Chapter 28: A Perfect Hand

Kaiba: "It's not over yet!"

"【Earthbound Spirit Ous】was sent to the Graveyard, so return to my field once more! 【White Dragon Knight】!"

Just as Kaiba said, the Niu Tounren effect of the Spirit users requires the Spirit user itself to be on the field to persist. When the Spirit user leaves the field, the monster that was Niu'd must be returned to its Original Master.

"Ended it in one go! 【White Dragon Knight】 switches to Attack Position."

【Attack Power: 1900】

"Next, I'll launch a direct attack on you with 【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】 and 【White Dragon Knight】!"

"Obliterate Burst Wind Bullet!"

【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】【Attack Power: 3000】

【White Dragon Knight】【Attack Power: 1900】

Boom!!! Dust and smoke billowed out.

Kawai: "All right! This is Nisama's victory!"

"Heh heh heh heh heh, hahahahaha, hahahahaha!"

Watching the attack of 【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】 land on its target, Kaiba could not help but burst into laughter.

"A third-rate Duelist with a fourth-rate Deck — go reflect on it in hell… Nani!"

"Cough cough cough, President, could your company maybe make the smoke from the holographic projections a little smaller in the future? It's almost giving me lung disease."

Kaiba glared, eyes wide.

"Impossible! Why are you unharmed?!"

You Tian brushed the nonexistent dust from his sleeve, then gestured for Kaiba to look at the face-down card he had just activated.

"Trap Card 【Messenger of Peace】— this turn, I won't take battle damage."

"So 【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】 and 【White Dragon Knight】 can't deal me any damage this turn."

……

The dusk of Jounouchi scattered its afterglow, and in that moment of interweaving light and shadow, Kaiba's complicated emotions were reflected.

But in the end…

"The effect of 【White Dragon Knight】 on my field activates. Tribute itself, and I can Summon a second 【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】 from my Deck."

"Come forth, the other 【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】."

【Attack Power: 3000】

"End of turn."

A second Blue-Eyes White Dragon, huh.

You Tian nodded.

"Hey, you."

Kaiba in the distance suddenly spoke.

"Hm?" You Tian raised his head.

"I have to admit, you're a Duelist with a little bit of skill."

Oh? The President is praising me?

"However!!"

"It's only a little bit of skill!"

"Those little Niu Tounren tricks of yours can't beat me!"

You Tian's eyelid twitched.

Heh! Calling me Niu? Wasn't it you who activated 【Cross Sacrifice】?! And isn't that 【Human Niu Tounren】 in your Deck yours too!

Am I Niu? Nai Kimon, let me ask you, am I Niu Tian Niu? Not Niu at all, all right!

Nai Kimon gave You Tian a blank look and did not reply.

Fine, fine, fine, so that's how you want to play it!

"My turn, Draw Phase!"

You Tian's gaze sharpened.

"By sending this Magic Card in my hand, 【Mask of the Accursed Will】, to the Graveyard, I activate the Magic Card 【Double Magic】 from my hand!"

"By this card's effect, I can select one Magic Card in your Graveyard to use!"

"The one I'll use is 【Cross Sacrifice】!"

Kaiba: "Nani!?"

"Next, the effect of 【Cross Sacrifice】 activates. I will Tribute the two 【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】 on your field for an Advanced Summon!"

"Cry out, tremble, come forth! The ordinary small fry I pulled from a random card shop on the street for 100,000 yen!"

"Sword·Hun·ter!!!! Descend!" (You Tian's voice!)

The youth of the Other World wandered every card shop in Jounouchi, and the swindlers' deceptions adorned the youth's Duel Disk.

【Sword Hunter】【Attack Power: 2450】

【Effect: When this card destroys a monster by battle at the end of the Battle Phase, equip that monster in the Graveyard to this card as an Equip Card that increases this card's Attack Power by 200 points.】

Kaiba:???

Kawai: No, what kind of Summoning chant is that? Why does it feel so familiar?

"Battle!"

"I'll launch a direct attack on you with 【Sword Hunter】!"

"Obliterating You Tian Burst Invincible Slash You Once!"

Crack!

