“My turn, I set one monster face-down. End turn.”
Yu Xuan kept his expression impassive as he set the Swamp's Demon King from his hand face-down on the field, ending his turn.
What else could I do? I'm running a Fusion Deck and haven't drawn a single Fusion card. I'm utterly desperate.
“Humph, you dare challenge me with such a pathetic display? Witness the power of my deck! Come forth, Evil Knight Dragon!”
Seeing Yu Xuan end his turn with another defensive move, Kiryu, the Dinosaur, completely dismissed Yu Xuan.
He used his field monsters, the Corpse Dragon and the Swiftfooted Raptor, as tributes to perform an Upper Level Summon of the seven-star Evil Knight Dragon.
With a raspy roar, a dragon with a pointed snout, a serpentine body, four legs, and crimson eyes radiating an unsettling aura appeared on the field, sending shivers down one’s spine.
Evil Knight Dragon, 7 stars, Attack: 2350, Defense: 2400.
“Go forth, Evil Knight Dragon! Crush your enemy with your overwhelming power!”
Hearing his command, the Evil Knight Dragon, with its twisted form, abruptly materialized on the field, facing the face-down card. Its claws were extended downwards.
With a single strike, it shattered the Swamp’s Demon King, whose defense was only 1100.
“Humph, another weakling monster! Such pathetic creatures are no match for my ace, the Evil Knight Dragon!”
Kiryu laughed boisterously, convinced of his victory, completely disregarding Yu Xuan.
“Heh, hurry up and end this. This is getting boring.”
The Insect, Feather Moth, mocked, his eyes tinged with regret. He now believed that Yu Xuan was all bark and no bite. He had misjudged his opponent’s strength, foolishly handing over rare cards and a chip board to him.
Seeing his opponent Upper Level Summon a seven-star Normal Monster, which had destroyed his Swamp’s Demon King, Yu Xuan actually felt a sigh of relief.
He thought to himself, “Kiryu, you're playing this so badly.”
If Kiryu hadn't Upper Level Summoned and instead Normal Summoned another monster with four stars or less, a three-monster attack…
…his Swamp’s Demon King would have been unable to hold back.
Even his remaining 2400 Life Points would have likely been wiped out in that turn, leading to a decisive victory.
But Kiryu clearly didn't think that way. What could be more reassuring than having your ace monster on the field?
As the saying goes, “Dragon on your face, how can you lose?”
Kiryu felt his advantage was enormous, and thus, he ended his turn.
“Someone's dueling.”
“It’s those two, Kiryu, the Dinosaur, and Feather Moth, the Insect.”
“Whoa, it's Yu Xuan dueling them!”
Just then, familiar voices echoed through the air.
Yu Xuan could tell without looking that the speakers were Jounouchi and Yugi.
He wasn't surprised by their arrival. This was the heart of Domino City, where the Duel Monsters Tournament was being held.
As duelists, Yugi and Jounouchi would definitely be here.
“Kiryu seems to have gotten a lot stronger. Yu Xuan seems to be on the defensive.”
Jounouchi saw that Kiryu had a powerful Upper Level Monster on the field, while Yu Xuan had nothing on his field, and his Life Points had taken a hit. It was clear he was at a disadvantage.
“Yeah, Kiryu has definitely gotten stronger. But Yu Xuan won’t go down that easily. In a duel, anything can happen until the very end.”
Yugi nodded. He had a feeling that the person who had bought cards from his shop a few days ago wouldn’t go down without a fight.
The battle wasn’t over yet.
“Humph, so you’re here too, Jounouchi. Just you wait. As soon as I win this, I’ll duel you. This time, I’m taking back my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!”
Kiryu had noticed Jounouchi and threw a harsh threat his way. He was sure he was going to win this duel.
His confidence was overflowing, and he was already planning to take back what he’d lost.
“My turn. Draw.”
Yu Xuan cleared his mind, ignoring the chatter around him. He placed his hand on his deck and took a deep breath.
This draw would determine whether he could turn the tide of the battle.
Please, let me draw Fusion!
NICE! Gem-Knight Fusion.
Seeing the card he had drawn, Yu Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wasn't bricked and could make a move.
This was tough. If he couldn’t activate Fusion this turn, he’d likely become the first victim of Kiryu’s victory streak.
“I activate Gem-Knight Fusion. Come forth, Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant!”
Yu Xuan sent his two Gem-Knight Lapis Lazuli and one Gem-Knight Topaz to the graveyard.
The gallant Brilliant appeared on Yu Xuan’s field. In her hand, she held a sword pointed towards her enemy. She was ready to conquer.
“3400 Attack Points!”
As Brilliant appeared, the captivating glow of her gemstones was overshadowed by her astonishingly high Attack Points.
Such a high Attack Points could stand tall among the giants, obliterating any so-called ace monsters.
“Summoning a monster with 3400 attack points instantly? Is this Yu Xuan's true power?”
Jounouchi's surprised voice echoed through the arena as Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant appeared.
“But if he has such power, why didn’t he summon such a monster from the beginning? Why wait until now?”
“Perhaps he was waiting for his opponent to let their guard down, then striking with lightning speed.”
Yugi analyzed, a serious expression on his face.
Yugi's theory was accepted by the crowd.
The duelists surrounding the arena saw Yu Xuan as a powerful and calculating strategist.
Yu Xuan was speechless.
No, you guys aren't considering the possibility that I just bricked, are you?
Oh, it’s Yugi talking. Nevermind, then. People’s joys and sorrows are different. It's understandable that he can't understand what I'm going through in this situation.
“I activate Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant’s effect. By releasing her, I can Special Summon one Gem-Knight Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck. Come forth, Gem-Knight King Brilliant Diamond!”
Compared to Brilliant, Brilliant Diamond glowed even brighter. The Gem-Knight King, covered in seven-colored gems, stood tall, bathing everything in his radiant, dreamlike aura.
“Based on Gem-Knight King Brilliant Diamond’s effect, this card's Attack Points are increased by 100 multiplied by the number of ‘Gem’ monsters in my graveyard.”
Yu Xuan's graveyard had three Gem-Knight Lapis Lazuli, one Gem-Knight Topaz, and one Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant, totaling five cards.
Gem-Knight King Brilliant Diamond Attack Points 2900→3400.
“Wow, another monster with high attack points. But after his attack points were boosted, isn't he basically the same as his previous monster? Why would Yu Xuan summon this monster? Does he have some other effect?”
Jounouchi was filled with awe, but he didn't understand Yu Xuan's reasoning for summoning this monster.