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Chapter 347: Kaiba and Joey
The exaggerated Battle Effects stunned everyone watching. Iso, the sole Referee on the Judge's Stand, held his sunglasses with one finger to maintain his image, watched as Yugi's Life Points were Reduced to Zero on the Scoreboard, and calmly announced, "The outcome has been decided!"
"I announce that the Victor of the first Duel City Semifinals match, the Duelist advancing to the Finals is,"
"Kobayashi Hayato!"
The images of the Duel Monsters slowly disappeared from the Field. As Hayato collected his Cards and put them back into his Deck, he noticed that the Card on top of his Deck, which he would have drawn in just one more Turn, was The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode.
Even though it had actively used Card Creation, it still couldn't help in Hayato's Duel, not even managing to Brick his Hand. The Winged Dragon of Ra completely lacked any divine majesty in front of Hayato, whimpering and acting cute to seek comfort.
After comforting The Winged Dragon of Ra, which was one of the strongest Cards in Hayato's Deck but was unusually clingy, Hayato saw Yugi walking towards him from the opposite side of the Field, taking a Card from the Graveyard Zone on his Duel Disk.
"Yugi."
"Congratulations, Hayato. You're one step closer to the ultimate Victory you desire," Yugi held his Slifer the Sky Dragon in his Hand and extended it towards Hayato. "This is the Prize for the Victor of this magnificent Duel. Take Osiris, Hayato."
"The Other Me..." Original Yugi's Phantom Image appeared beside Dark Yugi, softly calling out to his friend who was one in heart and mind with him.
"Don't mind it, Aibo." Although he lost this Duel, Dark Yugi took it quite well, a frank smile on his face. "I gambled and I lost. If even Marik can do it, letting go isn't as difficult as you might think. Besides, isn't it fine for us to stay the way we are now?"
The reason Yugi participated in this Duel City Tournament was because he learned from Ishizu that the Three Egyptian God Cards were a necessary requirement to recover Dark Yugi's Lost Memories. Duel City, with its Card Betting Rule, was the most suitable Battlefield for competing for the Three Egyptian God Cards.
But now, Yugi had suffered his first defeat in his Dueling career where he gave his Full Power, and he had also lost the Slifer the Sky Dragon he won from Marik, almost completely cutting off the possibility of recovering Dark Yugi's Lost Memories.
"The Other Me..."
Hayato silently accepted Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon. He didn't add it to his Deck but instead stuffed it into the Card Box on his waist used for his Side Deck, letting it keep company with Raviel, Lord of Phantasms and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, which he had swiped from Dark Marik earlier.
Honestly, while Thunder Force's Suppression Power was strong and its Protection was quite sturdy in the Anime version, unlike the real card version, none of this could change the reality that Slifer the Sky Dragon had the worst track record among the Three Egyptian God Cards.
Looking at the "two" Yugis, whose moods were understandably a bit low, Hayato raised an eyebrow and said helplessly, "Seriously, why are you two acting so down, like Italians who arrived at the supermarket at the last minute of a discount event only to find that the freezer section only had Hawaiian pizza left?"
"Even though I won, it's not like you have no way to gather all three God Cards?"
"Huh!?"
As Yugi looked completely bewildered, Hayato spread his hands and smiled, "Yugi, your purpose for wanting the God Cards is nothing more than to use the Power of the Three Egyptian God Cards to complete the Ritual for recovering your Memory. The God Cards themselves won't suffer any damage. In that case, all I have to do is defeat Kaiba and obtain the last Card, Obelisk the Tormentor."
"Then you can take the Three Egyptian God Cards first to use for recovering your Memory, and just return them to me when you're done, right?"
There's such a method?
The "two" Yugis clearly hadn't thought that such a method existed. Dark Yugi's eyes also regained the look called "Hope" because he saw the possibility of recovering his Memory.
However, the people who heard this weren't just the "two" Yugis. The other two who walked onto the Duel Field also clearly heard Hayato's Declaration that he would "defeat Kaiba and get Obelisk the Tormentor."
"I can't just pretend I didn't hear that, Kobayashi Hayato." Kaiba glared at Hayato and said coldly, "Just because you defeated Yugi, you think you can defeat me, who possesses the Invincible Obelisk?"
