Yugioh [847-850] (Patreon)

Chapter 847: Turbulent Airflow

“Use Rain Rain Storm’s effect to destroy Silent Magician!”

Adrian shouted. A transparent tempest whipped up and swept over Silent Magician. Her body was engulfed by a tsunami-like surge and burst into dazzling white light.

But that light immediately gathered back together, transforming into an even more radiant magic circle—like a white hexagram barrier!

“When Silent Magician is destroyed by battle or an opponent’s effect, Special Summon from your hand or Deck a ‘Silent Magician’ monster other than herself, ignoring its Summoning conditions.”

A beam of white light shot out from Kira’s Deck.

“From the nexus of chaos and order blooms the radiance of silence—Magician of Light, now descend—

—Silent Magician LV8!”

Having been destroyed, she instantly evolved into a higher form. The frosty-faced mage held her staff, bathed in holy light, and slowly descended from that white barrier with a sacred aura.

[Silent Magician LV8, ATK 3500]

Adrian’s brow twitched.

A troublesome magician indeed.

“And as the cost for the trap Rain Storm destroying a card,” Kira said, “‘Cloudian - Nimbusman’s’ ATK decreases by 1000.”

[Cloudian - Nimbusman, ATK 2500 → 1500]

Adrian snorted lightly and said no more.

“Silent Magician LV8 was Special Summoned during the Battle Phase, and the Battle Phase isn’t over yet. So I can still declare attacks this turn.”

Kira swept his hand.

“Silent Magician LV8, attack ‘Cloudian - Nimbusman’!”

Silent Magician’s face remained impassive. She slowly raised her staff; white light converged at the tip into a blinding orb.

As the staff fell, a domineering white beam blasted forth, surging like a torrent across Adrian’s field.

Nimbusman’s figure was instantly shattered by the white magical wave, dispersing into tatters of cloud. The forceful impact continued, slamming into Adrian, making him stagger and drop to one knee.

[Adrian, LP 4000 → 2000]

But he withstood the shock, braced a knee, and stood up, chuckling. “A powerful strike—worthy of a King. But I won’t fall so easily—nor will my monsters.”

As he spoke, the Cloudian that had been blasted into drifting shreds of cloud began to draw together again as if pulled by gravity.

The remnant cloud reformed a humanoid shape—short and stout—seemingly unharmed compared to before, though its eyes now carried a trace more fury.

[Cloudian - Nimbusman, ATK 1500]

“Cloudian monsters cannot be destroyed by battle,” Adrian said as he rose. “No matter how many times they’re dispersed, they resolutely return to their original form. Even after a hundred trials, they will not fall.

That is a Cloudian—my Deck.”

“So that’s how you see yourself,” Kira said. “A commendable quality. Adrian Gecko, I know your story. You are indeed a rare talent.

Let me put it this way.”

Kira narrowed his eyes; half his face was shrouded in shadow.

“You possess the potential of a King, Adrian Gecko.”

Adrian: “!”

He forced calm on the surface, but inside his heart surged like a storm-tossed sea.

This guy… does he really understand me that well?

“Yes. Outwardly, you seem to have no ambition left. You willingly became your younger brother’s stepping stone, sweeping away obstacles for the brother you love, unafraid to dirty your hands.”

Kira spoke evenly.

“You made everyone believe that—not only those around you; perhaps even you yourself believe it now.”

“But deep down, have you truly abandoned your own ambition—your ideals?”

Adrian: “…”

Kira shrugged.

“Just a casual remark—don’t mind it. I set two cards and end my turn.”

Adrian gritted his teeth.

Casual?
No, that can’t be. He must have prepared plenty. He’s come with a plan.

No. Focus on the duel first.

Adrian took a deep breath.

“My turn. Draw!”

He drew and slapped a card onto the Duel Disk.

“I Normal Summon ‘Cloudian – Turbulence’!”

As the card hit the disk, a violent, chaotic airflow rose on the field, swirling together like a tornado. A body of cloud formed from rushing air, its shape constantly rotating at high speed.

[Cloudian – Turbulence, ATK 800]

“Turbulence, huh,” Kira murmured.

An unassuming Cloudian with only 800 ATK—but among the entire Cloudian family, this was perhaps the one Kira rated the most.

Because by modern Yugioh standards, this card’s effect has tremendous potential.

“When ‘Cloudian – Turbulence’ is successfully Summoned, place ‘Fog Counters’ on it equal to the number of ‘Cloudian’ monsters on the field!”

Adrian gestured at his monsters.

