Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Game shook his head: "International Illusion Society isn't some heartless corporation, it's not like they're short of money for interns. And even if you say that, card design isn't a job on an assembly line, hiring more people won't make much of a difference."

“It’s more useful to hire one designer with even a little bit of talent than to hire a dozen or so assistants who have no talent in card design.”

Hearing about the game, Hayato raised an eyebrow: "What a coincidence! I remember there was a student at Duel Academy who had pretty good card design talent. Although his talent in dueling wasn't that great, he was one of the few who could see spirits."

“Look, my student has come over here too.”

Looking in the direction Hayato pointed, Yugi saw Kagurazaka, where a duel had already begun on the coast, and not far from Jaden Yuki. The burly Maeda Hayato and Misawa Daichi, after failing to find the thief at the Yellow Dormitory, also came here following the overly conspicuous attack effect of the [Destroyer Dragon - Gandora G] from the previous game.

It was after seeing Maeda Hayato that Yugi keenly noticed that the card spirit [Death Koala] beside him was in a highly manifested state, at least in the second stage. However, due to the insufficient ability of the holder, the strength of the power it could display was only at the level of a normal first-stage awakened spirit.

However, for card designers, the strength of the spirits is not important; the ability to see spirits is itself an extremely strong talent. It needs to be emphasized again that the ability to see spirits, or "spirit user," is an extremely rare ability, much rarer than the "Conqueror's Haki" in the world of Luffy, the sit-up king. It is almost one in ten million people, and if we were to count the billions of people in the world, the total number might not even reach a hundred.

Don't be fooled by the fact that you meet many Spirit Users in the game. A visit to the Duel Academy headquarters, which specializes in training duelists, reveals the true reality. Even at the Duel Academy, which selects its students meticulously, the number of people who actually see Spirits is no more than five: Yuuko Mogi, a second-year student; Hayato Maeda, who was almost a second-year student; Jun Manjoume and Jaden Yuki, both first-year students—only four in total.

Among them, Jaden and Manjoume undoubtedly aim to become duelists. Mogi Yuufu, whose personality is so leisurely that it can only be described as lazy, barely manages to go to school, let alone become a designer. Only Maeda Hayato can not only see and communicate with spirits, but also has an interest and talent in card design. He can be described as a "natural design genius".

Being able to see spirits, and even communicate with them, means that the cards designed can be as close to the ideal as possible, which is what is meant by giving the cards a "spirit." The most important thing about Duel Monsters cards isn't strength, but spirit. Even in the game, only Yugi and Pegasus are known to have the ability to see spirits, but if Hayato Maeda were recruited into International Illusion Company, the number would double!

—Why do you say it's "doubling" when it's clearly going from two to three people? Do you think that lazy dog ​​Pegasus will work properly? In the end, the head designer of the card design department should have been Pegasus himself, but because he always slacks off, the game had to take on the new head designer position and is therefore very busy.

That's unforgivable, Pegasus!

Chapter 1222 Because he's just a kid.

"My turn, draw a card!"

Judai drew a card from his deck and added it to his hand, glancing at his opponent's field.

Kagurazaka: 4000LP, 5 cards in hand

【Superconducting Fighter - Imperial God Magnetical Cannon King】【ATK4000】

【Sky Knight】【ATK3800】

[GaiK] X3

Just like when he used [Dark Magician Girl] in his duel with Marufuji Sho, Kagurazaka used Yugi Muto's deck, which was almost equivalent to a deck, with the same ease as if it were his own deck. In just one turn, he summoned the final terminal of the [Magnet Warrior] series, [Superconducting Fighter - Imperial God Magnet Cannon King], as well as the fusion form of the JQK three knights, [Celestial Knight], on his field.

Even after setting three Mystery Face-down cards to the back row, he still had a full five cards left. To Jaden and the onlookers, even if Yugi Muto himself were in that situation, using this deck, he probably couldn't achieve much more.

