On the field.
Yusaku stood with his arms folded, fingertips resting lightly on the Duel Disk, eyes fixed on Karasu. "Still want to struggle?"
"No! I'm not done! I still have a chance!"
Karasu's roar nearly tore his throat apart. Veins bulged at his temple as he clenched his hand, ripped a card from it, and slammed it down with a do-or-die force.
"Entering the Battle Phase. Battle Phase ends immediately! I activate the Trap Card, Evenly Matched!"
"This card can be activated from the hand if I control no cards! And at the end of the Battle Phase, if you control more cards than I do, I can activate it!"
Karasu stared at Yusaku like he was throwing his life on the table.
"You must banish cards from your field face-down until the number of cards you control equals the number of cards I control!"
"Right now, the only card on my field is the Evenly Matched I just activated. That means you have to banish everything face-down until you only have one card left!"
Yusaku lifted an eyebrow, then shook his head. "You really don't quit until you see the coffin."
He snapped his fingers. "Then I activate the effect of Accesscode Talker @Ignister. When the opponent activates a card or effect, I can Tribute 1 Link Monster this card points to. Negate that activation, and banish it."
"I Tribute Maliss Red Ransom in the zone directly below it. Your Evenly Matched is negated, and it's banished."
The instant he spoke, the Accesscode Talker @Ignister on Yusaku's field flared with brilliant cyber-blue light, and the energy sword in its hand ripped free.
With one sweeping slash, a crescent-shaped blade of condensed energy screamed through the air, roaring straight into Karasu's back row.
The arc struck the freshly activated Evenly Matched dead-on. The Trap's circuitry-like patterns dimmed instantly, and an unseen force yanked it upward. It became a streak of light that cut across the arena and dropped cleanly into Yusaku's banished zone.
"Now," Yusaku said evenly, "are you still going to keep going?"
His gaze remained calm as he raised a card from his hand, holding it where the lights caught the face clearly.
"I have the Counter Trap Red Reboot in hand. I also have a 'Code Talker' Counter Trap Set, Cynet Conflict. And on the field, Accesscode Talker @Ignister has only used its effect once so far."
He tilted his head slightly, looking right at Karasu.
"If you still think you can continue, go ahead and try. But I'll remind you, we're already in Main Phase 2. Even if you somehow break my entire board, it doesn't change the outcome. You can't Summon monsters, and next turn will still be my turn."
He paused on purpose.
Anyone with a functioning brain could hear what he meant.
Karasu's situation was like a prisoner bound hand and foot. There wasn't even a sliver of room to resist.
Seeing the field, the Gurus members lowered their heads, faces full of despair.
In the stands, the other duelists who came to watch also fell silent, brows knotted. They instinctively put themselves in Karasu's shoes, and realized that against this board, they couldn't move at all either.
In sharp contrast, the casual players in the arena were losing their minds.
They jumped up from their seats, waving their arms and shouting Yusaku's name, while turning around to jeer at the Gurus and the "genius academy" supporters.
On the field, Karasu stared at his completely empty side, then at Yusaku's monster lineup that looked like a steel fortress. His right hand tightened into a fist, then loosened again.
He didn't want to admit it, but the situation was obvious.
He could not do a single thing.
He had lost.
Lost completely, without suspense.
He never even had the chance to fight back.
Finally, Karasu bit down hard, teeth grinding, and lowered his Duel Disk with a powerless motion. "You win…"
But as he spoke, he snapped his head up again, eyes still burning with unwilling fire, locked on Yusaku.
"But that's only the first duel! It doesn't mean the whole match is over! I still have one more chance! Next duel, if I roll first, everything changes!"
"Oh?" Yusaku raised an eyebrow, a faint curve at his lips. "You want to go first? No need to mess with random rolls. I'll give it to you."
Karasu froze, pupils tightening as if he couldn't trust what he heard. "Are you sure? You're really willing to let me go first?"
Yusaku smiled lightly. "If I say I'll give it to you, I'll give it to you. But I have a condition. Answer me one question. Where did your Super Polymerization come from?"
