NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51: Chapter 51: My 4,000 HP is like a candle in the wind.
"(||ﾟДﾟ) Both sides' attack power is equal now!"
The ultimate clash between Ancient Dragon and Dark Magician erupted in the night sky above the back mountain. The massive energy released by the dragon and the dark magic illuminated the entire night.
Such a huge and conspicuous shockwave naturally caught the attention of the students at Fusion Academy.
Even though it was already past curfew, the students couldn't resist poking their heads out of their dorm windows to see what was happening.
"What's that? Such a huge dragon!"
"It's a dragon I've never seen before!"
The first thing that caught their eyes was the enormous body of Ancient Dragon, soaring through the sky like a mountain range.
"What kind of monster can fight against such a massive dragon?"
Due to the distance and the fact that Dark Magician was roughly the size of a normal human, all the students could see was the Ancient Dragon roaring with overwhelming draconic power, clashing with bursts of dark magical energy in the sky.
"Could it be Little Ai and You Ling who are dueling?"
Having sneaked back into the dorm unnoticed by the dorm supervisor, Ilin looked worriedly at the distant battle.
Ilin had never seen [Ancient Dragon] before, so she didn't know whether the dragon belonged to Aisha or to the mysterious opponent.
But no matter which side was controlling the dragon, the fact that they could summon such a massive and mysterious monster—or fight against it—showed that both sides were incredibly powerful.
This duel was even more intense than the previous Shadow Game.
"Ah, look! The dragon disappeared!"
"Did the duel end?"
Just as the students were eagerly anticipating what kind of extravagant and spectacular battle scene would follow the massive dragon, the clash ended.
The two monsters, with equal attack power, destroyed each other.
The chaotic sky returned to calm after the terrifying collision of energy dissipated.
[Ancient Dragon] destroyed.
Dark Magician destroyed.
The Pharaoh's ace monster and the strongest monster You Ling could currently summon had annihilated each other in a single clash, leaving both monster zones empty once again.
[Ancient Dragon], a monster that could easily dominate the first-year students at Fusion Academy, hadn't even lasted a single turn against the Pharaoh.
"The effect of the Equip Spell Card Spellbook of Power activates. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I gain 1000 Life Points."
Pharaoh LP: 2800 → 3800
"Even with an incomplete deck, you managed to take down my strongest servant, Dark Magician, in a mutual destruction. You Ling, you've fully demonstrated your strength to me."
You Ling's strategy of using a D-grade Trap Card and weak monsters to forcibly trade with Dark Magician earned high praise from the Pharaoh.
"Under the constraints of this world's rules, you've utilized limited resources to think deeply about how to strengthen your deck and secured victories that seemed impossible… Pursuing victory through rationality—this is your talent, You Ling."
Aisha: "Mr. You Ling, it seems like you've earned the praise of the strongest Pharaoh."
"But in this situation, I'm not exactly happy about it."
Forcing a strained smile, even though Aisha's face was naturally adorable, the stiff, twitching smile You Ling wore made it look almost comical.
Even with the Pharaoh's recognition, You Ling couldn't bring himself to smile in this situation.
"I didn't expect the gap to be this big."
What seemed like a mutual destruction actually allowed the Pharaoh to recover nearly all his Life Points. Not to mention, the Tribute Summon triggered the effect of Card of the Soul, allowing him to draw two additional cards.
In contrast, You Ling's hand was now down to just one monster card: White Duston. With 0 ATK and 1000 DEF, and no other supporting cards, it couldn't provide any combat power.
It was as if his 4000 Life Points were now hanging by a thread.
From the amusing expression on Aisha's face, the Pharaoh could read You Ling's thoughts.
"An overwhelming talent can bring great power, but in an unfamiliar world, it can also lead to confusion. That confusion can make one overly focused on victory and power itself. Even I couldn't avoid this in the past."
Recalling his past, the Pharaoh, who had once been the spirit companion of Yugi Muto, had almost ignored Seto Kaiba's life-threatening challenge in his pursuit of victory.
"The strength of the soul is a blade sharp enough to cut through anything. But the scabbard that restrains the blade's danger and makes its power more stable is equally important. The existence of a partner, like a host, is crucial."
Aisha: "A partner like a host… Does that mean me? I'm important to Mr. You Ling… Very important!"
Hitting right at the core of Aisha's heart, the Pharaoh's words brought her more joy than any compliment ever could.
"✧｡٩(ˊᗜˋ)و✧*｡ Hehe, hehehe, so I'm really that important to Mr. You Ling. You're too kind~"
As if he could hear the echoes of Aisha's soul within the Millennium Puzzle, the Pharaoh smiled gently.
"Yuna, the brilliance of your humanity is very similar to that of my partner. Harnessing that power can change the direction of your deck's summons and even restore the balance of light and darkness that has been disrupted in this world."
"I can change my deck? Does that mean… I won't be limited to summoning low-level Normal Monsters anymore?"
"That's something you and You Ling will need to discover together. Right now, what you need is to fight together, not just rely on You Ling to fight alone."
With that, the Pharaoh flipped over the card he had set during his first turn.
"—Continuous Trap Card activated: Bond of the Three Knights!"
[Bond of the Three Knights Continuous Trap Card Effect: Once per turn, if you control no monsters other than "Queen's Knight," "Jack's Knight," or "King's Knight," you can Special Summon 1 of those monsters from your hand or Graveyard.]
"Revive on my field, Jack's Knight!"
[Jack's Knight ATK: 1900]
Still in the Battle Phase, the Pharaoh used the Trap Card to Special Summon Jack's Knight, the highest ATK monster among the JQK trio, back to his empty field.
"Direct attack!—Knight's Sword Slash!"
You Ling & Aisha LP: 4000 → 2100
The silver blade of Jack's Knight cut through the night, leaving a cold streak of light as it slashed across Aisha's chest, sending a sharp pain through You Ling's consciousness.
It was a wake-up call, much like the Pharaoh's earlier words.
"The scabbard that restrains the blade… Do I need to fight together with Aisha?"
As the pain from the cold blade faded, You Ling realized he had returned to his soul state within the Millennium Puzzle.
And now, standing on the duel field was Aisha Yuna Carlos herself.
To be continued...