Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

'It's been so long, let's not have me fight in your place, but rather let me watch you fight.'

—Kō-nii speaks and Nobunaga laughs—

Before long, the ready-to-play players walked out of the players' preparation room and onto one side of the dueling platform, where the pink-haired man named "Chigu Lloyd" had been waiting for a long time.

"Hmph, you've been keeping me waiting for ages, Yugi Muto."

The game confirmed that he had never faced Qigu Lloyd before, but the other's arrogant expression suggested he was somewhat displeased. Was it because he was late? But the duel was only supposed to start now; even if he entered early, the duel couldn't begin prematurely.

However, the game still politely said, "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Qigu Lloyd."

"Hmph, forget it. I have no interest in your rude apology." Qigu Lloyd sneered coldly, not even glancing at the game. He simply raised his head and gently pushed his deck area on his Duel Disk, triggering the transformation mechanism of his half-loaded deck.

Although his movements were not very clear in the game, you could feel that there was a special etiquette in them. If you had to say, it seemed to be the kind of etiquette that European nobles would perform before dueling with dueling swords.

Yugi glanced at the referee beside him, and after receiving a signal, he also inserted his deck into the Duel Disk. The two halves of the Duel Disk were put together to form the Duel Zone, and the signal was connected to the Duel Zone of Qigu Lloyd on the other side. The Life Points Zone lit up with the number "4000".

"In this duel tournament full of mediocre people, my first official opponent is the former Duel King. Heh, that's barely worthy of my status." Qigu Lloyd scrutinized the game with a critical eye. "Although it feels a bit different from what I saw before, it should be my imagination, and those are all insignificant details."

"Because the victor of this duel will only be me. Even the legendary duelist Yugi Muto will only be defeated by my 'Goddess of War' deck."

Yugi was not swayed by Qigu Lloyd's words and replied firmly, "I don't agree with what you said because I think the possibilities of Duel Monsters are infinite, and no one can determine victory or defeat before the duel begins."

"Furthermore," Yugi paused, took a deep breath to muster his courage, and mimicked the tone of Dark Yugi he remembered speaking, "I don't think I'm weaker than you!"

"Hmph, then let's see who's the real deal, Yugi Muto." Qigu Lloyd sneered, his fingers resting on the deck, Yugi's movements synchronized with his.

The two simultaneously drew five cards and declared, "Duel!" x2

[Yugi Muto: 4000LP]

[Chigu Lloyd: 4000 LP]

Yugi glanced down at his hand, wanting to check the cards he had drawn before deciding whether to take the first turn. However, although Qigu Lloyd was as elegant as a nobleman, he was quite impatient when it came to Duel Monsters and directly seized the right to go first.

"I'll take the initiative. My turn, draw a card!"

Seeing the card he had drawn, Qigu Lloyd frowned. The tactic he used with his [War Goddess] deck was a special pseudo-OTK tactic. The core of this tactic was two cards, and as long as he could draw both of them, Qigu Lloyd could unleash the "instant end to the duel" ability that he had shown in previous duels.

In order to ensure the implementation of this tactic as much as possible, Qigu Lloyd always took care not to summon monsters to reveal information when he was absolutely certain of success.

Currently, one of the cards in Qigu Lloyd's hand has been drawn, but without the other card, he cannot execute an OTK (One-Turn Kill) strategy. In that case, he can only arrange his cards on the field and stall for time through defense.

“I’ll set two cards face down on my field, then summon a monster face down in defense position.” Kigu Lloyd said arrogantly as he played the three cards in his hand. “You’re a little unlucky, aren’t you? You’ve escaped defeat, Yugi Muto. My turn is over.”

'Did I not draw the key card?' Game thought to himself, and drew a card from the deck. 'Then it's my turn, draw a card.'

He glanced down at the card he had drawn; it was [Magnet Warrior α].

Although it is just a normal monster with only 1400 attack power, Yugi knows that this monster is indispensable in his deck and has hidden great power.

Since Qigu Lloyd didn't immediately use his tactic to end the duel in an instant, the game decided to simply end the duel before he could even do so.

"I activate the Spell Card [Rough Man's Expectation]. The effect of this card is to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck if I have no monsters on my field. I Special Summon [Magnet Warrior β] in Attack Position, and then Normal Summon [Magnet Warrior α] from my hand."

After playing two cards, two rock warriors with different appearances and bodies basically composed of "U"-shaped magnets appeared on the field of the game.

【Magnet Warrior α】【4☆/Earth】

[Rock family/Normal]

[1400/1700]

【Magnet Warrior β】【4☆/Earth】

[Rock family/Normal]

[1700/1600]

After summoning two unremarkable normal monsters in succession, Yugi didn't think much and waved his hand to give the order: "Then let's enter my battle phase. I'll use [Magnet Warrior β] to attack the monster that's face down."

