Wanna Duel? I've Got the Pharaoh's Deck! [1] & Synopsis

I transmigrated.
Good news? It's a world where dueling reigns supreme and everyone’s got that Duelist brain.

Bad news?
It's not the familiar anime universe I know.

No system, either.
All I’ve got is an old-school deck built by some diehard Mutou Yugi fan.

Apparently, my only cheat is that dueling somehow lets me unlock emotion-infused power-up cards tied to the deck’s legacy... Wait—what?! The anime-only cards are legal here too? And there’s no Forbidden List?

"This deck might not be the strongest... but I believe it holds the greatest potential. Now—let's have ourselves a fun duel!"

Pot of Greed. Graceful Charity. Change of Heart. Brain Control. Card of Sanctity. Morphing Jar #2...

Dark Magician to my left. Gandora to my right.
Five completely absurd cards in hand.
And standing tall behind me, the three Egyptian Gods.

Yuuhi said with a smile.

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Sunlight poured straight down from the sky, flooding the plaza in golden warmth.

At the very center of the square stood the [Goddess of Whim], cloaked in brilliant gold, appearing even more divine and breathtaking beneath the midday glow.

In the shadow cast by the towering statue, a dense crowd had gathered.

At the center of that crowd, a raised platform had been constructed. On top of it stood a girl around sixteen years old.

She was tall for her age, with refined and striking features. Her golden hair cascaded to her shoulders, shimmering as it swayed and catching the sunlight like threads of actual gold. In her emerald eyes glimmered an easy smile and confident light.

Poised and unafraid, she carried herself with effortless charm. Surrounded by a lively background track, she looked just like a princess pop idol, standing proudly at the heart of her own kingdom.

Her fitted, frilly dress and white stockings only enhanced the effect, giving off a radiant allure that made it hard for anyone nearby to look away.

It was early May—spring’s chill had faded, and the weather was starting to turn hot. To gather a crowd like this during a drowsy afternoon lull, it was safe to say the idol-like girl deserved much of the credit.

—Of course, cute girls are always nice to look at. But there was another major factor at play here too.

Standing in front of the “idol” was another “girl.”

Long hair the color of cherry blossoms. An outfit bold and revealing. What stood out the most, however, were her hands and feet—not at all human, but raptor-like, taloned and lethal. One hand even bore a spread of verdant feathers.

From head to toe, she radiated an unmistakable air of danger and beauty—something utterly inhuman.

—This was [Harpie Lady], a Duel Monster summoned for the card battle performance that the girl, Hoshino Mai, was currently putting on.

In the distant past, card duels were once known as “Rituals of Battle”—a rare privilege reserved for a select few. But with the rise of the Duelist League, it had evolved into the most beloved competitive sport on the planet.

From eighty-year-old retirees to preschool kids, nearly everyone knew what a card duel was.

Those who controlled monsters and used Spell and Trap cards to aid them in combat were honored with a singular title—Duelists.

And the girl—Hoshino Mai—was one of them.

Right now, she was deep in her part-time job, following the event script by taking on walk-up challengers in exhibition duels. And this particular performance was drawing to a close.

“Well then, Mr. Krimm.”

Standing behind [Harpie Lady], Hoshino Mai parted her lips, her voice light and melodious like a songbird’s, as she addressed the opponent she’d driven into a corner.

“Got any tricks left up your sleeve? If not, I think it’s time I brought this duel to an end~”

“Guh… Damn it! I surrender!”

The man clenched his teeth in frustration. Clearly unwilling, but helpless to do anything else, he declared his defeat.

The moment he did, the card projections on either side of the platform—[Harpie Lady] included—flickered and vanished without a trace.

“No way, Krimm lost too?! Wasn’t he a retired pro duelist?”
“Seriously? That girl’s way too strong. This isn’t staged or something, is it?”
“Who is she? I mean, even the local Duel Academy’s varsity team barely reaches that level.”
“You don’t know? That’s the ‘Dancing Diva of Kiyosumi’—she made top four in last year’s Little Phoenix Cup.”
“Oh, that middle school tournament? I think I heard something about that... No wonder...”

The man’s defeat seemed to trigger something. The crowd that had been watching erupted into a flurry of whispers.

Awe, admiration, disbelief, suspicion—surrounded by the hum of mixed emotions, Hoshino Mai gave a graceful dip of her head, offering a courteous bow across the field.

