Yu-Gi-Oh!: I use an Orichalcos deck

Page 323

It was late when he dropped Serena off at her doorstep. The door light shone warmly, offering the lovers a final moment of solitude.

"Today is the best day of my life," Yu Ji said softly, gently running his fingers through Serena's hair.

Serena smiled: "This is just the beginning. We have countless more days like this ahead of us."

She suddenly remembered something and took a small box out of her bag: "I almost forgot, a souvenir from our date."

Yuki opened the box, inside were two exquisite keychains, one with Naruto Uzumaki's head and the other with Madoka Magica's magic wand. The two keychains could be put together to form a complete heart shape.

“That way, our keys will always be a pair.” Serena’s face flushed under the light.

You nodded solemnly and carefully hung his on the keychain: "I will cherish it forever."

The final farewell kiss was tender and lingering, filled with the taste of promise. When Yuki finally turned to leave, he felt his heart was overflowing, as if it contained all the possibilities of the world.

On his way home, he took out his phone and saw a message from his mother: "What time are you coming home? We need to talk."

You Ji took a deep breath and replied, "I'll be home soon. I also have something I want to tell you."

He touched the card deck in his backpack, and then, remembering Serena's warm smile, he suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of courage. Regardless of whether his parents understood, regardless of what lay ahead, he knew he was no longer alone.

The stars in the night sky seemed to form the patterns of countless cards, and the two brightest ones resembled the eyes of a pair of lovers, watching over each other in the darkness and illuminating one another.

Chapter 397 Baseball Card

The moment Yuuki pushed open the door, he sensed an unusual atmosphere. All the lights in the living room were on, and his parents sat side-by-side on the sofa, his prized Naruto card set resting on the coffee table in front of them. His mother's expression was grave, while his father, unusually, wasn't reading the newspaper but staring directly at his son as he entered.

"You're back?" Her mother's voice was unsettlingly calm. "Did you have fun?"

Yuki's heart sank. He carefully put down his backpack, his gaze never leaving the card deck: "Yes, I went to the aquarium with... a friend."

“She’s Uehara’s daughter, isn’t she?” the father said, his tone revealing nothing of his emotions. “Her father called this afternoon to thank you for taking care of his daughter.”

Yu Ji was stunned. Serena's father was calling? What was going on?

The mother sighed and picked up the "Six Paths Naruto" card at the top of the deck: "We've always known you've been playing these cards, and we thought you'd naturally stop after you went to college. But it seems you're getting more and more involved."

“This isn’t just a simple game,” Yuki tried to explain. “It’s a competitive sport that requires strategy and thought…”

"And then what?" his father interrupted. "Even if you win the national competition, what will you get? A certificate? Some prize money? Will that be your future career?"

Yu Ji clenched his fist: "Serena's brother studied game design abroad and is now coming back to open a shop. He says the industry needs talent..."

“The Uehara family is different,” the mother shook her head. “They have their own company, and their son can pursue whatever he’s interested in. But we’re just an ordinary family; you need a stable future.”

The conversation reached a stalemate. Looking at his parents' worried yet determined faces, Yuji suddenly realized that this was not a simple clash of ideas, but a gap in the two generations' understanding of the future.

07

"Give me a chance," Yu Ji finally said. "If I achieve good results in the national competition, it will at least prove that I am capable of excelling at something. Then we can talk about future plans."

The parents exchanged a glance, and finally the mother nodded: "Okay. But after the competition, no matter the result, we need to have a serious talk about your future."

Back in his room, Yuki collapsed wearily onto the bed. His phone lit up; it was a message from Serena: "Did you get home safely? Did my dad call your house? Sorry! He insisted on confirming you were a good person^^;"

Yuki couldn't help but laugh: "I just had a tough battle. But it's okay, I made it through."

Almost immediately, Serena called: "What happened? Are your parents angry?"

Hearing Serena's concerned voice, Yuki suddenly felt much less stressed. He briefly recounted what had happened, and concluded with a self-deprecating remark, "Maybe in their eyes, I'll always be a kid addicted to games."

“No, that’s not true!” Serena said firmly. “My dad said he really admires you after the call. He said you answered questions very politely and didn’t shy away from your enthusiasm.”

Yuki was somewhat surprised: "Really?"

“Well. Actually…” Serena’s voice lowered, “My dad collected baseball cards when he was young and almost wanted to become a professional player. So he can understand it to some extent.”

This news gave Yuji a glimmer of hope. Perhaps his parents weren't entirely incapable of understanding; they just needed time and the right approach.

