Heroic Spirit Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Realizing something, Valon quickly tried to smooth things over. "Ah, ah! Since we're all in Doma now, why don't we just get along like before, yeah?"

The exalted god had once said that Hoshino had been brainwashed into joining Doma. If Mai found out about this—especially given her prior connection with Hoshino—things might become awkward in more ways than one.

"I must have disappointed you, right, Chiyuki?" Mai sighed, her expression tinged with a mix of regret and awkwardness. "I'm just a woman who craves power. I don't want to keep being a runner-up. I want to win and keep winning. My desire for victory far outweighs any joy I find in dueling."

Mai's self-deprecating remark carried a trace of melancholy. Despite her determination to face herself honestly—even when dueling Yugi or Jonouchi without hesitation—she still couldn't bring herself to want Hoshino's disappointment.

"Not at all~" Hoshino shook her head casually. "Playing the game is only fun if you win! Losing duels isn't fun at all!"

This wasn't just a platitude—Hoshino genuinely understood Mai's feelings. Putting herself in Mai's shoes, she knew that constantly losing would be frustrating, pushing her to seek greater power.

Because if you keep losing, there won't be any Saint Quartz left!

"Heh, that does sound like something a Doma member would say." Mai lowered her gaze with a soft chuckle, seeming relieved.

"With the power of the Orichalcos, I defeated Pegasus—someone even you had a hard time against, Chiyuki. And just when I was about to defeat Jonouchi..." Mai shot a disgruntled glance at Valon. "This guy interrupted my final move."

"Ahaha, didn't we agree not to bring that up, Mai~" Valon scratched his head, clearly trying to change the subject.

But Hoshino recalled that Doma had previously mentioned Valon forcibly stopping the duel with the Orichalcos' power to prevent Mai from losing to Jonouchi.

It seemed Mai herself hadn't realized she was about to lose, and out of respect for her pride, neither Valon nor the others had told her.

"Whatever!" Mai huffed at Valon. "Next time, I'll deal with Jonouchi myself, and if you stop me again, you'll regret it!"

Mai, Jonouchi is going to be your future boyfriend! You'll regret treating him like this later!

Hoshino internally lamented, watching the love-hate dynamic unfold between them. It stirred indescribable, stifling feelings within her.

She decided to just treat it like watching a drama. So sour, though!

But even more sour than Hoshino—who felt like she was eating lemons—was Valon, who practically gulped down a bottle of old vinegar. His face twisted with subtle jealousy.

"Mai, I don't know why you're so hung up on Jonouchi, but since he's one of the chosen Legendary Dragons, leave defeating him to me—the fourth sword of Doma."

This guy, Valon, is so obvious about his feelings for Mai. Too bad it's not mutual.

Knowing the harsh truth, Hoshino internally mourned for Valon for approximately 0.2 seconds.

"Fourth sword of Doma? What is fourth sword of Doma...?"

A puzzled Mai turned to see Hoshino grinning proudly as she pointed to herself.

"I see, the fourth swordsman of Doma, huh? Even with the Orichalcos' power, I wasn't promoted… It seems you're quite gifted in dueling, Chiyuki. That's really impressive."

Mai's unreserved praise made Hoshino blush slightly.

"It's because you're so skilled that I feel I'll never surpass you." Mai's expression grew serious as she locked eyes with Hoshino.

"If this keeps up, I'll be stuck in your shadow forever!"

As expected, the black Doma Duel Disk on Mai's arm activated with a sharp snap.

"So, Chiyuki, let's duel—right here, right now. Ever since we met in Duelist Kingdom, we haven't had a proper duel. I need to show you how much I've grown!"

Faced with Mai's fiery challenge, Valon exclaimed, "Mai, you're dueling Hoshino-chan here? But we were just—"

Yes, Valon had only come here to check on Mai and remind her not to seek out Jonouchi again. Technically, taking time out of work just to meet his crush was already a form of slacking off.

Originally, as long as they returned before Rafael's duel, everything would've been fine. But now, a duel was about to start.

