Turning the Tables / Machines and Ice

[Attack Power: 3000 (2850)]

[Defense Strength: 3000 (2850)]

[Spellcaster, effect: omitted]

Alisa exclaimed in surprise, "It used Polymerization Spell Card, but the evolved form isn't a Fusion Form spirit... However, it exudes an evil aura. This self-proclaimed HERO has fallen for power. How laughable!"

That being said, she did not underestimate it in the slightest, after all, she did not know what kind of characteristics the other party had. She simply ordered Rainbow Dragon not to go forward and used the Rainbow Bridge Leap again to probe from a distance.

However, the Neos Sage made almost no preparations and went forward to meet the attack, allowing the seven-colored red light to engulf him.

Alisa's vigilance reached its peak, expecting the other party to interfere at this moment. However, nothing changed until the Neos Sage was blasted away by the rainbow light.

"A mere facade to intimidate people?"

At this moment, Yuan Ying waved her hand and said, "Neos Sage Ability activated! After battling the opponent's Pokémon, inflict damage equal to the opponent's own Attack Power!"

"What!"

The heavily injured Neos Sage's forehead eyes lit up, shooting out a chaotic light of mixed black and white, which struck Rainbow Dragon directly, causing a violent explosion that shook the entire arena.

Rainbow Dragon's proud and powerful attack became its biggest hindrance, instantly causing it to be severely injured and its vitality to plummet to a dangerous level.

In addition, the Neos Sage has an effect that restores the opponent's Pokémon's Defense stat, but since Rainbow Dragon's Defense stat is 0, this effect is practically useless, so Yuan Ying simply kept it a secret.

After the initial shock, Alisa quickly calmed down and looked at the battered Neos Sage, saying, "This elf's characteristic isn't to reflect damage, but to retaliate after taking damage. If he were in good condition, this characteristic would indeed be terrifying, but you evolved too late. In his current state, he simply cannot withstand Rainbow Dragon's next attack."

The Neos Sage retained the damage from its pre-evolution form, and having just taken another hit from the Rainbow Bridge Leap, its vitality is now almost nonexistent.

Yuan Ying crossed her arms and said confidently, "Since you're so confident, then come and attack."

Is it a bluff or a deliberate provocation?

A hint of doubt flickered across Alisa's face, but it vanished in an instant. "It doesn't matter which one it is, as long as it's your challenge, I won't refuse. Go, Rainbow Dragon, use Draco Meteor!"

Unwilling to lose in terms of momentum, Alisa decisively accepted the challenge. The Rainbow Dragon roared to the sky and spat out an energy blast that exploded in mid-air, transforming into a large number of meteors carrying Dragon-type energy that plummeted down.

Neos Sage neither dodged nor evaded, letting the meteor strike his body. Just as he was about to be destroyed, Yuan Ying made a move, throwing out a card from her hand.

"I activate the 'Kuriboh' ability, which allows me to take one battle hit for a Pokémon on the field."

A harmless-looking, furry little sprite appeared before the Neos Sage, opening its short claws. Although it was instantly destroyed, it still perfectly blocked the damage from the Draco Meteor.

Yuan Ying added, "Regardless of whether you're injured or not, as long as you've engaged in battle, the characteristics of the Neos Sage can be activated. Regret your superior attack power!"

The crimson eye on the forehead of the Neos Sage once again shot out a chaotic beam of light, a mixture of black and white. If it hit, even Rainbow Dragon, as Ten-Star elf, would absolutely not be able to withstand it.

Alisa snorted and said, "Are you treating my face-down cards on the field as decorations? I activate 'Bridge of Salvation.' When there are at least two Level 10 or higher Spirits of different races on the field, all Spell Card and Spirits return to the deck. After that, both players randomly gain 5 Spell Card."

Chapter 307 Counterattack

Once "Bridge of Salvation" was activated, the field instantly became clean. Whether used or not, whether it was a Spirit or Spell Card, all were bounced back into the deck, as if the duel had just begun.

"Now we're back to square one."

Phile's face still showed the bewilderment of being abruptly interrupted after his emotions had been heightened to the extreme, and the reactions of the other audience members were much the same.

