Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Seto Kaiba?!"

The moment the man finished speaking, his contact became agitated.

"Wait, Luca, don't act. He's mine, I have to—"

"Sorry, buddy, but first come, first served. Since I saw him first, he's mine." Luca said lazily, "Looks like I'll be the one to take him down."

"No, Luca, you—"

The other end was abruptly cut off. Luca put away the communicator, looking at Kaiba with anticipation.

"Oh? So eager to become my next stepping stone?"

Kaiba crossed his arms and sneered.

Above, storm clouds still churned, the wind whipping across the dock and sending Kaiba's coat flying like a cape.

"Interesting." The man stood up. "Seto Kaiba, the legendary duelist, second only to Yugi Muto. I've wanted to take you on for a while."

Kaiba's smile vanished, his eyes narrowing as he sized up the man.

His words sounded like a statement of fact, but also a deliberate reminder that he was "second to Yugi"—and it was annoyingly hard to refute.

"So, you're... Luca, right? One of the remaining two of the New Doma Three Swordsmen," Kaiba said calmly.

"I'm flattered you know me, Kaiba."

"Hmph. Of course I know you—a soon-to-be defeated stepping stone. Then New Doma's 'Three Swordsmen' will be down to just one."

"Just a rat that slipped in."

"Hahaha, as expected of Seto Kaiba—so arrogant, just like the legends say."

Luca unfolded his duel disk with a chuckle.

"But be careful. Even a rat might bite a beast to death if it gets the chance."

"Hmph, is that so? I'll look forward to it."

Kaiba snapped open his duel disk as well. At the same moment, a transparent ripple spread out from him, like a sea of data materializing into a blue field, engulfing both duelists.

"Hmm?" Luca raised an eyebrow.

At that moment, Mokuba appeared behind Kaiba, grinning.

"KaibaCorp's newest duel disk, equipped with holographic projection—pretty much the same as your supernatural tricks."

Kaiba snorted, "This way, you can't run until the duel's over."

"Haha, very thorough. Alright."

Luca dropped his lazy act, turning serious.

"Let's decide it all—both victory and defeat, and life and death."

"Duel!" x2

[Kaiba, LP: 4000]

[Luca, LP: 4000]

"I'll go first. Draw." Luca said. "I set a monster face-down, and one card face-down. Turn end."

"My turn. Draw!"

Kaiba drew.

"I summon 'Vorse Raider'!"

[Vorse Raider, ATK 1900]

One of Kaiba's most common low-level monsters in the anime, even making cameo appearances in GX.

"Vorse Raider, attack the face-down monster!"

With a roar, the beast-warrior swung his axe at the set card, slicing it in half to reveal a creepy insect in the shattered projection.

"You walked right into it, President." Luca said. "You attacked 'Man-Eater Bug!'

When this card is flipped, it destroys a monster on the field.

Say goodbye, 'Vorse Raider'!"

With a last thrust, the bug stabbed forward, piercing Vorse Raider's chest before both shattered and vanished.

A perfect one-for-one.

"That bug, huh." Kaiba sneered. "Fits your vermin style."

"Don't underestimate insects, President Kaiba," Luca said darkly. "Insects are terrifying—they may be small, but they can unleash power many times their size.

Even a mighty beast can fall to an insect's ambush."

"Is that so? Then look again—did your bug's ambush succeed?" Kaiba retorted coldly.

Luca: "Your monster was destroyed by Man-Eater Bug. What are you talking abou—what?!"

He stared, stunned, as a purple dragon writhed on Kaiba's field, roaring at him from across the empty field.

"Why? This dragon is..."

[Interplanetarypurplythorny Dragon, ATK 2200]

"Interplanetarypurplythorny Dragon's effect: when a monster on my field is destroyed by battle or effect and sent to the graveyard, I can Special Summon this from my hand."

Kaiba barked,

"A true duelist's plays are always a step ahead. This petty trick was already within my calculations!

Interplanetarypurplythorny Dragon, direct attack!"

The impact, projected as a solid strike, felt like being hit in the chest by a flying hammer. Luca nearly staggered from the blow, blood rising in his throat.

[Luca, LP 4000 → LP 1800]

"I set two cards and end my turn."

Kaiba set two cards in his back row, face impassive.

"So this is all New Doma's swordsmen amount to? You're not even in the same league as before. I actually had some hope."

Luca caught his breath, dusting himself off.

"Impressive, Seto Kaiba... but to be underestimated like this is annoying.

Then let me show you the power of a swordsman of New Doma."

Luca composed himself.

"My turn—draw."

He revealed a card in his hand.

"I normal summon 'Xex Insect'."

A monster materialized, a viscous green liquid oozing out, rimmed with a strange silvery sheen under the moonlight, writhing and morphing until forming a bizarre entity.

Some kind of four-legged starfish, its center a deep, black-hole-like mouth, squirming like a worm.

[Worm Xex, ATK 1800]

"Worm, huh?"

Kaiba looked a little interested.

Worm archetypes were rare, though a few scattered cards existed. But a full deck was unusual.

But for a Doma swordsman, nothing was surprising.

"Ugh, gross monster..." Mokuba grimaced.

"Too bad you can't appreciate the beauty of Worms," Luca smiled, then narrowed his eyes.

"But it doesn't matter. I'll make you understand soon enough—the beauty and power of Worms."