Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"He spoke?!"

"Ha! I told you nobody cares whether that black guy lives or dies." [Sonic Bird]'s mouth didn't open, but its voice still reached Asuka's ears normally. This wasn't some kind of supernatural ability like telepathy, because Asuka quickly noticed that [Sonic Bird] was wearing a collar-like object around its neck, and it seemed that the sound coming from that object was what sounded like [Sonic Bird] speaking.

"Hey, human, stop staring at that bird so rudely!" The voice came again from the collar of the [Sonic Bird]. Asuka noticed that the [Sonic Bird] had developed a human-like impatient expression because she had been staring at it. "Seriously, how can there be such a big difference between humans?"

"Hayato-sama is much gentler."

"Hayato-sama?" Asuka was wondering whether the collar was playing a pre-recorded message or simply playing what [Sonic Bird] wanted to say, when she heard the other person mention her teacher. Curious, she asked, "You know Hayato-sensei?"

"You know perfectly well why I'm asking. Since you're here, it means you're the person Hayato-sama mentioned who came to the island to participate in the 'trial,' right?" [Sonic Bird] calmly preened its feathers with its beak and glanced at Asuka who had stepped into the circle. "And since you've voluntarily entered this area, it means you're ready to fight me, aren't you?"

"If you wish to receive the gifts left behind by Lord Hayato, then prove your worth with the ritual of dueling!"

Spreading its wings, Asuka saw that there was a Duel Disk hidden under the wings of the [Sonic Bird]. The style was similar to the Duel Disk used by Professor Chronos. Both were worn on the body and did not require the arms to bear the weight for a long time. This was just right for the [Sonic Bird], which could not wear a regular Duel Disk on its wings.

"but......"

"Bearing the orders given by Lord Hayato, I absolutely cannot lose!"

"Duel!"

[Sonic Bird: 4000LP, 5 cards in hand]

"So it really is a duel, but this is my first time dueling a non-humanoid Duel Monster." Asuka, who had expected this, raised her Duel Disk and said, "Just to confirm beforehand, defeating you means I can freely use the supplies in this supply point, right?"

"Duel!"

[Tenjouin Asuka: 4000 LP, 5 card in hand]

"You think you can defeat me so easily, you human brat?" Sonic Bird said disdainfully. "Do you think I'm just an ordinary Sonic Bird?"

"Although I am no different from my kind in appearance and color scheme, thanks to the thorough modernization modifications made to me by Lord Hayato, my performance is now comparable to that of a powerful bird like [Divine Bird - Smoloff]!"

"I, 'Sonic' [Sonic Bird], will take the first turn, then draw a card. And then, I'll use this card to prove my power and my speed!"

Using its wings like hands, it caught the cards that popped out of the Duel Disk and slammed the cards onto the massive blade-like surface of the Duel Disk: "First, I Normal Summon myself—[Sonic Bird]!"

As it spoke, [Sonic Bird] took a step forward and summoned itself.

【Sonic Bird】【4☆/Wind】

[Bird/Beast Race/Effect]

[1400/1000]

"I summon myself, and when I successfully Flip Summon, I can activate my effect to add one Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. And the card I chose is this one, [Sonic Chaser]." Catching the ejected card again, [Sonic Bird] said smugly, "Now watch closely, you human brat, and see what real speed is!"

"Ritual Spell Card [Sonic Chaser] activated!"

As [Sonic Bird] activated the card, a phantom hollow frame appeared behind him, seemingly a structural diagram of some kind of aircraft.

"By Tributing monsters in my hand and on the field whose combined Level is 4 or higher, I Ritual Summon [Transonic Bird] from my hand under the effect of [Sonic Chaser]. And I myself am a Level 4 monster!" [Sonic Bird] said, suddenly spreading its wings and shouting, "Armor Fusion!"

