Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

This is what Samejima Iemitsu, who has dueled with Ptah, said.

Meanwhile, Jonouchi began his turn.

"My turn, draw a card!"

"Then activate [Pot of Greed] and draw another card."

Adding two cards to his hand, Jonouchi's gaze fell upon [Sealed Beast - Inun], the card with the lowest attack power on the field in Ptah. What Kyoko and Honda, two dueling novices, noticed, Jonouchi, who knew more about dueling than they did, naturally noticed as well.

However, he also noticed the face-down cards in Ptah's backcourt. One of them had been face-down since the start of the duel and had not been activated.

He paid out a large amount of base points, reducing his base points to a mere 300, yet failed to end the battle in one turn, leaving himself room for a counterattack. Jonouchi thought that Ptah, as the young master of the famous "Galem Zaibatsu," shouldn't make such a big mistake.

'Could that be a trap?' Jonouchi couldn't confirm. 'Never mind, let's try attacking anyway.'

"Attack signal: Summon Falcon Knight, then begin battle!"

【Falcon Knight】【3☆/Land】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[1000/700]

"Although the [Falcon Knight]'s attack power is only 1000, its advantage of using light weapons allows it to attack twice per combat phase." Jonouchi waved his hand. "Attack that [Sealed Beast - Inun]! Dive attack!"

"just!"

Wielding his swift sword, the bird-headed, human-bodied Falcon Knight leaped into the air, heading straight for the Sealed Beast Inun, whose attack power was only 200 points. If this attack succeeded, Ptah Garlem would suffer an excess of 800 points of combat damage, enough to wipe out his health.

If Ptah had not activated the card.

Chapter 114 The Gate of Counterattack

"You've fallen for it, Jonouchi! I knew you'd attack my [Sealed Beast - Inun]!" Ptah laughed, and as everyone expected, he opened the card that had been face-down on the field at the beginning. "Trap Card, [Desert Light], all my monsters will be switched to Defense Position!"

"As expected, how could that Ptah, who can use such a powerful combo to summon four monsters at once, possibly leave himself with a weakness?" Samejima analyzed. "He was simply feigning weakness to lure the castle into attacking him."

“In Defense Position, even if it's destroyed in battle, it won't take damage. Even though [Falcon Knight] has the ability to attack twice, he can only destroy the two weakest [Sealed Beasts].” There was a hint of worry in Mai's eyes that she herself couldn't detect. “And in the next turn, when the [Sealed Beasts] launch their second all-out attack, can he still hold on?”

Jonouchi was also caught off guard by the activation of [Desert Light]: "It's this kind of card? Damn it, I thought it would be a card that could negate attacks, and I was thinking of using the effect of [Falcon Knight] that allows it to attack twice."

"How could I possibly leave such an obvious opening for you? Only a lowly duelist like you would fall for that so easily," Ptah said smugly. "This is my attack route. When it comes to strategy, you're no match for me, Ptah Garlem!"

"That damned fellow." Jonouchi hated arrogant guys like Ptah the most. "Anyway, the [Falcon Knights]' attacks will continue, and twice!"

Despite Jonouchi's attempts to project a fierce aura, the Falcon Knight lacked the ability to penetrate defense. Two sharp sword shadows destroyed the monsters Sealed Beast Inun and Sealed Beast Nunulau, but because they were in defense position, they failed to inflict any damage.

Even though Ptah's life points were down to only 300, and he had destroyed two monsters in a row, this should have been a double celebration... Jonouchi interrupted his inner reverie in time, and helplessly set a card face down, "In that case, set a card face down, and my turn ends."

[Within the city: 2800LP, 0 cards in hand]

【Hawk Knight】【ATK1000】

【Signature Card】【Signature Card】

"Heh heh, it's my turn now." Ptah drew a card with a cheerful expression. "And this will be your last turn."

"Set a card face down, then activate the effect of [Sealed Beast - Charmgar] to destroy one of your backrow cards!" Ptah's face was full of smugness. "That card you just set face down, I suppose, was the one you wanted to use to survive?"

