Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"The Equip Spell Card that was required for summoning has returned to its original user's hand, and the monster that could be summoned without tribute has now been given an Equip Spell Card that increases its attack power." Yugi watched as [Guardian - Gravity Axe - Roar] picked up [Gravity Axe - Roar] and its attack power began to increase.

【Guardian - Grall】【5☆/Location】

[Dinosaur Tribe/Effect]

【2500/1000→3000/1000】

With a full 3000 attack power, it's on par with the general attack power unit of Duel Monsters, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!

However, what the game is more concerned about at this moment is Rafael's Duel Disk, or rather, the [Guardian - Grall] card that was just placed on Rafael's Duel Disk.

Compared to the other cards on Rafael's Duel Disk, such as [Master Craftsman - Tiger Iron], both [Support Guardian] and [Guardian - Grall] have white dots covering the entire card. These aren't special markings or features of cards with exceptional rarity; they're more like wear and tear from prolonged use.

Just now, I was thinking that the [Support Guardian] might be an isolated case, but now it seems that the [Master Craftsman - Tiger Iron] is the exception.

However, the strength of Duel Monsters cards is two or three stories high. Ordinary use cannot damage the cards at all. Even vigorous scrubbing of the cards will not scratch the card art or card back. In the hands of some trench coat-wearing men who can't stand talking without humming, are good at playing against AI, are addicted to playing cards, and even suffer from dragon cancer, Duel Monsters cards can also be used as lethal weapons. When used as throwing cards, they can even cut through metal.

How long has Rafael been using his cards? And doesn't the International Illusion Society offer a card exchange service for less rare cards for a fee? The Guardian deck is rare, but not as rare as Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Why doesn't Rafael exchange his cards?

The game didn't ask this question, which was unrelated to the duel, but instead kept its doubts to itself for the time being, because Guardian Grall, who had taken up the weapon Gravity Axe - Roar, had already extended his finger and assumed an attack stance as Rafael did so.

"Entering battle phase, you can go in! [Guardian - Grall], launch an attack on [Dark Magician Girl]!" Rafael commanded. "A decisive slash!"

"Roar!"

The dinosaur-type monster [Guardian-Glar], which looks like a lizardman, had been waiting for this command for a long time. It immediately raised the giant axe in its hand and attacked [Dark Magician Girl] on the field. Upon seeing this, Yugi immediately pressed the activation button to face down one of the two cards in the back row.

"Because I was worried you might have a way to increase the attack power of your monsters, I deliberately set this card face down and activated the Spell Card [Desert Light]!"

From the cards revealed in the back row of the game, a dazzling golden light suddenly burst forth. Bathed in this familiar light, the two monsters, [Dark Magician] and [Dark Magician Girl], are about to switch to defense position.

A long time ago, when Yugi and Hayato were chatting during class because they didn't want to listen to the lecture, Yugi mentioned a special tactic: an OTK (One-Turn Kill) counter-attack tactic centered around an equipment card called "Underdog Jewelry".

Although the "Overthrow the Superior Jewelry" can only be equipped on normal monsters, it has the ability to provide a huge boost when a lower-level monster attacks a higher-level monster. When using a level 1 monster to attack a level 7 monster, the attack power can even increase by a full 3000 points. Even a level 1 White Rabbit can kick the powerful "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" to death.

With the addition of cards that enhance attack power, one wrong move and you could be instantly defeated. At that time, the game was amazed that Hayato could come up with such a tactic to maximize the power of a normal monster, and when Rafael had to search for an Equip Spell Card even when sending [Master Craftsman - Tiger Iron] into attack position, I remembered this tactic that I had heard of before.

This "Desert Light" card, which can change all monsters on my field to face-up Defense Position, was prepared to prevent taking too much damage at once, and now it's come in handy.

However, while the game's idea was good, unexpectedly, with the activation of [Desert Light], [Guardian - Grall] roared, and purple ripples spread across the entire arena from the [Gravity Axe - Roar] in his hand!?

Under the influence of this ripple, the Dark Magician and the Dark Magician Girl, who wanted to change their posture, were instantly frozen in place, unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as the Guardian - Grall dragged the giant axe that released powerful gravity closer.

