That was why important characters always opened with absurd hands and won in one turn against random opponents, while duels between experts looked much more ordinary at the start. In this world, compared to an opponent having powerful monsters or a strong Deck, Yugen cared more about the destiny power of the opponent. Those ancient boss monsters praised by modern Duelist were nothing special compared to the monsters of the modern Yu-Gi-Oh! he knew.
Destiny power, however, could turn even a messy pile of cards into something terrifying. In later formats, a decent opening field only needed to disrupt the opponent several times during their turn, often after a long sequence played through hand traps. Here, if the destiny gap was large enough, drawing a few trap cards like "Solemn Judgment" equivalents and placing one high-attack monster on the field could create pressure no weaker than future top decks.
In other words, in reality, people compared the strength of the Deck, but in this era, the strength of the Duelist mattered just as much. So today, he watched the president duel. He was curious how Seto Kaiba would win while facing triple the resources.
"One versus three" was a perfect chance to observe destiny power up close.
"Duel!" x4
Ryosuke, LP 4000 Kazumi, LP 4000 Aikawa, LP 4000 Seto Kaiba, LP 4000
"I'll go first. Card Draw." Seto Kaiba said calmly. "In free-for-all mode, no one can attack on the first player's turn. I set two cards face down and end my turn."
The three of them sucked in a sharp breath.
This arrogant? Three on one, and he did not even summon a monster?
"Tch, confidence like that will make you pay for your arrogance, Seto Kaiba. My Turn!, Card Draw!"
The first to move was Ryosuke.
"I summon 'Marauding Captain'!" Ryosuke declared. "When 'Marauding Captain' is successfully summoned, I can special summon one Level 4 or lower monster from my hand."
With a grin, he revealed another card.
"I summon another 'Marauding Captain'!"
Marauding Captain, ATK 1200 x2
"I see, Enemy Controller," Seto Kaiba said flatly.
"That's right. While 'Marauding Captain' is on the field, you cannot attack any Warrior monsters except it," Ryosuke said proudly. "And when there are two 'Marauding Captains' on the field…"
"Their effects cross-protect each other, so neither can be attacked," Seto Kaiba finished. "Your attacks are locked."
"Exactly," Ryosuke shouted. "Then I set one card and end my turn!"
"Then it's my My Turn!!" The beautiful bartender, Kazumi, stepped forward. "I normally summon 'Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast' from my hand!"
Heavy metal treads rolled forward like a tank, with rifles and cannons mounted on both sides, and a metal dragon head emerging from the center.
"Although 'Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast' is a Level 7 monster, it can be normally summoned without tribute. However, when summoned this way, its ATK becomes half its original value."
Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast, ATK 2800 to ATK 1400
"Hehe. Next, I activate the Equip Spell 'Axe of Fools' from my hand!" Kazumi laughed softly. "The equipped monster's ATK increases by 1000, but its effects are negated.
So I equip 'Axe of Fools' to 'Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast,' increasing its ATK by 1000 and negating its effects!"
Her two companions cheered.
Ryosuke said, "Because of its drawback, Gunner's ATK is halved when summoned that way. But if its effect is negated, its ATK returns to normal!"
Aikawa added, "And on top of that, it gains another 1000 from 'Axe of Fools,' using both the positive and negative sides of the equip!"
Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast, ATK 1400 to ATK 3800
"This level of play is only natural for a Heavenly King," Kazumi said with confidence. "My Turn! ends."
"Then it's my My Turn!!" Aikawa shouted. "I activate the Magic Card Polymerization!
I fuse 'Tree Otter' and 'Sea Koala' from my hand with Polymerization!
From the ancient forest comes the call, beastly power converges in this moment, Polymerization fusion summon.
Level 6, Koalo-Koala!"
A violent storm burst from the vortex of Polymerization, and a massive gray-black beast stepped out and slammed onto the field.
Koalo-Koala, ATK 2800
"Then I set one card and end my turn!" Aikawa said confidently.
All three of them were very satisfied with this opening. Three against one, and such a powerful formation right from the start, it was hard to imagine how this could possibly go wrong.
Blood Moon Three Heavenly Kings laid out their formations with full confidence. Seto Kaiba stood there the entire time with his arms crossed, wearing a cold smile as he calmly watched their display. He did not interrupt once, as if what they were doing barely deserved his attention.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted. "Is that all?"
The three of them stiffened at once.
Faced with such blatant arrogance, and with the opponent's name already turning into legend within the Duel world, even a three-on-one could not stop doubt from creeping into their minds. Numbers alone suddenly felt unreliable.
"If this level is enough to make you proud, then it is not even a challenge," Seto Kaiba said flatly. "I will show you what a strong person's Duel is supposed to look like."
"My Turn!, Card Draw!"
He swept his hand, and the facedown cards on the field flipped up together.
"Activate face-down Trap Card, 'No Entry!!'" Seto Kaiba said. "Change all monsters on the field that are in attack position to defense position."
Marauding Captain, ATK 1200 to DEF 400, twice. Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast, ATK 3800 to DEF 2000. Koalo-Koala, ATK 2800 to DEF 200.
The bartender, Kazumi, widened her eyes. "He turned all of our monsters to defense."
The big man, Aikawa, snorted. "Tch. Koalo-Koala only has 200 defense. Are you trying to break through that weak point?"
Ryosuke Yamaguchi frowned. "But even in defense position, the Enemy Controller of Marauding Captain is still active. As long as I have two Marauding Captain on my field, you cannot declare attacks on our side."
Seto Kaiba did not even look at them.
"I activate the Spell Card 'Pot of Greed' and draw two cards from my Deck."
He drew two cards. One went into his hand, while the other and an additional card from his hand were revealed together.
"Continuous Spell, 'Vision with Eyes of Blue'."
The card appeared in his back row, its surface rippling with golden light.
"The first effect of this card activates by revealing a 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' from my hand."
The revealed card in his hand was indeed 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'.
"When 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' is revealed, I can Special Summon one monster from my hand. (ANIME EFFECT)" he continued. "Therefore, I Special Summon this monster. Descend in radiant form."
"Level 8, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"
A storm of white light surged upward. A sacred white spirit dragon spiraled into the air, its bone wings spreading wide as countless shining fragments scattered around it.
Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon, ATK 2500.
"Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon's effect activates when it is Summoned or Special Summoned," Seto Kaiba said. "Banish one Spell or Trap Card on the opponent's field. (ANIME EFFECT)"
He pointed at the facedown card behind Ryosuke Yamaguchi.
"Remove that card."
A white Mystical Space Typhoon swept the card up, and just before it vanished into the dimensional vortex, its form could be seen clearly. It was a Counter Trap, 'Negate Attack'.
"Tch. So you took out my second layer of insurance," Ryosuke Yamaguchi muttered.
"Now the second effect of 'Vision with Eyes of Blue,'" Seto Kaiba said coldly. "Once per turn, return one monster you control to your hand. Then you can Special Summon one 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon' monster from your hand. (ANIME EFFECT)"
He pointed at the shining white dragon on his field.
"I return my 'Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon' to my hand."
The spirit dragon turned into a streak of gold light and reverted to a card that flew back into his hand.
"Then I Special Summon the 'Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon' I just returned. Descend once more, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"
Less than half a second after leaving his hand, the white spirit dragon returned in another storm of light.