Is this the poker world?Ada thief!

Chapter 1785 Choose Your Tamashi

"Fifty hours have passed since humans began migrating to the Elf Realm due to overpopulation."

"The massive Duel Academy building, located in the middle of the desert, has become humanity's second home. People are born, grow up, and die here."

"In 2007 AD, the Duel Academy branch school furthest from the main campus—the Northern Branch School—launched a war of independence against Duel Academy in the name of 'Saint Slave Academy.' In the first hour of the battle, half the world's population died, and people developed a fear of their own actions, but the war continued."

"The battle reached a stalemate, and more than eight hours have passed. Okay, I can't make up any more details."

Hayato casually tossed a plan aside and looked at the students in front of him, saying, "In short, from now on, we will begin the live-fire exercise according to the above settings, codenamed—'Rainbow Dragon Stands Tall on the Earth'!"

"What a hastily set story background! And the name they gave the northern branch school is weird too," Marufuji Sho complained, raising his hand. "Did they copy the setting from some anime from the last century?"

"Marufuji Sho, shut up." Hayato picked up the pointer beside him and tapped a movable blackboard behind him. "Listen quietly to the teacher during class and don't whisper to each other."

"So why do we still have to go to class even though we've come to another world?" Although Hayato's "Spirit Coexistence Class" was one of the few classes that Jaden liked, since the class assigned a lot of homework, as if it was meant to exhaust their energy so they wouldn't have anything to do after class, the content of the class was very interesting, at least better than other classes that required a lot of rote memorization.

However, in this dangerous other world, Hayato-sensei, who had just found the three lost dormitories and brought the students back to school, had no intention of giving them a break. Instead, he took them to the desert next to the school to start teaching. It's really something to complain about.

“Although it’s called a class, it should actually be considered special training.” Standing next to Jaden, Asuka explained, “Back in the human world, ‘Spirit Coexistence Class’ was a waste of time for most people. After all, they were too busy to even master the basic knowledge and didn’t have the energy to spare for this elective course.”

“But things are different in this world of card spirits.” Manjoume crossed his arms and stood tall. “The so-called ‘coexistence with spirits’ is no longer limited to resonating with one’s own cards. Fighting against the ferocious and dangerous spirits that are all over this world is also part of ‘coexistence’.”

"Just like what Manjoume said, because of the changes in the environment, the content of my course now needs to be changed to keep up with the times." Ignoring Marufuji Sho's complaints, "It's okay for the older brothers to talk, isn't this discrimination?" Hayato tapped the words "Spirit Coexistence" written on the blackboard with his pointer. "Although I used to teach you to treat card spirits well, the current situation in this world no longer allows you to give kindness to all spirits indiscriminately."

"Under the emergency avoidance regulations, people who are starving are allowed to kill protected animals to fill their stomachs without breaking the law. Moreover, coexisting peacefully with elves has never been an explicit legal provision. Even the title of this lesson only states 'coexistence' and does not require 'peaceful coexistence'—if you encounter a dangerous elf, it is okay to kill it."

With these harsh words, Hayato took out a card and inserted it into his Duel Disk: "This lesson is based on this fundamental concept, and today's training is for you to fight according to the settings I have given you."

"Battle?" John asked doubtfully. "Isn't a duelist simply someone who summons their cards and then completely trusts their opponent?"

“Not everyone’s cards awaken agile spirits like yours, John-san,” Fubuki explained John’s doubts. “Moreover, rather than commanding monsters in actual combat, what’s more important to us is how to summon monsters at the very first moment of battle.”

"That's right, this is the core content of this lesson - the difference between 'Quick-Reaction Monsters' and 'Tack Monsters'. The latter concept is obvious, referring to the strongest power that your strongest monster can unleash. The content in this regard is actually similar to ordinary duels. As long as you can summon it and shorten the deployment steps as much as possible, you're done. But the important thing is the former - 'Quick-Reaction Monsters'."

"When you are ambushed, the act of simply setting up your Duel Disk can be enough to knock you down. Moreover, you can't set up your Duel Disk smoothly in all situations—for example, when you fall, it's difficult to even maintain your balance, let alone draw a card."

“In situations like this, ‘Quick Reaction Monsters’ become necessary—just like the secondary weapon pistols commonly found in Wargames. Their rate of fire and shooting power may not be high, but they are the most readily available counterattack weapon when your main weapon runs out of ammunition and is temporarily unusable. The same applies to Duel Monster cards.”

