"Duel!" x2
[Kira, LP 4000]
[Genichirou, LP 4000]
"I'll take the first turn," Genichirou said, drawing his card. He didn't play immediately, just grinned darkly and licked his lips.
"Let this duel be your feast of darkness. I want to savor your pain."
"First, I play 'Pot of Greed'—draw two cards."
"Next, Spell Card: 'Fiend's Sanctuary!'"
He slotted the card into his duel disk; a magic circle appeared at his feet, and a faceless metal imp materialized.
[Metal Fiend Token, ATK 0]
"Fiend's Sanctuary lets me special summon a Metal Fiend Token," Genichirou explained. "Then I tribute it for a Tribute Summon!
With the will of darkness, let all enemies tremble beneath the shadows—
—Level 6, Dark Driceratops, Summon!"
[Dark Driceratops, ATK 2400]
"Then I set two cards, turn end."
Genichirou licked his lips again.
"Your move. Hurry—I want to taste your pain, heh heh—"
That look and those gestures reminded Kira of six-year-old Marik, though this guy was a pale imitation compared to the master of crazy faces.
"My turn, draw."
Kira was just as decisive.
"I set a monster, and four cards in my back row. Turn end."
A classic five-set for maximum hospitality.
"Huh?"
Genichirou paused.
Having watched Kra's finals against Rex Raptor, Genichirou expected another Machine style—but apparently not.
Could it be he wasn't using his main deck?
"Heh, just setting cards? Such a passive duel will make you a sacrifice to darkness quickly."
He sneered.
"But at your End Phase, I activate my set card—"
He flipped a backrow card.
"Quick-Play Spell—'Fires of Doomsday!' This lets me special summon two 'Doomsday Tokens'!"
[Doomsday Token, DEF 0] x2
"I can't summon other monsters this turn, but since it's your End Phase, I couldn't summon them anyway."
Genichirou shrugged.
"Now, my turn, draw."
He drew and glanced at Kira's backrow.
"Maybe you're trying to stall with traps, but such tactics are useless against me.
From my hand: Spell Card—'Night Beam!'"
The spell glowed, a golden beam targeting one of Kira's set cards.
"Night Beam targets and destroys a set Spell/Trap, and that card can't be activated in response!"
He pointed at Kira's middle backrow.
"I destroy your middle set card!"
Kira replied, "In that case, I chain—"
"Useless," Genichirou said. "I said you can't chain the targeted card."
"I know I can't chain the targeted card to Night Beam, but I'm activating a different one—this one."
Kira flipped another backrow.
"Trap—'Dark Deal!' When my opponent plays a Spell, I pay 1000 LP to randomly discard a card from their hand."
[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 3000]
As his LP dropped, his heart skipped a beat, a sharp pain stabbing through him, as if a dam in his soul had burst.
"Ugh—!"
Kira felt weak, staggering.
Silent Magician appeared next to him, casting him a worried glance.
"I'm fine," he waved her off.
Just not used to it yet.
No wonder they call it a Shadow Duel—losing LP feels like losing your very life.
No doubt—if your LP hits zero in this duel... you die.
"Hahaha, you feel it now? The pain of a Shadow Duel!" Genichirou laughed. "Yes, that's it! Keep suffering—let darkness devour your life bit by bit. That's the joy of the Shadow Duel!"
Kira: "..."
Shadow Duels awaken the hidden psychos. Some criminals and maniacs, once given dark power, become even worse—stronger, harder to catch, and even crazier.
Some Shadow Duelists don't seek power or profit—they just enjoy seeing their opponents suffer.
Kira quickly recovered. "Dark Deal's effect: Discard a random card from your hand. Toss the leftmost one."
"Whatever."
Genichirou tossed the card, unfazed.
"But Night Beam still destroys your set card—"
"Nope." Kira snapped his fingers. "At this moment, I activate the card Night Beam targeted.
Trap—'Raigeki Break!'"
"Heh, are you stupid?" Genichirou looked at him like an idiot. "I told you—Night Beam's target can't be activated. Are you deaf—wait, what!?"
As Kira's "Raigeki Break" flipped up, Genichirou's green eyes went wide. His mind screamed one word:
—WHY!?
How can you activate a card targeted by Night Beam!?
Are you some VIP at KaibaCorp with cheat privileges!?
"You don't get it," Kira explained calmly.
"Read your card again. Night Beam says the targeted card can't be activated in response to Night Beam—but I didn't chain to your Night Beam. I chained to my own 'Dark Deal.' Got it?"
Genichirou's mind filled with question marks.
"Is that so...?"
The Shadow Duelist was doubtful.
His face said, "Are you sure you're not BS'ing me?"
"Dude, you really shouldn't be betting your life if you don't even understand this," Kira said, squinting.
"Of course I get it."
Genichirou mumbled, pretending.
He honestly didn't, but since the field had resolved, it must be right.
To be fair, KIra wasn't BS'ing. This was basic rules knowledge; as long as another effect is chained in between, the target isn't restricted by Night Beam.
"Not bad, kid." Genichirou narrowed his eyes. "No wonder you beat Rex Raptor. A soul like yours is worth the sacrifice."
Kira ignored him and continued resolving the effects.
"Raigeki Break: Discard a card to destroy any card on the field."
He discarded a card.
"I destroy your 'Dark Driceratops.'"
A demonic hand summoned by storm clouds unleashed a bolt of lightning, obliterating Genichirou's monster.
"Also, the card I discarded was 'Card of Compensation' (anime card), which lets me draw two cards."
Draw power in the anime is so satisfying.
"Tch, even Night Beam couldn't save 'Dark Driceratops'..."
Genichirou scowled at his lost monster, but it wasn't a big deal.
He set a card.
"I set another card, then play Spell—'Card of Demise!'"
Kira: "!"
No way—"Card of Demise"!?
Kaiba's favorite draw engine in the anime. Fill your hand to five, but discard everything after five turns.
But in Yu-Gi-Oh, five turns is a lifetime. Compared to this, Pot of Greed is nothing.
Years later, the real card was heavily nerfed—draw only up to three, no special summons, no inflicting damage, and you have to discard everything at the end phase—but it's still playable.
Any serious duelist would want this card. Kira had looked for it, but never found it. In the anime, only Kaiba used it—maybe it was a billionaire-exclusive promo.
Never thought he'd see one here.
He was seriously drooling.
But it's fine.
If this is a Shadow Duel and he wins, the opponent's soul is gone—the deck becomes ownerless, so picking it up is just recycling. Better than letting it gather dust.
Genichirou paused as he prepared to draw.
He suddenly felt uneasy—
That kid's eyes just got really, really hungry.