Reading settings
Chapter 412: Valkyrie Arrives
Valkyrie Chariot [DEF 1000]
Magnet Warrior Beta [ATK 1700]
The monster Zigfried von Schroeder had Set on his Field was a Valkyrie riding a galloping chariot. Although it looked quite majestic, this monster only had 500 Attack and 1000 Defense, which was roughly the same level as the Ojama monsters.
Of course, before it was Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard, Yugi glimpsed the word Union in Valkyrie Chariot's card text, meaning Valkyrie Chariot was actually a Union Monster, a type that could only unleash its power by uniting with other monsters.
It was just like the XYZ Monsters that both Hayato and Kaiba had used; they weren't at their maximum power alone, only unleashing their ultimate power when united.
Since Valkyrie Chariot was in Defense Position, even though it was Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard, Zigfried von Schroeder didn't take any Battle Damage. However, next was the Direct Attack from Yugi's other monster, Magnet Warrior Alpha.
"You actually guessed correctly? Damn it." Zigfried von Schroeder was annoyed that his Trap Card didn't activate. "But, Trial of the Traveler is a Continuous Trap, and its effect will continue to apply."
Dark Yugi in the Millennium Puzzle raised an eyebrow. 'It seems this isn't a trial you can pass just once. Aibo, what are you planning to do next?'
"If only I had a card like Mystical Space Typhoon in hand, but right now, I can only continue the attack," Yugi said somewhat helplessly. "Alright, I'll continue to use Magnet Warrior Alpha to Direct Attack the opponent."
Hearing this, Zigfried von Schroeder quickly shuffled the three cards in his hand, changing their positions, and raised his hand, saying, "Because of Magnet Warrior Alpha's Attack Declaration, the effect of Trial of the Traveler activates again!"
"I refuse to believe you can guess correctly this time too!"
The stone Sphinx reappeared, blocking Magnet Warrior Alpha's path. And this time, Yugi still pointed firmly at the card in the middle, "I choose the card in the middle, and I declare it's a Spell Card!"
"Hmph, how could the same position be the same card? Do you think you can use the same—"
Zigfried von Schroeder's voice stopped abruptly. The card Yugi randomly chose shattered with a "crack," and the Sphinx blocking the way also shattered and disappeared.
Magnet Warrior Alpha, holding a Magnet Sword, was now unobstructed between itself and Zigfried von Schroeder. Zigfried von Schroeder could even see the strange light reflected in Magnet Warrior Alpha's dot eyes.
Seeing Magnet Warrior Alpha getting closer and closer, Zigfried von Schroeder immediately pressed another activation button to activate his Set card. "I didn't give permission for such an utterly common monster to touch me!"
"Activate my Set card, the Trap Card Counter Gate! It negates your Direct Attack, and I Draw one card!"
A hazy dimensional wall suddenly appeared in front of Magnet Warrior Alpha. Magnet Warrior Alpha, which was charging forward, failed to brake and crashed directly into it. In just a blink of an eye, Magnet Warrior Alpha found itself back on Yugi's Field, as if it hadn't attacked at all.
Zigfried von Schroeder also Drew a card from the top of his Deck. Seeing the card he Drew, Zigfried von Schroeder's eyebrows twitched, and he showed a smug expression. "When I Draw a Monster Card using the effect of Counter Gate, I can Normal Summon it onto the Field. However, unfortunately, I Drew a Spell Card."
"But, precisely because I Drew this card, your defeat has been woven, Mutou Yuugi!"
Yugi's brows furrowed.
'Did he Draw a key card? Does that mean Zigfried von Schroeder's instant win strategy is coming?'
Dark Yugi in the Millennium Puzzle reminded him, 'Although I don't know what kind of attack method it is, let's set up a defense first, Aibo.'
'Okay, I understand.'
Yugi nodded, looked at his four cards in hand, and chose two of them. "Then my Battle Phase ends. In my Main Phase 2, I Set two cards. I end my turn."
