"I set one card and end my turn!"
Alexis Rhodes declared as she slotted a card into her Duel Disk.
With a soft thud, the phantom image of a face-down card materialized at the back of her field. Though the specific card was hidden, Jiang He could easily guess which one it was. Alexis had a slight smile on her lips when she drew it earlier; it was very likely a trap intended to complement his Stealth Bird burn deck.
However, in this Tag Duel, turns rotated between the four participants. It wasn't his turn yet; it was the opponent's.
"Heh, summoning a Fusion Monster with 2100 attack on the very first turn. You're quite capable, little girl," the elder Paradox Brother, dressed in tan, praised with a crooked smirk. "But if you think that's enough to defeat the Paradox Brothers, you're dead wrong! My turn, draw!"
Drawing a card from his deck, the bald man in tan glanced at it before slamming it onto his Duel Disk.
"I summon Jirai Gumo in Attack Position!"
Screech!!
A glimmer of light erupted as a massive, hideous brown spider appeared on the field before the elder brother, waving its legs and let out a guttural cry.
[Jirai Gumo]
[Level: 4]
[Attribute: EARTH]
[Attack: 2200]
[Defense: 100]
"2200 attack for a Level 4 monster? That's incredible!" Jaden and Syrus exclaimed from the sidelines.
Even Alexis, who had just summoned one of her aces, Cyber Blader, couldn't help but frown. There was a massive gap between the effects of their monsters. Her Cyber Blader possessed powerful positive effects, while Jirai Gumo carried a purely negative oneevery time it attacked, the controller had to flip a coin; a wrong guess resulted in losing half their Life Points.
However, with 2200 attack, even if it didn't attack and simply sat there as a "shield," her Cyber Blader would be unable to overcome it in battle during the next turn. This was clearly a defensive strategy meant to ensure their monster wasn't easily destroyed while they prepared for their next move.
Jiang He, however, knew the Paradox Brothers wouldn't just wait around. They were going to launch an offensive soon.
"I end my turn! Your move, kid!" The elder Paradox Brother grinned crookedly at Jiang He.
"You don't have to rush me. My turn, draw!"
Jiang He looked at the two bald brothers and their obnoxious smirks. He had already decided to give them a "warm, healing" lesson to fix those crooked mouths of theirs. Glancing at the card he just drew, Jiang He's smile became positively radiant.
He slapped the card onto his Duel Disk. "I summon Stealth Bird in Attack Position!"
Skreeee!!
Amidst a flurry of blue wind, a bizarre bird with a bat-like head and a sharp beak materialized, cackling ominously as it landed on Jiang He's field.
"Stealth Bird in Attack Position?!"
The spectatorsChancellor Sheppard, Professor Crowler, Bastion, and even Zanewere momentarily stunned. However, they quickly realized what was happening. They remembered Stealth Bird's effect: once per turn, it could flip itself into face-down Defense Position.
They all felt a collective sweatdrop. Jiang He was blatantly messing with the Paradox Brothers' heads. By summoning it in Attack Position first, he was intentionally drawing agro, taunting them to prioritize his monster.
"Huh? Is Jiang He using that same trick he used against Titan last night, big bro?" Syrus asked Jaden, confused. The situation seemed different this time.
"No," Jaden explained, nodding thoughtfully. "He's intentionally showing them the monster. He's telling them: 'My monster deals 1000 effect damage once it's Flip Summoned.' He's baiting them into focusing their attacks on his side of the field."
It was a brilliant tactic for a Tag Duel. Jaden realized that if necessary, he and Syrus could use a similar strategy when it was their turn to take the field.
Across the field, the Paradox Brothers' faces darkened. They shared the same thought: This kid is playing mind games with us! Even if you wanted to draw agro to protect your partner's monster, was there really a need to be this annoying about it?
"I activate Stealth Bird's effect. Once per turn, I flip it into face-down Defense Position. Then, I set three cards and end my turn."
As Jiang He set his cards and finished his turn, a faint blush crept onto Alexis's cheeks. If this guy was going through all this trouble just to protect her Cyber Blader, she might actually misunderstand his intentions. Even the spirit of Cyber Blader, which had a faint degree of awakening, glanced sideways at Jiang He.
Only those capable of seeing Duel Spirits could witness that small interaction. To everyone else, Cyber Blader remained a stationary holographic image. In reality, Jiang He hadn't thought that far aheadhe just really wanted to be a nuisance.
"My turn, draw!"
The younger Paradox Brother, dressed in dark green, drew his card with burning eyes. "Since you want our attention so badly, we'll give it to you!"
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