Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"A monster card, used as a continuous trap card?" Kajiki Ryota blinked. "It's the complete opposite of a trap monster, which is a trap card but can be used as a monster card. I've never seen this kind of battle before."

"Then watch closely! The power of [V·hero] is maximized when they are placed as 'phantoms' on the back row!" Edward said, waving his hand again. "When [V·hero Incremental] is used as a Continuous Trap Card, its effect can be activated during both players' Main Phases by Tributing one [Hero] monster on my field as cost to Special Summon it to my field!"

"I first activate the effect of [D·hero Demon] in my Graveyard, banish it, and Special Summon a second [D·hero Demon] from my Deck. Then I Tribute [D·hero Demon] and Special Summon [V·hero Increment]!"

Needless to say, [D·hero Demon] is the [Hero] monster that Edward sent as cost when he used the effect of [V·hero Alone]. Compared to his other companions who prioritize style over warmth, [D·hero Demon], who was already wearing thermal pants, was immediately released back to his warm old home, the graveyard, the moment he appeared on the field.

Having absorbed the power of [D·hero Demon], [V·hero Incremental], which was just a phantom a moment ago, gained a physical form, walked out from behind Edward, and stood next to [V·hero Alone], demonstrating a subtle act of "discarding the bridge after crossing the river".

【V·hero Incremental Person】【3☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[900/1100]

"Only when [V·hero Increment] is Special Summoned from the Spell & Trap Zone can its other effect be activated: Special Summon one [V·hero] monster of Level 4 or lower from my Deck, Phantom Clone!"

Similar to the effect of using [V·hero Alone] before, the pink LEDs on [V·hero Incremental Man] lit up one after another. However, this time the light was not on Edward's back field but on his own side, and another phantom-like monster appeared out of thin air.

【V·hero Android】【4☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[1000/1200]

The lights gradually changed from pink to purple, and a phantom hero appeared, fully armed, wearing split armor with large and small LED lights embedded in his body, and even a huge LED light in the center of his face shield.

"This effect can only be activated when [V·hero Bionic] is Normal or Special Summoned. Send one [Hero] monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. The card I choose is this [V·hero Poisonous Man]."

Send the retrieved card to the Graveyard. Ed removes the second [D·hero Demon] from the Graveyard and banishes it. He then retrieves another card from his Deck and places it on the Duel Disk. "Then banish the second [D·hero Demon] from my Graveyard again and Special Summon the third [D·hero Demon] from my Deck!"

【D·hero's Demonic Aura】【DEF800】

With four cards remaining in his hand and no Normal Summons yet this turn, Edward had already easily amassed four monsters on the field. While individual monsters weren't particularly powerful, Edward possessed cards that allowed him to efficiently convert monsters on the field into his own usable power!

"Continuous Spell Card [D-Power] activated!" After playing a card, Edward's Duel Disk began its automatic search, and a card popped out which he caught. "As part of the effect that triggered this card's activation, I add this card—[D-Hero Blood Demon-D]—from my Deck and Graveyard to my hand!"

"With that, I've got my trump card monster, and the stage I need for his debut is ready!"

Revealing the [D·hero Blood Demon-D] card from his hand, Edward said to Kajiki Ryota, "[D·hero Blood Demon-D] cannot be Normal Summoned; it can only be Special Summoned by Tributing three monsters on my field. I will Tribute [V·hero Alone], [V·hero Incremental], and [D·hero Demon]!"

"The blood of the sacrifice will become the altar at the end of fate, awakening the ultimate [D·hero]!"

"Special Summon, Level 8☆! Descend, my ace, my ultimate 'D'!"

"Awaken! [D·Hero Blood Demon-D]!"

【D·hero Blood Demon-D】【8☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[1900/600]

"As long as I have [D·hero Blood Demon-D] on my field, then [D-Power] on my back field will have the following effects: I cannot draw cards during the Draw Phase, the cards on my field cannot be targeted by my opponent's card effects, and the ATK of [D·hero Blood Demon-D] on my field will increase by 100 times the number of monsters in both players' Graveyards, it cannot be destroyed by my opponent's card effects, and it can attack twice during the same Battle Phase."