With its shout, the illusory frame behind it moved forward and collided with [Sonic Bird]. An unknown green aura rapidly filled the frame, and the rocket backpack behind it, along with the goggles on its head, changed, giving the impression that the level of technology had suddenly advanced by twenty years!

(Note: Sonic Bird is a card from 2000, while Transonic Bird is from 2021, which is indeed a 20-year difference.)

The rocket structure that provides the main thrust was retained, but it was replaced with fuel with a higher thrust-to-weight ratio and a new high-output nozzle. Horizontal and vertical wings were added to the sides and rear to maintain attitude stability during hypersonic flight. A ring-shaped computing device was also added to process information and assist in analyzing data such as flight path and celestial phenomena.

[Sonic Bird] wasn't wrong, it really did undergo so-called "modern modifications," but now it seems it should be called—

"Speed ​​is power, speed is everything! Soar high on the legacy of this thirst for speed, and surpass the speed of sound!" The card in its hand was put down by [Sonic Bird]—no, the card was put down by [Transonic Bird], which shouted, "Come forth, myself!"

"Ritual Summoning, Level 4☆!"

"Faster than the speed of sound, the [Transonic Bird]!"

[Transonic Bird] [4☆/Wind]

[Bird and Beast Race/Ritual/Effect]

[0/2400]

"Has it transferred all of its original attack power to defense?" Asuka was quite surprised to see [Transonic Bird] in defense position on the field. The Duel Monster she was familiar with in the past was showing a new form.

"Hmph, this brand new power!" [Transonic Bird] exclaimed excitedly, "Watch closely, human, what kind of powerful being you are about to challenge—at this moment, I will first activate this magic card in my hand, [Preparation for the Ritual]."

"Choose one Ritual Spell Card from my Deck, and then choose one Ritual Monster from my Deck or Graveyard whose name is written on that Ritual Spell Card. Add the two targeted cards to your hand."

"My choice is—" [Transonic Bird] took out two cards, "The Ritual Spell Card [Descent of Souls], and the Ritual Monster whose name is written on [Descent of Souls]—[Soul Bird God - Higanbana]!"

[Sonic Bird → Cross Sonic Bird: 4000LP, Hand 4 → 5]

"It's not over yet. I'm going to activate my own effect again—once per turn, I can reveal one Ritual Spell Card from my hand to my opponent. I've naturally chosen the one I just added to my hand, [Descent of Souls]."

"Surface electromyography tracking self-filling foundation concealer!"

With an ambiguous effect name, [Transonic Bird] briefly demonstrated [Descent of the Soul] before catching another card that popped out of its deck with its wings. "I add one Ritual Monster with its name on this Ritual Spell Card from my deck to my hand, and then return the card that was shown to my opponent to my deck. This time, the card I chose to add to my hand is this one, [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock].

"That was 'Yan Kongque' just now, and now it's 'Hime Kongque'. Does a single Ritual Spell Card list two monster names? And the 'Soul Bird God' field... is it taken from 'The Peacock Flies Southeast'?"

Asuka glanced at the "Descent of Souls" that "Transonic Bird" had put back into the deck, somewhat puzzled. Even with "Advanced Ritual" which allows you to select tributes from the deck, or "Noble Ritual" which allows you to select ritual monsters from the deck, ritual summoning, no matter how it changes, still has a hard time getting rid of the need for ritual spell cards, unless the ritual monster itself can be used as a ritual spell card.

Does the Ritual Monster of [Soul Bird God] have that kind of effect? ​​Otherwise, why would [Transonic Bird] want to send a Ritual Spell Card back to the Deck?

"The Continuous Spell Card [Soul's Abode] is activated. This card can grant 500 ATK and DEF to the Soul Monsters I control. However, since my Normal Summon this turn was used to Summon myself, I cannot Summon Soul Monsters that are generally not Special Summonable."

After placing a sticker on the card, [Transonic Bird] paused and continued, "Then I'll place two more cards face down, and this turn will end."