"【Celestial Knight】has the ability to negate the effects of Spell, Trap, or Monster that target it once per turn by discarding a card of the same type from your hand." Misawa, who arrived at the shore a little later than Jaden and the others, explained the lineup on Kagurazaka's field. "Then, 【Superconducting Fighter - Imperial God Magnet Cannon King】has an even greater power: when the opponent activates the effects of Spell, Trap, or Monster, it can directly negate and destroy them."

"Then, on this basis, the two monsters have super strength with attack power of up to 4000 points and 3800 points respectively. Even when [Superconducting Fighter - Imperial God Magnet Cannon King] leaves the field due to Jaden's effect, it can split into [Magnet Warrior - Electromagnetic God] and [Electromagnetic Stone Warrior - Electromagnetic Mad God].

Among the cards he possesses is the [Electromagnetic Warrior] series, which Misawa has studied extensively. "With such a lineup, even if the legendary duelist Seto Kaiba came and used his invincible [True Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] to unleash a devastating three-hit combo, it would be difficult to completely destroy Kagurazaka's lineup."

"How can someone be so proficient at using Yugi Muto's deck after only having it for such a short time?"

Hearing Misawa's words, Marufuji Sho nodded in agreement: "Right, right? That's too much. I could have beaten Kagurazaka with that deck before, but that guy actually stole the cards that Mr. Yugi Muto was exhibiting for the duel. It's practically cheating!"

“No, what’s important isn’t the cards, but the person using them.” Asuka disagreed with Marufuji Sho’s statement and said seriously, “While stealing cards is indeed wrong, Kagurazaka isn’t relying on the power of the cards to fight. He’s genuinely imitating the legendary duelist Yugi Muto with his own talent. Even if it’s a borrowed way of thinking, ultimately, it’s still Kagurazaka’s own talent.”

As Asuka finished speaking, a male voice came from not far away: "Hmph, that level of skill alone is not enough to beat that Jaden guy. If he were that easy to defeat, wouldn't it make me look like a loser?"

Because the Blue Dormitory was located in a relatively remote area, Manjoume was the last to find it on the coast. Professor Chronos, who had gone to the Blue Dormitory with him, was also by his side. After seeing the eye-catching special effects of the [Destroyer Dragon - Gandora G] and receiving news from Jaden Kagurazaka that the stolen card had been found, they rushed over.

Moreover, it wasn't just Manjoume and Professor Chronos who were involved; because their actions were completely undisguised, Marufuji Ryo, who didn't go to bed early, also learned about the stolen deck after a brief probing and followed along.

"Oh my god, why are we dueling on the beach?!" Professor Chronos said nervously, looking at Kagurazaka and Jaden, who were facing off on a smooth, large rock that served as their dueling platform. "What if the cards get wet from the waves, or the sea breeze blows them into the sea halfway through the duel?!"

“Teacher, you’re just being overly concerned.” Marufuji Ryo glanced helplessly at Professor Chronos. Everyone knew that although the Duel Disk produced by Kaiba Corporation seemed to be simply placed on the card when it was played, it actually had a special black technology that could firmly fix the card in place. This technology had even been verified years ago in Duel City through duels on airships flying high in the sky.

Of course, the fact that the cards are firmly fixed does not mean that they will not fall. Due to some inexplicable sense of humor, when a duelist is defeated due to a great impact, the card-fixing function of the Duel Disk will be immediately released. The specific effect is that there will be cards scattered all over the ground around the defeated duelist.

However, at least until Kagurazaka is defeated by Jaden, his deck in his Duel Disk will definitely stay where it belongs.

"During my Main Phase, I activate the Spell Card 'Reinforcement' to add one Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type monster from my Deck to my hand. I will add 'E·Hero Bubble Man' to my hand."

Seeing Jaden play a "Reinforcement" card, seemingly intending to search for a card to use in a combo, Kagurazaka smirked and said, "Your companions have already explained the effects of my monster, yet you still so easily used a card to search for it? I won't let you have your way."

