"Duel King Fujiki Kira!?"
Camula's face had already changed.
"How is this possible?" she hissed. "You shouldn't be here right now."
"You used bats to monitor my movements and deliberately avoided me, didn't you?" Kira smiled. "Just like how you had bats tail Zane so you could strike once he was alone?"
"!"
Camula said nothing, only staring daggers at Kira.
After a moment, she spoke. "You noticed?"
"I did. My spirits helped me locate every one of your familiars. You thought you were peeping on us through them, but by watching your familiars in turn, I could see what you were seeing, what you were plotting... even what you planned to do next."
"!"
Her pupils shrank. She looked at Zane in shock.
She had her bat familiars circle the island to pick out students she fancied as targets, and she'd also peek at their decks in advance to prepare accordingly.
But Kira had turned that against her. By tracking the bats, he deduced who Camula was likely to set her sights on, and he warned each possible target ahead of time.
"So you weren't using Dragons at all."
"Honestly, I didn't think it would matter," Zane said. "I've entered public tournaments more than once. If anyone wanted to research me, they could see from past matches that I use a Cyber Dragon deck. Even though Kira warned me and I swapped to a pure Dragon build when the bats were watching, I didn't expect you to actually fall for it."
"Well, can't hurt to try," Kira chuckled. "And even pros swap decks now and then. Besides, this vampire lady has been pulling the same trick for years and trusts whatever her familiars see without question. Seemed worth a shot."
"Damn you, Duel King," Camula growled.
So devious—feeding her false intel like that!
In the original, Camula would stop at nothing to win her duels, and she was very confident in her strength. In the anime, her entire castle appeared before the Academy crowd, a red carpet rolling straight onto the island as she swaggered in and declared they could send anyone—they'd all fall before her.
But now she'd clearly toned it down. No grandstanding, no public challenge—she was sneaking around the school picking off targets she'd marked.
Obviously, to avoid Kira.
Kira sighed lightly.
The Duel King title has plenty of perks, but also its downsides.
These days, most villains steer clear as soon as they see the glow. Hard to even farm any easy marks…
"Continue the duel," Zane said.
Camula collected herself, narrowing her eyes at him.
One way or another, she needed to focus on the duel first. Deal with this man in front of her, then think about how to slip away from the Duel King.
Damn that cunning Duel King—crafty himself and even tipping off others. Now all the setup she did to counter a Dragon deck had turned into dead weight choking her own strategy.
"Even if you fused a 4000 ATK finisher, monsters summoned by Future Fusion can't attack this turn," Camula said coolly.
"I know," Zane barked. "Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion! I'll undo 'Cyber End Dragon' and Special Summon the three Fusion Materials from the Graveyard."
The massive End Dragon crackled with electricity. Its silver-white shell split apart and separated into three towering figures.
Three Cyber Dragons!
[Cyber Dragon, ATK 2100] x3
"Losing its equipped target, the Equip Spell 'Future Fusion' naturally destroys itself and leaves the field."
The Equip in Zane's back row shattered.
"But the Cyber Dragons summoned by De-Fusion aren't under any attack restrictions," Zane shouted. "Battle! All three Cyber Dragons, full assault!
"First one, attack 'Zombie Werewolf'!"
"Straight to lethal range, huh... An all-out bruiser," Camula gritted out.
Going straight for an OTK—this was Kaiser's most comfortable style: overwhelming force to finish in the shortest time, leaving the opponent in tatters before they even knew what happened under the relentless Evolution Bursts.
"Evolution Burst!"
The beam from Cyber Dragon's maw pierced the werewolf. Camula cried out, staggering back under the wash of light and flame.
[Camula, LP 4000 → LP 3100]
"But the werewolf isn't dead," Camula snapped. "Zombie Werewolf's effect! When this card is destroyed by battle, Special Summon another copy from your Deck."
A golden flash shot from her Deck.
"Special Summon the second 'Zombie Werewolf'!"
The gold light struck and coalesced into the werewolf again. It threw back its head to howl at the moon, chains clattering in its grip.
"Through this effect, Zombie Werewolf's ATK increases by 500." Camula paused and smiled. "Well, even with +500 it's no match for a Cyber Dragon.
"So I'll switch 'Zombie Werewolf' to Defense Position."
At her command, the werewolf obediently crouched, shifting to Defense.
[Zombie Werewolf, DEF 1200]
"Then Cyber Dragon No. 2 attacks!" Zane pressed on.
The second unit opened its jaws; electricity coursed down its steel frame, gathering as a roaring Evolution Burst!
The werewolf shattered again under the blast.
"It'll be the same no matter how many times you try," Camula said. "Special Summon a third 'Zombie Werewolf' from the Deck, in Defense Position!"
[Zombie Werewolf, DEF 1200]
"Then Cyber Dragon No. 3—attack!" Zane called. "Evolution Burst!"
Another blast, another werewolf shattered. The shockwave rolled out in a gust, flipping up the vampire's skirt hem; long white legs flashed in and out of sight.
"You can only run three copies of a card," Zane barked. "In other words, your so-called zombie werewolf has only three lives. And now all three are gone."
"Tch."
Camula snorted.
"But that means all three of your Cyber Dragons have attacked. The werewolves may be done reviving, but they fulfilled their mission—blocking your attacks."
"Is that really so?" Zane said coldly.
"What?"
Zane revealed another card.
"Quick-Play Spell, Photon Generator Unit!" he said. "Tribute two 'Cyber Dragons' you control, and Special Summon 'Cyber Laser Dragon' from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard!"
Two Cyber Dragons vanished from his field, and in a writhing storm of electric serpents, a laser-bearing dragon descended!
Cyber Laser Dragon, summon!
[Cyber Laser Dragon, ATK 2400]
Camula's face changed. "It can still attack!?"
It was only the first turn!
How many times are you going to hit me this turn!?
"Cyber Laser Dragon, direct attack!" Zane shouted.
The new dragon flicked its tail, firing a laser lance from the tip! The beam punched straight through Camula's chest. She screamed, face going paper-white as she dropped to one knee.
[Camula, LP 3100 → LP 700]
The vampire clutched her chest, trembling from the pain.
"Ugh. Not cute at all."
She muttered this, then couldn't help shooting a vicious glare at Kira.
It was all his fault.
If that sly Duel King hadn't misled her with bogus intel, her backrow lock would not look like the antics of a clown...
Camula's face darkened further.
What a joke.
At this rate... she might actually lose.
PS: Bonus chapter at 300 PS
PS2: Congratz NRG.