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Season 0: Theme Keycard #1 C8: Gambler vs Planner (End)

Added 2025-01-23 09:24:53 +0000 UTC

A/N: I'm just saying, I tried using Jonouchi's Deck, but without newer cards it's so shit I still couldn't win. I even have Destiny Draw activated, and it's still impossible to win unless I get a really, really shit first Hand. It's that terrible, hence the inclusion of newer Red-Eyes Support.

“I told you, didn't I? It's your funeral.“

Red-Eyes Black Dragon's aura seemed to have awakened his Mimic's competitive spirit, for the monster was already there, waving its claws by the time he looked at his Hand, which consisted of three monsters Mimicking Man-Eater Bug, Man-Eater Bug, Howling Insect; a Trap: Mirror Force, and last but most certainly not least, his favorite Spell for an Insect Deck: Insect Imitation.

With a Hand like this, if Lenix still lost, he might as well hang up his cape.

"First, I'll set two cards face-down," He decided. Although he could have set Mimic right away, Lenix wasn't sure if Jonouchi was still using his old Deck, and he couldn't afford to be reckless against the 'best friend' character of the OG…

Mimic was powerful, but it's definitely not invincible as the online articles had claimed, furthermore, Lenix only had one copy. He must be frugal with it. “I'll end my Turn [1], for now.“

“Pretty standard First Turn… I draw.“

Grinning at his Hand, Jonouchi placed two face-down in his Spell/Trap Zone, before Summoning, “—Axe Raider in Attack Position! C'mon, my Raider, destroy his monster!“

Axe Raider

EARTH

Level: 4

[Warrior/Normal]

ATK: 1700

DEF: 1150

There were plenty of Normal Monsters to include in a deck; Axe Raider was arguably one of the best.

In comparison to its Stats, Lenix's Howling Insect was rather insignificant.

Howling Insect

EARTH

Level: 3

[Insect/Effect]

ATK: 1200

DEF: 1300

The Insect never stood a chance; then again, it's never meant to.

"Howling Insect allows me to Special Summon one Insect-Type monster with 1500 ATK or less from my Deck—I'll choose Flying Kamakiri #1!" Lenix announced, placing the Howling Insect in his Graveyard and Summoned Flying Kamakiri #1 in Attack Position.

Carefully observing the new monster, Jonouchi smiled.

"Nice play, but you've only delayed your defeat. I'll end my Turn [2] for now."

"My turn," Drawing the card with the same flair as Atem, Lenix raked his fingers through his black hair and frowned.

Creature Swap was a crucial card in his Deck much like Brain Control, but given his current Hand, it's pretty much a dead draw.

A trap card would have been much more appreciated. "I activate Insect Imitation from my Hand, Tributing my Kamakiri #1 to Special Summon an Insect monster one Level above it! Come forth, my ULTIMATE INSECT!"

“A Level 5 in the 3rd Turn?!“

Since the monster wasn't summoned by its weaker variant, its effect didn't activate. However, it was only meant to remain on the field for one more turn.

In his next Standby Phase, if Jonouchi still hadn't destroyed it, Lenix could bring out his Ultimate Insect Lv 7 and steamroll any monster Jonouchi Summoned.

The problem was the two Set cards.

For all Lenix knew, the face-down cards could be Mirror Force or Sakuretsu Armor—or worse, Dimensional Prison, which would prevent him from setting up his Graveyard for Doom Dozer.

'No...' Lenix thought.

It wasn't Jonouchi's style to use such cards. Even if they were, baiting them out with his Level 5 Mini-Boss to clear the way for Mimic would be worth the troubles.

Mind made up, Lenix ordered, "Ultimate Insect, destroy his Raider!"

As he had anticipated, neither of Jonouchi's face-downs was flipped to counter his monster.

'Victory might come easier than I expected,' Lenix thought smugly, grinning as the Raider's devoured whole by Ultimate Insect, roaring like a butchered pig.

In desperation, he swung his axe repeatedly, trying to break free, but his efforts were for naught.