“Thank you, Mr. Krimm, for the match and your guidance. It was an excellent duel—I learned a lot.”

“Hmph!”

But perhaps it was the sting of losing to someone so much younger, or maybe the surrounding whispers had gotten under his skin. Either way, the man named Krimm scowled and said nothing.

With a sharp snort, he leapt off the platform, shoved his way through the crowd, and stormed off without so much as a backward glance.

“Ah, looks like I made an enemy.”

Mai looked slightly helpless at the chilly reception, but didn’t seem all that bothered.

Once he was gone, she turned back toward the audience with her usual dazzling smile.

“So, who’s next? Anyone else want to come up and challenge me?”

But despite the warmth in her voice, her gaze was met with hesitation—faces went stiff, the murmurs died down. No one stepped forward.

After all, Hoshino Mai had already taken down several overeager challengers before Krimm, and her skill was obvious to all. Facing someone you know you can’t beat? No idiot would walk up and ask to be humiliated.

Now that even a former pro had gone down, the hesitation only deepened.

Well, this is bad.

Seeing the change, Mai realized things might take a turn.

If this kept up, the event might flop completely.

Maybe I should’ve let Krimm win earlier… She winced inwardly. But I got a bit too into it and didn’t pull back in time.

Still, regrets wouldn't help now. Besides… it’s not like she was completely out of options.

“After these last few duels, I’m sure everyone’s already seen it—this duel disk’s amazing performance!”

Rather than pushing for another poor soul to get clobbered, Mai raised her left hand high, making sure everyone could clearly see what she wore on her slender wrist.

Sleek silver plating. Blade-like contours. Five evenly spaced card slots along the winged edge.

[Harpie Lady]’s card was still slotted in the far left, not yet removed.

Its name didn’t need to be said aloud.

“—The Atum X3000! The newest high-end model from KaibaCorp!”

“Built with cutting-edge materials, it’s light enough to forget you’re even wearing it, with a huge boost in convenience. Even a child could duel with ease! A high-capacity battery provides up to one month of standby time, completely solving battery anxiety. Its retro-chic design hides a powerhouse of features—high memory, high resolution holograms, lightning-fast command feedback, ultra-smooth tactile controls...”

Without a single stammer, Hoshino Mai launched into a confident, rhythmic product pitch, her tone rising and falling in just the right places.

And with every line, a subtle magic seemed to fill the air—drawing the listeners in. Especially the students and kids. Their eyes lit up, following the elegant motion of her duel disk.

Which made perfect sense.

No duel disk, no duels. These days, duel disks were as essential as phones or laptops—a daily necessity for modern life. And just like computers, duel disks came in tiers: office grade, gaming grade… This Atum X3000 was squarely in the latter camp.

Older folks might get by with budget models, but anyone dreaming of serious duelist glory? They needed a top-tier weapon.

Unfortunately, high performance came with a high price. At over 30,000 Alliance Credits, this model was well out of reach for most.

—Unless they were here, at this event hosted by the store where Hoshino Mai was currently working.

“Any lucky guest who comes up now will get a chance to try out the device in a live duel! And if you beat me, you’ll walk away with a duel disk just like this—completely free! Even if you lose, don’t worry! Everyone who participates today will get a 30% off coupon for any KaibaCorp product. That’s right—30% ☆ off!”

Her voice was gentle and persuasive, tugging subtly at the crowd’s desires.

And really, why not?

Even in defeat, they’d walk away with a discount coupon. KaibaCorp made plenty of must-have products—a 30% discount could be worth a small fortune, depending on how you used it.

Compared to that, risking a little public embarrassment? Not so bad.

“So, what are you all waiting for? Only the first three winners will receive the grand prize! Don’t miss your chance—this could be your first step on the road to becoming Duel King!”

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Hoshino Mai seized the moment and struck the final blow.

The phrasing wasn’t anything new—just a classic marketing line—but coming from her, it hit the perfect note.

The hesitation that had hung on the crowd’s faces began to burn away, replaced by something new: hunger, excitement, anticipation.

And just as those feelings began to ignite a new wave of cheers—

A hand suddenly shot up.

A clear, steady voice followed, instantly drawing all eyes—Hoshino Mai’s included.

“Um, would it be alright if I gave it a try?”

The one speaking was a boy, looking about the same age as Mai.

The newly-arrived transmigrator—Iizumi Yuuhi—stood in the crowd, asking his question.

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T/N: okayyy trying a yugioh fic

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!