Yugioh [714-717] (Patreon)

Chapter 714: Slash Draw

"He actually hit it exactly like he declared," Syrus murmured. "Is this also the power blessed by the Grim Reaper? Even a 'Name' declaration can be that accurate?"

Jaden shook his head. "No. Calling four-star monsters is just the highest probability. Not surprising."

Kira: "Then I set one monster in face-down Defense Position, set one card, and end my turn."

Lucien: "?"

Still no intention to attack.

In fact, the Invincible Demise Lord on his field did have a hidden ability. If this card is destroyed by battle, it immediately revives on the field transformed, with 3000 ATK. Given it only has 1300 ATK, this should be easy to trigger.

But the opponent just won't attack.

What kind of tactic is this?

Either way, it's his turn again.

"My turn, draw!

I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed to draw two cards."

If one strike fails, try again. He now holds the Grim Reaper's absolute-kill power!

"I activate the Spell Card: A Feather of the Phoenix—discard a card to return a card in the Graveyard to the top of the Deck!

I discard a card to return the Spell 'Slash Draw' to the top of my Deck!"

Lucien sends a card from hand to the Grave.

"Back to the top of the Deck!" Syrus couldn't help blurting out. "So if he just activates another Slash Draw…"

"No," Chazz shook his head. "When Slash Draw activates, you first have to send cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard equal to the number of cards on the field."

"R-right."

Syrus suddenly understood.

Since it mills from the top on activation, even top-stacking usually can't guarantee you draw Slash Draw next. Unless you can control a large block of top cards at once and ensure that, after Slash Draw's cost mills those cards, the very next top card is another Slash Draw.

That's basically beyond human capability.

Which is why the card is seen as a performance piece—hard to use in real matches.

"But the card I discarded was the Spell 'Card of Compensation,'" Lucien said. "Draw two cards from the top of the Deck."

This way, Slash Draw was drawn back to his hand.

Syrus held his breath. "He's going for it again?"

There was no need to ask—of course he would.

"I activate the Spell 'Slash Draw' once more!" Lucien roared. "Grim Reaper, lend me your power again!"

The Reaper's specter appeared once more, scythe swung down. Thunder seemed to crackle in midair, waves surging.

"You have a set monster and a set card—two cards total," Lucien cried. "So I send the top two cards of my Deck to the Graveyard, then draw one card!

Draw!"

They hardly needed to check. With the Reaper's power invoked, everyone knew what that card would be.

"My third 'Slash Draw' activates!" Lucien shouted. "Destroy all cards and deal you 4000 damage! It's over!"

But Kira calmly revealed a card in hand. "When your Slash Draw activated, I discarded 'Hanewata.' This turn, all effect damage I take is 0."

Lucien: "…"

The second Iai cut. His invincible iai slash cleaved dominantly toward Kira, yet it seemed to strike an invisible barrier and was stopped cold.

Lucien looked to the heavens.

Two straight Iai slashes; his draws had reached divine heights, yet he still couldn't finish it.

He finally began to understand why his beloved Slash Draw is called a showpiece entertainment card. It's not only about whether you can draw it.

Even with the Reaper's blessing—even with perfect accuracy—facing a true master, he still felt powerless.

"What's wrong?"

Kira spoke.

"Missed your one-hit kill—so you're giving up?"

"Who said I'm giving up?"

Lucien grit his teeth and steadied himself.

"The set card that was destroyed was the Trap 'Dummy Marker.' When this card is destroyed, I can draw one card from my Deck." (Anime card)

Lucien drew and frowned in thought.

"I set a monster face-down and set a card, then end my turn."

That was all he had left.

But no need to panic. Even if Slash Draw failed, he still had the Reaper's power—the absolute topdeck. Next turn he still had a chance to turn it around—

"End Phase. The Trap 'Backup Team' that was sent to the Graveyard by 'Reasoning' last turn activates."

Kira continued.

"During the End Phase, if this card is in the Graveyard and your opponent controls more cards than you, you can Set this card from your Graveyard."

With a wave, a new set card appeared in his back row.

"Then it's my turn, draw," Kira said. "I activate the Spell 'Akashic Record' to draw two cards. But if any drawn card was already used this duel, banish it." (Anime card)

Kira drew two.

"Next, I activate the Spell 'Spider Web' to add a card that was sent to the opponent's Graveyard one turn ago from their Graveyard to my hand." (Anime card)

Lucien blinked. "From my Graveyard?"

"Correct. The card I'll take is this."

The spider web snagged a card and delivered it to Kira's hand.

"Slash Draw."

Lucien: "???"

Onlookers: "????"

