Chapter 74: You Xuan vs. Asuka Tenjouin
Chapter 74: You Xuan vs. Asuka Tenjouin
(The first match concluded in less than ten minutes, with You Xuan effortlessly securing five credits.
He was in high spirits. This single duel had earned him even more credits than a regular exchange match, and it had been far too easy.)
(If it were up to him, he would have gladly asked for a best-of-five match against his senior, wagering five credits per duel.
However, judging by the senior's furious expression, she didn't seem keen on continuing.)
(The audience, having witnessed the entire duel, fell silent.)
(After a moment, a student council member stepped forward and asked, "Yo, You Xuan, is the soul of your deck Lava Golem?")
You Xuan raised an eyebrow.
(What's that tone supposed to mean? Underestimating my mighty Lava Golem?)
(He felt compelled to argue, "Oh? Is there an issue with Lava Golem's attack strength?")
("Well, that's not it.")
(Its attack strength was on par with the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon; who would dare claim it wasn't high enough?)
("Then, do you think its level is too low?")
("No, no, level eight is already impressive.")
("So, you must think its effect isn't powerful enough?")
("The effect is... quite strong.")
("Then why can't it be my soul card?" You Xuan asserted, full of confidence.)
(Nakamura was left speechless. You Xuan's reasoning was impeccable, and he found himself unable to refute it.)
(However, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss with You Xuan's consistent line of thought. From the moment he stepped onto the stage, there seemed to be something off about the soul card facing him.)
(In a corner of the venue, a jellyfish-haired student who had also been arrested by the student council for not voting chimed in, "Oh, You Xuan seems really strong! I wonder when I'll get the chance to duel him.")
("Huh!?” His little brother, Marufuji Sho, turned to his big brother in shock.)
(Sho couldn't help but wonder just how obsessed with dueling Yuudai had to be to still want to challenge someone after witnessing such a duel. Wouldn't a normal person keep their distance and quietly add that person to their blacklist?)
("But speaking of which, he also uses a Machine-type deck!" Yuudai patted Sho's back and chuckled, "Could it be that Machine-type decks are actually powerful?")
(Marufuji Sho: ...)
(No, it felt like the same Machine-type monsters took on a different style in someone else's hands. In You Xuan's hands, they could knock opponents down, but in his own hands, he usually ended up being the one knocked down.)
(Sho began to question himself. Could it be that the problem wasn't with the Machine-type deck, but simply that he lacked skill?)
("By the way, that Tenjouin Asuka seems pretty strong too.")
(Yuudai rubbed his nose, his face filled with anticipation.)
("It feels like there's more excitement to come!")
(At that moment, Tenjouin Asuka had already donned her Duel Disk and stood before You Xuan.)
("You're strong," she said seriously, "but I won't hold back either.")
("Of course," You Xuan replied as he smoothly removed his deck from his Duel Disk and placed it into an empty deck case behind him. He then drew another deck from a different case and inserted it into his Duel Disk.)
(The latest model Duel Disk provided by Kaiba Corporation initiated the shuffling program, swiftly shuffling the newly inserted deck.)
(Asuka frowned slightly.)
(A deck change?)
("I stand here as a duelist, not as a girl. I expect you to give it your all as well," she said.)
("Don't worry, I will," You Xuan smiled, "It's just a normal tactical change.")
(In this world with the attribute of destiny, using the same tactics consecutively could lead to being targeted. Even if your opponent didn't intentionally adjust their deck, knowing your deck and strategy could give them an advantage, allowing them to draw a hand with countermeasures.)
(As a member of the early protagonist group, Tenjouin Asuka likely also possessed a strong attribute of destiny. Or, at the very least, among Yuudai's classmates from the same year, she was likely among the top tier.)
("Duel!" x2)
[You Xuan, LP: 4000]
[Asuka, LP: 4000]
("I'll start and draw!" Asuka declared, "I normal summon 'Cyber Angel Benten' in attack position!")