'Seriously, how the Hell did Kaiba get a PG rating on this game?' While Duel Monsters didn't feature any gore or blood, the imagery alone should have warranted an '18+' content rating. Then Lenix remembered—'Oh, right… It's Kaiba.'

The guy who could purchase several small countries and still have enough wealth left over to provide for the next 50 generations of his family…

The dude who made it all possible and was currently supplying energy to most parts of the world.

KaibaCorp could very well be the new Saudi Arabia with how much Humanity had come to depend on their technology and energy. 'But enough about politics…' Lenix still had a Duel to win. Just then, Jonouchi yelled. “I'll respond to that by activating my Trap: Time Machine! When a monster's destroyed by battle and sent to the GY, I can return the monster to the fied exactly as it was.“

Even if Lenix could respond to that, he wouldn't.

With Mimic in Hand, the stronger the Boss monster Jonouchi Summoned, the more advantageous it would be for Lenix in the long run. If it weren't for testing the waters and exhausting his opponent's resources to keep the tempo, Lenix might've skipped this Battle Phase altogether.

“And with that, I'll end my Turn [3]. Draw your last, pathetic card, Jonouchi!“

Jonouchi Katsuya: 3400 LP

At first, the Gambler looked offended, but then realization hit him over the head with a bat, turning that frown upside-down.

Feigning outrage, the blonde replied in kind, "There are no pathetic cards in my Deck, Lenix! Watch me turn the situation right 'round—I DRAW!" The smirk on the Gambler's face lit a fire in Lenix's stomach. OTK wasn't a strategy Jonouchi ever employed, but this was a world with Magic, and guess who's one of the best at using said Magic…

OST: Master Duel - Climax 5 (Extended)

“From my Hand, I'll activate Raigeki!“

Jonouchi proudly displayed his Spell, grin widening from ear to ear as the sky overhead darkened with black clouds.

Occasional flashes of thunder lit up the scene, revealing the faint silhouette of Osiris snaking through the dense clouds.

Then, all a sudden, a lightning strike descended, obliterating his Monster Zone until all evidences of the monster ever being Summoned at all were light particles. "That's not nice.“ Lenix remarked, putting on a heavy frown while inwardly thanking himself for 'saving' his Mimic for Red-Eyes or Jinzo.

“If you didn't like that, you're not gonna like this either! Since I haven't Normal Summon yet, I'll put my Blue Flame Swordsman in Attack Position!“

Blue Flame Swordsman

FIRE

Level: 4

[Warrior/Effect]

ATK: 1800

DEF: 1600

Despite its over-the-top design, the Warrior-Type monster could be a real menace if allowed to remain on the field. If. "My Raider will attack you directly," Jonouchi declared, "And since Blue Flame Swordsman is on the field, I can activate his effect, sacrificing 600 of his own ATK to boost my Raider's!"

Axe Raider

EARTH

Level: 4

[Warrior/Normal]

ATK: 1700 » 2300

DEF: 1150

The orange Raider, driven by his thirst for vengeance, charged at Lenix like a man possessed, enveloped by the swirling blue wisps from the Swordsman.

"You've activated my Trap Card—Mirror Force!"

The air in front of Lenix shattered, sending the fiery wisps spiraling back toward Jonouchi's monster and annihilating both monsters in the process. “My monsters—!“

“You were saying?“ Cheekily, Lenix asked, Hand folded between two fingers.

“Since I can't attack, I'll play this instead: The Warrior Returning Alive, and retrieve my Blue Flame Swordsman from the Graveyard, then—”

“You'll end your Turn—” Lenix smirked, eager to find out what his next Draw would be. Drawing was half the fun of Duel Monsters, after all.

“Not so fast! I'll play from my Hand: Pot of Greed!“

Lenix had to muster all his self-control not to scream. He had completely forgotten about that card, mostly because it had been banned for so long in both the OCG and TCG.

"A-hah! You're through, Kaiba!"

"Wrong name!" Lenix corrected.

