Duelists Never Surrender!

"Next, I just need to watch out for those two Set Cards," the man said, glancing at the two unknown Set Cards. "I'll end my turn like this. It's your move."

"You seem to have misunderstood one thing."

Sera placed her slender fingers on her Deck. "Becoming a professional Duelist wasn't my dream."

"My dream was to make enough money to stay in my room and play games all day. Becoming a professional Duelist was just a compromise I made with reality to earn money."

"As for crushing my dream... I'm sorry, you're not qualified!"

"My turn, Draw Phase!" Sera sharply drew a card and then placed the monster she had searched last turn onto her Duel Disk. "I'll Normal Summon Traptrix Tributing, and activate her effect to add Bottomless Trap Hole from my Deck to my hand."

"Hmph, Bottomless Trap Hole can only be used on a monster that was just successfully summoned. It won't affect the monsters I've already successfully summoned to my field!" the man scoffed.

"That wasn't my intention," Sera chuckled and inserted the card she had just drawn into her Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card - Mystical Space Typhoon! I discard one card from my hand to destroy all monsters on the field that were Special Summoned!"

"What?!"

A massive hurricane swept in, destroying the man's two monsters on the field. Sera's Traptrix Tributing, however, stood unharmed, even giving the man a harmless wink.

"How is this possible... Why do you have such a powerful card?!" The man grabbed his head, unable to accept what he was seeing.

"Well, guess," Sera shrugged. "I'm entering the Battle Phase! Traptrix Tributing, attack directly!"

"Urgh!"

The powerful impact knocked the man to the ground, even accompanied by the "crack" of breaking ribs.

Unknown Passerby: 4000 LP → 2400 LP.

"You're quite resilient. I'll end my turn like this. It's your move," Sera said, watching the man slowly get up from the ground, clutching his stomach.

"It's not... it's not over yet!"

Yes, I can't stop here.

Even if my hands are stained with blood, even if my actions are unforgivable, even if my life holds no more glory, even if my soul has become a pool of turbid sewage, reeking unbearably.

But even someone like me!

Has my own pride!

I am a Duelist. I trust my Deck, my monsters. I want to continue fighting alongside my Deck in Duels. So... my Deck, respond to me once more!

"My turn, Draw Phase!"

It didn't come.

What he drew wasn't a second "Gladiator Beast Unity," but a search Spell Card – Gladiator Training Ground.

The man lowered his head in disappointment. Of course, how could he get a "God Draw" twice? It was already lucky enough that his Deck responded to him once.

So, should he search for Gladiator Beast Hoplomus? Hoplomus had an ATK of 1800, while the opponent's Traptrix only had 1600. But... the man's gaze fell upon Sera's two unknown Set Cards.

There might be an Attack Declaration Trap there.

Should he take a gamble? After all, the so-called Attack Declaration Trap was just his own guess. Maybe what was Set behind her was Lost Wind?

If he won the gamble, he could not only destroy the opponent's only monster but also get his own strategy running, shifting the momentum in his favor.

"Can't you just end your turn if you have no plays?" Sera yawned. "My companions are waiting for my triumphant return."

Calm down! She's provoking you! She's anxious!

The man tightly gripped the Spell Card in his hand, held his breath, and his mind raced. What should he do? Attack or not attack? Wait... if he didn't attack! Got it!

So the Deck didn't abandon me! The key to victory lies in this card!

"I activate the Spell Card – Gladiator Training Ground, to add 1 monster with "Gladiator Beast" in its name and Level 4 or lower from my Deck to my hand!"

The man inserted the sweat-stained Spell Card into his Duel Disk.

"Finally making a move?" Sera played with her hair, seeming a bit impatient.

"Then, I add Gladiator Beast Bestiari to my hand," the man said, adding a monster to his hand, and continued, "I'll Set one card and end my turn!"

That's right! If there might be an Attack Declaration Trap, then I just won't attack!

Gladiator Beast Bestiari's DEF is 2000. If the opponent attacks, Bestiari's effect can be activated to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Octavius from the Deck and destroy her Set card!

