Ryunosuke didn't sense anything amiss about the casual exchange of given names. He was currently deep in his "Chuunibyou Mode," a state where his brain wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders—leaving him, frankly, a bit of an idiot.
If he were thinking clearly, he would have noticed that his first and third wives behind him were currently radiating a scorched-earth aura of jealousy.
Ai and Megumi simultaneously puffed out their cheeks like steamed buns. They were watching the match from a distance, and though the gap was wide, they could hear every word through the D-Wheel's integrated intercom.
The conversation between Ryunosuke and Masuzu rang with painful clarity in their ears.
"Using first names on the very first day? Does this damn man have some kind of over-the-top passive charm spell active?" Megumi and Ai thought in perfect, resentful unison.
Back to the duel.
Masuzu was truly backed against a wall. As Ryunosuke's turn concluded, the Speed Counter ticked up to 3 points. Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode had also rematerialized on the field following the effect of Interdimensional Matter Transporter.
Masuzu flipped her final facedown.
"Activate Continuous Trap! Tyrant's Bind!"
"I equip this to Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode, boosting its ATK by 700 points!"
Red Dragon Archfiend – ATK: 4200!!!
Masuzu swept her hand forward, commanding an attack against Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode. Why not target the higher-ATK Nitro Warrior? There was a tactical reason: Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode was far more of a headache to keep on the board!
Seeing his dragon about to be toppled, Ryunosuke decided to bet everything on a mutual destruction.
"Flip facedown!"
"Activate Sp-Speed Energy! Since my Counter is at two or more, Stardust Dragon gains ATK equal to the Counter value times 200!"
With the Counter currently at 3, that meant a 600-point boost. Its power surged to 4200—exactly matching Red Dragon Archfiend.
Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode let out a thunderous roar and lunged, engaging in a visceral, one-on-one clash of wills. The two dragons clawed and tore at each other, spiraling into two streaks of red and white light that collided repeatedly, eventually piercing the atmosphere and soaring into the vacuum of space.
Stardust sank its teeth into the enemy's throat while Red Dragon Archfiend howled in agony, retaliating with a bone-crushing bite of its own. The two drakes plummeted from the heavens and struck the earth with a deafening boom, shattering into a thousand starlight shards.
Both dragons were destroyed. However, per its special effect, the destruction of Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode allowed Ryunosuke to Special Summon the original Stardust Dragon back to the field. Across the track, Masuzu did the same, bringing back her 3000 ATK Red Dragon Archfiend.
The scales seemed balanced once more. Ai, watching through binoculars, felt her blood pumping. If her card-playing skills weren't so abysmal, she would have jumped in long ago.
Now it was Ryunosuke's turn. When he saw the card he drew, a dismissive smirk played on his lips; he was done playing games.
"The trick of 'seeding' the deck wasn't just your move, you know."
Ryunosuke revealed the card in his hand—one of the Three Egyptian Gods, the eldest brother: The Winged Dragon of Ra.
Masuzu's pupils dilated in instant shock. "Crap!!!"
Ryunosuke threw his hand out with majestic flair. "I offer Stardust Dragon, Nitro Warrior, and Debris Dragon as tributes! Tribute Summon!"
"Soar across the infinite skies!"
"The Immortal Bird that rises from the ashes!"
"The Winged Dragon of Ra!!!"
Ryunosuke slammed the God card onto the duel disk. The three monsters dissolved into pillars of light that pierced the firmament. The sky bled into a deep, burning crimson as a golden phoenix emerged from the clouds, shrieking with a divine authority that made even Red Dragon Archfiend instinctively bow its head.
"Ra's ATK is the combined total of the three tributed monsters!"
"Stardust Dragon's 2500, Nitro Warrior's 2800, and Debris Dragon's 1000!"
The fusion of the three created the God's true power!
The Winged Dragon of Ra – ATK: 6300!!!
"Furthermore, a God card is unaffected by traps! Spell effects only last a single turn. This is checkmate! You have no moves left, Masuzu Natsukawa!"
Masuzu bit her lip. She knew she was beaten, but she refused to surrender, choosing instead to face the final blow. Ryunosuke didn't hold back, ordering Ra to incinerate Red Dragon Archfiend!
"God Phoenix!!!"
Ra let out a piercing cry, transforming into a soaring phoenix of solar fire that tore through Red Dragon Archfiend, vaporizing the dragon and all of Masuzu's remaining facedown cards.
Masuzu screamed as her LP plummeted to zero. But strangely, her white D-Wheel didn't slow down; instead, it accelerated, tearing ahead down the track.
Ryunosuke, savoring the win, began to lower his guard. On the sidelines, Ai put her hands on her hips with pride, her face saying, "See? That's my man."
Ai was impressed, but a realization slowly dawned on her. Masuzu was getting smaller in the distance, showing no signs of stopping.
Ryunosuke noticed it too. He tried to give chase on the red D-Wheel, only to find the system had been remotely locked; the tires were jammed tight. It was Masuzu's doing—after all, the bike was technically hers.
Masuzu stuck her tongue out at Ryunosuke and her cousin, waving a playful goodbye.
"See ya, Cousin! I'll give the cards back once I'm done with them~!"
Ai clenched her fists, her face turning beet-red with fury as she shrieked at the top of her lungs:
"YOU WITCH! GIVE ME BACK MY OBELISK!!!"
Masuzu had made off with one of Ai's God cards—Obelisk the Tormentor—along with Kaiba's support deck and the Red Dragon Archfiend set. Ai stomped her feet in a fit of rage.
Ryunosuke pushed the dead D-Wheel over to her, remarking with a dry chuckle, "Your cousin is certainly... unique."
He didn't feel particularly guilty; it wasn't that he wouldn't chase her, but a human can't exactly outrun a motorcycle.
Feeling utterly robbed, Ai threw herself into Ryunosuke's arms, wailing at the sky. "My cards... my precious cards!!!"
Her crying was truly heart-wrenching. To a Duelist, their cards are their soul—especially when it's the only God card of its kind in the world. Ryunosuke could only pat Ai's back resignedly, trying to soothe her.
"Uwaaaa~" Ai continued to cry, her world momentarily shattered.
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