"Oh-Sorry! I'll use Red-Eyes Fusion to Summon a Red-Eyes Fusion monster by Tributing Blue Flame Swordsman from my hand and a Red-Eyes monster from my deck! Come forth, Red-Eyes Slash Dragon!"

Red-Eyes Slash Dragon

DARK

Level: 7

[Dragon/Fusion/Effect]

ATK: 2800

DEF: 2400

"Oh, fuck..." Lenix muttered, recognizing the monster and its abilities all too well.

Like many boys his age, he had fond memories of how cool Red-Eyes B. Dragon had seemed during his childhood, even attempting to build a Red-Eyes Deck himself up until he discovered Nephthys and Ra. Beyond its minor ATK Boost through the Equip Monster mechanic, the card also had a Negate ability that activated when a card effect targeting a card in the Gambler's control was triggered.

Thankfully, this ability was also tied to the Equip Mechanic, which could only be activated when an Attack was declared.

This was the only way he could outmaneuver such an overpowered card.

Worse yet, it was a 'Once per turn' Quick-Effect, which was quite unfortunate given Lenix's playstyle.

"Since I can't declare an attack, I'll end my Turn [4]. Sorry, kid, but it looks like I'll be the one to end your Win-Streak."

Sweat dripped down Lenix's face as he fought the urge to curse under his breath.

There were still a few ways for him to turn the situation around, but he needed to hold out until he drew the right card first. If only he had more Draw-potential… Oh, right, a copy of Pot of Greed would cost 136,705 DP! He'd know, he had checked. Graceful Charity was only 10,000 DP cheaper.

"You doing alright over there?" Jonouchi called out.

"I'm fine, why?"

"Just seemed like you were taking too long to draw, that's all!" Jonouchi replied. “Don't be too upset! I'm a pro, after all!“

Pausing, Lenix glanced at his hand and then gave himself a light slap on the forehead. 'Oh my God… I'm actually retarded.'

Red-Eyes Slash Dragon could negate Targeting effects, but it needed a Warrior-Type monster equipped to it, and that would only occur after Red-Eyes Slash Dragon had declared an attack.

In simpler terms, Jonouchi couldn’t stop his Creature Swap. Lenix was 80% sure that even if Slash Dragon had been equipped with a monster, Jonouchi wouldn’t be able to, since Slash Dragon could only negate Targeting effects from an opponent, whereas Creature Swap forced each player to target a monster under their control instead.

The card to break the stalemate was already in his Hand, and to think he’d overlooked it... 'How idiotic,' Lenix chuckled at himself. No wonder his Deck had dealt him Premature Burial.

"Sorry, but I'm about to burst your bubble! First, I'll Summon Man-Eater Bug in Attack Position!" The Bug burrowed its way to the field, slightly hunched as it stared down the giant Dragon opposite to it.

"Wha—Why? It's a Flip monster!" Jonouchi protested.

"You'll see soon enough!" Answering with a smirk, Lenix slapped the Spell on his Duel Disk. "Next, I activate Creature Swap! This card forces both players to choose a monster on their side of the field and exchange it with the other player's monster, and since you control only one monster, hand me your Slash Dragon, fool!"

"Wha!!" His opponent exclaimed, caught off guard once again.

Jonouchi's reactions were as dramatic as ever…

It was comforting to Lenix to see the years hadn't drained any of the passion from the Gambler. “Next, I use Premature Burial, paying 800 LP to resurrect my Ultimate Insect Lv 5!“

Lenix Owens: 3200 LP

“Slash Dragon, destroy Man-Eater!“ Unfortunately, since he had no Warrior-Type monster in his Graveyard, Lenix couldn't equip Slash Dragon to increase its ATK, but a 2800 ATK and a 2300 ATK beatsticks on the field should be enough.

The armored Black Dragon roared as its Breath Attack swept away Man-Eater Bug and two-thirds of Jonouchi’s Life Points both.

Jonouchi Katsuya: 1050 LP

“Finish him off, Ultimate Insect!“ The Insect Boss had just charged over when four colorful Goats began to appear one by one, shivering like leaves in the wind at the monster looming over them.

