Chapter 346: Awakening of the Crystal God (4k, 25 bonus)

"Oh ho!! Master Diamond, it’s here!"

Gloria excitedly stepped onto the table, cheering and waving her hands.

Grace beside her shook her head with a smile.

The Tyler sisters both liked the card "Master Diamond." On one hand, this card was used when they dueled; on the other hand, this card also opened their understanding of "Fusion." The two of them had been learning to use Extra Deck monsters for fusion, so after seeing this monster, they immediately cheered for Tenjou Hikari.

"Be careful, Johan! That’s Captain Bai Jing’s strongest state!" Judai cheered for Johan from the stands.

Johan took a deep breath, indicating he understood, but didn't stop talking: "Wrong, I am Artorius, the King of Knights!"

Judai retracted his hand awkwardly.

"The effect of Gem-Knight Sapphire: when this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, target 1 card on the opponent’s field. Return that opponent’s card to the hand."

Tenjou Hikari looked at the cards on the opponent’s field.

"The set card on the left!"

Johan pursed his lips, helplessly picked up the card, and took it back into his hand.

He glanced at the card he had taken back.

Mirror Force—it really wasn't that easy to use such a card.

Johan’s deck had actually gone through several innovations.

In the Synchro Dimension, because there was no Rainbow Dragon, he lost to Yusei. Later, with the support of Mr. Pegasus, he finally obtained Rainbow Dragon. However, although Rainbow Dragon was powerful, Crystal Beasts were much weaker compared to the monsters of the current era and the Synchro/Xyz monsters of other dimensions, so Johan gradually changed his thinking and tactics.

He couldn't abandon his "family," so to make the duel go more smoothly, he gradually tended to fill his deck with trap cards and slowly play a war of attrition.

However, it was not a big problem.

He looked at the other cards.

If there was Crystal Beacon, Pegasus’s ATK would rise to 3000, which was already very high.

"Gem-Knight Master Diamond’s ATK increases by 100 points for each Gem-Knight monster in the Graveyard. I currently have a total of four Gem-Knight monsters in my Graveyard, so his ATK increases by 400 points."

Master Diamond, ATK: 2900 -> 3300.

3300...

Johan frowned slightly.

"It’s not over yet, activate the Continuous Spell card, Scatter Fusion!"

"When the opponent has a monster on their field, I can activate its effect, send Gem-Knight fusion materials other than Rock-type from the deck to the Graveyard, and perform a Fusion Summon!

I send Lazuli and Bai Jing to the Graveyard to perform a Fusion Summon!"

"Come on!"

"The true knight, absolute justice, Gem-Knight Prism Aura!"

"Ah! It’s Prism Aura!"

"It’s here—the Gem-Knight the Department Head likes the most!"

*Boom!*

Another purple lightning bolt struck down, and immediately after, a knight swinging a spear, making the knight’s spear rustle, appeared brilliantly.

Gem-Knight Prism Aura, Level 7, Earth Attribute, Thunder-type, ATK 2450.

Master Diamond, ATK: 3300 -> 3500.

"The effect of Gem-Knight Fusion in the Graveyard: banish Lazuli from the Graveyard and add it to the hand." Tenjou Hikari’s Graveyard automatically popped out a spell card. On the card art, the Knight King descended in front of the girl against the light, like a god.

Master Diamond, ATK: 3500 -> 3400.

"Prism Aura’s effect: once per turn, discard 1 Gem-Knight card from your hand, target 1 face-up card on your field and activate it! Destroy that face-up card!"

Tenjou Hikari showed Gem-Knight Fusion, put it into the Graveyard, and pointed at Pegasus.

"Ah!"

"Oh no, if Sapphire Pegasus is destroyed, Johan’s field will be wide open!"

"Artorius doesn't seem to be a match for Lancelot at all!"

"It fits the epic, everyone."

Prism Aura held up his shield, and purple lightning struck down, refracting off the shield toward Pegasus.

*Boom!*

"At this moment, activate the trap card, Crystal Beacon!" Johan took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

A trap card slowly flipped open.

Crystal Beacon.

*Boom!*

The lightning fell, Sapphire Pegasus folded its wings, curled up, turned into a blue gem, and floated in front of Johan.

"When a Crystal Beast on the field is destroyed, it can be placed in my Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell card instead of being sent to the Graveyard."

"Immediately after, at this moment, activate the effect of the trap card in the Graveyard!"

"Eh?"

"Effect in the Graveyard?"

"In this situation, can other cards still be activated?"

Everyone looked at Johan’s operation in surprise.

