You Targeted Munin, Didn't You?

Chang Xingge was neither deaf nor someone who believed herself stronger than Youye. After hearing Wang Cheng and Luo Hao's words, she fell into thought.

She only knew from the records that Luo Hao had lost when challenging Munin. She knew neither the course of the Duel nor the effects of the Runick cards.

After nearly ten seconds of fruitless thought, she decisively drew a card.

Did she know what kind of board Youye had set up? No. Did that matter? It did, but no matter what board Youye had built or how strong he was, as a Duelist, she had only one goal: win this Duel!

"Going straight to Main Phase 1. Any objections?" Chang Xingge took a deep breath and asked.

"Please." Youye extended a hand, indicating he had no objection.

"Since I have no face-up cards on my field, I can activate the Normal Spell Lightning Storm. I choose to destroy all Spell/Trap Cards on your field!"

Chang Xingge opened by activating the famous board-clearing master from her previous life.

Youye was slightly surprised, but his hands did not stop moving.

"The effect of the Field Spell Runick Fountain allows me to use Runick Quick-Play Spells during your turn. Therefore, I Chain Link 2 to your Lightning Storm and activate the Quick-Play Spell Runick Slumber from my hand, targeting Munin on my field. Munin cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects once this turn, and you banish the top three cards of your Deck!"

Neither side continued the chain. The effects resolved: Chain Link 2, Runick Slumber, activated successfully; Chain Link 1, Lightning Storm, destroyed all Spell/Trap Cards on Youye's field.

"Trying to preserve the monster? Use her to restore LP?" Chang Xingge murmured, then revealed a faint smile.

Keeping the monster was fine, but if he wanted to restore LP, he would have to see whether her Overlord's effect allowed it!

However, she did not know that the instant she smiled, the other three people, including Youye, as well as the spirit Munin, all wore meaningful smiles as they watched her Build a Board.

"I Normal Summon Hieratic Dragon King of Atum, then set it to the Link Arrow (↓) and Link Summon Link-1 Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres."

"The first effect of Parallel eXceed in my hand: when I Link Summon, I can Special Summon it to a Link Point. Come forth, Parallel eXceed! Then its third effect activates. This Special Summoned card has its Level reduced to 4."

"The effect of Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres activates when a monster is Special Summoned to its Link Point, adding a Mekk-Knight monster from my Deck to my hand. Immediately after that, I Chain Link 2 the Summon/Special Summon effect of Parallel eXceed, Special Summoning another Parallel eXceed from my Deck!"

The effects resolved: Chain Link 2, Parallel eXceed's effect Special Summoned another Parallel eXceed; Chain Link 1, Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres' effect added Hieratic Seal of the Ash Blossom to her hand.

"I use the Parallel eXceed at the Link Point and Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres, set to the Link Arrows (↑↓), and Link Summon Link-2 Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis!"

"The shared first effect of lower-level Mekk-Knights allows them to be Special Summoned in Defense Position to the Link Point of a Link Monster on my field. Therefore, I Special Summon Hieratic Seal of the Ash Blossom from my hand in Defense Position to Leo's Link Point."

"Leo's third effect: when a monster is Special Summoned to its Link Point, I can search my Deck for a Mekk-Knight Spell and add it to my hand. Then I Chain Link 2 the effect of Ash Blossom. Since this Summoned/Special Summoned card is in the Link Zone, I target Hieratic Dragon King of Atum in the Graveyard!"

The effects resolved: Chain Link 2, Ash Blossom's effect added Hieratic Dragon King of Atum from the Graveyard to her hand; Chain Link 1, Leo's effect added the Field Spell Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres to her hand.

"I use the Parallel eXceed and Link-2 Leo on my field, set to the Link Arrow (↑), and Link Summon Link-3 Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis!"

The instant Chang Xingge's card landed on the Duel Disk, a centaur more than three meters tall appeared. Its upper body was clad in blue armor, and it wielded a greatsword in its right hand as it stood at the forefront, staring at Youye.

Youye still wore his usual faint smile. Chang Xingge had given herself a chance to win by drawing Lightning Storm, provided her combo was not too formulaic and his next draw was not absurdly lucky. Unfortunately, her combo was far too standard. Her chance was already gone.

Chang Xingge also noticed that Youye remained so calm. Her expression darkened slightly, but after confirming that she had made no mistakes, she completed her board.

"At Overlord's Link Points, I Special Summon Hieratic Dragon King of Atum and Hundred Beasts from my hand in Defense Position. Overlord's Continuous Effect increases the ATK of monsters at its Link Points!"

"Next, I activate the effects of Hieratic Dragon King of Atum and Hundred Beasts, each targeting Overlord. Hieratic Dragon King of Atum gives Overlord double battle damage this turn, while Hundred Beasts gives Overlord Piercing Battle Damage!"

"Finally, I activate the Field Spell Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres, increasing Overlord's ATK by 500!"

Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis ATK: 2000 → 5300!

"I enter the Battle Phase. I use Overlord to attack Munin on your field!"

At her command, Overlord galloped before Munin, swung its greatsword down from its right hand, and struck her as though it would cleave her in two. Yet after a faint white glow flashed, Overlord dealt no damage to Munin whatsoever.

Chang Xingge's expression did not change at the sight. She spoke slowly.

"Munin is protected by Runick Slumber, but that spell cannot protect your LP, Senior! Take Overlord's Piercing Battle Damage!"

Youye LP: 9000 → 2400!

Seeing Youye's LP fall below three thousand, Chang Xingge let out a breath of relief. Though she had not achieved an OTK, what worried her most was Youye having a hand trap that could block this massive LP reduction. She knew full well that she would not get another chance for such a heavy blow.

"I enter the End Phase!" After glancing at her hand, Chang Xingge made no further moves and declared the end of her turn.

"Wait. During your End Phase, I activate Munin's effect and recover 1000 LP!" Youye spoke, then looked toward Chang Xingge.

Chang Xingge caught Youye's gaze and knew he was asking whether she wanted to chain.

For a moment, she hesitated. Something was wrong—far too wrong.

First of all, the Runick archetype had defeated the archetype used by the department head, an Earth-level Duelist, yet it had displayed nowhere near the strength she had imagined. Furthermore, everything so far had followed her tempo. It was incredibly strange, as though Youye were the newcomer and she were the senior.

After thinking deeply for half a minute, she still chose to chain. No matter what, she could not allow Youye to recover the LP she had worked so hard to reduce.

"I Chain Link 2 to Munin's effect. I tribute Hieratic Dragon King of Atum on my field and activate Overlord's third effect, targeting Munin on your field to negate her effect!"

At her words, Overlord raised its greatsword toward the sky. Countless chains descended from above and bound themselves around Munin.

"You targeted Munin, didn't you?" A wicked grin spread across Youye's lips.

"Oh no!" Seeing Youye's expression, Chang Xingge immediately knew she had fallen for it. But it was too late. There were no take-backs in an official Duel. Now, she could only see how Youye would strike back!

"I Chain Link 3 with Munin's second effect. When an opponent activates a Spell, Trap, or monster effect that targets a Runick card on my field, I can banish this card from the field to negate that activation and destroy it!"

At Youye's command, Munin vanished from the field, leaving behind black feathers that shot toward Overlord with a piercing howl.