Poisoned Hero in Havana (3)
In a room dimly lit, a man knelt on one knee before a woman, her face obscured in shadow.
“Your Highness,” he said, his voice measured and precise. “Prince has fallen.”
She lifted a goblet crafted from tarnished silver, swirling the pink liquid within it, and took a small sip. The goblet’s design depicted an elder male penetrating a younger male from behind.
A voice, old as stone and cold as steel, cut through the silence. “Bring back Prince. And deploy the Hyena squad.”
“As you command, Your Highness.”
After beating Prince, I slipped out a back exit of the stadium and rushed back to my hotel to avoid his furious fans. I grabbed some food, drinks, and napkin along the way, so I wouldn’t have to go out again. My plan was to stay locked in my room until my next duel – the final match of the tournament
I collapsed onto the bed. Pain shot through my body, and my head still throbbed. Today’s fight had really aggravated yesterday’s injury, and the radiation probably caused some internal bleeding in my brain. I was exhausted and desperately needed sleep.
The next time I opened my eyes, it was already dusk. A loud noise from upstairs woke me up—someone was hammering on the floor or the wall.
I was perplexed. “Why would someone do home decoration in a hotel?”
“No, it must be that the hotel was repairing something,” I muttered.
I washed my hands and face before filling my empty stomach.
Then a sweet scent drifted into the room from nowhere.
Initially, the smell was faint and difficult to notice. But gradually it became more intense, even suffocating. It had a brain-numbing effect similar to the violet smoke during my duel with Gishki.
I opened the window wide to help with ventilation, which made me feel a little better.
An hour later, an unpleasant smell of burning plastic wafted into my room from outside. I peeked through the open window but saw no clues.
Closing the window, I returned to my bed and lay down.
Another hour passed, and the sweet scent re-emerged in the room.
“What the heck!?”
If I opened the window, the burning plastic smell would come in from outside. But if I closed it, the sweet scent would emerge from inside. Over the next few hours, I opened and closed the window repeatedly, like a spring.
Then I realized this couldn’t be coincidence—it must be Ouroboros’s doing.
I couldn’t open the door; otherwise, the toxic smell would spread to the other guests’ rooms. I couldn’t call the front desk or the police either; otherwise, the Ouroboros handlers upstairs—probably migrants—would be sent to jail or even evicted from the island.
Therefore, I decided to derive a mathematical model to mitigate the damage.
I started to write down my Chain of Thought on a napkin:
Let me start with the smell of burning plastic from outside. Denote its concentration outside as $C_a^2$, its concentration inside the room as $C_a^1$, and its concentration within my body as $C_a^0$. The interface between the outside and the inside is the window of my room, and the interface between the inside and my body can be approximated as a single point – my lungs.
Fick’s First Law states that the flux of a substance through a given area is directly proportional to the negative gradient of its concentration. Thus, the net influx from the outside to the inside can be written as $d(C_a^2 - C_a^1)$, where $d$ is an effective diffusion coefficient dependent on the window’s opening size and air currents. Similarly, we can write the rate of substance transfer from the room into my body as $d_a(C_a^1 - C_a^0)$, where $d_a$ represents a combined diffusion and absorption/metabolism coefficient reflecting how efficiently I process the air in my lungs.
When equilibrium is reached – meaning that the concentration inside the room, $C_a^1$, no longer changes with time – the influx and efflux rates must be equal. That is,
\[d(C_a^2 - C_a^1) = d_a(C_a^1 - C_a^0).\]Rearranging this equation allows us to solve for the equilibrium concentration:
\[C_a^1 = \frac{d_a C_a^0 + d C_a^2}{d_a + d}.\]In other words, the equilibrium concentration inside the room is a weighted average of the concentrations outside and within my body.
Supposing that my body can decompose the substance perfectly (i.e., $C_a^0 = 0$), the above equation simplifies to:
\[C_a^1 = \frac{d C_a^2}{d_a + d}.\]Now, we can similarly derive an equation for the sweet scent originating from inside my room. Let $C_b^0$, $C_b^1$, and $C_b^2$ be its concentration within my body, inside the room, and outside, respectively. Let $d_b$ be a diffusion/decomposition coefficient representing how quickly I metabolize this scent. The parameter $d$ has the same meaning as above. Let $f$ represent the unidentified source term for the sweet scent (i.e., continuous emission from somewhere in the room). Then, at equilibrium we have:
\[f = d(C_b^1 - C_b^2) + d_b(C_b^1 - C_b^0).\]Rearranging this equation gives us the equilibrium concentration:
\[C_b^1 = \frac{f + d_b C_b^0 + d C_b^2}{d_b + d}.\]In this case, if $C_b^0 = 0$ and the external concentration is also zero ($C_b^2 = 0$), we can simplify the above equation as:
\[C_b^1 = \frac{f}{d_b + d}.\]The key to maintaining my sanity is to balance $C_a^1$ and $C_b^1$ by controlling $d$. Consider two extreme cases. When $d=0$ (the window is closed), $C_a^1 = 0$ and $C_b^1 = \frac{f}{d_b}$. When $d=\infty$ (the window is wide open), $C_a^1 = C_a^2$ and $C_b^1=0$. Neither case is ideal, so the optimal value of $d$ must lie somewhere in between.
We also know that toxicity is a function of concentration, often well-approximated by a Sigmoid function. Let $\sigma_a$ and $\sigma_b$ denote the toxicity functions for the burning plastic smell and the sweet scent, respectively. I want to solve the following optimization problem:
\[\min_{d} F(d) := \sigma_a(C_a^1) + \sigma_b(C_b^1) = \sigma_a \left(\frac{d C_a^2}{d_a + d} \right) + \sigma_b \left(\frac{f}{d_b + d} \right).\]To find the optimal $d$, we need to minimize $F(d)$ with respect to $d$. This involves taking the derivative of $F(d)$ with respect to $d$ and setting it equal to zero. Then, we have
\[\sigma_a'\left(\frac{d C_a^2}{d_a + d}\right) \cdot \frac{d_a C_a^2}{(d_a + d)^2} = \sigma_b'\left(\frac{f}{d_b + d}\right) \cdot \frac{f}{(d_b + d)^2}.\]With $\sigma_a$ and $\sigma_b$ being logistic functions, the equation above contains both exponential and non-exponential terms. I believe it does not have an analytic solution.
