episode_0026

“They’re really kicking up a fuss. Rule [Officier], Life Points 8000, best of 3. No problem, right?”

Past asked Arianna with his hands in his pockets.

“Hmph… Yes. No problem.”

Just as Arianna agreed, took out her deck, and the duel was about to begin,

“Alright. We’ll decide who goes first with this coin.”

Past asked, taking out a coin from his pocket without taking out his deck.

“Huh? Not the dice on the ‘Duel Field’?”

“Heads, tails? Decide quickly.”

Arianna was flustered by the unusual flow,

“Arianna, wait!”

“Th- Then with heads… Yes?!”

She ended up answering at the same time Elfellt realized his scheme and shouted.

“Cancel that just now. Decide with the dice within the ‘Duel Field’.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to backseat game? Arianna agreed to decide who goes first with the coin and designated heads. Are you going back on something that’s already been decided?”

Past retorted shamelessly. Seeing him, the store villains I’ve met so far came to mind. There was always one guy who would blatantly play rock-paper-scissors slowly.

“……I checked before the match. The fact that your win rate for going first is abnormally high. Your coin cannot be trusted.”

Saying that, Elfellt stood between Arianna and Past,

“If you absolutely insist on using a coin, I, the ‘Judgment’, will toss it. With my coin.”

He suggested, taking out a coin from his pocket.

“What, what’s going on right now?”

“They say the student council president, no, the ‘Judgment’ is deciding who goes first?”

“That guy, he definitely was really good at getting the first turn.”

“It is a bit suspicious from the start that he specifically doesn’t use the ‘Duel Field’s’ dice function.”

Public opinion among the spectators was on Elfellt’s side. This is Past, who forcefully stopped sales just yesterday. It would be strange if he were supported.

“……Tch. Fine. Do as you please.”

In the end, Past gave up on deciding who goes first with his own coin.

“S- sorry. Because he suddenly asked out of nowhere, and I got nervous and just answered…”

“It’s okay. While we’re at it, it would be good to create a rule for deciding who goes first in official duels. I also felt the necessity of the ‘Judgment’ again. I’ll toss it.”

Elfellt flicked the coin high up and then caught it on the back of his hand.

“……Tails.”

He prevented Past from using his coin, but it was tails. The right to choose who goes first went to Past.

“It was going to be tails anyway, what a bother. Of course, I’m going first.”

“The result isn’t what’s important. What’s important is a fair process.”

Elfellt retorted to Past in a polite manner and then returned to where I and Arianna were. He was pretending to be calm, but his twitching eyebrows showed he was considerably annoyed.

“S- so, shall we start now? Please treat me well.”

“Fine.”

To Arianna’s polite greeting, Past replied cheekily, took out his deck, and placed it into the ‘Deck Portal’ that appeared above his left shoulder. Arianna also put her deck into the ‘Deck Portal’ above.

The giant text [DUEL START] appeared in the sky, and the duel began.

“It’s started!! First years, fighting!!”

“Let me use the cards I bought!!”

“Take down that unlucky noble brat!!”

Most of the spectators cheered for Arianna.

“Ugh, ughhhhhh…”

However, it seemed that was more of a burden, and Arianna began to tremble with tension again. I’m a little worried.

“Hoo, hah, hoo, hah… Hoooot!!”

After taking several deep breaths, Arianna put her hand into the ‘Deck Portal’ above and drew 5 cards.

The 5 cards Arianna confirmed after tightly closing her eyes in tension, as if she couldn’t bear to look, were,

‘They’re quite decent. Not the best, but more than enough.’

For me, it was a combination that I could sufficiently be confident of victory with.

‘That is, if she can remain calm……’

The only thing I’m worried about is whether Arianna can remain calm.

*

‘Ugh, ughh. Ughhhhhh…!!’

Even though I dueled so hard last night,

‘I- I- I’m so nervous I can’t think straight!!’

Now that it’s the real thing, I couldn’t focus at all due to tension. I don’t even know what cards I’m holding.

‘The opponent is a goblin, the opponent is a goblin. The opponent is, the opponent is a goblin…!!’

Even repeating what Sir Kisu said didn’t calm me down at all. I’m so nervous I’m even hearing tinnitus. The spectators’ cheers echo in my head.

“It’s okay. You can do it. If you just do as you practiced, you can win.”

“!!”

At that moment, Sir Kisu’s voice could be heard clearly from behind.

At that polite and slightly low voice, all the noise echoing in my head disappeared,

“Activate the Magic Card, [Border Area 33]. From the deck, a Level 1 Machine-Type…”

“Ch- Chaaiiiinnn!!!!”