"The effect of [Superconducting Fighter - Imperial God Magnet King] can only be activated once per turn when the opponent activates a Spell/Trap/Monster effect, negating and destroying that activation." Kagurazaka waved his hand, commanding [Superconducting Fighter - Imperial God Magnet King], "Railgun!"

The Superconducting Fighter - Imperial God Magnet Cannon King's shoulder railgun fired a metal projectile instantly without any charging process, piercing and destroying the [Reinforcement] that Jaden had just activated in the back field, thus stopping Jaden's search.

The cost is that the electromagnetic cannon enters a charging state, and the [Superconducting Fighter - Imperial God Electromagnetic Cannon King] cannot use this effect again during this round.

But Professor Chronos, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "That 'bad student,' isn't just all about brute force after all?"

Hearing Professor Chronos's words clearly, Jaden turned his head to look behind him, smiled and wiped the tip of his nose, saying, "Hehe, even I have learned a little from your teaching, teacher. First, use cards to lure out Counter, or 'Counter' for short, so that you can proceed with peace of mind."

"After [Reinforcements], I will pay half of my Life Points to activate the Spell Card [Hero's Arrival]!"

[Tenth Generation: 4000 → 2000 LP]

After using "Reinforcements" to bait out the effect of "Superconducting Fighter - Imperial God Magnet Cannon King," Jaden then played his true playlist—"Hero's Arrival." Although it came at the cost of paying half of his Life Points, the strength of "Hero's Arrival" justified the 2000 Life Points Jaden paid.

“If I have no face-up monsters on my field, I can pay half my Life Points to activate [Hero Arrival]. Special Summon one Level 4 or lower [E·hero] monster from my Deck to the field.” Jaden retrieved the searched card from his Deck. “I still choose [E·hero Bubble Man]!”

"Then there's the effect of the Special Summoned 【E·hero Bubble Man】: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, and there are no other cards on my field, I can activate this effect and draw two cards from my deck."

"Next, I'll activate the effect of the [Pot of Greed] I drew, and draw two more cards from my deck!"

First came the effect of [E·hero Bubble Man], known as "Greed Man," which drew cards and then [Pot of Greed], drawing two more cards. Although Jaden paid 2000 Life Points, he Special Summoned [E·hero Bubble Man] without even using his Normal Summon attempts, and his hand size increased to a full seven cards.

Watching Jaden keep drawing cards, Kagurazaka said nonchalantly, "【E·hero】 is just a cheap, common card. Your deck built with that kind of card is only third-rate, far inferior to the deck of the legendary duelist Yugi Muto that I use. No matter how many cards you draw, it won't increase your chances of winning by even a fraction."

Shaking his head, Jaden denied, "Duel Monsters cards may have different levels of rarity, but there is no such thing as a third-rate or second-rate deck, because no matter what kind of deck it is, it is built by the person with their own unique feelings and heart."

"Moreover, the key to determining the outcome of a duel is not the performance of the Duel Monster Card itself."

After the Greedy Hero's combo, Jaden glanced at the seven cards in his hand, drew one, and said, "I will use what you consider 'weak and cheap' to defeat what you value as 'powerful'! Magic Card [Angel's Charity] activated! I draw three cards from my deck and discard two more from my hand!"

After sending two cards to the graveyard, Jaden's hand remained unchanged, but a lion suddenly appeared on his field right after he sent the cards to the graveyard.

"One of the cards I sent to the Graveyard is this [Dandelion Lion]. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I Special Summon two [Wool Tokens] to my field in Defense Position. The Tokens Special Summoned by this effect cannot be Tributed for Tribute Summoning during the turn they are Special Summoned."

【Cotton and Wool Derivatives】【1☆/Wind】

[Plant family/derived products]

[0/0]

While explaining, Jaden activated a card from his hand and said, "However, for rituals, fusions, and the like, [Cotton Tokens] do not have any restrictions on other summoning methods."

