After staring at Mokey Mokey Adrift with the -д-? face for a few seconds, Arnold finally snapped out of his daze; anger, as if mocked, crept across his dark cheeks.
"What is that trash monster… Are you kidding me?! Do you think I'm beneath you?!"
It was nothing like Arnold had imagined. No high Attack, no powerful effect—through and through, a tofu block with zero fighting power.
But contrary to Arnold's displeasure and anger, two people on the scene instantly grew unreasonably excited the moment Mokey appeared.
"Eek! A new-expression Mokey! AAAAH, it's too cute! I want to scoop it up and take a big sniff!"
Easily charmed by cute Duel Monsters, Princess Nova let out a shriek the moment she spotted the subtly different expression on Mokey Mokey Adrift.
And the other person who got hyped because of Mokey… was the pancake stall owner.
Taking it upon himself to start commentary, the boss—quite knowledgeable about Fusion Academy's Duelists—was thrilled to see the famed Mokey again.
"So it appears… the rumored ace of Aisha Carlos! A tofu exterior hiding miracles of endless comebacks—the monster with the greatest surprise factor. And this time it's even a brand-new form. Seeing it with my own eyes… what a payday!"
"Eh? That kind of monster is an ace?"
Hearing the boss's commentary only made Lishia more confused.
…What kind of Duelist used something like this as their ace? And judging by the boss's words, this tofu had created many a miraculous turnaround.
"So weird… the city's Duelists are completely different from us in the west. Or maybe Aisha-senpai is just too special?"
"If you think I'm joking with you, Arnold, that only proves you're still green. I said it: against you, this one card is enough. Effect of [Mokey Mokey Adrift]!"
[This card's name becomes "Mokey Mokey" while on the field or in the GY, and it is treated as a Normal Monster.]
"You call that an effect? What good is that?!" Arnold shot back.
Miles's lips curled as he flicked out a second card to the field with a smile.
"Next—being a Normal Monster is very useful! I activate the Equip Spell [Amulet of Ambition]!"
[Equip only to a Normal Monster. If it battles a monster with a higher Level, the equipped monster gains ATK equal to the Level difference × 500 during damage calculation only.]
The Equip Spell [Amulet of Ambition] could only be equipped to a Normal Monster.
Because [Mokey Mokey Adrift] is treated as a Normal Monster, it can be equipped with this size-pumper tool.
"I equip [Amulet of Ambition] to Mokey Mokey Adrift—then have Mokey battle [Gaia the Fierce Knight]!"
Bathed in the gleam of the amulet, the tiny angel wings behind Mokey's back, like little ears, suddenly fluttered at high speed.
((?-д-?))
Miles shouted, "You can tell—even after so long, Mokey's itching for a fight!"
Aisha immediately said, "Can you really tell that, Mr. Miles? Its face hasn't changed at all; I have no idea what it's thinking!"
"Battle, Aisha! No—Mokey!"
Guiding Mokey, Miles declared the Battle Phase for this turn.
The light of an underdog's strike gathered in Mokey's stubby arms.
"Smash Gaia with one punch! Since [Mokey Mokey Adrift] and [Gaia the Fierce Knight] differ by 6 Levels, Mokey gains 6 × 500 = 3000 Attack!"
[Mokey Mokey Adrift, ATK: 300 → 3300]
Its Attack easily surpassed Blue-Eyes-class. Mokey's comeback punch detonated on Gaia's face.
The impact, stronger than a Spiral Shaver blast, hurled Arnold's body backward; he tumbled three times across the street.
[Arnold, LP: 4000 → 3000]
"Is this for real?" Lishia's jaw hung open, and for the first time, she stopped biting her pancake. "Gaia the Fierce Knight lost to a tofu block… is this a dream?"
"Ow… How can a block of tofu hit that hard?"
Climbing back up, Arnold rubbed his right cheek. The punch had landed on Gaia—yet he felt it, insultingly, thanks to that tofu.
Miles taunted with a cocky grin, "Believe me now? Against you, this card is enough."
