Hu Tao's turn began.
Imitating Luya's motions from the previous turn, she placed her fingertip on the top card of her Deck, drew it, and called out:
"My turn!"
"Draw!"
The instant she held the card, Hu Tao's sixth sense tingled with dread.
She looked down at it.
It was… a card showing the barren lunar surface under the starry cosmos, bathed in a pale blue glow of reconstruction.
It was none other than the Spell Card she had stuffed three copies of into her Deck.
To raise the odds of drawing Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao had added it—three times at that…
[Terraforming]
Terraforming was a Normal Spell, a universal searcher for Field Spells. With it, you could fetch any Field Spell from your Deck.
But—
Hu Tao's Deck only had one Field Spell: [Wangsheng Funeral Parlor].
And she had already activated it. Which meant this Terraforming was utterly useless… a dead draw.
Seeing it, Hu Tao stomped her foot in fury.
"This Hall Master is furious!"
"When I get back I'm burning this [Terraforming]!!"
"And scattering its ashes to the wind, curse you!"
"Stupid card!"
"You've made this Hall Master lose face out here!!!"
With a helpless sigh, Hu Tao added [Terraforming] to her hand and forced herself to regain composure.
The Liyue crowd and Zhongli, unfamiliar with [Terraforming], were puzzled.
Why would one card throw the overwhelmingly advantaged Hall Master Hu into such a tantrum?!
But from her rant, Luya immediately understood: Hu Tao only had one Field Spell, had already played it, and now Terraforming was a dead draw.
Once Hu Tao calmed down, she carried herself with the aura of a true Duelist.
"I activate the Field Spell [Wangsheng Funeral Parlor]'s effect!"
"Once per turn, I can send 2 Zombie monsters from my Deck to the Graveyard."
The Duel device registered her command. With a confirming chime, all eligible Zombie monsters flew forth from her Deck.
Hu Tao swept her hand with a flourish at a 45-degree angle and declared:
"I send [King of the Skull Servants] and [Skull Servant] to the Graveyard!"
"In the name of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, I exorcise the departed!"
A King of the Skull Servants and Skull Servant clasped hands joyfully and leapt into her Graveyard.
As they entered, more bones gathered beneath the body of her existing King of the Skull Servants!
"According to its effect, King of the Skull Servants' Attack rises by 1000 for each 'Skull Servant' and 'King of the Skull Servants' in my Graveyard!"
"Fill the world with your bones!"
Her King's Attack instantly surged from 2500 to 4500!
"This Hall Master isn't done yet!"
Hu Tao raised another King of the Skull Servants from her hand with brimming confidence.
"My strength flows like a spring, my spirit soars like an eagle—ready to hold your funeral!"
"I Normal Summon [King of the Skull Servants]!"
"By the effects of [Wangsheng Funeral Parlor] and [King of the Skull Servants]—this one also has 4500 Attack!"
"And another Exorcism Counter is added."
She slammed the King confidently onto her Monster Zone.
With a chilling gust, the King answered her call, rising from the bone pile and making the eerie Wangsheng Funeral Parlor all the more terrifying.
Its Summon also brought another tombstone—another Exorcism Counter.
Two Kings of the Skull Servants, each with 4500 Attack, stood on Hu Tao's Field radiating death itself.
Arms crossed proudly, Hu Tao beamed at the sight.
The Liyue onlookers were stunned.
"Heavens!"
"Two Kings of the Skull Servants, each with 4500 Attack!!"
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon only has 3000!"
"Most monsters barely reach a few hundred… a 4500 Attack monster is terrifying!"
"Indeed, we saw during the card opening—even 1500 Attack was considered high."
"If she attacks directly, the shopkeeper is finished!"
"Hall Master Hu may be a beginner, but she's playing with shocking skill!"
After Summoning her second King, Hu Tao laughed and shouted:
"Hehe!"
"This Hall Master is attacking now—shopkeeper, be careful~"
"Don't be too scared~"
She didn't know what Luya's Set cards were, but without any Spell or Trap removal, she had no choice but to charge ahead.
If those Sets were useless, she could win right here!
The Duel Field advanced to [Battle Phase].
In this phase, only battles could occur—no Summons or Sets like in the Main Phase.
Unless a monster had multiple attacks, each could only battle once.
"King of the Skull Servants!"
"Attack that face-down Defense monster!!"
[King of the Skull Servants] DARK│Level 1│Zombie│4500 ATK / 0 DEF
At her command, the King extended its right hand into the void, a white bone staff appearing.
It raised the staff, its tip pointing at Luya's Set [Witch of the Black Forest].
With the motion, dozens of massive bone spikes burst forth from a purple rift, streaking toward the Witch!
When struck, Luya's [Witch of the Black Forest] flipped into Defense Position.
[Witch of the Black Forest] DARK│Level 3│Spellcaster│1100 ATK / 1200 DEF
The violet-haired witch, with a green eye on her forehead, clad in a black robe, looked utterly small before the King's might.
She raised her staff in defense, eyes filled with terror. Chanting, she conjured a black magical shield, swelling to envelop her and her surroundings.
But—
The bone spikes pierced through instantly.
With a powerless sigh, [Witch of the Black Forest] shattered into digital fragments, vanishing from the Field.
The Liyue crowd gasped in fright.
It was their first time seeing Duel Monsters battle.
Fortunately, Luya's Witch was in Defense Position, so no battle damage was dealt.
Hu Tao, seeing her attack succeed and Luya's Set cards remain dormant, wore the expression of someone holding victory in hand!
At this moment, Zhongli analyzed the situation for the crowd.
"The shopkeeper's Life Points remain at [4000].
"But Hall Master Hu's King of the Skull Servants has 4500 Attack."
"And the shopkeeper has no monsters on the Field."
"Though he still has 4000 Life Points… To Hall Master Hu, with her 4500-Attack King of the Skull Servants… If she lands a direct attack, the game ends."
"The shopkeeper's life now flickers like a candle in the wind!"
...
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