Me: Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, direct attack!

Opponent: I activate the Action Card Evasion, which negates one attack.

Me: I activate Double or Nothing: when a monster’s attack is negated, it can double its ATK and attack again!

My opponent’s LP drops to zero. I win.

I am now on the Island of Apollonis to participate in the Yu-Gi-Oh Youth Championship 3035. I graduated as the No. 1 of the national duel academy in my country and am thus qualified for this championship. Today is my first day of the tournament, and I just got the first win.

The duel format is Action Duel, which is based on the latest Solid Vision technology, which is in turn an Augmented Reality technology. Solid Vision is like 3D Holographic projection but much more… solid. By solid, I mean the projection is tangible: you can touch it and even step on it. It can even create anti-gravity floating platforms, which you can jump or climb onto.

Solid vision creates new possibilities for Yu-Gi-Oh duels. Firstly, the projected monsters are now tangible, which means that you can now ride on a dragon. However, this feature is restricted to non-humanoid monsters. So, don’t fantasize about doing lewd things to Dark Magician Girl. I am talking about you, hentai!

Secondly, the duel field is also transformed. The duel can now take place in a forest, volcano, cemetery, and the like. Different types of monsters have advantages in different fields. For example, fish-type monsters can help the duelist navigate on the water surface, pyro-type monsters on lava, and beast-type monsters move fast on regular surfaces. On the other hand, pure humanoid archetypes, such as Six Samurai, see decreased usage.

Thirdly, to encourage the duelists to navigate in the field instead of standing still, Action Cards are scattered around. Duelists search for Action Cards as video game players search for chests in RPG games. These cards can be used like Quick-Play spells or traps and will give duelists various advantages. For example, the Action Card Evasion used by my opponent is the most used one.

Fourthly, duels become more entertaining to the audience, including the female audience. While unimportant matches still take place in gyms, important matches are now held in stadiums. With such space, solid vision can recreate Baker Street, Notre Dame de Paris, the Colosseum, and the like. Due to this popularity, the game never lacks sponsors.

Fifthly, professional duelists and duel schools become a thing. Because of this commercial success, professional duelists become a viable career path. Among professional duelists, there is a special type of duelists who focus on entertaining the audience rather than winning the duel. By becoming an idol, they can earn even more money than by winning the duel.

---

After winning my first duel, I walk into a local bar on the high street.

“I’d like some milk.”

“We don’t sell milk, kid.” The barman passes me a bottle of $J_2O$. “Do you want a glass?”

“Yes, please.” I try to sound confident. There are no bars in my country, only teahouses, so I had no idea how things work here.

I take a seat at the bar and look around. At the bar, a man in his 40s or 50s is chatting with a same-age woman with a half-naked back. In the lobby scatter a couple of tables, where people are talking in an indiscernible way. At the opposite end, some people are playing billiards. At a somber corner, a young couple of teenagers are kissing.

Not knowing what to do, I rest my floating eyesight on the only big screen in the bar.

“…several people have gone missing since last month. The police are currently investigating. It is said that a crime group called Ouroboros is the culprit.”

“That’s all for today’s news. After the commercials will be the weather forecast.”

A black man quietly approaches me, but his move does not go unnoticed.

“Wann’ som’ lass, bro?”

“Lass?”

The man quickly flashes to me something in his hand—It is a small tube of pink liquid.

“It will brin’ you to heaven, bro! Wa da say?”

“No, thank you.” I again try to smooth out the trouble with my textbook-style English.

Feeling that staying here any longer will only embarrass me and expose me to drugs, I leave the bar.

---

The sun is setting. There are not many people on the street, but there is a marijuana smell in the air. I aimlessly walk on the street and quickly get lost. Strangely, there is not much indication of street names here. Then, I notice someone is stalking me.

“This country’s men are into boys’ love?” I accelerate my steps.

Then, I notice more suspicious people and people loitering at the corner.

I walk into a dark alley to escape from my stalkers.

After several turns, I end up in a cul-de-sac.

A white man with a dark robe appears behind me.

“What do you want?”

“To help you become rich.”

“Aha~ I didn’t know that this country’s people are so sweet-hearted.”

“As long as you join our society, we can help you become rich and popular.”

“What is your society called?”

“Ouroboros.”