With [Amulet of Ambition] on the field, breaking through Mokey in battle wouldn't be easy for a first-year like Arnold—especially not with high-Level monsters like [Gaia the Fierce Knight], whose Attack lags behind their Level. [Amulet of Ambition] completely suppresses them.
"The Duel's not over. Boasting now is premature, Aisha Carlos."
"Use honorifics for your senpai. Sounds like I haven't beaten it into you enough."
After the Battle Phase, Miles slapped two more cards face-down.
"I set two cards. Turn end."
"First time I've seen Arnold get shut down," Lishia remarked. "Aisha-senpai really is strong."
"More than just strong!" Princess Nova threw wide her little arms in proud boast. "Don't be scared when you hear this—Aisha is the only Royal Duel Knight right now!"
"Royal Duel Knight? What's that?" Lishia, not shocked at all, didn't even know what a Royal Knight was.
"For you to be her roommate and not know—that's such a waste! Give her to me instead! A Royal Knight is… well, a super strong Duelist!"
"Which is exactly what I just said—Aisha-senpai is strong."
"Wrong!" Nova bared her little teeth at Lishia, headstrong. "She's way, way stronger than you said!"
"Don't think tofu can stop me. My turn—draw!"
Arnold mimicked Miles's force as he began his turn. If he shouted loud enough, surely the bond with his Deck would answer… probably!
"All set! I Normal Summon in Attack Position—[Gaia the Magical Knight]!"
[Gaia the Magical Knight] Level 7│LIGHT│Warrior│2300 ATK/2100 DEF
[This card's name is also treated as "Gaia the Fierce Knight".]
"A Level 7, Normal Summoned? That's cheating!" Nova huffed.
"[Gaia the Magical Knight] can be Normal Summoned without Tributes if I control no monsters," Arnold explained.
"Gaia again?" Miles's face grew serious. "Throwing down monsters of this tier back-to-back is way beyond the first-years' Axe-Raider slugfest meta. Even so, Gaia's Attack isn't enough to beat Mokey."
"I'm not done. I activate [Gaia the Magical Knight]'s effect!"
[If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 5 Dragon monster from your hand or GY in Defense Position.]
"I Special Summon the Level 5 Dragon from my hand—[Cursed Dragon, the Cursed Dragon]!"
[Cursed Dragon, the Cursed Dragon] Level 5│DARK│Dragon│2000 ATK/1500 DEF
Bathed in gold, the Cursed Dragon soared into play at Gaia's call.
"When [Cursed Dragon, the Cursed Dragon] is Special Summoned, I can add 1 Spell/Trap that lists 'Gaia the Dragon Champion' in its text from my Deck to my hand!"
With a draconic cry, Arnold searched his Deck for a Spell.
"I add [Spiral Fusion]. Then I activate the Spell [The Warrior Returning Alive], adding [Gaia the Fierce Knight] from my GY back to my hand!"
With both materials and the Fusion Spell in hand, Arnold flung all three cards overhead at once.
"I use [Spiral Fusion] to Fusion Summon with [Gaia the Fierce Knight] and [Cursed Dragon] from my hand!"
[Fusion Summon 1 Dragon Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as material, including a 'Gaia the Dragon Champion' monster.]
"Let the roaring dragon-lance pierce the heavens—ride the skies! Spiral Fusion Summon! [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion]!"
[Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] Level 7│WIND│Dragon│Fusion│2600 ATK/2100 DEF
["Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster + Dragon monster]
[While on the field, this card's name becomes "Gaia the Dragon Champion".]
[If this card is Special Summoned: Add 1 'Spiral Spear Strike' from your Deck or GY to your hand.]
The Fusion's form replaced Gaia's steed with the Cursed Dragon itself—evolving into Gaia the Dragon Champion.
In a flash, Arnold had assembled three monsters on the field—far beyond what most second-years could do. In fact, that chain of Special Summons and Fusion combos surpassed most of them entirely.
Ren gaped. "Are all the freshmen this monstrous? Still, 2600 ATK and Level 7—it's not enough to punch through Mokey."
"It's enough." Knowing her childhood friend's tactics, Lishia murmured, "Arnold's breakthrough is ready."