In the following weeks, Yuuki and Serena practiced even harder. They would meet at the card shop almost every day after school to study new tactics and test new chains. Serena's understanding of the Naruto deck even began to surpass Yuuki's own, and she often came up with combinations that impressed him.

“What if you add ‘Tenten’ to your side deck?” Serena suggested during a practice session. “Her Ninja Tool Summoning can compensate for your weakness against control decks.”

You Ji suddenly realized: "That's right! How come I didn't think of that!"

The boss would occasionally watch their practice, and once he couldn't help but exclaim, "You two work together like a doubles team that has been in perfect harmony for many years."

These words jolted Yuki awake. Doubles! Besides the individual competitions, the national tournament also included doubles. He looked at Serena and saw the same light shining in her eyes.

"Want to give it a try?" Serena asked first. "A doubles match. You and I will use our respective decks to cooperate."

Yuki nodded excitedly: "Our decks complement each other very well! Your Magical Girl is good at control and prolonged battles, while my Naruto is good at burst damage and finishing blows!"

So they started practicing doubles. The first few games were disastrous—the two often activated key cards at the same time, resulting in wasted resources; or they were too focused on the opponent's situation and neglected their own actions.

"Stop!" Serena raised her hand to call a halt after the fifth failure. "We need to develop a signaling system, just like a bridge partner system."

Yuji suddenly realized: "That's right! We can use a specific card-covering order to represent the hand situation!"

They developed a signaling system that only the two of them understood: a face-down card meant they had a key card in their hand, while a face-up card meant they needed support; even the way they shuffled the cards could convey information. This tacit understanding allowed their teamwork to improve by leaps and bounds.

One Sunday afternoon, as they were engrossed in their practice, the card shop's doorbell rang. A tall, handsome young man walked in, and Serena exclaimed in surprise, "Brother!"

Yu Ji was surprised to see the legendary Kenta—Serena's brother. He was wearing a stylish denim jacket and had a carefully styled hairstyle, which was completely unlike the veteran card player he had imagined.

"This is the Hokage kid you've been praising so much?" Kenta smiled as he looked Yuki up and down, extending his hand. "I'm Kenta, I've heard so much about you."

Yuki shook hands nervously: "I'm Yuki. Your magical girl construction from three years ago was truly amazing; I've studied it many times..."

Kenta's eyes lit up: "Oh? Tell me, what's my most crucial innovation?"

"We abandoned the traditional all-girl magical girl setup and focused on time-based combos," Yuki answered without hesitation. "Especially the combination of 'Homura Akemi' and 'Sayaka' allows us to control the battlefield with very few resources."

Kenta raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked at his sister: "Wow, he really knows it. He not only knows how to operate it, but also understands the design concept."

Serena proudly raised her chin: "Of course, how could the person I set my sights on be anything less than perfect?"

Ken laughed, then said seriously to Yuki, "I heard from Serena that your parents have reservations about card games?"

Yu Ji nodded: "They don't think this is a proper choice for the future."

“I understand.” Kenta said thoughtfully. “My parents were against it at first too. It wasn’t until I presented my game design study plan and the employment data they cared about that they slowly changed their minds.” He patted Yuki on the shoulder. “Sometimes the older generation isn’t against our choices, but they worry that we haven’t seriously considered the responsibilities behind those choices.”

These words were like a lamp, illuminating the fog in You Ji's heart. Perhaps his parents weren't entirely unable to understand, but they needed to see his seriousness and planning.

Kenta then watched Yuki and Serena practice their doubles match and offered several insightful suggestions afterward: "Your individual skills are both excellent, but the key to doubles is resource sharing and risk-sharing. Don't be afraid to take losses for your partner; sometimes, temporary concessions can bring greater advantages."

After practice, Kenta said to Yuki in private, "After the national tournament, no matter the result, come and visit my new store. I need someone like you who understands both games and player psychology."

This invitation greatly encouraged Youji. Perhaps this really could be a path, a path that could blend passion and reality.

The week before the national tournament, Yuki's parents unexpectedly asked to watch him practice. This sudden request made Yuki extremely nervous, while Serena remained calm: "This is a good opportunity to let them truly understand what this is."

So that Saturday afternoon, Yuki's parents sat in the spectator area of ​​the card shop and watched their son and Serena play a practice match against another pair of veteran players.

The match was extremely intense. The opponent used the strongest combination of "Mech Legion" and "Mage" in the current meta, and immediately suppressed Yuki and Serena's momentum.

"Activate the effect of 'Mech Fortress' to destroy all your spell cards on the field!" the opponent announced.

