Chapter 285: The Land of Eternal Sleep

"Damn it, so you can even duel inside ruins!?"

Arriving at the ancient duel arena, seeing Fujiki You Xuan and the Gravekeeper's Chief already standing firmly on the left and right respectively, Jūdai felt extremely frustrated.

Why did it feel like every time there was a good card, Fujiki You Xuan always snatched it before him?

"Still, to think Fujiki You Xuan could actually bargain with the opponent in a situation like that just now," Marufuji Shō couldn't help but say.

Hayato nodded: "Indeed, he seems so calm no matter what. I was nearly scared out of my wits just now..."

Misawa Daichi holding his cat, looked at Fujiki You Xuan and was momentarily speechless.

He increasingly felt that this student was not only a genius, but also seemed fully prepared for everything.

This matter was clearly his own secret plan, and it was he who deliberately led everyone to the designated positions.

So why did it now feel as though everything was proceeding according to Fujiki You Xuan's script?

"Duel!" x2

【Fujiki You Xuan, LP 4000】

【Gravekeeper's Chief, LP 4000】

"I go first, draw." The Gravekeeper's Chief said in a deep voice, directly drawing two cards from his hand, setting one monster in face-down Defense Position, then placing one card face-down in his backrow. "Turn end."

"Then my turn, draw."

Fujiki You Xuan revealed the card he had drawn directly from his hand.

"Spell Card 'Graceful Charity'; draw three cards from the Deck, then discard two cards from the hand."

Fujiki You Xuan drew cards, sending two cards from his hand to the Graveyard.

"One of the discarded cards is 'Pot of Greed'; when this card is sent from the hand to the Graveyard, I can draw two cards from the Deck." (Original anime card)

"Hmph, accumulating Graveyard resources right from the start, are we?" The Gravekeeper's Chief sneered. "In the Valley of the Sleeping, any attempt against the deceased is intolerable."

Fujiki You Xuan could probably guess what he was thinking; it was most likely—

—I'm playing a mill deck, so what?

The Gravekeeper's Deck gave him exactly that kind of confidence.

But Fujiki You Xuan only smiled: "Next, I Summon 'Abyss Soldier'."

【Abyss Soldier, ATK 1800】

"Abyss Soldier's effect: once per turn, discard one WATER monster from the hand; target one card on the field and return it to its owner's hand."

Fujiki You Xuan sent one card from his hand to the Graveyard.

"I send the WATER monster 'Killer Snake' to the Graveyard, so I'll return the face-down card in your backrow to your hand first."

Abyss Soldier brandished his trident; a surge of water burst forth, enveloping the opponent's face-down backrow card within it.

"Then I chain the activation of that face-down card: Trap Card 'Necromancy'." said the Gravekeeper's Chief. "Send the top five cards from the Deck to the Graveyard."

The Gravekeeper's Chief sent five cards to the Graveyard one by one; Fujiki You Xuan narrowed his eyes, sizing him up.

Who was it just now saying that my milling actions desecrated the deceased?

Does that mean grave robbing is punishable by death unless we Gravekeepers do it ourselves?

"Now, 'Abyss Soldier', attack the face-down monster," said Fujiki You Xuan.

Abyss Soldier leaped forward, thrusting his trident ahead.

【Gravekeeper's Summoner, DEF 1500】

The golden trident pierced straight through the chest; the Summoner staggered back two steps before exploding with a bang.

"When 'Gravekeeper's Summoner' is sent from the field to the Graveyard: Add one 'Gravekeeper' monster with 1500 or less DEF from the Deck to the hand."

A golden glow rippled through the Gravekeeper's Chief's Deck, seemingly initiating a Deck search.

"That won't do." Fujiki You Xuan revealed another card from his hand. "I discard 'Skull King' from my hand."

"When a Spell, Trap, or monster effect is activated in the opponent's Graveyard: Discard this card from the hand; negate that effect."

