"I'll take the first turn!" Mai Valentine's movements were a step faster than Joey Wheeler's, securing the first turn. She drew a Card from her Deck and added it to her Hand. "First, I Activate the Spell Card, Unexpected Dai! When I control no monsters on my Field, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck."
"Let this idiot Joey Wheeler see your power, Harpie Lady!"
As a shower of feathers fell from the sky, a Monster with a human-like appearance but a pair of bird wings for arms appeared on Mai Valentine's Field. It was her favorite Monster, Harpie Lady.
[Harpie Lady] [4☆/Wind]
[Winged Beast Type/Normal Monster]
[1300/1400]
"It's Harpie Lady, how nostalgic. So, Mai, you must have that Card in your Hand, right?" Joey Wheeler said with a smile.
"That's the downside of Dueling someone you know; they can guess every Card in your Hand," Mai Valentine nodded helplessly. "Because I have Harpie Lady on my Field, I Activate the Spell Card in my Hand, Elegant Egotist!"
As Mai Valentine placed the Card in her Spell & Trap Zone, a new Monster slowly appeared beside the Harpie Lady on her Field, like a clone.
Back during the Duelist Kingdom era, the description on Mai Valentine's Elegant Egotist read, "Harpie Lady's graceful and beautiful dance seems to create a clone," and its Effect was to change the Harpie Lady on the Field into Harpie Lady Sisters.
However, with the increasing formalization of Duel Monsters, older Cards like Magic Mist and Elegant Egotist underwent revisions, and their Effects changed. The current Effect of Elegant Egotist is:
"From my Hand or Deck, I can Special Summon 1 Harpie Lady or Harpie Lady Sisters." Mai Valentine searched her Deck for a Card and placed it on her Duel Disk. "Come forth, Harpie Lady Sisters!"
[Harpie Lady Sisters] [6☆/Wind]
[Winged Beast Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[1950/2100]
After Harpie Lady Sisters appeared, counted as a single Monster despite being three bodies, Mai Valentine smiled at Joey Wheeler standing opposite her and said, "How about it, Joey Wheeler? How are my Harpie Ladies? But it's too early to be surprised. I'll Activate these two Cards as well."
"Continuous Spell Card, Hysteric Party, and Field Spell Card, Harpie's Hunting Ground!"
On Mai Valentine's Backrow, a mirror reflecting two Harpie Ladies slowly rose. At the same time, the Duel Field also changed because Mai Valentine Activated the Field Spell Card, transforming from a sky dome into a vast desert.
Perhaps feeling at home, the Harpie Lady on Mai Valentine's Field excitedly flew into the air, circling on the strong desert winds, seemingly waiting for Prey to appear.
"Harpie's Hunting Ground increases the ATK/DEF of all Winged Beast Type monsters on Both players' Fields by 200 points. But I guess you don't have any Winged Beast Type monsters, do you, Joey Wheeler?" Lightly Setting a Card, Mai Valentine Declared, "I Set a Card. My Turn ends."
[Mai Valentine: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[Harpie Lady] [ATK 1300 → 1500]
[Harpie Lady Sisters] [ATK 1950 → 2150]
[Set Card] [Hysteric Party]
Field: [Harpie's Hunting Ground]
Looking at the rather impressive lineup on Mai Valentine's Field, Joey Wheeler smiled. "I didn't expect you to be so serious, Mai. It looks like your heart is filled with a desire for Victory, huh? But my competitive spirit won't lose to yours."
"My Turn, Draw Card!"
Drawing the Card from the top of his Deck, Joey Wheeler's face lit up with excitement. "Alright! I Activate the Spell Card, Pot of Greed! I Draw two Cards from my Deck!"
"Then, I Activate the Spell Card, Fusion! From my Hand, I Send Baby Dragon and Alligator's Sword to the Graveyard as Fusion Material!" The two Cards in Joey Wheeler's Hand transformed into two streams of light, merging into the Fusion Vortex that appeared on his Field. "Come forth, Alligator's Sword Dragon!"
"Heh heh, you Fusion Summoned a Powerful Monster? How unfortunate, Joey Wheeler!"
Seeing the Monster that appeared on Joey Wheeler's Field, Mai Valentine immediately flipped over the Set Card on her Backrow. "Activate the Trap Card, Bottomless Trap Hole! When you Summon, Flip Summon, or Special Summon a monster with 1500 or more ATK, Destroy and Banish those monsters!"