Let us solve the original optimization problem numerically using gradient descent. However, we do not know the values of these parameters. Even if we did know them, we cannot relate the value of $d$ to the window’s opening size; that is, the value of $d$ provides no useful information.
That said, I can control the value of $d$, even though its value remains unknown. This allows me to perform gradient descent in a practical setting despite not knowing the values of the parameters. More specifically, while I do not know the magnitude of the gradient, I can determine its sign by sensing the toxicity of each substance. This enables the use of methods such as the bisection method, golden-section search, and line search with backtracking. The only necessary adaptation is to compare the sign of the gradient instead of function values.
By fine-tuning the window opening size, I finally found an ideal solution that balanced the concentration of the burning plastic smell and the sweet scent in my room.
When I was ready to go to bed, pressure started to accumulate in my brain. It felt exactly like the sensation I experienced when dueling Prince – someone was using radiation against me!
I scanned my surroundings. Was it coming from the roof? The ground? Beyond the wall?
It had to be the roof! The earlier noise upstairs wasn’t a coincidence.
I moved from the bed to the sofa, and then I heard heavy objects shifting above me. The sound stopped directly overhead.
Next, I went to the door. Again, the sound of something heavy moving echoed from above.
I tested every corner of the room, and the same thing happened repeatedly.
My opponent must be using a radar that can penetrate walls to pinpoint my location.
So I kept changing positions, and we played a Wreck-a-Mole game (I am the mole) for the next few hours until both of us were exhausted and drowsiness finally overtook me…
I was woken up the next morning by the noise of sawing from upstairs. It had started again!
I took a quick shower and left my room with my deck of cards and duel gadget. This fruitless and endless game with my neighbor wasn’t my cup of tea. I would let him play solitaire if he didn’t mind. Too bad, I didn’t have a spare deck of poker for him.
I went down the stairs and entered the dining room. Breakfast was already laid out in a self-service format. A maid was clearing used tableware from the guests and replacing it with clean dishes and fresh food.
I grabbed a croissant and ordered a glass of blackcurrant liqueur—I needed something strong to ease my headache—before taking my seat.
Moments later, the cute maid brought me the blackcurrant liqueur with a big smile. It was difficult to deny that this charming maid was quite adorable, and she was definitely my cup of tea.
When I finished the croissant and was ready for some pain au chocolat, noise came from the kitchen.
“…put this here,” an old, rude, and irritating voice cut through the otherwise silent air.
I peeked into the kitchen: It was a mountain-like woman in a manager’s uniform. She was so obese that you could easily mistake her for a giant frog.
“…no, no, no, not this… that one!”
“…no, no, no, not here… there!”
The confused maid looked clueless and helpless.
“The young people today are really stupid! They can’t even do simple things well.”
“If you can’t even do this simple task, I don’t see the point of hiring you!”
Tears welled up in the cute maid’s eyes, but she somehow held them back.
I said to myself, “Honestly, who could understand those unclear instructions? The maid isn’t a mind reader.”
I wanted to intervene but managed to calm myself down. I could defend the maid at this very moment, but when I was gone, the vengeful manager would lash out at her. My chivalrous attempt to play hero would only worsen the maid’s situation—exactly what had happened in the novel of Don Quixote.
If I truly wanted to help this maid, I should hire her or even take her back with me to my country as my wife. However, I was being hunted down by Ouroboros, and my very existence in this world was questionable. What else could I achieve here as an outlander?
I wanted to help, but all I could do was swallow the pain in my chest.
The obese manager moved out of the kitchen. I pretended to be looking at the Guest’s Notice hanging on the wall and haven’t paid attention to what had happened inside.
The frog manager barged her way into the office and started working on her acne in front of a hand mirror.
“This Sunday is Apollonis’s Epiphany. What dinner should I prepare for the children?”
“Last year, I prepared Chicken Cordon Bleu, but the children complained that the cheap ham slices were greasy and flavorless.”
“How about Chinese ravioli with one ounce of foie gras mixed in? And I’ll let the children have a taste and guess what surprise I have added for them!”
Mulling over her ruse, the frog manager demonstrated an involuntary grin on her face.
“Oops, no laughing! No laughing! Wrinkles will start showing!”
I decided to take a walk in the city today. My match wasn’t scheduled until tomorrow—today’s was between Prince and another duelist competing for third place. I had no pressing reason to stay at the hotel as an easy target for Ouroboros. Plus, I hadn’t done any sightseeing in Apollonis since my arrival.
I didn’t wear a facial mask. I was just dueling normally; I did nothing wrong! There was no reason for me to be assaulted by Ouroboros, and therefore no reason to cover my face.
The other pedestrians didn’t seem to recognize me from yesterday’s duel. It seemed not everyone in Apollonis followed Yu-Gi-Oh closely. Good for me.
I walked down the main street and entered a park.
There weren’t many people inside the park. An old man was walking his white poodle. The dog relieved itself against a lamppost and then licked its own urine before leaving contentedly.
A slim young girl was walking her fat cat. Earlier, she had placed the cat in a cage on a rented bicycle and ridden it here. The cat was wearing clothes and had a leash around its neck. The girl was literally walking the cat.
A sturdy, peasant-like woman rode through the park on an E-bike. She used a mini-spade to fill plastic bags with soil from the park. With two full bags of soil, she drove away, seemingly fulfilled.
I took a bench and lay down with my eyes closed. The effect of the blackcurrant liqueur kicked in.
Prince had an incredibly strong deck, yet he kept misplaying during our duel. Firstly, he played conservatively and avoided any risk at all, which cost him his first opportunity to finish me off. While a conservative strategy isn’t inherently flawed, Prince’s approach didn’t focus on winning but rather on preserving life points. Life points are a resource in Yu-Gi-Oh that can and should be strategically traded for victory.
Secondly, Prince could have used Fraudulent Accounting to finish me off, but he failed to do so because he prioritized a no-damage victory facilitated by Apollonis’s corrupted journalism. A true duelist prioritizes winning above all else and won’t compromise their strategy for aesthetic effect, even in an Action Duel with thousands of spectators. Prince clearly leaned more toward performance than competition.
Thirdly, Prince overly relied on Small-Boat Refugee’s recycling effect and completely ignored the possibility of disruption. Had he retained Fraudulent Accounting in hand as a source of discard fodder, he could have used it to protect his board when I locked Small-Boat Refugee in the graveyard. He was too greedy, overextending his resources without adequate backup.
