Wanna Duel? I've Got the Pharaoh's Deck! [6]

Swift yet elegant. Deadly, yet dazzling.

Hoshino Mai’s offensive was as beautiful as it was effective—a flawless execution that drove Yuuhi into a corner.

Though she hadn’t managed to destroy all of his monsters, she had backed him into a grim position in every other way. His Life Points, previously still in the safe zone, had been driven to the brink in a single turn.

That alone might have been manageable.

However—

“Next turn, all I need is one more direct attack from [Harpie’s Pet Phantasmal Dragon] and I can finish you off, Yuuhi-kun. And because of its effect, you can’t attack or target any of my Harpie monsters. Looks like this is checkmate.”

Like an upgraded version of [Swords of Revealing Light]—not only denying Yuuhi any chance to retaliate, but keeping the blade of Damocles hanging right over his head.

Under the threat of [Phantasmal Dragon], simply placing monsters in attack mode as shields would be completely pointless.

And it wasn’t just Mai who thought so. The crowd, which had grown larger as the duel intensified, didn’t see any hope for Yuuhi either.

“She really lives up to her title—‘The Dancing Diva of Kiyosumi.’ Still as sharp as ever.”

“[Harpie’s Pet Phantasmal Dragon] is so unfair. How are you even supposed to fight that?”

“No way he’s winning. That guy’s toast.”

Chatter rippled through the plaza—sympathy, dismissal, defeat.

Many of the same spectators had briefly believed Yuuhi might pull off a miracle with his Poker Knights earlier. But that illusion had been thoroughly shattered.

Still—Yuuhi himself hadn’t given up.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Miss Mai. As long as I can draw, the game’s not over.”

“You’re not giving up until the last moment?”

Mai stared into his jet-black eyes.

And saw no bluff, no false bravado.

Only a calm, steady-burning determination.

“That’s right. And besides… I’m not just relying on the next draw.”

“Oh, right—you still have that card.”

Thanks to Yuuhi’s reminder, Mai remembered.

At the start of the duel, Yuuhi had banished a card with [Gold Sarcophagus]. And now, with his next turn beginning, that card would return to his hand.

So that’s where his confidence was coming from.

“Heh… Then let’s see what kind of reversal you’ve prepared, Yuuhi-kun. I set one card, and at the end of my turn, I activate [Harpist]’s effect.”

“I add one WIND monster with 1500 or less DEF from my Deck to my hand. I choose [Harpie Oracle]. Then [Phantasmal Dragon] detaches 1 Xyz Material. Turn end.”

With a slight smile, Mai drew her last card and deftly slipped it into her Spell/Trap Zone. A massive projection lit up in front of her, and one of the glowing stars orbiting [Phantasmal Dragon] faded as it was consumed.

Its effect required it to retain Xyz Materials—but even after this, it still had two left.

It would take Yuuhi at least two more turns to burn through them.

And everyone watching knew: he didn’t have two turns left.

“My turn! Draw!”

He was getting used to it now.

The clumsy motions from his first time handling a Duel Disk were nearly gone. Driven by urgency, Yuuhi drew with confidence.

A ripple formed in the air, and the golden [Gold Sarcophagus] reappeared in the center of the field.

“It’s my second Standby Phase—so the card I banished with [Gold Sarcophagus] is returned to my hand. Then, I summon [Breaker the Magical Warrior] in Attack Position!”

[Breaker the Magical Warrior]
Level 4 / DARK / Spellcaster
ATK: 1600 / DEF: 1000

The lid of the sarcophagus opened, treasure returned to its owner.

Yuuhi didn’t activate the card immediately. Instead, he placed the monster he’d drawn this turn onto the field.

The crimson-armored swordsman, once beloved for his “Red Knight” flair, appeared at his side.

“When [Breaker] is successfully summoned, he gains 1 Spell Counter—and for each counter, his ATK increases by 300.”

“Chain activation—Continuous Trap, [Hysteric Party].”

A card at Mai’s feet flipped open.

“By discarding one card, I can Special Summon as many [Harpie Ladies] from my GY as possible.”

Her voice was calm, but commanding.

And four streaks of light flared into the sky.

From them descended four Harpies—each distinct in look and presence.

[Harpie Queen] – ATK: 2200
[Harpist] – ATK: 2000
[Perfumer] – ATK: 1700
[Harpie Oracle] – ATK: 1300 → 1600

The last among them was a cerulean-haired girl with a high ponytail and black feathered arms, cradling a glowing blue crystal orb.

None of these monsters had “Harpie Lady” in their names—but thanks to their shared archetype effects, they all counted as such for [Hysteric Party].

And that wasn’t all.

“On Special Summon—[Perfumer] and [Oracle] both activate their effects. I add [Harpie’s Feather Rest] to my hand. And at the end of this turn, I can retrieve a Spell or Trap from my GY that mentions [Harpie Lady Sisters].”

“She burned her face-down early, huh… But it doesn’t change what I need to do.”

Yuuhi raised his voice: “I activate [Breaker the Magical Warrior]’s effect! I remove his Spell Counter to destroy one Spell or Trap on the field—Magical Burst!”

Breaker swung his sword, releasing a burst of magical energy. The arc tore through [Hysteric Party], shattering the card into particles.

And as it vanished, the four summoned Harpies cried out before disappearing in turn.

“When [Hysteric Party] leaves the field, all monsters summoned by its effect are destroyed.”

“But now that they’ve gone to the Graveyard, [Harpist]’s effect will activate again during the End Phase~”

Mai wasn’t the least bit fazed by the mass destruction.

Between [Perfumer], [Oracle], and now [Harpist], her follow-up was secured. Even if [Phantasmal Dragon] were somehow dealt with, she could recover effortlessly.

Yuuhi understood that too. Which is why—he wasn’t done yet.

“With all threats and traps removed, I can finally play this!”

“I activate the Quick-Play Spell—[Monster Reincarnation]!”

“Oh? It’s time, is it? I’ve been waiting for this surprise.”

Watching Yuuhi slot the card into his Duel Disk, Mai’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. She couldn’t help recalling the version of [Monster Reincarnation] she knew:

[Monster Reincarnation]:
Quick-Play Spell
Discard 1 card; then target 1 monster in your Graveyard; add it to your hand.

If that was all, she couldn’t imagine how it would change anything.

But Yuuhi seemed so confident—it had to be something different.

And he didn’t disappoint.

He spread his hand forward—five fingers wide.

“According to this card’s effect, I return all cards on my field and in my hand to my Deck, shuffle, and then draw five new cards!”

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T/N: HUH? ARE U GONNA RELY ON THE HEART OF THE CARDS?

This is a fan translation of 打牌吗？ 我王样卡组！by 夏日戏言 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!