Chapter 426: Deck Destruction's Stall Tactic
[ Joey Wheeler : 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK 2400]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK 2400]
[Dangerous Machine Type 6] [Set Card] X2
Compared to back during Battle City, when he needed to use a full five cards from his Hand for a five-for-one exchange just to Summon one [Red-Eyes Black Dragon], the current Joey Wheeler can easily Summon two [Red-Eyes] while also Setting cards in his Spell/Trap Zone.
Although Kaiba always said Joey Wheeler was just a second-rate Duelist, Kaiba's so-called "second-rate" isn't a level just anyone can reach. At least, so far, Joey Wheeler is the only one.
Two [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] with 2400 ATK appeared on Joey Wheeler 's Field, staring menacingly at the weak-spirited girl standing opposite him, Northwood Reiko, which only increased her nervousness.
"M-My Turn, Draw!"
Mustering her courage, she finally drew a Card. After seeing the Card she drew, Northwood Reiko adjusted the glasses that had slightly slipped down her nose and carefully examined the Card in her Hand. "Is this Card's Effect like this...?"
'She's actually confirming her Card's Effect during the Duel?!'
Joey Wheeler truly hadn't expected Northwood Reiko to make such an outrageous move. And her expression didn't seem like a disguise at all; as she read the Card Effect little by little, she would occasionally nod with a look of sudden realization.
Noticing Joey Wheeler 's strange gaze, Northwood Reiko even flinched in surprise before offering an apologetic smile.
'Could it be that Yours Truly Joey Wheeler 's deduction was wrong, and this girl is actually just a genuine Beginner?' Joey Wheeler wondered, feeling confused. Then his gaze became firm again. 'No, it's also possible that she has a very strong Deck, which is why she's been able to keep winning until now?'
'Ugh, this is annoying. I should have researched other Duelists more yesterday. It's all Kaiba's fault! With so many Opponents, how could anyone research them all?!'
Just as Joey Wheeler was forcefully blaming Kaiba, Northwood Reiko finally decided on the Card she would use.
"On my Field, I Normal Summon [Pawn Token] in Defense Position."
After Northwood Reiko placed the Card horizontally on her Duel Disk, a faceless Monster resembling a soldier, its body covered in black and white squares and holding a sword and shield, appeared on her Field. It held up its shield, protecting its vital points, in a cautious stance.
[Pawn Token] [Level 3/EARTH]
[Warrior Type/Normal Monster]
[800 ATK/1200 DEF]
Joey Wheeler clearly heard Northwood Reiko exhale a sigh of relief after Summoning [Pawn Token], as if she was celebrating. It seemed she was relieved to finally have a Monster on her Field and no longer had to directly face the intimidating [Red-Eyes Black Dragon].
Joey Wheeler was indifferent to the appearance of [Pawn Token]. As a Level 3 Normal Monster, Yugi's frequently used [Giant Soldier of Stone] had a powerful DEF of 2000 and an ATK of 1300. By any measure, it was much stronger than the [Pawn Token] Northwood Reiko Summoned.
Someone who reached the second round of the KC Cup couldn't be a Weakling. This kind of play couldn't possibly be her Full Power.
And indeed, that was the case. Northwood Reiko played another Card. "Then, by targeting the [Pawn Token] on my Field, I Activate the Spell Card in my Hand, [Pawn Promotion]."
The Card Art Northwood Reiko showed depicted a hand placing a white chess piece on the edge of a chessboard.
Even Joey Wheeler , though not skilled at chess, knew that the white piece being picked up in the Card Art was a "Pawn" from international chess, thanks to his Friend Yugi, who knew "a bit" about every game. He also knew that in international chess, a "Pawn" that reached the opponent's side of the board had an Ability called "Promotion".
"[Pawn Promotion] can only be Activated by targeting one [Pawn Token] on your Field," Northwood Reiko explained, Sending the targeted [Pawn Token] to the Graveyard. "After Sending [Pawn Token] to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one of three Monsters from my Deck—[Queen Token], [Puppet Castle], or [Knight Token]—to my Field in the same position.
"The Monster I choose is [Queen Token], and because the [Pawn Token] that was Sent to the Graveyard was in Defense Position, the [Queen Token] Special Summoned will also be in Defense Position."
The appearance of the [Pawn Token] on Northwood Reiko's Field changed. The black and white squares covering its body unfolded into a chessboard, and then this newly unfolded chessboard reassembled, transforming into a faceless Monster dressed like a noblewoman. The sword in its hand was replaced by a black and white wand, and the small round shield became a much thicker medium-sized shield.
[Queen Token] [Level 6/EARTH]
[Warrior Type/Effect Monster]
[2200 ATK/2500 DEF]
Similar to the previous [Pawn Token], the [Queen Token] that appeared on Northwood Reiko's Field also crouched down, using the medium-sized shield to cover most of its body in a defensive stance.
Joey Wheeler didn't find this strange. After all, he had two [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] with 2400 ATK on his Field. The [Queen Token], with only 2200 ATK and being a Normal Monster, had no chance of winning in battle. Choosing Defense Position was perfectly normal.
Incidentally, Joey Wheeler also exclaimed with novelty at the [Queen Token]: "It looks like a Duel Monster designed after international chess! It's my first time seeing one. As expected, you can only broaden your horizons in these international events!"
By now, the number of Duel Monsters Cards publicly released by Industrial Illusions had long surpassed a thousand. Furthermore, Pegasus had specially prepared Cards that could be considered "Limited" for different regions. Coupled with certain Cards held by only one person, the deeper one delved into Duel Monsters, the more diverse scenes they would witness. This was also one of the charms of Duel Monsters.
If he had just stayed in Domino City, Joey Wheeler wouldn't have encountered Northwood Reiko, who used rare Cards like "[Pawn Token]". So, it was indeed important to venture out and experience new things!
"H-Hai, hai!" Northwood Reiko nodded. "Um, then I Set three cards in my Spell/Trap Zone. C-Can I End Turn like this?"
After Setting three cards in her Spell/Trap Zone, Northwood Reiko looked at Joey Wheeler timidly. It was her Turn, yet she was asking Joey Wheeler for confirmation, which made it difficult for Joey Wheeler to get used to her overly cautious and respectful attitude.
[Northwood Reiko: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[Queen Token] [DEF 2500]
[Set Card] X3
Looking at the three cards in Northwood Reiko's Spell/Trap Zone, although he still had a reckless personality, Joey Wheeler had learned the importance of being careful about Set Cards from his frequent practice Duels with Yugi's other personality and Hayato.
However, looking at the extremely weak-spirited Northwood Reiko, who even flinched when their eyes met, Joey Wheeler truly couldn't imagine her preparing a bunch of strange Set Cards in her Spell/Trap Zone like Hayato and then laughing wildly after they succeeded.
Moreover, even if she had some Set Cards, it didn't matter. Joey Wheeler had also prepared some Countermeasures. He had two [Red-Eyes] on his Field! Could she really just use one Card to instantly destroy his [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]?
"My Turn, Draw!" Joey Wheeler looked at the Card he drew, and a smile appeared on his face. "Yosh, a good Card!"
"However, before entering the Main Phase, during my Standby Phase, the Effect of [Dangerous Machine Type 6] on my Field Activates!"
As Joey Wheeler declared, the six glowing devices on the spherical machine standing in his Spell/Trap Zone lit up one after another, then extinguished one after another. The effect looked like an Orb of Light constantly moving between the six positions, unwilling to stop.
Joey Wheeler explained: "The Effect of [Dangerous Machine Type 6] is that during the Standby Phase of each of my Turns, I must Roll a die, and then apply different Effects based on the die roll result.
"If the result is 1, I must discard one card from my Hand, but if the result is 2, the one who discards a card becomes my Opponent. If the result is 3, I can Draw a Card, and if the result is 4, my Opponent Draws a Card.
"In the case of a result of 5, I can Destroy one Monster on my Opponent's Field that Cannot be targeted, but if the result is 6, [Dangerous Machine Type 6] automatically Destroys itself."
"It sounds like a very powerful Card, but it also feels very risky."
Northwood Reiko voiced her thoughts. Hearing this, Joey Wheeler shrugged. "As Hayato would say, Powerful Cards often come with risks. But hey, a True Duelist can even utilize a Card's Negative Effect."
"Besides, I have confidence! Yours Truly is Joey Wheeler ! How could such bad luck possibly happen to me?"
As he spoke, Joey Wheeler pointed his finger at the [Dangerous Machine Type 6] on his Field and ordered: "Alright, stop!"