Karasu's expression shifted instantly. He frowned, staring at Yusaku with open wariness. "That's none of your business! Our Gurus unearthed that card from ruins!"
"Ruins?" Yusaku glanced at him and lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Funny, because I've heard that card was handed to you personally by people from the Fusion Dimension."
"Fusion Dimension?!" Karasu's pupils shrank violently. His body stiffened.
"How do you know the name 'Fusion Dimension'? Don't tell me you're also from Fusion Dim…"
Halfway through, he snapped back to reality. Yusaku couldn't possibly be from Fusion Dimension.
Karasu's face turned ugly. "You tricked me?"
"Tricked you?" Yusaku's smile deepened. "You're the one who let it slip. Not me. Looks like my guess was right. Your Gurus really are connected to those people who call themselves Fusion Dimension."
He paused deliberately, gaze sliding past Karasu to the students in the stands wearing the "genius academy" uniforms.
"And those guys should be your allies too, right? What are you plotting?"
Karasu's brow tightened. He forced down the panic and put on a blank look. "What are you talking about? Allies, plotting. I have no idea what you mean."
"Not talking?" Yusaku looked up at the sky. "Fine. Either way, the energy you've been collecting is probably close to its limit already."
Karasu's pupils contracted again. With so many people watching, he pushed the shock down hard and spoke in a low voice. "Who are you, and why do you know so much?"
"Who am I?" Yusaku smiled, the kind that hid bottomless secrets. "Take your time and guess."
He lifted his Duel Disk again. The card slots buzzed softly as it primed itself.
"Enough talk. Don't waste time. Start."
Karasu shot him a wary look, hesitation and suspicion fighting in his eyes. After a moment, he still couldn't stop himself from confirming it.
"What you said earlier still stands, right? You're really giving me first turn?"
Yusaku chuckled, then reined it in. After a brief thought, he nodded with a smile. "You mean giving you first turn? Of course it stands. Go ahead, take it. Besides, even if I went first, you wouldn't be able to take a single point of LP from me. That kind of duel is boring."
He turned toward the referee at the edge of the arena, Ishino, and waved him over.
Ishino paused for a beat, then nodded as he understood. He walked to the center of the field, picked up the amplifier, and announced loudly.
"The first duel is officially over! Karasu has chosen to concede. Winner of this duel, Yusaku!"
For a heartbeat the arena went silent, then the crowd detonated into a tidal wave of cheers. Fans in the stands erupted, waving glow sticks and shouting Yusaku's name.
Ishino raised a hand to calm them. Once the noise dropped slightly, he swept his gaze across the arena and continued, clear and formal.
"By agreement of both duelists, the break is waived and the second duel will begin immediately! Also, since Yusaku has voluntarily offered first turn, the first move in the second duel will belong to Karasu!"
That announcement stunned the Gurus members and the other competitors. They stared at the calm boy on the field in disbelief.
The same thought rose in everyone's mind.
Is he really that confident? He keeps giving away first turn. What if the opponent opens perfectly and builds an unbreakable board?
Compared to them, the casual players were ecstatic.
"Hahaha! I knew it! Yusaku gave first turn again! The guy who bet me 200 crystals saying he wouldn't, pay up. Don't even think about dodging!"
"Giving first turn is the best. If Yusaku goes first, it'll be like last duel. He'll pin them in two moves and they won't even get to struggle. Giving first turn at least lets them flail a little!"
"Wait. Why does this feel so familiar? I swear I've seen this exact scene before…"
"Bro, you don't know? This 'give first turn and still crush' has happened countless times. To us he's the senior. To some people, he's basically a Demon King."
On the field.
After confirming both duelists were ready, Ishino raised his arm and chopped it down hard, his shout booming through the speakers to every corner of the arena.
"I hereby declare the second duel officially begins!"
With that command, Yusaku and Karasu shouted at the same time.
"Duel!" "Duel!"
