With skills like yours, you think you can stand in my way? / You can't just turn things around with one card.

It would be nice if Hara Shichi were here.

Yukikaze shook her head self-mockingly. Honestly, Hara Shichi was probably fighting a hard battle just like her right now. She could not afford to be this weak when there were still Duel Spirits behind her that needed saving.

"Next, because there is a 'Melodious' monster on the field, I Special Summon Melodious Sonata from my hand in Defense Position. Due to Melodious Sonata's effect, the ATK and DEF of Fairy-Type monsters on my field increase by 500!"

A girl with deep blue eyes like the sea appeared on the field in a gorgeous gown. Unlike Aria, she was taller and more mature, her expression steadier, like a dependable older sister.

Melodious Aria: ATK: 1600→2100. DEF: 1200→1700.

Melodious Sonata: ATK: 1200→1700. DEF: 1000→1500.

"I'll end my turn just like this. Your turn."

"Eh?!" Yukikaze could not help crying out.

She was ending her turn just like that?

Could it be that this female duelist was not as strong as Yukikaze had imagined?

Compared to Julie, who had Special Summoned Dragon Doom on her first turn, Nero, who had casually Special Summoned a Soul Bird, and Sera, whose terrifying Trap Card had been Set from the start, the two monsters before her with barely over two thousand ATK were simply not impressive.

Moreover, both monsters were in Defense Position, even though their ATK was higher?

"Hey, it's your turn. Why are you still dawdling over there? Or could it be... you're so scared of the Dark Duel that your whole body has gone stiff, and you can't even draw a card?" the woman sneered.

"Um... is your arm okay?"

The battered Duel Spirits behind her asked with concern. Though they did not want to admit it, they had clearly seen Yukikaze's arm take that vicious whip strike in their place.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Yukikaze smiled at the Duel Spirits behind her.

Then Yukikaze turned back and placed her hand on her deck. Her delicate face became resolute. "Then, it's my turn! Draw!"

That's right. I'm not who I used to be. I've fought many people and grown stronger than before, so—there won't be a problem!

Yukikaze glanced at her hand and made her decision in an instant. "I enter the Main Phase and Normal Summon Rosemary of the Six Flowers!"

The pink-and-blue little girl appeared on the Duel field once again, standing atop golden flower stamens.

"I activate Rosemary of the Six Flowers' effect and add Flower Princess Snowdrop from my deck to my hand!"

"Next, I activate Flower Princess Snowdrop's effect. I Tribute Rosemary of the Six Flowers on my field and Special Summon this card and one card from my hand!"

"Bring me victory! Rikka Princess! Flower Princess Snowdrop!"

As the blue-haired little girl left the field, the girls appeared calmly, holding transparent parasols trimmed with lace that resembled ice crystals and radiated a chilly aura. They looked like ladies dressed for an elegant outing.

"Pfft. Is this what you'd expect from a young duelist?" The woman covered her mouth as she chuckled. "'Bring me victory'? You're killing me. If you've got the ability, then come on."

"I'll show you!" Yukikaze inserted a card from her hand into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card—Marincess World!"

"All WATER monsters on the field gain 500 ATK and lose 400 DEF!"

"Therefore, the ATK of my Rikka Princess and Snowdrop become 3100 and 1700 respectively!"

"Oh, how amazing. You're just so impressive." Although the woman said that, her dark green eyes held faint disdain.

Yukikaze frowned. This was the first time she had encountered such a sarcastic duelist, and for a moment, she did not know how to retort. In the end, she simply shouted, "I enter the Battle Phase! Rikka Princess, attack Melodious Aria!"

Rikka Princess gently waved her hand, firing a beam of white light at Aria on the opposing field. Yet, to Yukikaze's surprise, Aria was not only completely unharmed, but even gave her a faint smile from where she stood.

"Th-this... what's going on?" Yukikaze asked in confusion. "Rikka Princess's ATK should be higher than Aria's DEF."

