Come on, my pride! My soul! / You seem to have something wrong-I don't dream of becoming a professional duelist.

"Uh... shouldn't you be the one violating the time limit?" Sera blinked her emerald-green eyes and pointed at the five Set Cards that had somehow appeared on the field. "My turn ended a long time ago."

What?! When did she Set those cards?! Wait, she had been talking to herself over there to stall for time and make me lose due to a time violation?!

How despicable!

"Oh, don't be angry." An apologetic expression appeared on Sera's cute, playful little face. "According to my testing, Dark Duels don't seem to have time violations. Though maybe it was because the time was too short. If it went on a little longer, perhaps you would've been declared the loser directly."

"Tch, my turn, draw!" The man hurriedly drew a card from his Deck. Then, after looking at his hand, a victorious smile appeared on his face again.

A perfect hand! There was nothing left to fear!

"I enter the Main Phase and activate the Continuous Spell Card—Gladiator Repulsion Wave." The man inserted a Spell Card into his Duel Disk, then continued, "Then I activate the Spell Card—Unexpected Roughneck, and summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus from my Deck."

Gladiator Beast Gyzarus (Level 4) EARTH Beast-Warrior/Normal ATK: 1900 DEF: 1500

"Next, I activate the effect of Gladiator Repulsion Wave and Special Summon Gladiator Beast Hoplomus from my Deck." The man continued.

Gladiator Beast Hoplomus (Level 4) WIND Winged Beast/Effect ATK: 1500 DEF: 800

"Then... I return Gyzarus and Hoplomus to the Deck and Special Summon Gladiator Beast Caesar!"

"Wait, that's a Fusion Monster, right? Don't Fusion Monsters need the Spell Card Polymerization before they can be Special Summoned?" Sera asked as she looked at the giant bird that had suddenly appeared on the field.

"Hmph, what ignorance. Some powerful Fusion Monsters can be Special Summoned directly from the Extra Deck without Polymerization, as long as their summoning conditions are met!" Seeing the shock on Sera's little face, the man nodded in satisfaction. That's right, be shocked! Be afraid! Tremble before my powerful Duel Monsters!

"Oh, I see..." Sera stroked her smooth, delicate chin and nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm not finished yet!" The man pointed at Sera's back row. "I activate Gladiator Beast Caesar's effect. When this card is Special Summoned, I can target up to two cards on the field and destroy them. I choose to destroy two of your Set Cards!"

"Huh? You're destroying two? I only have five Set Cards total... can't you just destroy one?" Sera asked pitifully.

"This is a Dark Duel with our souls on the line. I won't go easy on you," the man said flatly.

"Tch, stingy." Sera flipped open a Set Card. The little girl's originally soft, sweet voice suddenly became as cold as an ice cellar in winter. "I chain the Trap Card—Hole of the Insect Woman. When a monster Special Summoned this turn activates its effect, negate that effect and destroy that monster."

"What?!"

A massive spiderweb fell from above, covering the blue bird in midair and violently sticking it inside a trap hole.

"You actually have such a powerful Trap Card?" The man clenched his fists unwillingly. But it was fine—he had only used two cards from his hand, and still had four cards' worth of resources left!

"I haven't used my Normal Summon this turn. In that case, I Normal Summon Rescue Rabbit."

A plump gray-and-white rabbit appeared on the field, its bright, lively eyes looking around in every direction.

"I activate Rescue Rabbit's effect. I banish this card from the field to Special Summon two Gladiator Beast Gyzarus from my Deck!"

"Then, because I control a 'Gladiator Beast' monster, I Special Summon Slave Tiger from my hand!"

Following the man's rapid sequence of plays, three more monsters immediately appeared on the field.

"I activate Slave Tiger's effect. I tribute this card, return Gladiator Beast Gyzarus on the field to the Deck, and Special Summon Gladiator Beast Hoplomus from my Deck!"

"I activate Hoplomus's effect. When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Gladiator Beast' monster, I can target one Spell or Trap Card on the field and destroy it." The man pointed at the Set Card in the center of Sera's field. "I choose to destroy that Set Card!"

"Again?" Sera helplessly flipped open the Set Card beside it. "I activate the Trap Card—Lost Wind. I negate your Gladiator Beast Hoplomus's effect and halve its Attack."

She protected the Set Card in the middle?

The man became wary. His opponent had no monsters on the field, yet she still looked so relaxed. That meant her back row definitely contained an attack declaration trap.

Was it Sakuretsu Armor, Magic Cylinder, or perhaps... Mirror Force?!