"Hmph, since you defeated Yugi, that's perfect. Now, if I defeat you, it means I've defeated both of you at the same time, right? After this warm-up Duel, wait for me to settle the score for everything you've done before, Hayato!"
Kaiba's tone was anything but friendly. Clearly, Hayato's words about planning to take Obelisk from him before the Duel even started made him quite annoyed. Moreover, he hadn't forgotten the incident in the Virtual World where Hayato "played with" his Blue-Eyes White Dragon right in front of him.
And the other person walking onto the Duel Field was also very annoyed.
"What do you mean 'warm-up Duel', Kaiba, you bastard, stop right there and explain yourself, don't look down on people!" Joey, not wanting to fall behind Kaiba, also stepped onto the Duel Platform right after Yugi and Hayato's Duel ended.
At the same time, Joey also complained to Hayato, "Also, Hayato, why don't you have confidence in me either? Although I don't know what Yugi needs that Obelisk for, maybe the person you face in the Finals will be me."
In fact, in the Audience Seats, Joey didn't receive much encouragement.
"Although Joey and I have a good relationship, and it's not really appropriate to say discouraging things before the Match," Tristan stroked his chin, observing Joey, who had a distinctly commoner Aura compared to the rich and handsome Kaiba. "But no matter how I think about it, I can't imagine a scene where Joey defeats that guy Kaiba."
His good friend Tristan thought so, and Mai Valentine, whose relationship with him was developing in a somewhat ambiguous direction, also didn't think highly of Joey. "It's not just the Aura, there's also a certain Gap in the Quality of their Decks."
"Archfiend Dragon - Black Skull Dragon is probably the strongest Monster in Joey's Deck, but even so, once Kaiba Summons the highly resistant Obelisk the Tormentor, there's absolutely no way in his Deck to defeat a God."
Among the Top 4 Duelists of Duel City, if you were to ask who was the strongest, it couldn't be confirmed yet, but if you were to ask who was relatively the Weakest in Strength, everyone present would probably think of Joey immediately.
When Yugi is mentioned, Dark Magician and Slifer the Sky Dragon are brought up; when Kaiba is mentioned, it's Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Obelisk the Tormentor; Hayato's Deck system is complex, but Gaia the Fierce Knight and The Winged Dragon of Ra are also highly representative.
Only Joey is hard to find a Core Monster that serves as the main force of his Deck. Instead, Coin and Dice are more likely to be the first impression people have of him.
The spirited Joey and the calm-faced Kaiba stood opposite each other on the Duel Field. Hayato and Yugi also returned to the Audience Seats, waiting for the start of this Duel.
Looking at Joey's profile, Hayato also estimated the possibility of Joey defeating Kaiba in his heart, but unfortunately, he also didn't think that Joey at Full Power could defeat Kaiba at Full Power. However, this was based on the premise that both sides were at "Full Power."
Kaiba, when facing Hayato or Yugi, would indeed use his full Strength to Battle and would be somewhat wary of Traps. But if his opponent was a Duelist he didn't recognize, Kaiba wouldn't easily use his Full Power.
And coincidentally, Joey, this "guy who only got this far by Luck," was the Duelist Kaiba looked down on the most.
If he were Careless in his Duel against Joey, it wasn't impossible for Kaiba to Upset.
Meanwhile, Yugi, standing nearby, was a little confused by something Hayato reminded Joey when cheering him on before stepping off the Duel Platform.
"Hayato-kun, why did you suggest that Joey save De-Fusion in his Duel against Kaiba?"
Hearing Yugi's confusion, before Hayato could answer, Ishizu, who had come from the Infirmary to the side of the Duel Field, suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, as if she had seen something Interesting through her Millennium Necklace.
"Looks like you already know?" Hayato imagined the comical expression that might appear on Kaiba's face if the Strategy he arranged for Joey came into play, and he couldn't help but smile, asking Ishizu.
Ishizu smiled and nodded, saying, "Hayato-kun, I have to say, the advice you gave Jounouchi Katsuya is truly too much. President Kaiba's expression will truly be..."
