Chapter 168: Blinding Discomfort

On the turn of the Gem Knight Sixteen, it drew a card and activated another Continuous Magic Card.

"Scattered Fusion!"

This was the same Fusion Magic Card commonly used by Tenjo Hikari—a Fusion Card that could only be activated when the opponent had a monster on the field. Seeing this card's effect trigger, Tenjo Hikari narrowed his eyes and flipped over his face-down card: "At this moment, I activate a Quick-Play Magic Card: Contact with the Divine Avatar!"

"This card can only be activated once per turn: you may perform one Fusion Summon of a Shadow-Imitation monster using one monster from your field and one from your hand!"

"I Fusion Summon the Shadow-Imitation Falcon from my field and the Carnivorous Plant Sundew Lizard from my hand!"

"The Fusion Condition requires a Shadow-Imitation monster and a Dark Attribute monster!"

"Descend upon this field, Divine Messenger!"

"Shadow-Imitation Midrash!"

Tierra gently raised her hand; a flood of purple puppet threads descended from the sky, controlling a massive flying dragon to materialize. At the same time, a phantom identical to her appeared standing before the dragon.

Shadow-Imitation Midrash, Level 5, Dark Attribute, Spellcaster Type, ATK 2200.

Simultaneously, the effect of Scattered Fusion began resolving.

The second Gem Knight Sixteen and Gem Knight Red Garnet were successfully sent from Sixteen's deck to the graveyard.

Like Bright Fusion, Scattered Fusion is a Deck Fusion—but unlike Bright Fusion, which has no self-restrictions, Scattered Fusion requires the opponent to have a monster on the field, and after activation, you may only Special Summon extra Deck Gem Knights, and you cannot Fusion Summon Gem Knights of the Rock Type.

As the two monsters fused, a crimson figure swung a massive scythe, flung back its cloak, and landed on the ground.

Gem Knight Ruby, Level 6, Earth Attribute, Rock-Type, ATK 2500.

"Perfect. Now Sixteen can no longer Special Summon monsters unless it destroys Lord Midrash right now!" Bai Jing excitedly said. "But Tenjo's field has a Windigo—so long as this card remains on the field, it grants one monster the effect that it cannot be destroyed by battle against a Special Summoned monster!"

Perhaps unable to hear Bai Jing, or perhaps completely unaware, Sixteen tentatively attempted to activate a Magic Card—only to find it impossible. Then, as if waking from a dream, it chose to attack.

Ruby swung its massive blade toward Midrash.

"Activate Windigo's effect: once per turn, grant one monster on my field the effect that it cannot be destroyed by battle against a Special Summoned monster!"

But Sixteen paid no mind; Ruby, still wrapped in puppet threads, attacked as usual.

As it attacked, Tenjo Hikari would lose 300 Life Points—

But this loss was not from Ruby's attack; instead, several puppet threads suddenly shot from the sky, piercing toward Tenjo Hikari!

Tenjo Hikari raised his hand to block, and the arm of a Gem Knight materialized on his body. The puppet threads hissed and crackled, sending a sharp pain through him.

Tenjo Hikari LP: 4000 → 3700.

"Whoa..." Tenjo Hikari felt a searing pain in his right hand.

Previously, with only Bai Jing Knight's assistance, his duels with spirits caused little pain—but this time was different. Sixteen had accumulated too much power; its total strength was nearly comparable to those feeble Phantom Demons!

Though its quality was uneven and chaotic, Tierra had not helped him this time.

He clenched his right hand slightly.

It was numb.

Sixteen made no further moves and ended its turn.

"Do you see?" Tierra spoke at once. "That spirit—it has no self-awareness now. It is driven solely by resentment and hatred: hatred for life, hatred for the suffering it endured."

She tilted her head slightly. "That's why I said we should wait two months. By then, it should have become a purely mechanical existence—even hatred gone. Of course, you're right too—if you'd come earlier, it might still have had its own reason, making it easier to handle. It wouldn't be this painful."

"Because now, it only wants to cruelly torment everything around it, making other beings bear the suffering it endured."

She tilted her head again, glancing at Tenjo Hikari—more precisely, at the Bai Jing on his body. "So... in the end, it's just a copied counterfeit."

