Yu-Gi-Oh!: This isn't a duel!

You Yang suddenly waved his hand, and a card he had placed face down in the back row was suddenly flipped over!

A golden light shone in the darkness!

"Chain effect on your [Hades Barrier Wave]!"

You Yang suddenly waved his hand, and a card he had placed face down in the back row flipped over!

A dazzling golden light, like a sharp sword piercing through the long night of despair, suddenly shone brightly in the dark barrier!

"I activate the Trap Card—[Rapid Raptor - Glorious Radiance]!"

"If you control a 'Raid Raptor' monster, you can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls."

"but!"

You Yang's voice suddenly rose, filled with undeniable power.

"If you control a 'Raid Raptor' Xyz Monster, you can also target one face-up card your opponent controls instead!"

"That card's effect is negated until the end of the turn!"

"I currently have two 'Rapid Raptor' Xyz Monsters on my field!"

"Therefore, I'm targeting your [Hades Barrier Wave] that you're currently activating on the field!"

"Activate this effect!"

"To completely nullify its effects!"

As You Yang announced, the sacred [Rapid Raptor - Ultimate Falcon] let out a sharp cry that pierced through the clouds and split rocks. Sacred golden light burst forth from the core of its chest, transforming into a pure beam of energy that charged fiercely toward the impending Hades Barrier Wave!

Outside the barrier, on Tiandao Lian's face, which had turned deathly pale with despair, a flame called "hope" instantly reignited!

Yup!

While the rules state that monster effects cannot be used to chain [Pluto Barrier Wave], this does not apply to Spell and Trap Cards!

Therefore, Youyang can use trap cards to deal with this!

As expected of Mr. You Yang! Even in such a desperate situation, he still had such a precise backup plan!

"cut!"

For the first time, a soft, disdainful "tsk" escaped from the flawless face of the Earthbound God, Veracocha Raska.

He did not expect that Youyang's backstage area was covered with a three-color eraser under special circumstances.

It seems we have no choice but to abandon our previous tactics and activate this card!

His movements were swift and decisive; another blank card materialized instantly at his fingertips and was inserted into the Duel Disk without hesitation.

"Chain the effect of your [Rapid Raptor - Glory of Radiance]!"

His voice remained cold.

"I activate the counter-trap card from my hand—[Red Reboot]!"

"This card can also pay out half of the Life Points and be activated directly from the hand."

【Earthbound God Viracocha Raska: LP 7000→ 3500】

"Can only be activated when the opponent activates a Trap Card."

"Invalidate that activation, and set that card face down."

"After that, the opponent can set one Trap Card from their deck in their Spell & Trap Zone."

"After this card is activated, your opponent cannot activate any more trap cards until the end of the turn."

A blinding, ominous crimson lightning bolt descended from the sky and struck You Yang's newly activated trap card!

With a crisp sound, like a switch being pulled, all the magic and trap effects on the field vanished into nothingness at that moment.

The [Rapid Raptor - Ultimate Falcon], which had already flown into the air and was preparing to unleash its ineffective beam, could only let out a mournful cry of resentment and helplessly landed.

The pitch-black chains, powerful enough to seal everything, came binding him once more. This time, You Yang did not retaliate.

You Yang's heart sank slightly.

As expected... as a god, He must possess such a powerful card.

Actually, there is a card in his Raptor deck that can perfectly deal with this situation, but unfortunately, that key card cannot be searched.

"Alright, now set a Trap Card to the top of your deck."

Earthbound God Veracocha Raska smiled faintly, and in a condescending tone, instructed You Yang to handle the aftermath of [Red Reboot].

"I set the counter trap card, [Raptor Sudden Wind], from my deck and put it on the field."

You Yang expressionlessly drew the card from his deck and placed it face down on the field.

Counter Trap Cards possess the supreme Spell Speed—Speed ​​3—in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!

Aside from being a counter-trap and a very few monster effects that can be used without activation, it is almost impossible to be chained by any effect.

Even if you are a powerful monster with three colors of Kang, you cannot negate the effect of the counterattack trap.

At this moment, You Yang was once again in a huge disadvantage like never before!

Outside the barrier, a girl dressed in an elegant witch's outfit was riding a magnificent scepter that shimmered with azure light, smiling as she moved forward.