Fourthly, Prince’s flamboyant but flimsy outfit clearly limited his mobility. Had he worn more practical clothing, he might have outrun me and secured the Action Card first. The Gold Saint costume was all flashy, no substance—it only served to charm the naive girls in the stadium and didn’t contribute to a winning strategy.
If Prince had avoided even one of these mistakes, he could have won the duel. However, those errors aligned so perfectly that victory slipped through his grasp like water through Swiss cheese!
In hindsight, Prince played more like someone playing solitaire. His deck was a powerful, autopilot build ideal for farming rewards in a Yu-Gi-Oh video game with an auto-duel feature. Indeed, throughout the duel, he seemed to ignore his opponent and was preoccupied with roleplaying. Anyone could have piloted this deck just as effectively; there was nothing special about Prince beyond his status as the sole heir of TADA Group.
That said, Prince shouldn’t be solely blamed for the outcome. Ouroboros’s goal in this tournament was dubious from the start. They weren’t pursuing glory or victory but rather using the event as a marketing campaign to influence Apollonis’s constituents. This was achieved through TADA Group’s on-table presence and Lass’s manipulative effect behind the scenes.
“Is this your keychain?” An elder, gentle voice woke me up.
I opened my eyes. An old lady with completely white hair was standing in front of me, holding a keychain.
“No, it’s not mine.”
“All right,” she said, and walked away without another word.
“Honestly, who even uses physical keys anymore?” I muttered to myself. “She probably worried about me lying here motionless alone and used her own keychain as an excuse to check on me.”
I looked around. A few teenagers were loitering nearby, smoking cannabis. They glanced over at me every now and then.
“This isn’t safe,” I thought. “I should get out of here.”
The sun was setting. I went back to the same bar I’d been at the day before yesterday.
“What can I get you?”
“$J_2O$, please.” I replied.
“Which flavor?”
For a moment, I hesitated.
“We have Apple & Raspberry, Orange & Passionfruit, Strawberry & Lime, Pear & Pineapple, Mango & Orange.”
It seemed all the flavors were combinations of two fruits – like Fusion monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh! In that game, there are also Fusion monsters needing three or more materials. For example, my Vision HERO Trinity requires three “HERO” monsters. Some Fusion monsters can even take a variable number of fusion materials; Chimeratech Overdragon, for instance, needs one Cyber Dragon and one or more Machine monsters.
I wondered why $J_2O$ didn’t mix three or more fruits. Maybe it was because of the name – it was $J_2O$, not $J_3O$ or anything else, after all.
Last time I had Orange & Passionfruit, so this time I decided to try something different.
“Apple & Raspberry, please.”
A few moments later, the waiter brought over a bottle of $J_2O$, a glass, and a thick stack of napkins. “On the house.”
“Oh?”
“I saw you take down that arrogant Prince yesterday. Good job!”
Apparently, not everyone in Apollonis was fan of Prince. A lot of people might be charmed by his flashy appearance, but some kept a cooler head and weren’t fooled.
I sipped my $J_2O$ quietly at the counter.
The bar TV was showing a cat show – owners were presenting their cats for judging. The anchorwoman kept petting a gray cat, and it clearly wasn’t enjoying the attention; it ended up biting her!
I was watching, kind of lost in thought, when two girls around 20 or 21 came over from a nearby table. They both had ponytails.
They ordered shots – whose names I didn’t recognize – and started talking loudly, laughing as if I wasn’t even there.
“Hier soir, j’étais dans une boîte et j’ai vu une vielle femme dancer collee à un jeune mec.”
“Putain~”
Not speaking French, I had no idea what they were saying. All I could tell was that they were having a good time.
Then, one of the girls facing me shook out her ponytail, letting her beautiful black hair cascade down over her shoulder.
The bottle of $J_2O$ went down quickly, especially with all the stress from Ouroboros’s harassment.
I was about to thank the waiter again and leave when my eye caught on the thick stack of napkins. A strange idea popped into my head.
I walked over to the girl who had let her hair down. “Mind if I borrow your hair tie?”
“Sure!” She handed me hers.
“Do you want mine too?” The other girl asked playfully, gesturing towards her own hair.
“If it’s no trouble.”
The other girl happily removed her hair tie and gave it to me as well.
I asked the waiter for a bottle of plain water before leaving the bar.
When I stepped out of the bar, it was already pitch black. Every shop and supermarket was shuttered – they really closed up early in Apollonis, I had to admit. At that hour, probably only nightclubs were open. Nightclubs weren’t my thing; dancing just wasn’t for me. I preferred using my head to… well, moving my hips. Plus, back home, the only people you found in those places were usually prostitutes and thugs. That left me with one option: heading back to the hotel.
I walked slowly, revealing my reluctance to return to the hotel. Then, I discovered someone was stalking me. It had to be Ouroboros.
More of them appeared, gradually closing in around me. Surprisingly, I felt more intrigued than scared. Maybe the toxic fumes and radiation had scrambled my emotions a bit.
One of them stepped forward, reeking of marijuana. (It is said that the legendary assassin group in ancient time, Hashashin, is linked to the word Hashish, the Arabic term for marijuana.)
“Come with us. Lady Signora wants to see you.”
“Signora” was the Italian word for “Lady.” I didn’t understand why they would repeat it like that. It was like saying “Water $H_2O$.”
Whatever. I figured I’d find out what this Lady Signora wanted.
They led me down a winding street and into a dead end, where she was waiting.
“So you’re the one who beat Prince?” A voice, old as stone and cold as steel, carried a clear threat.
I glanced at her. She was slender, and looked far younger than that gravelly voice suggested.
“So what?”
“I am Ouroboros’s Enforcer No. 2: Signora. Let me test your capability!”
“Action Field, Urban Havana, activate.”
The world around me warped and shifted. I was coerced into an Action Duel.
Me vs. Signora
Both duelists draw five cards. My hand consists of:
-
Destiny HERO - Drilldark
-
Destiny HERO - Celestial
-
Destiny HERO - Captain Tenacious
-
Polymerization
-
Dark City
Turn 1: Signora
| Me | Signora | |
|---|---|---|
| LP | 4000 | 4000 |
| Hand | 5 | 5 |
| Field | — | — |
| Graveyard | — | — |
Signora: I summon Narcissism Avenger in Attack Position (Level 4, ATK 1800). I set two cards and end my turn.
