Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Based on Kitamori Reiko's consistent behavior, a conjecture arose in the mind of the shrewd Jonouchi.

From the very beginning of the duel, Kitamori Reiko looked terrified, and her nerves were on edge when she saw Jonouchi summon two Red-Eyes Black Dragons. She only felt a little relieved when she also summoned the Doll Queen.

At that time, Jonouchi thought she was surprised that he could summon two powerful monsters at once;

Furthermore, from the beginning until now, Reiko Kitamori has summoned quite a few monsters, but no matter what kind of monster she summons, she always chooses to display them in a defense position.

Once might be due to tactical choices, but it happens every time... Could it be that Reiko Kitamori...

Jonouchi put aside his guesses for the time being, because Kitamori Reiko's face-down card [Explosive Armor] had been fully activated, and a laser beam shot towards [Red-Eyes Black Blade Dragon] flying above Jonouchi's head, determined to destroy it.

Just as his monster was about to be destroyed, Jonouchi smiled and said, "Miss Reiko, I think you don't understand at all?"

"Understand? Understand what?"

Jonouchi confidently extended his hand and pointed to the face-down card that Kitamori Reiko had opened in the back row: "Let me tell you something, Reiko-san. That is, although there is no concrete evidence, the card [Explosive Armor] is cursed!"

"It's a curse that either fails to activate or is nullified even if activated!" Noticing the panic on Kitamori Reiko's face after hearing the word "curse," Jonouchi quickly added without trying to scare her.

"What you said does make some sense; a card is meaningless if it's not used at the right time. However, now that [Red-Eyes Black Blade Dragon] has appeared, this is not an appropriate time!"

As Jonouchi finished speaking, just as the laser from [Explosive Armor] was about to hit [Red-Eyes Black Blade Dragon], the [Dark Dragon Claw] equipped on the [Red-Eyes Black Blade Dragon]'s hand, which had just attacked, suddenly detached from its claws and flew into the air, blocking the [Red-Eyes Black Blade Dragon] just before the laser hit!

"Crack!"

The Dark Dragon Claw shattered, but the Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon successfully withstood the effect of the Explosive Armor, and the phantom of the Magic Knight - Giltia successfully merged into its body.

[True Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK3000→2400]

【Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon】(Magic Knight - Giltia)【ATK 2800→3000】

"H-How could this be!?" Kitamori Reiko couldn't understand what had just happened.

All that could be heard was Jonouchi saying smugly, "Hehe, the second effect of [Red-Eyes Black Blade Dragon] is that when a card effect that targets a card on my field is activated, I can negate and destroy that effect by sending one of my Equip Cards to the Graveyard."

"Although the effect of [Red-Eyes Black Blade Dragon] itself has not yet equipped [Magic Knight - Giltia] as an Equip Card, I am glad that I did not choose to use [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] equipped with [Dark Dragon Claw] as Fusion Material. I chose to send [Dark Dragon Claw] to the Graveyard."

"That mere [Explosive Armor] is nothing compared to the [Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon], it's not just for looks! Watch me push it back!"

Despite speaking with great confidence, Jonouchi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw that the Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon had survived.

If you choose to use the [Instant Fusion] on a [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] that you have already attacked, you can maximize your benefits. If you destroy the [Puppet King] without any obstacles, then there will be another [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] that you haven't attacked yet that will be able to launch a direct attack on Kitamori Reiko.

Fortunately, Jonouchi, wanting to guard against Kitamori Reiko's deck card, kept the "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" which had the equipment card "Dark Dragon Claw," and it has now come in handy.

"Then, let the [Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon] continue its attack!" Jonouchi waved his hand forward. "Attack the [Puppet King]!"

"Black Flame Charge!"

Enveloped in black flames, the Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon attacked the Puppet King, instantly destroying it and sending it to the graveyard.

Although no damage was caused because it was a defense position, the last monster on her field was destroyed and sent to the graveyard, and Kitamori Reiko couldn't help but show a look of fear on her face.

Her hands trembling uncontrollably, she suddenly heard a voice from across the street:

Chapter 428 Thank you, Taro

"Um, although this is a bit abrupt, Miss Reiko, may I ask you a question?"

