Chapter 136: Chapter 135: A Happy Duel
The term *Handbook* refers to a player’s hand of cards.
According to the rules of Yu-Gi-Oh!, besides drawing five cards on the first turn, you can only draw one card each turn after that. This makes the cards in your Handbook a very scarce resource. Getting that one crucial card into your hand has always been of the utmost importance.
It is for this very reason that the effect of Pot of Greed, which lets you unconditionally draw two cards, is serving a life sentence on the forbidden list.
The decks Zog had released so far were mostly based on monsters attacking each other to eventually win.
This corresponded to the playstyle in the manga, where two duelists would rack their brains to summon their strongest monsters, then engage in a thrilling, all-out battle of offense and defense.
Upbeat, tense, and passionate.
But the Handscroll Destruction Deck was a bit different. As its name implied, this deck’s main purpose was to attack the opponent’s Handbook.
It sends the opponent’s cards from their Handbook to the graveyard one by one, leaving them with no cards to play, then slowly seizes victory.
My turn, my turn, still my turn!
The essence of Yu-Gi-Oh! is that in a match between two people, only one of them actually gets to *play* Yu-Gi-Oh!. The other is just there to be part of their opponent’s "gameplay experience."
This is a Shadow Game!
Despicable, dark, and torturous!
As it happened, Zog loved this kind of playstyle.
In fact, many cards in Handscroll Destruction Decks had also been locked away on the forbidden list, never to see the light of day.
For the sake of balance, they should have been like Pot of Greed and never been designed in the first place.
However, the Zog Group, as a business conglomerate completely controlled by Zog the dragon, operated on the following principles.
1. The boss’s preferences take top priority.
2. The Group’s interests take priority.
3. If Principle 1 and Principle 2 conflict, Principle 1 shall prevail.
One claw to blot out the sky!
So, those forbidden cards were designed anyway, simply because Zog wanted to have some fun during the testing event. When the official release happened, these cards wouldn’t be distributed at all.
Since Zog was too famous now, he was afraid that if he showed up as himself, no one would play cards with him. That’s why he was hiding in a Chestnut Ball mascot costume.
’I didn’t expect it to work so well. On the first day of the event, I ran into a victim right after leaving the house.’
’No, I mean a fellow player.’
’I hope she’s still a fellow player after today.’
"Duel!"
The human and the dragon shouted in unison.
They activated their Dueling Discs, which displayed the number 4000—the Life Points for both players.
Originally, in the Duelist Kingdom arc of the manga, the Life Points were set at 2000. However, after some playtesting, it was discovered that even with the current card pool, 2000 Life Points made it too easy to get wiped out.
So, the numbers were changed, along with the manga’s plot.
Zog took out a Gold Coin, tossed it high in the air, and slapped it onto the back of his claw.
"Heads or tails?"
"Heads!" Galina answered firmly.
Zog checked the Gold Coin. It was indeed heads.
Galina smiled faintly. ’Looks like luck is on my side today,’ she thought. ’That star chip is as good as mine.’
"I’ll go first! I draw!"
Under the current rules, the first player was still allowed to draw. The current decks didn’t make it easy to defeat an opponent in a single turn.
The only way to do that would probably be with a perfect opening hand of all five pieces of Exodia, the Dark Great Mage.
Galina carefully looked over the six cards in her hand.
Not that she had a choice. She still hadn’t even memorized the effects of the cards in her own deck.
Luckily, during the testing period, the time limit for each turn was very generous.
As Galina looked, the corners of her mouth curled upward. With that level of expression control, she could kiss any hope of a gambling career goodbye. Anyone who wasn’t blind could tell if her hand was good or bad.
She pressed the activation button on her Dueling Disc.
Currently, only after activation could the Illusions attached to the cards be triggered by voice command.
This design was implemented because during development, it was discovered that if your deck and your opponent’s deck contained cards with the same name, a single shout would summon them all.
"I activate the first effect of Dragon Dictator! I send one Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my deck to the graveyard to Special Summon this card!"
As Galina finished speaking, an Illusion of a Mage clad in Dragonbone Armor appeared.
Attack Power 1200, Defense Power 1100, in Attack Position.
This card’s stats were mediocre, but its true value lay in its effect.
"I activate the second effect of Dragon Dictator! By discarding a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Handbook, I can Special Summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my graveyard!"
The discarded Blue-Eyes White Dragon was sent to the graveyard. At the same time, an Illusion of a blue Giant Dragon roared and burst forth from the card, exuding a powerful aura.
Attack Power 3000, Defense Power 2500, in Attack Position.
Among all the cards that existed right now, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was the symbol of absolute power—a pure stat monster.
"I’m not done yet!" Galina’s voice grew wilder. "I activate Resurrection of the Dead! I revive a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the graveyard in Attack Position!"
’It’s a done deal. I’ve already won. I can’t imagine any way I could lose.’
Galina was already cheering for her victory in her head. It was a shame monster cards couldn’t attack on the first turn, or she would have won right then and there.
’The sun on the horizon is so bright... it’s almost like Mr. Raul is waving at me.’
"I end my turn. Just surrender! There’s no need to waste any more time. I’m getting all 10 star chips today," Galina said smugly.
"Tsk, tsk." Zog clicked his tongue. ’Two Blue-Eyes White Dragons on the opening turn. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was Seto himself.’
’She’s got the trash talk down pat, too. Really has that manga character vibe. I just wonder if her face will contort in despair later.’
Zog drew a card without a word.
"I Normal Summon Killing Tomato in Defense Position."
An Illusion of a tomato with a fierce, demon-like expression appeared.
However, juxtaposed with the two Giant Dragons on the other side of the field, it didn’t look fierce at all.
Attack Power 1400, Defense Power 1100, only slightly stronger than Dragon Dictator.
Its effect is: when destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard, Special Summon 1 DARK monster with 1500 or less Attack Power from the deck in Attack Position.
Galina looked on with disdain.
’Summoning a monster with 1500 or less Attack Power? What’s the use of that? It’s just a snack for my Blue-Eyes White Dragon.’
’And it has to be summoned in Attack Position, too. When a monster in Attack Position is destroyed in battle, the player takes damage equal to the difference in Attack Power.’
’Against the Attack Power of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, that mascot is guaranteed to lose next turn.’
Galina was absolutely certain of it. Even though she didn’t even know what cards existed in the game yet, she didn’t care. She was just certain.
"I activate the Magic Card, Detention," Zog said.
[Detention: Pay 1000 Life Points. Look at your opponent’s Handbook and choose 1 card from it to discard.]
His Life Points were deducted accordingly, leaving Zog with 3000.
Galina almost laughed. ’Just losing one card from my Handbook? That’s it? He’ll just die faster next turn. This is a great trade for me.’
"I activate the Magic Card, Strongly Attracted Foreign Soldiers."
[Strongly Attracted Foreign Soldiers: Look at your opponent’s Handbook and select 1 card from it to return to their deck.]
’Something’s wrong.’
Galina had a gut feeling that something was wrong. It looked like her entire Handbook was about to disappear.
’But it’s fine. Victory will still be mine.’
"I set three cards face down and end my turn. Your move," Zog said lightly.
