With Zhongli's fierce words, the customers grew excited, wanting to see what reversal he had in store. With only 1000 Life Points left, one more hit would mean defeat.
Fortunately, Zhongli still had 5 cards in hand! A comeback wasn't impossible!
Xiao, watching his Archon being pushed back step by step, couldn't describe the feeling.
Under everyone's gaze, Zhongli moved. Holding a card between his fingers, his eyes steady and confident, he declared:
"I activate the Spell Card—[Graceful Charity]."
At his words, a beautiful female angel in light green garments appeared above the Duel Field. With a halo on her head and wings spread, she radiated a holy and powerful aura.
The customers were so struck by her presence that they forgot this was only a duel. The angel waved her hand toward Zhongli's Deck, and three cards floated into her grasp, glowing green.
She landed before Zhongli, handing him the three cards.
"Whoa!"
"[Graceful Charity] is amazing!"
"Way better than the shopkeeper's [Pot of Greed] from the other day!"
"Not only pretty, but it lets him draw three!"
"That [Pot of Greed] only draws two—and it's ugly green."
"Exactly! Shame I don't own [Graceful Charity]…"
As the effect resolved, Zhongli now had 7 cards in hand. But the angel didn't leave yet…
"[Graceful Charity]—draw 3 cards, then discard 2 to the Graveyard."
The spectators sighed:
"So she's not that generous after all…"
"[Pot of Greed] may look bad, but it gives more in the end."
From the three cards, Zhongli kept one and discarded two. [Baby Dragon] and [Luster Dragon #2] went to the Graveyard.
[Baby Dragon] Level 3│WIND│Dragon│1200 ATK / 700 DEF
A small dragon not to be underestimated—it may conceal hidden powers.
[Luster Dragon #2] Level 6│WIND│Dragon│2400 ATK / 1400 DEF
This jade-dragon's beauty has lured countless to their deaths.
Now Zhongli had five cards left in hand. Although his field was empty, Life Points only 1000… this was his last chance!
Xingqiu's Life Points were full, with [Obnoxious Celtic Guardian] (1400 ATK) and [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao] (2700 ATK) on the field. No set cards, though, so Zhongli needed only to focus on offense.
The duel had reached its climax. Zhongli thought to himself:
"I had no wish to fight for dominance—but the temptation of [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] is too great… so I must win."
He looked at Xingqiu's Xiao and declared:
"I Normal Summon [Lord of D.]"
[Lord of D.] Level 4│DARK│Spellcaster│1200 ATK / 1100 DEF
A man clad in black dragon robes appeared, holding a golden orb inscribed with dragon patterns.
The crowd grew uneasy.
"That name sounds powerful… but only 1200 ATK? That's less than half of Xiao's."
"And its effect only protects Dragons—Zhongli doesn't even have one yet."
"Isn't that pointless?"
"You don't get it—there's a Spell called [The Flute of Summoning Dragon]. With [Lord of D.] on the field, you can Special Summon up to two Dragons from your hand!"
"No way!? That explains everything!"
"I activate the Spell Card [The Flute of Summoning Dragon]!"
A massive flute shaped like a dragon's head appeared before [Lord of D.]. He placed the glowing orb into its mouth, and the eyes lit up gold.
[Lord of D.] began to play an ancient, eerie tune.
As the melody rose, Zhongli's hand glowed.
"By its effect—since [Lord of D.] is on the field, I Special Summon two Dragons from my hand! I summon [Curse of Dragon] and [Azhdaha]!"
[Curse of Dragon] Level 5│DARK│Dragon│2000 ATK / 1500 DEF
An evil dragon whose dark attacks are fearsome.
[Azhdaha] Level 8│EARTH│Dragon│2700 ATK / 2300 DEF
An ancient dragon, as enduring as mountains. Long ago it fought beside the Geo Archon, but turned against him and was sealed beneath the earth.
In three moves—Normal Summon [Lord of D.], activate [The Flute of Summoning Dragon], Special Summon [Curse of Dragon] and [Azhdaha]—Zhongli filled his empty field with three monsters.
[Lord of D.]
[Curse of Dragon]
[Azhdaha]
And [Azhdaha]'s 2700 ATK matched Xingqiu's [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao]. If they battled, both would be destroyed. Then [Curse of Dragon] could defeat [Obnoxious Celtic Guardian] and deal 800 damage, while [Lord of D.] could strike directly for 1200.
The tables would turn! Not only would Zhongli recover the lead in Life Points, he would dominate the field with three monsters.
Unless Xingqiu drew a miracle next turn, Zhongli's victory was nearly certain.
Xiao, though new to the game, saw the tide shift and his worries faded. Inwardly he marveled:
"The Archon truly is strong…"
But unlike Xiao thought, Zhongli wasn't aiming to drag it out. He intended to end the duel this very turn…
...
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