episode_0013

At Elfelt’s confident declaration,

“Yeah!! Take her down!!”

“Cheer up, Head Prefect!!”

“I want to be scolded by Lady Elfelt too!!”

A roar erupted among the spectators who had frozen at the shocking conclusion. “Win!”, “Take her down!”, everyone sent cheers of support towards Elfelt. At this rate, I’m completely the villain.

“Interesting. Boo me more.”

But rather, this is good. The reaction when I win in this kind of atmosphere is something I can’t contain my excitement about.

“Sir Knight is, well, quite bad-tempered when dueling… Of course, I like that side too!”

And as for her, what should I do to make her dislike me? Honestly, I don’t know.

“Elfelt. Are you going to change your deck?”

Anyway, the duel continues. I tidied up the cards on the field (they returned to my hand on their own when I reached out) and asked Elfelt.

“…No.”

Elfelt closed her eyes and then spoke with a determined gaze, as if she had solidified her resolve.

“My deck isn’t weak. It was I who was weak.”

And running a finger along the cleavage where her deck was held,

“I will defeat you with this deck, which I haven’t been able to use to its maximum potential.”

She declared, pointing that straight finger at me, just as she had done before.

“Just as I wished.”

At Elfelt’s appearance like that, the corners of my mouth naturally turned up.

It’s not because it’s easy to face since it’s a deck I know, that’s why I’m happy.

I like the fact that she loves her deck, that she has a ‘romantic’ aspect to it. Elfelt, truly the best duelist.

Of course, I have absolutely no intention of going easy on her, though.

“Well, there seems to be a slightly unusual atmosphere between the two of you…”

Arianna looked back and forth between me and Elfelt, seemingly feeling a sense of crisis, but I passed over it as I was busy just dealing with Elfelt right now.

“Between taking the first turn and second turn, which will you choose?”

In a best-of-three duel, the loser of the first game chooses who goes first or second afterwards.

“…I will choose the second turn. It hurts my pride to take the first turn twice.”

Elfelt, who had the choice, chose the second turn, not the generally advantageous first turn.

“Understood. That’s a good choice.”

Although it was a choice made purely out of pride, for Elfelt, it was rather an advantageous choice.

Because the deck I was using was what is commonly called a ‘second turn breakthrough’ type of deck.

It’s a deck type specialized in ‘second turn kill’ from the first turn, which I did just a moment ago, intentionally giving the opponent the first turn, then breaking through the opponent’s disruptions and field and ending it in one go with high ATK cards.

That’s why if I take the first turn, there’s not much for me to do. I also lack means of disruption.

Well, that’s fun in its own way, though. I like disadvantageous battles.

“Let’s begin.”

“Alright.”

With our mutual agreement, the words [DUEL START] appeared in the sky, and the duel began again. Elfelt and I simultaneously drew 5 cards from our respective decks.

‘This hand… I can at least set up one magic negation.’

The cards in my hand were a combination that could create a minimal first-turn field.

“[Abyssnite Salmon] summoned. And with its effect 1, I’ll add the [Abyssnite] monster [Abyssnite Tuna] from the deck.”

I developed a field that could exert minimal disruption without summoning too many resources from the deck. Since there weren’t any suitable disruption cards within [Abyssnite], I used other generic Water-attribute monsters.

“Th-that’s the ace monster of [Ice Edge], isn’t it? Wasn’t it an [Abyssnite] deck?”

“Well, they are both Water-attribute… but it must be incredibly expensive…”

“The monsters that appeared on the field just now, how much are they all worth combined?”

However, once I actually developed the field, the result seemed to be worth more than imagined in this world.

“Arianna. How much do you think the cards I just used combined are worth?”

“Hmm. Well, I’m not sure exactly… but couldn’t you buy a house?”

When I asked in a small voice because I was curious, my worries about making a living disappeared.

“…Finally, [Abyssnite King Savior] [Cross Summoned]. With this, turn end.”

I finished my development and passed the turn.

[Ice Edge White Noise], a monster borrowed from [Ice Edge] that negates magic once, [Abyssnite King Savior], which would serve as a wall while also searching for follow-up cards, and the leftover attack-reactive wall monster [Airbag Jack] that I summoned.

It’s a field that can’t be called strong even as an empty compliment, but considering it’s a ‘second turn breakthrough’ deck, it’s not a bad field at all. It should be enough to survive and take the next turn.

“I thought [Abyssnite] was a theme where the first turn wasn’t that strong, but this field… what is it?”

“What is that person?! Those aren’t cards an ordinary civilian would have!!”

Even so, by the standards of this world, it seems strong enough.

“Hoo…”

Elfelt, who took the turn, looked back and forth between her hand and my field, deep in thought.

“…”

Elfelt’s contemplation continued for quite a while. With her brow furrowed, she glared at my field and her hand, thinking deeply.

“To think the Head Prefect, who always developed without hesitation, is contemplating like this…”

“Tsk. Of course. She doesn’t know what underhanded tactics the opponent might use.”

“Cheer up, Lady Elfelt!!”

“I want to become the furrow in Lady Elfelt’s brow!!”

After contemplating to the point where the spectators started buzzing,

“[Great Earthquake] activates. I will destroy all monsters on the field.”

Elfelt seemed to steel her resolve and used [Great Earthquake]. It’s a simple yet powerful wide-area removal magic that destroys all monsters on the opponent’s field.

