Chapter 12

"Are you ready, Hoshino?" Mai Valentine was growing impatient. She hadn't expected Hoshino to take so long to adjust her deck. While it's common for duelists to tweak their decks before a duel, taking this much time seemed like she was completely rebuilding it.

"Hmph." Hoshino used her cards to hide her smug smile and slowly turned around. "All set. Now I'm a completely different person."

Despite hiding her smile with the cards, Hoshino's smug face was still evident. Mai forced a smile. "Confidence is good. That means I don't have to hold back. Let's start the duel."

"Duel accepted: Duelist Mai Valentine vs. Duelist Hoshino Chiyuki."

As she stepped onto the platform, Hoshino took a deep breath and placed her newly organized deck on the table. Unlike her first duel, she was now confident in her deck.

"Please wager your stars."

"Two!" They both said in unison, placing two duelist stars on the table.

"Go, Hoshino! Teach that woman a lesson!" Anzu cheered energetically from below, giving the impression that she was the one dueling.

"Go, go," Jounouchi and Honda cheered, though less fervently than Anzu.

"Hey!" Anzu turned to glare at them. "Who exactly are you cheering for? You wouldn't be rooting for Mai just because she's sexy, would you?"

Jounouchi and Honda exchanged embarrassed smiles, as if she had seen right through them. "No way, Hoshino is our friend. Of course, we're cheering for her."

"Really?" Anzu's skeptical look made them squirm.

"Both sides, give it your best and have an unforgettable duel!" Yugi also cheered from the sidelines.

"Even Yugi..." Anzu muttered, feeling deflated.

"Haha, Mai doesn't seem like a bad person. I hope they both enjoy the duel," Yugi said, scratching his head.

"Mai goes first. The duel begins!"

"I summon Harpie Lady in defense position and set one card face-down. I end my turn." Mai's clean and efficient move demonstrated her experience as a seasoned duelist.

[Harpie Lady ★★★★WIND][Winged Beast]

The small, cute Harpie Lady appeared on the field, crouching protectively with her pink wings.

"Wow, such a cute monster card," Hoshino thought, feeling a bit uneasy. She had grown used to seeing paper-thin waifus.

But as a duelist, she couldn't hold back just because the monster was cute.

"My turn, draw!"

"I summon Spartacus in attack mode." The well-rounded Spartacus was Hoshino's standard opening move.

[Heroic Spirit - Spartacus ★★★ EARTH][Warrior/Effect]

"Spartacus, attack Harpie Lady!" Hoshino commanded. "Don't hold back just because she's cute"

"Suppressor, destroy!" Spartacus' massive body crushed Harpie Lady without mercy.

"Hmph," Mai smirked. "I activate the trap card Harpie Lady's Call."

[Harpie Lady's Call: When a Harpie Lady you control is destroyed, add three Harpie cards from your deck to your hand.]

Mai added three cards to her hand from her deck, leaving her with seven cards.

"Using a weak monster and a trap card to gain card advantage and search for key cards in the first turn," Yugi analyzed from below. "Mai might be tougher than she seems."

"Yugi, stop boosting her morale and lowering ours!" Anzu complained. "Hoshino still has a monster on the field, while Mai doesn't."

"A low-level monster on the field isn't necessarily an advantage, since..." Yugi trailed off as Hoshino ended her turn.

"My turn, draw. I summon Harpie Lady in attack mode."

[Harpie Lady ★★★★ WIND][Winged Beast]

"Hmph, even if you worked hard to search for Harpie Lady, it can't beat Hoshino's monster," Anzu said, noticing Harpie Lady's attack was 100 points lower than Spartacus'.

"I activate the equip spell Elegant Egotist, equipping it to Harpie Lady."

[Elegant Egotist: The equipped monster gains 300 ATK. When this card is sent to the graveyard, equip it to another Harpie Lady.]

[Harpie Lady ATK → 1600]

"That's not all. Harpie Lady's true beauty is just beginning." Mai placed another spell card on the table. "I activate the spell card, Cyber Shield."

[Cyber Shield: If you control a Harpie Lady, you can special summon one Harpie Lady or Harpie Lady Sisters from your hand or deck.]

"Come forth, my beautiful sisters. Special summon Harpie Lady Sisters from the deck!"

[Harpie Lady Sisters ★★★★★★ WIND][Winged Beast/Effect]

"Harpie Lady, attack Spartacus!" The sharp talons of Harpie Lady pierced Spartacus' sturdy body.

Hoshino Chiyuki LP 4000 → 3900

"Ugh... This thrill... I'll return it tenfold!" Spartacus' special effect activated, restoring 500 LP to Hoshino and dealing 500 damage to Mai.

Mai Valentine LP 4000 → 3500

Hoshino Chiyuki LP 3900 → 4400

"Hmph, it's not over yet, Hoshino. Harpie Lady Sisters, direct attack!" The three Harpie Lady Sisters' image passed through Hoshino's body.

Hoshino Chiyuki LP 4400 → 2450

"Damn, she's strong. Not only did she destroy my monster, but she also summoned a six-star monster," Hoshino said, catching her breath. "Mai is definitely stronger than Yuta Kajiki."

"Hoshino..." Anzu, who had been excited, now looked worried, realizing the half-finished statement Yugi had made earlier.

"My turn, draw!" Seeing the card she drew, Hoshino made a reassuring gesture to Anzu. "Even if Mai is stronger, I'm not afraid."

"Because I've grown stronger too. I summon Heroic Spirit - Cu Chulainn in attack mode!"

[Heroic Spirit - Cu Chulainn ★★★★ LIGHT][Warrior/Effect]

"Come at me!" Cu Chulainn, wearing his blue bodysuit, brandished his red spear.

"I activate the equip spell, Piercing Thorn Spear. Equip it to Cu Chulainn, increasing his attack by 300."

[Cu Chulainn ATK → 1900]

Cu Chulainn's spear glowed red. "Feeling great, master!"

"That's good." Hoshino trusted her monster. "Cu Chulainn, attack Harpie Lady!"

The glowing red spear pierced Harpie Lady's body.

Mai Valentine LP 3500 → 3200

"I activate Cyber Shield's special effect. When this card is sent to the graveyard, equip it to another Harpie Lady."

[Harpie Lady Sisters ATK → 2250]

"This is your counterattack, Hoshino? It's barely a scratch," Mai said, noting that her Harpie Lady Sisters' attack was now higher than Cu Chulainn's.

"Don't be hasty, Mai. It's not over yet."

"I activate Piercing Thorn Spear's special effect!"

[Piercing Thorn Spear: The equipped monster gains 300 ATK. If equipped to Cu Chulainn, send this card to the graveyard to destroy one opponent's monster.]

"I'll take your heart!" Cu Chulainn's spear shone brightly. "Gae Bolg!"

The glowing red spear pierced Harpie Lady Sisters' heart.

[Cu Chulainn ATK 1900 → 1600]

"How's that? This is my Lancer's counterattack." Hoshino's sharp gaze fixed on Mai.