Appear! Dark Magician Girl

With a soft cry from Sona, a blue-purple torrent surged from bottom to top, instantly engulfing Xiao Wen's [Elemental Swordsman] and [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast].

Bang!

The two monsters vanished, leaving Xiao Wen's field completely clean.

The previously favorable situation had been reversed in an instant.

Xiao Wen's expression turned grim. The timing of his opponent's move was too perfect. Even when he sacrificed Kuriboh to summon Baphomet, she had patiently waited for the moment he fused his monsters.

"I activate [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast]'s effect. When it is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I can Special Summon either [Phantom Beast King Gazelle] or [Baphomet] from my graveyard."

"I resummon Baphomet in defense mode."

Light materialized, and Baphomet reappeared on the field, arms crossed over its chest, ready to serve as Xiao Wen's most solid shield.

Sona's smile remained undiminished. Her gaze swept over Baphomet, and with two slender fingers, she picked up a card.

"Your luck is truly terrible. [Change of Heart] isn't exclusive to you," Sona said, flipping over the card she had drawn. It was the very same magic card, [Change of Heart], that Xiao Wen had drawn earlier.

"I activate the magic card, [Change of Heart]."

The magic card in Sona's hand activated, and a phantom image of a half-angel, half-demon appeared behind her.

Baphomet's eyes turned crimson. It rose, its wings beating, and flew to Sona's field.

"An eye for an eye! I offer Baphomet as a sacrifice to summon [Curse of Dragon]!"

Light flashed, and the faint sound of a dragon's roar echoed through the heavens and earth. Immediately after, a golden skeletal dragon rose into the air behind Sona.

"Attack the enemy player! Curse of Flame!"

ROAR!

With a dragon's cry, crimson flames erupted from Curse of Dragon's mouth, engulfing the unsuspecting Xiao Wen.

"Ah!"

The scorching flames burned him, and Xiao Wen couldn't help but cry out in pain.

Although this was just a game, the sensation felt incredibly real to Xiao Wen. He could even feel the agony radiating from his body and soul.

After several breaths, the burning sensation gradually subsided. Xiao Wen looked up, his eyes fixed on his opponent's summoned monster, and glanced at his own life points, which had been halved.

LP: 2000.

[Curse of Dragon] Level 5; Dragon/DARK

ATK: 2000; DEF: 1500

Description: A skeletal dragon rumored to be possessed by evil forces, possessing formidable dark attack power.

"Two thousand attack power."

Xiao Wen's eyes narrowed as he looked at his only hand card, [Grateful Gift].

"I have no hand cards that can serve as a barrier right now. I can only place all my hopes on my next draw."

"My turn, draw!"

With two fingers, Xiao Wen drew a card.

[Pot of Greed]!

Xiao Wen's eyes narrowed as he flipped over his hand card. "I activate the magic card, [Pot of Greed], to draw two more cards from my deck."

He drew two cards consecutively from his deck: [Graceful Charity] and [Monster Reborn].

"These seem like two decent cards."

Xiao Wen's eyes narrowed, and he immediately formulated a plan.

"I activate the continuous magic card, [Graceful Charity], from my hand. At the same time, I'll set one card and end my turn."

After setting a card face down on the field, Xiao Wen decisively ended his turn.

"It's over? No monsters on the field, just one face-down card. Is it a trap card? Or perhaps you have no more monsters and are forced to use a face-down card to deceive me, playing a 'Empty Fort Strategy'?" Sona mused internally.

"However, no matter what, I will attack this turn. If I hit you one more time, your life points will be reduced to zero!"

"My turn, draw!"

"I don't know what you're planning, but to be safe, I'll summon [Kycōr] in defense mode. At the same time, Curse of Dragon, attack the enemy player, Curse of Flame!"

Curse of Dragon let out a dragon's roar, and crimson flames gathered in its mouth.

The next moment, the flames spewed forth, transforming into a sea of fire that surged towards Xiao Wen.

"Perish!"

Sona roared, and in that instant, she could almost see the dawn of her victory.

"It's not as simple as you think. I activate my face-down card! [Monster Reborn]!"

[Monster Reborn] - Trap Card

Effect: Target one card in the graveyard; Special Summon it to the field in Attack Position as an Equip Card. If either the monster card or the trap card is destroyed, the other card will also be destroyed.

"The monster I'm going to summon is, of course, [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast]. Rise again, my servant!"

A phantom hand, dark as night, materialized above the ground, cradling a monster within its palm. It was Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast.

As Curse of Dragon's flames spewed forth, Chimera's wings flapped, generating a powerful hurricane that scattered the flames and even blew Curse of Dragon away, sending it crashing to the ground.

[Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] Level 6; Beast/Wind

ATK: 2100; DEF: 1800

Description: A monster Fusion Summoned by [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] and [Baphomet]. When this card is destroyed, you can Special Summon either [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] or [Baphomet] from your Graveyard.

"Monster Reborn, huh? I really underestimated you!"

Sona narrowed her eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.

"Don't worry, my strategy goes far beyond that. Don't forget, I still have a Continuous Spell Card on the field."

As he spoke, Xiao Wen's gaze fell upon [Graceful Charity].

[Graceful Charity] - Continuous Spell Card

Effect: While this card is on the field, each time a monster is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, you can draw one card from your Deck.

"Draw."

Ignoring Sona's displeased expression, Xiao Wen drew a card from his deck, his face immediately becoming quite strange.

"Looks like that 100 points in luck actually had an effect."

Xiao Wen muttered, looking at the card he had drawn.

Sona's expression turned cold. In this situation, she had no way to attack and could only focus on defense.

"My turn, draw!"

Xiao Wen let out a low shout. A blue and white card appeared in his sight, with a large cross in its center.

Spell Card - Monster Reborn!

"I activate the Spell Card [Monster Reborn] from my hand to Special Summon [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] from the Graveyard. Simultaneously, thanks to the effect of Graceful Charity, I draw another card from my deck."

Xiao Wen drew a card and silently added it to his hand.

"At the same time, I activate the Spell Card [Grateful Gift]!"

Xiao Wen placed the card from his hand onto his Duel Disk. A holy spirit with long blue hair instantly appeared behind him, holding a ball of light in its cupped hands. As specks of light rained down, Xiao Wen's Life Points increased by 1200.

"Effect of Grateful Gift: I can recover Life Points equal to the number of monsters on the field * 300. Therefore, my LP is now 3200."

Xiao Wen glanced with satisfaction at his recovered Life Points, then at Sona's exasperated expression, and shrugged. "Don't rush, I'm not done yet."

"I tribute [Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts] to summon Dark Magician Girl!"

"Come forth! The genius of the Dark Magic Clan!"