After all, Yuan Ying and Alisa summoned their ace spirits and launched a fierce battle right from the start, raising the audience's expectations to the highest point. Just when it seemed that the outcome was about to be decided, a single card was used to suppress the competition, leaving a sense of emptiness.

However, these are the opinions of laymen who are just watching the spectacle; professional trainers like You Zhi naturally have different perspectives.

"Alisa had the advantage in this round. On the surface, neither side had lost a single Pokémon, resulting in a draw. However, Yuan Ying leaked more information. She not only revealed Elemental HERO Neos' evolved form and abilities but also wasted a slot on Kuriboh. Especially for Pokémon Card that activate their effects from the hand, their effectiveness is greatly reduced once they are exposed."

Kuriboh, which can activate their effects to disrupt the opponent's actions without being summoned, are generally called hand traps. They are very popular in Card Duel, but rarely used in Spirit Duel, especially in formal competitions. This is because hand trap Pokémon will automatically occupy a battle slot once their effects are used, even if they have never been played.

The current 6V6 rule is fine, since there are plenty of spots available. But if it were a 3V3 rule, no one would be willing to use a spot to risk being caught out.

Of course, this doesn't mean that hand-trapped Pokémon are worthless in official matches. Just now, Yuan Ying used Kuriboh to block a fatal blow, protecting her own ace Pokémon while also destroying the opponent's ace Pokémon, maximizing its effectiveness, which was undoubtedly a great deal.

However, this ingenious maneuver became meaningless due to the effect of the "Bridge of Salvation," instead revealing information and alerting the enemy.

If a Pokémon cannot play a crucial role at critical moments, its value is far less than that of a main battle Pokémon.

You Zhi didn't give Phile a detailed explanation of the gains and losses of both sides, because the atmosphere on the field quickly became tense after the two of them received five random Spell Card, and this scene instantly raised the audience's expectations.

However, Yuan Ying and Alisa did not continue their fierce battle as everyone had expected. Flames rose in front of the former, transforming her into the Elemental HERO Nova Master, while the latter summoned a golden flying dragon, Material Dragon. Then, both sides commanded their spirits to conduct careful probing, a stark contrast to their previous style of fighting to the death from the moment they appeared.

You Zhi glanced at it and said confidently, "It seems that Yuan Ying drew a good Spell Card, while Alisa had less luck."

"Why do you say that?" Phile, quite curious.

You Zhi explained, "The Nova Lord's effect can only be activated when it destroys an opponent's Spirit. The purpose of summoning it is to attack, which proves that Yuan Ying has a lot of confidence in her hand. On the other hand, Material Dragon is a resistant Spirit that can resist effect destruction and effect damage. The purpose of summoning it is to play it safe, which proves that Alisa's hand is not very good."

As if to prove his words, after some probing, Yuan Ying took the initiative and played a very important Spell Card from his HERO Deck.

"I activate 'Favorite HERO' and equip it to Nova Lord. Its effect is to automatically create an Environmental Spell Card when Nova Lord attacks. I choose 'Skyscraper 2 - HERO City'!"

With a rumbling sound, buildings rose from the ground, and the Nova Lord stood on the roof of one of the buildings, his height surpassing that of the flying Material Dragon.

Alisa frowned and said, "The Skyscraper's effect is to increase the attack power of a disadvantaged Elemental Heroes by 1000, but Skyscraper 2 is Spell Card that wasn't mentioned in the intelligence... It doesn't matter, we still have the advantage in the spectrum, Material Dragon, use Rock Slide!"

Following instructions, the Material Dragon summoned a pile of Rock-type and hurled them at its opponent.

"The effect of 'Favorite HERO' hasn't ended yet. When you have Field Spell Card, the equipped Spirit's ATK increases by its base DEF!"

The Nova Lord's racial defense was 2100, and its attack power instantly increased significantly, approaching 5000, surpassing the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. It burst into flames and used Flare Blitz charge forward, knocking away all the rocks that came along the way and hitting the Material Dragon.

Alisa said, "It's useless. Rock-type has a complete advantage over Fire-type. Not only does it deal super-effective damage when attacking, but it also reduces the damage by half when attacked. Material Dragon, use Crunch!"

