Absolute Defense / Beloved Hero
Yuan Ying didn't expect You Zhi to suddenly make a move, but she wasn't a mindless supporting character in a brainless drama. She didn't reflexively question him. She quickly understood his intention. Instead of arguing and bickering here, it would be better to just knock him out and carry him back to investigate slowly. Besides, she had indeed said something similar.
However, being close family members, she couldn't help but say, "There's no need to specifically target the face."
"I suspect that the mask on his face is Mind Control device. Many movies and TV shows use similar settings. Although I think this kind of setting is silly and that key props shouldn't be made so obvious, no one says that the mastermind behind the scenes has to be smart."
As You Zhi explained, he prepared to go up and grab the person, but suddenly his expression changed, and he retreated quickly, dodging a bolt of lightning that fell from the sky.
"Since you have chosen to invade by force, then I will not be polite."
The masked man stood up shakily, his mask showing no signs of damage. Standing before him was an elf dressed in sturdy armor, with an American HERO style.
[Evil HERO Lightning Golem (6-star) Light]
[Genealogy: Rock-type, Electricity]
[Level: 36]
[Attack Power: 2400 (2640)]
[Defense Strength: 1500 (1650)]
[Warrior-Type, Effect: You can destroy 1 monster on the field. This effect can only be used once per turn.]
"Obviously, my kick just now wasn't strong enough." You Zhi shrugged at Yuan Ying. "But this also confirms one thing: that thing on the other person's face is indeed Mind Control device. Otherwise, who would wear such a sturdy thing on their face?"
At the same time, it can be confirmed that the black market behind the scenes is not mindless, but rather very confident in the Mind Control devices it has created, which are difficult to destroy, and it doesn't matter even if they are clearly laid out.
"Then let's knock him out, and then figure out a way to remove his mask," Yuan Ying gritted her teeth and made up her mind, "Let's join forces and capture him."
Although she has a strong sense of justice and usually cares about fairness and justice, when it comes to the safety of her family, what's the point of talking about a fair one-on-one fight? Unless she's lost her mind.
You Zhi naturally didn't refuse. He was planning to launch a second sneak attack while Yuan Ying summoned a spirit to distract the other party when the masked man suddenly took out a Spell Card and chanted, "Dark Force born from the Dark World, now grant me divine power! I activate the Seal of Orichalcos!"
In an instant, an irregular hexagonal magic circle appeared on the ground, enveloping all three of them and emitting a dense aura of darkness.
"Dark Duel!"
Yuan Ying had clearly heard of such brutal duels where the loser would pay a heavy price, and her expression changed. No matter which side lost, it was not an ending she wanted to see.
[Field Spell: The Seal of Orichalcos]
[Effect: This card cannot be negated, destroyed, or banished. Your monsters gain 500 ATK. You can place monsters in your Spell & Trap Zone. As long as there are monsters in the front row, monsters in the back row cannot be attacked. You can negate and destroy any card by sending this card from your hand to the Graveyard. The loser's soul will be taken by the God of Orichalcos.]
You Zhi felt the power of the rules imposed upon him. While regretting that he couldn't directly defeat the trainer, he confirmed the identity of the mastermind behind it all.
Dartz, the leader of the Doma organization and the last emperor of the Atlantis Empire.
An original character from the first Yu-Gi-Oh!- Gi-Oh! anime, he possessed a bunch of fake cards whose effects were absurd at the time. He single-handedly challenged Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba, forcing the protagonist to draw cards on the spot. In the end, he summoned the God of Orichalcos, but was defeated by the protagonist using the Three Egyptian Gods cards.
Although You Zhi had only read the manga and hadn't watched the anime closely, the other party was very famous, and this original storyline contributed many memorable scenes and memes, such as Yugi Muto using the Berserker Soul to whip Weevil Underwood, and the Seal of Orichalcos's halo can't withstand.
I'm just a little confused. I remember that in the anime, the other party didn't have the ability to control their mind. This is Marik's way of making exaggerated facial expressions.
However, after glancing at the mask on the other person's face, he felt somewhat relieved. Marik Brain Control his targets using the Millennium Item, and could remotely control people. His methods were very sophisticated, and he did not need to rely on high-tech tools. According to the setting, Atlantis was a highly advanced civilization.
