Chapter 398

"Elemental HEROes?"

Xiang Hongye was also taken aback, but soon narrowed his eyes.

"I've really been underestimated..."

To deliberately choose the Elemental HEROes he was most proficient with to oppose him, Hongye felt his dignity as a champion had been provoked.

"Battle." The adjudicator said. "Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer, attack 'Elemental HERO Stratos'."

Phoenix Enforcer flapped its wings, dashed forward, and threw a punch that seemed to drag a fiery explosion with it. The high-temperature punch, wrapped in flames, pierced through Stratos's chest in one blow, and the erupting fire instantly burned Stratos to nothing.

【Xiang Hongye, LP 4000 → LP 3700】

Hongye shielded his chest with his arms, staggering back under the damage of the fiery aftermath.

"This pain..." He gritted his teeth.

As expected, another Dark Duel.

Just like the one he encountered that night...

His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the stage below, and he only saw his sister's worried gaze.

So Xiang Hongye straightened his body, smiled at her, and made a gesture that he was fine.

"Activate set card, Trap Card 'Hero's Mark'!"

Xiang Hongye waved his hand to flip his backrow.

"When an Elemental HERO on my field is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon an 'Elemental HERO' of Level 4 or lower from my hand or deck."

He pulled out his deck and quickly drew one of the cards.

"Come, Elemental HERO Woodsman!"

A sturdy hero with a green body but dressed like a primitive man followed the guidance of the mark's projection and arrived on the field, landing in a half-squat in front of Hongye, using his thick, log-like arms to block in front of him.

【Elemental HERO Woodsman, DEF 2000】

"Great, with 2000 defense, he can at least block subsequent attacks!" Yugi Yucheng Shidai said.

"Then the battle ends." The adjudicator slowly raised his hand. "'Guardian Sphinx's' effect: once per turn, this card can actively change back to face-down Defense Position.

I set 'Guardian Sphinx' face-down."

The human-faced guardian lurked back into the face-down card, placed on the adjudicator's field, as if waiting for an opportunity.

"Then I set one card, and end my turn."

Xiang Hongye frowned.

He remembered the effect of this card. Guardian Sphinx, when successfully Flip Summoned, bounces all monsters on the opponent's field back to the hand—a very powerful effect.

If he didn't resolve this troublesome monster first, he would fall into a very passive and disadvantageous situation.

"My turn, draw!" Hongye said. "Standby Phase, the effect of 'Elemental HERO Woodsman' on the field. Once per turn, during my Standby Phase, I can add one 'Polymerization' Spell Card from my deck or graveyard to my hand."

Hongye drew the searched card from his deck.

"Then activate the Spell Card 'Polymerization'!" Hongye played the searched card directly. "Fuse 'Elemental HERO Ocean' from my hand and 'Elemental HERO Woodsman' from my field!"

"Ocean plus woods." The adjudicator said calmly. "Is it coming?"

The woods and the ocean converged into the vortex of fusion, turning into the incarnation of the third planet. The white giant stood tall, and when its feet landed, it stirred up a vast amount of dust.

【Elemental HERO Terra Firma, ATK 2500】

"The Planet series, Terra."

The adjudicator looked up at the white giant, revealing a smile of interest.

"Heh, this is getting interesting."

Xiang Hongye said: "Then activate the Spell Card 'Hero's Legacy'. When there are two or more Level 4 or higher HEROes in my graveyard, I draw three cards from my deck." (Original card)

Hongye drew three more cards.

"Terra Firma, attack the face-down 'Guardian Sphinx'!" Xiang Hongye shouted. "Terra Impact!"

As his words fell, an unprecedentedly powerful gravitational force erupted from Terra Firma. The set monster on the adjudicator's field, along with the surrounding air, seemed to be pulled toward the Earth, as if being dragged slowly by invisible chains.

Terra Firma took a step, its figure launching like a white cannonball. With an aura that seemed capable of shaking the stars, Terra Firma thrust its fists forward, aiming straight at the face-down Sphinx.

But just as it was about to hit, a phantom suddenly flashed out, unexpectedly blocking the trajectory of its punch.

Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer!

"What!?" Xiang Hongye was startled.

Why would Phoenix Enforcer...!?

"Trap Card 'Earthbound Spirit's Temptation', I can change the opponent's attack target." The adjudicator said.

Sure enough, the trap card had been flipped in his backrow at some point. The ghosts circling the field had rewritten Terra Firma's attack trajectory, and the heavy punch slammed into Phoenix Enforcer.

【Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer, ATK 2100】

"And then the effect of 'Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer'... but I think as a HERO expert, Xiang Hongye shouldn't be unaware of it, right?" The adjudicator said.

Xiang Hongye: "Phoenix Enforcer cannot be destroyed by battle, but you still have to take the damage."

【Adjudicator, LP 4000 → LP 3600】

It was also damage that was a real shock to the soul, but that gust of wind only ruffled his hair and clothes. The adjudicator didn't even blink, as if he couldn't feel damage of this magnitude at all.

Hongye took a deep breath.

Even the attack of his trump card, Terra, hadn't worked. Guardian Sphinx had been successfully preserved by the opponent; if this continued, the flip next turn would be dangerous.

However...

Xiang Hongye scanned his hand.

There was still a way.

"Set three backrow, end my turn." Xiang Hongye said.

"Then my turn, draw."

The adjudicator waved his hand casually.

"'Guardian Sphinx', Flip Summon."

The human-faced giant statue appeared again from under the face-down card, looming imposingly on the field. A powerful energy erupted from that massive body.

"When Sphinx is successfully Flip Summoned, bounce all monsters on the opponent's field back to the owner's hand." The adjudicator said. "Terra Firma, take your leave."

It really came.

Xiang Hongye said in a deep voice: "Then activate set card, Counter Trap 'Horn of Heaven'!

Tribute one monster on my field to negate the summon, Special Summon, or Flip Summon of an opponent's monster and destroy it."

He pointed to his field.

"Tribute 'Elemental HERO Terra Firma' to negate and destroy Sphinx's Flip Summon!"

The sacrificed Terra Firma seemed to transform into a burning soul state, rushing out wrapped in golden flames! Like a self-destructing bomb, it grabbed Sphinx, its body burning with unprecedented brilliance, blowing Sphinx and itself into smithereens.

"He finally resolved that troublesome human-faced statue." Yugi Yucheng Shidai said worriedly. "But to sacrifice Terra Firma... in this way, isn't Mr. Hongye's field completely empty..."

The adjudicator also smiled softly.

"So that's it. The determination of Xiang Hongye as a champion, to spare no cost, huh... Heh, it's just a pity. Dueling, like most things in the world, cannot change the outcome just by determination alone.

Now..."

His expression became even colder.

"Let me make you realize the meaning of those words even more profoundly."

(End of chapter)