"Battle. Eye of the Typhoon—attack 'Rose Token'!"
Kira's Cloudian opened its single eye; a raging cyclone roared forth!
Adrian shouted, "One Day of Peace—I won't take damage!"
"I know. But remember Eye's effect?" Kira smiled.
Adrian frowned. "When it declares an attack, all monsters' battle positions change—except Cloudians. So what?"
"The 'Tainted Wisdom' I gave you," Kira beamed. "When Tainted Wisdom changes from Attack to Defense Position, its controller must shuffle their Deck."
Adrian: "?????"
What kind of pointless effect is that? Is this card sick?
[Tainted Wisdom, ATK 1250 → DEF 800]
"Alright—because Eye attacked, Tainted Wisdom switched to Defense."
Kira gestured politely.
"Shuffle, please."
Adrian's face twitched.
He recalled Kira saying earlier that his Duel Disk was too old to auto-shuffle—very inconvenient…
A ridiculous thought flashed across his mind.
Is this guy going to make me shuffle over and over until my wrist cramps and I doubt life itself—just to prove his 'new model Duel Disk is necessary' argument?
But he dismissed the thought at once.
No way anyone could be that bored…
He had no choice but to take his Deck out and shuffle.
The moment he cut and shuffled, though, he jolted as if shocked.
The world spun; it was as if the Deck exerted an invisible gravity dragging him in. He felt himself spinning, falling; his body lost weight. Countless images—and the emotions bound to them—flooded in like a deluge, almost drowning him.
Adrian immediately understood.
They were his memories.
His birth, his abandonment, parched under a scorching sun, stomach empty, staring helplessly at the clouds day after day, quietly waiting for death…
A past long left behind suddenly returned. All the suffering and despair were as vivid as before.
Then came the turning point.
By dumb luck, he was adopted by the Gecko Group. Life was still far from smooth; he faced hellish training and study to become the elite of elites—but at least his life had direction, a goal worth everything.
Until that goal was taken again.
His brother's birth changed everything. The conglomerate no longer needed him as heir. From the most highly anticipated young master, he retreated into the shadows—a faceless tool. He became a killer, a spy, doing all the dirty work that had to be done.
What he could never forget most was when his brother was gravely ill.
He'd had countless chances to get rid of that brother, reclaim his place, and regain everything.
But in the end, he couldn't do it.
No—not only did he spare him. When his brother was at death's door, Adrian personally ran everywhere seeking doctors and medicine, even kneeling and begging, and finally saved him.
In hindsight, without him, his sickly brother might never have survived.
He himself had buried his road to becoming a king.
"Urrrgh!"
Dizzy and reeling, Adrian realized he was on one knee, drenched in sweat and nearly suffocating.
"W-what… what is this?"
He looked at his Deck, then at the field, and only after a while remembered what he'd been doing.
"What's wrong?" Kira smiled. "The rush of life memories a bit too strong?"
Adrian grit his teeth.
This guy…
He was starting to understand what Kira meant: in this game, his Deck represented his life.
Most of his life was not something he wished to remember. He had numbed himself, refused to think back, and focused only on the task at hand.
Now he was being forced to face those memories—the darkest parts of his life.
"My 'Revival Jam' was Summoned in Defense Position," Kira said lazily. "Because Eye attacked, all non-Cloudians changed battle positions—so Jam switched to Attack Position.
Thanks to Black Garden, Jam's ATK is halved—only 750."
[Revival Jam, ATK 750]
"Revival Jam attacks 'Cloudian - Nimbusman.'"
[Cloudian - Nimbusman, ATK 1500]
Adrian: "!"
A suicide run?
As expected, Nimbusman's casual gust blew Jam apart. But it immediately reformed, returning to its original shape.
[Revival Jam, DEF 500]
"Due to your 'One Day of Peace,' I also take no battle damage this turn," Kira said mildly. "When Revival Jam is destroyed, it immediately revives on the field.
Also, because I Special Summoned a monster again, 'Black Garden' Special Summons another 'Rose Token' on your field."
[Rose Token, ATK 800]
Kira smiled. "My 'Eye of the Typhoon' can attack all your monsters once each this turn—don't forget."
Adrian: "!"
He now realized.
This is—
"Eye of the Typhoon, attack the newly Summoned 'Rose Token'!" Kira said. "When Eye attacks, all non-Cloudians' battle positions change. 'Tainted Wisdom' switches back to Attack Position!"
[Tainted Wisdom, DEF 800 → ATK 1250]
"After that, since my 'Revival Jam' just revived during the Battle Phase, its number of attacks has reset.
Revival Jam attacks 'Cloudian - Nimbusman' again!"
Naturally, Jam was blown apart again, then reformed immediately.
"Revival Jam Special Summons itself again," Kira said. "'Black Garden' Special Summons a new 'Rose Token' on your field."
"Eye can attack all your monsters, so it attacks the newly Summoned 'Rose Token' again.
At this moment, Eye's effect changes all non-Cloudians' battle positions. 'Tainted Wisdom' switches from Attack back to Defense."
Kira paused, then chuckled.
"When Tainted Wisdom changes position, its controller must shuffle their Deck. Go on—shuffle."
Adrian's face began to twitch.
This damn…
Infinite loop!
PS: Damn another form of suffering.