The ghost of Gravekeeper's Summoner had just appeared on the field, preparing to chant a spell, but immediately after, the phantom image of Skull King manifested. The summoning ability was instantly locked, forcing it to retreat powerlessly.

"This is the sacred Valley of the Gravekeepers," Fujiki You Xuan said with a straight face. "Disturbing the deceased and desecrating the sacred Gravekeepers is intolerable."

Gravekeeper's Chief: "?"

Although it sounded somewhat reasonable, why did what you said seem like my own line?

"As Gravekeepers bearing a sacred mission, those who steal from within should face even harsher punishment than ordinary offenders," Fujiki You Xuan said, drawing two more cards. "Set three cards in the backrow. Turn end."

Gravekeeper's Chief: "..."

Why did it feel like in the blink of an eye, the opponent had suddenly seized the moral high ground?

"Hmph, then my turn, draw."

The Gravekeeper's Chief drew gloomily.

It was as if to say, "Fine, I can't talk you down; let's settle this with cards."

"Activate Spell Card 'Pot of Greed'; draw two more cards from the Deck." The Gravekeeper's Chief drew his cards. "Next is this card."

"Spell Card - Earthquake! Destroy the monster on the opponent's field with the lowest ATK!"

The earth cracked open; a massive fissure suddenly appeared beneath Abyss Soldier's feet. The soldier slipped and immediately fell into the abyss, shattering into pieces.

"Since 'Abyss Soldier' is the only monster on the field, it is destroyed," said the Gravekeeper's Chief. "Next, I Normal Summon 'Gravekeeper's Servant'."

【Gravekeeper's Servant, ATK 500】

"When 'Servant' is successfully Summoned: I can Special Summon one Level 4 'Gravekeeper' monster from my Graveyard." The Gravekeeper's Chief waved his arm. "Revive from the Graveyard! Gravekeeper's Heretic!"

【Gravekeeper's Heretic, ATK 1800】

"Then I activate the Spell Card 'Double Summon'; this turn, I can conduct two Normal Summons." The Gravekeeper's Chief clenched his fist. "Therefore, I tribute 'Gravekeeper's Servant'!"

"With sacred power, bring divine punishment upon the Judge—"

—"Gravekeeper's High Priest, Summon!"

【Gravekeeper's High Priest, ATK 2000】

"Eh?" Hayato, watching from the sidelines, exclaimed in surprise. "He can Summon a Level 8 monster with only one tribute?"

"Although 'Gravekeeper's High Priest' is a Level 8 monster, when using a 'Gravekeeper' monster for a Tribute Summon, only one tribute is required," said the Gravekeeper's Chief. "Furthermore, the High Priest gains power from the Servants in the Graveyard!"

"For each 'Gravekeeper' monster in the Graveyard, the High Priest's ATK increases by 200!"

"Besides the Summoned 'Gravekeeper's Heretic', my Graveyard contains two 'Gravekeeper' monsters sent there by 'Necromancy', plus the 'Gravekeeper's Servant' I just tributed and the 'Gravekeeper's Summoner' destroyed last turn, totaling four cards."

"Therefore, the High Priest's ATK increases by 800!"

【Gravekeeper's High Priest, ATK 2000 → ATK 2800】

"Next is this card!"

The Gravekeeper's Chief took a deep breath, solemnly drew another card slowly from his hand, and then raised it high.

"The Valley of Sleep that we have guarded for generations, the forbidden holy land of the royal family—"

—"Field Spell - Royal Decree, activate!"

The moment the Spell Card entered the Field Zone, even time seemed to freeze.

The surroundings changed abruptly; all things seemed to solidify into an eternal painting. The valley was surrounded by dense ancient forests, mist lingering among the treetops, as if draping the sacred forbidden ground in a transparent veil.

"So it has finally appeared, the royal holy land of the sleeping," Fujiki You Xuan chuckled lightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

This was it.

The artifact he was determined to obtain on this trip.

(End of Chapter)