Three collectors endeavor to take a rare card from its owner by any means necessary.
It was a cold November day in Chiba just like any other. People went about their daily lives with little on their minds besides the normal obligations of things like school, work, family, and the like. Even Yumi and her friends were having a positively ordinary day with nothing of interest taking place.
The same could not be said for this particular part of the city, though. Three mismatched men stood together on the sidewalk, all looking to be extremely serious in whatever it was they were doing. "Well, boys," the long haired member spoke, stroking the curly gray beard at his chin. "It's been quite a ways since we first began, but our journey's almost at an end."
"Indeed," another said, idly shuffling a deck of playing cards.
"We've finally found it," a third, left eye covered with a black patch, added. "The card we've been searching for all these years. We've finally tracked it down in this city." He chuckled, stepping ahead of the other two and looking up towards the sign for a local card store. "To think, it's just been sleeping here for so long."
"We'd best hurry," the older of the three said.
"Patience, old man," the second said, pulling the joker card from the deck without even looking. "Rushing in without a plan would only end in failure, especially for something this valuable."
"You think I don't know that?" he replied with a laugh. "You kids today think you can lecture your elders. No respect at all. Just a bunch of entitled brats."
"Come on, Hanazawa, Woolsworth. We're at the end, so let's not start fighting now."
The one called Hanazawa smiled cheekily, shotgun shuffling his cards suspended in the air. "Tensions are just high what with us being so close to the goal."
"He's right," Woolsworth stated. "We'll get it together. We've come too far to screw everything up now. More importantly..." He poked at the third member's chest. "Murakawa, you didn't spend all our war funds, right?"
"Obviously not," he said in a huff.
"Are you certain?" Hanazawa asked. "You were eyeing the minibar like a starving wolf at the last hotel."
"A couple beers isn't going to break the bank!" he shot back.
"Those things are pretty overpriced," Woolsworth said. "Either way, how much do we have left?"
Murakawa set down a scuffed brown briefcase handcuffed to his right hand, retrieving a key from his pocket to open it in conjunction with a five digit combination. Showing the shimmering contents to his allies, he answered, "300 million in yen, another 10 million in rare cards."
"The owner would be a fool to pass up such a deal," Hanazawa said with a smug smile. "If worst comes to worst, we have other ways of getting what we want."
"Of course," Woolsworth agreed. "I'm almost hoping for it."
"I'm not," Murakawa said, closing the briefcase and standing up. "I'd rather this go smoothly without any complications. Then we'll finally be finished."
With a laugh, Woolsworth slapped the other two on the back. "Then we'd better get to it. The usual, or should we try something else?"
"The usual should work," Hanazawa said, giving his cards one last cut for luck before placing them into the breast pocket of his lavender suit jacket.
"Then wait for my signal. This shouldn't be long." Without another word, Woolsworth entered through the door to the card shop, pretending to browse the various magazines and products on display before approaching the counter.
"Howdy," he greeted in his native English, the disinterested clerk barely looking up from his manga. "This is a mighty fine little shop you've got here," he said cheerily. "Are you the owner or just an employee."
"Owner," the man grumbled, scratching his back while he continued reading. He normally wasn't so obtuse, but something told him the American talking to him now wasn't just trying to be friendly.
The answer seemed to please Woolsworth, laughing as he said, "That's real nice. Real nice indeed. I bet owning a place like this, you see plenty of interesting things pass by now and again."
Narrowing his eyes, the store's owner finally put down his book. "Are you looking for something?" he asked, pushing up a pair of thick glasses on his nose.
"As a matter of fact..." He pulled out a black smartphone, pressing a few buttons before flipping it around. "Ever seen this beauty before?"
While he wanted to lie, the store's owner already knew the slight twitch of his eye gave away the truth. "If it's not in a case or on a shelf, it's not for sale," he said sternly, picking up his manga and returning to the chapter he'd been reading.
"Oh, come on," he said, his smile becoming a bit more unsettling as his two accomplices walked in. "We'll make you a real good offer for it." He nodded behind him, Murakawa walking to the counter as Hanazawa locked the door and switch the sign to closed.
Without a word, Murakawa set the case down onto the counter, unlocking it and the cuff that connected it to him to turn it around. The sheer volume of rare cards shining in the light was almost too bright to look at directly, the shop owner squinting a bit.
"And that's all for you," Woolsworth said happily. "How's that for a trade? You get all these cards and all you have to do is give us the one we want."
