Chapter 60: You Xuan's Ace Card
Chapter 60: You Xuan's Ace Card
"Direct attack, Mecha-Machine Delta Omega!"
The red mechanical armor shot out engine flames from its back, brandishing its blades high as it slashed towards You Xuan, whose side of the field was now empty.
"That's it, give up and surrender your soul!"
You Xuan, of course, wasn't about to back down as claimed: "I activate a Spell Card! Trap Card, 'Divine Shield – Mirror Force'!"
"He still had a Mirror Force at this point?!” Thief Keith was taken aback.
"That's right. Mirror Force destroys all attacking monsters when your opponent declares an attack."
A pale blue shield appeared in front of You Xuan, firmly withstanding the blow of the descending blade from the red mechanical armor. The powerful counter energy rebounded from the shield, turning into a shower of light that swept back towards Keith's half of the field.
"Tch, a pesky Trap Card. Fall-into-the-Hole Magic Cylinder, your so-called carefully selected deck is full of these annoying cards."
Keith clicked his tongue.
You said every card in your deck was carefully chosen and reflects the soul of a Duelist? Well, I think your soul must be a bit dirty. But that won't do!
"Counter Trap—Revolution Return! When the effect of destroying two or more cards on the field is activated, negate that effect and banish that card from the game!" Keith shouted.
You Xuan frowned. This guy really had an answer for everything; he actually had something like this up his sleeve.
Indeed, when facing an opponent with strong luck, the effectiveness of standard tactics tends to diminish.
In the actual card game during the 5D's era, "Revolution Return" was largely replaced by the Trap Card "Starlight Road", which had a similar effect and also allowed you to Special Summon a "Stardust Dragon" for free. He vaguely remembered how players back then would start their turns with four face-down cards, and when their opponents blew them away with a Heavy Storm, a "Stardust Dragon" would immediately come into play.
[Trap Card—Starlight Road: When two or more of your cards on the field are about to be destroyed, negate that effect and destroy them, then Special Summon a "Stardust Dragon" from your Extra Deck.]
Although this era hadn't yet seen the famous "Starlight Road", "Revolution Return" had a similar effect. The impenetrable shield of Divine Shield cracked and shattered into pieces.
"And so, the battle continues. Mecha-Machine Delta Omega's direct attack!" Thief Keith raised his voice again. "This time, it's really over."
"Entering the damage step of battle," You Xuan displayed a card from his hand and quickly sent it to the Graveyard. "The effect of 'Kite Machine' in my hand!
When your opponent declares a direct attack, during the damage calculation, discard 'Kite Machine' from your hand to invalidate that battle damage once."
A semi-transparent image of a small kite appeared, guarding You Xuan. The Mecha-Machine's deadly strike landed on the kite's illusion, and the blades could no longer inflict any damage.
"How can he still have something like this?" Thief Keith was exasperated.
"You're quite resilient. Magnum Dragon can't attack during the turn it activates its effect. My turn is over.
Looks like you've bought yourself another turn."
You Xuan noticed that Keith's Mecha-Machine Delta Omega didn't activate its effect to summon a token at the end of the turn, but he soon realized that the original Mecha-Machine Delta Omega didn't seem to have this effect.
After being made into an actual card, Mecha-Machine Delta Omega was adapted into an Effect Monster that could enhance its own attack power and had an effect that required a token to be Special Summoned during the End Phase. However, in the original work, this card was a Normal Monster with no effects at all.
Saint Elf, who had been watching the entire Duel with bated breath, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that this Duel was so thrilling that she needed some emergency heart medicine. When she saw You Xuan play Divine Shield, she almost cheered, and when it was countered, she almost lost hope. The ups and downs of the brave man's Duel were truly exhilarating.
However, she didn't know that even if Magnum Dragon could attack again, the Kite Machine in You Xuan's Graveyard could still block another attack.
This was the power of an old-school, godly hand trap.
"To be honest, you've done well to get this far, kid. But your tricks have all been countered, and your ace has been defeated by me.
Even if you manage to miraculously Summon another high-level monster next turn, it will just be destroyed again during the Battle Phase by 'Magnum Dragon'.
Moreover, the effect of the Continuous Trap 'Cannon Shot' will also be triggered, further disrupting your actions. To be frank, your chances of winning are infinitely close to zero, and there's no point in continuing to resist." Keith put his hands on his hips proudly.
"But it's not your fault; I'm just too strong!"
You Xuan remained expressionless. "You've been defeated by a Normal Monster."
Normal Monster—the nickname Kaiba had given to Joey Wheeler, which gradually spread as Joey became more famous.
Keith's expression twisted, and he said angrily, "I'm the best Card Professor in the US! An undefeated Duelist who's conquered all of America!"
You Xuan calmly repeated, "You've been defeated by a Normal Monster."
"I just had bad luck back then!" Keith gritted his teeth. "Now I've returned from hell, and one day, I'll find that guy again and take back the victory that should've been mine."
You Xuan said, "You've been defeated by a kid who was hired by Pegasus."
Keith: "..."
Let's just stick to talking about Normal Monsters, shall we?
