Chapter 74: Fujiki You Xuan vs. Asuka

The first match concluded in less than ten minutes, and Fujiki You Xuan successfully secured five academic credits.

He was in a great mood. This duel yielded more credits than a single match in the exchange tournament; these credits were coming in far too easily.

If he could, he would even want to ask the senior if she wanted to play a best-of-five, betting five credits on every single game.

However, looking at the senior's stunned expression, she didn't seem to want another round.

The audience who had watched the entire match was silent for a moment.

After a while, that student from the Student Council couldn't help but step forward and ask, "That... Fujiki You Xuan, is the soul of your deck... Lava Golem?"

Fujiki You Xuan raised an eyebrow.

What? Judging by that tone, do you look down on my great Lava Golem?

Then he had to argue his case properly: "What? Is Lava Golem's ATK not high enough?"

"Ah, that's not it..."

Its ATK is the same as the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon; who would dare say it's not high?

"Then do you think its Level is too low?"

"No, no, Level 8 is already very impressive..."

"So you think its effect isn't powerful enough?"

"The effect... is quite strong."

"Then why can't it be my soul?" Fujiki You Xuan said righteously.

Student Nakamura: "..."

It made so much sense that he was speechless for a moment.

It was just that his conventional thinking felt a bit awkward. That soul of yours that appears on the opponent's field the moment it's summoned still feels like something is wrong somewhere...

In the corner of the venue, among the crowd, a certain jellyfish-haired boy who had also been dragged over by the Student Council because he hadn't voted: "Oh oh, that Fujiki You Xuan feels very strong! I wonder when I'll have a chance to duel him."

"Eh!?" Beside him, the little transparent-like sidekick Marufuji Sho looked at his big brother in shock.

He was wondering just how much of a card-addict his big brother Judai must be to still want to go up and try after seeing that kind of duel.

Shouldn't normal people keep their distance and silently add him to their blacklist?

"But speaking of which, he actually uses a Vehicroid deck too!" Judai patted Sho on the back, laughing happily, "Could it be that Vehicroids are actually very strong?"

Marufuji Sho: "..."

No, I just feel that even though it's the same Vehicroid, the style is completely different in someone else's hands compared to mine.

Others can use Vehicroids to make their opponents smash their Duel Disks, but I seem to be the one who usually gets beaten until I smash my own Duel Disk...

A certain Sho began to self-reflect.

Is there a possibility that it's not a problem with the Vehicroids, but simply that I'm just bad?

"Come to think of it, that student Tenjoin seems very strong too."

Judai wiped his nose, full of anticipation.

"Feels like there's still a good show to watch!"

At this time, Tenjoin Asuka had also put on her Duel Disk and arrived in front of Fujiki You Xuan.

"You are strong," she said seriously, "but I will also give it my all."

"That goes without saying."

Fujiki You Xuan said, taking the opportunity to pull the deck out of his Duel Disk, inserting it into an empty card box behind him, and then drawing another deck from another card box to insert into the Duel Disk.

The latest model Duel Disk provided by KaibaCorp executed the shuffle program, and the newly inserted deck shuffled with a *swish-swish-swish*.

Asuka frowned slightly.

Changed decks?

"I am standing here as a duelist, not as a girl. I hope you will also give it your all," she said.

"Don't worry, that's a given," Fujiki You Xuan smiled, "just a normal tactical change."

In this world with the attribute of Fate Power, playing the same tactic for two matches in a row is very likely to risk being countered. Even if the opponent doesn't intentionally adjust their deck, as long as they know your deck and strategy, just drawing any five cards might provide a means of response.

As one of the early protagonist group members, Tenjoin Asuka's Fate Power attribute should not be weak either. Or rather, if one were to rank the students in the same year around Judai in the early stages, she should also be in the top tier.

"Duel!" x2

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP4000】

【Asuka, LP4000】

"I'll go first, draw card," Asuka said, "Normal Summon 'Cyber Tutu', Attack Position!"

