Mu Ning's words fell, and everyone silently looked toward Yuye.
Seeing the faint smile on his face—and the complete lack of denial—
Their hearts trembled slightly.
The Tearlaments and Runick decks that Yuye currently showed to the public had already been researched throughout the night.
Naturally, the Sun and Mo Families had come up with their respective countermeasures.
Everyone knew Runick was weak to Cosmic Cyclone.
That went without saying.
Tearlaments were strong, but their weaknesses were very obvious:
If hit by Called by the Grave or dimensional handtraps like D.D. Crow, the deck collapsed instantly.
Especially the three main deck Tearlaments or the powerful extender Aqua, the Water Fairy.
If those were disrupted, the entire line would be shattered.
Put simply—
Yuye was strong, yes.
But with enough targeted hate packed in, Earth Rank duelists might still defeat him.
Heaven Rank elders would have no problem beating him.
Even some powerful Earth Rank duelists—
now that Yuye's deck information had almost evaporated—
might have a real chance.
That was before.
Right now, Yuye's attitude clearly meant:
Runick has been further upgraded.
And he probably has two copies of Fountain.
Thinking about two copies of Fountain—
and knowing Fountain had no "once per turn per card name" clause—
Mo Wang and Sun Ce looked at Yuye with visible fear.
If Runick Fountain wasn't limit-1…
One turn could banish over ten of their cards.
If their core combo pieces were banished, what duel was left to play?
It would be waiting for death.
"If you're scared," Yuye said as he looked at the silent, thinking Bing Shi,
"since the two cards you brought me are actually useful,
I can let you wait a bit—
Give you time to prepare more counters against my deck."
Bing Shi hesitated…
Then shook his head.
"No need.
If I can't win, then I can't win.
Besides… perhaps your deck evolves faster than my counters can."
Yuye's offer was incredibly tempting.
But in four days, Runick had already been reinvented twice.
If he waited a few more days… who knew what monstrosity it would become?
There was no way he could win.
Sometimes you must accept reality:
Even if you have all the information in the world,
Some opponents you simply cannot defeat.
It's a difference in archetype quality—
and in duelist skill.
A gap that cannot be bridged.
Underground Duel Chamber
Yuye and Bing Shi stood facing each other ten meters apart.
Yuye (8000 LP) vs. Bing Shi (8000 LP)
As per the rules, Bing Shi chose the turn order.
He chose to go first.
Both players drew five cards.
The duel began.
"Perform well," Yuye said after drawing his opening hand.
"Otherwise, those two cards you gave me are wasted."
"…Thank you for the reminder, Senior,"
Bing Shi bowed slightly, becoming even more serious.
He wasn't stupid.
Yuye's warning meant:
Your opponent's hand is enormous.
Do not underestimate anything.
He took a long breath and began.
"I Normal Summon Revealer of the Ice Barrier.
Her effect: I discard one card from my hand
to Special Summon an Ice Barrier tuner from the deck.
After this effect activates,
I cannot Special Summon non-WATER monsters."
"I chain with C2—discarding Maxx 'C' from my hand."
Yuye smiled politely as he activated the card.
Some Earth Rank duel chambers had access to Called by the Grave.
Most had access to Ash Blossom.
It wasn't like the Mystic Rank halls where Maxx "C" was almost always free.
Cold sweat instantly formed on Bing Shi's forehead.
A turn one Maxx "C".
And he didn't have Ash in hand.
Effects resolved—
C2 Maxx "C" resolved
C1 Revealer resolved, discarding Speaker for the Ice Barriers, then Special Summoning Hexa Spirit of the Ice Barrier.
(Yuye draws 1.)
Bing Shi began calculating his lines.
He wanted to gamble.
Ice Barrier has a monster that blocks all Spell Cards while it's face-up.
If that card resolved—
He might actually win.
But he had no room to overextend.
Even if he had Cosmic Cyclone and Infinite Impermanence in hand,
the problem was:
Yuye likely had two copies of Runick Fountain.
Even if he banished one,
he couldn't stop the second.
Everyone watching pitied Bing Shi.
Maxx "C" was a card that only Heaven Rank duelists could reliably obtain.