"Doma members are forbidden from using the Seal of Orichalcos for internal battles! This has been emphasized many times!" Valon reminded them.

"As long as we don't use the Seal, there's no issue~"

The excuse sounded all too familiar—it had been used in another situation recently.

But Valon knew Mai's strength. Without the power of the Orichalcos, even beating Pegasus had been a challenge—let alone Hoshino.

Unable to stop Mai, Valon had no choice but to pin his hopes on Hoshino. "Hoshino-chan, look, the sun's about to rise. If we miss Rafael's duel…"

"This brings back memories, Mai. We haven't dueled in so long!"

Ignoring Valon's pleas, Hoshino eagerly activated her Duel Disk, leaving Valon speechless.

Mai had been the second person Hoshino dueled after arriving in this world. Back then, she had barely any experience with her deck. But now, both of them had grown.

More importantly, if Mai truly possessed the strength to defeat Pegasus, she was at least A+ rank.

That meant another substantial deposit of Saint Quartz!

"This time, I'll definitely get Mama Raikou and unleash the true power of the OX King!"

The trauma caused by Elizabeth's Four "Wave Quintet" had left a deep impression on Hoshino. She'd never let her equip Dōjigiri Yasutsuna again in this lifetime.

"Then let's begin, Chiyuki!"

[Mai Valentine VS Hoshino Chiyuki]

[Duel!]

Mai drew her starting hand. "I'll go first, Chiyuki! Against you, I can't afford to hold back for even a moment!"

"I summon the monster card [Cyber Harpie Lady] in attack position!"

[Cyber Harpie Lady★★★★(Level 4)]

[WIND] [Winged Beast/Effect] [ATK 1800 / DEF 1300]

As Mai slammed the card onto her black Duel Disk, a strikingly beautiful Harpie Lady clad in a cybernetic bodysuit materialized on the field.

"Ugh, that cyber suit reminds me of unpleasant memories…"

EMIYA: Not me. I never wore that!

Mai was still using her Harpie deck, but it had improved significantly since her last duel with Hoshino.

"And now, I activate the Continuous Spell Card—[Hysteric Sign]!"

[Hysteric Sign – Continuous Spell Effect: When this card is activated: Add 1 "Elegant Egotist" from your Deck or GY to your hand].

"I add [Elegant Egotist] from my Deck to my hand!" Mai swiftly retrieved the card before placing two more from her hand onto her Duel Disk.

"I activate not one, but two copies of [Elegant Egotist] from my hand! As long as there's a 'Harpie Lady' on my field, I can Special Summon one 'Harpie Lady' or 'Harpie Lady Sisters' from my Deck or hand!"

With practiced precision, Mai drew two cards from her Deck and placed them onto her black Duel Disk.

"With these two Elegant Egotist, I Special Summon [Harpie Lady 1] and [Harpie Lady Sisters]!"

[Harpie Lady 1 ★★★★ (Level 4)][WIND][Winged Beast/Effect][ATK 1300/DEF 1400]

[Harpie Lady Sisters ★★★★★★ (Level 6)][WIND][Winged Beast/Effect][ATK 1950/DEF 2100]

"And thanks to [Harpie Lady 1]'s effect, all WIND monsters on my field gain 300 ATK!"

[Cyber Harpie Lady ATK 1800 → 2100]

[Harpie Lady 1 ATK 1300 → 1600]

[Harpie Lady Sisters ATK 1950 → 2250]

A whirlwind of feathers and wind magic surged as Mai's field filled with her signature monsters. Despite her Duel Disk only displaying three monsters, the imposing presence of Harpie Lady Sisters made it feel as though five had appeared.

Valon's eyes widened slightly. "Mai's strategy is as aggressive as ever… even more than when she faced Jonouchi."

Finally, Mai slid two more cards into her Duel Disk's Spell/Trap zone, her confidence unwavering as she met Hoshino's gaze.

"Chiyuki, I'll show you just how much I've grown! I set two cards and end my turn!"