I gasp in surprise. Ouroboros is a symbol depicting a snake swallowing its tail. Although its meaning is unclear, snakes are often viewed as a wicked totem. For example, the creature causing Adam and Eve to commit original sin is a snake. Wait! I just heard this name in the bar from the news.

“What’s the purpose of your society?”

“To make the world great again!”

My brain blacks out for a split second, finding it difficult to digest these words.

“Make the world—great again?”

“The world in its current form is corrupted. Our society will rebuild the world.”

“How?” I don’t understand a thing about what he said, but I am more interested in what their society is going to do.

He takes out something from his pocket. It’s a small tube of pink liquid.

“Lass—”

“This liquid can make people feel a pleasure similar to having sex. With this, there will no longer be violence and rapes in this world. The world will be a utopia, back to the time of Adam and Eve.”

“And the side effect?”

“There is no side effect. Science shows that it’s safe to use.”

I am doubtful: This is too good to be true. Just like Yu-Gi-Oh, where every powerful card has a cost, achieving world peace with a tiny tube of drug sounds far-fetched to me.

“We have quite a few influential donors backing us. They are also members of our society. By selling lass, we will soon become the most powerful organization in the world.”

“So you want me to sell lass for you?” The black man in the bar appears in my mind.

“No, this is what those rats do—I mean, those low-level migrants who cannot find a decent job.”

“Then you want me to transport lass or its ingredients across continents?”

“No, we have mules to do that. We want you to be an endorser. If top duelists use lass during the match to boost their performance and defeat their opponents, our product will become even more popular.”

“So, you want me to be a Popeye.” The image of Popeye swallowing spinach in one big gulp comes into my mind.

“That’s not a bad analogy.”

“If I say no?”

“Then I have to say sorry.”

The stranger takes out his duel gear. “Solid vision, activate. Action field: Urban Havana.”

The surrounding environment starts to transform.

“Wait—isn’t there another option?”

“I am Ouroboros’s Enforcer No. 7: Gishki. I will send you to the shadow realm.”

I am coerced into a duel.

---

Me vs. Gishki

Turn 1

	Me	Gishki
LP	4000	4000
Hand	5	5
Field	—	—
Graveyard	—	—

Gishki: I’ll start the first turn. I summon Capitalism Migrant in defense position (DEF: 1800). I end my turn.

Turn 2

	Me	Gishki
LP	4000	4000
Hand	5	4
Field	—	Migrant
Graveyard	—	—

Me: I thought that we could resolve this in a more peaceful way. But since you challenge me to a duel, as a true duelist, I will never bow out from a duel. It’s my turn. I draw. I summon Elemental HERO Neos Alius in attack position (ATK: 1900). Attack!

(Capitalism Migrant is destroyed.)

Gishki: When Capitalism Migrant is destroyed, I can add a “Capitalism” monster card into my hand. I add Capitalism CEO.

Me: I set two cards and end my turn.

Turn 3

	Me	Gishki
LP	4000	4000
Hand	3	5
Field	Alius, backrow x2	—
Graveyard	—	Migrant

Gishki: It’s my turn. I draw. I special summon LV6 Capitalism CEO (ATK: 2100) by discarding a card. I discard the field spell Havana.

(Capitalism CEO is summoned onto the field.)

Gishki: I activate Capitalism CEO’s effect: Once per turn, I can add a “Capitalism” Ritual spell from my deck into my hand. I add Capitalism Money Laundering. I activate Capitalism Money Laundering and ritual summon LV6 Capitalism Dancer (ATK: 2000) by tributing two copies of LV3 Capitalism Slave.

(Capitalism Dancer is summoned onto the field, and Capitalism Slaves are sent to the graveyard.)

Gishki: I activate Capitalism Slave’s effect: When it is sent to the graveyard, I declare an attribute, and all monsters on the field become that attribute. I declare DARK.

(Capitalism CEO’s attribute: FIRE->DARK)

(Capitalism Dancer’s attribute: WATER->DARK)

Gishki: Now, Capitalism CEO, attack Elemental HERO Neos Alius!

Me: I activate trap card HERO Barrier, which negates one attack.

Gishki: Capitalism Dancer, attack Elemental HERO Neos Alius!

(Elemental HERO Neos Alius is destroyed. My LP: 4000->3800)

Me: At this moment, I activate trap card HERO Signal, which special summons a Level 4 or lower “Elemental HERO” monster from my deck. I summon Elemental HERO Blazeman (ATK: 1200).