“…I’ll negate it with [Ice Edge White Noise]’s effect.”

That’s why I had no choice but to negate it. With the magic negation effect I activated, [Great Earthquake] couldn’t activate and disappeared.

“Head Prefect, why did you make that judgment…?”

“There was already a magic negation monster on the field.”

The spectators started to murmur loudly at the situation where a powerful card was negated so easily.

“Did she not know about [Ice Edge White Noise]’s effect?”

“They say ‘long deliberation leads to a bad move,’ but this is too painful.”

“Lady Elfelt!! Cheer up!!”

Most people, even Arianna behind me, saw that action as Elfelt making a critical mistake due to nervousness, but

“[Starting Bonfire] activates. Do you have a card to chain?”

That was,

“No, I don’t.”

A very correct choice.

Elfelt used [Great Earthquake] to ensure her starting card for development, [Starting Bonfire], would go through.

Even if [Starting Bonfire] was negated and [Great Earthquake] went through, there’s a limit to the field that can be created since the most important development card is negated. It’s definitely not a field that can end the game.

If she couldn’t end the game and passed the turn like that, even if the field was completely wiped out by [Great Earthquake], I, who hadn’t consumed all the deck’s resources and instead had resources accumulated in the graveyard, and had even searched for follow-up cards with [Abyssnite King Savior], would develop an even stronger field on the next turn and end the game.

That’s why Elfelt used [Great Earthquake] with the premise that it would be negated.

To force me to negate it, and to let her own development go through.

A very accurate judgment. Sadly, this time I don’t have [Spirit of Locks] to stop the development.

“Chain.”

“!!”

However.

“Discarding [Earth Absorber] and activating its effect, I’ll draw 1 card every time a Special Summon occurs.”

That doesn’t mean I’ll let it go through easily.

“Tha-tha-that scoundrel is using another dirty card!!”

“Are you using [Spirit of Locks] followed by [Earth Absorber]?! Do you want to win that badly?!”

A few nobles were horrified and booed and got angry wildly, but there was no response to them. Everyone was already so focused on the duel that they didn’t have the leisure to react to such nonsense.

“It’s a relief it’s not [Spirit of Locks] at least. I thought my breath stopped.”

Elfelt stroked her chest and smiled.

“…I won’t stop. If I stop haphazardly, I’ll just die anyway.”

And with a determined expression, she looked at me and began her own development.

“With [Starting Bonfire], I’ll add [Blazing Spirit Elf Lair]. And I’ll summon [Fire Spirit Flare], activate its effect 1, discard [Spirit of Ash Azure] from hand, and add a Fire-attribute [Spirit] card from the deck. Chain?”

“No.”

“Yes. The card I’m adding is, [Matchstick Spirit Firestarter].”

Elfelt continued her development without hesitation. Her asking about chains and responding actions with each move shows she’s quite used to ‘Modern [Duel Fantasia]’.

There are some parts that aren’t quite refined by the standards of that ‘Modern [Duel Fantasia]’, but a field that is sufficiently powerful yet quite impressive is building up.

“With [Blazing Spirit Elf Lair]’s effect, I will destroy [Airbag Jack].”

“Alright. You’ve got momentum.”

With effects following her development, she destroyed monsters on my field, slowly but surely reversing the field.

‘But my cards are increasing by that much too.’

However, I have activated [Earth Absorber]. Even if she’s reversing the field, every time a monster increases, a card is also added to my hand.

‘Elfelt. Can you handle the backlash of the increased cards?’

Sending Elfelt a gaze mixed with such worry and anticipation,

“I think I know what you’re thinking.”

Elfelt also stopped her development and looked directly at me.

“I’ll tell you, there’s no need to worry.”

And with a grin, she pulled out a card fiercely burning from her chest.

“It’s heeeeere!!!”

“It’s coming, Lady Elfelt’s ace monster!!!”

“I want to become Lady Elfelt’s ace monster!!!”

The cheers of the spectators filled the central plaza, and

“-That holy flame allows no intrusion from anyone.”

Holding the burning card high, Elfelt closed her eyes and chanted.

“Those who cannot endure the king’s sacred flame shall not set foot in the barrier.”

Opening her closed eyes wide,

“Descend, [Spirit King of Holy Flames Flamelord]!!”

She threw the burning card onto the field.

Kwaaaaaang!! Hwarrruruuk, hwarrrrrrruruuk!!!

A powerful storm of heat, and simultaneously, flames surged like waves across the field.

Lowering the arm I had reflexively raised, I looked forward,

Hwarrrrrrruruuk…

LV.3 [Spirit King of Holy Flames Flamelord] Fire Attribute/Pyro Type ATK 2200 DEF 1300

A female monster resembling a fire goddess, wrapped in flames burning red like the sun, floated in the air and looked down at me.

‘Could it be…’

Compared to its appearance, its ATK and DEF stats are average, but the terrifying aspect of this monster is definitely not its stats or anything of the sort. It’s its effect.

That powerful effect, which was once even Forbidden, is,

『As long as this monster exists on the field, monsters other than Fire attribute cannot be Special Summoned.』

‘To think she would come this far!!’

It was the strongest field lock that shouldn’t exist, sealing Special Summons of anything other than Fire attribute.