Chapter 243: Superior Mind-Crushing Preparation

"Tch…"

His secret plan exposed, the insect Kuchinuha's face showed a flicker of discomfort.

Cheating in a duel against a junior, forcing your deck to follow your own design—it's truly inappropriate.

Of course.

But this discomfort lasted only a brief moment.

He wasn't dueling for reasons like that.

All he needed was to win!

"Draw!" Kuchinuha drew his card, glanced at his hand, and sneered.

His hand had indeed been manipulated—starting with identical cards to maximize the power of his insects.

Previously, he'd adjusted his strategy to counter Long Long Qi's endless dinosaur monsters, using parasites to suppress Long Long Qi's evolution drugs—his plan was to change the race, then destroy insects on the field with insecticide, and finally use the parasite's effect to special summon an upper-level monster.

But now, it was different.

He looked at the Ancient Mechanical Ultimate Giant.

His opponent was different.

The Ancient Mechanical Ultimate Giant has a special effect: when destroyed, it revives a mechanical giant from the graveyard regardless of summoning conditions. If he destroyed it with insecticide, it would be counterproductive.

If so…

Discard the useless cards and swap in 【that】!

"Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Hand Destruction!"

"Both players send two cards from their hand to the graveyard. After that, each draws two cards!"

"I send my Hand Card: Stinger God's Insecticide and Larva Baby to the graveyard."

Tiancheng Guang glanced at his hand, sent the other two cards to the graveyard, kept only Prism Hero, then drew two cards.

After swapping cards, Kuchinuha grinned again, slyly.

"Kid, the time for seniors to show kindness to juniors is over. Since you didn't pull off a flashy chain last turn, now it's my turn!" He swiftly revealed a card he'd just drawn.

The card glowed with golden light, clearly a high-rarity card.

"Hehehe, Quick-Play Spell: Super Evolution Cocoon!" he shouted the card's name as if it were an invincible card.

"Oh! Just by looking, you can tell it's styled like the Super Evolution Drug that dinosaur guy uses?" Ye La remarked casually upon seeing the card.

Her judgment had improved significantly.

Tiancheng Guang nodded.

"Super Evolution Cocoon is the strongest support card for Insect-type monsters. It allows you to tribute an Insect-type monster equipped with an Equip Card—yours or your opponent's—to special summon one Insect-type monster from your deck, ignoring summoning conditions!"

"Hehehe, even the Ancient Mechanical Ultimate Giant becomes useless paper if used as a tribute!" Kuchinuha laughed confidently.

"I tribute the Ancient Mechanical Ultimate Giant!"

The parasite embedded within the Ultimate Giant opened its mouth, spewing countless silk threads that bound the giant, dragging it to the center of the duel field. Then, the massive robot transformed into a golden cocoon, shimmering with light.

"Special Summon: Ultimate Mutant Insect Queen!"

Plop—

The cocoon split open. A creature with crimson insect wings and a massive tail landed on the ground with a thunderous thud—its upper body a woman's form, still somewhat attractive.

Ultimate Mutant Insect Queen, Level 7, Earth Attribute, Insect Type, ATK 2800.

"Not done yet! The effect of the parasite Parasitoid, sent to the graveyard as an Equip Card, activates!" Kuchinuha's hunched posture straightened noticeably. "When this card, used as an Equip Card, is sent to the graveyard: from your hand, special summon one Insect-type monster of Level 7 or higher, ignoring summoning conditions!"

"Special Summon—Ultimate Insect LV7!"

A giant insect, similar in design to the Insect Queen, emerged from the parasite's corpse and flew onto the field.

Ultimate Insect LV7, Level 7, Wind Attribute, Insect Type, ATK 2600.

"Hehehe, too bad—Ultimate Insect LV7 only activates its effect if special summoned via a Level 5 effect—but it's enough!" He pointed at Tiancheng Guang. "If this normal attack lands, you're done for! Ehehehe!"

"Tiancheng-san!" The staff member urgently called out to Tiancheng Guang.

Watching the livestream, Long Long Qi clenched his teeth, gripping the white cloth beside him.

"Battle! Hehehe, use the Insect Queen to attack!"

