Chapter 1407: Emergency Synchro!

Direct attack!

Hoshino Shingo narrowed his eyes, his expression turning a shade more serious.

The Infernity Archer's ATK is 2000; it's not exactly high, but it certainly isn't low either. Especially in a 4000 LP environment, taking a hit like that still hurts.

If the opponent uses this thing for another shot next turn, two hits would be enough to finish him off directly.

Moreover, the opponent has already entered the Battle Phase, and the only combat power on the entire field appears to be this Infernity Archer. Bouncing this Archer back essentially means neutralizing the opponent's entire attack for this turn.

Even if the opponent is still hiding some backup plan, if they try to extend their plays after the Infernity Archer is bounced, they'll likely have to move to Main Phase 2. That would significantly lower the threat level.

After pondering for only two seconds, Hoshino Shingo quickly made his decision.

"Activate the effect of 'Stellarknight Delteros'!" Hoshino Shingo declared. "Once per turn, by detaching one Xyz Material, I can return any one card on the field to its owner's hand.

And this effect can be activated during the opponent's turn as well!"

A golden material circling the monster was absorbed, sinking into Delteros's body. Immediately after, a golden radiance enveloped the Archer on Fujiki You Xuan's field, and it looked as though it was about to be bounced back to Fujiki You Xuan's hand.

Hoshino Shingo's calculations actually went beyond just this.

He couldn't claim to be very familiar with the Infernity deck, but he had at least heard of it. After all, the "Academy" is a duel military center that encompasses everything; the powers of Synchro, Xyz, Fusion, and even Ritual are all very abundant, and the database contains a massive amount of deck information.

Hoshino Shingo roughly knew that Infernity is a deck known for its "no-hand-card kill."

This is a system rarely seen across the multiverse. Most normal decks can be judged by the number of cards in hand to determine resource levels, thereby assessing whether a duelist is in an advantageous position.

But Infernity is different. Infernity only functions when the hand is empty; almost every card in the entire deck becomes completely useless while the duelist holds cards in their hand.

And at this moment, the Infernity Archer on the opponent's field is still a Level 6 high-level monster.

In other words, if he bounces this card back to the opponent's hand, this high-level monster will likely get stuck in the opponent's hand. If the opponent doesn't find a way to get rid of this high-level monster, they will never be able to satisfy the "zero hand card" condition again.

At the very least, even if the opponent performs a Tribute Summon for the Infernity Archer again next turn, he would have at least traded away one of the opponent's monsters used for Tributes and their Normal Summon opportunity for the next turn, which is still quite a profitable trade.

So, no matter how you look at it, bouncing the Infernity Archer here is a good deal.

However, the moment the command for Delteros left his lips, he actually saw the young man opposite him seem to reveal a smile?

That smile gave him an ominous premonition that his thoughts were completely within the other's calculations.

It was as if he were silently mocking him, saying that he had long anticipated he would do this.

Fujiki You Xuan snapped his fingers crisply.

"Activate face-down card, Trap Card 'Emergency Synchro'!"

Hoshino Shingo's pupils contracted: "Emergency Synchro, of all things?"

This is also a card that is considered generic in any dimension where the concept of Synchro exists; no one would fail to recognize it.

Precisely because of this, the moment he saw this card, Hoshino Shingo immediately realized that his entire plan had fallen through.

"Emergency Synchro can only be activated during the Battle Phase, allowing for a Synchro Summon of a Synchro Monster from the Extra Deck during the Battle Phase!"

Fujiki You Xuan waved his hand grandly. "Level 2, Tuner monster 'Infernity Beetle'!

Level 6, 'Infernity Archer'!

Tuning!"

【2+6=8】

"The living and the dead intersect in the void, the demon dragon is released from the eternal cage! Synchro Summon!" Fujiki You Xuan raised his hand. "Level 8—

——Infernity Doom Dragon!"

The tuning halo was polluted by darkness, as if starlight were truly sinking into the void. Chaos wove a pitch-black cage, and then the giant cage was burst open by an invisible force. The dragon, exuding an aura of death, flapped its wings and flew out, letting out an overbearing dragon roar, while its pair of wise eyes—which were completely at odds with that overbearing roar—spun around.

【Infernity Doom Dragon, ATK 3000】

"You guy, actually Synchro Summoning during the Battle Phase to dodge Delteros's effect..." Hoshino Shingo's face turned gloomy.

Astral also provided commentary: "Trap Synchro. It baited out Delteros's effect, avoided the situation where the Infernity Archer would be stuck in the hand, and summoned a new ace during the Battle Phase, allowing for further attacks this turn.

Combining defense and offense, that's a quite beautiful move."

"Of course, after all, it's Fujiki You Xuan," Judai said, standing to the side with his hands on his hips, laughing happily.

Hoshino Shingo: "Don't get cocky too soon. Activate face-down card, Trap Card 'Threatening Roar'!

This turn, all of the opponent's monsters cannot declare an attack!"

The trap activated, and endless roaring sound waves erupted from his back-row trap, as if an invisible restriction had exploded on the field. The Infernity Doom Dragon, which had just appeared, was instantly shackled by invisible chains; while it didn't seem weakened on the surface, it was already unable to move.

Yuma: "Ah, what a pity! The opponent actually had a backup plan too; it's rare for Fujiki You Xuan to have such a beautiful counterattack."

Fujiki You Xuan, however, didn't mind: "Fine, since you're so afraid of me attacking, then I won't attack."

But as he spoke, his tone shifted, and he smiled.

"Then the Battle Phase ends. However, my offense this turn isn't over yet."

Hoshino Shingo's heart tightened.

Fujiki You Xuan held his arm high: "Activate the effect of Infernity Doom Dragon! If your hand is zero, once per turn, you can destroy one monster on the opponent's field and inflict damage equal to half that monster's ATK!"

He paused, smiling as he added: "As a cost, Infernity Doom Dragon cannot attack the turn this effect is activated. But of course, because of your trap effect, it couldn't declare an attack this turn anyway. But it seems your trap can only block attacks; what a pity."

Hoshino Shingo gritted his teeth.

"So, Infernity Doom Dragon's effect activates," Fujiki You Xuan said. "Destroy the 'Stellarknight Delteros' on your field and inflict damage equal to half its ATK!

Infernity Death Breath!"

The Doom Dragon's wise eyes rolled up and down, as if it had thought and brewed for a moment, then opened its mouth.

Darkness surged, and the power full of death gathered in that open mouth, turning into a hellish vortex that blasted out.

The golden radiance all over Delteros seemed to dim under that chaos, and its golden body instantly collapsed, exploding into fragments.

【Hoshino Shingo, LP 4000 -> LP 2750】