As Youyu and Kaiba walked to their respective sides to open the field, the Dark Duelists began discussing.
"Can this newcomer beat Kaiba?"
"Who knows? Even President Mukuro wasn't a match, so maybe?"
"But the opponent is Kaiba Seto. In this world, those who can defeat him are few and far between, right?"
"Let's just watch quietly."
At this moment, Kusunoki Manager, who had just been thrown to the ground with a battered face, had sat up.
Luckily, he was clever enough to activate only the lowest level of the Darkness Game in the duel with Kaiba Seto, so even if he lost, he merely endured a powerful impact and got hurt badly, but it wasn't fatal.
The low-level Darkness Game merely allows a small portion of the monsters' attacks to materialize, and their level isn't lethal.
The reason for activating only this level of Darkness Game is partly because Kusunoki didn't want to harm Kaiba, just wanted to teach this arrogant guy a lesson.
As for the second reason (which is also the main reason)... it's because he guessed that he might not be able to win...
Knowing you can't win and still starting a Darkness Game, wouldn't that be foolish? Forcibly sending yourself to death?
Although he got beaten badly, as part of the management, Kusunoki still tried to maintain a certain level of composure. He coughed twice, wiped the nosebleed that was about to drip unnoticed by the others who were focused on the field, and said in a deep voice: "If Youyu can win this match, the underworld of Dark Duelists will undoubtedly have a new resounding name. Let's take this opportunity to see where his limits lie."
At this point, Youyu had already walked to his half of the field and unfolded his Duel Disc.
Can he win against Kaiba Seto?
At this stage, it might be... a bit difficult.
Right now it's the early DM period, so President Kaiba probably doesn't have all those chaotic Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, and Deep-Eyes White Dragon variations. His cards and tactics are relatively simple.
But even so, he is a main story character, a Legendary Duelist.
When first entering the Linked World in the previous life, many physical card players thought they could use their advanced game understanding and mainstream card constructs to defeat the original duelists, only to find out they thought too much.
In fact, until the end of Duel Links 1.0 version and the completion of Yu-Gi-Oh! DM's main storyline, it seems there wasn't a case of a player defeating the Duel King, Muto Yugi.
Because in their duels, he can always draw the miracle card needed at the right moment; and can print cards on the spot to solve situations. If he can't solve a situation, he prints a card that can.
After all, everything about the strongest duelist is a given, even the card draws are created. (An open cheat statement)
The tactics and awareness from physical card play don't work at all in front of these NPCs from the storyline.
There was a top player who got the chance to play cards with Yugi in a task, working hard to manage the field, earn cards, and create a card advantage, while Yugi lost three cards per turn and the player gained three per turn.
After struggling to hold on while Yugi was handless and fieldless, while the top player had a full field of big monsters and five cards in hand, just when the player thought he was about to achieve the first kill of the Duel King in the Linked World, Yugi played a "Gift of the Mystical Elf" to refill his hand to six cards, and in the next turn, a Hanno's Noble Power (i.e., Waboku) wiped out all the opponent's monsters cleanly on his field...
(Gift of the Mystical Elf, Normal Magic Card, fills both players' hands to six cards; animation-specific effect.
Waboku, Trap Card, destroys all attack position monsters on the opponent's field during the opponent's attack declaration.)
Because according to Kaiba Company's requirements in Yu-Gi-Oh! DM, cards that "directly destroy monsters and deal damage to the opponent's LP" are forbidden, so perhaps Yugi was merciful and only printed a Waboku. Otherwise, he might have straightforwardly used a Raigeki to clear the field...
(Raigeki, Normal Magic Card, destroys all monsters on the opponent's field.)
So although players can easily crush passersby NPCs in the Linked World later on, it's still quite challenging to beat these overpowered ones.
[Youyu, LP 4000]
[Kaiba Seto, LP 4000]
"I'll let you have the first move." President Kaiba chuckled confidently. "Show me what you've got, don't let me down too much."
"My turn, draw!
First, I summon this guy... Elemental Hero Sparkman! Attack Position!"
The blue lightning warrior flew out from the three-dimensional card, with his whole body glowing with flickering electricity. The hero wielding lightning shouted heroically, striking a fearless pose, as if saying "I'm the cannon fodder anyway, being the first on the field."
[Elemental Hero Sparkman, ATK 1600]
"I set a card and end my turn."
