"Duel!"
[Yue Xuan, LP 4000]
[Kagurazaka, LP 4000]
"Hmm, it looks like I'm going first," Yue Xuan remarked, glancing down at his Duel Disk.
"Hmph, it doesn't matter." Kagurazaka stood with his hands on his hips, radiating arrogance. "Now that I possess the ultimate deck, I can no longer lose. Whether I go first or second is irrelevant. Dueling the students of this academy even someone like you is nothing more than a game to me."
"You've really thrown yourself into the role, haven't you?" Yue Xuan muttered.
Privately, Yue Xuan mused that the legendary strength of that deck didn't come from the cards themselves, but from the man who had originally wielded them.
"Well, since I'm facing that deck, I suppose this one is quite fitting," Yue Xuan said with a faint smile, accepting the first move without further ceremony. "My turn, draw!
"I activate the Spell Card, Graceful Charity! I draw three cards from my deck and discard two from my hand. Next, I activate this"
Yue Xuan raised his arm, and the holographic image of a spell card materialized before him.
"Quick-Play Spell: Spellbook Organization! This allows me to check the top three cards of my deck."
He drew three cards in one motion, rearranged their order, and slotted them back onto the top of his deck.
"I'll rearrange them as I like and return them to the top."
Kagurazaka narrowed his eyes. "Rearranging the deck... trying to increase the probability of a specific combo?"
He had studied and analyzed the decks of every prominent duelist in the academy, but Yue Xuan was the one he understood the least. Every time Yue Xuan played, his tactical approach and deck composition were completely different; it was almost impossible to discern a consistent strategy from his finished builds.
However, Kagurazaka had noticed one thing: Yue Xuan loved to suddenly pull out strange, disorienting combos that left his opponents reeling.
"I set one monster and one card face-down," Yue Xuan announced. "Turn end."
"I don't care what your strategy is it won't work against me now! My turn, draw!" Kagurazaka shouted. "I also activate the Spell Card, Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and discard two. Then, I activate the Spell Card, Silent Doom! It allows me to Special Summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position!"
[Queen's Knight, DEF 1600]
"Then, I Normal Summon King's Knight!"
[King's Knight, ATK 1600]
The duel was taking place near the Ra Yellow dormitory. Although it was late, the area wasn't entirely deserted. A Ra Yellow student passing by suddenly pointed toward them. "Look over there! There's a duel happening!"
"Wait, is that 'that guy' from Ra Yellow? Is there actually someone brave enough to duel him?"
"Hold on... I just heard that the King of Games' deck was stolen. Look at those cards... don't they look like...?"
"Nani!?"
The sight of Yue Xuan dueling was already a major attraction in Ra Yellow, but with the added rumor of the "King of Games' deck," a crowd of students quickly gathered.
The Master of Ra Yellow versus the deck of the King of Games! This was the showdown of the year.
"Heh, perfect. It seems even more people will witness the moment I take the number one spot in Ra Yellow," Kagurazaka boasted, his ego inflating to unprecedented levels. "Watch closely! This is the dueling of a King! I activate King's Knight's effect! When this card is Normal Summoned while Queen's Knight is on my field, I can Special Summon Jack's Knight from my deck!"
[Jack's Knight, ATK 1900]
A fan of Yugi Muto among the students shouted in excitement, "I know those! Those are the three knights used to summon the Gods! Back in the day, Yugi Muto used that combo specifically to bring out the Egyptian Gods!"
To put it bluntly, they were the ultimate tribute trio.
"Hmph, unfortunately, there are no Egyptian Gods in this deck," Kagurazaka declared. "However, the bond between my monsters is more than enough to make up for that lack.
I activate the Spell Card from my hand: Royal Straight! By tributing the Queen's Knight, Jack's Knight, and King's Knight on my field, I can Special Summon this card from my deck!"
