Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

Great, now the boss had no playable cards left.

All four of his eyes turned red.

"ROAAARRR!!"

The four-eyed demon howled to the ceiling.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

His roar shook the entire hall. The underlings shivered, backing up to avoid his wrath.

"No need to get so fired up over a duel."

Kira, unfazed, just smiled and raised his hand.

"Because of Cold Feet, you can't use any of the four cards in your hand this turn. So, I'll take it your turn is over?"

Boss Demon: "…"

"No objections? Good. My turn, draw.

I activate Spell Card 'Graceful Charity'—draw three, then discard two."

He discarded two, but one soon triggered its effect.

"One discarded card is Spell Card 'Card of Compensation'— When you send this card from your hand to the Graveyard, draw 2 cards."

He drew another card.

"Then I activate Spell Card 'Delinquent Duo'— Pay 1000 LP; your opponent discards 1 random card, and if they have any other cards in hand, discard 1 more card of their choice."

[Kira, LP 4000 → 3000]

Kira randomly chose one of the boss's cards. The boss, gritting his teeth so hard he almost broke them, picked another card to discard.

A red and blue imp each appeared, numbers 1 and 2 on their heads, gleefully snatching away his cards.

Down by two—now just two cards left. The boss was on the verge of tears.

Damn, not letting me set cards last turn was just so he could rip up my hand this turn!

"Now, flip my set monster to attack mode."

He flipped the face-down monster: a red-skinned blacksmith with a hammer.

"Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu —when flipped, adds an Equip Spell from deck to hand.

I'll take this one."

He retrieved a card.

"Equip Spell 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief'."

The boss had never heard of it. But given Kira's dueling so far, he had a bad feeling.

Kira: "Normal Summon 'Gearfried the Iron Knight.'"

[Gearfried the Iron Knight, ATK 1800]

"Equip 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief' to Gearfried." Kira said, "But Gearfried's effect destroys any Equip Cards placed on it.

So, 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief' is destroyed by Gearfried's effect."

Demons: "?"

Once again, the demons were confused. Why equip a card that's just going to be destroyed?

If this had happened at the start, the boss would have mocked the misplay. But after the previous round, he now suspected every move had a trick.

"Smoke Grenade of the Thief—when destroyed by a card effect while equipped, look at the opponent's hand and discard one."

Boss Demon: "!!!"

Again?

No, please, I've already been exposed—again?

Gearfried plus Smoke Grenade—a classic combo for hand disruption.

So naturally, this combo was adopted by "Gearfried Butterfly Dagger" decks as an alternate path for infinite loops. And although its competitive impact was less than the Butterfly Dagger loop, the combo lingered for twenty years until a new archetype, "Infernoble Knights," brought the old card out of obscurity—eventually landing it on the banlist.

Another card was discarded. The boss clutched his last card, eyes glistening.

He felt like he hadn't done anything this whole duel—he hadn't even really started, and now he had only one card left.

"Spell Card 'Arms Regeneration'—equip an Equip Spell from either graveyard to a monster you control."

Another two-decade-old Spell, originally a Normal Spell, was later printed as a Quick-Play.

The boss's eyelids twitched, and breathing quickened. "The Equip Card in the graveyard—don't tell me!?"

"Correct, I equip 'Smoke Grenade of the Thief' to Gearfried again."

Kira pulled out the card from the graveyard, smiling.

"Then, Gearfried's effect destroys it, triggering Smoke Grenade again—I check your hand and make you discard.

But really, I've seen your hand three times. Just discard your last card."

Boss Demon: "…"

Now, he had nothing left—not even a single card.

"Then Gearfried and Master Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu, direct attack," Kira ordered.

Gearfried and Kotetssu attacked in succession—blades slashing, hammer pounding the demon's skull.

[Boss Demon, LP 4000 → 1700]

The two monsters took turns pounding him, stars spinning in his eyes—tears of humiliation nearly spilling out.

It wasn't just physical pain, but mental agony as well.

He had never so desperately wanted to do something in a duel.

Please, let me play a card…

"I set a card, end turn," Kira said.

The boss took a deep breath and got back up.

It wasn't over yet.

He still had LP left. The duel wasn't over.

If nothing else—

At least, let him play one card!

"My turn, draw!"

All four of the demon's eyes lit up.

Good!

"I activate Spell Card 'Pot of Greed'—draw two cards!"

Maybe two more cards would be his comeback.

"Then I activate my set card," Kira said. "Trap Card— Trap of Darkness. If your LP is 3000 or less: Pay 1000 LP, then target 1 Normal Trap in your GY, except "Trap of Darkness"; this card's effect becomes that target's activated effect, then banish that target."

[Kira, LP 3000 → 2000]

Boss Demon: "?"

At this point? Copying a Trap from the grave?

What for…

"I copy 'Mystical Refpanel' in the grave." Kira smiled.

The Trap of Darkness's image changed to Mystical Refpanel. The spirit appeared, holding a mirror—Pot of Greed's image reflected in it.

The boss's eyelids twitched.

Is this… is this—

He started to panic, his face turning from shock to despair.

"That's right. 'Mystical Refpanel' transfers a Spell effect to another player. So, I'll take your Pot of Greed for myself.

So I draw two cards."

Kira drew two, then smiled and gestured invitingly.

"Go ahead, it's still your turn."

Boss Demon: "AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Still empty-handed, empty field, while the opponent drew two more cards.

How is anyone supposed to play like this?

That damned Mystical Refpanel —your Cold Feet I eat, but my Pot of Greed you take? What kind of hellish tactics are these?

"What, not continuing? Then it's my turn. Draw."

Kira waved his hand.

"Gearfried, direct attack."

Gearfried's blade fell, ending the demon's futile rage and knocking him flat on his back.

[Boss Demon, LP 1700 → 0]

PS: Hey, we failed the top 5 ranking. Nevermind here's the double update only today.