Yuyi, Whose Head Was “Caught by the Door”

"Duel!"
Malik: 4000 LP
Yugi: 4000 LP

"So, the turn order falls to me first?"
Glancing at the duel disk’s internal system and its verdict on the first turn, Malik chuckled softly, controlling his puppet to extend its right hand and draw the sixth card from his deck.

"In that case, I’ll immediately summon 'Reviving Slime' in defense position!"
As the puppet placed the card into the monster zone of the duel disk, a blue, jelly-like slime monster appeared on the field, bearing a ghostly demon’s face.

(Reviving Slime, Level 4, Defense: 500)

'A 3D projection has appeared… genuine cards.'
After Yugi dispatched extra patrols and forcibly expelled the Gurus Group, Malik had no choice but to swap his deck for a complete set of authentic cards.

Though Gurus had always used counterfeit cards, it didn’t mean they couldn’t assemble a deck of genuine cards. After all, through their forgeries, they’d amassed considerable wealth; now, they were simply forced to spend it buying real cards.

Still, there weren’t many who could afford to use a genuine deck that could actually stand in a proper duel. Making money from counterfeit cards was ultimately limited.

The only advantage of fake cards was their sheer number, but that also meant their price would inevitably be much lower than real cards. Otherwise, who would buy your fakes instead of the originals?

Other members aside, as the mastermind behind the scenes, Malik—even if he was operating through a puppet—was using a full deck of genuine cards.

Hmph! Don’t think this will constrain Gurus!

"Next, I’ll activate the continuous spell card 'Slime Multiplication Furnace'!"

"Boom!"

With the activation of a continuous spell, a massive furnace appeared on Malik’s field. It billowed steam, exuding a retro mechanical metallic vibe, as large as a small car.

"'Slime Multiplication Furnace'—its effect is as straightforward as its name. During each of my Main Phases, I can special summon a face-up attack position 'Slime Token' to my field."

No sooner had he finished explaining than a blob of blue jelly shot out from the top of the furnace, landing precisely in front of it.

The token had a red demonic face, half the size of the Reviving Slime beside it, balloon-like in form.

(Slime Token, Type: Aqua, Attribute: Water, Level: 1, ATK: 500, DEF: 500)

"Of course, this continuous spell that generates tokens has certain restrictions: whenever I summon, flip summon, or special summon a monster other than 'Slime Token,' this spell card will automatically destroy itself."

While describing the restriction, Malik manipulated the puppet to select a card from the remaining four in his hand, setting it face-down on the field.

[Malik: 4000 LP, Hand: 3, Monster Zone: Reviving Slime, Slime Token, Spell/Trap Zone: Slime Multiplication Furnace, 1 Set Card]

"My turn—draw!"

Examining Malik’s setup, Yugi suddenly frowned. Though the original anime depicted it this way, something didn’t seem right to him.

Reviving Slime, in the anime, had the effect that, regardless of battle or card effect, whenever it was destroyed and sent to the graveyard, its trigger effect would forcibly activate, bringing it back to the field the next moment.

Slime Multiplication Furnace, whether in the anime or OCG, imposed severe summoning restrictions on all monsters except 'Slime Token.' Only face-down normal summons were allowed; no face-up summons, flip summons, or special summons.

The OCG ruled that as long as 'Slime Multiplication Furnace' remained on the field, you couldn’t normal summon monsters face-up. The anime version allowed face-up summons, but the card would self-destruct if you did.

So here’s the question: before Sky Dragon was summoned, when Yugi’s 'Swordmaster of Destruction' destroyed the Reviving Slime twice in battle, why did its revival via special summon not destroy the Slime Multiplication Furnace?

Didn’t the card state that special summoning any monster other than 'Slime Token' would cause the continuous spell to destroy itself? Why didn’t it break then? Was it simply because Reviving Slime was also a 'Slime'—same type, same kinship?

He couldn’t figure it out—absolutely couldn’t!

Forget it, why overthink? The opponent is going to summon Sky Dragon anyway; better to ponder how to counter it.

"Malik, how about we make a pact?"

"?"

"Before you successfully summon the Divine Card—Osiris the Sky Dragon, neither of us will attack the other. What do you think?"

"…"

Such a proposal, Malik had never heard before—it left him utterly dumbfounded.

Wait, before I summon Sky Dragon, you’re not thinking of how to reduce my life points, but suggesting no one attack anyone?

Mr. President, since our first conversation, has your head been caught in a door or what, to propose such a ridiculous idea?

"You must be laughing at my foolish suggestion, right?"

"…"

No need to say it—anyone would think the proposer is an idiot.

"My reasoning is simple: you focus on gathering the tributes needed for the Divine’s arrival, while I use this time to set up my own field and devise a strategy to counter the Divine when it appears."

"…As you wish."

Yugi’s straightforward explanation finally gained Malik’s agreement. Since you insist, I’ll accept; after all, truth be told, he wasn’t losing out—he was profiting!

Think you can devise a way to defeat a Divine? Even in a lifetime, you never will!

If you wish to witness a Divine, then so be it!

'YA☆DA★ZE!'

Hearing Malik’s consent, Yugi was elated. Divine, invincible?

Who said so?

Even with Obelisk the Tormentor, he wouldn’t dare claim invincibility! And Malik, just a six-year-old child—what right does he have?

To declare "invincible" in the world of Duel Monsters—clearly, he knows nothing of defeat!

"Then, it’s my turn!"

"First, I activate the field spell 'Magical City Endymion' from my hand!"

"Rumble—"

With earthquake-like tremors and sounds, a city brimming with magical energy and a Western retro aura rose from beneath the riverbank, swiftly enveloping the entire arena around the two.

"'Magical City Endymion' is a field spell operated around 'Spell Counters.'"

"Spell Counters..."

Tokens were introduced by Phantom Corporation for the City Tournament as part of the new 'Knowledge' card series.

They are created by specific card effects, and can be used to activate certain effects, functioning as a cost to pay.

Tokens come in many forms; the Spell Counter Yugi mentioned was simply a blue, slightly translucent sphere infused with magical energy, featuring a golden equilateral triangle emblem.

"Next, I activate the spell card 'Contact Transformation' from my hand!"