Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh! Chapter 158 – You Bastard

"Duel!" x2

[Kira, LP 4000]

[Jinzo, LP 4000]

"I'll go first. Draw," Kira said, taking the first turn. "I play the Spell Card 'Foolish Burial' to send a monster from my deck to the graveyard.

I'll send—"

He pulled out the monster card that appeared from his deck.

"'Sinister Serpent' to the grave."

The spectators quickly guessed what kind of deck he was using.

"Sinister Serpent, so it's that Abyss Soldier-based strategy," Chumley mused, "I rember it's a pretty... well, a pretty nasty deck."

"Yeah, what kind of duel will Kira give us this ti?" Jaden was excited.

Syrus: "Am I the only one who finds it scary to duel a spirit looking for sacrifices...?"

"..."

Kira: "I set one monster in face-down defense position, set a card, and end my turn."

Jinzo: "My turn, draw."

Jinzo didn't use a duel disk—giant card projections appeared behind him whenever he played cards.

With a wave of his arm, arcs of electricity crackled and a new card appeared out of thin air.

"I play the Spell Card 'Graceful Charity'—draw three cards, discard two."

Jinzo's voice was low and guttural.

"One of the cards I just discarded is 'Jinzo – Returner'. When this card is sent to the graveyard, Special Summon 'Jinzo' from my graveyard!"

In the GX ani, Returner's effect had no drawback, but in the real card ga, the revived Jinzo would be destroyed at the end phase.

But this spirit, naturally, was using the ani version—no such restriction.

Syrus and Chumley exclaid: "It's coming out already!?"

"Exactly!"

Jinzo's cold, raspy voice even had a hint of excitent.

"The other card I discarded was myself! With Jinzo – Returner's effect, I can use this duel to revive myself!"

He shouted eagerly. His ghostly, half-transparent body vanished. A second later, his image reappeared in the monster zone, slowly gaining solid form.

"Finally! The feeling of revival!"

He was elated.

Of course, it wasn't a full resurrection—just a temporary materialization under duel rules.

But even so, this taste of life made him even more determined to be revived.

"I activate my set card—Continuous Trap: Royal Oppression!" Kira flipped his back row. "While this card is on the field, either player can pay 800 LP to negate and destroy a Special Summon or a card effect that would Special Summon a monster!"

Jinzo: "NANI!?"

Royal Oppression—a forbidden card in modern Yu-Gi-Oh! Like Rivalry of Warlords, it's a card that makes modern players recoil, but in its early days, it was largely ignored.

You can see this from the ban list. As an ancient card, Oppression didn't even get semi-limited until the Synchro era and only beca forbidden in the Xyz era.

It shows how slow the early ga was. Plus, since both players can use it by paying 800 LP, it's a double-edged sword—not so easy to use.

Only when the ta shifted toward Special Summoning did players start to hate it with a passion.

"So I pay 800 LP," Kira said, "to negate Jinzo – Returner's Special Summon effect!"

[Kira, LP 4000 → 3200]

"Ugh!"

Jinzo, hit by Royal Oppression, was zapped away as soon as he appeared, his form disintegrating.

A mont later, his ghostly image flickered back to the duelist area.

He'd just set foot in the land of the living only to be kicked back—revival failed. Jinzo was frustrated.

"Fine. I summon 'Mad Dog of Darkness' in attack mode."

[Mad Dog of Darkness, ATK 1900]

A yellow, rabid dog, barking madly—just like Jinzo's current mood after his failed revival.

"Attack with Mad Dog of Darkness!"

The yellow dog lunged, sharp fangs tearing into Kira's face-down monster.

"You attacked 'Skelengel'," Kira said.

[Skelengel, DEF 400]

"Skelengel has a flip effect. When flipped, I draw one card."

Kira drew a card.

Jinzo grunted: "Then I set a card and end my turn."

No need to rush. His revival was only a matter of ti—he just had to win the duel.

"My turn, draw." Kira said, "Sinister Serpent's effect in the graveyard—during my Standby Phase, it returns to my hand."

Kira reclaid Sinister Serpent, then held up another card.

"Then I play 'Pot of Greed'—draw two cards. Now, I Normal Summon 'Abyss Soldier!'"

[Abyss Soldier, ATK 1800]

Jinzo eyed the trident-wielding soldier as it erged from the water.

1800 attack—less than Mad Dog of Darkness.

Royal Oppression is symtrical—it locked Jinzo out of Special Summons but did the sa to Kira.

Kira's only Normal Summon for the turn was used, and Jinzo had a 1900 beater on the field, so the board state favored Jinzo.

"'Abyss Soldier's effect: Once per turn, discard a WATER monster to return a card on the field to the hand!"

Jinzo: "!"

A bounce effect?

If his Mad Dog is bounced, Abyss Soldier can attack directly, dealing a big chunk of damage.

But it didn't matter.

Jinzo's eyes flicked toward his set card.

He'd set "Widespread Ruin," a trap that destroys the opponent's highest-ATK monster when they attack.

He'd use the trap to destroy Abyss Soldier and turn the tables next turn.

"'Abyss Soldier's effect: Discard Sinister Serpent from my hand to return my own Continuous Trap 'Royal Oppression' to my hand!"

Jinzo was shocked: "Bounce your card!?"

He figured it out imdiately.

When needed, use Oppression to stifle Jinzo's Special Summons, but when Kira wanted to Special Summon, bounce his Oppression with Abyss Soldier.

So... only he was locked out of Special Summons?

Jinzo was starting to realize the gravity of the situation—though only partly.

Next, Kira played another card.

"Spell Card—Monster Reborn! Special Summon a monster from either player's graveyard to my field!"

From either graveyard!?

Masaka!? (No way!?)

Jinzo panicked: "What are you trying to do!?"

"Exactly what you're thinking," Kira smiled.

"I Special Summon 'Jinzo' from your graveyard!"

Jinzo: "KISAMA (YOU BASTARD)!!!"