Duelists Never Surrender! Chapter 4

Cyber Dragons, with their powerful effects related to having two or more cards in the same column—allowing them to Special Summon themselves to that column on your field—as well as their cool artwork, had been hugely popular among duelists in Hara Shichi's previous world. They were also a Tier 2 competitive deck in the meta.

Strictly speaking, the Madolche deck in Hara Shichi's hand was also a Tier 2 deck. But since this was an incomplete version, it would probably fall all the way to Tier 4...

"Stay calm! Stay calm!" Yi said, but Hara Shichi could already tell from her flustered little face that the so-called Goddess of Duels was no calmer than he was.

"Think about it. Xyz Summoning has only just appeared, so he definitely can't Link Summon. Cyber Dragons without Links..."

"They're still strong, okay?" Hara Shichi retorted.

The monsters in this deck basically all had over two thousand ATK. In this environment, where four thousand LP was as fragile as paper, it was undoubtedly an extremely powerful deck.

"Next, I activate my Set Card." As he spoke, Zhuxiu revealed the Spell Card he had just set. "Normal Spell Card, Mind Control."

"I pay 800 LP and target the Glace-Glace Mailman on your field. Come over here, Glace-Glace Mailman."

The moment Zhuxiu finished speaking, the clarity in Glace-Glace Mailman's eyes vanished, replaced by a blank stare. Then, step by step, it walked over to Zhuxiu's field.

Zhuxiu: 4000 LP → 3200 LP

"My Mailman!" Yi grabbed at her silver hair. Looking at the lone Mille-feuille the Magical Cat left on the field, she anxiously urged, "Hara Shichi, hurry and activate the Set Card!"

"Don't rush. It's not time yet." Hara Shichi stared at the silver Cyber Dragon floating in the air on Zhuxiu's field. Zhuxiu had used Mystical Space Typhoon, Azure Cyber Dragon, and now Mind Control—three cards in total. His opponent still had three unknown cards in hand. If he activated his Set Card now, he would lose his final line of defense.

"Then, I enter the Battle Phase," Zhuxiu said. "I use Glace-Glace Mailman to attack Mille-feuille the Magical Cat."

"Meow?!" Mille-feuille the Magical Cat let out a pitiful cry before dispersing into light beneath the Mailman's fist.

"Due to Mille-feuille the Magical Cat's effect, when this card is destroyed by my opponent and sent to the Graveyard, it activates. This card returns to the deck, and because of Madolche Chateau, I can add it straight back to my hand..." As Hara Shichi spoke, he reached to take Mille-feuille the Magical Cat back into his hand, but a violent shockwave suddenly slammed into him.

Bang!

The aftershock from the Mailman's attack struck Hara Shichi. Before he could even steady himself, Yi shouted by his ear, "Watch out, another wave is coming!"

"I use Azure Cyber Dragon to attack directly."

Smack!

This time, Hara Shichi was sent flying by the impact, his back making intimate contact with the icy floor.

"Hara Shichi!" Yukikaze hurried over and helped him up. Her large eyes were filled with worry. "How about we find another way? You're so strong—the Principal will definitely agree to let you enroll."

With Yukikaze's support, Hara Shichi got to his feet. "Don't be silly. This duel isn't over yet. Stay in the stands and watch me win."

With that, Hara Shichi returned alone to where he had been standing and said to Xiuzhu, "Continue."

"Not bad. I thought you would give up after that." There was a trace of approval in Xiuzhu's eyes. What he hated most were duelists who cried out in pain at the slightest impact. If they could not even endure this much pain, how could they climb to greater heights?

"I wanted to, but I've already taken the fall. Wouldn't giving up now make it a loss?" Hara Shichi dusted himself off. "Still... that really hurt. We were only playing cards, but it felt like an actual fight."

"That's why I told you to activate your Set Card earlier." Yi sounded irritated. "Duelists in this world have been enduring all kinds of impacts since childhood. With your current physical condition, taking an attack of that level head-on is hardly safe."

"Am I not fine? I still have 500 LP." As long as his LP had not dropped to zero, Hara Shichi figured it was no big deal.

"Then, I set one card and end my turn." As Zhuxiu declared the end of his turn, the blank-eyed Mailman regained its clarity and returned to Hara Shichi's field with a shamefaced look.

