Chapter 76: Digitized Angel
Chapter 76: Digitized Angel
"XYZ-Dragon Cannon, I summon you!"
Hinata Hoshizaki stood outside the duel, her eyes darting anxiously. She recalled the beating she had endured earlier—it was brutal, and it had left her furious. Yet, throughout the duel, it seemed like her opponent had only deployed an 800-ATK Submarine, and the only high-level monster that had made an appearance was on her side of the field.
She hadn't encountered any monsters with such overwhelming suppression abilities until now.
"Could it be that my opponent wasn't taking the duel seriously before?" she wondered.
"XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect is activated!" You Xuan declared. "Discard one card from your hand to destroy one card on your opponent's field!"
He discarded a card from his hand. "I discard a card to destroy 'Digitalized Heroine' that's being targeted!"
Ammunition loaded, energy charged, and target locked, the twin cannons of the Dragon Cannon blasted forth with dazzling fire!
The spectators once again held their breath. This was another decisive round. The 'Digitalized Heroine' that was being targeted was Asuka's only line of defense. If it was destroyed here, the outcome of the duel would be determined by the Dragon Cannon's subsequent direct attack!
"Not so fast!" Asuka interjected. "I activate my face-down Trap Card—'Angel Shockwave'! When you activate a Magic, Trap, or monster effect that includes 'destroying a monster on the field', negate that effect and destroy that card!" (Anime Card)
This was a Trap Card exclusive to Asuka in the anime, used to counter destruction effects.
Asuka smiled slightly. "You've fallen right into my trap."
This Trap Card would turn the tables on her desperate situation. By destroying the Dragon Cannon here, her opponent's field would be left empty next turn, creating an opening for her to strike back from the brink of defeat.
"In response, I activate my own face-down," You Xuan said calmly as he revealed the last card in his back row. "Continuous Trap—'Super Shell'!
When this card is activated, it can be equipped to any 'VWXYZ' monster as an Equip Card. The equipped monster gains 500 ATK, and it is unaffected by any Magic, Trap, or monster effects controlled by your opponent!" (Anime Card)
This was another card used by Manjome in the anime, an exclusive Equip Card for the 'VWXYZ' series that granted complete effect immunity to the equipped monster.
Of course, it could still be destroyed in battle or by destroying the equipped monster first and then targeting the Equip Card.
[XYZ-Dragon Cannon: ATK 2800 → ATK 3300]
Asuka: "!"
Someone in the audience exclaimed in awe: "Its ATK has surpassed that of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and it has godlike immunity!"
"Therefore, the effect of Dragon Cannon resolves," You Xuan continued. "'Digitalized Heroine' is destroyed!"
The cannon fire tore through, shattering the targeted card into pieces, and the monster vanished from the field.
"Additionally, the card I discarded was the Magic Card 'Compensation Cards'. When this card is sent from my hand to the Graveyard, I get to draw two more cards from my Deck," You Xuan explained.
Asuka gritted her teeth. Once again, her attempt at a comeback had been thwarted.
"In that case, I activate my Trap Card, 'Messenger of Peace'," Asuka said. "For this turn, my monsters cannot be destroyed in battle, and any battle damage I would take becomes 0."
The 'Messenger of Peace' couldn't prevent the destruction of monsters by card effects, so it was unable to protect 'Digitalized Heroine' from the Dragon Cannon's onslaught. However, it could buy her monsters another turn.
"I'll set two cards and end my turn," Asuka said, relieved to have survived another round.
Having endured yet another turn, Asuka took a deep breath and clenched her fists. She needed to stay focused and not let her opponent dictate the flow of the duel.
From the very beginning of the entrance exam, when she had watched You Xuan duel, she had a feeling that he was different from the other duelists. His tactics seemed opportunistic, avoiding direct confrontation. But even then, she had sensed that there was more to him.
Now, dueling him herself, she was even more certain of her initial impression.
As irritating as he was, this duelist was undeniably formidable.
One must not be led astray by him; it was crucial to maintain one's "momentum."
"My turn! Draw!" Asuka declared resolutely.
Watching Asuka, whose eyes still blazed with fighting spirit, Hinata Hoshizaki, a senior watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but have her gaze flicker. "With only 200 Life Points remaining and an empty field, while her opponent has such a formidable monster, the ability to destroy any card, and absolute resistance to effects... the gap between them is already too wide."
At this point, it was almost as good as a loss, wasn't it?
It was just a casual duel, neither a competition nor an exam. Moreover, Asuka had previously stated that even if she won, she would voluntarily give up on running for Duel Queen.
Hoshizaki felt that if she were the one on the field, her mentality would have crumbled by now, and her "momentum" as a duelist would be in disarray. There would be no point in continuing the duel.
"Why is she still so determined?" Hoshizaki wondered.
Asuka drew a card and said firmly, "I came to the Duel Academy because I love dueling. I've never thought about becoming the Duel Queen. This is because I want to be recognized as a duelist and only as a duelist, nothing more."
Hearing this, Senior Hoshizaki's heart stirred, and her gaze toward her junior shifted slightly, perhaps even with a hint of respect.
Asuka continued, "I activate the magic card 'Magical Book in the Pot!' Both players draw three cards from their decks!" (Original Card)
A wild card from the GX manga, just like the 'Card of Sanctity', this insane card-drawing engine was naturally something You Xuan had acquired not long after arriving at the academy.
However, unlike many other cards in the anime that allowed players to draw cards while their opponents also gained some benefits, this card came with the risk of giving one's opponent resources. In theory, it was a one-for-three trade, with the opponent freely gaining three cards.
As her opponent enthusiastically invited her to draw, Asuka had no qualms about accepting, and she drew her cards.
"You are indeed strong, You Xuan. Perhaps I really can't win against you, but as a duelist, my soul won't allow me to admit defeat just yet!" Asuka proclaimed.
"I activate a magic card from my hand, 'Blessed Church - Ritual Cathedral'!"
With a resounding shift in the field, a massive cathedral rose from the ground, and countless roses fell amidst the sacred white light shining through the windows.
"Ritual Cathedral's effect! By discarding one magic card from my hand, I can add a Light Attribute Ritual Monster or a Ritual Magic Card from my deck to my hand."
Asuka sent a card from her hand to the graveyard and searched through her deck.
"I add the ritual monster 'Cyber Angel - Benten' from my deck to my hand!"
You Xuan raised an eyebrow.
So, it was finally time for the Cyber Angel to make its appearance.
Cyber Angels were a ritual-based deck used by Asuka in the GX anime, but it wasn't until ten years later that the cards were physically released. Thus, one could imagine that this deck was quite ahead of its time in the GX era.
When the Cyber Angels were finally released, they were significantly strengthened with many new cards that weren't in the anime, additional powerful effects for some of the monsters, and they became one of the rare deck series where the physical cards were much stronger than their anime counterparts.
Even the original version of the deck, as seen in the current dueling environment, was already extremely powerful.
"The true duel begins now!" Asuka proclaimed. "Watch closely, You Xuan. This is my true power!"
(End of Chapter)
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