Jiang You reluctantly discarded his hand. So much for a tutorial, he thought. He'd assumed Bubble would let him print whatever cards he wanted.
"Alright, my turn..."
At this point, Jiang You could only steel himself and continue the Duel, even though he knew the next card he drew would just be another Blank Card.
"Wait a moment," Bubble interrupted again.
"Don't tell me you're going to print an effect that counters my draw right now," Jiang You said, rolling his eyes. She'd already shamelessly wiped out his entire hand on her first turn. Adding an effect to prevent him from drawing would be no different from summoning a monster that just instantly wins the game!
"Of course not. It's just that drawing a card like that won't give you what you need to handle this situation. Have you ever seen anyone in Yu-Gi-Oh! print a card directly into their hand?"
"Haven't they? What about Atem's True Name card?" Jiang You retorted.
"That card wasn't so much a Blank Card as it was a card with its true effect sealed. It was only unlocked when Atem found himself," Bubble explained. "Your cards are different. They take shape the moment you draw them, or they need to be shaped while still in your Deck. Let me give you an example: during your Duel against that Beast that shouldn't have appeared in your first Script, the card 'The Arrival Beyond Dimensions' was created using your own Authority. It was generated specifically to deal with that situation. So, if you handle this correctly, this single draw can turn the entire Duel around. Think about it: what kind of card could handle this board?"
"A one-card comeback? That's easy! I'll print a card that deals 4000 direct damage!"
If he couldn't solve the board, he'd just solve the player. 4000 direct damage meant there would be no next turn! Since he could print cards, he might as well be as shameless as possible—after all, the anime protagonists weren't exactly modest when they printed their own cards.
"..."
A speechless expression crossed Bubble's usually serene face. However, she didn't stop him, instead watching as Jiang You attempted to draw the card.
After several attempts to draw the card, Jiang You realized he couldn't pull it out at all. He could feel it—just as Bubble had said, the card hadn't taken shape yet.
"Why?"
"Because there are no 'real' characters or stories to serve as an anchor, this card must be constructed entirely by your Authority."
Aside from Jiang You's own existence, Bubble was practically omniscient and immediately provided the answer.
"There's another reason: you don't truly believe a card that can deal 4000 direct damage exists."
"Nonsense! You can deal 4000 damage with one card, so why wouldn't I believe it?"
Jiang You tried a few more times, but after repeated failures, he had no choice but to give up.
"Fine. If I can't wipe out your 4000 Life Points with one card, what should I do?"
"I've told you before: everything, even time itself, is meaningless to you. Now, you'll have to figure out the rest on your own."
Bubble interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them, waiting for Jiang You to come up with his own answer.
"You keep emphasizing that thing about time."
Because she had mentioned it so frequently, Jiang You couldn't help but pay attention.
"Is this some kind of hidden plot?"
"Hmm... For you, it's a massive easter egg. The spoilers end here. Something like this is far more meaningful when you discover it yourself. If I told you now, it might not even be a pleasant surprise."
Bubble laughed, her delight genuine this time.
"I can't wait to see your reaction when the time comes."
Since she refused to elaborate, Jiang You didn't press the matter. He knew that easter eggs were only truly satisfying when discovered personally—that knowing smile of understanding was priceless. Relying on someone else's discovery would diminish the fun by at least eighty percent.
"Alright, then... time... Given the current situation, the only way to avoid your special victory condition is to prevent you from starting your turn. Card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! have similar effects, but..."
Jiang You was thinking of Time Goddess's Prank. Its text was simple: Skip 1 turn until your next Battle Phase. While this card could temporarily prevent Bubble from starting her turn, it would only delay his inevitable defeat.
"If you have an idea, give it a shot. You can do it again, just like you did before. Time in this world is meaningless to you—you can alter it at will. The moment you descended and this very instant could even be the same."
Jiang You roughly understood the first part of Bubble's words. She meant he could freely "print" cards that skipped turns. But the meaning of the second part remained a mystery. Perhaps he would only understand when the "easter egg" she mentioned was finally revealed.
Jiang You placed his hand on his deck, his fingertips sliding gently across the card backs.
Besides skipping a turn, he needed an effect to end the battle. He had drawn half the card, but it still felt like something crucial was missing.
"Cards need anchors—that's a rule you understand. Therefore, the effect must find a suitable anchor to construct a complete card."
Bubble guided him patiently, teaching him how to create the card he needed with his own consciousness.
"I understand."
Jiang You grasped the key point. After Bubble's repeated emphasis, he'd be letting her down if he still couldn't figure out how to print a card.
"This world is just a dream for Azathoth, right? In a dream, time is chaotic and disordered. So, since this is a dream, I will control time! Draw!"
[Chaos Dream]Continuous Spell Card
1: The activation of this card cannot be negated.
2: Once per turn, at the end of the turn, you can banish 5 cards from the Graveyard to skip your opponent's next turn.
3: When your Life Points change due to an effect other than battle damage, you can choose which player takes that change.
4: If this card leaves the field, both players must send all cards they control to the Graveyard. Then, your opponent takes 1000 effect damage for each card sent to the Graveyard this way.
"Your discards really came in handy!"
The effect was so powerful that Jiang You could only create it by aligning it with the current situation. In general, printing cards still had to follow some basic laws. However, the effect didn't specify whose Graveyard to banish from, so it was hard to say if it could have been even stronger. Thanks to Bubble's discard declaration, there were now a total of ten cards in both players' Graveyards.
"For the next two turns, only I can act!"
"You... you're not allowed to play Yu-Gi-Oh!"