"So the Set card was the Counter Trap, Solemn Strike..." Jiang He instantly guessed Alexis's plan.
"The effect of Solemn Strike is: pay 1500 Life Points to negate a monster's effect when it activates and destroy it!" Alexis hummed with a light laugh. "I originally prepared this trap specifically to target the core of your Exodia OTK deck Royal Magical Library."
"Even though the situation has changed, it's still just as effective!"
"I negate the effect of Obnoxious Celtic Guard and destroy it! After that, since Lava Golem has lost its original target, it can choose a new one!"
"Which means it can attack you directly!" Alexis stared at Jiang He confidently. She looked as though she were about to make him reap what he sowed and teach him a lesson.
One had to admit that Alexis Rhodes's dueling strength was indeed formidable. When choosing cards to counter him, she had picked a trap that could adapt to any situation rather than one that only worked against his previous Exodia deck.
Even Jaden and Syrus couldn't help but feel nervous for Jiang He! Meanwhile, Alexis's two friends looked as if they were finally getting some relief! Though they weren't the ones dueling Jiang He, their blood pressure had been rising steadily because of his antics!
"Nani?"
However, Alexis's brow soon furrowed. She watched in surprise as she activated Solemn Strike and a golden bolt of electricity shot from the card toward the crouching elven swordsman only to see that Jiang He still wore a faint smile.
Did this guy have something else ready?!
"A beautiful counter, but unfortunately... I activate my face-down card! The Continuous Trap, Royal Decree!"
As Jiang He raised his arm, the remaining Set card on his field flipped up! It revealed an image of a royal castle with a king standing on the ramparts, issuing commands to his subjects!
"The effect of Royal Decree is: as long as this card remains on my field, the effects of all other Trap Cards on the field are negated!"
"Does that mean Alexis paid 1500 LP for nothing? The effect of Solemn Strike to destroy that damned swordsman is negated!?" Mindy and Jasmine cried out in shock.
"The situation has completely reversed!" On the spectator boat, Jaden pumped his fist and laughed.
"Yeah!" Syrus nodded excitedly. He saw a glimmer of hope that he wouldn't be expelled. "After wasting those 1500 Life Points, Alexis only has 1000 LP left! When the next turn begins, she'll be defeated by Lava Golem's 1000 damage drawback!"
"That despicable guy... he even prepared for this...!" Alexis bit her lip, her expression turning heavy.
With this, her remaining two Set traps were completely useless! And there was no way to eliminate Lava Golem's self-destructive effect using her traps as she had originally planned.
Alexis looked at the last card in her hand the one she had just drawn this turn. After careful consideration, she finally placed it on her Duel Disk.
"I activate a Quick-Play Spell from my hand, Emergency Provisions!"
"By sending any number of Spell or Trap Cards from my field to the Graveyard other than this card I gain 1000 Life Points for each card sent!"
"I choose to send both of my remaining Set cards to the Graveyard to recover 2000 Life Points!"
As Alexis finished speaking, a card depicting a tin of biscuits appeared on her field. Her two face-down cards turned into particles of light and were consumed, vanishing entirely. Alexis's Life Points, which had been flickering like a candle in the wind at 1000 LP, ticked upward by 2000, bringing her back to 3000 LP!
"She recovered that much!?" Syrus was shocked.
"As expected of the elite known as the Queen of Obelisk Blue. Even in a disadvantageous environment, she remains resilient," Chumley added from the side.
Despite the praise, Alexis's expression remained grim. She stared intently at Jiang He. She knew perfectly well that using Emergency Provisions to gain Life Points by sacrificing her only cards capable of threatening Jiang He was a desperate move like drinking poison to quench thirst.
With Jiang He's Continuous Trap, Royal Decree, active, her two Set cards were useless in the short term anyway. Furthermore, her Life Points wouldn't have lasted until her next draw. She simply didn't have the time to wait and draw a card that could destroy Royal Decree.
She was forced to discard her only means of threatening the Celtic Guard or breaking the "cage" of Lava Golem. Jiang He was forcing her to continue "sitting in prison."
Alexis could already imagine what would happen next. She would have to helplessly watch as Lava Golem's drawback drained her Life Points away! Because right now, she had no cards in her hand, no Set cards on her field, and her only monster was the "traitor" Lava Golem, which couldn't break through the defense of Obnoxious Celtic Guard!
"I end my turn!" Alexis said, her voice filled with unwilling frustration.
[Ding! Alexis Rhodes's emotion points +500.]
"My turn, draw!"
Hearing the system prompt, Jiang He remained outwardly calm while rejoicing internally. He could only say that what came next was the crowd-pleasing "Imprisonment Phase," where she would lose 1000 Life Points every single turn!
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).