"Idiot!"
Villy nearly doubted his ears. To hear such a crude word from the lips of Alice Carlos, who cultivated the perfect image of refinement, was unthinkable.
But looking at Alice standing in the heart of the Shadow Game, indeed intent on executing him, there was nothing gentle in sight.
There was no escape now.
He was a Starcrest Academy student… a proper Duelist. How could he let some back-alley player intimidate him?
Shaking off his fear, Villy took a deep breath and loaded his Deck into his Spirit Eyes.
"Duel!"
[Villy, LP: 4000]
[Alice, LP: 4000]
Villy's Spirit Eyes lit up first—he had the opening turn.
"My turn—draw!"
He didn't know what kind of Deck Alice used, but as her sister's sibling, there was a chance her build was similar.
The winter wind cleared his head, letting him think tactically.
"I Normal Summon Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit!"
[Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit] Level 3│LIGHT│Psychic/Tuner│0 ATK
The twin-tailed girl with a blue talisman stepped lightly onto the frozen alley.
Seeing Villy summon a hand-trap monster to the field, Alice's expression was pure disdain.
"Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell Photon Lead!"
[Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower LIGHT monster from your hand in face-up Attack Position.]
"I Special Summon White Magician Pikeru."
[White Magician Pikeru] Level 2│LIGHT│Spellcaster│ATK: 1200 DEF: 0
The little mage with a staff materialized. Clearly, this was a card choice driven by Villy's… personal tastes.
"I Synchro Summon—Level 3 Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit tunes Level 2 White Magician Pikeru—come forth, Scarred Warrior!"
[Scarred Warrior] Level 5│EARTH│Warrior/Synchro│2100 ATK
[Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters]
The Synchro light briefly lit the alley, revealing the heavily bandaged warrior.
"Scarred Warrior can't be destroyed by battle once per turn! And I activate the Spell Card Double Summon!"
[You can conduct 2 Normal Summons/Sets this turn.]
"With my extra Normal Summon, I bring out Dark Elf!"
[Dark Elf] Level 4│DARK│Spellcaster│2000 ATK
The elegant, dark sorceress appeared.
"I Set 1 card and end my turn!"
He'd used all six opening cards—Villy knew he had to go all out in a Shadow Game.
"An indestructible Synchro and a 2000 Attack Level 4? Even if I haven't dueled much, I can see…"
Alice's fingers rested on her dim Spirit Eyes as she surveyed his field.
"Villy Barrett—you're pathetically weak. My turn—draw!"
"Calling me weak? Fine! I'll show you who's the real prey!"
His rage boiling over, Villy snapped his face-down up.
"Trap Card activate—Deck Devastation Virus!"
[Tribute 1 DARK monster with 2000 or more ATK; destroy all monsters your opponent controls with 1500 or less ATK, and all such monsters in their hand and Deck.]
"I tribute Dark Elf to wipe out every low-ATK monster in your field, hand, and Deck!"
It was the opposite of the Crush Card Virus he'd used on Aisha—tailored for her sister.
"Let's destroy your Deck before you can summon anything!"
The virus spread into Alice's hand and Deck.
"Is that it? Your resistance?"
"What? How—!"
Alice stood untouched.
"No surprise. It's not that your card failed—it's that I don't run a single monster that meets its conditions."
Meaning her entire Deck was full of monsters with more than 1500 Attack.
"Are you really sisters?"
"Closer than close… but what's it to you?"
Alice drew and pointed to the Scarred Warrior.
"Indestructible Synchro? Let's test that—Effect of Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju from my hand!"
"Kaiju?!"
"Devour that Synchro!"
[Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju] Level 8│FIRE│Dinosaur│3000 ATK
The towering, flaming Kaiju appeared and swallowed Scarred Warrior whole—Special Summoned to Villy's field by tributing his monster.
"Be grateful—I gave you a 3000 Attack monster in exchange."
Villy smirked—maybe she really was a rookie.
"More than you'll ever know. Alpha, the Master of Beasts—Special Summon!"
[Alpha, the Master of Beasts] Level 8│EARTH│Beast│3000 ATK
Now Alice had her own 3000 Attack Titan.
Megan's voice cut in, "Forget rescue. This barrier hides everything—your only way out is to win. But you've no chance now."
"Spell Card—Owner's Seal!"
[Return control of all monsters on the field to their owners.]
Dogoran's massive frame stomped back to Alice's side.
"First turn, you've lost everything. I command two monsters with 3000 Attack each. This Duel is your pathetic life in miniature."
"Beast King and Kaiju—Double Flame Roar!"
"Aaaaahhh!"
[Villy, LP: 4000 → 0]
The instant kill ended the Shadow Game. The smell of charred flesh lingered as Alice's Spirit Eyes shattered.
"Just one Duel, as I thought."
She took Villy's Spirit Eyes from his arm.
"Let's see how long trash like this lasts."
Megan asked, "Shall I finish him?"
"No. Losing a Shadow Game and his Spirit Eyes makes him a cripple. Let him live in disgrace—it's its own punishment. Here—Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit. As payment."
Megan frowned. "I can't accept—"
"Then promise me this: the old tavern keeper he attacked—heal him."
Megan's eyes widened at Alice's profile.
"As you command."
Alice pulled her hood up and left, occasionally glancing toward the royal palace—unaware Aisha was still with Princess Nova, studying summoning.
...
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