[Yugi: 4000 LP, Hand 2]
Magnet Warrior Alpha [ATK 1400]
Magnet Warrior Beta [ATK 1700]
[Set Card] X2
Seeing Yugi Set two cards, Zigfried von Schroeder was dismissive. "It's useless, useless. The finishing offensive of my Valkyrie Deck cannot be stopped by such a weak defense."
"Now, it's my turn! Draw!"
Looking at the card he Drew, the smile on Zigfried von Schroeder's face grew even smugger. "Heh heh, it seems destiny is on my side. The gods favor me, Zigfried von Schroeder, and have even provided a heavier stake for your defeat, Mutou Yuugi, my opponent."
"I Activate the Spell Card Nibelungen's Treasure! From my Hand or Deck, I Equip one Nibelungen Ring to one of your monsters! Then, as an exchange, I can Draw five cards from my Deck!"
"Draw five cards at once?!" In the audience, Joey Wheeler was very surprised, his face even showing an expression of doubt. "How is that possible? Just one Equip Spell Card can be exchanged for five cards in hand? Is that some kind of fake card?"
Mokuba, sitting behind Joey Wheeler, said annoyed, "Hmph, are you doubting KaibaCorp's technology department? No one can break through KaibaCorp's perfect firewall."
Although it was broken through once yesterday, that wasn't important.
"Furthermore, the card Nibelungen's Treasure isn't some so-called fake card. This card is a legitimate card issued by Industrial Illusions. However, it's said to be a one-of-a-kind card, and it can only be Activated in conjunction with another equally unique card, Nibelungen Ring. That's why you wouldn't know about it."
After a pause, Mokuba continued, "It seems that because of this reason, although Older Brother discussed the Forbidden & Limited List with that Pegasus guy before, he didn't include this card. However, Drawing five cards at once is indeed a bit unfair."
"See? I told you!" Joey Wheeler nodded, also somewhat confused. "How did that Pegasus guy design cards? And what is Nibelungen? Is a Ring that expensive?"
One should know that cards capable of replenishing a large number of cards at once were not nonexistent. For example, Kaiba's Card of Demise, Joey Wheeler's Card of Fate, and the Pot of Greed that many people had and was therefore limited to one. But without exception, these cards with the effect of replenishing a large number of cards all had certain side effects.
The side effect of Card of Demise, although rarely occurring, was not absent: you had to Discard your entire hand during the fifth Standby Phase after activation. Card of Fate required you to Banish as many cards as you Drew. And Pot of Greed was even more potent, letting both players Draw two cards.
How could Nibelungen's Treasure Draw five cards with almost no cost?
From Zigfried von Schroeder's Deck, he searched his Deck for the card Nibelungen Ring and inserted it into his Spell & Trap Zone to Activate it. "Nibelungen Ring, its true name is Andvarinaut. It is a cursed Magic Ring from Norse mythology that brings disaster to whoever possesses it."
"While bringing wealth to its possessor, it is also accompanied by endless misfortune. I'll give this hot potato to you." Zigfried von Schroeder pointed at Magnet Warrior Beta, the monster with the highest Attack on Yugi's Field. "Nibelungen Ring can only be Activated by the effect of Nibelungen's Treasure."
"The Equipped Monster cannot Attack, cannot Change its Battle Position, and its effects are negated. Simultaneously, the controller of the Equipped Monster Draws two cards during their Draw Phase each of their turns and must show me the cards they Drew. If a Monster Card is Drawn, you must Discard one Monster Card from among them."
Joey Wheeler in the audience seemed to understand. "So that's it. One is for Drawing a large number of cards in the short term, and the other is for more cards in the long term? That's a truly reasonable design—"
"—Not!" Joey Wheeler's tsukkomi spirit burned brightly. "If someone finally Summons a powerful monster, he can easily get rid of someone's Ace Monster with just one card!"
Nibelungen Ring could not only restrain attacks and fix the Battle Position, but also seal the monster's effects. This meant that even Joey Wheeler's Gearfried the Iron Knight would be restrained by this Equip Card.
