You Feng glanced at the field as Lin Xian's face-down defense monster was finally revealed. It turned out to be Pumprincess the Princess of Ghosts!
"If this card is destroyed, I can choose to place it in the Spell and Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell instead of sending it to the Graveyard. During every Standby Phase, a Pumpkin Counter is placed on this card. For every Pumpkin Counter, all monsters on your side of the field lose 100 ATK and DEF," Lin Xian explained with a smirk.
"Hmm... quite a capable effect," You Feng replied, unfazed. He nodded slightly. "I set one card and end my turn."
"My turn! Draw!" Lin Xian shouted.
"During my Standby Phase, another Pumpkin Counter is added. Consequently, your Darkness Destroyer loses another 100 points of ATK and DEF."
"Next, I activate the effect of Vampire Sorcerer from my Graveyard! By banishing this card, I can Normal Summon a DARK Vampire monster this turn without Tributing! Come forth, Vampire Curse!!" Lin Xian's smile widened.
A man with spiky blue hair appeared on the field. He had a deathly pale face, crimson eyes, and two sharp fangs. A pair of blood-red wings unfurled from his back.
*Vampire Curse*
*DARK / Level 6 / Zombie*
*ATK: 2000 / DEF: 800*
"I'm not done yet! From my hand, I activate the Equip Spell, Sword of Deep-Seated! I target Vampire Curse, increasing its ATK and DEF by 500!"
"Vampire Curse, attack Darkness Destroyer!!" Lin Xian's gaze sharpened as he pointed dramatically across the field.
"Hah—!"
Vampire Curse gripped the Sword of Deep-Seated, its wings spreading wide as it swung a blade of shimmering light toward its target.
"I activate my face-down card! Spellbinding Circle!" You Feng swept his hand out, and the hidden card flipped up. "This turn, I target one monster on your side of the field. That monster cannot declare an attack. My target is Vampire Curse!"
"Don't even think about it! Flip Trap! Tutan Mask!" Lin Xian countered with a laugh. "When a Spell, Trap, or monster effect is activated that targets a Zombie monster on my field, I can activate this card to negate that effect and destroy it!! Heh heh, You Feng, now that we're both using Starter Decks, you aren't so terrifying anymore."
"Is that so? I have another face-down! Activate Reinforcements!" You Feng's lips curled into a smirk. "When my monster is attacked by an opponent's monster, I can increase my monster's ATK by 500 until the end of this turn!"
Darkness Destroyer's power surged, its ATK rising to 2700! It should have been 2800, but the effect of Pumprincess the Princess of Ghosts had lowered it by 100.
"Dammit!!" Lin Xian froze. Even with everything he had played, You Feng had still managed to outmaneuver him. He had been checkmated.
Vampire Curse had been mid-swing, ready to cleave through Darkness Destroyer, but the sudden surge in power caused the attack to backfire. The vampire was blasted into fragments, shattering instantly.
Lin Xian's Life Points dropped by 200, leaving him at 6500 LP!
"I set one card and end my turn!" Lin Xian muttered through gritted teeth.
Both duelists knew that since they were using Starter Decks, neither side possessed overwhelming power. They couldn't pull off the spectacular, high-level plays they were used to, yet this tactical exchange was undeniably thrilling. The constant chain-link struggle for dominance made their focus more intense than ever.
The defining feature of a Battle Royale was that the further it progressed, the crazier the cards would become. This was because those who survived would inevitably absorb the essence of the decks belonging to the duelists they had defeated!
"My turn! Draw!" You Feng drew a card, holding it between his fingers.
"Because of the effect of my Pumpkin Princess, your Darkness Destroyer's ATK drops to 2100," Lin Xian reminded him with a wave of his hand. The eerie light from the ghost princess shimmered, further draining the god of destruction's power.
"From my hand, I summon a monster: Archfiend Interceptor!" You Feng flipped a card onto his Duel Disk.
A demon resembling an American football player appeared, several tentacles writhing from its body as it took its stance.
*Archfiend Interceptor*
*DARK / Level 4 / Fiend*
*ATK: 1400 (Original: 1200) / DEF: 1600*
"Darkness Destroyer, attack Lin Xian directly!!" You Feng commanded with a wide sweep of his arm.
"I activate my face-down card! Shadow Spell!" Lin Xian shouted immediately. As the card flipped, countless chains burst from the ground around Darkness Destroyer, binding it tight. "Its ATK drops by 700, and it cannot attack!"
"You Feng! Taking me down isn't going to be that easy!" Lin Xian rubbed his nose, grinning.
"I don't mind. Archfiend Interceptor, attack Lin Xian!!" You Feng said calmly.
"Agh... that actually hurts!" Lin Xian cried out.
Lin Xian's Life Points dropped by another 1200, leaving him with 5300 LP.
"To be honest, the rhythm of the game has slowed down quite a bit now that everyone is restricted to Starter Decks," You Feng said, his eyes lifting to meet Lin Xian's. "But no matter what, victory will still be mine. No one can change that that's a promise! I set one card and end my turn."
"We won't know who the winner is until the very end! My turn!! Draw!" Lin Xian's eyes narrowed as he looked at the card he had just pulled.
He suddenly burst into laughter. "It looks like my luck is holding out. You're right, You Feng we really won't know the winner until the very last card is played!"
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