Yūki set Warm Worm face-down.
"I set one monster."
Now two face-down monsters stood side by side on Yūki's field.
Iwasaki Tōru looked at those two face-down cards, his expression already grim.
One was most likely Needle Worm.
What about the other?
Surely it couldn't be another Needle Worm?
A deck could only contain three copies of the same card. It couldn't be that much of a coincidence, could it?
"Turn end."
Yūki ended his turn.
It was Iwasaki Tōru's turn.
"My turn. I draw!"
Eleven cards remained in his deck.
He drew Pot of Greed.
Normally, this card would make any duelist's eyes light up.
Draw two, no strings attached!
Card advantage! A comeback! A god-tier card!
But now, looking at the Pot of Greed in his hand, Iwasaki Tōru felt as though it were burning his fingers.
Activate it?
Draw two, and nine cards would remain.
If the opponent's face-down card was Needle Worm, five would be gone.
If the other one was also Needle Worm...
He might not even last until his next turn.
Iwasaki Tōru's hand hovered over the Spell Card zone, but he couldn't bring himself to play it.
The spectators noticed too.
The duel footage was being broadcast on the big screen, so the spectators could see exactly what was happening.
"He doesn't even dare activate Pot of Greed?"
"He's afraid he'll draw himself to death."
"First time I've seen someone scared of Pot of Greed."
Yūki stood opposite him without rushing him. He was very patient.
Iwasaki Tōru slipped Pot of Greed back into his hand.
"I enter the Battle Phase."
His throat was a little dry.
"Giant Rat, attack the face-down monster on the left."
Giant Rat lunged.
The face-down card flipped over.
Needle Worm.
Yūki smiled.
"Needle Worm has been successfully flipped. Send the top five cards of your deck to the Graveyard."
Iwasaki Tōru closed his eyes for a moment.
Five cards went to the Graveyard.
[Iwasaki Tōru - Cards remaining in deck: 6] [Low deck count]
A red warning light lit up on Iwasaki Tōru's Duel Disk.
The red light flashed.
A short beep sounded.
Iwasaki Tōru stared at the warning and froze for half a second.
Giant Rat destroyed Needle Worm in battle.
Needle Worm went to the Graveyard.
"Gigantes!"
Iwasaki Tōru suddenly raised his voice.
"Attack the other face-down monster!"
Gigantes charged toward the second face-down card.
The face-down card flipped over.
A round-bodied worm emerged from the projection, then was destroyed by Gigantes.
[Warm Worm DEF: 1400]
"When Warm Worm is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, its effect activates. Send the top three cards of the opponent's deck to the Graveyard."
Yūki spoke.
Iwasaki Tōru opened his mouth.
"There's more?"
Three cards went to the Graveyard.
[Iwasaki Tōru - Cards remaining in deck: 3]
Even the spectator stands outside the venue fell silent.
Three cards.
Only three cards left!
Iwasaki Tōru looked at his remaining deck, his breathing growing quicker.
Yet he forced himself to cling to a sliver of opportunity.
Yūki only had 2,100 LP left.
He still had Giant Rat and Gigantes on his field.
As long as I could attack directly next turn...
As long as Yūki didn't summon a monster onto his field...
He could win!
"Turn end."
He forced the words out.
But his eyes remained fixed on Yūki's hand, desperately hoping Yūki wouldn't draw a Monster Card.
"My turn. I draw!"
It was Yūki's turn.
He actually drew Pot of Greed.
Yūki glanced at the card, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, and chose to activate it immediately.
"I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Greed."
The green, pot-shaped Spell Card lit up.
"I draw two cards from my deck."
Two cards entered his hand.
Doomdozer Scout and Book of Eclipse.
Yūki set Doomdozer Scout face-down.
"I set one monster."
"Turn end."
Iwasaki Tōru looked at the newly set monster, and the last trace of hope on his face shattered.
Another face-down monster.
Another face-down monster he had to attack yet feared attacking.
In the rest area, Kurosawa watched the field in silence for several seconds.
"This is way too frustrating."
Asakawa Suzune nodded lightly.
"He can make a move at every step."
She looked at Iwasaki Tōru.
"But every step helps Yūki whittle down his deck."
Tachibana Shingo stood by a distant railing, much of his earlier relaxed expression gone.
The boy from City First Middle School said quietly, "There's something weird about this guy."
Tachibana Shingo didn't reply.
His gaze settled on the face-down monster on Yūki's field.
Iwasaki Tōru raised his hand and placed it on his deck.
"My turn. I draw!"
Two cards remained in his deck.
After drawing his card, he entered the Battle Phase without even looking at it.
"Giant Rat, attack the face-down monster!"
Giant Rat lunged.
The face-down card flipped over.
