Yugioh [781-783]

Chapter 781: The God of Gambling Must Prove Himself

"NANI!?"

Only now did Pegasus start to panic.

His unbeatable strongest shield, Mirror Force, was useless when no card effects could be activated.

Also, while back in Duelist Kingdom the Toon monsters all had those ad-libbed "can flexibly dodge attacks and can't be targeted" kinds of effects, once the story reached Battle City and the rules were progressively standardized by KaibaCorp, those early, unregulated ad-lib effects were abolished.

So when Pegasus later made cameo returns in the movie and the GX anime, you could see that under the modern rules his Toons had lost their old invincibility, and were instead revised to have the ability to attack directly.

Of course, to make up for the nerf caused by version changes, Pegasus had countermeasures.

The new card "Toon Kingdom" that only appeared in GX was how he reinforced Toons to compensate for the loss of their resistances.

"Then the effect of 'Toon Kingdom'!" Pegasus shouted. "If a Toon monster on your field would be destroyed by battle during battle, you can instead banish the top card of your Deck to prevent that monster's battle destruction!" (Anime effect)

This effect and its activation cost both differ from the real card.

In the anime, activating Toon Kingdom required banishing the top five cards of your Deck, and replacing destruction also banished the top card.

In the real card, upon activation you banish the top three cards of your Deck face-down, and for replacement you banish the top card face-down as well.

Don't underestimate those two words "face-down." In today's Yu-Gi-Oh!, while not everyone treats banished cards like a second hand, quite a few decks do—many banish-focused strategies treat banished cards like no different from the hand—no, arguably even more convenient than being in hand.

But face-down banish is different. Face-down banish means the card is banished face-down. Under Yu-Gi-Oh! rules, face-down banished is an "unconfirmed" state.

Cards banished face-down can't have their type determined, so there are virtually no ways to retrieve them. And even if a card has a "when banished" trigger, most such effects won't trigger if it's banished face-down.

In other words, for many decks, face-up banish might feel like going home, but face-down banish really is "missing from this duel for real."

Joey reminded him: "But when Archfiend Black Skull Dragon attacks, neither player can activate any card effects, including Spell effects!"

No ad-libbing allowed.

"But it only says 'cannot activate,' not that all effects are negated."

Pegasus argued forcefully.

"'Toon Kingdom' has a continuous-type effect that applies without activation, so it isn't affected by Black Skull Dragon's effect.

Therefore, I'll banish the top card of my Deck to prevent 'Toon Dark Magician Girl' from being destroyed in battle!"

Pegasus drew the top card from his Deck and casually placed it aside to indicate banishment. The thunderous black flame blasted by the Black Skull Dragon crashed toward the Toon spellcaster girl; the lightning reflecting in her eyes turned her face pale with fright, freezing her in place.

But a transparent barrier released by Toon Kingdom appeared in front of her and blocked all the lightning and black flames.

"Only the destruction is prevented," Joey barked. "Battle damage still applies!"

[Pegasus, LP 4000 → 2800]

Blasted back two steps by the shock of black flame and lightning, Pegasus's face flushed and paled alternately. After steadying himself, he snorted.

"Not bad, Joey Boy."

But before he could finish, Joey clicked his tongue twice, wagged his finger smugly, and chuckled.

"You don't think the evolved Black Skull Dragon is only that strong, do you?"

"What?"

Pegasus's face changed again.

"Archfiend Black Skull Dragon's follow-up effect activates!"

Joey cried out in a clear voice.

"At the end of the Battle Phase in which this Fusion Summoned card battled: target 1 'Red-Eyes' Normal Monster in your GY; shuffle it into the Deck, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's original ATK!"

Pegasus: "!!!"

Pegasus's eyes went wide—what people call "pupils shaking."

Because he really was panicking.

A Red-Eyes in the GY—that means…

"Right. I'll return the 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon' I just sent to the GY for the Fusion back to the Deck!"

Joey took the Red-Eyes Black Dragon from the Graveyard as it popped to his hand.

On the field, Black Skull Dragon roared, and a draconic silhouette separated from its body. The translucent Red-Eyes figure soon looked as if it were burning, flames latching onto the black dragon, becoming a ferocious flaming dragon!

"I inflict damage to Pegasus equal to Red-Eyes Black Dragon's ATK—2400!"

Black Skull Dragon threw back its head and roared; the burning Red-Eyes shot out like a cannon shell, the flames swallowing Pegasus whole, even making his elegant red suit look as if it were ablaze.

