Chapter 19: The Seal Is Broken, the Sleeping Dragon Emerges (Part II)

"Beautiful!" Wang Gu felt a surge of joy within as he looked at the pile of sevens.

"I activate the effect of the [Wightmare] in my Graveyard, adding [Wight Prince] and [Wight Princess] from my Deck to my hand, and then I discard [Wight Prince]."

"The effect of [Wight Prince]! I send one [Wight] and one [Lady in Wight] from my Deck to the Graveyard!"

The vengeful spirits in the Graveyard grew increasingly dense, emitting an eerie, dark mist.

"I activate the Spell card, [Monster Reborn]!" Wang Gu played his final trump card. "Awaken!"

"[Lady in Wight]!"

Defense: 2200.

"I activate the effect of [Wightlord] in the Graveyard!"

"By banishing this card, I Special Summon—"

"Descend!"

"[King of the Skull Servants]!"

A cold wind howled; the pile of bones rattled and clicked as a terrifying and majestic figure slowly rose to its feet.

"For every [King of the Skull Servants] and [Wight] in the Graveyard..."

"The [King of the Skull Servants] on the field gains 1000 ATK!"

Both Kings of the Skull Servants roared toward the heavens, the black mist surging like a tide as their forms expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

[King of the Skull Servants] ATK: 0 → 13000
[King of the Skull Servants] ATK: 0 → 13000

"The winner is the king!"

After completing his board, Wang Gu laughed aloud and threw his arms open to welcome the cheers.

"Two Kings of the Skull Servants with 13000 ATK!" Red Rice was so excited his face turned red. "Player Wang Gu has pulled off a perfect hand!"

Purple Vegetable looked worried. "[Lady in Wight] provides immunity to Spell and Trap cards. Tsk, and there's still [Skill Prisoner] in the Graveyard..."

"Two Wight Princesses to lower the opponent's stats."

"His hand is indeed incredibly strong."

[Lady in Wight]: Other Level 3 or lower Zombie-type monsters on the field cannot be destroyed by battle and are unaffected by Spell/Trap effects.

[Skill Prisoner]: Normal Trap. By banishing this card from the Graveyard and targeting one card you control, that card is unaffected by monster effects that target it for the rest of this turn.

"A pity he’s just a Number-Citizen," Wang Gu feigned disappointment, his voice dripping with narcissism. "He cannot comprehend my perfect board."

"I end my turn."

After watching the entire sequence, Li Guanqi lowered his head and began to clap wildly. Within the applause of praise, there was a faint, sinister sneer.

"My turn. Draw."

He spoke in a low voice, not even glancing at the card he had drawn.

The clock ticked second by second into the Main Phase.

Li Guanqi gazed at the opponent's four monsters and let out an exclamation identical to Yugi Muto’s: "Two monsters with 13000 ATK."

"Unaffected by Spell and Trap effects."

"Cannot be destroyed by battle..."

"So strong. Too strong."

He laughed wildly while clapping.

Hearing this praise, Wang Gu curled his lips. "Hmph, a mere Number-Citizen, how could he understand..."

Before he could finish, Li Guanqi wiped away his smile, his expression turning abruptly gloomy. "I activate the Field Spell—"

"[Nightmare Throne]."

"Heroes have their stage."

"Demons have their throne!"

"Boom—" As his words fell, the earth shook violently.

A fissure tore through the ground at an alarming speed, extending in all directions. Iron-blue metal pillars slowly rose from the cracks, and a massive throne gradually materialized at the peak.

The throne reflected a faint luster, exuding an inviolable majesty.

"[Nightmare Throne]?!" Both commentators and the tens of thousands of spectators were shocked.

The Number-Citizen was actually using a new deck?!

Wang Gu’s pupils constricted sharply, his expression guarded.

"As the effect of [Throne] resolves," Li Guanqi said coldly, "I destroy [Yubel - Das Ewig Liebe Wächter] in my Deck!"

"Bang—"

[Yubel - Das Ewig Liebe Wächter] materialized in the void and shattered.

"I activate the effect of [Yubel - Das Ewig Liebe Wächter]!"

His state gradually grew fervent; a familiar sensation had returned.

"This card can only be activated when it is destroyed."

"Special Summon—" He drew out an ecstatic laugh, selected a card from his Deck, and slammed it down. "Appear!"

"[Yubel]!"

The surrounding air instantly froze, and a cold, clear laughter echoed through the deathly silent duel arena like a phantom.