(Elemental HERO Blazeman is summoned from the deck on the field.)

Me: When Elemental HERO Blazeman is summoned, I can add a Polymerization into hand.

Gishki: The battle phase is over. I activate Capitalism Dancer’s effect: Once per turn, I can declare a card type, and both players send a card from their deck into the graveyard. I declare Monster card. I send Capitalism Citadel Whale to the graveyard.

(I send Elemental HERO Neos into the graveyard.)

Gishki: Now, it’s show time. I activate Capitalism Citadel Whale’s effect: I can send two DARK monsters with 2000+ ATK to the graveyard, and special summon this card from the hand or the graveyard. I send Capitalism CEO and Capitalism Dancer to the graveyard and special summon Capitalism Citadel Whale (LV8, ATK: 2800, attribute: DARK).

(Capitalism Citadel Whale is summoned onto the field and is floating in the air.)

Gishki: When Capitalism Citadel Whale is summoned, I can activate its effect: Set the trap card Cyber Stealth Attack directly from my deck. I end my turn.

Gishki climbs onto Capitalism Citadel Whale.

Turn 4

	Me	Gishki
LP	3800	4000
Hand	3, Poly	1
Field	Blazeman	Whale, Cyber
Graveyard	Alius, backrow x2, Neos	Migrant, Havana, ML, Slave x2, CEO, Dancer

Me: (The opponent uses two high-level monsters to summon Capitalism Citadel Whale, which is too much a cost. Capitalism Citadel Whale must be his Ace card. And that backrow also looks scary. I must be careful.)

Me: It’s my turn. I draw a card. I summon Destiny HERO - Doom Lord (ATK: 600) and activate its effect: Once per turn, I can target one monster my opponent controls and banish that target. I target Capitalism Citadel Whale.

Gishki: I activate Capitalism Citadel Whale’s Quick Effect: When my opponent activates a card or effect that targets a DARK monster I control and no other card, I can negate the activation, and destroy that card.

(Destiny HERO - Doom Lord is destroyed.)

Me: (My suspicion was correct. Capitalism Citadel Whale has some sort of target immunity, which makes it hard to deal with. Therefore, Capitalism Citadel Whale must be his Ace card. That is to say, as long as I can take it down, I will be pretty close to winning this duel.)

Me: (There are generally two ways to deal with untargetable monsters. One is to use non-target monster removal cards, such as Super Rush Headlong, and the other is to destroy it with a monster with higher ATK.)

Me: (Having a look at my cards in hand.) I activate spell card O - Oversoul, which allows me to special summon an “Elemental HERO” Normal Monster from my Graveyard. I special summon Elemental HERO Neos (ATK: 2500).

(Elemental HERO Neos is summoned onto the field.)

Me: I activate Polymerization and fusion summon Elemental HERO Neos Knight using Elemental HERO Neos on the field and Destiny HERO - Malicious in my hand. Neos Knight gains half the ATK of Malicious.

(Elemental HERO Neos Knight’s ATK: 2500->2900.)

Me: Elemental HERO Neos Knight, attack!

(Elemental HERO Neos Knight rushes to Capitalism Citadel Whale.)

Gishki: Hahaha~ At this moment, I activate the continuous trap card Cyber Stealth Attack. When this card is activated, I can activate the field spell “Trap House” from my hand or Graveyard. I choose the field spell Havana in my graveyard, for Havana’s name is treated as “Trap House”.

Gishki: While Neos Knight is battling with Capitalism Citadel Whale, I activate Cyber Stealth Attack’s effect: At the start of the Damage Step, if my DARK monster whose Level is 7 or higher battles an opponent’s monster, destroy that opponent’s monster.

(Elemental HERO Neos Knight’s projection breaks into pieces.)

Me: (A bad feeling suddenly strikes me.) I change Elemental HERO Blazeman into defense position (DEF: 1800), and I end my turn.

Me: (Capitalism Citadel Whale has target immunity, and it cannot be destroyed by battle. I need Super Rush Headlong.)

Gishki: At the end of each turn. Havana’s effect activates: My opponent loses 400 LP.

(A violet smog floats up from underneath my feet. I feel a bit dizzy.)

My LP: 3800->3400

Me: What’s this?

Gishki: This is Havana’s real-world effect. As long as it’s on the field, it will continuously emit toxic gas.

