Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Seeing Pegasus set his last card face down, Yugi realized Pegasus's plan from the previous turn. The activation of "Reduce Cost" was just bait, because apart from the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" that Pegasus had just drawn, his other cards were "Reduce Cost," "Monster Reborn," and that unknown face-down card; he didn't have any other monsters.

Blue-Eyes White Dragon was not the target of Reduce Cost, as it had already been sent to the graveyard as Cost. In other words, Pegasus had already seen through his backrow face-down card, which was a Spell Disruption Formation, and used Reduce Cost as bait to trick Pegasus into revealing his own card.

Yugi had gone to great lengths to send Dark Magician to the graveyard, intending to revive Pegasus using Coffin of Dark Magician when he summoned a monster, only to step into a trap. While frustrated, Yugi also felt a surge of relief—if he hadn't sent Dark Magician to the graveyard, they would now be facing Blue-Eyes White Dragon resurrected by Monster Reborn.

"Finally, it's my turn. Draw a card." When it was Hayato's turn, he drew a card from his deck.

Hayato glanced at the card in his hand, then turned to Pegasus and asked with a smile, "I heard that the Dark Magician is going to put on a magic show for the game? I think the more exciting the show, the better."

"So, would you mind if I made this duel a little more pleasant, Mr. Pegasus?"

"Since I have no monsters on my field and my opponent has monsters on their field, I use the effect of [Entertainment Partner - Current Affairs Dancer] in my hand to Special Summon it!"

Chapter 163, Act One—A Magic Show

A woman dressed in a tight leather outfit, holding a whip, gracefully stepped out of the card and appeared on Hayato's field with lithe dance steps.

[Entertainment Partner - Current Affairs Show Dancer] [3☆/Light]

[Mage Race/Effect]

[800/1000]

"Oh? A monster with the same effect as [Cyber ​​Dragon]?" Pegasus looked at the prefix "Entertainment Partner" and became secretly wary. Could this prefix indicate a deck like [Disruption]? "But, a monster with only 800 ATK in Attack Position? I can attack next turn, you know?"

"Hmph, Pegasus, haven't you ever seen a circus performance?" Hayato chuckled, flicking out a card. "Before the magician, who is in charge of providing the spectacular show, comes on stage, all the ladies are responsible for is to create an atmosphere."

"I haven't Normal Summoned this turn yet. I'll Tribute [Current Affairs Show Dancer] to Tribute Summon this card from my hand!" Hayato smiled. "The show has begun! Let's give a thunderous cheer for the grand entrance of the great magician!"

"Come forth, my ace, my Tamashi, [Entertainment Partner - Sky Magician]!"

With a loud "bang," Hayato's [Entertainment Partner - Current Affairs Show Dancer] was suddenly enveloped in smoke, disappearing from sight. A figure emerged from the very top of the smoke, its white cloak billowing like wings in the airflow.

The Sky Magician has arrived!

【Entertainment Partner - Sky Magician】【7☆/Wind】

[Mage Race/Effect]

[2500/2000]

Looking at the Sky Magician that appeared on his field, Hayato couldn't help but feel moved. Finally, after such a long time, he finally had a standard ace monster with 2500 attack power.

Gaia: ?

"A new monster? Is this the trump card Hayato prepared for Pegasus?" Yugi was not familiar with the [Entertainment Partner] that Hayato was using, because considering the existence of [Millennium Eye], Hayato had only mentioned to Yugi beforehand that he would be changing his deck.

"Oh, oh, oh, it's the great magician performing magic tricks. As expected, Hayato boy, you're quite the childlike person. The monster you're using is really interesting." Pegasus was quite excited to see the appearance of [Sky Magician], seemingly looking forward to the magic performance that followed. "But, [Sky Magician] is a 7-star monster, so it requires two monsters as sacrifices, right?"

"When the [Entertainment Partner] monster is summoned by its superior to release the [Current Affairs Show Dancer], she can serve as two sacrifices. After all, even a great magician needs someone to cooperate with in performing magic tricks."

Hayato played a card: "Although I'm leaving for a while, the great magician's performance is about to begin, and the assistant can't be absent. Magic Card [The Magician's Reenactment] activated!"

"While this card is face-up on the field, you can activate this effect to Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Spellcaster monster from my Graveyard."

"Break time over, back to work! [Current Affairs Show Dancer]!"

The Sky Magician, hovering above Hayato's arena, first bowed to the surrounding audience and then tossed one of the four rings he held. The ring landed on the ground, seemingly forming an exit to an underground passage, from which a coffin rose.

With a "snap," the coffin was pushed open, and the [Current Affairs Show Dancer], who had been freed as a sacrifice, made a brief appearance and returned to Hayato's stage.

[Current Affairs Show Dancer] [DEF1000]

"Wow, that's amazing! He summoned a high-level monster with 2500 attack power in just one turn, and even revived the tribute back to the field, yet he still has three cards left in his hand." Jonouchi was quite surprised. "Hayato, who always likes to keep things to himself, has finally used his true strength to defeat Pegasus?"

