Going Second? Monarch OTK

Just as the two women let out long cries, two middle-aged men approached, one ahead of the other. The man in front had a long face and a tall, thin build, while the man behind him had a square face and a broad frame.

"Xingge, is this Senior Youye?"

After glancing at Youye, the man walking in front turned to Chang Xingge and asked.

Hearing the familiar voice, Chang Xingge immediately came back to her senses. She turned her gaze to the two men before slightly bowing respectfully. "Good morning, Minister Luo, Bureau Chief Wang."

After greeting them, she answered the question. "Yes, this is Senior Youye."

She then introduced them to Youye in turn. "This is Minister Luo Hao of our Hangcheng Duel Association, an Earth-level Master Duelist. And this is Bureau Chief Wang Cheng of the Inspector Bureau, also an Earth-level Master Duelist!"

Youye smiled, showing no trace of humility simply because they were Earth-level Duelists. After lingering for an extra moment on Wang Cheng, the square-faced Inspector Bureau Chief, he greeted them with a smile. "Hello, Minister Luo and Bureau Chief Wang."

"You're too polite, Senior Youye. It's an honor for our Hangcheng Duel Association that you've come here for certification." Luo Hao wore a smile. Like Chang Xingge when she first appeared, he carried the imposing aura of someone in power, yet he put on no airs before Youye.

"Of course it's an honor for your Hangcheng Duel Association. Do you even know what kind of expert Senior Youye is?" Wang Cheng, standing behind Luo Hao, spoke as though it were only natural.

"Hmph, Wang Cheng, don't think you can definitely beat me just because Senior Youye helped your Inspector Bureau revise its deck. You still haven't collected all the cards." Seeing Wang Cheng take over his polite remark, Luo Hao's face darkened. He clenched his fists and snorted coldly.

"Hahaha, so what if I haven't collected them all? Want another duel? I'll let you go first this time?" Wang Cheng looked smug. Not only did he show no restraint, he even issued a challenge.

"Get lost. Once I have Senior Youye revise my deck, then I'll experience your brilliant skills again." Luo Hao cursed under his breath, his face growing even darker.

Wang Cheng had challenged him to a duel late last night. Luo Hao had always held the upper hand over Wang Cheng before, so naturally, he agreed, intending to have some fun before bed.

In the end, he suffered five straight losses and was so furious that he could not sleep!

Having become an Earth-level Duelist, Luo Hao was naturally no fool. After some probing, combined with Wang Cheng having no intention of concealing it, he learned of Youye's existence.

So the two of them had also been waiting here for Youye's arrival.

"About revising your decks, you'll have to wait a bit. I already promised Chang Xingge first." Hearing their conversation, Youye understood immediately.

He was not surprised by this. Aside from the truly socially anxious few, everyone had their own circles. One person told two, two told four—it was perfectly normal. That was also his goal.

As for why he had not done this earlier, it was simply because he had not had the opportunity.

Before opening the shop, the only person he knew with any real status was the principal of Duel Academy. Yet even after all these years, the principal had not obtained many suitable cards, and his connections were limited.

Neither man was dissatisfied with Youye's answer. The reasoning was simple: the strong possessed the right to make every decision. That was an eternal truth in any world!

"This way, Senior Youye. I've already prepared a dedicated dueling room." Unlike Youye, who showed no concern for Wang Cheng and Luo Hao's standing, Chang Xingge did not dare be so casual. How could a mere Profound-level Duelist like her presume to say anything to two Earth-level big shots? Only after they tacitly agreed did she speak.

What? Youye was a Yellow-level rookie? Of everyone present, human or spirit, who actually regarded him as a Yellow-level Duelist?

Then, led by Chang Xingge, Youye, the other three, and Munin entered a dueling room ten meters wide, thirty meters long, and around five meters high. Chang Xingge stood opposite Youye, while the two observers and one spirit silently took seats on the sofas against the wall.

Youye (8000 LP) vs. Chang Xingge (8000 LP)

The Dueling Rules allowed Chang Xingge to choose whether to go first or second. Chang Xingge chose to go second. Both sides drew five cards, and the duel began.

"Going second?" Youye was slightly surprised and became curious about what archetype Chang Xingge was playing.

Naturally, that excluded Mikanko, Numeron, and Tenyi Spirit - Sahasrara. Even Numeron, the weakest of the three, could reach first place in Master Duel. The other two were even stronger, and without their key cards, there was no way they would be at the Profound level.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Runick Flashing Fire. I add one Runick Spell from my deck to my hand, then banish the top card of your deck. I add the Field Spell Runick Fountain from my deck to my hand, and the top card of your deck is banished!"

Curious as he was, Youye did not stop moving.

As Youye added Runick Fountain to his hand, he looked at the card Chang Xingge had banished: Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse.

"Mekk-Knights? Going second? Monarch OTK?" Youye murmured.

It was a deck that often appeared in tournament events in Master Duel, commonly known as MD in his previous life. After many key cards from mainstream decks had been banned, it became beloved by budget players due to its powerful going-second OTK potential and extremely low cost. Naturally, Youye had played it as well.

After a brief recollection, combined with the cards Chang Xingge would likely use, Youye began to move.

"I activate the Field Spell Runick Fountain. I use the Quick-Play Spell Runick Golden Droplet from my hand to Special Summon a monster. I Special Summon Wings of Runick - Munin. When Munin is Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, I send the Continuous Trap There Can Be Only One from my hand to the Graveyard to activate her effect. Then, as Chain Link 2, I activate the effect of Runick Fountain, targeting Runick Flashing Fire and Runick Golden Droplet in my Graveyard!"

Effect resolution: Chain Link 2, Runick Fountain's effect returns Runick Flashing Fire and Runick Golden Droplet to the deck, and Youye draws two cards;

Chain Link 1, Munin's effect adds the Continuous Spell Runick Allure to his hand.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Runick Allure and the Continuous Spell Messenger of Peace. End turn!"

"At the end of the turn, Munin's effect activates. I recover 1000 LP!"

Youye LP: 8000→9000

"Is this Senior Youye's strength? The moment he saw Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse get banished, he clearly recognized Xingge's Mekk-Knight archetype, knew that There Can Be Only One could not contain it, and even knew it was a going-second OTK deck. That's why he summoned Munin instead of Hugin."

As the minister of the Hangcheng Duel Association, Luo Hao had naturally dueled Munin before and knew the general effects of the Runick archetype cards. He therefore understood very well that the Runick board Youye had established was the optimal answer to preventing a Monarch kill. Even though he had been mentally prepared for Youye to be extraordinary, he was still deeply shocked.

Chang Xingge had practically been seen through down to her underwear!

"Hehe, Old Luo, do you still want to give it a try later?" As Luo Hao sighed, Wang Cheng beside him revealed a malicious grin and teased him.

"Of course. Only by truly dueling can one understand the other party's real strength and character!" Luo Hao answered without the slightest hesitation. But as he looked at Chang Xingge, who was currently dueling, memories of the despair he had once felt while being imprisoned by Munin surfaced in his mind. Now that he was facing an even more sinister Youye, he added righteously,

"However, I won't duel normally. Senior Youye's Master Duel decks are even stronger, and as Earth-level Duelists, we should naturally challenge our limits and confront our own problems. So later, I'll challenge Senior Youye in Master Duel!"

"If you're afraid of being locked down, just say you're afraid of being locked down. Why make it sound so righteous?" Hearing his nonsense, Wang Cheng rolled his eyes and mocked him.