[Yusaku: LP 8000]
[Karasu: LP 8000]
"Then per our agreement, I'm going first!"
Karasu took a deep breath, put his hand on his Deck, and drew his opening hand.
The moment the five cards hit his palm, he glanced down. When he saw what he'd opened, his eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he slammed a card onto his Duel Disk.
"First, I activate the Spell Card, Instant Fusion!"
"I pay 1000 LP. Then I Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck as if it were Fusion Summoned. That monster can't attack, and it's destroyed during the End Phase."
"I activate it!"
[Karasu: LP 8000 -> 7000]
"I pay 1000 LP and Fusion Summon a Level 5 monster from my Extra Deck!"
Before the summon could resolve, Yusaku's voice cut in.
"The moment you activate Instant Fusion, I chain my hand effect, Vanquish Soul - Pluton HG!"
"During the opponent's turn, if I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zone, or the only monsters I control there are 'Vanquish Soul' monsters, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!"
"Since I have no monsters at all right now, I can activate it and Special Summon it!"
A soft green glow flashed across Yusaku's Duel Disk. Thick, jelly-like green energy pooled at the center of his field. When the light faded, a small skeleton-like monster appeared.
Vanquish Soul - Pluton HG
[Level 6 / Zombie / Effect]
[ATK: 0]
"Vanquish Soul?"
Karasu frowned. Another monster he'd never seen before.
But the Duel Disk's countdown was still ticking. He didn't have time to overthink.
Zero ATK. It probably wasn't a major threat.
He raised his voice. "Then my effect continues. By Instant Fusion, I Special Summon a Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!"
He slapped down the Extra Deck card.
"Come forth, Predaplant - Insect Valley Sprite Rambler Whale!"
A dark red vortex opened above the field.
A grotesque green creature descended from it, crawling like a lizard, but with a huge purple bud on its back, like an oversized onion blossom.
Predaplant - Insect Valley Sprite Rambler Whale
[Level 5 / Plant / Fusion / Effect]
[ATK: 1000]
"The effect of Predaplant - Insect Valley Sprite Rambler Whale!"
Before Karasu could finish, Yusaku's voice rang out again.
"Then the moment you activate that effect, I chain!"
Yusaku revealed another card from his hand.
"Effect of Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius. During either player's Main Phase, I can target 1 non-Dragon 'Vanquish Soul' monster I control. Return it to the hand, then Special Summon this card from my hand!"
"I return Vanquish Soul - Pluton HG to my hand, then I Special Summon this card!"
Pluton HG dissolved into light and vanished.
The next second, violent red energy burst from Yusaku's Duel Disk. Red lightning crackled through it with a harsh, sizzling screech.
The energy rapidly condensed into a towering humanoid clad in black dragon-scale armor, wearing a savage dragon mask, crimson lightning whipping around its body with every breath like a dragon's roar.
Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius
[Level 8 / Dragon / Effect]
[ATK: 3000]
Karasu frowned even harder. "ATK 3000, huh?"
"Then we resolve my effect." Karasu forced himself onward. "Predaplant - Insect Valley Sprite Rambler Whale's effect. If this card is Fusion Summoned, I can add 1 'Predaplant' monster or 1 'Predap' Spell or Trap from my Deck, GY, or from among my face-up Extra Deck Pendulum Monsters to my hand."
"I add the Spell Card Predaplant Bufolicula from my Deck to my hand!"
As he added the searched card, he was about to play it, but Yusaku cut him off again.
"Not so fast. I still have an effect to use."
Yusaku's eyes locked on Karasu as he spoke.
"Effect of Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius."
"During either player's turn, I can reveal 1 monster of each listed Attribute from my hand to activate one of these effects. EARTH: for the rest of this turn, this face-up card is unaffected by your activated effects. EARTH, FIRE, and DARK: destroy 1 other card on the field."
Yusaku raised three cards in his hand for Karasu to see. "You didn't think letting you go first meant I couldn't build a board, did you? Sorry. During your turn, I can still build my board."
Karasu: "???"
(End of Chapter)
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