The emotional whiplash was brutal.
Only moments earlier, Arkana’s field had looked impressive and his confidence had been soaring.
After Jamie’s turn tore through everything, there was almost nothing left.
Arkana’s smugness disappeared with it.
Still, remembering that his ace remained available and could return almost immediately gave him enough confidence to keep going.
“My turn!
Draw!” Four cards.
After briefly considering his options, Arkana began.
“I activate Chicken Game’s effect!
I pay 1000 Life Points and choose to destroy it!
Your protective barrier is gone!” The instant Arkana made his declaration, the black fog surrounding the Shadow Game passed directly through his body.
Nothing visibly changed.
Arkana himself did not appear to notice anything unusual.
Yet Jamie could clearly sense that the mist had taken something from him as it passed.
A chill ran down Jamie’s back.
Only now did he properly remember what kind of Duel they were playing.
This was a Shadow Game.
Jamie was not worried about winning.
What bothered him was something else.
He had already taken battle damage earlier, yet he had felt absolutely nothing unusual.
Before he could finish wondering why, the System appeared.
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Merciless Ranked Grinder] [Effect: A true ladder addict sees only victory.
While Dueling, the user cannot be affected by external interference of any kind, including Shadow Game effects.
Even if the sky falls, it can wait until this match is over.] Jamie stared at it.
“Hold on.
Aren’t practically all my Decks jank?
Since when am I a ranked grinder?
Where’s my competitive Deck?” [The Deck currently being used has been classified as a competitive Deck.] Jamie blinked.
“Excuse me?” [Sky Striker has been classified as a competitive Deck.] “What kind of classification is that?!
I splash a handful of Sky Striker Spells and suddenly this counts as Sky Striker?
Fine, then where are the girls?
Where are my Link Zones?!” The Duel Disk immediately demonstrated the time-honored technique perfected by countless mobile game companies.
It pretended he did not exist.
No matter how many times Jamie called for an answer, the System refused to respond.
Still, the achievement’s effect was absurdly powerful, so he decided not to complain too seriously.
Chicken Game shattered at Arkana’s command.
Still looking perfectly energetic, Arkana continued.
“I pay another 1000 Life Points to activate—” Jamie watched carefully.
Another wave of black mist passed through Arkana.
“—and Special Summon a DARK Spellcaster from my hand or Graveyard!
Return from the Graveyard, my ultimate magician!” After spending a total of 2000 Life Points, Arkana still had 4000 remaining.
Dark Magician rose from the Graveyard and returned to his field.
Arkana threw his head back and laughed.
“Even after paying 2000 Life Points, I still have 4000 left!
And I owe that to you giving me those extra Life Points earlier!
Hahahahaha!” With 2500 ATK, Dark Magician was already more than powerful enough to erase Jamie’s remaining 1400 Life Points.
However, Arkana glanced at the two face-down cards on Jamie’s field and decided not to rush.
Better to establish another attacker first.
There was no need to hurry.
He could afford to play with him.
“I Normal Summon Mystic Tomato!
Then I enter the Battle Phase!” Despite announcing his Battle Phase, Arkana did not immediately attack.
Instead, he began thinking.
Two monsters on his side.
Two face-down cards on Jamie’s.
One of those cards was very likely the Quick-Play Spell Jamie had searched earlier, the one capable of summoning a defensive Token.
The other one might be the true deciding card of the Duel.
The Token itself had 0 DEF under normal circumstances, so Mystic Tomato could easily get through it.
But that second face-down card…
Arkana frowned.
‘Damn it.
If I’d just drawn Anti-Magic Arrows, this would be easy.
I was careless.
I only marked my Dark Magicians before this Duel.
Once I win, I’m marking the rest of my Deck too.’ He thought for quite some time without reaching a satisfying conclusion.
Jamie did not rush him.
Unfortunately, Jamie’s relaxed indifference looked like arrogance from Arkana’s perspective.
“Mystic Tomato, attack directly!” Arkana pointed triumphantly.
“Go on, Mr.
St.
James.
Activate your face-down card.
Everything you’re about to do is already within my calculations!” Mystic Tomato launched itself toward Jamie.
Just as Arkana predicted, Jamie activated the Quick-Play Spell he had expected.
But the result was not what Arkana expected at all.
“AAAGH!” A sudden burst of intense pain tore through him.
Arkana screamed before he could stop himself.
By the time he recovered enough to look at the field, Mystic Tomato had already been defeated.
Not only had it failed to destroy Jamie’s defensive monster, but Arkana had actually lost 100 Life Points from the battle.
It was the familiar group of autonomous drones.
This time, however, a girl in powered armor stood at their center and directed them.
With an actual Sky Striker Ace controlling the drones, their performance was on an entirely different level.
[Sky Striker Ace Token — DEF: 1500] “What happened?!” Arkana demanded.
“Most Sky Striker Spells gain additional effects when I have three or more Spells in my Graveyard,” Jamie explained, looking far too entertained by Arkana’s increasingly sweaty expression.
“Hornet Drones is no exception.
Once that condition is met, the Token it summons gets 1500 ATK and DEF.” Arkana’s face twisted.
“You know perfectly well that’s not what I’m asking!” “Oh.
You mean the Shadow Game?” Jamie gave him an innocent look.
“Well, it’s called a Shadow Game.
Did you think the battles would feel the same as an ordinary Duel?
LP means Life Points.
If you lose them, you’re losing part of your life.
Frankly, you’re lucky all you’re getting is pain instead of losing an arm or a leg.” Protected by his achievement and therefore completely immune to the consequences himself, Jamie demonstrated an impressive commitment to double standards.
“But you already lost so many Life Points!” Arkana shouted.
His composure was clearly beginning to crack, though his favorable board still gave him enough confidence to preserve some dignity.
“Why didn’t you react at all?!” Jamie, naturally, saw an opportunity and kicked him while he was down.
“Oh, come on.
It’s just a little pain.
Why are you acting like you’re dying?
If you can’t endure something that minor without changing expression and keep talking normally, how are you ever supposed to accomplish anything?” Jamie waved dismissively.
“Shadow Games are like…
well, lots of things.
Once you’ve done it a few times, you get used to it.” Arkana stared at him.
“You literally said earlier that this was your first one!” Jamie spread his hands.
“I was lying.
You couldn’t tell?” His expression was entirely sincere.
“Honestly, I thought your monster’s attack was kind of weak.” Arkana stopped talking.
If this conversation continued, he was genuinely afraid Jamie might kill him through sheer irritation before the Shadow Game managed it.
“You’ve only delayed the inevitable by one turn!
Dark Magician, destroy that defensive monster!” Without the full support of her advanced equipment, the Sky Striker Ace could not withstand Arkana’s magician.
Dark Magician finally got his revenge and wiped the Token from the field.
Arkana took stock of the situation.
Dark Magician on his field.
Mystic Tomato gone.
One unknown face-down card on Jamie’s side.
No need to panic.
He still had the advantage.
“I Set one card and end my turn.” [Arkana LP: 6000 → 3900] [Arkana: Hand 4 → 1] Jamie immediately raised one hand.
“Before your turn ends, I activate my third Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones!” Arkana’s face twitched.
Jamie grinned.
“Didn’t expect me to Set two copies of the same thing, did you?”