AI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
Chapter 486: Every time I see the moon, I think of me.
Xiao Zi, or rather, the skill combination this guy painstakingly put together for Gastly belonged to a very insidious and single-target system—
Curse + Hypnosis + Dream Eater + Substitute.
Substitute for self-preservation, Curse for compulsion, and the combination of Hypnosis + Dream Eater allowed Gastly to control the opponent while effectively recovering its own HP lost due to Curse.
Gastly, in Xiao Zi's hands, was primarily used for support and cooperation, with the main damage output handled by the main body.
The base accuracy of Hypnosis is only 60%, and when it's used on a Boss unit with a leader template, it inevitably decreases further.
Its effectiveness against Iori Yagami this time was a low-probability event, but it just so happened that the Yasakani Magatama, one of the Three Sacred Treasures within Iori's body, pulsed at this critical moment.
This gave Iori Yagami, who might have already fallen asleep, a chance to resist, and he didn't hesitate to forcibly awaken himself through self-mutilation.
His bleeding head made Iori look even more terrifying.
"Surrender! Substitute!!!"
Iori was decisive, but Xiao Zi was even more decisive, immediately raising his hand to signal the referee.
Since the damage-healing path of Hypnosis plus Dream Eater was no longer viable, Xiao Zi naturally followed his original plan and directly conceded to substitute.
The moment the host announced Iori Yagami as the winner, a searing pain instantly appeared on Iori Yagami's body.
It was as if the nail that had just been driven into Xiao Zi's forehead had pierced his own internal organs.
Correspondingly, Iori Yagami's HP bar plummeted by a quarter—the Curse effect took full effect!
Even because of his self-mutilation, Iori Yagami, who had only exchanged a couple of blows and forced his opponent off the stage, actually had less than 70% of his HP remaining.
The effect of Curse is very powerful, but the way to remove it is also very simple: just jumping off the stage immediately dispels it.
However, given Iori Yagami's personality, this path was indirectly blocked; even if Cheng Tian directly blurted out this method, his pride probably wouldn't allow him to use it.
A prime example of suffering for the sake of appearances.
Xiao Zi's strategic retreat made Iori Yagami very uncomfortable, but he couldn't rush down and directly claw his opponent's head.
With blood still on his forehead, Iori Yagami's aura grew increasingly dangerous.
This anger he received from Xiao Zi would inevitably be borne by the next contestant.
To ensure the Curse's persistence, Team 996 immediately sent out their mid-tier contestant, "Babao Fan."
A small person who looked no taller than 1.4 meters, and at first glance, one couldn't even tell if he was male or female.
However, like Billy Kane, he also came onto the stage armed.
The weapon he used was a considerably large circular blade, like a hula hoop that could easily be worn on his body.
The outer edge of the entire ring was a sharp blade, with only two relatively very narrow areas for gripping.
With the ring blade slung diagonally across his body, Babao Fan had already assumed a fighting stance.
"I wonder if it's a ring weapon from the Dynasty Warriors series, or the beloved weapon of the demon realm plastic surgeon, Shigure."
Cheng Tian, still maintaining his professional integrity, continued to cover the microphone.
Circular weapons are quite rare among all types of cold weapons, and large rings of this size, similar to hula hoops, are even rarer.
However, judging by the extremely plain appearance of this ring blade, almost devoid of any extra decoration, Cheng Tian leaned towards the latter.
At the same time, he was also very curious about how to wield such a weapon, reminiscent of the Six-Harmony Child.
The diligent little mustache once again announced the start of the mid-tier battle, and Iori Yagami, brimming with pent-up anger, surprisingly repeated his old trick, unleashing a Dark Thrust.
Even without the Levitate ability, this ground wave only required a proper mid-jump to easily leap over, and Babao Fan did just that.
Small and agile, he retracted and extended his thigh, and his entire body leaped over two meters high with extreme lightness; it wasn't that he couldn't jump higher, but there was no need.
But just as the Dark Thrust swept past Babao Fan's crotch, Iori Yagami's hand, still imbued with Pale Flames, made a gripping motion.
Immediately after, the "Dark Thrust" below suddenly erupted into a pillar of energy, almost instantaneously engulfing Babao Fan in mid-air—
Special Move! Ura 108 Shiki: Ya Sakazuki!
And Babao Fan, who was tragically struck, was as if frozen; his body motionless, he was forcibly fixed in mid-air, defying gravity!
"Iori-senpai turned the tables! He used his opponent's underestimation of the Dark Thrust to conceal the highly covert special move, Ya Sakazuki, successfully hitting his opponent!
Now, contestant Babao Fan not only has to endure the stagnation and erosion of his body by the Pale Flames, but also face all the anger Iori-senpai accumulated in the previous battle!!!"
Cheng was impassioned, spitting saliva.
And just as Cheng Tian said, Babao Fan was about to endure all of Iori Yagami's wrath.
Ya Sakazuki uses the power of the sacred artifact to temporarily seal the target with Pale Flames.
The target's body and will enter a momentary eternal stagnation phase for the duration of Ya Sakazuki's effect, and at this time, any external force can easily break this stagnation.
Essentially different from time stop, but for the affected person, it is almost the same—they can only be forcibly fixed in place and wildly beaten.
And the next moment, Iori Yagami's hands were already raised above his head—this was the starting stance of the forbidden technique, learned by observing Orochi killing eight maiden sacrifices—
Kin 1211 Shiki: Ya Otome!
"It's coming, it's coming, it's coming! Ya Otome is coming!"
Cheng Tian was quite excited, as the forbidden technique, which he had seen countless times in various fighting games and videos, was about to unfold before his eyes.
With blood still on his forehead and a crazed smile on his face, Iori Yagami advanced like a phantom, lightly leaping as his five claw-like fingers mercilessly clasped Babao Fan's throat.
At that moment, all the Pale Flames representing Ya Sakazuki's effect on Babao Fan dissipated, but with his throat already clasped, he had lost the ability to resist.
Babao Fan, forcibly dragged back to the ground by Iori Yagami, had already taken Iori Yagami's second claw to the chest.
The blood hadn't even had time to splatter before it was evaporated by the Pale Flames.
The third claw, the fourth claw… each scratch represented a part of muscle fiber being torn apart.
Babao Fan's small body was subjected to inhumane and cruel treatment, like a broken rag doll.
After all eight claws were unleashed, Iori Yagami grabbed Babao Fan's head and fiercely slammed his own forehead, imbued with Pale Flames and blood, against it!
But at that very moment, a large surge of green aura erupted from Babao Fan's body.
This final blow of Ya Otome, which should have been fatal, instead caused Babao Fan's bloodied health to sharply increase—
Abaddon, the Night Stalker Hero's skill, Borrowed Time.
When reaching the lowest critical health point, Borrowed Time automatically activates, dispelling all negative effects on the body and entering a state where all incoming damage is fully converted into HP recovery, lasting for 4 seconds.
Babao Fan, who was sent flying by Ya Otome's final blow, took the opportunity to pick up the ring blade from the ground.
He then aimed the hollow center at Iori Yagami, who was in a skill-release cooldown state, and uttered with difficulty, "Babao… Ring Kill!"