episode_0028

“OOOOOHHHH!!! The first-year won!!!”

“It ended in just one turn of the second player. What’s that firepower?!”

“Well done!!! Finish it off 2:0 just like that!!!”

Calming the shivers and looking around, the spectators were cheering for my victory. It was a bit embarrassing, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.

“I, I set two monsters in Defense Position, and it’s over in one turn of the second player…? Just by equipping a few Equip Spells to a Level 1 monster? That makes no sense……”

Past was still trembling in shock, as if he couldn’t accept the result.

‘Is it that surprising? Second turn kill, in the duels I had with Sir Kisu and Elfelt yesterday, it happened often.’

The duels we had all night last night mostly finished within 3 or 4 turns at most when they were fast. It’s not that special.

‘Besides, he’s using a deck that finishes in one turn after going first.’

Isn’t it a bit strange for him to act like that while using a deck that’s [Vulcan Rat First Turn Kill]? Maybe he doesn’t know because he’s barely seen the opponent’s turn.

‘Anyway, I won one match.’

I took a deep breath again and looked back at the duel we just had.

I stopped the first turn kill with a ‘Hand Trap’ and got the second turn, winning easily with just three attacks.

‘My disruption always worked, and there was no interruption to my setup, so it was really simple……’

I was really nervous at first, but looking back, compared to the duels I had with Sir Kisu and Elfelt all night yesterday, it was an easy duel to the point where being nervous felt foolish.

Knowing that no disruption would come, it was no different from practicing my setup alone.

‘……Can this even be called a duel?’

To the point where I even had such a slightly rude thought.

***

‘Even letting Past go first, she won well. Good job, Arianna.’

I folded my arms and praised Arianna in my mind. I was worried because she was so nervous, but she did a great job without making any mistakes.

‘At first, she kept missing Chain declarations too… It feels like tears are welling up at her growth.’

Is this how it feels to see your child perform at a school play? It’s a heartwarming feeling that’s hard to explain.

“Speaking of hypothetical situations, if there hadn’t been a ‘Hand Trap’ during Past’s turn just now, she wouldn’t have gotten the turn and would have died, right?”

“That’s right. All of that guy’s first turn kill pieces were gathered.”

“Honestly, I thought it was already over… This is the power of ‘Hand Trap’.”

Meanwhile, I heard conversations among the spectators realizing the greatness of ‘Hand Trap’.

“Hmm. So that’s the kind of card it is, which is why he was so desperate to stop it.”

“It’s because of guys like that that ‘Judgment’ was created.”

“Disgraceful. He’s tarnishing the honor of the nobility.”

In inverse proportion to that, Past’s reputation, who was still trembling and unable to accept defeat, worsened even further. I only think it’s all his own doing and serves him right.

“Haa… What a relief… I was trembling just watching.”

Elfelt, who had kept her mouth tightly shut with a stiff expression throughout Arianna’s duel, let out a deep sigh of relief.

“She barely won. It was really dangerous.”

“Really? I don’t think there were any particularly dangerous scenes.”

It was surprising because I thought the duel content wasn’t something to be that worried about.

“Huh? Didn’t she win by a very narrow margin?”

“If I had to say, [Earth Absorber] wasn’t drawn, so I had to think a little. If that had been drawn, it would have been a 100% win rate without needing to think at all.”

“Y-Yes…? Really?”

“Yeah. Really.”

In fact, the moment Arianna drew 5 cards, and especially the moment she had not just one but two ‘Hand Traps’, victory was already a foregone conclusion.

“I thought not stopping [Double Reload] was a big mistake.”

“That’s talking in hindsight. [Boundary Area 33] was also worth stopping. Besides, she already had [Earth Shackles] in her hand, right? At that point, no matter how she used it, it was already over.”

“H-How? It was already over?”

It was a duel she could win correctly, or even just by using the cards.

“No matter whether [Earth Shackles] is used on [Vulcan Soldier] or [Catapult Rat], Past’s gimmick completely stops.”

“The gimmick stops? That simply…? Both are ridiculous cards without turn limits.”