Meanwhile, Yugi, with a head full of questions, watched Ishizu and Hayato speak in Riddles. "So what exactly is De-Fusion?"
"It won't be too long. Anyway, that guy Kaiba always uses those few Cards glued together. You'll know soon enough," Hayato pointed towards the Duel Field.
Although theoretically there should be an interval between the first and second Semifinals matches, how could Kaiba's Dueling Addiction wait that long? As long as the Live Broadcast Signal was delayed for a while, it would be fine. He was impatient to get rid of Joey, who was blocking his way, and then compete with Hayato for the King of Games Throne.
After the Staff Members performed a simple repair on the Duel Arena after the previous Duel, before Referee Iso announced the start of the Duel, Kaiba and Joey entered the "Pre-Duel Trash Talk Segment," a convention that seemed like established practice among Duelists.
"Hmph, Mediocrity, it's truly a pity. Your Good Luck won't protect you to continue your Journey in Duel City," Kaiba said arrogantly, tilting his head slightly as if trying to glare Joey to death with his nostrils. "It's time to let you know your Worth!"
Joey manually shuffled the Cards given to him by the Staff Member, which belonged to Kaiba. After a few simple shuffles, he replied annoyed, "Cut it out, Kaiba. Just so you know, I'm very strong!"
"If you want to Duel Hayato, you'll have to Defeat me first."
Each receiving their Decks that had been shuffled by their opponent, Joey and Kaiba's gazes met, their fighting spirit high. After Iso confirmed that Both Duelists were ready, he raised both hands in a French military salute and announced, "Both Duelists are ready."
"Then I announce, the second match of the Duel City Semifinals, Player Seto Kaiba versus Player Jounouchi Katsuya."
"Now, let the Match begin!"
"Duel!" X2
[Joey Wheeler: 4000 LP]
[Seto Kaiba: 4000 LP]
"I'll take the First Turn! My Turn, Draw!" Excitedly drawing a Card before Kaiba, Joey gave Kaiba a provocative look and said, "I've been waiting for this Opportunity to teach you a lesson for a long time."
"I'll use this Combo to show you my strength!"
Joey inserted a Card from his Hand into his Duel Disk: "Activate the Spell Card Foolish Burial! Send one Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. The Monster Card I'm sending to the Graveyard is this one, Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
"Then I Activate Premature Burial! I pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my Graveyard in Attack Position, and Equip this Card to it!"
[Joey Wheeler: 4000 → 3200 LP]
At the cost of two Cards from his Hand and 800 Life Points, on Joey's Field, the ground cracked open, revealing a scorching red light. Accompanied by a clear Dragon Roar, the slender, elegant, and bony black Fiend Dragon—Red-Eyes Black Dragon—appeared on Joey's Field on the first Turn.
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [7 Star/DARK]
[Dragon-Type/Normal Monster]
[2400/2000]
However, others might be shocked by Joey Summoning Red-Eyes Black Dragon on the first Turn, but Kaiba was indifferent. "Hmph, just a mere Black Dragon, not worth mentioning at all."
Anyway, in Kaiba's eyes, the only Dragon-Type Monster he would acknowledge was Blue-Eyes White Dragon, at most adding Blue-Eyes White Dragon wearing different Variants. Other Dragon-Types, even Five-Headed Dragon, he wouldn't pay attention to.
"Not yet, I haven't performed a Normal Summon this Turn!" Joey flipped a finger and played another Card from his Hand. "Summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in Defense Position!"
Beside the sinister black Fiend Dragon, the Steel Knight, covered in heavy Set Cards, silently appeared. The Knight, unable to use other weapons, stood empty-handed, taking a defensive stance against Kaiba.
[Gearfried the Iron Knight] [4 Star/EARTH]
[Warrior-Type/Effect Monster]
[1800/1600]
"Set two Cards from my Hand, I End Turn." After looking at the Cards in his Hand, Joey had a smug smile on his face as he Set two Cards, said provocatively, "If you dare, come and defeat me, Kaiba!"
