"Really?!"
"Exactly the same!!!"
"Last night, when I passed by Feiyun Slope, I saw them exorcising evil spirits!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"I saw it too!!!"
"Those girls were seriously fierce... they eliminated the spirits so fast!"
Hearing the chatter around him, Xiao, sitting in the corner drinking, suddenly narrowed his pupils. One of his doubts had just been answered.
Recently, during his patrols around Liyue Harbor, Xiao had clearly noticed a great reduction in evil spirits—so much so that they could practically be said to have disappeared. Liyue Harbor was now exceptionally peaceful... Xiao had barely had any chance to act lately.
He didn't mind the leisure, yet he never expected that it was actually Luya's shop staff—the materialized [Exosisters]—who had done it. Those seemingly delicate girls, who didn't even possess Visions, were actually able to eliminate evil spirits!
The deeds of the [Exosisters] shocked many people. After all, Luya had previously materialized many Waifu Cards, sending them to work at the Scratch Card shop. In their spare time, they had conveniently wiped out some evil spirits as well.
Shenhe briefly looked over the effects of her cards. This [Exosister] Deck required summoning Xyz Monsters to secure victory!
It was Shenhe's first time owning a deck. As she looked at the cards in her hands, her mood lifted—but she couldn't help but worry that she might bring misfortune to Luya.
Much like astrology, Liyue also had methods of divination used to glimpse destiny. Among these, there were two kinds of fates people most dreaded.
The Fate of the Lone Star—destined to lose all loved ones and live a life of solitude.
And the Fate of Calamity—destined to face endless misfortunes and peril.
After the adepti took Shenhe in, Moon Carver himself performed a divination for the young girl. And the hexagram revealed—Shenhe's fate not only clashed with the Lone Star but also opposed Calamity, burdened with intense murderous energy.
It was a great and terrible fate—one that harmed both herself and others, unseen in a thousand years.
To ensure Shenhe's safety—and to keep her from harming the innocent—the adepti cast the Red Rope Binding Technique upon her. It restrained both the malevolent aura and killing intent within her, but at the same time, it sealed away many emotions that belonged to her as a human.
After being bound by the red rope, fewer and fewer things could stir any ripple in Shenhe's heart. What ordinary people treasured was, to Shenhe, nothing more than fleeting dust. Her humanity had weakened so much that she lived like a flawless statue devoid of emotion.
Yet through her contact with Duel Monsters, Shenhe had begun to faintly sense something long lost—foreign feelings resurfacing, as if something deep within fate itself had started to shift.
Perhaps, just as Moon Carver once said: destiny is decreed by the heavens, but fortune is written by one's own hand.
Shenhe's story in this mortal world had not yet reached its end—in fact, it might have only just begun!
Once Shenhe's deck issue was settled, next came Yun Jin's.
Although Yun Jin had studied much about Yu-Gi-Oh!'s storylines, she hadn't had time to obtain a deck of her own yet. Having watched many duels, she'd long wanted to try it herself. And now, she finally had the chance.
The giant-sized Luya continued instructing Ganyu:
"Bring Miss Yun Jin a deck as well~ We're all family here, so no need for Mora..."
Hearing that, Yun Jin laughed. "What do you mean, family~"
Luya seriously replied, "You moved your whole Yun-Han Opera Troupe here—how are we not family now?!"
Yun Jin could only nod helplessly, accepting the deck Ganyu handed her.
"Alright, alright, I can't win against you. Thanks for the deck, Boss~"
She'd already given half her troupe's earnings to Luya anyway, so a free deck was nothing. For Yun Jin, buying a deck was pocket change. As the most popular star of Liyue Harbor, she was, in truth, a hidden rich lady.
Even if Luya hadn't gifted it, Yun Jin could have easily bought one herself... but a gift carried meaning beyond price. Living under the same roof, one had to maintain goodwill and exchange gestures of courtesy.
After accepting the Random Deck from Ganyu, Yun Jin felt the cool texture of the cards in her hands. It felt smooth and crisp—quite pleasant.
Eagerly, Yun Jin tore open the deck package. A crimson light illuminated the entire shop!
The phantom of a mighty dragon appeared before her.
[Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon] Level 8│DARK│Dragon│2500 ATK / 2000 DEF
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon—its whole body crimson red, its eyes shimmering with light of two colors.
The moment it appeared, the spectators burst into astonished cries.
"It's [Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon]!"
"Then that means—"
"We get to see a Pendulum Summon?!"
"Oh my god!!!"
"I wonder whether the [Exosisters] or [Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon] will come out on top?!"
...
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