"Does this card... have an effect like that?" Nero looked at the blue-haired Duel Spirit on Yukikaze's field, her long lashes trembling slightly. Searching, milling, revival... If only her own deck system had cards like this.
"My turn, draw!" Yukikaze looked at the card she had drawn. It was not the Dark Hole she had been hoping for, but this card... this card could win!
"I activate the Field Spell Card—Marincess World!"
Marincess World, which had been returned to the deck, appeared on Yukikaze's field once more, as though announcing the beginning of her counterattack.
"Next, I activate the effect of Rosemary of the Six Flowers on my field, adding Heather of the Six Flowers from my deck to my hand!" Yukikaze searched her deck for a card, then continued, "I activate the effect of Iron Chopsticks in the graveyard. If this card is in the graveyard, I can tribute one Plant-Type monster on my field to activate it. Special Summon this card in Defense Position! I tribute Rosemary of the Six Flowers on my field. Come back! Flower Princess, Iron Chopsticks!"
That was right. Even if monsters entered the graveyard, that did not mean they were dead! She did not know who had reminded her of that, but thank you!
Yukikaze silently offered her thanks, but her hands did not slow. "Because of Marincess World's effect, Iron Chopsticks' attack rises to 3100! Then, I enter the Battle Phase!"
"What?!"
"3100 is lower than 4000! What is she doing? Is she throwing her life away?!"
"Maybe she thinks dying this way is more dignified?"
"Shut up!" Mina could not help shouting. "Yukikaze has her reasons for doing this! This duel does not need you people pointing fingers!"
"Heather has an effect too, right?" Nero asked, looking at the card Yukikaze had searched into her hand.
"Of course. At this moment, I activate Heather's effect! When one of my Plant-Type monsters, except this card, declares an attack, I can tribute this card from my hand or field to activate it. That monster gains 1000 ATK and DEF until the end of the turn!"
"Iron Chopsticks' attack is not 3100 now—it's 4100!"
"This is my limit, so help me win! Iron Chopsticks! Attack Chaos MAX Dragon!"
The elegant Iron Chopsticks charged toward the enormous Chaos MAX Dragon. Two immense waves of energy collided, releasing a blinding light. Yet before long, Iron Chopsticks' energy overwhelmed Chaos MAX Dragon, and the dragon vanished amid the white radiance.
Nero: 2800 LP → 2700 LP.
"Yes! Yukikaze and Iron Chopsticks were amazing! Go! Go! Win this!" Mina said, her face flushed red.
"First-year students these days are really terrifying." Even the instructor could not help praising her. At that age, she had still been using Magicalized Fiend King of the Swamp to fuse out Fusion Monsters with barely any effects.
"I end my turn like this." Yukikaze spoke between heavy breaths.
"My turn, draw!" Nero looked at the card she had drawn. Her previously soaring mood was like a flame doused by cold water, and her cute face immediately darkened—a card she did not want to draw right now had found its way into her hand.
It seemed it was over.
What a shame, Shiraha Yukikaze.
You had not defeated me either.
A duelist who could not defeat me had no meaning.
So sorry, we could not be friends.
"I enter the Main Phase and activate the Spell Card—Preparation of the Rites." Nero inserted the card she had drawn into her Duel Disk. "I add Ritual of Descension and Hiko Peacock, the Spirit Bird, to my hand."
"Damn it, why does she have a second copy of such a powerful monster?!" Mina said in despair. "Yukikaze finally managed to..."
"It's okay. We can win it back next time."
"We can only win it back next time."
"I activate Ritual of Descension. I send Hime-Kujaku, the Spirit Bird from my hand to the graveyard, then Special Summon Hiko Peacock, the Spirit Bird from my hand." Nero expressionlessly slapped Hiko Peacock onto her Duel Disk. "Then, I activate Hiko Peacock's effect, returning Flower Princess, Iron Chopsticks on your field to your hand."
Yukikaze trembled as she reached out with her right hand and took Iron Chopsticks from her Duel Disk back into her hand.
"Then, I attack directly."
Yukikaze: 1300 LP → 0 LP
Winner: Nero Arisa!
Lost... had she lost?
She had finally gathered her courage. She had given it everything she had. Yet she still lost. Did that not mean... she had not helped at all?!
Yukikaze's head felt dizzy and heavy, as if it had been filled with lead. Then her legs went weak, and she was about to fall forward.
But at that moment, a pair of warm hands rested on her shoulders and held her up.
"You did well. Thank you."
Yukikaze raised her head, and a familiar face entered her vision. Her eyes immediately blurred with tears.
