"Interesting."
Genichiro glanced at the coin and chuckled. "The coin landed heads, so you go first. Too bad… you won't get to witness the oppressive power of my deck when it goes first!!"
"Oh?" Yusaku raised an eyebrow. "Then how about I let you take first?"
Genichiro's smile stiffened, but he quickly recovered and stared straight at Yusaku. "The coin already decided who goes first. If I stole the first turn from you and then won, that wouldn't be an honorable victory. I'll beat you fair and square and show you who the real 'former loser' is."
"Are you sure you're actually a going-first deck?" Yusaku gave him a skeptical side-eye.
Genichiro's face darkened. "Enough nonsense. Hurry up and make your board!"
"Then it's my first turn. Draw. Main Phase."
Yusaku glanced at his opening hand, thought for a moment, then plucked out a card and revealed it.
"I activate the effect of 'Bystial Aluber' in my hand. While this card is in my hand, I can send 1 monster from my Extra Deck that mentions this card to the GY, and Special Summon this card as the cost."
He slid a card from the Extra Deck into his GY slot.
"I send 'Icejade Gymir Aegirine' from my Extra Deck to the GY, and Special Summon 'Bystial Aluber' from my hand."
Summoning lights flared. A dark-skinned boy in a pure white uniform, with long drifting white hair, appeared on the field.
"Bystial Aluber" (the new Branded support from Pack 1303, completely worthy of being called a spinner)
[Level 4 / Dragon / Effect]
[ATK 1800]
…Huh?
Genichiro frowned slightly, puzzled.
Why does this monster look different from before?
Wasn't that thing pitch-black last time? Why is it white now?
And did he just send Icejade Gymir Aegirine to the GY?
Isn't that his ace monster?
Right now, his mind was full of question marks.
"Effect of 'Bystial Aluber'!" Yusaku called out.
"When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: I can Special Summon 1 'Ecclesia' monster from my hand, Deck, or GY.
So by that effect, I Special Summon 'White Relic of Dogmatika' from my Deck!"
The moment he finished speaking, a buns-cheeked blonde girl holding a dragon-headed staff appeared on the field.
"White Relic of Dogmatika"
[Level 4 / Spellcaster / Tuner / Effect]
[ATK 1500]
"Next, I tune these two monsters together!"
"Huh?" Genichiro blinked. "Did you just say… Tuner!? Aren't you playing a Fusion deck? Don't tell me it's Dark Magician?"
As he said that, he suddenly realized something.
"No, that's wrong, Dark Magician is a Fusion deck too!"
The spectators were also stunned for a moment. Someone couldn't help saying:
"Didn't he just Summon that monster called 'Bystial' something? Isn't his deck supposed to be centered around Fusion? Why is he Synchro Summoning now?"
"Isn't that deck supposed to self-lock into Fusion only after it uses certain effects?"
"Have you considered the possibility," Kouki habitually adjusted his glasses, "that my senpai hasn't self-locked yet?"
"Exactly. You guys are already dumbfounded, aren't you?" Kazetaro shot a sidelong glance at the other dojos' students, their brows tightly knitted. "The intel you gathered doesn't match what you're seeing, right? My senpai's deck is unpredictable. You think you can target him with just that? Keep dreaming!"
On the field…
Yusaku ignored Genichiro's words, raised his arm high, and shouted:
"I tune Level 4 'Bystial Aluber' with the Level 4 Tuner 'White Relic of Dogmatika'!"
[4 + 4 = 8]
"Synchro Summon! Level 8 — 'Ecclesia of the Virtuous in White Shadow'!"
The two monsters flew into the air, lining up into a straight chain of eight stars. A pillar of pure light cascaded down like a waterfall.
"Roar!!"
With an ear-splitting roar, a massive dragon's claw thrust out from the vortex, its razor talons gleaming as if they could tear open space itself.
The cocoon of light shattered, and a blonde girl mounted atop a huge black dragon descended onto the Duel Field.
"Ecclesia of the Virtuous in White Shadow" (new card from Pack 1303)
[Level 8 / Spellcaster / Synchro / Effect]
[ATK 2500]
After the monster landed, Yusaku glanced at Genichiro. "Yeah, my main deck theme is Fusion. But who said a Fusion deck isn't allowed to Synchro Summon?"
Genichiro snorted coldly. "Your deck is focused on Fusions. We've already got the list down. A lot of your monsters self-lock you into Fusion Summons as soon as they use their effects.
Now that you've added Synchro components on top of that, aren't you just bricking yourself even harder? I'd love to see how you're going to build a proper board like this."
"Is that what you think?" Yusaku's lips curled. "Then watch closely and see whether I brick myself or not."
He swept his arm through the air.