The glowing devices, which had almost become a continuous ring of light, suddenly slowed down their change speed. As the speed decreased, the numbers on the six glowing spheres appeared one by one. The lit spheres passed over "6", "2", and "5" in succession, and the final number it stopped on was "3".
"3!" As if he had received Glenn's dynamic vision training, Joey Wheeler answered instantly, then grinned proudly, placing his finger on his Deck again. "How lucky! So, because the result is 3, I can Draw a Card from my Deck! Draw!"
"Niiiice! I Activate the Effect of the Spell Card I just drew, [Pot of Greed]! I Draw two more Cards from my Deck!"
Thanks to [Dangerous Machine Type 6], Joey Wheeler luckily drew [Pot of Greed]. Having just emptied his Hand last Turn, he instantly replenished his Hand to three cards.
"Alright, my Offensive is about to begin." Joey Wheeler said, drawing a Card from his Hand. "[Equip Spell Card], [Claw of Hermos]. This Card is an Equip Spell Card specifically for DARK Attribute Dragon-Type Monsters. I'm going to Equip it to my [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]!"
"The Effect of [Claw of Hermos] is to Increase the equipped Monster's ATK by 600 Points!"
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] ([Claw of Hermos]) [ATK 2400 → 3000]
Among the two [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] on Joey Wheeler 's Field, the one that was Special Summoned later by the Effect of [Red-Eyes Wyvern] had metal claws appear on its talons. As the claws appeared, the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] let out a low roar, seemingly showing off that its ATK had increased to the level of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon].
However, the other [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] beside it paid no attention to its Companion's showing off, because it was well known that while [Claw of Hermos] could effectively Increase ATK, Monsters equipped with [Claw of Hermos] have always attacked with [Talking Down].
Just an Equip? The Purity is too low.
Joey Wheeler didn't pay much attention to the interaction between the two [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] on his Field. Instead, he drew another Card from his Hand. "Madamada, next is my Normal Summon! I Normal Summon [Baby Dragon] in Attack Position on my Field! Then, enter my Battle Phase!"
[Baby Dragon] [ATK 1200]
"Go, [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]! Attack [Chess Archfiend Queen]! [Black Flame Bullet]!"
Although Joey Wheeler didn't explicitly specify which [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] he would use to Attack, the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] equipped with [Claw of Hermos], which had a good understanding with Joey Wheeler , moved on its own. As it opened its mouth and inhaled, a large ball of black flames gathered in its mouth, about to be unleashed.
"U-Waa!" Northwood Reiko was somewhat startled by the Aura of the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] and Joey Wheeler . She quickly pressed a button on her Duel Disk. "Um... Open my Set Card."
"Trap Card, [Infighting]."
"What?!" Joey Wheeler was also surprised to hear Northwood Reiko Activate a Set Card. Although he hadn't heard of this Card, judging by its name, it felt quite dangerous.
But it didn't matter, because the last Card in Joey Wheeler 's Hand was the Quick-Play Spell Card [Forbidden Dress], a protective Card that could decrease a Monster's ATK by 600 Points and prevent it from being targeted by Effects or being Destroyed by Effects. It could effectively counter Trap Cards like [Sakuretsu Armor] and [Mirror Force].
The confident Joey Wheeler then heard Northwood Reiko's supplementary explanation—
"The Effect of [Infighting] is that during the Battle Phase, if the Opponent Duelist with two or more Monsters makes an Attack Declaration, this Card can be Activated," Northwood Reiko pointed to the two [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] on Joey Wheeler 's Field. "One of the Opponent's Monsters declares an Attack on another Monster on the Opponent's Field, and normal Damage Calculation is performed."
"Nani?!" In Joey Wheeler 's stunned gaze, the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon], holding the [Black Flame Bullet] in its mouth and ready to fire, suddenly had its eyes sharpen, glaring fiercely at the other [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] standing beside it.
Just now, when I was showing off the [Claw of Hermos] I got, did this guy just glance at me with disdain?
Damn it, is this guy looking down on me?
The [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] being glared at was also very Annoyed.
Although it said that [Claw of Hermos] wasn't practical and its Purity was too low, did Purity matter?
I was actually jealous, alright? Those shiny claws look so cool! Why is this guy constantly strutting in front of me? Is he showing off, you bastard!
What are you looking at?
What about it?
Look again, I dare you?
I dare you.
Then, the two [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] who couldn't stand each other suddenly began fighting amongst themselves. The long-prepared [Black Flame Bullet] easily broke through the opponent's hastily spat-out [Black Flame Bullet], and then the [Claw of Hermos] equipped to one of the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] was about to pierce the claws of the other [Red-Eyes Black Dragon].
You dare say my [Claw of Hermos] is useless? Let me show you!
If this attack hit, the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] without an Equip Card and with lower ATK would inevitably be Destroyed by the other [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]. At the same time, Joey Wheeler would also take 600 points of Battle Damage from his own Monster.
Losing the wife and losing the army? But I refuse! What I, Joey Wheeler , like to do most is say "no" to those who think too highly of themselves!
"Tch, don't even think about it!" Joey Wheeler waved his hand fiercely. One of the Set Cards in his Spell/Trap Zone Activated, Chaining to the Effect of [Infighting]! "I Activate my Set Card, Trap Card [Rescue Play]!"
Just as the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] was about to be Destroyed, its body suddenly turned into a red stream of light and returned to Joey Wheeler 's Hand. Joey Wheeler , who added the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] Card to his Hand, explained: "When a Monster on my Field becomes the Effect Target of a Trap Card, I can Activate the Effect of [Rescue Play]."
"Return the targeted Monster to my Hand, and then I can Special Summon one Monster from my Hand."
As he spoke, Joey Wheeler played the Card from his Hand again. "The Monster I Summon, of course, is still [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]!"
"Roar!!"
The [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] that had just lost a battle and was about to be defeated reappeared on Joey Wheeler 's Field. Although it was still as flashy and Arrogant as before, when it looked at the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] equipped with [Claw of Hermos] that had almost Destroyed it, its eyes were full of flattery.
The reason it had been so aggressive just now was entirely because it was Angry. Now that its anger had subsided, it realized it should back down after all.
Seeing that his Monster Lineup on the Field had suffered no losses, Joey Wheeler couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Although the Effect of [Infighting] that Northwood Reiko just Activated was Targeting, theoretically Joey Wheeler could have used [Forbidden Dress] from his Hand to prevent the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] equipped with [Claw of Hermos] from being the Effect Target.
However, Joey Wheeler only had one [Forbidden Dress], while he had three Monsters on his Field. If the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] equipped with [Claw of Hermos] couldn't be targeted, Northwood Reiko could simply choose to have the other [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] Attack [Baby Dragon] to inflict a large amount of Battle Damage on Joey Wheeler .
She could even have the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] Attack the other [Red-Eyes Black Dragon], whose ATK had decreased back to 2400 due to [Forbidden Dress], causing the two Higher-Level Monsters on Joey Wheeler 's Field to be Destroyed in a Mutual Destruction.
But at this moment, although Joey Wheeler successfully interfered with Northwood Reiko's [Infighting] Strategy with the Effect of [Rescue Play], at the same time, his [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] equipped with [Claw of Hermos] had already declared an Attack once.
Although it was an Attack on his own Monster due to the Effect of [Infighting], the fact that it "already attacked" was absolute. The [Red-Eyes Black Dragon], which doesn't have the Ability to attack twice, could no longer attack this Turn.
As for the other two Monsters on Joey Wheeler 's Field—the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] not equipped with [Claw of Hermos] and [Baby Dragon]—they could attack, but Northwood Reiko had [Queen Token] with a DEF of 2500 serving as a Wall on her Field. Attacking with Monsters whose ATK couldn't break through this Defense would be the most foolish Order. Not even the most foolish Duelist would do that.
In other words, Joey Wheeler currently had no way to deal with Northwood Reiko.
"Phew, that's an amazing Strategy, Miss Reiko. I really can't tell that you've only been exposed to Duel Monsters for a month." Joey Wheeler smiled helplessly, acknowledging the Strength of Northwood Reiko, this very weak-spirited Duelist with little Fighting Spirit. His initial contempt had vanished. "I Set one Card from my Hand, and then I End Turn."
"Ah? Eheh, thank you." Hearing Joey Wheeler 's praise, Northwood Reiko, uncharacteristically, responded with a somewhat normal shy smile and a thank you. But as if remembering something, she pressed the Activate Set Card Button on her Duel Disk with a look of sudden realization. "Ah, I almost forgot."