Having barely come to my senses, I declared a Chain in the loudest voice I had ever made in my life, targeting the activation of the Magic Card that I was about to miss.

“Kya?!”

“Ohh.”

Both Sir Elfellt and Sir Kisu were startled by my voice,

“W- what’s this suddenly? Chain?”

“That kid, she declares it really resonantly.”

“She’s small, but her voice is amazing.”

Past and the spectators all seemed surprised.

‘I was so nervous I almost missed it. But……’

I felt embarrassed thinking I had shouted too loudly, but thinking that I had already shown an embarrassing side made me feel more comfortable instead.

‘I’m not embarrassed anymore. I won’t miss it now!’

The tinnitus was gone. Only now could I barely concentrate on the duel.

“……Chain, so what is it?”

“By discarding [Spirit of the Lock] from my hand, I activate its effect to negate that Special Summon.”

I successfully managed to activate the ‘Hand Trap’ which I had been nervous about and missed several times throughout last night. It was the thing I practiced the most in the duels I had all night.

“Tch.”

[Border Area 33] disappeared from Past’s hand without its effect activating.

“Alright. Then I can’t help it.”

Past chuckled,

“Normal Summon [Vulcan Soldier] from my hand.”

“!!”

He summoned the [Vulcan Soldier] that was already in his hand to the field.

LV.1 [Vulcan Soldier] DARK Attribute/Machine-Type ATK 1400 DEF 1200

“Beep, beep… Target acquired. Ammo! Ammo resupply! Please resupply ammo!”

It was a creepy monster that beeped and clanked incessantly, with its head as a machine gun.

‘The [Vulcan Soldier] really came out. It’s exactly as Sir Kisu said……’

Last night, as soon as Sir Kisu heard me say that Past’s deck was ‘a deck that fires monsters, though I don’t know exactly,’ he immediately became certain of what kind of deck it was.

A deck that ends the game before the opponent’s turn comes by relentlessly firing [Sewer Rat] monsters that can be easily brought back from the Graveyard, using [Vulcan Soldier], a monster that can deal 500 damage to the opponent without going through the Battle Phase by firing monsters from its own field at the opponent and destroying them.

‘It’s the [Vulcan Sewer Rat First Turn Kill] deck.’

The [Vulcan Sewer Rat First Turn Kill] deck, I tell you.

‘I can’t believe [Vulcan Soldier] was already in his hand… Did I activate it too hastily because I was nervous? No, but at least with this, I made him use his once-per-turn Summon right……’

It’s fortunate that happened. But was my play just now the correct answer? While I was feeling uneasy,

“Activate the Magic Card [Double Reload], each player discards 2 cards and draws 2 cards.”

“!”

Past used [Double Reload].

That was the card that had to be most guarded against among the cards Sir Kisu predicted Past would use.

‘Ugh. Should I have used it here…!!’

“Chain? There won’t be one. You can only use [Spirit of the Lock] once per turn anyway. Discard quickly.”

With [Double Reload], the ‘discarding to the Graveyard’ part is more dangerous than the drawing part. The flow of the duel changes greatly depending on what cards are discarded.

“Yes. The cards I am discarding are……”

“I’m not curious. For your information, the two cards I’m sending to the Graveyard are these guys.”

Past grinned meanly, ignored my declaration, and revealed the cards he would send to the Graveyard.

“Ah…!!”

The two cards sent to the Graveyard were two [Sewer Rat] monsters, used as ammo for [Vulcan Soldier]. They were perfect discards.

“Huh, those two just happened to be the ones?”

“If it’s like this, isn’t it already over?”

“To get those in the first 5 cards, he’s lucky…”

Gasps erupted among the spectators.

“Well, this is pretty much over. Even that great ‘Hand Trap’ is meaningless if you can’t use it properly.”

Past sneered and drew two cards.

“So it came like this. I activate [Bio Mousetrap], which I just drew, to Special Summon one [Sewer Rat] monster from the Graveyard. The one I’m summoning is [Herald Sewer Rat].”

But I still had,

“With the effect of [Herald Sewer Rat], I Special Summon [Catapult Sewer Rat] from the Graveyard. With the effect of [Catapult Sewer Rat], I send [Herald Sewer Rat] to the Graveyard and from the deck, [Undead Sewer Rat] to the field…”

“CHAIN!!!”

one more ‘Hand Trap’ remaining in my hand.