Thanks to its lineage resistance, the Material Dragon withstood its opponent's Flare Blitz without sustaining much damage. It then opened its massive jaws, its teeth coated in Dark-type energy, and lunged forward.

Yuan Ying said, "I learned one thing from You Zhi: believe in the infinite potential of spirits and don't be confined by their inherent attributes. Nova Lord, use Thunder Punch!"

"What!"

Despite being a pure Fire-type Nova Lord, his hands crackled with electricity. Even as the Material Dragon was bitten, he struck it in the abdomen at close range. Instantly, lightning flashed, and the Flying-type Material Dragon was severely injured and sent flying.

"Defeat the opponent in one fell swoop! The Nova Lord uses the Fire Blast!"

The Nova Lord's hands emitted intense Flame, causing the surrounding temperature to rise sharply. If this attack hit, even if the Material Dragon had a spectrum of resistance, it would be destroyed.

At this moment, Alisa hurriedly flipped over the Spell Card face down on the field. "You really think I only drew bad cards? The reason I chose to defend was just to lure you into attacking. I'm activating 'Overcapacity', destroying all spirits on the field whose attack power exceeds their original value!"

A flash of red light appeared, and the Flame gathered in the Nova Lord's hand suddenly went out of control, producing a powerful explosion that blasted it away.

Without needing verbal instructions, the Material Dragon, raised from a young age, coordinated perfectly and decisively launched Stone Edge, summoning a huge and sharp stone pillar that shot out, piercing the Nova Lord who had no time to dodge and pinning him to the surface of the building.

The combined effect of destructive power and lineage control was too much for the Nova Lord to withstand; he exploded on the spot, turning into sparks that scattered in all directions.

Seeing this, Alisa snorted happily, about to mock her opponent for being too complacent.

Suddenly, the scattered sparks regrouped, transforming back into the form of the Nova Lord, and unleashed his Thunder Punch once more. At such close range, the Material Dragon had no time to dodge and was struck squarely, exploding amidst flashes of lightning.

"The effect of Skyscraper 2, once per turn, can revive elemental spirits destroyed in battle."

Yuan Ying said to Alisa, whose expression had frozen, "Of course I know you're trying to lure me into an attack, but just as you believe you can fight back, I also believe I can have the last laugh. HERO is someone who has the courage to face all challenges."

(Note from the author: In the previous chapter, I forgot that Neos Sage is not Fusion Monster and cannot be defeated by Neos Fusion, so I replaced it with Kuriboh.)

Chapter 308 Machinery and Freezing

"When Nova Lord trait is activated, you gain a random Spell Card when you destroy an opponent's Pokémon in battle."

Yuan Ying held another Spell Card in her hand. She glanced at it, then flicked her wrist, placing all five cards face down on the field. "Five cards, please enlighten me."

Anyone would tremble at the sight of five Spell Card featuring black vortexes.

Alisa was no exception; her expression visibly turned serious as she stared at Yuan Ying and slowly said, "I've been telling myself to stay calm during our duel and not let my emotions control me. But once I stepped onto the stage, I couldn't control the urge to defeat you, and I was imagining how I would deliver my victory speech."

Suddenly, she stretched out her hands and slapped her cheeks several times, then took a deep breath and said with a stern look in her eyes, "The duel begins again."

Yuan Ying sensed a change in the other person's aura; they were no longer impatient. She immediately became more alert and focused her attention.

Alisa drew a Pokémon Card from the void, but instead of summoning it immediately, she revealed her weakness. "When I asked you earlier if you thought I only drew bad cards, I was just bluffing. In fact, these are all unpopular cards that are difficult to use effectively."

After saying that, she even took the initiative to show Yuan Ying the remaining four Spell Cards. They were indeed all cards with the same unclear meaning. In comparison, the "Overcapacity" card, which had limited requirements, could be considered a practical card.

"What are you trying to say, a prelude to admitting defeat?"

Yuan Ying pondered Alisa's intentions. She didn't believe Elisa would admit defeat to her; that would be harder than killing her.

"Of course I'm not going to admit defeat! I just want to say that even bad cards have their value. I'm summoning the XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

A flash of light appeared on the Pokémon Card in Alisa's hand, and Machine-Type spirit with obvious signs of fusion and three colors of blue, red, and yellow appeared on the field.

