Chapter 83: The End of the Insects

The opponent’s opening move of spraying insecticide was truly unexpected, and the next moment’s brazen “I’m targeting you” attitude was even more surprising.

But as a battle-hardened veteran, Shuichi quickly suppressed his urge to engage in physical combat and said gravely: “Then, at this moment, the effect of ‘Great Forest Sea’ activates.”

When an Insect-type monster on the field is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, add to your hand an Insect-type monster with the same level as the destroyed monster.”

He drew from his deck, spread it out to search, and selected another card to add to his hand.

“The destroyed ‘Death Scythe Killer’ is Level 8, so I add Level 8 ‘Devil Plow Beetle’ from my deck to my hand!”

A student from the Duel Club couldn’t help exclaiming: “Devil Plow Beetle—Watanabe’s ace!”

“Is it finally coming out? Looks like Watanabe’s really going all out.”

Devil Plow Beetle, Level 8, ATK 2800. Can be Special Summoned by banishing two Insect-type monsters from the graveyard—it is Shuichi’s strongest main monster.

“That freshman seems to have really angered Watanabe,” said a senior, arms crossed, shaking her head. “Poor kid.”

No one doubted that on the next turn, Shuichi could banish two Insect-type monsters from his graveyard to instantly summon his powerful 2800 ATK ace and launch a fierce attack.

Of course, assuming the Plow Beetle remains in his hand next turn.

“Summon ‘Chief Zalug’.”

【Chief Zalug, ATK 1400】

“Zalug’s direct attack!”

The one-eyed chief pulled out a revolver and fired two shots, obliterating Watanabe Shuichi’s entire front row without defense.

【Shuichi, LP 4000 → LP 2600】

Shuichi staggered slightly, steadied himself after absorbing the visual impact, and tried to maintain a calm, masterful demeanor: “This much is nothing—”

“Zalug’s effect: when dealing battle damage, you may randomly discard one card from your opponent’s hand.”

“Nani?”

Shuichi was startled and immediately tense.

He currently held two cards in hand, both retrieved via ‘Great Forest Sea’: one ‘Stand-in Locust’ and one ‘Devil Plow Beetle’—the latter being his deck’s Tamashi (soul).

Meaning, the chance his Tamashi gets destroyed by this shot is one in two.

“No way!” Shuichi shouted. “Activate my face-down card! Trap Card—Sixth Sense!”

Declare two numbers between 1 and 6; your opponent rolls a die! If the result matches either declared number, draw that many cards from your deck.

If it doesn’t match, discard that many cards from the top of your deck to the graveyard!”

Just hearing its effect revealed it as a centuries-old banned card: draw if you guess right, graveyard dump if you don’t—a guaranteed profit trap.

Of course, since K Corp actually released this card, it already demonstrated how inferior it was compared to anime-exclusive draw engines that would never be unbanned unless reduced to nothing more than a noodle.

After all, this trap’s effect is unreliable; in an anime environment where magic cards routinely draw three or five cards, it just looked mediocre.

You Xuan realized he might have gotten too accustomed to the local culture—he no longer held the same reverence for those banned cards that card enthusiasts once worshipped.

“I declare numbers five and six!” Shuichi said.

Most players would declare these two, since every number has equal odds, but these two yield the highest payoff if hit.

As long as one of the two numbers is rolled, it’s a success—a one-in-three chance, not especially low.

The die rolled and stopped at number 5.

“Perfect! I draw five cards!”

Hmm, instantly replenished five cards, but You Xuan was now utterly accustomed—he barely blinked.

Instantly adding five cards to his hand, his Tamashi was now among them.

The odds instantly dropped to one in seven.

Gunfire. Chief Zalug fired through one of the cards, leaving a hole.

“Hahahaha! Missed!”

Shuichi threw his head back and laughed carelessly, tossing the pierced card into the graveyard.

“What a pity—it seems the goddess of luck is on my side today. Next turn, I’ll summon my Tamashi, Devil—”

But You Xuan had already ended his battle phase and quietly drew another card to interrupt his chant.

“Magic Card—‘Detention.’ Pay 1000 LP to look at your opponent’s hand and discard one.”

The senior’s cheerful laughter died instantly.

【You Xuan, LP 4000 → LP 3000】

“Come on, Senior, take a look at your hand,” You Xuan said politely.

Watanabe Shuichi: “...”

He clenched his teeth, his facial muscles twitched twice, then reluctantly revealed his hand with a grim expression.

A look of utter helplessness—as if his Tamashi had been stripped bare.

“Then please, Senior, discard your Tamashi,” You Xuan requested courteously.

Shuichi painfully pulled out his beloved ace and dropped it into the graveyard, moving and expressing himself as if suffering from severe constipation.

“But my turn isn’t over yet.”

You Xuan calmly drew another card from his hand.

“I now activate this card from my hand—”

“—Continuous Magic: Insect Net!”

While this card remains on the field, all Insect-type monsters on your opponent’s field cannot declare attacks!”

Watanabe Shuichi nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Even many spectators in the crowd gasped in shock.

You really never intended to let your opponent duel at all, didn’t you?

Watanabe Shuichi: “You fucking—”

He was beginning to understand why this guy had unhesitatingly chosen him as his challenger.

Duelist courage? Courage to challenge the peak?

No, it had nothing to do with that.

He picked him simply because he thought he was the easiest to bully!

“I’ll set two cards face-down. End my turn.”

You Xuan finished his declaration, waited a moment, then tilted his head kindly: “It’s your turn now, Senior.”

Why aren’t you drawing?

Don’t you want to draw?

Shuichi gritted his teeth: “My turn—”

He was already thinking that the Duel Club needed a new rule.

Not only must Osiris Red students not submit applications—neither must dogs.

With the Insect Net on the opponent’s field, his entire deck’s offense was locked down. Not to mention he’d just set two more cards, plus the one he’d set in his first turn—now there were three face-down cards in the back row.

He hadn’t been wary of face-down cards last turn, but now, given the opponent’s duel style, he dared not even imagine what those back-row cards might be.

At this moment, the one card in his entire deck that could save him from disaster—

“Draw!”

Filled with rage, he poured every ounce of his urge for physical combat into this make-or-break draw—and created a miracle!

“Magic Card—‘Great Storm!’”

The instant Watanabe Shuichi raised the card, a furious storm swept across the entire field.

“All magic and trap cards on both fields are destroyed!”

(End of Chapter)