"A true knight, even when deep in danger, doesn't need to fear, because my family... my knights naturally have the ability to protect me! The effect of the trap card in the Graveyard, Crystal Miracle!

When this card is in the Graveyard and a Crystal Beast card is placed in your Spell & Trap Zone, banish this card and activate it!

Choose 1 [Crystal Beast] from your hand/deck/Graveyard and place it on my field as a Continuous Spell card!"

"Come on, Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise!"

A beautiful, crystal-clear emerald slowly fell from the sky onto Johan’s field.

Tenjou Hikari frowned, scanning the monster, his brow furrowing slightly.

A card that reminded him of bad memories.

"So beautiful," some students couldn't help but say.

Not knowing what influence they were under, nor what they were feeling, as the duel progressed, looking at the gems and jewels shining with color on the field, they couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of their hearts.

And precisely because of this sigh, he suddenly came to his senses and made a decision—he wanted to use Gem-Knights!

They were too good-looking!

At the same time, Tenjou Hikari also noticed that on the projection, the number of supporters for both of them was actually growing synchronously—no, it didn't seem to be "number of people," but "power"!

"At this moment," Johan didn't end his operation, "the effect of Crystal Beacon!"

"When a Crystal Beast card is placed in your Spell & Trap Zone, send this card to the Graveyard and activate it! Special Summon 1 Crystal Beast from your hand/Graveyard, and all damage you receive this turn becomes halved!"

He slowly raised his right hand and showed a card from it: "What I want to Special Summon is... Ruby!"

"Meow-wah!"

A small animal with a strange appearance, looking a bit like a mascot common in magical girl anime, jumped onto the field.

Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle, Level 3, Light Attribute, Fairy-type, DEF 300.

"In this way, Artorius has guards on his field again!"

"Wonderful!"

Johan curled his lips slightly: "It’s not over yet. Ruby’s effect: activate when this card is successfully Special Summoned. Special Summon all Crystal Beasts in your Spell & Trap Zone!"

"Come back, Sapphire, Emerald!"

*Boom! Boom!*

Two monsters shone with the light of gems and guarded Johan’s field again.

"You shouldn't have forgotten Sapphire’s effect, right?"

Tenjou Hikari nodded.

Johan laughed and placed another Crystal Beast from his deck onto his field: "I place Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle as a Continuous Spell card on my field."

"So amazing—"

"Actually Special Summoned three monsters during the opponent’s turn?"

"And searched for a sixth Crystal Beast!"

"I heard there are only 7 Crystal Beasts in total, right? This is too amazing."

The students discussed heatedly.

"How about it, Lancelot."

"Excellent Special Summon, as expected of you, to be able to use Crystal Beasts so easily." This was a heartfelt sigh.

If you asked Tenjou Hikari to use his Crystal Beast deck, Tenjou Hikari estimated he would get a headache.

"But, in doing so, you also made a mistake!"

Mistake?

Johan was confused.

Tenjou Hikari slowly raised his hand and pointed at Captain Bai Jing: "Master Diamond is the king among Gem-Knights, the strongest Gem-Knight—it can arbitrarily dispatch the ability of any Gem-Knight and use it at will!"

Eh?

"Banish Ruby from the Graveyard, activate the effect of Gem-Knight Master Diamond, copy its card name and effect until the end of the turn!"

Master Diamond, ATK: 3400 -> 3300.

Master Diamond slowly raised the great sword in his hand. The great sword was held in his hand, slowly emitting a bright light, and the red gem shone on it.

"Your [Ruby] can Special Summon monsters without restriction, but it is quite weak itself—while my [Ruby] is the Ruby of offense!"

Tenjou Hikari pointed at Crystal Beast Ruby: "Battle, Master Diamond attacks Ruby!"

The long sword swung, and Ruby bristled, turning into a spinosaurus form, but it still couldn't withstand the gale swung by Bai Jing, and in panic, it was blown away by the gale and hit the Spell & Trap Zone.

"The effect of Ruby, deal piercing damage!"

"...The damage I receive this turn is halved!"

"That’s still 1500 points!"

The gale blew onto Johan, forcing him to retreat.

Artorius Johan, LP: 4000 -> 2500.

Johan had to take a few steps back. It was precisely these few steps that he noticed his support suddenly dropped a lot.

What’s going on?

Johan felt a bit of strain, but he still asked instinctively: "Ruby, are you okay?"

A sound came from the red gem, sounding quite spirited.

Unlike the two of them, Bai Jing was a genuine knight and wouldn't bully the weak; just hitting it to the back row was enough.

Johan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Prism Aura attacks Emerald Tortoise." Tenjou Hikari pointed at Emerald Tortoise again.