"I Activate my Set Card, Continuous Trap Card, [Soul Resurrection]."
After Activating the Card, Northwood Reiko reached into her Graveyard and retrieved the [Pawn Token] that had been Sent to the Graveyard earlier. "By targeting the Normal Monster [Pawn Token] in my Graveyard, it is Special Summoned to my Field in Defense Position. When [Pawn Token] is Destroyed, [Soul Resurrection] is Destroyed, and when [Soul Resurrection] leaves the Field, [Pawn Token] is also Destroyed."
"Oh, you Summoned [Pawn Token] again?" Joey Wheeler watched the [Pawn Token] reappear on Northwood Reiko's Field in Defense Position. Although [Pawn Token] was in Defense Position due to the Restriction of [Soul Resurrection]'s own Effect, a baseless guess appeared in Joey Wheeler 's mind—
Why do I feel like Miss Reiko seems unwilling to put her Monsters in Attack Position?
[ Joey Wheeler : 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] ([Claw of Hermos]) [ATK 3000]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK 2400]
[Baby Dragon] [ATK 1200]
[Dangerous Machine Type 6] [Set Card ([Forbidden Dress])] [Set Card]
It was Northwood Reiko's Turn again. As Joey Wheeler expected, after timidly declaring "My Turn, Draw!", she once again carefully examined the Effect of the Card she had just drawn.
"Oh, I see..." After a little while, seemingly having finished reading the Card's Effect in her Hand, Northwood Reiko first glanced at Joey Wheeler , then pointed her hand at the [Pawn Token] that had just been Summoned to her Field. "I Activate the Effect of the Spell Card [Pawn Promotion], targeting the [Pawn Token] on my Field, and Send it to the Graveyard."
The familiar scene reappeared. The figure of [Pawn Token], which had just been called back from the Graveyard by the Effect of [Soul Resurrection], vanished from the Field once again, leaving behind only a black and white chessboard.
"Is it coming again?" Joey Wheeler looked at the chessboard with some anticipation. The Effect of [Pawn Promotion] was to Evolve the Level 3 [Pawn Token] from a low Combat Power Normal Monster into one of three other forms. [Queen Token] had already appeared. So, next, would Northwood Reiko continue to Summon [Queen Token], or Summon another form of [Pawn Token]?
And Northwood Reiko had already chosen the Monster she would Special Summon from her Deck. After putting the [Pawn Token] Card back into the Graveyard, she placed the searched Card horizontally on her Duel Disk in the same position. "From my Deck, I choose to Special Summon [Puppet Castle] in Defense Position."
[Puppet Castle] [Level 4/EARTH]
[Warrior Type/Effect Monster]
[1200 ATK/1800 DEF]
What appeared on Northwood Reiko's Field was [Puppet Castle], representing the "Rook" in international chess.
Compared to the huge difference in Size and appearance between [Pawn Token] and [Queen Token], the difference between [Puppet Castle] and [Pawn Token] wasn't very large. It merely wore gray Armor resembling a castle wall on its body, put down its weapon and shield, and wore a helmet that looked very much like a castle on its head.
Looking at the last Card remaining in her Hand, Northwood Reiko played it. "Um, after Special Summoning [Puppet Castle], I Activate this Spell Card, [Magical Mallet]. I Send one Continuous Trap Card on my Field to the Graveyard, and then Draw two Cards from my Deck."
"Um, although [Pawn Token] was Sent to the Graveyard by the Effect of [Pawn Promotion], since it wasn't Destroyed, [Soul Resurrection] should still be on my Field, right?"
Although she felt her Operation was correct, Northwood Reiko was a little unsure if it would work. After playing [Magical Mallet], she confirmed with Joey Wheeler .
However, seeing the Orb of Light that appeared on her Field, Joey Wheeler knew that Northwood Reiko's [Magical Mallet] had successfully Activated.
After Sending the now useless [Soul Resurrection] to the Graveyard, Northwood Reiko Drew two more Cards.
Joey Wheeler couldn't help but exclaim, "That's amazing! I didn't expect you could even utilize Cards that are no longer useful. And you've only been exposed to Duel Monsters for a month, yet you already understand such complex descriptions on the Cards. That's really impressive!"
"Huh? Uh, n-not that impressive, umph~" Although still quite shy, Northwood Reiko showed a shy smile and responded with a thank you. Incidentally, she also drew a Card from her Hand. "Um, I will Tribute the [Queen Token] on my Field, and then Tribute Summon this Monster from my Hand, [Puppet King]."
The [Queen Token] that had been crouching on Northwood Reiko's Field stood up. Mimicking a certain transforming pilot who declared "I am Gundam!", it threw the shield in its hand like a projectile weapon to the side. Just as the [Pawn Token] had turned into a chessboard when it appeared, the pattern on the [Queen Token]'s body also unfolded into a chessboard.
After the chessboard changed again, what appeared on Northwood Reiko's Field was another faceless Monster, much more robust than [Queen Token].
The wand used by [Queen Token] was replaced by a sharp Sword. Furthermore, it had Evolved directly from the state where the [Pawn Token]'s "sword" was closer to a Dagger, into a heavy sword almost as tall as the [Puppet King], which it leaned on the ground. The black and white square patterns concentrated on its shoulders transformed into two thick shoulder pads, pressing down on the red cape fluttering behind [Puppet King] in the wind.
It appeared! A strong player with the Proof of a Strong Player—a cape!
[Puppet King] [Level 7/EARTH]
[Warrior Type/Effect Monster]
[2800 ATK/2600 DEF]
Compared to the defensive [Queen Token], the [Puppet King] Summoned by Tributing it was more skilled in Attack. However, even so, its DEF was higher than [Queen Token]'s.
But that wasn't the Key Point. The Key Point was—
"That's not right, Miss Reiko, you made a mistake!" Joey Wheeler now completely believed that Northwood Reiko had only been exposed to Duel Monsters for a month, because she had made such a big mistake! "Level 5 and Level 6 Monsters indeed only require one Monster as Tribute, but starting from Level 7, Level 7 and higher Level Monsters require two Tributes for a Tribute Summon!"
"Ah? Eh? Um... B-But, the [Puppet King] Card says, 'Only one Tribute is required when Summoned using [Queen Token] as Tribute'..."
Northwood Reiko said timidly.
Hearing this, Joey Wheeler scratched his cheek awkwardly and remained silent. He had spoken out of good intentions, but clearly, Northwood Reiko wasn't so clueless as to not know how many Tributes were needed for which Level of Monster. Joey Wheeler had made a blunder.
But then, Joey Wheeler suddenly noticed something else—the [Puppet King], which had been standing tall and majestic with its cape fluttering in the wind and leaning on its sword, was clearly more skilled in Attack, but surprisingly, it was slowly crouching down into Defense Position, just like the other Monster on Northwood Reiko's Field, [Puppet Castle]?
[Puppet King] [DEF 2600]
"Uh, Miss Reiko, you don't plan to Attack at all?" She wasn't even willing to leave a single Monster in Attack Position?
Northwood said timidly, "I-Is that not allowed?"
"Well, it's not that it's not allowed," Joey Wheeler answered honestly, because there was indeed no rule in Duel Monsters that stated a Duelist would lose if their Monsters didn't Attack. What Northwood Reiko was doing was perfectly fine.
The only problem was—without any Competitive Spirit or desire for Victory, if Northwood Reiko didn't even Attack, how did she win?
Could it be that in the KC Cup Qualifiers and the previous Main Tournament round, Northwood Reiko actually won by constantly defending, wearing down her Opponent's patience, making them completely lose the idea of continuing the Duel and Forfeit?
Joey Wheeler couldn't figure it out for now, but Northwood Reiko's Operation continued.
"I Activate the Continuous Spell Card, [Tragedy of the Battlefield]." Inserting the last Card in her Hand into her Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone, Northwood Reiko mustered her courage and said seriously, "This Card's Effect makes the Negative Effects brought by conflict apparent..."
"A Player who engaged in Battle during their Turn, at the End Phase, Sends five Cards from the top of their Deck to the Graveyard."
"Then, I will End my Turn like this."
[Northwood Reiko: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Puppet King] [DEF 2600]
[Puppet Castle] [DEF 1800]
[Set Card] [Tragedy of the Battlefield]
Seeing this, Joey Wheeler couldn't help but feel a sense of sudden realization. So that was it! Is it because she doesn't want to discard cards due to her own Card Effect, which is why she's unwilling to Attack with her Monsters?
An Effect that discards cards from the Deck if you engage in Battle? That's a troublesome Card.
