Chapter 76: Digitized Angel

XYZ-Dragon Cannon, summon!

Konohana Seika watched from the sidelines, her eyes glinting.

Thinking back, she had been hit hard earlier, furious after the blows, but throughout, the opponent’s field had only ever shown that submarine with 800 ATK, and the only eight-star monster to appear was actually on her own field.

She had never faced a monster with such overwhelming dominance before.

Could it be that the opponent hadn’t been serious at all just now?

“XYZ-Dragon Cannon, activate its effect!” You Xuan said. “Discard one card from your hand to destroy one card on your opponent’s field!”

He sent a card from his hand to the graveyard.

“I discard one card to destroy the face-down ‘Digitized Heroine’!”

Ammunition loaded, energy charged, target locked—the twin barrels of the Dragon Cannon blasted brilliant flames!

The students held their breath again. Another decisive turn: the face-down Digitized Heroine was Asuka’s only defense. If it was cleared here by this explosion, the match would be decided by the Dragon Cannon’s follow-up direct attack!

“Not so easy,” Asuka snapped. “Activate my face-down card! Trap Card—Angel Shockwave! When your opponent activates a spell, trap, or monster effect that destroys a monster on the field, that effect is negated and destroyed!” (Anime card)

Asuka’s exclusive destruction-counter trap from the anime.

Asuka smiled faintly.

Fallen for it.

This trap will complete her desperate counterattack. The opponent will lose the Dragon Cannon here, leaving their field blank next turn.

This trap will create the opening for her to turn the tide and strike back from defeat!

“Then I chain activate a face-down card,” You Xuan calmly flipped over his last back-row card. “Continuous Trap—Super Shell!”

“When this card activates, it can equip to any XYZ monster in the ‘VWXYZ’ series. The equipped monster gains 500 ATK and is unaffected by any spell, trap, or monster effects from your opponent!” (Anime card)

Another exclusive XYZ-series equip from Manjoume’s anime use, granting complete immunity.

Of course, it can still be destroyed by battle, or by clearing the back row to remove the equip.

【XYZ-Dragon Cannon, ATK 2800 → ATK 3300】

Asuka: “!”

Some spectators couldn’t help exclaiming: “It exceeds Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s ATK—and has divine immunity!”

“Therefore, the Dragon Cannon’s effect resolves further,” You Xuan said. “Destroy the face-down ‘Digitized Heroine’!”

The blast continued, the face-down card shattered into fragments, and the monster was banished.

“And the card I discarded was the spell card ‘Compensatory Draw’—when this card is sent from hand to graveyard, I draw two cards,” You Xuan said.

Asuka clenched her teeth.

Her reversal move, her last hope for a comeback, had been neutralized again.

“Then I activate the trap ‘Messenger of Harmony,’” Asuka said. “This turn, my monsters cannot be destroyed by battle, and I take no battle damage from your attacks.”

Messenger of Harmony cannot prevent destruction by monster effects, so it couldn’t save the Digitized Heroine from the Dragon Cannon’s blast. But it could buy her one more turn.

“I set two cards face-down. End my turn.”

She had survived another turn. Asuka took a deep breath, fists clenched.

Don’t let him dictate the pace.

When she watched him duel during the entrance exam, she had sensed this duelist was different from the others.

His tactics gave the first impression of opportunism, avoiding direct confrontation. But even then, she had sensed there was more.

Now, facing him directly, she was certain of that impression.

He wasn’t just skilled at cheap tricks. He used them because he preferred this style—constantly disrupting his opponent, preventing smooth plays, provoking frustration, and dragging his opponent into his rhythm.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t handle other styles of tactics.

As a duelist, this man was annoying—but also strong.

Don’t let him throw me off. I must hold my own momentum.

“My turn. Draw!” Asuka declared firmly.

Watching Asuka’s unyielding fire, the upperclassman Konohana Seika’s gaze shifted: “Her LP is down to 200. Her field is empty.”

Meanwhile, the opponent’s field holds a monster of such power, with the ability to destroy any card and complete immunity to all effects.”

At this point, the gap is too wide.

Isn’t this practically a loss already?

It’s just a casual duel, not a competition or an exam. Besides, Asuka had already said outright that even if she won, she’d voluntarily drop out of the Miss Academy race.

Seika thought if she were in Asuka’s place, her mindset would’ve shattered long ago, her duelist’s momentum completely shattered. There’d be no point continuing.

“Why is she still holding on?”

Asuka drew her card and declared firmly: “I came to Duel Academy because I love dueling.”

I never cared about being Miss Academy. I only want to be recognized as a duelist—and nothing else.”

Hearing this, Upperclassman Seika felt a stir within.

Perhaps even she didn’t notice, but her gaze toward this younger student had changed slightly from before.

Asuka: “Activate the spell card ‘Book of Magic in the Vase!’ Both players draw three cards!” (Original card)

Originating from the GX manga, this wild draw engine was unmistakably original. You Xuan had acquired it soon after arriving at the academy.

Unlike many other overpowered draw engines in the anime, this one carries the risk of giving the opponent resources—technically, he trades one card for three, while the opponent gets three for free.

Since the opponent was so eager to offer him free cards, You Xuan didn’t refuse, drawing freely.

“You’re truly strong, Student You Xuan. Perhaps I truly cannot beat you—but my soul as a duelist won’t let me surrender here!”

Asuka declared.

“Activate the field spell ‘Blessed Church—Ritual Chapel!’”

A rumble shook the ground as a massive cathedral rose from the earth, countless roses drifting down in sacred white light streaming through the windows.

“Effect of Ritual Chapel: Discard one spell card from your hand to add one Light-attribute Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell card from your deck to your hand.”

Asuka sent a card from her hand to the graveyard and searched her deck.

“Add the Ritual Monster ‘Digitized Angel—Benten’ to my hand!”

You Xuan raised an eyebrow.

Finally, the Digitized Angel.

The Digitized Angel was Asuka’s ritual deck from the GX original, but it wasn’t officially released until ten years later. Clearly, its strength in GX was ahead of its time.

The real-card version of Digitized Angel received massive buffs, introducing many cards never seen in the anime, strengthening some monsters’ effects—it’s one of the rare cases where the real cards are stronger than the anime version.

Even the original version remains very strong in the current meta.

“The real battle begins now!” Asuka said. “Watch, Student You Xuan—this is my full strength!”

(End of Chapter)