A Year Later...
"Battle. The First Darklord attacks directly."
"Aw... I lost again. Your First Darklord really isn't fair, senpai."
Rei muttered with a sigh as she took the cards on the field to shuffle it back to her deck. Ken chuckled at the pouting before doing the same, reshuffling his cards.
"It's more of preparing your deck to stop The First Darklord, so you'll have to remove my resources more. You did do well with that D.D Crow to banish my Morningstar from the GY, but you forgot that even without it as fusion material for its effect, it still has higher damage than a Blue Eyes. So my advice when going up against this kind of deck that has a boss monster is to lock it down, don't allow them to summon it and go aggressive from the start."
Oh, and how happy he was. She used a card that's not the Lightsworn archetype, and she was starting to get used to killing off resources. For some weird reason, people don't play cards that ruin their "theme". Ash Blossom, Called by the Grave, Forbidden Droplet, Infinite Impermanence and other quick effect cards that can lock down a turn are just not used, because of "theme".
What a joke.
"Ugh, don't remind me, senpai. I already don't like D.D Crow in my deck, it just... feels wrong. Like I'm cheating with my deck or something."
Rei said with distain as she looked at the crow in the card. Ken rolled his eyes, what a drama-queen.
"You know that you can increase your card count if you think that D.D Crow is using 2 card slots for any of your Lightsworns. 3 or more extra cards aren't going to ruin combos."
"But if I go over the 40 card limit, the chance of bricking is higher!"
"Rei, your deck has so many cards that help you from bricking. Solar Recharge, Pot of Greed and Jar of Avarice, heck you even have a Monster Reborn to bring up any GY cards that you need."
"Senpai... You have even more options to not brick with your Monarch deck, with Pantheism."
"Pshhh, semantics. The point stands, adding a few more universal cards wouldn't kill your play style."
The younger girl gave him a huff before shuffling her deck. Ken takes out his deck boxes and asked.
"So... How's your friend group going?"
She freezes for a moment, her mouth straightening before continuing to shuffle her deck.
"It's going alright. Still my friends, yay... Though they don't really want to play with me anymore. They play amongst themselves more than with me."
Ken hides his wince internally as he took out his newly built deck. Yeah, after that stomp between her friend called Ai a year ago, they kinda avoid playing with her now. Something along the lines of "too strong to fight against that they wouldn't be able to learn anything from their games".
What a load of crap, he decimates against Rei, and she still learns so much in each fight. Hell, she was getting good. Monstrously. Ken thinks that it's more to embarrassment from her friends, what plebs.
He often lost, you know? Against actual pros that are good at the game. Like Yugi, ever since winning his first duel, it went spiralling down from there. The Mahad draws when the King of Games wanted him to appear was just... Damn.
Rei looked over at him taking out a deck from one of his deck boxes.
"Huh. What cards are these? I've never seen you use them, senpai."
"That's because I have never used them before against you. These are new cards that just released a few days ago."
Spreading the cards out on the table, Rei took the boss monster of the deck.
"House Dragonmaid?"
The Dragonmaid deck, a deck filled to the brim with cute dragon maids with low levels that can transform into their full dragon form during battle phase. It'd be a lie if he said that he didn't have a hand in creating this deck.
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A Week Prior...
"Annual Archetype Creation?"
Ken asked on the phone as he read the email that Industrial Illusions sent. Checking the CC, he noted that it was sent to all employees surprisingly.
"Why, I see that you've gotten the email, Yusou-boyya! Yes, it's something that I encourage yearly to all my fellow staff members of the company! Each person can send a submission of an archetype that they'd wish to see, and if it's approved by my committee, then we will give the green light to it!"
That's... Really cool. Like, wow, as expected from Pegasus, he really knows how to keep his employees' morale up.
"Though, this is kept private to only staff members with a high enough clearance level, but if a staff member's submission is approved, he or she shall receive a large bonus! It's a win-win for the company and employees, ideas for archetypes to not get repetitive, and bonuses for such imaginations!
"Can I submit one?"
"Why, of course! I will be watching for your submission, Yusou-boyya! Anything you do is quite interesting, like that new protégé of yours! Very talkative to her, no? Why not do the same with me?"
Hold up, what? Back up for a second, say what now?
"... Are you stalking me?"
The man at the other side of the call gave a heartful laugh that sends shivers down his spine.
"Most definitely! I like to keep my assets close, my dear boy! Who knows what that Kaiba-boyya would do to one of my more interesting pieces, that's why I have my men keep a close eye in case anything happens to you!"
That's... Huh. He had no words to say.
"Speaking of, will your monthly salary be in cash once again or wired?"
"Cash."
He'd rather not wire it to his parents' account, since he'd hate it if the money magically disappears into thin air. For some weird reason teenagers below 15 are not allowed to have their own bank account.
Besides, him and his parents don't talk at all. Literally, he doesn't remember when they took him out or bought him anything, they're just... there in the house sometimes.
The line stayed silent before a hum sounded.
"Very well, Yusou-boyya. I'll have the money sent by tomorrow."
"Thanks."
"It's no problem, my boy. No problem at all."
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"So, wanna duel?"
Rei looked at the clock before nodding.
"Sure, but only one. I have to meet up with my friends for a project unlike a certain someone."
"Hey, I'll have you know that I can already graduate at this point, but fine, only one more game."