You're… taking what from your opponent's Graveyard?

Lucien was stunned.

Sure, Slash Draw was his soul card—but it needs other copies in the Deck and consistent access to matter.

You have neither Slash Draws in your Deck nor the Reaper's boon—what use is that?

Wait—don't tell me the Duel King's Deck also has…!?

The others clearly had the same thought and were shocked.

Slash Draw isn't rare. Lucien was just a run-of-the-mill North Academy student, with a Deck mocked for being weak; his cards were never premium.

But Slash Draw is generally seen as a performance card—fun in staged duels, lacking competitive value.

As Chazz analyzed: even with normal top-control, putting Slash Draw on top won't work. As a "trick," it's too unwieldy—even a showman like Kira had never used it before.

"I activate my set Trap, 'Backup Team.'

Draw from the Deck equal to the number of cards your opponent controls, then return that many cards from your hand to the bottom of the Deck."

Lucien: "I have two cards on my field…"

"Right. So I draw two, then return two cards from my hand to the bottom of my Deck in any order."

A thought flashed through Lucien's mind.

Were those two cards Slash Draws?

No, probably not.

What good is shoving Slash Draw to the bottom?

To consistently draw Slash Draw, you must control the number of cards on the top—

"Quick-Play Spell 'Mystical Space Typhoon'—I destroy your set back row," Kira said.

Lucien's set Trap blew away—revealing "Sakuretsu Armor."

Lucien grit his teeth. "Damn it, there goes my strongest line of defense…"

"'Sakuretsu,' huh? Honestly it doesn't matter what I hit, but that one is a bit unlucky for you."

Kira chuckled, then continued.

"Next I activate—

—Continuous Spell 'Convulsion of Nature'! As long as this card remains on the field, both players must turn their Decks upside down to duel."

Everyone: "?????????"

The whole crowd was stunned.

Huh?

What's the point of that?

It's an old card—if you ranked the most "what even is this" cards in Yu-Gi-Oh!, it's a contender.

Just as written, the Continuous Spell forces both players to flip their Decks upside down—bottom side up, top side down. Everyone can see each Deck's "top card" after the flip.

Historically, no one found much use beyond showing the top card—

Hold on!

Lucien's pupils shrank as realization struck.

"Y-you just…"

"Yep. With Backup Team, I just returned two cards from my hand to the bottom of my Deck in an order I chose," Kira said. "Now that the Deck is flipped, the former bottom becomes the top."

As a soul player who'd studied Slash Draw for years, Lucien felt lightning strike his brain—suddenly it all clicked.

Backup Team draws based on the opponent's field count, then puts that many cards to the bottom in any order.

Slash Draw mills from the top based on the opponent's field count, then draws. If the drawn card is Slash Draw, you win with a board wipe and burn.

Convulsion of Nature inverts the Deck…

No matter whether the opponent has two, three, or ten cards, the combo works. If they have ten, Kira can return ten specific cards to the bottom, in any order.

Then flipping the Deck ensures that after the top nine cards are milled, the tenth drawn will be exactly Slash Draw.

"I activate the Spell 'Slash Draw,'" Kira revealed the card. "You currently have only one set monster.

So I send the top one card of my Deck to the Graveyard."

He sent the visible "top" card after the flip.

"Then I draw from the top. If it's 'Slash Draw,' destroy all cards on the field and deal you 1000 damage for each."

In truth, there was no need to draw.

Because of the flipped Deck, after he milled one, everyone could see the card now at the top.

Slash Draw.

Casually, almost lazily, Kira drew it and showed Lucien.

"See? Drew it. Slash Draw. So destroy all cards on the field—your set monster and my 'Convulsion of Nature'—and you take 2000 damage."

[Lucien, LP 1000 → LP 0]

Chapter 715: The Water's Too Deep For You

Lucien collapsed to his knees, eyes vacant, questioning reality—like the culprit unmasked at the end of a Conan episode.

He'd lost before; he was used to it. He'd sought the Reaper's power because he didn't win much, after all—well, not "used to," but this was his first loss since gaining that power.

Losing itself wasn't shocking. His opponent was the Duel King; Lucien wasn't arrogant enough to think the Reaper's boon made the King trivial. He might lose, and he didn't mind. He wanted to test this power—to prove his Deck.

As long as he could duel the King and test his limits with this strength, he'd already considered the possibility of defeat.

But even in defeat, he'd never dreamed he'd lose to his own beloved Slash Draw.

Isn't that supposed to be a showpiece entertainment Deck?

Wasn't it because this flashy Deck failed him again and again, drew ridicule, and finally drove him to darkness to trade his soul for the Reaper's power?