"So what if your ATK is higher?" The woman rolled her eyes. "As long as the Special Summoned Aria is on the field, the Melodious monsters on my field cannot be targeted by effects or destroyed by battle. No matter how high your ATK is, it's useless."

"Snowdrop, attack Melodious Sonata." Yukikaze tried again unwillingly.

However, just like Aria, Sonata stood safely on the field.

"Useless, useless." The woman chuckled. "In the end, only third-rate duelists like you use strategies that just stack ATK. And you even played a trash Field Spell like Marincess World... you really are 'cute.'"

"Marincess World isn't a trash card!" Yukikaze retorted, her face flushing red.

"Whatever. Cling to that low-level Duel philosophy, and your Duel career will never amount to anything. You might as well let me end it here." The woman spoke indifferently.

"Calm down! Don't let this bad person provoke you!" the Duel Spirits behind her quickly reminded her.

Yukikaze frowned slightly and continued her play. "I enter Main Phase 2, Set one card, and end my turn."

There was no helping it. Though she was unwilling, she really could not break through the opponent's defenses right now.

"Then it's my turn." The woman swiftly drew a card from her deck. "My turn, draw!"

"Hmm? Looks like my luck isn't bad." As she spoke, the woman inserted the card she had just drawn into her Duel Disk. "I enter the Main Phase and activate the Spell Card—Polymerization!"

"Not so fast!"

Yukikaze flipped her prepared Set Card. "I activate the Counter Trap Card—Hay Fever! I Tribute Flower Princess Snowdrop on my field to negate and destroy your Polymerization!"

Bang!

As Hay Fever activated successfully, Yukikaze suddenly felt her internal organs convulse violently. Then a blade-like agony spread from within throughout her entire body, making her furrow her brows tightly.

"Hehe, I didn't think you couldn't even use a Counter Trap properly. A duelist at your level dares to jump out and ruin my plans?" The woman was clearly an experienced duelist and saw at a glance that Yukikaze had suffered a backlash from the Trap Card because her own Duel level was insufficient.

"That's right. Even so, I'll stop you." Yukikaze naturally knew that she was not powerful.

But weakness was not a reason to run away.

On the contrary, the weaker she was, the less she could easily compromise with herself!

"You think negating my Polymerization means I can't summon Fusion Monsters?" the woman said disdainfully. "Naive. Far too naive. Fusion Monsters don't necessarily have to be summoned with Polymerization!"

As she spoke, the woman unhesitatingly sent the two Monster Cards on her Duel Disk to the Graveyard and slapped a Monster Card from her hand onto the Duel Disk. "I Tribute Melodious Aria and Melodious Sonata on my field to Tribute Summon—Melodious Princess Françoise!"

A girl with curly green hair appeared elegantly on the field in a purple dress. Her long, fair fingers nimbly tapped the black and white keys before her, producing beautiful melodies.

"She gave up the defense she had already established so easily?!" Yukikaze had been thinking about how to break through the opponent's defensive blockade, but after just one turn, the opponent had torn down the high wall she had built herself.

"Because I no longer need defense." The woman raised her hand and activated her monster's effect. "I activate Françoise's effect. Once per turn, I add one Fairy-Type monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Sonata to my hand, then activate Sonata's effect to Special Summon her back onto the field!"

"Next, I activate the Continuous Spell Card—Super Polymerization! I activate Super Polymerization's effect, sending this card to the Graveyard and sending the Fusion Materials listed on a 'Melodious' Fusion Monster Card from my field to the Graveyard. Then I Special Summon that Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!"

"You can use a Continuous Spell Card in place of Polymerization?!" Yukikaze was shocked once more. This was the first time she had seen a Fusion Summon without the Spell Card Polymerization.

"There are plenty of cards that can replace Polymerization! But unfortunately, you'll never get to see them again!" the woman sneered. "I send the two monsters on my field to the Graveyard and Fusion Summon—Melodious Diva Tiara!"

