"Breaking news! Youyu is having a card duel! Coordinates XXX, come watch quickly!"
The players are quick with their information exchange. The duel hasn't even started yet, and some players have already noticed what's happening and posted screenshots on the forum.
The players involved in the test never went far. Youyu's loyal fans didn't leave at all and trailed right behind him. Now they've got front-row seats to watch the duel.
"Pandora?" A player quickly noticed the opponent's identity, "Isn't this guy out of the picture?"
"Didn't Youyu teach him a lesson years ago?"
"This battle is a homage to classics."
Pandora stepped forward, drew his card deck out of the Duel Disc, and handed it to Youyu.
Youyu was puzzled for a moment.
What's going on? Handing over the card deck before the match? How polite.
Stunned for a while, he noticed Pandora was using such an old Duel Disc that it could be displayed in a museum as an antique, and he realized Pandora wanted to exchange decks for shuffling...
Youyu: "..."
What era is this? Is there still a Duel Disc that can't shuffle automatically?
Pandora looked pained.
What else could he do?
Blacklisted by the Kaiba Group, unable to afford a Duel Disc, he had to use an out-of-date model, repairing it to make a living...
... But! This way of life ends now!
Pandora's eyes were filled with fighting spirit, as if he had found his former self again.
The person before him was the Duel King, and he was the direct cause of Pandora's life taking a nosedive into obscurity!
As long as he could win this duel, everything could be turned upside down!
Thinking of this, the seemingly listless look in Pandora's eyes became lively once more.
Having fallen into the abyss of life, struggling to make ends meet, Pandora had long given up on his unrealistic ambitions, but this unexpected opportunity reignited an impulse buried deep within him.
Pandora knew very well what his skill level was. Maybe he was still quite skilled, and could make a name for himself in professional leagues, but with the changes in game versions and times, he had long been knocked out of the top duelist rankings.
He knew he was nowhere near a match for Youyu. Whether in terms of dueling skills, extraordinary powers, power, or social status, he was left far behind.
So for so many years, the idea of seeking revenge against Youyu never crossed his mind, simply because he was afraid.
But now the opponent was giving him a chance like this.
Only summoning Level 1 monsters?
Stupid!
Pandora's face was still covered with a courteous smile, but he couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed and mocking inside.
Sure, Youyu was the Duel King, but even so, he was underestimating Pandora way too much!
"Just wait, Duel King," he chuckled to himself, "you'll pay for your arrogance!"
"Duel!" x2
[Youyu, LP 4000]
[Pandora, LP 4000]
"I'll take the first move," Pandora said, "Draw."
His gloved fingers slowly glided over the six cards in his hand, elegantly picking one out, like a magician on stage.
"First, this card. I discard a Normal Monster Card from my hand to Special Summon 'Cosmo Brain'!"
The wide blue robe billowed out, and the magician descended gracefully on the wind. He held a golden staff, and his fingertips swirled with pale white celestial bodies.
[Cosmo Brain, ATK 1500]
"Cosmo Brain's attack increases by 200 times the level of the monster sent to the graveyard," Pandora explained. "The card I sent to the graveyard is 'Dark Magician,' Level 7. Therefore, Cosmo Brain's attack increases by 1400."
[Cosmo Brain, ATK 1500 → ATK 2900]
"Next, the Magic Card... Silent Doom!" Pandora played another card. "Special Summon a Normal Monster from the graveyard in Defense Position!
I Special Summon 'Dark Magician'!"
The magical patterns etched into the ground called upon the Netherworld's mage with ancient incantations. The red robe unfurled lightly, and the waves of magic were like a pervasive bloody mist. The translucent green Magic Staff cut through the blood curtain, spinning back into the mage's hands.
[Dark Magician, DEF 2100]
The onlookers exclaimed on cue: "Summoning a 'Dark Magician' and a Spellcaster-Type with 2900 attack in one go!"
"After all, that Pandora was once a legendary duelist. Even if he's fallen, some of his skills must have remained," some speculated.
Upon hearing this, a tic mark appeared on Pandora's forehead.
Soon, when he won this duel, he would no longer be a "has-been." He would rejoin the ranks of top duelists, becoming a deity worshiped by all duelists!
"I set face-down two cards, and end my turn," he said. "Come on, Youyu, don't be shy, bring it on!"
Anyway, it's all Level 1 trash fish; do you think you can pull out a Level 1 monster with Blue-Eyes White Dragon-level attack and take me down? Pandora mocked internally.
"Alright." Youyu agreed readily, "Then it's my turn, draw."
As it had been a long time since he last saw an old acquaintance, Youyu decided to give his opponent a big gift to show goodwill: "Activate the Magic Card 'Nibelung's Treasure'. It can be equipped to an opponent's monster from this hand or deck." (Animated Card)
A card shot out from the deck as he drew it out and showed it.
"Magic Card 'Nibelung's Ring'," Youyu smiled, "Equip it to 'Cosmo Brain'." (Animated Card)
Pandora saw his Cosmo Brain being forcefully fitted with a silver ring, and immediately the glow around it dimmed, turning it from a Cosmo Brain to a cosmic fool.
"Nani?" Pandora was dumbstruck, "What did you do?"
"Nibelung's Ring, equipped to an opponent's monster; equipped monsters can't attack, and their effects are negated. But as a trade-off, you can draw two cards during each of your draw phases. However, if you draw a Monster Card, one must be discarded."
[Cosmo Brain, ATK 2900 → ATK 1500]
"Next is the subsequent effect of Nibelung's Wealth; I draw five cards from the deck."
The group of players practically exploded.
Of course, they were already familiar with these two fake card-grade Divine Artifacts — these were Zigfried Lloyd's cards, used against Youyu in a previous duel.
Zigfried's entire deck now belonged to Youyu; naturally, these two Divine Artifacts followed him too.
But even knowing these two cards, seeing such a violent card draw as if it's second nature to use these Artifacts still makes one feel a deep sense of awe...