Without even a second's hesitation, the owner closed the lid of the case. "No deal," he said. "If that's all you want, then you should get out of here."
"You drive a real hard bargain, son," Woolsworth said with a chuckle. "I didn't want to have to do this, but I guess I can sweeten the pot a bit." He withdrew a checkbook from the inside of his overcoat. "Name a price. Give me a number and it's yours. And you can keep those cards with it. Interested yet?"
"I said no," he answered, growing more indignant with each push.
Clicking his tongue, Woolsworth tapped the book with his pen. "We both know that card would be in better hands with us than collecting dust with you. After all, you're not a duelist anymore."
"You don't know what you're talking about," the shop owner said, his voice cracking just a bit. It was clear that insult had shaken him to the core for some reason.
"We don't?" Woolsworth asked with a laugh.
"We know that you're Toranosuke Kentaro, son of the sixth World Champion of Duel Monsters, Toranosuke Jun." The look of distress on the shopkeeper's face seemed to please Hanazawa, who continued. "We know that you tried to follow in your dear father's footsteps only to crash and burn due to a lack of skill. We also know that you gave up the game out of cowardice after that."
"Settle down," Murakawa said. "More to the point, we also know that your father gifted you the prize card from his original tournament win before he died eight years ago. Our condolences, by the way."
"The original Chaos Soldier," Woolsworth said. "A prototype for the card before it was put into production. Almost a relic. A Normal Monster etched into a thin steel plate in the style of a card." He chuckled. "It wouldn't be usable in a duel, of course, but a true collector would do anything to have it."
"Anything," Hanazawa repeated, a grin forming on his lips.
"I won't give it up," Kentaro said, gripping the counter as tightly as he could to keep his hands from shaking. "That's my father's card...his heart. A bunch of scumbags like you would never respect it."
"We won't force you to do anything you don't want to," Murakawa said, "but you really should reconsider. We're making you a very good deal here. Besides, don't you think that card would be happier with someone who could carry on its owner's legacy?"
For a moment, he almost considered taking the deal. What this guy said made sense. With all the money they were offering him, he could afford to retire somewhere like Hawaii and live the rest of his life in luxury, never worrying about a single thing for the rest of his life. And at only 43, too.
"I refuse," he said sternly. "You people aren't duelists. You're just a bunch of rich assholes throwing your money around. The only reason you want this card is to check a box on some list."
"You're partly right," Hanazawa said. "The old man certainly isn't a duelist and the fool to your left is barely a step above him. And we might be 'a bunch of rich assholes' like you said. But, and I assure you to the fullest of my abilities..." He grabbed Kentaro by the collar, his smile growing wider. "I am a duelist. One that even your failure of a father couldn't hope to beat in his prime."
"Don't you...don't you dare talk about-"
"About your father?" he laughed. "The father who held the title for all of a year and a half before he started to lose? The same father who had to sleep with members of his own fan club just to feel like a man again? It's almost hilarious that you'd defend someone like that, especially after what it did to your poor mother."
"Shut up!" he yelled, reaching across the counter to grab at Hanazawa's tie. Before either of them could throw a punch, Murakawa separated the two with brute strength.
"You went too far," Woolsworth said, shaking his head.
"Did I?" Hanazawa asked, pointing his index finger towards Kentaro.
Seething with rage and on the verge of tears, the shopkeeper wouldn't let these insults stand. Whether they were true or not, he loved his father despite his flaws. For years, he'd tried his hardest to live up to the man he thought he'd wanted him to be, failing at each step along the way. This seemed like the only chance he had to reclaim his family's honor.
"If all you're going to do is talk, then just leave! If you're ready to prove it, then duel me!"
Hanazawa's face distorted into a wicked grin. "Excellent," he sighed.
"Whoever wins will be the one to walk out of here with this card," Kentaro said, pulling the Chaos Soldier in question from the inside pocket of his jacket. It was encased in a plastic frame to protect it, leaving it just as untouched as when it was first sealed inside.
"Excellent," he said louder, a bit of drool dripping out of the corner of his mouth.
"As a show of fairness," Murakawa butted in, "we'll allow you to keep the cards in this briefcase if you win. It wouldn't make sense for you to agree to this duel if you had nothing to gain."
"I don't care about those," he replied. "The only cards I need are in my deck, plus the one in my hand."
