When everything collapsed, Keith sank to his knees as if all his bones had been pulled out.
By the flickering candlelight, he lay drained—his will utterly gone—as he frantically murmured to the only card left in his hand, "TM‑1 Rocket Spider," his voice disordered and desperate.
> "It shouldn't be like this… It just shouldn't be!"
You could understand his despair: after all, he had drawn the one card that could have turned the duel around—but instead, it only deepened his despair.
Pot of Greed gave him five cards—but four of them ended up in the Graveyard thanks to the Virus.
If anyone else had drawn that combo, You Ming doubted they would've handled it any better.
> "It should've been a comeback card!"
Under his glare, You Ming simply nodded.
> "It should have been."
No defenses or excuses needed. In real life, cards like Graceful Charity or Pot of Greed were banned for a reason. Overdrawing is an extremely powerful comeback engine.
So why did it fail?
> "Because of course. You know exactly why, champion."
Keith stared blankly.
Then his face flushed red, his breathing ragged—as though the Virus had tainted his soul.
And You Ming wasn't mocking:
> "You were the U.S. Champion in the Spellcaster Era. You're an old Kingdom‑rule veteran. You can't shake your experience."
You Ming remembered one key fact about that era:
1. You couldn't attack the opponent directly.
2. If one player had five monsters and the other had none and couldn't summon, the latter lost.
3. If an attacking monster is destroyed by a Spell or Trap, half that monster's ATK still damages the player.
Naturally, decks were flood‑monster heavy—monsters were your offense and defense.
> "So your deck? It's built around those principles."
Keith went pale.
You Ming continued:
> "That's why your Level‑4s and tokens all max at around 1500 DEF. You never had a Level‑4 monster higher than that."
And that was the trap.
> "Because you were a Kingdom‑era U.S. Champion, Crush Card Virus simply locks your deck."
Keith gritted out through clenched teeth:
> "Yes."
He had no counter. This was the classic "God draw" fail—just like Kingdom's protagonists when styles became obsolete.
> "You lost because you were who you were. That's a perfectly valid conclusion.
Many characters in the anime met the same fate—former champions who couldn't adapt to new rules.
Keith tried to laugh:
> "You got some nerve, kid."
His attempt at pride ended in grimace. Still, he released his last card.
> "Alright, brat. Get your win."
He ended his turn.
You Ming quietly drew, glanced at his card—but didn't play or set it. At this point, it didn't matter.
> "Keith Howard, I probably won't forget you."
Keith was silent, eyes locked on You Ming.
> "Thank you. You taught me how to face adversity—with respect."
He bowed his head.
> "I'll finish this duel with my respect intact."
He raised his hand.
> "Dark Blade—direct attack."
The demonic warrior leapt, axe raised in a final strike.
Whoosh...
> Keith's LP: 2700 → 0
---
System Message:
Congratulations, Host, you've defeated Duelist "Bandit Keith."
You earned 200 Duel Points—and a bonus 150 points for your first victory.
The duel was over.
Keith collapsed like drenched mud. You Ming exhaled deeply. Warmth spread through him. Fatigue faded, and even his burning organs healed at an astonishing rate.
He didn't know why—but he could literally see his burns knitting together.
> "It seems the winner of a Dark Game can recover wounds."
That was good news. He didn't have to escape injured—he could leave in one piece.
But something nagged at him.
> "How does it work…?"
Before he could dive into thoughts, a soft voice broke through:
> "Because you absorbed my soul energy. That's the rule in this world."
Soul energy?
Is there a martial soul system here?
You Ming's thoughts raced, but he realized it wasn't the time for questions.
Looking toward the voice, he saw a man—even battered, glasses reflecting a quiet light.
> "…How are you still alive?"