Joey Wheeler looked at his Deck. In this Duel, his Deck contained exactly 40 Cards.
Perhaps a Beginner in Duel Monsters might think that with so many Powerful Cards in Duel Monsters, if you just stuffed as many different Powerful Cards as possible into a Deck, wouldn't you be Invincible?
However, that's not the case. In a Duel Monsters Deck, as the number of Cards increases, the Probability of drawing a Card that is beneficial for the current Condition and Meta in a single Draw becomes increasingly low.
Sixty Cards is the Limit for a Deck, but clearly, apart from those Layman/Novices who were eliminated in the Qualifiers before, no one would keep their Deck filled to the Limit.
He drew six cards in his First Turn Hand, consumed three Cards with [Cards of the Red Stone], and then [Black Dragon Knight] also consumed one. After that, with the Draw in the second Turn, plus [Dangerous Machine Type 6] and [Pot of Greed], Joey Wheeler has currently used a Total of 14 Cards. He has 26 Cards remaining in his Deck.
26 Cards is not a large number, but not small either. However, if he has to Send 5 Cards to the Graveyard after each Attack, it can only support Joey Wheeler Attacking five times. Oh no, if you add the Draw each Turn and using Cards to Replenish Hand, he probably only has four or even three Attack opportunities.
However, from the perspective of the optimist Joey Wheeler , it wasn't that he only had three Attack opportunities left, but rather that he still had a full three opportunities to secure Victory. By any measure, that was enough.
"My Turn, Draw!" Drawing a Card from his Deck, Joey Wheeler pointed his hand at his Spell/Trap Zone. "Then, during my Standby Phase, the Effect of [Dangerous Machine Type 6] Activates!"
"3!"
As if his words had power, the result rolled by the [Dangerous Machine Type 6], which should have been completely random, was still 3 points this time. With a result of 3, Joey Wheeler could Draw a Card from his Deck.
Joey Wheeler 's Deck: 26 → 24
"Although it sounds strong, in the end, isn't it fine as long as I win the Duel before my Deck runs out?" Joey Wheeler said confidently. "I Tribute the [Baby Dragon] on my Field, and Tribute Summon [Gilthia the D. Knight]!"
The [Baby Dragon] with only 1200 ATK disappeared from Joey Wheeler 's Field. In its place appeared [Gilthia the D. Knight], armed with a weapon that looked more like a battle club than a wand, and wearing something that resembled both a Robe and Armor.
[Gilthia the D. Knight] [Level 5/LIGHT]
[Warrior Type/Normal Monster]
[1850 ATK/1500 DEF]
"Yosh, here I come, Miss Reiko!" Joey Wheeler said excitedly. "So first, let's use [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] to Destroy [Puppet King]! I couldn't Attack successfully just now!"
"Go, [Red-Eyes]! [Black Flame Bullet]!"
The [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] equipped with [Claw of Hermos] had 3000 ATK. Whether [Puppet King] was in Attack Position or Defense Position, the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]'s ATK was higher.
After all, 3000 ATK is considered a Watershed in Duel Monsters. Once a Monster reaches 3000 ATK, it's almost like entering a second World. Because of this, many people like to compare Monsters with 3000 or more ATK to [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], which has exactly 3000 ATK and is the most famous.
This time, the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]'s Attack was not interfered with by Northwood Reiko's Set Card. The pitch-black flame bullet flew straight towards the [Puppet King] in Defense Position—
Huh?!
The [Black Flame Bullet] curved in mid-air?!
In Joey Wheeler 's strange gaze, the [Black Flame Bullet] spat out by the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] drew an arc. It was clearly an Attack declared on [Puppet King], but it curved towards the [Puppet Castle] on the other side?
With no interference, for an Attack to deviate like this was as outrageous as shooting a soccer ball towards an undefended net and kicking it into the Spectator Area!
The confused Joey Wheeler then heard Northwood Reiko's weak-spirited Answer: "Um... As long as [Puppet Castle] exists on my Field in Face-Up Position, the Opponent's Monster that can Attack must declare an Attack on this Card."
"Then, once per Turn, when [Puppet Castle] is chosen as an Attack Target, I can target one Level 6 or higher Warrior Type EARTH Attribute Monster in my Graveyard, Special Summon it to the Field, and Transfer the Attack Target to that Monster..."
At the end of the [Black Flame Bullet]'s "U"-shaped flight path, a black and white Monster appeared on Northwood Reiko's Field. It was none other than [Queen Token], as it was the only Level 6 or higher EARTH Attribute Warrior Type Monster in Northwood Reiko's Graveyard, having just been Sent there when [Puppet King] was Summoned.
"Boom!"
Undoubtedly, the 2500 DEF of the [Queen Token], Special Summoned by Northwood Reiko's [Puppet Castle] in Defense Position, was insignificant before the 3000 ATK of the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]. It was easily Sent to the Graveyard.
However, Northwood Reiko successfully saved [Puppet King] as a result and once again wasted the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]'s Attack.
End of Chapter
Chapter 427: Self-Confined?
The Attack of one Red-Eyes Black Dragon was blocked, but Joey Wheeler still had two other Monsters on his Field that hadn't Attacked yet.
"Seriously, I got tricked." After glancing at the Card in his Hand, Joey Wheeler waved his hand forward. "In that case, I'll use **Magical Knight Gilford** to Attack Puppet Castle!"
Because of Puppet Castle's own Effect, any Monster Joey Wheeler used to Attack would be redirected towards Puppet Castle. In other words, it was forcibly made the primary Attack Target.
Puppet Castle's Defense of 1800 Points was enough to easily block the Offensive of lower-level Monsters, but as luck would have it, the ATK of **Magical Knight Gilford**, which Joey Wheeler Summoned this Turn, was exactly 1850 Points. It was just enough to Break Through Puppet Castle.
Although Puppet Castle had the ability to Revive a Monster from the Graveyard when Attacked and Transfer the Attack, this Effect could only be used once per Turn, and it had just been used by Red-Eyes Black Dragon's Attack.
Therefore, facing **Magical Knight Gilford** charging forward with its long Sharp Blade, although Puppet Castle put up its full Defense, it was ultimately Destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
However, because it was in Defense Position, Joey Wheeler couldn't Inflict Battle Damage to Northwood Reiko.
"Alright, that means only the final **Puppet King** is left." Joey Wheeler clenched his fist and looked at the final **Puppet King** standing in front of Northwood Reiko.
Northwood Reiko looked at the spirited Joey Wheeler and said nervously, "B-But, **Puppet King's** Defense is 2600 Points, which is higher than Red-Eyes Black Dragon's 2400 ATK."
"Ah, that's right. If Red-Eyes Black Dragon with 2400 ATK Attacks **Puppet King** with 2600 DEF, I'll only take Damage." He glanced at the last Card in his Hand. Although his words seemed troubled, Joey Wheeler 's face held a confident smile.
"However, if a single Monster's Battle Power isn't enough, let the Power of Fusion create a miracle!"
As Joey Wheeler spoke, he inserted the Card from his Hand into the Spell & Trap Zone, and a green vortex Manifested above his Field.
"Huh? Fusion during the Battle Phase?" As Northwood Reiko understood it, Fusion should only be a method of Summoning that can be performed during the Main Phase. How can it be done during the Battle Phase?
"Instant Fusion is a Quick-Play Spell Card, a Card that can be Activated during the Battle Phase. Its Effect is that I can choose the necessary Fusion Material for a Fusion Monster from my Field, and then perform a Fusion Summon."
"However, as a cost, the Fusion Monster Fusion Summoned by Instant Fusion's Effect will be Destroyed at the End Phase of this Turn."
Joey Wheeler knew that Northwood Reiko didn't understand Duel Monsters very well, so he patiently explained. Then, he extended his hand and pointed to the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and **Magical Knight Gilford** standing side-by-side on his Field.
"Although it's a bit of a disadvantage to be chosen as Fusion Material before even getting to Attack, I can't worry about that now. I'll use the Red-Eyes Black Dragon on my Field and the Warrior Type **Magical Knight Gilford** as Fusion Material to perform a Fusion Summon!"
"Manifest, **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon**!"
The green Fusion vortex sucked in the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and **Magical Knight Gilford**. What returned to the Field from the vortex afterwards was **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon**, its entire body wrapped in Armor with sharp, blade-like spikes.
**Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** [ATK 2800]
"ATK 2800 Points is enough to Break Through **Puppet King**!" Joey Wheeler waved his hand and ordered, "Since it's still the Battle Phase, go, **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon**, Attack **Puppet King**!"