If you can do the "trick" without selling your soul, then what did he sell it for?

It was his first time being on the receiving end of Slash Draw. By the end, he was just numb.

The onlookers' question marks were no fewer than his.

Kira doing "showtime" duels—sure. But Slash Draw? Even Kira had never used it before.

Of all times, today, against this Reaper duelist—hard not to think he did it on purpose.

What was that? Using the enemy's way against them?

Jaden stepped forward, smiling, and patted Lucien's shoulder. The student finally came to, looking up dazedly.

"How do you feel?" Jaden asked with a grin.

"Feel? What feeling?"

Lucien sat limply, locking eyes with the hovering Reaper.

They'd said "trade your soul for victory." Now that he'd lost, the Reaper, a fair merchant, couldn't in good conscience take payment—so the two just stared at each other like exchanging secret signals.

Lucien: We had a deal—sell my life and I win. Well?

Reaper: I gave you guaranteed topdecks—what more do you want? If you still lost, isn't that on you?

"…"

Jaden cheerfully told Lucien, "I mean the insight into dueling. Not everyone gets to fight the Duel King, you know.

Also, didn't you notice?"

"Notice what?" Lucien asked.

"What Kira was trying to tell you through this duel," Jaden said. "You don't think he usually runs a Deck like that, do you?"

Lucien froze.

What the King told me… through this duel…

"Your Deck is awesome, especially 'Slash Draw.' There's no cooler way to win!"

Jaden's eyes lit up.

"When you struggle and finally create a miracle with a critical draw—that instant is thrilling, right?"

Lucien reflected.

It was true. He fell in love with the card for that rush when it hit—the adrenaline spike, blood boiling, as if that one draw created a whole world. It's addictive.

That's why he clung to Slash Draw.

"At the start, you didn't choose that Deck to win, did you?" Jaden said. "It was for the excitement of shocking your opponent when you drew that card—to show everyone, to make them recognize your best deck."

Lucien nodded.

Indeed. When he first built it, he didn't prioritize win-loss. As long as everyone witnessed his dream Deck, as long as they cheered for the Iai draw moment, nothing else mattered.

Even losing—he'd lose in style.

But reality is harsh. He couldn't always shrug off results, especially if he wanted to be a pro. Winning carries weight.

And he didn't always earn applause. As his academy results worsened—failing to draw his key card in big duels and losing—he became a joke, a topic of gossip, the school's poster child for failure.

Duel Academy is elitist; there's no place for "trash." Underperformers are shunned—let alone low-success-rate showmen.

So his mindset shifted.

He had to win—and win with his soul card. To silence the doubters and force everyone to acknowledge his Deck.

Yeah… when did it all change?

"That's what Kira showed you," Jaden guided. "If it isn't achieved by your own power, it's meaningless, right?

If you sacrifice your life for victory—did you win, or did the Reaper?

How many times have you pulled off Slash Draw now? Ten? Twenty?

Even if it's guaranteed now, how long has it been since you felt that original thrill when you drew it?"

Lucien: "!"

He looked up at Kira, stunned.

So that's what the King tried to tell me?

Indeed. If you win like this—was it you, or the Reaper?

Is a life's price worth such a hollow victory?

"I understand!"

He stood, excited.

"Even without relying on the Reaper, you can complete seemingly impossible setups—like Fujiki Kira just demonstrated.

Either believe in your Deck and cherish each draw, building up through thousands of reps—

Or develop more stable tactics—use your head and craft a true 100% line…"

He grew more moved as he spoke.

This is the Duel King.

Suddenly, he felt his Reaper-reliant, delusion-drenched self was laughable. He thought an external boon made him a "strong," but it had pulled him further from the true path.

"Right?"

Jaden smiled at Kira.

"Did I get it right? Anything to add?"

Kira smiled and shook his head.

What was there to add?

"I understand completely, Mr. Kira. From now on, I'll nurture my bond with my Deck and explore new possibilities for Slash Draw!"

Lucien declared firmly.

"I won't give up, and I won't borrow the Reaper's power again. From now on, I'll become a duelist who can stand on his own, like you, and bring my Deck to the world stage!"

"You can do it."

Kira encouraged him, then paused and added:

"In that case, you won't be needing that Reaper-powered card anymore, right?"

Lucien blinked. "Ah—yes, that's right…"

"That card's power is too dangerous. The water's too deep for you to handle."

Kira said camly,

"Leave it with me!"

Chapter 716: Project "Underworld"

Thus the fabled cursed Reaper card ended up in Kira's hands.