“I have ‘Cloudian - Nimbusman’ and ‘Cloudian – Turbulence’ on my field—two Cloudians. So I place two Fog Counters on Turbulence!”

[Cloudian – Turbulence, Fog Counters 0 → 2]

“Next, Turbulence has a follow-up effect: by removing 1 Fog Counter from itself, Special Summon 1 ‘Cloudian – Smoke Ball’ from your Deck or from either Graveyard!”

Adrian declared:

“This effect is not once per turn.

So I remove two Fog Counters from Turbulence and Special Summon two ‘Cloudian – Smoke Balls’ from the Deck!”

Turbulence let out a low roar and whipped up a gale. Two vortices formed, condensed, and became two cute little cloud-balls on the field.

[Cloudian – Smoke Ball, DEF 600] x2

Smoke Ball is the Cloudian Deck’s only Normal Monster.

And that’s Turbulence’s strength: if you already had two Cloudians on the field, Turbulence enters with three counters; removing three immediately pulls three Smoke Balls out of Deck/Graveyards—effortlessly turning one card into four bodies.

And since the “pull Smoke Ball” effect isn’t once per turn, with enough Fog Counters you can repeatedly consume the Smoke Balls as resources and then keep re-summoning them via Turbulence, generating virtually endless value from a single card.

Such absurd single-card performance only looks mild because it lives in the underpowered Cloudian archetype.

Then again, Konami has been madly buffing all sorts of old GX-era archetypes for years, but has barely touched Cloudians. Hard to say it’s not Turbulence’s fault.

With a pseudo-busted engine like this, careless buffs could easily create a universal tech that freelances across top meta decks…

Chapter 848: Kira’s Little Dark Game

“Turbulence’s effect—Special Summon two ‘Cloudian – Smoke Balls’ from the Deck!”

Adrian played a Spell from his hand.

“Next, I activate the Spell ‘Double Summon’! This turn I can Normal Summon one additional time, for two Normal Summons total.

I Tribute two ‘Cloudian – Smoke Balls’ on my field to Tribute Summon—

—Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon!”

It was as if nature’s pent-up rage exploded. The wind was no longer a gentle whisper but a furious beast, surging from all directions—an invisible hand twisting the air into a mad spiral. The currents entwined and gathered, finally condensing into the entity of a storm.

The air was drawn taut, forming a chaotic sea of cloud. At its center, a massive cloud mass took on a humanoid form, shaping a torso and arms. A giant single eye opened within the swirling mist, like a rolling thundercloud.

This was Adrian’s current ace of the Cloudian Deck—his strongest monster now—Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon!

[Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon, ATK 3000]

“Clouds aren’t just gentle and carefree,” Adrian declared. “They possess unimaginable tenacity—and anger.

Once you incur the wrath of the clouds, you face absolute annihilation!”

He pointed at Kira’s field.

“Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon, attack Silent Magician LV8!”

Silent: “!”

Attacking despite lower ATK?
She gripped her staff, magic surging, ready to respond—when a gale struck. She could barely stand and dropped to one knee; the card beneath her turned sideways.

[Silent Magician LV8, ATK 3500 → DEF 1000]

Silent’s heart tightened.

Switched to Defense… why?

“Eye of the Typhoon’s effect,” Adrian said coolly. “When it declares an attack, change the battle position of all monsters on the field except ‘Cloudian’ monsters!”

Silent Magician excels at offense but is poor on defense; she was forced by the typhoon to retreat for now.

“Cloudian - Nimbusman, direct attack!” Adrian barked. “I’m taking this duel!”

“Not necessarily.”

Kira raised his hand casually.

“I activate the set Trap ‘Pinpoint Guard.’

When your opponent declares an attack, Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from your Graveyard in Defense Position.”

Kira revealed the monster leaving his GY.

“I Special Summon ‘Royal Magical Library’ in Defense Position.”

[Royal Magical Library, DEF 2000]

Adrian blinked. “When did that monster…?”

Then he recalled.

Discarded last turn by the Tricky…

“A monster Special Summoned by Pinpoint Guard cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn,” Kira said.

“Tch.”

Adrian clicked his tongue.

“Then I activate the Spell ‘One Day of Peace.’ We both draw 1 card, and until the end of the opponent’s next turn, all damage either player takes becomes 0.”

Turbulence can only exist in Attack Position; if it turns to Defense, it self-destructs. And while Cloudians aren’t destroyed by battle, Turbulence only has 800 ATK—getting attacked means huge damage.

This was clearly Adrian’s safety measure to avoid damage.

“And I activate the Spell ‘Lucky Cloud’.”

