Who Let Him Play Yugioh? (Re-Upload)

The deck Kira was using this time wasn’t the Monarch Control build that won the world championship—he only had a single Monarch, ”Raiza the Storm Monarch”, so he couldn’t do a full-blown Monarch build.

Instead, he used another powerful top-tier deck from back then, formed soon after Raiza was released: Wind Raiza. The deck’s name came from its two core cards: ”Raiza the Storm Monarch” and the trap ”Phoenix Wing Wind Blast”.

So clearly, this was a top control deck specializing in returning the opponent’s cards to the top of their deck.

Anyone who’s faced this kind of tactic knows how infuriating it is. It’s bad enough in real life; in an anime world overflowing with lucky topdecks, it’s even worse.

Just look at the guy across from him—he looked like he was about to burst out crying...

Kira discarded a card to his Duel Disk’s Graveyard.

”So, I discard a card and return your ’Darkstorm Dragon’ to the top of your deck again.”

Delta’s eyes bulged with rage.

He was down to his last card in hand, and it wasn’t anything that could save him in this situation. With Darkstorm Dragon bounced to the top of his deck, even if he survived the next turn, all he could do was draw Dark Storm Dragon again next turn, and then he’d be stuck with two cards in hand he couldn’t use.

Which brings to mind that famous meme—

—Omae wa mou shindeiru.

There are those who are alive but are already dead.

Is this really the end?

Delta struggled to raise his head, looking at Kira, who now seemed to tower infinitely in his eyes, an insurmountable mountain—an embodiment of fate itself.

Maybe the opponent was right.

This card, fated to be bounced to the top of the deck, was his destiny. No matter how hard he tried, everything he did was futile, nothing but a pointless struggle.

In the end, he couldn’t change anything, just as next turn he’d be forced to draw ”Darkstorm Dragon” again.

”I’m sorry, Father.”

He closed his eyes, unconsciously.

But his opponent was too strong.

With his eyes shut, the image of the man appeared before him again.

Still expressionless, still silent. But even so, those eyes felt like cold steel knives, hacking into his heart.

The pain brought him back to his senses.

”No, it’s not over yet.”

He opened his eyes again, his old promise echoing in his ears.

”I will never let you down.”

He was the best among all the children, the one his father pinned all his hopes on, the most special one. He couldn’t fail.

”Chain to ’Phoenix Wing Wind Blast’—activate my set card! Quick-Play Spell—”

”—Spell Textbook!” (Anime card)

Kira frowned.

Wait, wasn’t that... an anime-only card?

”Discard all cards in your hand to activate it.”

Delta discarded his hand to the grave and said in a low voice:

”Draw the top card of your deck. If it’s a Spell, you can activate it immediately, ignoring costs. If not, send it to the graveyard.”

Oh—Kira remembered now. The card Yami Yugi used in the Battle City arc, when Kaiba’s Obelisk attacked Slifer. Yugi discarded his hand, then topdecked ”Card of Sanctity”, instantly boosting Slifer’s power to 6000, stunning Kaiba.

Now, this was indeed Delta’s last chance. If he waited for ”Phoenix Wing Wind Blast” to resolve and ”Darkstorm Dragon” got bounced to the top, and then played Spell Textbook, he’d just draw Dark Storm Dragon—not a Spell—and be finished.

This was Delta’s true last-ditch gamble—betting everything on one final draw.

”Interesting.” Kira squinted slightly.

Could an artificially-created AI, even one with unbreakable fighting spirit, topdeck like a real duelist?

Once this effect resolved, Delta would have an empty field and no cards left.

Delta looked at his deck, put his hand on the top card, and closed his eyes.

In darkness, his father’s image appeared again.

”…”

”—Draw!”

Delta drew, and raised the card high.

”Spell card—”

”—Dragon’s Mirror!”

Kira raised an eyebrow.

Damn, he actually drew it!

”Dragon’s Mirror effect: by banishing Fusion Material monsters from my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster!”

Delta shouted as five cards slid from his Graveyard.

”I banish ’Tyrant Dragon’, ’Exploder Dragon’ and ’Wish Dragon’ discarded by Graceful Charity, ’Frost and Flame Dragon’ destroyed last turn, and ’Troop Dragon’ I just discarded for Spell Textbook—five dragons in total!”

Five dragons appeared, swirling into a fusion vortex.

A vortex of earth, water, fire, wind, and darkness erupted into a column of light. A divine dragon spread golden wings and descended, mighty enough to blot out the sky!

”The strongest, most evil fused dragon in the world, breaking through fate itself—”

”—F.G.D., Five-Headed Dragon, summon!!!”