【Cyber Tutu, ATK 1000】

"Then activate the Equip Spell 'Angel's Wing', equipping it to Cyber Tutu!" (Anime Card)

The Spell Card appeared in her backrow, a pair of pure white wings unfolded behind the slender Cyber Tutu, and a faint white light enveloped her entire body.

"A monster equipped with 'Angel's Wing' can increase the battle damage dealt to the opponent by 300 points," Asuka said, "Then I set one card on the field, turn end."

"My turn, draw card."

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

"Summon 'Card Trooper'!"

【Card Trooper, ATK 400】

"Card Trooper's effect: once per turn, send up to three cards from the top of the deck to the Graveyard, and it gains 500 ATK for each card."

Fujiki You Xuan drew three cards in one breath and sent them to the Graveyard.

"I send three cards to the Graveyard, Card Trooper's ATK increases by 1500!"

【Card Trooper, ATK 400 -> ATK 1900】

Fujiki You Xuan paused and scanned Asuka's backrow.

He seemed to be able to guess what the set card in the backrow was.

In the anime, whenever Asuka played, that Trap Card was almost always present; it was as if it were glued to her hand, just like Kaiser's Cyber Dragon.

【Trap Card - Etoile Cyber】

Effect: When an opponent's monster attacks an Attack Position monster you control, change the attack to a direct attack on yourself. In exchange, your monster on the field deals battle damage directly to the opponent player.】 (Anime Effect)

Because the effect "monsters can deal battle damage directly during the opponent's turn" is a bit unscientific to handle in the physical card game, it was changed in the physical version to "in exchange, your monster can attack directly during the next turn."

Additionally, Asuka summoned Cyber Tutu, which only has 1000 ATK, in Attack Position right from the start, and she deliberately equipped it with 'Angel's Wing', which can increase battle damage by another 300 points...

Therefore, Fujiki You Xuan was 90% sure he had guessed that set card.

Normally, if he attacked with Card Trooper and Asuka activated 'Etoile Cyber', Asuka would take 1900 direct attack damage, while Fujiki You Xuan would only take 1300. The opponent would lose 600 more LP, so logically, there was a high probability she shouldn't activate it.

But based on Asuka's tactical performance in the original work, the probability of her activating it was not low. More than once, she would rather lose LP herself than not force a trade with the opponent.

According to the theory learned these past few days, Fujiki You Xuan speculated that this might be her dueling style: charging forward, never retreating. Maintaining this style helps stabilize her "momentum" in the duel, which might be more important to her than a mere difference of a few hundred LP.

Then, he might as well play along.

"Battle," Fujiki You Xuan waved his hand, "'Card Trooper', attack 'Cyber Tutu'!"

The ATK-boosted Card Trooper lowered its arms, *bang-bang-bang*, firing shots directly at the long-haired, slender female monster.

Asuka frowned slightly: "Completely ignoring my set card... Then, open the set card!

Trap Card - Etoile Cyber!"

Fujiki You Xuan narrowed his eyes.

As expected.

"This Trap changes the attack to a direct attack on myself when the opponent declares an attack!" Asuka shouted, "After that, the monster on my field can attack the opponent player directly!"

The onlookers were all shocked: "Using herself as a shield for the monster!?"

"Is it such an exciting trade of damage right from the start?"

On one hand, it's a trade of LP, and on the other, it's to protect the monster on her field so she can pursue further in the next turn.

This is the rhythm and style of her dueling.

However...

"Then 'Card Trooper' turns into a direct attack on Asuka," Fujiki You Xuan said.

The ammunition fired by Card Trooper turned in mid-air, strangely curving around the Cyber Tutu on the front field and heading straight for Asuka in the back.

"But at this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Limiter Removal' from my hand!" Fujiki You Xuan revealed another card from his hand, "Until the end of the turn, Card Trooper's ATK is doubled!"

【Card Trooper, ATK 1900 -> ATK 3800】

Asuka's expression changed drastically: "What did you say!?"

3800 ATK in an instant!?

She could accept an output of 1900, but if it were this much all at once...

It would break, right?

(End of chapter)