"Behold the effect of [Spiral Fusion]—it turns Gaia the Dragon Champion into a spear that pierces anything!"
[If you Special Summon "Gaia the Dragon Champion" with this effect, it gains 2600 ATK, and during the same Battle Phase, it can make up to 2 attacks on monsters.]
[Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion, ATK: 2600 → 5200]
"5200 Attack and two swings? What kind of ridiculous Fusion is that? This feels even nastier than my HERO Fusions!" Ren blanched.
"Against a Level 7 [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion], even with [Amulet of Ambition], Mokey Mokey's only 3300 ATK—nowhere near my Gaia!"
After setting the Continuous Spell [Spiral Spear Strike], he searched with Gaia's effect, Arnold—commanding three monsters—declared his Battle Phase.
"I activate the Continuous Spell [Spiral Spear Strike]! It's over, Academy's strongest—Aisha-senpai!"
[If your "Gaia the Fierce Knight", "Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight" or "Gaia the Dragon Champion" attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.]
With piercing granted to the Gaia monsters, the combined Attack was enough to tip the scales.
"Only calling me senpai now? Too late."
As Arnold entered the Battle Phase, Miles flipped a set Trap.
"No matter how strong your Gaia is, I told you—Mokey Mokey alone is enough to beat you! I activate the Trap [The League of Uniform Nomenclature]!"
[Target 1 face-up Level 2 or lower Normal Monster you control; Special Summon as many monsters as possible from your Deck with the same name as that monster.]
"Because [Mokey Mokey Adrift] is treated as a Normal Monster and its name becomes 'Mokey Mokey', I can Special Summon all copies with that name from my Deck!"
More Mokey Mokeys than ever before—thanks to the new [Mokey Mokey Adrift], Miles hauled out the remaining three Mokeys from Aisha's Deck in one go.
[Mokey Mokey, 300 ATK] ×3
-_-?
-_-?
-_-?
-д-?
Three Mokeys and one Mokey Mokey Adrift—four tofu blocks massed on Miles's field, an unprecedented Mokey mustering.
Aisha said with a similar Mokey Mokey (￣ー￣) face:
"So many Mokey Mokeys! Honestly, it's kind of mentally disturbing already."
Gritting his teeth through the brain-scramble, Arnold said, "No matter how many tofu blocks you have, they can't stop my Gaia! If anything, that just lets me end this in one blow!"
With 5200 ATK and piercing, Gaia needed only to stab any Mokey not equipped with [Amulet of Ambition] to deal 5200 − 200 = 5000?—No, 5200 − 100 DEF = 5100 damage in one shot.
"Dumbest monster ever—Sky Galloping Spiral Spear Strike!!'"
"Call Mokey dumb now, and when Mokey beats you black-and-blue, don't regret it."
The four tofu cubes lined up, awaiting Miles's order. The second face-down Trap flipped open.
"I activate the Trap [Three of a Kind]!"
[If you control 3 or more face-up monsters with the same name (except Tokens): Target 3 cards your opponent controls; destroy those targets.]
A B-rank Trap Miles had pilfered from the royal vault—for Mokey Mokey, it kicked the carnage up a dimension.
"I control four monsters with the same name—Mokey Mokeys—so [Three of a Kind] activates! Destroy all three of your monsters! Get 'em, Mokeys!"
-! --! -_-! -д-!
At the command, all four Mokeys piled in—an all-out brawl.
(Imagined Mokey voice lines follow:)
"Ya smash!"
"Tofu beatdown!"
"So you think you're Gaia?!"
"So you think you can ride a dragon?!"
"Here's a few slaps—then you'll know who's boss!"
It was chaos, pure and simple. From the onlookers' perspective, jaws hit the floor as four Mokeys mugged Gaia and the Cursed Dragon until they had no fight left.
Tofu blocks beating up Gaia… what a bizarre dream.
[Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] destroyed
[Gaia the Magical Knight] destroyed
[Cursed Dragon, the Cursed Dragon] destroyed
One knight, one dragon, one dragon champion—everything flattened by four squares of tofu, leaving Arnold alone in the wind, utterly disheveled.
"Is… that even fair?"
...
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