"Then it's my turn. Draw." Hara Shichi glanced at the card he had drawn and froze for a moment before adding it to his hand. He then slapped Madolche Madeleine onto his Duel Disk. "I Normal Summon Madolche Madeleine. Next, I activate Madeleine's effect, from my deck—"

"Wait. I chain and activate my Set Card." The expected voice rang out. Hara Shichi had long anticipated that Zhuxiu's deck would not run any Attack Declaration Traps. But if it was a Counter Trap like Solemn Judgment, he would be in trouble.

"I pay 1,000 LP to activate this Trap Card..."

Wait, that familiar cost...

"As long as this card remains in the Spell & Trap Zone, negate the effects of all face-up monsters on the field."

"Pfft!" Hara Shichi nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Wasn't that Skill Drain?

If you were a top duelist in this world using the strongest deck, then fine, pulling out this card would be understandable. But you clearly said this was the deck you used as a student!

"Teacher, did the Head Teacher really use this deck when he was a student...?" Yukikaze's voice trembled. The sight before her had completely stunned her.

"Don't let his aged appearance fool you. He looks like a middle-aged man, but he isn't even thirty yet. Ten years ago, I was his Junior when we participated in the National Higher Academy Tournament together." Nafili sighed mournfully. "More than thirty schools competed that year. There were five rounds from the first round to the finals."

"He didn't lose a single round."

"Going second, Mind Control plus the high ATK of Cyber Dragons for an OTK. Even if the OTK failed, he would activate Skill Drain the next turn. His opponents had no way to fight back at all."

"Even the Duel King at the time praised him highly, believing that he would become an outstanding duelist."

"Tch, I used to think I was the strongest back then." Nafili sounded annoyed.

"Eh?! Then why didn't you tell us earlier?!" Yukikaze's little face had gone deathly pale.

"Because I saw it." Nafili pointed to his eyes.

"S-Saw it?" Yukikaze did not understand what Nafili meant.

"I saw the arrogance in Hara Shichi's eyes," Nafili said calmly.

"Arrogance??" Yukikaze became even more confused. "Teacher, you must be mistaken. Hara Shichi is the most humble person I've ever met. He defeated Senior Julie, yet he never once bragged to me about it..."

"Because, in his eyes, victory is only natural." Nafili narrowed his eyes. "I can tell that he is the same kind of person I once was. No matter how powerful the duelist before him is, no matter how powerful their deck is, he is the kind of person who will unhesitatingly say, 'I will win.'"

"Uh, Teacher, do you mean that you actually wanted to take Hara Shichi down a peg?" Yukikaze seemed to understand.

"No!" The corners of Nafili's mouth curled upward. "I want him to keep that arrogance throughout this duel!"

"No matter who my opponent is or what deck they use, I'll win? Of course! I'm obviously going to win!" Nafili suddenly said. "As a duelist, you should have that kind of arrogance. Someone has to win, so why can't that someone be me?!"

"Eh? Eh? Eh?" Yukikaze could no longer understand what this teacher was trying to say.

"It's fine if you don't understand now. You'll naturally understand in the future." Nafili stared fervently at the calm Hara Shichi in the Duel Arena. "Hara Shichi hasn't disappointed me. No matter how this duel ends, I'll find a way to bring him into our academy."

In the Duel Arena, Hara Shichi looked at the Skill Drain on his opponent's field, and his emotions had already settled. Skill Drain was powerful—absurdly powerful—but... the advantage was his!

Hara Shichi inserted the Spell Card he had just drawn into his Duel Disk.

"I activate the Spell Card, 'One-Shot Draw! Gishki Chain'!"

"Discard 1 card to activate this card. Send cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard equal to the number of cards on your opponent's field. Then draw 1 card from your Deck and reveal it to both players. If it is 'One-Shot Draw! Gishki Chain,' send that card to the Graveyard, then destroy all cards on the field. After that, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of cards destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by this effect × 2000. Otherwise, return to the Deck cards in your Graveyard equal to the number of cards sent to the Graveyard by this effect."

"I discard Mille-feuille the Magical Cat from my hand. Since you have two cards on your field, I send the top two cards of my Deck to the Graveyard." As Hara Shichi spoke, he sent Mille-feuille the Magical Cat and the top two cards of his Deck to the Graveyard.

