"In that case, we must end this battle quickly!" Deimlet declared, waving his hand dramatically. "My own effect activates: when a brother is present on the field, all Pentel servants gain an additional 800 Attack Power!"
Deimlet's Attack Power: 800 → 1600.
[Cabik] ATK 800 → 1600.
"And that's not all! Cabik's effect allows it to convert half of its Defense Power into Attack Power when another 'Brother' is on the field. Our Defense Power is 800! So, its Attack Power increases by another 400!"
[Deimlet] ATK 1600 → 2000.
[Cabik] ATK 1600 → 2000.
Deimlet glanced at both players' 4000 LP, then at his own field's total ATK of exactly 4000. A single battle phase would be enough to finish his opponent. This was a testament to the Pentel Family's strength, and his confidence surged. No one else could pull this off, right? he thought smugly.
"Hmph, scared now?"
Deimlet watched Jalter fidgeting with her head and assumed her cards were powerless against his current board.
"Let me show you the might of the Pantel Brothers!"
Caules opened his mouth, recalling that some of the other cards he'd summoned had far more effects and higher base ATK than this one. But he chose to remain silent. If he pointed that out now, Deimlet would surely explode.
"Huh?"
Jalter stared at the cards in her hand. Like Jeanne, she was actually illiterate, yet she could somehow understand the cards' effects. This paradox left her utterly baffled, and she paid no attention to what her opponent was saying.
"It's too late for regrets now," Deimlet declared. "You appeared at the same time as that white Jeanne d'Arc, and since she hasn't been corrupted, you must be some kind of copy."
Deimlet's reasoning was completely wrong, but his conclusion was correct. He had mistaken Jiang You's Noble Phantasm—which had blocked the earlier attack—for Jeanne's. "So you're just a mass-produced grunt. That explains why your defensive Noble Phantasm only worked once, unlike the original's, which can last for a while."
"Huh?"
Jalter couldn't believe she'd been called a grunt. She instantly bristled.
"Who are you calling a grunt?! And that wasn't even my Noble Phantasm!"
"So you don't have a Noble Phantasm?"
Deimlet grinned, his confidence swelling. He glanced at Atalante, who had remained motionless since Jalter intervened. It seemed the effect had severely damaged her cognitive functions. If I can defeat Jalter quickly, he thought, I still have a chance.
"Then I won't hold back! I activate the Spell Card, Heroic Spirit Summoning! By tributing one card from my hand, I can Special Summon a Servant from my hand! The Servant I summon is... Spartacus!"
The Pantel Brothers' Decks were nearly identical, but their Servants were not shared. Deimlet's only Servant Card was Spartacus. (Mainly because he has no Bonds—he's not listed as an ancestor or friend in any official guidebooks, so he won't be appearing again. Besides, this will be over in a flash.)
"Oppressor! Where are you?!"
[Spartacus]Berserker / 4-Star / ATK 1500
"You're finished!" Deimlet crowed. "Spartacus cannot be destroyed by battle, and at the end of each turn, its Attack Power increases by 500!"
Even though Spartacus had been defeated instantly before, Deimlet just assumed his opponent was too strong. That white-haired dragon loli(?) Servant was just ridiculously overpowered.
"Furthermore, I can tribute this card to inflict Direct Damage to my opponent equal to half its Attack Power!"
"Finally, I set two cards face-down in my Backrow and end my turn!"
Deimlet glanced into the distance. Good, the others hadn't caught up yet.
[Spartacus] ATK 1500 → 2000
"Your turn. Let's get this over with."
"Is that all you've got? You think 2000 Attack Power is impressive? Don't make me laugh! My turn! I draw!"
In short, the two first-time duelists began a contest of Attack Power.
"Watch this! I activate [Counterfeit Replication] from my hand!" Jalter declared. Hmph, what an unpleasant name, she thought, but that's just how it is. "When this card is activated, I must discard one Servant from my hand to Special Summon an Alter form of a Servant with the same name from my Deck! I discard [Jeanne d'Arc] to Special Summon myself!"
The hellfire of vengeance ignited, erupting into a towering, cross-shaped pillar of flame. From within, the dark Jeanne d'Arc descended.
[Jeanne d'Arc Alter]Avenger / ATK 2500
Jalter scowled at her own dramatic entrance. Even though she hadn't personally experienced it, she possessed identical memories. Quickly, she composed herself. "Cannot be destroyed by battle, you say? What a useless piece of trash! By my own effect, when this card is successfully Summoned or Special Summoned, I can target one Servant on the field and destroy it! The one I choose is, of course, [Spartacus]! Burn to ashes!"
With a flick of her sword, Jalter pointed forward. The flames of vengeance roared toward Spartacus, instantly incinerating the defensively-oriented Servant.
"Damn it!"
Deimlet sucked in a sharp breath. This woman... she's a genuine Servant with a special Class, not some shoddy copy!
Jalter glanced at her hand. There was some synergy, but it was mostly just cards featuring her "other self." She ruffled her hair in frustration. I don't get it... whatever, I'll just attack for now.
"Entering the Battle Phase!"
Since she couldn't Summon any more Servants, Jalter went straight for the offensive.
"I attack [Deimlet] directly! Now die!"
"Run out of tricks already?" Deimlet taunted, though Jalter's 2500 ATK kept him on high alert. "I activate my Set Card, [Combined Magecraft]! I can target one card on the field and add half of its Attack Power to another card. Afterward, the first card's Attack Power becomes 0, and the boosted card cannot be targeted for attacks as long as the first card remains on the field! I'll transfer half of my brother's Attack Power to myself! Brother, lend me your strength!"
"Take it all!" Cabik readily agreed.
[Deimlet] ATK: 2000 → 3000 [Cabik] ATK: 2000 → 0
"With my brother and I united, no single foe can stand against us!" Deimlet declared, feeling the power surging through him. Even a Servant is nothing before this!
"Is that so? Watch this! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, [Dragon Witch]! This turn, all Dragon-type Servants on the field gain 1000 ATK, and their attacks inflict piercing damage!"
Jalter slammed the card representing her Unique Skill onto the field.
And then... nothing happened.
Jalter: "?"