[Five-Headed Dragon, ATK 5000]

The highest basic stats in Yu-Gi-Oh!, the original five-monster fusion—Five-Headed Dragon appears!

Kira looked up at the mighty dragon, feeling a pressure from the swirling elements. While the Five-Headed Dragon is often joked about by players as ”paper dragon”, its presence as a Duel Monster is still impressive.

”Five-Headed Dragon, direct attack!”

Delta nearly roared at the top of his lungs.

All five mouths of Five-Headed Dragon opened; five elemental breaths gathered, about to unleash an apocalyptic blast.

Kira’s field was empty, but he faced the vortex calmly, muttering to himself: ”Even the obsession of an AI can go this far, huh?”

”At least in terms of dueling, you’re a worthy opponent.”

He paused, then smiled.

”But...”

Kira waved his hand, and a vortex opened toward the Graveyard.

”In the Graveyard—activate ’Kuribohrn’ effect.”

Delta was stunned: ”Kuribohrn? When did you—oh, a card discarded last turn?”

”When your opponent declares an attack, you can banish this card from your Graveyard to Special Summon any number of ’Kuriboh’ monsters from your Graveyard.”

Kira pulled a card from his Graveyard.

”I revive ’Winged Kuriboh’!”

[Winged Kuriboh, DEF 200]

”That guy again?” Delta clicked his tongue. ”So troublesome... Fine, Five-Headed Dragon attacks ’Winged Kuriboh’.”

”Not so fast,” Kira smiled, ”I have another card—our lab’s latest research, not yet made public.”

After getting Raiza, he’d set up a special Monarch research team to develop new Monarch cards.

”What?” Delta had a bad feeling.

”Trap Card, ’Dark Advance’,” Kira said. ”Return a monster with 2400+ ATK and 1000 DEF from your Graveyard to your hand. Then, if you have a monster in your hand that meets those stats, you can Tribute Summon it.”

Delta was shocked.

Tribute Summon on your opponent’s turn!?

And 2400+ ATK and 1000 DEF... that’s...

”Exactly. So I return ’Raiza the Storm Monarch’ from my Graveyard to my hand,” Kira said calmly. ”Then I tribute ’Winged Kuriboh’ to Tribute Summon—”

”The Emperor of the Winds returns once more—”

”—Raiza the Storm Monarch, Summon!”

Winged Kuriboh turned into golden motes and vanished. A green hurricane erupted into the sky, and the Monarch appeared again in the storm!

[Raiza the Storm Monarch, ATK 2400]

”Then, Raiza’s effect: on successful Summon, return a card on the field to the top of the deck.”

Kira pointed at Delta’s field.

”Return ’Five-Headed Dragon’ to the deck. Of course, since Five-Headed Dragon is a Fusion Monster, it goes to the Extra Deck instead.”

Raiza’s hurricane exploded, the green wind countering Five-Headed Dragon’s elemental vortex, eventually swallowing the mighty dragon until it vanished in the storm.

Delta opened his mouth but had nothing to say, only sadness, injustice, and frustration.

Why? Again and again...

He’d gone all out, performed above and beyond...

Is this what they call unshakeable fate?

”My turn, draw.”

Kira calmly drew, then waved his hand.

”I activate my last set card, Trap Card—’Conscription’.”

”Check the top card of your opponent’s deck. If it’s a summonable monster, Special Summon it to your field. If it’s not, it goes to your opponent’s hand.”

Delta: ”!!!”

Still reeling from last turn, Delta nearly jumped up.

What?

Conscription!?

Check the top card of my deck—wouldn’t that be...?

”Come, let me see the top card of your deck,” Kira smiled.

”You’ve got to be kidding me...”

Delta’s face twitched.

But even if he didn’t move, the top card of his deck popped out and hovered in midair, displaying itself.

”Hah, my luck’s great!”

Kira took the card and showed it with a grin.

”It’s ’Darkstorm Dragon’, and it can be summoned.”

Delta: ”...”

He swore, never since his birth had he wanted to punch someone so badly.

”So, ’Darkstorm Dragon’ is Special Summoned to my field.”

[Darkstorm Dragon, ATK 2700]

Delta looked up at the monster given to him by his father, a symbol of all his expectations—now standing against him. For a moment, he almost saw his father’s shadow in the dragon.

Standing there, facing him, with the same cold, knife-like gaze as in his memories.

Delta opened his mouth again, but in the end just shook his head bitterly.

”Time to battle. Raiza the Storm Monarch, Darkstorm Dragon—direct attack,” Kira ordered.

Delta closed his eyes.

Sorry, Father. But I really did my best.

But my opponent... he’s not human.

[Delta, LP 3900 → LP 0]

PS: 3 Bonus Chapters at 2000 PS.