A one-eyed, slime-like blue humanoid demon appeared on the field.
[Doomdozer Scout DEF: 500]
Yūki said, "Doomdozer Scout's Flip effect: the opponent draws three cards from their deck, and both players check them. If any of them are Spell Cards, all those Spell Cards are sent to the Graveyard."
Iwasaki Tōru went completely still.
He only had two cards left in his deck!
The Duel Disk mechanically carried out the effect.
Two cards popped out of the deck.
One Spell Card.
One Monster Card.
The Spell Card went to the Graveyard, and the monster was added to his hand.
His deck was empty!
Iwasaki Tōru lowered his head and stared at the empty deck slot.
Both hands froze at the sides of his Duel Disk.
He still had LP.
But his deck was gone.
"Are your monsters still attacking?"
Yūki asked.
His tone was perfectly normal.
Iwasaki Tōru raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.
Of course he could keep attacking.
"Gigantes! Attack him directly! Kill him!"
Gigantes became a moving red blur and charged at Yūki.
"I activate my face-down card, Holy Barrier - Mirror Force!"
"This card can only be activated when an opponent's monster declares an attack. Destroy all Attack Position monsters on the opponent's field."
As an arcing shock wave burst outward, Giant Rat and Gigantes on Iwasaki Tōru's field were both engulfed and destroyed together by the devastating blast.
"You still had something up your sleeve? Damn it!"
Iwasaki Tōru could already see his defeat. He knew the rules of dueling too.
After he ended his turn, it would be Yūki's turn again.
Yūki only needed to end his turn.
When Iwasaki Tōru's turn came around again, he would have to draw.
There would be no card in his deck to draw.
Under the rules of dueling, Iwasaki Tōru would be declared defeated.
Iwasaki Tōru's lips moved several times before he finally squeezed out the words.
"Turn end."
Yūki nodded.
"My turn. I draw."
He drew a card.
He didn't even look at it.
"Turn end."
Those few brief words fell.
Like pushing a clock to its final tick.
Iwasaki Tōru's Duel Disk automatically began the turn sequence.
[Iwasaki Tōru's turn] [Draw phase] [Unable to draw] [Defeat confirmed] [Winner: Fujiwara Yūki]
On the projection screen, Yūki's name lit up.
Iwasaki Tōru stood rooted to the spot.
The arena was utterly silent.
There was no dazzling finishing attack.
No clash between giant monsters.
There had not even been a final blow.
This duel had ended with Donggang Middle School's contestant still standing on the field, with 3,600 LP remaining.
But his deck had run out of cards.
Several seconds passed before anyone in the audience spoke.
"He lost by decking out?"
"A rules-based kill in the first round of the league?"
"Did this guy really come here to duel?"
"That's downright diabolical."
But some people frowned, quite dismissive of Yūki's deck strategy.
"Just a cheap trick."
"Winning by milling someone's deck makes for a lousy duel."
"That kind of play won't get him far."
The murmurs gradually spread.
Half were amazed.
Half were disdainful.
Donggang Middle School's team leader looked livid.
Iwasaki Tōru rested his hand beside his deck slot, staring at the empty space inside as though he still had not accepted what had happened.
He had summoned Giant Rock Dragon with its 5,600 ATK.
He had knocked Yūki down to just 2,100 LP.
Several times, he had been just short of landing a direct attack and winning.
Yet every close call had ended with the sound of cards from the top of his deck being sent to the graveyard.
Yūki put away his Duel Disk.
The referee at the edge of the field announced the result.
"Fujiwara Yūki of Third Municipal Academy advances to the Top Twelve."
In Third Municipal Middle School's rest area, Sato Renshan walked over.
He stopped at the entrance to the aisle, the corner of his mouth twitching.
After a long moment, he muttered under his breath.
"I told you to open up the score gap, not empty the other guy's deck."
Kurosawa heard him, but did not laugh. He remembered when Yūki had put him through torment.
He watched Yūki walk off the field, his gaze complicated.
He had once thought having his entire hand ripped apart was absurd enough.
Now he realized there was something even more absurd!
Asakawa Suzune looked at Yūki's Deck Box.
"So this is what deck milling is."
Yūki returned to the rest area, sat down, and took a sip of water.
"Yeah."
He thought for a moment.
"It went pretty smoothly."
Kurosawa looked at him.
"You call that smooth?"
Yūki nodded.
"He brought out a huge monster with 5,600 ATK, and I only lost 1,900 LP."
"That was a very profitable resource trade."
Kurosawa fell silent.
He suddenly wanted very much to ask what Iwasaki Tōru had gotten out of that trade.
After thinking it over, he decided against it.
The guy himself had been drained dry.
Better leave him a little dignity.
Before you continue