"SKY FIRE's effect!" Greiger bellowed, "I'll destroy your set card!"
With Greiger's card sent to the graveyard, his enormous sky-fortress robot accelerated forward, soaring above Kira.
The machine's flight was actually quite swift, but its huge bulk made it seem sluggish, or perhaps it was just heavy. The mecha, like a SKY FIRE plane, flew parallel above Kira, dropping bombs that exploded one after another in his back row.
Greiger narrowed his black eyes, staring into the smoke, as if hoping the bombing—manifesting dark powers—would knock his opponent off track.
But he was soon disappointed: in the blink of an eye, Kira's Duel Runner burst from the smoke, a trap card standing activated at his side.
"Too bad. I activated my set card—Trap Card Card of Pandora.
I can activate this when a spell or trap in my zone becomes the target of your card's effect.
I transfer that target to this card, then draw two cards from the deck." (Anime card)
Kira drew two cards.
"Tch, you kept your back row safe." Greiger grunted, "But at this moment, my Continuous Trap Appropriate also activates.
Since you drew by a card effect outside your Draw Phase, I also draw two!"
Greiger, likewise, drew two cards.
"Drawing in response to the opponent's draw—definitely useful," Kira smiled.
After all, he also liked using it before. The anime world had so many ways to accelerate drawing, everyone had their own assortment of replenishment cards. Appropriate is really handy there.
But he felt it's not as useful in Riding Duels. Most draw engines are spell cards, and spells are restricted here, so Appropriate is naturally less effective.
"Let's just get to battle then!" Greiger barked, "Go!
Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, attack Abyss Soldier!"
The SKY FIRE drew close, missiles streaking from its launchers, exploding along the track.
"Then I activate a set card," said Kira.
"Continuous Trap—Gravity Bind.
Neither player's Level 4 or higher monsters can attack!"
Boom boom boom!
The bombing continued, missiles exploding against an invisible gravity barrier, fire and shrapnel kept out—no damage dealt.
"Nani? Attack locked?" Greiger's face changed.
"The duel's just begun. You think you can finish it already?" Kira smiled.
Greiger snorted.
If he could, he'd rip his opponent apart within a single turn—who has time for games?
Greiger: "I set one card. Turn end."
Just then, more arrived at the duel arena.
First to enter was Jack Atlas. Since arriving in New Domino City, he'd lived in a home arranged by Security. With Kira and Greiger dueling at the Fortune Cup stadium—a track site Jack often used for his own Riding Duels—his housing was purposely arranged nearby.
The red Dragon Mark on Jack's arm was now glowing fiercely, and upon entering the arena, it flared to its peak. Clutching his arm, enduring the pain, Jack stepped in, just in time to see two Duel Runners zoom by.
"Riding duel? What's this!?"
As everyone knows, in Yu-Gi-Oh, even spectators have 20/20 vision. Two Duel Runners flashed by, and while Jack didn't recognize the rider on the huge Duel Runner, he immediately knew the small Duel Runner's pilot—it was someone he'd lived with daily since coming to the city.
"Goodwin?" Jack was stunned.
Honestly, since Jack had accepted Goodwin's invitation and moved from Satellite, he'd never seen the Director personally duel. And a riding duel, no less—now that was a first.
He didn't even know Goodwin could ride!
And though he didn't know the opponent, he could sense a deep, dark aura from that enormous Duel Runner. The Dragon Mark told him that person was the source of his crisis—a deadly enemy.
Was Goodwin really dueling an unknown foe himself?
Jack was in disbelief.
…
Kira: "It's my turn, draw."
He drew, as golden light flared in his Duel Runner's Graveyard.
"In my Standby Phase, the WATER monster I discarded for Abyss Soldier's effect last turn also activates."
He revealed the card from his graveyard.
"I discarded Sinister Serpent.
If it's in the graveyard during the Standby Phase, it returns directly to my hand."
Kira took Sinister Serpent back.
"Then, once again, I activate Abyss Soldier's effect. Once per turn, I discard a WATER monster to return a card on the field to its owner's hand."
Greiger was shocked: "So as long as you have that snake, Abyss Soldier's effect is basically free!?"
"Not bad, for a Dark Signer," Kira smiled.
"That's exactly right. So I discard the WATER Sinister Serpent, to return Flying Fortress SKY FIRE to your hand."
The green serpent flickered into a surge of water, flowing into Abyss Soldier's trident, which then whipped up a vortex at Greiger's behemoth.
Greiger's expression darkened.
SKY FIRE's effect is actually very powerful—
Not only can it discard to destroy a card during your own turn; once per opponent's turn, whenever they Summon or set a card, it can destroy it and deal 800 damage.
Such a card demands serious hand resources—and he'd all but emptied himself just to summon it.
To have it bounced so easily—it was infuriating.
"I activate a set card!" Greiger shouted. "Trap Card Ballista Squad!
Tribute one monster to destroy a card on your opponent's field!"
Rather than let it be bounced, better to use his own hand!
"I tribute Flying Fortress SKY FIRE!"
…