[Joey Wheeler: 3200 LP, Hand 1]
[Gearfried the Iron Knight] [DEF 1600]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK 2400]
[Set Card] [Set Card]
The exaggerated Battle Effects stunned everyone watching. Iso, the sole Referee on the Judge's Stand, held his sunglasses with one finger to maintain his image, watched as Yugi's Life Points were Reduced to Zero on the Scoreboard, and calmly announced, "The outcome has been decided!"
"I announce that the Victor of the first Duel City Semifinals match, the Duelist advancing to the Finals is,"
"Kobayashi Hayato!"
The images of the Duel Monsters slowly disappeared from the Field. As Hayato collected his Cards and put them back into his Deck, he noticed that the Card on top of his Deck, which he would have drawn in just one more Turn, was The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode.
Even though it had actively used Card Creation, it still couldn't help in Hayato's Duel, not even managing to Brick his Hand. The Winged Dragon of Ra completely lacked any divine majesty in front of Hayato, whimpering and acting cute to seek comfort.
After comforting The Winged Dragon of Ra, which was one of the strongest Cards in Hayato's Deck but was unusually clingy, Hayato saw Yugi walking towards him from the opposite side of the Field, taking a Card from the Graveyard Zone on his Duel Disk.
"Yugi."
"Congratulations, Hayato. You're one step closer to the ultimate Victory you desire," Yugi held his Slifer the Sky Dragon in his Hand and extended it towards Hayato. "This is the Prize for the Victor of this magnificent Duel. Take Osiris, Hayato."
"The Other Me..." Original Yugi's Phantom Image appeared beside Dark Yugi, softly calling out to his friend who was one in heart and mind with him.
"Don't mind it, Aibo." Although he lost this Duel, Dark Yugi took it quite well, a frank smile on his face. "I gambled and I lost. If even Marik can do it, letting go isn't as difficult as you might think. Besides, isn't it fine for us to stay the way we are now?"
The reason Yugi participated in this Duel City Tournament was because he learned from Ishizu that the Three Egyptian God Cards were a necessary requirement to recover Dark Yugi's Lost Memories. Duel City, with its Card Betting Rule, was the most suitable Battlefield for competing for the Three Egyptian God Cards.
But now, Yugi had suffered his first defeat in his Dueling career where he gave his Full Power, and he had also lost the Slifer the Sky Dragon he won from Marik, almost completely cutting off the possibility of recovering Dark Yugi's Lost Memories.
"The Other Me..."
Hayato silently accepted Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Traitor Dragon. He didn't add it to his Deck but instead stuffed it into the Card Box on his waist used for his Side Deck, letting it keep company with Raviel, Lord of Phantasms and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, which he had swiped from Dark Marik earlier.
Honestly, while Thunder Force's Suppression Power was strong and its Protection was quite sturdy in the Anime version, unlike the real card version, none of this could change the reality that Slifer the Sky Dragon had the worst track record among the Three Egyptian God Cards.
Looking at the "two" Yugis, whose moods were understandably a bit low, Hayato raised an eyebrow and said helplessly, "Seriously, why are you two acting so down, like Italians who arrived at the supermarket at the last minute of a discount event only to find that the freezer section only had Hawaiian pizza left?"
"Even though I won, it's not like you have no way to gather all three God Cards?"
"Huh!?"
As Yugi looked completely bewildered, Hayato spread his hands and smiled, "Yugi, your purpose for wanting the God Cards is nothing more than to use the Power of the Three Egyptian God Cards to complete the Ritual for recovering your Memory. The God Cards themselves won't suffer any damage. In that case, all I have to do is defeat Kaiba and obtain the last Card, Obelisk the Tormentor."
"Then you can take the Three Egyptian God Cards first to use for recovering your Memory, and just return them to me when you're done, right?"
There's such a method?
The "two" Yugis clearly hadn't thought that such a method existed. Dark Yugi's eyes also regained the look called "Hope" because he saw the possibility of recovering his Memory.
However, the people who heard this weren't just the "two" Yugis. The other two who walked onto the Duel Field also clearly heard Hayato's Declaration that he would "defeat Kaiba and get Obelisk the Tormentor."
"I can't just pretend I didn't hear that, Kobayashi Hayato." Kaiba glared at Hayato and said coldly, "Just because you defeated Yugi, you think you can defeat me, who possesses the Invincible Obelisk?"