Furthermore, compared to Drawing two cards in the long term, Drawing five cards in the short term was clearly stronger. This card was too unfair, wasn't it?
But no matter how much Joey Wheeler complained, Magnet Warrior Beta on Yugi's Field was ultimately Equipped with Nibelungen Ring. However, although it was called a Ring, the form shown in the virtual projection was an overly large headband, fitted onto Magnet Warrior Beta's U-shaped magnet head.
Looking at its size, perhaps it was a Ring of a giant or a demonic beast?
However, although it was made of metal, Nibelungen Ring wasn't firmly stuck by the magnet and could still move freely. It seemed to have the purpose of some kind of magic power; anyway, it couldn't possibly be stainless steel.
While Equipping Nibelungen Ring to Magnet Warrior Beta, Zigfried von Schroeder also Drew five cards from his Deck. Adding the cards in hand from Drawing cards due to Counter Gate last turn, his hand size was now an astonishing nine cards.
"Now, are you ready to face this final attack, Mutou Yuugi? Watch closely, this is the ultimate power of the Valkyrie Deck!" Zigfried von Schroeder Drew a card from his hand. "I Activate the Spell Card Ride of the Valkyries! Come forth, my Valkyries!"
"Cleanse the filth and sin before me! Valkyrie Fourth, Valkyrie Third, Valkyrie Second, and Valkyrie First!"
After playing the card Ride of the Valkyries, Zigfried von Schroeder extremely smugly played all four cards in his hand. In an instant, four monsters appeared simultaneously on his Field, and he hadn't even used his Normal Summon for this turn yet!
"He Summoned four monsters in an instant!?" Yugi looked in surprise at the four Valkyries of different appearances and ages that appeared on Zigfried von Schroeder's Field. "What exactly is Ride of the Valkyries...?"
"Since you asked with sincerity, I shall mercifully tell you." Zigfried von Schroeder said smugly, "The effect of Ride of the Valkyries is to Special Summon all 'Valkyrie' monsters from my Hand. However, monsters Special Summoned by this effect are returned to my Deck during the End Phase of this turn."
"However, I don't have an End Phase." At the end, Zigfried von Schroeder said something nonsensical, which made Yugi feel a little strange.
Although several monsters were Summoned at once, Yugi's pressure was relatively not very great. On one hand, it was because the Valkyries only surprised him in terms of quantity; their Attack was not very high. On the other hand, it was because he had defense measures prepared in his Backrow.
Valkyrie Fourth [Level 3/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect] [1400/1400]
Valkyrie Third [Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect] [1000/1600]
Valkyrie Second [Level 5/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect] [1600/1600]
Valkyrie First [Level 6/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect] [1600/1800]
Among the four Valkyrie monsters, even the ones with the highest Attack, Valkyrie Second and Valkyrie First, only had 1600 Attack. And looking at the naming convention of the Valkyrie monster series, Yugi felt that as long as cards like Father or Mother didn't appear next, Long Nu should be at the top.
Even Long Nu couldn't beat the 1700 Attack of Magnet Warrior Beta on his field. It didn't matter if he was sealed from attacking and changing forms, there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.
However, at the same time, the cautious Yugi still maintained a hint of vigilance. If the power of the Valkyries was limited to this, how did Zigfried von Schroeder get into the official competition? And he still hadn't used that "instant end the battle" ability.
So Yugi believed that maybe these Valkyries of different ages had effects that hadn't been activated yet.
Sure enough, Yugi had just thought of this possibility when Zigfried von Schroeder declared, "When Valkyrie Second is Summoned/Special Summoned, she has an effect that can be activated!"
"Target one monster on the opponent's field and destroy it!"
Yugi couldn't help but reveal a "just as I thought" expression. Without waiting for Valkyrie Second to move to activate her effect, he pressed the button on the Duel Disk to activate a Set card. "Before your effect takes effect, I will use my Set card!"