“I activate [Shackles of the Earth]. The target is…”

[Shackles of the Earth], a ‘Hand Trap’ that negates the effect of one monster on the field until the end of the turn.

“The target is…”

I declared the activation, but I couldn’t easily decide on the target.

“The target?”

“……I will negate the effect of [Vulcan Soldier], during this turn.”

After much thought, I negated [Vulcan Soldier].

Shhhkkkk, Clank!!

Past did not Chain, and chains surged from the ground, binding [Vulcan Soldier]’s body.

“Beep beep. Beep. Unable to fire!! Unable to fire!!”

[Vulcan Soldier], wrapped tightly in chains, only clanked and became unable to fire its ammo.

‘Don’t think too deeply. This is the best for now.’

For a moment, I also considered negating [Catapult Sewer Rat], which is a means to increase [Sewer Rat] monsters in the Graveyard, by sending a [Sewer Rat] monster on the field to the Graveyard and Special Summoning another [Sewer Rat] monster from the deck.

If [Catapult Sewer Rat]’s effect is negated, he won’t be able to bring [Sewer Rat] monsters to use as ammo for [Vulcan Soldier], and won’t be able to build up resources in the Graveyard either.

‘But if he dodges that, I lose. It’s an unnecessary tricky play.’

Sir Kisu said there are many ways to summon [Sewer Rat] monsters from the Graveyard.

Even if I negate it with [Shackles of the Earth], if he sends the [Catapult Sewer Rat], whose effect was negated by [Shackles of the Earth], to the Graveyard and then summons it back from the Graveyard through some method, its effect will be revived. If that happens, it’s truly over.

But if I stop [Vulcan Soldier], if I stop the method of dealing damage, I can definitely get the turn back.

‘Because Sir Kisu said that [Vulcan Soldier] cannot be easily Special Summoned again compared to [Sewer Rat] monsters. This will definitely work.’

“……Tch.”

As if my thought was correct, Past clicked his tongue. It worked. With this, I had perfectly avoided dying before my turn came.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Since [Catapult Sewer Rat] is fine. Shall I build up the Graveyard a bit? Summon [Undead Sewer Rat]. Immediately send it to the Graveyard with [Catapult Sewer Rat]’s effect and summon another [Sewer Rat] from the deck.”

Past nonchalantly piled [Sewer Rat] monsters into the Graveyard one after another, as if it were nothing.

“Isn’t that an infinite loop? Is it okay to do that?”

“It does end when all the [Sewer Rats] in the deck run out.”

“For a deck a noble uses, it’s kinda gross.”

As soon as a [Sewer Rat] from the deck appears on the field, it’s dragged into [Catapult Sewer Rat]’s catapult and disappears somewhere, and another [Sewer Rat] falls. It’s a creepy sight.

‘Those are the ammo for the [Vulcan Sewer Rat First Turn Kill] deck……’

Both [Vulcan Soldier] and [Sewer Rat] monsters have poor stats. Destroying them in battle wouldn’t be difficult.

However, even if I clear the entire field, I cannot touch the accumulated resources in the Graveyard. If [Vulcan Soldier] appears on the field on Past’s next turn, it’s immediately over.

He will repeatedly fire [Undead Sewer Rat], which can be Special Summoned to the field by banishing one [Sewer Rat] monster from the Graveyard, using [Vulcan Soldier], and will deplete all my Life Points.

‘Furthermore, since a large number of [Sewer Rat] monsters have been sent to the Graveyard and the deck has thinned, the probability of drawing cards related to [Vulcan Soldier] will be very high.’

If I cannot finish it on my next first turn, I lose. This is practically a decided fact.

“With this, the turn ends. Struggle all you want.”

“Yes. I’ll take the turn.”

Past, who had finally sent all the [Sewer Rat] monsters from his deck to the Graveyard, ended his turn.

“Hoo… Hah.”

I drew one card while taking a deep breath and looked at the cards in my hand.

‘This is……’

And I also looked at Past’s field.

There were three Level 1 monsters, an attack position [Vulcan Soldier] and two defense position [Sewer Rat] monsters, and that was it.

There were no Set Magic or Trap Cards to be wary of, and no monster effects to disrupt the opponent at all. He wasn’t using ‘Hand Traps’ either. There’s no need to think about detours or anything like that. The play I make will definitely work.

‘……That’s why.’

I could see it. I understood.

‘That’s why he said I couldn’t lose.’

The route to finish the duel. Very clearly.

“Activate [Recruitment], add one Level 1 Warrior-Type monster from the deck to my hand.”