Reiko heard what Jonouchi said.

"Ugh?"

"Miss Reiko, do you find fighting monsters fun?"

After asking the question, Jonouchi seemed to think that Reiko, who harbored a strange fear of him, wouldn't answer, so he said to himself, "I always enjoy dueling very much."

"Although my emotions fluctuate wildly with each attack due to the opponent's face-down cards, although I feel fear when I see powerful monsters that I cannot defeat, and although I feel anxious when drawing cards due to uncertainty,"

"But Duel Monsters is a game that brings smiles to people's faces, and that element of surprise and uncertainty is part of its charm."

Reiko Kitamori looked quite surprised upon hearing Jonouchi's words.

Reiko Kitamori wasn't lying to Jonouchi; she had indeed only been involved with Duel Monsters for a month. Even so, she still displayed remarkable talent in Duel Monsters, and her skills and strength surpassed those of many duelists who had been involved with Duel Monsters for years.

That's why she participated in the KC Cup and, without any competitive spirit, defeated many opponents and won to this point simply by "protecting herself".

However, the more victories she achieved, the more she saw the resentful and twisted faces of her defeated opponents after being knocked down from the peak of victory, and the Duel Monsters that launched attacks one after another under their command, driven by their greed for victory. Kitamori Reiko found it increasingly difficult to understand the fun of fighting monsters.

Because of her inability to adapt to the fighting instinct, Kitamori Reiko even began to feel that those duelists who could issue ruthless orders were not the same as her at all, just like a vegetarian rabbit and a bloodthirsty feline.

She had assumed that Jonouchi was the same as the duelists she had encountered before, but she never expected that Jonouchi would fight with feelings of "fear" and "unease" during the duel.

He seemed different from the duelists he had encountered before.

Kitamori Reiko couldn't help but feel curious.

They should all be afraid, so why is Jonouchi able to fight so bravely and even show that smile?

Reiko Kitamori was unaware of the changes that such curiosity would bring, and Jonouchi was equally unaware of Reiko Kitamori's thoughts, only trying his best to convey his ideas through his words.

“Miss Reiko, although the attacks from the beginning until now have all been initiated by me, I can feel the surging energy from the collision of our dueling souls. You must also hate the fact that you're trembling with fear while dueling, right?”

"Your deck uses a tactic of protecting yourself with high-defense monsters and then winning effortlessly by discarding your own cards, right?" Jonouchi pointed to Reiko's now empty deck. "I'm not accusing your deck of using any underhanded tactics, it's just that..."

"Wouldn't it be too boring to win without any inner turmoil, excitement, or just a bland victory until the very end?"

Jonouchi, who was always the one being lectured, looked at Kitamori Reiko's surprised expression and gave her a gentle smile: "Come on, Reiko-san, let me also feel the shouts and roars of your duelist spirit!"

"My turn ends, and at the same time, because of the effect of your [Tragic Battle], Reiko, I send five cards from my deck to the graveyard, and the [Red-Eyes Black Blade Dragon] that was just fused by the effect of [Instant Fusion] will also be destroyed."

Within the city: 24→19

[Instant Fusion] is a powerful card that allows fusion during the battle phase, but powerful cards often come with risks. The risk of [Instant Fusion] is that its effect only lasts for one turn.

The body of the Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon, which had defeated the Puppet King, disintegrated at the end of the turn. However, as it was being destroyed, the phantom of the Magic Knight Giltia, which had been attached to the Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon, managed to detach itself from it in time. It even stepped on the Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon to accelerate its escape, much like a pilot leaving the cockpit just before the MS explodes and using the impact of the explosion to get away from the machine.

【Magic Knight - Giltia】【ATK1850】

"The third effect of [Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon] is that if [Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon] equipped with an Equip Card is destroyed by a card effect or battle, you can Special Summon as many monsters as possible that were equipped to [Red-Eyes Blackblade Dragon] when it was destroyed from your Graveyard."

