[Naturia Leodrake]'s attack struck Keqing directly!
Right then, Keqing took a deep breath—then pulled a card from her hand: [Kuriboh].
[Kuriboh] DARK│Level 1│Fiend│300 ATK / 200 DEF
When [Kuriboh] appeared in Keqing's hand, the audience—who had been worried for her—finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Though small, [Kuriboh] was an extremely reliable card—one well-known to many.
"I activate [Kuriboh]'s effect!"
"By discarding [Kuriboh] from my hand, I can make the battle damage from [Naturia Leodrake]'s attack become 0!"
As Keqing activated the effect, a small brown, fluffy [Kuriboh] appeared before her, absorbing the blow from [Naturia Leodrake]!
The 3000 battle damage that would've finished Keqing was nullified in an instant.
Ganyu would have won then and there—yet Keqing had wisely added [Kuriboh] to her Deck as insurance.
The [Swordsoul] archetype didn't normally use [Kuriboh], although Keqing had prepared it just in case.
It proved the perfect lifesaver, blocking [Naturia Leodrake]'s decisive strike!
With [Naturia Leodrake]'s attack ended, Ganyu had no more monsters capable of attacking. Her Battle Phase was over.
And with no other cards left to play, Ganyu's field now consisted only of [Naturia Strawberry] and [Naturia Leodrake], plus one card in hand.
She had no Set cards—no defenses.
That meant... if Keqing could turn the tables now, Ganyu would have no choice but to take the hit.
However, that 3000-ATK [Naturia Leodrake] wouldn't go down easily.
"My turn ends," Ganyu said softly, lowering her hand and nodding to Keqing.
Now—it was Keqing's turn.
"My turn! Draw!"
She drew her card—and smiled.
"[Swordsoul Emergence] (Spell Card)."
Keqing's confidence returned. The duel wasn't over yet.
At once, she placed the card she'd drawn directly into her Spell/Trap Zone.
"I activate the Spell Card [Swordsoul Emergence]!"
Dark clouds gathered above the Duel Stage. A mountain rose beneath Keqing's feet—
Flash!
A bolt of lightning split the sky, and before her appeared a massive sword.
Keqing placed her hand on the blade, feeling the power pulsing within it.
As her fingers traced the sword's edge, phantom images of her companions appeared around her—[Swordsoul of Mo Ye], [Swordsoul of Taia], [Swordsoul Auspice Chunjun], [Swordsoul of the Sacred Summit]...
"[Swordsoul Emergence]'s effect—Add 1 [Swordsoul] monster from your Deck to your hand!"
"I add [Swordsoul of Taia]!"
A shining image of the silver-armored swordsman holding a blue blade dissolved into a card, flying into Keqing's hand.
Then—
Another flash of lightning scattered the phantoms around her.
"Whoa!"
"Lady Keqing's Deck has so many [Swordsoul] monsters besides [Swordsoul of Mo Ye]!"
"And each one wields a different sword!"
"So cool… just like Lady Keqing herself! Swift and sharp as lightning!"
"She's going for another Synchro Summon, isn't she?!"
Keqing took the card she'd just added to her hand and declared:
"I Normal Summon [Swordsoul of Taia]!"
A silver-armored dragon warrior holding an ice-blue sword materialized on Keqing's field.
[Swordsoul of Taia] WIND│Level 4│Wyrm│1800 ATK / 1500 DEF
"I activate [Swordsoul of Taia]'s effect!"
"By banishing 1 [Swordsoul] card or Wyrm monster from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon 1 [Swordsoul Token]!"
Like [Swordsoul of Mo Ye], [Swordsoul of Taia] could generate a [Swordsoul Token] for a Synchro Summon—though by a different method.
Still, both paths led to the same result: a Level 8 Synchro Monster.
"I banish [Swordsoul Emergence] from my Graveyard—Special Summon [Swordsoul Token]!"
At Keqing's command, a colorless version of [Swordsoul of Taia] appeared beside her.
[Swordsoul Token] WATER│Level 4│Wyrm / Tuner│0 ATK / 0 DEF
With her previous experience, Keqing wasted no time tuning her monsters.
"I tune my Level 4 [Swordsoul of Taia] with my Level 4 [Swordsoul Token]—Synchro Summon!"
A beam of light pierced the Duel Stage.
[Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao] appeared once again!
[Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao] LIGHT│Level 8│Wyrm│2800 ATK / 1000 DEF
Materials: 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Wyrm monsters
Keqing continued seamlessly.
"I activate [Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao]'s effect!"
"When this card is Synchro Summoned: Add 1 [Swordsoul] card from your Deck to your hand!"
"I add [The Golden Swordsoul]!"
[The Golden Swordsoul] LIGHT│Level 4│Spellcaster│1800 ATK / 1500 DEF
Though this was her first real duel with the Deck, Keqing was already growing comfortable—her movements faster, smoother.
Just like [Swordsoul of Mo Ye], [Swordsoul of Taia] had another effect when sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material.
"I activate [Swordsoul of Taia]'s effect!"
"When sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material, I can send 1 [Swordsoul] card or 1 Wyrm monster from my Deck to the Graveyard."
"I send [The Abyss Dragon Swordsoul] to the Graveyard."
In a swift chain of plays, Keqing had Synchro Summoned [Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao], added [The Golden Swordsoul] to her hand, and sent [The Abyss Dragon Swordsoul] to the Graveyard.
Then she looked at the [Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan] already in her hand.
Her eyes gleamed—she would end this duel with one final strike.
"Whoa!"
"Another [Swordsoul] Synchro Summon—[Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao] again!"
"But its ATK is 2800—still weaker than Ganyu's [Naturia Leodrake] with 3000!"
"Unless..."
"Unless Lady Keqing can summon something even stronger!"
"Another monster..."
...
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