Chapter 44: There's Even a Jade Feet Segment?
"Mr. Amano, the cards you ordered last week have arrived. Please sign and pay the fee."
At the District 31 Duelist Service Center counter, after waiting a week, Amano finally received his long-anticipated package.
It's already 5026, and despite being sent from mid-Tower to lower-Tower, it took this long? This world's logistics system was worse than three thousand years ago.
Initially, with 40,000+ Eva Points remaining, Amano had planned to order another Polymerization online to boost his deck strength.
After all, according to Finesse, before joining the high school division at age 18, one must choose among the three major academies and pass their entrance duel examination.
Fusion, Synchro, Xyz Academies—representing the three most mainstream summoning methods involving Extra Decks within Eden Tower.
No Pendulum or Link Academies existed.
Actually, Link Summoning did exist within Eden Tower.
However, people possessing Link cards were genuinely rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns—so rare that no dedicated academy was established.
How rare exactly? Even if scarce, Amano had guessed at least several hundred people.
The actual answer: fewer than ten people, all over fifty years old.
As if Eva's system deliberately wanted Link Summoning to gradually phase out.
As for Pendulum—in Eden's millennia of history, it truly never existed. Even Finesse had never heard of it, which was why she looked completely baffled when Amano inquired.
With only three academies to choose from, Amano's current best fit was undoubtedly Fusion Academy.
After all, the legendary duelist Kaiser Ryo once said—Fusion Summoning is the noblest summoning method.
Well, actually it was because of the entrance examination rules.
To join the three major academies, you must prove you possessed corresponding potential.
The entrance examination duel test's difficulty wasn't particularly high, but it had one rule: only monsters using the corresponding summoning method were allowed.
In Fusion Academy's entrance exam, you could only Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck through Fusion Summoning.
Other academies followed the same principle.
With only one Polymerization in his entire deck, Amano's Fusion purity was far too low—hence wanting to purchase another online.
However, with enrollment approaching, Polymerization's price had spiked from 30,000+ to nearly 50,000.
Due to entrance examination rules, presumably many shared Amano's thinking.
Having spent all family assets assembling Shio's deck with only 40,000+ remaining, Amano truly couldn't make such an extravagant purchase.
So Amano settled for second-best, shifting his online purchase target to this card.
Amano opened the package for inspection.
Trap Card: Necro Fusion
Yep, definitely this card. 99% new condition, perfect quality, no obvious corner bends or wear.
How could Necro Fusion not count as Fusion?
Though trap Fusion activated one turn slower, it had the advantage of using Graveyard monsters as Fusion materials.
Most importantly, it only cost 25,000—shipping included. Half of Polymerization's current market price.
Fusion should not be such an inconvenient thing.
Ding~ Alipay payment: 25,000.
[Remaining Eva Points: 15,755]
Next, Amano decided to spend 10,000 more on one "Vanilla" ten-pull.
The remaining money would serve as living expenses for him and Shio in Academy City.
Eva terminal connected to virtual space, opening the card pack before him. Ten card backs hovered ahead, awaiting Amano's reveal.
Ten-pulls—regardless of era or environment—always excited people.
Anticipation for unknown rewards, fantasies of getting lucky—completely exploiting human weakness. No wonder every gacha game was full of gambling addicts.
Even limited to the "Vanilla" archetype ten-pull, Amano harbored dreams.
Though most monsters pulled from the Vanilla pool were weak, some Spell/Trap support limited to Normal Monsters could also be drawn from Eva's terminal.
With Amano's card game understanding spanning three thousand years—
Vanilla monsters could pursue one ultimate dream.
"Adamancipator"
If Normal Monster support "Adamancipator" cards also existed in the "Vanilla" pool, Amano felt his deck's potential absolutely wouldn't fall behind Kikawayu's or Shio's.
Reality was always far crueler than dreams.
Amano flipped the first six cards—mostly still trash.
Only one Continuous Trap Card, Pure Lineage, whose effect revived Normal Monsters from the Graveyard, could be added to his deck.
Until the last four cards remained, Amano suddenly detected familiar golden light from their backs.
Just like when he'd flipped Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"Golden Legendary?"
And four entire cards all flickering with golden light!
Who says dreams are out of reach♪~♫~
If these were Normal Monsters at Blue-Eyes White Dragon's rarity level—
No, even slightly weaker ones like Summoned Skull would constitute massive improvements for current Amano.
"Come on, golden legendary!"
Amano excitedly flipped the cards.
"..."
Well, they were definitely golden.
Strictly speaking, they were legendary Vanilla monsters whose fame absolutely didn't lose to Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
However...
"Why is it a foot?"
There's even a jade feet segment.
[Right Leg of the Forbidden One] [1✪ DARK]
[Spellcaster] [ATK: 200] [DEF: 300]
[A forbidden right leg sealed by magic. Whosoever breaks this seal will know infinite power.]
Yu-Gi-Oh!'s universally known classic monster representing absolute victory—Exodia.
In the anime Amano watched as a child, it had also been translated as "Dark Master."
Looking at this single right leg presented before him, Amano suddenly had an ominous premonition and flipped the remaining three cards at once.
[Right Arm of the Forbidden One]
[Left Arm of the Forbidden One]
[Left Leg of the Forbidden One]
Amano burst out laughing—the bitter kind.
Four Exodia pieces indeed fit the "Vanilla" archetype.
However...
Where's the head?!!
What good are they without the head?!!
Among the five pieces, only the head was an Effect Monster.
[Exodia the Forbidden One]
And the head's effect was most crucial—when all five Exodia pieces assembled in your hand, instantly win the duel.
Headless Exodia's ATK didn't even match Yuyu's!
Feeling played by the system, Amano immediately listed these four cards online to see if anyone would pay high prices.
Just in case—and I mean just in case—
What if somewhere in this world, there was another sucker who only had the head?
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