"Where will we do this?" Woolsworth asked. "If you need a day to prepare, we'll gladly let you have it."
Kentaro scoffed. "I'm ready right now. Come to the back." Despite the anger he felt when his father was insulted, he couldn't deny that these men had lit a fire inside him he hadn't felt in years. His heart was nearly beating out of his chest as he led them to the table in the storage room, equal parts terrified and excited at the prospect of dueling once again.
"No complaints?" he asked, taking a pair of game mats down from a shelf.
"None," Hanazawa replied. "This will be more than acceptable."
"We'll be playing with standard tournament rules," Woolsworth said as the duelists took their seats. "Current card limits in place, only one duel to decide the winner. The winner will receive both the Chaos Soldier and the contents of this briefcase. Are those terms good for both players?"
Each of them nodded. "Alright, then." Murakawa placed the briefcase on an unoccupied area of the table, Kentaro apprehensively setting his card on top of it. "If no one has anything else to add, you can begin."
Hanazawa and Kentaro began to shuffle their decks, the former's indifference to his cards being immediately apparent with the shotgun shuffle he performed. After a quick cut, they placed their decks in the appropriate spots on the mats, saying in unison, "Duel!"
"After everything I've said, it's only fitting I allow you to go first," Hanazawa said with a smile, the friendly facade not fooling a single person in the room.
"Fine," Kentaro said, drawing his opening hand. His father's deck had stayed the same since the day he'd inherited it. Though he'd tried to change something about it in the past, he simply couldn't bear the thought of going through with it. Even so, it was still packed with an assortment of extremely powerful cards.
"I'll start..." he said, his hand waffling between a few different cards. "With this," he finally declared, laying down a monster. "Manju God. When it's summoned, I can add a Ritual Monster or Magic to my hand from my deck."
It was obvious what he was about to choose. "I'll take Chaos Ritual and add it to my hand," he said, shuffling his deck and placing it back down after the offer to cut was arrogantly refused. "This is what you get for underestimating me! I play Chaos Ritual now!"
He sent Manju God to the Graveyard, then foolishly dropped another two cards on top of that. "I'll use Manju God, Ritual Djinn Releaser, and Ritual Djinn Demolisher as material. Come out, Chaos Soldier!"
As strong as the warrior was on its own, its materials managed to boost its power even further. "You probably already know, but Ritual Djinn cards give my monster new abilities when they're used for its summoning. Now you're not allowed to Special Summon and can't target Chaos Soldier with card effects."
"How clever," Hanazawa said, the mocking tone of his comment not even making an attempt to keep itself hidden.
"I set one more card and end my turn," Kentaro said.
"Then I'll begin," Hanazawa replied, laughing quietly to himself as he took a card from his deck. "I summon my Genetic Warwolf in Attack Mode."
This only served to boost Kentaro's confidence. "That card isn't nearly strong enough to beat Chaos Soldier," he said defiantly.
"Oh, it most certainly can," Hanazawa replied. "I'll augment its strength with the Equip Magic, Mage Power. Now it gains 500 ATK for each Magic or Trap Card I control. Once I set these next two cards, that will make my Warwolf's ATK 3500."
Kentaro was shocked by this turn of events despite how telegraphed it was, only proving his inexperience and poor skill. "Then that means..."
"Battle," Hanazawa declared, his excitement about to boil over. "Genetic Warwolf will rip Chaos Soldier to pieces."
"Not if I play this," Kentaro said, flipping his set card. "Attack Nullification negates your attack and ends the Battle Phase."
"Oh my," he said, amused. "Then I suppose I have no choice but to end my turn."
Though he'd been a bit shaken by the counterattack, his spirit didn't waver. "Draw!" he declared, happy to see the card he'd just gotten. "I'll activate the Magic Card, Pre-Preparation of Rites! With this, I get to add a Ritual Magic and Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand so long as they match."
"No, you won't," he said, revealing a card in his hand. "My monster's effect activates. I discard Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring when you use an effect that adds a card from your deck to your hand, special summons from the deck, or sends a card from the deck to the Graveyard. That effect is negated."
Kentaro's hand froze just above his deck. Evidently, the look of horror on his face was amusing enough to make Hanazawa finally crack, cackling laughter echoing through the empty shop. "Did you really think we'd come all this way without being prepared?" he asked.
"After we learned who you were, it was easy enough to find your father's deck list," Murakawa added sternly.
