Chapter 73: Kira VS Alexis

The first match ended in less than ten minutes, and Kira easily won five credits.

He was in a great mood. This one duel was worth more credits than a whole round in the exchange event—too easy.

If possible, he even wanted to ask Seika for a best-of-five, each round betting five credits.

But judging by her howling expression, she probably didn't want a rematch.

The whole audience was silent after witnessing the match.

After a moment, a student council member couldn't help but come over and ask: "Um, Kira, is your deck's ace… Lava Golem?"

Kira raised an eyebrow.

What? The way you say it, are you looking down on my Lava Golem?

He had to set them straight: "What? Lava Golem's ATK isn't high enough?"

"Oh, no, that's not it…"

The ATK is as high as the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon—who could say it's not high?

"Then is the level too low?"

"No, no, Level 8 is already strong…"

"So, you think the effect isn't strong enough?"

"The effect… is pretty strong."

"Then why can't it be my ace?" Kira said righteously.

Nakamura: "..."

Makes sense. He was speechless.

But his usual thinking still felt off. The soul of your deck always appears on your opponent's field—something feels wrong about that.

In a corner of the crowd, a jellyfish-haired student who'd also been caught by the student council for not voting said, "Oh, Kira seems strong! I wonder when I'll get a chance to duel him."

"Eh!?" Next to him, the little nobody Syrus Truesdale stared at his best friend in shock.

He was wondering just how dueling-crazy friend Jaden was, seeing that kind of duel and still wanting to try.

Doesn't a normal person want to stay far away and quietly blacklist that guy?

"But hey, he also uses a Machina deck!" Jaden patted Syrus on the back with a grin, "Maybe Machinas are strong?"

Syrus: "..."

No, it just feels like when others use Machinas they smash the opponent's Duel Disk, but when I use them, I'm the one getting smashed.

Syrus started reflecting.

Is it possible the problem isn't the Machinas, but just that I suck?

"By the way, Alexis seems strong too."

Jaden wiped his nose, full of anticipation.

"Looks like there's more good dueling ahead!"

At this moment, Alexis had already put on her Duel Disk and approached Kira.

"You're really strong," she said seriously, "but I'll also give it my all."

"Of course," Kira replied, smoothly pulling his deck from the Duel Disk and inserting it into an empty deck box, then pulling out another deck and slotting it in.

With a whir, the Kaiba Corp's latest Duel Disk shuffled the new deck.

Alexis frowned slightly.

A deck swap?

"I'm here as a duelist, not as a girl. I hope you'll go all out, too," she said.

"Don't worry, of course," Kira smiled. "Just standard tactical adjustment."

In this world with Destiny attributes, using the same strategy two matches in a row risks being countered. Even if the opponent doesn't intentionally tech against you, just knowing your deck and tactics means they could draw a hand that answers you.

Alexis, as a main character group member in the early arcs, should have strong Destiny attributes. In fact, among the first-year main characters around Jaden, she's top tier.

"Duel!" x2

[Kira, LP 4000]

[Alexis, LP 4000]

"I'll go first, draw!" Alexis said, "Normal Summon 'Cyber Tutu' in Attack Position!"

[Cyber Tutu, ATK 1000]

"Then I activate the Equip Spell 'Angel Wings' and equip it to Cyber Tutu!" (Anime card)

A magic card projection appeared in her back row. A pair of pure white wings spread behind the slender Cyber Tutu, a soft white glow enveloping her.

"When a monster equipped with 'Angel Wing' deals battle damage, that damage increases by 300," Alexis said. "Then I Set one card and end my turn."

"My turn, draw."

Kira added his drawn card to his hand, then slapped down a monster card.

"I Summon 'Card Trooper'!"

[Card Trooper, ATK 400]

"Card Trooper's effect: Once per turn, I can send up to three cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard. For each one, Trooper gains 500 ATK."

Kira sent three cards from his deck to the Graveyard.

"I send three, so Card Trooper gains 1500 ATK!"

[Card Trooper, ATK 400 → ATK 1900]

Kira paused, glancing at Alexis's back row.

He could guess what her set card was.

In the anime, whenever Alexis duels, she almost always has that trap card—just like Zane always draws Cyber Dragon—like it's glued to her hand.

[Trap Card—Doble Passe

Effect: When your opponent's monster attacks your Attack Position monster, that attack becomes a direct attack on you. As a trade-off, your monster deals battle damage to your opponent.] (Anime effect)

Because "monsters can attack directly on the opponent's turn" isn't practical for the real card game, the real card's effect is "your monster can attack directly next turn."

Also, Alexis summoned the 1000 ATK Cyber Tutu in Attack Position right away and deliberately gave it an equip that boosts battle damage by 300.

So, Kira was 90% sure what the set card was.

Normally, if he attacked and Alexis used "Doble Passe," Alexis would take 1900 direct, and Kira would only take 1300. She'd lose 600 more LP, so logically, she shouldn't use it.

But based on the anime, Alexis often goes all in, even if she loses more LP, to force a trade.

According to what he'd learned lately, Kira guessed that this was her style: charge forward, never retreat, maintaining her momentum in duels, which to her might be more important than a few hundred LP.

So why not go along with it?

"Battle," Kira said, "Card Trooper attacks 'Cyber Tutu'!"

Card Trooper fired a barrage of shots at the long-haired, slender female monster.

Alexis frowned slightly: "Completely ignoring my set card… Then, activate it!

Trap Card— Doble Passe!"

Kira narrowed his eyes.

Just as expected.

"This trap changes the attack into a direct attack on me!" Alexis declared. "Then, my monster can deal battle damage directly to you!"

The audience gasped: "She's using herself as a shield for her monster!?"

"Such a high-stakes, blood-for-blood play right from the start?"

She was both trading LP and preserving her monster for her next turn.

That's her dueling rhythm and style.

However—

"Then Card Trooper's attack becomes a direct attack on Alexis," Kira said.

Card Trooper's shots swerved in midair, bizarrely curving around Cyber Tutu and heading straight for Alexis herself.

"But at this moment, I activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Limiter Removal' from my hand!" Kira revealed another card. "Until the end of the turn, Card Trooper's ATK is doubled!"

[Card Trooper, ATK 1900 → ATK 3800]

Alexis's face changed: "What!?"

ATK 3800 in an instant!?

Taking 1900 was fine, but this much damage!

Too painful!