"Hmph, since you defeated Yugi, that's perfect. Now, if I defeat you, it means I've defeated both of you at the same time, right? After this warm-up Duel, wait for me to settle the score for everything you've done before, Hayato!"
Kaiba's tone was anything but friendly. Clearly, Hayato's words about planning to take Obelisk from him before the Duel even started made him quite annoyed. Moreover, he hadn't forgotten the incident in the Virtual World where Hayato "played with" his Blue-Eyes White Dragon right in front of him.
And the other person walking onto the Duel Field was also very annoyed.
"What do you mean 'warm-up Duel', Kaiba, you bastard, stop right there and explain yourself, don't look down on people!" Joey, not wanting to fall behind Kaiba, also stepped onto the Duel Platform right after Yugi and Hayato's Duel ended.
At the same time, Joey also complained to Hayato, "Also, Hayato, why don't you have confidence in me either? Although I don't know what Yugi needs that Obelisk for, maybe the person you face in the Finals will be me."
In fact, in the Audience Seats, Joey didn't receive much encouragement.
"Although Joey and I have a good relationship, and it's not really appropriate to say discouraging things before the Match," Tristan stroked his chin, observing Joey, who had a distinctly commoner Aura compared to the rich and handsome Kaiba. "But no matter how I think about it, I can't imagine a scene where Joey defeats that guy Kaiba."
His good friend Tristan thought so, and Mai Valentine, whose relationship with him was developing in a somewhat ambiguous direction, also didn't think highly of Joey. "It's not just the Aura, there's also a certain Gap in the Quality of their Decks."
"Archfiend Dragon - Black Skull Dragon is probably the strongest Monster in Joey's Deck, but even so, once Kaiba Summons the highly resistant Obelisk the Tormentor, there's absolutely no way in his Deck to defeat a God."
Among the Top 4 Duelists of Duel City, if you were to ask who was the strongest, it couldn't be confirmed yet, but if you were to ask who was relatively the Weakest in Strength, everyone present would probably think of Joey immediately.
When Yugi is mentioned, Dark Magician and Slifer the Sky Dragon are brought up; when Kaiba is mentioned, it's Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Obelisk the Tormentor; Hayato's Deck system is complex, but Gaia the Fierce Knight and The Winged Dragon of Ra are also highly representative.
Only Joey is hard to find a Core Monster that serves as the main force of his Deck. Instead, Coin and Dice are more likely to be the first impression people have of him.
The spirited Joey and the calm-faced Kaiba stood opposite each other on the Duel Field. Hayato and Yugi also returned to the Audience Seats, waiting for the start of this Duel.
Looking at Joey's profile, Hayato also estimated the possibility of Joey defeating Kaiba in his heart, but unfortunately, he also didn't think that Joey at Full Power could defeat Kaiba at Full Power. However, this was based on the premise that both sides were at "Full Power."
Kaiba, when facing Hayato or Yugi, would indeed use his full Strength to Battle and would be somewhat wary of Traps. But if his opponent was a Duelist he didn't recognize, Kaiba wouldn't easily use his Full Power.
And coincidentally, Joey, this "guy who only got this far by Luck," was the Duelist Kaiba looked down on the most.
If he were Careless in his Duel against Joey, it wasn't impossible for Kaiba to Upset.
Meanwhile, Yugi, standing nearby, was a little confused by something Hayato reminded Joey when cheering him on before stepping off the Duel Platform.
"Hayato-kun, why did you suggest that Joey save De-Fusion in his Duel against Kaiba?"
Hearing Yugi's confusion, before Hayato could answer, Ishizu, who had come from the Infirmary to the side of the Duel Field, suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, as if she had seen something Interesting through her Millennium Necklace.
"Looks like you already know?" Hayato imagined the comical expression that might appear on Kaiba's face if the Strategy he arranged for Joey came into play, and he couldn't help but smile, asking Ishizu.
Ishizu smiled and nodded, saying, "Hayato-kun, I have to say, the advice you gave Jounouchi Katsuya is truly too much. President Kaiba's expression will truly be..."