"Is that all? Then I won't hold back." Sera said, drawing a card from her Deck. "My turn, Draw Phase."

Heh, don't hold back. I'm waiting for your attack. Come on, attack the monster I have Set on my field, and then... fall into the hell known as the loser's pit!

Chapter Seventy-Six: Ugh! I'm gonna puke.

"I'm entering my Main Phase. I'll Normal Summon Thio the Entomologist."

A lazy girl appeared on the Duel Field. Her silky, flowing dark hair draped over her bare shoulders and fair back. She swept her nonchalant red eyes across the Duel Field, as if searching for a toy that could pique her interest.

Another Traptrix monster!

The man warily watched the newly appeared monster. The effects of the previous two Duel Monsters were to search for a monster and a Trap. He wondered what effect this monster would have.

However, Sera soon answered his doubts.

"I activate Thio the Entomologist's effect to Special Summon Lankaa the Entomologist from my Graveyard in Defense Position," Sera said, placing the Lankaa the Entomologist from her Graveyard back onto her Duel Disk.

Special Summon from the Graveyard?

The man let out a sigh of relief and looked at the three girls on Sera's field. Their attack points were 1500, 1600, and 1700. Good, none of them could break through his 2000 defense.

"Then I enter my Main Phase." Sera, oblivious to the man's turbulent emotions, unhesitatingly entered the Battle Phase. "I attack your face-down monster with Traptrix Tributing."

Here it comes!

The man flipped over Gladiator Beast Bestiari on his field and shouted, "My Gladiator Beast Bestiari's defense is 2000, and your Traptrix Tributing only has 1700 attack, so you'll lose 300 LP!"

Sera: 4000 LP -> 3700 LP.

The slight impact brushed against Sera's hair like a gentle breeze. Sera waved her hand dismissively, "It's only 300 LP, why are you shouting so loud?"

Hmph, what do you know? This tiny 300 LP damage is the trumpet call of my counterattack! It's the first step to turning the tables!

"Are you going to continue attacking?" the man asked eagerly.

Sera glanced at the monsters on her field and realized she couldn't do anything about that 2000 defense for the moment. She said indifferently, "I'll end the Battle Phase like this."

This is the moment I've been waiting for!

The man quickly said, "At the end of the Battle Phase, I activate Gladiator Beast Bestiari's effect! When this card battles, at the end of the Battle Phase, you can return this card to the owner's deck. Then, you can Special Summon 1 'Gladiator Beast' monster from your deck, except 'Gladiator Beast Bestiari'!"

"Come out, Gladiator Beast Octavius!"

A humanoid white eagle in green armor appeared on the field.

"Next, I activate Gladiator Beast Octavius's effect!" The man pointed at Sera's face-down card. "When Octavius is Special Summoned by the effect of a monster whose name includes 'Gladiator Beast', you can destroy 1 face-down Spell or Trap Card!"

"I chain the effect of Lankaa the Entomologist to return the face-down Set Card on the field to the hand," Sera said calmly.

Octavius on the field swung its scepter, emitting a white light towards the middle face-down card on Sera's field. But before it could hit, Lankaa wrapped the two Set Cards with the vine whip on her wrist and took them off the Duel Field.

"Tsk, it has that kind of effect too?" the man grumbled with dissatisfaction. "But it's not over yet!"

"I continue to activate Gladiator Repulsion Wave's effect! This card can be activated when a 'Gladiator Beast' monster is Special Summoned from your deck. You can Special Summon 1 'Gladiator Beast' monster from your deck in Defense Position, for which there are no monsters of the same race on your field."

"I Special Summon Gladiator Beast Hoplomus from my deck!"

"Is that all?" Sera asked listlessly.

"You can continue your turn." Although he didn't destroy the opponent's Set Card, he had successfully summoned two monsters, and the man was quite satisfied.

"Then I enter Main Phase 2, set two cards, and end my turn." Sera said, covering the cards in her hand again.

"My turn, draw!" The man looked at the card he drew and unhesitatingly inserted it into his Duel Disk. "I enter my Main Phase and activate the Spell Card – Gladiator Return."