“Because I Summoned two copies of ‘Cloudian – Smoke Ball’ this turn, I can draw two cards at the End Phase.”

Adrian sent the used Spell to the GY.

“Turn end. At this End Phase, I draw two cards from my Deck.”

He drew two, then spoke in a deep voice.

“Eye of the Typhoon’s downside: at each End Phase, this card’s ATK must decrease by 500.” (Anime effect)

[Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon, ATK 3000 → 2500]

The real card removed this annoying downside; in cardboard, Eye of the Typhoon is stronger than in the anime.

“My turn. Draw.”

Kira drew, narrowed his eyes, gauged Adrian and the Cloudians, then suddenly laughed.

Adrian frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. I just realized your Deck reveals your inner contradictions.”

Kira studied him with interest.

“Cloudians change with the weather. In fair weather, they’re cute. In foul weather, they’re sinister and grim.

Such infinite faces, skillfully worn as needed—that’s you, isn’t it, Adrian Gecko?”

Adrian: “…”

“You’re an excellent spy, the Gecko Group’s perfect soldier. But after so long in disguise—after so many masks—do you even remember which face is truly yours?”

Adrian replied coolly, “You needn’t concern yourself with me. I know exactly who I am and what I want.”

“Do you?”

Kira’s smile turned stranger, sending a faint chill up Adrian’s spine.

“Care to play a little dark game?” Kira chuckled.

“What?” The phrase “dark game” put Adrian instantly on edge.

“No need to be tense. It’s just a little game,” Kira smiled. “We won’t wager anything important—it’s more like… let’s say, helping you face yourself.”

He pointed at Adrian’s Duel Disk.

“Your Deck—the Cloudians—symbolizes your self-perception, right? Mysterious and resilient clouds that recover no matter the blow; ever-changing, with countless faces when needed.

Then let’s make this little game a condensed version of your life, using the Deck closest to you.”

Adrian was baffled. “What are you talking about?”

“Hard to explain—experience it, and you’ll understand.”

Kira smiled.

“My turn. Draw.”

“I activate the Spell ‘Magical Stone Excavation,’ discarding two cards to return a Spell from my GY to my hand.”

He discarded two.

“I return the Equip Spell ‘Wonder Wand’ from the GY to my hand.”

“At this moment, ‘Royal Magical Library’ also triggers. Each time a Spell is activated, place a Spell Counter on it.”

Kira pointed at the Library’s glowing counters and smiled.

“Don’t blink. The fun starts now.”

Chapter 849: Game Start

“Magical Stone Excavation returns Wonder Wand,” Kira said.

“And the two cards I discarded as the cost for Excavation—both trigger as well.”

He revealed them.

“Both are ‘Night Assailant.’ When sent to the GY, add 1 Flip monster from your GY to your hand, except ‘Night Assailant.’”

He paused, smiling.

“And Night Assailant is itself a Flip monster.”

Adrian frowned. “But you said Night Assailant can only add ‘one other than itself’…”

“Right—‘other than itself’ only means you can’t target that exact copy. Targeting a different Night Assailant in the GY is fine.” (Old version effect)

Kira added both Assailants back to hand after showing them.

“Assailant A retrieves Assailant B, and B retrieves A—both return to hand.”

“Also, last turn you activated ‘Lucky Cloud’ and ‘One Day of Peace,’ and I just activated a Spell. So Library now has three counters.

I use Library’s second effect: remove three counters to draw 1 card from the Deck!”

He drew one.

“Then I activate a second ‘Magical Stone Excavation,’ discarding two cards to return a Spell from the GY to my hand.”

He sent two more from hand to GY.

“I discard two and return the first Excavation.”

Adrian: “!”

So the two he discarded were—

“Indeed—two more ‘Night Assailants,’” Kira grinned. “And once again, they retrieve each other back to my hand.”

Adrian’s face chilled; he understood.

Two Night Assailants are discarded together as the Excavation cost, then they fetch each other—an infinite cost engine.

And with one Excavation in hand and one in GY, the two Spells can loop each other—an infinite Spell activation loop.

At first glance, it’s just cycling resources between hand and GY—no net gain. But with Royal Magical Library, it’s different.

Each activation puts a counter on Library; every three counters draws a card.

That’s an infinite draw loop!

“You plan to deck yourself out…?” Adrian growled.

“Hahaha—of course not.”

In moments, Kira had a fistful of cards—nearly half his Deck in hand.

“Alright, that should do. The cast is in position; the performance is about to begin.”

Adrian frowned.

Performance?