"It was a bit of a gamble, but we figured you'd want to use it in a situation like this," Woolsworth said, stroking his beard. "It seems like we were right."
It was at this moment he realized he'd be entirely and completely set up. Everything these men had done was to goad him into this ante duel knowing he'd use his father's old deck. The same deck he hadn't changed a single card of since it was last used. And this was just one card counter; he could only imagine what else might be waiting for him.
"Do you want to surrender?" Murakawa asked. "You've made several mistakes and, frankly, there doesn't seem to be a way for you to win now."
"No," Hanazawa said. "Play through."
Swallowing hard, Kentaro nodded. "I'm going to keep going."
"Excellent. Do you end your turn, then?" He nodded again after turning Chaos Soldier to Defense Position. "Excellent. Then I'll begin mine." The card he'd drawn was Mirror Force. It would do little right now and was most likely useless for the rest of the duel, but he set it anyway for safety and to further increase his monster's ATK.
"I summon Alexandridragon," he said, placing another 2000 ATK monster on the field. "Battle. Genetic Warwolf, finish what you started last turn." Kentaro gritted his teeth, sending his favorite monster to the Graveyard. "Excellent. Now, Alexandridragon will attack directly."
Hanazawa's turn was over after taking half of Kentaro's Life Points. It was possibly the worst situation one could find themselves in with an entirely clear field and no hand. Still, he believed in the cards his father gave him. "I can still win," he said, drawing a card.
Relief washed over him as he set down what he'd drawn. "I activate Pot of Greed!" he declared.
"No," Hanazawa said immediately. "I activate my Trap, Imperial Order of the Royal Palace. The effects of all Magic Cards are negated." To add insult to injury, he flipped over another set card, as well. "I'll also use Iron Wall of the Royal Palace, preventing either of us from banishing cards. Those Ritual Djinn weren't going to be used for anything, were they?"
He was at a loss for words. His whole body shaking, Kentaro was forced to end his turn. He had no cards left and no way to make a counterattack. "My turn," Hanazawa said, flicking his tongue across his lips. "I'll set another card to raise Genetic Warwolf's ATK to 4500." The card he'd drawn was Decklock, an otherwise useful card rendered pointless by his own Trap.
"Direct attack," he said. "Game over." The last of Kentaro's Life flickered out, Hanazawa collecting his cards and picking up the Chaos Soldier case to admire it. "Thank you for an excellent duel," he said mockingly.
"You're no duelist," Kentaro growled, eyes facing towards the table to hide his tears. "You made a fake deck full of cards just to beat me. You couldn't use your real deck. You didn't win with your own strength."
"If that's true, are we really any different?" Without another word, the three men left the store, Hanazawa's parting comment stewing in Kentaro's brain. It was painfully true to hear and something he didn't want to acknowledge. Ever since receiving this deck, he'd used it as a crutch instead of relying on his own cards. He made the mistake of thinking just having his father's strong deck would make him strong, too.
It was a lie, though, and he knew it. This duel proved as much. The fact was he was a weak duelist clinging to his father's deck like it was his pant leg, afraid to move on for fear of letting go of the man he admired. When he really thought about it, was there really any reason to admire him to begin with?
Kentaro sat motionless at the table for the next several hours, pondering his life and what meaning it had now that he'd lost the only thing of value he'd ever owned. A profound sense of betrayal hung over him as he felt like he'd let down his father's memory by losing that card. He even questioned what point there'd be in him living any longer.
Eventually, though, he came to the conclusion that maybe this had happened for a reason. He'd been stuck in the past for so long too afraid to move forward. He had no talent for dueling but clung to that card out of reverence for his father, but now that it was gone maybe he could finally start over.
He collected his cards, sorting them up and placing them inside a box in the back room where he stored them. Walking back out front, he turned the shop's sign to open once more and took his spot behind the counter. In truth, he was starting to think about selling this place. He only ever went into business so as to not fully abandon his connection to Duel Monsters. The place was a money sink and he couldn't say he really enjoyed his job, so maybe a change of pace would be for the best.
"A fresh start," he mumbled to himself. He'd be lying if he said he was happy right now, but he wasn't exactly devastated, either. It was hard to pin down what he was feeling, though he expected it would be something akin to relief.
"We've finally got the card," Murakawa said, having taken it to examine it from all angles as the trio walked triumphantly down the sidewalk. "It almost doesn't feel real."
