"That's Marshmallon's effect," Kira explained with a wry smile.
"When this card is attacked while face-down in Defense Position, the attacker takes 1,000 damage."
"Huh? There's such a thing?"
His bespectacled friend said, "But wait, shouldn't the monster still be destroyed in battle...?"
"Marshmallon can't be destroyed by battle," Kira replied.
"What?! My Boomboxen's double-attack effect is useless, then!"
"And, I activate my set card: Trap Card 'Card of Sacrifice.'
If the total ATK of all monsters I control is lower than the monster with the lowest ATK on your field, I can draw 2 cards." (Anime effect)
"Marshmallon has lower ATK than Boomboxen..."
Marshmallon seemed proud of its low attack.
"Exactly," Kira nodded, "So I draw two cards.
However, this turn I can't Summon, Flip Summon, or Special Summon any monsters."
"Fine, turn end," Leo muttered.
In the story, Yusei once commented that at this stage, Leo often focused only on his own play, not considering the opponent's strategy. As a result, he was easily impressed by his own combos. Yusei believed such dueling wouldn't get far, since real duels were an exchange—a clash of tactics and ideas.
That might be true for this era, but Kira mused that in the modern game, dueling is often just players reciting their combos for five minutes straight. Hardly any real back-and-forth. All you have to care about is your own plays.
In that sense, Leo's playstyle was ahead of his time.
"My turn. Draw."
"I activate the Spell Card 'Pot of Duality.'
Reveal the top three cards of my Deck, choose one to add to my hand, and shuffle the rest back."
Kira drew three cards, picked one, and returned the others to the Deck.
"But 'Pot of Duality' has a downside," Kira added. "I can't Special Summon monsters this turn."
Leo put his hands on his hips: "So, no Special Summons—you can't attack effectively then."
"Indeed."
Kira smiled and continued:
"I set two back row cards. Next, from my hand, I activate the Spell 'Card Destruction.'
Both players discard their entire hands and then draw the same number of cards."
Leo pulled a face: "Again? I have to discard my whole hand?"
Reluctant to part with any card, he muttered complaints as he slowly placed each in the Graveyard.
His bespectacled friend noticed something strange: "This guy's only been drawing and cycling cards—so many gone, and it's only the second turn!"
Marshmallon, for its part, was a sturdy wall—near useless for offense, except for its surprise 1,000 damage. Yet, it seemed Kira had no intention of attacking.
It almost looked like he was simply stalling for time—perhaps digging for something specific.
"Card Destruction's effect: one of the discarded cards was a monster, 'Learning Elf.'"
A scholarly, bespectacled ghostly spirit appeared at Kira's field, muttering spells while flipping through a thick spellbook.
"Since Learning Elf was sent to the Graveyard, I can draw a card."
He drew again.
"Then I activate my set Spell: 'Card of Burial Magic.'
By removing three Spells from my Graveyard from play, I draw two cards." (Anime Card)
Three cards—'Card Destruction', 'Dark World Dealings', and 'Pot of Duality'—flashed in his Graveyard and were banished.
"By removing those, I draw two more cards."
Leo stared in disbelief. In just two turns, Kira had churned through so many cards.
"So are you here to draw cards, or duel me?"
"Now, I Summon 'Vortex Trooper' in Defense Mode."
A blue robot with a huge fan for a head appeared, spinning its blade at high speed.
[Vortex Trooper, DEF 600]
"Its effect: when Summoned, I can return two cards from my hand to the deck, shuffle, then draw two."
Kira inserted two cards, the deck shuffled, and he drew two more.
"Another hand change? Can you hurry up, mister? Is it my turn yet?"
Kira chuckled.
Such impatience was proof of childhood. In modern Yu-Gi-Oh, opponents could go through combos for five minutes—you'd go crazy.
"Lastly, I set one more card. Turn end."
Leo's bespectacled friend was more observant: "Leo, be careful. This duel feels weird..."
"I know, I know! Don't worry!"
Leo was as eager as ever.
"Okay, FINALLY my turn! Draw!"
Leo drew.
"I summon Tuner monster, 'Morphtronic Remoten'!"
A white device resembling a remote control leapt onto the field; its screen flashed with cartoonish green eyes as arms and legs sprouted, bouncing excitedly.
[Morphtronic Remoten, ATK 300]
"Here we go, finally!"
Leo's excitement peaked.
"I tune Level 3 'Morphtronic Remoten' with Level 4 'Morphtronic Boomboxen'!"
[3 + 4 = 7]
"To protect world peace, I unite courage and strength! Synchro Summon!
Messenger of Love and Justice—
Power Tool Dragon!!!"
…
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