"Tonight's final battle is a duel with the Pharaoh."
You Ling's mood was unprecedentedly complex.
With the current strength of Aisha's trash monster deck that he could use, he might be able to win against Dark Duelists. But against the Pharaoh, he could hardly see any possibility of victory.
Such a duel, knowing he would lose, most people would probably be unwilling to accept.
But You Ling was different.
"This duel, I accept!"
That was the universally recognized strongest Duelist, Pharaoh Atem.
To have the opportunity to play cards with a powerhouse of this level, did winning or losing still matter?
Deeply ingrained card game enthusiast thinking made You Ling more excited about being able to fight the Pharaoh with all his might for one round, rather than worrying about the outcome of this duel.
"As expected of you, You Ling. Your soul, proud as a Duelist, is just as I imagined."
The Pharaoh, having deployed his Duel Disk, showed a satisfied smile, and at the same time, the fighting spirit in his eyes gradually intensified.
Aisha: "Wait, why are we suddenly starting a duel? He, the Pharaoh, wasn't he a good person who just helped us?"
You Ling: "A good person and a Duelist are not mutually exclusive."
Of course, Aisha, who couldn't yet be called a card game enthusiast, couldn't temporarily understand this method of communication by immediately drawing cards upon meeting.
"Since the Pharaoh said we should communicate through dueling, then I think the answer also lies in the duel. Anyway, right now, I must fight with 120% of my full strength!"
"120% of full strength?"
Aisha, hearing You Ling say such lines for the first time, sensed something unusual.
"Mr. You Ling, could it be, the opponent is very strong?"
"It can no longer be described with 'very strong'; you should use 'the strongest'."
"Σ(っ°Д°;)っ Th-the strongest!?"
Even in her soul state, Aisha still took a sharp breath.
"The opponent is the strongest... Pharaoh. Mr. You Ling, can you win?"
"Winning or losing, no one can say for sure before the battle truly begins. Cowering before the fight is a great taboo for Duelists!"
Losing the battle but not the spirit; even if the opponent was the strongest Pharaoh, You Ling was unwilling to lose in terms of aura.
"But I'll give you a heads-up, the probability of winning this duel is very small, an optimistic estimate would be 10%."
"An optimistic estimate is only 10%?"
"Mm, so-called optimism is: maybe the opponent bricks, I god draw, then there's a 10% chance of winning."
"The opponent bricks, we god draw, and the win probability is only 10%?"
Suffering a worldview shock regarding dueling strength, Aisha, who trusted You Ling immensely, knew You Ling wouldn't joke about such things.
Just how strong an opponent could make You Ling state such a low win rate under such unbalanced limiting conditions.
"Elven Eye, deck set."
Lifting her short skirt to take the deck from the thigh card box, she equipped it into the other world's 「Duel Disk」. You Ling, controlling Aisha's girlish body, stood opposite the Pharaoh who had deployed a modern Duel Disk.
"Sa ( Come on/Well then), let us begin, successors!"
"Duel——!"
Pharaoh LP: 4000
VS
You Ling & Aisha LP: 4000
First turn, the Elven Eye on You Ling's arm didn't light up, judged as the opponent Pharaoh's first turn.
"My turn, draw!"
When the Pharaoh drew a card from his Duel Disk, it was accompanied by the imposing upward flutter of the cape behind him.
"Summon in Defense Position——[Queen's Knight]."
[Queen's Knight ★★★★ LIGHT][Warrior-Type ATK: 1500 DEF: 1600]
Clad in pink armor, the female knight representing the Queen in playing cards materialized on the Pharaoh's field, holding her clubs shield high.
Not face-down, but summoned in face-up Defense Position; the real-world rules You Ling remembered seemed to prohibit this.
But whether in the anime or the rules of the Elf Continent, this summoning form was actually allowed.
"I set one more card, turn end."
One horizontal, one set; the Pharaoh ended his first turn with ease and leisure, which made You Ling breathe a slight sigh of relief.
If the Pharaoh started with a five-minute combo lecture, then he could just forfeit this duel directly.
"Rest assured, You Ling." Seeing through You Ling's thoughts, the Pharaoh smiled kindly.
"This time, I will duel using strength appropriate for this world's standards. And you just need to do your best."
If anyone else said this to You Ling, You Ling would only feel underestimated.
But these words coming from the Pharaoh's mouth, You Ling had no objection at all.
Of course, strength appropriate for this world's standards, You Ling also didn't know where the upper limit of this strength lay.
Maybe it was an opportunity; since the Pharaoh's strength wasn't at its full potential, did it mean he had a better chance of winning the duel?
"My turn, draw."
Glancing at his starting hand, You Ling's mind spun rapidly, thinking, thinking of tactics that could contend with the Pharaoh.
"I summon in Defense Position——[Yoyo]!"
[Yoyo DEF: 100]
Choosing a face-up Normal Summon like the Pharaoh.
This time, You Ling didn't hide the powerless tofu block under the card back, but openly let it float on the field.
Aisha: "Mmm, feels so embarrassing. Normally, face-down defense position is fine, but summoning directly in face-up defense position only makes people feel my monster is very weak. So why not hide it a bit, Mr. You Ling?"
"Part of the tactic," You Ling replied.
For example, hoping that the -_- expression that seemed to see through everything like mental pollution could slightly affect the opponent.
"Set one card, turn end."
Also a one-horizontal-one-set opening for the second player, just that the combat power of both sides' monsters was immediately apparent.
"My turn, draw."
The Pharaoh, starting his turn and drawing a card, slammed his second monster card onto the Duel Disk's monster zone.
"Summon in Attack Position——[King's Knight]!"
[King's Knight ★★★★ LIGHT][Warrior-Type/Effect ATK: 1600 DEF: 1400]
Clad in golden armor, wielding a diamond sword, the knight monster representing the King in playing cards materialized and stepped onto the battlefield.
"And when [King's Knight] is successfully summoned, its effect can be activated——"
[If you control "Queen's Knight" when this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Jack's Knight" from your Deck.]
"When KING and Queen gather on the field, they will guide the advent of Jack. Come forth, Special Summon——[Jack's Knight]!"
[Jack's Knight ★★★★★ (5-Star) LIGHT][Warrior-Type ATK: 1900 DEF: 1000]
Clad in silver-white spade armor, the last of the three poker knights, Jack, Jack's Knight, appeared, swinging his sword.
Aisha: "Only the second turn, and he summoned 2 Level 4 monsters, along with 1 Level 5 monster, truly amazing!"
Aisha Carlos, completely inexperienced, fundamentally didn't understand that the so-called power she spoke of wasn't even one-tenth of the Pharaoh's true power.