This time, Bai Jing didn't have to hold back. Although Emerald Tortoise was old and frail, it felt like its strength wasn't bad. Bai Jing exchanged two moves with it before defeating it.

"Finally, one more time, the effect of Gem-Knight Fusion in the Graveyard: banish Gem-Knight Sapphire from the Graveyard and add it to the hand."

Tenjou Hikari thought for a moment, picked up the card, and showed it.

Master Diamond, ATK: 3300 -> 3200.

"Turn end, it’s your turn, Artorius. Let me see the power of you as a Paladin."

Johan stepped forward two steps, a hint of excitement in his eyes: "So interesting, sure enough, very interesting, Tenjou Hikari! I have always wanted to duel you who uses Gem-Knights. Sure enough, the duel with you is very interesting, you are really amazing—"

"Cough, cough, cough—"

Tenjou Hikari coughed twice.

?

Johan was confused.

Tenjou Hikari shook his head slightly, signaling Johan to turn and look. At this time, Johan finally saw that on the projection next to him, his "supporters" had actually started to decline.

What’s going on!?

Ah—

Oh no!

Johan suddenly came to his senses.

He was a bit too excited.

He quickly readjusted his state and said: "As expected of the strongest knight Lancelot, not to be underestimated, but if you think that’s all, then... if you can defeat me, that is, wishful thinking!"

Because it was a temporary emergency fabrication, his speech was a bit unsmooth.

In short, draw a card quickly—

"My turn, draw card!"

He drew a card quickly.

He looked down and then his eyes widened!

Oh no!

He had felt some pressure just now. When Tenjou Hikari’s turn ended, it was as if something was hindering him, and when he drew the card, he also vaguely felt some pressure.

He hadn't paid much attention before, but seeing the card he drew, he finally understood.

Oh no.

Didn't draw "Amber Mammoth"!

"Sorry Johan, I don't know why, I didn't—" Mammoth apologized to him in the deck.

"It’s okay, it’s my problem."

It was only at this moment that he finally realized that this "role-playing duel" was not really just for fun.

[Acting] was a very important thing!

Now Tenjou Hikari looked like a big villain, and he was out of character because of his failed acting, leading to a plunge in scores, so... drawing cards was affected!

Although his and Tenjou Hikari’s spirit power were both very high, clearly, compared to the "entire school’s teachers and students," it was still too little.

He looked at the other cards in his hand.

Mirror Force and Rainbow Dragon... must he choose one to discard?

No—

It doesn't matter!

He suddenly came to his senses.

"It seems that the cards in my hand now don't support defeating you, Knight."

"Oh ho, then, Artorius, are you going to admit defeat to me?"

"No! A true knight will never admit defeat, so I want to open up new possibilities with my guards—Quick-Play Spell card, Card Destruction, both sides discard two cards and draw two cards each!"

"Oh!!"

"Drawing cards by betting on possibilities?"

"Come on, Artorius!!!" Judai cheered for Johan with all his might, and even he was getting into the state.

Seeing the scores not dropping, Johan felt relieved. Then, he sent Mirror Force and another card in his hand to the Graveyard and drew cards with Tenjou Hikari.

Tenjou Hikari took a look.

*Hmm...*

Tenjou Hikari narrowed his eyes.

"Beautiful!" Johan cheered, "Lancelot, your gems are indeed powerful, but what is about to appear before you is the holiest dragon in the world!"

Looks like he drew the final card?

Tenjou Hikari raised his eyebrows.

"Normal Summon, Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth!"

"*Hum-um!!*" The elephant trumpeted.

Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth, Level 4, Earth Attribute, Beast-type, ATK 1700.

"In this way, I have gathered 7 different Crystal Beasts on my field and in my Graveyard!" Johan took a deep breath, "Witness the holiest, greatest Crystal Dragon in the world!"

Accompanied by Johan’s voice, Pegasus, Tiger, Mammoth, Cat, Beast, Eagle, and Tortoise, seven monsters rose from his field. Then, under the illumination of the light, they turned into a rainbow, shining in the sky.

Holy light descended. Johan’s declining support rate began to rise again.

"Witness it, the Awakening of the Crystal God!"

"This card can be Special Summoned when I have 7 different Crystal Beasts on my field/Graveyard!

Ultimate Crystal God Rainbow Dragon!"

Light descended, the purple lightning was driven away, and the tall knight couldn't help but clench the sword in his hand, facing the giant dragon that, like it, controlled "rainbow-colored gems"!

Ultimate Crystal God Rainbow Dragon, Level 10, Light Attribute, Dragon-type, ATK 4000.