The blue light patterns along both sides of the black dueling platform lit up in sequence.
Yūki and Mokuba Kaiba stood at opposite ends of the field, Test Duel Disks fitted to their arms, the edges of the card slots glowing faint blue.
The silver pillars around the arena activated simultaneously.
Layers of translucent data interfaces rose into the air, recording Life Points, Deck data, projection feedback, and Duel Disk synchronization rates.
Tachibana Shingo stood in the spectator area clutching the Booster Pack, his eyes fixed on the center.
The female contestant from City Second Middle School also approached the railing.
With the Kaiba Corporation's second son personally taking the field, the significance of this test changed in an instant.
Mokuba raised his Duel Disk, still smiling.
"Yūki, the Deck I'm using is the Corporation's latest completed build."
"You'd better be careful."
Yūki rubbed his nose.
"I'll try."
The latest build.
The Kaiba Corporation's second son.
Put those two phrases together, and it basically meant both the Deck's power and its budget were maxed out.
What made things trickier was that Mokuba Kaiba had barely played any proper duels in the original anime.
Yūki had absolutely no idea what strategy he used.
But one thing was clear.
A Kaiba kid's Deck probably had no room for mediocre cards.
The two exchanged a glance.
"Duel!"
"Duel!"
Blue light burst outward.
[Fujiwara Yūki LP: 4000] [Mokuba Kaiba LP: 4000]
"I'll go first!"
Yūki secured the first turn.
He placed his hand on his Deck.
"My turn, draw!"
Six cards slid into his palm.
Yūki glanced at them and nearly failed to suppress his grin.
[Pot of Greed].
[Confiscation].
[The Forceful Sentry].
[Mystic Tomato].
[Bottomless Trap Hole].
[Drop Off].
Compared with yesterday's HERO Deck opening, where Polymerization, Miracle Fusion, and Elemental HERO Neos had all gathered together, this opening hand made the two Decks seem like two different species.
Yūki felt he really was better suited to being an underhanded hero.
The HERO Deck called it the bonds between partners.
His Deck called it showing up to seize your assets.
"I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Greed!"
A green, pot-shaped projection rose from the Spell & Trap Zone.
The pot's mouth spread wide, revealing a grin that practically begged to be punched.
"I add two cards from my Deck to my hand."
Two streaks of green light shot from the pot's mouth, turning into cards that flew into Yūki's hand.
His hand immediately became plentiful.
Yūki pulled out his second Spell Card.
"I activate the Spell Card, Confiscation."
"I pay 1,000 Life Points to look at your entire hand and choose one card to discard."
[Fujiwara Yūki LP: 4000 → 3000]
The Duel Disk gave a low notification tone.
Five virtual cards appeared before Yūki.
The card backs flipped over one by one.
The first.
[Thunder Dragon].
The second.
[Thunder Dragonduo].
The third.
[Thunder Dragon Fusion].
The fourth.
[Royal Decree].
The fifth.
[Thunder Dragondark].
Yūki's hand froze in midair.
Thunder Dragons?
And a Thunder Dragon Fusion strategy, at that?
He looked at [Thunder Dragon Fusion], then at the two Thunder Dragon monsters after it, whose effects could activate from the hand.
The structure of this opening hand already had something of President Kaiba's three Blue-Eyes White Dragons plus Polymerization about it.
Both the financial resources and the Deck-building approach were thoroughly up to standard.
Yūki raised his hand.
"I choose Thunder Dragon Fusion. Discard it."
[Thunder Dragon Fusion] turned into a streak of blue light and fell into Mokuba Kaiba's Graveyard.
Mokuba looked at his hand, now one card smaller, without much change in his expression.
"I know you have several Decks."
He blinked.
"But why aren't you using yesterday's HERO Deck? I thought that Deck was really strong."
Yūki rubbed his nose.
"The HERO Deck still needs adjustments."
"Yesterday's win was partly down to understanding the Deck and luck."
That was putting it very delicately.
Translated, it roughly meant that yesterday's HERO Deck had nearly been the death of him, and he really didn't dare bring it today.
As for his lack of rapport with the heroes, he wouldn't admit that even if it killed him.
Mokuba nodded.
"I see."
Yūki pulled out another Spell Card.
"I activate The Forceful Sentry."
"I pay 1,000 Life Points to look at your hand and choose one card to return to the Deck."
[Fujiwara Yūki LP: 3000 → 2000]
A projection of a little armored soldier emerged from the Spell Zone, clutching a small shield as it ran toward Mokuba's hand, peering about.
The virtual hand flipped faceup again.
[Thunder Dragon].
[Thunder Dragonduo].
[Royal Decree].
[Thunder Dragondark].
Yūki's gaze settled on Royal Decree.
What did a Thunder Dragon strategy fear most?
Graveyard disruption, monster effects being stopped, and Fusion Monsters being dealt with.
But once Royal Decree was active, those traps in his back row would pretty much all be put out of work on the spot.