[Alligator's Sword Dragon] [ATK 1700]
Seeing that the Set Card Mai Valentine Activated was about to Destroy the Monster he had just Summoned, Joey Wheeler's smile grew even more triumphant. "Haha, Mai, you completely wasted your Card! I never said I was going to use Alligator's Sword Dragon to Battle."
"Chaining to your Bottomless Trap Hole, I Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, De-Fusion! I'll return the Alligator's Sword Dragon on my Field back into its Fusion Material—Baby Dragon and Alligator's Sword!"
Just as Alligator's Sword Dragon was about to fall into the bottomless abyss, it suddenly transformed into two streams of light, escaping the Trap and returning to Joey Wheeler's Field, turning back into the Baby Dragon and Alligator's Sword that Joey Wheeler had previously Sent to the Graveyard.
"Hmph, you managed to dodge it." Mai Valentine pouted in annoyance. "But even if you saved those two monsters, what can you do? Neither Baby Dragon nor Alligator's Sword has enough ATK to beat my Harpie Lady."
[Baby Dragon] [ATK 1200]
[Alligator's Sword] [ATK 1500]
"Don't forget one thing, Mai," Joey Wheeler said with a smile, showing a Card from his Hand. "I haven't performed a Normal Summon this Turn yet."
On Joey Wheeler's Field, raging Flames suddenly ignited, Flames that seemed capable of burning everything to ash. They transformed Baby Dragon and Alligator's Sword into two pillars of fire soaring into the desert sky!
"I Tribute the Baby Dragon and Alligator's Sword on my Field to Tribute Summon! Consume everything with your pitch-black inferno, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
As Joey Wheeler slammed the Card in his Hand onto his Duel Disk, his Deck's strongest Ace Monster—Red-Eyes Black Dragon—shattered the pillars of fire with its massive wings. Bathed in Flames, the pitch-black Dragon tilted its head back and let out a resounding Dragon Flame roar.
"ROAR!!!"
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [7☆/DARK]
[Dragon-Type/Normal Monster]
[2400/2000]
Hayato in the audience seats cheered at Joey Wheeler's play. Suddenly, he felt that the future "Jaden Yuki" was less of Yugi Mutou's successor and more like Joey Wheeler's successor. Classic five-for-one, plus a God Draw—Hayato couldn't believe they weren't related.
Inside the Duel Field, Joey Wheeler, who had Summoned Red-Eyes Black Dragon, was bursting with Confidence. "Although Red-Eyes Black Dragon is already quite Powerful now, since I have this Card in my Hand, I might as well Activate it. Equip Spell Card, Dark Dragon Type Claw! Only DARK Attribute Dragon-Type monsters can Equip this Card."
"The monster Equipped with this Card gains 600 Attack Points!"
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] (Dark Dragon Type Claw) [ATK 2400 → 3000]
"Its Attack Points are equal to Blue-Eyes White Dragon?!" Mai Valentine, opposite him, was quite shocked by Joey Wheeler's Combo. She subconsciously looked at her own Field. "Damn, all my Harpie Ladies are in Attack Position!"
"Heh heh, my Battle Phase begins! Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Attack Harpie Lady!" Joey Wheeler chose the Harpie Lady with the lowest ATK on Mai Valentine's Field as his Attack Target. "Go, Red-Eyes! Black Flame Bullet!"
Although Dark Dragon Type Claw was Equipped to Red-Eyes Black Dragon's Claws, it was the black Flames spewed from Red-Eyes Black Dragon's mouth that received the boost. In just an instant after being hit, the Harpie Lady circling above Mai Valentine's Field was struck down, Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard.
Mai Valentine's Life Points also took Damage as a result.
[Mai Valentine: 4000 → 2500 LP]
"Heh, you've got some moves, Joey Wheeler." Mai Valentine looked at the 1500 Life Points she lost and Sent the Harpie Lady Card to the Graveyard.
Even under the 8000 LP Rules, 1500 points of Damage is not a small amount, let alone under the current 4000 LP Rules. Mai Valentine's Life Points were only a little over half of their starting amount, which made her regret not putting Harpie Lady in Defense Position last Turn.
