Chapter 149: But You Do Have One!

Watching Rowan set down yet another face-down monster silhouette, Jaden, Syrus, and Alexis all found themselves entertaining the same suspicion the elder had.

Could this set monster be another Gravekeeper's Guard? Knowing Rowan the way they did, it honestly wasn't out of the question, dragging this poor Gravekeeper elder through the same brutal cycle over and over, forcing him onto the field only to send him packing right back to his pillar each time.

"My turn, draw!"

After a moment of frowning hesitation, the elder, as the one under duel, decided to draw first and see what he had to work with.

The instant he saw the card, though, a confident smile crept back onto his face.

"Boy, even if the monster you've set this time is Gravekeeper's Guard again, it won't matter! Allow me to show you that when it comes to knowledge of our clan's own deck, you'll never surpass me!"

With that, the elder revealed the card he'd just drawn. "I Normal Summon Gravekeeper's Assailant in Attack Position!"

"Hah!!"

A flash of light rose up, and that familiar masked female assassin in black robes and hood materialized with a low battle cry, appearing on the field beside Gravekeeper's Spearman.

[Gravekeeper's Assailant] [Level: 4] [Attribute: DARK] [ATK: 1500] [DEF: 1500]

"Go, Gravekeeper's Assailant, attack Gravekeeper's Guard!"

Once he'd summoned the assassin, the elder immediately swept his hand out to give the command.

"What?! How?!"

Alexis exclaimed, startled. Gravekeeper's Assailant's attack was only 1500, even boosted by Necrovalley up to 2000. But Rowan's Gravekeeper's Guard, which also benefited from that same Necrovalley boost, had 2400 defense.

Attacking into it should only hurt the elder's own monster.

"Gravekeeper's Assailant's special effect: as long as Necrovalley is on the field, when she attacks, she can switch the opposing monster's battle position."

Professor Banner explained. "That's exactly how she took down Jaden's ace monster, Flame Wingman, so easily earlier."

Nearby, Jaden's expression turned serious as he watched the duel unfold.

"The old man's probably planning to switch Rowan's Gravekeeper's Guard into Attack Position to destroy it!"

"Heh heh, that's exactly right!" The elder grinned at Rowan.

"I activate Gravekeeper's Assailant's special effect, switching your Gravekeeper's Guard into Attack Position, then destroying it in battle!"

As he spoke, Gravekeeper's Assailant leapt into the air, a dark purple energy flaring to life around her, streaking down onto Rowan's Gravekeeper's Guard.

The bald, potbellied guard, as though seized by that dark purple force, was wrenched up from its crouched defensive stance, forced to stand upright, spear now held in attack position.

"Gravekeeper's Guard only has 1000 attack, and even with the boost from my own Necrovalley, which you've been freeloading off of, that's still only 1500. More than enough for my 2000 attack Gravekeeper's Assailant to destroy it easily. Go, Shadow Backstab!"

A triumphant grin spread across the elder's face as he clenched a fist, satisfied. He'd thought this through carefully.

Even if the other set monster on Rowan's field turned out to be another Gravekeeper's Guard, capable of sending one of his monsters back to his hand next turn, he could still handle it easily afterward thanks to Gravekeeper's Assailant's effect.

Especially with the face-down card he had waiting on his own field, a trap capable of reviving a monster from the Graveyard, unaffected by Necrovalley's own Graveyard seal.

He was ready for anything.

"Old Gravekeeper gentleman, it looks like you've completely written off those three face-down cards on my side of the field as decoration."

Just as Gravekeeper's Assailant appeared behind Gravekeeper's Guard, curved blade poised for the backstab, Rowan spoke up without a trace of concern, raising a hand toward one of his own three set cards.

"Trap, open! Continuous Trap, Necrovalley Temple!"

A Trap Card bearing the image of an ancient sacrificial temple flipped face-up.

"Necrovalley Temple?!" The elder let out a startled cry, staring at the trap revealed on Rowan's field as though he'd never seen it before in his life.

Because as far as he knew, that card wasn't even part of his own clan's authentic Gravekeeper deck.

For a moment, the elder fell into stunned silence, genuinely questioning his own existence.

Between the two of them, who was actually the real Gravekeeper here?

Why did this boy own a Gravekeeper Trap Card that even he, an elder of the clan, had never possessed?

"This card's effect: as long as there's a 'Gravekeeper's' monster and Necrovalley on the field, all of the opponent's monsters lose 500 attack and defense."

Rowan delivered another gut punch straight to the elder. "I may not have Necrovalley of my own, but fortunately for me, you do, old Gravekeeper gentleman. And you've got Gravekeeper monsters on the field too, so all the conditions are already met. Both Gravekeeper's Chief and Gravekeeper's Assailant qualify."

"..." Alexis, Professor Banner, and Jaden all fell into stunned silence right along with the elder at that.

A collective bead of cold sweat ran down their faces as they looked over at Rowan.

At that moment, every one of them had the exact same thought running through their heads: please, for the love of everything, have some mercy.

Something absolutely ridiculous was about to happen, he could feel it.