Who Let Him Play Yugioh? (Re-Upload)

Attack Seal!

Because of the effect of Tuning Barrier, since Kira currently has Tuner monsters ”Scrap Beast” and ”Scrap Orthros” on the field, he cannot attack for the next three turns.

By this point, Lazar’s deck strategy is very clear: it targets Synchro monsters.

After all, this is the Synchro Dimension, where nine out of ten powerful duelists play Synchro. In such an environment, Lazar purposefully goes against the grain by not using Synchros himself, but focusing on anti-Synchro tactics.

In just a single turn of setup, he’s already sealed off Synchro summoning and attacking—a true prodigy on the path of locking his opponent out, thought Kira.

Most decks currently reliant on Synchro Summoning hardly have any low-level monsters with more than 1000 ATK. Once Synchro is sealed, their offense is crippled. In this meta, Lazar’s stall deck might actually be strong.

”Can’t summon, can’t attack? Fine, I’ll set a card and end my turn,” Kira reminded.

”But at the end of this turn, the effect from ’Imperial Register’ on ’Jester Lord’ ends, so its ATK boost disappears and it returns to normal.”

[Jester Lord, ATK: 0]

Seeing his lock take effect, Lazar’s confidence swelled.

Looks like this fake Director Goodwin isn’t completely invincible after all.

”Wait for me, wife, son, Daddy’s going to defeat evil and return to your side!” he shouted.

Kira remained calm. He was used to this. Somehow he always ended up in the role of ”villain,” while the opponent would spout lines about friendship and bonds, trying to unleash some hidden power to KO him instantly. He’d been through this many times.

”My turn, draw!” Lazar declared.

”I summon ’Jester Queen’!” (Anime card)

[Jester Queen, ATK: 800]

”When Jester Queen is successfully summoned, I have to destroy all cards in my Spell & Trap Zone—that’s what usually happens.”

Lazar smiled confidently.

”But I’ve already activated this card!

Continuous Trap ’Imperial Custom’!

As long as this card remains on the field, neither player can destroy face-up continuous trap cards, except for ’Imperial Custom’ itself.

So, the only card affected by Jester Queen’s effect is ’Imperial Custom.’ ’Tuning Barrier’, ’Imperial Register,’ and ’Discord’ are all protected and won’t be destroyed!”

He slotted another card from his hand into his Duel Disk.

”And finally, Continuous Spell ’Hidden Passage’!

If you only have monsters with less ATK than your opponent’s monsters, you can choose one monster you control to attack your opponent directly this turn!” (Anime card)

At this time, Lazar only had two monsters on the field. Since Jester Lord reverts to 0 ATK when another monster is present, only Jester Queen can be selected.

Lazar: ”I’ll let Jester Queen attack directly!”

Kira: ”Oh? What’s Jester Queen’s ability?”

Lazar: ”That’s right! Jester Queen can attack a number of times per turn equal to the number of cards in my Spell & Trap Zone!”

Kira: ”You currently have ’Hidden Passage,’ ’Discord,’ ’Tuning Barrier,’ and ’Imperial Register’ for a total of four.”

”Exactly!” Lazar declared triumphantly. ”So Jester Queen gets to attack four times! Go! Direct attack, four in a row!”

Jester Queen leaped up, hurling four orbs of light. A series of explosions engulfed Kira and his half of the field in smoke.

[Kira, LP: 4000 → 3200 → 2400 → 1600 → 800]

Kira staggered back a few steps, then dusted himself off.

”Oh my, is this the power of a man determined to protect his family? Terrifying! I was almost KO’d!”

”That’s right, this is my resolve to protect! No matter what happens, no matter who the enemy is, I’ll never let anything separate my family from me!” Lazar said.

”I know I’m a despicable person. For money, survival, I can sacrifice my dignity, dirty my hands. Even if it means being someone’s dog, I don’t care. Whatever it takes.

But! Even a lowly person like me has a bottom line!”

He pounded his fist against his chest.

”I will never, NEVER give up on my family! I’ll protect them to the very end!”

Clap clap clap—

Kira applauded.

”So moving, so impressive,” Kira shook his head as if torn. ”I almost feel guilty for having to beat you.”

”Still talking big, huh?” Lazar gritted his teeth, ”But your Life Points are already hanging by a thread.”

He shook his head and stopped speaking.

”I’ll switch ’Jester Lord’ to Defense Position and end my turn.”

[Jester Lord, ATK: 0 → DEF: 0]

Kira: ”My turn, draw.”

He drew a card and revealed it.