Turn 2: Me
| Me | Signora | |
|---|---|---|
| LP | 4000 | 4000 |
| Hand | 5 | 2 |
| Field | — | Avenger, Backrow x2 |
| Graveyard | — | — |
Me: (One front row and two back rows in Turn 1—this is called Delta Formation, aka Alekhine’s Defense. Signora’s strategy seems different from Gishki’s and Prince’s. I must not let my guard off.)
Me: It’s my turn. I draw. (The card is Destiny HERO - Decider.)
Me (looking at my hand): (I have only two possible openings—one of them is to summon a Fusion Monster. Though Fusion Monsters are powerful, they are vulnerable early in the game. Bringing one out too soon can make it an easy target for commonplace traps.)
Me: (This leaves me with only one option.) I summon Destiny HERO - Drilldark in Attack Position (ATK 1600). If Drilldark is summoned, I can special summon 1 “Destiny HERO” monster from my Hand with ATK less than or equal to its ATK on the field. I special summon Destiny HERO - Celestial in Attack Position (ATK 1600).
Me: Then, I play Field Spell Dark City. If a “Destiny HERO” monster attacks a monster with a higher ATK, the attacking monster gains 1000 ATK during damage calculation only.
Me: Battle Phase. Destiny HERO - Celestial, attack!
(Destiny HERO - Celestial’s ATK: 1600->2600)
(Signora’s LP: 4000->3200)
(Narcissism Avenger is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.)
Signora: When Narcissism Avenger is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, place 2 Gaslight Counters on the monster that destroyed it.
(2 Gaslight Counters are placed on Destiny HERO - Celestial.)
Signora: And I activate Trap Card Regretful Rebirth. When a monster I control is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position, but it is destroyed during my End Phase.
(Narcissism Avenger is revived (DEF 1000).)
Me: (Now it’s my chance.) Destiny HERO - Drilldark, attack! When Drilldark attacks a Defense Position monster, it deals piercing damage.
(Destiny HERO - Drilldark’s ATK: 1600->2600)
(Signora’s LP: 3200->1600)
(Narcissism Avenger is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.)
(2 Gaslight Counters are placed on Destiny HERO - Drilldark.)
Me: (Yes, I significantly reduced Signora’s Life Points and eliminated two of her cards. I had a solid start!)
Me: I end my turn.
Me: (But why do I have an uneasy feeling? There is not any expression on Signora’s face. She seemed not worried or impressed at all. Is it because her face is filled with high-tech filler and thus cannot make subtle facial expressions? )
Signora: At the End Phase, I activate Trap Card Powerful Rebirth. I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster in my Graveyard and increase its Level by 1 and ATK/DEF by 100.
(Narcissism Avenger is revived in Attack Position (Level 5, ATK 1900).)
The dead Narcissism Avenger kept reviving just like how Signora refused to surrender to her age.
Turn 3: Signora
| Me | Signora | |
|---|---|---|
| LP | 4000 | 1600 |
| Hand | 3 | 2 |
| Field | Drilldark (2 counters), Celestial (2 counters), Dark City | Avenger, Powerful |
| Graveyard | — | Regretful |
Signora: It’s my turn. I draw. (The card is Havana.)
Signora: I summon Narcissism Blackmailer in Attack Position (ATK 1600). I activate Narcissism Blackmailer’s effect. Once per turn, I can remove a Gaslight Counter from an opponent’s monster to destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card. I destroy Dark City.
(Destiny HERO - Drilldark’s Gaslight Counter: 2->1)
(Dark City is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.)
Me: (So, this is the purpose of these seemingly innocuous Gaslight Counters.)
Signora: Battle Phase. Narcissism Blackmailer, attack Destiny HERO - Drilldark.
Me: Narcissism Blackmailer and Destiny HERO - Drilldark have equal attack (1600). If they battle, both will be destroyed.
Signora: If a monster with a Gaslight Counter battles an “Narcissism” monster, it loses 300 ATK and DEF for each Gaslight Counter during damage calculation only.
Me: Damn it!
I start to search for an Action Card.
(Destiny HERO - Drilldark’s ATK: 1600->1000)
(My LP: 4000->3400)
(Destiny HERO - Drilldark is destroyed and sent the Graveyard.)
Me: Why? There is only 1 Gaslight Counter on Destiny HERO - Drilldark, but why did it lose 600 ATK instead of 300 ATK?
Signora: This is not the Gaslight Counter’s effect; it’s the “Narcissism” monsters’ (continuous) effect. I have two “Narcissism” monsters on the field. So, each counter contributes twice.
Me: (By this logic, Destiny HERO - Celestial with two counters on it will lose 1200 ATK!)
Signora: Narcissism Avenger, attack Destiny HERO - Celestial!
Me: (I need the Action Card Evasion or Miracle to negate this attack! Here!)
I grab an Action Card on the ground. Alas, it is Second Attack.
(The attack lands.)
(Destiny HERO - Celestial’s ATK: 1600->400)
(MY LP: 3400->1900)
(Destiny HERO - Celestial is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.)
Me: (Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever pulled an Action Card Acceleration in Apollonis, despite the fact that Acceleration is as frequent as Evasion, Miracle, and Second Attack. Given that Ouroboros’s main strategy is to burn with Havana, it makes sense that they left out Action Cards such as Acceleration in the Action Fields they designed, e.g., Urban Havana, Pride of Apollonis.)
Signora (put on a facial mask): I play Field Spell Havana from my Hand. I set a card and end my turn.
(Havana’s effect triggers at the End Phase. My LP: 1900->1500)
Turn 4: Me
| Me | Signora | |
|---|---|---|
| LP | 1500 | 1600 |
| Hand | 4 (3 + Action) | 0 |
| Field | — | Avenger, Powerful, Blackmailer, Havana, backrow (unknown) |
| Graveyard | Drilldark, Celestial, City | Regretful |
Me: (Signora turned the duel around with a single play. She wiped out three of my cards and brought my LP below hers. I really shouldn’t underestimate a woman holding a grudge.)
Violet smoke began to curl around me, and tension started to build in my brain.
Me: (Here we go again. It feels like ages since I had a normal duel. Yu-Gi-Oh is supposed to be fun! Why do these people put people’s lives in danger? This isn’t the Yu-Gi-Oh I recognize!)
I brought the cards from my right hand to my mouth and held them with my lips. Then, I fished a handful of napkins out of my pocket and grabbed the water bottle clipped to my belt. Dampening the napkins with water, I used the girls’ hair ties to secure them over my mouth, deftly passing the cards back into my hand. I fused the napkins, hair ties, and water into a makeshift gas mask!