Thief Keith's face grew darker. "I know what kind of person you are. You're no different from them. You must be thinking that I'm a despicable Duelist, right? That so-called 'Duelist's dignity' nonsense?"
He clenched his fists, and the veins on his forehead bulged. "Those are just pretty words spoken by winners! Yugi Muto, Joey Wheeler, they don't understand!
They don't understand the pain of falling from the top, of being humiliated, mocked, and having your pride trampled on until it's worthless! Do you think I like this?
"Not everyone can be so relentless. I've tried and put in the effort, but nothing changes! Most people are like this, aren't they? In a Duel, there can only be one winner, one victor, and the rest are merely stepping stones.
It's easy to spout pretty words when you're at the top, but the rest of us don't have that many options."
His expression darkened as he looked at You Xuan.
"You're also a young genius, aren't you? You haven't experienced what I have. When you know what it's like to fall from the top, you'll understand me.
Then you'll realize that all this talk about a Duelist's dignity and the bond with their cards is just childish nonsense. Only strength matters! Only winning matters! To win, any means necessary are justified, whether it's cheating, scheming, or selling your soul to the devil!"
You Xuan: "..."
"What are you doing?" Keith asked angrily. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No," You Xuan replied calmly. "Indeed, in this world, even without the power of Orichalcos, you're probably stronger than most Duelists.
And you're right. Only one person can stand at the pinnacle of Dueling. Not everyone can be like Yugi Muto. But there's one thing you got wrong.
Whether it's Yugi Muto or Joey Wheeler, before they became 'winners', they were first and foremost 'Duelists'.
Dueling is not just a tool for deciding victory. Being a Duelist means believing in your Deck at all times and not treating it as a means for the strong to oppress the weak, as you do. That's why I say you're unworthy of being a Duelist because you don't even understand this basic concept."
Silent Magician, who had already left the field, was floating nearby as a spirit, listening silently. Although she remained quiet, the look in her eyes towards her owner was filled with increasing emotion. If there were a progress bar for their bond, it would surely be rising steadily.
You Xuan had intended to take this opportunity to increase his bond with his Silent Magician, but these words he spoke were also genuine insights he had gained since coming to this world.
In the world of Duel Monsters, there was nothing wrong with pursuing victory, but using any means necessary to win would only distance one from the throne.
Thief Keith was a prime example. In the past, he had conquered all of America, and one couldn't say he lacked talent. However, he always approached Dueling with a gambler's mentality. He would resort to underhanded tactics like hiding cards in his sleeve or stealing his opponent's entry pass, and he would stop at nothing to win. But in this extraordinary world, such disrespect for Dueling would not get him far.
You Xuan had originally intended to take advantage of the appropriate atmosphere to casually increase his bond with his monsters and improve his popularity with the elves, perhaps even slightly increasing his Fate Power. But something unexpected happened. Just as the atmosphere seemed to be building to a climax, the carvings on the rocks outside the Dueling arena suddenly lit up.
The sealed carvings erupted with dazzling light, so bright that it hurt to keep one's eyes open. A powerful surge of magic was released, forming a storm that engulfed the entire arena within the barrier.
Once their eyes adjusted to the bright light, both You Xuan and Keith saw that the images engraved on the rocks had... disappeared!
Keith's pupils contracted, and he immediately sensed that something was amiss with this unexpected development.
Could it be...?!
You Xuan, on the other hand, looked down and was even more astonished to see that the top card of his Deck was glowing!
What the heck is going on?
Could it be that his heartfelt words, originally meant for his Silent Magician, had somehow resonated with the sealed spirit of this place?
In this situation, he couldn't help but think of Kaiba's famous scene of drawing a card from the floor.
He took a deep breath and placed his finger on his Deck.
Shining Draw!
The golden card was drawn out, tracing a graceful arc in the air. As the card left the Deck, a startling surge of energy exploded, and a spiral storm of energy rose into the sky above him.
Keith grew more anxious: "That aura, that power... Could that card be...?!
Indeed, You Xuan saw that the card he had drawn was none other than the legendary warrior, a card once banned for its incredible power—
—Chaos Warrior: Envoy of the Beginning!
Well, of course, he knew for a fact that this card was not in his Deck.
But since he had already traveled through dimensions, drawing a card that wasn't in his Deck was like an inevitable plot point in the Yu-Gi-Oh! world.
It wasn't cheating; it was resonating with the spirit of the card, a sign of a powerful Duelist.
Yes, that's right.
As the card joined his hand, he faintly saw the illusory figure of a majestic warrior appear in a spiritual form, holding a sword and giving him a respectful salute.
It seemed to be saying, "My sword shall be with you."
You Xuan nodded in response, acknowledging the warrior spirit.
"Then, Keith!" he declared loudly. "Witness the power of my Deck's soul, my strongest ace card!"
"Hmph, so it's the legendary warrior, is it? Bring it on, I'm not afraid."
Keith shouted back.
"Then let me show you!"
"Okay!"
You Xuan raised the card in his hand, and infinite might seemed to emanate from it.
"Now, I shall unleash the power of this card—!"
Thief Keith held his breath, gritting his teeth and focusing all his attention on the legendary warrior that was about to be unleashed from the seal in this land of spirits.