Then, [Guardian-Glar] actually spoke in human language: "Rafael says, we can go now!"

That card actually has a card spirit on it!?

Chapter 621 My Lance Will Pierce the Sky

With a single axe strike, the immobilized Dark Magician Girl was instantly destroyed and sent to the graveyard, while Yugi also suffered 1000 points of combat damage from the difference in attack power.

"Well!"

[Game: 3800 → 2800 LP]

At the same time, Rafael's voice came through, explaining to the game what had just happened.

"Using [Desert Light] to change an Attack Position monster to Defense Position to avoid damage is a decent move, but unfortunately, your monsters cannot change their battle position while [Gravity Axe - Roar] is active."

As [Guardian-Glar] returned to his field, Rafael gave him a barely perceptible smile, then looked at Yugi, who had just suffered a minor setback, with a serious expression. "In the end, the act of sacrificing a monster to protect oneself is clumsy and terrible."

"You can't even imagine the strength of the bond that connects me and the Guardians."

Yugi frowned upon hearing this. Just like the roaring tactics before esports became formalized, trash talk is also a characteristic of Duel Monsters, and it's something you can't miss. Raphael's words made Yugi want to refute: "What nonsense are you talking about, Raphael? Isn't it only natural for duelists to trust the cards and decks that serve as their servants?"

“No, that’s completely different, Nameless Pharaoh.” Rafael shook his head as he looked at the displeased expression on Yugi’s face. “If it were you, you would do many things that I cannot accept in order to win, but I can tell you in advance that even if I lose, I will not use the [Orichalcos Barrier] to affect my monsters in this duel.”

"Furthermore, the face-down card in my back row is not a destructive card; it is merely a face-down card that can protect monsters at the cost of my Life Points."

To everyone's surprise, Rafael not only promised not to use the "Orichalcos Barrier," a card essential for the Doma organization to harvest duelists' souls, but he even revealed what card he had set face-down in his back row!

Yugi's face was full of disbelief, and he couldn't help but wonder if Rafael's words were a lie he told to lure him into attacking.

'Another me,' Yugi Ono and Yugi Yami exchanged opinions in [Millennium Puzzle], 'Rafael said that the back row cards protect monsters at the cost of Life Points, what exactly...?'

'I'm not sure either, Aibo, but my duelist instincts tell me that Rafael might actually be telling the truth. His eyes are clear and innocent, and a true duelist wouldn't mislead others with words.'

"Probably?" Yugi replied somewhat uncertainly, recalling his duels with Hayato, where there were often moments where he would be misled by Hayato's endless stream of nonsense and wonder if there were any cards like "Security Ball" in the back row that would activate their effects when destroyed.

Unaware that his Aibo was reminiscing about duels that were worse than being in jail, Yami Yugi couldn't understand why Rafael would tell him about his back row face-down cards, so he chose to ask directly.

"Why, Rafael? Why did you tell me about your backcourt's 'Gek'? What good does it do you?"

In the depths of his heart, Yugi already believed that Rafael wouldn't lie, and that the face-down card in his back row must be some kind of card that uses its own life points to protect the monster, just as he said. But the only thing he couldn't understand about this behavior was that Yugi wanted to figure it out.

Hearing the game's doubts, Rafael didn't keep them in suspense. Instead, he spoke very frankly: "It's just for 'fairness,' Nameless Pharaoh. You've exposed far too much of your dueling information to me, while you know very little about me when I'm serious. To make this duel a little 'fairer,' I told you what my back row face-down card is."

“I believe that a ‘fair’ life-or-death duel can help a person’s character grow, while killing without any despicable intent and driven by one’s own will can elevate me, an immature person, to a more sacred realm and bring me closer to a new kind of human being.”

"While completing Lord Dartz's mission, I also seek this kind of growth, because people always have to face some insurmountable fates, and this sacred realm can only be reached through 'cultivation'."

"Therefore, whether it is the 'purpose' or the 'means', I will tell you without any concealment or lies, nameless pharaoh, because this is my way of 'cultivation'."

