Chapter 85: The Duel Between Two Dogs

“An ongoing spell unaffected by any card effect…”
Such a spell card had never been heard of before!
But when he remembered Yugi’s identity, Rashid felt that perhaps this wasn’t so surprising after all. As the president of the world’s largest card printing company, it made perfect sense that he could print himself a continuous spell card immune to any effect, right?
Reasonable… my foot!
Even someone as good-tempered as Rashid couldn’t help cursing Yugi countless times in his mind at this moment.
So what if he’s the president of the biggest card printing company? Does that mean the president can print whatever cards he wants for himself?
Yugi: Sorry, but being able to print cards for myself is actually pretty amazing! And yes, when I print cards, it’s absolutely at my own discretion! Not convinced? Then go become a card printing company president yourself!
Rashid: Damn!
Anyway, with the activation of this continuous spell, Yugi once again began his “stalling tactics” since the Kingdom Finals!
[Yugi: 4000 LP, hand: 0, monster zone: 0, spell/trap zone: Trap Synergy, 4 set cards]
“I have to admit, when it comes to stalling, Yugi is even better than that so-called Rashid!”
On the sidelines, Game, who had dueled Yugi during the Kingdom era and had switched back to his normal persona, couldn’t help commenting after watching Yugi arrange his field.
During the Kingdom era, Yugi’s standard opening was always “Clayman + Clay Crash,” or later, the continuous trap “Soul Barrier.” No matter who went first, he’d always drag an opponent’s monster down with him or prevent his own life points from taking any damage at all!
“Agreed.”
Mai, who had experienced Yugi unleashing three “Hero Barrier” cards in succession, had a deep understanding of his “stalling.” Since she began playing, no one had ever set and activated three identical trap cards in a row! Especially those kinds of cards that block attacks!
“Let’s hope that big, dark Rashid is alright!”
Jonouchi and Honda, hands folded in a gesture of prayer, no longer showed any dislike for Rashid’s trap tactics. Now, their hearts were filled only with sympathy for the opponent.
Sigh, of all people to face, he ends up dueling the ultimate staller, Yugi!
“My turn. Draw.”
Unaware of the spectators’ conversation, Rashid’s pupils contracted sharply as he drew his card for the second turn.
It’s here! The core spell card of the trap deck!

“Field Spell—‘Royal Sanctuary’ Activate!”
Rumbling echoed as a cloud of dust swept outward, and then a massive palace, blue on the outside and golden within, slowly rose from the ground behind Rashid.
“At this moment, I also activate the counter trap ‘Magical Extraction!’”
The card Rashid failed to activate last turn was now played by Yugi.
“Well then, Rashid! Either discard a spell card to negate my counter trap, or watch as your field spell gets destroyed! Choose!”
Rashid only held one card—the second card drawn from “Pot of Greed.” Regardless of what it was, this turn Yugi was determined to force Rashid to either lose his hand or destroy his field spell!
Rashid’s “Royal Sanctuary” wasn’t the OCG version that went from forbidden to limited and then unlimited, but the animated version printed by his clan of Gravekeepers!
It locked the number of set cards the opponent could play during their turn, changing it from unlimited to only one per turn!
A truly outrageous effect!
Glancing at the “Magical Extraction” set on Yugi’s field, Rashid did not choose to follow the card’s written instructions. Instead, he calmly spoke:
“Sorry, Mr. President.”
“After I play this card, the entire field becomes a holy domain for worshipping the Pharaoh. Before this sanctuary, anyone besides the Gravekeepers is considered an intruder!”
“Therefore, your counter trap has no effect on my sanctuary!”
“What?”
As Yugi stared in astonishment, a blazing golden beam shot out from the sanctuary’s massive sealed box, instantly shattering the “Magical Extraction” before Yugi.
“Not to mention, inside the sanctuary’s sealed box, there lies an extremely terrifying card!”
Rashid added, while Yugi’s gaze drifted past Rashid to the sealed box behind him.
‘The counterfeit Winged Dragon of Ra… I didn’t expect it could synergize with the sanctuary even without being summoned, creating such a dazzling effect!’
Yugi withdrew his gaze and pointed at the continuous spell card “Trap Synergy” before him.
“Because I activated the counter trap ‘Magical Extraction,’ the continuous spell ‘Trap Synergy’ inflicts 200 points of damage to your life points!”

This time, the sanctuary did not stir in response to the damaging beam from Trap Synergy—or rather, it simply couldn’t block it!
(Rashid: 4000 LP → 3800 LP)
Two hundred points of damage meant nothing to Rashid.
“Mr. President, I truly did not expect you’d use the same tactics as me.”
A deck with more than half trap cards, a strategy built entirely around traps—no one had ever used such a tactic before.
Rashid thought he was the only one in the world using this kind of deck, and that his “invincibility” was a lonely one. Yet now, the new president of Mirage Corporation, Yugi, was employing the same strategy!
If not for being in the middle of a duel, Rashid would have insisted on discussing trap strategies with Yugi, perhaps persuading him to print more of these cards.
“Since you have no monsters on your field and both of us are playing defense and counterattack, I’ll take the initiative now!”
With a dramatic flourish, Rashid’s three set cards—other than the previously unsuccessful “Magical Extraction”—were all activated at once.
“The card that delivers retribution to those who defile the sacred domain—Continuous Trap ‘Apophis, God of Transformation’ Activate!”
Purple smoke billowed from Rashid’s card, instantly enveloping the field.
“This trap card can only be activated during the main phase, but once it’s played, it instantly summons a monster to protect the sanctuary—Apophis!”
As he spoke, a monster emerged from the purple smoke, wielding a curved blade in its right hand and a shield in its left. Its appearance resembled a fusion of man and serpent: human torso, snake tail, and a serpent’s head protruding from the back of its neck, with purple skin.
(Apophis, God of Transformation ×2, Normal Monster, Reptile-type, Earth Attribute, Level 4, ATK 1600, DEF 1800)
“M-monsters! They actually jumped out of trap cards?!”
The spectators stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the two snake-man monsters that had emerged from the trap cards.
Trap cards themselves could summon monsters to fight!?