You Zhi looked around and saw a light barrier, similar to a dark version of Duel Barrier, enveloping the three of them. Unlike Official Duel where one could freely enter and exit, the light barrier of the dark barrier had the effect of restricting movement unless the parties had decided on a winner.
"One against two, it seems you're very confident in your abilities."
Under the influence of the Dark Laws, the masked man's total spiritual power doubled, but his speed in crafting Spell Card did not increase. Moreover, there was the issue of command; a one-on-two situation would definitely put him at a huge disadvantage.
"I am the guardian; I cannot allow others to invade this city."
"Thank you for your explanation. Now I'm certain of two things: first, there are no other guardians in this city; second, this city must hold an important secret," You Zhi said with a sly smile. "I'm now filled with the motivation to explore the unknown."
"That's assuming you can get out of here alive."
As the masked man answered in a deep voice, he also pulled out a Pokémon Card from the void.
Seeing this, Yuan Ying, though unwilling, could not admit defeat and surrender, so she could only draw her Pokémon Card to fight.
"Duel!" x3
Chapter 207 Absolute Defense
Yuan Ying's first summon was Wingedman; having advanced to eight stars, she could now command Great Tornado Hero, while You Zhi summoned Lunalight Blue Cat.
"Should we send out a weaker Pokémon to test the waters first, or does it possess a special ability that can only be activated after a special evolution?"
The masked man, clearly experienced in duels, instantly guessed their plan, scoffed, and said, "If this is all the determination you have, you won't survive the Dark Duel!"
With a flash of light, his second spirit appeared, with a pair of cloak-like blade wings on its back, sharp horn blades on its shoulders, back, ribs, and limbs, seaweed-like black hair dancing wildly, six bright red eyes flashing red light on its face, a crazy smile on its lips, and a piercing roar full of killing intent as it looked up.
[Evil HERO Malicious Bane (8 stars) Dark]
[Genealogy: Evil, Ghost-type]
[Level: 44]
[Attack Power: 3000 (3150 + 500)]
[Defense Strength: 3000 (3150)]
[Fiend, Effect: ① This card on the field cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects; ② You can activate this effect during your Main Phase. Destroy all monsters your opponent controls with an ATK equal to or less than this card's ATK. This card gains 200 ATK for each destroyed monster. After this effect is activated, you cannot declare an attack except with a "HERO" monster until the end of this turn.]
You Zhi saw the attributes of the Evil Blade Death Demon through the cheat and immediately felt that it was troublesome. The opponent's base stats were quite high, even surpassing Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It was a Dark/ Ghost-type with only Fairy-type as its weakness. In addition, the most difficult thing to deal with was that this Pokémon had resistance to both Battle Break and Effect Break.
In a card-based duel, the worst that could happen is that the cards are bounced back from the hand. However, in Spirit Duel, bouncing cards back from the hand is meaningless and can even be considered a buff, as it's equivalent to gaining an opportunity to switch spirits.
Combined with the effects of Orichalcos, You Zhi instantly came up with a nearly unbeatable tactic.
Place the Evil Blade Death Demon in the front row, abandoning its offensive capabilities and only using its second ability to destroy the opponent's Pokémon, while the Lightning Troll can stand in the back and unleash its full power. To ensure its safety, the Evil Blade Death Demon may not even use its second ability, instead acting as a meat shield to absorb attacks.
"In that case, the only option is to banish it to another dimension, but if it doesn't attack, Dimensional Prison will be difficult to succeed. Is the only solution to rely on the Icejade Aegirine...?"
Icejade Aegirine has the effect of banishing Pokémon, but only if the opponent activates their ability first and it chains together. She doesn't have the ability to actively choose a target, meaning that if the opponent doesn't let Evil Blade Death Demon activate its second ability, even if Icejade Aegirine is sent out, it won't work.
While praying that the other party wouldn't be so cautious, You Zhi began to refine the "Order to Retreat" in preparation for replacing the Pokémon.
However, to his surprise, the masked man did not use the tactics he had guessed. Instead, he ordered the Evil Blade Death Demon and the Lightning Troll to launch an attack together. In an instant, lightning and dark blades combined to force Lunalight Blue Cat and Wingedman to dodge repeatedly.
Yuan Ying hurriedly said, "My father is used to going all out from the start. He is best at overwhelming his opponents with a tidal wave of attacks and hates using Spirit-Accumulating Spell Card to trick people."
You Zhi asked curiously, "To what extent do you hate it?"
"I've never seen him use Spirit-Accumulating Spell Card."
