Yusaku took out a coin and looked at Kazama Suzuki. "Heads, I go first. Tails, you go first."
He'd noticed that ever since coming here, every time the turn order was decided he always ended up going second. He suspected it had something to do with whoever was flipping the coin, so this time he planned to flip it himself.
No way I'm going second again.
Thinking that, he flicked the coin into the air. A second later, with a crisp ding as it hit the ground, turn order was decided.
The moment he saw which side it landed on, Yusaku's face darkened. It was tails.
Twenty-one points in Luck and I'm still this cursed?
Staring at the coin on the ground, Kazama Suzuki couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like the goddess of fortune is on my side. I'll gladly take first turn!"
After speaking, he drew his starting hand. The moment he saw what he'd drawn, the corner of his mouth lifted.
This game is in the bag.
He looked at Yusaku and said, "I really ought to thank you. If it weren't for your theory, we never would've thought of adding extra engines to a deck as long as they can work together."
"Oh?"
Yusaku raised an eyebrow. "Deck-building theory… I don't remember explaining that to your dojo that day. I only talked about it at Rising Sun Dojo. How did you guys find out?"
Kazama Suzuki smiled. "Can't tell you that part."
Hearing that, Yusaku just chuckled and didn't press him. Even if he didn't say it, Yusaku already knew.
Every dojo has one or two "plants" sitting in the other dojos, there to spy on their decklists so they can side in counters.
Before the tournament, the head of the dojo had already told the participants the deck info of the other three big dojos' representatives.
But Yusaku never really cared about that. Tech cards are… whatever. A deck has at least forty cards. Even if you put the counter in, you're not guaranteed to draw it.
And even if you draw it, what if the opponent happens to be on a different deck this time? Then that card is basically dead, just wasting slots. So he didn't pay it much mind.
Yusaku folded his arms across his chest. "Come on then. Enough talk. Show me how you understand deck-building."
"As you wish!"
Kazama Suzuki glanced over the five cards in his hand. After a brief moment of thought, he pulled out one card and held it up.
"First, I activate the Spell Card [Pot of Greed]!"
A green jar carved with intricate patterns appeared before everyone's eyes, its thick red lips grinning wide, revealing a row of huge yellowed teeth as it let out a lecherous chuckle.
"The effect of [Pot of Greed] lets me draw two cards from my deck!"
Seeing the card appear, the crowd stayed very calm. Nobody treated it as anything special.
Only Yusaku and High-on-Fire looked absolutely devastated.
Staring at the card on the field, Yusaku's eyes were full of envy.
"Damn it… Why does everyone in this place have a Pot of Greed? I want one too! And this stupid game won't even let players and NPCs bet cards!"
High-on-Fire patted him on the shoulder.
"Forget it. You really think the devs wouldn't see that coming? This game doesn't have a banlist at all. Any card you get, you can play. You really think they didn't anticipate people wanting to gamble for cards?
But it's fine. It's not like we don't have a chance to get one. It's only ten thousand crystals. We'll grind it out sooner or later!"
On the field, after adding the cards to his hand, Kazama Suzuki pulled out another card and revealed it.
"I activate the Field Spell [Magical Meltdown]!"
"When this card is activated, I can add 1 [Aleister the Invoker] from my Deck to my hand as part of its effect."
Aleister? So it's Invoked.
Hearing that name, Yusaku's eyebrows lifted with interest.
Is it Dogmatika Invoked, or Shaddoll Invoked?
After searching Aleister to hand, Kazama Suzuki slammed him down right away.
"I Normal Summon [Aleister the Invoker]!"
Light flashed, and a boy in a silver-white robe, staff in hand, appeared on the stage.
[Aleister the Invoker]
[Level 4 / Spellcaster / Effect]
[ATK: 1000]
"I activate the effect of [Aleister the Invoker]!" Kazama Suzuki declared. "When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned, I can add 1 [Invocation] from my Deck to my hand."
Down below.
Watching Kazama Suzuki search Invocation, Yusaku couldn't help breaking into song.
"Activate~ Magical~ Meltdown~
Normal Summon Aleister~
Link Summon the maiden, then… Mechaba!"
"Quit singing. There's no Link Summoning here," High-on-Fire shot him a sideways look.
"Uh…"
Hearing that, Yusaku glanced back toward the field.
Sure enough, after searching Invocation, Kazama Suzuki just activated it straight away, which made him feel even worse.
"Give it up. This is Satellite. How could there possibly be Link Summoning here?"