"Hmph, ending so uneventfully?" Kaiba scoffed lightly, "Then it's my turn, draw card! This turn, I'll show you how meaningless it is to place such a weak monster before me! Come forth, 'Vorse Raider'!"
The demon wielding a gigantic battle axe appeared on the stage. His face twisted into a vicious grin, with sharp fangs, towering over Sparkman by a head, and the blade of his gigantic axe larger than Sparkman's entire head.
[Vorse Raider, ATK 1900]
Elemental Hero Sparkman assumed a stance ready for battle, seemingly prepared for a heroic sacrifice.
"Vorse Raider, attack!" Kaiba ordered decisively, "Crush that kind of small fry directly!"
Youyu chuckled confidently.
The outcome of this duel was secondary.
But he was about to use this opportunity to show President Haima the unscientific aspects of the current game rules.
"Flip Cover Card!" Youyu pressed a button on the Duel Disc and waved his arm, "Magic Card - Polymerization! Fuse Elemental Hero Sparkman targeted for attack on the field... and 'Elemental Hero Clayman' from my hand!"
Kaiba's eyelid twitched, and he exclaimed in shock, "Fusion at the moment of my attack?"
"Fusion Summon!" Youyu pulled out a card and slammed it onto the Duel Disc, "Elemental Hero Gaia!"
(Sparkman: Oh yeah, today I'm not the first to fall!)
A swirling vortex appeared in space, and the Earth Attribute Clayman from Youyu's hand manifested as a three-dimensional image, joining Sparkman as they were engulfed in the swirling maelstrom, disappearing into the center like two pebbles in a raging torrent.
A bright light was born from the vortex, diving into the earth. The hologram depicted the effect of the earth shattering, with countless cracks spreading across the ground as a gigantic steel figure rose imposingly like a majestic mountain.
Elemental Hero Gaia, summon!
[Elemental Hero Gaia, ATK 2200]
"Gaia's special ability: during the turn it's fusion summoned, it can absorb half of the opponent monster's attack power!" Youyu ordered, "Gaia Shock!"
He honestly couldn't remember the Monster skill name since it wasn't written on the card. He just made it up on the spot...
The ground trembled, rocks spewed about, ignoring the debris in midair as it was crushed into powder by an invisible pressure.
Vorse Raider, in the midst of its charge, stumbled, half a foot wedged into a crevice, causing its body to lean uncontrollably, and the axe it swung went way off-course.
[Vorse Raider, ATK 1900 → ATK 950]
[Elemental Hero Gaia, ATK 2200 → ATK 3150]
With such a disparity in attack power, there was nothing left to say. Gaia casually punched Vorse Raider, axe and all, into the ground, embedding it like a piece of cardboard that couldn't be pried out.
[Seto Kaiba, LP 1800]
After losing 2200 LP in the first exchange, Kaiba's expression changed slightly, and his steps retreated half a step under the tactile impact of the hologram, his coat being pulled straight by the wind.
He bit his lip, narrowed his eyes, and carefully studied Youyu, seemingly finally taking him seriously.
The nearby Dark Duelists were stunned: "This kid... comes out with a 3150 attack power beast on the second turn?"
"Did he actually take a round from Seto Kaiba?"
"At this rate, he might actually win!"
Manager Kusunoki's expression also turned to disbelief as he looked at Youyu incredulously.
Is this kid really that strong?
The massive Gaia slowly descended next to Youyu, who half-crossed his arms, maintaining a smile as he observed President Haima opposite him.
He was quite satisfied with the development of this first turn.
Activating a Normal Magic Card during the opponent's turn to Fusion Summon, and even though the attack target was gone, the expected "Battle Recall" didn't occur, forcing Vorse Raider to be taken down by Gaia, knocking 2200 points off the president's LP right at the start...
Youyu thought this should make the president realize how absurd these dueling rules have become, right?
Sure enough, you see, President Haima on the opposite side has already started trembling with anger...
The next second, Kaiba raised his head, letting out a string of classic three-part laughter that almost made Youyu back away.
"Hahaha! Interesting!" President Haima's gaze was burning, "My intuition was right; you're definitely different from those other small fry.
Purposely setting down Polymerization during my turn to Fusion Summon, not only did you avoid the risk of low-level monsters being attacked, but you also beautifully countered and avoided the restriction of 'no attacking in the turn of a fusion summon'...
You're indeed extraordinary; out here, only you are fit to be my rival Duelist!"
Youyu: "???"
Isn't the president... not angry at all about me making things up?
```