Chapter 232: Your Girl Cards Are Even More Powerful Than Mine
"Dark Magician Girl! She's actually here!"
Even Suzune Ruri, devoted collector of all girl cards, went quiet when she saw the card in Amano's hand.
She had poured every credit from her professional career and her streaming income into building the deepest girl card collection she possibly could. But this one card had always been beyond her reach.
The rarest card in existence. The only copy in the world.
She wanted it. She wanted it so badly her teeth ached.
"Fine, I'll admit it! On pure cuteness, you have edged me out! But dueling monsters aren't just about being cute!"
Hold on. Did your principles just collapse on the spot?
"I'll have Athena attack Dark Magician Girl!"
Dark Magician Girl had only two thousand ATK. That was, unfortunately, an objective fact. Against Athena's twenty-six hundred, she came up short.
Suzune extended her arm forward. "Fire again! Athena's Thunderclap!"
The war goddess's divine spear launched another blazing column of light directly at the attack-position Dark Magician Girl.
"Let's fight back, Dark Magician Girl!" Amano flipped his last set card. "Quick-Play Spell: Simple Tuning!"
[Simple Tuning]
[Quick-Play Spell: Banish 1 Tuner from your GY, then target 1 monster you control. That monster's ATK permanently becomes equal to the ATK of the banished Tuner.]
The name referenced Synchro Summoning, but the card had nothing to do with it in practice. It simply transferred a Tuner's ATK from the GY to another monster permanently. Some kind of harmony, in its own way.
Amano pulled the only Tuner in his Graveyard.
"I banish White Ecclesia the Virtuous from my GY! Dark Magician Girl gains ATK equal to Ecclesia's ATK!"
[White Ecclesia the Virtuous] [ATK: 1500]
Girl card bonding with girl card. The silhouette of Ecclesia materialized behind Dark Magician Girl, both hands clasped in prayer, channeling a surge of magical amplification.
[Dark Magician Girl] [ATK: 2000 to 3500]
Suzune stumbled back a full step. "Her ATK just surpassed Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
"Counter, Dark Magician Girl! This is the power that exceeds Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Mana: "Dark Burning Attack!!"
The pink explosive magic overwhelmed Athena's divine spear mid-launch and reversed course straight back at the source.
[Athena: Destroyed]
Suzune LP: 4500 to 3600
"Using a card that cute to hit that hard." Suzune's expression darkened. "This is bad. My viewers are going to migrate to his side."
"You know," Kuroshio said, leaning toward Mizuki, "my oshi is just a natural born streaming phenomenon. Whatever he does at a card table, it always looks incredible."
"Amano-bro really is something..."
Sensing the energy shift in her stream, Suzune finished the Battle Phase and lowered another card face-down to her back row.
She had come here to clout-chase by accusing someone else of faking duels. Losing to that someone's girl cards while losing the girl card war simultaneously could genuinely blow back on her.
But she had not lost yet. She still had board advantage.
All she had to do was deal with the cutest girl card in history.
"I Set one card and end my turn."
"My turn. Draw!"
Simple Tuning's ATK boost was not limited to a single turn. It was permanent. Which meant the Dark Magician Girl at thirty-five hundred ATK would carry that value forward regardless of how many turns passed.
Amano looked over his hand. The two cards drawn from Phantom Eye Swordsoul Mage's effect the previous turn had both arrived, and neither was useful right now.
You really couldn't have given me something better?
"I enter the Battle Phase!"
He declared directly. Time to remove one of her girl card monsters.
"You fell right into my trap!" Suzune laughed and flipped her set card.
"Let my girl cards reverse the flow! Trap Card: World Severance!"
[World Severance]
[Trap Card: Only 1 card with this name can be activated per turn. Target 1 card your opponent controls and 1 card in your opponent's GY. Send the targeted field card to the GY, then place the targeted GY card face-down on your opponent's field.]
The card artwork absolutely qualified as a girl card. No debate there.
Suzune pointed across the field.
"I target your Dark Magician Girl on the field and your Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice in your GY. I'm swapping them! Trade your cutest girl card for your most useless one!"
[Dark Magician Girl: Sent to GY]
[Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice: Placed face-down on Amano's field]
Eve: "I'm the most useless girl card?!"