As Edward spoke, he raised his Duel Disk, and three beams of light flew from his Graveyard and flowed into the body of [D·hero Blood Demon-D]: "Now I have four monsters in my Graveyard: [V·hero Alone], [V·hero Incremental], [V·hero Poison], and [D·hero Demon], so [D·hero Blood Demon-D]'s ATK will increase by 400 points!"

【D·hero Blood Demon-D】【ATK1900→2300】【

When Edward explained, he specifically emphasized the effect of [D-Power], but did not mention even a word about the effect of [D·hero Blood Demon-D], especially the "one-way skill drain" ability that [D·hero Blood Demon-D] possesses when [D-Power] is present.

In Edward's judgment, a powerful duelist like Kajiki Ryota would surely notice that Edward was specifically focusing on [D-Power] during his introduction and trying to divert Ryota's attention. In that case, Ryota would definitely start thinking about what kind of effect [D·hero Blood Demon-D] would have. Although Edward himself rarely used [D-Power] in professional matches, he had never really hidden [D·hero Blood Demon-D].

In that case, he would inevitably act based on what he already knew about the effects of [D·hero Blood Demon-D], and would never have imagined that [D·hero Blood Demon-D] actually had a hidden effect that required [D-Power] to take effect! This oversight would directly lead Kajiki Ryota into danger!

However, upon hearing Edward's words, Kajiki Ryota exclaimed in surprise, "You can't make the cards on your field the target of my effects? That's amazing resistance, but the price is also huge. You can't draw cards during the draw phase?"

Edward wasn't sure if the other person genuinely hadn't noticed or was just pretending, but he still replied, "Even if I can't draw cards during the draw phase, I still have ways to replenish my hand."

"I can use the second effect of my [V·hero Bionic] once per turn, banishing one [Hero] monster from my Graveyard, to add one [Fusion] from my Deck to my hand. I banish a third [D·hero Demon].

“Next, I activate the Spell Card [Fate Draw]. To activate this card, I need to discard one [D·hero] from my hand. The card I discarded is [D·hero Negator].” Having discarded one card to the Graveyard, Edward placed his finger above his deck, leaving him with two cards in his hand. “Under the effect of [Fate Draw], I draw two cards from my deck!”

"Then, I activate the effect of the [D·hero Negator] that I just sent to the Graveyard. This effect can be activated if this card is in the Graveyard, or if there is a [D·hero] monster other than [D·hero Negator] on my field. Special Summon [D·hero Negator] to my field!"

The blond masked man—【D·hero Denial】—jumps out of the graveyard and appears on Edward's field. Wielding a chain, he swings one end of the chain towards Edward's deck, precisely selecting a card and hooking it to the top of Edward's deck.

【D·hero Denier】【3☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[1100/600]

"Another effect of 【D·hero Negator】is that when this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can activate this effect: select one 【D·hero】 monster from your Deck, Graveyard, or banished state and place it on top of your Deck. The card you select is this 【D·hero Doctrine】 from your Deck."

"Then I will perform a Normal Summon for this turn, Normal Summoning [V·hero Gravity] to my field and activating [V·hero Gravity]'s effect."

【V·hero Gravity Man】【4☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[500/2000]

Edward placed the card on the Duel Disk and retrieved one of the previously banished [D·hero Demonic Man]. "If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can target one of my banished [Hero] monsters and add it to my hand. I chose this [D·hero Demonic Man].

"In that instant, besides [D. Hero Blood Demon - D], I now have three more monsters on my field that can be Tributed!" Edward played a card at Kajiki Ryota. "Spell Card [Pot of Greed]! I draw two cards from my deck, including [D. Hero Doctrine], which I previously placed on top of the deck with the effect of [D. Hero Negater]!"

Ed Phoenix: 4000LP, hand 4→5

"Then, I will sacrifice three monsters containing the name 'D.hero' from my field: [V.hero Gravity Man], [D.hero Negator], and [V.hero Android]!"