"As punishment for being my enemy, I will extinguish your hope!"

To Ptah's surprise, a smug smile appeared on Jonouchi's face.

"Yada Thief! You really did choose to sabotage my back row!" Jonouchi exclaimed, somewhat pleased. "The card you destroyed was this one!"

In the white light, the card that Jonouchi had set down in the previous turn was revealed—it was actually [Cursed Coffin]!

"【Cursed Coffin】can only activate its effect when it is destroyed. You can freely choose one to activate."

"Discard one of your cards, or choose one of your monsters to destroy," Jonouchi said smugly. "However, you don't have any cards in your hand right now, so come on, choose your own monster to destroy!"

"Damn it, a mere lowly duelist!" Ptah said angrily. After some hesitation, he chose [Sealed Beast - Charmgar], whose effect had just been activated. "This monster will do. It's no longer of any use to me anyway."

An ominous black mist drifted from the Cursed Coffin, coiling around the Sealed Beast, Chamgar, who had rendered him great service on the field. With the destruction of the Cursed Coffin, Chamgar was also cursed and its life was taken. Plucking the value out of his subordinates and then discarding them, it seems Ptah has developed the talent of a proper capitalist.

"Hmph, enter battle phase!" Ptah was unaffected by the destruction of his monster. "You've reduced my [Sealed Beasts] to just two; that's unforgivable. But two [Sealed Beasts] are enough to take you down!"

"[Sealed Beast - Bao A Bao Lang], attack [Falcon Knight]!"

With an attack power of 1700, [Bao A Bao Lang] pounced on [Hawk Knight] with a powerful attack. Although [Hawk Knight] tried to block with his weapon, he was still destroyed, and Jonouchi's base score dropped as a result.

[Within the city: 2800LP → 2100LP]

"Then, it's time for the final attack!" Ptah felt he could already see victory. "My strongest [Sealing Beast], attack that weakling directly!"

"Metal Myth Impact!"

【Sealed Beast - Baolong】 has an attack power of 2700 points, exceeding Jonouchi's remaining health. If Jonouchi is hit by this attack, he will lose the match.

Jonouchi frowned: "Don't underestimate me! Open the face card, [Counterattack Gate], your [Sealed Beast - Baolong]'s direct attack on me will be nullified!"

"Useless, useless, useless! [Sealed Beast - Protect the Dragon] cannot be the target of any effect. Whether it's destruction, exclusion, or attack power reduction, it can negate them all!"

Jonouchi, however, curled his lips into a smile: "Sorewatoka na?"

"What?!" Ptah stared as [Baolong] spewed out a torrent of heat, only to have a blue, square door appear before the city. The destructive heat entered the doorway, yet it didn't even cause a ripple.

"The 'Counterattack Gate' doesn't correspond to your 'Sealed Beast - Protector Dragon,' but rather to the attack it launches. Therefore, even 'Protector Dragon,' which can resist all effects, cannot break through the 'Counterattack Gate.'" Jonouchi said, placing his finger on the deck. "Then, I can draw a card from the deck, and if it's a monster card, I can summon it to the field in Attack Position."

"Respond to me, my deck!"

Jonouchi abruptly drew the top card of his deck, examined the card, and summoned it to the field: "Come forth, [Ichisatsu-san Samurai]!"

【One Slash, Two Cuts Samurai】【2☆/Wind】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[500/800]

"Another one of these weak monsters. Tch, my turn is over." If any of Ptah's monsters on the field could still attack, he could crush this newly summoned "One-Slash Samurai," but all his monsters have already fought.

[Putah: 300LP, 0 cards in hand]

【Sealed Beast - Dragon Protector】【ATK2700】

【Sealed Beast - Bao A Bao Lang】【ATK1700】

【The Sealed Mantra】【Given】】【Given】

Chapter 115 The Goddess of Fortune is Smiling

After ending his turn, Ptah outwardly appeared furious at failing to defeat Jonouchi this turn, but inwardly he was sneering.