Compared to everything else in Amano's GY, Suzune had apparently judged Eve to be the lowest threat. That was a bold assessment.
Amano: "She'll regret that."
After checking his remaining hand, Amano passed the Battle Phase and began laying cards face-down.
"I Set three cards face-down and end my turn."
"My turn. Draw!"
During Suzune's Standby Phase, Amano immediately flipped one of his set cards.
"I activate Continuous Trap: Call of the Haunted!"
[Call of the Haunted]
[Continuous Trap Card: Target 1 monster in your GY and Special Summon it in Attack Position. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.]
"Rise again from my GY: Dark Magician Girl!"
[Dark Magician Girl] [ATK: 2000]
Dark Magician Girl revived in Attack Position, a shade paler than before in her undead state. The slight otherworldly quality only added a different kind of appeal.
Suzune clicked her teeth. "You're showing off that card to my face again! Fine. Spell Card: Graceful Charity!"
If Justi-Break counted as a girl card for having three women in its artwork, then Graceful Charity certainly qualified too.
"I draw three cards, then discard Familiar-Possessed Wynn and Wynn the Wind Charmer, Blustery from my hand."
"Then I Normal Summon Wynn the Wind Charmer in Attack Position!"
[Wynn the Wind Charmer]
[Level 3 / WIND]
[Spellcaster / Effect]
[ATK: 500 / DEF: 1500]
A green-haired girl descended on a gust, her small frame gripping an elegant staff set with emerald gems.
"Here comes the next move, Mizuki Mu! Spell Card: Circle Fusion!"
[Circle Fusion]
[Spell Card: Banish Fusion Materials from your field and GY to Fusion Summon 1 Spellcaster Fusion Monster.]
Whether the artwork on that one genuinely qualified as a girl card was a matter of some debate. Lilith Alpha was stretching the definition here.
"I fuse Wynn the Wind Charmer on my field with Wynn the Wind Charmer, Blustery in my GY!"
The magic exclusive to Spellcaster Fusions erupted across Suzune's field. A roaring whirlwind of wild magical energy spiraled into being.
"Spirits of wind, resonate into a tempest and unleash your unbridled magical storm!"
"Fusion Summon! Familiar Resonance Wynn!"
[Familiar Resonance Wynn]
[Level 5 / WIND]
[Spellcaster / Fusion / Effect]
[ATK: 1850 / DEF: 1500]
[Spellcaster monster + WIND monster]
The small green-haired girl, once modest on the field, evolved into her Resonance form and called forth the wind spirit beneath her.
"I'm taking that card, Mizuki Mu! I activate Familiar Resonance Wynn's Fusion Summon effect!"
[When this card is Fusion Summoned: return 1 WIND monster from your GY to the bottom of your Deck, then target 1 monster your opponent controls and take control of it.]
"I return Familiar-Possessed Wynn to my Deck and take control of your Dark Magician Girl!"
That was a genuinely nasty surprise from a card that looked so gentle and unassuming. Under that innocent green-haired exterior was a control-steal effect with real teeth.
The screaming wind spirit, seemingly carrying Lilith Alpha's deep obsession with possessing every cute girl card possible, stretched its taking hand toward Dark Magician Girl.
"Did you stop and think about why I revived Dark Magician Girl early, Lilith Alpha? When it comes to commanding girl cards, I have had the upper hand all along!"
Amano chained from his set position and flipped a Quick-Play Spell.
"Quick-Play Spell: Dark Magic Secret Rite!"
[Dark Magic Secret Rite]
[Quick-Play Spell: Choose one of the following effects.
Use a "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl" you control or in your hand as Fusion Material to Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster.
Tribute a "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl" you control or in your hand to meet the Level requirement and Ritual Summon 1 Ritual Monster from your hand.]
A two-option effect. Either a Fusion Summon or a Ritual Summon, using Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl as the key material.
"I choose Fusion! I use Dark Magician Girl as a Fusion Material!"
By using Dark Magician Girl as a Fusion material, Amano bypassed Familiar Resonance Wynn's control-steal effect entirely and launched a Fusion counterattack in the same motion.
As for the second material alongside Dark Magician Girl...
"I Fuse Dark Magician Girl with my face-down Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice!"
This was why Fusion was the most noble Summon method.