Jim extracted the key words from Hayato's string of terms: "So, the card that can be summoned the fastest and has some defensive capabilities is the 'Quick Reaction Monster'?"

Upon hearing this, Jaden took out two cards from his person and said, "For me, it would be [Winged Kuriboh], and maybe I could also add [E·Hero Neos Spirit]?"

"The Dragon of Light and Darkness won't be a 'traitor' in a situation like this." Manjoume was also very confident in his card.

“My family and I will risk our lives to protect each other!” John said, holding up seven [Jade Beast] cards.

"I already told you, let's exclude those 'spirit users' who can communicate with the spirit cards in their Duel Monsters first," Kenzan complained, then unfolded his deck with a troubled expression. "My strongest card is probably [Jurassic Giant Beast], but what about [Little Horned Dragon], which can be summoned the fastest and has some defense?"

"What can [Little Horned Dragon] do, please tell me? Is it summoned to take the hit?" Marufuji Sho retorted, glancing at Marufuji Ryo who had unhesitatingly chosen the card [Cyber ​​Dragon], and Jaden who was choosing between [Winged Kuriboh] and [E·Hero Neos Elf]. He too began to select cards from his own deck.

When choosing a so-called "quick-response monster," the strength of its defensive capabilities is secondary. The key point, just like the name Hayato chose, is that it is a monster that can be summoned quickly. In other words, it is the kind of card that, even if you are panicking, you can subconsciously feel at ease when you see that card and have full confidence in summoning it.

Otherwise, in terms of defensive and offensive capabilities, isn't Marufuji Sho's [Kite Robot] far more effective than his brother's [Cyber ​​Dragon]?

Even Fubuki and the others were troubled by Hayato's concept. If Marufuji Sho could sense that this was the truly important choice, how could they not react? However, finding that core card in one's own deck was not an easy task.

When building a deck, you can simply choose cards based on their strength or weakness, or you can include a card because you like its artwork—for example, Marufuji Sho's deck used to include "Lightning Lady," which suited his aesthetic. If he could get "Dark Magician Girl" cards, he would have included even the completely different card in his deck. However, cards like the former are more useful in duels, while cards like the latter are merely mascots and not very suitable as quick reaction methods in critical situations.
—But, thinking about it carefully, such cards actually meet the requirements quite well, don't they? After all, such cards exist as amulets that give people peace of mind. Even if drawing them would be a problem when facing a crisis in a duel, they can still provide a certain placebo effect.

Suddenly inspired, Marufuji Sho thought of something and started rummaging through his deck. He quickly found a card: "A card that makes me feel at ease and gives me high hopes. Shouldn't I choose this one for my deck?"

Seeing that Marufuji Sho had made his choice, Judai curiously leaned over and asked, "What? Sho, which card did you choose?"

"I feel a little ashamed to let people see my choice. But it's okay if it's my older brother." He shyly showed off his card. Judai saw that the card Marufuji Sho was holding was [UFO Robot].

"Huh? Why did you choose this one, senpai?" Kenzan curiously leaned over after noticing the card Marufuji Sho had chosen. "I thought senpai Sho would choose the [Thunder Goddess] card."

"Hmph, who do you think you are, a mere sword mountain?" Marufuji Sho put away the card and said confidently, "I'm no longer the kind of person who's obsessed with [Thunder Goddess]. Ever since I saw the materialized [Dark Magician Girl], I've grown up!"

"What have you grown up in? It sounds like you've just shifted your focus to other women. What's so great about that?" Manjoume retorted, glancing at Asuka on the other side. Asuka had chosen her card faster than Fubuki. "Asuka's choice, [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon]?"

“I think I understand why Asuka chose that card.” Marufuji Sho said, glancing at Judai. He clearly remembered that Judai had first opened the card [Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon] from a card pack, and then traded it with Asuka. The [Beloved Hero] obtained from the trade is still frequently used in Judai’s deck today.

In a sense, the two cards, "Beloved Hero" and "Ancient Saint Dai - First Dragon," can be seen as representing the relationship between the older brother and Asuka. Yay!
However, the reason I chose [UFO Machine] is very simple. It's not because this card has the common effect of Special Summoning a Machine-Type monster with 1500 or less ATK after being destroyed by battle. It's simply because this card is the only one in Marufuji Sho's deck, besides [E·hero Necromancer] given to him by Jaden, that can synergize with Jaden.