"Royal Decree goes back to the Deck."
The little soldier picked up the Trap Card and charged straight into Mokuba's Deck area.
The Deck automatically shuffled and cut itself.
Mokuba had only three cards left in his hand.
Yūki felt a little regretful.
If his opening hand had included a Delinquent Duo as well, today's test might have quickly turned into an internal Kaiba Corporation awareness lesson on protecting your hand.
Unfortunately, you had to leave people some breathing room.
On the surface, at least.
"I Set one monster."
Mystic Tomato was Set in the Monster Zone.
"And Set two more cards."
Two card backs landed in the back row.
"Turn end."
Mokuba Kaiba raised his hand and drew.
"My turn, draw!"
The card had only just entered his hand.
Yūki raised a finger.
"I flip my Set card."
"I activate the Normal Trap Card, Drop Off."
"The card my opponent drew during their Draw Phase is discarded."
The trap in the back row flipped faceup.
A dark figure wearing an iron gauntlet leaped out of the card and punched the card Mokuba had just drawn.
Mokuba saw the card's face.
[Pot of Greed].
The smile on his face paused for a moment.
The godlike card he had just received hadn't even had time to warm in his hand before it turned into motes of light and was sent to the Graveyard.
"So this card can get used up like this, too."
Mokuba sent the card to the Graveyard, his face expressionless.
In the spectator area, Tachibana Shingo and the female contestant exchanged a glance.
Probably the same thought surfaced in both their minds.
Could the Kaiba Corporation's second son already be regretting asking Yūki to test the system right at the start?
Was this testing the new Duel Disk or the limits of human mental endurance?
Yūki spread his hands.
"A normal exchange of resources."
Mokuba glanced at him.
"Your standards for normal are quite unusual."
He pulled a Monster Card from his hand.
"I activate Thunder Dragon's effect."
"By discarding this card from my hand, I add up to two Thunder Dragons from my Deck to my hand."
The card went to the Graveyard.
Low thunder rumbled above the field.
A silvery-white current struck Mokuba's Deck, and two Monster Cards with the same name flew out into his palm.
"I add two Thunder Dragons to my hand."
Immediately afterward, Mokuba picked up another card from his hand.
"I activate Thunder Dragondark's effect."
"By discarding this card from my hand, I Special Summon one of my Thunder Dragon monsters from my Graveyard or banishment."
A giant bird formed from pale blue electricity flew out of the card.
It spread its wings, crackling arcs of lightning lining the edges of its feathers, and when its beak opened, a dazzling mass of electricity rolled out of its throat.
Thunder Dragondark swooped toward the Graveyard.
The [Thunder Dragon] that had just been sent there lit up.
Lightning gathered.
A massive lightning dragon with broad wings burst out of the pillar of light, its body woven from blue-white scales and electric currents. When its claws landed on the field, even the blue patterns on the ground jolted.
[Thunder Dragon, ATK 1600]
Yūki looked at Thunder Dragon on the field and had already reached a judgment.
Mokuba's Thunder Dragon engine was not much different from the build he remembered.
The real trouble was about to arrive.
Sure enough.
Mokuba picked up the third card in his hand.
"I activate Thunder Dragonduo's effect."
"By discarding this card from my hand, I add one Thunder Dragon card from my Graveyard or banishment to my hand."
A black beast dragon swept through the projection.
It had the head of a wolf-like beast, with purple-black lightning coiling through its mane. When its thick foreclaws came down, a ring of tiny electric arcs erupted across the field.
Thunder Dragonroar roared and reached a claw into the Graveyard projection.
The discarded Thunder Dragondark turned into a card and flew back into Mokuba's hand.
Resource recovery.
Activation from the hand.
Graveyard utilization.
Watching this sequence of plays, Yūki gave Mokuba's deck an assessment.
A very proper deck.
And very capable in a fight.
This was what the deck of Kaiba Corporation's second son should look like.
The corners of Mokuba's mouth lifted.
"During a turn when a Thunder monster's effect has been activated in the hand, I can Tribute a Thunder Effect Monster on my field to Special Summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck."
"I Tribute Thunder Dragon on my field!"
Thunder Dragon raised his head and roared.
His body turned into electric currents and was sucked into a pitch-black thundercloud overhead.
The data displays at the top of the arena began to flicker.
Tachibana Shingo looked up.
"A Special Summon from the Extra Deck?"
The female contestant also watched the thundercloud.
"He didn't even use the Spell Card Polymerization."
The black cloud grew larger and larger.
A pillar of black-purple lightning crashed down.
"Come forth!"
"Thunder Dragon Colossus!"
The lightning pillar struck the ground, and a massive black dragon spread his wings.
His scales resembled scorched metal, and a constantly pulsing lightning core was embedded in his chest. As his wings beat, purple-black electricity crackled all along the wing bones.
The massive dragon opened his mouth, and his roar shook the data screens beside the field, making them flicker several times.
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