Chapter 82: The Insect Offensive

“The challenger may choose who attacks first.”

Senior Watanabe Shuichi was very gracious, appearing to display the composure of a senior and master.

“Come on, do you want to go first or second?”

Of course, You Xuan didn’t hold back: “Then I’ll attack first. Draw.”

He drew three cards in one go.

“I set one monster face-down, then place two cards face-down in the back row. End of turn.”

“A defensive opening, then,” Senior Shuichi nodded slightly, commenting, “but can you withstand my Insect Offensive?”

“My turn, draw!”

Indeed, according to the information You Xuan had researched, Watanabe Shuichi used a deck centered on Insect-type monsters. The most famous user of the Insect theme was naturally the former national champion, the legendary duelist Insect Yume—though rumors claimed that Yume had been crushed into self-imposed exile years ago by the first Duel King, Wu Teng Game, and had since quit cards entirely, unseen for a long time.

But during his championship run, he truly sparked an Insect craze, driving the development of many new Insect-series cards. Though the old master was long gone, duelists using Insect-type monsters remained far from rare.

Watanabe Shuichi: “Activate the Continuous Spell ‘Great Forest Sea’!”

Though called a Continuous Spell, its effect resembled a Field. A sea of green swept across the field, generating a lush, vibrant terrain where vines and trees sprouted, forming a breeding ground for Insects.

“Then, summon ‘Substitute Locust’!”

【Substitute Locust, ATK 1000】

“Watch out, junior—I won’t hold back just because this is a recruitment test!” Shuichi said. “Activate Spell Card ‘Black Hole’! Destroy all monsters on both fields!”

A celestial void opened on the field, its tyrannical gravity annihilating all. Shuichi’s Locust and You Xuan’s face-down monster both shattered.

“The monster I set was ‘Three-Eyed Monster’,” You Xuan said. “When this card is sent to the graveyard, add one monster with 1500 ATK or less from your deck to your hand.”

“I add this card from my deck—”

He revealed the retrieved monster card.

“‘Magical Beast - Cerberus,’ ATK 1400, added to my hand.”

“Then I’ll activate the effect of my ‘Substitute Locust,’” Senior Shuichi said. “When ‘Substitute Locust’ is sent from my field to the graveyard, I can Special Summon one Insect-type monster from my hand!”

“Therefore, I Special Summon this one!”

Deep in the dark forest, the reaper of death now appears—

—“Death Scythe Killer, Summon!”

A six-legged insect assassin, wielding a scythe like Death’s own, descended solemnly amid the forest sea.

【Death Scythe Killer, ATK 2300】

A freshman outside the arena couldn’t help exclaiming: “He summoned a Wangpai -level monster right away!”

“Using ‘Black Hole’ to clear the opponent’s field while triggering ‘Substitute Locust’—no wonder he’s a core member of the Duel Club.”

Watanabe Shuichi: “Not done yet! The effect of the Continuous Spell ‘Great Forest Sea’: when an Insect-type monster on my field is sent to the graveyard, add one Insect-type monster of the same level from my deck to my hand.”

“I add another ‘Substitute Locust’ from my deck.”

He drew from his deck, selected the second ‘Substitute Locust,’ shuffled, and reinserted it into his dueling field.

“Attack! Direct attack with ‘Death Scythe Killer’!”

The insect assassin charged forward, its deathly scythe poised to strike. You Xuan calmly flipped one of his back-row cards.

“Reveal face-down card: Trap Card—Lei Po! Discard one card from hand to destroy one card on the field. Destroy ‘Death Scythe Killer’!”

Watanabe Shuichi: “!”

Dark clouds churned above the field; a demonic hand reached out, fingers unleashing thunder. One strike—and the green insect was reduced to ash by the overwhelming force.

“Tch. Set a trap like that…”

“And the card I just discarded from hand was ‘Witch of the Black Forest.’ When this card is sent to the graveyard, I can retrieve a monster with 1500 DEF or less from my deck.”

Both the Witch and the Three-Eyed Monster had undergone two nerfs: the most recent added a restriction that retrieved cards couldn’t activate this turn, and the earlier one changed their effect from “activate when sent to the graveyard” to “only activate when sent from the field.”

In the anime, this duo matched the original early real-card versions perfectly, possessing an outright banned-level universal retrieval ability—triggering whether sent from hand or deck.

“I add ‘Chief - Zalug,’ DEF 1500, to my hand.”

“End of Battle Phase.”

Watanabe Shuichi snorted: “You think this is enough to leave my field open? Underestimate me at your peril. Activate Spell Card ‘Resurrection’! Revive a monster from the graveyard.”

“Return to my field, Death Scythe Killer!”

【Death Scythe Killer, ATK 2300】

“Then I set one card. End of turn.”

“My turn, draw,” You Xuan said. “Activate Spell Card ‘Angel’s Charity’—draw three cards, then discard two from hand.”

Two cards went to the graveyard, but one of their images quickly surfaced.

“One of the discarded cards was ‘Compensation’s Bounty.’ When this card is sent from hand to graveyard, draw two cards.” (Original card)

Though he’d used banned cards and the anime’s unique draw engine to flood his hand, he still frowned slightly after drawing his new hand.

He’d actually discovered a legendary early Combo using academy credits yesterday and had intended to test it today. But his luck still needed work—despite this continuous draw, the components hadn’t yet assembled.

So he pulled out a single Spell Card to calm himself.

“Spell Card ‘Sting God’s Insecticide,’” You Xuan said. “Destroy all Insect-type monsters face-up on the field!”

Watanabe Shuichi: “????”

What the hell did you just activate!?

A giant hand emerged from a black vortex, clutching an insecticide spray. It sprayed, engulfing the entire field—Death Scythe Killer shattered instantly, and Senior Shuichi nearly shattered with it.

No

How the hell are you even running this thing!?

He grimaced, struggling to hold back, then finally asked: “Uh… junior, do you normally carry this in your deck?”

You Xuan answered bluntly: “Of course not.”

Why the hell would I carry this if I wasn’t bored out of my mind?

Insects are so niche—you’d barely encounter one in ten duels. Wouldn’t this just clog my hand?

“Then why—”

“I slipped it in specifically to counter you,” You Xuan replied without hesitation.

A gentleman is open and honest, bold and accountable.

But to Senior Shuichi, these words felt like a muffled hammer blow—he saw nothing but black.

All he wanted to say was: You little bastard is surprisingly honest.

The surrounding students fell silent, unsure what to say. Only Wan Zhangmu, however, wore a long-absent smile.

He knew it. He knew it all along!

He’d sensed something off the moment he saw You Xuan studying the profiles of the defending members. Choosing this Shuichi wasn’t random—it was deliberate. There was a scheme!

Though this senior’s record looked the strongest among the defenders, You Xuan’s analysis revealed only this one had the purest deck.

Nowadays, everyone ran mixed decks—multiple races and series were common. Not everyone’s deck was easy to target. So when You Xuan scanned the field, only this one stood out: entirely Insects. It immediately reminded him of the hundreds of Side Deck cards he carried.

So he’d decisively chosen this lucky senior as his test opponent.

Wan Zhangmu’s subordinate Yi couldn’t help speaking up: “Big Brother, you’re smiling again like a pervert.”

Wan Zhangmu: “Shut up.”

(End of Chapter)