Duelists Never Surrender!

"Just a candle in the wind," aaa76 said faintly. "I'll end my turn like this."

"My turn, Draw Phase," Hara Shichi said, reaching out to draw a card from the Duel Disk on the girl's arm. But at some point, the girl's arm, which had been holding up the Duel Disk, went limp.

"I say, don't give up so easily, you still have 200 LP," Hara Shichi said weakly. Had she really despaired?

"No, it's not like that," Ai couldn't help but speak up. "She seems to have... fainted!"

"Huh?" Hara Shichi reached out skeptically and touched the masked girl. With a "clatter," the masked girl collapsed onto Hara Shichi.

"..."

Chapter 62: God Forsaken

"What's going on? Was the impact too strong?" Hara Shichi felt the girl's soft body, puzzled. Although the impact from her attack was strong, with the Primordial Dragon buffering it, it shouldn't have been this much. Even he, a Duelist constantly criticized for being 'too weak,' was still standing. Could this girl be even weaker than him?

"Controlling a monster of the Envoy of Genesis's level for a long time probably pushed her brain to its limit. Add to that the strong impact from the battle, and fainting from being unable to bear it is inevitable," Ai explained from the side.

"Huh? You just summoned an Envoy of Genesis, right?" Hara Shichi looked at Ai, bewildered.

"Why do you think the main monster card in a Duel would have minimal side effects?" Ai looked at the girl collapsed in Hara Shichi's arms and explained with her arms crossed, "Listen, most monsters are like guard dogs. If the Duelist's Duel Power level is high, the monsters will willingly submit. But if the Duelist's level is too low, the monsters will continuously inflict mental shock and take control of the Duelist."

"Is the Envoy of Genesis... a high-level monster?" Hara Shichi was a little dazed. Although it had 3000 ATK and a decent effect, it shouldn't be... that high, right?

After all, Nero, the first-year student, casually used Chaos MAX Dragon, and even this virtual projection summoned Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon. The Envoy of Genesis shouldn't be that much of a problem, should it?

"No, it's not that the Envoy of Genesis's level is too high, but that her Duelist level is too low," Ai sighed. "Monsters like the Envoy of Genesis, let alone Julie, perhaps even Yukikaze could use it with ease. But she can't."

"Are you serious?" Hara Shichi frowned. "I don't think her dueling skill is that low."

"I told you, it's the Duelist's 'level'," Ai gestured. "The Duelist's level is the so-called Duel Power level. Do you remember what I teased you about back then?"

"You've teased me about a lot of things, which one are you talking about?"

"'Duel Power, three stages.'"

Ai said faintly, "Simply put, you, an outsider from another world, don't deserve Duel Power at all. The little Duel Power you have is only because you've been in contact with me for a long time."

Saying that, Ai pointed at the masked girl with pity. "And she, as a native of this continent, has a Duel Power of - 0."

"Lower than mine?!" Hara Shichi was shocked.

"That's right, lower than yours. It's a probability of about one in a hundred million people. A complete insulator. If Duel Power is a swarm of bees that lingers on the stamen of a flower if it emits a sweet fragrance, then this type of Duelist is probably a puddle of mud. It's not even a flower, and Duel Power wouldn't want to touch it."

"These people are called - God Abandoned."

"Did you abandon them?" Hara Shichi asked abruptly.

"How could I? With so many people on the continent, there are always a few exceptions. She just happens to be one of them." Ai pointed at the masked girl's Duel Disk. "Have you noticed the difference between her Duel Disk and yours?"

Hara Shichi looked at his own silver Duel Disk. It was probably because it was a Duel Disk exclusive to gods, not only emitting a faint silver light but also carved with incomprehensible runes and images.

The red Duel Disk in the masked girl's hand was simply red, without any fancy decorations.

"Hmm, yours looks better, more flashy," Hara Shichi replied.

"Idiot! Who asked you to look at that!" Ai knocked on Hara Shichi's head. "But my Duel Disk is indeed good-looking... that's not the point!"

"The point is, her Duel Disk is mechanically made," Ai said faintly.

"Huh? What does that mean... Wait, mechanically made?!" Hara Shichi touched the Duel Disk on the masked girl's arm and found that it did have a metallic texture.

"Do you understand? A Duelist's Duel Disk is stimulated and shaped by their own Duel Power. Although its texture may vary depending on the individual's Duel Power, it will never be metallic. Even if it were truly metallic... it wouldn't be constructed like this!" Ai pointed at the Duel Disk in the masked girl's hand. "Unlike our Duel Disks, which are directly attached to our arms, her Duel Disk is pre-attached to her arm! That is... an artificial Duel Disk!"

"?!"

