Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Eh!? So all monsters with 1500 or less ATK get destroyed..." Jaden's face fell.

"That's right. This is the evolved virus strategy, far surpassing what Kaiba used back then!" Beta laughed.

All monsters with 1500 or less ATK in the opponent's hand, field, and any drawn for the next three turns are destroyed. While not as instant as Crush Card Virus, the suppression is still strong.

Crush Card Virus is a one-time nuke—it only blows up all monsters in the deck with over 1500 ATK at activation. If the opponent recycles them from the graveyard, they're safe from the virus.

But this new virus is different. For the next three turns, any qualifying monsters drawn are destroyed.

In other words, Jaden can't summon any monsters.

"Hahahaha, did you think your deck of weaklings would make my virus useless? I told you, the power of the evolved virus has no blind spots!" Beta laughed.

"How can this be..." Syrus said. "All monsters above and below 1500 ATK are destroyed. Doesn't that mean bro can't summon anything?"

The newly drawn Avian and Burstinatrix were both blown to the graveyard. Jaden was left with no monsters to play. "I'll set a card and end my turn."

"My turn—draw."

Beta drew and squinted at Jaden's back row.

"Just one set card? Well, since you can't summon, you're powerless.

Beta sneered.

"Looks like that's your only hope left. I'll get rid of it.

I activate Equip Spell—'Premature Burial'! Pay 800 LP to revive a monster from my graveyard in attack position!"

[Beta, LP 1150 → LP 350]

"I revive the monster I sent to the graveyard last turn—

—'Darkstorm Dragon,' summon!"

A deep black rift tore open in the air, like a crack in space itself. Cold winds whipped up dust and leaves, forming a towering black tornado.

A massive dragon emerged at the eye of the storm, covered in black scales as if swallowed by the night. Its huge black wings spread wide, blocking out the sky, and every beat sounded like the air itself was being ripped apart.

[Darkstorm Dragon, ATK 2700]

"Darkstorm Dragon is a Gemini monster. It can be Normal Summoned again to gain a new effect.

So I normal summon 'Darkstorm Dragon' again to give it its effect!"

Beta swept his hand.

"Once per turn, I can send a face-up Spell or Trap I control to the grave to destroy all Spells and Traps on the field!

So I send 'Premature Burial' to the graveyard—destroy all Spells and Traps!"

A doomsday tornado burst forth, engulfing everything in darkness. Jaden's set card was swept into the air and shredded into light.

It was 'Mirror Force.'

Syrus: "Ah, bro's Mirror Force is gone..."

"Hahaha! What a shame, it was Mirror Force. If you'd managed to activate it, maybe you could have survived a bit longer."

Beta roared.

"Battle! Darkstorm Dragon, direct attack!"

The tornado whipped up countless small cyclones, all swirling around the main storm. Countless wind-blades slashed past Jaden.

"Ugh...!"

[Jaden, LP 4000 → LP 1300]

Jaden staggered, almost to his knees.

"What is this pain..."

He instantly thought of the shock he'd felt when dueling with Kira in the Spirit World.

Could this be... a Shadow Game?

He looked up at the black-clothed man across from him, more convinced than ever that he wasn't a good guy.

"I told you, you have no chance," Beta smirked. "I set a card and end my turn."

Beta finished his turn and sneered at Jaden.

"If you surrender now, you might suffer less."

"Come on!" Jaden dusted himself off and stood up with a smile. "This is the first time I've seen such a fun strategy. Why would I quit halfway?"

"You..." Beta grumbled.

Is this kid nuts?

"Your deck's infected with two viruses. You can't even Fusion Summon from your hand."

Beta said coldly.

"In this situation, how do you think you'll come back?"

"I don't know," Jaden replied honestly.

Beta: "?"

"It's because I don't know that it's fun, right?" Jaden excitedly raised his hand to draw. "Even though I don't know what I'll draw, I feel like this next draw could change the world. Isn't that exciting?"

Beta: "..."

No, I really can't understand you.

"Haha, if you don't get it, let me show you. My turn—draw!"

Jaden immediately played the card he drew.

"Spell Card—'Graceful Charity.' Draw three, discard two."

"Useless," Beta sneered. "Whatever you draw, you can't keep monsters in your hand."

Jaden discarded two cards.

"Then I activate Spell Card—'Fifth Hope'!" Jaden announced. "Shuffle five 'Elemental HERO' monsters from my graveyard back into my deck; then draw two cards. If I have no other cards in hand or on the field, I draw three instead!

