## Chapter 114: Counter Gate
"You fell for it, Joey! I already knew you'd Attack my (Sealed Beast) Inun!" Ptah laughed wildly, opening the Card he had originally Set on the Field, just as everyone expected. "Trap Card, (Desert Sunlight)! All Monsters on my Field will switch to Defense Position!"
"Sure enough, how could Ptah, who can Summon four Monsters with such a powerful Combo, leave himself a weakness?" Sheppard analyzed. "He was simply feigning weakness to lure Joey into Attacking him."
"In Defense Position, even if a Monster is Destroyed by battle, no Damage is dealt. Even if (Hawk Knight) has the ability to Attack twice, it can only Destroy two of the weakest (Sealed Beast) Monsters." Mai Valentine's eyes held a hint of worry she didn't even notice herself. "And in the next Turn, with the (Sealed Beasts)' second round of total Attacks, can he really endure it?"
Joey was also caught off guard by the Activation of (Desert Sunlight): "It's this kind of Card? Damn it, I thought it would be a Card to Negate Attacks, and I was planning to use (Hawk Knight)'s Effect to Attack twice."
"How could I leave such an obvious opening for you? Only a fodder Duelist like you would fall for it so easily." Ptah was quite smug. "This is my offensive strategy! In terms of intelligence, you still can't compare to me, Ptah Garlem!"
"You scoundrel." Joey hated arrogant people like Ptah the most. "In any case, (Hawk Knight)'s Attack will continue, and it will be twice!"
Although Joey tried his best to project a sharp demeanor, unfortunately, (Hawk Knight) did not have piercing Battle Damage capabilities. Two swift sword slashes Destroyed (Sealed Beast) Inun and (Sealed Beast) Nunurao, but because they were in Defense Position, not a single point of Damage was dealt.
Ptah's Life Points were down to a mere 300, and Joey had just Destroyed two Monsters consecutively. This should have been double the joy, but Joey quickly cut off his internal overthinking, and helplessly Set a Card. "In that case, I Set one Card, and I end my Turn."
[Joey: 2800 LP, Hand 0]
[(Hawk Knight) [ATK 1000]]
[[Set Card] [Set Card]]
"Heh-heh, it's my Turn now." Ptah happily Drew a Card. "And this will be your last Turn."
"I Set one Card, then I Activate the Effect of (Sealed Beast) Charmgal! Destroy one of your Backrow Cards!" Ptah's face was filled with triumph. "That Card you just Set must be the one you're trying to cling to Life with, right?"
"As punishment for opposing me, I will cut off your hope!"
But to Ptah's surprise, Joey's face actually showed a smug smile?
"Gotcha! You actually chose to Destroy my Backrow!" Joey was somewhat pleased. "The Card Destroyed by you is this one!"
Amidst a flash of white light, the Card Joey had Set last Turn revealed its true form – it was (Dark Coffin)?!
"(Dark Coffin)'s Effect can only be Activated when it's Destroyed. You can freely choose one option."
"Either Discard one Card from your Hand, or Target and Destroy one Monster you control." Joey said triumphantly, "However, you don't have any Cards in your Hand right now, so come on, choose one of your own Monsters to Destroy!"
"Damn it, you mere fodder Duelist!" Ptah said angrily. After some deliberation, he chose (Sealed Beast) Charmgal, which had already Activated its Effect. "This Monster will do; it has no more use anyway."
An ominous black mist floated out from (Dark Coffin), entwining itself around (Sealed Beast) Charmgal, which had served Ptah so well on the Field. As (Dark Coffin) was Destroyed, Charmgal's Life was also taken by the curse. Exploiting subordinates' usefulness and then discarding them – it seems Ptah already possessed the talent to become a qualified capitalist.
"Hmph, entering the Battle Phase!" Ptah was unaffected by the Destruction of his Monster. "The number of my (Sealed Beasts) has been reduced to only two by you. This is unforgivable. However, two (Sealed Beasts) are more than enough to finish you off!"
"(Sealed Beast) Boa Bolong, Attack (Hawk Knight)!"
(Sealed Beast) Boa Bolong, with its 1700 Attack Points, lunged at (Hawk Knight) with a mountain-crushing blow. Although (Hawk Knight) tried to block with its weapon, it was still Destroyed, and Joey's Life Points decreased.
[Joey: 2800 LP → 2100 LP]
"And now, for the final Attack!" Ptah felt like he could already see victory. "My strongest (Sealed Beast), Direct Attack that fodder Duelist!"
"Metal Mythos Impact!"
(Sealed Beast) Baolong's Attack Points soared to 2700, exceeding Joey's remaining Life Points. If this Attack hit, Joey would lose this Match.
Joey frowned: "Don't underestimate me! Open Set Card, (Counter Gate)! Your (Sealed Beast) Baolong's Direct Attack against me will be Negated!"
"Useless, useless, useless! (Sealed Beast) Baolong cannot be Targeted by card Effects! Whether it's Destruction, Banishment, or Attack reduction, it can Negate all of them!"
Joey, however, curled his lips into a smile: "Is that so?"
"What!?" Ptah watched as Baolong spewed out a massive torrent of hot breath, but a blue, square gate appeared before Joey. The scorching breath, capable of destroying anything, entered the gate, yet failed to cause even a ripple.
"(Counter Gate) doesn't Target your (Sealed Beast) Baolong; it Targets the Attack itself. Therefore, even Baolong, which can resist all Effects, cannot break through (Counter Gate)." Joey said, placing his finger on his Deck. "Then, I can Draw one Card from my Deck, and if I Draw a Monster Card, I can Summon it in Attack Position to the Field."
"Respond to me, my Deck!"
Joey fiercely Drew the top Card of his Deck. After seeing the Card, he played it to Summon it to the Field: "Come forth, (Sasuke Samurai)!"
[(Sasuke Samurai) [Level 2/Wind]]
[Warrior-Type/Effect]
[500/800]
"Another fodder Monster, tch. I end my Turn." If any of Ptah's Monsters on the Field could still Attack, he would have crushed this newly Summoned (Sasuke Samurai), but all his Monsters had already battled.
[Ptah: 300 LP, Hand 0]
[(Sealed Beast) Baolong [ATK 2700]]
[(Sealed Beast) Boa Bolong [ATK 1700]]
[(Sealed Mantra) [Set Card] [Set Card]]
(end of chapter)