"Aaaaah—"

Losing his gentlemanly poise and calm, Pegasus cried out in pain.

[Pegasus, LP 2800 → 400]

"How's that, you card-printing scumbag!"

Joey preened.

"Now do you see how powerful the friendship between me and Yugi is?"

Back then he'd scorned Pegasus for designing bespoke cards and rules for himself. After all these years, being able to slap him in the face like this felt pretty great.

"I set 1 card and end my turn," Joey said.

Pegasus's body swayed as if he could barely keep his footing.

He panted heavily, hand absent-mindedly raking his hair that had been blown into a mess, taking a good while before regaining his breath.

Then he looked up, narrowing his eyes at Joey.

"It seems you really are a bit different now, Joey Boy."

Pegasus no longer spoke in his earlier teasing tone.

He seemed truly serious now.

Joey had never told anyone, but in truth he had been training these years.

Yes, he hadn't entered any tournaments or been active in the dueling world. But that didn't mean he'd given up dueling.

On the contrary, he had a dream—or rather, a wish.

To cast off the title of "God of Gambling"!

 Even now, whenever people mention his shining moments—reaching the semifinals of Battle City, clashing with the Egyptian Gods, crushing the Doma Swordsmen—they end with "just dumb luck."

And he found that aside from saying "luck is a part of strength," it was hard to refute. Because many of his crucial battles did rely on dice and coins.

But now he would change that!

 He would prove that he, Joey Wheeler, is not just dumb luck.

Even without dice and coins, he is a legendary duelist!

Chapter 782: The Advent of Relinquished

"My turn, draw."

Pegasus stood up straight; his expression showed he was completely serious now.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Card of Sanctity'." 

Pegasus revealed the card he drew.

"Both players draw until they have six cards in their hands." (Anime Effect)

Both players drew from their Decks.

"Next, I activate the Ritual Spell 'Pre-Preparation of Rites'!" Pegasus said. "Add 1 Ritual Spell from your Deck to your hand, then add 1 Ritual Monster listed on that Ritual Spell from your Deck or GY."

"Rituals?" Joey quickly made a connection. "Masaka (don't tell me)…"

"Precisely that 'Masaka.'"

Pegasus chuckled, pulled out his Deck from the Duel Disk, fanned it in his hand, and quickly picked out a card to add to his hand.

Yes, indeed: as the father of Duel Monsters and President of Industrial Illusions, Pegasus still used an old-style Duel Disk without KaibaCorp's new auto-search and auto-shuffle features.

But Pegasus was always a nostalgic man. In fact, back in the Pyramid of Light movie era, when Duel Disks were already widespread, Pegasus refused to use one and stuck with his old bulky duel field device—earning him Kaiba's "old fossil" jab.

Even his current Duel Disk was something he only recently started using.

"From my Deck, I add the Ritual Spell 'Black Illusion Ritual' and the Ritual Monster 'Relinquished' listed on it to my hand."

"So it's coming… Relinquished?" Joey went on alert.

Relinquished—of course he hadn't forgotten. Back then, it even forced Yugi into a corner and left deep psychological shadows on the young crew—an early NTR demon.

He knew this was Pegasus's ace among aces—something he brought out only against opponents he felt even his Toons could not handle.

"I activate the Ritual Spell 'Black Illusion Ritual'!" Pegasus said. "By tributing monsters from my hand or field with a total Level of 1 or more, I Ritual Summon 'Relinquished' from my hand!

 I tribute 'Toon Dark Magician Girl' on my field!"

The Toon spellcaster girl covered her eyes in fear, then was swallowed by roiling darkness.

Green light lanced from the mist of darkness; a colossal, mysterious altar seemed to rise in the void. Sharp claws like blades from the abyss, a massive body set with a single green-glowing eye, like a gaze from another dimension, exuding unspeakable dread.

[Relinquished, ATK 0]

"There it is—Relinquished." Joey grit his teeth. "The monster that once even left Yugi helpless…"

"Hahaha, good—you still remember that fear," Pegasus smiled. "Let me refresh your memory!

Relinquished's effect: once per turn, it can absorb 1 monster your opponent controls as an Equip Card, and gain that monster's ATK and DEF!"

Pegasus swept his hand proudly.

"The crystallization of your friendship—Archfiend Black Skull Dragon—will be mine!"