"That's a really hardcore approach."
While expressing his admiration, You Zhi also breathed a sigh of relief, which meant that the Evil Blade Death Demon's resistance to battle was practically nonexistent, since the Spirit could only activate the Absolute Protection Barrier when it was not in action.
"I think so too," Yuan Ying said proudly, then waved her hand and said, "So I'm going to go all out. Wingedman, evolve now!"
Seeing the evolutionary light emanating from the Wingedman, the tough-looking masked man didn't just stand by and watch; instead, he ordered the Lightning Troll to snipe and interrupt it.
Unless it's the first evolution, a Pokémon can evolve into a higher-level form that it has already mastered very quickly. However, even at its fastest, there is still a process involved, and it is not completed instantly. Therefore, it can be forcibly interrupted.
When a trainer chooses to let a Pokémon appear in a non-final form, they are implicitly accepting that risk.
You Zhi hurriedly said, "Lunalight Blue Cat, protect Wingedman!"
Lunalight Blue Cat crouched low, placed his hands on the ground, and pushed off with all his might, dodging the attack of the Evil Blade Death Demon while simultaneously leaping in front of Wingedman to block the Thunderbolt unleashed by the Lightning Troll.
As someone also in the Electric-type, her injuries were not serious.
This delay allowed Great Tornado Hero to successfully complete its evolution. Upon appearing, it activated its ability, unleashing Cursed Wind, which reduced the attack and defense stats of the opposing Pokémon by half. The attack power of Lightning Troll and Evil Blade Death Demon was immediately greatly reduced.
"The Evil Blade Death Demon switches to defense."
Seeing this, the masked man did not persist in his attack.
You Zhi was slightly surprised. He had thought that the other party was the kind of reckless trainer who only attacked and never defended, and fought to the death. He realized that he had been misled by Yuan Ying Ei's words.
The Great Tornado Hero's cape billowed, unleashing a powerful Storm, but it was blocked by the Absolute Protection Barrier that appeared on the body of the Evil Blade Death Demon.
Seeing this, Yuan Ying immediately ordered the Great Tornado Hero to attack the Lightning Troll in the rear, but naturally, it did not cause any damage. Surprised, she couldn't help but turn her head to glance at You Zhi, looking slightly puzzled.
In previous battles, You Zhi had predicted the characteristics of opposing Pokémon several times, leading her to suspect that You Zhi possessed a special ability to identify Pokémon characteristics. So why didn't he warn her this time?
You Zhi is wary of Dartz is behind the scenes.
If it were any other Spell Card, the opponent would simply think he was knowledgeable or had just happened to see it before. They wouldn't be so quick to speculate that he possessed an identification-type cheat without any basis. However, the card "The Seal of Orichalcos" is only possessed by members of the Doma Group, and outsiders would never recognize it.
You Zhi Dartz definitely has a way to rewind this battle. If he reveals his trump card now, it won't have the effect of surprise when facing him in the future.
Furthermore, he believed that if the masked man was indeed Yuan Ying's father, he would explain the effect himself, so he pretended to be surprised and asked, "What's going on? Why can't it hurt the Lightning Troll?"
"Hmph, of course it's the effect of this the Seal of Orichalcos. This card not only increases my Pokémon's attack power by 500, but it also prevents Pokémon in the back from taking damage."
The masked man then spoke up and explained.
Explaining the reasons after an opponent suffers a setback is a sign of a top-tier trainer's composure.
"The front-row Pokémon have absolute protection, and the back-row Pokémon are unharmed. No wonder they dare to initiate Dark Duel of one against two."
Surprised, Yuan Ying's gaze immediately locked onto the Field Spell Card.
The masked man preemptively stated, "If you want to destroy this card, you'd better give up now. Once the Seal of Orichalcos is activated, it cannot be negated, destroyed, or banished. Furthermore, the souls of the losers will be offered as sacrifices to the God of Orichalcos."
Chapter 208 My Favorite HERO
"The souls of the losers will become sacrifices!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Ying's expression changed. She knew the cruelty of the Dark Duel and was mentally prepared for serious injury, but the requirement that one side must die still exceeded her expectations.
Regardless of who wins or loses, it's an outcome she doesn't want to accept. A strong sense of regret wells up inside her; she should have been more cautious and waited until she had gathered sufficient intelligence before taking action.
