In just a few minutes, the outside of the fortress has become a river of blood, the battle raging so fiercely that it feels as if the heavens and earth have turned upside down.
The army of monsters charges towards the fortress, clashing fiercely with the guards' squad. The leading demon lets out a low roar, causing the ground to tremble, as countless monsters swarm from all directions.
They come in various forms, some as ferocious as beasts, some twisted like ghosts. The sounds of hissing and roaring intertwine, creating a symphony of terror.
The demon warden arrives at the battle, observing the chaos unfolding on the battlefield, his brow furrowing as he loudly commands, "Lord!"
It's as if a sinister wind sweeps across the battlefield, followed by a chilling series of eerie laughter. A pitch-black tornado morphs into a humanoid figure, resembling an aristocrat emerging from an ancient scroll.
With an ashen face, his skin like cold jade untouched by sunlight, it reflects a dim red glow under the crimson moonlight. An unusual light flickers in his pupils, with a sharp nose and tightly shut thin lips, revealing only sharp fangs.
This time, it's not some nameless, unrecognizable underlings appearing. This person is the Vampire Lord, a Five-Star Duel Monster with an Attack Power of 2000, a frequent contender in competitive play during the early physical card days.
"Your Blood Race should not be active in this area, right?" the warden said coldly. "What brought you to my fortress?"
"Hm, does it really matter whether it's our territory?"
The Vampire Lord squinted his eyes and sneered.
"The appetite of your Evil God is growing larger, and everyone knows it's only a matter of time before your claws reach our domain. So we might as well launch a proactive attack and form a united front with our allies from the Demon Race... while we still have allies to unite with."
"Foolish."
Stepping forward, the warden's arm already transforms, displaying the shapes of a Duel Disc and Card Deck, coldly declaring.
"You could have enjoyed a bit longer freely. But now, since you've chosen death, you can't blame me for it."
"Interesting, I have long wanted to try against the rumored minions of the Evil God."
The Lord sneers, his arm similarly producing a Duel Disc.
"Duel!" x2
The warden draws five cards into hand and coldly speaks, "Let me make you understand how foolish it is to dare challenge me, the Guardian of the Demon Realm fortress."
The Vampire Lord slightly tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Foolish, just delaying you with this duel means my task is already completed."
"What?" The warden frowned, sensing trouble.
...
...
Boom!
Amidst the raging fight outside, a loud explosion inside the fortress breaks a gap into its wall. Subsequently, large volumes of water gush in through the breach, as a slender figure steps out steadily upon the flow.
Three-Star Water Attribute Demon, Dark Demon Bishop.
"Hah, easier than imagined."
The Demon Bishop softly laughed, advancing slowly. In his right hand, he holds a Magic Staff, its end adorned with a ghastly skull decoration. The water flowing through the breach doesn't dissipate, instead, it swirls around him like a Water Dragon, guarding him.
The prisoners behind bars on both sides immediately become excited, creating an uproar and shouting, with some begging him to release them.
Yet, the Bishop does not respond but proceeds directly to a specific prison cell.
"Count?"
The person in the cell slowly looks up.
Calling this person doesn't seem fitting, appearing more like a well-dressed zombie. That face seemed to be decaying, with a protruding, sinister eyeball, creating a ghastly appearance.
Count of the Undead, a five-star Undead Race superior. The monster is described as "A Count of the Demon Realm, with a gentlemanly exterior but naturally evil, instilling fear not only in humans but even among low-level demons."
He is the strongest detainee in the fortress, merely disdaining to participate in the trivial squabbles of low-level underlings. Naturally, demons typically dare not provoke him.
"Your sentence is over, great Count."
The Bishop sneers, lightly curling his finger. The water revolving around him acts like a nimble hand, grabbing a small metal device.
It's a key, taken from a warden when he entered. A spark of realization flashes in the Count's eye, instantly recognizing it as the key to his cell.
The fortress's cells appear to be ordinary but are actually fortified with barriers capable of restricting their Elf Powers. Within these confines, elves can't summon Duel Discs nor use card powers.
These prisoners are similarly bound by spells. Only on designated sites within the fortress or with warden's permission are they allowed to engage in duel activities.
Finally, freedom is near.
"Welcoming the Count's return." The Demon Bishop lightly chuckles.
"Hm, caught off guard by those Evil God's minions at the time," the Count said solemnly, "But now, even if I die in battle, my soul absorbed and annihilated, I will never, under any circumstance, return to this cell ever again!"
"Naturally."
The Demon Bishop replied with a smile.
"However, it's best to leave promptly. The Vampire Lord is currently occupying the warden, the old one can still be troublesome. The arranged retreat route is over there; someone will respond outside. If we don't act quickly, unforeseen trouble may arise."
"Hm, fine. I wanted to settle old scores with that old geezer... but today I'll spare him, and handle it next time."
Just as the Demon Bishop is about to unlock, he suddenly freezes.
He turns around only to find someone standing before him, his presence unnoticed.
"Hmm?"
The Demon Bishop and Count of the Undead are both startled.
Without a warden's uniform...
"You're a prisoner too?" The Demon Bishop sternly asks, "Move aside. I'm not taking you with me."
"Is that so? That's quite fortunate, I haven't planned to leave just yet."
Yugen smiles.
Completing the full map collection here isn't finished yet, so why rush to open the next map?
But according to what that Four-eyed Demon mentioned earlier, this Count of the Undead seems to be the hidden BOSS among the prisoners.
In other words, one of the most valuable treasures on this map.
Yugen has zero tolerance for those who disrupt his full achievement collection. People can leave, but the gold should be dropped first.
"However, you won't find leaving that easy either."
Yugen raises his arm. A gentle blue ripple of data gathers on his arm, morphing into the physical form of a Duel Disc.
Both the Demon Bishop and the Count are astonished.
"Are you trying to stop us?"
The prisoners in surrounding cages are also bewildered. What's happening here? Isn't he just like us, a captive?
Could he be an undercover operative inserted by the wardens among them?
Indeed, aside from looting equipment, Yugen truly has a daring idea, an interesting action plan.
However, the prerequisite is to drop the gold from these two here.
"Though it's unclear what madness has overtaken you, we don't have time to waste with you here."
The Demon Bishop steps forward, sweeping the Magic Staff lightly. The water magic re-activates, water swirling around him, finally transforming into a shape resembling a Duel Disc on his arm.
It appears that the design of Elf's Duel Discs varies distinctively. The Demon Bishop's Duel Disc is primarily in white bone color, resembling bone-crafted texture.
"Please wait, Count, my lord." The Demon Bishop squints his eyes, "I'll deal with this ignorant boy swiftly and be on our way."