Frustrated, the Insect grabbed one Token and chewed it to pieces before returning to his side of the field.

"Remember when you told me I was only dragging out my defeat? Right back at you. Should've kept the Raigeki, brother. I'll end it here [5]."

If nothing went wrong, 'I should be able to win in two Turns...'

Regardless of which monster Jonouchi aimed to destroy, Lenix would still have another beatstick. Jonouchi shouldn't be able to turn the tables—not in two Turns at least. The only methods were if Jonouchi had a copy of Pot of Greed, which was illegal and would lead to an automatic Loss, Graceful Charity, or Dark Hole in his, since Raigeki was also limited to 1 per Deck.

“I draw…”

Jonouchi said, quieter now, as he carefully examined his hand. "—By using Foolish Burial, I xan send one monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. Then, I shall banish Red-Eyes Wyvern from my Graveyard to Special Summon another Red-Eyes. Come to my aid, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Red Eyes B. Dragon

DARK

Level: 7

[Dragon/Normal]

ATK: 2400

DEF: 2000

"... Seriously, how much Red-Eyes Support has been released?! What the fuck is this?!" Lenix exclaimed in disbelief.

To put it into perspective, there were only two Nephthys monsters currently available: The Sacred Phoenix herself and her Hands. Meanwhile, Jonouchi had already played a total of three Archetypal cards for the Red-Eyes… If you asked Lenix, it was absolutely bullshit.

“Red-Eyes Black Dragon, get rid of that pesky Insect! Inferno Fire Blast!!!“

Without hesitation, the monster swiftly destroyed his Insect, causing Lenix's Life Points to decrease by a mere 100.

Lenix Owens: 3100 LP

“'Tis but a scrarch.“ Patting the imaginary dust off his shoulder, Lenix grinned. “If you're quite done…”

“I end my Turn [6].“

Feeling relatively secure in his victory, he glanced at his hand. The unassuming Mimic was still there, joined by his newly drawn card: Another Flying Kamakiri #1. Summoning the latter in Attack Postition, Lenix declared the Attack, letting Slash Dragon have a go at his predecessor, only for Jonouchi to interrupt him by—”Allow me to introduce you to my Set Trap: Skull Dice (Anime)!“

“What?! Why didn't you use that earlier?!“

“I didn't feel like it!“

But it was already too late.

Midway through Slash Dragon's Breath Attack, the Trap suddenly flipped face-up, revealing an impish creature clutching a red die.

With a mischievous grin, the Imp tossed the die onto the ground, "With this, I'll be able divide the ATK and DEF of all monsters you control by four until the End of this Turn!"

Red-Eyes Slash Dragon

DARK

Level: 7

[Dragon/Fusion/Effect]

ATK: 2800 » 700

DEF: 2400 » 600

And that was why he loved Nephthys.

Despite all her flaws—her slow descent, her vulnerability to Banishment and pretty low Stats for a Level 8 Boss, the Sacred Phoenix could have prevented this.

He might have even won earlier if he had Side-Decked her, or just included her and her Hands with his Insects.

The Hands had tremendous synergy with Flying Kamakiri #1, which was pretty easy to break out with his current Deck anyways…

Then he remembered the reason he hadn’t included. Given her pissy attitude recently, she might have pulled a Timaeus on him, since Duel Spirits had the ability to refuse Summon apparently.

On the other hand, he couldn't place all the blame on her.

A part of him had hesitated to include her because forcing Nephthys to fight his battles might've decreased their Bond Progress and worsened their little Cold-War. “Tsk…”

Though a tad regretful, Lenix quickly regained his composure.

He knew there was still a way out of this.

It wasn't just a belief, or the 'Heart of the Cards' nonsense; he knew his Deck was capable of defeating Jonouchi. All he needed was the right card, and with his Insect Engine, that shouldn't be too far out of reach.

The Dragons' clash snapped him out of his thoughts as Slash Dragon was destroyed, dragging along a huge chunk of his LP.