"Then, because of **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's** own Effect, when a Red-Eyes Monster Declares an Attack, I can Equip a Warrior Type Monster from my Graveyard to **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** as an Equip Card that increases its ATK by 200 Points!"
After **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** let out a roar towards the sky, an illusion appeared beside it. It was none other than **Magical Knight Gilford**, the Fusion Material for **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** that had just been sent to the Graveyard by Instant Fusion.
Just as the illusion was about to merge into **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's** Body, at that moment, Northwood Reiko finally Activated the Card she had kept Set on her Spell/Trap Zone.
"Anything but this, please no." Although Northwood Reiko was still nervous, compared to the tension of Activateing the Set Card, she was even more resistant to the Future where she would have to face the Monsters on Joey Wheeler 's Field directly after **Puppet King** was Destroyed. "A-Although I really don't want to, if a Card isn't used at the right time, it loses its meaning."
"I Activate my Set Card, Sakuretsu Armor!"
"I-I will use this Card's Effect to Chain to **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's** Attack Declaration, and directly Destroy the **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** that Declared the Attack!"
"Nani?!"
Joey Wheeler truly hadn't expected the Set Card on Northwood Reiko's Field to be an Attack Declaration Trap like Sakuretsu Armor.
If Joey Wheeler remembered correctly, this Sakuretsu Armor Card wasn't Set by Northwood Reiko last Turn, but the Turn before that. Even though he had Attacked so many times during that period, she didn't use it even once, why choose this moment?
Because Northwood Reiko hadn't Activated her Set Card at all, Joey Wheeler even thought that Card might be something like Divine Wrath, Magic Jammer, or other Cards that could hinder plays. But why Sakuretsu Armor, and why now of all times?
This Attack by **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** wasn't significantly different from his other Attacks... No, could it be that?
Combining Northwood Reiko's behavior so far, a theory formed in the mind of the "Great Genius" Joey Wheeler .
From the very beginning of the Duel, Northwood Reiko had a scared and worried Expression, and she became even more tense after seeing Joey Wheeler Summon two Red-Eyes Black Dragons, only slightly relieved after she also Summoned Puppet Queen.
At that time, Joey Wheeler thought she was surprised that he could Summon two Powerful Monsters in one go.
Also, from the start until now, Northwood Reiko had Summoned quite a few Monsters one after another, but no matter what kind of Monster she Summoned, Northwood Reiko consistently chose to summon them in Defense Position.
Once might have been a strategic choice, but doing it every time... Could it be that Northwood Reiko is...?
Joey Wheeler temporarily put the theory in his mind aside to deal with later, because Northwood Reiko's Set Card, Sakuretsu Armor, had fully flipped open and been Activated. A laser shot towards the **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** flying above Joey Wheeler 's head, determined to Destroy it.
His Monster was about to be Destroyed, but at the last moment, Joey Wheeler showed a smile. "Reiko-san, I see you don't understand at all, do you?"
"U-Understand what?"
Joey Wheeler confidently extended his hand and pointed at the flipped Set Card in Northwood Reiko's Spell/Trap Zone. "Let me tell you something, Reiko-san. Although there's no concrete basis for it, the Sakuretsu Armor Card has a curse on it!"
"A curse that makes it unable to be successfully Activated, or even if it is Activated, it will be Negated!" Noticing the panic that appeared on Northwood Reiko's face after hearing "curse," Joey Wheeler , who didn't mean to scare her, quickly added.
"What you said does have some truth to it; a Card loses its meaning if it's not used at the right time. However, now that **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** has appeared is not the right time!"
As Joey Wheeler 's words fell, the Sakuretsu Armor laser was about to hit **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon**. But at that moment, the Dark Dragon Claw that the Red-Eyes Black Dragon (which had already Attacked) had Equipped suddenly detached from its claw and flew into the air, blocking in front of **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** just before the laser hit!
"Snap!"
The Dark Dragon Claw shattered, but **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** successfully withstood Sakuretsu Armor's Effect, and the illusion of **Magical Knight Gilford** also successfully merged into its Body.
Red-Eyes Black Dragon [ATK 3000 → 2400]
**Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** (Magical Knight Gilford) [ATK 2800 → 3000]
"H-How could this be!?" Northwood Reiko couldn't understand what had just happened.
Joey Wheeler just chuckled proudly and said, "Heh heh, **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's** second Effect is that when a Card Effect that Targets a Card on my Field is Activated, I can Send one Equip Card from my Field to the Graveyard to Negate that Effect and Destroy it."
"Although **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's** own Effect hadn't yet Equipped **Magical Knight Gilford** as an Equip Card, luckily I didn't choose the Red-Eyes Black Dragon Equipped with Dark Dragon Claw as Fusion Material just now. I chose to Send Dark Dragon Claw to the Graveyard."
"A mere Sakuretsu Armor! **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** isn't just for show! Watch me push it back!"
While saying confident words, Joey Wheeler couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief seeing **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** survive.
If he had chosen the Red-Eyes Black Dragon that had already Attacked as the Target for Instant Fusion, he could have maximized the Profit. If **Puppet King** had been Destroyed without interference, Joey Wheeler would have had one Red-Eyes Black Dragon that hadn't Attacked yet to launch a Direct Attack on Northwood Reiko.
However, it was also fortunate that Joey Wheeler wanted to guard against Northwood Reiko's Set Card and kept the Red-Eyes Black Dragon with the Equip Card Dark Dragon Claw, which came in handy now.
"Then, **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's** Attack continues!" Joey Wheeler waved his hand forward. "Attack **Puppet King**!"
"Black Flame Charge!"
Wrapped entirely in black flames, **Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon** launched its Attack on **Puppet King**, instantly Destroying it and sending it to the Graveyard.
Although no Damage was Inflicted because it was in Defense Position, her last Monster on the Field was also Destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Northwood Reiko's face involuntarily showed a look of fear.
Her hands trembling uncontrollably, at that moment, she suddenly heard Joey Wheeler 's voice from the opposite side:
Chapter 428: Thank You, Taro
"Um, this might be sudden, but Reiko, can I ask you a question?"
Reiko heard Joey Wheeler's words.
"Huh?"
"Reiko, do you think Duel Monsters is fun?"
After Joey Wheeler asked the question, it seems like he felt that Reiko, who had always held an inexplicable sense of fear towards him, wouldn't answer, so he spoke to himself: "Me, I'm always enjoying Duels very happily."
"Although my mood fluctuates wildly every time I attack because of a Set Card activated by my opponent, although I feel fear when I see a powerful monster I can't defeat, although I feel unease due to uncertainty when I draw a card,"
"But Duel Monsters is a game that brings people smiles, and this unexpectedness and uncertainty are also part of Duel Monsters' charm."
Northwood Reiko listened to Joey Wheeler's words and showed a quite surprised expression.
Northwood Reiko didn't lie to Joey Wheeler; the time she had been exposed to Duel Monsters was indeed only one month. However, even so, she still showed quite astonishing talent in Duel Monsters. Her skill and strength were already greater than many Duelists who had played Duel Monsters for many years.
It was precisely because of this that she participated in the KC Cup, and without holding any desire to win, merely with the goal of "self-preservation," she defeated many opponents and won until now.
However, the more she achieved victory, the more Northwood Reiko found it difficult to understand the fun of Duel Monsters, looking at the unwilling and distorted faces of her defeated opponents after being knocked down from the peak of victory, and the Duel Monsters that launched attack after attack under the command of those filled with greed for victory.
Northwood Reiko, who was instinctively unsuited to conflict, even began to feel that those Duelists who could issue ruthless orders were not the same existence as herself, almost like vegetarian rabbits and carnivorous felines.
She originally thought that Joey Wheeler was the same as the Duelists she had encountered before, but unexpectedly, Joey Wheeler was also fighting in Duels with feelings like "fear" and "unease"?
Joey Wheeler, he seems like he's different from the Duelists she had encountered before?
Curiosity couldn't help but arise in Northwood Reiko's mind.
Even though they were both feeling fear, why could Joey Wheeler fight so bravely and even show that kind of smile?
Northwood Reiko didn't know what kind of change this curiosity would bring, and Joey Wheeler also didn't know Northwood Reiko's thoughts, he was just trying his best to convey his thoughts with his words.
"Reiko, although the attacks from just now until now have been unilaterally initiated by me, I can feel the excitement transmitted when our Duelist Spirits collide. You're actually also feeling disgust towards Dueling while trembling with fear, right?"