[Cyber Angel Benten, ATK: 1000]
("Then I activate the equip spell, 'Angel Wings,' to equip it to Cyber Angel Benten!" (Animation Card) A magic card appeared behind Asuka, and a pair of pure white wings unfurled behind the tall and slender Cyber Angel Benten, enveloping her in a soft white light.)
"I summon 'Card Gunner'!"
[Card Gunner, ATK: 400]
"Card Gunner's effect activates once per turn. I can send up to three cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard, and for each card sent, its ATK increases by 500 points."
You Xuan sent three cards from the top of his Deck to the Graveyard in quick succession.
"With three cards sent to the Graveyard, Card Gunner's ATK increases to 1900!"
[Card Gunner, ATK: 400 -> ATK: 1900]
You Xuan paused for a moment, glancing at Asuka's back row.
He had a hunch about what the face-down card could be.
Whenever Asuka dueled in the anime, she almost always used that particular Trap, just like Kaizer's Cyber Dragon, it was as if the card was glued to her hand.
[Trap Card - Double Pas de Deux
Effect: When an opponent's monster attacks a face-up Attack Position monster you control, change the attack target to yourself. As an exchange, your monsters can inflict battle damage directly to your opponent.] (Animation Effect)
Since the effect of "monsters being able to inflict battle damage directly to the opponent during their turn" was a bit unrealistic for real-life card games, the effect of the actual card was modified to "as an exchange, your monsters can attack directly during your next turn."
Additionally, Asuka had Normal Summoned 'Cyber Angel Benten' in Attack Position with only 1000 ATK, and she had equipped it with 'Angel Wings' right from the start, which further boosted its battle damage by 300 points. With these moves, You Xuan was almost certain about what the face-down card was.
Normally, if he attacked with Card Gunner and Asuka activated "Double Pas de Deux," she would take 1900 points of direct attack damage, while You Xuan would only take 1300. Logically, she would be at a disadvantage, so the chances of her activating the Trap should be slim.
However, based on Asuka's tactics in the original story, the probability of her activating it was not low. On more than one occasion, she had willingly taken damage to deal damage to her opponent in return.
Based on the theories he had learned these days, You Xuan speculated that this might be her dueling style—bold and fearless. Maintaining this style helped stabilize her "momentum" in the duel, and in her eyes, it might be more important than a mere difference of a few hundred LP.
In that case, he would play along.
"Battle!" You Xuan declared, gesturing with his hand. "Card Gunner attacks 'Cyber Angel Benten'!"
Card Gunner, with its enhanced attack power, brought its arms down, and several shots were fired directly at the graceful, long-haired female monster.
Asuka frowned slightly. "You completely ignored my face-down card. Very well, I activate my Set card!
Trap Card - Double Pas de Deux!"
You Xuan narrowed his eyes.
As expected.
"This Trap redirects your monster's attack to me directly!" Asuka proclaimed, "and then my monster can attack you directly in return!"
The spectators were astonished. "Using herself as a monster's shield!?
Is this how she starts the duel, with such a stimulating move of exchanging damage?"
On one hand, it was a way to exchange damage, but it also served to protect her own monster for further attacks in the next turn.
This was her unique dueling rhythm and style.
"In that case, Card Gunner will now attack you directly, Asuka," You Xuan stated.
The ammunition fired by Card Gunner veered in mid-air, taking a strange turn as it curved around the Cyber Angel Benten in the front and headed straight for Asuka at the back.
"But at this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card 'Limit Remove' from my hand!" You Xuan revealed another card in his hand, "Until the end of this turn, Card Gunner's ATK is doubled!"
[Card Gunner, ATK: 1900 -> ATK: 3800]
Asuka's expression changed drastically. "What did you say!?
An attack power of three thousand eight hundred!?
I can accept taking the damage from an attack power of nineteen hundred, but all at once...
That's just too much!"
(End of Chapter)
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