"I activate the effect of 'Ecclesia of the Virtuous in White Shadow'! During the Main Phase, I can banish this card until the End Phase, then Special Summon 1 'Fallen of Albaz' or a monster that mentions it from my Deck or GY.
I banish this card, and Special Summon another copy of 'White Relic of Dogmatika' from my Deck!"
As his words fell, Ecclesia of the Virtuous in White Shadow slowly turned transparent until she vanished completely, and the buns-cheeked blonde girl reappeared on the field.
"White Relic of Dogmatika"
[ATK 1800]
"Effect of 'White Relic of Dogmatika'! During either player's Main Phase, I can Tribute this card to activate its effect. I Special Summon 1 'Swordsoul' monster or 1 'Fallen of Albaz' from my hand or Deck.
I Tribute this card, and Special Summon 'Swordsoul of Taia' from my Deck!"
As the effect activated, the Duel Disk spat out a card.
Yusaku flicked it into his Duel Disk, and in the next instant, Taia's figure shot out of the card surface, his sword carving a vortex of icy mist into the air.
"Swordsoul of Taia"
[Level 4 / Wyrm / Effect]
[ATK 1800]
Swordsoul?
Seeing the monster on the field, Genichiro frowned. The intel they'd gathered had never mentioned this card.
"I activate the effect of 'Swordsoul of Taia'!"
"By banishing 1 'Swordsoul' card or 1 Wyrm monster from my GY, I can Special Summon 1 'Swordsoul Token' (Wyrm / Tuner / WATER / Level 4 / ATK 0 / DEF 0) to my field!"
Yusaku declared loudly.
"I banish the Wyrm monster 'Icejade Gymir Aegirine' from my GY, and Special Summon 1 'Swordsoul Token' to my field!"
"Swordsoul Token"
[ATK 0]
"Next, I tune 'Swordsoul of Taia' and 'Swordsoul Token' together."
Yusaku raised his arm high.
"The crimson edge dwelling within my deck… now becomes the blade that cuts down destiny! Slice through delusions, burn away falsehood—
Appear! 'Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao'!!"
The instant he finished his chant, Chixiao's figure shot out of the card surface, his sword carving a burning vortex through the air. The token condensed into a crimson Wyrm circling around him, sword aura rippling so intensely that the entire field trembled.
"Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao"
[Level 8 / Wyrm / Effect]
[ATK 2800]
"Bad, bad news… 'A Hero Lives' requires paying half your LP to activate. Using this card going first is super risky, you're just begging to get OTK'd!"
Genichiro looked at Yusaku, then flipped up a card from his hand.
"But going second? Then it's insanely good!"
He slammed the card down.
"By the effect of 'A Hero Lives,' I Special Summon 'Elemental HERO Stratos' from my Deck!"
A milky-white spiral wind descended. A HERO clad in tech armor with mechanical wings on his back dove down from the sky, landing with a gust of wind and dust.
Then he struck a textbook superhero landing.
"Elemental HERO Stratos"
[Level 4 / Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 1800]
"Stratos's effect," Genichiro announced. "When he's Summoned, I can add 1 'HERO' monster from my Deck to my hand."
"Then I chain to that with the effect of 'Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao' on the field!" Yusaku cut in. "During either player's turn, I can banish 1 'Swordsoul' card or 1 Wyrm monster from my hand or GY, then target 1 other Effect Monster on the field; that monster's effects are negated until the end of this turn."
He slid a card into his GY.
"I banish 'Swordsoul of Taia' from my GY and negate the effect of your 'Elemental HERO Stratos'!"
As soon as he declared it, Chixiao gripped his sword with both hands. The blade hummed like a dragon, unleashing a crescent slash of sword aura that flew straight toward Genichiro's field.
"So that thing can negate monster effects too?"
Watching the sword aura fill his vision, Genichiro chuckled. "Too bad it can only negate monsters that stay on the field. Once they leave the field, there's nothing it can do!"
He swiftly pulled another card from his hand and slapped it onto his Duel Disk.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Mask Change'! Its effect: I send 1 HERO monster from my field to the GY, then transform it into a Masked HERO with the same Attribute!"
"I send 'Elemental HERO Stratos' from my field to the GY!"
Genichiro plucked a card from his Extra Deck and raised it high.
"A lonely hero dons the Mask of Vengeance and becomes a slicing gale that tears through evil! Mask Change—Masked HERO Blast!!"
A brilliant green whirlwind wrapped around Stratos, swallowing the incoming sword aura in the process. The white HERO's form began to twist and transform.
The next instant, a new HERO in vivid green armor, a red scarf fluttering around his neck, landed on the field.
"Masked HERO Blast"
[Level 6 / Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 2200]
"Effect of 'Masked HERO Blast'!" Genichiro declared. "When this card is Special Summoned, I target 1 face-up monster you control; its ATK becomes half its current ATK."
He thrust his finger forward.