Me: What? You mean it will do real-world harm to the duelist?

Gishki: Hahaha~ Just like what you have expected.

Me: How come? The Solid Vision technology has undergone safety scrutiny for decades. Whenever the system detects a crash, the solid vision will break to protect the duelists—

Gishki: But it is never scrutinized for toxic gases.

Gishiki puts on a gas mask.

Me: (The opponent is seriously trying to kill me, for real. This is no longer a game; this place has become a slaughterhouse.)

I start to run. But wherever I run into, the toxic violet gas is emitted from that location.

Turn 5

	Me	Gishki
LP	3400	4000
Hand	1	1
Field	Blazeman	Whale, Cyber, Havana
Graveyard	Alius, backrow x2, Doom, Oversoul, Neos, Malicious, Poly, Neos Knight	Migrant, ML, Slave x2, CEO, Dancer

Gishki is riding on Capitalism Citadel Whale, hunting me.

Gishki: Wanna surrender? I give you one last chance to join us.

Me: If I say no?

Gishki: Then I will obliterate you! If you cannot be a beneficial insect to us, then you are a pest! Yeah, run, run like a cockroach!

The surroundings spray me with toxic violet gas wherever I run as if I were a cockroach. I feel that my brain is becoming more and more numb.

Gishki: It’s my turn. I draw a card (Pot of Greed). I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards.

Me: What? Shouldn’t Pot of Greed be a banned card?

Gishki: In the action field Urban Havana, there is no banned card. Here, everything is permitted!

Me: (How unfair! This duel is rigged. No, it is no longer a duel. It’s a slaughter.)

Gishki: I enter my battle phase. Capitalism Citadel Whale, destroy Blazeman!

(Capitalism Citadel Whale releases missiles, which hit Elemental HERO Blazeman running along with me. Elemental HERO Blazeman is destroyed.)

Gishki: I end my turn. At the end phase, Havana’s effect activates.

A spray of violet gas is emitted directly underneath my feet. My LP: 3400->3000

Me: (How can the emission have such precision? Why does it only target me but not my opponent? Wait, could it be?)

In Action Duels, duelists’ positions are constantly sent to the system via Redtooth. It has two purposes. One is for collision detection, and the other is for guiding projectiles. For example, for Capitalism Citadel Whale’s missiles to hit me or my monsters, they need to know my precise location. I can run away to buy time to pick up an Action Card, but it will not change the predefined destiny of being hit. After all, it’s a card game, not an action game like Sword Art Online.

Me: (Damn it. I should have realized that running away is of no use.)

Due to my movement, a large area has been covered by this toxic violet gas. My opponent riding on his Capitalism Citadel Whale, a few meters above the ground, seems unaffected.

Me: (The opponent called me a pest. Could this gas be a pesticide? The most common pesticide is phosphine, with the chemical formula $PH_3$ and a molecular mass of 34, while the average molecular mass of the air is 29. It means that this pesticide is heavier than the air. If I can climb up to a higher place, I can get rid of this toxic gas. 1, 2, 3, let’s go!)

I start to jump up the platforms floating in the air. While Solid Vision can create tangible entities, it cannot create hollow objects yet. So I cannot enter a projected building and use its staircase to climb up to the rooftop.

Turn 6

	Me	Gishki
LP	3000	4000
Hand	1	3
Field	—	Whale, Cyber, Havana
Graveyard	Alius, backrow x2, Doom, Oversoul, Neos, Malicious, Poly, Neos Knight, Blazeman	Migrant, ML, Slave x2, CEO, Dancer, PoG

Gishki: Stop running around, and draw your last pathetic card!

Me: (I need to end this duel as fast as possible. Or else, I cannot maintain my sanity. I bet all my hope on the next draw. Please, Super Rush Headlong.)

Me: My turn. I draw (Riryoku).

Me: (Riryoku targets. Is it the end of my fate?)

Gishki: From your facial expression, it seems that you drew a useless card. Quickly end your turn and accept your fate, you pest!

Me: (Wait! Capitalism Citadel Whale’s effect activates only when the other card targets exactly itself and no other cards, but Riryoku targets TWO monsters! How can I give up so easily? This gas is really affecting my nerve.)

