Turn.1
"First turn is mine. My turn, draw."
Cartesia drew a card, added it to her hand, then selected another card and activated it.
"This card really is convenient. I activate Graceful Charity from my hand—draw three cards, then discard two. After discarding, I activate the effects of Shaddoll Beast and Shaddoll Squamata, which were sent to the Graveyard by this effect."
Youmi frowned—she hadn't expected her opponent to be running a Shaddoll Deck. After checking her hand to confirm she could deal with Winda, she let out a small sigh of relief.
Still having to answer Winda in 2023 was ridiculous.
"Shaddoll Squamata sends Wendi to the Graveyard, and Shaddoll Beast lets me draw one card."
After replenishing her hand, Cartesia activated Wendi as well.
"Wendi's effect activates—Special Summon Shaddoll Falco from the Deck. Then I activate Shaddoll Fusion, sending materials from my hand or field as dictated by the Fusion Monster I'll Summon. I send Falco and… Fallen of Albaz from my field to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon—"
Cartesia flipped her hand dramatically, revealing Fallen of Albaz.
"Hey—why do you have a Fallen of Albaz card? And I thought Albaz and the others weren't able to enter the Spirit World at all? I didn't get any Despia cards—how come you—"
Cartesia only smiled.
"Because I have very powerful assistance~ Even the one backing you can't interfere much in this world. But if the helper is a native of this realm… opening a back door isn't difficult at all, right?" Cartesia sent the materials to the Graveyard, and a swirl of dark violet formed behind her. "Fusion Materials: any Shaddoll + any DARK monster. Fusion Summon El Shaddoll Winda!"
Cartesia then flipped Falco face-down in Defense Position with Winda's effect, and revealed another monster from her hand.
"Falco's Graveyard effect—Special Summon itself face-down. Then I Normal Summon Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous."
Cartesia placed a black rapier into the ground.
"You asked why I possess Fallen of Albaz, correct? Well~ isn't it because you hurt me? I got so emotional, I just had to stab you a little~"
"I see… so stabbing me was how you acquired Albaz's power? But shouldn't you introduce yourself properly now? You're not Blazing Cartesia, are you?"
Youmi nodded slightly, touching the place where she'd been stabbed.
"Honestly, Youmi, you're so thoughtless… Revealing a girl's disguise so suddenly… That's not allowed not until you remember 'me.'" Cartesia pouted, then set two cards. "I Set two. Turn end"
Behind Youmi, Parlor whispered to Chamber:
"Hey, Black, this master of yours… is she juggling two, three, four, five people at once? Because that woman over there looks ready to stab a cheating boyfriend."
"I can hear you! Don't gossip behind my back… My turn!"
Turn.2
Youmi drew for her turn.
"I Normal Summon Chamber Dragonmaid. When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I add one Dragonmaid Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand. I add Dragonmaid Tidying. Then, I enter the Battle Phase."
Chamber Dragonmaid, the very form Youmi currently inhabited, appeared on her field.
"Feels like I should call this 'Dragonmaid Youmi.'"
Chamber Dragonmaid shyly glanced back at Youmi, perhaps intentionally signaling something ambiguous toward Cartesia.
Unexpectedly, Cartesia didn't react at all.
"Huh? Not jealous?"
Chamber blinked.
"Before you enter the Battle Phase, my effect activates—Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous. During the Main Phase, I can send Fusion Materials listed on a Level 8 or higher Fusion Monster from my hand or field to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon it. I fuse Falco and Blazing Cartesia to Fusion Summon El Shaddoll Construct!"
Construct emerged, flicking her long hair aside, glaring coolly at Youmi and Chamber.
"Then, as I enter the Battle Phase—Chamber Dragonmaid's effect activates. At the start of either player's Battle Phase, return this card to the hand to Special Summon a Level 7 or higher Dragonmaid from my hand or Graveyard. Switch—your turn to shine, Dragonmaid Tinkhec!"
Chamber leapt backward behind Youmi; Parlor Dragonmaid swapped positions with her and instantly transformed into her dragon form.
"I attack El Shaddoll Winda with Dragonmaid Tinkhec! Winda has 2200 Attack, Tinkhec has 2700. Any Set cards you want to activate?"
[Cartesia, LP: 4000 → 3500]
"Winda's effect returns Shaddoll Fusion from my Graveyard to my hand."
"Battle Phase end. Tinkhec's effect activates—at the end of the Battle Phase, return this card to the hand, then Special Summon a Level 3 Dragonmaid from my hand. I Special Summon Parlor Dragonmaid.
"Her effect activates—when Normal or Special Summoned, add one Dragonmaid monster except Parlor from my Deck to my hand, then send one Dragonmaid from my hand to the Graveyard."
Youmi added Kitchen Dragonmaid to her hand, then discarded it.
"Then I activate Dragonmaid Tidying—Special Summon one Dragonmaid from my hand or Graveyard in Defense Position, then send one Dragonmaid of the same Attribute but different Level from my Deck to the Graveyard. I Special Summon Parlor from the Graveyard, sending Dragonmaid Lorpar from the Deck."
Parlor appeared beside Parlor—Youmi now had two Dragonmaids on her field.
"Parlor's effect sends Dragonmaid Changeover to the Graveyard. Changeover's effect activates—if this card is in the Graveyard, target one Dragonmaid monster you control; return it to the hand, and add Changeover back to your hand. I return Parlor to my hand and retrieve Changeover. Then I activate it—Fusion Summon Dragonmaid Sheou using Kitchen in my hand and Dragonmaid Nudyarl!"
Dragonmaid Sheou appeared in her dragon form, staring down Cartesia and Construct.
"I Set two cards. Turn end. Without Link Monsters this is annoying… otherwise I could've done something more."
...
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