"I target your 'Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao'!"
The green whirlwind howled, wrapping around Chixiao in an instant and suppressing his power.
"Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao"
[ATK 2800 → 1400]
"And since 'Elemental HERO Stratos' is no longer on the field, he isn't hit by your Chixiao's negation. So I can still add 'Vision HERO Faris' from my Deck to my hand."
As soon as he added the card, he continued without missing a beat.
"Next, I activate another effect of 'Masked HERO Blast'! Once per turn, I can pay 500 LP, then target 1 Spell/Trap you control; that target returns to your hand."
[Genichiro, LP 4000 → 3500]
"I target the trap on your right!"
In the very next moment, the green gale roared again, tearing across the field straight toward Yusaku's backrow.
"Nice try." Yusaku snapped his fingers as the set card on his left flipped face-up.
"I chain your effect with the Trap Card 'Infinite Impermanence'! Its effect lets me target 1 face-up monster you control; that monster's effects are negated until the end of this turn."
"I target your 'Masked HERO Blast'!"
At the moment the whirlwind struck, it was suddenly repelled, rebounding straight back into Blast himself. A crackle of electricity rippled over his armor as his powers were sealed away.
"Tch. So you actually had a negation trap set."
Seeing his play shut down, Genichiro drew another card from his hand and slammed it onto the field.
"I haven't used my Normal Summon yet this turn, so I can Summon another monster. Come back out, Stratos!"
"Elemental HERO Stratos"
[ATK 1800]
"Stratos doesn't have a 'once per turn' clause on that search effect. So I can use it again to add 'Destiny HERO - Plasma' to my hand."
After he added his search target, he fanned out two more cards at once and held them up, looking straight at Yusaku. "From here on out, you'll witness the pinnacle of HERO!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
Yusaku waved his hand dismissively.
"Hurry up, I'm kind of bored already."
He'd played HERO more times than he could count. No matter who piloted the deck, it always revolved around the same core sequence.
Genichiro let out a cold snort at his attitude.
"Let's see if you're still this smug in a minute."
He slapped down a card.
"Effect of 'Vision HERO Faris'! By discarding 1 'HERO' monster from my hand, I can Special Summon Faris from my hand."
"I send 'Destiny HERO - Malicious' to the GY and Special Summon 'Vision HERO Faris'!"
A HERO in red armor appeared on the field.
"Vision HERO Faris"
[Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 1600]
"Faris's effect! When he's Summoned, I can place 1 'Vision HERO' monster from my Deck in my Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Trap. I choose 'Vision HERO Increase'."
A phantom of a HERO appeared in Genichiro's backrow.
"Effect of 'Vision HERO Increase'!" Genichiro continued. "By Tributing 1 'HERO' monster I control, I can Special Summon Increase from my S/T Zone."
He glanced over his field.
"I Tribute 'Vision HERO Faris' and Special Summon 'Vision HERO Increase'!"
A flash of blue data cascaded across the field. Faris vanished, and the phantom in the backrow condensed into a HERO in blue armor.
"Vision HERO Increase"
[Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 900]
"Now for Increase's other effect! When he's Special Summoned from the S/T Zone, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Vision HERO' from my Deck."
Genichiro drew another card from his Deck and displayed it.
"I Special Summon 'Vision HERO Vyon' from my Deck!"
Blue light exploded, and a black-armored HERO emerged.
"Vision HERO Vyon"
[Warrior / Effect]
[ATK 1000]
"Next is Vyon's effect!"
He pushed on.
"When this card is Special Summoned, I can send 1 'HERO' monster from my Deck to the GY. I send 'Elemental HERO Shadow Mist'!"
Once the card hit the GY, he spoke up immediately.
"Shadow Mist's effect! When she's sent to the GY, I can add 1 'HERO' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add 'Elemental HERO Honest Neos'!"
Watching the board state develop, Dojo Master Takeuchi couldn't help growing anxious. From his perspective, Yusaku was clearly slipping into a disadvantage.
He knew the HERO deck. Its going-second kill potential was terrifying.
Compared to his tension, Kazetaro and Kouki looked extremely relaxed.
The two had even somehow produced a bag of sunflower seeds and started snacking.
"This game sim is way too realistic. They actually implemented taste." Kazetaro cracked a seed and grinned. "Pulling that search target means he wants to end the duel this turn. Think he can pull it off? Let's bet on it, say 100 Crystals?"
"I bet he can't." Kouki stroked his chin. "Right now Yusaku is just draining his resources. He searched Plasma earlier too, so I'm guessing it's about to hit the field… but I doubt it'll be staying very long."
Seeing how carefree they were, Takeuchi couldn't help asking in confusion, "Why are you two so relaxed? You're not worried about your own senpai at all?"