The three swordsmen dissolved into points of light, their energy converging into a massive summoning gate. Violent currents of golden energy erupted from the portal as a majestic warrior, hand resting on the hilt of his sword, stepped out from the vortex.
"Royal Straight Slasher, summon!"
[Royal Straight Slasher, ATK 2400]
Royal Straight was originally a Normal Spell card that had only been released in the physical game years later with a significant buff, having been changed into a Quick-Play Spell.
As the swordsman with the flowing cape appeared, the surrounding students erupted into cheers.
"The legendary monster!"
"It really is a monster used by the King of Games... he looks incredible!"
Kagurazaka basked in the cheers as if they were for him personally. He waved a hand to continue his move.
"Royal Straight Slasher's effect! Once per turn, I can send one monster each from Levels 1 through 5 from my deck to the Graveyard to destroy all cards on my opponent's field!"
He pulled five cards from his deck and sent them to the Graveyard in a single sweep.
"I send five monsters, Levels 1 to 5, to the Graveyard! All cards on your field are destroyed! Straight Flush Destruction!"
The warrior swung his blade, unleashing a storm of sword-light that swept across the entire field! Yue Xuan's face-down monster and his backrow card were caught in the vortex and shredded to pieces. In the chaos, everyone caught a glimpse of the destroyed face-down card: Mirror Force.
"The Mirror Force defense has been dismantled!" a student gasped. "Unbelievable... to summon a monster like that on the very first turn and wipe the field instantly..."
"Is this the power of the King of Games' deck? It's too strong..."
"Hahaha! I told you, with this deck, I am invincible!" Kagurazaka roared. "No amount of traps or tricks can save you! Not even the 'Indescribable Legend' of Ra Yellow can stand against me!"
Watching Kagurazaka's arrogance reach its peak, Yue Xuan felt like pointing out that he clearly didn't know how the original owner of that deck had eventually been defeated. Yugi would certainly never agree with the theory that "traps are useless."
"Go, Royal Straight Slasher! Direct attack!" Kagurazaka shouted, his morale soaring as he pressed the offensive. "Royal Slash!"
The swordsman lunged forward, his blade gleaming as he aimed a lethal strike at Yue Xuan's empty field.
"You think you've won already? It seems you haven't learned a single thing from the King of Games' deck," Yue Xuan said with a light chuckle.
"What?" Kagurazaka frowned.
"Then let me give you a little hint." Yue Xuan slowly raised his arm. "Witness the power of Yugi Muto's true trump card."
Kagurazaka felt a chill run down his spine.
Yugi Muto's true trump card? Is it... Dark Magician?
"I activate the effect of Clear Kuriboh from my Graveyard," Yue Xuan announced. "When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack, I can banish this card from the Graveyard to draw one card from my deck. If the drawn card is a monster, I can Special Summon it and change the attack target to that monster."
Kagurazaka froze. "!"
In the Graveyard... a Kuriboh!?
Clear Kuriboh was a card Yugi Muto had used years ago in his final public duel against Seto Kaiba.
Of course, by that time, Atem had already departed; it was the "Little Yugi" who had fought Kaiba.
The exhibition deck Kagurazaka held was the one Atem had left behind years ago. Even in that legendary deck, Clear Kuriboh hadn't been included.
Kagurazaka clicked his tongue and said darkly, "Even so, you have to actually draw a monster card"
He stopped mid-sentence, his pupils shrinking as the realization hit him.
Last turn... Spellbook Organization!
Yue Xuan had decided the order of the top cards of his deck himself. Since he had activated Clear Kuriboh's effect, the card at the top was guaranteed to be a monster.
"Based on Clear Kuriboh's effect, I draw."
Yue Xuan calmly drew the card and slammed it onto his field without even looking at it.
"I Special Summon D.D. Warrior Lady in Defense Position! And due to the effect of Clear Kuriboh, your Royal Straight Slasher is forced to attack her!"
Kagurazaka gasped, "Nani!?"
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).