After placing the [Magic Knight - Giltia] card in the front row, Jonouchi casually let his hands hang down and looked at Kitamori Reiko with expectant eyes.

At this moment, Jonouchi is more eager for Kitamori Reiko to grow through this duel than for victory.

[Within the city: 4000LP, 0 cards in hand]

【True Red-Eyes Black Dragon】【ATK2400】

【Magic Knight - Giltia】【ATK1850】

[Dangerous Machine Type 6] [Gaikka (Forbidden Cloth)]

"My turn," Kitamori Reiko said, her fingers resting on the deck. It was Kitamori Reiko's turn to draw a card, but at that moment, she hesitated.

Am I afraid of the Duel Monsters and those duelists who thirst for victory?

Yes, that's right. That's precisely why I chose the safest and least risky defensive tactic, using this method of evasion to achieve victory.

So, is it true, as Jonouchi said, that deep down, I also loathe the trembling version of myself that draws gacha?

......Yes.

That's right, I also want to bravely fight.

Seeing the gentle smile on Jonouchi's face, a certain power began to surge within Kitamori Reiko.

I want to bravely issue the attack command with the monster and win the victory honorably.

I want to command monsters to fight against opponents, not for victory, but for the joy of dueling itself.

I want to be as brave as Jonouchi and smile!

For the first time since the start of the duel, Kitamori Reiko's face displayed a smile that was not one of flattery or humility, but rather one of confidence.

"My turn, draw a card!"

"Normal Spell Card, Pot of Greed: Draw two more cards from my deck!"

"Then I activated [Monster Resurrection]!"

Anka's symbol appeared on Kitamori Reiko's field, and the Puppet King, destroyed by the attack of [Red-Eyes Black Blade Dragon] in the previous turn, was revived on her field. But what was revived with [Monster Reborn] was not only the [Puppet King], but also Kitamori Reiko's courage, because—

The [Puppet King] that she specially summoned to the field exists in Attack Position!

As Kitamori Reiko watched the [Puppet King] appear on her field, no longer crouching with his greatsword in hand, but instead holding his sword high with an imposing aura she had never seen before, Kitamori Reiko murmured in a daze, "I..."

"Throughout this duel, I've never imagined that I would be the one to initiate the attack..."

Seeing the expectant smile on Jonouchi's face, Kitamori Reiko smiled back: "Thank you, Jonouchi."

"Then... let's begin my battle phase!"

Upon hearing Reiko's declaration of attack, Jonouchi smiled and said, "Oh, come on, Reiko!"

"I'm using [Puppet King] to attack the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] within the castle!" Reiko issued her first attack command in her dueling career. "As for the name, it will be 'Newborn Flash'!"

【King of Dolls】【ATK2800】

【True Red-Eyes Black Dragon】【ATK2400】

The massive, heavy sword was raised high by the [Puppet King], who used his flowing cloak as a shield to deceive the black flame bullets spewed by the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] during its counterattack. He lowered his body, turned, and slashed upwards, the sharp blade slicing through the [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]'s body and sending it to the graveyard.

"Whoa!" With only 400 points of combat damage remaining, Jonouchi let out a strange cry, taking advantage of the wind pressure from the [Puppet King]'s sword swing, which drew a worried look from Reiko.

[Within the city: 4000→3600LP]

However, Jonouchi is a monster-level perseverer who can easily withstand even attacks from gods. Noticing Reiko's gaze, Jonouchi cracked his neck and suddenly burst into laughter:

"Fufufu..."

"Hahaha~ That's amazing, Reiko!"

"When you get serious, aren't you quite charming!" The outspoken Jonouchi, completely oblivious to what he was saying, laughed and said, "Well then, let's begin our all-out duel!"

A blush crept onto Reiko's face: "Yes...yes!"

"I set a card face down, my turn ends, and then, due to the effect of [Tragic Battle], I send 5 cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard."

[Kitamori Reiko: 4000LP, 0 cards in hand]

【King of Dolls】【ATK2800】

[The Tragedy of the Battlefield] [Gaikka]

Although he spoke with great enthusiasm, saying things like "a duel with all his might."