the Duel Disk. "I also summon [Dark End Dragon] in Attack Position from my hand."
A knight clad in rusted armor and a tattered red cloak appeared on Yugi's field.
[Dark End Dragon: ATK 1400] [Yugi Muto's hand: 3→2]
"And the moment this monster is successfully summoned, I send one Dark Attribute Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send [Left Leg of the Forbidden One] to the Graveyard."
With another Normal Monster added, Exodius's ATK rose by another 1000 points.
[Ultimate Seal God Exodius: ATK 2000→3000]
The President still did not feel threatened. "Hmph! Its ATK has reached 3000... But can you really seize this chance to defeat me?"
The King beside him was also somewhat uneasy. "AIBO, what are you planning to do?"
Indeed, the combined ATK of Yugi's monsters was enough to wipe out all of the President's Life Points.
But the key issue was that the President still had one Set card in his back row, while Yugi had nothing in hand to deal with it.
Yugi answered without hesitation, "I can only charge straight through it..."
With no back-row removal in his hand, this was the only option.
So, he launched his attack without the slightest hesitation.
Attack and Defense
"I'm going in, Kaiba!"
Yugi swept his arm forward.
"I use [Ultimate Seal God Exodius] to attack [Crystal Dragon], and at that moment, this monster's special ability activates."
When this card declares an attack: Send 1 monster from your hand or Deck to the Graveyard.
Seto Kaiba's lips curled upward. "Hmph! Are you sending the final [Right Arm of the Forbidden One] to the Graveyard so [Ultimate Seal God Exodius] can gain godlike ATK?"
Before long, Yugi selected a card from his Deck and sent it to the Graveyard. "No. The card I choose to send to the Graveyard is... [Electromagnetic Turtle]."
The President was immediately shocked. "What!? [Electromagnetic Turtle]!?"
Although the President was surprised, he quickly calmed down somewhat.
After all, Exodius's milling effect did not require a Normal Monster or a Forbidden One monster. Since Yugi was not going for its alternate victory effect anyway, it was perfectly normal for him to choose another card.
And this also gave Yugi another means of protecting himself later in the Duel.
Yugi continued his battle. "Go, [Ultimate Seal God Exodius]! Heaven-and-Earth Thunderfire: Exodia Destruction Bomb!"
Exodius swung its giant fist, launching an energy blast formed from demonic flames.
Boom—!!
Crystal Dragon was instantly blasted apart by the demonic flames.
"Urgh—!"
[Seto Kaiba: LP 4000→3500]
"Hmph! Well done, Yu-gi! But our battle has only just begun..."
As he spoke, the President pressed a button and flipped over his Set card.
"At the moment you destroy [Crystal Dragon], I activate the Trap Card [Monster Reborn]!"
During the turn a monster was destroyed by battle: Send 1 [Monster Reborn] from your hand or Deck to the Graveyard, then target 1 monster in either player's Graveyard; Special Summon it to your field as though it had been Special Summoned by the effect of [Monster Reborn].
"The card I will revive is..."
The President pulled a card from his Graveyard. That card was most likely Crystal Dragon or White Spirit Dragon.
But what happened next stunned Yugi.
After the President slapped the card onto his Duel Disk, a silver-white giant dragon with a pair of Duel Disk-like wings and rainbow light radiating from its body appeared behind him.
"Come forth, [Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon]!"
[Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon: ATK 2500]
Looking at this unfamiliar monster, the King rubbed his head in frustration. "Just as expected, the card sent to the Graveyard by [Hand Destruction] wasn't [Ancient Rules]. We guessed right."
Then, the President pointed at Shining Dragon and laughed wildly. "Hahahaha! Witness the power of [Blue-Eyes]! [Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon]'s special ability activates!"
When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; negate that monster's effects.
"I choose to seal the ability of [Ultimate Seal God Exodius]."
At that moment, Shining Dragon shone its rainbow light upon Exodius, and the latter immediately withered.
[Ultimate Seal God Exodius: ATK 3000→0]
Yugi frowned. Exodius had been completely crippled just like that, which was rather unfortunate.
Fortunately, he had sent Electromagnetic Turtle to the Graveyard beforehand. Otherwise, if the President targeted Exodius with its zero ATK, Yugi could easily be taken out in an instant.
