Chapter 104: Finally Free
Chapter 104: Finally Free
"My turn, draw!"
You Xuan's graveyard shimmered with a golden light, and two cards slid out.
"The effect of the two 'Serpent Soldier' cards in the graveyard is activated. During my standby phase, if 'Serpent Soldier' is in the graveyard, I can add them back to my hand."
The two cards were drawn from the graveyard and returned to his hand.
Beetle Knight's face twitched.
He had replenished his ammunition, and he now understood how his opponent's combo worked. The Serpent Soldiers were an endless supply of ammunition for the Underworld Soldier.
As expected, You Xuan immediately sent one of the Serpent Soldiers back to the graveyard.
"'Abyss Soldier's' effect is activated. By discarding a Water-Attribute monster from my hand, I can return any card on the field to its owner's hand. So, I discard the Water-Attribute 'Serpent Soldier'."
"I knew it!" Beetle Knight exclaimed.
"I activate my face-down Trap Card, 'Forgetfulness'! When an opponent's Attack Position monster activates its effect, negate that activation and change that monster to Defense Position!"
Judai: "Huh? But you should know that You Xuan still has a Royal Decree on the field, right?"
You Xuan raised an eyebrow.
It seemed like he had a countermeasure for the Royal Decree.
"Interesting," You Xuan said, "then I accept your challenge. I activate my face-down card, Continuous Trap Card—'Royal Decree'! All Trap Card effects on the field are negated!"
The 'Royal Decree', once again, demonstrated its might as it suppressed the entire field with an invisible pressure.
"As expected!" Beetle Knight shouted, "Counter Trap—'Reverse Check'! When a Trap Card is activated, negate that activation and return that card to its owner's Deck!"
Indeed, there was a countermeasure.
You Xuan nodded slightly, stroking his chin.
The power of the counter-attack took effect, forcibly terminating the activation of the 'Royal Decree'. The Trap Card turned into a golden light and flew back into You Xuan's Deck, automatically shuffling itself.
"Even as a Trap Card destroyer, 'Royal Decree' is nothing to be afraid of as long as its effect is negated before it can be activated. Furthermore, effects that activate later are resolved first. So, when the effect of 'Forgetfulness' is resolving, the 'Royal Decree' is no longer on the field, which means the effect of my Trap Card, 'Forgetfulness', is now valid! According to the effect of 'Forgetfulness', the activation of 'Abyss Soldier' is negated, and it is changed to Defense Position!" Beetle Knight explained.
Beetle Knight laughed heartily. "Stay put, 'Abyss Soldier'!"
The power of the Underworld seemed to be temporarily restrained as the 'Abyss Soldier' was forced to kneel and crouch, adopting a defensive stance.
[Abyss Soldier: ATK 1800 → DEF 1300]
"With this, your combo is broken," Beetle Knight said proudly.
He had realized that whether it was for offense or support, the 'Abyss Soldier' was the absolute core of his opponent's strategy. As long as its effect was negated, there was nothing to fear.
His insect army would launch a counter-attack next turn and sound the horn for a reversal.
You couldn't possibly have another Level Three monster to Tribute Summon and destroy my 'Abyss Soldier', could you?
"I activate my face-down card, Continuous Trap Card—'Call of the Living Dead'. It allows me to Special Summon a monster from my graveyard in Attack Position. I choose to Special Summon the other 'Abyss Soldier' from my graveyard." You Xuan declared.
Beetle Knight: "..."
A vortex opened in the graveyard, from which a transparent water flow erupted. A Water-Attribute soldier emerged from the abyss and returned to the field, with a whirlpool leading to the underworld blowing beneath it.
You Xuan expressed his admiration for his own clever move.
But what about the second one? What will you do now?
Already foreseeing the inevitable future, Beetle Knight's face twisted in despair: "No, please, no!"
However, he didn't expect You Xuan to calmly reveal another card from his hand instead of immediately activating its effect.
Beetle Knight: "?"
At this critical juncture, what does he mean by suddenly equipping his own monster?
"When equipped with Blastburn Strike, the equipped monster gains 400 attack points, and when attacking a monster in defense position, if the attack exceeds the defense, it gains defense-piercing effect." You Xuan explained with a smile, "It's my treat, so don't be shy."
[Millennium Scorpion, ATK 2500 → ATK 2900]
When Millennium Scorpion destroys a monster in battle, its attack increases by 500, bringing its attack power to 2900.
"Of course, as you know, great power usually comes with great risk. So, 'Blastburn Strike' also has a side effect." You Xuan continued with a smile, "When this card leaves the field, the equipped monster is banished from the game."
Beetle Knight pondered for a moment.
When this card leaves the field, the equipped monster is banished from the game.
Realization suddenly dawned on him, and his expression twisted in dismay: "You... don't tell me you're going to..."
"You guessed it, but sorry, no prize for that." You Xuan chuckled, "Now, activating the effect of the second 'Abyss Soldier'. Discarding another Water-Attribute 'Serpent Soldier' from my hand, I can return any card on the field to its owner's hand.
And of course, the card I choose to return is the equipment spell, 'Blastburn Strike'."
The equipment spell turned into a golden light and flew back into You Xuan's hand.
"Since I am the owner, it returns to my hand. However, due to the effect of 'Blastburn Strike', the equipped monster, 'Millennium Scorpion', is banished from the game."
"Banish 'Millennium Scorpion' from the game!"
The rift in dimensions reopened, and the immense suction pulled Millennium Scorpion off the ground, sending it spiraling out of this game.
Beetle Knight looked at his now-pristine field, feeling like he could cry.
Why must there be such an overpowered combo in this world?
And what kind of monster would come up with such a tactic?
Judai was also stunned: "Oh wow..."
Using Abyss Soldier to bounce an opponent's monster was a good way to clear the field, but the bounced monster still remained a usable resource in the opponent's hand.
However, by combining the effects of Abyss Soldier and the side effect of Blastburn Strike, You Xuan could banish any specified monster on the opponent's field without bouncing it back to their hand. Moreover, since Blastburn Strike returned to his hand, he could reuse it, and Serpent Soldier could be recycled indefinitely, resulting in almost no resource consumption.
Although You Xuan felt that he had basically won at this point, Beetle Knight still had cards in his hand. If his opponent had a lucky top-deck like Pot of Greed to survive this turn, then instead of bouncing Millennium Scorpion back to his hand, this combo would have denied him an extra card.
Yup, that's it, it definitely had nothing to do with the joy of sending Millennium Scorpion to another dimension.
However, Beetle Knight didn't seem to see it that way.
He had given up all hope and donned a mask of pain.
Please, just end this quickly, he thought. He wanted to leave this unfriendly world and reincarnate.
In his next life, he vowed to never touch cards again.
"Battle!" You Xuan waved his hand and ordered, "Abyss Soldier's direct attack!"
Watching the sinister-looking soldier charging with its sword, Beetle Knight let out a sigh and closed his eyes.
It might sound a bit far-fetched, but after experiencing rounds of having his monsters bounced back to his hand, sent to another dimension, and one-way-ticketed, the thought that came to his mind as a sword was about to fall upon him was not the fear of death.
It was relief.
Finally, no more dueling.
[Beetle Knight, LP: 1400 → 0]
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