Hayato: "Furthermore, because of the activation of [Spellcaster's Replay], [Sky Magician] can also activate its effect. Once per turn, when I use a Spell Card, this card can permanently gain 300 ATK!"

The coffin containing the newly resurrected [Current Affairs Show Dancer] and the ring on the ground vanished with a "pop," leaving specks of magic drifting towards the [Sky Magician] in the air. Absorbing this excess magic, the [Sky Magician]'s attack power increased.

[Sky Magician] [ATK2500→2800]

"No, no, no! If you successfully increase my attack power, all the glory I worked so hard to achieve with [Dark Magician] will be stolen. That won't do!" Pegasus looked troubled and opened his face-down card. "I have to give you some interference. Trap card, [Chain of Demons]!"

Just as the Sky Magician was absorbing magic, a large number of chains suddenly appeared from Pegasus's backstage and surrounded him. Limbs, cloak, neck, waist, and even the three remaining rings on his hands, the chains firmly bound the Sky Magician.

Pegasus smiled smugly and explained, "【Chain of Demons】is a card specifically designed to counter demons. I originally prepared it to defend against 【Chaos Dark Magician】 in Game Boy's deck, but I didn't expect to use it on you, Hayato Boy."

"What?!" Yugi was somewhat surprised. In the duels that had taken place on the island of Duel Kingdom in the past, Yugi had never used the card [Chaos Dark Magician], which was dormant in his deck. Even in his duel with Mai, he had only revealed his [Chaos Warrior].

I've been saving that card all this time, just to surprise Pegasus, but who would have thought that Pegasus already knew about the cards in my deck?!

After a moment's calm reflection, the game immediately guessed what was going on: "Did they install hidden surveillance cameras in the players' preparation room beforehand? Gathering information on other players' decks and using that information to prepare various countermeasures in conjunction with their mind-reading abilities? How despicable, Pegasus!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, game boy~" Pegasus certainly wouldn't admit it. "A monster bound by the [Chain of the Demon Race] will be stripped of all ability to resist, unable to use its own effects, and unable to attack."

"Hayato boy, your painstakingly summoned [Sky Magician] is useless now~"

"Hmph, Sorewadokana?"

Hayato looked at Pegasus, as if he had expected this, and drew a card from his hand: "Don't underestimate the abilities of great magicians, Pegasus. They are capable of anything to fulfill people's expectations and fantasies!"

"The next show is magic—the Great Escape Show!"

Chapter 164 The Miraculous Transformation (3/7)

"The next show is magic—the Great Escape Show!"

With a snap of his fingers, Hayato's Sky Magician, bound by Pegasus's Demon Chains, was enveloped in a thick cloud of smoke, as if Pegasus's trap card had been part of the performance plan all along. From within the smoke, a small figure emerged, holding the Sky Magician's ring.

"Return one Level 5 or higher [Entertainment Partner] from my field to my hand, and Special Summon [Sky Magician's] Apprentice from my hand. Come forth, [Entertainment Partner - Sky Apprentice]!"

As the thick smoke completely dissipated, it was as if a "magic trick" had been performed. The Sky Magician had vanished, and in Hayato's place stood a young magician with a slightly stiff smile. It was clear that facing such a large audience on his first appearance was quite stressful for him, and that's why the Current Affairs Show Dancer was constantly trying to reassure him and help him relax.

【Entertainment Partner - Sky Apprentice】【3☆/Light】

[Mage Race/Effect]

[800/800]

"Thank you to the master and apprentice, Sky Magician and Sky Apprentice, for the wonderful escape magic show!" Hayato applauded enthusiastically for his monster's performance. "However, when Sky Magician left the stage, he left a gift for his apprentice."

“If a face-up Sky Magician leaves the field, you can designate one card on the field and destroy it!” Hayato pointed to the Toon World card in Pegasus’s back row. “Which card should I designate? Toon World, of course!”

When the Sky Magician left the field, he still held three rings in his hands, but the Sky Apprentice who replaced him only had two rings. The remaining ring, somehow, had secretly rolled onto Pegasus's field under the cover of smoke, landing right below the floating Cartoon World.

As Hayato designated the target, a hand reached out from the circle and touched [Cartoon World]. Judging from the shape of the arm, it was clearly the arm of [Sky Magician], who had already left the field.

"The Sky Magician has already touched your Cartoon World. I can destroy it anytime I want," Hayato said, giving Pegasus a thumbs-up and then bending his wrist as if to press something. "No, it's reached its limit. I'm going to press the detonation switch, right now!"

"Crack!"

"boom!"

In an instant, like a dazzling fireworks display, the "Cartoon World" card on Pegasus's field was instantly engulfed by flames emerging from the bottom of the pages, followed by a deafening explosion!

"No, my love!" Pegasus exclaimed in disbelief, "my [Cartoon World]!"

Yugi glanced approvingly at Hayato: "While the Toon monsters are quite troublesome, they share a common weakness: the Toon world itself. If that card is destroyed, the Duel Monsters that were turned into Toon monsters will revert to their original form."