Me: I summon Destiny HERO - Celestial. I activate Riryoku’s effect: Target two monsters, halve the ATK of one monster, and add it to the other monster. I add half the ATK of Capitalism Citadel Whale to Celestial.

(Capitalism Citadel Whale’s ATK: 2800->1400)

(Destiny HERO - Celestial’s ATK: 1600->3000)

Me: Celestial, attack! When this monster declares an attack, I can destroy one face-up spell card my opponent controls. I choose Havana.

Gishki: Not so fast! I activate Cyber Stealth Attack’s second effect—

Me: What!?

Gishki: Once per turn, I can banish a Level 7 or higher DARK monster I control until the end phase, this turn, face-up Spells/Traps I control cannot be destroyed by my opponent’s card effect.

(Capitalism Citadel Whale is banished.)

Me: (He protected his field spell while avoiding the battle between Capitalism Citadel Whale and enpowered Destiny HERO - Celestial. The opponent’s board is so powerful. Even if I can circumvent Capitalism Citadel Whale’s effect, Cyber Stealth Attack can still protect it by banishing it. In addition, Cyber Stealth Attack can protect itself and Havana. This board is invincible. It is something never taught in the duel academy. My opponent is a professional assassin. Is this the gap between a newly minted graduate from the Ivory Tower and a real-world assassin?)

Me: (No, there must be a way to defeat my opponent. My deck has been with me through up and down, smooth and rough. It has become my best comrade. As long as I have faith in my deck, it will respond to me.)

I climb onto the rooftop. I can now see a larger area of this island. Previously I was immersed in the violet cloud, but now I can have a clearer look at my opponent. Capitalism Citadel Whale has disappeared, and my opponent is now standing on another rooftop opposite to me. Yes, my opponent is wide open.

Me: Celestial, attack directly! Although you managed to protect your monsters and backrows, there are no more monsters to protect you this turn.

Gishki: I activate the Action Card Half Damage, which cuts the damage by half.

Gishki’s LP: 4000->2500

Me: (Although I failed to deal lethal damage this turn, I have seen new possibilities in defeating my opponent. If I draw Mask Change, I can bait Cyber Stealth Attack’s banishing effect with Celestial or Super Rush Headlong and mask-change to Masked HERO Anki to attack directly. I need to survive until I draw the right pieces.)

Me: I activate the effect of Destiny Hero - Malicious in my graveyard: By banishing itself, I can special summon another copy of Malicious in defense position onto my field. I end my turn.

Capitalism Citadel Whale returns to the field. Havana’s effect activates. Toxic violet gas is emitted from the rooftop. My LP: 3000->2600

Me: What?!

Gishki: Hahaha~ The whole island is equipped with this gas. You have been monitored all along. There is no escape for you! You have no salvation!

I start to connect the dots. My duel gear has been giving out my location even before I start to duel with this enforcer. That was how my stalkers were able to trick me into this cul-de-sac. They identified my duel gear through its Redtooth MAC address. They know the MAC address because they recorded it when I checked in with my duel gear at the beginning of the tournament.

Me: So this championship itself is a scam!?

Gishki: Don’t use such a word as scam. I would formulate it as a compatibility test. Only those duelists willing to join us are suitable to live in the future world designed by us. All the others will be sent to the shadow realm. And the Prince will become the champion.

Me: The Prince?

Gishki: Ah, he is the son of the sponsor—a member of Ouroboros—of this championship. By the way, he is your opponent for tomorrow if you can survive until tomorrow, of course.

Me: So your original goal today is to ask me to deliberately lose to your prince, this Golden Child, tomorrow.

Gishki: Hahaha~ What else did you expect? One endorser for lass is enough. All the other will be food for the One. You, coming from a third-rate country, only have the value of being a Sidekick!

Unforgivable! Totally unforgivable! This is an insult to all those who love this sport. People bet their courage, skills, dignity, and all they have on duels, and this feeling is too sacred to be trashed like that.

Turn 7

	Me	Gishki
LP	2600	2500
Hand	0	3
Field	Celestial, Malicious	Whale, Cyber, Havana
Graveyard	Alius, backrow x2, Doom, Oversoul, Neos, Malicious, Poly, Neos Knight, Blazeman, Riryoku	Migrant, ML, Slave x2, CEO, Dancer, PoG

Gishki: It’s my turn. I draw (Pot of Greed). I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards.

(The flame of rage is burning inside me.)