On the field—
"The effect of [Invocation]: I can Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster by using monsters from my hand as Fusion Material. If I'm summoning an [Invoked] Fusion Monster, I can also banish monsters from my field and from either player's GY as Fusion Material."
"The monster I'm going to Fusion Summon requires [Aleister the Invoker] + 1 LIGHT monster."
Kazama Suzuki drew out two cards at once.
"I choose to use the [Aleister the Invoker] on my field and the LIGHT monster [Goddess with the Third Eye] in my hand as Fusion Material. I Fusion Summon!"
"Level 9—[Invoked Mechaba]!!!"
As his shout fell, Aleister and Goddess with the Third Eye turned into two streaks of golden energy, flying up into the swirling Fusion vortex.
A moment later, the sound of pounding hooves rang out.
A massive alloy beast charged out of the vortex, drawing a chariot on which stood a silver-armored monster, shield in its left hand and sword in its right, crashing heavily down onto the field.
[Invoked Mechaba]
[Level 9 / Effect / Fusion]
[ATK: 2500]
"Next, I activate the other effect of [Invocation] in the GY. While this card is in the GY, I can target 1 of my banished [Aleister the Invoker]. I shuffle this card back into the Deck and add that monster to my hand."
"I activate that effect, return this card to my Deck, and add the [Aleister the Invoker] I just used as Fusion Material back from the banished zone to my hand."
After returning the card and adding the Aleister, he pulled out another card.
"I activate the effect of [King of the Swamp], sending this card from my hand to the GY to add 1 [Polymerization] from my Deck to my hand."
As the card was sent to the GY, a copy of Polymerization popped out from his deck.
Kazama Suzuki slotted the ejected card into his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Card [Polymerization]! I fuse [Shaddoll Beast] and [Aleister the Invoker] from my hand to Fusion Summon a monster!"
Kazama Suzuki raised his arm high.
"Watch closely. You're about to witness the strongest ace that resides in my deck!"
"Descend—[El Shaddoll Winda]!!!"
As his shout echoed out, the two monsters turned into light and flew into the swirling Fusion vortex in the sky.
A moment later, a cute girl with sea-green hair tied in a ponytail, clutching a staff and standing atop a huge mechanical dragon, burst out of the vortex and landed heavily on the field.
[El Shaddoll Winda]
[Level 5 / Spellcaster / Fusion / Effect]
[ATK: 2200]
"Next, I activate the effect of [Shaddoll Beast] that was sent to the GY as Fusion Material. When this card is sent to the GY by a card effect, I can draw 1 card."
"So, thanks to its effect, I draw 1 card."
Kazama Suzuki drew. Seeing what he'd picked up, he immediately revealed it with a smile.
"The card I drew is [Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous]!"
"I can activate this card's effect while there is a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck on the field. I can Special Summon this card from my hand."
"Right now, my field clearly meets the condition, so I can Special Summon this card!"
He slapped the card onto his Duel Disk.
"Come forth! [Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous]!"
Radiant light gathered, and a cute, round-faced blonde girl in silver armor, hefting a massive hammer, appeared on the field.
[Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous]
[Level 4 / Spellcaster / Effect]
[ATK: 1500]
"I activate the effect of [Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous]!" Kazama Suzuki continued. "When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add 1 'Dogmatika' card other than this card from my Deck to my hand."
He pulled out his Deck, slid a card free, and revealed it.
"I choose to add [Dogmatika Fleurdelis, the Knighted] to my hand."
After adding the card, he placed another card face-down.
"Lastly, I set 1 card and end my turn. It's your move!"
"Mechaba, Winda, Ecclesia, plus a set back row."
High-on-Fire rubbed his chin.
"You think Yusaku can push through Winda?"
Without thinking, Yusaku (in the stands) answered instantly.
"It's just a single Winda, right? Branded goes through this board easy. Just bring out Albaz, fuse it away, and poof, it's gone!"
"You think that [Invoked Mechaba] is just standing there doing nothing?" High-on-Fire shot back. "And their dojo's ace monster got fused away last game. You really think they won't be ready this time? Plus he's still got that 'name-revealed' [Dogmatika Fleurdelis, the Knighted] in hand.
If I remember right, that card can jump out on the opponent's turn, and as long as Ecclesia is on the field, it can also negate the effect of a monster on the opponent's field!"
"Tsk… When you put it that way, this board really is kind of rough to crack."
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 500 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]