As Xiao removed his mask, the onlookers all held their breath, wanting to see what the Conqueror of Demons—the adeptus who guards Liyue—really looked like.
He placed the fearsome oni mask at his waist. His true face appeared—eyes bright as stars, crimson lips, white teeth, the look of a young, green-hued youth.
Those who had never seen his real face were taken aback.
"Whoa!?"
"He's just a kid…"
"My goodness… that's outrageous!"
"Hahaha…"
"Still, this guy's pretty handsome, haha."
"No wonder someone at Wangshu Inn said they saw a handsome, not-so-tall young man."
"So that's it!?"
"I didn't expect it to be Xiao…"
Discussed by the customers, Xiao could only feel helpless.
Luya chuckled at his side:
"Haha, see…"
"This is what you've been guarding for two thousand years~"
"But now that you've taken off the mask, everyone seems to like you more."
Listening to Luya's guidance, Xiao nodded. He felt he had taken the first step toward getting along with humans. He even began to look forward to it.
"Alright, keep learning how to duel."
"This [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao] is yours as a keepsake~"
"Think of it as your endorsement fee~"
"Haha."
Luya pointed at the freshly forged [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao].
Xiao stared in disbelief, deeply moved—such a precious gift, given to him?! He silently vowed to repay Luya.
After speaking with Xiao, Luya returned to the Card Furnace and fed in another set of materials to make [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao].
Hu Tao and Keqing, seeing there was no conflict and that Xiao and Luya were getting along, finally relaxed.
Watching Luya toss Ghostly Ember and a Vayuda Turquoise Fragment into the furnace, Xiao was incredulous. He looked at the card in his hand, then at the materials—just like the other customers, he couldn't understand how those could make a card bearing his image.
No printing, different materials… though whatever—there are too many inexplicable things in this world.
Luya needed only five or six seconds to feed the materials. Xingqiu and Zhongli's duel was reaching a critical point.
Xiao watched their duel intently—especially the [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao] on Xingqiu's field. He glanced at the mask on his card-self; it did look fierce. Centuries of slaughter had left him bloodthirsty and burdened with karmic debt.
Yet he noticed: whenever Luya finished forging [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao], his karmic debt eased. Only a sliver, but Luya could keep forging. In time, it might all fade; even if not completely, its grip on him would lessen to something bearable—at least no longer painful. To Xiao, this was miraculous. A problem that plagued him for millennia… solved by a little card.
While Xiao pondered, the duel on the stage had evened out. The outcome was uncertain.
On Xingqiu's field:
[Obnoxious Celtic Guardian] Level 4│EARTH│Warrior│1400 ATK / 1200 DEF
[Conqueror of Demons – Xiao] Level 7│WIND│Adeptus│2500 ATK / 1400 DEF
On Zhongli's field:
[Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1] Level 4│WIND│Dragon│1400 ATK / 1200 DEF
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] Level 7│DARK│Dragon│2400 ATK / 2000 DEF
Only 100 ATK separated the sides.
"Whoa! This [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao] is too good!"
"I've gotta get one!"
"Exactly! Xiao saves people in a flash—answer the summons and he comes right away~"
"Without it, Xingqiu would've lost!"
"For sure…"
"Shame there are only two copies. Who knows when it'll be my turn…"
"At this rate… twenty a day, maybe ten days to half a month in line."
"Hope the price isn't crazy…"
From the chatter, Xiao sensed people actually liked his card. He'd never imagined he'd be admired like this.
"So this is a duel…" He was itching to try. Summoning himself sounded fun.
Just then, Xingqiu played another card.
"I activate an Equip Spell!"
"[Cloudlance Greatsword]!"
"Equip to [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao]."
A black greatsword appeared at Xiao's side—its body dark as night, gleaming with a mysterious light; a blade nearly five feet long, bright edge like a sleeping flood dragon ready to wake; the hilt etched with ornate patterns…
Xiao took up the [Cloudlance Greatsword]. His Attack rose by 200—
[Conqueror of Demons – Xiao, ATK: 2500 → 2700]
Left hand spear, right hand sword—the teal oni mask's markings glimmered eerily, as if whispering ancient tales. Xiao's gaze was firm, his face severe, like a poisonous rose blooming in an abyss, exuding danger and death.