Lenix Owens: 1400 LP

Reluctantly, “I'll end my Turn [7].“

Unfortunately, since he had Summoned Kamakiri in Attack Position this Turn, he couldn't switch it to Defense Position just yet, meaning he'd have to tank the next Attack.

“My Turn [8]… Guess this is it, kid! Don't be too disappointed! First, I'll return my Blue Flame Swordsman to the field! Destroy his monster, my Swordsman!”

Lenix Owens: 1000 LP

Vain as he was; as most Duelists tended to be, had chosen to save Red-Eyes for the finishing blow instead.

“Now, use your effect to power up Red-Eyes!“

Red Eyes B. Dragon

DARK

Level: 7

[Dragon/Normal]

ATK: 2400 » 3000

DEF: 2000

"I won't explain, since you already know what my Kamakiri can do—I Special Summon Dream Cicada in Attack Position!" Lenix declared.

Dream Cicada

WIND

Level: 3

[Insect/Effect]

ATK: 300

DEF: 1300

"When it's Summoned to the field, Cicada can target one monster and switch its Battle Position! And I choose your Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Halfway through powering its Attack, the Dragon inhaled the Cicada's pollen and fell into a coughing fit. The disruption forced it into Defense Position, giving Lenix just one more Turn.

Cockblocked yet again, Jonouchi chuckled and passed to Lenix.

“My Turn, I DRAW!“ Faking nervousness surprisingly well as a burst of golden light exploded out of his Deck, Lenix switched his Cicada to Defense, Set Mimic, and then place his last card on his S/T Zone.

Duel Energy: 574 » 287/4800

“I end my Turn [9].“

Not to be outdone, Jonouchi too 'Destiny Drew,' grinning to himself. “Remind me again, kid, is Mirror Force still limited?“

“It is. Don't worry, my face-down's not Mirror Force.“

Looking quite thoughtful, the Gambler smiled. “It can't be Dark Hole if you still haven't used it… Is it Torrential Tribute?“

"I mean, it could be," Lenix replied with a sly grin, shrugging nonchalantly.

"If it were, you'd have set it and then Normal Summoned a monster to take mine out."

"Doing that would leave me wide open with only a 1400 LP left, why would I make such a stupid decision? This way, I can deplete more of your resources and end the Duel after your End Phase."

"You're right… It is a stupid decision, but now I know you're bluffing, else you'd not have pointed out the flaws in my deduction! Fine, I'll summon Armor Lizard in Attack Position!"

Armored Lizard

EARTH

Level: 4

[Reptile/Normal]

ATK: 1500

DEF: 1200

“Then I activate Monster Reborn to bring back my Red-Eyes Slash Dragon in Attack Position!“

Being able to return one monster from the Graveyard wasn't difficult, nor was it rare, but for no additional cost? The card's a staple for a reason.

“Attack, my monsters! When a Red-Eyes monster declares an Attack, I can equip one Warrior-Type from my Graveyard to Slash Dragon, boosting his ATK by 200 points!“ From the Graveyard, Axe Raider rose again, this time battling on the Dragon's back.

"You should have listened to your instincts, old-timer! I activate my Trap: Ring of Destruction!“

"I'll respond by activating Red-Eyes Slash Dragon's second ability! To secure victory, Axe Raider will sacrifice himself and negate your Ring of Destruction!"

As the fiery collar hurtled toward the Dragon below him, Axe Raider leaped from its back, axe raised overhead to slice the Trap in two.

Enveloped by flames, the Raider was yet again sent to the Graveyard.

"I've won…”

"Armored Lizard, destroy his Cicada! Blue Flame Swordsman, attack his face-down card next!"

"I've won!" Lenix roared triumphantly as the attacks connected, revealing his Mimic in the flesh.

Mimicking Man-Eater Bug

EARTH

Level: 4

[Insect/Effect]

ATK: 450

DEF: 600

Not only was the monster completely unharmed by the attack, it even taunted the Dragons. “Not only is it invulnerable to Battle, its effect allows me to target one monster on the field and destroy it! I'll choose your Slash Dragon!“

“You baited me!“

"I warned you not to attack, didn’t I?" Lenix replied with a knowing smile.

