"Hold on. I chain the effect of your Fiend's Hand North River II and activate the Counter Trap Card—Mage of the Madolche Night. It can only be activated if there are no monsters in my Graveyard. The activation of that Effect Monster's effect is negated," Hara Shichi interrupted.
"Tch!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 clicked his tongue. "You think that'll stop me? I Set a card, then activate Phantom Knights Dark Cloth Armor!"
"Wait! That's a Trap Card! You can't activate a Trap Card on the turn it was Set!" Yukikaze hurriedly shouted as she looked at the red-bordered card.
"Hmph, you ignorant brat. Let me tell you what this card does!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 sneered. "If there are no Trap Cards in my Graveyard, this card can be activated on the turn it is Set. After activation, it becomes a Normal Monster—Warrior Type, DARK, Level 4, ATK 0, DEF 300—and is Special Summoned to the Monster Zone in Defense Position. It is not treated as a Trap Card.
"Since I have no Traps in my Graveyard, I can activate it directly!" The black-clad man placed the card in the Monster Zone.
"Now the conditions are complete!" the black-clad man shouted.
"You have two Level 4 monsters. Be careful, it's coming," Ai warned Hara Shichi.
Black-Clad Man No. 1 raised a card high and shouted at the sky, "I have two Level 4 monsters! I overlay Fiend's Hand North River II and Dark Cloth Armor! The two monsters construct an Xyz Network! Xyz Summon—Fiend Death God Thanatos!"
A pitch-black warrior rode forth from hell atop a warhorse. Its crimson eyes gleamed dangerously, and the sword in its hand looked ready to sever an enemy's head at any moment.
"An Xyz Summon?" Yukikaze cried out.
"Hahahaha! Never seen one before, have you? That's right, this is an Xyz Summon!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 laughed loudly.
"What's its effect?" Yukikaze asked nervously.
"Its effect? You think I'd tell you?" Black-Clad Man No. 1 sneered. "Don't be so naive, little girl. This is a life-or-death Dark Duel. Tremble in fear!"
"Once per turn, it can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to activate. This turn, this card is unaffected by the effects of monsters other than itself. This effect can also be activated during the opponent's turn," Ai whispered into Hara Shichi's ear. As a god, she naturally knew the effects of every card.
"I understand." Hara Shichi nodded.
"You're not telling Yukikaze?" Ai asked curiously.
"No. I can finish this next turn." Hara Shichi looked at the monster on the field.
"I Set one card and end my turn!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 said.
"You talk too much. Finish them already," Black-Clad Man No. 2 said. "My turn, draw!"
"Entering Main Phase. I activate the Field Spell Card—Fusion Regeneration Facility. Then I activate its effect. Once per turn, I can discard 1 card to add 1 'Polymerization' from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand."
As he spoke, Black-Clad Man No. 2 sent a card from his hand to the Graveyard. "I discard White Rabbit and search Polymerization from my Deck."
"White Rabbit? Hara Shichi! You can't let him get that search!" Ai shouted anxiously. "A Deck that runs both Polymerization and Normal Monsters—his target is that monster!"
"I know!" Hara Shichi immediately used the card in his hand. "I chain the effect of Ghost Ogre in my hand! When the effect of a monster on the field is activated, or the effect of a face-up Spell or Trap Card on the field is activated, I can send this card from my hand or field to the Graveyard to activate it. Destroy that card on the field!"
A petite figure appeared on the field. Ghost Ogre leaped up, her small, pale hand gripping the hilt of her blade. Then, with a flash of steel, Fusion Regeneration Facility was cut in half.
"That card is Ghost Ogre?! That's incredible!" Yukikaze said in shock.
"This... this can't be... the hand trap that only legendary top-tier Duelists possess, can it?!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 exclaimed excitedly. "We've struck it rich! We're going to be rich!"
"Ghost Ogre... I once had the honor of watching a recording of a top-tier Duelist. Someone in that recording did use this card." Black-Clad Man No. 2 muttered, "A top-tier Duelist... could I become one too?"
"Of course you can! As long as we win this duel, won't both their Decks be ours?!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 said, patting Black-Clad Man No. 2 on the shoulder.
But... there was only one Ghost Ogre. The black-clad man did not voice that thought. Instead, he continued, "I Normal Summon Agent of Creation Venus."
A winged angel appeared on the field. She had long golden hair and a graceful figure. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her arms were folded across her chest, as though she were praying for something.
"I activate the effect of Agent of Creation Venus. Effect 1: I can pay 500 LP to Special Summon 1 Sacred Sphere from my hand or Deck."
Black-Clad Man No. 2: 4000 LP → 3500 LP.
This was the first change in LP during the duel, though it came from the opponent paying the cost of his own effect.
The moment the LP was paid, a crystal-clear white sphere appeared on the field.
"I pay again."
3500 LP → 3000 LP
Another sphere appeared on the Duel Field.
"Then I overlay the two Sacred Spheres! The two monsters construct an Xyz Network! Xyz Summon—Knight of the Cornflower Centaur!"
