"Is it over?!"
"Looks like Hall Master Hu is going to lose…"
"But she was really strong already—being this skilled in her first duel. Too bad her deck didn't have cards to counter the shopkeeper."
"Indeed, building a Yu-Gi-Oh! deck requires careful thought!"
"You can't just focus on monster Attack power, you need cards to restrict the opponent too…"
Thanks to Zhongli's explanations, everyone now understood the effects of the cards on both Luya's and Hu Tao's fields. And through their repeated exchanges, they had grasped the rules of dueling! They reached a consensus about deckbuilding: you can't rely only on Attack power!
Otherwise… you'd end up like Hu Tao, who even with the overwhelming King of the Skull Servants, still couldn't attack, and was forced into defeat.
On the Duel Stage—
Luya's cursor entered the Battle Phase as the crowd watched closely.
Luya's field was full with five monsters!
Two Skull Servants with 800 Attack each. One King of the Skull Servants with 500 Attack. Dark Assailant with 2400 Attack. And a mighty King of the Skull Servants at 3000 Attack.
In contrast, Hu Tao's field only had two monsters left… the pitiful, bound King of the Skull Servants at 1500 Attack, and a Warrior from Another Dimension with 1500 Attack.
The outcome of the duel was already clear. But… Hu Tao had no thought of retreat. Even in defeat, she would show a bold, unyielding spirit!
Still, losing would sting…
She swore to engrave this loss in her heart, to reclaim victory one day, and defeat Luya to wash away today's shame!
At the crowd's anticipation, Luya went in for the finishing blow!
His spirited voice rang across the Duel Stage:
"Dark Assailant, attack Warrior from Another Dimension! Shadow Stab!"
The 2400-ATK Dark Assailant hurled his five short blades straight at Hu Tao's 1500-ATK Warrior from Another Dimension.
The Warrior faced the assault without a trace of fear—her small frame bracing against the attack, enduring all five blades!
The daggers pierced through her body, carrying force that struck Hu Tao, who still had 3500 Life Points!
Hu Tao took 900 damage.
Now her Life Points dropped to 2600.
At that moment, Warrior from Another Dimension's effect triggered, "After damage calculation, banish both monsters from play instead of sending them to the Graveyard!"
Her lightblade shone with dazzling radiance, space around her rippling and compressing. A rift opened, drawing both her and Dark Assailant inside!
Both monsters vanished from the Duel Field—banished!
Luya pressed on with his monsters:
"King of the Skull Servants, attack King of the Skull Servants! Spectral Storm!"
The 3000-ATK King of the Skull Servants folded its hands into a spell formation, chanting as it unleashed a crimson storm filled with vengeful spirits.
Hu Tao's bound 2500-ATK King of the Skull Servants was powerless before it.
Torn apart into scattered remains, even the bones beneath it crumbled to dust.
The storm surged past, striking Hu Tao directly!
She staggered, almost collapsing, steadying herself against the Duel Stage.
Hu Tao took another 500 damage.
Her Life Point counter dropped into the red… She had only 2100 Life Points left! Like a leaking ship on the Liyue Sea, one more blow would sink her!
With Hu Tao's King of the Skull Servants destroyed, Luya's Spellbinding Circle that bound it also left the field.
Now…
Hu Tao's field was empty.
Luya could launch direct attacks—inflicting full monster Attack damage!
Three monsters had yet to attack: two Skull Servants and one King of the Skull Servants.
Their base power was weak…
Even so, with Hu Tao's Field Spell, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor boosting Zombies by 500 Attack, they had all crossed her finishing threshold!
That's why Luya never used Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy her Field Spell—without its boost, he couldn't have ended the duel this turn.
[Skull Servant] Level 1│DARK│Zombie│300+500 ATK / 200 DEF
[Skull Servant] Level 1│DARK│Zombie│300+500 ATK / 200 DEF
[King of the Skull Servants] Level 1│DARK│Zombie│0+500 ATK / 0 DEF
"Go!"
"Skull Servants, King of the Skull Servants—direct attack on Hall Master Hu!!!"
The three skeletons, reluctant but bound to obey, rushed at Hu Tao.
Seeing her beloved monsters turned against her, Hu Tao's heart ached!
But… she had no way to escape. She was surrounded by her own skeletons.
LP -800!
LP -800!
LP -500!
The direct attacks wiped out her remaining 2100 Life Points!
As victory music played, Hu Tao lost the duel…
Luya pressed his middle and index finger together, pointing at Hu Tao, who was still dejected from being beaten by her own skeletons. He encouraged her with a grin:
"Victory is mine!"
"What a fun duel!"
...
The duel had ended!
The shop's customers were thrilled, their interest in Yu-Gi-Oh! ignited!
They had witnessed the true charm of dueling—
Through cards, summoning monsters of mysterious power, casting spells, battling with effects!
Though Teyvat had elemental powers, most people had no Vision, no way to wield such forces.
So they longed for power like this.
Now, with Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, they could cast spells, summon monsters—even if only within the game, the feeling was irresistible…
"Shopkeeper!!!"
"I want 20 packs!"
"I'll take 30 packs!!"
"Me too!!!"
In an instant, Luya's store was flooded with customers scrambling to buy card packs.
Seeing the scene, Luya smiled, "Don't rush—line up to pay! Supplies are limited—first come, first served!"
...
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