Priestess Who Receives the Star Chalice was sitting face-down in Defense Position on his field. A face-down monster could not be used for a Synchro or Xyz Summon under any circumstances.
But Fusion was different. Even a face-down monster could serve as Fusion Material.
Suzune stared. "You're Fusion Summoning using two girl card monsters with that big a gap between them? Is that actually possible?!"
What gap? That comment is slander against Eve.
"Of course it is!"
From the face-down state, Eve surfaced onto the field. In her undead revival form, Dark Magician Girl raised her staff. Both girls crossed their wands together at the center.
From that intersection, a magical tornado erupted straight into the sky, and the roar of a descending dragon answered from above.
"Answer the wishes of these girls and bring down the legendary power!"
"Awaken, Legendary Dragon!"
"Fusion Summon! Timaeus the United Dragon!"
[Timaeus the United Dragon]
[Level 10 / LIGHT]
[Dragon / Fusion / Effect]
[ATK: 2800 / DEF: 1800]
[Materials: "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl" + Dragon or Spellcaster monster]
The runes of the Legendary Dragon Timaeus materialized in radiant columns around the fusion flash. With a roar that shook the air, Timaeus arrived in black armor on Amano's field.
"You used a girl card to Fusion Summon a dragon?! This is unforgivable, Amano Rei! Completely unforgivable!"
Why had she stopped calling him Mizuki Mu?
"I will make you regret that Fusion!"
Suzune slammed a card down with visible fury.
"Spell Card: Lunar Arrow!"
[Lunar Arrow]
[Spell Card: Your opponent cannot respond to this card's activation with monster effects. Send 1 monster from your Extra Deck to the GY, then target 1 opponent's monster of the same Summon type (Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link). Return that targeted monster to the Deck.]
"I send the Fusion Monster Saint Joan from my Extra Deck to the GY and return your Fusion Monster Timaeus the United Dragon to the Deck!"
The Fusion Monster she fed as ammunition dissolved into a massive magical arrow, the projectile of a moon goddess, fired from the sky toward Timaeus.
Not only had she insisted on girl card Spells and Traps throughout the entire duel, she had just used a girl card Fusion Monster as the bullet for her removal effect.
"I acknowledge your commitment to girl cards, Lilith Alpha. In this moment, I genuinely respect it!" Amano raised his hand toward Timaeus the United Dragon.
"But this duel is the combined result of everything my teammates and I have put into this together. That is the one thing I will not allow you to question or tarnish!"
"Amano-bro!"
"Shatter it, Timaeus the United Dragon!"
Timaeus threw its runed head back and fired a roaring column of light skyward, blasting Lunar Arrow apart mid-flight.
"That's impossible!" Suzune could not process it. "My opponent cannot respond to Lunar Arrow with monster effects!"
"You don't need to activate anything. From the moment it was Fusion Summoned, you were already too late to stop it. Timaeus the United Dragon's effect!"
[When this card is Special Summoned: until the end of your next turn, this card is unaffected by other cards' effects.]
No activation required. Simply being Special Summoned granted two full turns of complete immunity to every other card effect.
Suzune's highest-ATK remaining monster was Guardian Spirit Logiaes at twenty-four hundred. Against an immune Timaeus at twenty-eight hundred, there was no path through.
On the next turn, an untouchable Timaeus would be coming straight at her.
"I switch all my monsters to Defense Position!"
[Guardian Spirit Logiaes: DEF 2100]
[Number 29: Mannequin Cat: DEF 900]
[Power Angel Valkyria: DEF 1050]
"My turn ends!"
The sensible play. Prevent her life points from draining in the upcoming Battle Phase by sheltering everything behind a defensive wall.
It was the entirely reasonable choice. And it was the exact move that dropped her directly into defeat.
Amano's final set card was still waiting.
Amano: "Let me close this with my last girl card! Trap Card, activate!"
Suzune: "Wait, is this also a girl card?!"
Amano: "Of course it qualifies! Continuous Trap: World Legacy Rebirth!"
The artwork had an unmistakably prominent girl front and center. Was there really any question?
[World Legacy Rebirth]
[Continuous Trap Card: The following effects of this card's name can each only be used once per turn.
(1): When this card is activated, banish 1 Ritual Monster from your Deck.]
"I use World Legacy Rebirth's first effect to banish Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon from my Deck!"