Although You Tian shouted loudly, Kaiba Corporation's system didn't give the Sword Hunter any extra battle effects.

From the spectator's perspective, You Tian simply summoned an ordinary swordsman and charged forward to land a basic attack on Kaiba.

But the battle damage Kaiba received was real.

"Huh!"

【Kaiba LP: 4000→1550】

Kawai: "Nisama!"

Damn it! Is it really my brother who got hurt first?!

You Tian: Hehehe! Now, that should make that real Niu Tounren over there think long and hard!

"My turn, end!"

"Damn bastard!" Kaiba gritted his teeth with a grinding sound.

"You used my Blue-Eyes White Dragon to summon this trash!"

"Unforgivable! Die!"

"Hmph~" You Tian shrugged.

So what? What can you do?

Yu-Gi-Oh! is about card resources, you've got two cards in hand, and one of them is a Killer Snake.

Two cards? You can one-shot me? Can you kill me? If you can one-shot me, I'll eat the Black Magician Girl right here and now!

"My turn, Draw Phase!!!"

Kaiba drew a card with furious resentment.

"I set one card face-down, then! I activate a Magic Card from my hand: Bargain Shopping!"

"This card lets me draw until I have five cards in hand!"

You Tian:????

What the hell is this fake card?!

Where's the referee? Do something…

You Tian suddenly remembered—the referee of Duel City was apparently Kawai Kaiba, standing right there watching the spectacle.

Damn! Favoritism! Using anime-style fake cards openly just because you've got connections?!

"Draw!"

Kaiba stared at the four new cards in his hand, his gaze fierce as he locked onto You Tian.

"Trash! Prepare to die!"

You Tian involuntarily swallowed.

Look, boss, I was just joking with you earlier~

"I activate a Magic Card from my hand: Bargain Shopping."

"As per its effect, I send my third Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my hand to the Graveyard, then draw two cards."

"Then, I activate another Magic Card from my hand: Dragon's Mirror!"

"By banishing three Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my Graveyard, I perform a Fusion Summon!"

"O greatest, most ultimate dragon in history, transcending the boundaries of time and space, descend! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

【Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon】【Attack Power: 4500】!

You Tian: Damn!

"Hmhmhmhmh, hahahahaha, hahahahahahaha!"

"Attack! Go, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Destroy his trash monster!"

"Ultimate Explosive Gale Bullet!"

Boom!!!

"Ahh!!"

This time, You Tian couldn't evade the attack.

Sword Hunter, destroyed!

【You Tian LP: 4000→1950】

"Hahahahaha! Tough! Invincible! Strongest!"

"Turn end!"

Kawai: "No wonder, Nisama!"

You Tian panted, staring at his manic boss across the field, his brow tightly furrowed.

This is tough!

The boss is riding high now—hard to fight against!

He slowly exhaled, steadying his nerves.

But it's fine—if I draw my trump card, Forced Transfer, in my next turn, I can still turn the tide and win!

Finally! Is this the moment to test my bond with my Deck?

You Tian slowly closed his eyes, two fingers resting atop his Deck.

"My turn…"

Let me draw the trump card! Qiuli Gao!

"Draw!"

Feeling the texture beneath his fingertips, You Tian's lips curled into a faint smile.

I felt it! I felt it! The aura of the trump card!

He slowly opened his eyes, then looked at the card he had drawn.

【Masked Beast Death Guardian】: Master, you called me?

Fuck!

What the hell are you doing here now? Are you trying to clog my hand?

Death Guardian: Huh? Master, aren't you happy? Shall I sing you a song?

You Tian's eyelids twitched.

"From my hand, I activate the Magic Card, 【Bargain Shopping】!"

"By sending 【Masked Beast Death Guardian】 from my hand to the Graveyard, I draw two cards from my deck!"

Death Guardian: No! Master!

You Tian ignored Death Guardian's pleading and sent him straight to the Graveyard.

"Draw Phase!"

He steadied his breath again and looked at the card he had drawn.

Ah, Duelists are like this—play enough cards, and you'll always have that moment of "perfect hand."

You Tian sighed and shook his head.

Just have to take the gamble.

"I set one monster, and set one card. End of turn."