I needed to keep moving to escape the toxic fumes and radiation, but running would just mean breathing in more of it. A gas mask was essential to lessen the damage. It was a strategy I’d come up with back at the bar.
I started to move cautiously.
Signora: It seems you’ve managed to find a countermeasure.
Me: You Ouroboros used that same tactic on me repeatedly in such quick succession. Even an idiot can figure out a countermeasure or two!
Me: My turn! I draw. I summon Destiny HERO - Decider. When Decider is summoned, I can add 1 “HERO” monster from my Graveyard to my hand during the End Phase of this turn. This effect is once per duel.
Me: Then, I activate Polymerization. I Fusion Summon Destiny HERO - Dangerous with Destiny HERO - Decider on the field and Destiny HERO - Captain Tenacious in my hand.
(Destiny HERO - Decider and Destiny HERO - Captain Tenacious are sent to the Graveyard, and Destiny HERO - Dangerous (Level 6, ATK 2000, DEF 2600) is summoned onto the field from the Extra Deck.)
Me: (I should avoid attacking Narcissism Avenger, whose last-word effect will load Gaslight Counters onto my monsters. As long as Dangerous stays clear of those counters, it can hold its own as a decent wall.)
Me: Battle Phase. Destiny HERO - Dangerous, attack Narcissism Blackmailer!
Signora: I activate Quick-Play Spell Narcissism Projection. I destroy Narcissism Blackmailer and distribute Gaslight Counters equal to its Level to Destiny HERO - Dangerous.
Me: Damn it.
(Narcissism Blackmailer is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.)
(Destiny HERO - Dangerous’ Gaslight Counters: 0->4)
(Since Destiny HERO - Dangerous’s attack target disappeared, I get to choose a new attack target.)
Me: (Dangerous will lose 1200 ATK due to those four Gaslight Counters, leaving it nowhere near enough to take down Narcissism Avenger, who has 1900 ATK.) I call off the attack and end the Battle Phase.
Me: I set a card and end my turn. At the End Phase, Destiny HERO - Decider’s effect resolves: I add Decider back to my hand.
(At the End Phase, Havana’s effect kicks in. My LP: 1500->1100)
Turn 5: Signora
| Me | Signora | |
|---|---|---|
| LP | 1100 | 1600 |
| Hand | 2 (Decider, Action) | 0 |
| Field | Dangerous (4 counters), backrow | Avenger, Powerful, Havana |
| Graveyard | Drilldark, Celestial, City, Tenacious, Poly | Regretful, Blackmailer, Projection |
Signora: This is as far as you go. My turn now. I draw. And this will be it – victory, right here.
Me: (Signora’s play style is much more aggressive, or passive aggressive, than Gishki’s and Prince’s. On Turn 5, the other two were still building an invincible board, whereas Signora went straight for the kill.)
Signora: I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards.
Me: (A banned card. Of course there isn’t a ban list in the Action Field Urban Havana.)
Signora: Now, I banish Narcissism Projection from the Graveyard and add a “Narcissism” monster to my hand. Narcissism Commander. It Special Summons itself by removing 4 Gaslight Counters from anywhere on the field. I remove the 4 counters on Destiny HERO - Dangerous and Special Summon Narcissism Commander (ATK: 2800).
Signora: Next, I activate Narcissism Commander’s effect. Once per turn: it can place 2 Gaslight Counters on each monster the opponent controls.
(Destiny HERO - Dangerous’s Gaslight Counters: 2)
Signora: It’s over. Battle Phase. Narcissism Commander, attack Destiny HERO - Dangerous.
(Destiny HERO - Dangerous’s ATK: 2000->800)
If this attack lands, it will deal me a lethal damage of 2000.
Me: I activate Destiny HERO - Dangerous’s Quick Effect. I discard the Action Card I just picked and send Destiny HERO - Dreamer from my deck to the Graveyard. “Destiny HERO” monsters I control gain 200 ATK for each “Destiny HERO” in my graveyard until the end of this turn.
(Destiny HERO - Dangerous’s ATK: 800->1600)
Signora: Too little, too late. You’ll still get 1200 damage, but you have only 1100 LP left.
Me: Not really. I activate Destiny HERO - Dreamer’s effect in the Graveyard. During damage calculation, I Special Summon it in Defense Position (DEF: 600), my monster cannot be destroyed by that battle, and I take no battle damage from that battle.
Signora: Narcissism Avenger, take out Destiny HERO - Dreamer.
(Destiny HERO - Dreamer is destroyed and banished due to its own effect.)
Me: (Signora didn’t take out Dangerous because she wanted to save the Gaslight Counters on it for later use. But at least, I survived this turn.)
Signora: Let’s try this then. Quick-Play Spell: Narcissistic Triangulation. I target a monster with Gaslight Counters… and Special Summon a Level 4 “Narcissism” monster from my deck and then destroy that target. I target Destiny HERO - Dangerous and Special Summon Narcissism Dictator in Attack Position (Level 4, ATK 1600).
(Narcissism Dictator is summoned to the field.)
(Destiny HERO - Dangerous is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.)
Signora: Now your field is wide open, and I still have another monster…
Me: Not so fast. I activate Trap Card Destiny Mirage. When a “Destiny HERO” monster I control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by an opponent’s card effect, Special Summon, to my side of the field, all “Destiny HERO” monsters that were destroyed and sent to either Graveyard this turn.
(Destiny HERO - Dangerous is revived in Defense Position (DEF 2600).)
Me: (That was close. If Narcissistic Triangulation destroyed first and summoned second, I would have missed the timing to activate Destiny Mirage.)
Signora: Narcissism Dictator’s effect triggers. When the opponent Special Summon a monster, put a Gaslight Counter on it.
(Destiny HERO - Dangerous’s Gaslight Counters: 0->1)
Me: You misplayed, actually. If you had activated Narcissism Triangulation before using Narcissism Avenger to attack Destiny HERO - Dreamer, you could have used it to take out the revived Dangerous.
Signora (grinning): Oh, I just wanted to prolong the fun a little. It’s…adorable how you keep surviving my attacks. Let me offer you a reward. How about becoming my pet?
Me: “Adorable” isn’t exactly the word for a hero.
Signora: Doesn’t matter. You can still play your little hero game while being a pet of mine. When we’re alone, you belong to me. But in public, you can perform as a “Hero”.
Me: I am not playing a “game”. Heroism is my heart and soul.