"Your Deck uses the strategy of protecting yourself with high DEF monsters, and then achieving victory without shedding blood by using the Deck Out strategy, right?" Joey Wheeler pointed to Reiko's Field, which was already empty. "I'm not criticizing whether the strategy your Deck uses is despicable or anything, it's just that,"
"Without that feeling of unease and excitement, just achieving victory plainly until the end, wouldn't it be too boring?"
Joey Wheeler, who was usually the one being lectured, looked at Northwood Reiko's surprised expression and showed a gentle smile: "Come on, Reiko, let me also feel the shouts and roars coming from your Duelist Spirit!"
"My Turn, End Phase. And at the same time as the End Phase, because of the effect of your [战场的惨剧](Tragedy of the Battlefield), I send to the Graveyard five cards from my Deck, and the [真红眼黑刃龙](Red-Eyes Black Sword Dragon) that was Fusion Summoned by the effect of [Instant Fusion] just now will also be destroyed."
[Joey Wheeler: 24→19]
[Instant Fusion] is a powerful card that can perform a Fusion Summon during the Battle Phase, and powerful cards are often accompanied by risk. The risk belonging to [Instant Fusion] is that its effect only lasts for one turn.
The body of [人偶国王](Puppet King), which had subdued [Puppet King], disintegrated with the End Phase. However, just as it was about to be destroyed, the phantom of [Gilthia the D. Knight], which was attached to [真红眼黑刃龙](Red-Eyes Black Sword Dragon) before, retreated from its body in time, and even stepped on [真红眼黑刃龙](Red-Eyes Black Sword Dragon) to accelerate its departure, just like a pilot leaving the cockpit just before an MS explosion, using the impact force of the explosion to propel themselves away from the machine.
[Gilthia the D. Knight] [ATK1850]
"The third effect of [真红眼黑刃龙](Red-Eyes Black Sword Dragon) is, if [Red-Eyes Black Sword Dragon] equipped with an Equip Card is destroyed by effect or battle, you can Special Summon the monster that was equipped to [Red-Eyes Black Sword Dragon] when it was destroyed from the Graveyard as much as possible."
After Joey Wheeler placed the [Gilthia the D. Knight] card on the Front Row, he let his hands hang casually and looked at Northwood Reiko with an expectant gaze.
At this moment, Joey Wheeler was more looking forward to Northwood Reiko achieving growth in this Duel than achieving victory.
[Joey Wheeler: 4000LP, Hand 0]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK2400]
[Gilthia the D. Knight] [ATK1850]
[Dangerous Machine Type 6] [Set Card (Forbidden Dress)]
"My, My Turn," Her finger rested on the Deck. It was Northwood Reiko's turn to draw a card, but at this moment, she hesitated.
Was she feeling fear towards Duel Monsters and those Duelists who thirsted for victory?
Yes, that's right. It was precisely because of this that she chose the safest, least harmful defense strategy, to achieve victory in this way of evasion.
So, was she truly like Joey Wheeler said, that deep in her heart, she also felt the same disgust towards the self who trembled while drawing a card?
Yes.
That's right, she also wanted to Duel bravely.
Looking at the gentle smile on Joey Wheeler's face, some kind of power began to erupt within Northwood Reiko's heart.
I want to bravely issue attack orders with monsters and achieve victory upright.
I want to command monsters to confront opponents, not for victory, but for the joy of Dueling itself.
I want to, I want to be like Joey Wheeler, bravely show a smile!
On Northwood Reiko's face, for the first time since the Duel began, a smile appeared that was not fawning or humble, but full of confidence.
"My Turn, Draw!"
"Normal Spell Card, [Pot of Greed], draw two more cards from my Deck!"
"Then I activate [Monster Reborn]!"
The Ankh symbol appeared on Northwood Reiko's Field. [人偶国王](Puppet King), which was destroyed by [真红眼黑刃龙](Red-Eyes Black Sword Dragon)'s attack during the previous turn, was revived on her Field. But what was revived by [Monster Reborn] was not just [人偶国王](Puppet King), but also Northwood Reiko's courage, because—
[人偶国王](Puppet King), which she Special Summoned to the Field, existed in Attack Position!
Northwood Reiko looked at [人偶国王](Puppet King) appearing on her Field, no longer in the stance of crouching with its body shielded by a greatsword, but in a never-before-seen stance, holding its sword high with soaring aura. Northwood Reiko couldn't help but murmur in a daze, "I..."
"Up until now in this Duel, I never thought I would actively initiate an attack..."
Looking at Joey Wheeler's expectant smile, Northwood Reiko showed the same smile: "Thank you, Joey Wheeler."
"Then... go, my Battle Phase!"
Joey Wheeler heard Reiko's attack declaration and also showed a smile: "Oh, come on, Reiko!"
"I use [人偶国王](Puppet King) to launch an attack on Joey Wheeler's [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]!" Reiko issued the first attack instruction of her Dueling career. "As for the name, let's call it 'Newborn Flash'!"
[Puppet King] [ATK2800]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK2400]
The huge and heavy sword was raised high by [人偶国王](Puppet King). Using its flowing cape as a shield, it deceived the black flame bullet spat out by [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] when it countered. Lowering its body, it turned and slashed upwards, its sharp blade cutting through [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]'s body, destroying it and sending it to the Graveyard.
"Whoa!" The overflowing battle damage was only 400 points. Joey Wheeler, cooperating with the wind pressure from [人偶国王](Puppet King)'s sword swing, let out a strange cry, attracting Reiko's worried gaze.
[Joey Wheeler: 4000→3600LP]
However, Joey Wheeler was a monster-level willpower owner who could easily withstand even a Divine-Beast's attack. Noticing Reiko's gaze, Joey Wheeler twisted his neck and suddenly burst into laughter:
"Fufufu..."
"Wahahaha~ You're strong, Reiko!"
"When you're serious, aren't you quite charming!" The straightforward Joey Wheeler didn't pay attention to what he said at all, and said with a smile, "Then next, we're going to start a full power Duel!"
A blush appeared on Reiko's face: "Yes, yes!"
"Set a card, My Turn End Phase. Then, because of the effect of [战场的惨剧](Tragedy of the Battlefield), I send 5 cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard."
[Northwood Reiko: 4000LP, Hand 0]
[Puppet King] [ATK2800]
[战场的惨剧](Tragedy of the Battlefield) [Set Card]
Although he spoke with quite a lot of aura, saying things like "full power Duel" and so on.
But actually, Joey Wheeler hadn't really held back from the start; he had always been at full power. It's just that his strength fluctuated quite a bit. When he was in good form, he could even suppress Kaiba for a while, but when he was in bad form, he could be in a stalemate with any Elementary School Student for over a dozen turns.
To put it another way, he's probably fifty-fifty against anyone?
In short, now it's Joey Wheeler's turn again, and he currently has 19 cards left in the Deck. He doesn't have many chances to attack left.
If it were Kaiba or Yugi, they might strategize before drawing, thinking about what kind of card they need to draw to solve the current problem, but Joey Wheeler only has one way: draw the card first and then figure it out.
"Alright, then My Turn, Draw!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 429: Victory Brings More Than Just Joy, It Also Brings...
"Alright, my turn! Draw!"
Joey Wheeler glanced at the card he drew, raising an eyebrow. Coincidentally, the card he drew was the exact same one Northwood Reiko drew last turn: Pot of Greed.
Being able to draw two cards from his Deck without any cost was truly a lifesaver for Joey Wheeler, who currently had no way to defeat Reiko's Puppet King on the Field.
However, just drawing it wasn't enough to activate it; there was still a card blocking Joey Wheeler's way: the Dangerous Machine Type 6 he had activated himself.
"Although I really don't want Kaiba to say I only rely on luck, I believe my future is decided by myself." While feeling a bit unsure inside, Joey Wheeler still put on a confident stance, reaching out and pointing at the Dangerous Machine Type 6 in his Spell/Trap Zone.
"During my Standby Phase, Dangerous Machine Type 6 will roll a die, and its effect activates based on the points rolled!"
The glowing device lit up one after another, and the erratically moving light sphere instantly displayed and then instantly disappeared from "1", "1", "4", "5", "1", "4". Joey Wheeler, who had no confidence in his dynamic vision or ability to predict movement patterns, relied on his intuition and blurted out, "Alright, stop right there!"
Following Joey Wheeler's declaration, the speed of the light sphere dropped sharply, appearing consecutively after "3", "2", "5", "4". Seeing it about to stop on "1", Joey Wheeler's nerves became tense.