"I... I tried really hard... but... I..."
"It's okay. You can win it back next time."
"Who are you?" Nero frowned as she looked at the man who had suddenly entered the duel arena.
"I'm Hara Shichi, the one you were looking for." Hara Shichi handed Yukikaze over to Mina beside him.
"I heard you wanted to duel me?"
Hara Shichi was not from this world, so he could not imagine someone crying over losing a duel.
But there was one thing he understood: the tears in the girl's eyes were shed because of him.
"Didn't you want a duel?" A silver Duel Disk attached itself to Hara Shichi's arm. "I happen to have time right now."
"I want the Xyz card in your hand." Nero held up Herald of the Rainbow Light. "I'll wager this card. If that isn't enough, I can add more."
"Not enough. Of course it's not enough." Hara Shichi smiled faintly. "My Tiramisu of the Tiara can only be summoned using Mewfeuille monsters. You would have to take my entire deck to use Tiramisu of the Tiara."
"You mean... you want to wager your deck against mine?" A layer of frost crept across Nero's cheeks. Of course, she did not think he was kindly informing her of Tiramisu of the Tiara's summoning restriction.
If he wagered his deck, then she would have to wager hers as well.
This was a provocation. He was provoking her.
"Of course. Isn't wagering each other's decks one of your usual methods?" Hara Shichi arrogantly raised his head. "Come on. Let me hunt your deck."
"Arrogant." Nero raised her left hand and answered without hesitation, "If you can do it, then try."
"Duel!"
"Duel!"
"Again?!"
"Hara Shichi, teach this guy a proper lesson for us!"
"Hey, wagering decks... They're going this far again?"
The spectators who had thought it was over once again focused their attention on the two of them.
"Beep!"
"I'll take first." Hara Shichi chose to go first without hesitation.
"Ah! I clearly told him to choose second!" Mina, watching from the side, could not help grabbing at her hair.
"Hara Shichi must have his own plans." Yukikaze had recovered from her earlier state, though her pretty little face was still somewhat flushed. She had actually cried like a child just now. Thinking about it still made her feel embarrassed.
"Because Hara Shichi's deck has a lot of disruption, right?" Aoshi explained. "If he goes first and uses a card like Forbidden Chalice to negate Hand of the Six Samurai's effect, he might be able to interrupt Nero's combo."
"I see!"
"You wagered the deck so decisively." Ai floated beside Hara Shichi, her sky-blue dress swaying lightly with the movement of her calves. "What if you lose? The two of us will have to start all over again."
"Can't be helped. My friend cried right in front of me." Hara Shichi spoke casually. "Isn't it normal to get angry for a friend and make an irrational decision?"
"You really are impossible." Ai's lips curled upward slightly. "But don't worry. I won't let you lose."
"Yeah, I'm happy and touched that you said that, but... aren't I the one playing?" Hara Shichi glanced sideways at Ai. "Or can you manipulate the order of my deck and let me draw whatever I want?"
"How could I possibly do something like that?!" Ai replied irritably.
"So you can't." After bantering with Ai for a while, Hara Shichi's earlier irritation had eased.
"I enter the Main Phase and Normal Summon Madolche Puddingcess."
The cute little angel appeared on the duel field again, but before long, barely having made an entrance, she was ruthlessly sent to the graveyard by Hara Shichi.
"I activate Madolche Puddingcess' effect. I tribute Madolche Puddingcess to Special Summon Madolche Puddingscess from my deck!"
"Next, I activate Madolche Puddingscess' effect. I banish Madolche Puddingcess from my graveyard to Special Summon Mewfeuille the Magical Cat from my deck. I activate Mewfeuille the Magical Cat's effect and search my deck for Madolche Ticket, adding it to my hand."
"I activate Madolche Ticket, then Set three cards and end my turn."
"She set three cards right away?"
"Isn't she afraid of running out of monsters after setting so many Spells and Traps?"
Nero looked at the three Set Cards on Hara Shichi's field and said flatly, "My turn, draw."
"I enter the Main Phase. I Normal Summon Hand of the Six Samurai and activate its effect, adding one Ritual Spell or Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand." As she spoke, Nero's black eyes turned toward Hara Shichi, as though waiting for something.
"Trying to bait a negate?" Hara Shichi naturally understood Nero's intentions. But sometimes, you still had to use it. He flipped one of his Set Cards. "I chain Forbidden Chalice and negate the effect of Hand of the Six Samurai on your field."
Thus, Hand of the Six Samurai, which had just been about to activate its effect, immediately dimmed like an eggplant struck by frost.
