"Heh! As expected of Ryo Marufuji—he broke through You Feng's setup flawlessly in the first turn!"
"Now that the lockdown is broken, there's no way You Feng can stop Ryo Marufuji's one-turn kill combo! Nyoho~!"
Professor Chronos smirked confidently from the sidelines.
"Heh, not necessarily," countered Principal Samejima calmly.
"You Feng... show me the strength you claim to have."
Ryo Marufuji's tone was cold and calm as he glanced down at his hand.
"First, I activate a Spell Card from my hand: [Time Capsule]!"
"This card lets me select one card from my Deck and banish it face-down. Then, during my second Standby Phase after activation, I destroy this card and add the selected card to my hand."
Ryo placed the card on his Duel Disk.
A radiant light flashed across the field as a futuristic sarcophagus with a glowing blue face emerged. Inside, a card lay sealed.
The crowd collectively swallowed their breath.
This was Ryo Marufuji's trademark opening.
The calm before the storm.
Anyone who had dueled him before knew just how deadly he was.
It was widely assumed the card he placed in the [Time Capsule] was his infamous [Power Bond].
After all, this was the lynchpin of his signature Cyber OTK strategy—an instant-kill tactic centered around overwhelming power!
"Here it comes! Ryo Marufuji's [Power Bond]! In two turns, we might witness a field-crushing finish!" Misawa Daichi muttered, his brow furrowed. He was curious to see whether You Feng's Monarch deck could withstand that kind of brute force.
"How can he possibly win?"
"It's already accelerating... from turn one?"
Tenjoin Asuka tensed when she saw the [Time Capsule]. In her experience, if Ryo got to that card's effect, he never lost. As soon as it appeared, the pace of the duel sped up. There were simply no exceptions.
"Th-This card again… The feeling of helplessness back then…"
Yuki Judai remembered all too well what it felt like to be completely overrun. He had secretly challenged Ryo before, but was obliterated in a single turn.
He couldn't even fight back.
"This... It's over from the start. You Feng won't be able to handle it now. My brother has this in the bag!" Sho Marufuji clenched his fists, eyes shining with pride.
But You Feng stood calm amidst the growing tension. While others couldn't see Ryo's set card, You Feng's sharp perception—almost like a mind scan—gave him insight. He narrowed his eyes.
As expected, that card was no surprise.
"You Feng! It's time to see how your Monarchs hold up!"
Ryo pointed his Duel Disk toward his opponent.
"First! Since you control a monster and I do not, I can Special Summon this card from my hand."
"Come forth—Cyber Dragon!"
With a dramatic flourish, a sleek, silver dragon materialized onto the field in a bolt of energy.
[Cyber Dragon]
LIGHT / Level 5 / Machine
ATK: 2100 / DEF: 1600
"Then, I Set one card face-down!"
Ryo Set a card calmly. Just one card remained in his hand.
Just when the audience thought he was finished—
Ryo lifted his final card.
"This duel is just getting started!"
"I activate the Spell Card—Card of Sanctity!"
"This turn, both players draw until they have six cards in hand!"
"My hand is empty—I draw six!"
"Your hand has two—you draw four!"
As the [Card of Sanctity] activated, excitement exploded in the arena.
"Schhhk! Schhhk! Schhhk!"
Cards shot into both players' hands like lightning.
The crowd erupted.
"Damn! That's brutal!"
"As expected from the perfect duelist—dump your hand, then reload with Card of Sanctity!"
"With Cyber Dragon, this man plays like every turn is his last!"
"Who can even survive Caesar's full turn?!"
"You Feng's done for!"
The entire Duel Academy was on fire with anticipation.
"Heh-heh!! Beautifully done, Ryo Marufuji! Stay on course and crush You Feng before he gets started! Nyoho~!" Professor Chronos was practically bouncing with excitement.
"As expected from the best of the Light dorm… With this setup, You Feng won't be able to retaliate." Asuka shook her head.
Ryo was already strong—but this hand was god-tier. No one could stop it.
"What a shame… Ryo's opening is just too perfect." Misawa sighed.
"Big bro! Go get him!"
"Crush You Feng! Then his precious Monarch deck is yours!" Sho was gleaming with excitement.
"Sho… That's a bit much." Judai coughed awkwardly. That was way too obvious.
The tension in the crowd peaked.
But You Feng remained unfazed, his mental focus absolute.
"Too bad, You Feng! It's over for you!"
"Your Monarchs can't stop my Cyber Dragon!"
Ryo looked at the cards in his hand and declared triumphantly.
"Is that so?"
"Then let's get serious."
You Feng's expression didn't waver.
"As you wish."
"I also summon a monster from my hand—Cyber Dragon Core!"
Ryo played a card with sharp precision.
With a flash, another dragon emerged—sleeker, smaller, and lined with glowing red circuitry.
[Cyber Dragon Core]
LIGHT / Level 2 / Machine
ATK: 400 / DEF: 1500
"When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add a Spell or Trap with 'Cyber' in its name from my Deck to my hand."
Ryo had not only summoned another monster but also added a critical support card. His hand remained full.
"You even have that card?"
"Is that one of the Golden List rewards?"
You Feng raised an eyebrow. Clearly, this wasn't a beginner's deck.
But Ryo wasn't done.
"Next—I activate my Set Spell Card—Polymerization!"
His eyes gleamed as his voice rang out.
"I fuse the Cyber Dragon in my hand with the two on my field—Cyber Dragon and Cyber Dragon Core!"
"Fusion Summon! From my Extra Deck—Cyber End Dragon!!"
With a booming command, three dragons swirled into the air, merging into a towering mechanical colossus.
ROAR—!!
A tidal wave of wind blasted across the field.
The monstrous machine landed with a quake.
And Ryo still held five cards in hand.
[Cyber End Dragon]
LIGHT / Level 10 / Machine
ATK: 4000 / DEF: 2800
"It's here!! It finally appeared—Caesar's ace card—Cyber End Dragon!!"
"You Feng's strong, but no one's ever survived this dragon's arrival!"
"Cyber End Dragon never loses!"
"He's done! It's game over!"
The crowd was already celebrating Ryo's victory.
"Heh-heh-heh!! Finish it, Ryo Marufuji! Use your Cyber End Dragon to crush that arrogant You Feng! Nyoho~!"
Chronos looked almost delirious with joy.
He had been waiting for You Feng to fall.