"The first turn is mine!" Hayato shouted, quickly drawing five cards to his hand. Without waiting for Chazz on the other side to react, he drew a card from his Deck. The previous Duel with Yugi was just a friendly spar, so they could calmly discuss who would take the first turn. After all, under the rule that "the player who takes the first turn draws one card," the advantage of going first is significant.
Hayato didn't know this Chazz Princeton across from him, so why would he hand over such an advantage to his opponent?
"Tch, how crude, not elegant at all." Chazz Princeton was annoyed at having the first turn snatched away. In his view, this Duel was initiated because Hayato was approaching Miho Nosaka, and seeing this Duel as a battle for romantic victory, he felt as if Hayato was hinting that he intended to "get there first."
After drawing a card to his hand, Hayato finally began to examine his hand.
Thanks to the Kame Game Shop and the system's card pack openings, Hayato's Deck was now significantly stronger. At this moment, Hayato's hand was quite perfect, with a full three Spell Cards, and even the other three Monster Cards were decent. It was much stronger than his previous Duel with Yugi.
"On the field, I Summon this card! Come forth, *Guardian Winged Dragon*!"
Slapping a card from his hand onto the field and making a Summon Declaration, Hayato was about to continue his next move, but Joey and the others' exclamations made him stop: "Ahhh, what is that?!"
Following Téa's startled cry, Joey and Tristan shouted in perfect unison: "Duel Monsters are Materializing!!!"
In the middle of the field, a face-up, greatly enlarged *Guardian Winged Dragon* card appeared out of thin air. Then, from the card art on its front, a blue winged dragon flew out, flapping its wings, and stood between the two duel arenas, using the card as a foothold, roaring skyward.
[*Guardian Winged Dragon*][Level 4/Wind][Dragon-Type/Normal Monster][ATK 1400/DEF 1200]
"Although this duel stage was hastily set up, and the sound system didn't have enough space to be fully installed, making it a simplified version, the monster's movements are also confined to a small space." Chazz Princeton seemed to enjoy Joey and the others' surprised expressions. "Marvel at this future technology, you bumpkins!"
"While I agree that Duel Monsters will be the mainstream of the future, calling people bumpkins every other word is really annoying." Hayato was displeased with Chazz's attitude. He continued to place cards on the field. "I'll Set a card in my Back Row. End Turn."
"Setting a card in the Back Row? Hmph, Duel Monsters should be played fair and square." Completely incorporating his views on love into the Duel, Chazz Princeton, whose hatred extended to everything associated with Hayato, was even annoyed by Hayato's act of Setting a card in his Back Row.
[Hayato: Hand 5 → 6 → 4]
"My turn! Remember well the sight of my victory!"
Drawing a card, and glancing at his hand, Chazz Princeton confidently played a card: "Witness a true noble's Duel! I Summon *Gemini Elf*!"
A card appeared on Chazz's field. From the card art, a graceful sprite emerged, flitting playfully around the field. As she landed on the card, another sprite, identical in appearance, appeared beside her.
[*Gemini Elf*][Level 4/Earth][Spellcaster-Type/Normal Monster][ATK 1900/DEF 900]
"Its ATK is as high as 1900 points!" Tristan and the others exclaimed, perfectly playing into Chazz's move, "It can almost rival Hayato's *Skull Stalker*!"
So why are you all so impressed by a Normal Monster with less than 1000 ATK? Hayato's mind, at this moment, was utterly confused. If they were going to marvel, they should marvel at the power of *Soul-Eating Demon Blade*, wasn't their focus entirely wrong?
"*Gemini Elf*, destroy the enemy before your master—me! Magic Duet!" Chazz shouted with full vigor, waving his hand towards Hayato's *Guardian Winged Dragon* on the field. Accompanying his Attack Declaration, the two *Gemini Elf* sisters on his field simultaneously opened their palms, and two swirling magical energy blasts intertwined and flew out.
Until the attack shattered *Guardian Winged Dragon* and it vanished from the field, Chazz's eyes remained fixed on Hayato's Set card in the Back Row.
Although he outwardly disdained his opponent, Chazz Princeton took this Duel quite seriously. On one hand, he wanted to defeat his opponent in Duel Monsters, Hayato's specialty, to decide the outcome of their romantic rivalry. On the other hand, his Princeton Family's pride would not allow him to fail.
In truth, his interest in Duel Monsters hadn't been very strong before. Instead, his third brother, Chazz, seemed to really like Duel Monsters. The Deck used in this duel was specifically put together by his subordinates at his request, but it was a 'noble' Archetype specially customized according to his own preferences, because he found nobility elegant.
He didn't know much about Duel Monsters. However, at home previously, he had seen recordings of the National Duel Monsters Tournament from his brother, and a disgusting guy who liked to use an Insect Deck left a deep impression on him. That guy was very fond of using a Spell Card called *Messiah's Antlion* that could only be activated during an Attack Declaration.
This was the reason Chazz had been so focused on Hayato's Back Row when he made his Attack Declaration. However, now that the battle was over, Hayato still hadn't activated a Trap card. This made Chazz let out a sigh of relief. It made sense, after all, his opponent was just an ordinary high school student. How could he possibly have such brilliant plays as a professional player?
"A bluffing Set card, it truly was useless." Chazz said provocatively, a look of triumph on his face. "Your Life Points are down to three-quarters. I'll finish you off quickly in the next three turns. My turn en—"
"Before your turn ends, I'll activate this card."
Hayato interrupted Chazz's End Turn Declaration, flipping open his Set card on the field.
"*Time Machine*'s effect is to return a monster destroyed by you this turn to the field in its original state. Return, *Guardian Winged Dragon*!"
On the field, Hayato's Set card in the Back Row flipped up, and a massive machine emerged from the card art. As a large amount of steam billowed from the machine, its front hatch opened. *Guardian Winged Dragon*, which had just been destroyed by *Gemini Elf*, flew out from within, and landed on the field. However, unlike its arrogant roar when it first appeared, because it failed to defend the 'city', *Guardian Winged Dragon* merely bared its fangs at the opposing *Gemini Elf*.
"Useless Fodder Monster, even if it reappears, it can't escape the fate of being destroyed." Chazz said, annoyed.
Hayato, however, neither confirmed nor denied. "Hmm, who knows? Perhaps its soul will become fuel for its allies' counterattack?"
Chazz didn't understand Hayato's words, but Joey and the others realized Hayato's next move: "It's coming, Hayato's super-strong combo!"
[Hayato: 2000 LP → 1500 LP, Hand 4][*Guardian Winged Dragon* ATK 1400]
[Chazz: 2000 LP, Hand 5 → 6 → 5][*Gemini Elf* ATK 1900]
(end of chapter)