"It's true," Woolsworth said. He looked side to side, realizing there was no one else around at the moment as they passed over a river. "Now, if you'd be so kind, why don't you hand me the card?"
"What are you-" Before he could finish his sentence, he spotted the silver barrel of a gun poking out of Woolsworth's sleeve as it was draped over his hand.
"Come on, now," he said, gesturing with his other hand. "We don't have all day. You've both been plenty of help, but it's about time we parted ways."
"Why are you doing this?" he said, more angry than afraid. "We've been working together for years. Now you're just going to betray us like this?"
"We did say we'd do anything to have that card," Hanazawa reminded him, pulling his own revolver out of his pocket and placing it against Woolsworth's head. "Looks like we had the same idea."
"Nice save!" Murakawa said, only to be immediately put in his place.
"I'm not saving you," Hanazawa said. "I'm taking the card for myself. Now I'd like you to hand it to me before I blow both your brains out."
"At least hand me a gun, too," he said, trying to keep his cool with humor. "It's not fair if I'm the only one here who isn't armed."
"I'm a Texan being held at gunpoint," Woolsworth said angrily. "Do you think that's fair?"
"I guess not, but I did just think of something." Hanazawa took Woolsworth's gun for security as Murakawa spoke, the two barely listening to what he had to say. "I learned I've actually got all the power here."
Without warning, he sat up on the safety railing on the bridge they were all occupying, stretching his arm and the card out over the water. Immediately, the other two snapped to attention, Woolsworth pulling his gun back and training it on Murakawa while Hanazawa did the same. "That would be a very bad idea," he said.
"You think so?" Murakawa asked. "From where I'm standing, it looks like I've got the upper hand. If you two want to hang out here holding a couple guns in broad daylight, be my guest. Shoot me, though, and this card is lost forever."
Slowly, the both of them returned their guns to their coats, sharing a side-eyed glance. "Okay, that's better. Now we can-" Without a word between the two, both Woolsworth and Hanazawa rushed Murakawa, grabbing for the card and nearly tumbling into the river all at once.
It was all for nothing, though, as Murakawa lost his grip, the card immediately plummeting into the water and being carried away by the current. The three stared in disbelief, completely silent and unsure of what to do next.
They stood there gawking at the river for several minutes, a few passersby giving them odd looks but ultimately ignoring them. After a time, though, they began to laugh. Quietly at first and quickly increasing in volume. Eventually, they were practically rolling on the ground.
"Did we really waste all of that time for nothing?" Hanazawa asked between cackles.
"It seems that way," Woolsworth said, his deep guffaw echoing through the city.
"Are we really that incompetent?" Murkawa asked, barely able to stand from laughing so hard. "We had it in our hands, and then..." Once they could finally contain themselves, the three said a cheerful goodbye and parted ways, resolving never to see each other again or hold a grudge for the double cross. In the end, they figured this would be for the best. If they were going to kill each other over the thing, it was better none of them got to keep it.
Down by the pier, Yumi skipped rocks across the water. She was trying to find herself a non-dueling hobby as Rio had suggested, though she wasn't having much luck in finding something she was all that passionate about. "No, this is definitely pretty boring," she said, scratching her head to try and think of some new activity to try.
Off to the side, she heard something drop into the water from a drainage pipe. Normally, that wouldn't be of much concern, but it was shiny and caught her eye. Unsure of what the strange rectangle was, she grabbed a stick and managed to pull it to shore.
Pulling the case out of the sea, she shook it around to knock off some of the water. "Woah, cool!" she exclaimed, seeing the card inside. She immediately broke the seal on the container, pulling the sheet of metal out. "Wait, what is this thing? This isn't a card."
She wiggled the Chaos Soldier in her hand, enjoying the wobbling noise it made. "Weird," she said, wobbling it around a bit more before slipping it into her pocket and heading home. With no knowledge as to what the strange card she'd just come into possession actually was and her attention already drifting to something else, Yumi eventually ended up putting it away in her storage box with the rest of her extra cards never to see the light of day again.
Cards Used in Order of Appearance
Chaos Soldier (Black Luster Soldier)
EARTH
Level 8
Warrior
3000 ATK/2500 DEF
Manju God (Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands)
LIGHT
Level 4
Fairy/Effect
1400 ATK/1000 DEF
When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: You can add 1 Ritual Monster or 1 Ritual Spell Card from your Deck to your hand.
