Five 1x7

Title: "Out of sync [Side A]"

Short Summary

 * Without a choice, Kazuo Duels Nishio.
 * To Kazuo's surprise, his opponent doesn't seem to be particularly strong, making him confident he might win. However, his hopes soon crumble as Nishio shows the reason behind his slow start.

Featured Duel: Kazuo Abe vs. Nishio
Turn 1: Kazuo


 * Normal Summons "Spy-C-Spy". Its effect activates, revealing "Number 56: Gold Rat" (Kazuo's LP: 8000 → 8500). [Nishio may note how he's aware Kazuo won that card in a silly sounding "hot cards" event; even a barely Rare card like that stands out in Kazuo's nearly all Common-Rarity Deck]
 * Activates "Child's Play".
 * Sets 1 card.

[Kazuo's hand: 2] [Nishio's hand: 5]

Turn 2: Nishio


 * Normal Summons "Baobaboon" (Kazuo's LP: 8500 → 8800). Its effect activates, letting Nishio draw 1 card, then choosing to place 1 card from his hand in the bottom of his Deck.
 * Attacks "Spy-C-Spy" with "Baobaboon", destroying both monsters in a double K.O.
 * The effect of "Baobaboon" activates, allowing Nishio to Special Summon two more copies from his Deck in Attack Position (Kazuo's LP: 8800 → 9400). Their effects allow Nishio to draw 2 cards, then place 2 cards from his hand in the bottom of his Deck.
 * Kazuo activates his face-down "Setuppercut", Special Summoning "Ancient Lamp" in face-down Defense Position.
 * Knowing Kazuo's monster, Nishio opts to end his Battle Phase. [Kazuo didn't realize Nishio would know which monster he Summoned]
 * Activates "Gather Your Mind", adding another copy from his Deck to his hand.
 * Sets 1 card.

[Kazuo's hand: 2] [Nishio's hand: 4]

Turn 3: Kazuo


 * Normal Summons "Plufiness the Unconventional Commander", banishing "Witch's Strike" from his Deck. [Nishio notes he knows Kazuo can't afford Rare cards of his own and has countermeasures for his opponents', joking that he's right, revealing his face-down card to be "Solemn Strike"]
 * Equips "Plufiness" with "Mordschlag".
 * Attacks and destroys 1 "Baobaboon" with "Plufiness", reducing the latter's ATK to zero (Nishio's LP: 8000 → 6200).

[Kazuo's hand: 1] [Nishio's hand: 4]

Turn 4: Nishio


 * Activates "Ledger of Legerdemain", banishing 3 cards from the top of his Deck, face-down.
 * Normal Summons "Evil Thorn" (Kazuo's LP: 9400 → 9700).
 * Activates its effect, tributing itself to inflict 300 damage to Kazuo (Kazuo's LP: 9700 → 9400), then Special Summoning two more copies from his Deck (Kazuo's LP: 9400 → 10,000).
 * Overlays his two "Evil Thorn" To Xyz Summon "Number 63: Shamoji Soldier" in Defense Position (Kazuo's LP: 10,000 → 10,300).
 * Activates the effect of "Shamoji Soldier", detaching 1 Xyz Material to allow both players to draw 1 card during the next Standby Phase.
 * Switches his remaining "Baobaboon" to Defense Position.

[Kazuo's hand: 1] [Nishio's hand: 4]

Turn 5: Kazuo


 * During the Standby Phase, both players draw 1 card.
 * Normal Summons "Cupid Volley". Activates her effect, sending three cards to the GY: "Sleepy Robbin' Goblin", "Metal Scorpion" and "Solitary Sword of Poison".
 * Realizes he can use the effect of "Plufiness" again, so he banishes "Setuppercut" from his GY.
 * Attacks and destroys "Baobaboon" with "Plufiness".
 * Sets 1 card.

[Kazuo's hand: 1] [Nishio's hand: 5]

Turn 6: Nishio


 * "Ledger of Legerdemain" count: 1st Standby Phase
 * Activates "Brothers' Overlay", using three "Baobaboon" from his GY as material to Xyz Summon "Evolving Slime" (Kazuo's LP: 10,300 → 10,600).
 * Its effect activates, destroying Kazuo's "Mordschlag".
 * Activates the effect of "Evolving Slime", detaching 2 materials to Xyz Summon "Kragen Spawn" (Kazuo's LP: 10,600 → 10,900).
 * Attacks "Cupid Volley" with "Kragen Spawn". The effect of "Child's Play" protects the latter from destruction (Kazuo's LP: 10,900 → 9600).
 * Activates "Triangle Strike", allowing "Kragen Spawn" to attack monsters thrice.
 * Attacks and destroys "Plufiness" with "Kragen Spawn".
 * The effect of "Plufiness" activates, allowing Kazuo to add "Witch's Strike" to his hand.
 * Attacks Kazuo's face-down "Ancient Lamp" with "Kragen Spawn". Its effect makes "Spawn" attack "Shamoji Soldier" instead (Nishio's LP: 6200 → 6100).
 * Activates the effect of "Shamoji Soldier", detaching 1 Xyz Material to allow both players to draw 1 card during the next Standby Phase.