The Chaos Warrior's spirit also held its sword at the ready, gathering its strength and waiting for the card to be played so it could rush into the field and bring victory to its new master.
"—Level 8, Lava Demon God!"
"What?!?" exclaimed Thief Keith.
"What?!?" echoed the Chaos Warrior.
"What the heck are you summoning!???"
Thief Keith's eyes bulged as he watched his two mighty mechanical aces get consumed by a surge of molten lava that rose from the ground. The red-hot lava melted them into molten iron. From the scorching lava, a burning, sinister hand emerged and slapped the ground. A burning giant slowly rose from the lava, its towering figure standing tall on Keith's field, while a scorching cage locked him in place.
[Lava Demon God: ATK 2500]
"The effect of Lava Archfiend," You Xuan said calmly. "This card can be Special Summoned to your opponent's field by Tributing two of their monsters as Tributes.
However, during the turn this effect is used, I cannot perform a Normal Summon."
He paused and smiled at Keith.
"This is a powerful monster with an attack strength comparable to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
"I just handed you a Level 8 monster! Are you kidding me?! Get lost with that ugly thing!" Keith exclaimed, his jaw dropping in disbelief.
"It's as strong as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Get out of here! Who wants your hideous monster?!"
Keith was completely flustered, thinking about his lost Fugitive Pistol Dragon and Magic Machine Motor.
"Hold on, what about that epic buildup and the opportune moment? Isn't this the part where you dramatically summon the legendary Chaos Warrior, and our aces collide in a passionate battle to decide the victor?"
"What the heck? Lava Demon God? Who's that? Why aren't you following the script?"
"Where's your ace? Where's your soul? Is this your soul?!?!"
The Chaos Warrior spirit, who was about to unsheathe its sword, froze in place, a little confused by this unexpected turn of events.
"Wait, are you not summoning me?"
The legendary warrior suddenly realized something.
At this point in the Duel, Thief Keith had no cards in his hand, no resources in his backfield, and every card in his graveyard was known. He had almost no chance of making a comeback.
And the Lava Demon God had not one, but two effects.
[During each of your Standby Phases: Inflict 1000 damage to this card's controller.]
[Thief Keith: LP 500 --> LP 0]
In other words, You Xuan didn't even need the Chaos Warrior. The Duel was already won.
Its grand entrance seemed unnecessary.
The legendary warrior fell into deep thought.
"Should I leave?"
You Xuan smiled and said, "The effect of 'Chaos Warrior: Envoy of the Beginning' in my hand. This card can be Special Summoned by removing from play one Light-Attribute and one Dark-Attribute monster from your graveyard.
I remove 'Silent Magician' with the Light-Attribute and 'Cyber-Tech Alligator' with the Dark-Attribute from my graveyard!"
Even though the Duel was already won, it was a rare opportunity to showcase a recognized spirit—especially a high-ranking legendary spirit. It would be unwise to hurt its feelings.
As mentioned earlier, at this point, Keith had no cards in his hand or backfield, and his graveyard was exposed. It didn't matter how You Xuan chose to win at this point.
To be precise, if he waited for the Lava Demon God's effect to burn Keith during the next turn, Keith would have one last chance to draw a card. Although the probability was minuscule, there was still a theoretical chance for him to survive.
However, by ending the Duel this turn, that minuscule possibility would be eradicated.
The Silent Magician and the Cyber-Tech Alligator appeared, flying to You Xuan's sides and soaring into the air before diving into the chaotic vortex.
"One soul guides the light, and one soul guides the darkness. The gates of chaos are now open!"
You Xuan raised his arm.
"Creation of the heavens and the earth! Level 8—
—Chaos Warrior: Envoy of the Beginning, I summon you!"
An incredibly powerful vortex of light and darkness swirled, and a valiant warrior clad in armor appeared on the field. The warrior's sharp sword cleaved through the chaos, exuding an aura of divinity that even caused the viridescent barrier to tremble.
[Chaos Warrior: Envoy of the Beginning: ATK 3000]
"Chaos Warrior: Envoy of the Beginning, attack the Lava Demon God!"
The Chaos Warrior leaped forward, its sword slicing through the air like the creation of all things. The Lava Demon God, in its defense position, was cleaved in two and melted away.
"Envoy of the Beginning's effect! When this card destroys an opponent's monster in battle, it can immediately attack once more!"
You Xuan gave the order, his hand raised.
"Final strike! Chaos Warrior: Envoy of the Beginning, direct attack on Thief Keith! Spacetime Slash: Dual Opening Blade!!!"
The Chaos Warrior soared into the air, spinning with its sword. Golden light danced along the blade, converging and erupting into a dazzling display as the sword descended, like a strike beyond time and space!
Thief Keith, seeing the sword energy rushing towards him and the countless sword shadows materializing before his eyes, let out a desperate scream.
In his final moments, his mind was filled with bitterness, anger, and regret, along with endless pain. Yet, amidst all these emotions, a single thought crystallized—
"—Lava Demon God, you've got to be kidding me!!!!"
[Thief Keith: LP 500 --> LP 0]
(End of Chapter)
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