"Use Rain Rain Storm's effect to destroy Silent Magician!"
Adrian shouted. A transparent tempest whipped up and swept over Silent Magician. Her body was engulfed by a tsunami-like surge and burst into dazzling white light.
But that light immediately gathered back together, transforming into an even more radiant magic circle—like a white hexagram barrier!
"When Silent Magician is destroyed by battle or an opponent's effect, Special Summon from your hand or Deck a 'Silent Magician' monster other than herself, ignoring its Summoning conditions."
A beam of white light shot out from Kira's Deck.
"From the nexus of chaos and order blooms the radiance of silence—Magician of Light, now descend—
—Silent Magician LV8!"
Having been destroyed, she instantly evolved into a higher form. The frosty-faced mage held her staff, bathed in holy light, and slowly descended from that white barrier with a sacred aura.
[Silent Magician LV8, ATK 3500]
Adrian's brow twitched.
A troublesome magician indeed.
"And as the cost for the trap Rain Storm destroying a card," Kira said, "'Cloudian - Nimbusman's' ATK decreases by 1000."
[Cloudian - Nimbusman, ATK 2500 → 1500]
Adrian snorted lightly and said no more.
"Silent Magician LV8 was Special Summoned during the Battle Phase, and the Battle Phase isn't over yet. So I can still declare attacks this turn."
Kira swept his hand.
"Silent Magician LV8, attack 'Cloudian - Nimbusman'!"
Silent Magician's face remained impassive. She slowly raised her staff; white light converged at the tip into a blinding orb.
As the staff fell, a domineering white beam blasted forth, surging like a torrent across Adrian's field.
Nimbusman's figure was instantly shattered by the white magical wave, dispersing into tatters of cloud. The forceful impact continued, slamming into Adrian, making him stagger and drop to one knee.
[Adrian, LP 4000 → 2000]
But he withstood the shock, braced a knee, and stood up, chuckling. "A powerful strike—worthy of a King. But I won't fall so easily—nor will my monsters."
As he spoke, the Cloudian that had been blasted into drifting shreds of cloud began to draw together again as if pulled by gravity.
The remnant cloud reformed a humanoid shape—short and stout—seemingly unharmed compared to before, though its eyes now carried a trace more fury.
[Cloudian - Nimbusman, ATK 1500]
"Cloudian monsters cannot be destroyed by battle," Adrian said as he rose. "No matter how many times they're dispersed, they resolutely return to their original form. Even after a hundred trials, they will not fall.
That is a Cloudian—my Deck."
"So that's how you see yourself," Kira said. "A commendable quality. Adrian Gecko, I know your story. You are indeed a rare talent.
Let me put it this way."
Kira narrowed his eyes; half his face was shrouded in shadow.
"You possess the potential of a King, Adrian Gecko."
Adrian: "!"
He forced calm on the surface, but inside his heart surged like a storm-tossed sea.
This guy… does he really understand me that well?
"Yes. Outwardly, you seem to have no ambition left. You willingly became your younger brother's stepping stone, sweeping away obstacles for the brother you love, unafraid to dirty your hands."
Kira spoke evenly.
"You made everyone believe that—not only those around you; perhaps even you yourself believe it now."
"But deep down, have you truly abandoned your own ambition—your ideals?"
Adrian: "…"
Kira shrugged.
"Just a casual remark—don't mind it. I set two cards and end my turn."
Adrian gritted his teeth.
Casual?
No, that can't be. He must have prepared plenty. He's come with a plan.
No. Focus on the duel first.
Adrian took a deep breath.
"My turn. Draw!"
He drew and slapped a card onto the Duel Disk.
"I Normal Summon 'Cloudian – Turbulence'!"
As the card hit the disk, a violent, chaotic airflow rose on the field, swirling together like a tornado. A body of cloud formed from rushing air, its shape constantly rotating at high speed.
[Cloudian – Turbulence, ATK 800]
"Turbulence, huh," Kira murmured.
An unassuming Cloudian with only 800 ATK—but among the entire Cloudian family, this was perhaps the one Kira rated the most.
Because by modern Yugioh standards, this card's effect has tremendous potential.
"When 'Cloudian – Turbulence' is successfully Summoned, place 'Fog Counters' on it equal to the number of 'Cloudian' monsters on the field!"
Adrian gestured at his monsters.
"I have 'Cloudian - Nimbusman' and 'Cloudian – Turbulence' on my field—two Cloudians. So I place two Fog Counters on Turbulence!"
[Cloudian – Turbulence, Fog Counters 0 → 2]
"Next, Turbulence has a follow-up effect: by removing 1 Fog Counter from itself, Special Summon 1 'Cloudian – Smoke Ball' from your Deck or from either Graveyard!"
Adrian declared:
"This effect is not once per turn.
So I remove two Fog Counters from Turbulence and Special Summon two 'Cloudian – Smoke Balls' from the Deck!"
Turbulence let out a low roar and whipped up a gale. Two vortices formed, condensed, and became two cute little cloud-balls on the field.
[Cloudian – Smoke Ball, DEF 600] x2
Smoke Ball is the Cloudian Deck's only Normal Monster.
And that's Turbulence's strength: if you already had two Cloudians on the field, Turbulence enters with three counters; removing three immediately pulls three Smoke Balls out of Deck/Graveyards—effortlessly turning one card into four bodies.
And since the "pull Smoke Ball" effect isn't once per turn, with enough Fog Counters you can repeatedly consume the Smoke Balls as resources and then keep re-summoning them via Turbulence, generating virtually endless value from a single card.
Such absurd single-card performance only looks mild because it lives in the underpowered Cloudian archetype.
Then again, Konami has been madly buffing all sorts of old GX-era archetypes for years, but has barely touched Cloudians. Hard to say it's not Turbulence's fault.
With a pseudo-busted engine like this, careless buffs could easily create a universal tech that freelances across top meta decks…