Jamie had somehow delivered the weakest possible play with the confidence of someone announcing the end of the world.
There was not much else he could do.
Of his six cards, two were practically meaningless at the moment and three others were Spells he had no immediate way to use.
His only reasonable option was to Set the one Quick-Play Spell that might accomplish something and hope it became useful later.
Arkana cautiously looked around the strange Shadow Game surrounding them before drawing for his turn.
“I have no idea what you just did, but in the end, all I need to do is defeat you, correct?” The way he phrased it made Jamie sound like some final boss who needed to be slain.
‘Excuse me?
I’m practically a philanthropist.
I just helped a delinquent gambler return to the path of education.’ “I activate Graceful Charity!
I draw three cards, then discard two.” Whatever Arkana drew clearly pleased him.
His composure returned almost immediately, and after adjusting his clothes with theatrical elegance, he spread one arm toward the field.
“And now, Mr.
St.
James, please enjoy my magic show.” He selected his next card.
“I Normal Summon Legion the Fiend Jester.
Then I activate Monster Reborn, targeting the Malice Doll of Demise I just discarded.
I Special Summon it in Attack Position!” A bizarrely dressed jester appeared on Arkana’s field beside a wooden doll carrying an enormous axe.
Against the pitch-black surroundings of the Shadow Game, the pair looked appropriately sinister.
Using only three cards to establish two monsters on his opening turn was actually respectable by the standards of this era.
“If I remember correctly, Legion the Fiend Jester has another effect,” Jamie said.
“While it’s on your field, you can perform an additional Tribute Summon of a Spellcaster during your Main Phase.” Arkana was a professional magician.
Sleight of hand and manipulating cards were basic occupational skills, so Jamie had absolutely no doubt that Arkana’s first draw had been Dark Magician.
And indeed, a copy was already sitting in his hand.
Arkana raised it with exaggerated flair.
“As expected of the man capable of bringing me into this bizarre place.
You even know Legion’s ability.
However, I have no intention of using it.” He smiled.
“Dark Magician may be the ultimate wizard in terms of attack and defense, but I understand something equally important: its 2500 ATK is lower than the combined power of my two current monsters.
Since you have no monster protecting you, attacking separately is the safer choice.” Jamie almost wanted to object on principle.
‘Aren’t you people from the DM era supposed to worship big monsters?
Isn’t the entire philosophy of this generation basically “summon your ace and you’ve already won”?
Why did getting dragged into a Shadow Game suddenly make you start playing sensibly?’ Unfortunately, complaining would not change reality.
Arkana entered his Battle Phase with both monsters still intact.
“Legion the Fiend Jester, attack him directly!” “The moment you declare an attack, I activate my Quick-Play Spell, Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones!
Since I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zones, I Special Summon one Sky Striker Ace Token in Defense Position!” The Set Spell flipped face-up.
Several autonomous drones shot out from it and assembled into a defensive formation on Jamie’s field.
Ordinarily, the Token they created was incredibly fragile.
Legion’s attack tore through the barrier immediately and destroyed it, but the Token had still done its job.
It had stopped the damage.
“Hahahahahaha!” Arkana suddenly burst into laughter.
The sound echoed around the enclosed darkness with such theatrical intensity that Jamie’s temples began to ache.
“Legion the Fiend Jester has only 1300 ATK, while Malice Doll of Demise has 1600!
You actually chose to block the weaker attack and leave yourself exposed to the stronger one!” Arkana spread his arms dramatically.
“For a Duelist to make such a basic mistake proves that your victories over Weevil Underwood and Joey Wheeler were nothing but accidents!
This Duel already belongs to me!” He pointed forward.
“Malice Doll of Demise, attack him directly!” The small wooden doll dragged its enormous axe across the ground before rushing Jamie.
This time, there was no Token left to protect him.
The axe came down.
[Jamie St.
James LP: 4000 → 2400] Black smoke erupted around Jamie.
He waved it away with one hand and gave Arkana a slightly embarrassed look.
“Hey, cut me some slack.
First time running a Shadow Game.
I’m still getting used to the controls.
Mistakes happen.” “There is no mercy in a Duel!” Arkana declared.
“I Set two cards and end my turn.” [Arkana: Hand 6 → 2] “My turn.
Draw!” Jamie glanced at his hand.
“I activate Upstart Goblin.
I draw one card, and you gain 1000 Life Points.” He placed the Spell onto his Duel Disk and drew.
Then he looked at the new card.
And immediately played it.
“Another Upstart Goblin.
I draw one, you gain another 1000.” [Jamie St.
James: Hand 6 → 6] [Arkana LP: 4000 → 6000] Naturally, drawing an Upstart Goblin off an Upstart Goblin earned another round of mocking laughter from Arkana.
Jamie endured it with growing irritation and briefly wished he could summon a Stand and ORA the man for three consecutive pages.
Unfortunately, they were not on a street in Cairo.
Jamie looked at his latest draw.
Then he smiled.
Finally.
His Deck could move.
“I activate Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!” The strongest card in the Sky Striker arsenal.
If someone erased its restrictions, this thing could probably grab Pot of Greed by the ankles and beat it against the pavement.
And once combined with the Link Monster capable of recycling it, Sky Striker had access to a brutally efficient resource engine.
Which was precisely why one or both pieces always seemed to spend some quality time on the Forbidden & Limited List.
“Since I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zones, I can add one ‘Sky Striker’ card from my Deck to my hand, except another Engage.
I add my second Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones.” There were few things in card games more satisfying than searching exactly what you needed.
And Engage was not finished.
“Then, because I have at least three Spells in my Graveyard, I draw one additional card.
The two Upstart Goblins plus my first Hornet Drones make exactly three.” A girl in powered armor appeared faintly behind the Spell’s projection, sword in hand and expression resigned, as if she had already accepted that overtime was inevitable.
Jamie checked his draw.
It was not the beautiful dream of Engage drawing into another Engage, but it was still useful.
“Next, I activate the Field Spell I just drew—Chicken Game!” Light flickered across the dark space around them.
The Shadow Game suppressed most of the holographic scenery, but the vague outline of an enormous cliff could still be seen.
“As long as Chicken Game remains in the Field Zone, the player with the lower Life Points takes no damage.
You have 6000.
I have 2400.
So as long as this Field Spell stays active, every bit of damage aimed at me becomes zero.” Jamie’s finger moved toward the card again.
“And it has another effect, which I’m using right now.
Once per turn, during the turn player’s Main Phase, that player can pay 1000 Life Points and choose one of three effects: draw one card, destroy Chicken Game, or give the opponent 1000 Life Points.
Neither player can activate cards or effects in response.” Jamie made his selection.
“I pay 1000 Life Points and draw one card.” [Jamie St.
James LP: 2400 → 1400] [Jamie St.
James: Hand 6 → 7] After all that activity, he had somehow ended up with more cards than before.
Every card-game addict’s favorite kind of turn.
Arkana, however, was not intimidated by the size of Jamie’s hand.
“This is nothing but temporary cowardice!” he shouted.
“Once my turn begins, I can simply pay 1000 Life Points and destroy that Field Spell myself!
It can’t protect you forever.
And now you’ve reduced yourself to a pathetic 1400 Life Points.
Almost any monster I summon can finish you!” Jamie smiled.
“Are you sure you’re going to get the chance?” He selected another Spell.
“I activate Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners!”