Handing her his Dragonmaid deck, and him her Lightsworn deck with some extra firepower, they both shuffled it before handing back their respective decks.
Drawing 5, they started the duel.
""DUEL.""
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Saotome Rei: 4000 LP
Yusou Ken: 4000 LP
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Playing rock-paper-scissors to determine who goes first, Ken clicked his tongue as he lost with rock against paper.
"Too bad, senpai, but first goes to me! I draw!"
"Yeah, yeah, start your turn you cheeky girl."
Taking her 6th card, she looks through her hand before playing her first move.
"I play the field spell, Realm of Light! I then summon Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn (1700) in Attack Position and activate his effect, milling 2 cards."
Taking the top two cards and placing it to the GY, she took a little coin-shaped token that they use to count counters before placing one on the field spell card.
"There was a Lightsworn monster in the grave, meaning Raiden gains 200 ATK from his effect, and an additional 100 ATK from Realm of Light."
Taking a small dice this time, she places it on Raiden with 3 dots facing-upwards to signify that he has gained 300 ATK.
"I'll then use Charge of the Light Brigade to mill 3 cards and add a level 4 or below Lightsworn monster into my hand."
Ken lets it through as she does the motions, and added Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior into her hand. After that, she increases the counter on Realm of Light and changes the dice face on Raiden to 4 dots.
"I'll set one and then mill 2 more cards during End Phase before ending my turn."
4 more cards in her hand, and a 2200 ATK beat-stick with a face-down. Alright, time to try his best.
"I'll draw for turn... And summon Chamber Dragonmaid (500/1800) in face-up Defence Position onto the field. Her effect, upon normal or special summoning her, allows me to search and add a Dragonmaid spell or trap card to my hand. I'll choose Dragonmaid Changeover."
Searching for the card, Ken shuffles his deck before continuing his turn.
"I'll then play the spell card I just searched for, Dragonmaid Changeover, to fusion summon 1 dragon fusion monster using monsters from my hand or field as fusion material."
Thinking about his choices, he decides on the materials.
"I'll choose Chamber Dragonmaid (500/1800) from my field, and the Dragonmaid Tinkhec (2700/1700) from my hand to fusion summon Dragonmaid Sheou (3500/2000) in Attack Position."
Placing the deck's boss monster onto the field, he continued his plan.
"I'll then use the spell card, Dragonmaid Hospitality. This card's effect allows me to special summon a Dragonmaid monster from my hand or GY in Defense Position, and then I can send 1 Dragonmaid monster with the same Attribute, but a different Level, from my deck to the GY."
Spreading out my GY list, he grabbed a Parlor Dragonmaid (500/1700) from his hand and special summoned her in Defence. After that, he searches for Dragonmaid Lorpar(2700/1700) to send it to the GY.
"Lastly, I use the continuous spell card, Dragonmaid Welcome. The card grants 100 ATK per Dragonmaid that I control, meaning a plus 200 ATK currently. And if I have two or more Dragonmaid monsters in control, I can add a Dragonmaid card from my GY except Dragonmaid Welcome. I choose Tinkhec."
"Battle. During the start of the Battle Phase, I can return Chamber Dragonmaid (500/1800) to the hand, and if I do, I can special summon 1 Level 7 or higher Dragonmaid monster from my hand or GY. I choose Lorpar (2700/1700) from the GY to special summon."
Placing the green dragon onto the field after taking away Chamber Dragonmaid into his hand, he commences his attack.
"Dragonmaid Lorpar (2700/1700) attacks your Raiden (2200/1000)."
"I activate my continuous trap card, Lightsworn Barrier! When my Lightsworn monster that I control is being targeted for an attack, I can mill 2 cards and target the attacking monster, then negate its attack!"
"Before that concludes, I chain activate Dragonmaid Sheou's quick effect. If you activated a card or effect, I can negate its activation and destroy that card."
The girl could only sigh as she moved the trap card into her graveyard.
"If it was successful, then I have to move Sheou (3500/2000) to the GY and special summon House Dragonmaid (3000/2000). I'll summon her in Attack Position."
Taking the card from his extra deck, he continues the battle.
"Replay happens, I attack your Raiden (2200/1000) with Lorpar (2700/1700) and attack you with House Dragonmaid (3000/2000) for game. Tinkhec's quick effect from my hand activates, I can discard it and plus 2000 ATK for any Dragonmaid monster until the end of this turn, and I choose House Dragonmaid (3000 → 5000 /2000) to receive the bonus.
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Saotome Rei: 4000 LP → 3500 LP → 0 LP
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Rei's shoulder slumped as she sighed.
"Senpai, your cards are just too good when combo-ing. My hand was just so..."
She showed him her hand, and he winced.
Yeah. Jar of Avarice, Celestia, Wulf, and another Raiden. That was just unlucky.
He reached over and ruffled her hair up.
"Its not bad, that start was amazing. It's just that my deck is a little unfair once you know the full potential of the deck."
Rei had a thoughtful expression as she hummed.
"Should I get more decks? It looks fun changing play styles... And I think it would do good in a perspective side of things."
The grin on his face could scare even Yami Marik. Finally, someone who understands! He started rubbing his palms together while talking with a low tone.
"Yes.... YES.... Join the dark side, my padawan..."
"... Senpai, you're weird sometimes."
"That's just who I am, Rei. I'm weird like that."
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