Gishki: I special summon LV6 Capitalism CEO (ATK: 2100) by discarding Capitalism Citadel Whale in my hand.

(Capitalism CEO is summoned onto the field.)

Gishki: I activate Capitalism CEO’s effect: Once per turn, I can add a “Capitalism” Ritual spell into my hand. I add Capitalism Money Laundering.

Gishki: I activate the spell card Capitalism Tittytainment: By discarding a card (Havana), I can salvage 2 “Capitalism” LV3 monsters from the graveyard. I salvage the two copies of Capitalism Slave.

Gishki: I activate Capitalism Money Laundering and ritual summon LV6 Capitalism Dancer (ATK: 2000) by tributing two copies of LV3 Capitalism Slave, and I declare the DARK attribute.

(Capitalism Dancer is summoned onto the field.)

(Capitalism CEO’s attribute: FIRE->DARK)

(Capitalism Dancer’s attribute: WATER->DARK)

Gishki: Battle phase.

Me: (Damn it! The opponent has three monsters, while I only have two monsters. If one attack gets through, I am over. Then, I notice an Action Card lying at one corner of the rooftop, where the violet cloud is less dense.)

I dash toward the Action Card.

(Capitalism CEO, attack Destiny HERO - Celestial!)

(Destiny Hero - Celestial is destroyed. My LP: 2600->2100.

Gishki: Capitalism Dancer, attack Destiny HERO - Malicious!

(Destiny HERO - Malicious is destroyed.)

Gishki: Capitalism Citadel Whale, attack directly!

The missiles are flying toward me.

Me: I activate the Action Card Evasion, which negates one attack.

Gishki: I know what you were planning. You plan to bait my Cyber Stealth Attack’s banishing effect and mask-change into Masked HERO Anki. I will not give you this opportunity!

Gishki: I activate Capitalism Citadel Whale’s effect: I send Capitalism CEO and Capitalism Dancer to the graveyard and special summon Capitalism Citadel Whale (LV8, ATK: 2800, attribute: DARK) from the graveyard.

(A second Capitalism Citadel Whale is summoned onto the field from the graveyard.)

Gishki: When Capitalism Citadel Whale is summoned, I can activate its effect: Set the trap card Cyber Stealth Attack directly from my deck. I end my turn.

Havana’s effect activates. My LP: 2100->1700

Gishki: Now I have two Capitalism Citadel Whale on my field. Even if you can force me to banish one, I still have another one. There is no way for you to break this board.

Gishki: Come to think of it. It is 3035 now. There are still people playing HERO, this old-fashioned archetype. You think that you are special? You are just a little brat who knows nothing about this world. This world is run by MONEY! M-O-N-E-Y, MONEY!

Me: That’s a weird way to spell nepotism. It is because of corrupted people like you that this world still needs heroes. Capitalism, CEO, dancers, whales… Unfortunately, none of them is my cup of tea!

I don’t know how to break this board. I don’t know how to save myself from this desperate situation. But I feel that if I don’t say something back, I will lose my strength to stand here, and my very existence will be erased.

My brain hurts.

Turn 8

	Me	Gishki
LP	1700	2500
Hand	0	0
Field	—	Whale x2, Cyber x2, Havana,
Graveyard	Alius, backrow x2, Doom, Oversoul, Neos, Malicious, Poly, Neos Knight, Blazeman, Riryoku, Celestial	Migrant, ML x2, Slave x2, CEO x2, Dancer x2, PoG x2, Titty, Havana

Me: It’s my turn. I draw (Elemental HERO Burstinatrix).

Me: (Even if I manage to summon Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, which will carry me into the sky and get rid of the toxic gas, it is useless to break this board. Most importantly, I will burn all my resources and not have anything left. I have to endure this pain.)

Me: (Am I hallucinating? Humanoid monsters are intangible! This toxic gas must have made me crazy.)

Me: I summon Elemental HERO Burstinatrix in defense position (DEF: 800).

Me: I activate Destiny HERO - Malicious’s effect in the graveyard: By banishing itself, I can special summon another copy onto the field in defense position. I end my turn.

Havana’s effect activates. My LP: 1700->1300

Me: (Due to Havana’s effect damage, my LP will drop to 0 in four turns, which means that I have at most two self-turns left.)