"There's no mistake. It's precisely because of this Duel Disk that she has the right to stand here," Ai said faintly. "As a God-forsaken being, she should not only be unable to activate her Duel Disk but also unable to use cards. The reason she can duel here now is entirely due to the Duel Power stored within the Duel Disk!"

"In other words, this Duel Disk serves the same purpose for her as I do for you?" Hara Shichi finally understood what Ai was trying to convey.

"How can you compare me to a human creation like this?" Ai frowned, seemingly displeased with Hara Shichi's statement. "The Duel Power stored in this Duel Disk has its limits. That is to say, once the stored Duel Power is depleted, it must be replenished. This is probably why she came here?"

"Besides, the Duel Power stored in this Duel Disk is probably level-less. No matter how much there is, it's level 0 that anyone can absorb," Ai said. "In other words, the Duel Power in the Duel Disk is simply for usage."

"High-level Spell Cards cannot be used; using any Trap Card will directly backfire; using high-level Monster Cards will result in mental shock and suppression."

"Do you understand now? What kind of existence the girl you're holding is," Ai sighed. "A pitiable, pathetic, lamentable child with no future, who makes one want to pity and cherish her."

"If I were her friend, I would probably try to dissuade her. If you don't have talent but insist on taking on a difficult challenge, it would be better to choose a path with more future if you have the determination."

"Wrong," Hara Shichi interrupted Ai.

"In my eyes, she is a brave, hardworking, strong Duelist full of future, who makes one want to admire and respect her," Hara Shichi reached out and touched the artificial Duel Disk on the masked girl's arm.

"She doesn't need pity because she's already on the path she chose. She doesn't need validation because she's already amazing enough. Therefore, I won't let her fall here."

"My turn, Draw Phase!"

Chapter 63: The Wind Blows Hard, Let's Get Out of Here

Although Hara Shichi declared with conviction that he would win the duel.

In essence, all the cards in this deck were cards that Hara Shichi couldn't use. There were no powerful cards that could turn the tide with a single card in this deck.

"But, this card is enough."

Hara Shichi slammed the card he drew onto the Duel Disk: "I'll Normal Summon Scapegoat Sheep!"

Scapegoat Sheep: ATK 0 / DEF 0

Effect: When this card is flipped face-up: You can Special Summon any number of "Black Sheep Tokens" (Fiend/DARK/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) to your field.

"You should have set it face-down. What's wrong? Did your brain freeze at the crucial moment?" Ai's lips curved slightly. As Hara Shichi's partner, she already understood what he intended to do, but couldn't resist teasing him.

Yes, if he had set it face-down, he could have summoned Black Sheep Tokens directly to the entire field, allowing him to survive for at least a few more turns.

But that wasn't what Hara Shichi wanted. He didn't want to just prolong his survival; he wanted to deliver a decisive blow right here!

That's right, Scapegoat Sheep not only possessed the unique field-surviving effect characteristic of the Scapegoat Family, but it also had another important trait—it was a Tuner monster!

"Ai, you should have absorbed enough Duel Power by now," Hara Shichi said, his gaze fixed on her.

"Of course, but I'm not sure I can print the card you want." Ai, as the omniscient and omnipotent Goddess of Duels, naturally understood what card was needed to turn the tide at this moment.

"I believe in you. Come on," Hara Shichi said, pulling a basic white card from his deck box and showing it to aaa76. "According to the Duel rules, using a newly printed card mid-duel isn't against the rules, right?"

"You're relying on printing cards at a time like this?" aaa76's ethereal mechanical voice let out a faint sneer. "Based on my calculations, the probability of you printing a Synchro Monster right now is less than one percent. The probability of printing a Synchro Monster that meets the summoning conditions is less than one in a thousand. The probability of printing a Synchro Monster that can turn the tide of the duel is less than one in ten thousand. Placing your hope on such a minuscule chance is truly laughable."

A minuscule chance of less than one in ten thousand?

Hara Shichi remembered Julie's predicament when she tried to print a card. If Hara Shichi had tried to print it himself, he probably wouldn't have fared any better. After all, he was just an outsider with only three stages of Duel Power.

But if it were Ai, it would absolutely not be a minuscule chance.

"A minuscule chance of less than one in ten thousand? We're really being underestimated," Ai said, wrapping her arms around Hara Shichi's neck. Colorful light flowed around them. "Come on, A-Qi, let him witness the might of a god."

"I will tune the Primordial Dragon and Scapegoat Sheep on the field to Synchro Summon—"

The silver Synchro Particles, forming a gale, blew away the strands of hair on Hara Shichi's forehead. The monster's image gradually appeared on the card in Hara Shichi's hand. Seeing the card with its stars and silver border already appearing, Hara Shichi unhesitatingly slammed it onto his Duel Disk.

"Synchro Summon—Dragon of the Underworld!"

"Dong!"

