Chapter 1168: Floral Knight
Chapter 1168: Floral Knight
Chapter 1168: Floral Knight
Floral Synchro, Attack Power 400
The tiny Synchro looked like a bud that had yet to bloom, with short arms and legs. Its large eyes stared out from the center of the bud, and a mischievous smile played on its face.
"Here comes the Synchro", Youxuan said.
Shirley: "Level 2, Tuner Monster 'Floral Synchro'!
Level 6, 'Mina the Centaur'!
Tune!"
2 + 6 = 8
A fragrant breeze swept across the scorched battlefield, and silver starlight suddenly pierced the sky. The Synchro card emitted a gentle light, and an elegant knight figure gracefully leaped out of the halo, transforming into a brilliant star.
"O noble white lily, the time of revolution has come! Grant me victory! Synchro Summon—
—Level 8, Floral Knight!"
Countless pink petals appeared out of nowhere, swirling and converging like a blizzard. Amid the petals, a knight clad in silver armor emerged, with vibrant flower vines winding through the gaps in the armor. The knight's rose-entwined sword swung, stirring the air and unleashing a pure, powerful impact.
Floral Knight, Attack Power 2700
"This is Shirley's ace monster, huh?"
Akishino Aki said.
"But its Attack Power is still lower than the Scrap Dragon's."
Before she could finish, Shirley interrupted with a clear voice: "Of course I know that!
The effect of 'Mina the Centaur,' used as a Synchro Material for the Floral Knight, activates!
When this card is sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material for a Warrior-Type, Wind-Attribute Synchro Monster, one face-up monster on the field can be destroyed!"
The translucent image of the centaur, which had already vanished as a Synchro Material, reappeared as if being infused into the knight's sword. The sword struck, and the centaur's image rode the sword's energy, piercing through the Scrap Dragon.
"Beautiful counterattack."
Youxuan raised a hand to block the blast from the Scrap Dragon's explosion, smiling.
"But at this moment, the Scrap Dragon's effect also activates.
When the Scrap Dragon is destroyed by an opponent and sent to the Graveyard, I can select one 'Scrap' monster from my Graveyard, excluding Synchro Monsters, and Special Summon it to the field."
The remnants of the Scrap Dragon, instead of disappearing, were drawn together by an invisible magnetic force, reassembling into a new Scrap Beast.
Scrap Beast, revived!
Scrap Beast, Defense Power 1300
Shirley clicked her tongue. "Just a pile of scrap metal, yet it never gives up. But I still have a monster to attack!
Go, Floral Knight, attack the 'Scrap Beast'!"
The Floral Knight stepped forward, drew its sword, and swung it, sending a cascade of petals flying toward the newly revived Scrap Beast. The small Scrap Beast couldn't withstand the blow and was instantly split in two by the sword.
"Next, 'Apprentice Knight,' direct attack!"
Shirley swept her arm.
The young, delicate knight dashed forward, blade in hand, and the sword's energy cut through the air, heading straight for Youxuan.
Aki held her breath instinctively, seeing Youxuan about to be hit. "She has the Trap 'Dimensional Wall' in her back row for defense, and Shirley's 'Mina the Centaur,' which could have negated the Trap's effect, is already in the Graveyard as a Synchro Material. A rash attack could easily backfire and cause damage.
But Shirley should be aware of this."
She wasn’t naive enough to think Shirley had forgotten about the Dimensional Wall.
“Oh? Knowing there’s a trap, you still choose to approach my Godwin?”
Youxuan laughed and waved his hand.
“Interesting. I’ll accept this challenge.
Activate the Cover Card, Trap Card ‘Dimensional Wall’!
When the opponent’s monster declares an attack, the battle damage is transferred to the opponent instead of me!”
The Trap that failed to activate last turn flipped over again, and the rift in dimensions split open, forming a shield barrier in front of Youxuan.
Shirley, as expected, had a countermeasure: “At this moment, the Floral Knight’s effect activates!
Once per turn, when the opponent activates a magic or trap card, that activation is negated and the card is destroyed!”
A long sword in the knight’s hand was surrounded by swirling petals, and a sword strike, enveloped by the petals, cut through the air. The activating trap suddenly dimmed, the dimensional rift was filled and vanished by the countless petals, and the trap card crumbled into golden dust.
“Wow,” Qi marveled inwardly, “She definitely had a strategy against the Dimensional Wall. This duelist Shirley is really impressive.”
Shirley’s ace, the Floral Knight, had the ability to negate the effects of magic and trap cards, making it a powerful resistance card in the current environment.
While in the modern Yu-Gi-Oh! environment, it is generally believed that negating monster effects is more valuable than negating magic and trap effects, players who have experienced earlier versions or played Duel Links should understand that in the earlier Yu-Gi-Oh! environment, the opposite was true. Negating magic and trap effects was more valuable.
The reason negating monster effects is now more valuable is because the speed of the current environment has increased, and new monster effects have become more extreme, combining setup, field control, and blocking opponent’s moves, largely replacing the functions of many magic and trap cards from the old environment.
However, in the earlier Yu-Gi-Oh! environment, monster effects were not as inflated as they are today, and magic and trap cards still held significant importance. Therefore, cards that could negate magic and trap effects were highly valued.
However, considering that in the Synchro era, negating magic and trap effects was more valuable, Konami decided to weaken the Floral Knight's effect during its actual card implementation.
After real card implementation, the Floral Knight gained the restriction of “can only negate one magic or trap card activation per turn, and only during your own turn,” which was not present in the original anime version. This restriction was crucial for the psychological battle between Yusei and Shirley in the anime, as Yusei could have easily overwhelmed Shirley with the weakened real card effect.
“Dimensional Wall’s activation is negated, and the Apprentice Knight continues its attack!”
Shirley declared.
“Take this!”
“Not so fast.”
Youxuan leisurely revealed his second back-row card.
“Activate the Cover Card, Trap Card ‘Wall of Strength’!
When the opponent’s monster’s attack would inflict battle damage to me, for every 100 points of damage, I send one card from the top of my deck to the graveyard, reducing that battle damage to zero!”
Youxuan tossed a handful of cards from his deck, which flew and scattered in the air, forming a solid barrier in front of him.
“I send ten cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard, negating the battle damage!”
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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