"The challenger can choose who goes first."
Senior Watanabe Hideyuki was quite magnanimous, seemingly trying to show the calm demeanor of a senior and expert.
"Come on, do you want to go first or second?"
Of course, Yugen wasn't shy: "Then I'll go first, draw a card."
He drew three cards in one go.
"Cover a monster on the field, then set two cards face down in the backfield. Turn ends."
"Starting with a defensive posture, huh." Senior Shuichi nodded slightly, commenting, "But can you withstand the assault of my insect deck?"
"My turn, draw a card!"
Indeed, based on the information Yugen had gathered, Watanabe Hideyuki was using an Insect Race-themed card deck. The most famous user of the insect theme back in the day was Insect Moth, the legendary duelist and former national champion, although rumors say he was utterly defeated and went into seclusion after being thrashed by the First Generation Duel King, Muto Yuugi. He hasn't been seen in years since he retired from dueling.
But during his championship days, he did trigger an insect craze and spurred the development of many new insect cards. Although long gone, there are still many duelists who use Insect Race decks.
Watanabe Hideyuki: "Activate Continuous Magic 'Great Tree Sea'!"
Even though it's a Continuous Magic, its effect is similar to a field card. A vast green ocean unfurled on the field, creating a vibrant spring-like environment, with vines and trees rising from the ground, forming a breeding ground for insects.
"Then summon 'Stand-in Locust'!"
[Stand-in Locust, Attack Power 1000]
"Pay attention, junior, I won't go easy on you just because this is a recruitment test!" Shuichi warned, "Activate the Magic Card 'Black Hole'! Destroy all the monsters on the field!"
The power of the Black Hole unfolded on the field, its overwhelming gravity destroying everything. Both Shuichi's locust and Yugen's covered monster were smashed to pieces.
"My covered monster is 'Three-eyed Monster'," Yugen said, "When this card is sent to the graveyard, I can add a monster with Attack Power 1500 or less from my deck to my hand.
I'll add this card from my deck..."
He revealed the Monster Card he searched for.
"... and add the 'Magical Beast - Cerberus' with Attack Power 1400 to my hand."
"Then I'll also use the effect of 'Stand-in Locust'," said Senior Shuichi, "When Stand-in Locust is sent from the field to the graveyard, I can Special Summon an Insect Race monster from my hand!
Therefore, I Special Summon this guy!
From the depths of the dark forest, the Reaper of Death now appears—
—Scythe Killer, summon!"
A six-legged insect killer, holding a Grim Reaper-like scythe, descended majestically into the Great Tree Sea.
[Scythe Killer, Attack Power 2300]
A new student couldn't help but exclaim, "He summoned a top-tier monster right off the bat!"
"Using 'Black Hole' to clear the opponent's field and trigger 'Stand-in Locust's effect, as expected of a main force in the Dueling Department..."
Watanabe Hideyuki: "It's not over yet! The effect of the Continuous Magic 'Great Tree Sea' allows me to add an Insect Race monster with the same Level to my hand when an Insect Race monster on my field is sent to the graveyard.
I'll add another 'Stand-in Locust' to my hand from the deck."
He pulled out the card deck, selected a second "Stand-in Locust," and shuffled it back into the Duel Disc.
"Go, attack directly with 'Scythe Killer'!"
The insect killer charged forward, ready to swing its lethal scythe. Yugen calmly flipped one of his face-down cards.
"Activate Cover Card, Trap Card - Thunder Break! Discard a card to destroy any one card on the field. Destroy 'Scythe Killer'!"
Watanabe Hideyuki: "!"
Dark clouds churned above the field, and a devilish hand reached out, unleashing a bolt of lightning. With a single strike, the green insect was blasted into ashes by the unmatched power.
"Tch, so you set up a trap like that..."
"And the card I just discarded from my hand was 'Black Forest Witch.' When this card is sent to the graveyard, I can search for a monster with Defense Power 1500 or less from my deck."
Both the Witch and Three-eyed Monster have undergone two rounds of nerfing. The most recent change added the restriction that the searched card can't be activated this turn, and an earlier change required the effect to be activated only when sent from the field to the graveyard.
In the animated series, these two are consistent with the early, long-out-of-print versions of the physical cards from back in the day, possessing truly Forbidden Card-level universal search functionality. Their effects can be triggered whether discarded from the hand or directly from the deck to the graveyard.
"I'll add 'Leader - Zarug' with Defense Power 1500 to my hand from the deck."
"So the battle phase is over."
Watanabe Hideyuki scoffed, "If you think I'd leave my field open just because of that, you're underestimating me... Activate the Magic Card 'Revive the Dead'! Revive the monster from my graveyard.
Return to my field, Scythe Killer!"
[Scythe Killer, Attack Power 2300]
"Then set a card face down, ending my turn."
"My turn, draw a card." Yugen said, "Activate the Magic Card 'Angel's Charity.' Draw three cards from my deck, then discard two cards from my hand."
Two cards were sent to the graveyard, but an image of one quickly appeared.
"One of the discarded cards is 'Card of Compensation.' When this card is sent from the hand to the graveyard, I draw two cards from my deck." (Original Card)
Leveraging a combination of Forbidden Cards and unique anime draw engines, he rapidly cycled through his deck. However, even with the new cards in hand, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
Yesterday, when he exchanged credits for cards, he happened to come across an old legendary combo in the Academy Department. He intended to test it today, but it seems his Divine Draw ability still needs work. Despite cycling through the deck this way, he hadn't managed to assemble the combo pieces right away.
So he decided to pull out a Magic Card to ease the tension.
"Magic Card 'Thorny God's Insecticide'." Yugen said, "Destroy all face-up Insect Race monsters on the field!"
Watanabe Hideyuki: "???"
You're activating... what!??
A giant hand emerged from the black vortex, holding a pesticide spray. The spray swept across the field, splitting the Scythe Killer in half. Senior Shuichi nearly split apart with it.
Not...
Why on earth are you using that card!?
He held a nasty expression for a long moment, unable to hold back any longer and asked, "Um... junior, do you usually keep this card in your Deck?"
Yugen decisively replied, "Of course not."
Why would I randomly carry something like this around?
Insect Race is so niche, I could play ten matches and not encounter it once. I'd just be hindering my Deck with this card.
"Then you..."
"I added it specifically for facing you, senior." Yugen said without hesitation.
A gentleman is straightforward and takes responsibility.
However, Senior Shuichi felt like he was hit with a silent hammer, making him see stars.
He just wanted to say, "You're brutally honest, aren't you..."
The surrounding students were momentarily silent, unsure of what to say. Only fellow student Chazz showed a long-lost smile.
He knew it, he just knew it!
He realized there was something off when he saw them scrutinizing the information of the defending members before the match. That was when he picked the member named Shuichi, certain that he was the one with the purest deck among the defenders. After all, these days, people often have decks with a mix of monster types and attributes, and not every deck is so easily targeted. But Yugen scanned through them and found that this one person's deck was indeed purely insects.
Chazz's classmate observed, "You're looking a bit too pleased again..."
Chazz: "...No way."