A monster with a man's head and torso, the lower body of a horse, and a spear in hand appeared on the Duel Field.
"An... another Xyz Summon?" Yukikaze had gone numb. Was Xyz Summoning actually that easy? Could anyone learn it with a flick of their fingers?
"I Set two cards and end my turn."
"It's your turn." Black-Clad Man No. 2 looked at Hara Shichi.
Hara Shichi looked at the two enormous monsters on the opposing field and said:
"My turn. Draw."
The Senior's Power Is Invincible!
"I enter Main Phase 1." Hara Shichi said, "Then, I summon Madolche Madeleine."
"I'm counting on you again, Miss Witch." Hara Shichi smiled at the witch riding a silver fork.
The witch adjusted her large hat and revealed a sly smile, as if saying, Leave it to me!
"I activate Madolche Madeleine's effect. When this card is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned, I can search 1 Madolche monster from my Deck."
"Not so fast! I chain Trap Card—Breakthrough Skill." Black-Clad Man No. 2 flipped his Set Card. "This card can negate the effect of 1 monster on the opponent's field. I choose your Madolche Madeleine."
Just as Miss Witch was about to cast her magic, the energy released by the Trap Card interrupted her. She pouted in anger.
"Now Madolche Madeleine's effect has been negated," Black-Clad Man No. 2 said.
"Hmph, you think you're the only ones who can interrupt someone's plays?!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 mocked.
Yet he noticed that Hara Shichi did not look helplessly enraged at having his combo interrupted. Instead... he was smiling?
"We baited it out~" Ai said with a smile as she looked at Hara Shichi's hand.
"Yeah, we really did." Hara Shichi flipped his Set Card.
"I activate the Trap Card—Madolche Festival. I can Special Summon any number of monsters with 'Madolche' in their names from my hand. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect return to their owner's Deck during the End Phase!"
"I Special Summon Magicalized Pâtissière - Hotcake Owl from my hand!"
The bespectacled owl bounced onto the field and spread its wings.
"I see. Your starter was in your hand all along. Madolche Madeleine was merely a monster you used to test my back row," Black-Clad Man No. 2 said as he looked at the owl on the field.
"Why did you assume Madolche Madeleine was the only starter in my hand?" Hara Shichi said calmly. "In an environment with 4000 LP, getting your monsters interrupted is a serious problem, isn't it?"
"Then isn't it only natural to run plenty of starters?"
"Hotcake Owl can Special Summon a monster from the Deck. You've already seen that once. Why did you use your Trap on Madolche Madeleine?" Black-Clad Man No. 1 complained.
No, it wasn't the owl.
The owl could only Special Summon one monster. If he used the Trap on the owl and allowed Madolche Madeleine's effect to resolve, then the monster the owl wanted to Special Summon could still be brought out through Madolche Festival. Whether he interrupted Madolche Madeleine or the owl, the outcome was the same. So why had Hara Shichi said they had baited it out?
"A monster! There must be a powerful monster in his Deck!" Black-Clad Man No. 2 suddenly realized. "Stop his combo!"
"Huh?" Black-Clad Man No. 1 looked at the Trap Card he had Set earlier—Aggressive Erosion Infection. It was only a search card, not an interruption.
"So that means you have no more interruptions, right?" Hara Shichi instantly understood their exchange. "Then I won't hold back!"
"I activate Hotcake Owl's effect. I banish Ghost Ogre from my Graveyard to Special Summon Madolche Messenger from my Deck!" Hara Shichi placed Ghost Ogre in the Banish Zone. "Then I activate Messenger's effect to search 1 Madolche Spell or Trap from my Deck! I add Madolche Ticket to my hand!"
Madolche Ticket popped out of the Duel Disk. Hara Shichi took it and immediately inserted it into the Duel Disk. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card—Madolche Ticket!"
After doing all that, Hara Shichi turned to Ai beside him.
"Ai, come on."
"Mm, let's begin!" Ai placed her hand over Hara Shichi's. Multicolored light flickered and flowed between them.
"I have two Level 4 monsters! I overlay Madolche Madeleine and Madolche Messenger on my field! The two monsters construct an Xyz Network! Xyz Summon—Madolche Queen Tiramisu!"
Tiramisu of the Tiara appeared once more. A composed smile hung on her face. Her neat formal dress and silver-gray curls lent her a solemn dignity beyond her beauty, as though elegance itself had been tailored just for her.
"An Xyz Summon?! Impossible! Why can this brat use Xyz Summoning?!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 stared wide-eyed.
"So this is where your confidence comes from?" Black-Clad Man No. 2 was far calmer. "Go on. Activate her effect. That was your goal, wasn't it?"
"You don't need to tell me." Hara Shichi said, "I activate Tiramisu of the Tiara's effect. Once per turn, I can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to target up to 2 'Madolche' cards in my Graveyard. Return those cards to the Deck, then return up to that many cards on the opponent's field to their owner's Deck."
"What?! Return cards to the Deck?" Black-Clad Man No. 2's pupils contracted as he flipped his Set Card. "I chain! Trap Card—Threatening Roar! You cannot declare an attack this turn!
