Kira, LP 4000 Kajiki Makoto, LP 4000
Kajiki had pretty good luck today and drew first. He drew his opening hand, looked over his six cards, and his eyes immediately lit up.
Perfect hand.JPG.
While most of Kira's previous opponents had underestimated him because of his unimpressive record, Kajiki Makoto would not.
He had watched Kira's previous matches too, especially the quarterfinal against Manjoume. After reviewing it, he felt that while Kira was not to be underestimated, he was more of an opportunistic kind of opponent. He had some skill, but not all that much.
"Hmph, as long as I know your tricks beforehand and stay on guard, you're nothing to fear!" Kajiki shouted. "My Turn!"
Kajiki was brimming with morale. Without another word, he slammed down a card, making it clear that he had to Fusion Summon immediately. He fused "Mechanical Sergeant" and "Mechanical King" from his hand, bringing out a Level 8 boss monster—Perfect Mechanical King.
After being adapted into a physical card, this card had been changed into an Effect Monster. But in the anime, it had originally been a Fusion Monster. Its original effect gave every Machine-Type Monster on the field 500 ATK. Since it was a Machine-Type Monster itself, it had at least 3200 ATK the moment it hit the field.
Perfect Mechanical King, ATK 2700 → ATK 3200
He had brought out his deck's Big Brother right from the start, and Kajiki felt he had already won half the duel. Opening with a Blue-Eyes White Dragon plus 200 right in his face—how was he supposed to lose?
Then it was Kira's turn.
Kira remained calm and first summoned Giant Rat. A huge, mutated fluffy rat that looked like it had been pumped full of drugs hopped onto the field, baring its teeth at the opponent and letting out a savage growl.
Giant Rat, ATK 1400
Then Kira waved his hand and gave the order. "Giant Rat, attack 'Perfect Mechanical King'!"
Giant Rat: "?"
Its confused little eyes seemed to say, Bro, are you serious? That thing's ATK is more than double mine!
Why don't you tell me to go capture Tang Sanzang and his disciples while you're at it?
But Master's command was Master's command. The giant rat could only charge in and ram the Mechanical King head-on. As expected, one blast turned it into scraps.
Kira, LP 4000 → LP 2200
A Suicide Attack right out of the gate left his opponent utterly bewildered.
What was this supposed to mean? Were duelists these days all so polite? Giving away free damage right at the start of a match?
Could the dojo have secretly paid for an actor to throw the match?
But he immediately understood. That giant rat that had launched the Suicide Attack had a death effect. When Giant Rat was destroyed by battle and Sent to the Graveyard, it could bring an EARTH Attribute monster with 1500 or less ATK from the deck onto the field.
When Kajiki heard that effect, he merely chuckled inwardly.
A monster with 1500 ATK or less? Weren't they all trash mobs?
"I Special Summon this card from my deck." Kira revealed the card he had searched. "'Magical Crusader'!"
Magical Crusader, ATK 600
A little fellow that looked as though it had hopped out of a chibi cartoon appeared on the field, waving a tiny staff. Its art style and tiny frame made it look like it was only there to be cute.
"Magical Crusader's effect allows it to directly attack the opposing player." Kira waved his hand. "Direct Attack!"
Kajiki Makoto, LP 4000 → LP 3400
Kajiki Makoto took the six hundred points of damage without caring in the slightest. "Heh, all that for this little bit of damage? It doesn't even tickle."
Clearly, this guy had yet to realize the severity of the problem.
Kira smiled. "My Battle Phase is over. Next, I activate the Equip Spell 'Power of the Guardians' from my hand and equip it to 'Magical Crusader.'
Then I End Turn."
Seeing Magical Crusader covered in a layer of golden glow while its ATK remained unchanged, Kajiki Makoto could not help muttering to himself.
Wasn't that equip completely pointless?
Dueling in this world was unlike in Kira's previous life. Players could not inspect their opponent's card effects in real time. Only cards they recognized and whose effects they remembered could be understood and countered immediately.
"My Turn!"
Kajiki Makoto drew a card, then said, "I Normal Summon 'Mechanical Sergeant' in Attack Position!"
Mechanical Sergeant, ATK 1600
"Since the number of Machine-Type Monsters on the field has increased, 'Perfect Mechanical King' gains another 500 ATK."
Perfect Mechanical King, ATK 3200 → ATK 3700
Kajiki Makoto waved his hand. "Mechanical Sergeant, attack 'Magical Crusader'!"
Mechanical Sergeant stepped forward, but before it could attack, the golden glow surrounding Magical Crusader began to flash.
"At this moment, 'Power of the Guardians' activates," Kira said. "When the equipped monster enters battle, during the Attack Declaration, I can place one Magic Counter on this card.
And for every counter on 'Power of the Guardians,' the equipped monster gains 500 ATK."
Power of the Guardians, Magic Counter 0 → 1 Magical Crusader, ATK 600 → ATK 1100
"Heh, this slight increase in attack points is completely useless!" Kajiki shouted. "The battle continues! Mechanical Sergeant, destroy that trash monster!"
Yet when the metal fist slammed down, it only produced a faint ripple of golden light. When the ripple faded, Magical Crusader was still standing firmly in place, completely unharmed.
Kajiki Makoto: "!"
Why!?
"Another effect of 'Power of the Guardians,'" Kira said. "When the equipped monster would be destroyed, I can remove a Magic Counter from the field to negate its battle or Effect Destruction."
Power of the Guardians, Magic Counter 1 → 0 Magical Crusader, ATK 1100 → ATK 600
Kajiki Makoto: "?"
Wait a second.
"You just said that 'Power of the Guardians' can only place a counter during an Attack Declaration, right?" Kajiki felt that he had spotted a loophole. "But I was the one who attacked just now. Your monster didn't make an Attack Declaration at all. Why can it still gain—"
He began to suspect he had been hit with some Kouhu.
"Is this your first day dueling?" Kira looked at him with half-lidded eyes and patiently explained, as though teaching a beginner from the card battle club. "The text on 'Power of the Guardians' does not say, 'Place a Magic Counter when the equipped monster makes an Attack Declaration.' It says, 'Place a Magic Counter during the Attack Declaration when the equipped monster enters battle.'"
Kajiki Makoto: "?"
What was the difference?
"Whether you attack or I attack, as long as the monsters battle, there will be an 'Attack Declaration.' So as long as monsters on both sides enter battle, the effect to place a counter will trigger."
Kira continued patiently explaining the profound intricacies of K Language.
Kajiki Makoto: "!"
What?! Didn't that make it invincible?
As long as it was attacked, it would gain a counter. Then, as long as the counter was removed, its destruction could be negated.
Didn't that mean any monster equipped with this thing was immortal?
"Wait."
Kajiki furrowed his brows, realizing that things were not so simple.
"But Battle Damage should still be calculated," he said suspiciously.
"Oh, that's Magical Crusader's own effect," Kira said. "When Magical Crusader battles, all damage dealt to my side becomes 0."
Kajiki Makoto: "!?"
Battle Damage was 0—wait, no. Something was very wrong here.
Because it was equipped with Power of the Guardians, Magical Crusader was immortal no matter how it was attacked.
And because of Magical Crusader's own effect, its controller took no Battle Damage.
Then Magical Crusader could directly attack the opposing player—not only that, but due to Power of the Guardians' effect, the more times it attacked, the higher its ATK would become.
Hiss—
Kajiki sucked in a sharp breath, his face changing dramatically.
Someone who could come up with such a sinister strategy...
Wasn't he fucking a dog!?
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