Françoise, who had only just appeared, stopped playing and left the field gloomily. In her place, a little girl with short pink-and-blue hair appeared in midair, dressed in a blue gown. Pink ribbons circled around her as she stood atop a delicate lotus pedestal like a fairy from myth, slowly descending from the sky.

"ATK 1000, DEF 2000... A monster summoned by spending so many resources can't be that simple. She definitely has a powerful effect!" Looking at the harmless little girl on the opponent's field, alarm bells immediately rang in Yukikaze's heart.

"I enter the Battle Phase." With a grand sweep of her hand, the woman's scarlet pupils dilated like a predator spotting prey. "I use Flower Diva to attack Rikka Princess!"

Just as I thought! Yukikaze thought. The ATK difference between Rikka Princess and Flower Diva was 3100. If her opponent was attacking like this, she definitely had some special effect. Was it an ATK boost, or...

Boom!

A powerful impact struck alongside a deafening blast. Fortunately, Yukikaze had been prepared and raised her arms to shield herself, but even so, the impact forced her back several steps.

"Cough, cough... what exactly happened?" Yukikaze looked in confusion at Rikka Princess, which had shattered and entered the Graveyard. Her LP, originally 4000, had somehow dropped to 2400.

"Flower Diva's effect. After this card battles a Special Summoned monster and damage calculation is performed, I can activate it. You take damage equal to the difference between that opponent's monster's original ATK and this card's original ATK, then that opponent's monster is destroyed." The woman raised her head proudly. "At the same time, Flower Diva cannot be destroyed by battle or effects, and any battle damage I would take from battles involving this card becomes 0!"

"Cannot be destroyed by battle or effects, battle damage becomes 0, and she can destroy the opponent's monster with her effect while dealing effect damage..." Yukikaze's face immediately drained of color as she stood there blankly.

Though she had prepared herself mentally long ago, this monster... was so strong. Among everyone she knew, only Hara Shichi's Tiramisu of the Tiara could defeat this monster, right?

Seeing Yukikaze's pale face, the woman curled her lips in satisfaction. "I Set one card and end my turn. Your turn."

"Wait! During your End Phase, I activate the effect of Rosemary of the Six Flowers in my Graveyard. Because I have a Plant-Type monster on my field, I Special Summon this card." Yukikaze quickly snapped out of her daze and placed Rosemary of the Six Flowers from her Graveyard back onto the field.

"Do as you like. It's just pointless effort anyway," the woman said indifferently.

"Then, my turn! Draw!"

Yukikaze looked hopefully at the card she had drawn, wishing it could offer some help against her current situation. Yet the card in her hand was the Spell Card—Dark Hole.

One of the few powerful field-clearing cards in Yukikaze's deck seemed utterly powerless before Flower Diva.

"If only... if only I had drawn it earlier..." Yukikaze sighed dejectedly, but quickly shook her head and pulled herself together.

Complaining was meaningless.

What mattered most now was doing what she could.

"I activate Rosemary of the Six Flowers' effect and add Flower Princess Snowdrop from my deck to my hand." Yukikaze added the second Snowdrop in her deck to her hand, then sent Rosemary of the Six Flowers to the Graveyard once more. "I Tribute Rosemary of the Six Flowers on my field and Special Summon Flower Princess Snowdrop and Flower Princess Cyclamen from my hand in Defense Position."

"Then I change Flower Princess Snowdrop on my field to Defense Position and end my turn."

"Hahaha... no, you're just too funny, aren't you?" Seeing the three monsters in Defense Position on Yukikaze's field, the woman clutched her stomach and laughed. "Don't tell me you think Defense Position can stop me?"

"I clearly explained Flower Diva's effect to you, yet you still don't understand something this simple?"

The woman rested her hand on her Duel Disk, her pink tongue unconsciously licking her lips. "Let me tell you this: before Flower Diva, whether you attack or defend, it is all useless!"

"My turn, draw!"

