Attack Blockade!

"My turn!"

Dark Magician Girl swiftly drew a card with a swish, glanced at her hand, winked at the audience, and immediately slapped down a monster.

"I Normal Summon, Chocolate Magician Girl!"

"Ehehe~" A tiny, adorable, blue-haired magical girl in an outfit similar to Dark Magician Girl's flew out of the card, waving cutely to the crowd.

[Chocolate Magician Girl] Level 4│WATER│Spellcaster│1600 ATK

"Wah!!"

"So cute!" Even the clueless onlookers and Professor Crowler cheered along.

Only Syrus remained firm, showing no signs of "betrayal," steadfastly believing that Dark Magician Girl was the cutest.

"I activate Chocolate Magician Girl's special ability," Dark Magician Girl said, gently twirling her staff. "Once per turn, I can discard 1 Spellcaster monster from my hand, then draw 1 card.

Discarding myself, I draw!"

After drawing, she waved to the audience again. "I end my turn."

"Alright! Only 1600 ATK! Now's the time to strike hard!" Celina clapped her fists together, expressing her characteristic enthusiasm.

"Huh?" The Fusion Army students focused on Hikaru, initially thinking the situation was fine, but quickly noticed something was off. "Weird, this setup shouldn't be a problem for Hikaru. Why does he look troubled?"

Jaden and the others overheard. Bastion and Zane, both knowledgeable and sharp, immediately shook their heads.

"What do you mean?!"

"Uh... classmate," Bastion shook his head, "That Chocolate Magician Girl isn't just any ordinary card!"

Chazz nodded firmly. "That monster's effect is powerful. If a monster attacks her, she can instantly revive a Spellcaster monster from the Graveyard, halve the attacking monster's ATK, and redirect the attack to the revived monster!"

"That's so strong!" Realizing the danger, the Fusion Army finally grasped the situation.

Especially with Dark Magician Girl in the Graveyard now. Attacking would require at least 4000 ATK to be safe!

"That card was designed by Yugi Muto himself, right? I heard from my master. It hasn't even been officially released yet," Chazz said, frowning. "Definitely the real deal!"

At first glance, it looked harmlessly cute, while it secretly packed a deadly punch.

"Haha, it's fine! Hikaru's Deck has plenty of ways to handle it!" Jaden laughed heartily.

Hikaru stared at his hand.

He hadn't drawn the simplest solution.

If he had Instant Fusion, he could immediately Fusion Summon Thousand-Eyes Restrict, absorb Chocolate Magician Girl, and go on the offensive.

As for his current hand...

He couldn't afford to act recklessly.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Future Fusion!" Hikaru placed the card in his Spell & Trap Zone. Crowler hadn't yet acquired this world's Future Fusion for him, but the Revised Future Fusion also had its advantages, at least now, he didn't have to fuse immediately.

"Then, I set two cards and end my turn."

"Not attacking? Then it's my turn~"

Dark Magician Girl drew a card, glanced at it, and giggled. "I Normal Summon, Apple Magician Girl!"

A short-haired girl in red magician's robes, sporting wings and making a finger-gun gesture, landed elegantly.

[Apple Magician Girl] Level 3│FIRE│Spellcaster│1200 ATK

"Uh-oh, this one can Special Summon Level 5 or higher Spellcasters from the hand!" Chazz said anxiously.

"Not only that," Zane added, frowning, "If destroyed, she can also recover Spellcasters from the Graveyard."

"So strong! Way too strong!" Jaden exclaimed, both awed and excited. "This duel's totally different from earlier!"

"Still, the core strategy seems to be restricting the opponent's attacks." Atticus strummed his guitar lightly. "Haha, if it were me, I'd have a decent advantage against this Deck."

Celina, eavesdropping, had a sudden realization.

Of course! If it were her, she'd probably have charged in headfirst and lost.

"Battle! Magician Girls attack directly!"

"Wait, I activate my set card—Quick-Play Spell, Scapegoat!" Hikaru shouted.

Four multi-colored fluffy sheep tokens sprang onto the field.

"Oh! It's Scapegoat!" Dark Magician Girl recognized it immediately. She quickly covered her mouth with one hand and whispered, "Let's tread softly, don't wake them~"

The two Magician Girls tiptoed over and knocked out the yellow and blue sheep.

"With Scapegoat set up, the next move should be Metamorphosis, right?" a Fusion Army student muttered.

"What? Use Thousand-Eyes Restrict to absorb the Magician Girls? That's so cruel—" one blurted out, revealing his true feelings. "How can you be so cruel to magical girls!"

Obviously, he secretly wanted to join the crowd cheering for Dark Magician Girl.

"Alright then, I end my turn," Dark Magician Girl said, pressing her Duel Disk.

"My turn, draw!" Hikaru drew a card, then pointed to the field.

"Activate Future Fusion's effect—during the first Standby Phase after activation, reveal a Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck and send its Fusion Materials from the Deck to the Graveyard.

I reveal Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, sending Ancient Gear Golem and two Ancient Gear Knights from the Deck to the Graveyard!"

"Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem?" Chazz guessed. "Is Hikaru planning to fight using that monster? It does have 4400 ATK, even halved it could still fight."

Bastion nodded in surprise. "Using that approach instead of Metamorphosis, huh?"

"Because even Thousand-Eyes Restrict can't truly deal with the Magician Girls. Even if absorbed, another would take its place, leaving Hikaru stuck on defense," Alexis said.

"Meaning Hikaru's real plan is to wait and unleash both Thousand-Eyes Restrict and Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem together?" Jaden frowned. "Feels like it's not that simple."

The surrounding students marveled at their analysis.

"Amazing! Dark Magician Girl is so strong and cute!"

"Attack lock strategy is incredible!"

"Mhm~ that's right!" Dark Magician Girl nodded cheerfully, drawing another card.

Quick-Play Spell, Magical Dimension. I can Tribute a Spellcaster to Special Summon another Spellcaster and destroy an opponent's monster.

She pictured the scene: Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem appearing, only to be blasted apart by magic.

Dark Magician Girl giggled quietly.

If she won, surely Chaos Soldier wouldn't be mad that she forgot her mission, right?