“I equip the ‘Wonder Wand’ to Royal Magical Library,” Kira said. “I send Library and Wand to the GY to draw 2 cards.”

“Then one last ‘Magical Stone Excavation’—discard two to return the other Excavation from the GY.”

Adrian noticed that this time, Kira didn’t use Night Assailants to retrieve each other.

So he didn’t discard Assailants this time?

A thought struck Adrian.

One last Excavation… was it to send a specific card from hand to the GY?

“I Normal Summon ‘Asura Priest.’”

[Asura Priest, ATK 1700]

“I activate the Spell ‘Necro Sacrifice’—by Special Summoning one or two monsters from my GY to your field, I reduce the number of Tributes needed for a Tribute Summon based on the number Summoned.” (Anime card)

A beam of gold shot from Kira’s Duel Disk.

“I Special Summon ‘Tainted Wisdom’ to your field!”

[Tainted Wisdom, ATK 1250]

Adrian: “?”

What the heck?

“Then I flip my set Continuous Trap ‘Ultimate Offering.’ By paying 500 Life Points, I can perform 1 additional Normal Summon.”

Kira continued.

“I pay 500 LP to gain an extra Normal Summon. I Tribute Summon a Level 8 monster from my hand.

Thanks to Necro Sacrifice, I reduce the required Tributes by 1—so I Tribute only 1 monster.

I Tribute ‘Asura Priest’ to Tribute Summon! Come, storm cloud—

—Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon!!!”

Adrian: “!?!!?”

His pupils dilated.

Huh?

[Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon, ATK 3000]

Seeing his opponent also Summon Eye of the Typhoon left Adrian momentarily dumbfounded.

It’s not strange that the opponent has it; Cloudians aren’t unique, and Duel King Kira has access to the best printers—he can have anything.

But why run it here?
Just to beat me with my own ace for humiliation?

“Next I activate the Spell ‘Medicine Eater’—the Tribute Summoned monster gains half the ATK and the monster effect of 1 Tributed monster.” (Manga card)

The signature Spell used by the professor from the Industrial Illusion.

“My Eye of the Typhoon gains half of Asura Priest’s ATK and its monster effect.”

[Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon, ATK 3000 → 3850]

“Asura Priest’s effect: if your opponent controls a monster, it can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each,” Kira smiled.

Adrian frowned.

Giving Eye multiple attacks… and then?
No matter what, One Day of Peace means I take no damage this turn—

“Then I activate the Field Spell ‘Black Garden.’”

A bizarre botanical garden seized the field—vines crisscrossed everywhere.

“In Black Garden, any monster Summoned next has its ATK halved. Also, whenever either of us Summons a monster, the Garden Special Summons a ‘Rose Token’ to the opponent’s field.”

Adrian said nothing.

Still no idea what he’s aiming for.

“Finally, I use Ultimate Offering again to Summon this card…”

Kira leisurely Summoned a monster.

“I Summon ‘Revival Jam’ in Defense Position.”

[Revival Jam, DEF 500]

“When Revival Jam is destroyed and sent to the GY, it immediately Special Summons itself back—it’s a monster with infinite revival.” (Anime effect)

The same key monster from Yugi’s duel against Marik’s Slifer.

“Of course, due to Black Garden, Jam’s ATK is halved,” Kira added. “And because I Summoned a monster, Black Garden Special Summons a ‘Rose Token’ on your field.”

[Rose Token, ATK 800]

Adrian frowned. “Putting low-ATK Tokens on my field to open me up? But I won’t take any damage this turn.”

“I know.”

Kira smiled.

“Let’s begin. The little game starts now.”

Chapter 850: The Meaningless Loop

“Battle. Eye of the Typhoon—attack ‘Rose Token’!”

Kira’s Cloudian opened its single eye; a raging cyclone roared forth!

Adrian shouted, “One Day of Peace—I won’t take damage!”

“I know. But remember Eye’s effect?” Kira smiled.

Adrian frowned. “When it declares an attack, all monsters’ battle positions change—except Cloudians. So what?”

“The ‘Tainted Wisdom’ I gave you,” Kira beamed. “When Tainted Wisdom changes from Attack to Defense Position, its controller must shuffle their Deck.”

Adrian: “?????”

What kind of pointless effect is that? Is this card sick?

[Tainted Wisdom, ATK 1250 → DEF 800]

“Alright—because Eye attacked, Tainted Wisdom switched to Defense.”

Kira gestured politely.

“Shuffle, please.”

Adrian’s face twitched.