As he spoke, Rafael looked down at the cards on his Duel Disk, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. He said as if talking to himself, "Nameless Pharaoh, no, 'Yugi Muto,' I've had a special feeling for you ever since I knew of your existence, because we are both people who are blessed by the elves and yet tormented by fate."

"Being played by fate?"

The game can be understood as "being favored by spirits." Judging from Rafael's performance, he is also a spirit user who can see the existence of card spirits, and the number of awakened card spirits is definitely more than just one or two. Yugi also has several awakened card spirits by his side. However, he doesn't understand what "being tricked by fate" means.

"Once upon a time, I also had a complete family, but on a day of immense joy, a shipwreck occurred. It was so sudden; fate took everything from me in an instant. Only the gifts I received from my family—the [Guardian] cards—remain by my side."

As he spoke, Rafael picked up the cards "Support Guardian" and "Guardian - Grall" from his Duel Disk and showed them to Yugi. However, the images of the two monsters on his field did not disappear due to the removal of the cards, confirming Yugi's previous conjecture that there were spirits among those cards.

Rafael also showed the backs of the two cards, both of which were pristine and brand new, clearly having been re-attached. Despite using worn-out cards, Rafael maintained his dignity as a duelist and wouldn't rely on them for memorization.

"I see. So you haven't replaced the cards because they were gifts from your family?" After hearing Rafael's explanation, Yugi finally understood why Rafael was unwilling to replace these badly worn cards. After all, even if the effect of the replaced cards wouldn't change, what mattered was the meaning the cards represented.

Just like the gift that symbolized the bond between Professor Hopkins and Sugoroku Muto—the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card that was torn up by Kaiba.

'But you can also put card sleeves on the cards to protect them.' This thought appeared in the mind of Omote Yugi in Millennium Puzzle, but looking at Rafael and Yami Yugi in the atmosphere, he didn't say it out loud and ruin the mood.

Placing the two cards back on the Duel Disk, Rafael continued, "In that cruel joke of fate, I lost my family, but I also learned a lesson: there are destinies in the world that humans cannot resist no matter what they do."

“Having miraculously returned from the shipwreck, I saw the depravity of humanity from another perspective. It was from that moment that I found a goal: to elevate humanity to a higher, more sacred level, to make it strong enough to resist such an unfortunate fate.”

“Nameless Pharaoh, why has your soul, which died three thousand years ago, returned to this land? Why did my family have to die so tragically? This unfair fate is what I will fight against!”

With a surge of fighting spirit, Rafiru pointed at the game: "We, the Three Musketeers of Doma, are loyal to Lord Dartz. His goal is to cleanse the hearts of humanity on earth, which are filled with darkness, and to reshape a new world. The new humans born in that new world will enter a more sacred realm, understanding each other and transcending fate."

"The 'Legendary Dragon' you possess is an obstacle to Lord Dartz's plan, but at the same time, I also believe that you can become nourishment for my growth, Nameless Pharaoh!"

While showing excitement, Rafiru then suppressed his smile and said with disappointment, "But I was wrong, because I've discovered that you don't have enough willpower to help me grow, because you're just a 'coping agent'."

“Even though I have laid everything bare before you, nameless pharaoh, you still do not have enough willpower, enough of a ‘dark’ willpower to drive you to attack me.”

"Change [Master Craftsman - Tiger Iron] to Defense Position, my turn ends."

[Rafiru: 4000LP, 0 cards in hand]

【Master Craftsman - Tiger Iron】【ATK500→DEF500】

【Backup Guardian】【DEF2200】

[Guardian - Grail] ([Gravity Axe - Roar]) [ATK3000]

【GaiKa】

It was his turn to play again. His finger rested on the deck, ready to draw a card: "My turn..."

Although he maintained his usual imposing manner, no one noticed that his confidence in drawing cards was slightly less than before.

He wanted to dismiss everything Rafael had said since the duel as nonsense, but deep down Yugi knew that everything Rafael had said so far was absolutely true.