【E·hero Necromancer】represents more the care Jaden showed him and the help he received, but 【UFO Robot】represents Marufuji Sho's inner desire to help Jaden, not to stand behind his older brother and be protected, but to stand on the same side as his older brother and fight side by side - however, Marufuji Sho himself doesn't feel that Jaden will ever be able to accept his help.

Fubuki and the others quickly made their choices, finding the card they felt was the most suitable. Hayato nodded and said, "I can guess that you were somewhat hesitant, thinking that maybe the card you chose wasn't suitable and that you could choose another one later. But what I want to tell you is to trust your first instinct as duelists. The card you choose based on your intuition is the most suitable partner for you."

"Yes, in this world of card sprites, our real 'Sprite Coexistence Course' is about to begin. In addition to teaching how to fight, the card I asked you to choose actually has another meaning. It is a card that embodies the most important dueling will for a duelist. It is like a copy and personification of the duelist's other body and soul. It is the 'Soul Card', 'Tamashi'!"

When talking about "Tamashi", Hayato emphasized it for some reason, "For duelists, victory is above all else, but beyond victory, and even beyond life and death, there is something else that is even more important. That thing is different for everyone. It is something that no teacher can teach. It can only be understood by each person himself. And the only way to glimpse its true nature in advance is to find your own 'Tamashi'."

"Lesson 1, don't have any strange expectations of me;"

Lesson 2: Don't let the card notice;

"Lesson 3, trust the card, just trust it."

"In the past, I taught you the first three lessons. Now, the fourth lesson of the 'Elf Coexistence Course' is coming up—Lesson 4."

"Let's pay our respects." Hayato took a card from his deck and inserted it into the field area of ​​the Duel Disk. The desert landscape was transformed into an arena, resembling the Colosseum in ancient Rome, only with a more futuristic art style.

Looking out from the arena, the sky outside was actually glowing as if created by a volcano? This was an arena built on top of a volcano, and even drawing energy from the erupting volcano to keep it running!?

"Pay tribute to your decks, to the cards you trust, and to the meaning of dueling in your hearts." Saying these ambiguous and incomprehensible words, Hayato waved his hand, "And then, step into a completely new phase of dueling."

"Fight to your heart's content in this [Disc Arena - Beast Belt Fighting God Circular Arena]. Don't worry about friendly fire; I'll stay here as the safety officer. Now, fight with all your might to steal your opponents' talents and accelerate your own growth."

However, the [Disc Arena - Beast Belt Fighting God Circular Arena] is not truly empty. After all, Hayato specifically explained at the beginning that it was a complete copy of the background setting of "Mobile Suit Gundam". Although it doesn't have as many strangely shaped aquatic creatures as Zeon, it has plenty of large mechanical warriors.

Under Hayato's command, the [Beast Warriors], who are the avatars of the constellations in the sky, appear one after another as warriors. These are the opponents that Hayato has prepared for Jaden, John, and the others.

Following the four mechanical-style [Beast Warriors] embodied in Pisces, Taurus, Cancer, and Aries, the King of the Arena and the Queen who has broken free from her seal—[Beast Warrior "King" Xuanyuan XIV] and [Beast Warrior "Empress" Arasia Star]—are also moving their bodies, preparing to join the battle.

And the answer from the Jadens was—

DT fans have received the third installment of their Lunar New Year TW Box series, and it's surprisingly the Dragon Riders! The new Bird Beast is an amazing starting point for a super-powerful one-card combo, and the new Dragon serves as a perfect addition, bringing a banishment and removal effect. The new White Monster's summoning condition rivals Crystal Wing, and the Three-Colored Eraser rivals Crimson Abyss. A very useful deck.
However, the most important thing is still the new Link 4. It's easy to use, combines special summoning of powerful monsters, lockdown, and counter-summoning. Apart from its low attack power of only 2400 (similar to Red Eye), it basically fulfills players' fantasies about endgame setups. It doesn't even require the original manufacturer to release it; it can be equipped with additional expansion components to assist in its release.

Judging from the card name and artwork, it depicts George, the swordsman of the Ice Barrier (a contemporary of the Mirror Master and the progenitor of the Dragoon), when he founded the Dragoon. The Graveyard Lockdown effect is also the same. He rides the [Dragon Ancestor of the Ice Barrier - Spear Dragon], which was given during the last Ice Barrier enhancement. No wonder the effect is so powerful; he's the dual progenitor of both the Ice Barrier and the Dragoon.
Judging from the picture, the last series in the TW box is Wendy. Given that the spirit beast was strengthened last time, this time it's definitely Shaddoll.