Me: (Did I put the only copy of Super Rush Headlong I have into my deck? My memory becomes unreliable. What if there is no this card in my deck, and my hope is merely an illusion based on the reconstructed memory shaped by this toxic gas?)

Me: (Even if I draw my only copy of Super Rush Headlong, the opponent can choose not to activate the banishing effect. I can only destroy one Capitalism Citadel Whale.)

Me: (Two copies of Cosmic Cyclone can also save me, but this expensive card has never been accessible to me. Even if I did have them, I do not have enough LP to activate them.)

Me: (Is there any card left in my deck that can turn the table?)

Turn 9

	Me	Gishki
LP	1300	2500
Hand	0	0
Field	Burstinatrix, Malicious	Whale x2, Cyber x2, Havana,
Graveyard	Alius, backrow x2, Doom, Oversoul, Neos, Poly, Neos Knight, Blazeman, Riryoku, Celestial	Migrant, ML x2, Slave x2, CEO x2, Dancer x2, PoG x2, Titty, Havana

Gishki: Already lost your fighting spirit? You are much better at boasting than dueling.

Gishki: It’s my turn. I draw. Look. I have a gift for you. I activate an Action Card Double Attack: Select one monster; that monster can make one more attack. Capitalism Citadel Whale is equipped with radar. I can see the locations of all Action Cards nearby.

Me: You cheater!

I jump away from the rooftop to a platform nearby. I have to find an Action Card to save me from losing within this turn.

Gishki: Battle phase. Capitalism Citadel Whale, attack!

(Elemental HERO Burstinatrix and Destiny HERO - Malicious are destroyed.)

Gishki: It’s over. Capitalism Citadel Whale, attack directly! Go to the shadow realm!

Missiles fly toward me.

I jump toward another platform, desperately searching for an Action Card.

Suddenly, the platform under my feet vanishes.

“Shit!” I fall off midair. “Is it a bug, or a cyber-attack?”

Due to my unexpected downfall, the missiles narrowly miss me and are going to make a big U-turn to hit me again.

I hit on the ground and hurt my legs, body, and head, sequentially. Blood starts to bleed from my knees, palms, and head. Luckily, I see an Action Card in front of my eyes.

Me: I activate the Action Card Evasion and negate this attack.

Gishki: It seems that you have some good luck, but what can you do with this torn body? I activate the continuous spell Capitalism Small Print. It doubles all the effect damage you take and increases my LP by half of the effect damage you take. I end my turn.

My LP: 1300->500

Gishki’s LP: 2500->2900

Turn 10

	Me	Gishki
LP	500	2900
Hand	0	0
Field	—	Whale x2, Cyber x2, Havana, Small Print
Graveyard	Alius, backrow x2, Doom, Oversoul, Neos, Malicious, Poly, Neos Knight, Blazeman, Riryoku, Celestial, Burstinatrix	Migrant, ML x2, Slave x2, CEO x2, Dancer x2, PoG x2, Titty, Havana

I lie on the ground. This is going to be my last turn. Is it the end of my life? I graduated as the top student in my country and now crash myself directly into this abyss here. How absurd! This is not the world I expected.

Gishki: Grassroots like you have only the worth of being food for elites. Draw your last pathetic card and accept your fate!

I endure the pain and struggle to get up from the ground.

Me: What you said is absurd. I have never signed up for this fate. I was not born to be food for the elites or anyone. I was born to pursue my dream. If what you described is the real face of this world, then it’s the world that is wrong, NOT ME!

Me: I draw.

The card is Fifth Hope.

Me: (Does this card tell me not to give up hope yet?) I activate the spell card Fifth Hope: If I have no cards in my hand or on my field, I can shuffle five Elemental HERO monsters in my graveyard into the deck and draw three cards. I shuffle Elemental HERO Neos Alius, Elemental HERO Neos, Elemental HERO Neos Knight, Elemental HERO Blazeman, and Elemental HERO Burstinatrix, and I draw three cards.

The cards are Elemental HERO Bubbleman, Polymerization, and Over Destiny.

Me: I set two cards. Then I special summon Bubbleman’s effect: When it is the only card in my hand, I can special summon it. Then I activate Destiny HERO - Celestial’s effect in the graveyard. When I have no cards in my hand, by banishing itself and Destiny HERO - Malicious, I draw two cards.

The cards are Neo-Spacian White Panther and Hero Mask.

