Battle City

Ōnoki stepped forward and slowly gathered the scattered cards.

He did not answer immediately. He simply slid the [Magic Cylinder] that had decided the match gently toward Haimā.

"Haimā," Ōnoki began, his voice steady and dry, like aged wood in a storehouse, "did you see? You didn't lose to any particular card."

The boy bit his lower lip and turned his head away defiantly.

Ōnoki continued calmly, "You lost to tactics."

He raised a finger and tapped his temple. "You saw only the cold attack values on the monsters' stat panels. You believed only in overwhelming your opponent with absolute power. But a true duelist's battlefield is here."

"Your Blue-Eyes White Dragon does indeed possess unmatched power. Yet that very power also makes him the most obvious target."

Ōnoki laid out several more cards: [Mirror Force], [Sakuretsu Armor], [Draining Shield]...

"Look at these cards. They have no attack power of their own, but their strength comes from understanding your opponent's actions, anticipating them, and using them precisely at the most critical moment."

"You summoned Blue-Eyes White Dragon, thinking you could win on your next turn. What I saw, however, was your eagerness to win and the only source of attack on your field."

"So this 'Magic Cylinder' I set was waiting for that final blow you were so certain would win."

Ōnoki's gaze was deep, as though he could see into Haimā's heart. "A monster's power is a servant, a tool, a sharp sword."

"But it is always the duelist's own wisdom that wields that sword. Brute force without wisdom will only charge headfirst into a grave dug for it."

"That principle holds true whether you're playing a card game or fighting as a ninja."

Then he stood and walked over to Haimā, gently resting his rough palm on the