Sōsuke Takahashi pushed himself upright with his hands on his knees. His expression was still grim, but he did not avert his gaze.
"I lost today."
"All my preparations focused on defensive traps, effect damage, and the pace of attacks."
"I studied the footage of your entrance exam and thought I had figured out your tactics. I even deliberately committed fewer monsters to the field and held back Counter Traps."
"But you started by dismantling my hand and even locked down my Draw Phase."
At this point, his fists tightened a little more.
"But I'll find a way to break through."
"Cards that prevent my hand from being destroyed, cards that counter Draw Phase traps, Machine monsters that can activate their effects in the Graveyard-I'll find them all!"
"Next time, I'll challenge you with a complete answer."
"So just you wait. I'll win next time!"
The arena fell quiet for a moment.
Yūki looked at him, a little surprised.
This guy could really take a beating.
Even after getting dismantled like that, his first reaction was to go back, revise his deck, and prepare for round two.
That duelist's spirit really deserved respect.
Yūki turned around and raised a hand toward him with a smile.
"Sure. I'll be waiting."
"Come find me whenever you're ready."
"Just a heads-up, though: this isn't my only deck."
The fighting spirit on Sōsuke Takahashi's face froze for half a second.
Someone in the spectator seats could not hold back a laugh.
That was a considerate warning.
So considerate that it nearly extinguished his freshly kindled desire for a rematch.
Sōsuke Takahashi straightened his glasses and forced out a reply.
"Then I'll study every single one of your decks!"
"There has to be a strategy that can break through your lockdown!"
Professor Kayama finally gave