“While [Vulcan Soldier] and [Catapult Rat]’s effects don’t have a turn limit, both [Boundary Area 33] and [Bio Mousetrap] have a once per turn limit.”

“Ah!”

Only then did Elfelt properly understand the situation.

“The moment he uses both, it stops instantly no matter where [Earth Shackles] is used. Because there’s no way to bring [Vulcan Soldier] or [Catapult Rat] back out.”

“That’s right. You’re quick to understand.”

I recalled Past’s setup to provide a bit more supplementary explanation.

“Actually, the first 5 cards Past drew in that duel were quite good.”

[Boundary Area 33] which Special Summons a Machine-Type, [Vulcan Soldier] which can be brought out even if that’s stopped, [Double Reload] which is a powerful graveyard-building and draw card, and two [Sewer Rat] main gimmick monsters perfect for discarding with it.

“Even the cards drawn with [Double Reload] were good. He had unbelievable luck.”

Among the 2 cards drawn after discarding the two, there was even [Bio Mousetrap] which revives a [Sewer Rat] from the Graveyard. It was truly a perfect sequence as if possessed by a god, but,

“Despite that, he was perfectly defeated by just 2 cards.”

He stops completely with just 2 cards from this side. No matter where they are used carelessly, he just stops right there. Leaving behind a field full of remnants as if asking to be killed.

“Looking back, as you said, if [Lock Spirit] had been used on [Double Reload], he might have stopped with just one card. But from Arianna’s perspective, having many monsters on the field is an advantage, so letting it pass might have been better in the end. Well, she would have won anyway.”

“Oh, I see… Definitely…”

Elfelt put her hand on her chin and reviewed the recent duel.

“…From the moment Arianna first drew her hand, she had already won.”

And eventually, she reached the same conclusion as me.

“Yeah. That’s why I let Arianna go out there. There was no way she could lose.”

An old-fashioned, outdated first turn kill deck like that stops so simply with one or two ‘Hand Traps’.

‘Well, even those eventually got completely banned. I didn’t think they’d be alive here.’

“…I understand. But there’s always a ‘what if’ in the world, isn’t there?”

Arianna nodded her head but seemed somewhat unconvinced,

“What happens if not a single ‘Hand Trap’ is drawn?”

She asked about the worst-case scenario that could happen.

“I also think it’s a low probability, but it’s not impossible, is it? I think it’s something that can definitely happen.”

That’s true. It’s something that can definitely happen. I’ve experienced it to the point of being sick of it. ‘Hand Traps’ just don’t come out sometimes.

“That might happen. But.”

“But?”

“Duels at the Duel Academy are basically best of 3, aren’t they?”

But it still doesn’t matter.

“It’s fine to give it up, about one match.”

Because duels in this world aren’t single matches.

***

‘What are the two of them talking about…?’

Glancing back, Elfelt and Sir Kisu were whispering to each other. I’m very curious about what they’re talking about.

“…Next match, start. I’ll choose to go first again this time.”

“Ah, yes.”

As I was paying attention to the two of them, Past, who had been trembling but calmed down, declared the start of the second duel.

‘Alright. I’ll win this match cleanly! And tomorrow with Sir Kisu…!!’

As long as any ‘Hand Trap’ is drawn, I will never lose. Thinking that, among the 5 cards I drew,

‘…Lie.’

Not a single ‘Hand Trap’ was drawn. Only a bunch of [Wooden Sword] Equip Spells, which are better off staying in the deck, were drawn.

‘W-What should I do? If this happens, if this happens, the only thing I can do is…’

This way, I can’t stop the setup. I might die before my turn comes. The excitement of being able to win subsides, and my head becomes cold.

“Heh.”

Past’s sneer was heard.

“Hey, you’re really bad at controlling your expression, aren’t you? Didn’t draw a single card, huh?”

“…A-Asking about the opponent’s hand is impolite!”

“That’s basically a confession.”

On top of that, I was so flustered that I even got caught for not having a ‘Hand Trap’ in my hand.

“Alright, I’ll set up. Explaining is annoying, so I’ll just go straight.”

Without proper explanation, Past began setting up the gimmick of the [Vulcan Rat One Turn Kill] deck using cards.