Valkyrie Chariot [DEF 1000]
Magnet Warrior Beta [ATK 1700]
The monster Zigfried von Schroeder had Set on his Field was a Valkyrie riding a galloping chariot. Although it looked quite majestic, this monster only had 500 Attack and 1000 Defense, which was roughly the same level as the Ojama monsters.
Of course, before it was Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard, Yugi glimpsed the word Union in Valkyrie Chariot's card text, meaning Valkyrie Chariot was actually a Union Monster, a type that could only unleash its power by uniting with other monsters.
It was just like the XYZ Monsters that both Hayato and Kaiba had used; they weren't at their maximum power alone, only unleashing their ultimate power when united.
Since Valkyrie Chariot was in Defense Position, even though it was Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard, Zigfried von Schroeder didn't take any Battle Damage. However, next was the Direct Attack from Yugi's other monster, Magnet Warrior Alpha.
"You actually guessed correctly? Damn it." Zigfried von Schroeder was annoyed that his Trap Card didn't activate. "But, Trial of the Traveler is a Continuous Trap, and its effect will continue to apply."
Dark Yugi in the Millennium Puzzle raised an eyebrow. 'It seems this isn't a trial you can pass just once. Aibo, what are you planning to do next?'
"If only I had a card like Mystical Space Typhoon in hand, but right now, I can only continue the attack," Yugi said somewhat helplessly. "Alright, I'll continue to use Magnet Warrior Alpha to Direct Attack the opponent."
Hearing this, Zigfried von Schroeder quickly shuffled the three cards in his hand, changing their positions, and raised his hand, saying, "Because of Magnet Warrior Alpha's Attack Declaration, the effect of Trial of the Traveler activates again!"
"I refuse to believe you can guess correctly this time too!"
The stone Sphinx reappeared, blocking Magnet Warrior Alpha's path. And this time, Yugi still pointed firmly at the card in the middle, "I choose the card in the middle, and I declare it's a Spell Card!"
"Hmph, how could the same position be the same card? Do you think you can use the same—"
Zigfried von Schroeder's voice stopped abruptly. The card Yugi randomly chose shattered with a "crack," and the Sphinx blocking the way also shattered and disappeared.
Magnet Warrior Alpha, holding a Magnet Sword, was now unobstructed between itself and Zigfried von Schroeder. Zigfried von Schroeder could even see the strange light reflected in Magnet Warrior Alpha's dot eyes.
Seeing Magnet Warrior Alpha getting closer and closer, Zigfried von Schroeder immediately pressed another activation button to activate his Set card. "I didn't give permission for such an utterly common monster to touch me!"
"Activate my Set card, the Trap Card Counter Gate! It negates your Direct Attack, and I Draw one card!"
A hazy dimensional wall suddenly appeared in front of Magnet Warrior Alpha. Magnet Warrior Alpha, which was charging forward, failed to brake and crashed directly into it. In just a blink of an eye, Magnet Warrior Alpha found itself back on Yugi's Field, as if it hadn't attacked at all.
Zigfried von Schroeder also Drew a card from the top of his Deck. Seeing the card he Drew, Zigfried von Schroeder's eyebrows twitched, and he showed a smug expression. "When I Draw a Monster Card using the effect of Counter Gate, I can Normal Summon it onto the Field. However, unfortunately, I Drew a Spell Card."
"But, precisely because I Drew this card, your defeat has been woven, Mutou Yuugi!"
Yugi's brows furrowed.
'Did he Draw a key card? Does that mean Zigfried von Schroeder's instant win strategy is coming?'
Dark Yugi in the Millennium Puzzle reminded him, 'Although I don't know what kind of attack method it is, let's set up a defense first, Aibo.'
'Okay, I understand.'
Yugi nodded, looked at his four cards in hand, and chose two of them. "Then my Battle Phase ends. In my Main Phase 2, I Set two cards. I end my turn."
