As always, Kira showed no mercy, opening with Card Trooper's full firepower. The doubled power from Limiter Removal rained down on the girl without any resistance, exploding with a thunderous boom and a pillar of black smoke.
[Alexis, LP 4000 → LP 200]
The entire venue was instantly stunned.
Who was Alexis Rhodes?
A superstar from the middle school division was admitted straight into Obelisk Blue. Even without considering her looks, as a duelist, she was widely regarded as one of the top contenders for this year's rookie king.
Everyone had expected an epic clash—a fierce back-and-forth between top players, a thrilling contest.
But after just the first turn, it looked like the duel was already about to end.
From the end of the last match until now, Seika had been sitting outside the field with a dazed, lifeless expression, as if she'd been utterly broken. Only now did her face regain its spirit.
No, to be precise, she seemed downright radiant, the gloom swept away, and even a smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.
Break her down completely! Just like you did to me—make her fall apart!
As her previous gloom faded, Seika's smile became increasingly twisted.
"...That was careless of me."
Alexis steadied herself, taking a deep breath.
Trading damage to set up a counterattack was indeed her usual tactic, but if she wasn't careful and took too much damage, she'd just send herself straight to the graveyard—now that would be a joke.
Such a spectacularly bizarre way to lose might get her name nailed to the academy's pillar of shame.
Alexis shook her head, forcing herself to focus back on the duel.
"Because of 'Doble Passe's' effect, my monster can counterattack.
Go, Cyber Tutu, direct attack!" Get full chapters from novelFirｅ.net
The electronic starlet leaped up, spinning elegantly like a ballerina, then swept a leg towards Kira with the force of a tornado.
[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 3000]
"The Equip Spell 'Angel Wing' effect! When I deal battle damage, I inflict an extra 300 points!"
[Kira, LP 3000 → LP 2700]
Kira raised his Duel Disk to block the virtual impact, his body swaying but standing firm.
"Then I set three cards face-down and end my turn," Kira said. "At the end of the turn, Limiter Removal's downside activates. The Machine monster affected by its effect is destroyed."
Card Trooper exploded with a bang, turning into ashes.
"But Card Trooper's effect: when it's destroyed and sent from the field to the Graveyard, I draw one card."
The crowd around finally breathed a little easier.
"That was just the first turn? So intense!"
"Alexis' LP is already at red—she's in real danger."
He'd briefly forgotten about the red LP thing. In the original, 'locking LP' was usually a curse—a player who got their LP low first usually had the advantage, but here he'd just sent Alexis straight into 'counterattack LP' range.
...Well, maybe it's not so mystical here?
Alexis steadied herself.
He'd seen through her tactics and hit her hard. But thanks to Limiter Removal's downside, his field was now empty.
But those set cards in his back row...
"Hesitating won't help," Alexis said resolutely. "I'll stick to my style!
Battle! Cyber Tutu, direct attack!"
Cyber Tutu spun and leaped forward, her graceful form sweeping in with a spinning kick.
"Bold, as expected," Kira narrowed his eyes. "Then I activate my set card—Trap Card: Dimension Wall!
When the opponent declares an attack, the battle damage is inflicted on the attacker instead!"
"Pulling out a trap at such a moment!?"
This trap would flip the duel—if she took the direct attack, Alexis would lose instantly.
"I knew you'd have a counter!" Alexis quickly inserted a card, "Quick-Play Spell—Prima Light!" (anime card)
She sent "Cyber Tutu" from her Duel Disk to the Graveyard, immediately revealing another card from her hand.
"Prima Light: By sending 'Cyber Tutu' from my field to the Graveyard, I Special Summon a 'Cyber Prima' from my hand!
So, I tribute Cyber Tutu! Appear—
—Level 6, Cyber Prima!"
The star vanished, its scattered light forming a spiraling vortex. A curvaceous, silver-haired diva appeared spinning in a beam of light.
[Cyber Prima, ATK 2300]
"Impressive!" Nakamura from the student council couldn't help but say, "Since the attacking monster left the field, the battle doesn't happen, so no battle damage is dealt!"
"And because it was Special Summoned during the Battle Phase, Cyber Prima can still attack!" another student remarked. "If this attack goes through, it'll deal massive damage..."
Alexis allowed herself a proud smile: "I'm not that easy to beat, you know?"
She arched an eyebrow, noticing Kira's other set card already flipped open.
Kira calmly pointed to the card: "Quick-Play Spell—Book of Moon. I flip 'Cyber Prima' face-down into Defense Position."
The newly summoned monster toppled over under the crescent moon's magic, becoming a face-down card.
Seika: "Hahahaha! That's it! Set! Set everything!"
The more withdrawn she'd been before, the happier she was now—it seemed like she was the most cheerful person in the whole place.
"...Equip Spell 'Angel Wing' has another effect," Alexis took a deep breath. "When it's sent from the field to the Graveyard, I draw one card from my deck.
Then I set two cards and end my turn."
Kira: "My turn, draw.
I activate the Continuous Spell 'Dimension Factory' from my hand!" (anime card)
A Spell card appeared, and three cards popped out automatically from his deck. Kira took the three cards and displayed them to his opponent.
"When 'Different Dimension Hangar' is activated, I can banish three Union monsters of Level 4 or below from my deck.
I banish 'Y-Dragon Head,' 'Z-Metal Tank,' and 'W-Wing Catapult' from my deck!"
He raised his hand and released the cards; the images of a red metal dragon, a tank-like metal track, and a blue winged fighter appeared, each sucked into a black vortex above his field.
"VWXYZ..." Alexis' expression grew serious.
The audience buzzed: "The legendary rare cards used by Seto Kaiba!"
"Then I Normal Summon 'X-Head Cannon'!"
[X-Head Cannon, ATK 1800]
"At this moment, 'Different Dimension Hangar's' other effect activates," Kira said. "When a monster is Normal or Special Summoned to my field, if one of the banished Union monsters lists that monster's name, I can Special Summon that Union monster from the banished zone!"
Kira immediately revealed two of the banished cards.
"'Y-Dragon Head' and 'Z-Metal Tank' both list 'X-Head Cannon' in their names, so I Special Summon them both!"
The black vortex opened again, and like two golden bolts of lightning, the red dragon head and heavy tank dropped onto his field.
[Y-Dragon Head, ATK 1500]
[Z-Metal Tank, ATK 1500]
"Monsters Special Summoned by this effect can't be tributed or attack," Kira said with a flourish. "But now, I combine 'X-Head Cannon,' 'Y-Dragon Head,' and 'Z-Metal Tank' for a transformation fusion!"
The three machines began transforming, electricity arcing between them as they assembled. Soon, like a human pyramid, they stacked together to form a mighty combined mecha!
X-Head Cannon became the head, Metal Tank the base, and Y-Dragon Head poked out in the middle (stricken out).
"XYZ-Dragon Cannon, Fusion Summon!"
[XYZ-Dragon Cannon, ATK 2800]