[Mai's Field: 1 Hand Card | 2 Set Cards]

Hoshino grinned. "Mai, if it's about filling the field with monsters, I won't lose! My turn—Draw!"

Without hesitation, Hoshino summoned a monster to her Duel Disk.

"I Summon [Heroic Spirit – Medusa] in Attack Position!"

A flash of dark energy swirled as Medusa materialized, her chains coiling around her.

[Heroic Spirit – Medusa ★★★ (Level 3)][DARK][Warrior/Effect][ATK 1200/DEF 1000]

Hoshino's fingers moved swiftly through her Deck. "When Medusa is successfully summoned, I can Special Summon [Heroic Spirit – Stheno] from my hand or Deck!"

[Heroic Spirit – Stheno ★★★★★ (Level 5)][DARK][Fairy/Effect][ATK 1700/DEF 1500]

[This card is also treated as a 'Lily'.]

The petite and elegant Stheno covered her mouth with a soft laugh. "Oh hoho! My adorable Medusa, you and our Master summoned me together? Then I shall..."

Before she could finish, Hoshino placed another card on her Duel Disk.

"And when Stheno is Special Summoned, I can also Special Summon [Heroic Spirit – Euryale] from my hand!"

[Heroic Spirit – Euryale ★★★★ (Level 4)][DARK][Fairy/Effect][ATK 1500/DEF 1000]

[This card is also treated as a 'Lily'.]

Euryale's expression softened. "All three of us, together? How delightful~"

"Sister..."

Among the legendary Gorgon sisters of Greek mythology, Medusa stood out—taller and more imposing than her petite, dainty siblings. Deep down, she envied their "cute and small" appearances, often feeling out of place.

Now, with her field assembled, Hoshino flashed a confident smile at Mai.

"Mai, your proud Harpie Ladies are about to face the Gorgon Sisters—watch as they tear through your defenses! Medusa's effect activates!"

[Once per turn: You can target 1 face-down Spell/Trap in your opponent's Spell & Trap Zone; that card cannot be activated this turn.]

Medusa's eyes shimmered with a mystical glow. "Prepare yourself—Mystic Eyes!"

A faint aura of petrification spread across one of Mai's set cards, locking it in place.

Mai chuckled softly. "Even if you seal one of my cards, my Harpie Ladies still outmatch your monsters in strength, Chiyuki."

"Oh? What about this?" Hoshino smirked, sliding a card into her Duel Disk's Spell Zone.

"I activate [Polymerization]! I fuse Medusa and Euryale from my field!"

A surge of energy engulfed the two sisters as their forms intertwined.

"Fusion Summon! Appear now—[Heroic Spirit – Medusa Lily]!"

[Heroic Spirit – Medusa Lily ★★★★★★★ (Level 7)][DARK][Fairy/Fusion/Effect][ATK 2000/DEF 1500]

[[Heroic Spirit – Medusa] + 1 'Lily' Monster]

As the light faded, a younger version of Medusa stood proudly, now in a petite, adorable form, her hood resembling cat ears.

Medusa Lily's face lit up with joy. "To be just like my sisters—small and cute—it's wonderful! I'm so happy!"

"Upon a successful Fusion Summon, Medusa Lily can Special Summon 1 'Lily' Monster from the Graveyard!"

Hoshino placed a card back onto her Duel Disk. "Return to me—Euryale!"

[Heroic Spirit – Euryale ATK 1500]

Euryale smirked playfully. "Though your tall form has its charm, Medusa, this petite look suits you too~"

Hoshino pointed at Mai's remaining face-down card. "[Medusa Lily]'s effect activates—Mystic Eye! I seal your other set card!"

A second wave of petrifying energy surged forward, rendering Mai's last set card useless.

"Mai, with both of your Set cards neutralized, get ready for the Gorgon Sisters' onslaught!"

Stheno's elegant smile remained unwavering. "Prepare yourselves, my dear sisters. Let's showcase the elegance of our combined efforts."

Euryale and Medusa Lily responded in unison. "Let's go!"

(*****)

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