You Ming had to admit—though he'd been doing his best to adapt to everything, nothing could have prepared him for the moment the deck was laid out in front of him. It was as though, after mentally prepping for high-stakes mind games against this young prodigy, the scene suddenly pivoted into a game of children's cards.
Well… it is Yu‑Gi‑Oh!, after all—practically everything can be turned into a duel.
> "Did you know, You Ming," Naya said in a calm voice as You Ming shuffled the deck, "there's a saying in the Duel Monsters community."
"A deck isn't just an expression of bonds—it's a record and symbol of one's life."
As they shuffled, Naya continued:
> "That's why dueling is considered sacred. The duel reveals a person's nature, and how someone builds their deck reflects who they really are."
That line was straight out of the anime—using a game to define character and philosophy. Kaiba stands for raw strength and crushing power. Yugi for friendship and heart. Judai for miracles and unpredictability. Yusei for teamwork. Beyond that, characters like "One‑for‑One" or "Domo Smile World" represented hope or chaos.
But standing here, in this harsh reality—after two days of life-and-death dueling—a thought struck you Ming:
> "What about people who don't have the money for cards?"
Naya paused, looking puzzled.
> "No budget?"
You Ming placed the shuffled deck on the table.
> "Cards aren't cheap. In our world, building a deck is expensive. In the anime world, too, rarity matters—some cards are extremely rare."
He remembered GX: Jaden's duel against a Rare Beast deck, and famously, only one Exodia set existed, and just four Blue-Eyes White Dragons.
> "So decks don't just reflect character—they reflect financial backing and background."
Naya nodded thoughtfully.
> "Interesting perspective," he said, pushing his deck forward. "But I suppose it's true: a person's style reflects who they are."
Then he pulled out a raven-engraved coin; the mood turned tense.
> "Heads or tails?" Naya asked.
"I don't mind," You Ming replied.
"Then heads it is—I like the raven."
Clink. The coin flipped.
> "Keith praised your skill in his report," Naya added, glancing at You Ming with a meaningful smile.
"I look forward to seeing your duel."
You Ming closed his eyes as the coin spun. What style dictated a duelist?
He thought of iconic styles: Kaiba's dominance, Yugi's heart, Judai's miracles, Yusei's teamwork… even up through "One‑for‑One" – a strange mix, but recognizable.
What style would he have?
Beat-down with red staples? Card advantage tools? High raw attacks? Or combo-heavy DM era plays?
He quietly smiled.
Then he slapped the coin onto the deck, stopping it mid-bounce.
Opening his eyes, he said:
> "The result might surprise you, Naya. Because I don't know my style."
No signature soul card, no ace—at least not yet. His deck was small, built out of necessity.
But there was one thing he did know:
> "I want to win."
He spoke firmly.
> "Games are for winning. I've always believed that."
Naya stretched and smiled back.
> "Then I expect a strong duel."
Silence fell, tension crisp as steel.
Finally, Naya spoke:
> "Duel."
Naya's LP: 4000
You Ming's LP: 4000
The duel mat displayed their life points. You Ming lifted his hand from the coin—the raven side lay face-up.
> "Heads! Heads!" squawked Yatagarasu.
Naya acknowledged with a nod:
> "Luck's on my side, so I'll go first."
"My turn. Draw."
Naya drew six cards; You Ming watched intently.
> "I activate Pot of Greed—I draw two cards."
You Ming covered his face and inhaled deeply. He was used to this even in the DM era—everyone ran Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity… it was fundamental.
> "But that doesn't matter," Naya continued, setting his hand. "My deck—and monster strategy—uses Spirit monsters, plus original anime spells like Divine Creation."
You Ming frowned inwardly: "Yatagarasu?" Spirit monsters usually don't work well going first…
> "Then I discard two Gear monsters from my hand…" Naya placed two cards in the grave.
"And Special Summon Machine Commander Gear Rotator."
You Ming quietly sighed as the raven cawed:
> "Cringe!" "Cringe!" "Cringe!"
He swore he'd never guess an opponent's deck again.
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