"I end my turn."
Since Yugi's remaining monsters could not overcome the lofty 2500 ATK either, he had no choice but to end his turn for now.
"My turn, draw!"
[Seto Kaiba's hand: 2→3]
After seeing the card he had drawn, Seto Kaiba's eyes lit up. He immediately inserted it into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card [Melody of Awakening Dragon] from my hand."
Discard 1 card; add up to 2 Dragon monsters with 3000 or more ATK and 2500 or less DEF from your Deck to your hand.
Hearing that effect, the King could not help but complain, "Dragon monsters with 3000 or more ATK and 2500 or less DEF!? Why not just name [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] outright..."
Indeed, the search range was extremely narrow. Most people who used this card were playing a Blue-Eyes Deck.
At that moment, the President had already sent one card from his hand to the Graveyard. "By this effect, I add [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] from my Deck to my hand."
Then he slapped down one of them. "By revealing the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] in my hand, I Special Summon [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon] from my hand!"
As light flashed across the card art, the little sister-in-law appeared once again behind the President.
[Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon: ATK 3000] [Seto Kaiba's hand: 3→2]
After the little sister-in-law took the field, he decisively launched an attack.
The President flung out his arm. "Go, [Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon]! Attack [Ultimate Seal God Exodius]!"
Shining Dragon immediately gathered energy in its mouth.
The President had not let the little sister-in-law attack first because he had no intention of attacking with it at all. Making Yugi use Electromagnetic Turtle's effect was what mattered.
And Yugi truly had no choice but to do so. He hurriedly took a card from his Graveyard. "At the moment you attack, I banish [Electromagnetic Turtle] from my Graveyard to activate its special ability. This Battle Phase ends."
The energy in Shining Dragon's mouth dissipated.
At the same time, Seto Kaiba continued, pointing at Shining Dragon. "Too naive, Yu-gi! Your every move was within my expectations. The instant you activated that effect, you stepped into my trap..."
"[Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon]'s other ability activates!"
When your opponent activates a Spell, Trap, or monster effect: Return this card on the field to its owner's Deck, then Special Summon 1 [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from your Deck.
"Not good!!"
The King immediately panicked and instinctively looked toward Yugi.
"Uh..."
However, Yugi still wore that calm expression. It seemed he had known about the effect all along.
King: Could you at least give me some reaction? You're making this really awkward.
At that moment, the President took the second White Bride from his Deck. "Watch closely, Yugi! This is the truly strongest monster—come forth! Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
With the President's over-the-top declaration, White Bride appeared behind him.
[Blue-Eyes White Dragon: ATK 3000]
"And [Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon]'s special ability activates! Destroy [Silent Swordsman LV5]!"
Boom—!!
The little sister-in-law fired a beam of white light, blasting Silent Swordsman apart in a single strike.
"It's not over yet! By sending the two [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] monsters on my field to the Graveyard, I summon a monster beyond the strongest—[Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon]!"
White Bride and the little sister-in-law fused together, becoming a two-headed giant dragon.
[Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon: DEF 2500]
"Finally, I Set one card. I end my turn."
[Seto Kaiba's hand: 2→1]
Five Array Magician
"My turn, draw!"
[Yugi Muto's hand: 2→3]
After glancing at the card he had just drawn, Yugi's lips rose involuntarily. "I drew a pretty good card. But before I use it..."
He put that card down, then slapped another card from his hand onto the Duel Disk. "I summon [Treasure Panda] in Defense Position from my hand."
As light flashed across the card art, a panda dressed like a cowboy appeared before Yugi.
[Treasure Panda: DEF 2000]
Then Yugi pointed at the panda. "I activate [Treasure Panda]'s special ability."
Banish up to 3 Spell/Trap Cards from your Graveyard face-down; Special Summon 1 Normal Monster from your Deck whose Level equals the number of cards banished.
Hearing that effect, Seto Kaiba immediately realized the issue. "Oh!? A Normal Monster!? Is this another card used to summon [Exodia]?"
Yugi nodded in acknowledgement. Treasure Panda Exodia was a fairly famous strategy, after all, so there was nothing to hide.
Before you continue