Is this the poker world?Ada thief!

Chapter 1720 The Last Knight (Part 2)

"Open the face-down card in my back row—Trap Card [Scabble Howl] activated!"

As the face-down card was revealed, Koji Sato's "Scabbed Wounded Knight" on the field struck the same pose as in the card art, its imposing aura bursting forth as if it had materialized.

—No, to be precise, its sudden burst of power did have a tangible impact. Not only did the tattered armor on the [Scabbed Scar Knight] peel off piece by piece and be blown away, but even the attack from [C·hero Chaos Knight], who was attacking it in mid-air, was blocked by an invisible barrier.

Like a defensive field called "Wall of the Heart" from a famous anime, it spread around the [Scabbed Scar Knight], which also seemed to have run out of that set, and stood in front of Mr. Sato Koji. He explained, "This card can only be activated when attacked by a monster with an attack power of 2000 or more. It reduces the damage of that battle to 0 and destroys one [Scabbed Scar Knight] on my field along with the attacking monster!"

"Nani!?"

The "Wall of the Heart" expanded, capturing the [C·hero Chaos Knight] who had been blocked from attacking and fell to the ground, and imprisoning it together with the [Scabbed Scar Knight]. The "AT Field", which was originally only used for defense, became a hydraulic press when it contracted inward, crushing both Jaden and Koji Sato's monsters!

"The follow-up to the effect of 【Scabling Howl】 is that I then Special Summon 【Howling Scarred Knight】 from my hand and Deck." Revealing a card in his hand and placing it face down on the Duel Disk, Koji Sato displayed a fierce fighting spirit for the first time in this duel. "Knight who fights to the very end, bearing expectations and hopes, reveal your unbound true self here!"

Special Summon, Rank 1!

"Leave all the formalities behind, come out, Wagha Tamashi!"

"【The Howling, Scarred Knight】!"

[Koji Sato: 2900LP, hand 7→6]

【The Howling, Scarred Knight】【1☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[0/0]

"A monster with 0 attack and 0 defense?!" Jaden looked at the knight who appeared on Sato Koji's field, holding a shield in one hand and equipped with an arm blade in the other. Looking at him and Sato Koji behind him, he suddenly felt that the two were too similar.

It's not that the shield and arm blades look like a disassembled duel disk, or that the appearance of the [Howling Scarred Knight] resembles that of Mr. Sato Koji. The "similarity" that Jaden felt refers to the pure aura. After summoning the [Howling Scarred Knight], Mr. Sato Koji gave Jaden the feeling that the opponent was an invincible knight, and the [Howling Scarred Knight] also looked like he had been through countless battles.

"Is that the true form of the [Scabbed-over Knight]?"

"As you just heard, this guy has been fighting with everyone's expectations and hopes all along."

Looking at his monster, Koji Sato's eyes revealed an unprecedented gentleness, as if the other party was no longer just a simple card monster in his eyes, but a trusted friend, a comrade worthy of entrustment, a reliable partner, a friend he could never give up, or even a close family member. "What the 'Howling Scarred Knight' symbolizes is everything I have to bear."

"However, in the long duels, the [Scarred Knight] fought, fought, and fought continuously. The accumulated pain clung to his body, turning into indelible scars. Neither the [Howling Scarred Knight] nor I were able to hold on until the end of our journey. During a duel performance, I was too exhausted and was knocked down by a virtual projection system with amplified impact. The [Howling Scarred Knight] also changed in that battle due to the scars that had accumulated over time."

"It can be said that no one understands the pain that the Howling Scarred Knight felt better than me, and likewise, no one else can understand what I have been through better than the Howling Scarred Knight."

Looking at Judai, Koji Sato's expression turned serious again: "This is the result of accepting and bearing everyone's expectations and hopes, fighting to the very end—the last knight, the [Howling Scarred Knight]!"

"So, that's the [Hero] who fights continuously, the 'Hero' that belongs to Teacher Sato." Looking at the two warriors in front of him—Teacher Sato and the [Howling Scarred Knight], Jaden fell silent. Infected by the atmosphere, the words that Teacher Sato had said earlier surfaced in his mind one by one.

His own duel was too frivolous and lacked substance.
I simply enjoy dueling and heroes, which is why I duel like a hero.
He acts solely for his own purposes, and his mind is only on himself.
But I really don't understand things like the responsibilities of a hero, the weight of a duel, or the significance of the expectations and hopes of others.
"What's wrong, Jaden Yuki!" Seeing that Jaden was distracted, Koji Sato spoke up, "Now that we've entered the battle phase, show the attitude of the 'hero' you admire. Warriors should be ready to die for their cause. There's no time to distract you now, is there?"

