Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

Beta held it in for a while but couldn't help asking, "That's it?"

"Huh?" Jaden was taken aback.

"You don't have any more monsters with over 1500 ATK in your deck?"

"Hmm, seems like I don't." Jaden rested his chin in thought. "Now that you mention it, I think Captain Gold has over 1500 ATK too. But I didn't bring him today."

Beta: "..."

The thrill Beta felt after activating Crush Card Virus instantly vanished. What should have been a deadly weapon against most decks felt utterly powerless against this jellyfish-haired kid's deck, as if he'd just punched a pile of cotton.

"Tch, I underestimated you. So, this is an Elemental HERO deck focused on fusion attacks? The main deck is just full of weaklings."

"I remember now!" Chumley beside them smacked his forehead. "I've seen this strategy before! I saw it in past Duel City tournament videos—this is the legendary technique often used by Seto Kaiba!"

"Eh?" Syrus's expression turned serious at the name. "That legendary Kaiba?"

"Oh, to duel against a combo like that—now I'm even more pumped!" Jaden grinned. "Then I'll set two cards in my back row and end my turn."

"Still have the leisure to be excited? Well, I'll make sure to wipe that smile off your face soon. My turn—draw!"

It was Beta's turn again.

"I activate the Spell Card 'Graceful Charity'—draw three cards and discard two," Beta announced. "Then I summon 'Axe Dragonute'!"

[Axe Dragonute, ATK 2000]

"Even though Deck Devastation Virus didn't work as planned, at least your field is empty now." Beta waved his hand. "Axe Dragonute, direct attack!"

Axe Dragonute leaped over Jaden's empty field, raising its axe to cleave down on his head.

"Not so fast! I activate a face-down, Quick-Play Spell—'The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh'!" Jaden declared. "I special summon 'Winged Kuriboh' from my deck!"

A tiny golden flute appeared, and at its call, a fluffy white-winged Kuriboh fluttered out to block the attack.

Beta: "Then battle rewinds, and I'll continue attacking 'Winged Kuriboh'. This weakling will go down in one hit—"

"I activate another face-down!" Jaden interrupted. "Quick-Play Spell, 'Transcendent Wings'! I discard two cards, and my 'Winged Kuriboh' evolves to LV10!"

Jaden sent two cards to the graveyard; Kuriboh's white feathers shimmered with dazzling golden light as it evolved. Angelic feathers filled the air, and the little Kuriboh transformed, bathed in holy radiance.

[Winged Kuriboh LV10, ATK 300]

"It evolved all the way to level ten?" Beta started to feel uneasy. "But its ATK is only 300..."

"LV10's special effect activates! During your Battle Phase, I tribute this card to destroy all attack position monsters on your field!"

Jaden clenched his fist.

"And you take damage equal to the total original ATK of those destroyed monsters!"

"NANI!?"

Beta was shocked. The holy angel wings burst forth in even brighter gold, like a blazing sun swallowing his field. Axe Dragonute was instantly disintegrated by the divine light.

"Uwaaah!"

A surge of violent energy exploded on Beta's field, knocking him flat on his back. The shockwaves even blew Jaden's two roommates off their feet.

[Beta, LP 3150 → LP 1150]

The two who were sent flying stared at each other in disbelief.

"Is it just me, or did that impact feel way stronger than regular solid vision?" Syrus said.

"Ah, so I'm not the only one?" Chumley looked uneasy. "Something's weird about this duel..."

Beta, now covered in dirt, got up awkwardly.

"Damn it!"

That's right—the duel was using military-grade projection solidification tech, creating effects similar to a Shadow Game. The projections could inflict real pain.

The embarrassing thing was, after all this, he hadn't even reduced Jaden's life points yet.

If he died before the opponent even realized the damage was real, that would be too ridiculous.

But Beta calmed himself and checked his hand.

"You only get to be cocky for now." Beta said coldly. "I set two cards and end my turn."

"Hang in there, bro!" Syrus cheered.

Chumley rested his chin. "I thought this guy would be tough, but maybe he's weak?"

Beta: "..."

"No matter what, I'm going on the offensive!" Jaden declared. "My turn—draw!"

He glanced at his hand, pleased with his always reliable luck, and revealed a card: "Spell Card—' Legacy of a HERO'! If I have two or more level 4 or higher 'HERO' monsters in my graveyard, draw three cards!" (Manga effect)

This was the HERO deck's powerhouse draw in the manga—easy conditions, huge draw power. Years later, when it became a real card, it was nerfed, requiring you to return two fusion HEROes from the grave to the deck to draw three. Not nearly as useful.

"Thanks to the Elemental HEROes you sent to my graveyard, I get to draw three cards!" Jaden drew.

Beta: "..."

Why does that make it sound like I'm an inside agent?

With three new cards, Jaden's eyes lit up.

Avian and Burstinatrix—the classic GX power couple—plus a Fusion card.

"Great, now I can launch my counterattack!"

Jaden excitedly drew out 'Polymerization.'

"Now I can summon my favorite monster—"

But before he could act, Beta interrupted: "I activate Continuous Trap—'Call of the Haunted'! Special summon a monster from my graveyard in attack position!"

Beta pulled out a card from his graveyard.

"I revive the monster you destroyed last turn—'Axe Dragonute' in Attack Position!"

[Axe Dragonute, ATK 2000]

"Revived Axe Dragonute..." Jaden pondered.

But with only 2000 ATK, it couldn't beat his Flame Wingman. Flame Wingman deals effect damage equal to the destroyed monster's ATK, so it would be a direct KO.

So, Jaden continued: "I activate Polymerization! I fuse 'Avian' and 'Burstinatrix' from my hand..."

"Heh, you're trying to use Fusion to upgrade your weak monsters into stronger HEROes. I see right through you.

It's true, this strategy lets you avoid Crush Card Virus's suppression."

Beta slowly raised his arm.

"But! My tactics have evolved beyond Seto Kaiba's classic strategy. What I'm using now is the perfected virus destruction—it surpasses the original!

Behold, our new-generation upgraded virus!"

He flipped another set card.

"In response to your Fusion, I activate Trap Card—'Deck Devastation Virus'!

Tribute a DARK monster with 2000 or more ATK. Destroy all monsters with 1500 or less ATK in your opponent's hand, or field, and for the next three turns, any they draw are also destroyed!"

Next Goal: 1500 PS; 2 extra chapters