"Wait, this card's effect..." Yukikaze's little mouth fell slightly open, her face lighting up with delight. "Doesn't that mean that as long as Hara Shichi draws another Gishki Chain, he can deal Head Teacher 4,000 damage and win the duel?!"

"It's not that easy. You can only run up to three copies of the same card in a deck. Since he already drew one, there can be at most two left in his Deck. The odds are far too low." Nafili shook his head.

"Then, I draw!" Hara Shichi sharply drew a card from his Deck. "There it is!"

"There it is? He really drew it?!" Yukikaze exclaimed joyfully.

"No! It's not Gishki Chain!" Nafili frowned. If it had been Gishki Chain, Hara Shichi should have immediately sent that card from his hand to the Graveyard.

Of course it wasn't Gishki Chain. Hara Shichi had never expected to win the duel through Gishki Chain. This card was enough.

"Hey, Ai. Why did you choose the name Ai?" Hara Shichi suddenly asked the Goddess of Duels beside him.

"Huh? At such a crucial moment in a duel, you're asking me something completely unrelated to the duel?" Ai furrowed her cute little brows.

"Tell me. I want to know," Hara Shichi said.

"I happened to hear that sound and decided to use it as my name," Ai explained.

"I thought it had some important meaning."

"How could it? No one ever gave me a name, so I simply gave myself one." Ai lowered her gaze.

"Then I'll call you Aiai from now on. Calling you just Ai feels kind of strange," Hara Shichi said.

"Eh? I don't mind, but why..." Aiai tilted her head, her azure eyes full of confusion.

"Who knows?" Hara Shichi chuckled softly. "Aiai."

"What is it?"

"The equation of victory is complete," Hara Shichi said. "Lend me your power."

"I understand." Aiai placed her little hand on Hara Shichi's shoulder.

"First, since the card I drew wasn't 'One-Shot Draw! Gishki Chain,' I return the two cards I just sent to the Graveyard back to my Deck." After making his move, Hara Shichi opened the card case at his waist. Inside, Madolche Queen Tiramisu lay quietly.

"Here it comes!" Nafili focused intently as he watched Hara Shichi take that black card from his case.

"I have two Level 4 monsters on the field. I overlay Madolche Madeleine and Glace-Glace Mailman! With these two monsters, I construct the Xyz Network! Xyz Summon—Madolche Queen Tiramisu!"

The elegant queen appeared before them once again with her scepter in hand. However, she seemed to sense an invisible force suppressing her, and her previously smiling face darkened with anger.

"So this is an Xyz Summon?!" Zhuxiu unconsciously pushed up his glasses. The two clusters of light orbiting the monster before him were likely the so-called Xyz Materials.

"Still, no matter how powerful a monster may be, as long as it is a monster, its effect will be negated by Skill Drain." Zhuxiu was not intimidated by the Xyz Monster and immediately pointed out the key issue.

"But Queen Tiramisu has 2,200 ATK, and with Mewfeuille Castle's effect, she has 2,700! Azure Cyber Dragon only has 2,400 ATK. There's no need to activate an effect at all—she can just attack directly!" Yukikaze instinctively refuted Zhuxiu.

"Indeed, you're right. I overlooked that." Zhuxiu nodded at Yukikaze in acknowledgment.

"Uh, you're not angry?" Yukikaze asked in surprise, having expected a scolding.

"Because you're right, of course he can't be angry." Though Nafili said this aloud, he had already formed a suspicion. As a duelist, Zhuxiu could not possibly have overlooked such a basic ATK difference. The outcome of this duel had likely already been decided.

"Just as Yukikaze said, your Queen Tiramisu currently has higher ATK than my Azure Cyber Dragon. Are you going to attack?" Zhuxiu asked.

"No. I activate Queen Tiramisu's effect!" Hara Shichi said as he detached one of Queen Tiramisu's materials. "I activate Queen Tiramisu's effect! Once per turn, I detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to target up to 2 'Madolche' cards in my Graveyard. Return those cards to the Deck, then return up to that many cards on your field to their owner's Deck!"

"I choose to send Mailman to the Graveyard..."

"Hey! Didn't you hear Skill Drain's effect clearly? As long as that card remains in the Spell & Trap Zone, the effects of all face-up monsters on the field are negated! Your Queen Tiramisu can't use her effect at all—you'll only waste an Xyz Material!" Zhuxiu rebuked him.