I shuffle back 'Bladedge,' 'Wildheart,' 'Avian,' 'Burstinatrix,' and just-discarded 'Bubbleman'!"

Five monsters turned into golden light and flew back into his deck.

"I told you it's useless. Even if you recycle monsters, if you draw them again, they'll just be destroyed... Hm!?"

He noticed one of the cards being shuffled back—'Elemental HERO Bladedge,' a 2600 ATK boss monster.

"You also have 'Necroshade' in your grave, right? Its effect is—"

"Oh, you figured it out?" Jaden grinned. "That's right! While 'Necroshade' is in the graveyard, for one time only, I can Normal Summon a high-level HERO without tributing."

"But your only high-level HERO is the Bladedge you just shuffled in." Beta said grimly. "This combo only works if you draw that single monster.

And even then, its ATK is still 100 less than my Darkstorm Dragon. So you'd need an ATK boost too..."

"Haha, you think too much. Let's see what I draw, okay?" Jaden laughed.

Beta: "..."

No, your dueling mindset is broken.

"Okay, time to draw! Because I have no other cards in hand or on the field, 'Fifth Hope' lets me draw three.

Draw!"

Jaden drew three cards in a flash.

Beta stared at him, unblinking.

Seriously, your deck is so thick and you just shuffled in one card. If you somehow draw it right now, isn't that a joke...?

"Thanks to 'Necroshade' in my graveyard, I can Normal Summon 'Elemental HERO Bladedge' without tributing!"

Beta: "NANI!?"

Bladedge burst out with golden energy, engines firing as it spun down to stand before Jaden.

[Elemental HERO Bladedge, ATK 2600]

"He... drew it..." Beta was stunned.

Could this guy be some kind of chosen one?

Even after seeing Jaden's luck countless times, Chumley still commented, "Jaden's draws are illogical..."

Bladedge's ATK was only 100 less than Darkstorm Dragon. And Beta only had 350 LP left. If Jaden's draw included a card that boosted ATK by 500, Beta was done for.

After seeing such a godlike draw, Beta didn't dare risk it.

"I activate Trap—'Trap Hole'!" Beta yelled. "When a monster with over 1000 ATK is summoned, destroy it!"

A black hole opened under Bladedge's feet, and he fell in, exploding to pieces.

"Ah!" Syrus cried. "Bro finally summoned a comeback monster—"

"Hahaha, so this was your big reversal? Too bad it didn't work!"

Beta pretended to be calm and laughed, but was secretly sweating.

Damn, this jellyfish-head draws whatever he wants. Scared me to death!

Luckily, I'm still one step ahead.

"Then, from my hand, I activate 'Miracle Fusion'!" Jaden smiled.

"Huh?"

Beta's laughter froze.

What? Miracle Fusion?

"This card lets me Fusion Summon using HEROes in my graveyard," Jaden explained. "By banishing the required monsters from my field or graveyard, I can Fusion Summon!"

He paused and smiled.

"And I'll use this card in my graveyard as a substitute fusion material."

He pulled out a monster card from his graveyard.

"'The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion.' This card can act as a substitute for one Fusion Material.

So I'll use 'The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion' in place of 'Flame Wingman,' and fuse with 'Sparkman' in my graveyard!

In a burst of dazzling light—"

The substitute transformed into Flame Wingman and combined with Sparkman in a whirlpool of light. A HERO clad in high-tech armor emerged from the brilliance.

"Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, summon!"

[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, ATK 2500]

"He fused from the graveyard..." Beta gritted his teeth.

"And Shining Flare Wingman gains 300 ATK for each HERO in my graveyard." Jaden smiled. "I have 'Necroshade' and 'Bladedge' left, so +600 ATK!"

[Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman, ATK 2500 → 3100]

"3100 ATK!?" Beta was stunned.

"And when Shining Flare Wingman destroys a monster in battle, you take damage equal to that monster's ATK. Though, looks like we won't need that now." Jaden laughed.

Beta: "..."

So I owe you a few lives, huh?

"Battle!" Jaden declared. "Shining Flare Wingman, attack 'Darkstorm Dragon'!"

Golden wings wrapped in holy light, the brilliance condensed into flames. Shining Flare Wingman brought his hands together, firing a dazzling beam that pierced Darkstorm Dragon and Beta, roaring past him.

Beta was blown into the air, spinning as he fell off a cliff, eyes flashing with resentment.

His eyes seemed to say—

—Why are you so good at drawing!?

[Beta, LP 350 → LP 0]

2 Bonus Chapter @1500 PS