A true duelist should remain as calm as if Mount Tai were collapsing before them, staying composed in any situation, and must avoid letting impulse take over, which could affect their rational judgment.
Sato Koji was closing his eyes, taking deep breaths repeatedly, trying hard to remind himself of this—
—physically attacking is against the rules.
Because when facing the bastard in front of him, remembering this was really difficult.
With the remaining two cards in hand unable to do anything, Sato Koji could only grit his teeth and declare the end of his turn. Then it was Yugen's turn again, and the fun time resumed.
"Draw." Yugen drew a card from his deck.
At this moment, Sato Koji's field was completely empty, like a tempting target inviting crime. In this era of Yu-Gi-Oh!, where hand traps weren't rampant, an empty field was basically like being naked, allowing one to attack without any psychological burden.
So, without further ado, Yugen directly played the monster card he had just drawn.
"I summon 'Don Zaloog' in Attack Position!"
A weathered one-eyed warrior appeared on Yugen's field, with an eye patch over one eye.
[Don Zaloog, ATK 1400]
"Don Zaloog, attack directly." Yugen ordered.
The warrior received the command, drew two revolvers, and like a sharpshooter, fired rapidly. A series of holographic bullets pierced through Koji, and the invisible impact made him stagger back half a step.
In Kaiba Corporation's latest duel system, the monsters summoned by the Duel Disk were not just holographic projections; they also came with sensory impact devices. Although they didn't cause real damage to the duelist, they could simulate realistic impacts and a certain degree of pain to enhance the immersive experience of the duel.
[Koji, LP 4000 → LP 2600]
Taking the direct hit, Koji took a deep breath.
Fortunately, it was just a lowly 1400 ATK monster; he could still withstand it.
But then he saw Yugen smile: "Don Zaloog's effect activates. When this card inflicts battle damage to the opponent, I can choose one of two effects to activate:
- The opponent discards random card from their hand.
- Send the top two cards of the opponent's deck to the graveyard."
Koji's eyelid twitched violently.
"Wait, you don't mean... you're going to..."
His face began to contort, his expression turning to horror, and his body involuntarily stepped back under instinct.
"Correct, I choose the first effect," Yugen said, "to discard another card from your hand."
As he spoke, Zaloog raised his revolver. With a bang, a holographic hole appeared in one of Koji's remaining two cards.
Koji gritted his teeth and sent another card to the graveyard, his eyes bloodshot.
Now, he had only one card left.
This wasn't the only duel he had ever lost in his life, and his opponent wasn't the strongest he had ever faced.
But this was definitely the duel where he most wanted to physically attack someone.
Can you believe that up to now, he hadn't managed to really play a single card?
"I set two more cards on the field, and end my turn."
Yugen's backrow now had two more set cards.
This time, when Koji saw those two additional nightmare-like set cards, his attitude was completely different from his earlier contempt; his breathing almost stopped.
Again? Please, no.
Please, let me play a card.
The development up to this point clearly exceeded the expectations of the onlookers. The students on both sides looked at each other, all wearing expressions of confusion.
How to describe this duel?
It felt very strange, extremely strange.
Want to see fast-paced offense and defense, a clash of powers? Nope, here there's only a shady bastard ready to mess with your mentality.
Want to see high-speed summoning and flashy big monsters? Not here either, just a shady bastard who, after messing with your mentality, looks satisfied.
Anyway, up to this point in the duel, one side hadn't managed to do a single impactful move, so there was no strategy to analyze or evaluate. As for the side that did play cards, every move and every card seemed to be subtly guided by one word—
—Revenge.
That is, revenge against society.
This guy didn't summon a single monster at first, didn't attack the opponent's LP, his entire operation seemed to silently declare: I don't need to win, but today, you absolutely won't get to play Yu-Gi-Oh!.
Isn't that revenge against society?
"Junior, dueling like this is wrong."
Koji tried hard to maintain his gentle senior image, but his twitching facial muscles and trembling voice seemed on the verge of breaking.
Yugen smiled without speaking, politely gesturing "please," indicating it was his turn to play Yu-Gi-Oh! again.
Although that's what was said, players knew that Yu-Gi-Oh! was a cruel game; as long as one side got to play, it was almost enough.
Only then did Koji reluctantly raise his Duel Disk again.
"Then, it's my turn..."