[Yugi: 4000 LP, Hand 2]
Magnet Warrior Alpha [ATK 1400]
Magnet Warrior Beta [ATK 1700]
[Set Card] X2
Seeing Yugi Set two cards, Zigfried von Schroeder was dismissive. "It's useless, useless. The finishing offensive of my Valkyrie Deck cannot be stopped by such a weak defense."
"Now, it's my turn! Draw!"
Looking at the card he Drew, the smile on Zigfried von Schroeder's face grew even smugger. "Heh heh, it seems destiny is on my side. The gods favor me, Zigfried von Schroeder, and have even provided a heavier stake for your defeat, Mutou Yuugi, my opponent."
"I Activate the Spell Card Nibelungen's Treasure! From my Hand or Deck, I Equip one Nibelungen Ring to one of your monsters! Then, as an exchange, I can Draw five cards from my Deck!"
"Draw five cards at once?!" In the audience, Joey Wheeler was very surprised, his face even showing an expression of doubt. "How is that possible? Just one Equip Spell Card can be exchanged for five cards in hand? Is that some kind of fake card?"
Mokuba, sitting behind Joey Wheeler, said annoyed, "Hmph, are you doubting KaibaCorp's technology department? No one can break through KaibaCorp's perfect firewall."
Although it was broken through once yesterday, that wasn't important.
"Furthermore, the card Nibelungen's Treasure isn't some so-called fake card. This card is a legitimate card issued by Industrial Illusions. However, it's said to be a one-of-a-kind card, and it can only be Activated in conjunction with another equally unique card, Nibelungen Ring. That's why you wouldn't know about it."
After a pause, Mokuba continued, "It seems that because of this reason, although Older Brother discussed the Forbidden & Limited List with that Pegasus guy before, he didn't include this card. However, Drawing five cards at once is indeed a bit unfair."
"See? I told you!" Joey Wheeler nodded, also somewhat confused. "How did that Pegasus guy design cards? And what is Nibelungen? Is a Ring that expensive?"
One should know that cards capable of replenishing a large number of cards at once were not nonexistent. For example, Kaiba's Card of Demise, Joey Wheeler's Card of Fate, and the Pot of Greed that many people had and was therefore limited to one. But without exception, these cards with the effect of replenishing a large number of cards all had certain side effects.
The side effect of Card of Demise, although rarely occurring, was not absent: you had to Discard your entire hand during the fifth Standby Phase after activation. Card of Fate required you to Banish as many cards as you Drew. And Pot of Greed was even more potent, letting both players Draw two cards.
How could Nibelungen's Treasure Draw five cards with almost no cost?
From Zigfried von Schroeder's Deck, he searched his Deck for the card Nibelungen Ring and inserted it into his Spell & Trap Zone to Activate it. "Nibelungen Ring, its true name is Andvarinaut. It is a cursed Magic Ring from Norse mythology that brings disaster to whoever possesses it."
"While bringing wealth to its possessor, it is also accompanied by endless misfortune. I'll give this hot potato to you." Zigfried von Schroeder pointed at Magnet Warrior Beta, the monster with the highest Attack on Yugi's Field. "Nibelungen Ring can only be Activated by the effect of Nibelungen's Treasure."
"The Equipped Monster cannot Attack, cannot Change its Battle Position, and its effects are negated. Simultaneously, the controller of the Equipped Monster Draws two cards during their Draw Phase each of their turns and must show me the cards they Drew. If a Monster Card is Drawn, you must Discard one Monster Card from among them."
Joey Wheeler in the audience seemed to understand. "So that's it. One is for Drawing a large number of cards in the short term, and the other is for more cards in the long term? That's a truly reasonable design—"
"—Not!" Joey Wheeler's tsukkomi spirit burned brightly. "If someone finally Summons a powerful monster, he can easily get rid of someone's Ace Monster with just one card!"
Nibelungen Ring could not only restrain attacks and fix the Battle Position, but also seal the monster's effects. This meant that even Joey Wheeler's Gearfried the Iron Knight would be restrained by this Equip Card.