With each swing of her wand, a gentle shockwave would emanate, clearing away the massive boulders and ruins blocking her path and creating a safe way for Ling Shiyao behind her.

As the last piece of rubble was pushed aside, the altar space hidden beneath the void gradually appeared before Ling Shiyao.

Looking at the two figures in front of her, their hair turned white and they looked incredibly old because their life force had been overdrawn, Ling Shiyao felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart tightly, and an indescribable bitterness and sorrow welled up in her heart.

Tears, without her noticing, silently streamed down her face.

But she quickly took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the grief in her heart, roughly wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, and walked forward with firm steps.

As he gazed at his most cherished daughter drawing ever closer, Ling Zhiyong felt a bitter smile creep across his face.

Shiyao must be very disappointed in herself.

"Dad... this might be the last time I call you that."

Ling Shiyao's voice trembled slightly, but her eyes were unusually firm.

"I want to know, what is your purpose in doing all this?"

"I hope... you can tell me the real answer."

Gazing into his daughter's eyes, brimming with tears yet brimming with unwavering determination, Ling Zhiyong's already withered heart felt as if it had been pierced with pain. He sighed heavily and, in a hoarse voice, gestured for Ling Shiyao to stand in front of him.

Mo Lao and the others wisely refrained from disturbing the father and daughter's final conversation. Supporting each other, they staggered along the passage that Ling Shiyao had previously cleared, heading towards the city that had become a dead zone.

They committed an unforgivable and heinous crime, but at least, in the end, let them see with their own eyes who is bearing the burden of all this for them, these sinners.

Looking at his most cherished daughter sitting upright in front of him, Ling Zhiyong's wrinkled and aged face once again revealed a gentle smile, reminiscing about the past.

His memory seemed to be pulled back to a very, very long time ago by an invisible force, so long ago...

Ling Shiyao hasn't been born yet...

Do you know... how I met your mother?

He gently raised his withered hand, as if wanting to stroke his daughter's cheek, but then stopped in mid-air.

Ling Shiyao shook her head, tears blurring her vision once again.

She didn't really know anything about her parents' past; she only knew that they were a loving couple, the kind of couple everyone saw as loving.

After all, his mother had passed away early, and after that, his father focused all his attention on his work, using frantic work to numb the pain of losing his beloved.

"My acquaintance with your mother began with that chance encounter."

"We are students at the same university, but not in the same department."

"She is a research major specializing in theory, while I am a combat major focusing on practical application."

"I am a poor boy from the countryside, and she is a carefree young lady from the city."

"Because your mother doesn't have elven powers; in other words, she's an ordinary person."

"Logically speaking, we should be two parallel lines that will never intersect in this life."

"But your mother has an almost obsessive love for things related to card spirits."

Chapter 173 Now, I'm entering the battle phase!

"It was this passion that led to our meeting."

"At that time, I was somewhat well-known at school, so during a field trip, I naturally caught her attention."

“We are far behind in other areas, but when it comes to cards, we always have endless topics to discuss.”

"So we fell in love quickly and then graduated from university smoothly."

“Your grandfather thought highly of me and, despite all the objections, got me a job at the Metropolitan Police Department.”

"You have to understand that in today's world, nothing is easier for someone to get promoted than solid achievements."

"But your mother had a big fight with your grandfather over this."

"Because the work of the Metropolitan Police Department is actually very dangerous, and in order to gain merit, you have to go to the front line."

"Fighting those vicious and ruthless dark duelists, one wrong move and you're dead."

"That was the first time I disagreed with your mother. Because I really needed this job."

“It’s not just because of the promotion, but because I know that this is also a test that your grandfather has given me.”

“If I were just a good-for-nothing who could only talk a good game and live off a woman, how could he possibly entrust his precious daughter to me?”

"The same applies to me; I have to prove myself."

Ling Zhiyong stretched out his withered hands, which had become dry from the loss of life, and gently grasped Ling Shiyao's cold hands. Those hands still carried the warmth of a father.

“I am very lucky. With the help of the resources provided by your grandfather, and with my own courage and determination, I have been able to fight hard.”

"I did manage to deal with a lot of troublesome dark duelists, and in the process, I also captured a lot of elven duelists who were on the verge of crime."

"Since they haven't committed any heinous crimes, we don't have the right to execute them; we can only detain them temporarily."

"Once they are released from prison, they will be reintegrated into society."