"If you're confused, don't draw cards! Attack me and the [Howling Wounded Knight]!"

Following John and Caesar, Jaden became the third new generation duelist inspired by Hayato's words. His confusion temporarily dissipated, and Jaden gritted his teeth and shouted, "Since it is a Special Summon during the Battle Phase, then I will continue to attack with the monsters on my field!"

Although [C·hero Chaos Knight] was destroyed and [E·hero Sunrise Knight] has already attacked and used its effect, Jaden still has three monsters on the field: [E·hero Sky Knight], [Winged Kuriboh LV6], and [E·hero Flame Wingman] that haven't attacked yet. Surely [Howling Scar Knight] can't still be a monster that can't be destroyed by battle, right?
十代选择了用攻击力最低的【羽翼栗子球LV6】进行试探，就算没有【E·hero日出侠】提供的加成、【羽翼栗子球LV6】的原本攻击力也有300点、高于【嚎哭的伤痕骑士】仅为0点的守备力，哪怕因为【C·hero混沌侠】的离开使得十代场上少了个暗属性、导致【E·hero日出侠】提供的攻击力加成从三种属性时的600点下降到400点也没什么大的影响。

【E·hero Sunrise Man】【ATK3100→2900】

【E·hero Sky Warrior】【ATK2400→2200】

【E·hero Flame Winged Man】【ATK2700→2500】

【Winged Kuriboh LV6】【ATK900→700】

Although Jaden didn't know the specific abilities of the "Howling Scarred Knight," which had 0 attack and 0 defense and seemed to have some powerful effect, he could counter it with "Winged Kuriboh LV6" even if Koji Sato activated it.

"【Winged Kuriboh LV6】attack, beloved wings!"

"Kuri kuri kuri!" As Jaden gave the command, his Winged Kuriboh LV6 flapped its wings and flew up, accelerating and waving its two short arms as it crashed into Howling Scarred Knight.

"Not so easy!" Koji Sato revealed a card in his hand. "If a monster in Defense Position on my field is attacked, I can send this [Guardian of the Garrison] from my hand to the Graveyard during that Damage Step to activate its effect!"

The phantom of a warrior carrying a castle on his back merged into the body of the Howling Scarred Knight. He raised his round shield in a blocking stance, precisely catching the impact of the Winged Kuriboh LV6 and perfectly dissipating the force, without being damaged by it!?

Not only that, he also had the strength to use the arm blade held in his other hand to slash at [Winged Kuriboh LV6], sending it flying like a golf ball and crashing into Jaden!
"Ugh! Are you alright, Aibo?" Jaden instinctively caught the Winged Kuriboh LV6 that was coming towards him. He groaned reflexively due to the drop in his Life Points, but he still immediately showed concern for the Winged Kuriboh LV6 in his arms.

“Kuriri…” Shaking her head to indicate that she was not injured, [Winged Kuriboh LV6] felt more guilty for not being able to help Jaden. It was at this moment that Koji Sato finally began to explain the effect of his card: “Under the effect of [Guardian of the Fang Castle], the DEF of my monster that fought that battle—[Howling Scarred Knight]—increases by 1500 points until the End Phase.”

"Winged Kuriboh LV6 with 700 ATK and Howling Scarred Knight with 1500 ATK and DEF. Although it won't destroy your monster in return, take this 800 points of battle damage, Jaden."

[The Howling, Scarred Knight] [DEF0→1500]

[Yuki Jaden: 2000→1200LP, 3 cards in hand]

Because the effect of [Guardian of the Garrison] takes effect during the damage calculation step and is not activated on the field, Jaden has no way to prevent it from taking effect. The effect of [Winged Kuriboh LV6] is also limited to the opponent activating the effects of monsters on the field.

I intended to test the waters with the lowest attack power, [Winged Kuriboh LV6], but the effect of [Howling Scarred Knight] didn't work, and instead, Jaden's base score was reduced by 800 points.

However, Jaden wasn't about to be discouraged by such a defeat. He pointed at the Howling Scarred Knight again and said, "Using the effects of other monsters to protect itself, unless that monster's effect is so powerful that it has great limitations, then it's only possible that the Howling Scarred Knight doesn't have any self-protection effects, right, Sato-sensei?"

Based on his own understanding of "heroes," Jaden made a deduction, because in his mind, the "Howling Scarred Knight" was that kind of "hero" who fought without regard for his own life or death.

