No, Wang Cheng said, his eyes deep and serious as he looked at the girl standing on the field. My intuition tells me the Little Knight Xiaoye isn't that simple. She definitely has a second effect—maybe even a third.
Using just two monsters to link summon a card that can target and banish is already strong—no one could deny that. But not so strong that it would become legendary.
If Xiaoye really had a second or even third effect… that would push her into the realm of the most versatile Link-2 monster ever created.
Right now, though, Xiaoye Knight was sitting in the Extra Monster Zone. That might not be a problem for most decks—but for Runick, it was fatal.
Runick's special summoned monsters can only occupy that Extra Monster Zone. Without a way to clear or reuse it, the nearly depleted You Ye could be wiped out next turn.
Mu Ning simply stood by silently, her eyes calm as she waited for what would happen next.
"I activate the Continuous Spell — Dimensional Fissure!" You Ye declared, placing the card down. "Since I'm skipping my Battle Phase this turn because of a self-restriction, I'll end my turn."
The instant Dimensional Fissure appeared, both Wang Cheng and Luo Hao shook their heads, while Chang Xingge's expression grew heavier.
With that card active, any of her monsters sent to the Graveyard would instead be banished, making it impossible to recycle resources.
In other words, she only had one single chance left to end this duel.
If she failed now, she'd lose. Without a doubt.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at her Duel Disk. "Draw!"
Her expression brightened. She had drawn exactly the card she needed—the key to victory.
"Any objection if I go straight to Main Phase 1?" she asked.
"None at all," You Ye replied with a soft, confident smile.
"I Normal Summon Sacred Tree, then use it to Link Summon Magus, banishing Sacred Tree. After that, I Special Summon Mirror to Magus's link arrow.
Mirror and Magus both activate their effects in sequence—Chain Link 2, Magus searches a theme monster; Chain Link 1, Mirror targets another Holy Statue card I control and one of yours for destruction. I'll target Magus and your Little Knight Xiaoye!"
She paused, watching You Ye closely. Just like Wang Cheng and Luo Hao had predicted, she already guessed Xiaoye might have another effect. Now she was testing it.
"I chain as Chain Link 3—Quick-Play Spell Runick Freezing Curse! I target your Mirror; its effect is negated until the end of this turn. Then, you banish the top three cards of your Deck!"
Chang Xingge instantly understood—Xiaoye Knight didn't have an effect-negate. Relief washed over her. If You Ye had to rely on a Spell, that meant she still had a shot at victory.
Effect Resolution:
CL3: Freezing Curse resolves successfully. Mirror's effect is negated until the end of the turn; Chang Xingge banishes the top three cards of her Deck.
CL2: Magus's effect adds Heavenscape from the Deck to hand.
CL1: Mirror's effect is negated.
"I now Link Summon using Mirror and Magus to bring out Lionheart King! Then, at his link arrow, I Special Summon Starlight, and both activate—Chain Link 1 Starlight, Chain Link 2 Lionheart."
She was just about to resolve the chain when the turn priority passed briefly to You Ye. She glanced over curiously, wondering what kind of counter he might still be hiding.
"You can continue," he said with a harmless smile. "I'll let you know when I want to interrupt."
Maybe I don't want you to interrupt! she thought bitterly.
His attitude clearly meant he did have a counter ready—she just didn't know whether it was a Runick Quick-Play or Xiaoye Knight's second effect. Either way, she had to move carefully.
"Chain Link 2, Lionheart searches the Quick-Play Spell Holy Statue Pact; Chain Link 1, Starlight retrieves Beast of the Hundred from my Graveyard to my hand!"
"I activate Holy Statue Pact! Until the end of this turn, you cannot activate monster, spell, or trap effects in response to my Holy Statue monsters!"
"I chain as Chain Link 2—Xiaoye Knight's second effect!" You Ye's voice cut through the air with a grin.
"When my opponent activates an effect, I can target two monsters—one of mine and one of theirs—and banish both until the end of the turn. I choose Xiaoye herself, and your Lionheart King!"
Effect Resolution:
CL2: Xiaoye Knight's effect banishes herself and Lionheart until the end of the turn.
CL1: Holy Statue Pact resolves successfully.
Chang Xingge blinked. That… wasn't as devastating as she'd expected. It only cost her some field presence—it stung, but not too badly.
But Wang Cheng and Luo Hao had already leapt from their seats.
"Holy crap—what kind of busted effect is that?!" Luo Hao shouted.
"It's absurd!" Wang Cheng nodded with a grim look. "That effect can dodge negates like Effect Veiler and Imperm, and even avoid targeting effects entirely!"
Fear flickered in his eyes—real fear.
Yesterday, when they had reported You Ye's newly revealed "Flower Synchro" and "Effect Veiler + Infinite Imperm" hybrid deck to the provincial Duel Oversight Bureau, the higher-ups had already been eager to recruit him—or at least make him an honorary member.
And now… another card, even stronger and more flexible than Flower Synchro. Could you, Ye, really just be a human? Or was he perhaps the incarnation of a high-ranking Duel Spirit himself?
Mu Ning smiled faintly.
She had already decided—she'd contact her kin in the Spirit Realm, like Hu Ji and the others, and make sure You Ye's Runick authority was expanded. The stronger You Ye became, the more valuable their bond.
The closer they became, the more she would be allowed to borrow his cards when necessary.
That was why, unlike Bai Yun'er or the others, she had never panicked or shown jealousy. As long as she didn't cross him, she would eventually earn everything she wanted.
After all, Duel Spirits didn't age or betray—they could wait. Eternally.
Chang Xingge frowned, then relaxed again. Dodging negates? Dodging targeting? None of that mattered now.
You had only two cards left in your hand. If he didn't have another Runick Quick-Play, she could still win this duel.
"I Link Summon again—using Starlight to summon my third Magus, then Link into Beast of the Hundred, then another Lionheart King, and finally—Heavenscape Lord!"
(Side note: both Magus and Lionheart have once-per-turn name effects.)
"I declare an attack with Heavenscape Lord!"
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Runick Destruction Tempest!" You Ye said, grinning.
"I special summon a Runick monster—come forth, Runick Fangs, Ki-Ri!"
"Come out, Doggo!"
A purple, scarf-wearing wolf leapt onto the field.
"Chain Link 1, Runick Fountain's effect—targeting Destruction Tempest and Freezing Curse in the Graveyard; Chain Link 2, Ki-Ri's special summon effect—add one non-Quick-Play Runick Spell from my GY to my hand!"
"Following the chain order—Chain 2 first, I add Runick Deceit to my hand; then Chain 1, Fountain shuffles two spells back into the Deck and draws two cards!"
When the effects resolved, You Ye looked up, smiling with a glint in his eye.
"So… are you still going to attack?"
"Attack!" Chang Xingge shouted.
Even if all her resources had been exiled and You Ye had somehow gained more advantage instead of losing it, she had to attack—because if she didn't, her last hope would vanish.
"It's over," Luo Hao sighed, exchanging a glance with Wang Cheng.
At that instant, Chang Xingge realized what he meant.
If Mu Ning had two effects… how could Ki-Ri, her counterpart, have only one?
But it was too late—combat had already entered the Damage Step.
She couldn't stop it now.
Wang Cheng and Luo Hao both knew it—that was why they hadn't spoken until it was already beyond recovery.