Captain Gold: WDNMD! Eagle Girl: (ಡωಡ)

"Attack with 'Harpie Lady No. 1'!"

A lithe, scantily clad creature with alluring curves and pink hair, half-woman half-hawk, appeared on Mai Valentine's field.

"'Harpie Lady No. 1's effect activates! As long as this card is face-up in the monster zone, the attack power of all WIND-attribute monsters on the field increases by 300 points.'"

Her effect indiscriminately affects both sides, which means the Wingman on Yugi’s field, being WIND-attribute, also benefits from this boost.

(Harpie Lady No. 1, Level 4, ATK: 1300 → 1600)
(Elemental Hero Wingman, ATK: 1000 → 1300)

Although their strength increased, what did it matter? Yugi had summoned Wingman in defense position, not attack position.

It was precisely this point that Mai had noticed, which was why she summoned Harpie Lady No. 1 right away.

"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Harpie's Feather Duster' from my hand!"

The moment she played the Feather Duster, the green wings of Harpie Lady No. 1 shimmered with a dazzling light—the power of the Spell’s effect.

"With Feather Duster, all Spell and Trap cards on my opponent’s field are destroyed and sent to the Graveyard!"

At her command, Harpie Lady No. 1 soared into the air, wings beating as she eyed the two set cards in Yugi’s back row. With a fierce gust, a storm erupted, sweeping toward the backline!

“Hmph! At this moment, I activate my Counter Trap—‘Winds of Feathers’!”

With a tactical chuckle, Yugi flipped one of his set cards. A gale, swirling with white feathers, roared across the field, no less fierce than Harpie's onslaught—perhaps even more powerful!

“What? A Counter Trap?”

Everyone was stunned upon hearing what he’d activated. In an era when duelists focused on monster cards and using spells and traps was a mark of a true contender, to not only play but own a Counter Trap was astonishing.

"Sorry about this, Mai," Yugi said, his apology devoid of emotion. Wingman, too, beat his wings, unleashing a feathered storm to counter Harpie Lady’s assault.

"When I have 'Elemental Hero Wingman' on my field, if my opponent activates a Spell or Trap, I can activate 'Winds of Feathers' to negate that card's activation and destroy it!"

With a thunderous roar, the wind intensified, overwhelming Harpie Lady's tempest in an instant. Mai’s hopes of clearing Yugi’s back row were dashed.

“…In that case, let’s go straight to battle! Harpie Lady No. 1, Talon Smash!”

She dove at high speed! Wingman tried to fly clear, but with Harpie Lady No. 1’s attack power at 1600, he was simply outpaced. He barely managed to flap his wings before she tore him to pieces.

"Wingman, defeated! I set two cards face-down and end my turn!"

Like Yugi before, she set two cards.

[Mai Valentine: 2000 LP, Hand: 1, Monster Zone: Harpie Lady No. 1, Spell/Trap Zone: Set ×2]

"My turn. Draw!"

Yugi drew his card, eyeing the green-bordered Spell Card with the cross-dart symbol in the upper corner, then glanced at another card in his hand—a LIGHT attribute warrior clad in golden armor and a crimson cape. A smile played on his lips.

"I activate the Field Spell, 'Skyscraper!'"

"What?! Field Spell?!"

The crowd was even more astonished than before. Counter Traps, while rare, were not unheard of, but this 'Field Spell' was something entirely new to them.

"Field Spell… Field Spell… Could it be? Is this card a new Spell type born from the Kingdom’s 'Duel Arena' rule?”

Yugi muttered the words, recalling the new rule: the Duel Arena could grant monsters various boosts. He instantly grasped the purpose of a Field Spell.

Hearing this, Pegasus, seated in the audience, couldn’t help but brighten his right eye. In truth, he’d already understood the card’s nature the moment Yugi announced its type. Now, hearing Yugi’s deduction, he was struck by inspiration—a new idea for card creation. Once the tournament ended, he’d set this “new card type” plan in motion.

“In other words, it’s like carrying the special effects of an arena into the deck—every duel, you can bring your own field that empowers your monsters, right?”

Mai summarized Yugi’s explanation, seeking confirmation.

"Exactly! A Field Spell is, as the name suggests, a Duel Arena you carry in your deck, ready to boost your monsters at any time!"

To think that Yugi could deduce the nature of Field Spells from just a few words—no wonder he was destined to become the greatest Duel King.

"Next, I Normal Summon 'Elemental Hero Gold Captain!'"

In perfect synergy with Skyscraper, the Gold Captain made his dazzling debut—his first time entering the arena.

(Elemental Hero Gold Captain, Level 4, ATK: 2100)

"Battle! Golden Charge!"

The field was now dominated by towering skyscrapers. Harpie Lady No. 1 hovered, flustered, her eyes darting anxiously among the high-rises.

Seizing the opportunity, Gold Captain darted through the cityscape, vanishing into a blind spot in mere seconds.

His whole body blazed with golden energy—the force of his charge launched him briefly into the air as he rushed toward Harpie Lady No. 1’s back, primed for a one-hit kill!

But just as Gold Captain was about to strike, a massive, iridescent mirror materialized, interposing itself between him and his target.

Gold Captain: ?

Unsure of the mirror’s purpose, he nevertheless obeyed orders, pouring his strength into breaking it.

Yet, at that very moment, a strange energy shot forth from the mirror, piercing into him before he could react.

Confusion turned to horror as Gold Captain felt half his energy siphoned away—and the foreign power settled within him, refusing to leave!

Gold Captain: WDFK!

"Continuous Trap—'Mirror Wall!'"

Mai’s voice snapped Gold Captain out of his daze.

"As long as this card remains on the field, every time an opponent’s monster attacks, ‘Mirror Wall’ halves its attack power! Of course, this effect only applies once per monster."

(Elemental Hero Gold Captain, ATK: 2100 → 1050)

Phew…

Hearing Mai’s explanation, Gold Captain nearly sighed in relief—at least it was only once per monster… Wait! Why am I relieved? I’m the one attacking! My supposed finishing blow is about to backfire!

"To make matters worse," Mai pressed her advantage: "I also equip 'Cyber Suit' to my 'Harpie Lady No. 1!'"

With her final set card revealed, Harpie Lady No. 1's exposed body was instantly clad in metal armor, her alluring figure completely concealed.

(Harpie Lady No. 1, ATK: 1600 → 2100, DEF: 1400 → 1900)

Now, as Harpie Lady No. 1 turned with a smug, taunting expression—"Is that all you've got? Trying to ambush me?"—Gold Captain was stunned.

How had it come to this? In the blink of an eye, his easy prey had transformed into a powerhouse equal to his original might, ready to wipe him out in return.