Want to play cards? I'll use my King's Deck!

"I have something I want to ask you."

“Sure, just ask me anything, Yu Xi. Xiao Xue and I will answer everything we know.” Xing Yewu readily agreed, vaguely guessing what Yu Xi wanted to ask.

"For Satomi Sho, what card is the most precious and important, the one he absolutely cannot lose?"

"That must be the 'Mech Colonel'."

Without hesitation, Xing Yewu said, "'Mecha Colonel' is quite famous among rare cards, and it's also his father's signature ace. Losing it wouldn't be something that can be resolved with just a few words."

"Hey, wait a minute, could it be...!"

After the snow fell on the 16th night, Yu Xi belatedly realized what was happening and was about to speak when Yu Xi had already nodded.

"I see."

He looked again at the frivolous man whose appearance was merely passable—

“Alright, I agree to raise the stakes. If I win, Satomi Sho, I want your ‘Mech Colonel’ card!”

"……What did you say?"

Chapter 26 Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Explosive Kill—!

"Say it again," Satomi Sho said, wondering if he had misheard, "What card do you want from me?"

"Mech Colonel, I want to bet you on 'Mech Colonel'."

Yu Xi reiterated his statement for the second time, emphasizing, "I won't accept any other cards; I'm only betting on this one. If I win, you can have all the 'Mech Colonel' cards you have."

"...Yu Xi, do you know what you're saying?"

"If you want others to bet their treasures, you should at least wager your most precious possessions. Otherwise, wouldn't that be too unfair?"

This reasoning was so self-evident that there was no need for rebuttal or further argument. You Xi continued in a matter-of-fact tone, "So, do you accept this condition, or not?"

"Accept this condition and the bet is settled; otherwise, it's void. Anyway, I don't lose anything. But you'll probably accept, right? After all, you seem really interested in 'Dark Magician Girl.' Or are you scared? Scared because you're also risking your own irreplaceable treasure. Or perhaps, you're afraid of losing to me?"

"What a joke! You think I'm afraid?"

You Xi's provocation worked effortlessly.

Sho Satomi, who was not particularly cunning to begin with, immediately took the bait, sneering disdainfully, "You should at least have a limit to your jokes, Yuuki-kun. Saying I'm afraid of you is a complete joke. What could I possibly be afraid of in a weakling like you who doesn't even have a sense of feeling? Judging from the current situation of this duel, it's obvious that I'm stronger than you. If anyone should be afraid, it should be you who's afraid of me!"

"So, are you going to bet?"

Yuki remained noncommittal about Satomi Sho's words; he simply wanted a definite answer from Satomi Sho.

Should we increase the bet?

"Bet! Why not bet!"

This time, Satomi Sho didn't hesitate any longer.

He straightened his bangs for the umpteenth time, and said with an air of absolute confidence, "Since you're offering me your 'chick card' right here, why would I turn you away?"

"Now you can't take it back, Yu Xi. Our bet has been recorded by the Duel Disk's battle report function, which is legally valid evidence in D Alliance's dueling rules. You'll regret agreeing to the card bet for the rest of your life because you were blinded by anger, hahahahaha!"

No, I won't regret it.

Yuki remained noncommittal in the face of Satomi Sho's arrogant mockery.

He said with a firm and serious tone, "Because I will be the one to win, and the one who will truly regret it is you. The duel continues, I activate the Spell Card from my hand: 'Sage's Jewel'!"

"While you control 'Dark Magician Girl,' you can summon her master from your deck. Come forth, 'Dark Magician!'"

"Black Magician, ATK: 2500"

With a cute blush on her cheeks, the "Black Magician Girl" glanced back at Yuki, reached into her magic card to take out a gem, and presented it to her heart-stirring chest. The dazzling gem shone brightly as the girl prayed with her eyes closed.

The highest-ranking mage, whose aura and face were equally icy, appeared amidst the light.

"This is your trump card, a mere mortal bone with 2500 attack power?"

However, it is clear that the "Black Magician" is not taken seriously by Satomi Sho.

He scoffed, "I have tons of monsters like this at home, I don't even want to bother throwing them in the trash. You really expect to beat me with this?"

"You're right. Let's see the power of the 'trash' you despise."

After summoning "Dark Magician Girl" and "Dark Magician", Yuki still had 2 cards left in his hand. He put one of them into the Spell & Trap Card slot.

"I activate the Spell Card: Miracle Magic Gate!"

"When you control 2 or more Spellcaster monsters, change 1 Attack Position monster your opponent controls to Defense Position, and gain control of that monster."

As they spoke, the void rippled, and two enormous doors appeared in the positions of Yuki and Satomi Sho.

A pair of large, cartoon-style white hands reached out from the door on Satomi Sho's side, about to grab "Mech Colonel"—before they could grab him, a dangerous red light flashed in "Mech Colonel's" eyes.