However, although one of her monsters was Destroyed by Joey Wheeler, Mai Valentine, who always held a grudge, immediately Activated the Effect of the Card on her Field.
"Because my Harpie Lady was Destroyed by Battle by you, the Effect of my Continuous Spell Card on the Backrow, Hysteric Party, Activates." From the mirror standing on Mai Valentine's Backrow, a brand new Harpie Lady walked out of the mirror.
"From my Deck, I Special Summon one Harpie monster with a different Name than the Destroyed monster! Come forth, Harpie Lady 1!"
As soon as it appeared on Mai Valentine's Field, Harpie Lady 1 immediately soared into the air, riding the swift winds of the wilderness, and swooped towards the Red-Eyes Black Dragon on Joey Wheeler's Field!
"Hey, Mai! Is your monster crazy?! It's actually attacking Red-Eyes Black Dragon?" Joey Wheeler's expression was very surprised. He hadn't realized something yet—Harpie Lady 1's Attack Target wasn't Red-Eyes Black Dragon at all, but the Dark Dragon Type Claw Equipped to Red-Eyes Black Dragon!
"Do you think I'm as stupid as you?" Mai Valentine retorted, raising the Duel Disk on her wrist to remind Joey Wheeler that she still had her Field Spell Card Activated. "Harpie Lady 1's Card Name is treated as Harpie Lady. And whenever Harpie Lady or Harpie Lady Sisters is Summoned or Special Summoned by Both players, the Effect of Harpie's Hunting Ground is activated."
"Target one Spell/Trap Card on the Field and Destroy it!" Mai Valentine pointed a hand towards Joey Wheeler's Red-Eyes Black Dragon. "Doing such a rude thing to an elegant Lady, what I'm going to Destroy is the Dark Dragon Type Claw Equipped to your Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
The diving Harpie Lady 1 performed an elegant turn, avoiding Red-Eyes Black Dragon's bite. Its sharp Claws landed on Dark Dragon Type Claw. By the time it returned to Mai Valentine's Field, Red-Eyes Black Dragon looked completely bewildered, realizing its Claw had been Destroyed.
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK 3000 → 2400]
"Not only that, Harpie Lady 1's own Effect is that it increases the Attack Points of all Wind Attribute monsters on Both players' Fields by 300 points, which means—"
"Harpie Lady Sisters' Attack Points have already surpassed your Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
[Harpie Lady 1] [ATK 1300 → 1500 → 1800]
[Harpie Lady Sisters] [ATK 1950 → 2150 → 2450]
"Tch, what a troublesome opponent." Joey Wheeler looked at his Hand in frustration. This feeling of knowing his monster would be Destroyed next Turn but being unable to do anything about it was really annoying. "I Set a Card. My Turn ends."
[Joey Wheeler: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] [ATK 2400]
[Set Card]
"Heh heh, it's my Turn." Mai Valentine looked at the Card she drew; it was Monster Reborn. Although using it now wasn't impossible, Mai Valentine felt it would be too much of a waste to use such a useful Monster Reborn on the Harpie Lady in her Graveyard or the Baby Dragon and Alligator's Sword in Joey Wheeler's Graveyard.
"Then, I enter my Battle Phase!" Mai Valentine waved her hand forward. "Harpie Lady Sisters, Attack the Red-Eyes Black Dragon on Joey Wheeler's Field! Harpie Dive!"
"Alright, let's go!" Upon receiving Mai Valentine's Attack command, the Harpie Lady Sisters, who had been overlooking the ground from the sky for a long time, immediately took action impatiently.
The eldest of the three sisters rushed to the front, attracting Red-Eyes Black Dragon's attention and baiting out its Dragon Flame. The second sister took this Opportunity to Attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon's abdomen, which it blocked with its Claws. But just when Red-Eyes Black Dragon thought it had blocked all the Attacks, the youngest of the Harpie Lady Sisters only then launched her Attack, tearing open Red-Eyes Black Dragon's throat with a single strike and defeating it.
[Joey Wheeler: 4000 → 3950 LP]
"And now for this monster, Harpie Lady 1's Direct Attack!"
Seeing the other monster on Mai Valentine's Field launch a Direct Attack towards him, Joey Wheeler instead smiled. "I was waiting for this! Trap Card, Counter Gate, Activate!"
In front of the attacking Harpie Lady 1, a portal suddenly rose.