For now, Kira had no immediate combat use for it. Naturally so—despite being a Reaper's card with the ability to grant godlike topdecks for a price, in itself it's just a 0 ATK/0 DEF normie.

How do you make a 0 ATK vanilla useful? Even he didn't have a quick answer.

So the Reaper's greater value to him was research rather than combat. The cursed spirit's power was worth studying. The price—burning life—was nasty, but the purchased power was undeniably strong.

Lucien was a bottom-tier branch student, talent average. Yet the Reaper granted him, an ordinary player, the King-level draw power. Expensive, but you get what you pay for.

A spirit like that merits research.

With Sartorius's mess settled for now, he could finally handle some projects he'd long had in mind.

That evening, an informant from the Knights of Hanoi called the Revolver.

…

"Boss, that person you told us to watch… the world champion 'The D'?"

"Right. What about him?"

"He should be returning from Europe next week."

"Oh?"

Kira had tasked them to track him. The D was a once-ordinary duelist who suddenly awakened, swept the pro scene, and became world champion.

He was also Aster's father's killer—the burglars who stole Destiny HERO – Plasma.

For years he never dared use Plasma in public. It's stolen property; the police and Aster never stopped hunting him. He kept it hidden.

In fact, publicly The D was Aster's guardian; Aster was grateful for his care. Little did he know The D did it just to stay close and monitor the investigation.

Even without using Plasma in matches, he won the world championship—proof of the Plasma's fate-boosting power. No wonder he killed to get it—truly a life-altering key card.

Kira instructed the Knights of Hanoi to keep tracking The D after he returned. The anime's Plasma wasn't as strong as the OCG's, but that means more room to develop.

Though the Light of Destruction spirit left Plasma long ago, the card's spirit still bolsters fate. Perhaps the Light's prior presence changed it. Worth studying.

…

Meanwhile, at the Academy, new trouble arrived.

"The Society of Light?"

Kira frowned slightly. Across from him sat the school nurse, Meanae, reporting.

He'd found that the comic-relief burglars trio who'd infiltrated the Academy for years were surprisingly useful. Despite the gags, years undercover made them good at intel.

With access to Knights of Hanoi resources, they learned Academy happenings instantly.

"Yeah," Meanae said. "Since Sartorius got taken down, our Knights of Hanoi have been tracking the Society remnants' movements."

Calling them "our Knights of Hanoi" sounded odd, but Kira didn't mind. He nodded. "And?"

"We've got something! The Academy's hosting the Genex Tournament, right? We cross-referenced the newest wave of outside entrants with our recent intel.

Guess what? Ta-da!"

She produced a sheet from who-knows-where.

Kira took it. Handwritten names in neat script—probably Meanae's own.

"This is the latest entrant list," Meanae said. "We've confirmed some Society of Light members among them."

"The Society?" Kira raised a brow.

So the boss died, and they're going to attack Duel Academy?

"What's their goal?" he asked.

Meanae shook her head. "No idea. But if we let them enter, it'll be dangerous."

Of course. Though Sartorius was gone, the Light's network on Earth remained. They were dangerous—and anyone defeated by them could be brainwashed, "baptized by the Light," and devote themselves to its cause.

A passive of the Light: anyone infected could spread it by dueling, like evangelism.

"How many do we know? Who are they?" Kira asked.

"We don't know yet—just a few identities. We're sure more entrants are Society, but unknown who," Meanae said. "Should we tell Chancellor Sheppard and halt the tournament?"

"No need."

Kira shook his head, thought a moment.

"If absolutely necessary, we could. But I don't think we're there yet."

"Really?" Meanae frowned. "But if we let them in, the students…"

Kira smiled and cut her off.

"This is Duel Academy. Don't underestimate our students."

"They're warriors, not lambs to be protected."

He paused, an image of timid Syrus flashing through his mind.

After two beats, he added, "Well, not all lambs, at least."

"The Society guys might be decent by the scene's standards, but top-tier? Not necessarily. I've faced a few standouts—I have a sense of their level."

"I-I see…"

Meanae pondered.

"So you mean…"

Kira smiled mysteriously.

"Do you still have the student list for this semester?"

Meanae's expression turned wry. "You mean your 'Underworld Project'?"

"Yep, that one," Kira grinned. "Gather the students on that list. Let's have a little meeting. Time our guests learned how hospitable Duel Academy can be."

Chapter 717: Beetron

"So this is Duel Academy?"

A man with a small split mustache stepped onto the Academy island, brushed the dust off, and squinted around.

"Interesting."

His name was Hayato Kuroda.

Once, he was one of Sartorius's most trusted generals—one of the few officers personally given a brand-new Deck by Sartorius, and respected within the Society.