Yuki frowned; this was exactly the situation they feared. But Serena calmly responded, "Chain activation of 'Magical Girl's Wish,' converting destructive effects into increased attack power!"

A brilliant reversal! Yuki seizes the opportunity to launch a counterattack: "Summon 'Rock Lee', activate 'Eight Gates,' attack power increases to 3000!"

But the opponent was prepared: "Activate 'Magic Barrier' to nullify your attack!"

The situation reached a stalemate once again. Yuki's parents watched intently; although they couldn't understand the details, they could feel the tense atmosphere.

At the crucial moment, Serena made an amazing move: "I activate 'Time Sacrifice' to skip the next draw phase. This turn, I can Special Summon a Magical Girl from the Graveyard!"

This extremely risky move surprised Yukito, but he immediately understood Serena's intention: "What you're trying to summon is..."

"Come forth, 'Magical Girl Homura'!" Serena shouted, "Then activate her effect 357 to double your 'Rock Lee's' attack power!"

Yuki's eyes lit up: "Chain activation of 'Rock Lee's' effect allows you to directly attack the player when the attack power changes!"

A direct attack with 6000 attack power! The game ended, and applause erupted from the audience. Yuki's parents couldn't help but clap along, though they probably didn't fully understand what had just happened.

After the game, Yuki's mother asked softly, "Was that move of skipping the draw very risky?"

Serena nodded. "Yes, Auntie. But if I don't do this, we'll lose next round. Sometimes you have to take risks to win."

Yuki's father said thoughtfully, "It's like a business decision, weighing the risks and rewards."

This statement gave Yuji a glimmer of understanding. Perhaps his parents were beginning to see that this was not just a game, but a way to cultivate decision-making skills and risk awareness.

On the eve of the national tournament, Yuuki and Serena made their final preparations on a park bench. Moonlight shone on their spread-out decks, making each card shimmer faintly.

(II) Three Dance Chess Liu Shirt 2 "Are you nervous?" Serena asked softly, resting her head on Yuki's shoulder.

Yu Ji nodded: "A little. But more than that, I'm excited. No matter the outcome, we've come this far."

Serena took his hand: "After tomorrow, some things will change, but some won't." She looked up into his eyes, "My feelings for you won't change because of winning or losing."

A warm feeling welled up in You Ji's heart, and he lowered his head to kiss her gently: "Me too. No matter what happens tomorrow, you are my greatest gain."

They nestled together in the moonlight, no longer speaking, simply feeling each other's breath and heartbeat. The cards scattered on the bench seemed to silently witness the缘分 (fate/destiny) that had begun with them.

In the distance, the city lights twinkled like stars, and behind each light might be someone preparing for their dream. Yuki recalled Kenta's words, his parents' gradually changing attitude, and Serena's unwavering trust.

He gently arranged the deck, his fingers tracing the texture of each card. These were not merely pieces of paper, but mediums carrying friendship, love, dreams, and growth. Tomorrow, they would tell their stories on the national stage.

Regardless of the outcome, this story has only just begun.

Chapter 398 Dual Cultivation

The venue for the national tournament was even larger than Yuki had imagined. Under the dome of the Tokyo Big Sight, hundreds of duel tables were neatly arranged, like a battlefield awaiting warriors. The air was thick with tension and excitement; the sounds of conversations in various languages, the shuffling of cards, and the activation of virtual projectors intertwined to create a unique symphony.

"Wow..." Serena exclaimed softly, her fingers unconsciously tightening in Yuki's hand. "This is bigger than I imagined."

Yuki nodded, feeling a slight tremor in his palm. He didn't know if it was Serena's nervousness or his own. "Look over there," he pointed to the huge screen hanging in the distance, "our match might be broadcast live there."

Serena took a deep breath, then suddenly tiptoed and kissed Yuki on the cheek: "Go for it, logo. Now you carry my blessings."

This small ceremony brought smiles to both of them, easing their tension slightly. They went to the registration desk to collect their player badges and tournament schedules. Yuki was placed in Group B, and Serena in Group C; the doubles matches would be held the following day.

"At least we won't run into each other in the preliminary rounds." You Ji breathed a sigh of relief.

Serena raised an eyebrow: "What, afraid of losing to me?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to sleep on the sofa after we win," Yu Ji replied playfully, prompting Serena to lightly punch his shoulder.

Before the first round of the competition began, Yuki encountered an unexpected person in the restroom—his father. The man was wearing an ill-fitting suit, clearly having come directly from the company.

"Dad?" You Ji exclaimed in surprise, "How could you..."