"Then, I'll use [E·hero Sky Warrior] to attack, Cyclone Charge Tornado!"

Not worried at all that Sato Koji would pull out another [Guardian of the Fang City] to increase the [Howling Scarred Knight's] defense again and cause him to deal a second counterattack, Jaden chose to have [E·hero Sky Knight] with 2200 attack power launch a second attack on [Howling Scarred Knight].

Propelled by the thrusters, the entire body moved at high speed and began to spin. [E·hero Sky Knight] transformed into a horizontal tornado, attacking Mr. Sato Koji's field, determined to tear [Howling Scarred Knight] to shreds in the whirlwind.

At this moment, Koji Sato played his cards again. Thanks to the large number of cards that had been replenished to his hand while [Biancheng] was still on the field, although not every card in his hand could be used, he could still squeeze out one or two cards that could protect his ace monster.

"[Guard the Bamboo Fence]!"

Koji Sato, who discarded another card and sent it to the graveyard, said, "When my monsters battle, their damage calculations are also based on sending this card to the graveyard to activate its effect."

"Prevents the [Howling Scarred Knight] from being destroyed by that battle, and its attack power is halved until the end of the turn."

However, half of 0 attack power is still 0. The Howling Scarred Knight did not experience any change in attack power due to the Guardian Fence that grew out of the ground and blocked its way. Instead, it used the fence as cover to nimbly dodge the attack of E·hero Sky Warrior, who was attracted to the Guardian Fence and rushed towards it.

In this way, the only monster left on the field that hasn't attacked yet is [E-Hero Flame Wingman], and Koji Sato's life score is still 2900 points, which hasn't changed since [Divine Beast King - Barbaros] was destroyed.

[Koji Sato: 2900LP, hand 6→5→4]

"Although I blocked two attacks in a row, this is still my limit." Looking at the remaining cards in his hand, apart from the [Stonehenge] he had left at the end of the last turn, the other three were [Explosive Armor], [Great Arrest], and [Scab Burst]. None of them were of any use. He could say that he had made his last struggle.

If it were a duelist like Hayato Kobayashi, he might have used the number of cards he had to bluff, but Koji Sato wouldn't do that. Instead, he bluntly told Jaden about his situation without worrying about being misunderstood as trying to lure him into attacking. "Next, I don't have any more cards to protect [Howling Scarred Knight]."

John, watching from the sidelines, suddenly said to the Howling Scarred Knight, "'Then it's my turn to protect you,' that's what the Howling Scarred Knight said."

"...See the Spirit's ability? It's an ability that all duelists envy. Who wouldn't want to be in sync with their card?" Koji Sato glanced at John and smiled. "But even without that ability, I've already reached an understanding with [The Howling Scarred Knight]."

"John Anderson, who has the same abilities, Jaden, you might not become a warrior who fights alone to the end, right? But there is also the possibility that you will go astray and become completely lost after losing your friends. After all, your duels do not carry enough weight for you."

"Yes, even now, my judgment of you remains unchanged in this respect, Judai."

Carrying the Duel Disk, Koji Sato said, "Come on, Judai Yuki!"

Koji Sato was acutely aware that he would lose. Even with the current situation on the field, Jaden couldn't kill him even if he destroyed the Howling Scarred Knight. But he had this "duelist's intuition".

In response, Judai's answer was—

"【E·hero Flame Winged Man】's attack destroyed 【Howling Scarred Knight】, sparks shattered!"

The attack of the 2500-point 【E·hero Flame Wingman】 easily destroyed the 1500-point DEF 【Howling Scarred Knight】, which had no other cards to support it, causing it to be eliminated before it could unleash its power. However, its 0-point attack also prevented 【E·hero Flame Wingman】 from damaging Sato Koji through its effects.

From the moment the "Wailing Wounded Knight" appeared until his departure, Mr. Sato Koji was not harmed in the slightest during the time this "last knight" was present. He protected Mr. Sato Koji until the very end of his life.

Looking at the empty field of Sato-sensei, Jaden drew a card from his three-card hand and said, "Then, during my Battle Phase, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Instant Fusion]!"

"Send my [E·hero Skyman], [E·hero Sunriseman], [E·hero Flamewingman], and [C·hero Chaosman] to the Graveyard as Fusion Materials!"

"Wake-Up! Sleeping [Hero]!"

"Fusion Summon, Level 10☆!"

"[Wake Up Your E·hero]!"

　Top, middle, and then not bottom but back (smug)!

　　Speaking of which, today is Manjoume's birthday.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)