"Spell Card [Fusion] activated! I Fusion Summon my WIND [Wool Token] and [E·hero] monster—[E·hero Bubble Man]—as Fusion Materials!"

"The power drawn from the elements will destroy everything, transforming into the coming storm, carrying heavy dark clouds!"

"Fusion Summon! [E·Hero Tornado]!"

On the field of the Jaden, [E·hero Bubble Man] reached out and pressed his hand on the head of the small [Cotton Wool Derivative], and the two monsters turned into light and disappeared at the same time. The dual "flowing" forces of wind and water merged and merged, turning into a wild tornado that rose from the ground!

From the raging air currents, a hand reached out and suddenly tore the tornado apart. Underneath the black bodysuit was a thick suit of armor in green, representing the storm, and yellow, representing the sandstorm. A black cloak was draped over her body and billowed with the relentless storm.

【E·hero Giant Tornado】【8☆/Wind】

[Warrior Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2800/2200]

Asuka remembered the fusion monster that had appeared in her first duel with Jaden very clearly, and knew its effects. She said expectantly, "Although the opponent's monster has strong attack power, using [E·Hero Tornado] will make the difficulty much lower!"

Jaden, who had placed the card "E·Hero Tornado" on his Duel Disk, tilted his head, gave a thumbs-up, and said with a smile, "That's right! Because the effect of 'E·Hero Tornado' is that if it is successfully Fusion Summoned, it reduces the ATK and DEF of all monsters on the opponent's field to half!"

"That means Kagurazaka, even your two monsters with attack power of 4000 and 3800 respectively will only become ordinary monsters with attack power of 2000 and 1900 under the effect of [E·Hero Great Tornado]." With a wave of his hand, Jaden said, "Unleash your power, [E·Hero Great Tornado]!"

"Downburst!"

The tornado, carrying sand and dust, swept towards Kagurazaka's field under the command of [E·hero Tornado]. Although it wouldn't destroy the cards in the back row like [Great Storm], the powerful airflow would significantly weaken the combat power of the two monsters on his field.

But at that moment, Kagurazaka, who had been watching Jaden's performance unfold from the beginning, suddenly spoke up: "Sore wa to ka na!"

It's unclear what he's hidden in his clothes, but after Kagurazaka presses some button, the Millennium Puzzle logo on his chest suddenly lights up with a golden glow. His previously composed dueling style vanishes, his expression changes drastically, as if he's become a completely different person. He mutters to himself, "The rest is up to you. I'll handle it myself!"

"Don't worry, it's the other me!"

As he spoke, Kagurazaka pressed the button to activate a face-down card: "Chain the effect of [E·Hero Tornado], open the face-down cards in my back row!"

Just as the storm controlled by [E·hero Great Tornado] was about to weaken the power of the Kagurazaka monster, it suddenly wrapped around his body from nowhere, causing the power of [E·hero Great Tornado] to be suddenly sealed and disappear, and the raging storm also subsided.

The chain extended all the way to the face-down card that Kagurazaka had opened on the back field, and Kagurazaka's voice rang out: "The Continuous Trap Card 'Demon Chain' can only be activated by targeting one Effect Monster on the field. While this card is in the Spell & Trap Zone, the targeted face-up monster cannot be affected and its effects are negated. And the target of 'Demon Chain's' effect is naturally 'E. Hero Tornado'!"

"When we are one, we are invincible!"

Upon hearing this, Maeda Hayato, who was standing outside the arena, had a look of sudden realization on his face: "I remember now. According to legend, the dark item 'Millennium Puzzle' held by Mr. Yugi Muto contains the soul of a pharaoh from three thousand years ago. He often swaps bodies with the pharaoh to participate in duels, which is why Mr. Yugi Muto's deck exhibits two different dueling styles."

