Mokuba: "..."
From the moment he saw the design of this dragon, he'd been wondering—does this thing have some family connection to Slifer Red? That head looks like it could be the same species.
And now, hearing the opponent say that this dragon's attack is "number of cards in hand x 1000"...
Hmm, must be a coincidence, definitely a coincidence.
Just like how the Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, also has an Slifer Red-like face and attack power calculated based on traps in the graveyard x 1000—surely, all just coincidences.
Candelato, the Beast of Light, this thing is also a card exclusive to the anime's Light of Destruction, and never got a physical card. Of course, unlike those old overpowered cards that couldn't be printed due to their brokenness, this one probably was just forgotten.
You have to discard two cards to summon it—in other words, you're spending three cards to get it on the field.
So, a big monster that costs three cards to summon should be really strong, right?
But actually, it's not. Its only positive effect is cosplaying as Slifer Red the Sky Dragon, making its attack "number of cards in hand x 1000." But does it have a hard, dominating ability like Raigeki? Sorry, nope.
Instead, it has a severe downside: "As long as this card is on your field, you skip your draw phase."
Oh, and by the way, it can't attack the turn it's summoned.
So as a three-for-one big monster, its only use is for attack points, but it can't even attack the turn it comes out. And then it skips your own draw phase. With such a heavy drawback, its tiny positive effect is basically negligible.
"I set two cards face-down and end my turn!" said the alien.
"With your cards set, your hand size decreases, and so does your monster's attack!" Jaden said.
[Candelato, the Beast of Light, ATK 5000 → ATK 3000]
"Even so, that's still Blue-Eyes White Dragon level attack." Mokuba commented, "Not that easy to deal with."
"My turn, draw."
Jaden drew a card, narrowed his eyes, and thought for a moment.
"I set a monster in face-down defense position, then set two more cards. Turn end."
"Jaden also started with such a defensive play?"
Mokuba was a bit surprised. He remembered Jaden as a hot-blooded, aggressive duelist when they first met.
Seems like his style has changed. He wondered who Jaden had learned from.
Thinking of this, Mokuba couldn't help secretly glancing at a certain someone next to him.
"At your end phase, I activate a set card," said the alien. "Trap Card 'Reckless Greed'! Draw two cards from the deck, but skip my next two draw phases!"
The alien drew two cards from their deck.
"My turn." The alien continued. "Of course, because of Reckless Greed, I can't draw.
But with Candelato, the Beast of Light on the field, I wouldn't be able to draw anyway. So I just skip directly to the standby phase."
"Must skip the draw phase?" Even Jaden was surprised. "Such a huge drawback for a monster?"
Even Mokuba was pondering: "True. You get a twelve-star, instant high-attack suppressor, but the price is huge. If you can't draw as long as it's on the field..."
Kira mused: "So if I can strip the opponent's hand bare at the start, then somehow force this thing onto their field, wouldn't they become 'the living dead'?"
Mokuba: "..."
He glanced at Kira, speechless for a while.
Well... What can you say?
This is Kira for you—his logic is just different from us normal folks.
If Kira really developed such a strategy, Mokuba tried to imagine it from the opponent's viewpoint and just picturing it made his blood pressure spike.
"Candelato, the Beast of Light's attack changes with hand size. After drawing for Reckless Greed, my hand is back to five, so Candelato's attack returns to 5000!"
[Candelato, the Beast of Light, ATK 5000]
"Five thousand attack..." Jaden murmured.
"Go, Candelato, the Beast of Light!" the alien commanded. "Crush the wall monster!"
Candelato's two mouths opened wide, and lightning surged forth. Jaden's face-down monster flipped over—it was a small Dandylion.
[Dandylion, DEF 300]
Yep, Jaden calmly pulled out another card that's now banned.
Dandylion had already been limited in the GX era, and as the meta sped up, it bounced back and forth between limited and forbidden—a true legend.
And in the original, it was Jaden's card, gained after receiving Neo-Spacian power.
"Dandylion is destroyed in battle and sent to the graveyard, so I Special Summon two 'Fluff Tokens'!" Jaden said. "Also, at this moment, I activate another face-down card.
Trap Card, 'Michizure'!
When a monster is destroyed by battle and sent to your graveyard, or another monster on your field is sent to your graveyard, you can destroy any monster on the field!"
Jaden pointed at the alien's Beast of Light.
"Destroy Candelato, the Beast of Light!"
It was obvious by now—this dragon was the opponent's ace, probably their deck's key card. And since they'd already played Reckless Greed, even if Candelato left the field, they wouldn't have a draw phase next turn anyway.
Getting rid of Candelato would make it hard for the opponent to rebuild.
"Not that easy." The alien replied coldly. "Counter Trap, 'Wiretap'! When a trap is activated, negate it and return it to its owner's deck!"
A golden shield enveloped Candelato, blocking Michizure's energy blast.
"Your trap is returned!"
"Then Counter Trap, 'Counter Counter'!" Jaden declared. "Negate and destroy the Counter Trap!"
The alien: "!"
This human even had another trick up his sleeve...
"So Wiretap is negated by Counter Counter, and Michizure's effect resolves." Jaden continued. "Candelato, the Beast of Light, destroyed!"
The trap shield on Candelato shattered like glass. A beam pierced through its body, its core shining with blinding light as its whole form melted away.
"Great! The twelve-star monster is taken down!"
Jaden was delighted.
"Then, Dandylion's effect: Special Summon two 'Fluff Tokens'!"
[Fluff Token, DEF 0]x2