Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Upon hearing Manjoume's words, Marufuji Ryo glanced at the monsters on his field and calmly said, "A mere target with 4000 attack power? But Manjoume, the combined attack power of the monsters on your field is less than 4000. Aren't they even worse than a target?"

Despite his usual aloof demeanor, Ryo Marufuji has a rich inner world; he's just not good at expressing it. When he heard Manjoume looking down on his old friend, "Electronic Terminator Dragon," he surprisingly retorted.

"Hmph, the ATK of a Duel Monster isn't the key factor in determining its strength. What did you think I was going to do with the card I retrieved from my deck using the effect of [Awakening Dragon - Young Infernal Wind God]?"

Manjoume draws a card from his hand and places it on the Duel Disk. "I banish one Level 8 Dragon-Type monster from my Fusion Deck—Fusion Monster Dark Terminator Dragon—to activate the effect of this Dark and Annihilation Dragon in my hand."

(Let's just consider the banished cards as a fusion version of Dark End Dragon. Who knows why they had to be Synchro when they were released as O? Other 8-star Dragon Fusion cards are either Brand or Legendary Dragons, so there are basically none suitable for Manjoume.)

(It seems like no one understands why Konami made the cards Synchro.)

"Special Summon it from my hand!"

As Manjoume took out a card and put it in his pocket, effectively banishing it, a crimson-purple flame surged from the other side of his [Awakened Demon Dragon - Young Hellfire God], appearing both alluring and sinister. Within this flame, two pairs of eyes lit up simultaneously, and as the towering figure stepped out amidst the demonic flames, the audience realized that the two pairs of eyes were located on the head and chest of the black dragon before them, respectively.

It wasn't just the eyes; the black dragon also had a hideous face on its chest, with countless sharp teeth biting together to form a mouth, giving it a rather unsettling appearance.

"Dark dragon, emerge from the endless darkness! Level 8☆, Special Summon!"

"【Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation】!"

【Darkness and the Dragon of Annihilation】【8☆/Dark】

[Dragon Clan/Effect]

[2600/2100]

In such a short time since the start of the turn, Manjoume had easily summoned two high-level dragons with an attack power of over 2500. He glanced at the two cards remaining in his hand and said to Marufuji Ryo, "The self-restriction of the Special Summon of [Dark and Annihilation Dragon] is that I cannot Special Summon non-Dragon monsters this turn. However, for someone like me whose deck consists almost entirely of Dragon monsters, this side effect is practically nonexistent."

"And the effect of [Darkness and Annihilation Dragon] is the bullet I'm using to shatter your arrogance that has finally been revealed!" As he spoke, Manjoume waved his hand and said, "This card's two effects can each be used once per turn, and the second effect of [Darkness and Annihilation Dragon] can be activated by choosing one of the two effects. Right now, I'm choosing to use its second second effect!"

"You can only target one Attack Position monster on the field, except for that one. Reduce the ATK and DEF of [Dark and Annihilation Dragon] by 500 and destroy the targeted monster!"

"The monster I've chosen is naturally Kaiser's Cyber ​​End Dragon in Attack Position! By skipping battle and destroying it by effect, no matter how high your Cyber ​​End Dragon's ATK is, it will be meaningless!"

Pointing his finger at the electronic dragon on the opposite field, Manjoume shouted, "Crush it! [Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation]!"

"Darkness evaporates!"

[Darkness and the Dragon of Annihilation] [2600/2100→2100/1600]

Similar to the [Dragon of Light and Darkness], which requires a decrease in attack and defense stats to activate, this effect was activated at this moment as the power of the [Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation] weakened. The demonic flames beneath its feet spread out with a stomp and reached the feet of the [Electronic Termination Dragon].

The tough metal armor was corroded by the demonic flames, which spread rapidly. The "Electronic Terminator Dragon," which appeared as part of the "Electronic Technology Revolution," showed no signs of damage before being quickly targeted and countered by Manjoume's "Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation." Enveloped in the demonic flames, it was instantly vaporized.

At that moment, in the audience, before Marufuji Sho could even cheer for the appearance of [Electronic Terminator Dragon], he saw it suffer a swift defeat and leave the stage.

Even Asuka was surprised: "[Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon] was taken down so quickly!?"

