Chapter 43: Conquering the Battle Spirit (Part Two)
Seizing the momentum, Chu Chan raised his hand and declared, “Activate the effect of [Phantom Image].”
The stone giant pounded the ground, sending a column of light shooting upward.
“Special summon [Pluto HG] from the hand.”
“Activate the effect of [Pluto HG].”
“Reveal [Heavy Electronic Man] and [Dragon Emperor Valious] to activate their effects—this card’s attack power increases by 3000!”
The slime rapidly expanded in size, writhing continuously as an eerie sheen glimmered over its surface.
[Pluto HG] Attack Power: 0 → 3000
“Activate the effect of [Dragon Emperor Valious] in hand.”
“[Panther] returns to hand, and this card is special summoned!”
With a low shout, the summoning circle burst forth with blazing red light.
A pitch-black figure slowly materialized from the glow, red lightning crackling around its body, emitting a deep rumble.
Attack Power: 3000
“Advance to battle phase!” Chu Chan commanded sternly.
“[Luochan], [Pluto HG], and [Dragon Emperor Valious], attack directly!”
Luochan surged forward, delivering a spiraling flying kick.
Pluto HG spat out a corrosive acid.
The afflicted one was corroded by the acid and struck by Luochan’s spinning kick, flying like a kite cut loose from its string, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Red side’s base score: 6500 → 3500 → 1700
“Bastard!”
His body convulsed violently as he struggled to rise.
No sooner had he stood than the dragon claw of Dragon Emperor Valious swung before his forehead, casting a sharp shadow.
“Activate the effect of [Ghost Strategy Frost Sprite] in hand!” the afflicted shouted hurriedly. “Change [Dragon Emperor Valious] to face-down defense position, and special summon this card in face-down defense position!”
“Boom—”
[Ghost Strategy Frost Sprite] transformed into a barrier, blocking the dragon claw of [Dragon Emperor Valious].
“Hehehe, trying to finish me off so quickly?…”
The afflicted sneered, as if witnessing a terrifying scene, then suddenly fell silent.
“Crack—”
The barrier trembled violently, producing the sound of shattering.
“What the hell is this…”
The afflicted stared in disbelief.
The crack in the barrier slowly spread.
Chu Chan said coldly, “[Dragon Emperor Valious] effect: reveal [Panther]. This turn, this card is unaffected by effects activated by your opponent.”
[Dragon Emperor Valious] let out a low roar. Its dragon claw shattered the barrier and struck the afflicted heavily.
“Boom—”
A tremendous explosion erupted across the red side’s field.
The afflicted’s eyes rolled back; dizziness overwhelmed his mind as he collapsed heavily to the ground.
Red side’s base score: 1700 → 0
[Victory belongs to]
[Blue side]
[Duel ends]
As the smoke cleared and the domain dissipated, the capture was successful.
“Impressive!” Bystanders around applauded.
Li Guanqi couldn’t help but join in, applauding the clean and decisive one-turn knockout.
“Look at them, so cool. Now look at you,” Li Guanqi glanced at Mickey with undisguised disdain. “Do you have a domain card?”
---
“That stuff’s not cheap, right?”
If it were easy to get, the team should have a few.
“Of course we have it,” Mickey said. “That’s our weapon, handed out upon joining.”
Domain cards and deck configurations are like the guns in the hands of Earth’s detectives.
Li Guanqi raised his eyebrows in surprise and struck up a conversation, “So how’s your skill? Your win rate must be decent?”
As an enforcer, an agent’s dueling skill naturally had to be high.
“Uh—” Mickey smiled awkwardly but politely, “So far seven duels, uh…”
“Seven losses!”
At the end, realizing he was a failure, his words grew resolute.
“You must have powerful backing,” Li Guanqi remarked thoughtfully. “How did you get into the Spirit Detention Bureau?”
“Lost 0-7 against such opponents?”
“Didn’t the bureau give you a deck?”
Mickey sighed, “I…”
He faltered, as if unsure how to describe the woman at home.
“I have a very formidable woman who, through her connections and by handing over [Jubel], got me into the bureau.”
“She demanded I use only the deck she gave me.”
“This crappy deck is hard to play and tricky—blowing up this and that, kaboom kaboom kaboom—and before you know it, the field is empty.”
“Empty the field by blowing things up?” Li Guanqi frowned, momentarily puzzled. “What kind of deck is so tricky?”
“You wouldn’t understand. It’s a deck you can’t even find by searching,” Mickey sighed deeply.