Signora: How adorable, but infantile! With Ouroboros and TADA Group’s resources, we could make you the greatest “Hero” in history. Trillions of fans adoring you, media boosting your image… who would care about what you actually are?
Me: …
Signora: Prince told me that you wanted to marry 66 wives. We can give you 666—all virgins, with their hymens intact. You can build a heaven-like harem. To have all of these, all it takes is kneeling and swearing loyalty to me.
Me: I don’t need 666 wives. I couldn’t even remember all their names. Six is enough; that’s the maximum number of Yu-Gi-Oh monsters you can have on your field – five main zones, one extra zone.
Me: Besides, a hymen isn’t what defines virginity. A virgin is defined solely by a woman’s loyalty to his husband as well as to justice. If a girl is treacherous and corrupted, even with an intact hymen, she is still a bitch. Even if a girl is raped, sexually exploited by some shyster, and has to cook crêpes and prostitute to make a living for the weaklings in the society, as long as she is loyal to justice and the one she loves, she is still a virgin.
Signora: Hahahahahahaha~ How laughable! I have never heard anything so ridiculous! You are completely brainwashed by some cheap chivalric romance novel. The real world doesn’t work like that – it never has.
Signora: The law of the world is Survival of the Mighty. The powerful prey on the weak, and the whole society is a Food Chain. It has been this way since ancient Rome, where the elder men sexually exploited the younger men and made them pets. Then, those young men grew old and did the same to the next generation.
Signora: You have to learn to be a dog before you can be a “Hero”!
Me: So you were a dog at some point in your life?
Signora: You son of bitch!
Signora: Enough talk. There’s no saving you.
Signora: I set a card and end my turn. At the End Phase, Narcissism Dictator summoned by Narcissistic Triangulation will be destroyed. Once the monster used for triangulation has served its purpose, it becomes useless.
(At the End Phase, Havana’s effect kicks in. My LP: 1100->700)
Turn 6: Me
| Me | Signora | |
|---|---|---|
| LP | 700 | 1600 |
| Hand | 1 (Decider) | 0 |
| Field | Dangerous (1 counter) | Avenger, Powerful, Havana, Commander, backrow (unknown) |
| Graveyard | Drilldark, Celestial, City, Tenacious, Poly, Decider, Mirage | Regretful, Blackmailer, PoG, Triangulation, Dictator |
| Banish | Dreamer | Projection |
I stopped walking to replace the already-worn napkins, but didn’t resume my pace afterward.
Signora (teasingly): Oh? You stopped moving. Doesn’t the radiation bother you anymore?
Me: It seems you don’t quite understand how radiation works.
Signora: Elaborate.
Me: I’m standing at a convergence point of several radiation sources. The radio waves interfere with each other, creating a standing wave. And right now, I’m positioned at the node – where the energy is weakest.
Signora: (contemplating.)
Me: My turn. I draw. (The card is Polymerization.)
I set Polymerization on the duel disk.
Me: I summon Destiny HERO - Decider in Attack Position (ATK 1600). With no cards in my hand, I can activate Destiny HERO - Celestial’s effect in the Graveyard. By banishing it and Destiny HERO - Drilldark, I draw two cards.
(The cards I draw are Elemental HERO Wildheart and Elemental HERO Nacroshade.)
Me: (I have more than three “HERO” monsters – Wildheart, Nacroshade, Decider, and Dangerous – and Polymerization, which allows me to Fusion Summon Vision HERO Trinity. It comes onto the field with 5000 ATK, and its ability to attack three times is enough to finish this duel.)
Me: (But Signora’s backrow looks dangerous. If it’s Book of Moon, Trinity will be flipped face-down and unable to attack, and I’d lose four cards. Should I risk it? I have only 700 LP remaining.)
Me: (The red LED on my disk keeps blinking since the Standby Phase, indicating Signora has a card that can activate at any time. This reading lines up with Book of Moon. I need to calm down and not let this headache cloud my judgement.)
Me: I activate Polymerization and Fusion Summon Elemental HERO Necroid Shaman.
(Elemental HERO Wildheart and Elemental HERO Necroshade are sent from my hand to the Graveyard, and Elemental HERO Necroid Shaman (ATK 1900) is summoned from the Extra Deck onto the field.)
Me: When Elemental HERO Necroid Shaman is summoned, I target a monster you control, destroy it and then Special Summon one monster from your Graveyard to your field. I choose Narcissism Commander and bring back Narcissism Blackmailer in Defense Position.
(Narcissism Commander is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, and Narcissism Blackmailer is revived (DEF 1000).)
Me: I change Destiny HERO Dangerous to attack position (ATK 2000).
Me: Battle Phase. Decider, attack Narcissism Blackmailer.
(Narcissism Blackmailer is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.)
Me: Necroid Shaman, attack Narcissism Avenger.
(Both Narcissism Avenger and Elemental HERO Necroid Shaman are destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Powerful Rebirth is also destroyed as a consequence.)
Me: (Signora’s field is wide open now. One direct attack, and it’s over.)
Me: Destiny HERO - Dangerous, direct attack!
Me: You traded your dignity for power when you were young. Now that you’re older, you want it back by taking advantage of those younger than you. If I let you control me, I’ll end up just like you – exploiting some younger girls to fill a void inside myself. That’s not right!
Me: No, I won’t be your pet. I’m going to defeat you and take everything you have, then pass it on to the next generation!
Signora: I activate Trap Card Narcissistic Brainwashing. I select a monster with at least 1 Gaslight Counter on my opponent’s side of the field and take control of it. I take control of Destiny HERO - Dangerous.
(Destiny HERO - Dangerous is now on Signora’s side.)
Me: Damn it!
Signora: What’s wrong with taking advice from someone older? We have knowledge and experience, we know how to avoid the mistakes young people make. I’ve lived a lot more life than you – tasted far more salt than all the carbs you’ve ever eaten. I’m saving you from yourself, helping you avoid common pitfalls. All you need to do is bow your head, and your life will be paved with SUCCESS!
Me: (I misplayed! I should have summoned Vision HERO Trinity!)
Me: (I got overcautious just like Prince. I made the same mistake he did. Was it because I was afraid of Signora? Did fear get the better of me? Am I really this inexperienced? Is listening to Signora actually the right thing to do?)