Furthermore, compared to Drawing two cards in the long term, Drawing five cards in the short term was clearly stronger. This card was too unfair, wasn't it?
But no matter how much Joey Wheeler complained, Magnet Warrior Beta on Yugi's Field was ultimately Equipped with Nibelungen Ring. However, although it was called a Ring, the form shown in the virtual projection was an overly large headband, fitted onto Magnet Warrior Beta's U-shaped magnet head.
Looking at its size, perhaps it was a Ring of a giant or a demonic beast?
However, although it was made of metal, Nibelungen Ring wasn't firmly stuck by the magnet and could still move freely. It seemed to have the purpose of some kind of magic power; anyway, it couldn't possibly be stainless steel.
While Equipping Nibelungen Ring to Magnet Warrior Beta, Zigfried von Schroeder also Drew five cards from his Deck. Adding the cards in hand from Drawing cards due to Counter Gate last turn, his hand size was now an astonishing nine cards.
"Now, are you ready to face this final attack, Mutou Yuugi? Watch closely, this is the ultimate power of the Valkyrie Deck!" Zigfried von Schroeder Drew a card from his hand. "I Activate the Spell Card Ride of the Valkyries! Come forth, my Valkyries!"
"Cleanse the filth and sin before me! Valkyrie Fourth, Valkyrie Third, Valkyrie Second, and Valkyrie First!"
After playing the card Ride of the Valkyries, Zigfried von Schroeder extremely smugly played all four cards in his hand. In an instant, four monsters appeared simultaneously on his Field, and he hadn't even used his Normal Summon for this turn yet!
"He Summoned four monsters in an instant!?" Yugi looked in surprise at the four Valkyries of different appearances and ages that appeared on Zigfried von Schroeder's Field. "What exactly is Ride of the Valkyries...?"
"Since you asked with sincerity, I shall mercifully tell you." Zigfried von Schroeder said smugly, "The effect of Ride of the Valkyries is to Special Summon all 'Valkyrie' monsters from my Hand. However, monsters Special Summoned by this effect are returned to my Deck during the End Phase of this turn."
"However, I don't have an End Phase." At the end, Zigfried von Schroeder said something nonsensical, which made Yugi feel a little strange.
Although several monsters were Summoned at once, Yugi's pressure was relatively not very great. On one hand, it was because the Valkyries only surprised him in terms of quantity; their Attack was not very high. On the other hand, it was because he had defense measures prepared in his Backrow.
Valkyrie Fourth [Level 3/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect] [1400/1400]
Valkyrie Third [Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect] [1000/1600]
Valkyrie Second [Level 5/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect] [1600/1600]
Valkyrie First [Level 6/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect] [1600/1800]
Among the four Valkyrie monsters, even the ones with the highest Attack, Valkyrie Second and Valkyrie First, only had 1600 Attack. And looking at the naming convention of the Valkyrie monster series, Yugi felt that as long as cards like Father or Mother didn't appear next, Long Nu should be at the top.
Even Long Nu couldn't beat the 1700 Attack of Magnet Warrior Beta on his field. It didn't matter if he was sealed from attacking and changing forms, there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.
However, at the same time, the cautious Yugi still maintained a hint of vigilance. If the power of the Valkyries was limited to this, how did Zigfried von Schroeder get into the official competition? And he still hadn't used that "instant end the battle" ability.
So Yugi believed that maybe these Valkyries of different ages had effects that hadn't been activated yet.
Sure enough, Yugi had just thought of this possibility when Zigfried von Schroeder declared, "When Valkyrie Second is Summoned/Special Summoned, she has an effect that can be activated!"
"Target one monster on the opponent's field and destroy it!"
Yugi couldn't help but reveal a "just as I thought" expression. Without waiting for Valkyrie Second to move to activate her effect, he pressed the button on the Duel Disk to activate a Set card. "Before your effect takes effect, I will use my Set card!"