"Trying to steal my monster in a duel? Don't even dream about it. At this moment, 'Colonel Mech's' effect activates. Target 'Colonel Mech' itself, and destroy all monsters on your opponent's field with 3000 or less ATK."

The trade of sacrificing the core of the integrated mechanical body for overload and collapse in exchange for the complete annihilation of the enemy was an extremely worthwhile deal.

Since the "Dark Magician" and the "Dark Magic Girl" are Yuki's last trump cards, once they are crushed, Yuki's so-called hope will cease to exist.

"Let this missile make you utterly despair! Disintegration Cannon Destruction Cannon!"

As the full-body alloy shell shattered and exploded, the moment the "Mech Colonel" disintegrated, a laser beam with a strong sense of déjà vu swept across the area once again.

The light was dazzling, but it did not shake You Xi.

He wasn't the only one who remained steadfast.

"The same move won't be used twice against a duelist. I activate my Trap Card: 'Dark Magician's Illusion'!"

The "Black Magician" remained as cold as ever, while the "Black Magician Girl" smiled sweetly. Behind the master and apprentice, a face-down card stood up, bathed in laser light.

A magical barrier, cutting off all troubles and harms, was then opened, blocking the laser beams that could destroy everything.

"During the turn this card is activated, DARK Spellcaster monsters with 2000 or more ATK on my field cannot be destroyed by battle, their effects are negated, and they are unaffected by my opponent's effects."

"Tch, so you had a trap card protecting you, no wonder you dared to operate so brazenly." The sight of the Black Magician and his apprentice unharmed displeased Satomi Sho. "But whatever, 'Mech Colonel' was also destroyed by its own effect, your spell card effect will fail, you won't get anything."

"Did you make a mistake?"

Yu Xi looked at Satomi Sho with an idiotic expression and said, "I never said that 'Miracle Magic Door' is a target-based effect."

"what?"

The moment Yuki uttered those words, Satomi Sho was astonished to see that the door hadn't disappeared. On the contrary, after the "Mech Colonel" self-destructed, the "magic door" had seemingly moved a short distance and arrived at...

Directly in front of "Mech Forces - Armed Forces".

"I'll accept this trump card of yours, whose power surpasses that of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon."

"Stop it!!"

Ignoring Satomi Sho's cries, the large white hand firmly grasped the combined robot's torso and dragged it through the door. By the time it emerged from the door on Yuki's side, it had completely transformed into his shape.

Seeing that Yuki easily snatched away the ace he had painstakingly called out after a three-for-one exchange, Satomi Sho's expression twisted once again.

He felt he had been fooled and was furious.

"You bastard, you really dare to do that! You're clearly just a third-rate, low-class person..."

"If you get defeated by a third-rate person, doesn't that mean you're even worse than a third-rate nobody?" Yuki forcefully interrupted Satomi Sho, showing no mercy in words or actions. "It's not over yet. I'll activate my magic card again: 'Brainwashing'!"

"Pay 800 Life Points and gain control of 1 face-up monster on your opponent's field until the end of the turn."

[Yu Xi's LP: 8000 → 7200]

As the card was played, another pair of demonic hands with sharp nails emerged from the card and grabbed Satomi Sho's "Mech Force: Super Transformation".

Now, there are no monsters left on Satomi Sho's field.

"No way?! All of Big Brother's monsters were taken by that pretty boy?!"

This dramatic turn of events left the two henchmen who followed Satomi Sho completely dumbfounded and in disbelief.

Even someone completely unfamiliar with duels could see who held the overwhelming advantage in the duel. In fact, from this moment on, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

"How, how is it possible..."

Satomi Sho's face turned green, and his lips trembled uncontrollably.

"My monster actually... Shouldn't you be a weakling without any feelings? Why..."

"You can think about the reasons yourself when you get back."

You Xi, of course, had no obligation to answer questions for someone he disliked. He simply raised his hand and, in a clear voice, uttered the incantation from his throat—

"Armed Forces" switch to attack mode, entering combat phase. The "Dark Magician" and "Dark Magician Girl" launch a direct attack: Dark Magic Double Shot!

"Ah ah ah ah ah!"

[Sho Satomi's LP: 7900→3300]

The Double Black Magic Blast, a combined attack from master and apprentice, successfully reduced Satomi Sho's LP by 4500. In the anime duel, this burst of damage would have been enough to seal the victory, but here it wasn't enough; another blow was needed.

And the person who delivered the finishing blow—

"This is the final blow. Pay 1000 LP, aim and fire! 'Mech Force - Armed Force'! Unleash a devastating barrage of artillery fire!!"

Amidst the earth-shattering roar of cannons, the cold-blooded killing weapon disregarded past master-servant relations and blasted Satomi Sho into dust with a single, soul-piercing 4600-attack shell.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

[Sho Satomi's LP: 3300→0]

"Explode! Kill!"

Chapter 27 You don’t want to either…

The earth trembled, and the sound of artillery fire was deafening.