"Hehe, it looks like my luck is exceptionally good today." The woman's smile grew even wider as she looked at the card she had drawn.

"I enter the Main Phase and Normal Summon Crystal Rose."

A crystal-like red rose, exuding a faint chill, appeared on the field.

"It isn't Melodious?" Yukikaze asked strangely. For a deck built around an archetype, it was best to include cards from the same archetype, since they could often work together to produce powerful effects.

"Though it isn't Melodious now, it will become Melodious very soon." The woman snapped her fingers, then revealed the answer impatiently like a magician. "I activate Crystal Rose's effect. Once per turn, I send one Melodious monster from my deck to the Graveyard. Until the End Phase, this card's name becomes the same as the monster sent to the Graveyard. I send Melodious Aria Tangtang from my deck to the Graveyard."

"But that only turns it into Melodious, doesn't it? What's the point?" Even in this life-or-death Duel, and even knowing that her opponent was an enemy who would fight her to the death, Yukikaze could not help asking.

"You don't even understand the simple concept of sending cards to the Graveyard?" The woman flipped her Set Card.

"I activate the Trap Card—Reinforcement of the Army! I Special Summon a Melodious Aria from my Graveyard in Defense Position!"

The black-haired girl who had just entered the Graveyard immediately rose from the dead and appeared on the Duel field.

"Then I activate Melodious Aria Tangtang's effect. When this card is Special Summoned while I control a Melodious monster, I can activate it. I add one Polymerization from my deck or Graveyard to my hand. I add the Polymerization in my Graveyard to my hand!" As she spoke, the woman took the Spell Card Polymerization from her Graveyard back into her hand.

"You're planning to Fusion Summon again?" Yukikaze frowned slightly. But this time, she had no Hay Fever Set on her field and could only watch helplessly as her opponent freely extended her plays.

"I activate the Spell Card—Polymerization!" The woman forcefully inserted Polymerization into her Duel Disk. "I send the two Melodious Aria Tangtangs on my field to the Graveyard and Fusion Summon—Melodious Maestro Schubert!"

Another Fusion Monster appeared on the woman's field. Unlike Flower Diva, who resembled a little fairy, Schubert looked more like an elegant noblewoman. She wore a voluminous red gown and black high heels, her flame-like long hair cascading in waves behind her, while the short sword in her hand added a touch of gallantry.

"It's not over yet! I activate Melodious Maestro Schubert's effect! I banish your Rosemary of the Six Flowers and Rikka Princess from your Graveyard, along with my Super Polymerization from my Graveyard. Schubert gains 600 ATK!"

"Her goal is to cut off my follow-up plays?" Yukikaze unwillingly sent Rosemary of the Six Flowers and Rikka Princess to the Banish Zone. Yet before she could finish, another impact suddenly struck her.

"When Melodious Aria Tangtang is sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material, I can target one Melodious monster on my field. That monster loses 500 ATK, and I deal 500 damage to you. I choose Flower Diva on my field and reduce her ATK by 500!"

"Ugh!"

Yukikaze: 2400→1900 LP

Although it was only a 500 LP impact, it nearly knocked Yukikaze to the ground. But the woman had no intention of letting her off so easily. She continued her assault. "I enter the Battle Phase! Flower Diva, attack Snow Lotus! Schubert, attack Primrose of the Six Flowers!"

Thud! Before Yukikaze could even steady herself, she was sent flying and crashed intimately into the ground. Her LP fell from 1900 to 1200.

"So whether I attack or defend, it's useless... that's what she meant?" Yukikaze gently wiped the dust from her cheek and looked at Snow Lotus, which was dissipating into the air. Then she slowly got back to her feet.

"So what if you understand now? Once you summon a monster, Flower Diva's effect will destroy it and deal you effect damage. If you don't summon a monster, you'll have to face Schubert's direct attack!"

"I'll end my turn like this. It's your turn, young duelist~" the woman teased. In her eyes, there was no longer any suspense in this Duel.

Is it my turn now?