[Yubel] wore a smile as she stepped out from the summoning circle.

Countless people couldn't help but shudder. "Hiss—this... this monster..."

"She... is she laughing?!"

"Such strong sentience!" Purple Vegetable finally found his moment to explode, shouting into the microphone, "Player 0748 has summoned a monster with incredibly high sentience! A Level 10 monster, surely its attack power must be high..."

[Ding—]

As the monster was summoned, the smart referee automatically displayed its attributes.

[Yubel]
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

"Both ATK and DEF are 0?!" Tens of thousands of people were stunned.

A dignified Level 10 monster, and its attack power is zero?

"What kind of monster..." Wang Gu frowned, feeling a strange sense of dread.

"Hahaha!" Li Guanqi laughed lowly. "There is a line of yours that I really like."

"So correct..."

"What a wonderful line—"

"The winner is the king!"

He abruptly cut off his laughter and slammed down a card: "Continuous Spell, [Nightmare Pain]!"

"Swish—"

Countless thorny vines rose from the surroundings, forming a cage.

"What is this?" Wang Gu trembled all over, instinctively recoiling half a step.

"Don't be afraid," Li Guanqi curled his lips in a sickly manner. "It's love!"

When the word "love" was shouted, Wang Gu felt a chill run through his entire body.

"Enter the Battle Phase!" Li Guanqi roared in a deep voice, his facial muscles twisting with pleasure into a hideous expression.

"[Yubel], attack [King of the Skull Servants]!"

[Yubel] sneered and waved her hand gently. Countless vines were activated, striking toward [King of the Skull Servants] like vipers.

"As expected, a fool," Wang Gu scoffed, curling his lips.

"King of the Skull Servants, counterattack!"

"Taste 13000 points of damage!"

[King of the Skull Servants], bewitched by the vines, had eyes glowing red and lost control, charging toward [Yubel] with its claws raised.

A bizarre scene unfolded.

The surrounding vines flew rapidly, blocking in front of [Yubel] and taking the full force of [King of the Skull Servants]'s blow.

They then converted the received attack into energy.

"Swish, swish, swish—"

Countless vines rose from the ground, swaying frantically in mid-air like lashing whips.

"What is this..." Wang Gu stared blankly at the surrounding vines, sensing that something was wrong.

He couldn't help but take a step back.

"Hahaha—" Li Guanqi covered his mouth slightly and chuckled, his head tilted back, his voice filled with pleasure.

From a distance, he looked almost enchanting and seductive.

"The effect of [Nightmare Pain]."

"Any battle damage you take from battles involving your [Yubel] monsters is inflicted to your opponent instead!"

"What?!" Wang Gu’s eyes widened, his voice trembling. "Damage inflicted to the opponent instead..."

"0 ATK... 13000 ATK..."

He gasped, his throat becoming dry and tight, unable to utter a sound.

"Level 10 pain..."

What he had done to Jiang Yan and Mu Ningning had finally come back to haunt him.

All the attack power he was so proud of had become the blade that would cut him down.

"How... how is this possible."

"No..."

"I surrender..."

Wang Gu looked at the restless vines surrounding him and retreated step by step until he hit the barrier, with nowhere left to go.

Surrender was not allowed in the league; that was why Jiang Yan and the other had been forced to take the damage.

"You reap what you sow," Li Guanqi said in a low voice. "And you cannot escape it."

"Snap—" A crisp whip sound rang out.

Wang Gu stared in horror. The surrounding vines twisted frantically, turning into green whips tipped with sharp barbs, lashing out fiercely from all directions.

Whip after whip, a dance of demons.

"Ah—"

Wang Gu let out a heart-wrenching scream that echoed through the duel arena, making one's skin crawl.

A terrifying Level 10 electric shock rose from the ground, and his screams grew even more shrill as black smoke began to rise from his body.

His body twitched, and his eyes gradually lost their light.

Finally, he slumped over limply, falling silent.

Wang Gu was dead. He loved to play with high-level pain, and when he had already won, he would boost his attack to strike and drive his opponents insane.

Everyone thought he was a madman playing with his life.

Until Li Guanqi stepped onto the field.

And showed everyone what it truly meant to play with life.

The turn of events was so fast that the audience, the commentators, and the teams on both sides were all caught off guard, frozen in shock.

The entire arena was deathly silent, leaving only the low sigh of a demon.

"Next."