"Return Gladiator Beast Director, Gladiator Beast Caesar, and Gladiator Beast Nero from the Graveyard to the Deck, and draw 1 card from the Deck!"

Swish!

With that, the man drew another card and immediately placed it on his Duel Disk. "Next, I perform a Normal Summon of Gladiator Beast Teacher."

"Then, I return the three monsters on my field to the Deck and Special Summon from the Extra Deck – Gladiator Beast Nero!"

"Wait." Sera spoke, flipping over her Set Card. "I chain and activate Torrential Tribute."

"..."

In an instant, the man was speechless.

He watched his monsters being swept away by a massive torrent of water. Something deep inside him seemed to crack.

"How... How could this happen... My hope... My..." The man fell to his knees with a thud, unable to accept the reality.

"Hey, don't be so dramatic, big guy." Sera sighed, hands on her hips. "My monsters were destroyed and sent to the Graveyard too."

"..."

"Stop standing there like an idiot and finish your turn."

"..."

Right, I can't give up yet... Her monsters were destroyed too. Besides the one Set Card on her field, we're in the same situation.

The man encouraged himself, struggling to stand up again, gritting his teeth. "I'll end my turn like this."

"Then it's my turn, draw." Sera looked at the card she drew and was slightly surprised. "My luck is pretty good."

With that, she placed the drawn card on her Duel Disk. "I perform a Normal Summon of Traptrix Tributing, and Special Summon Traptrix Tributing from my Graveyard in Defense Position."

"Next, I activate Traptrix Tributing's effect! When this card is Special Summoned, you can target 1 'Hole' Normal Trap Card or 'Bottomless Trap Hole' Normal Trap Card in your Graveyard. Place that target face-down on your field."

"I re-cover Bottomless Trap Hole from the Graveyard onto the field."

Ugh! Seeing this, the man finally couldn't hold it in anymore. He clutched his stomach and bent over, retching.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? That's very rude!" Sera frowned adorably.

"Forget it, you've almost driven him to despair. What's wrong with him gagging a couple of times?" A cool voice sounded. Sera turned her head and saw Julie standing behind her.

"Huh?! When did you get here? No, this is a Dark Duel, how did you get in?!" Sera pointed at Julie in surprise.

"Don't be so noisy, I just got in." Julie wasn't foolish enough to reveal Hara Shichi's secret.

Even though Sera had become their companion, Julie wouldn't tell anyone such things unless Hara Shichi agreed.

"Since there's no problem on your side, I'll go to the other side." Julie said, about to leave, but Sera grabbed her with her small hand.

"Wait! I'm scared here by myself! Since you're here, stay with me until the end!" Sera said tearfully.

"Besides... nothing's going to happen to Yukikaze, right?"

"How did you know I was talking about Yukikaze?" Julie looked suspiciously at Sera.

"Because Hara Shichi is stronger than Yukikaze," Sera said as if it were obvious. "The one still trapped in the Dark Duel must be Yukikaze, right?"

"You're quite perceptive," Julie said, surprised.

"Don't worry, Yukikaze actually asked me for help earlier. She said she wanted to trade some Trap Cards with me," Sera said with a sly smile. "As a senior, how could I ignore a cute junior's plea for help?"

"So, I specifically gave her some 'good stuff'~"

Chapter 77: Aggressive Attack is a Third-Rate Duelist's Mindset!

"Beep."

With a clear chime from the Duel Disk, this Dark Duel officially began.

"In that case, I'll go first." The woman said, drawing five cards from her Deck. "I enter my Main Phase and activate the Spell Card—Sonata No. 1. If you control no monsters, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Melodious' monster from your hand or Deck!"

"I Special Summon Melodious Aria in Defense Position from my Deck!"

The girl with short purple hair twisted her graceful body on the dueling field like a dancer. Her black, form-fitting outfit hugged her exquisite figure, revealing only her fair abdomen and long legs.

"Melodious... I haven't heard of this archetype before." Yukikaze pursed her lips, looking at the monster on the dueling field with a grave expression. A slight sheen of sweat had even broken out on her forehead.

For some reason, this Dark Duel made her more nervous than the previous one.