In the dark, damp underground cavern, the air seemed frozen by an invisible chill.
Black mist churned wildly around the Hooded Man, and blue lights on either side of his Duel Disk glowed faintly in the darkness.
Yūki stood directly opposite him, one hand tucked into his uniform trouser pocket, looking relaxed and unruffled, even a little careless.
In truth, however, he had never underestimated his opponent.
Despise the enemy strategically, but take them seriously tactically.
He could show strategic contempt on the surface, but when it came to actually fighting, Yūki would never treat a Shadow Duelist of unknown origin as a rookie.
In the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, underestimating an opponent often meant staking your life on surviving their hellish Chains.
Especially since this was a genuine Shadow Game.
Yūki moved his fingers slightly, feeling the neatly arranged cards in his Duel Disk.
To deal with any unforeseen incidents tonight, he had specifically switched to this newly tuned HERO Deck.
In the current dueling environment, this build was his trump card, offering the most comprehensive tactics and the widest range of board-breaking options he had available.
Whether it came to direct assaults, clearing boards with effects, recycling Graveyard resources, or handling unexpected situations, the HERO engine's flexibility was impeccable.
More importantly, with Little White residing deep within his consciousness to assist him, he might not be able to guarantee miracle draws, but there was absolutely no chance of the embarrassing situation of "bricking so hard with his opening hand that he died."
Yūki quietly glanced at the top of his Deck out of the corner of his eye, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
Of course, the makeup of this "HERO Deck" might have been just a tiny bit complicated.
*Who said a HERO Deck