Both effects of World Legacy Rebirth could not fire in the same turn. After activating the first, Amano had to wait for his own turn to use the second.
"My turn! Draw! And now: World Legacy Rebirth's second effect!"
[(2): You can send this card to the GY and choose one:
Tribute monsters from your hand or field to meet the Ritual Monster's Level requirement, or return 1 Ritual Monster from your GY to the Deck as a substitute, then Ritual Summon the monster banished by this card's first effect.
OR: Add the monster banished by this card's first effect to your hand.]
"I tribute Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my hand to meet the Level requirement and Ritual Summon the banished monster! And one additional note: my Blue-Eyes White Dragon is also a girl card!"
"Even Blue-Eyes?!" The relentless parade of girl cards had so thoroughly disrupted Suzune's reasoning that clear thinking was becoming genuinely difficult.
Eight Ritual Stars, carved from the face of World Legacy Rebirth, blazed to life on the field. The gateway to ultimate Chaos swung open.
"This farce ends here, completely!"
"In the name of the Complete Defeat Whip! With the soul of the Dragon of Light, open the ritual gateway into the darkness of Chaos!"
"Let this supreme and absolute soul crush every obstacle in your path into nothing!"
"Ritual Summon! Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!!"
[Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon]
[Level 8 / DARK]
[Dragon / Ritual / Effect]
[ATK: 4000 / DEF: 0]
Standing before the arrived Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon was the row of defense-position girl card monsters on Suzune's field.
"We're winning!" Mizuki was trembling with excitement. "Amano-bro is going to beat a professional duelist!"
Kuroshio held her chin up with pride. "I said it all along. My oshi is the absolute best! A professional duelist? Completely handled!"
"Not over yet!" Suzune cut them off and activated her last remaining monster effect. "I activate Familiar Resonance Wynn's effect!"
One final struggle from Lilith Alpha.
[During your opponent's turn: Target 2 cards on the field, including 1 WIND monster you control. Return those cards to the bottom of the Deck in any order.]
The effect could take Familiar Resonance Wynn and one card from Amano's field back to the bottom of the deck.
"Your last girl card wind cannot blow anything away, Lilith Alpha!"
Familiar Resonance Wynn's effect required targeting. Of the two monsters on Amano's field, Timaeus the United Dragon was completely unaffected by other cards' effects, and Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon was likewise immune to targeting and destruction by card effects.
The moment Suzune activated the effect, the reality of it settled over her.
"It can't... be stopped."
Nothing left on her field could hold back Amano's advance.
All Familiar Resonance Wynn could do now was take Number 29: Mannequin Cat along with herself to the bottom of the deck.
"Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon! Target: Power Angel Valkyria!"
Power Angel Valkyria's DEF was 1050.
Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon's ATK was 4000.
[When this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict damage to your opponent equal to double the difference between this card's ATK and that monster's DEF.]
Total defense annihilation.
Fully online.
"Let this Chaos roar that scorns all defense crush everything before it into nothing!"
"CHAOS MAX BURST!!"
The limitless torrent from the Chaos Dragon's jaws tore through the defensive formation on Suzune's field. Every defensive wall crumbled to nothing. Every presence was swallowed into the vortex of chaos.
"Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon delivers double the piercing damage!"
Piercing damage: 2950. Doubled: 5900.
Suzune LP: 3600 to 0
Suzune: "AAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA!!"
Amano and Mizuki together: "Demolished!"
A Chaos MAX finishing blow, witnessed live by tens of thousands, obliterated the challenger who had arrived looking to make a statement. There was no more effective answer to doubt than absolute, undeniable victory.
[Mizuki] [Affection +5] [Affection: 74]
[Skill Unlocked: "Will This Card Really Not Clog Your Hand?"]
[Will This Card Really Not Clog Your Hand?]
[Effect: Before the start of a duel, you may add 1 "Card of Unknown Significance" to your Main Deck.]
Among every skill unlocked across every person connected to the system, Mizuki's had the strangest design. The system had not even bothered labeling it a romance skill. Just a pure gameplay effect.
Add a Card of Unknown Significance before the duel begins.
If it were a specific named card, Amano might have taken some time to consider whether it would be usable in a given matchup.
But a Card of Unknown Significance?
Who in the world could turn that down?
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