"My turn. Draw."
Kira drew, then revealed his hand.
"Spell card: 'Monster Recovery.' I shuffle my entire hand and all cards on my field back into the deck, then draw five new cards."
A card often used by Yugi in the anime, its strength is obvious at a glance—no need to explain its value.
Kira drew a fresh new hand of five cards.
He looked up and smiled mysteriously.
"Looks like this turn… I might be able to show you something," he paused, then said solemnly, "the true power of the Dark Scorpion Burglars."
Don Zaloog was stunned.
Huh?
The burglars' true power?
He almost laughed out loud.
"Kid, do you know who we are?" Don Zaloog stood with hands on hips, chuckling. "Do you really think you understand the Dark Scorpion Burglars better than we do?"
"Well, hard to say."
Don Zaloog threw his head back and laughed.
"Alright, then let me see. Show me this 'true power' you speak of!"
"As you wish."
Kira said.
"I activate the spell card 'Reinforcement of the Army.' I add a Level 4 or lower Warrior from my deck to my hand.
I add 'Dark Scorpion Burglars' from my deck to my hand."
A five-in-one burglar monster card, Level 4 Warrior, with card art showing the whole burglar crew in one photo.
"Then I Normal Summon 'Dark Scorpion Burglars.'"
[Dark Scorpion Burglars, ATK 1000]
It was the five-member burglar group, only now all five crowded into one monster zone, treated as a single monster card.
"Yeah, that's our five-united card." Don Zaloog crossed his arms and smiled. "So what?"
"Next, I activate the spell card 'Shien's Spy.' Until the end of the turn, I give control of one of my monsters to my opponent.
I'm giving control of 'Dark Scorpion Burglars' to you."
He paused and smiled.
"You're welcome."
Don Zaloog: "???"
The burglars: "???"
He's… giving us to ourselves?
What is he doing?
The five-member group leapt to Don Zaloog's side of the field, and none of the burglars could figure out what was going on.
This guy is way too polite.
No, even before, the effects of his cards seemed way too polite.
Who puts cards in their deck just to give monsters to the opponent? Is he really that nice?
"Spell card: 'Double Summon.' I can Normal Summon again this turn.
I summon 'Troop Dragon.'"
[Troop Dragon, ATK 700]
"Battle. Troop Dragon attacks 'Dark Scorpion Burglars.'"
Everyone was even more confused.
He's suiciding a low-ATK monster!
"I don't know what you're up to…" Don Zaloog shouted, "Burglars, counterattack!"
Sure enough, Troop Dragon was easily beaten by the five-member burglar pile-on.
[Kira, LP 2000 → LP 1700]
"When Troop Dragon is destroyed by battle, I can special summon another Troop Dragon from my deck. So I special summon a new Troop Dragon."
[Troop Dragon, ATK 700]
"That still doesn't mean anything." Don Zaloog frowned. "And you lost more Life Points…"
"No, it's not meaningless." Kira smiled. "Did you forget your own card's effect?"
"Huh?"
Don Zaloog froze.
Then suddenly realized.
"Oh, right! Dark Scorpion Burglars' effect: when they inflict battle damage, the opponent must send a spell card from their deck to the graveyard."
"Exactly."
Kira smiled.
"I just took battle damage from your burglars, so I get to send a spell card from my deck to the graveyard.
The card I'll send is this one."
Kira drew from his deck the card that was automatically searched out.
"Spell card: 'Jackpot 7.'"
Don Zaloog instantly froze.
Jackpot 7—he'd heard of this card.
Issued by Industrial Illusions as a tournament commemorative card, there were only a few printed for that event, making it extremely rare. It's also famous for being one of the few cards that alters the conditions for victory.
Yes, this world has alternate win-condition cards besides Exodia, including some original to the anime that don't exist in real life.
For instance, Tennis Club President Harrington in Duel Academy used a tennis-themed deck with anime-original alternate win effects.
Jackpot 7, designed by Pegasus himself as a tournament prize, is well-known. Most people have only heard of it, never actually seen it.
"Jackpot 7: when this card is sent to the graveyard by an opponent's card effect, it is banished instead.
If you have three Jackpot 7s banished by this effect, you win the duel immediately."
You need to send three to the graveyard, and only via your opponent's effect—at a glance, it seems almost impossible to pull off. Anyone seeing it would probably think it's harder than assembling Exodia, since you need your opponent's cooperation.
However…
"By opponent's effect…"
Don Zaloog stared blankly at the Dark Scorpion Burglars on his field, forcibly given to him by Kira.
His face went pale.
Because he'd been forced to take the burglars, the "Dark Scorpion Burglars" card—originally Kira's—was now counted as "opponent's effect."
Every time Troop Dragon suicides, the burglars' effect triggers, letting Kira choose any spell card from his deck to send to the graveyard.
And after Troop Dragon suicides, he can summon another one from the deck.
In other words, three Troop Dragons suicide, Kira can pick three spell cards to send to the graveyard, and all of it counts as "by opponent's effect."
Now he understood.
But it was already too late.
"Second Troop Dragon attacks 'Dark Scorpion Burglars.'"
Another suicide attack. Troop Dragon was beaten down again.
[Kira, LP 1700 → LP 1400]
"Second Troop Dragon destroyed, I special summon a third Troop Dragon from my deck. And, Dark Scorpion Burglars' effect triggers again.
I send the second 'Jackpot 7' from my deck to the grave."
The spectators were completely silent. Don Zaloog stared at him, speechless. The other burglars had forgotten to cheer, all staring blankly at a development that exceeded their understanding of dueling.
"Third Troop Dragon attacks." Kira said calmly.
"No, you can't—"
Don Zaloog said desperately.
"I can, and I will. Of course, I couldn't do it alone." Kira smiled. "It's all thanks to the help of your burglars.
That's the power of your bond—it's amazing, isn't it?"
Don Zaloog: "…"
With a smile, the third Troop Dragon suicided.
"Dark Scorpion Burglars, last time, effect activates. I send one more spell card from my deck to the graveyard."
Kira revealed the final card.
"The third 'Jackpot 7'—send it to the graveyard, and it's banished by its effect.
At this moment, three 'Jackpot 7s' are banished."
Kira said calmly.
"Sorry, looks like I win."