I can’t stop [Boundary Area 33], [Express Rat], or [Bio Mousetrap]. Monsters for a first turn kill line up on Past’s field.

‘Don’t give up. It’s still okay. If he uses [Double Reload] like last match…!!’

“Ah, are you perhaps hoping I’ll use [Double Reload]?”

Past, who was relying on her last hope, stopped his setup and asked.

“Y-Yes?”

“Why would I give you cards when I know you don’t have a ‘Hand Trap’!! I won’t use it!! [Vulcan Soldier], fire [Undead Rat]!!”

“Equip, equip, fire, fire!!”

[Vulcan Soldier] grabbed the [Undead Rat] next to it with its mechanical arm. And then,

Click, click, BOOOM!!

“Kyahhh!!”

[Undead Rat] flew towards my face, and I quickly ducked.

Dee dee dee dee dik-!

I took 500 damage.

“Launch!! Launch!! Launch!! Keep launching!!”

“Executing command, fire, fire, fire, fire!!”

BOOOM!! BOOOM!! BOOOM!! BOOOM!!

“Ugh, ugh…!! I hate this!!”

Continuously, [Undead Rat], a rat whose face was gruesomely melted down revealing a skull, flew towards me without rest and exploded. There was no pain, but it was gross and unpleasant. I was so scared I couldn’t lift my head.

“H-How disgusting. What is that?”

“That jerk, he’s excited about shooting rats at a first-year girl…”

“How can there be such a terrible deck?”

While I was ducking, scared of the flying [Undead Rat], I heard jeers from the spectators.

“Shut up!! It’s fine as long as I win!”

Past replied to the jeers, shouting.

“‘Hand Trap’ or whatever, you’re all trying to use them to win too, aren’t you?! I just found a way for me to win and I’m putting it into practice!! It’s the same as that outsider guy!!”

At those words,

“…It’s different!!!”

I couldn’t stay still any longer and stood up.

“You’re not the same as Sir Kisu. You’re different from beginning to end!!!”

“Huh? What’s different? We’ll do anything to win, it’s the same, right?”

“Sir Kisu used allowed cards according to the rules!! The people you tormented did too!! Is preventing cards that interfere outside of the duel a way to win? Is getting rid of cards you don’t want to face a way?!”

At my anger, which I shouted while enduring the flying [Undead Rat],

“Yeah. It’s my method. Though poor commoners like you could never imitate it.”

Past said, laughing as if he found it incredibly amusing.

“This is the last one. Die!!”

“Kill it, kill it, firing!!”

Click, click, BOOOM!!

“Ugh……!!”

Dee dee dee dee dik- Kiiing!!

Like that, having taken a total of 8000 damage from 16 shots, I lost before my turn came, without being able to use a single card.

“Whew, that feels refreshing. Then let’s quickly go to the next match. Will you choose to go first? Looking at your deck, there probably aren’t any decent disruptions anyway.”

“……”

I listened to Past’s provocation with my head bowed.

Past is looking down on me, but my deck has enough disruptions. I have a first turn build.

Even if I draw the cards needed for my setup, or conversely, even if only ‘Hand Traps’ are drawn, I can win. As long as I go first, I will definitely not lose to Past.

I can definitely win simply, so easily it feels futile.

“…Sir Kisu.”

However,

“Yeah. I’m listening.”

“I, I want to make an ‘irrational’ choice.”

I didn’t want to win that simply.

“I don’t think the probability is high, but if I’m really unlucky, something bad might happen.”

It might be a foolish thing to do. No, it is a foolish thing to do.

“If that happens, I’ll spend my whole life paying off the debt. So, can I…?”

“……”

As if realizing what I was trying to do, Sir Kisu was silent. And then,

“Interesting.”

He replied with a cheerful laugh, and,

“Don’t think about the aftermath. Just do it.”

He pushed my back.

“Thank you.”

I sincerely thanked Sir Kisu. And then I raised my head and looked at Past, who was frowning as if asking what I was doing.

I was, angry.

“I, I’ll choose to go second.”

To the point where I wanted to thoroughly crush the idiot who was mistaken about having the advantage.