Me: (White Panther? Do I really have this card? Anyway, it seems that this card can save me.)

Gishki: (He drew another five cards, which can become a threat to me. Let me destabilize him before he finds a way out.) No matter how many cards you draw, my board is unbreakable. Your only salvation is to kiss my shoes and succumb to our secret society and become a pawn…

Me: Thanks to this falling, my brain becomes clear now. You have been talking about fate nonstop since a while ago as if the world should act as per the formula of capitalism. Money laundering, tittytainment, small print… these things you brag about as if they were a norm make no sense to me. This is not the world that I wanted to be born into. You claimed that you wanted to make the world great again, but the only things you did so far were to make people suffer. The drugs you sell can temporarily banish people’s anxiety and despair, but what awaits at the end of this path is utter void. How can the world be great without making every single individual great first? Life can be full of hardship and misery, but this is what makes life amazing and worthy to live. Not by drugs, but only by overcoming these difficulties, people feel the joy of living…

Me: I summon Neo-Spacian White Panther and activate its effect: I can target a monster in my opponent’s graveyard; until the end phase, this card’s name becomes that monster’s original name, also replace this effect with that monster’s original effect. This effect is valid even when this card is sent to the graveyard. I target Capitalism Slave…

Neo-Spacian White Panther -> Capitalism Slave

I ride on White Panther to dodge the emission of toxic gas.

Gishki: What’s the point of using this garbage’s effect?

Me: They are not garbage. They are misplaced gems, which did not find a suitable place to shine and hence get their rationality dimmed. Let me show you that, on the right stage, even they can become heroes. I activate the spell card Hero Mask. I send Elemental HERO Captain Gold from my deck to the graveyard, and Capitalism Slave’s name now becomes Elemental HERO Captain Gold.

Me: Then I activate spell card Over Destiny. By targeting a Destiny HERO monster in my graveyard, I can special summon a Destiny HERO in my deck whose level is equal to or less than half of the target monster. I target Destiny HERO - Doom Lord and special summon Destiny HERO - Dreamer. Now I have three Heroes on the field…

Gishki: The sum of garbage is still garbage.

Me: It seems that you still don’t see the possibility of humankind. Let me show you. I activate Polymerization.

(I jump off Neo-Spacian White Panther.)

Elemental HERO Bubbleman, Destiny HERO Dreamer, and Neo-Spacian White Panther and sent to the graveyard.

Me: Bubble cleansing the dirt covering the golden heart, overcome destiny and pursue your dream in Neo Space. Be born, Vision HERO Trinity.

Vision HERO Trinity (ATK: 5000) is summoned onto the field.

Me: When Trinity is Fusion Summoned, for the rest of the turn, its ATK becomes double its original ATK. It cannot attack directly but can attack monsters three times per battle phase.

Gishki: No matter how high your monster’s ATK is, it is no match for Cyber Stealth Attack’s effect.

Me: It seems that you have forgotten Neo-Spacian White Panther, aka Capitalism Slave’s effect: When it is sent to the graveyard, I declare an attribute, and then all monsters on the field become that attribute. I declare LIGHT!

(Vision HERO Trinity’s attribute: DARK -> LIGHT)

(Capitalism Citadel Whale’s attribute: DARK -> LIGHT)

(Capitalism Citadel Whale’s attribute: DARK -> LIGHT)

Gishki: Damn it!

Me: Now that Capitalism Citadel Whales are no longer DARK monsters, Cyber Stealth Attack’s effect no longer applies to them. You can neither protect your monsters nor banish them to dodge my attack. Even if you have an Action Card Evasion or Half Damage, they are still not enough to cover the damage. Trinity, attack!

(Both Capitalism Citadel Whales are destroyed. Gishki’s LP drops to 0.)

Gishki: Ah~~~~ You will pay for this…

	Me (Win)	Gishki (Lose)
LP	500	0
Hand	0	0
Field	Trinity	Cyber x2, Havana, Small Print
Graveyard	backrow x2, Doom, Oversoul, Poly x2, Riryoku, Hope, Bubble, Over Destiny, Panther, Mask, Captain, Dreamer	Migrant, ML x2, Slave x2, CEO x2, Dancer x2, PoG x2, Titty, Havana, Whale x2

The Action Field Urban Havana fades away gradually. The environment returns to a somber and quiet state.

To be continued…

In the next episode, I will face off against Prince.