With the same special summoning conditions, what Edward wants to special summon is naturally the [D·hero Doctriner] who was just added to his hand. "Even though I have fallen into darkness thrice, my heroic heart cannot be extinguished. Let the final lament be played under the bond!"

"Special Summon, Rank 8☆! The Noble Emperor—[D·hero Doctrine] has arrived!"

【D·heroic Cultist】【8☆/Dark】

[Warrior/Special Summon/Effect]

[3400/2400]

With a demonic appearance yet a knightly air, [D·hero Doctrine] descended onto Aide's field, performing two super-high-level [D·hero] Special Summons in a single turn. However, this was not Aide's full strength, because he immediately played another card immediately after the [D·hero Doctrine] Special Summon.

"It's not over yet! I'm going to activate this card again, the Spell Card [Fusion]!" Edward played the [Fusion] card that had been added to his hand earlier using the effect of [V·Hero Bionic Man]. He showed Kajiki Ryota the two cards in his hand and said, "From my hand, I send this Level 6☆ or higher [Hero] monster—this Level 6☆ [D·Hero Demon]—and this [D·Hero Monster One-in-One]—this [D·Hero Determined Man]—as Fusion Materials to the Graveyard!"

"Heroes of this tyrannical world, heroes of unwavering resolve, now unite as one, become the immortal and indestructible Hero of Destruction, and descend upon this land!"

"Fusion Summon, Level 8☆!"

Flames erupted on the field of love, and in the space between [D·hero Doctrine] and [D·hero Blood Demon-D], the soaring flames transformed into a phoenix!

"Fly! [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix]!"

【D·hero Destroys the Phoenix】】【8☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Fusion/Effect]

[2500/2100]

It has to be said that Fusion Summoning is indeed the most card-inefficient summoning method. After summoning [D·hero Doctrine] and [D·hero Blood Demon-D] in succession, Edward still had four cards left in his hand. However, after fusing his hand, Edward suddenly only had one card left. To make matters worse, he was restricted by [D-Power] and could not draw cards to replenish his hand in the next turn.

But since he previously stated that he had a solution, it must actually be true.

"The last card I played was this Continuous Spell Card, Nightmare Mirage, and then I ended my turn."

After playing his card, Edward confidently ended his turn and waited for Kajiki Ryota to begin his turn.

Chapter 1466 Please do not summon yourself on the field during a duel.

Ed Phoenix: 4000LP, 0 cards in hand

【D·hero Destroys the Phoenix】【ATK2500】

【D·hero Theorist】【ATK3400】

【D·hero Blood Demon-D】【ATK2200→2700】【

【D-Power】【Nightmare of the Mirage】

Because of the existence of [D-Power], the large number of monsters that Edward sent to the graveyard to Special Summon [D-Hero Doctrine] and [D-Hero Phoenix Destroyer] provided a stronger boost to [D-Hero Blood Demon-D], making its attack power even higher than that of [D-Hero Phoenix Destroyer].

Meanwhile, although it has not yet been revealed, the seven [Hero] monsters in Edward's graveyard can be transformed by [D·hero Phoenix Man of Destruction] to generate a powerful weakening force, which can reduce the attack power of Kajiki Ryota's monsters on the field by as much as 1600 points.

This means that if you want to destroy the [D·hero Destroyer Phoenix] with the lowest attack power on the field through combat, you would need at least 4100 attack power, and that would be under the power suppression of [D·hero Blood Demon-D] with the assistance of [D-Power].

More importantly, because of the investment of [Nightmare Mirage], the cards in my hand that I am currently short will be replenished to a full four cards when Kajiki Ryota's turn comes!

"Oh? That's impressive, three powerful monsters in total." Kajiki Ryota nodded in approval as he looked at Edward's field setup. "And if I remember correctly, [D. Hero Blood Demon -D] has the ability to steal enemy monsters as its Equip Card, [D. Hero Doctrine] can halve the opponent's Life Points during each of their Standby Phases, and there's also [D. Hero Destroyer Phoenix], which has a Speed ​​2 destruction card effect..."