Not that it would have made a difference; Jonouchi would have had to use Slash Dragon's effect to negate Ring of Destruction's damage anyway.

The moment Lenix drew the Trap, his opponent's defeat was inevitable. "Mimicking Man-Eater will gain ATK equal to the original ATK of the monster it destroys! Additionally, I can change its Type, rendering it immune to monster effects of the same Type!"

Mimicking Man-Eater Bug

EARTH

Level: 4

[Insect » Dragon/Effect]

ATK: 450 » 3250

DEF: 600

After a grueling 10 turns, to say Lenix was eager for the win would be putting it lightly.

Never before had he craved victory this intensely.

Since arriving in this world, no Duelist—regardless of age, gender, or playstyle—had managed to put him in such a pickle. If he hadn't Destiny Drawn Ring of Destruction, Lenix would have definitely have lost.

Sakuretsu Armor had a Targeting effect as well, but it didn't pose enough of a threat to warrant a Negation, not while Jonouchi still had 3 other monsters on the field, ready to end the Duel at a moment's notice.

'Jonouchi Katsuya, of all people… Heh.'

While he's stubborn as an ox, Lenix's willing to admit he was wrong to have underestimated the 'Gambler' of Dueling.

The mere fact he thought Jonouchi hadn't upgraded his Deck since was beyond idiotic.

Of couse Jonouchi had improved… He must have! His earlier Duels might have been won purely through luck, but he couldn't have held onto his status this long relying solely on the 'Heart of the Cards.'

Not even Yugi could have, given the rapid progress and evolution the Duel Monsters had undergone over the past half-decade.

Alas, the new "Red-Eyes Support" had fallen just short of victory against his Insects.

"Mimicking Man-Eater Bug—!"

The Mimic, body contorted and stretched nearly seven times its normal size to fit the skeletal frame it had copied from "Red-Eyes," swung its elongated neck at the Gambler, and revealed the rows upon rows of sharp, dripping fangs, as it slowly condensed a breath attack which Lenix could almost smell, in spite of the fact it's only a hologram.

"Show his Red-Eyes how a REAL Dragon handles its prey and destroy Blue Flame Swordsman! Virulent Flame Blast!" It's rather insulting to suggest an Insect teach a Dragon how to, well, Dragon. But what could Lenix say? Trashtalking was in his nature. If anything, the Duelists he had played against thus far got off easy.

Unlike his previous opponents, however, Jonouchi seemed neither upset nor sad at the loss. Shocked, maybe, but he smiled the whole time, even as the Breath Attack engulfed him completely.

Jonouchi Katsuya: 0 LP

"Man, you got me good!"

Jonouchi exclaimed, dropping to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Dueling wasn't the most physically demanding activity, but the shock of facing a lifelike 15-meter Draconic Charge was one of those experiences that no one, not even Atem could truly get used to.

"Good game," Extending his hand to Jonouchi, Lenix helped the man to his feet..

"Thanks," Jonouchi replied, stretching a bit before typing a command into his Duel Disk, which spat out a card in response. "I know we didn't bet anything, but take this. Consider it a token of my appreciation for the phenomenal Duel.“

Accepting the card, Lenix's eyes widened as he looked at what Jonouchi just offered him. "Holy shit... How did you get this?"

As a Yugizoomer who grew up with GX, 5D's, and to a lesser extent, Zexal, Lenix had a strong preference for older, slower formats. The ones that allowed for longer and more intense Duels, unlike the fast, OTK formats of modern Yu-Gi-Oh.

That's why Evenly Matched was his favorite Trap card, right alongside Solemn Judgment. There was nothing more entertaining to him than feeling his opponent's panic through the screen when their entire board—painstakingly set up over a five minutes combo—got tossed into the Banished pile.

