Chapter 237: Absolute Kill and Counterkill

Magic Tong!

The most famous damage-reflection trap, renowned in the Dueling world alongside Holy Defense for its legendary performance in the hands of the first Duel King—yet at this critical juncture of the duel, he pulled out Magic Tong! Many spectators couldn't help rising to their feet, gasping in shock.

"The attack of Blade Knight is invalid, and inflicts damage equal to the attacked monster's attack points," Fujiki You Xuan said. "Therefore, Blade Knight's attack rebounds!"

"So there was a trap after all—"

Jiro narrowed his eyes and raised his arm.

"Activate my face-down card: Counter Trap—Elemental Blessing!" Jiro said. "Exclude one Elemental Hero on my field until the end of this turn, and invalidate and destroy all your spells and traps!"

Also a trap Jiro used in the manga.

"Exclude 'Elemental Hero Blade Knight' from the game, and invalidate and destroy 'Magic Tong '!"

Blade Knight temporarily vanished from the field, and the Magic Tong also shattered into golden light.

Marik wiped his sweat: "That was too close—but we stopped it."

"This duel demands not a single moment of carelessness," Hayato also said.

"."

"Still couldn't break through? Fujiki You Xuan really doesn't let up for a second," Jiro chuckled. "Then, I activate the continuous spell 'Nightmare's Mirage'!"

"During your opponent's preparation phase, draw cards until your hand has four cards. But at the start of your own turn, you must randomly discard the number of cards drawn by this effect."

"Real discard or fake discard?" Fujiki You Xuan smiled.

So far, he'd never seen a real discard.

"Who knows?" Jiro grinned. "I'll set three cards face-down and end my turn."

At that moment, golden light shimmered across his field, like a vortex of spacetime opening. A hero gleaming with metallic luster descended from the vortex and returned to his field.

"The Elemental Hero excluded by 'Elemental Blessing' returns to my field during the End Phase," Jiro said. "Come back, Blade Knight!"

【Elemental Hero Blade Knight, ATK 2600】

Fujiki You Xuan: "Then it's my turn. Draw."

"Preparation Phase: 'Nightmare's Mirage' activates. I draw until I have four cards." Jiro drew from his deck.

"At this moment, 'Boarding' also activates. Whenever your opponent draws from their deck outside their Draw Phase, I draw two cards."

Fujiki You Xuan drew, paused, then scanned Jiro's field.

The anime effect of the Skyscraper boosts attack when an Elemental Hero is attacked—meaning Blade Knight's ATK should be treated as 3600 by default. That value is beyond the reach of Great Opening.

"Then I activate 'Chaos Warrior—The Messenger of Opening' again," Fujiki You Xuan said. "Once per turn, I can exclude one monster on your field. This time, I choose to exclude 'Elemental Hero Blade Knight'!"

Chaos Dimension Slash!

The sword of Opening slashed forth, its dual blades of light and darkness tearing through space toward the metallic hero.

"I've been waiting for this," Jiro smirked. "Watch, Fujiki You Xuan—my heroes possess infinite potential even without fusion!"

"Activate my face-down card: Trap Card—Blade Hammer!"

"Sacrifice 'Elemental Hero Blade Knight' on my field to destroy one monster on your field, and inflict damage equal to that monster's original ATK!"

Another exclusive trap.

Jiro's deck was packed with various exclusive traps and combos with specific heroes. When stable, many of these combos were actually quite powerful.

Like this one.

"Sacrifice Blade Knight to destroy 'Chaos Warrior—The Messenger of Opening'! Fujiki You Xuan, you take damage equal to the Messenger's ATK—three thousand points!"

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP 2800】

"Sorry, Fujiki You Xuan," Jiro grinned confidently. "Looks like I've won."

Blade Knight, amplified by the trap's power, erupted with engine flames behind it, assembling a golden colossal hammer in its grip, charging fearlessly toward the slash of Opening's blade!

"Then I activate my face-down card," Fujiki You Xuan said. "Trap Card—Swap Positions! When a monster on my field becomes the target of your spell or trap effect, or is targeted for attack, I can activate it."

"I can redirect that target to any other monster on my field!"

The Silent Magician turned its head and nodded to Fujiki You Xuan.

"I change the target of 'Blade Hammer' to 'Silent Magician'!" Fujiki You Xuan said.

Jiro said: "But you currently hold five cards—Silent Magician gains 500 ATK for each card in your hand, so its ATK is now 3500!"

【True Silent Magician, ATK 3500】

"No," Fujiki You Xuan smiled. "'Blade Hammer's' effect deals damage equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK."

"Silent Magician's current ATK is 3500, but its effect-boosted portion doesn't count. So I only take damage from her base ATK."

BOOM!

The Blade Hammer fell, engulfing the white-robed magician and the metallic hero in an explosion that scattered them from the field.

"... Just 1000 points."

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP 2800 → LP 1800】

"Strong, Fujiki You Xuan," Jiro couldn't help saying, then chuckled. "But now your Silent Magician is destroyed, and Chaos Warrior has already used 'Chaos Dimension Slash'—you can't attack anymore."

"Not necessarily," Fujiki You Xuan chuckled. "You forgot Silent Magician's other ability?"

"Ah, right..."

Though Blade Knight vanished completely from the field, the energy released from Fujiki You Xuan's Silent Magician's destruction formed a pure white rune.

"When Silent Magician is destroyed by battle or by your effect, I can special summon one other 'Silent Magician' from my hand or deck, ignoring summoning conditions."

"From the convergence of chaos and order, the radiance of silence blooms—Light Magician, descend now—"

——Silent Magician LV8!

A white silhouette spun from the magic circle, white robes fluttering, staff spinning lightly in hand, silver hair flowing like a dream.

【Silent Magician LV8, ATK 3500】

The students in the stands involuntarily held their breath again.

Now, with Blade Knight sacrificed, Jiro's field stood empty.

【Jiro, LP 3300】

In mere seconds, Jiro's finishing move had become Fujiki You Xuan's counter-kill.

A sudden reversal of offense!

"Silent Magician LV8, direct attack!" Fujiki You Xuan ordered.

White light gathered at the tip of the staff, a Magic Explosion projectile hurtling toward Jiro—about to engulf him.

"Then I activate a trap—"

Jiro raised his hand sharply.

"—Hero's Visit!"

This chapter should still have ten thousand characters—I'll finish it tomorrow



(End of Chapter)