Despite his unassuming appearance, Kajiki Ryota is incredibly intelligent, a far cry from the intuitive type like Jonouchi, relying heavily on experience. While most professional duelists have agencies or at least employ a professional dueling agent to handle business and gather dueling intelligence, Kajiki Ryota has never been interested in such financial matters, always operating as a solo artist in the professional dueling world.

He is only ranked eighth in the world, but his strength is far more than just eighth place. Even if he were to compete with the sixth-ranked "Thief" Keith or the fourth-ranked "Dinosaur" Ryuzaki, he could still win. It's just that compared to those who have the assistance of an agency team to provide data analysis, Kajiki Ryota's performance is relatively unstable.

If he remembered correctly, Edward's [D·hero Phoenix Destroyer] seemed to have the ability to reduce the attack power of the opponent's monsters. Without needing to count, from the current 2600 attack power of [D·hero Blood Demon-D], it can be deduced that Edward currently has seven [Hero] monsters in his graveyard. In other words, [D·hero Phoenix Destroyer] would reduce the attack power by as much as 1400 points.

Even a monster of the caliber of Blue-Eyes White Dragon would instantly become a weakling with an attack power of only 1600 points.

Thinking about it this way, today's young people are really something else, aren't they? They're only in their teens, right? No, if you think about it carefully, didn't Yugi Muto and Jonouchi become top-tier fighters worldwide at around the same age? It seems quite reasonable from that perspective.

but......

"But don't get too cocky just because you won the championship last year, Edward." Kajiki Ryota flashed a hearty and confident smile. "Take a good look at the true strength of our seniors! If you underestimate me, you'll suffer the same fate as when you dueled that newcomer called 'Caesar'!"

"My turn, draw a card!"

The instant Kajiki Ryota drew his card and entered his Standby Phase, Edward also drew four cards from his deck: "Then during my opponent's Standby Phase, due to the effect of my Continuous Spell Card [Nightmare Mirage] in my back row, I draw cards from my deck until I have four cards in my hand."

"Draining the pond to catch all the fish? The cards you draw now will randomly discard the same number of cards from your hand during your own Standby Phase." Kajiki Ryota glanced at the four cards Edward had drawn. "Or do you have the same confidence as Kobayashi Hayato that you can easily draw a quick-play spell card like [Extraordinary Food] from these four cards, capable of eliminating your own continuous spell cards?"

"Unfortunately, I don't seem to be able to make these two cards appear almost simultaneously like Hayato-sensei." Edward glanced at the four cards he had drawn. There was no card like [Extraordinary Food] among them, but he wasn't too worried because he had [D-Power] on his back row, so he wouldn't be able to draw a card during his draw phase next turn.

Since that's the case, it doesn't matter if I use up a few cards, because I'll have to discard them all in the next round anyway, so I won't lose even one more card. How can I be judged to have lost just because I don't have enough cards to discard?

Looking at Ryota Kajiki, Edward continued, "But before that, let me use the effect of [D·heroic Cultist] first!"

"As long as he's on the field, he'll take half of the opponent's base points every time they're in the preparation phase!"

Both the effects of [D·heroic Doctrine] and [Nightmare Mirage] are continuous effects that do not require activation. This prevents them from being negated by cards like [Divine Punishment] when they are activated.

However, this does not mean that you can rest easy once the continuous effect is activated. Just like how "Nightmare Mirage" is often used as emergency food by someone, Kajiki Ryota also played a Quick-Play Spell Card in his hand during his preparation phase.

"Quick-Play Spell Card [Forbidden Drop] activated! I send three monster cards from my hand to the Graveyard, then target three monsters on your field, negate their effects, and halve their ATK!"

Seeing the "Forbidden Drop" that Kajiki Ryota had cast, Edward paused for a moment before uttering, "Huh?"

Wait, bro? What kind of hand is this? You started by playing "The Forbidden Drop," what's that all about? Are you trying to make the game unplayable?