"After all, Manjoume said it a long time ago, right? He's wanted to defeat Caesar for a long time, but he just hasn't found an opportunity to defeat him in public." Jaden wasn't surprised by Manjoume's performance. "He's so strong, and he's specifically researched decks to counter Caesar. Isn't it only natural that he could do something like that?"

"However, although the [Cyber ​​End Dragon] is the pinnacle of 'Cyber ​​Flow', it is not the end for Caesar. Now that the [Cyber ​​End Dragon] has been defeated, it is time for Caesar to get serious."

"Well done, Manjoume, you actually defeated [Cyber ​​End Dragon] so easily." Kaiser remained calm as he sent his old friend to the graveyard, with only one [Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon] left on the field in Defense Position. "However, the effect of [Dark and Annihilation Dragon] can only be activated once per turn, and it can only be used on monsters in Attack Position."

"But my Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon has a defense of 2800, which is equivalent to your destroyed ace, Light and Darkness Dragon. None of your three monsters can break through its defense."

"Tch, being so offensive is one thing, but being so defensively troublesome is another?" Manjoume said somewhat displeased. "It seems I'm out of options and have no choice but to end this here—did you think I'd say that?"

Changing the subject, Manjoume played a card from his hand and said, "In the end, it's just a monster with high defense. If we just change [Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon] to attack position, we can easily defeat it, right? I can see clearly that the card's attack power is only a mere 800 points!"

"In that case, activate the Spell Card 'Defense' Seal!"

"You can only activate this effect by targeting one of your opponent's Defense Position monsters on the field. Change that monster to face-up Attack Position." Manjoume's lips curled into a smile as he pointed at [Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon]. "In that case, your 'barrier' has become your weak point!"

【Defense】 is a classic spell card from the early days, but "early" doesn't mean "bad." Look at 【Pot of Greed】, it's still active today, isn't it? The same goes for this card; if used in the right situation, it can still have a great effect.

Targeting Ryo Marufuji's only single monster on the field—the Defense Position Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon—the "Defense" skill is activated, switching it to Attack Position. The Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon, which was coiled around Ryo Marufuji, had to change its posture, poking out its head that had been tucked behind its sturdy body to face the powerful enemy in front of it.

[Electronic Barrier Dragon] [DEF2800→ATK800]

"The [Burning Dragon] with 2500 attack power, plus the [Dark and Annihilation Dragon] with 2600 attack power, are more than enough to defeat your only [Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon] with a mere 800 attack power, and could even wipe out your 4000 attack power!"

Manjoume sneered, "With your back row completely wiped out, what cards in your hand can still be effective? And do you even have the luxury of talking about respect? Victory is already within my grasp, Caesar!"

"But that's not enough. My current probability of victory is 99%. I need to add that final 1% chance!" As he spoke, Manjoume waved his hand and said, "Activate the effect of [Reincarnation Dragon - Sanghara] in my graveyard!"

The Reincarnation Dragon - Sanghara, which was previously released for the superior summoning of the Dragon of Light and Darkness, appeared from Manjoume's graveyard. The Reincarnation Dragon - Sanghara, with its head and tail connected, resembled a string of prayer beads and spun in front of Manjoume, opening a white portal.

"The effect of 【Reincarnation Dragon - Sanghara】 requires banishing itself and targeting a Level 5 or higher Dragon-Type monster in my Graveyard to activate. That monster is added to my hand, and thereafter I can Tribute Summon that monster without consuming a Normal Summon."

Reaching into the portal, Manjoume retrieved the card from the graveyard, flipped it over, and showed it to Marufuji Ryo, saying, "The monster I chose is the [Dragon of Light and Darkness]!"

However, just as Manjoume was about to pull the card out of the portal to the graveyard, the door opened by [Reincarnation Dragon - Sanghara] flickered. Manjoume instinctively pulled his hand out quickly, only to see the portal suddenly close and disappear as if it had short-circuited. Manjoume's hand was almost left on the other side of the portal.

"What... what's going on?"

"It's just a way to deal with a loss, something I added to the deck," said Ryo Marufuji, showing the cards in his hand. "The monster card [Skull King], although it's not a 'cyber deck' card, I included it because of its ability to counter effects in the graveyard."

"When an effect of a Spell, Trap, or Monster is activated in my opponent's Graveyard, I can send this card from my hand to the Graveyard to activate its effect and negate that effect."

Ramses II's Horus cards all start from the graveyard, and Jonouchi's Flame Swordsman also uses various cards to flood the graveyard to activate effects. After suffering two defeats in a row, how could Marufuji Ryo not learn his lesson and prepare some cards that target graveyard effects?