Relinquished's green eye slowly opened. Then surged an overwhelming darkness, an intangible black fog. Even a monster as strong as Archfiend Black Skull Dragon couldn't resist. Even its inextinguishable flames seemed to dissipate into the dark, until it was completely swallowed and vanished.

When the flames rekindled, they were on the other side of the field.

Archfiend Black Skull Dragon had been absorbed into Relinquished.

[Relinquished, ATK 0 → ATK 3200]

"Oh, look—what a beautiful figure!" Pegasus taunted from on high. "The crystallization of your friendship is impressive indeed."

Joey's mouth twitched.

"Damn you, Pegasus…"

Just you wait—I'll kill you for this.

"Battle." Pegasus smiled. "To die at the hands of your friendship incarnate—consider it a worthy end, Joey Boy.

Relinquished—attack Joey Boy directly!"

Relinquished released another wave of black fog, like invisible strings that manipulated the bound Black Skull Dragon. The dragon, a puppet on strings, mechanically swung its claws; a burning fireball shot straight at Joey.

"But Relinquished only absorbs ATK—it doesn't get monster effects!"

As the fireball was about to hit, flames were reflected clearly in Joey's pupils. At the last split second, he slammed the button for his set backrow.

"I activate my set Trap, 'Nutrient Z'!

 When you would take 2000 or more battle damage, during damage calculation: gain 4000 LP!"

[Joey, LP 2000 → 6000]

The erupting flames hit. The quasi-real damage practically blew Joey into the air; he spun several times midair, his body smoking, before crashing to the ground in a heap.

[Joey, LP 6000 → 2800]

With such exaggerated knockback, a normal person would be crippled if not dead.

But as everyone knows, long-time duelists have physiques beyond common sense—let alone a super-soldier like Joey, who once fought barehanded in the Orichalcos debacle against armored Valon.

Blown into a midair spin, he was down for only three seconds before pushing himself up again, even wiping the corner of his mouth.

"Damn you, Pegasus—that really hurt…"

"Good spirit, Joey Boy."

Pegasus smirked playfully.

"You may have improved a lot, but unfortunately, that changes nothing."

Joey frowned.

"What are you getting at?"

"I mean: you're called a legendary duelist, but in truth, you're insignificant."

Pegasus spoke calmly.

"People call you a legend, but when they talk about you, what they really mention is merely 'the first Duel King's closest friend.'"

"But if you strip away that filter, you know very well that you're just a mortal."

Half of Pegasus's face was hidden under his long hair; the other half was shadowed, making him look rather eerie.

"You're an insignificant mortal, repeatedly dragged into the world of the extraordinary by coincidences. But even so, that doesn't make you one of them."

"You've survived battles among gods and demons time and again, but what you relied on was luck. Luck runs out someday. When that day comes, what will you do?"

Chapter 783: The Evolved Red-Eyes

"When luck runs out…"

Joey closed his eyes.

Then he chuckled twice—an odd, almost creepy laugh.

"Oh? What's so funny?" Pegasus narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing," Joey said lightly. "It's just—Pegasus, you…"

He lifted his head, scorn in his eyes.

"Without your Millennium Eye, you really are second-rate."

"What did you say?"

Anger flashed across Pegasus's face.

He controlled it well and immediately returned to normal.

"Is that so, Joey Boy? It seems you really do have some bite now. Then let me see if your strength matches your confidence.

I set two cards."

He slid two cards from his hand and set them with a flourish.

"My turn ends."

"As you wish—watch closely and see my power.

My turn—draw!"

Joey drew, pausing as he glanced at the opponent's backrow.

Three set cards, one of which was the "Mirror Force" that failed to activate last turn.

Pegasus might think Joey had forgotten, but tough luck—Joey's memory was sharp.

One way or another, he had to deal with Mirror Force first. Without Black Skull Dragon, he no longer had trap immunity; he needed to attack cautiously.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Graceful Charity'."

He slid the Spell into the Duel Disk.

"Draw three cards, then discard two."

He currently had no way to play around traps.

"Come on, my Deck—give me strength…"

Joey drew.

"I set three cards," he said. "Then I activate the Spell 'Card Destruction'! Both players discard their entire hands, then draw the same number of cards!"

Three more set cards appeared. Then he discarded his hand and drew anew.

Pegasus drew as well, chuckling: "Trying to dig for an answer through draws, are we?"

"Not done yet. 'Card Destruction' hit the Spell 'Card of Compensation'," Joey said. "I draw two more cards."