Now he looked even stronger.
Spectators were puzzled.
"Such a huge greatsword, only +200 ATK…"
"All show, no bite~"
"'Horn of the Unicorn' gives +700 and can be reused!"
" reuse can brick your hand…"
"True…"
Hearing them doubt [Cloudlance Greatsword], Xingqiu explained its effect.
"The equipped monster gains 200 ATK—"
"And can attack one additional monster."
The crowd finally understood.
"No wonder the ATK isn't high!"
"So it has a bonus effect!"
"That means with [Cloudlance Greatsword], [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao]…"
"Can take out two monsters in one Battle!?"
"Hiss…"
"Exactly!"
Listening, Xiao more or less grasped it: the Equip Spell's effect applies to a monster on the field, raising its ATK by 200 and letting it attack two enemies.
His chest swelled with excitement and joy.
"So this… is dueling!?"
"There's something this wondrous and fun in the world!"
All his life, he had trodden on thin ice, fighting karma and himself after committing countless killings in youth. Now, his debt could be eased, and there was something as delightful as Duel Monsters.
He seemed to have found a reason to live.
Looking at Zhongli dueling Xingqiu, he suddenly understood why the Archon was here.
Xingqiu had spent his hand—no more plays. Zhongli had no set cards either. Only one choice remained: battle!
"Then—Battle Phase!" Xingqiu's sleeves flared.
Luya praised him:
"Hahaha!"
"Let's go, Young Master Xingqiu!"
Xingqiu smiled, amber eyes blinking with delight. Since getting into Yu-Gi-Oh!, the once-gentle scholar had opened up more and more.
"Go! Xiao! Attack [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]!"
On command, the [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao] on Xingqiu's field flared—oni mask shining green. He leapt, spear in his left hand raised high.
Zhongli's [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] and [Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1] were airborne—but Xiao jumped even higher.
"Bane of All Evil!!!"
From his spear tip, a vast Anemo vortex gathered. The [Cloudlance Greatsword] in his right hand charged with energy, awaiting release.
He finished charging and thrust at [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]!
"Fall, black dragon!"
Faced with Xiao's Lemniscatic Wind Cycling, the dragon couldn't react in time. With a vortex of wind, Xiao pierced its scales as easily as slicing almond tofu—the spear shattered scales on contact, then drove deep. Anemo power erupted within, whipping a storm. From inside out, the dragon crumbled!
The wind did not stop, striking Zhongli as well… With 2700 ATK against a 2400 ATK monster, Zhongli took 300 damage, leaving him at 3700 Life Points.
The sight made Xiao worry—but someone quickly told him battle damage doesn't hurt. He relaxed and watched on.
Xiao wasn't done. [Cloudlance Greatsword]'s effect: the equipped monster can attack two enemies.
He leapt again, flashed beside [Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1], and hurled the greatsword. It cleaved the dragon clean in half, then flew on toward Zhongli. The blade struck him—
With 2700 ATK cutting through a 1400 ATK monster, Zhongli took 1300 damage, leaving him at 2400 Life Points.
Then Xiao double-jumped, reclaimed the greatsword, and returned to stand on Xingqiu's field.
The crowd was ecstatic—such a scene of an adeptus battling monsters, it was their first time seeing it.
"Xiao is too fierce!"
"He turned the duel around at once!"
"This card is amazing!!!"
"And with Young Master Xingqiu's [Cloudlance Greatsword]—"
"Mr. Zhongli might lose…"
"Mostly because Xiao is so easy to bring out!"
Watching, Xiao felt it all too wondrous—he himself was fighting on stage! He burned to try it for real.
Xingqiu continued his Battle Phase. His [Obnoxious Celtic Guardian] had yet to attack.
"Go, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! Direct attack, Mr. Zhongli!"
The guardian lunged and struck. Zhongli lost another 1400—down to 1000 Life Points, a candle in the wind.
With no set cards and no monsters, most thought Zhongli would lose—though the next turn would tell.
With nothing left, Xingqiu ended his turn: "My turn, end!"
Under the customers' gaze, Zhongli began his turn, calm as ever.
"My turn… Draw—"
He looked at the card, lifted his eyes, the red at their corners brimming with confidence.
"A duelist's Life Points are only 0 or otherwise."