Chaos Ritual (Black Luster Ritual)
Ritual Spell Card
This card is used to Ritual Summon "Black Luster Soldier". You must also Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose total Levels equal 8 or more.
Ritual Djinn Releaser (Djinn Releaser of Rituals)
DARK
Level 3
Fiend/Effect
1200 ATK/2000 DEF
When you Ritual Summon a monster, you can banish this card from your Graveyard as 1 of the monsters required for the Ritual Summon. If a player Ritual Summons using this card, the other player cannot Special Summon while that Ritual Summoned monster is face-up on the field.
Ritual Djinn Demolisher (Djinn Demolisher of Rituals)
DARK
Level 3
Fiend/Effect
1500 ATK/600 DEF
When you Ritual Summon a monster, you can banish this card from your Graveyard as 1 of the monsters required for the Ritual Summon. If a player Ritual Summons using this card, that Ritual Summoned monster cannot be targeted by the card effects of the other player.
Chaos Soldier (Black Luster Soldier)
EARTH
Level 8
Warrior/Ritual
3000 ATK/2500 DEF
You can Ritual Summon this card with "Black Luster Ritual".
Genetic Warwolf (Gene-Warped Warwolf)
EARTH
Level 4
Beast-Warrior
2000 ATK/100 DEF
Mage Power
Equip Spell Card
The equipped monster gains 500 ATK and DEF for each Spell/Trap Card you control.
Attack Nullification (Negate Attack)
Counter Trap Card
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target the attacking monster; negate the attack, then end the Battle Phase.
Pre-Preparation of Rites
Normal Spell Card
Add 1 Ritual Spell from your Deck to your hand, and add 1 Ritual Monster from your Deck or GY to your hand whose name is listed on that Ritual Spell. You can only activate 1 "Pre-Preparation of Rites" per turn.
Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring
FIRE
Level 3
Zombie/Tuner/Effect
0 ATK/1800 DEF
When a card or effect is activated that includes any of these effects (Quick Effect): You can discard this card; negate that effect.
● Add a card from the Deck to the hand.
● Special Summon from the Deck.
● Send a card from the Deck to the GY.
You can only use this effect of "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring" once per turn.
Holy Barrier – Mirror Force (Mirror Force)
Normal Trap Card
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Destroy all your opponent's Attack Position monsters.
Alexandridragon (Alexandrite Dragon)
LIGHT
Level 4
Dragon
2000 ATK/100 DEF
Pot of Greed
Normal Spell Card
Draw 2 cards.
Imperial Order of the Royal Palace (Imperial Order)
Continuous Trap Card
Negate all Spell effects on the field. Once per turn, during the Standby Phase, you must pay 700 LP (this is not optional), or this card is destroyed.
Iron Wall of the Royal Palace (Imperial Iron Wall)
Continuous Trap Card
Neither player can banish cards.
Decklock (Deck Lockdown)
Continuous Spell Card
Neither player can add cards from their Deck to their hand except by drawing them. Monsters cannot be Special Summoned from the Main Deck. Destroy this card during your 2nd Standby Phase after activation.
You all might hate this chapter since it has nothing to do with anything, but randomly changing focus to entirely unrelated characters for a single issue is my shit so you have to deal with it.
If you don't know the story, the Chaos Soldier card they're all fighting over here is a real card that was given away as the prize for the very first national tournament in Japan in 1999. It really was printed on a piece of steel instead of card backing and had flavor text. You can see pictures of it floating around on the wiki and different places (one person was trying to sell it for about $10 million last I heard).
Here's the triumphant return of the shop owner from chapter 4. Not really triumphant at all, honestly. But he's had an epiphany now and might get to live a fulfilling life out of his father's shadow now. Probably never going to see what becomes of him, but there's hope.
This just goes to show that a simple anti-whatever beatdown deck can take out most people who are inexperienced. The guys knew what they were up against.
We can all rest easy knowing Yumi will do literally nothing with this card. I think about what might happen years from now when she finally learns about it since it's not really something they'd put in books and she just recently got reliable internet access and realizes she's had that thing all along. But she probably won't realize it since she'll have long forgotten about it.
Thanks for reading. Share if you're enjoying. Probably going to start posting more than once a month after this, but we'll see how things shake out since these usually take longer to write and fix up with all the card games. Always remember to foolishly accept battles whenever someone questions your pride.