Even a hero enthusiast like Jaden isn't the kind of stubborn fool who insists on having only one theme in their deck and can't include other cards. They still put cards like "Dark Catapult," "Necromancer," and "Winged Kuriboh" in their decks. Ryo Marufuji isn't exactly a die-hard either; he added "Skeleton King" to his deck early on. If he had the resources, he would have really wanted a card like Hayato's "DD Crow," which could banish cards directly from the opponent's graveyard.

It was precisely because of the [Skull King] being discarded to the graveyard that the effect of [Reincarnation Dragon - Sosara] activated in the graveyard was nullified, preventing him from successfully retrieving [Dragon of Light and Darkness], which could provide multiple tri-color counters.

"Tsk, troublesome guy, but this also means that you've used up the only unknown card in your hand." Looking at Marufuji Ryo's last remaining card, Manjoume was both annoyed and relieved, because he knew that the last card could only be the [Electronic Emergency Call] that Marufuji Ryo had collected into his hand last turn.

So far, none of the cards that Marufuji Ryo has sent to the graveyard have any graveyard activation effects. He has no back row and no hand traps, so he can now attack with confidence!

"Enter my battle phase! Be defeated and leave the stage, Caesar!" Manjoume arrogantly declared. "Attack of the [Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation]! Crush that [Electronic Barrier Dragon]!"

"Original Darkness - The End of the Universe!"

Shouting a rather formidable name, Manjoume's [Dragon of Darkness and Annihilation] opened its massive maw on the field, inhaling and swallowing all the surrounding demonic flames, compressing them into a pseudo-black hole, before suddenly spitting it out towards Marufuji Ryo's [Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon] on the field!

How could the [Electronic Barrier Dragon] possibly withstand such a powerful attack—and it did block it!?

"The armor on [Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon] isn't just for show; it's just a single attack that can be easily pushed back," Ryo Marufuji said calmly. "Besides its defense comparable to [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon], [Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon] also has a hidden effect that can only be activated in attack position: negate the attack of one opponent's monster once per turn!"

The compressed pseudo-black hole was suddenly captured by the force field in front of the [Electronic Barrier Dragon]. The [Electronic Barrier Dragon] opened its body device and deployed a defensive force field to slowly control the pseudo-black hole, preventing it from releasing any gravity to cause damage.

Manjoume never expected the [Electronic Barrier Dragon] to have such an effect. Ultimately, what normal person would use a monster like the [Electronic Barrier Dragon]?

Normally, Ryo Marufuji uses either the "Power Welding" combo with "Cyber ​​Dragon" or a three-hit combo with "Cyber ​​Dragon" after fusion release. Ordinary people simply cannot withstand two such attacks, let alone attempt to build other deck components. It is only in his duel with Jaden that Ryo Marufuji occasionally manages to pull out something new.

However, when he dueled Jaden, Marufuji Ryo mostly used other types of Cyber ​​Dragons, such as Cyber ​​Dragon II, and repeatedly played old cards like Cyber ​​End Dragon and Cyber ​​Twin Dragon in combination with cards like Cyber ​​Lighthouse. The duel between him and Jaden lacked the sense of scheming and plotting that other players had; it was just a grand spectacle of "battle! It's awesome!"

Only now did the [Electronic Barrier Dragon] give Manjoume a piece of information, causing him to miss the opportunity to kill him.

Even though he lost the ability to defeat Ryo Marufuji in this round, Manjoume didn't give up the fight. He just said unhappily, "You blocked the first attack, but what about the second? My [Burning Dragon] hasn't even attacked yet!"

"It's your turn to attack, [Burning Dragon], crush [Electronic Barrier Dragon]!"

"Big Flame Burst!"

A surge of flames came, but this time the [Electronic Barrier Dragon] had not yet finished dealing with the attack from the [Dark and Annihilation Dragon] and could not deploy its defensive field to block the attack again. It could only rely on its weak 800 attack power to withstand the attack.

As a result, the flames instantly tore through its armor and shattered [Cyber ​​Barrier Dragon]. Ryo Marufuji's last monster on the field was destroyed and sent to the graveyard. He also suffered excess battle damage, and his Life Points dropped for the first time since the start of the duel.