”I activate Spell Card ’Magic Planter,’ sending the Continuous Spell ’Infected Mail’ to the Graveyard to draw two cards from my deck.”

He drew two cards.

”Quick-Play Spell ’Scrapstorm.’”

He revealed one of the cards he drew.

”Send one ’Scrap’ from the deck to the Graveyard, then draw a card, and destroy a ’Scrap’ monster you control.”

He revealed the card he was searching.

”I send ’Scrap Searcher’ from my deck to the Graveyard, then destroy ’Scrap Beast’ on my field.”

Scrap Beast exploded in a burst of energy as Kira drew another card.

”Next, tribute ’Scrap Chimera’ for an Advanced Summon!”

He showed another card from his hand.

”Level 5—Scrap Golem!”

[Scrap Golem, ATK: 2300]

”Golem’s effect: once per turn, special summon a Level 4 or lower ’Scrap’ from your Graveyard to either your own or your opponent’s field.

I special summon ’Scrap Searcher’ from the graveyard… to YOUR field!”

Lazar: ”????”

Wh—?

Special summon it to my field…?

Huh?!

[Scrap Searcher, ATK: 100]

Lazar stared dumbly as the little bird trotted over and made itself at home on his side, totally baffled.

He’s giving me a scrap?

”Searcher’s effect,” Kira said calmly, ”When this card is special summoned, destroy all face-up monsters on its controller’s side of the field not named ’Scrap.’”

All monsters not named ”Scrap”…

Lazar: ”!!!”

Nani!?

But I don’t even HAVE any ’Scrap’ monsters!

”That’s right,” Kira smiled, ”So, all your monsters except the ’Scrap Searcher’ are destroyed.

Goodbye, clowns.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A fiery storm instantly engulfed both Jester Lord and Jester Queen, obliterating them in a single blast.

Lazar stared, teeth gritted, eyes popping with fury: ”Damn it! My clowns…”

”Don’t get mad yet—it’s not over,” Kira smiled, waving casually.

”Now I activate my set card, Trap Card ’Foolish Revival.’

Select one monster from your opponent’s graveyard and Special Summon it to their field in face-up Defense Position.”

Lazar: ”?”

What’s this weird card now?

Why would he give the opponent a monster—is he donating resources?

Such generosity in a card game feels so awkward…

At that moment, Lazar suddenly thought of something horrifying. His eyes contracted, hands and feet went cold, pupils shrinking in fear.

”Oh? You noticed, huh?” Kira smiled.

”That’s right. The monster I revive from your graveyard is your own ’Jester Queen’!”

[Jester Queen, DEF: 800]

”When Jester Queen is summoned or Special Summoned, all Spell and Trap cards on its controller’s field are destroyed!”

With a snap of his fingers, Kira declared,

”Your backrow says goodbye, too.”

”No—stop—AAAAAAHH!” Lazar covered his head and howled.

But he was powerless. His backrow—Imperial Register, Discord, Tuning Barrier, Hidden Passage—exploded, one after another.

Lazar fell to his knees, utterly despairing.

How… how could this happen?

In just one turn, two monsters summoned to his field blew up his entire, once-impenetrable board. And one of them was his own!

Right now, Lazar felt like he’d been clown’d—literally.

”Lastly, Equip Spell ’Megamorph!’ I equip it to Scrap Golem,” Kira declared. ”When you have less LP than your opponent, the equipped monster’s ATK is doubled.

With my measly 800 LP, Scrap Golem’s ATK doubles.”

[Scrap Golem, ATK: 2300 → 4600]

”Battle,” Kira said, ”Scrap Golem attacks ’Scrap Searcher’.”

[Scrap Searcher, ATK: 100]

The Golem’s heavy fist smashed down, and shrapnel from the bird’s destruction sent a shockwave of over 4000 damage crashing through Lazar.

”Ahhhh!”

[Lazar, LP: 4000 → 0]

Lazar tumbled to the ground, world spinning, eyes darkening.

I… lost?

A legendary Shadow Duel, a duel with life on the line. This was one he absolutely could not afford to lose. He’d promised—promised to always be there for his wife and child…

Lazar squeezed his eyes shut in pain.

”I’m sorry—I’m useless. Daddy has to leave first…”

At that moment, ”Goodwin’s” cold voice rang out beside him.

”You’ve lost. Get some sleep. When you wake up, you’ll be back in the Sector Security offices. The only thing you’ll remember is working overtime all night.

Forget everything about this duel, or that email.”

Forget all of it.

”…Huh?”

Lazar’s eyes flew open in shock, turning to look at ”Director Goodwin.”

”I… don’t have to die?”

…