Kouki chuckled. "It's fine, Master. This board isn't as simple as it looks. The one who needs to worry right now is the other guy. Mm… this duel won't last much longer. Their LP has already started counting down."
Counting down?
Takeuchi froze for a moment, then shook his head and decided not to think too hard about it.
Those two brats were just like Yusaku—he couldn't figure them out. Their dueling skill wasn't actually that great, yet they challenged people nonstop, and even after losing they never looked discouraged.
It was like losing was just a normal part of their day.
Put simply, they were like cockroaches that refused to die.
On the field…
Genichiro shouted:
"Next, I activate Vyon's other effect! Once per turn, I can banish 1 'HERO' monster from my GY to add 'Polymerization' from my Deck to my hand."
"I banish 'Vision HERO Faris' and add 'Polymerization' to my hand!"
After adding his search, he looked at Yusaku. "Now you get to witness my ace monster. From this moment on, this duel is on a timer!"
He pinched a card between his fingers and raised it high.
"I Tribute 'Vision HERO Faris,' 'Vision HERO Vyon,' and 'Elemental HERO Stratos' on my field to Special Summon the monster in my hand!"
The instant he spoke, a blood-red curtain seemed to fall over the sky above the field, the color so vivid it looked ready to drip.
"Engraved doom that ends all fate—descend now! Destiny HERO - Plasma!!"
A chaotic blood-tinged storm howled into existence, a crimson mist of resentment spreading across the field.
The ground turned into a blood-colored mire, sinister claws pushing up from beneath as an ominous HERO slowly rose into view.
Massive wings unfurled from his back as the HERO lifted his head. The dragon head device on his right wrist opened its jaws slightly, exhaling a dark red breath.
"Destiny HERO - Plasma"
[Warrior / Special Summon / Effect]
[ATK 1900]
The moment Plasma appeared, the atmosphere in the arena became feverish.
"Plasma!? I remember that card's effect—when it hits the field, all your opponent's monster effects get negated!"
"It negates everything just by showing up? Isn't that broken!?"
Students from Shishiou Dojo puffed out their chests proudly.
"Yup, it's that busted. Once this monster hits the field, the game is basically over!"
"As long as Plasma is on the field, every monster he Summons will get negated. I don't even know how we're supposed to lose!"
Kazetaro snorted. "That's hilarious. 'I don't know how we're supposed to lose,' huh? What's so great about a boss monster with no protection?"
Hearing that, the students from Shishiou Dojo all went dark-faced, veins throbbing on their foreheads.
"Brat, we've put up with you long enough. If you've got guts, Duel us!"
"Only an idiot would Duel you." Kazetaro rolled his eyes at them. "I like Dueling, but I don't like getting stomped."
"Coward!" Their attitude had the Shishiou Dojo students grinding their teeth.
"Kouki, how long do you think Plasma is going to last?" Kazetaro ignored their yelling and looked up at the field with a grin.
"About ten seconds."
Hearing that, students from the other dojos froze, then shook their heads. Internally, they all thought that was impossible.
They believed Yusaku probably had a way to answer the boss, but saying the ace monster wouldn't even last ten seconds after hitting the field was way too much.
Shishiou Dojo students burst out laughing.
"I get that you guys like to daydream, but this is too much. Not even ten seconds? Why not just say three? My senpai's ace monster is going to stay up for the whole duel and…"
He was mid-sentence when Yusaku's voice cut across the arena.
"So you finally bothered to Summon that thing. In that case, say goodbye to all your monsters."
Genichiro: "?"
The moment he spoke, the sound of sharp cracking rang out across the field.
"Masked HERO Blast" and the newly Summoned Plasma both split like shattered glass, spiderwebs of cracks spreading across their bodies in an instant.
Yusaku snapped his fingers. "Bye now."
With two crisp snaps, both of Genichiro's monsters exploded into fragments and vanished from the field.
"…Huh?"
"...Huh???"
The first "huh" was from Genichiro.
The second came from the crowd. Some people even thought they were seeing things and rubbed their eyes hard.
Even the Duelists in the surrounding matches paused what they were doing and turned to look over.
"Can someone explain what just happened? Why did Genichiro's monsters suddenly disappear?"
"You're asking me? I've got no clue either!"
"Hahaha, told you. That monster was never going to last."
Genichiro stood there blankly, staring at his now-empty field in disbelief.
Blast was gone. And the Plasma he'd just Summoned—who hadn't even fully found his footing—had vanished too.
Worse yet, he had no idea why his monsters had disappeared.
"What did you do?" he asked, face dark.
"The Trap Card 'Swordsoul Blackout.'" Yusaku revealed the card now lying in his GY. "Its effect lets me target 1 Wyrm monster I control and 2 cards your opponent controls, then destroy those targets."
"I just activated it and destroyed my 'Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao' along with your two monsters. That's all there is to it."
(End of Chapter)
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