After the flood of draws, Joey's face lit up.

"Grandpa was right—if you believe, your Deck will always answer."

The Grandpa was of course not his own, but Yugi's grandfather, the famous perennial Millennium hostage Solomon Muto—also Joey's dueling mentor.

"I Normal Summon 'Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight'!"

The Gearfried the Iron Knight, a Joey staple of the early days—popular for a solid 1800 ATK at Level 4 and a sleek design.

Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight is his new guise; in recent years Gearfried hitched a ride on the Red-Eyes train, gaining the proud Red-Eyes tag to become part of the archetype.

[Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight, ATK 1800]

"Then the effect of 'Black Metal Dragon' in my hand," Joey continued. "During my Main Phase: I can target 1 'Red-Eyes' monster I control and equip this card from my hand or field to it."

"Equip to a Red-Eyes monster…" Pegasus mused. "I see—Gearfried has evolved into a member of Red-Eyes."

"Exactly. So Black Metal Dragon equips to Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight! The equipped monster gains 600 ATK!"

Joey smiled.

"But you haven't forgotten the original Gearfried's effect, have you, President Pegasus?"

"Gearfried the Iron Knight cannot be equipped with any Equip Cards," Pegasus, father of Duel Monsters, answered easily. "Any Equip Card equipped to it is destroyed."

"Right, and Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight inherits a similar, but stronger, effect!

 Once per turn, if an Equip Card becomes equipped to it: destroy that Equip Card, then target 1 Spell/Trap your opponent controls; destroy it!"

Joey pointed at the set trap that had been there since last turn and failed to activate.

"I'll destroy your set 'Mirror Force'!"

The moment Black Metal Dragon equipped, it exploded with a bang. Gearfried's blade flashed, a slash sent a wave that cleaved Pegasus's backrow in two—revealing Mirror Force.

"Tch."

Pegasus clicked his tongue.

What a pity—the strongest shield never got to shine…

"And when 'Black Metal Dragon' is sent from the field to the GY, it has something to say," Joey grinned. "Add 1 'Red-Eyes' card from your Deck to your hand."

He searched and revealed a Red-Eyes card.

"I add 'Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon' to my hand!"

"Gearfried and Black Metal Dragon—destroying my Mirror Force to crack my defense, and turning that destruction into search advantage," Pegasus said, face growing solemn.

Though he called Joey a luck-ridden nobody, some of that was trash talk—a standard psychological ploy mid-duel. In his heart, he didn't dare underestimate the strength Joey had shown.

"Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon cannot be Normal Summoned; it must first be Special Summoned by tributing a 'Red-Eyes' monster from my hand or field."

Joey continued.

"So I tribute 'Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight'—

—Special Summon Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon!!!"

Sky-piercing flames devoured the steel knight. From the endless blaze came a dragon's roar that seemed to tear the heavens.

The hall filled with dense black smoke; broken flames danced across the sky. Rivers of magma churned as if stirred by a giant unseen hand, coalescing with the roar into a pitch-black dragon whose every scale looked forged in lava, eyes dark red with omen and fury, its bellow shaking the mountains.

[Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon, ATK 2400]

"A new Red-Eyes subspecies?" Pegasus said. "But with only 2400 ATK, it can't defeat Relinquished empowered by Black Skull Dragon."

"Tch—stealing someone else's monster and still acting cocky…"

Joey scoffed.

"Then watch closely—the ultimate evolution of my Red-Eyes!

 Battle—Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon attacks Relinquished!"

Pegasus's heart jolted.

Attacking with the weaker monster—

 There's a trick!

Alternative Black Dragon spat a blazing ball of fire barreling toward Pegasus.

Relinquished's green eye opened; black mist billowed, and from it emerged the NTR'd Black Skull Dragon to intercept.

Alternative Black Dragon was no match; in a single clash it was battered back and exploded in the flames.

[Joey, LP 2800 → 2000]

Joey raised an arm to shield himself, then chuckled.

"Just as planned."

Pegasus: "What?"

"Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon's effect. If this card is destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect: Special Summon 1 Level 7 or lower 'Red-Eyes' monster from your GY.

I'll Special Summon the card I sent back to the GY with 'Graceful Charity' at the start of this turn."

He pulled a card from his GY and showed Pegasus.

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Joey declared. "And if the target Special Summoned by Alternative Black Dragon's effect is 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon,' its original ATK is doubled!"

Pegasus: "!"