This isn't good! You see, if the points rolled by Dangerous Machine Type 6 were 1, the effect that would activate would be "Joey Wheeler discards one card from his hand". That meant the Pot of Greed he had finally managed to draw would be discarded because of this.
Damn it, gambling cards really aren't good things!
While extremely frustrated, Joey Wheeler once again made up his mind. Before, it was because Rex always ranted that he was strongest when using gambling cards that Joey Wheeler reluctantly stuffed those gambling cards he had previously removed back into his Deck.
After this Duel, I must get rid of all the gambling cards!
And just as Joey Wheeler made up his mind internally, the body of Dangerous Machine Type 6 suddenly trembled. The light sphere, which was about to stop on "1", suddenly moved one space forward, landing on the number "6".
Then, without waiting for Joey Wheeler to react, Dangerous Machine Type 6, which had triggered its self-destruct function for number "6", suddenly self-destructed. It was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, disappearing from Joey Wheeler's sight, as if afraid Joey Wheeler would see it and then decide to remove gambling cards from his Deck.
"Uh, because the points are 6, Dangerous Machine Type 6 will be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard." Joey Wheeler sent the card to the Graveyard, feeling slightly bothered.
He had just decided to remove gambling cards because of the high risk they brought, so how did it successfully activate in the blink of an eye?
Although it wasn't the most beneficial outcome for Joey Wheeler ("3" or "5"), at least it wasn't "1", and the Pot of Greed in Joey Wheeler's hand was saved.
"Then, I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed, drawing two cards from my Deck." Inserting Pot of Greed into the Spell & Trap Zone, Joey Wheeler rested his finger on his Deck and drew two cards. "Then, I Normal Summon the Gearfried the Iron Knight I just drew."
Joey Wheeler: 19 → 16
A knight clad in steel armor appeared on Joey Wheeler's Field, standing side by side with Gilthia the D. Knight.
Gearfried the Iron Knight [ATK 1800]
At the cost of not being able to use Equip Cards, the Gearfried the Iron Knight Joey Wheeler Summoned had outstanding ATK and DEF among Lower-Level Monsters.
However, at this moment, he and Gilthia the D. Knight were not facing monsters of the same Level, but Puppet King with an ATK as high as 2800 points. And in Joey Wheeler's Deck, the monster with the highest ATK was Summoned Skull, but it only had 2500 points and required one Tribute.
However, that was only the strongest monster "in Joey Wheeler's Deck". There was one such card that could create miracles.
"I activate my last card, the Spell Card Fusion!" Joey Wheeler flipped over the last card in his hand. It was the most important foundation for Fusion Summoning—the Fusion Spell Card. "I have two Warrior Type monsters with different Attributes on my Field. I will use Gilthia the D. Knight and Gearfried the Iron Knight as Fusion Material!"
"Gleam of Steel, Radiance of Magic, indomitable Warrior souls intertwine, Steel's Magic, overflowing with passion, touch and transform! Become the final hope, the strongest Gem Warrior!"
"Fusion Summon! Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode!"
Iron Magic Knight - Gilthia Fried, which Joey Wheeler had used in his Duel against Kaiba during Battle City, reappeared. Its skirt adorned with magic gems fluttered in the wind, and the battle blade in its hand was raised, pointing directly at Puppet King.
Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode [Level 8 / Light Attribute]
[Warrior Type / Fusion / Effect]
[ATK 2700 / DEF 1600]
One was a strong warrior with a cape, and the other was a boss with a skirt. Although Puppet King had slightly higher ATK, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode had a stronger aura. Besides, ATK is something that can be changed.
"Enter my Battle Phase. Here I come, Reiko." Joey Wheeler waved his arm forward. "I use my Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode on my Field to attack Puppet King, and because it's a battle against a monster, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode has an effect that can be activated!"
"Once per turn, during damage calculation when Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode battles an opponent's monster, I can banish one Spell Card from my Graveyard to increase Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's ATK by half of its DEF until the End Phase!"
"I banish Pot of Greed from the Graveyard, increasing Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's ATK by half of its DEF, which is 800 points!"
Following Joey Wheeler's declaration, he took out the Pot of Greed card from his Graveyard and stuffed it into his pants pocket. On the Field, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode charged towards Puppet King while muttering something under his breath, imbuing his weapon with magic as the gems on his body lit up one by one.
Seeing this, Northwood Reiko also pressed her Set Card activation button. "Joey Wheeler-kun, I won't just give up like this. I'm already a Duelist who dares to face battle head-on!"
"I activate my Set Card, the Quick-Play Spell Card Forbidden Lance! This card decreases the ATK of one monster by 800 points until the End Phase, and it is unaffected by the effects of other Spell/Trap Cards besides this one!"
Looking at the confident Northwood Reiko, Joey Wheeler nodded in satisfaction. "Amazing, Reiko, I can feel the Duelist's pulse surging!"
"Then I, Katsuya Joey Wheeler, must also cheer up and respond to these feelings!"
Following Reiko's pressing the Set Card, Joey Wheeler also pressed his Set Card activation button. Almost synchronized with Reiko's Set Card, both sides' Set Cards opened simultaneously.
"The Quick-Play Spell Card Forbidden Dress can decrease the ATK of one monster by 600 points, and make it unaffected by card effects and unable to be destroyed by effect."
Joey Wheeler glanced at the Forbidden Lance Reiko activated. "Last turn, when Puppet King attacked my Red-Eyes Black Dragon, I did think about activating this card, but my intuition made me hold back, and thankfully I held back."
"Otherwise, at that time, you would chain to my Forbidden Dress to activate Forbidden Lance, right? In that case, I not only couldn't change the result of Red-Eyes Black Dragon being destroyed, but also wasted a card. See? My intuition is pretty accurate, isn't it?"
As he spoke, Joey Wheeler also scratched the back of his head and laughed.
And on both sides' Fields, the effects of Forbidden Dress and Forbidden Lance were activated one after another, intertwining and landing on the target monsters. Puppet King was covered in a layer of screen, and Forbidden Lance also accurately pierced Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode.
Seeing this, Northwood Reiko let out a sigh of relief. Looking at Joey Wheeler, she said with a smile, "You're incredible, Joey Wheeler-kun. Even the Set Card I activated was within your calculations. I originally thought I could use Forbidden Lance to counter Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode."
"Now it seems my Puppet King is indeed destined to be destroyed, and I will also take 500 points of damage because of this."
Saying this, Northwood Reiko looked at Puppet King.
Puppet King [ATK 2800 → 2200]
"No, Reiko, it should be 1300 points of damage."
"Huh?"
Seeing the surprised expression on Reiko's face, Joey Wheeler said proudly, "Heh heh, don't think you're the only genius, Reiko. I, Joey Wheeler, am best at calculating! The card that was successfully activated from the start was only my Forbidden Dress!"
As if cooperating with Joey Wheeler's words, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode, pierced by Forbidden Lance, suddenly reached out, grabbed Forbidden Lance, and pulled it out, revealing his armor which showed no signs of damage.
"Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's second effect is, once per turn, when a Spell, Trap, or Monster Effect that targets him is activated, negate that effect, and I can choose one card on the Field to destroy."
The Magic Knight held Forbidden Lance. This golden spear that was originally meant to be used against him now became his weapon. As Joey Wheeler wished, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode didn't even take a running start and threw Forbidden Lance like a javelin.
Joey Wheeler stretched out his hand, pointing at Northwood Reiko's Puppet King on the Field. "Although normally speaking, at this moment, choosing to destroy Puppet King is the optimal choice, but!"
"Reiko, you responded to me with such passionate courage, I must also respond with a passionate battle!" Joey Wheeler turned his finger. "Therefore, the card I choose to destroy is that Tragedy of the Battlefield on your Spell/Trap Zone that represents your past!"
The golden spear fell, destroying the Tragedy of the Battlefield on Northwood Reiko's Spell/Trap Zone, which she originally used to employ the Deck Reduction Strategy. And on Reiko's Front Row, the large-bodied Puppet King also clashed with Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode.
Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode [ATK 2700 → 3500]
The heavy greatsword collided with the light magic battle blade. The seemingly one-sided weight difference was turned around by the magic power applied to the battle blade. After several swings, the Magic Knight dodged Puppet King's horizontal sweep with a low bend, straightened up and crashed into its embrace, using his sharp blade to pierce the latter's chest.
Boom!
Puppet King's body was directly detonated by the magic power attached to the sharp blade, leaving no trace. And Northwood Reiko also took 1300 points of battle damage, just as Joey Wheeler said.