[Transonic Bird: 4000LP, Hand 5→2]

[Transonic Bird] [DEF2400]

[The Abode of the Soul] [Gaicard] X2

How to put it? Asuka felt that the development of [Transonic Bird] was quite simple and unpretentious, with a kind of innocence unique to the first-year students in the Yellow Dorm of Duel Academy—to put it bluntly, it was somewhat ordinary and of average quality.

But that seems normal, since the other party is just a dueling monster that has materialized on this island like a "grave guardian" clan for some reason. Although it seems to be related to Hayato-sensei, it doesn't change the fact that it is not a duelist like himself who specializes in dueling.

Unless the opponent actually has some hidden means, such as a soul in a ring, a small bottle that can produce special liquid, or a sect's secret technique that makes a "ding" sound, in terms of dueling, our side is stronger. It is estimated that the reason why Hayato arranged for the supply points to be guarded by Duel Monsters is simply to use duels to slow down everyone's speed of entering the supply points and extend the time to complete "Wilderness Survival".

It feels like a game designer creating tedious map-running quests just to extend players' playtime.

While inwardly grumbling about Hayato, Asuka drew a card: "Then it's my turn, draw!"

At the very moment Asuka drew her card, [Transonic Bird] activated the button to open the face-down card and said, "During my opponent's Standby Phase, I will activate the effect of this card on my back field."

"Trap Card [Starry Sky] can only be activated by showing one of my Ritual Monsters in my hand to my opponent. The card I'm showing is this one: [Soul Bird God - Yan Kongque]."

After showing off the [Soul Bird God - Yan Kongque] that had been added to his hand earlier, [Transonic Bird] continued, "A Ritual Monster with a different name but the same level as [Soul Bird God - Yan Kongque], I chose to add the second [Soul Bird God - Princess Kongque] from my deck to my hand."

Looking at the card art for "Starry Sky and Milky Way", Asuka's expression was strange: "Not only is it 'The Peacock Flies Southeast', but it also adds the 'separated by the Milky Way' setting from 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl'? It's even more persecuted than the original work. Is it really necessary to go to such lengths just to fall in love?"

"Besides, one [Yan Kongque] and two [Ji Kongque]? Isn't that a total scumbag? Indecisive men are the worst!"

Upon hearing Asuka's words, [Transonic Bird] opened its beak and spoke in unison from its collar: "Boring human, a duel is a duel, why are you bringing love into it? Hurry up and play cards, I'm going to use the deck of cards that Hayato-sama gave me to knock you to the ground!"

"A deck given to you by Hayato-sensei?" Asuka was somewhat surprised, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she resumed her serious duel. "No matter what, what's the point of just adding Ritual Monster cards to your hand? If you can't play them, it's meaningless!"

"I Normal Summon [Solemn Prayer - Rhythm], and then activate its first effect, which can only be activated if it is Normal or Special Summoned, to place one [Solemn Prayer] Continuous Spell/Trap Card face-up in my Spell/Trap Zone from my Deck."

【The Solemn Prayer - Reason】【1☆/Light】

[Angel Race/Effect]

[50/2050]

The defense states that the blue-haired, red-robed girl is elegantly summoned to the field, displaying a defensive power that rivals even the mighty "Little White Rabbit." Asuka immediately uses its effect to retrieve a card from the deck and attach it to the back row: "This is the card I placed in the Spell & Trap Zone, the Continuous Trap Card 'Solemn Light'."

Normally, Trap Cards need to be placed face-down for a turn to activate, just like real traps. However, the effect of [Solemn Prayer - Reason] is to place a face-up card directly, so Asuka would naturally choose a Continuous Trap Card to place it.

Chapter 1455 Pure [Solemn] ​​Deck

"One of the effects of 【Solemn Radiance】 is that you can return one LIGHT Ritual Monster (Warrior or Dragon) or one Ritual Spell Card from your hand or Graveyard to your Deck, and then add one 【Solemn Radiance】 monster from your Deck to your hand or Special Summon it directly."