Just as Yuan Ying was distracted, the Lightning Troll seized the opportunity and used the skill "Rock Slide" to summon a large number of Rock Throw to smash towards the opponent. Lunalight Blue Cat and Great Tornado Hero were both agile elves, but they easily dodged them. However, the Evil Blade Death Demon, who was expected to hold his ground, suddenly launched an attack and hit Great Tornado Hero with a move called "Hell Thrust".
"Well!"
Yuan Ying and the Great Tornado Hero both felt hellish pain, and couldn't help but curl up, unable to make a sound from the pain.
In Dark Duel, when a Pokémon is injured, the Trainer feels the same way. Although this effect only affects the mind and is not an actual injury, the mental damage accumulates until the Trainer can no longer bear it and feels that they are going to die, at which point they will actually die.
Having landed a successful blow, the Evil Blade Death Demon shifted to a defensive stance, Absolute Protection Barrier appearing around its body to shield the Lightning Troll.
You Zhi quickly reminded him, "Don't think about these things now. Focus on the duel. If you lose, there's nothing you can do to make up for it."
Yuan Ying gritted her teeth and said, "I know, Great Tornado Hero uses Tailwind!"
The Great Tornado Hero pushed his hands forward, creating a strong but harmless gust of wind that blew the masked man backward, causing him to stagger.
Tailwind in Pokémon Yugi doubles the speed of your Pokémon for four turns, but in reality, it summons a gust of air that sweeps towards the opponent, hindering their actions. At least Evil Blade Death Demon won't be able to launch a sneak attack as easily as before.
Taking this opportunity, You Zhi decisively commanded Lunalight Blue Cat to evolve.
"A spirit cat lingers in the darkness, a phantom butterfly wielding purple poison, drawing upon the moon's gravity to condense a vortex and be reborn as new power, displaying a dreamlike dance under the Moonlight, Fusion Evolution, appear, Lunalight Cat Dancer!"
After the evolutionary light dissipated, the black-stockinged catwoman appeared on the field, and then lightning flashed. Lunalight Cat Dancer, her entire body wrapped in electricity, launched Volt Tackle on the Evil Blade Death Demon.
"It's useless, the Evil Blade Death Demon in defensive stance is immune to combat!"
Even though Lunalight Cat Dancer's attack was blocked by the Absolute Protection Barrier, the masked man felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if he had been pricked by a needle.
"Lunalight Cat Dancer deals 100 points of true damage to the target with each attack."
You Zhi also generously displayed the composure of an ace trainer.
100 points of damage is like scratching a thorn, but if the opponent doesn't move and lets the attack continue, they will eventually be scratched to death.
Realizing this, the masked man decisively ordered the Lightning Troll to snipe with Rock Slide, but most of the rocks were blown away by the Great Tornado Hero's Hurricane. The remaining rocks were easily dodged by Lunalight Cat Dancer with her agile movements, and she also dealt three attacks to the Evil Blade Death Demon.
"Volt Tackle" is a skill that involves covering the entire body with electricity and striking the opponent. Because of the electric stimulation, the speed and reaction are faster than usual, but the attacker will suffer damage upon hitting the target.
Theoretically, this skill cannot be used continuously, otherwise the reflected damage will cause the user to lose health until they explode. However, at this moment, the Evil Blade Death Demon has Absolute Protection Barrier and will not be affected by combat damage. The side effect of the reflected damage can only be triggered when the opponent is injured. Therefore, Lunalight Cat Dancer can use this move to her heart's content.
In the blink of an eye, Lunalight Cat Dancer launched ten attacks in a row, reducing the Evil Blade Death Demon's health by nearly a quarter. Finally, the masked man demanded a change.
"Evil Blade Death Demon activates its ability, destroying all of the opponent's Pokémon on the field!"
Are you trying to lie to me?
You Zhi almost shouted it out loud, because the ability of the Evil Blade Death Demon is to destroy the opponent's Pokémon with an attack power lower than its own. However, due to the influence of Great Tornado Hero, its attack power has been halved, making it impossible for it to work on Great Tornado Hero and Lunalight Cat Dancer. If he hadn't remembered that he couldn't reveal his cheat ability, he would definitely have scolded the other party for talking nonsense.
As the actual owner, the masked man was naturally aware of the true effect of the Evil Blade Death Demon, so he activated a Spell Card while commanding the spirit to activate its special ability.
"It's actually my Favorite HERO!"