A colossal black demon stood imposingly on the Duel Field, its long red tail incessantly slapping the ground, as if unable to contain its bloodthirsty desires.

"Lucky you," aaa76 said calmly. "Even so, the Dragon of the Underworld's ATK is only 4000, while my Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon has 4500."

"It's not over yet. I activate the Dragon of the Underworld's effect. During my Standby Phase, I can target 1 face-up monster on your field; its ATK becomes half its original ATK, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to that amount!"

"Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon cannot be targeted by an opponent's effect," aaa76 stated impassively.

"Who said... I was targeting Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon?" Hara Shichi pointed at the Jet Dragon on aaa76's field. "You haven't forgotten, have you? You still have a Jet Dragon on your field."

That's right, Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon was powerful, with a high ATK of 4500, untargetable, indestructible by effects, and able to destroy one card on the opponent's field once per turn.

As a field-standing finisher, it was already strong enough.

But no matter how strong Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon was, what did that have to do with me attacking Jet Dragon?

"I choose your Jet Dragon! Because of the effect, you will take 1500 LP in damage!"

aaa76: 2000 → 500 LP.

"Next, I enter the Battle Phase. Dragon of the Underworld attacks Jet Dragon!"

The Dragon of the Underworld and Jet Dragon clashed. The nearby Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon let out a warning roar, but could only watch helplessly as Jet Dragon was defeated by the Dragon of the Underworld.

aaa76: 500 → 0 LP.

Win: Hara Shichi & Masked Girl!

"Click!"

With a clear sound, the port that had imprisoned their wrists enlarged again. Hara Shichi quickly pulled his hand out.

"Since you won, leave this place quickly," aaa76 said with a cold expression, ushering them out.

"Can I duel you again next time? I think dueling you is quite interesting," Hara Shichi asked.

"Heh." aaa76 neither agreed nor refused, merely let out two cold laughs and vanished into thin air.

"What does those two cold laughs mean?" Hara Shichi asked, confused.

"Never mind that. We've gained a lot tonight, and this place isn't safe. Let's get out of here!" Ai, like a thief who had just successfully stolen something for the first time, had an expression of eager excitement mixed with a hint of panic.

"Makes sense. Let's go, let's go."

Just as Hara Shichi picked up the masked girl and left the teaching building, he suddenly thought of something. "Speaking of which, if we don't lock it, won't the Head Teacher notice something's wrong when he comes in tomorrow morning?"

"Don't worry, I locked it from the inside for you," Ai said, waving her hand.

"How can you, a spirit, help me..." Hara Shichi was about to speak when he felt a warm touch on his forehead.

It was Ai's fair and slender index finger.

"You can materialize?!" Hara Shichi exclaimed in shock.

"Hmph, quantitative change leads to qualitative change. Having absorbed a large amount of Duel Power, I can now materialize!" Ai said excitedly. "We've made a killing this time."

"Hurry up and print the card."

"What's the rush? Before that... what do we do with this person?" Ai asked, pointing at the masked girl in Hara Shichi's arms.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet? Could something have gone wrong?" prompted by Ai, Hara Shichi's excitement turned to worry.

"No, based on my observations, it's fine to let her rest for a while. The problem is... where do we put her? We can't take her back to the dorm, can we?" Ai frowned.

Indeed, on the way back to the dorm, they might encounter students returning from sneaking out. If anyone saw them, it would be disastrous, and it would also expose her identity.

"Mmm..."

Just as the two hesitated, a soft hum sounded from Hara Shichi's embrace.

The masked girl had woken up.

"You're awake?" Hara Shichi said softly.

"Mhm, put me down," the masked girl whispered.

"Oh." Hara Shichi gently put the masked girl down. However, before she could even stand steady, her calves gave out, and she was about to fall to the ground. Hara Shichi had no choice but to reach out a hand to support her.

"Thanks," the masked girl said weakly. "Did you win the duel in the end?"

"Mhm." Hara Shichi didn't deny it. Although there was suspicion of cheating by relying on Ai's card printing, since card printing wasn't against the rules, he wasn't cheating.

The masked girl nodded and took out a card from her deck box, handing it to Hara Shichi. "Take this. Consider it my thank-you gift."

Trap Card—Destruction Potion.

"Then I won't be polite," Hara Shichi accepted it. In an environment with 4000 LP, a card that recovers LP was still good.

"Since that's the case, then we shall part ways here." Under the bright moonlight, the masked girl gently pushed away Hara Shichi's support and limped away, disappearing into the night, leaving Hara Shichi standing stunned.

The two had met by chance, and the masked girl had no intention of forming a deep connection with Hara Shichi. Giving him a card as thanks was already more than generous.

"Snap out of it, she's already gone," Ai's bare feet kicked Hara Shichi's back.