He gritted his teeth.
With only one card left in hand, and it was an Equip Spell, which was obviously useless since he couldn't even summon a monster.
This was a fateful draw.
But a true duelist would never back down. Just as the legendary Duel King Yugi Muto said, believe in your deck, and your deck will respond to you.
He believed in the bond between himself and his deck!
Sato Koji placed his finger on his deck, taking a deep breath while silently praying in his heart.
Please! Give me a four-star monster!
Then, with a draw that seemed to be infused with his soul, he made a stylish arc.
The moment he opened his eyes and saw the card, Sato Koji's pupils dilated, and he almost laughed out loud.
It's here!
Not only did he draw a summonable monster, but it was "Gagagigo," a four-star with 1850 ATK. It had exactly 50 more ATK than the currently popular 1800 ATK beaters, a mocking difference, and it was the strongest low-level monster in his deck.
Indeed, his deck had responded to his heart!
However, just as Koji's lips curved into a smile, as if the horn of counterattack was about to sound—
When he looked up and saw that another set card in his opponent's backrow had been revealed at some point, his smile instantly froze.
Trap Card—"Drop Off," number two.
"..."
"According to Drop Off's effect," Yugen said politely, "please discard that card as well."
Koji almost bit his lip until it bled. With a ferocious expression, he discarded the crucial "Gagagigo" that could have turned the tide, and looking down, he still had only that lonely Equip Spell left in his hand.
"I... I end my turn," Koji declared dejectedly.
"Then, it's my turn again, I draw."
Yugen glanced at the card he drew; it was another trap.
He had a hand full of traps, but the opponent clearly had no cards left to trap. So, he added this card to his hand and casually waved again: "Don Zaloog, direct attack."
[Koji, LP 2600 → LP 1200]
"Zaloog's effect activates again. Of course, I'll choose the first effect."
Yugen pointed to the last card in his hand.
"Discard that one too."
Sato Koji watched as his last card went to the graveyard, suddenly thinking that maybe last turn he should have set it on the field; although it wouldn't have made much difference, at least he could have kept the card.
His mentality collapsed, and he completely forgot about that.
Though it probably wouldn't have affected the situation much.
"I end my turn."
"Then, my turn, draw."
This time, Koji drew a card but didn't even look at what he drew; instead, he stared intently at Yugen's backrow.
As if asking, No traps, right?
So, I drew? I really drew?
Yugen smiled and gestured for him to proceed.
Finally, after passing the Draw Phase and entering the Standby Phase, Sato Koji almost cried.
In the past, he might never have dreamed that drawing a card could be such a luxurious happiness.
Looking at the card he drew, his spirits lifted even more.
"Rogue Doll," four-star, ATK 1600.
Normally, it was just an unremarkable monster, but its 1600 ATK could be lifesaving at this moment because Don Zaloog, despite its annoying effect, only had 1400 ATK.
Finally, he could take down that one-eyed bastard on the other side who discarded cards from his hand every turn!
Sato Koji couldn't wait: "I summon 'Rogue Doll' in Attack Position and with it, I attack 'Don Zaloog'! Beat the hell out of him, die, die..."
"Calm down, calm down, buddy. Stay cool; dueling is meant to be fun."
Yugen reminded him with a smile.
"And don't be hasty; it's not the Battle Phase yet. Because at that moment of your summoning, I activated a Trap Card."
He pointed to a set card in his backrow that had been activated.
"Trap Card—'Compulsory Evacuation Device.' I return one monster on the field to its owner's hand.
I'll return 'Rogue Doll' to your hand."
The trap activated, and the cursed doll holding its staff, before it could steady itself, turned into a golden light and flew back to Sato Koji's hand.
Sato Koji: "..."
That was his only card in hand.
And he had just used his only Normal Summon for the turn.
So, obviously, he had no cards to play again.
What would happen next was clear. He couldn't do anything and could only end his turn, then that damned Zaloog would attack him again, discarding his last card.
Oh, wait, it wouldn't even get to that point because his LP was only 1200, and another hit would finish him.
However, in the end, Yugen didn't manage to reduce Sato Koji's LP to zero.
Because before the next turn arrived—
Sato Koji, during the duel, attempted to physically attack the opposing duelist but was promptly restrained by the surrounding students, resulting in his disqualification and loss.