Kigu Lloyd scoffed, pressing the activation button on his face-down card: "I thought the former Duel King's attack would be incredibly powerful, but it's just this weak. In that case, I'll activate my face-down card, the Continuous Trap [Traveler's Trial]!"

Magnet Warrior β was about to attack the monster that had been covered in the field by Kigu Lloyd when a tall sphinx suddenly appeared in front of it, blocking its way.

Chigu Lloyd said proudly, "In Egyptian legend, the Sphinx, a mythical beast with the head of a man and the body of a lion, loves riddles, and you can't move forward if you can't solve its riddles."

"When your monster declares an attack, you need to randomly select one of my cards and guess the type of card. If you guess wrong, the monster that made the attack declaration will be returned to your hand."

As he spoke, Qigu Lloyd raised his hand, and the giant projections of the three cards in his hand appeared in front of the game.

"So, let's choose. Which card will it be, and what kind? A spell card, a trap card, or a monster card?" Qigu Lloyd said with a cold laugh, "I bet you're quite troubled and hesitant about what to do—"

"I guess the middle card is a magic card."

The sound of the game started, startling Qigu Lloyd.

[The Traveler's Trial] The price of guessing wrong is that the monsters that were summoned with great difficulty will be returned to the hand. How come this person doesn't hesitate at all?

But in the game's eyes, Qigu Lloyd only saw confidence, as if he wasn't guessing the type of card, but rather reading what the card was.

The card chosen by the game shattered with a crash, the phantom of the Sphinx disappeared, revealing the path forward. [Magnet Warrior β] swung its fist and smashed Qigu Lloyd's face-down card - [War Goddess Chariot] - into the graveyard.

Chapter 412 Valkyrie joins

【Battle of the Goddess Chariot】【DEF1000】

【Magnet Warrior β】【ATK1700】

The monster that Kigu Lloyd had on his field was a Valkyrie riding a speeding chariot. However, despite its imposing appearance, this monster only had 500 ATK and 1000 DEF, which is about the same level as the [Disruption] monsters.

Of course, before being destroyed and sent to the graveyard, the game glimpsed the word "Alliance" on the card effect of "War Goddess Chariot," which means that "War Goddess Chariot" is actually an Alliance monster, a type that can only exert its power by combining with other monsters.

Just like the [XYZ] that Hayato and Kaiba both used, it is not at its strongest when used alone; it can only unleash its maximum power when combined.

Because [War Goddess Chariot] was in defense position, even though it was destroyed and sent to the graveyard, Qigu Lloyd did not suffer any battle damage. However, what followed was a direct attack from another monster in the game, [Magnet Warrior Alpha].

"You actually guessed right? Damn it." Qigu Fried was very annoyed that his trap card hadn't worked. "However, [Traveler's Trial] is a continuous trap, so its effect will continue to work."

In the game "Millennium Puzzle," Yami Yugi raised an eyebrow: "Looks like this isn't a trial you can pass on the first try. Aibo, what are you planning to do next?"

"If only I had a card like [Whirlwind] in my hand, but for now, I can only keep attacking," Yugi said somewhat helplessly. "Then, I'll continue using [Magnet Warrior α] to attack the opponent's duelist directly."

Upon hearing this, Qigu Lloyd quickly shuffled the three cards in his hand, rearranged their positions, and raised his hand, saying, "Because of the attack declaration of [Magnet Warrior α], the effect of [Traveler's Trial] has been activated again."

"I refuse to believe you can guess correctly this time!"

The stone sphinx reappeared on the path of Yugi's [Magnet Warrior α] attack, and this time, Yugi firmly pointed to the card in the center: "I choose the card in the center, and declare it to be a magic card!"

"Hmph, how could the same card be in the same position? Do you really think you can use the same one—"

Qigu Lloyd's voice abruptly stopped, and the card that the game had randomly selected shattered with a "click," along with the Sphinx blocking the way.

[Magnet Warrior α], wielding a magnetic sword, moved freely between himself and Qigu Lloyd. Qigu Lloyd could even see the eerie light reflected in [Magnet Warrior α]'s beady eyes.

Seeing that [Magnet Warrior α] was getting closer and closer, Kigu Lloyd immediately pressed another activation button to set his card face down: "I did not allow such a mediocre monster to touch me!"

"Activate my face-down card, the Trap Card [Counter Gate], to negate your direct attack and draw a card!"

A gray dimensional wall suddenly appeared in front of [Magnet Warrior α]. [Magnet Warrior α], who was charging forward, failed to brake and crashed into it. In just a blink of an eye, [Magnet Warrior α] found himself back on the game field, as if he had never attacked at all.

Meanwhile, Kigu Lloyd drew a card from the top of his deck. Upon seeing the card he had drawn, Kigu Lloyd raised an eyebrow and revealed a smug expression: "When I draw a monster card using the effect of 'Counter Gate,' I can Normal Summon it to the field. Unfortunately, I drew a Spell Card."

"However, it is precisely because I drew this card that your fate of defeat has been sealed, Yugi Muto!"