If the card drawn this round is not a backrow destruction type card, and there is no certainty of creating victory, the player will indeed choose to play more cautiously and not attack, but instead accumulate strength and wait for the opportunity to launch a counterattack. After all, blindly using up the strength that may be used later may leave the player powerless later.

Many people have described themselves in various ways in the past, but Yugi feels that all the evaluations he has received before cannot compare to Rafiru's evaluation of him as a "responder" at this moment.

Just as Yami Yugi was beginning to waver, he heard Omote Yugi's voice: 'My other self, believe in yourself.'

'Aibo?'

In the game "Millennium Puzzle," the original Yugi appears as a phantom before Yami Yugi, a smile on his face: "The other me I know was an incredibly powerful person who always stood in front of me, protecting me from danger. That confident strength has always been my role model."

Even if what Rafael said is true, my other self still believes you're on the right path and don't need to change anything.

Seeing that Aibo had appeared beside him to cheer him on because of his inner wavering, Yami Yugi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled, shook his head and said, "You are the one, Aibo, you are my role model."

"Compared to my so-called confidence and strength, your gentleness is much stronger. It is because of your existence that I have been able to win time and time again."

Shifting his gaze from Yugi to Rafael, Yami Yugi regained his usual confidence: "Thanks to Aibo, I was almost influenced by you, Rafael. From now on, your words will no longer work on me."

"Even if, as you say, I'm just a 'responder,' I will still uphold my belief and defeat you!" With that, Yugi drew a card. "My turn, draw!"

"Then, I activate the spell card [Fusion] to fuse [Dark Knight Gaia] in my hand with [Dark Magician] on the field!"

The game revealed the card he had left in his hand from the previous turn: [Dark Knight Gaia], a normal monster with 2300 attack power that requires two monsters as tributes to be summoned!

With the changing dueling environment, even the number of Normal Monsters in Yugi's deck has decreased significantly. Although Yugi originally had the card "Dark Knight Gaia", it had long been replaced with the effective "Gale Dark Knight Gaia". The "Gaia" card that appeared in Yugi's hand at this moment was one that he had recently obtained from Hayato in the Conflict Town.

Although it's unclear why Hayato would leave behind this "Dark Knight Gaia," one of his countless Tamashi, Yugi brings the card to the Paradis Group and fuses it with "Dark Magician" at that moment.

"I will defeat you, Rafael, with Aibo! With this Fusion Monster that combines the power of me and Hayato!" A Fusion Monster card appeared in Yugi's hand, which he slammed onto his Duel Disk. "Combining magical power with spiral power, let's break through the sky with our lances!"

"Fusion Summoning! [Super Magic Knight - Dark Magician Rider]!"

The power of [fusion] drew the two monsters into a vortex, from which a crimson spear emerged. The [Dark Magician], riding the [Gaia] warhorse, made a triumphant entrance!

【Super Magic Knight - Dark Magician Rider】【8☆/Dark】

[Mage Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2800/2300]

"【Super Magical Knight - Dark Magical Rider】has the power to absorb Spell and Trap Cards from both sides' fields and graveyards, and to increase the ATK of each card by 100," Yugi pointed at Rafael, "Now, in the Battle Phase, I'll use 【Super Magical Knight - Dark Magical Rider】to attack Rafael's 【Guardian - Grall】!"

"Dark Magician Cavalry Roundabout!"

Chapter 622

At the tip of the lance in the hand of the [Super Magic Knight - Black Magic Rider] summoned in the game, a massive flow of magic began to gather.

【Book of the Sun】, 【Magic Extraction】, 【Sacrificial Doll】, 【Master-Disciple Bond】, 【Dark Magician】, 【Desert Light】, 【Fusion】, and the three cards that Yugi and Rafael had on the back field, all converged with a surge of power from the Spell/Trap cards used by both sides in this duel, flowing into the tip of 【Super Magician Knight - Dark Magician Rider】's spear.

Immediately afterwards, the lance began to spin, and the magic attached to it began to swirl. The warhorse began to gallop wildly, and the golden swirling power coiled around the [Super Magic Knight - Black Magic Rider] who had arrived before [Guardian - Grall].