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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
[ 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