If it was Mirror Force, he could not attack recklessly. Unfortunately, he only had one Gladiator Beast Caesar in his Deck. Otherwise, he could have destroyed another Set Card now.

But in that case, he would use Gladiator Beast Nero!

"I activate the Spell Card—Gladiator Beast's Revival, and Special Summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari from my hand!"

"There are three Gladiator Beasts on the field. Here it comes!" the man shouted. "I return all three Gladiator Beasts to the Deck and Special Summon from my Extra Deck—Gladiator Beast Nero!"

Heh heh, Gladiator Beast Nero's effect: when this card battles, my opponent cannot activate Spell, Trap, or monster effects until the end of the Damage Step.

In other words, attack declaration traps were useless against her!

"That monster's huge. I wonder what effect it has this time... ah, whatever, I'll negate it." Sera looked up at the enormous monster on the field, then slowly flipped open the Set Card on her right. "I chain the Trap Card—Bottomless Trap Hole. When my opponent Summons, Flip Summons, or Special Summons a monster, that monster is changed to face-down Defense Position. A monster changed to face-down Defense Position by this effect cannot change its battle position."

"Pfft!"

As Gladiator Beast Nero on the field became a Set Card, the man's breathing involuntarily grew hurried. There was no doubt that he was now at an absolute disadvantage. His six-card hand of resources had been completely traded away by just three of the opponent's Set Cards!

"I end my turn like this," the man said unwillingly.

"My turn, draw." Sera's eyes lit up when she saw the card she drew, and she immediately declared, "I activate the Spell Card—Pot of Desires. I banish six monsters from my Extra Deck face-down, then draw two cards from my Deck."

"Whoosh!"

After drawing two cards in succession, Sera slapped a monster onto her Duel Disk. "I Normal Summon Lankaa the Entomologist and activate her effect to search a Traptrix monster from my Deck. I add Traptrix Tributing to my hand."

Traptrix?!

That Deck famous for its traps?

The man had been a hunter for several years. His strength aside, he was well-informed. Traptrix looked like soft, pink little girls on the surface, but that was merely the hunters' disguise. Behind those adorable and charming faces were either enormous arthropods or plants with blood-filled maws, waiting for prey to be bewitched by their gorgeous appearances, draw close, and then... be devoured in a single bite!

No, even so, Lankaa the Entomologist only had 1500 Attack, while my face-down Gladiator Beast Nero has 1800 Defense. She can't possibly defeat it!

"I enter the Battle Phase."

"What?! Wait!" The man forced a smile. "Little girl, have you gotten something wrong? Lankaa the Entomologist only has 1400 Attack, while my Gladiator Beast Nero has 1800 Defense. You aren't planning to attack my Nero with Lankaa, are you?"

"Oh, is that so?" Sera expressionlessly flipped open a Set Card. "Then I activate the Trap Card—Metalmorph Reflection Armor. Targeting Lankaa the Entomologist, her Attack and Defense increase by 300."

"Wait, wait, wait! Even then, Lankaa only reaches 1800, doesn't she?" Cold sweat had already begun forming on the man's forehead. His instincts told him he could not let this little girl attack. Otherwise, something bad would happen.

"I mean, why are you worrying about that?" Sera looked at the man in confusion, faint puzzlement shining in her emerald eyes. "Aren't we in a Dark Duel? If I misplay, shouldn't you be happy?"

"Uh... well... that..." The man stammered, unable to answer. But Sera could not be bothered to wait for his reply and directly declared:

"I attack Gladiator Beast Nero with Lankaa the Entomologist!"

The face-down Gladiator Beast Nero flipped face-up under the attack. Looking at the smiling Lankaa the Entomologist, she let out a deafening roar, only to be swallowed by the giant flower behind Lankaa, vanishing without even a trace left behind.

"I knew it. That Trap Card has another effect besides increasing Attack and Defense by 300, doesn't it?" The man gritted his teeth, his expression grim.

"It does." Sera nodded seriously.

"Then..."

"But why should I tell you?" Sera tilted her head.

"..."

"I Set one card and end my turn." Sera Set the card she had drawn and ended her turn.

Damned brat!

The man's breathing unconsciously quickened. It was unbelievable—during this duel, he had actually been suppressed by a little girl who was probably not even sixteen years old. Was this what duelists of the new generation were like? It was far too terrifying. She used Trap Cards with such proficiency; her duel rating must be extremely high.

But hope of victory still remained!

Although I have nothing on the field except one Continuous Spell Card and nothing in my hand, I still have resources in my Graveyard. As long as I draw Monster Reborn or Gladiator Beast's Revival, I'll have a chance to turn this around!