Well, except for Solemn Judgmenting or Skill Draining their attempts to negate his Evenly Matched, that was.

The card was nearly as cancer to play against as Nibiru, the Primal Being.

He typically kept two copies of each in his Zombie Deck, but since arriving here, he hadn't been able to find any information about the card, and had assumed it hadn't been released yet, but here it was.

"... Did you draw this earlier?" Lenix asked. If he had, Jonouchi was either a fool for not playing it to even the odds, or the Gambler was going easy on him—neither of which Lenix liked.

"I wish," Jonouchi replied laughingly. "I won this card in a Tournament and have only been able to play it a handful of times. It and I don't get along. I thought it might find a better fit in your Deck."

"Are you sure? It's one of a kind, isn't it?" Lenix marveled, gently running his finger down the foil-like material coating the card to prevent it from being scratched.

Jonouchi nodded. "I hope it'll serve you well."

"How much?"

"0. I'm giving it to you."

"Are you sure?“

“Positive.“

Given the current format, Evenly Matched could easily be considered Tier 0 on its own.

Not only could it strip the opponent of their resources, but it did so permanently since it Banished cards instead of merely Destroying. No one in their right mind would give it away for free. Heck, if it were Lenix, he wouldn't part with the card in his sleep, much less give it to someone for absolutely nothing.

Lenix stared at the card for a solid minute before a malicious, if not to say vulgar smile sprouted on his face as he slid the card into his Deck with the rest of his Insects.

'Oh, the fun I'll have with this,' He thought, already picturing the look of despair on his opponent's face while he triumphed over them in the children's card game!

"Hey! Yug’s Grandpa wants us to join him for dinner, ya coming?"

Jonouchi's voice snapped Lenix out of his daydream, and after a moment's contemplation, he finally agreed. He's starving anyway. "Eh, why not? What's on the menu?"

"Oyakodon for the main course and taiyaki for dessert."

"What are those?"

"... You don't know what they are? Have you been living under a rock? We're literally in Kanto."

"I'm cheap. I don't eat out," Lenix admitted.

"Haven't you won like 50 Duels in a row? Did you spend all the DP?" Jonouchi asked.

"54," Lenix corrected haughtily. "Unfortunately, most of it either goes to my debts, or to getting new cards."

For the first time, both Duelists felt perfectly in sync as they spat out the name, “"Kaiba."”

If Ea was like an annoyingly persistent mosquito with its constant pop-ups and 'deals / offers,' then KaibaCorp was an entire coven of blood-starved vampires… And the worst part?

Their game was actually good,

And because it was so mainstream, escaping it was nearly impossible.

The last Lenix heard, Kaiba had even managed to introduce Duel Disks to isolated tribes scattered all over the world.

In other words, even loin-cloth-wearing, spear-throwing, bow-wielding Sentinelese tribesmen had started to use Duel Disks to resolve most of their disputes.

Duel Monsters had become the ultimate, end-all, be-all game which dominated every facet of society.

People no longer just wanted to play Duel Monsters; they needed to in order to actively engage with society.

Even Anzu, despite her outspoken disregard for the game, owned her own Duel Disk and had a fairly decent Deck, all things considered. The only character Lenix could recall that never participated in any Duel, not even as a casual viewer, was that one cashier at Duel Academy. The pretty one.

"That was a nice Duel, you two!" Grandpa Mutou greeted warmly as he led the duelists to the back of his store, where he and his absent grandson lived.

"Gramps, why on earth did you make so much food?" Lenix asked, a bit taken aback by the spread.

"You two must be starving, right? Dueling takes a lot of energy, after all," Grandpa Mutou replied.

“You shouldn't have…”

“Don't be shy! I like cooking anyways, plus a friend of my grandson's friend is like my own.“

The three of them took their seats and began to dig in, Lenix especially.

After that Duel, he's starving.

Setti g his Duel Disk aside, he noticed the blinking red dot and briefly considered opening the message, before deciding ultimately to push the thought to the back of his mind. Whatever it was, he's sure it could wait.

“Here, try this—”