Meanwhile, Yugi, with a head full of questions, watched Ishizu and Hayato speak in Riddles. "So what exactly is De-Fusion?"
"It won't be too long. Anyway, that guy Kaiba always uses those few Cards glued together. You'll know soon enough," Hayato pointed towards the Duel Field.
Although theoretically there should be an interval between the first and second Semifinals matches, how could Kaiba's Dueling Addiction wait that long? As long as the Live Broadcast Signal was delayed for a while, it would be fine. He was impatient to get rid of Joey, who was blocking his way, and then compete with Hayato for the King of Games Throne.
After the Staff Members performed a simple repair on the Duel Arena after the previous Duel, before Referee Iso announced the start of the Duel, Kaiba and Joey entered the "Pre-Duel Trash Talk Segment," a convention that seemed like established practice among Duelists.
"Hmph, Mediocrity, it's truly a pity. Your Good Luck won't protect you to continue your Journey in Duel City," Kaiba said arrogantly, tilting his head slightly as if trying to glare Joey to death with his nostrils. "It's time to let you know your Worth!"
Joey manually shuffled the Cards given to him by the Staff Member, which belonged to Kaiba. After a few simple shuffles, he replied annoyed, "Cut it out, Kaiba. Just so you know, I'm very strong!"
"If you want to Duel Hayato, you'll have to Defeat me first."
Each receiving their Decks that had been shuffled by their opponent, Joey and Kaiba's gazes met, their fighting spirit high. After Iso confirmed that Both Duelists were ready, he raised both hands in a French military salute and announced, "Both Duelists are ready."
"Then I announce, the second match of the Duel City Semifinals, Player Seto Kaiba versus Player Jounouchi Katsuya."
"Now, let the Match begin!"
"Duel!" X2
[Joey Wheeler: 4000 LP]
[Seto Kaiba: 4000 LP]
"I'll take the First Turn! My Turn, Draw!" Excitedly drawing a Card before Kaiba, Joey gave Kaiba a provocative look and said, "I've been waiting for this Opportunity to teach you a lesson for a long time."
"I'll use this Combo to show you my strength!"
Joey inserted a Card from his Hand into his Duel Disk: "Activate the Spell Card Foolish Burial! Send one Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. The Monster Card I'm sending to the Graveyard is this one, Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
"Then I Activate Premature Burial! I pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my Graveyard in Attack Position, and Equip this Card to it!"
[Joey Wheeler: 4000 → 3200 LP]
At the cost of two Cards from his Hand and 800 Life Points, on Joey's Field, the ground cracked open, revealing a scorching red light. Accompanied by a clear Dragon Roar, the slender, elegant, and bony black Fiend Dragon—Red-Eyes Black Dragon—appeared on Joey's Field on the first Turn.
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [7 Star/DARK]
[Dragon-Type/Normal Monster]
[2400/2000]
However, others might be shocked by Joey Summoning Red-Eyes Black Dragon on the first Turn, but Kaiba was indifferent. "Hmph, just a mere Black Dragon, not worth mentioning at all."
Anyway, in Kaiba's eyes, the only Dragon-Type Monster he would acknowledge was Blue-Eyes White Dragon, at most adding Blue-Eyes White Dragon wearing different Variants. Other Dragon-Types, even Five-Headed Dragon, he wouldn't pay attention to.
"Not yet, I haven't performed a Normal Summon this Turn!" Joey flipped a finger and played another Card from his Hand. "Summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in Defense Position!"
Beside the sinister black Fiend Dragon, the Steel Knight, covered in heavy Set Cards, silently appeared. The Knight, unable to use other weapons, stood empty-handed, taking a defensive stance against Kaiba.
[Gearfried the Iron Knight] [4 Star/EARTH]
[Warrior-Type/Effect Monster]
[1800/1600]
"Set two Cards from my Hand, I End Turn." After looking at the Cards in his Hand, Joey had a smug smile on his face as he Set two Cards, said provocatively, "If you dare, come and defeat me, Kaiba!"
[Joey Wheeler: 3200 LP, Hand 1]
[Gearfried the Iron Knight] [DEF 1600]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK 2400]
[Set Card] [Set Card]
