Amid the astonishment of the citizens of Mondstadt, Luya successfully summoned [Elemental HERO - Tempest], boasting an impressive 2800 ATK.
"Battle Phase!"
"[Elemental HERO - Tempest], attack [Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude]!"
Raising his right hand, Luya commanded Tempest.
The wings behind Tempest spread wide as he soared above Mondstadt Plaza. A violent gust surged upward—raging wind carrying devastating force, as if it could tear the plaza apart, and swept toward Diluc's Diamond Dude.
Standing in the darkness of [Dark City], Diamond Dude awaited his fate.
The storm's violent winds ripped Diamond Dude to shreds. Even after tearing him apart, the tempest didn't stop—it continued lashing toward Diluc.
Though he didn't feel real pain, the sight alone made the citizens of Mondstadt wince. It looked agonizing.
At the same time, Diluc took 1400 points of battle damage.
[Diluc, LP: 3900 → 2500]
"Oh no, it looks like Master Diluc's in trouble!"
"Yeah… the situation's turned again."
"Still, this Duel Monsters game is way more thrilling than Genius Invokation TCG!"
"For sure! Genius Invokation's just a few cards on a table—this is on a whole different level!"
"And the card effects are so varied and dramatic!"
After [Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude] was destroyed, Diluc reacted immediately.
He raised his hand, eyes resolute. "I activate the Trap Card [Destiny Signal]!"
As the Trap activated, a beam of light shot up from Diluc's field, forming a massive letter "D." From that symbol, another Destiny HERO emerged.
[Destiny HERO - Defender] Level 3│DARK│Warrior│800 ATK / 800 DEF
His long orange hair blazed like fire, and he carried a massive shield like an unbreakable fortress. Bare-chested and muscular, his hardened form gleamed with resolve. His fierce gaze radiated indomitable spirit—declaring his courage to the world.
This was [Destiny HERO - Defender].
"When a monster on your field is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can activate this card. Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Destiny HERO' monster from your hand or Deck."
Though his ATK was only 800, [Destiny HERO - Defender] had an effect that would let Diluc Special Summon the [Destiny HERO] destroyed this turn back to the field during his next Standby Phase.
Then—
Luya ended his turn.
A spark of determination ignited in Diluc's eyes.
"My turn—Draw!"
Diluc drew a card. At the same time, the effect of the Spell Card [Misfortune], which had been sent to the Graveyard by [Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude]'s effect last turn, activated.
A swirl of dark mist enveloped Luya's [Elemental HERO - Tempest]. As the fog shrouded Tempest, black energy burst forward toward Luya himself!
[Luya, LP: 3700 → 2300]
Diluc smiled. "Spell Card [Misfortune]. Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; inflict damage to your opponent equal to half that monster's original ATK. Monsters you control cannot attack the turn you activate this effect."
[Misfortune] dealt 1400 damage—half of Tempest's 2800 ATK.
Then—
The effect of [Destiny HERO - Defender] activated.
With a flash of pale blue light, the [Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude] destroyed the previous turn returned to Diluc's field.
Next, Diluc smiled slightly.
"I activate [Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude]'s effect. Reveal the top card of my Deck—if it's a Spell Card, send it to the Graveyard and I can use its effect next turn."
Diluc revealed the top card.
[D - Force] (Spell Card)
"Since it's a Spell Card, it goes to the Graveyard—it'll activate next turn!"
[D - Force] had the ability to add [Destiny HERO - Plasma] from the Deck or Graveyard to the hand, among other effects.
"Next, I Normal Summon [Destiny HERO - Doom Lord]!"
A warrior draped in a blood-red cloak appeared—his form demonic, skin jet-black, claws sharp, his face hidden behind a white mask.
[Destiny HERO - Doom Lord] Level 3│DARK│Warrior│800 ATK / 800 DEF
With three monsters now on Diluc's field, murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Master Diluc's got a lot of monsters, but their ATK values are so low… Even with [Dark City], they can't reach 2800!"
"And since he used [Misfortune], his monsters can't attack this turn!"
"I wonder what he'll do next…"
"Yeah… their ATK is really low."
"Aside from Diamond Dude, none of them even hit 1000 ATK!"
"What now?"
Though Diluc now had three monsters on the field, their Attack remained low. Even with the Field Spell's support, they couldn't surpass Tempest's 2800 ATK.
The citizens of Mondstadt watched anxiously, worried for Diluc's chances.
...
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