"Duel!" x2
"I'm going first. Draw."
D.D. drew a card, then pushed up the frame on the bridge of his nose and looked coldly at Yugen.
He might be the Duel King, but this was way too arrogant. To brazenly declare he'd be taking Blood Demon D's card—his tone, his attitude, it was like he already thought Ultimate D shared his surname.
He wasn't putting this world champion in his eyes at all.
D.D. lowered his head, the reflection on his lenses hiding his eyes and making him look even more sinister.
"Looks like I really have been underestimated." He said calmly. "Then I'll let the Duel King see it—the champion's power, after all restraints are removed."
He slid a card into his Duel Disc slot.
"Magic Card 'Angel's Charity'. Draw three cards from the Card Deck, then discard two cards from my hand."
He then drew three cards in one go.
"I set three Covering Cards in the back row. My turn is over!"
"Only Cover Cards." Yugen muttered to himself. "Feels like there've been a lot more people playing like this lately...
...Alright then. My turn. Draw."
Yugen sent one card from his hand to the Graveyard, and played another card from his hand.
"Effect of Deceitful Mage in my hand: discard one card from my hand, and this card can be Special Summoned directly.
I Special Summon 'Deceitful Mage'!"
One card from his hand was discarded to the Graveyard. Golden summoning light flared on the field. A Mage in a fluttering cloak, a question mark printed on his chest, appeared from the radiance.
[Deceitful Mage, Attack Power 2000]
"Oh? Starting right off with a Five-Star Upper-Level Monster." D.D. pushed up his frames. "Planning to go all-out on the attack in one breath, Duel King?"
"The discarded card was the Speed Attack Magic 'Silent Magic Burst'."
Yugen lifted his Duel Disc, and white light shone from its Graveyard slot.
"While Silent Magic Burst exists in the Graveyard, by banishing that card from the game, I add one 'True Silent Magician' from my Card Deck to my hand."
The Magic Card Silent Magic Burst flickered in midair and vanished. The energy it released scattered into countless white lights, falling to the ground and forming a milky Magic Array.
The Array activated, a white pillar of light shot to the sky, and the phantom of a silver‑haired Mage swept across the field like a ghost, turning into a card that dropped into Yugen's hand.
"Next, I Normal Summon 'Black Forest Witch'."
A black‑robed Witch was summoned to the field, her ten fingers interlaced as if in prayer.
[Black Forest Witch, Attack Power 1100]
"'True Silent Magician' cannot be Normal Summoned to the field. She can only be Special Summoned by tributing Mage Race Monsters on the field."
Yugen raised his arm high.
"I offer the Mage Race 'Black Forest Witch' on the field as a tribute.
Silent wings that bear hope, Light Magician, appear here and now—
—True Silent Magician, Summon!"
White light gathered into a storm, a complex‑patterned Magic Array spread out on the ground. A silver‑haired, white‑robed Magician emerged from the surging Magic Power, her Magic Staff cleaving through the storm as she landed lightly.
[True Silent Magician, Attack Power 1000]
"Silent Magician." D.D.'s expression grew a little heavy. "The ace once used by the First Generation Duel King, and you're bringing her out this early."
"And the 'Black Forest Witch' I offered as tribute also has a special ability." Yugen continued. "When Black Forest Witch is sent to the Graveyard, I add one Monster from my Card Deck with Defense Power 1500 or less to my hand.
From my Card Deck, I take this card with Defense Power 1200..."
The Duel Disc performed an automatic search, and a Monster Card popped out from the loaded Card Deck. Yugen drew it into his hand, and the Card Deck immediately began auto‑shuffling with a soft shff shff.
"I add 'Telekinesis Electronic Giant' to my hand."
This was a series card related to Artificial Human Soga.
"When the number of Magic Trap Cards on the opponent's field is greater than your own, Telekinesis Electronic Giant can be Special Summoned directly from the hand.
You have three Magic Trap Cards on your field, and I have none. So the summoning condition is satisfied."
The Monster he had searched out never actually joined his hand; instead he slapped it straight onto the Duel Disc.
"I Special Summon 'Telekinesis Electronic Giant'!"
Golden lightning exploded across the field. A golden giant clad in deathless alloy slowly rose amid the coursing current, exuding tremendous pressure.
[Telekinesis Electronic Giant, Attack Power 2400]
"Three Upper-Level Monsters in one go?" D.D. was secretly shocked.
In fact, Silent wasn't an Upper-Level Monster; her actual Level was only 4. But even as a 4‑Star, her ability could be completely treated as that of an Upper-Level Monster—calling her that wasn't wrong.
"So this is the King's duel—opening with full firepower." D.D. pushed his glasses again. "Impressive."
The combined output of the three Monsters already far exceeded his LP cap; any two getting their attacks through would be enough to put him in dire straits. Yet even so, D.D. still appeared fairly calm.
Yugen's gaze naturally fell on the three Cover Cards in the opponent's back row.
Obviously, the primary line of defense giving him that confidence and sense of security was those back‑row Cover Cards.
Well, Yugen had countermeasures too.
"Then I activate the Magic Card 'Sudden Mutation'." Yugen said. "By offering a Monster on my own field as a tribute, I Special Summon a Fusion Monster from my Fusion Card Deck with the same Level as the tribute Monster."
"Still not done?"
D.D. chuckled in mockery.
"Hey, hey, at this rate the sun'll be up by the time it's my turn."
"Is that so? No problem—if that's the case, I'll just make sure your turn never comes."
Yugen smiled.
"Don't rush, I'm ending it right now.
I offer the Level 6 'Telekinesis Electronic Giant' as the tribute for 'Sudden Mutation'!
When a Warrior who wields Dragon Taming Power fuses with the Dragon Race, their true strength will be unleashed—
—Level 6, Dragon Warrior, Summon!"
The energy of Sudden Mutation swallowed the golden Electronic Giant; the energy released by the giant scattered into a sky of light points. Those lights converged, manifesting into a gleaming blade and armor, and a masked Swordsman descended on the storm.
[Dragon Warrior, Attack Power 2000]
"His Attack Power actually went down..."
This abnormal change made D.D. faintly uneasy.
He'd deliberately spent an extra card to mutate Electronic Giant into a Dragon Warrior whose Attack Power was lower than the original. There was no way that kind of play was meaningless, and it almost certainly wasn't just because he liked the Monster.
Something was up.
"Battle."
Yugen gave the attack order straight away.
"Silent Magician, attack D.D. directly."
The Magician's Magic Staff twirled twice in her hand with practiced ease. White Magic Power flowed to the tip, condensing into a shining orb.
"True Silent's Attack Power increases according to the controller's hand size." Yugen said. "I have two cards left in my hand; each one raises Silent's Attack Power by 500."
[True Silent Magician, Attack Power 1000→Attack Power 2000]
"Silent Magic Burst!"