"..." Bai Jing did not respond.

Tenjo Hikari, after drawing his card, spoke: "Tierra, don't just talk about them. When you first came to this world, weren't you full of interest?"

"Didn't you realize this wasn't the world you expected? Nothing familiar—didn't that make you sad?"

Tierra closed her eyes and nodded silently.

She had no reason to lie to Tenjo Hikari.

Even she, who had "lived" for countless years, felt loneliness and emptiness after awakening from the great dream, finding everything so alien. She knew it herself—she longed to see something from the past. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so excited when she obtained "Satan."

She had always disliked Tenjo Hikari's "Bai Jing."

On one hand, she knew that although Bai Jing served Tenjo Hikari, it steadfastly held to the belief: "If I find my own world, I will aid my kind." On the other hand, it was nothing like "Bai Jing" at all.

It resembled him—but not enough. That made it even more glaring and unbearable in Tierra's eyes.

Its demeanor, virtue, loyalty—all merely resembled him, yet none matched exactly. To her, this was painfully glaring.

There had never been a time when Bai Jing fell into despair or confusion because of disaster. He always rose again, again, again—like an undead monster that refused to die—fighting until the very end, until he vanished completely.

Back then, she had tried to resurrect herself, aiming to reset the planet's ecosystem and create lifeforms to her liking. The natives rose in rebellion. At that time, Bai Jing received the planet's blessing, aided by countless lives and the world itself, becoming the "Wisdom Sky God Dragon," gaining power equal to hers. Ultimately, with the aid of countless companions, he defeated her—and caused her death once more.

But if the one who finally defeated her had been this "Bai Jing" before her, she would die with eyes wide open in fury.

In comparison, Tenjo Hikari's purity made her current state of unlife feel less tedious and irritating.

"I change Windigo on my field to Defense Position."

Tenjo Hikari manipulated his monster.

Shadow-Imitation Windigo, ATK → DEF: 2800

"I activate the effect of Lei Long in my hand: discard it, then add up to two Lei Long cards from my deck to my hand."

"I add two Lei Long cards from my deck to my hand. Then, I release the Shadow-Imitation Falcon to perform an Upper Summon: Lei Long—"

Zizal zizal.

Double-Winged Lei Long appeared on Tenjo Hikari's field for the first time, roaring toward the sky, crackling with lightning.

Lei Long, Level 5, Light Attribute, Thunder Type, ATK 1600.

"Then, I send it to the graveyard to Special Summon Super Lei Long from my Extra Deck—"

The green Lei Long dissolved, replaced by a pitch-black, furious Super Lei Long.

Since Super Lei Long's spirit was currently sleeping in the workshop, the projected image of Super Lei Long appeared enormous and terrifying.

Super Lei Long - Lei Long, Level 8, Dark Attribute, Thunder Type, ATK 2600.

Now the blockade of Super Lei Long and Midrash was complete. Though it might be useless in this world, at least it was complete. And it looked damn impressive.

"Attack: Super Lei Long, target Ruby!"

"Hum—"

As Tenjo Hikari commanded Super Lei Long to attack, the puppet threads wrapped around Ruby tightened instantly. Sixteen's massive Trap Card slowly flipped open—the illustration showed Ruby's gemstones glowing brightly, enhancing its own brilliance.

"Gem Optimization!" Bai Jing recognized the card instantly.

Sixteen's massive fist slowly clenched. The Ruby on the field, bound by threads, suddenly emitted a sharp "crack!" as it was violently torn apart into shattered stones. Simultaneously, countless puppet threads plunged into the graveyard, dragging up the black-robed, blue-armored knight from his slumber and hurling him onto the field with a loud "crash," like discarded trash.

Tenjo Hikari raised an eyebrow.

This Sixteen had immense resentment.

Gem Optimization: a Trap Card that releases one of your own Gem Knights to Special Summon one Gem Knight from the graveyard!

Gem Knight Blue Garnet, Level 6, Earth Attribute, Water Type, DEF 2600.

"End Battle Phase." Tenjo Hikari ended the Battle Phase.

He glanced at his hand.

The situation wasn't problematic—everything was within his expectations.

"End Turn."

Chapter Three, with an extra update—should be finished soon

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(End of Chapter)