After a pause, Asuka helplessly spread her hands, "However, I don't have either of them at the moment, so I can't use this effect for now."

"But judging from your appearance, you might also have cards in your hand that search for Ritual Spell Cards or Ritual Monsters?" [Transonic Bird] said, "I won't let you have your way!"

"At this moment, I will activate my own effects on the field!"

【Transonic Bird】 flaps its wings and declares: "Once during your opponent's turn, you can send one Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to the Graveyard to activate this effect! Make my effect the same as the Ritual Summon effect when that Ritual Spell Card was activated!"

"High-energy resonant insect acid extract setting spray!"

The circular computing device behind [Transonic Bird] rose, spewing out a cloud of smoke that vaguely created a phantom image: "The card I sent to the graveyard is this [Descent of the Soul]."

Asuka exclaimed in surprise, "It was a ritual summoning during the opponent's turn?!"

"Hmph, have you ever seen Lord Hayato up close? The power he bestowed upon me is beyond your imagination." [Transonic Bird] said smugly, "I'm going to release the Level 8 [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock] from my hand as a tribute for Ritual Summoning, bringing the total Level to 8! This is, something even more advanced than Ritual Summoning—Acceleration Ritual!"

"The gathered air currents will transform into an incoming storm, can you hear it? Can you hear it! That cry of love from the heavens above! A soul's symphony, a divine intervention!"

"Ritual Summoning, Level 8☆!"

"Sing praises to the [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock]!"

After some searching, [Transonic Bird] found two [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock] and one [Soul Bird God - Yan Peacock] in its hand. At this moment, it used one of the [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock] as a tribute to meet the level required for the ritual summoning and used the so-called "acceleration ritual" to summon the second [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock]!

A summoning circle unfolded in front of [Transonic Bird], from which appeared a girl dressed in a dress with peacock tail feather patterns. She was dressed like a princess, and her ethereal temperament was like that of a goddess from heaven.

【Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock】【8☆/Wind】

[Bird/Beast Race/Ritual/Soul/Effect]

[2500/3000]

"Because of the effect of [Soul's Abode], all my Soul Monsters on the field gain 500 ATK and DEF. [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock] is both a Ritual Monster and a Soul Monster, so it can benefit from the [Soul's Abode] bonus, gaining ATK and DEF!"

As the [Transonic Bird] flaps its wings, the attack and defense of its [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock] on the field increase simultaneously.

【Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock】【2500/3000→3000/3500】

"Both a ritual and a soul monster?" Asuka looked at [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock] with some surprise. "Is that why it's called 'Soul Bird God'?"

"Hmph, this is the card that Lord Hayato bestowed upon me, the one most suited to my power. It's said that in the distant past, this card even participated in Lord Hayato's battles!" [Transonic Bird] said proudly. "And the part of this card that best suits my power is that—when [Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock] is successfully Ritual Summoned, it has an effect that can be activated!"

"Return up to three Spell/Trap Cards from your opponent's field to their Deck. After that, you can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Spirit Monster from your Deck to your field, ignoring its Summoning conditions!"

"What?!" Asuka was stunned. She hadn't expected there to be such a move. "The effect of a successful Ritual Summon, which should only activate during your own turn, combined with the second-speed 'Acceleration Ritual,' can actually be used to interfere with the opponent!"

"So that means my backcourt..."

"That's right. Although it's only one card and can't fully unleash its power, it's enough. At least it prevents you from using that trap card's effect and wastes the power of [Solemn Prayer - Reason] on the field." [Transonic Bird] opened its beak, as if sneering. "Then first, bounce your card back into the deck—Breath of Wind!"

【Soul Bird God - Princess Peacock】waved her feather fan, creating a powerful gust of air comparable to a 【Hurricane】. Although using it on a single 【Solemn Radiance】card seemed like a waste, it successfully interrupted Asuka's strategy.