Chapter 8: The Third Duel
“Miss Twin Blossoms.” Li Guanqi steadied his breath and said, “I’ll ask you one last time.”
“If you still refuse to speak, I’ll have no choice but to call for help or the police.”
Twin Blossoms’ face fell, and she remained silent.
“Where is Bian Yuelong?” Li Guanqi asked.
“Do you have any contact information for your companions?”
“Phone numbers, QQ, WeChat, Duel Masters friends—anything…”
He asked several questions in a row, treating her like someone lost.
But Twin Blossoms just shook her head continuously, murmuring, “No need, can’t get in touch…”
“Then there’s nothing I can do,” Li Guanqi gave up on helping, glanced at the time, and sighed helplessly, “I have to return to school now, you…”
He looked up at Twin Blossoms and noticed her eyes wide open, lips trembling, unable to utter a sound, her vacant gaze fixed behind him.
Frowning, Li Guanqi turned around again.
Still, he found nothing unusual.
An ordinary desk, an ordinary computer, an ordinary door.
“Are you alright?” Li Guanqi came up to Twin Blossoms and waved his hand, instinctively asking, “Is your body feeling unwell?”
“Or… did you see something?”
His brow furrowed slightly, an indescribable strangeness creeping in.
“Can’t you see it?” Twin Blossoms looked at him in surprise, her voice trembling.
Li Guanqi checked all around again to confirm nothing was amiss, then leaned close and whispered, “What exactly am I supposed to see?”
“S…” Twin Blossoms parted her lips slightly, trying to say a word, but some force blocked her throat, only a faint sound escaping.
“Dead?” Li Guanqi frowned and asked.
She shook her head and said softly, “Let’s continue the duel.”
“The third round!”
“Now is not the time for dueling…” Li Guanqi said earnestly.
“Duel! Duel!” Twin Blossoms pouted playfully. “Third round, third round!”
“I didn’t even use a single card in the first two rounds.”
At the mention of dueling, she transformed back into a little girl.
“Alright then,” Li Guanqi sighed, “The final round.”
“After this, I’m really leaving.”
Unexpectedly, Twin Blossoms didn’t try to stop him this time, just nodded and hummed softly, “Mm.”
She lifted a faint smile and said, “You go first!”
“You’re the only one who can go second!”
“Fine, you attack first.” Li Guanqi’s tone held a hint of indulgence and care.
“No swapping for [Holy Grail Dragon]!” Twin Blossoms suddenly remembered and added.
Li Guanqi laughed until his chest twitched. “No swapping, no swapping. I’m still [Silver City].”
“The room number is still 505.”
He guessed rock-paper-scissors and let her take the first move.
Twin Blossoms couldn’t hide the smile creeping onto her lips.
The sky cleared, the rain stopped.
She felt capable again.
She hummed lightly and said, “Activate Magic Card, [One on One]!”
“I send [Holy Grail Dragon – Middle Dragon] from my hand to the graveyard. By this card’s effect, I can special summon a Level 1 monster from my deck.”
“The world’s most beautiful flower…”
“Be born—”
“Denied! No summoning.” Li Guanqi clicked the mouse coldly.
[Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring] suddenly lit up, the air turning icy and deathly silent.
“An Ash Blossom!” Twin Blossoms pounded the bed in frustration, shouting, “In that case, I summon this monster!”
“Appear, [Red Rose Dragon]!”
Just a tap on her phone screen summoned a monster, yet she looked up at Li Guanqi, flashing a proud smile.
It gave off the vibe of a flamboyant anime character.
Playing a rare monster card, projecting it, and immediately showing off to the opponent.
Her entire face screamed, “Look at my monster! Isn’t it beautiful and powerful?”
Is she truly playing a real Yu-Gi-Oh!?
Li Guanqi chuckled softly and waved his hand, “Go ahead, your move.”
“Activate the effect of [White Rose Dragon] in my hand.” Twin Blossoms hummed softly, “If there’s a Dragon-type Tuner on the field, this card can be special summoned!”
With a Level 3 Tuner and a Level 4 non-Tuner on the field, both used as Synchro materials, the effect would trigger.
What came next was clear.
“A dark flower…”
Twin Blossoms couldn’t contain her laughter any longer and shouted, “I’m going to—”
[Waiting for opponent’s response…]
The phone screen displayed the cold line of text.
“What are you doing?!” she glared angrily.
Li Guanqi was still reading card effects. The Rose Dragon series was rather niche.
The last time he saw them, the effects were used to summon [Crystron Halqifibrax].
After a long moment, he slowly said, “Activate the effect of [Ariyas] from my hand, send this card to the graveyard, set [Labyrinth Labyrinth Welcome]. This card’s effect can be activated the turn it is set.”
“Chain activate the effect of [Silver Princess], special summon this card.”
“Why is it you playing again?” Twin Blossoms wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. “Brother, I advise you to calm down.”
Li Guanqi ignored her and said calmly, “The highest etiquette in dueling is to give it your all.”
“Flip Set card—[Labyrinth Labyrinth Welcome], special summon a [Labyrinth Labyrinth] monster from the deck.”
“Chain activate [Silver Princess]’s effect.”
“Set from deck… [Magibullet Darumagma].”
At the mention of this formidable card, Twin Blossoms shuddered, “Hiss—”
“No, it’s nothing…”
“The card set by [Silver Princess] can’t activate this turn…”
Li Guanqi smiled faintly. “[Welcome] effect special summons [Arianna], whose effect adds [Time Thief Clock] to my hand.”
“Send [Time Thief Clock] from hand to graveyard.”
“You remember its effect, right?”
“Big brother~” Twin Blossoms pleaded, “Don’t~”
“Let me Synchro Summon, I’ll do anything.”
“It’s over, child.” Li Guanqi’s eyes gleamed with sharp light. “Flip Set card—[Magibullet Darumagma]!”
“All monsters on the field switch to face-down defense position!”
Twin Blossoms’ hard-earned [White Rose Dragon] and [Red Rose Dragon] had their exhilarating Synchro Summon cut short before it even began.
“Ah—” Twin Blossoms screamed wildly, clawing at the air.
“I’m done playing with you!”
“Lost three rounds in a row! Three rounds, three rounds…”
She lay back, staring at the ceiling with a look of utter despair.
Three duels: one where she fumbled and cheated, one where her second move was crippled until she had only six cards, and one where her first move was crushed by [Ash Blossom] and [Magibullet].
After all three rounds, she had no energy left.
Doctor Li’s cure for card addiction was undeniably effective.
“Had enough?” Li Guanqi walked over to the bed, reached for his phone, and said softly, “I’ve uninstalled YGO. Luckily, no one came.”
“I’ll contact your attending physician…”
Suddenly, Twin Blossoms grabbed his sleeve, her small arm surprisingly strong, yanking him onto the bed with a fierce tug.