"My turn... draw!"

Come on! My card of reversal!

"Whoosh!!!"

The sharp edge of the card seemed to slice through the air with a piercing sound. The man pursed his lips, and then he saw it—hope!

It felt as though someone had viciously squeezed his heart. He was so excited that it nearly stopped beating, and his somewhat sallow face had turned flushed from his racing blood.

It's here! It's here! It's here!

A card even stronger than Monster Reborn in this situation!

I drew it!

"Hahaha!" The man threw back his head and laughed wildly, his expression grotesque. "I enter the Battle Phase, then activate the Quick-Play Spell Card—Gladiator Beast Unity! I return Gladiator Beast Caesar and Gladiator Beast Nero from my Graveyard to the Deck, then Special Summon from the Extra Deck! Come forth, my pride! My soul! Gladiator Beast Director, Chief Duelist!"

Boom!

A deer-man with enormous golden antlers appeared on the field, holding a long staff.

"Oh, pretty lucky." Sera raised an eyebrow. "So, are you going to attack?"

"Hmph, don't think you can trick me!" The man pointed at the Set Card in the middle of Sera's field. "You have an attack declaration Trap Card Set there, don't you?"

"Who knows? Though since your Gladiator Beast whatever-director whatever-duelist was successfully Summoned, I Set Lost Wind from my Graveyard again." As Sera spoke, she Set Lost Wind from her Graveyard once more.

"Wait, what kind of play is that? When you activate a Trap Card, you have to state its effect!" The man could not help accusing her. This duelist was completely different from the duelists he had met before. She kept trying to hide information again and again, and it was truly unpleasant.

"What? You don't even know Lost Wind's effect?" Sera looked at him as if his knowledge was terribly lacking, then spoke helplessly. "While Lost Wind is in the Graveyard, if my opponent controls an Extra Deck monster, it can be Set directly on the field. A card Set by this effect is banished when it leaves the field."

"I see. It seems you're not as calm as you look," the man sneered.

"Hm?" Sera did not understand what he was talking about.

"Still playing dumb? When my Gladiator Beast Nero was successfully Summoned earlier, you obviously could have Set Lost Wind first before activating Bottomless Trap Hole. But because you were afraid of my Gladiator Beast Nero, you hurriedly activated Bottomless Trap Hole and missed the timing!"

Hmph, a brat is still a brat. I've exposed you now, haven't I? Come on, show me your fear and cowardice!

Yet contrary to his expectations, Sera merely nodded and said, "Oh," then waved her hand. "It was a misplay. I'm still a student, so cut me some slack. Once I become a Professional Duelist, I won't do that anymore. Then you can curse at me all you want from the audience."

"Oh, sorry, I forgot." As she spoke, Sera seemed to remember something and revealed a remorseful expression. "You probably won't live to see that day."

The corners of Sera's lips rose slightly, forming a faint smile.

"After all, your soul will rest here."

Arrogance.

What arrogance.

It made me tremble with fury.

But after hearing Sera's words, the man understood something—this exquisitely adorable little girl possessed something he did not.

It was neither exceptional talent nor superb dueling skill.

It was that vibrant, dazzling thing unique to young people, unique to children, something so bright it hurt to look at—something called the future.

Ah, so that was it.

No wonder I enjoyed slaughtering young duelists, because—I am a failure.

My future has already gone dim.

"Hehehe, becoming a Professional Duelist? You really dare to say that." As if some nerve had been struck, the man twisted his face into a distorted expression and let out a sinister howl. "Such an impractical, outrageously laughable dream, as fleeting as a bubble—let me shatter it for you here!"

"I enter Main Phase 2!" the man declared. "Then I activate Gladiator Beast Director, Chief Duelist's effect. Once per turn, I can Special Summon one 'Gladiator Beast' Fusion Monster other than 'Gladiator Beast Director, Chief Duelist' from my Extra Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions!"

"Take the stage once more, Gladiator Beast Caesar!"

The green bird-man let out a crisp cry and appeared on the field once again.

"Next, I activate Gladiator Beast Caesar's effect and destroy two cards on your field!" The man's gaze fell upon the two unknown Set Cards, but...

That Trap Card equipped to her monster seemed to have a special effect, while my monsters have no protection. And she still has a monster card in her hand...

"I destroy Lankaa the Entomologist on your field, as well as the Lost Wind you just Set!"

As two beams of white light shot forth, Sera's Lost Wind was sent to the Banish Zone, while Lankaa turned into white light and entered the Graveyard.