"Then, I activate the Spell Card—Preparation of the Rites, adding Ritual of Descension and Hime-Kujaku, the Spirit Bird from my deck to my hand." Nero inserted a Spell Card into her Duel Disk as she spoke.
"Oh no! Hand of the Six Samurai was merely bait. Her real winning move is Hime Peacock!" Aoshi could not help shouting at the sight.
"I activate Ritual of Descension. I discard Thunder King Rai-Oh from my hand and Ritual Summon—Hime-Kujaku, the Spirit Bird!"
A woman dressed in peacock attire appeared on the field, gently waving the peacock fan in her hand as if she wanted to blow away Hara Shichi's Set Cards.
"I activate Hime Peacock's effect, returning the three cards in your Spell and Trap Zone to your deck." Nero commanded Hime Peacock.
"I chain Mage of the Madolche Night!" Hara Shichi flipped another Set Card. "This can only be activated if there are no monsters in my graveyard. The activation of an Effect Monster's effect is negated!"
"You have another Set Card?" Nero thought for a moment, then inserted a card from her hand into her Duel Disk. "I activate Foolish Burial Goods. I pay half my LP and send one card from my Extra Deck to the graveyard."
"I choose... Herald of the Rainbow Light."
"Then, I activate Herald of the Rainbow Light's graveyard effect and add one Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand. I add Chaos MAX Dragon to my hand."
"Next, I activate the Spell Card—Advanced Ritual Art. I send one Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my deck to the graveyard and Ritual Summon—Chaos MAX Dragon!"
The powerful Chaos MAX Dragon appeared once more, radiating a terrifying aura.
"She summoned two powerful monsters in one turn?"
"This... isn't that an OTK?"
"Ritual Summoning is too unfair. They summon straight from the hand—there's no combo process to interrupt at all."
Yet Hara Shichi, standing in the duel arena, smiled.
"Looks just as I thought." Hara Shichi stared at Hime Peacock and Chaos MAX Dragon on Nero's field.
"What a shame." Ai could not help saying as she watched. "The cards in her deck are not very compatible with Mewfeuille."
"It's fine. Who says a duelist can only have one deck?"
"Who's Bullying Whom?"
"I enter the Battle Phase. I use Chaos MAX Dragon to attack Mewfeuille the Magical Cat!"
A massive Roaring Burst shot toward Mewfeuille the Magical Cat. Before the messenger could react, she was destroyed and sent to the graveyard.
"Because of Mewfeuille the Magical Cat's effect, when this card is destroyed by an opponent and sent to the graveyard, I activate its effect and return it to my deck. Then, I activate Madolche Ticket's effect. When one of my Mewfeuille cards, except this card, on my field or in my graveyard returns to my hand or deck by an effect, I add one Mewfeuille monster from my deck to my hand. I add Magicalized Pâtissière - Jelly Angel to my hand!"
"Keeping up your resources?" Nero murmured. Unfortunately, all of her opponent's monsters were in Attack Position. Otherwise, Hara Shichi would not have had another turn.
"I continue by using Hime Peacock to attack Madolche Puddingscess!"
Unlike the messenger, although the owl was battered all over by Hime Peacock, she remained standing firmly on the field, stubbornly spreading her wings!
"Because of Madolche Puddingcess' effect, Mewfeuille monsters Special Summoned by this card cannot be destroyed by battle!"
"Is that so? Then I'll end my turn directly." Nero had essentially exhausted the resources in her hand and could only end her turn there.
"Then it's my turn, draw." Hara Shichi did not pay the card he drew any attention. Instead, he directly slapped the Madolche Puddingcess he had searched last turn onto his Duel Disk. "I Normal Summon Madolche Puddingcess!"
"I activate Madolche Puddingcess' effect, tributing this card to Special Summon Mewfeuille the Magical Cat from my deck. Then I activate Mewfeuille the Magical Cat's effect and add Mewfeuille Castle from my deck to my hand!"
"Mewfeuille Castle can raise the ATK and DEF of all Mewfeuille monsters on the field by 500, if I remember correctly. Even so, it cannot surpass Hime Peacock, much less defeat Chaos MAX Dragon." Nero pointed at the two monsters on Hara Shichi's field. "If I'm not mistaken, your next move should be to use the owl to banish Madolche Puddingcess from the graveyard, Special Summon another messenger, and then Xyz Summon, right?"
"Eh? She figured it out?" Yukikaze could not help saying from below the field.
"It does not matter whether she figured it out. The winner of this duel has already appeared," Aoshi said.
Before you continue