"Then I'll flip my face-down card: Trap Card, Soul Fusion!" Tiancheng Guang revealed the card he'd prepared in advance. "Soul Fusion's effect: exclude from the game, face-down, the fusion materials specified by the Fusion Monster card from your graveyard, then special summon one Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck. A monster summoned this way by this effect cannot attack this turn—"

"I exclude two Ancient Mechanical Knights from my graveyard, face-down, to fusion summon!"

"Ancient Mechanical Demon God!"

The ancient mechanical demon god, wielding six cannons, stood firm upon the earth!

Ancient Mechanical Demon God, Level 8, Earth Attribute, Machine Type, DEF 1800.

"Ehehe, I knew you'd use a similar trap card," Kuchinuha chuckled. "Don't think only you collect information. You're just a fusion-focused fusion summoner, aren't you? Every card you use is inevitably tied to fusion."

"Eeheehee, I knew you'd use a trap card like this," the Insect Moth chuckled. "Don't think you're the only one who gathers intel—you're just a Fusion Summon duelist, aren't you? Every card you use is inevitably tied to Fusion."

"When my Ultimate Mutant Insect Queen finishes attacking a monster, it can tribute any Insect on the field to attack again. Since your deck has no other Ancient Mechanical Giants left, you've got nothing to fear!"

"Attack again! Insect Queen, crush that Mechanical Demon God!"

The Insect Queen flapped its wings, leapt onto the Mechanical Demon God, bit through its gear core, shattered the entire machine, then floated back to Kuchinuha's side.

"Effect of the Ancient Mechanical Demon God."

"When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard: special summon one Ancient Mechanical monster from your deck, face-down, ignoring summoning conditions—Ancient Mechanical Beast."

Ancient Mechanical Beast, Level 6, Earth Attribute, Machine Type, DEF 2000.

"Ha! Insect Queen, devour the Flying Mantis, then attack again!"

The Insect Queen bit the Flying Mantis into its mouth, slowly swallowed it, then turned its gaze toward the Mechanical Beast and launched another ferocious assault.

This time, the Ancient Mechanical Beast shattered in response.

"Ehehe, now your field has only that useless Field Spell Card left!" Kuchinuha sneered. "Battle continues! Use Ultimate Insect LV7 for a direct attack!"

Ultimate Insect LV7 flashed, appearing beside Tiancheng Guang, piercing his arm with its spines.

Tiancheng Guang LP: 4000 → 1400.

"Ehehehe! How's that? Now you know the power!"

Tiancheng Guang glanced at his arm, moved it slightly, then casually flicked his hand.

Because it was too 【identical】, Tiancheng Guang felt not the slightest tension.

"Tch…" Tiancheng Guang's calm, composed expression left Kuchinuha confused—he'd been the one laughing uncontrollably, yet now he didn't understand what was happening. He held the advantage… so why…?

"Tch, anyway, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Ignore Protection!" Kuchinuha, still uneasy, left a defensive Continuous Spell on the field. "End Phase!"

"Ehehe, by the way, during the End Phase, the Insect Queen lays an egg on my field!"

This triggers a special summon of a token during either player's End Phase.

As Kuchinuha finished speaking, the Insect Queen automatically moved its massive tail, dropping an egg onto the field.

Insect Monster Token, Level 1, Earth Attribute, Insect Type, DEF 100.

"Ugh, this scene… such a repulsive carbon-based construct," Ye La muttered. "Just kill this guy already, Tiancheng Guang."

"My turn—Draw!" Tiancheng Guang watched the scene without the slightest discomfort.

Insect decks aren't unplayable. Many people enjoy them. If he hated all Insects because of Kuchinuha, then for him, this 【fusion】 wasn't worth pursuing at all.

Insect decks aren't unplayable—many people enjoy Insect decks. If you hate all Insects just because of Insect Moth, then for him, this 【Fusion】 might as well not fuse at all.

He looked down.

Chaos Soldier!

"Perfect. Now I can replicate the strategy Long Long Qi-sensei used against you."

"What?" Kuchinuha's face finally changed. "Y-you—you mean what?!"

He shuddered instinctively: "You're trying to prove that guy can beat me?!"

"N-no—impossible! He's always been weaker than me—I'm the strongest!"

Chapter Two, Chapter Two, bonus chapters, working hard, working hard

Chapter Two, Chapter Two, extra chapters for extra updates, working hard, working hard

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