"No, I heard it perfectly clearly!" Hara Shichi flipped open the Set Card on his Duel Disk. It was time to use the Set Card he had endured the impact without using earlier!

"When Queen Tiramisu's effect activates, I chain the Quick-Play Spell Card—Book of Moon! This card targets 1 face-up monster on the field and changes it to face-down Defense Position. I choose Queen Tiramisu on my field!"

"What?!" Zhuxiu stared in astonishment.

"Wait... I see!" Nafili froze for a moment, then burst into wild laughter. "I understand now! The purpose of Gishki Chain was never to burn LP—it was to fill the Graveyard!"

"What are you talking about?! Why can't I understand any of this?!" Yukikaze asked foolishly.

"Queen Tiramisu's effect is powerful, but it requires Madolche cards in the Graveyard to activate. Hara Shichi's goal was to use Gishki Chain's cost to send Mille-feuille the Magical Cat from his hand to the Graveyard, fulfilling Queen Tiramisu's requirement!" Nafili explained excitedly.

"But... but with Skill Drain on the field, isn't the effect negated?!" Yukikaze asked in confusion.

"Because Skill Drain negates the effects of 'all face-up monsters on the field,'" Zhuxiu suddenly said. "By using the rules of chaining, Book of Moon flips Queen Tiramisu face-down at the instant her effect activates, allowing her to escape Skill Drain's range."

"That means the effect resolves successfully. Not only can you return both cards on my field to my Deck, but you can also use Mewfeuille Castle to recover the two monsters in your Graveyard. More importantly, you only have 500 LP left. In that situation, setting your monster face-down also ensures you won't take battle damage next turn."

"An incredibly beautiful play." Zhuxiu praised him without stint.

"Tch, you actually stole my commentary." Nafili clicked his tongue.

"So that's how it was!" Yukikaze finally understood. Wait, so that meant... that meant... her Book of Moon had been tremendously useful!

Awesome!

"No, there won't be a next turn." Hara Shichi returned the Mille-Feu Cat and Glace-Glace Mailman from his Graveyard to his hand. "I choose your Azure Cyber Dragon and Skill Drain to return to the Deck. Then, I activate the Spell Card from my hand—Double Summon!"

"Double Summon again?!" Yukikaze couldn't understand. "Why could Hara Shichi draw that card again?"

"Wrong! It may look strange, but this is how duelists win!" Nafili hurriedly explained. "A true duelist's deck construction is actually quite streamlined. It can generally be divided into starters, board-breaking cards, support cards, and disruption cards. To ensure draw consistency, most cards are run at three copies. That's why Hara Shichi often opens with Madolche Madeleine. If I'm not mistaken, as his core starter cards, Madolche Madeleine and Madolche Puddingcess must both be run at three copies. Then Double Summon, which lets him extend quickly, must definitely be run at three copies too!"

"We can't control exactly what cards we draw! So we have to increase our chances of opening them by heavily running cards with similar functions. That is how duelists fight! A godly draw? That's just a godly draw with the odds maximized!" Nafili was already getting excited. This student was just too much to his taste!

"Then Gishki Chain in Hara Shichi's Deck should also be run at three copies, right? But you just said the chance of drawing a second Gishki Chain was very low." Yukikaze eyed him suspiciously.

"..."

"Because of Double Summon's effect, I can Normal Summon twice this turn!" Hara Shichi said, slapping Mille-Feu Cat onto the field once more. "I Normal Summon Mille-Feu Cat! Then I activate Mille-Feu Cat's effect, Special Summoning Glace-Glace Mailman from my hand!"

"Because of Mewfeuille Castle's effect, all Madolche monsters on the field gain 500 ATK and DEF!"

Mille-Feu Cat: ATK 500/DEF 300 → ATK 1000/DEF 800!

Glace-Glace Mailman: ATK 1600/DEF 1000 → ATK 2100/DEF 1500!

"I enter the Battle Phase!" Hara Shichi shouted. "Mille-Feu Cat, Glace-Glace Mailman, attack directly!"

The massive impact struck Zhuxiu head-on, knocking him to the ground as his LP steadily fell with the attacks.

LP: 2200 → 1100 → 0

Win: Hara Shichi!