Turn 7: Signora
| Me | Signora | |
|---|---|---|
| LP | 300 | 1600 |
| Hand | 0 | 0 |
| Field | Decider | Havana, Brainwashing, Dangerous (1 counter) |
| Graveyard | City, Poly x2, Tenacious, Mirage, Action, Wildheart, Nacroshade, Necroid | Regretful, Blackmailer, PoG, Triangulation, Dictator, Commander, Avenger, Powerful |
| Banish | Dreamer, Drilldark, Celestial | Projection |
Signora: It’s my turn. I draw.
Signora: I activate Pot of Greed and draw two cards.
Signora: Now if I let your own Destiny HERO - Dangerous to attack your Destiny HERO - Decider, you will be over. So let’s prolong this…
Me: Level 6 or higher monsters cannot target Decider for attack. Dangerous is a Level 6 monster.
Signora: Oh? While I could end my turn now and use Havana’s burn effect to burn you to death, allow me to savor this duel for a bit longer. More importantly, let me show you just how far apart we are in power!
Signora: I tribute Destiny HERO - Dangerous and summon Narcissism Mother UFO (Level 8, ATK 1800).
Signora: Narcissism Mother UFO can be Tribute Summoned by tributing a monster on my side that is owned by my opponent.
(Destiny HERO - Dangerous is sent to my Graveyard.)
Signora: When Narcissism Mother UFO is summoned, put 2 Gaslight counters on it. For each counter on it, Narcissism Mother UFO gains 600 ATK.
(Narcissism Mother UFO’s Gaslight Counter: 0->2)
(Narcissism Mother UFO’s ATK: 1800->3000)
Signora: Narcissism Mother UFO can remove 2 Gaslight Counters on it and negate the effect of a monster on the field. I negate Destiny HERO - Decider.
(Narcissism Mother UFO’s Gaslight Counter: 2->0)
(Narcissism Mother UFO’s ATK: 3000->1800)
Signora climbed onto Narcissism Mother UFO, and it took off. Since Signora could no longer be reached by the toxic smoke, she removed her gas mask.
Signora: Think you can defeat me? Do you really believe that you’re better than the others? It seems that you don’t understand how far apart our power levels are.
Signora slowly raised her right hand, extending it forward in a gesture that resembles a Nazi salute.
Suddenly a horrible, nauseating pain hit my body.
What was happening to me?
I fell to my knees.
My brain went blank for a few seconds before I realized it was sound.
Signora was using a Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) on me – probably built into Narcissism Mother UFO.
I was in the direct line of fire.
It feels like the sound equivalent of looking into the sun.
Signora: Nerve agents and radiation aren’t Ouroboros’s only weapons. We have the most advanced technologies in the world.
Me: Even though you aren’t in the direct line of fire, due to diffraction, there’s no reason you’re not affected.
Signora: I’m using a high frequency, called Mosquito Frequency, that only young people can hear, so it doesn’t bother me!
Signora: Battle Phase. Narcissism Mother UFO, attack Destiny HERO - Decider.
(My LP: 300->100)
(Destiny HERO - Decider is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.)
Signora: If Narcissism Mother UFO destroys a monster and sends it to the Graveyard, Special Summon a token with the same name and effect but 1000 more ATK and DEF onto my field at the end of the Battle Phase. And while that token is on my field, Narcissism Mother UFO can’t be targeted by card effects or destroyed by them.
(A token named Destiny HERO - Decider is Special Summoned onto Signora’s field in Attack Position. ATK 2600, DEF 2000)
Signora: See? We have the power to make any ordinary man a “Hero.” Give them a Prince’s mask and they become a “Prince.” Give them a Hero’s mask and they become a “Hero.”
Me: (Is this it? I beat Gishki and Prince mostly by luck. But miracles don’t happen again and again. Am I running out of luck?)
Me: (Is what Signora says true? Is surrendering the best option? I’m just an ordinary man. Sure, I was the top graduate at Duel Academy this year, but there’s a new one every year. What happened to all those previous top graduates? Haven’t heard anything about them. So, they went back to being normal people too. I’m no exception, it seems.)
My eyes are blinded; I can’t see anything.
Signora: You have only 100 LP left. As soon as I end my turn, Havana’s burn effect will send you to the Shadow Realm. How pathetic!
Me: (Should I stop struggling and accept my fate? If I surrender now and beg for mercy, maybe Signora will take pity on me and dismiss my earlier offense as a little boy’s rebellious phase.)
Me: (She might still grant me 666 virgins, so that I could have a harem and have offspring. Or maybe I can have more if I ask nicely? Since TADA Group and Ouroboros aren’t short on resources, they wouldn’t be stingy with virgin supplies. I might not be a Hero in the real world, but I could still play one on the stage, at least.)
Me: (Wasn’t all my hard training back at Duel Academy for this moment? If I accept Signora’s deal, all my previous efforts pay off. If I keep fighting, everything I worked for and suffered through will be meaningless. My life would have no meaning, and nobody would remember me. I will die in lone.)
My resolution is wavering.
The memories and sorrow kept flooding into my mind. Was this what it felt like to relive your life before death?
FLASHBACK
Me: Céline Sensei, I want to become an instructor like you after graduation! You really mean a lot to me. I want to pass on your knowledge to the next generation :)
Céline: Don’t be foolish! You are different from us. Set higher goals and strive for the peak. Keeping climbing until you reach a height no one has ever achieved!
Signora: I play Spell Card Kiss My Ass. I offer my opponent to kiss my ass. If they accept, each player’s Life Points become half of our combined total.
Signora: That means you’ll have $(1600+100)/2=750$ LP, enough to survive Havana’s burn effect this turn.
Me: You… you…
Signora (voice trembling with excitement): If you feel embarrassed to do so now, how about just kissing my shoes for now? We can save the rest for later tonight!
Me: You must be very lonely!!!
Signora (face twisted): I’m running out of patience. Decide now!
My vision returned. I was starting to get used to the LRAD. I scramble back to my feet.
Me: … I reject your offer.
(Signora’s Kiss My Ass contract shatters.)
Signora (enraged): You wasted my generosity! You incorrigible wretch, go to the Shadow Realm! I end my turn!
(At the End Phase, Havana’s effect kicks in: I am to lose 400 Life Points. For reference, I currently sit on 100 Life Points.)
Me: Destiny HERO - Decider’s effect in the Graveyard activates. When a card of effect is activated that would inflict damage to me, while this card is in my Graveyard, this card returns to my hand and makes that effect damage to me 0. This effect can only be used once per duel.