He recalled Kira saying earlier that his Duel Disk was too old to auto-shuffle—very inconvenient…
A ridiculous thought flashed across his mind.

Is this guy going to make me shuffle over and over until my wrist cramps and I doubt life itself—just to prove his ‘new model Duel Disk is necessary’ argument?
But he dismissed the thought at once.

No way anyone could be that bored…

He had no choice but to take his Deck out and shuffle.

The moment he cut and shuffled, though, he jolted as if shocked.

The world spun; it was as if the Deck exerted an invisible gravity dragging him in. He felt himself spinning, falling; his body lost weight. Countless images—and the emotions bound to them—flooded in like a deluge, almost drowning him.

Adrian immediately understood.

They were his memories.

His birth, his abandonment, parched under a scorching sun, stomach empty, staring helplessly at the clouds day after day, quietly waiting for death…
A past long left behind suddenly returned. All the suffering and despair were as vivid as before.

Then came the turning point.

By dumb luck, he was adopted by the Gecko Group. Life was still far from smooth; he faced hellish training and study to become the elite of elites—but at least his life had direction, a goal worth everything.

Until that goal was taken again.

His brother’s birth changed everything. The conglomerate no longer needed him as heir. From the most highly anticipated young master, he retreated into the shadows—a faceless tool. He became a killer, a spy, doing all the dirty work that had to be done.

What he could never forget most was when his brother was gravely ill.

He’d had countless chances to get rid of that brother, reclaim his place, and regain everything.

But in the end, he couldn’t do it.

No—not only did he spare him. When his brother was at death’s door, Adrian personally ran everywhere seeking doctors and medicine, even kneeling and begging, and finally saved him.

In hindsight, without him, his sickly brother might never have survived.

He himself had buried his road to becoming a king.

“Urrrgh!”

Dizzy and reeling, Adrian realized he was on one knee, drenched in sweat and nearly suffocating.

“W-what… what is this?”

He looked at his Deck, then at the field, and only after a while remembered what he’d been doing.

“What’s wrong?” Kira smiled. “The rush of life memories a bit too strong?”

Adrian grit his teeth.

This guy…
He was starting to understand what Kira meant: in this game, his Deck represented his life.

Most of his life was not something he wished to remember. He had numbed himself, refused to think back, and focused only on the task at hand.

Now he was being forced to face those memories—the darkest parts of his life.

“My ‘Revival Jam’ was Summoned in Defense Position,” Kira said lazily. “Because Eye attacked, all non-Cloudians changed battle positions—so Jam switched to Attack Position.

Thanks to Black Garden, Jam’s ATK is halved—only 750.”

[Revival Jam, ATK 750]

“Revival Jam attacks ‘Cloudian - Nimbusman.’”

[Cloudian - Nimbusman, ATK 1500]

Adrian: “!”

A suicide run?

As expected, Nimbusman’s casual gust blew Jam apart. But it immediately reformed, returning to its original shape.

[Revival Jam, DEF 500]

“Due to your ‘One Day of Peace,’ I also take no battle damage this turn,” Kira said mildly. “When Revival Jam is destroyed, it immediately revives on the field.

Also, because I Special Summoned a monster again, ‘Black Garden’ Special Summons another ‘Rose Token’ on your field.”

[Rose Token, ATK 800]

Kira smiled. “My ‘Eye of the Typhoon’ can attack all your monsters once each this turn—don’t forget.”

Adrian: “!”

He now realized.

This is—

“Eye of the Typhoon, attack the newly Summoned ‘Rose Token’!” Kira said. “When Eye attacks, all non-Cloudians’ battle positions change. ‘Tainted Wisdom’ switches back to Attack Position!”

[Tainted Wisdom, DEF 800 → ATK 1250]

“After that, since my ‘Revival Jam’ just revived during the Battle Phase, its number of attacks has reset.

Revival Jam attacks ‘Cloudian - Nimbusman’ again!”

Naturally, Jam was blown apart again, then reformed immediately.

“Revival Jam Special Summons itself again,” Kira said. “‘Black Garden’ Special Summons a new ‘Rose Token’ on your field.”

“Eye can attack all your monsters, so it attacks the newly Summoned ‘Rose Token’ again.

At this moment, Eye’s effect changes all non-Cloudians’ battle positions. ‘Tainted Wisdom’ switches from Attack back to Defense.”

Kira paused, then chuckled.

“When Tainted Wisdom changes position, its controller must shuffle their Deck. Go on—shuffle.”

Adrian’s face began to twitch.

This damn…
Infinite loop!

PS: Damn another form of suffering.