Yu-Gi-Oh!: Worldwide Mix, the Ultimate Necromancer Duel

"What?"

Professor Chronos's smile froze on his face, his small eyes filled with astonishment.

He clearly didn't expect things to develop in this direction.

You Chen couldn't help but laugh when he saw his expression.

"The reason I explicitly told you that this is the ace is not because I'm arrogant," You Chen said calmly, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's not because this card is actually some kind of trump card."

He paused, looking at the professor opposite him whose expression was gradually freezing.

"It's because I understand you."

Professor Chronos was stunned.

"The effect of the card 【Masked Hero Fountain】 is—" Yu Chen's voice echoed in the quiet duel arena, "This card can only be activated if it is sent to the Graveyard to activate a card effect, or if it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect."

"Take a Faceless Change card from your deck or graveyard and set it face-down on your field."

Professor Chronos' pupils contracted slightly.

"So," You Chen's lips curled up slightly, "thank you very much for your help."

He drew a card from his deck and showed it to everyone.

"Therefore, I can choose one 'Masked Change' card from my deck and set it face-down on the field!"

The entire room fell silent for a second.

Immediately, a deafening scream erupted.

"Holy crap??"

"So that's what this guy was thinking?!"

"Damn, I thought he was just arrogant, but it turns out he was setting a trap?"

"But that doesn't make sense. How did he know Professor Chronos would activate [Imprisonment]?"

"Yeah, that's weird..."

"Unless he anticipated the professor would do this?"

"Impossible! How could you guess that?"

On the stands, Asuka Tenjouin's eyes lit up.

A flicker of realization crossed those bright eyes, which was then replaced by an indescribable smile.

"I see," she said softly, her tone carrying an air of certainty. "I knew it; he wasn't the arrogant duelist I knew."

From the first time Tong Shiye met this boy, he possessed a unique aura. It wasn't blind arrogance, but a composure built upon calculation.

Now, she saw that composure once again.

Marufuji Ryo didn't speak, but his gaze toward Yu Chen became even more profound.

In the dueling arena, Professor Chronos finally came to his senses.

He stared blankly at the [Mask Change] card that You Chen had just covered in the back row, then looked at the remaining cards in his hand, his face turning red at a visible speed.

That face, which was originally full of pride, was now filled with shame and... a trace of grievance.

"Mamma mia!!"

He grabbed his collar, bit his bow tie, and looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"So they were setting a trap for me?"

His voice had changed tone; the effort he had put into his voice had crumbled, revealing his true voice.

"hateful!!"

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

As a senior teacher at the Duel Academy, he wouldn't lose his composure because of a freshman's petty scheme.

"In that case!"

He suddenly pulled out a card and slammed it hard onto the duel disk.

"I activate the Field Spell Card—[Gear Street]!"

The moment the card fell, the phantom of an ancient mechanical city appeared behind him. Gears turned, steam billowed, and the entire city seemed to come alive.

"Then activate the Spell Card—[Double Cyclone]!"

He pulled out another card, this time with even more force.

"This card's effect is: You can target one Spell/Trap Card on your field and one Spell/Trap Card on your opponent's field! Destroy those cards!"

He pointed to the newly summoned [Gear Street] behind him, and then to the leftmost face-down card in the back row of the game.

"My picks are [Gear Street] on my field and the card to your left that's face down!"

boom--!

Two whirlwinds swept up simultaneously, accurately hitting the two cards.

You Chen raised an eyebrow slightly.

【Gear Street】?

Does the double whirlwind destroy its own field?

He remembered that Professor Chronos in the original work did indeed have a deck centered around "Ancient Machines," but the gameplay was relatively straightforward.

But the way this professor is unfolding now...

It seems that Professor Chronos's deck in this world is much stronger than in the original work.

It might even have been upgraded.

but--

You Chen's lips curled up slightly.

He was prepared.

"Then, open the damaged cover!"

His large hand suddenly swung down, and the chosen card flipped open!

"Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card—[Mask Change]!"

The moment the card was flipped over, a dazzling light burst forth from it.

"Send 'Masked HERO Twilight Raven' to the Graveyard!" Yu Chen's voice was steady and powerful. "Special Summon—"

"【Masked Hero Dark Claw】!!"

In the light, the dark figure of the hero was enveloped in a new layer of armor.

The raven's wings vanished, replaced by a sharper silhouette. Dark armor covered its entire body, and its claws gleamed coldly in the light.

The audience erupted in uproar once again.

"Holy crap! A fusion card in one go?!"

"This is incredible! Youchen's deck is just as good as Professor Chronos's legendary Ancient Gear deck."

"I'm dumbfounded..."

Professor Chronos's expression changed slightly as he looked at the suddenly appearing dark claw, but he quickly regained his composure.

"snort!!"

He snorted coldly, straightened his back again, and resumed his arrogant posture.

"So what?!"

He pointed to the recently destroyed "Gear Street" behind him, his voice regaining its exaggerated emphasis.

"Hehehe! You'll soon find out why my Ancient Gear is a rare card! When this card, [Gear Street], is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, its effect activates!"

He drew out the last syllable of his triumphant voice, his eyes practically floating to the sky.

"I can Special Summon an 'Ancient Gear' monster from my hand, deck, or graveyard!!"

His voice grew louder and louder.

"Therefore! I can Special Summon my ace from my deck!!"

"Come forth! [Ancient Mechanical Thermonuclear Dragon]!!"

"Tremble, newborn! Promise!"

Professor Chronos looked smug, his eyes narrowed into slits, completely absorbed in the thrill of crushing his opponent.

however--

The entire room fell silent.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

Nothing happened.

Professor Chronos seemed to realize something was wrong, and the smugness on his face gradually froze.

"Um?"

He opened his eyes and looked at his field.

It's empty.

There was nothing there.

"Um????"

「(ｷ｀ﾟДﾟ´)!!」

His eyes widened and his mouth opened wider and wider, and he stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

"Why...why..."

His voice was trembling.

"Why didn't my [Ancient Mechanical Thermonuclear Dragon] appear?!"

He stared wide-eyed at his duel disk, then at You Chen, his expression shifting from smugness to confusion, then to terror, finally settling into an extremely distorted state—

His whole face was scrunched up, his eyes were wide open like copper bells, and his mouth was so wide that an egg could fit inside.

That expression was exactly like a pot of greed come to life.