Now, Sartorius was said to be dead, but the Society would not end. They had new orders—many members were sent to the island to enter the Genex Tournament.

Kuroda didn't know why. But they never questioned, only executed. That's how the Society worked: no matter how strange the command, they'd follow.

Because they believed in destiny. Even the smallest act could hugely affect the future—the butterfly effect. They were mere mortals, blind to the grand plan. Their job was simply to obey.

Since he'd enter, he'd go all the way. Kuroda was the leader of this group—a Society captain. He set a small goal: collect the most Genex Medallions and win the tournament…

"You're Hayato Kuroda, the Society of Light's field leader for this invasion, aren't you?"

Kuroda: "!"

Startled, he spun around. One man stood there casually, eyes narrowed, sizing him up.

"Duel King, Kira!?"

To say he wasn't nervous would be a lie.

The King had found him—and spoke his name.

But how?

He'd only just stepped on the island—hadn't done a thing yet.

"You look surprised," Kira tilted his head. "You step onto my island, into my Academy—and expect me not to notice?"

Kuroda: "…"

Since when is it your island and your Academy? Are you the chancellor or the chairman…?

Not important.

Kuroda narrowed his eyes. "Duel King… heh, perfect. I figured if I'm entering, I should aim for the top. On this stage, the King is unavoidable…"

"Oh? Confident?" Kira said, amused.

"They say you took down Lord Sartorius—but frankly, I don't believe it. I still believe his fate won't end here. If he lost to you, it must have been deliberate—destiny's arrangement."

Kira laughed.

"So, whenever you lose, it's 'fate's plan.' You guys are unbeatable then."

"Fujiki Kira, Duel King—whether you truly transcend destiny, I'll confirm it myself."

Kuroda unfurled his Duel Disk.

Kira shrugged.

He'd noticed: Society members all had sky-high confidence regardless of actual skill. Each convinced that victory was their fate.

"Duel!" x2
[Kira, LP 4000]

[Hayato Kuroda, LP 4000]

"I'll go first. Draw!"

Kuroda called out.

"The Deck Lord Sartorius gifted me—today I unleash its power.

I activate the Spell Pot of Greed to draw two cards.

Then I Normal Summon Beetron-1: Carapace Chassis!"

Responding to the summon came a steel-alloy beetle, a machine-insect with heavy tires for hind legs.

[Beetron-1 Beetletop, ATK 1700]

Kira searched hazy memories.

Beetron?

The name evokes the later meta-dominant "Inzektors," but this isn't that busted Deck. This is "Beetron," an unprinted anime Deck—what Chazz used after Sartorius beat him and "whitened" him into the Society.

With the timeline diverged—Sartorius died before whitening Chazz—this Deck showing up in another lieutenant's hands made sense.

"I set two cards and end my turn."

"My turn, draw."

Kira drew two.

"A 1700-ATK beetle—that's a bit troublesome. I activate Graceful Charity to draw three and discard two."

He filtered his hand.

"I set one monster in face-down Defense and two back row, then end my turn."

Kuroda frowned but wasn't fooled.

He knew this man was crafty; nine out of ten things he said couldn't be trusted. Calling it 'hard to deal with' meant the trap was ready.

Can't take the bait lightly.

"My turn again, draw!"

Kuroda drew, then took a breath.

"If you won't attack, I won't be polite!

I activate the Continuous Spell: Frontline Base!"

A Continuous Spell appeared. This one is an old, real card supporting Unions—Chazz used it when he first showed VWXYZ.

"Frontline Base: once per turn in Main Phase, Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Union from your hand!"

Kuroda slapped down a card.

"By Frontline Base, Special Summon—appear!

Beetron-2 Beetleturbo!"

Another steel beetle appeared, with stag-beetle pincers.

[Beetron-2 Beetleturbo, ATK 1500]

"Then I Normal Summon Beetron-3 Spider Base!"

Golden motes formed a red steel spider on his field.

[Beetron-3 Spider Base, ATK 1000]

"1, 2, and 3—a Union?" Kira smiled. "You lined them up in one go—impressive. Fusion next?"

"Heh, not yet."

Kuroda raised his arm.

"I'll swing first!
Battle Phase. Let's see if your monster can withstand my triple Beetron strike!"

He chopped his arm down.

"Go! First, Beetron-1 Beetletop attacks your face-down!"

The lead beetle charged. Kira snapped his fingers.

"I activate my set Trap: Quaking Mirror Force!
When an opponent's monster declares an attack, change all Attack Position monsters they control to face-down Defense Position. Monsters changed this way can't change battle position!"