[Ryo Marufuji: 4000→2300LP]

Chapter 1312 The Electronic Dragon Has Limits (Memorize the Entire Text)

"I set one card face down, and my turn ends." With his last card played and set face down on the back field, Manjoume ended his turn quite decisively.

【Manjou: 3700LP, 0 cards in hand】

【Awakening Dragon - Young Hellfire God】【DEF0】

【Burning Dragon】【ATK2500】

【Darkness and the Dragon of Annihilation】【ATK2100】

【GaiKa】

In a single exchange, Manjoume successfully regained control of the battlefield from Marufuji Ryo, even managing to turn the tables and suppress him once more. Judging solely from the strategic deployment, "Caesar" Marufuji Ryo was actually at a disadvantage!

Seeing that Marufuji Ryo's base score had been reduced by nearly half, Manjoume couldn't help but reveal a smug smile: "Even if you survive this attack, your base score will only be slightly more than half left. Caesar, your days as the 'strongest in the academy' should end. It's time to hand over that title to me."

"Next round will be your defeat. Now, begin your final struggle."

"struggle..."

Marufuji Ryo subconsciously repeated the last two words of Manjoume.

Could this word really apply to me?

No, that idea is wrong too. I'm just an ordinary duelist. I don't have any special strengths that set me apart from others, so why can't I be associated with such a word?

Marufuji Ryo lowered his head slightly and a bitter smile appeared on his lips. Could he really be as arrogant as Manjoume said, thinking that he could win any duel with ease without having to deal with difficulties and struggles?

Looking up at the audience around him, most of them were surprised and astonished that "Caesar" could be suppressed by Manjoume, a first-year student. They found it hard to believe that they were at a disadvantage.

But that seems obvious, doesn't it? Was I really fully committed to this duel?

He fought with the same respect and reverence as before, but because of the previous duels, his mindset had changed without him realizing it. It was like a piece of paper that had been torn apart; no matter how he tried to stick it back together, it could never be restored to its original state.

It was as if he had come to a fork in the road. On one side was the path he had always taken, and on the other was a path he had never set foot on but instinctively wanted to take. If it were his previous self, he might have subconsciously resisted taking this path because of his past upbringing. However, after the duel with Katsuya Jonouchi, the "dark will" he spoke of resonated with him.

It's not about honor and glory, but about respecting others and their decks when dueling. It's about "the dark will" that's willing to give up everything, including one's own life, to achieve one's goal, and to duel for the purest victory.

If the path I had taken in the past could be described as the "golden spirit" that shines like gold in the light, then the fork in the road that appeared after I gradually reached the limit of "perfection" that I could reach on the path of "electron flow" could be best described as the form of "dark will".

It was through his duel with Jonouchi and the latter's guidance that Marufuji Ryo, standing at the crossroads, clearly realized that the crossroads was not a "fork in the road" or a "fall into depravity" in the usual sense. The road extended in the same direction as the road he had originally traveled, and even led to the same destination.

However, it seems that I have lingered and hesitated at this crossroads for too long. I could have gone much further if I had continued on the original path or gone straight into that new world, but I have stayed here for so long.

Perhaps it's time to make a decision.

As his gaze shifted, Ryo Marufuji saw his former teacher, now the vice principal Samejima, Hayato looking at him with encouraging eyes, his younger brother Sho Marufuji with a worried expression, and Judai with an expectant look.

Is that so? Even if everyone else is surprised by my decline, Judai, are you still expecting me to perform? Besides, it's rare that Sho is starting to grow up, and I can't stay here any longer.

and so--

"Well done, Manjoume, as expected of you." Looking at the [2300LP] displayed on his Duel Disk, Marufuji Ryo said, "You... successfully made me 'bleed'."

“To defeat ‘God,’ you must first make Him bleed.” With no cards in his hand, Manjoume crossed his arms. “Then tell me, Caesar, will you ‘bleed’?”

“It’s obvious that if I were to fight you in the same state as before, I might lose.” Marufuji Ryo said, finally raising his head to look directly into Manjoume’s eyes. Manjoume vaguely saw something in Marufuji Ryo’s eyes. “But, as I said, I don’t want to lose.”

"I've thought it through. Victory! Victory is what I want! Respect and honor come after victory! No, in other words, what I respect is victory!"

Raising his Duel Disk, Ryo Marufuji placed his finger on the top of his deck: "My turn. As you expected, I, who have been giving my all for victory, am about to begin my struggle, Manjoume!"