Seeing he didn’t want to say more, Li Guanqi didn’t press further. But losing 0-7 even to trash? Probably some obscure mountain-area deck.
[Buzz—]
A sharp vibration came from Mickey’s wrist.
He glanced at it sharply, his pupils contracting.
The supercomputer ring malfunctioned, displaying over a dozen alerts.
[Patient found on 16th Street, East District, Central City. Nearby agents proceed to detain immediately.]
[Patient found on 5th Street, West District, Central City. Nearby agents proceed to detain immediately.]
[Patient found at Sky Island Duelist Academy. Nearby agents proceed to detain immediately.]
[Patient found on 14th Street, East District, Central City. Nearby agents proceed to detain immediately.]
…
“What’s going on?” Li Guanqi thought. He knew something was off about these alerts. “Is the central city this chaotic too?”
He had thought it would be safe once inside the central city.
But barely minutes after entering, there were already a dozen alerts.
“Normally it wouldn’t be like this,” Mickey frowned. “Usually only two or three alerts a day.”
“It must be intensification.”
“There’s an infiltrator.”
“Mickey!” Chu Chan shouted. “You head to 14th Street, East District!”
“Got it!” Mickey raised his hand in response.
Li Guanqi said casually, “With your skill level, does it even make sense for you to go detain?”
A 0-7 loser is just a liability, right?
“Winning or losing is one thing,” Mickey took a deep breath. “Going or not going is another.”
“As long as I wear this uniform one day—”
“I have to—”
His gaze grew firm as he grabbed Li Guanqi’s hand and dashed toward nearby 14th Street: “Charge!”
A loser he might be, but responsibility he bore.
---
The two tracked the red dot on the supercomputer ring’s holographic map, arriving at an abandoned hospital.
The hospital’s walls were mottled and peeling; thick dust piled in the corners. Most windowpanes were shattered, and discarded medical equipment lay scattered on the floor. The wind stirred tattered curtains, producing a rustling sound.
Li Guanqi whispered, “Such a desolate place?”
“This is my first time here too,” Mickey stepped cautiously.
The red dot suddenly stopped.
Both took a deep breath and turned the corner to find, at the corridor’s end, a woman in a red dress standing there.
Li Guanqi’s head suddenly throbbed.
An empty hospital, a woman in red—the memory seemed familiar.
No, it wasn’t her.
Though both wore deep red dresses, the woman before them held a pair of giant scissors nearly as tall as herself. Her face was covered with stitched scars, resembling the slit-mouthed woman from horror films.
“You alright?” Mickey warily watched the slit-mouthed woman while steadying Li Guanqi’s head.
Li Guanqi recovered his breath, “I’m fine.”
“Can you handle her?”
“Judging by her hairstyle and outfit, she’s no minor threat.”
Mickey swallowed nervously. “I can’t even beat low-level trash, so what do you think?”
“But—”
They spoke in unison, “I have a bold idea.” (x2)
They exchanged a glance, both grinning wickedly.
“Since we’re going to lose anyway.”
“Why don’t you try?”
“Why don’t I have some fun?”
Li Guanqi, hungry for a duel, took the duel disk and deck with a joyful smile. “Just to confirm—the domain doesn’t backfire if I lose a duel inside it, right?”
Normally, the domain he activated shouldn’t amplify harm to himself.
“No worries,” Mickey reassured. “Domains only impact the enemy; if you lose, it just goes into cooldown.”
“Help me get a point, please.”
Li Guanqi exhaled, “I’ll do my best. Right now, I just want—domain activation!”
Just as the two cooperated smoothly, a domain suddenly erupted from across, trapping the slit-mouthed woman and Li Guanqi inside.
“?”
“?”
Oh no, the opponent has a domain card too.
“Damn it, it’s an infiltrator!” Mickey cried out, clutching his head.
Strictly speaking, in the Clock Organization, domain cards are called:
[Dark Game – Toy Jar]
[Activate]
“Today’s toy,” the slit-mouthed woman covered her face with both hands, wearing a sickly smile. “So cute~”
Li Guanqi took a deep breath, refusing to lose face, and mimicked Chu Chan by activating his own domain card.
[Shackled Domain – Never Forget the Underworld]
[Activate]
The two domains violently collided midair, sparks and lightning flashing fiercely.
The blue side raised a gigantic jar, while the red side summoned a ghostly mansion.
“Never Forget the Underworld?” Li Guanqi was momentarily stunned, then looked at Mickey. “You’re using Never Forget to fight trash?”
“Lost 0-7?!”