'My backrow card is a face-down card I just set, [Trap Hole]. Any monster with 1000 or more ATK that is summoned will instantly fall into my trap and be destroyed.'

'And the other card, "Darkness of the Scapegoat," protects my monsters from being destroyed by cards like "Time Magician" or "Lightning Vortex." My monsters are now invincible!'

As for the [One-Slash-Two-Severance Servant]? That kind of monster with only 500 attack points isn't worth his attention at all.

Jonouchi was unaware of what Ptah was thinking at that moment. He placed his fingers on the deck, somewhat hesitant.

He had exhausted all available resources, both in the back row and in his hand, and the only monster left on the field was the [One-Slash Samurai] with only 500 attack power.

'Does this mean my journey through the Duel Kingdom is about to end here...?'

Jonouchi racked his brains but couldn't figure out how to defeat Ptah's [Sealed Beast]. His fingers, resting on the deck, trembled slightly as he hesitated to draw a card.

If he cannot defeat Ptah, he will not be able to continue to participate in the quarterfinals; if he leaves the quarterfinals, he will not be able to win the Duel King prize money, and then Shizuka will not have money to have surgery.

Even the usually bold Jonouchi felt fear at the thought that his younger sister would lose her sight forever.

There's only that kind of thing I absolutely refuse to do.

"My turn, draw!" Jonouchi drew his card with great confidence. He saw it was the same card he'd used before, the [Devil's Dice], the [Angel's Dice]. On the card, Jonouchi vaguely saw the angel's face transform into the face of his younger sister, Kawai Shizuka.

I want to see you, brother~

His sister's words seemed to echo in his ears. Jonouchi suddenly looked up at Ptah Garlem across from him: "Hey, you, Ptah, sorry to keep you waiting!"

"Now, I'm going to defeat you!"

Ptah chuckled dismissively: "Ha, going to use those lowly monsters again? Useless! No matter what cards you draw, you can't defeat my [Sealed Beast]!"

Jonouchi did not answer Ptah's question, but looked at the [Angel's Dice] in his hand and muttered to himself, "I have a younger sister. Although I am not very smart and act recklessly, my sister has always regarded me as a hero."

“She has an eye condition and needs surgery, but we don’t have the money. The prize money from Duel Kingdom is our last and only hope.”

"What are you trying to say, you bastard?" Ptah narrowed his eyes.

Jonouchi smiled and rolled the [Angel's Dice] in his hand: "My sister needs me, she needs a hero to help her."

"Then how can a hero desert his post?"

"Activate the Spell Card, [Angel's Dice]!"

As a chibi-style angel appeared on the field holding dice, Jonouchi was filled with a myriad of thoughts.

His parents were divorced, initially due to his father's alcoholism, gambling, and domestic violence, which caused conflict between the couple. As a result, he never liked gambling from a young age, because it always reminded him of his father, who was like a ferocious devil when he was drunk.

He wouldn't want to use those gambling cards in his deck if he could. Because of their high potential returns and high risks, gambling cards are among the cheapest on the market, and Jonouchi only uses them because he doesn't have much money.

'It's ironic that I, who hate my dad so much, am now entrusting my wins and losses to some vague and uncertain luck.'

'But, if it's for Shizuka...'

'Please, Goddess of Fortune, help me defeat the enemy before me!'

"The effect of [Angel's Dice] can only be activated on monsters with an attack power of 500 or less. That monster's attack power becomes a multiple of the dice roll." Jonouchi only has one [One-Sword Samurai] on the field, which perfectly meets the conditions for using [Angel's Dice]. "Roll the dice!"

Upon hearing this, the angel threw the dice he was holding, which landed in the very center of the field and began to tumble.

5 o'clock...

3 o'clock...

4 o'clock...

2 o'clock...

The numbers on the dice flashed by, and everyone, from Putah to Jonouchi, and even those watching the match, stared intently at the dice as they gradually slowed down.

The angel's strength wasn't great, and the die quickly came to a stop, flipping over the 1 that almost made Jonouchi's heart stop. The last face up on the die showed a 6!

"No, impossible!"