The flames came quickly and dissipated just as fast. But to Hayato and Yugi's surprise, the "Cartoon World," which should have been completely burned to ashes, was merely charred black. As if alive, the closed book shuddered, the ashes settled back to the ground, revealing the unscathed "Cartoon World"?!

"How could this be?! Could it be that you, Pegasus, have become so despicable as to add an indestructible effect to the [Cartoon World]?!" The game never hesitated to speculate with the utmost malice about what Pegasus might do.

"Oh no! Game boy, do you really think I'm such a nasty person?" Pegasus ignored the eye roll from Game and revealed the real reason why his [Cartoon World] card on the field hadn't been destroyed: "The answer is actually this face-down card on my field, [Cartoon Narrator]."

Pegasus opened the face-down card from the previous turn, revealing an open Toon World book in the card art: "This card can only be used if Toon World and Toon Monster are on my field. I can negate and destroy all Spell, Trap, and Monster effects."

"A card that can negate any effect, and at no cost." Yugi frowned, his expression serious. "Did you anticipate that Hayato and I would focus our efforts on defeating [Toon World]?"

"Great, it just so happens to have negated my only removal effect." Hayato sighed and set both cards face down. "My turn is over."

[Hayato: 4000LP, 2 cards in hand]

[Entertainment Partner - Current Affairs Show Dancer] [DEF1000]

[Entertainment Partner - Sky Apprentice] [ATK800]

[The Magician's Reenactment] [Gaikka]

"It's My Turn again, Draw." Pegasus chuckled as he drew a card. "This turn, I can begin my attack, Hayato boy, game boy~"

[Becas: 7500→7000LP]

"So, who should we attack first?" Pegasus looked troubled, his face showing a difficult choice. "I'm really looking forward to seeing how the clash between the magic show expert [Entertainment Partner] and the fantastical [Cartoon] monster will turn out."

“However, Game Boy has a bet that even I am quite looking forward to, so let’s attack Game Boy first.” Pegasus looked at Game Boy and flipped over the monster that was face down in front of him. “First, I summon the [Bow-Drawing Mermaid] that was face down on the field earlier.”

The card flipped over, revealing a huge, yellowish-brown shell. The shell opened, and the mermaid living inside poked her head out, checking her surroundings for any danger.

【The Mermaid Drawing Her Bow】【4☆/Water】

[Aquarium/Normal]

[1400/1500]

To Mai's surprise, Jonouchi, who usually blushes and even gets nosebleeds whenever he sees a beautiful Duel Monster, was completely unmoved by the "Bow-Drawing Mermaid" with her pretty face and voluptuous figure that was mostly exposed.

Seemingly noticing Mai's puzzled look, Jonouchi, who was sitting next to her, scratched the back of his head awkwardly: "Well, it's really strange. Although I feel that mermaids are indeed very beautiful, I always feel that they look like men for some reason."

The Mermaid with the bow, who looks exactly like James from the Pokémon movie set next door, seems to have overheard Jonouchi and Mai's gossip outside the studio and is glaring at Jonouchi with hostility.

However, the "Bow-Drawing Mermaid" was quickly overwhelmed. The "Cartoon World" book on Pegasus's field was reopened, sucking the "Bow-Drawing Mermaid" into it.

Chapter 165 The Cartoon Monsters' Death Offensive

【Cartoon World】, the core card of the 【Cartoon】 deck, has the effect of transforming ordinary monsters into 【Cartoon】 monsters with a unique art style and providing them with protection. All this comes at the cost of paying 500 Life Points each turn while this card is on the field, and these Life Points are refunded when the card is destroyed.

As a one-of-a-kind exclusive card printed by Pegasus, this privileged dog, the entire book of "Cartoon World" is filled with the word "cheating." Emerging from beneath the word "cheating" are the "Dark Magician," whose game has already been modified and taken away by a cow, and the "Mermaid Drawing Her Bow," who has just been sucked into the book.

No, calling them that might not be quite right, because after they were transformed into cartoon-style monsters with a completely different art style from other monsters, the names of these two dueling monsters also changed, and they even acquired unique effects.

[Cartoon Dark Magician] [ATK2500]

【Cartoon Mermaid】【ATK1400】

"How about it, Game Boy? Compared to your original [Dark Magician], isn't [Cartoon Dark Magician] much cooler?" Pegasus deliberately provoked Game Boy's nerves, revealing a card from his hand. "After becoming a member of the [Cartoon] Monster, [Cartoon Dark Magician] has been preparing for his debut for a long time."

"Alright, [Toon Dark Magician], let's begin your magic show. Consider it a return favor to Hayato-boy's magic." Pegasus said, sending the card in his hand to the graveyard. "By sending a [Toon] card to the graveyard, I can Special Summon a [Toon] monster directly from my Deck."

"Ta-da! Hat trick!"

Accompanied by Pegasus's exaggerated tone, his [Cartoon Dark Magician] on the field grinned wickedly with a chibi-style face, took off his hat and put it on the ground, then lifted it up again. From the not-so-large hat, a monster emerged that, although its appearance was different, was quite familiar to Hayato.