Chapter 426: The Decisive Battle
Chapter 426: The Decisive Battle
"The final battle!"
Judge Ji Ye stood in the center of the duel arena, with You Xuan and the Judge standing opposite each other. Both men wore expressionless faces.
Everyone else had also taken their places on either side of the field, watching the stage with a mix of worry and anticipation.
"You Xuan." Guiping muttered, "Will he be alright?"
In the previous round, he had hoped for his brother to emerge victorious, but You Xuan had also become a very good friend. And they had all witnessed just how formidable this Judge was; he was no ordinary opponent.
Of course, Guiping was also aware of You Xuan's extraordinary abilities, but he couldn't help but feel concerned.
"He'll be fine."
"Eh?"
Guiping turned back in surprise, only to see Kaiba, arms crossed, standing calmly behind him with an air of confidence that seemed to surpass even that of the duelists themselves.
".Brother?" Guiping couldn't help but voice out.
"This guy will find a way." Kaiba said, narrowing his eyes as he stared at You Xuan.
—After such a haughty victory over me, if he were to casually lose to someone else, I would never forgive him.
At this moment, Hibiki Izumo had also left Hibiki Kurenai's ward to witness the final battle. Knowing that this man was the cause of her brother's defeat, she held a grudge against him, unaware of his true origins but certain that he was not someone to be taken lightly, and that his continued presence would bring greater disaster to the world.
Naturally, she, too, hoped for You Xuan's victory.
"Fujiki You Xuan, I've also learned about you." The Judge narrowed his eyes slightly, "How intriguing."
"Oh?" You Xuan was intrigued, "Do tell."
The Judge seemed caught off guard by You Xuan's calm reaction and gave a slight chuckle before continuing, "A young man with no natural talent, who bet it all to walk the path of a ruler, and yet managed to come this far."
He narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue in admiration.
"Indeed, a most inspiring and admirable path for a duelist."
You Xuan: "?"
What was this guy suddenly talking about?
But before You Xuan could question further, Iruka had already signaled the start of the duel, and leaped off the stage.
The Judge didn't elaborate further and proceeded to set up his Duel Disk. You Xuan was perplexed but decided not to ask any more questions, instead setting up his own Duel Disk.
"Duel!" x2
[Judge, LP: 4000]
[You Xuan, LP: 4000]
"I'll take the first turn. Draw!"
With the choice in his hands, You Xuan wasted no time in seizing the first turn and drawing his cards.
"I activate the magic card, 'Take Over 5'!"
You Xuan played the powerful anime-exclusive card used by Judai Yuki.
"Send the top five cards of your Deck to the Graveyard."
Five cards were drawn and placed on the Duel Disk. One by one, the cards slid forward with mechanical sounds, disappearing into the darkness of the Graveyard, and You Xuan examined each one, getting a sense of the resources he had sent to the Graveyard.
"I summon 'Disturbance Yellow' in face-down defense mode." You Xuan declared.
[Disturbance Yellow, DEF: 1000]
"I'll also set two cards face-down. That's the end of my turn."
"The first turn is used to accumulate resources in the Graveyard and set up a defensive formation."
The Judge spoke calmly, but the light in his eyes seemed to grow increasingly eerie.
"A standard first turn, very much in line with your style, or should I say, the current Fujiki You Xuan, right?" He smiled, "But has your dueling always been like this?"
You Xuan was unsure what he meant, but chose to ignore it for now.
"Silent, huh? Interesting." The Judge's face twisted into an odd smirk, "We're all fighters with our secrets, so I can understand your reluctance to speak."
You Xuan furrowed his brows.
The Judge didn't continue further: "My turn, draw!"
"Since this is the final battle, I won't beat around the bush. Let me activate this right here—
—Field Magic: 'Orichalcos Barrier'!"
The card was sucked into his Duel Disk, and electricity surged from it, spreading across the entire arena. Green light erupted from where he stood, rapidly forming a hexagonal barrier that enveloped the entire field in a glowing green shield.
By now, everyone present was familiar with this dangerous barrier. But this time, it shone brighter than ever before, the emerald radiance more profound and menacing. As the beams soared into the sky, they seemed to carry the roar of thunderous dragons, surrounded by swirling tendrils of lightning.
"Big brother, it's that barrier again!" Guiping exclaimed. "In this duel, the loser will—"
"Yes, there's no surprise there. It's only to be expected," Kaiba said calmly.
At the same time, he shot a sharp glance at You Xuan.
But in the end, you will definitely win, right, You Xuan?
"This means that by the end of this duel, only one person will be able to walk out of this barrier."
The Judge slowly drew another card.
"I activate the magic card, 'Greed Jar,' to draw two cards from my deck."
He drew two cards at a leisurely pace, then immediately played another card from his hand.
"Magic card, 'Angel's Charity.' Draw three cards from your deck, then discard two cards from your hand."
He then turned to You Xuan.
"In fact, I find it a bit regrettable that we have to fight like this. Through these competitions, I've realized that there are some unexpected similarities between us."
"Oh?" You Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
He was curious as to what similarities this slippery snake could see between them.
"We are both skilled at wielding various different decks, we never easily reveal our trump cards, and we always hold the winning hand," the Judge said.
The Judge seemed to be observing him as he spoke.
"And we both keep our true strengths hidden from others."
You Xuan remained silent.
Unfazed by You Xuan's persistent silence, the Judge merely smiled and continued.
"But I can see your differences as well. In this duel, I will show my hand.
From my hand, I summon 'Barrel Dragon'!" (Original card)
A flame appeared on his field, swirling and dancing. The blaze began to converge as if guided by an unseen force, taking on a life of its own.
It was a massive fire-red monster with a fiery tail, its eyes glowing like burning embers. In its hand was a longsword forged from flames, its transparent blade shimmering with heat and flowing with fiery patterns. Above its head swirled an eternal inferno.
[Barrel Dragon: ATK 1000]
"Due to Barrel Dragon's effect, its attack increases by 500 points for each Fire-Attribute monster on the field. It possesses the Fire-Attribute itself, so its attack increases by 500.
And with the effect of the Orichalcos Barrier, its attack increases by another 500."
[Barrel Dragon: ATK 2000]
"Big brother, that's Amelda's..." Guiping blurted out.
Kaiba said nothing, but nodded slightly.
Most of the spectators were seeing this peculiar monster for the first time, as this card did not exist outside of this world. It was a card printed by Doma himself, and it was the main monster used by Amelda, one of the original Doma Three Swordsmen, when he first faced Kaiba.
"Are you puzzled?" the Judge chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll understand its power soon enough."
With a casual wave of his hand, he declared, "Let the battle begin! Barrel Dragon, attack 'Disturbance Yellow'!"
(End of Chapter)
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