The game's brow furrowed

'Did he draw the crucial card? Does that mean Qigu Lloyd's one-hit kill strategy is about to begin?'

In the game "Millennium Puzzle," Yami Yugi advises: "Although we don't know exactly what kind of attack it will be, let's set up a defensive formation first, Aibo."

'Okay, I understand.'

The game nodded, glanced at its four cards, and drew two of them: "Then my battle phase ends. In my main phase two, I set two cards face down. End of turn."

[Game: 4000LP, 2 cards in hand]

【Magnet Warrior α】【ATK1400】

【Magnet Warrior β】【ATK1700】

[GaiK] X2

Seeing the game face down the two cards, Qigu Lloyd scoffed: "Useless, useless. My [War Goddess] deck's ultimate attack can't be stopped by such a weak defense."

"Now it's my turn, draw a card!"

Looking at the card he had drawn, Qigu Lloyd's smile grew even more smug: "Hmph, it seems that fate is on my side. The gods favor me, Qigu Lloyd, and have even provided an even heavier burden for your defeat, Yugi Muto, who is my opponent."

"I activate the Spell Card 'Nibelungen Treasure,' equipping one 'Nibelungen Ring' from my hand and Deck to one of your monsters. In exchange, I can draw five cards from my Deck!"

"Drawing five cards in one go?!" In the audience, Jonouchi was very surprised, and even a look of doubt appeared on his face. "How is that possible? Just one Equip Magic Card can be exchanged for five cards. Could it be a fake card?"

Sitting in the back row of the castle, Keihei said somewhat unhappily, "Hmph, are you doubting the technology department of Haima Group? No one can break through Haima Group's perfect firewall."

Although it was breached once yesterday, that doesn't matter.

"Furthermore, the card 【Nibelungen Treasure】 is not some fake card. It is a legitimate card issued by the International Illusion Society. However, it is said that there is only one of it, and it can only be activated by combining it with another unique card, 【Nibelungen Ring】. That's why you don't know about it."

After a pause, Guiping continued, "It seems that's why, although my brother didn't include this card in the Forbidden Card List when he was discussing it with Pegasus, drawing five cards at once is definitely a bit of a cheat."

“I told you so?” Jonouchi nodded, but also seemed a little puzzled. “How exactly did Pegasus design those cards? And what is Nibelungen? Is a ring really that expensive?”

It's important to know that there are cards that can replenish a large number of cards at once, such as Kaiba's "Treasure Card of Life-Slicing," Jonouchi's "Treasure Card of Fate," and "Treasure Card of Heaven," which many people have and therefore are limited to one. However, without exception, these cards that replenish a large number of cards all have certain side effects.

While the side effects of "Death-Slaying Treasure Card" are rare, they are not nonexistent. During the fifth standby phase after activation, you need to discard all cards in your hand. For every card drawn by "Destiny's Treasure Card", you must also banish the same number of cards. "Heavenly Treasure Card" is even more powerful, as it forces both you and your opponent to draw all their cards.

How exactly does the Treasure of the Nibelungen allow you to draw five cards almost without any cost?

From Qigu Lloyd's deck, he retrieved the [Ring of the Nibelung] and inserted it into his Spell & Trap Zone to activate: "[Ring of the Nibelung], whose true name is Andvarinaut, is a magical ring in Norse mythology that is cursed to bring calamity upon anyone who possesses it."

"While bringing wealth to its holder, it also brings endless troubles. This hot potato is yours for the taking." Kigu Lloyd pointed to the [Magnet Warrior β], the character with the highest attack power on the field. "The [Ring of the Nibelung] can only be activated by using the effect of [Treasures of the Nibelung],"

"A monster equipped with this card cannot attack, cannot change its battle position, and its effects are negated. At the same time, the controller of the equipped monster draws two cards during each of their Draw Phases and must reveal the cards they draw to me. If any of the cards they draw are Monster Cards, you must discard one of them."

In the audience, Jonouchi seemed to understand: "I see, one allows you to draw a large number of cards in a short period, and the other allows you to draw even more cards in the long term? That's quite a reasonable design—"

"---Yeah, right! This is even more overpowered!" Jonouchi's sarcastic spirit burned brightly. "If someone finally manages to summon a powerful monster, he can easily take down their ace with just one card!"

The Ring of the Nibelung can not only restrict attacks in fixed positions, but it can also lock down monster effects. In other words, even Jonouchi's Iron Knight - Gia Fried can be bound by this Equip Card.

In addition, drawing five cards in a short period of time is obviously stronger than drawing two cards in a long period of time. Isn't this card a bit too unfair?

No matter how much Jonouchi complained, the [Magnet Warrior β] on the game field was eventually equipped with the [Ring of the Nibelung]. However, although it was called a ring, the form shown in the virtual projection was actually a headband with an exaggerated inner diameter, which was placed on the U-shaped magnet head of [Magnet Warrior β].

Judging by its size, it might be a ring belonging to a giant or a monster?