[Kazuo's hand: 2] [Nishio's hand: 4]

Turn 7: Kazuo


 * During the Standby Phase, both players draw 1 card.
 * Normal Summons "Copycat", copying "Kragen Spawn" (ATK 1900/DEF 1500).
 * Activates the effect of "Volley", sending three cards to the GY: "Back-Up Rider", "Parasite Golbin" and "Guiding Light".
 * Switches "Cupid Volley" to Defense Position.
 * Attacks "Kragen Spawn" with "Copycat".
 * Activates "Concentrating Current", increasing the ATK of "Copycat" (ATK 1900 → 3400). "Kragen Spawn" is destroyed (Nishio's LP: 6100 → 4600).
 * The effect of "Kragen Spawn" activates, Special Summoning two more "Kragen Spawns" with one Xyz Material each (Kazuo's LP: 9600 → 9900).
 * Activates his face-down "The Deep Grave", aiming to "steal" the destroyed "Kragen Spawn".
 * Sets "Witch's Strike".
 * Activates "Slow Thief" to take control of "Shamoji Soldier" during the next turn.

[Kazuo's hand: 0] [Nishio's hand: 5]

Turn 8: Nishio


 * "Ledger of Legerdemain" count: 2nd Standby Phase.
 * "Shamoji Soldier" goes to Kazuo's field.
 * Normal Summons "Ra's Disciple" (Kazuo's LP: 9900 → 10,200).
 * Its effect activates, Special Summoning two more copies from his Deck (Kazuo's LP: 10,200 → 10,500).
 * Activates "Triangle Boost", making their ATKs 2400.
 * Attacks "Copycat" with the first "Ra's Disciple" (Kazuo's LP: 10,500 → 10,000).
 * Draws 1 card, and discards "Delta Barrier".
 * Attacks "Copycat" with the second "Ra's Disciple" (Kazuo's LP: 10,000 → 9500).
 * Draws 1 card, and discards "Triple Tactics Talent".
 * Attacks "Copycat" with the third "Ra's Disciple", destroying it (Kazuo's LP: 9500 → 9000).
 * Draws 1 card, and discards "Three of a Kind".
 * Sets 1 card.
 * During the End Phase, the three "Ra's Disciple" are destroyed.

[Kazuo's hand: 0] [Nishio's hand: 3]

Turn 9: Kazuo


 * During the Standby Phase, "Kragen Spawn" is Special Summoned in Defense Position.
 * Activates the effect of "Kragen Spawn", targeting one of Nishio's "Kragen Spawn".
 * Nishio chains with the effect of his own "Kragen Spawn", destroying Kazuo's (Kazuo's LP: 9000 → 7100).
 * The effect of Kazuo's resolves, destroying Nishio's (Nishio's LP: 4600 → 2700).
 * Activates the effect of "Volley", sending "Shy Robbin' Goblin", "Bombarding Beetles" and "Seven Tools of the Bandit" to the GY.
 * Normal Summons "Griggle".
 * Uses "Ancient Lamp", "Cupid Volley" and "Kragen Spawn" to Link Summon "Robin Hook of the Silent Nights".
 * Its effect activates, allowing Kazuo to add "Grumpy Robbin' Goblin" to his hand.
 * Activates "Grumpy Robbin' Goblin", selecting "Griggle" as its target.
 * Activates the effect of "Robin", in an attempt to give control of "Griggle" to Nishio, and take control of one of his "Kragen Spawn".
 * Nishio activates "Infinite Impermanence", negating the effect of "Robin", as well. [Note: He didn't do this before because he wanted to let Kazuo finish his combo and see what he'd do; he notes the usage of a "Robbin' Goblin" card, which he doesn't seem to remember seeing in the official card lists]

[Kazuo's hand: 0] [Nishio's hand: 3]

Turn 10: Nishio


 * "Ledger of Legerdemain" count: 3rd Standby Phase. Nishio adds three cards to his hand.

Ends with Nishio declaring that if that's what Kazuo can pull at best, he'll end his hopes, having his set up ready. [Author's note: We may have him count his triplets; in his opening hand, he declares "One"; later, he declares "Two"; and now, he declares "Three", ending in a cliffhanger]

Continued in the next chapter.

Featured cards
New cards are in italic.