"I..." Black-Clad Man No. 1 instinctively wanted to flip his own Set Card too, but as he looked at the monster on Black-Clad Man No. 2's field, his hand suddenly stopped.
"I send Messenger, one of Tiramisu of the Tiara's Xyz Materials, to the Graveyard. Then I return Messenger and Mage of the Madolche Night from my Graveyard to the Deck!" Hara Shichi returned the two cards to his Deck, then pointed at Black-Clad Man No. 1. "Next, I choose Fiend Death God Thanatos on your field and your Set Card in the back row. Return them to the Deck!"
"Not a chance! I chain Fiend Death God Thanatos's effect! Once per turn, I can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to activate it. This turn, this card is unaffected by the effects of monsters other than itself. This effect can also be activated during the opponent's turn," Black-Clad Man No. 1 said. "Then I activate Aggressive Erosion Infection's effect. I return Fiend Giant Eagle Horas from my hand to my Deck and add Fiend's Hand North River II from my Deck to my hand!"
"Hahaha! That means Tiramisu of the Tiara's effect was completely wasted! When my turn comes, Fiend Death God Thanatos can destroy your Tiramisu of the Tiara in battle!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 burst into laughter.
However, the only response he received was two sighs.
"Sigh."
"Sigh."
"Look at your field." Black-Clad Man No. 2 could not help reminding him.
"Huh? My field? Isn't my field..." Black-Clad Man No. 1 looked at his field, and his voice abruptly stopped.
There was... nothing on his field.
Battle Phase.
"What happened... I clearly chained my effects!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 said in a trembling voice as he looked at his empty field.
"You couldn't chain them." Black-Clad Man No. 2 explained, "Tiramisu of the Tiara's bounce effect does not target. In other words, the moment she returned the cards in the Graveyard to the Deck, her effect had already successfully activated."
"If you knew that, why didn't you warn me?!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 grabbed No. 2 by the collar and roared.
"I didn't warn you?!" Black-Clad Man No. 2's voice was hoarse. "Then tell me, why didn't you activate your Set Card and monster effect when I chained Threatening Roar?! What were you thinking? What were you hesitating for?!"
"You were thinking that he might choose Knight of the Cornflower Centaur on my field! You thought you had a chance to save an Xyz Material!"
Black-Clad Man No. 1 loosened his grip. He had been hit right on the mark.
In that instant, that thought really had crossed his mind. Whether consciously or unconsciously, he had chosen not to activate his Set Card.
"Tch, this one's on me! This brat isn't like ordinary students. We have to work together if we want to win this duel!" Black-Clad Man No. 1 said. "After we win, you can decide how to divide the Decks."
There would be no more cooperation. They had already fallen behind.
One of the opponent's Xyz Monsters had traded a single Xyz Material for three cards, and the result was... Black-Clad Man No. 2 looked at Black-Clad Man No. 1's empty field and reached his conclusion.
He would never get another turn.
Hara Shichi did not stop moving because of their argument. "When Madolche cards return from my Graveyard to the Deck, I activate Madolche Ticket's effect: If a 'Madolche' card on my field or in my Graveyard, except this card, returns to my hand or Deck by an effect, I can add 1 'Madolche' monster from my Deck to my hand. If I control a Fairy Type 'Madolche' monster, I can Special Summon it in Attack Position instead of adding it to my hand."
"Since Tiramisu of the Tiara is Fairy Type, I can Special Summon Madolche Messenger from my Deck. Then I activate Madolche Messenger's effect to add 1 Madolche Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand."
Messenger could not activate its effect when Normal Summoned, needed a Beast-Type Madolche on the field every time it activated its effect, was useless if drawn, hindered combos, and always seemed to end up in his hand... but!
It did not have a once-per-turn limit by name!
"I add Mage of the Madolche Night to my hand!" Hara Shichi added Mage of the Madolche Night to his hand again, then Set it on the field. "Since I cannot declare an attack, I end my turn."
"Is... is it my turn?" Yukikaze finally came back to her senses. She had been watching Hara Shichi's dazzling sequence of plays and was completely dumbfounded.
Hara Shichi really was incredible. This was clearly a two-on-two Tag Duel, yet he was fighting two opponents alone without falling behind. Maybe... he really was fighting one against two? Could I really contribute anything in this duel?
"Being weak is not frightening. Being content with weakness is what's frightening. Don't stay in the same place forever."
She was right. I had clearly discovered the hidden path to the back mountain long ago. I had clearly found a Duel Spirit as powerful as Ghost Ogre, yet I did not even have the courage to go forward and speak to her. Ghost Ogre had noticed me long ago, hadn't she? Had my cowardice disappointed her?
I hate this.
My timid self. My weak self. The self that used weakness as an excuse.
But...
"Yukikaze? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Hara Shichi asked with concern when Yukikaze still did not move.
"Hm? I feel great right now." Yukikaze shook her head.
But I can't go on like this. I'll be left behind.
Before you continue