"What's going on? How is the Frosling able to make her corpse puppet control the arrows like that? Is she using her spiritual arts to manipulate them directly? Wouldn't that break the rules of standard corpse puppet combat?"
"Friend, no offense, but are you even paying attention? Look closer. Check the base of the arrows and the bow in the armored Frosling's hands. What do you see?"
"Snow threads! She's using them to steer the arrows. Clever."
"Not just snow threads—these are far stronger and more subtle. Honestly, I didn't even spot them when they passed through the mist."
"I still don't get it. Why can't she just manipulate the arrows directly? I mean, didn't the Armixian demon merchant directly attack the corpse puppet in the earlier round?"
"Ah, it's not the same thing. Manipulation spiritual arts are only allowed if they're channeled through the corpse puppet itself. You can't use them directly on the corpse puppet or other items in the fight."
"There's actually a funny story behind that rule. Back in the day, stubborn corpse puppeteers would refuse to accept defeat, even after their corpse puppets were destroyed. They'd use their spiritual arts to manipulate the remains of their broken puppets, dragging out the fight endlessly. It always ended in heated arguments over who really won.
So, they introduced a rule: manipulation spiritual arts could only be applied through the active corpse puppet, not directly on the battlefield or its items. It was a tough decision because it limited how much a puppeteer could assist their puppet from the sidelines. But honestly, it made corpse puppet duels way better. Now it's more about strategy and tactics, rather than just spamming attacks to see who breaks first."
"My question is, why doesn't the Elder Chaos Dwarf just have his corpse puppet cut those threads? I mean, it's clearly able to resist the Glacier Plague from the Armored Frosling corpse puppet."
"That's because he's baiting her! Honestly, I'm shocked she hasn't figured it out yet."
"Exactly! By the time he's done with her, that gorgeous corpse puppet is going to be nothing but scrap."
"What are you guys even talking about? All I see is him dodging the arrows like he's desperate."
"Ugh, look at the ground, you fool! From this vantage point, with the angle we've got, it should be obvious—even more so to us than to the Frosling down there in the arena."
"Oh, crap. Is he using his corpse puppet to set up a natural array formation in the arena?"
"Exactly. And once he's done, it'll be game over for her. The question is, why hasn't her team warned her by now?"
"Who knows? The unknown demon merchant seems ridiculously confident in his craft. His whole strategy seems to be about trusting the corpse puppets he's crafted and letting them speak for themselves. I mean, you can see it in the way he didn't even bother selecting a strong lineup of champions for the duel."
"I know, right? Who in their right mind would pick a Demon Lord to pilot a Demon Emperor rank corpse puppet? It's a miracle she won the first round. I'm still scratching my head over how that Armored Frosling corpse puppet managed to recover so fast from the Armixian demon merchant's spiritual interference technique."
"That's the riddle only the unknown demon merchant who crafted that armored forseling corpse puppet can slove." Meanwhile, Moon had already noticed what the Elder Chaos Dwarf was up to. Gritting her teeth, she abandoned the idea of chasing the super corpse puppet with her arrows. However, it kept darting around the arena, determined to complete its natural array formation. Frustration bubbled inside her as she recalled the list of desperate commands Wyatt had shared with them.
"Alright, here goes nothing," she muttered under her breath before shouting aloud, "Gatling Glacier Cannon!"
Her command echoed through the arena. The armored Frosling corpse puppet sprang into action, its glacier silk weaving rapidly to construct six massive cannon barrels, each seven feet long and two feet wide. The barrels were arranged in a circle around a central shaft, with a large hand crank appearing on the side to rotate the barrels. A hopper-fed the ammunition into the rotating mechanism.
"Fire!" Moon commanded, her voice cutting through the air like a blade.
The armored Frosling corpse puppet obeyed instantly, unleashing a relentless barrage of SS-rank armor-piercing glacier cannonballs. Each shot resembled an oversized bullet, and the puppet fired them at a blistering rate of 12 rounds per second. The projectiles tore through the arena with explosive force, forcing the super corpse puppet to halt its array formation and focus on dodging the onslaught.
Within minutes, the once-pristine arena was riddled with craters, as if a meteor shower had descended on it. The deafening roar of the cannon echoed, and the audience watched in stunned silence, unable to tear their eyes away.
As the Frosling puppet paused to reload, using its glacier silk to craft a fresh batch of bullets, the super corpse puppet staggered to the edge of the arena. Its movements were shaky, its once-fierce aura now diminished. One of its arms lay in a mangled heap nearby—sacrificed to endure the relentless assault.
The special ammunition Moon used had stunned even the Elder Chaos Dwarf. These glacier cannonballs were unique—powered not by gunpowder but by Moon's spiritual energy. Upon combustion, the energy propelled the projectiles at speeds at which even a Card Emperor would fail to react. Because of this nature the ammo, their creation took time giving their opponent room to breath. Though the super corpse puppet had survived, it was clear to everyone, including the Elder Chaos Dwarf, that it was barely holding on. Losing its left arm had thrown off its balance, and its defensive capabilities were practically non-existent. Another round of those devastating attacks, and it would be over.
The Elder Chaos Dwarf clicked his tongue in annoyance, his frustration barely hidden. "Natural Volcano Eruption Array—explode," he muttered, his deep voice carrying across the arena.
Realizing he couldn't complete the array formation, he chose the next best option—detonate the incomplete one. Without hesitation, his super corpse puppet darted toward a crater at the arena's edge, seeking shelter.
A low rumble reverberated through the ground, growing into a deafening roar. The arena beneath the Armored Frosling corpse puppet erupted violently. Jets of molten lava burst from the ground, swallowing the puppet in a blazing surge. Flaming embers rained across the battlefield, leaving glowing trails of destruction.
The intense heat shimmered in the air, and the arena was quickly consumed by thick, choking fumes. The smoke billowed upward, cloaking the entire space in an impenetrable haze. Spectators shielded their eyes and noses, leaning forward to try to make sense of the chaos.
Through the heavy fog, no one could see what had become of the Armored Frosling corpse puppet—or whether it had managed to withstand the molten onslaught. The audience buzzed with hushed speculation, waiting anxiously for the arena to clear.