Chapter 74: You Xuan vs. Asuka

The first match ended, lasting less than ten minutes; You Xuan successfully earned five credits.

He was in high spirits. This duel earned more credits than a single round of the exchange match—this was too easy.

If possible, he even wanted to ask his senior if they could do a best-of-five, betting five credits per round.

But judging by his senior’s furious expression, she clearly didn’t want to go again.

The entire audience fell silent after watching the match.

After a long pause, one of the Student Union members couldn’t help but step forward and ask, “Uh, Student You Xuan, is your deck’s soul… Lava Demon God?”

You Xuan raised an eyebrow.

What? Does that tone mean you look down on my great Lava Demon God?

Then he’d have to properly argue this: “What? Is the Lava Demon God’s attack power insufficient?”

“Oh, no, not at all.”

Its attack power is equal to the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon—who dares say it’s low?

“Then do you think its level is too low?”

“No, no, level eight is already very strong.”

“So you think its effect isn’t powerful enough?”

“The effect… is quite strong.”

“Then why can’t it be my soul?” You Xuan said confidently.

Nakamura: “…”

It made perfect sense—he was momentarily speechless.

But his usual way of thinking still felt off. That soul summoned right on the opponent’s field just seemed… somehow wrong.

In a corner of the arena, a jellyfish-haired student, also detained by the Student Union for not voting, said: “Oh wow, You Xuan seems really strong! I wonder when I’ll get a chance to duel him.”

“Huh!?” The little brother beside him, Wu Teng Xiang, stared in shock at his big brother.

He wondered just how obsessed his big brother had become with cards to actually want to duel after witnessing that match.

Wouldn’t a normal person just back away and quietly blacklist him?

“By the way, he’s using a Machine-Type deck too!” Ten Dai patted Xiang on the back, grinning. “Maybe Machine-Type decks are actually strong?”

Wu Teng Xiang: “…”

No, somehow, even though they’re both Machine-Type, his deck felt completely different from his own.

Others using Machine-Type can knock opponents off their dueling mats—but he’s usually the one getting knocked off.

Xiang began self-reflecting.

Could it be… maybe it’s not the Machine-Type cards’ fault, but just that he’s bad?

“By the way, that Tenjouin girl also seems strong.”

Ten Dai wiped his nose, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“Looks like there’s more drama coming!”

At this moment, Tenjouin Asuka had already fitted her dueling disk and stepped before You Xuan.

“You’re strong,” she said seriously. “But I’ll give it my all.”

“Naturally.”

You Xuan pulled out his deck from the dueling disk and inserted it into an empty card case behind him, then drew another deck from a different case and inserted it into the disk.

The Sea Horse Corporation’s latest dueling disk executed a shuffle program; the new deck shuffled rapidly.

Asuka frowned slightly.

Changed decks?

“I stand here as a duelist, not as a girl. I hope you’ll give it your all too,” she said.

“Don’t worry, of course,” You Xuan smiled. “Just a normal tactical switch.”

In a world governed by destiny energy, using the same tactics twice in a row risks being targeted. Even if the opponent doesn’t deliberately adjust their deck, merely knowing your deck and strategy means any five cards they draw could contain a counter.

As one of the early main characters, Tenjouin Asuka’s destiny energy should be considerable. Or, among peers in Ten Dai’s year, she likely ranked among the top.

“Duel!” x2

【You Xuan, LP 4000】

【Asuka, LP 4000】

“I’ll go first. Draw.” Asuka said, “Normal summon ‘Digitized Ballet Skirt,’ attack position!”

【Digitized Ballet Skirt, ATK 1000】

“Then activate the Equip Spell ‘Angel’s Wings,’ equip it to Digitized Ballet Skirt!” (Anime card)

The Spell card materialized behind her; a pair of pure white wings unfurled behind the slender female monster, bathing her in a faint white glow.

“A monster equipped with ‘Angel’s Wings’ gains 300 additional battle damage when it inflicts battle damage to the opponent,” Asuka explained. “Then I set one card face-down. End of turn.”

“My turn. Draw.”

You Xuan added the drawn card to his hand, then played a monster card.

“Summon ‘Card Cannon!’”

【Card Cannon, ATK 400】

“Card Cannon’s effect: once per turn, send up to three cards from the top of your deck to the graveyard; each one increases its ATK by 500.”

You Xuan drew three cards and sent them to the graveyard.

“I send three cards to the graveyard—Card Cannon’s ATK increases by 1500!”

【Card Cannon, ATK 400 → ATK 1900】

You Xuan paused, glancing at Asuka’s back row.

He could guess what her face-down card was.

In the anime, whenever Asuka duels, that trap is always there—like Caesar’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon, glued on with super glue.

【Trap Card—Double Basque Dance】

Effect: When an opponent’s monster attacks one of your face-up monsters, change that attack into a direct attack on you. In exchange, your monsters deal direct battle damage to your opponent. (Anime effect)

Because “monsters dealing direct battle damage during the opponent’s turn” was too illogical for real cards, the real version changed it to: “In exchange, your monsters can attack directly next turn.”

Also, Asuka had summoned a monster with only 1000 ATK in attack position and deliberately equipped it with ‘Angel’s Wings’ to boost battle damage by another 300.

So You Xuan was 90% certain about her face-down card.

Normally, if he attacked with Card Cannon and Asuka activated ‘Double Basque Dance,’ she’d take 1900 direct damage while he’d only take 1300—she’d lose 600 LP. Logically, she probably wouldn’t activate it.

But based on Asuka’s behavior in the original work, she’d likely activate it anyway. She’d more than once willingly take damage just to trade blows.

Based on the theories he’d learned these past days, You Xuan deduced this was her dueling style: bold, unyielding, maintaining her “momentum.” To her, that might matter more than a few hundred LP.

Then he’d play along.

“Battle.” You Xuan gestured. “Card Cannon, attack Digitized Ballet Skirt!”

Card Cannon’s arms lowered, firing three rapid blasts directly at the long-haired female monster.

Asuka frowned slightly: “You’re completely ignoring my face-down card… Then I activate it!”

“Trap Card—Double Basque Dance!”

You Xuan narrowed his eyes.

As expected.

“This trap, when activated during an attack, changes that attack into a direct attack on you!” Asuka declared. “Then your monsters can directly attack your opponent!”

The crowd gasped: “Using herself as a shield for her monster!?”

“Starting off with such a brutal damage trade?!”

It was both a damage exchange and a way to preserve her monster for further attacks next turn.

This was her dueling rhythm and style.

But—

“Then Card Cannon shifts to a direct attack on Asuka,” You Xuan said.

The ammunition from Card Cannon veered midair, curving strangely around the front-field Digitized Ballet Skirt before striking Asuka directly.

“But at this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell ‘Restriction Lift!’” You Xuan revealed another card from his hand. “Until the end of this turn, Card Cannon’s ATK doubles!”

【Card Cannon, ATK 1900 → ATK 3800】

Asuka’s face turned pale: “What did you say?!”

ATK suddenly 3800?!

She could handle 1900 damage, but this much…

It’ll break her.

(End of Chapter)