[XYZ-Dragon Cannon (8-star) Light]

[Genealogy: Steel, Electricity]

[Level: 36]

[Attack Power: 2800 (2660)]

[Defense: 2600 (2470)]

[Machine-Type, effect: omitted]

"XYZ-Dragon Cannon's special ability activates, sacrificing one Spell Card to destroy one Spell Card or spirit on your opponent's field. Your field cards will be destroyed first!"

As soon as the elf appeared, Alisa couldn't wait to activate her effect, one card in her hand disappeared, and the two cannons on the shoulders of XYZ-Dragon Cannon immediately fired two beams of light, hitting "Skyscraper 2 - HERO City".

Bang!

Skyscraper 2 shattered with a crash, and the tall buildings on the field disappeared.

Alisa was unsure of the specific effects of Skyscraper 2. Although Yuan Ying claimed to have revived the spirits destroyed in battle, it was hard to say that he had only told part of the truth. Therefore, it was better to destroy it as soon as possible.

"It's obviously Steel-type Pokémon. This time, our team has a lineage advantage. Nova Lord, use Flamethrower!"

Yuan Ying hurriedly commanded the spirits to launch an attack, and the Nova Lord gathered flames in his hands, ready to unleash them forward.

Alisa interrupted, "Don't be impatient. XYZ-Dragon Cannon doesn't have a one-turn limit. This time, I'm going to destroy your Pokémon!"

As she sacrificed another Spell Card, XYZ-Dragon Cannon fired its beam once more, striking the unavoidable Nova Lord before she could react.

Bang!

The Elemental HERO Nova Master, still bearing the injuries from his previous resurrection, was unable to withstand the impact and exploded on the spot.

Yuan Ying clicked her tongue in regret. If "Favorite HERO" were still around, the Nova Lord would have the resistance to not becoming a target of effects. Unfortunately, once the elf dies, all equipment cards will be lost, and resurrection cannot retrieve the equipment cards.

Alisa gave Yuan Ying no time to react, sacrificing her remaining two Spell Cards. As a result, XYZ-Dragon Cannon fired continuously, destroying the opponent's two face-down cards.

"This is a bit troublesome..."

Yuan Ying frowned slightly as she looked at the three-in-one elf opposite her.

XYZ-Dragon Cannon is a typical example of a Pokémon that is far stronger in Spirit Duel than in Card Duel, because its activation cost can be achieved by quickly crafting E-rank cards.

In fact, that's exactly what Alisa did. Instead of urging her opponent to summon the next spirit, she focused on crafting Spell Card. The XYZ-Dragon Cannon has no usage restrictions, so as long as you have enough cards in your hand, you can clear all the cards on the opponent's field.

After a moment's thought, Yuan Ying decided not to summon the Neos Sage, who possessed resistance to effect penetration. She had other plans for that spirit and couldn't use it now, so she switched to another spirit evolved from Bubbleman.

"Endless frost freezes the sea, absolute zero freezes evil. Descend, HERO clad in pure white armor, Elemental HERO Absolute Zero!"

[Elemental HERO Absolute Zero (8-star) Water]

[Lineage: Ice]

[Level: 40]

[Attack Power: 2500 (2500)]

[Defense Strength: 2000 (2000)]

[Warrior-Type, effect: omitted]

As the HERO, clad in white armor and wearing a white cloak, appeared, the temperature, which had been raised by the Flame of the Nova Lord, plummeted, and ice crystals formed where he landed.

At this moment, Alisa quickly crafted an E-rank Spell Card and sacrificed it without hesitation. XYZ-Dragon Cannon fired its beam again, but instead of targeting Elemental HERO Absolute Zero, it continued to destroy the opponent's face-down cards.

"Elemental HERO Absolute Zero, a top-tier spirit among Elemental Heroes, possesses the Graveyard Sending ability, which destroys all of the opponent's spirits when it is destroyed. Do you think I don't know that?"

Alisa wasn't in a hurry to attack Elemental HERO Absolute Zero. After all, Steel-type are resistant to Ice-type, and she wouldn't suffer much damage from a few attacks. She'd clear out all the Faceless Voids first.

She simply didn't believe the other party could teach Ice-type Pokémon Fire-type moves.