Wanna Duel? I've Got the Pharaoh's Deck! [24]

A crisp beep echoed as Satomi Shou’s Duel Disk lit up first, marking the start of the battle.

“Perfect, the first turn is mine. I'll gladly take it.”

Drawing from his extravagantly decorated Duel Disk, Shou began his moves with dramatic flair.

“I summon [Machina Sniper] in Attack Position.”

[Machina Sniper, Level 4 / EARTH / Machine]
ATK: 1800 / DEF: 800

A golden robot carrying a sniper rifle emerged on the field, materializing with a distinctive summoning sound effect.

“As long as [Machina Sniper] remains on the field, my other Machina monsters can't be targeted for attacks. Next, I activate the Spell Card [Ties of the Brethren]. By paying 2000 LP, I target my [Machina Sniper] to Special Summon two loyal servants from my deck sharing the same Attribute, Type, and Level.”

[Machina Defender, Level 4 / EARTH / Machine]
ATK: 1200 / DEF: 1800

[Machina Soldier, Level 4 / EARTH / Machine]
ATK: 1600 / DEF: 1500

[Satomi Shou LP: 8000→6000]

Following [Machina Sniper], two more robots—one green, one blue—materialized from rippling spatial distortions, quickly occupying two-thirds of Shou’s Monster Zones.

In just a single turn, Shou had summoned three monsters to the field.

Of course, such a basic opening move wasn't particularly impressive to Hoshino Mai or Izayoi Yuki.

Rather, what caught Mai’s attention was the Spell Card that Shou had played, prompting her to lean toward Yuki with a thoughtful expression.

“You know, no matter how many times I see it, it still feels like Yuuhi-kun's cards are way more outrageous. Don't you think so too, Yuki?”

“...A little bit, yes,” Yuki quietly admitted this time, having personally experienced it earlier.

Ignoring even [Monster Recovery], the standard [Ties of the Brethren] that normal duelists used had significant restrictions, locking out Special Summons and attacks afterward. But Yuuhi’s version had practically no drawbacks at all, making it exceptionally valuable from a strategic perspective.

Add that to something like [Graceful Charity], and if Yuuhi possessed multiple copies of these rare cards…

“Mai, what exactly is Izumi-kun’s background?” Yuki finally voiced the question that had been nagging at her since their duel. “How did you manage to rope him into joining us?”

“Rope him in? Isn’t that a little harsh? It’s more like mutual benefit.”

Feigning offense at Yuki’s wording, Mai then softened into a quiet laugh.

“Anyway, who cares about his background, Yuki? What's important is that Yuuhi-kun is going to fight alongside us and will become our strongest trump card. With him here, you must be feeling a lot more confident about winning the Stardust Cup, right?”

“...Yeah, you're right.”

As the girls spoke, time continued moving forward, uninterrupted.

Satomi Shou’s first turn was quickly nearing its end.

“My initial setup is complete. You can look forward to the mechanical onslaught next turn.”

Shou placed two remaining cards from his hand into his Spell and Trap Zone. Large holographic card projections appeared at his feet.

“I set two cards facedown and end my turn.”

“My turn. Draw!”

Yuuhi glanced briefly at his drawn card.

It was the new power he’d gained after his duel against Mai.

“A mechanical onslaught? Maybe so. But if I crush your forces before that happens, it shouldn't matter, right? I activate the Spell Card [Royal Straight]!”

“With its effect, I discard one card from my hand to Special Summon [Queen’s Knight] from my deck in Attack Position, then add [King’s Knight] to my hand and Normal Summon it. At this moment, [King’s Knight’s] effect triggers, summoning [Jack’s Knight] directly from my deck.”

[Queen’s Knight] ATK: 1500
[King’s Knight] ATK: 1600
[Jack’s Knight] ATK: 1900

Three swords crossed dramatically as if declaring direct opposition. In response to Shou’s three mechanical monsters, three knights quickly assembled on Yuuhi’s field.

Immediately, they pointed their blades toward the enemy ranks.

“Battle! [Jack’s Knight], attack [Machina Sniper]!”

At Yuuhi’s command, [Jack’s Knight] lunged forward swiftly, sword raised high, slashing toward the golden robot.

“You’re adorably naïve if you think such a simple attack will succeed.”

Faced with the fierce incoming strike, Shou maintained an utterly relaxed smile.

With a casual snap of his fingers, a set card instantly rose upright.

“I activate my Trap Card during your attack declaration: [Draining Shield]! I negate the attack from [Jack’s Knight] and gain Life Points equal to that monster’s Attack Points.”

With a metallic clang, a translucent shield materialized, stopping the knight’s sword mid-swing. The kinetic energy from the attack swiftly transformed into a stream of life energy, fully absorbed by Shou.

[Satomi Shou LP: 6000→7900]

“So, your Life Points are almost fully restored now,” Yuuhi remarked coolly.

With [Jack’s Knight’s] attack nullified, the remaining two knights obviously couldn’t break through the Machina formation this turn.

Accepting this calmly, Yuuhi said, “I end my Battle Phase and enter Main Phase 2. I’ll set two cards in the back row and set one monster facedown in Defense Position. My turn is over.”

“So that’s the best you can do, Yuuhi-kun? Just some meaningless struggles?”

Seeing Yuuhi hastily end his turn after his aggressive opening was thwarted effortlessly, Shou couldn't resist mocking him openly, his contempt now unmistakable.

“But don't feel down. Consider this an honor, Yuuhi-kun. You're fortunate enough to witness the power of a monster even KaibaCorp’s former ace [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon] could never match. My turn.”

Shou drew his next card and inserted it confidently into his Duel Disk.

“At the start of my Main Phase, I activate [Pot of Extravagance]! By randomly banishing six cards from my Extra Deck facedown, I draw two cards. Next, I summon [Commander Covington] in Attack Position!”

[Commander Covington, Level 4 / EARTH / Machine]
ATK: 1000 / DEF: 600

“Using [Commander Covington’s] effect, I send [Machina Sniper], [Machina Soldier], and [Machina Defender] from my field to the Graveyard! Now descend upon this battlefield and engulf the world in endless fire and smoke—”

“—Come forth! [Machina Force]!!”

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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!