"Kagurazaka, who obtained Yugi Muto's deck, not only imitated the thinking of the legendary duelist Yugi Muto himself, but also the dueling style of that Pharaoh's Soul?!"

While the others on the shore were surprised, Yugi complained to Hayato, "That's not how it is! The other me isn't calling me 'myself,' is it? It's not a true recreation at all!"

"Exactly, and using trap cards should be Yugi's style, while summoning monsters normally is Atem's style."

"No way, the other me used Trap Cards just as many, so why do you all think it's me whenever Trap Cards are mentioned!" Yugi said discontentedly, looking at Kagurazaka. "And why didn't you use [Demon Chain] when [E·hero Bubble Man] appeared, instead of waiting until now? Was it just to limit the attack power of [E·hero Great Tornado]?"

"Because he's still just a kid." Hayato said with a smile, having somehow put on sunglasses.

Chapter 1223 I think I understand (but I don't understand at all)

Despite his somewhat immature skills, there is no doubt that Kagurazaka possesses a talent for imitation, having replicated at least 100% or even 90% of the abilities of the game up to the Duel Kingdom era.

However, his imitation was a little too ambitious. He not only imitated Atum but also the game. Although he tried to pretend to switch personalities by talking to himself, just like in the game where there is a Millennium Puzzle that allows you to actively switch personalities, he could not create a Pharaoh personality from three thousand years ago out of thin air through imagination.

Ultimately, it was just him playing two roles. His thinking speed actually slowed down because he was too obsessed with the accuracy of the imitation, which is why the [Demon Chain], which could have been used much earlier, was activated so late.

However, although the [Chain of the Demons] did not maximize its effectiveness, it at least prevented the monsters on Kagurazaka from having their fighting power weakened by Jaden's [E·Hero Tornado], so it didn't result in too much of a loss.

"【E·Hero Tornado】!" Jaden, looking at the 【E·Hero Tornado】bound and bound to his field, unable to help it break free, turned to Kagurazaka Michi. "【Demon Chain】, I remember it's a type of card that destroys the target monster when it's destroyed, right? Like 【Cry of the Living Dead】?"

“That’s true, but do you have any cards in your hand that can directly destroy Spell & Trap Cards?” Kagurazaka asked calmly after hearing Jaden’s words.

Under his gaze, Jaden shook his head, but then said, "Although I don't have one on my field, I do have cards in my deck that can destroy monsters by effect. I activate the Spell Card 'Hero Mask' to target the 'Wool Tokens' on my field and send one 'E-Hero' monster from my deck to the Graveyard. I chose this 'E-Hero Skyman'!"

With the activation of the Spell Card, Jaden retrieved the card of "E-Hero Skyman" from his deck and sent it to the Graveyard. A helmet worn by "E-Hero Skyman" appeared on his back field and was placed on the "Wool Token" left by "Dandelion Lion" on his field.

[Cotton and wool derivative → E·hero Sky Knight] [DEF0]

Noticing the change in the name of the [Cotton Token] card, Kagurazaka raised an eyebrow: "A card that changes the name of the target monster? But only the name is changed; neither its attribute nor its ATK or DEF changes. It's a card with no clear purpose. And to send your own monster to the Graveyard just for that kind of reason, don't you think that's going too far?"

The line Kagurazaka uttered was none other than what Yugi had said to Rebecca during their initial, somewhat antagonistic, duel. While Jaden and the others didn't seem to find it particularly striking, Yugi, standing some distance away, was incredibly embarrassed. Had he used that line in the first place?

On the opposite side of Kagurazaka, upon hearing the other's words, Jaden smiled and said, "Don't be too impatient, Kagurazaka. Although it may seem like we've entered a graveyard, the heroes won't be swallowed up by the darkness within. On the contrary, the hardships will only allow the heroes to go further on the path of justice—with the support of their comrades."

"I haven't performed a normal summon this turn. I will normal summon this [E·hero Liquid Man] from my hand in Attack Position and activate its effect!"