Some Heaven Rank duelists didn't even have it.
But against Yuye?
You could only accept fate.
Yuye waited patiently.
He didn't rush him.
Twenty seconds later, sweating through his clothes, Bing Shi continued.
"I activate Speaker for the Ice Barriers in my GY.
Since it was sent there, I add an Ice Barrier card from my Deck or banished zone to my hand."
"I chain with C2—
Hexa Spirit of the Ice Barrier:
When this card is Normal/Special Summoned,
I can Special Summon a Level 5 or lower Ice Barrier monster from my hand or GY."
Effects resolved:
—C2 Special Summon Speaker from GY
—C1 add Aerial Arrival of the Ice Barrier (normal spell)
(Yuye draws again)
Mo Wang and Sun Ce understood his plan.
Even without owning the archetype, their clans kept records of card families.
They immediately recognized that Bing Shi was gambling for the Spell-lock monster.
Only Mu Ning, Mo Yun, and Sun Yuehe were puzzled.
Bing Shi looked at Yuye nervously.
"You saw through it?"
"Yes.
You're aiming for the Spell-lock.
If it were me, I'd do the same."
Ice Barrier's Spell-lock was brutal—
against Sky Striker, Purrely, Runick, and more.
If not negated, those decks collapsed.
"Then I have no choice."
He pressed on.
"I activate Aerial Arrival of the Ice Barrier.
I tribute any number of Ice Barrier monsters I control,
and Special Summon that many Level 4 or lower Ice Barrier monsters from the Deck."
"I tribute my Speaker.
Special Summon Ice Barrier Sealing Team."
"Its effect: once per turn,
I send an Ice Barrier monster from my hand to the GY.
While this card remains face-up,
Neither player can activate Spell Cards
until the end of my next turn."
(Yuye draws another card)
Now everything depended on Yuye's response.
A painful smile spread across Yuye's lips.
"I chain with C2—
discarding Effect Veiler,
negating your Sealing Team until the end of the turn."
Effects resolve:
C2 Veiler resolves
C1 Sealing Team is negated.
Bing Shi exhaled shakily.
He had lost the first round of the psychological war.
Badly.
But he had no choice but to continue.
"I Synchro Summon—
using Level 6 Hexa Spirit and Level 4 Revealer—
Level 10 Trishula Zero Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"
(Yuye draws again.)
"I set two, and end my turn."
This field was far stronger than the Thunder Dragon duelist earlier.
Zero Dragon could summon Ice Barrier Synchro monsters on Yuye's special summons.
Twice per turn.
And its departure effect summoned regular Trishula,
causing hand, field, and GY banish.
Plus, Cosmic Cyclone was already set.
A solid opening.
But Yuye's hand was now eight cards.
Even if his later drawings weren't ideal,
His opening hand had been perfect.
He couldn't lose.
Yuye's Turn
"I activate Runick Dispelling,
Special Summoning Hugin from the Extra Deck.
Hugin's effect: discard Runick Golden Droplet to search Fountain."
"I chain with C2—
Zero Dragon's effect
Special Summoning an Ice Barrier monster from the Extra Deck."
"I chain with C3—
Infinite Impermanence, targeting Hugin,
negating its effect, and negating the entire column."
The chains resolved—
C3 Impermanence resolved
C2 Zero Dragon summoned Trishula, Zero Dragon of the Ice Barrier
C1 Hugin was negated.
Yuye's expression didn't change.
"I activate Runick Fountain."
"I chain with C2—
Cosmic Cyclone, paying 1000 LP,
targeting your Fountain to banish it!"
Cosmic Cyclone resolved.
Fountain was banished.
With Extra Monster Zone locked,
Fountain gone,
and Yuye with only his hand remaining—
Bing Shi felt hope rise.
A faint smile crept onto his lips.
The others present remained expressionless.
None believed Yuye could lose.
Yuye smiled back at Bing Shi.
"You don't actually think you have a chance… do you?"
"I activate the Continuous Spell—
Emperor's Coliseum.
Nothing wrong with that, right?
I Normal Summon
Amano-Iwato.
Anything wrong with that?
And then—
I activate another copy of
Runick Fountain.
Any problems?