"Ugh!"
Northwood Reiko: 4000 → 2700 LP
Even though it was the first time she had taken such high damage, Reiko didn't feel the fear she had before at all. Instead, because of the intense battle, she truly felt the charm of Duel Monsters for the first time.
And...
Looking at Joey Wheeler's confident smile, Reiko's cheeks slightly flushed.
Joey Wheeler didn't notice this at all. Instead, he held up three fingers. "Finally, Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode's third effect."
"This card, which was Fusion Summoned using only monsters on the Field as material, can make two attacks during the same Battle Phase." Stretching out his hand and pointing at the completely empty Northwood Reiko on the Field, Joey Wheeler once again issued the attack command.
"This one is the final attack, Reiko."
"Despite your best efforts, stand tall. As a Duelist, you've done your best."
"Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode, direct attack the opponent Duelist!"
Compared to the force used when attacking Puppet King just now, the Magic Knight's movements were much more casual when direct attacking Reiko. He merely symbolically swung his blade, creating a gust of wind that messed up Reiko's hair while taking away her remaining Life Points.
Northwood Reiko: 2700 LP → 0
"Phew, I lost..." Looking at her Life Points dropping to zero, Reiko let out a long breath, but then raised her head and winked playfully at Joey Wheeler. "But this Duel made me very excited and thrilled!"
"How about it? Exciting Duels are definitely more interesting than scary Duels, right? Hahahaha." Joey Wheeler said proudly. "That was a truly interesting Duel."
In the Spectator Area, Tristan looked at the creaking iron handrail being squeezed by Kujaku Mai, his eyebrows slightly raised. He looked gleefully at Joey Wheeler on the Field, who was laughing loudly and shaking hands with Reiko.
I hope you can still laugh later, Jo~u~no~chi~
Chapter 430: Regarding the Villain's Sudden Idea to Recruit Me
"Wahahaha, how about that, Tristan ? Did you witness the greatness of Yours Truly?" Returning to the Spectator Area, Katsuya Jounouchi, fresh off his victory, was beaming with pride. "The KC Cup Champion, yeah! That's Joey Wheeler!"
Unexpectedly, Tristan didn't tease him. Breaking tradition, he even picked up the conversation thread and offered a few words of praise: "Oh, Joey Wheeler, you really are amazing. You easily did what we couldn't. I truly admire you!"
As he spoke, Tristan leaned closer with a teasing look, pretending to whisper, but his voice wasn't lowered at all. "Incredible, Joey Wheeler. If this keeps up, you're going to become a celebrity. Won't you have tons of female fans then?"
"And I saw that Northwood Reiko just now seemed to have quite a bit of affection for you~"
Joey Wheeler was completely oblivious to Tristan 's mischievous intentions, his pride practically oozing from his face. But just as he was about to say something, he heard a cold female voice beside him:
"How truly incredible, celebrity Joey Wheeler. Unexpectedly popular, aren't we? Hmph!"
"Huh? Mai? Mai! It's not like that, listen to me expl— explain!"
Watching Kujaku Mai act jealous yet still refuse to explicitly state her feelings for Joey Wheeler, and Joey Wheeler, the blockhead, who somewhat understood Kujaku Mai's feelings for him but was too clumsy to express himself, Mutou Yuugi couldn't help but wear an amused, almost aunt-like smile.
But he quickly stopped smiling.
"Miss Mai and Joey Wheeler are really close, aren't they? I'm so envious of them." A pair of hands skillfully hooked onto Yugi's arm. Rebecca casually hugged Yugi's arm. "Hey, Darling, I—"
"Ah, you little brat, let go of Yugi's hand!" Yugi's other free arm was also grabbed, and compared to Rebecca, Téa pulled Yugi over with force, as if trying to help him escape Rebecca.
However, Rebecca's reaction was also quite fast. She hooked onto Yugi's arm again, extremely displeased with Téa interrupting her and trying to take Yugi away from her side. "You hateful old woman, don't even think about taking Darling!"
"You little brat aren't a suitable age for Yugi at all, go back to school obediently!"
"I'm a genius, studying is completely unnecessary. A true hero prioritizes love!"
Both of Yugi's hands were held, and he wore a pained expression, deeply troubled. Crucially, at this moment, Dark Yugi, who had been watching the drama from inside the Millennium Puzzle, spoke up mockingly: "You're quite popular, Partner."
Beside them, Marik was watching the drama with a bag of French Fries, looking quite happy. He even felt that compared to the boring Duelists on the Duel Field right now, the emotional drama unfolding before him, starring famous Duelists like Mutou Yuugi and Katsuya Jounouchi, was far more interesting.
Perhaps because Marik was smiling so brightly, Joey Wheeler noticed Marik sitting alone and was a little confused. "Huh, where's Hayato?"
Marik shrugged, saying nonchalantly, "When your Duel was about halfway through, Kaiba Seto sent Brother-in-law an email asking him to go out for a bit."
"Huh~ Hayato didn't even finish watching my Duel?" Joey Wheeler looked a bit disappointed. "I was hoping he'd comment on it. I finally pulled off such a spectacular play."
"Well, he didn't miss it completely. Brother-in-law saw some of it." Marik recalled. "Probably starting from when your **Red-Eyes Black Dragon** killed your **Red-Eyes Black Dragon**?"
"Then he only saw me suffer a setback completely!"
Time began to rewind, back to ten minutes ago.
Watching the two **Red-Eyes Black Dragons** on the Duel Field kill each other due to Northwood Reiko's Set Card, Hayato threw a French Fry into his mouth with interest.
Hayato was extremely interested in this kind of harem conflict plot. After all, it was well-known that he was a pure love warrior.
Although it seemed like Hayato was gloating over Joey Wheeler's disadvantage, in reality, Hayato wasn't worried at all that Joey Wheeler's KC Cup journey would end here. He wasn't some guardian of the pond.
Not playing until he's low HP was Joey Wheeler's basic character trait. In fact, if he was at full HP, the more impressive his plays were, the harder he would suffer a setback afterwards. The real Duel only began when he started losing HP.
Hayato didn't have much of an impression of Northwood Reiko. Although he felt like he had seen her somewhere, he couldn't quite remember. Maybe during the preliminaries, or somewhere else? In any case, Hayato wasn't very concerned.
"Buzz~" The mobile phone in silent mode vibrated, but it only lasted for a moment, indicating it wasn't a call, probably a text message or something.
Swatting away Marik's hand, Hayato held a French Fry in his mouth like a cigarette and took out his mobile phone from his pocket.
Casually flipping open the flip cover, not bothering to press 555, Hayato opened the email he had just received. The Sender was surprisingly Kaiba.
"That's strange. Why would Kaiba send me an email?"
"Huh? Brother's email?" Keipei, sitting beside him, also leaned over curiously. If Kaiba wanted to find Hayato, he could have just come to the Spectator Area, or calling would have been faster.
Hayato nodded and opened the email to read it. In the email, Kaiba said he had found something quite interesting, but it wasn't suitable for too many people to know, so he asked Hayato to meet him outside the Kaiba Dome.
He confirmed the Sender was indeed "Kaiba Seto," but looking at the email, Hayato felt various kinds of weirdness in the words.
It was simply as strange as Pineapple on Margherita Pizza, Strawberry Ice Cream with a layer of Curry poured over it, or a Steamed Bun stewed in Soup like a Pig Trotter.
Looking at Yugi, who was being eyed like a tiger and seemed ready to spring into action any second, Hayato regretted that he wouldn't be able to witness the love triangle conflict unfold. After informing the others, he headed towards the Emergency Exit of the Kaiba Dome.
After turning a few corners, with the exit getting closer, Hayato's steps stopped at an Intersection.
"The bad smell in the air is too obvious, Bakura. It's disgusting, like smelling dog poop by a park flowerbed."
"You bastard, I'm not that smelly!" Staring at a pair of hair that stood up like rabbit ears, the long-missing Bakura appeared from the corner in annoyance, holding a Millennium Eye he had taken from Pegasus.
"Oh? You didn't choose to run away but approached me, Hayato Kobayashi? You've run away like a gazelle seeing a cheetah the past few times, but this time you actively approached me? Do you want to control me with the Millennium Eye?"
"How would I know the result without trying? But sneak attacking you is indeed a bit difficult, tsk." Bakura smoothed out the robe he was wearing with a displeased look and said seriously, "Hey, Hayato Kobayashi, let's make a deal."
"From now on, don't help that guy Kaiba Seto."
(End of Chapter)