(Destiny HERO - Decider is returned to my hand.)
(Havana’s burn effect is nullified this turn.)
Signora: …
Turn 8: Me
| Me | Signora | |
|---|---|---|
| LP | 100 | 1600 |
| Hand | Decider | 0 |
| Field | — | Havana, Brainwashing, Mother UFO, Token (Decider) |
| Graveyard | City, Poly x2, Tenacious, Mirage, Action, Wildheart, Nacroshade, Necroid, Dangerous | Regretful, Blackmailer, PoG x2, Triangulation, Dictator, Commander, Avenger, Powerful, Kiss |
| Banish | Dreamer, Drilldark, Celestial | Projection |
I was engulfed in violet toxic fumes, radiation, and sonic weaponry. My head throbbed, and my body felt like lead. Signora loomed high above, seemingly mocking me.
Sweat trickled down my forehead, blurring my vision. Struggling to breathe, I teared away the napkins covering my mouth.
This was likely the last moment of my life—a Leonidas’s moment. I had to give everything I had. I bet all my pride and soul on this last draw. My finger brushed against the deck, a warmth spreading through my fingertips.
Sometimes people make choices; sometimes choices make people.
I took a long, deep breath.
Me: I draw~
Me: I summon Destiny HERO - Decider (ATK 1600).
Me: Battle Phase. Decider, attack Narcissism Mother UFO (ATK 1800)!
(Destiny HERO - Decider flies toward Signora.)
Signora: Ready to die a hero’s death, then?
Me: I activate Quick-Play Spell Mask Change from my hand. I send Destiny HERO - Decider to the Graveyard and Special Summon Masked HERO Anki (Level 8, ATK 2800) from my Extra Deck!
(Destiny HERO - Decider morphs to Masked HERO Anki.)
Me: Masked HERO Anki, destroy Narcissism Mother UFO!
(Masked HERO Anki accelerates. It turns into a spear crossing the sky and eventually penetrates Narcissism Mother UFO.)
(Signora’s LP: 1600->600)
Smoke bellowed from Narcissism Mother UFO, and the UFO slowly descended. Signora seemed struggle for balance.
Me: You claimed you wanted to use your knowledge and experience to help me succeed. If you were truly as knowledgeable and experienced as you claimed, why would you ever need me? Why not just do it yourself? Why not just reserve this glory for yourself?
Me: The truth is, you’re old and exhausted, unable to achieve anything on your own. You need a proxy, a puppet, to help you achieve your dream. Plus, if that proxy fails, you can scapegoat them instead of facing your own shortcomings. You replace the proxy and start again.
Me: Your face may look young thanks to cosmetic surgery, but your hoarse voice betrays your age. You’ve lost the ability to hear the frequencies only young people can perceive.
Me: Your body has lost its agility. In this Action Duel, you didn’t move an inch to search for a single Action Card. And you can’t even do basic arithmetic – $(1600+100)/2$ is $850$, not $750$.
Me: You are not more knowledgeable or experienced than young people. You’re just consumed by regret and remorse. Bitterness, sorrow, hatred, and the fear of death have filled your heart, replacing any optimism you once had.
Me: You need young people to constantly feed you dopamine, a temporary escape from your impending mortality. You’re afraid of dying alone in those long, lonely nights.
Me: We should really thank modern cosmetic surgery. If you’d been born in ancient time, you’d be another Elizabeth Báthory, the Blood Countess, draining young girls to maintain your youth.
(Narcissism Mother UFO crashes to the ground and shatters.)
Signora fell to the ground and broke her hips.
Signora (lips trembling): You… you…
Me: When Masked HERO Anki destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, I can add another copy of Mask Change to my hand. I can activate this effect only once per turn.
Me: Heroes can wear a thousand masks. Some are righteous, others – antiheroes – are morally ambiguous, even villainous. But right or wrong, none of them is a puppet. A hero acts according to his ideal and moral compass, not someone else’s orders.
Me: I activate Quick-Spell Mask Change once again! I send Masked HERO Anki to my Graveyard, and special summon another Masked HERO Anki (Level 8, ATK 2800) from my Extra Deck.
Signora (sits on the ground): I still have that puppet Decider token to cover for me. Since Decider cannot be attacked by Level 6 or higher monsters, you cannot penetrate my defense.
Me: Yes, I am going to penetrate your defense. Masked HERO Anki can attack directly, but halving the battle damage.
Signora (panic rising): What do you hope to gain by defeating me? There is no reward for victory! Surrender, and you’ll have anything you want. Don’t be foolish. Think thrice before you act.
Me: This isn’t about rewards. This is about Justice.
Signora: You want to play out the epic tale of a hero slaying an evil dragon? But do you know the true ending of those stories? Those heroes themselves become the new dragons!
Me: If they become the new dragons, then there will be another generation of heroes to defeat them. Heroes can’t reject their responsibility out of fear of becoming monsters. The young replaces the old – it’s the Law of Nature!
Me: Masked HERO Anki, attack directly!
Signora (almost crying): Then what about all the humiliation I endured, and the sacrifices I made when I was young? Who will repay my efforts? Is this your idea of justice?
Me: Not all efforts are rewarded. When I rejected your offer, I prepared to die. At that moment, I abandoned the naive belief that hard work always pays off. A hero may give his all but still fail, but he won’t abandon his duty out of fear of having no rewards.
Me: Actually… it’s strange people even say all efforts pay off. If they did, villains would be the most successful people in the world! What a nightmare that would be!
(Masked HERO Anki’s attack lands on Signora.)
(Signora’s LP: 600->0)
Duel ends
| Me (Win) | Signora (Lose) | |
|---|---|---|
| LP | 100 | 0 |
| Hand | 0 | 0 |
| Field | Anki | Havana, Brainwashing, Token (Decider) |
| Graveyard | City, Poly x2, Tenacious, Mirage, Action, Wildheart, Nacroshade, Necroid, Dangerous, Decider, Mask x2, Anki | Regretful, Blackmailer, PoG x2, Triangulation, Dictator, Commander, Avenger, Powerful, Kiss, Mother UFO |
| Banish | Dreamer, Drilldark, Celestial | Projection |
The Action Field Urban Havana gradually faded away, and quietness returned to the surroundings, as if those strong emotions had never collided.
Signora (tears in her eyes): We will not let you leave Apollonis alive.
Me: Buy a cat…
Me: Or, in Apollonis’s parlance, adopt a cat.
To be continued…