Lyman quickly finished reviewing the deck, squinted his eyes, thought for a moment, and then smiled with genuine delight.
Clearly, he approved of the concept.
In fact, this strategy was quite similar to his own, and very much to his liking.
Lyman's deck was based on alchemy cards—most of which never became real cards, except for his signature "Macro Cosmos" and a few related cards.
But in terms of strategy, his deck was similar to Kira's.
Both aimed to disrupt the opponent by banishing cards sent to the graveyard, preventing graveyard resource use, while giving themselves ways to turn banished cards into resources.
By sealing off the opponent's options and creating an advantageous offensive environment, they gained overall field control.
So from the very first glance, Lyman felt a strong sense of kinship with this deck and couldn't help but nod in approval.
Lyman's eyes narrowed, and although he continued to pet his cat with his usual calm smile, there was now a deeper look in his expression.
"Sometimes I think you're almost scary-smart, Kira."
He adjusted his glasses, his eyes narrowing even further.
But after a moment, he returned to normal.
"Ahaha. Well, it's actually a coincidence. I happen to have a card that fits your deck perfectly."
Lyman stood up, rummaged through a messy, dusty table at the back, and soon returned with a card.
Kira reached out and took it.
[Continuous Trap – Macro Cosmos.]
Effect: When this card is activated, Special Summon 1 "Helios - The Primordial Sun" from your hand or Deck.
As long as this card remains in your Spell & Trap Zone, any card sent to the Graveyard is banished instead.
Kira raised his eyebrow in surprise.
Then he remembered—right, this card had always been active in banishing decks for so long that many had forgotten it was originally Lyman's signature card.
Helios was Lyman's ace monster, though its competitive ability was so low most people ignored it.
As Kira took the card, Lyman didn't immediately let go, holding the other end and smiling.
"Kira, you're preparing for the Battle City tournament, right?"
"Yeah." Kira nodded and shrugged. "I want to be in top form. If I don't do well, Kaiba probably won't let me off easy."
"Ahaha, you sure have it tough. Well, good luck then."
Lyman let go, and Kira took the card.
Lyman sat back down and resumed petting Pharaoh.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing how far you can grow, Kira. If you win the championship, you'll be famous. Ahaha!"
"Haha, that's a bit tough. But I'll give it my best." Kira smiled.
"Go for it, I believe in you." Lyman waved.
"Okay, then I won't disturb your rest any longer."
With the legendary item "Macro Cosmos" in hand, Kira stood up.
"I won't let you down, Professor."
Kira left. Lyman quietly petted his cat for a while longer until he saw Kira's figure disappear out the window, then smiled with interest.
"What an extraordinary kid. Don't you think so, Pharaoh?"
The cat yawned, stretched, and curled up even more comfortably on his lap.
"I really can't wait to see what happens."
The light glinting off Lyman's glasses obscured his gaze.
"Let's see just how far this child can go."
Domino City, the legendary Duel City, was about to host the upcoming Battle City tournament.
This was the birthplace of countless legends and had been promoted for years as the city of the "original King of Games" and the origin of the first Duel City tournament.
Now, it had become a true haven for duelists, where nearly everyone played cards.
If you didn't play or register a deck, you couldn't even become a resident.
It was hard to imagine just how much power Seto Kaiba, the world's number one duelist, had to implement such an insane policy.
Somewhere in a forgotten corner of Domino City—
A half-closed door with cracked paint revealed the weathered wood beneath. Dim, eerie lights glowed like ghostly eyes in the dark.
Several figures stood silently around a round table.
"Headquarters has sent word."
One spoke in a low voice.
"News from the Spirit World. The 'Sealing Device' has appeared—but it seems, according to information, it's been lost."
Another frowned. "Those spirits were given so much power, yet in the end, they're useless?"
"What a bunch of losers."
"But there's word that a duelist from our world is involved." The first man in black said, "The organization believes the 'Sealing Device' has fallen into his hands."
"Oh? Do we know who?"
"More or less. After investigating, it might be someone named Fujiki Kira."
The others exchanged confused looks. Who?
"A student from Duel Academy—not a pro, not a famous duelist, so it's normal you haven't heard of him," the apparent leader explained.
"Duel Academy? A student?" The source of this content ɪs novel⟡fire.net
The others doubted their ears.
"Yes. But don't underestimate him. I've only heard a little, but he's strong. Even Seto Kaiba seems to pay attention to him—there must be something special."
"Maybe he's got potential. But he's just a student."
The leader nodded slightly.
"Good. According to reliable info, he'll be at this Battle City tournament—here in Domino. So our local branch becomes the front line."
"The organization's orders are clear: our top priority is to recover the 'Sealing Device' at any cost."
All nodded in agreement.
"Excellent. The tournament is our best chance. Since Yemo is so confident, how about you take the first shot?"
The man called Yemo laughed.
"I'll go and grab the first prize."