Chapter 27: Three Consecutive Wins, Astonishing the World (Part 1)

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A minor fourth-tier league match was being hyped higher and higher. The more outrageous the spectacle, the more entertaining it became.

Yet a certain mysterious group of nine seemed somewhat uneasy.

Rabbit: “We can’t suppress the attention. Should we set up an access gate?”

Rose: “If we can’t keep it down, then forget it.”

Swordsman: “A new demon-race prospect? His sanity rate only dropped by five percent. Strange.”

Mahjong: “Who’s going to test him?”

Mermaid: “Too far away.”

Machine: “Still under repair.”

Rabbit: “No time.”

Shadowmist Lady: “I just left.”

Swordsman: “Have a drink.”

Ginger Cat: “Meow~~”

Rose: “Me, me, me!”

Mahjong: “Forget it. You’d only embarrass us.”

Rose: “Then should I go?”

The eight avatars each had their own duties and work. The one with the most free time was Twin Blossoms—and she was also the weakest. She could not even defeat the cat.

At that moment, an avatar with no image suddenly spoke.

Blank: “Who provided the deck?”

Rabbit: “An agent named Mickey from Group Two of the Investigation Division, Shen Fifth Department.”

Blank: “Send me his employment report.”

[Ding—]

Rabbit quickly posted Mickey’s employment report.

The others skimmed past irrelevant information such as his height and weight, focusing their attention on the section listing his duel record.

Swordsman: “A zero-percent win rate? How did he get into the Spirit Binding Division?”

Mermaid: “He lost every capture duel and every mental-break duel. How did he manage that?”

Mahjong: “Did he get in through the back door? Is the Shen Bureau really that corrupt?”

Rose: “I know about this. Mickey entered the division with his own deck. His recommender was Teacher Shen Shen. Under the regulations, he was eligible for exceptional admission.”

Rabbit: “In terms of family relations, Shen Shen is Mickey’s mother. However, genetic testing shows that they are not related by blood. They are only five years apart in age. It may have something to do with the incident nineteen years ago.”

The group chat fell silent for a brief moment.

Blank: “Send me the deck-testing report.”

[Ding—]

Rabbit obeyed and posted the Yubel deck’s test report.

The results were horrifying.

Every single category was marked as failed.

Sudden death, myocardial infarction, shock, insanity.

Even Machine could not control it. During Machine’s test, the system short-circuited.

Ginger Cat: “Meow!”

Rose: “Teacher says... the deciding game is about to begin. Watch that first.”

At the Shen District venue of the fourth-tier league, the atmosphere around the duels had reached unprecedented heights.

“The two teams are tied four games apiece! It’s the deciding match!”

“The pressure is on Thousand-Gate Palace!”

“Will they send out their final starter, or gamble on their foreign reinforcement?”

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“This is my first time commentating a match like this...”

“Let’s get started!”

“Let the bloodbath begin!”

In Thousand-Gate Palace’s rest area, Qingji, covered in scratches, put on her coat and returned to the bench. She had no idea how to explain herself. An apology would change nothing, so she could only lower her head.

“Are we really going to be swept three to one by a numbered citizen...?”

One of the players muttered under his breath, but his words carried clearly to everyone’s ears.

“Don’t talk nonsense. We still have one life left.”

“Coach...”

Several players turned together toward an old man.

He was the famous coach Qi Zhengchun, known as the “Nevernight Ghoul.”

In his eighteen-year coaching career, he had always considered himself broadly experienced. Yet now, he was utterly baffled.

How absurd was this?

A marked numbered citizen had swept two of their players?

The substitution timer ticked away. Two minutes remained.

He had to make a decision quickly.

Against this new deck, Yubel, should he send out their starter, the Fabled, or their foreign reinforcement and substitute, the Vampires?

A team had six members, but only five lives between them.

“Xia Sen.” Qi Zhengchun looked toward the final starter and asked in a deep voice, “Are you confident?”

Xia Sen trembled. His head began shaking unconsciously.

“No... I can’t understand it.”

“You can’t understand it?” Qingji, standing nearby, grew irritated. She raised her head and said, “I even forced all this information out of him. What part of it can’t you understand?”

“This is just a going-second counterattack deck.”

“Pay attention to the Elf and Torture Giant in his hand. It can be beaten!”

“Pfft—”

Juliet, the foreign reinforcement, burst into laughter.

Qingji snapped, “What are you laughing at?”

“You said you forced his deck information out of him.” Juliet’s smile faded, and her voice turned cold. “Then let me ask you something.”

“What are his three Extra Deck cards?”

The instant she finished speaking, the entire rest area seemed to freeze.

Everyone finally realized something terrifying.

“He’s still hiding cards?!”

In the first match, when you had the advantage, hiding something was understandable.

But after being countered this thoroughly in the second match, he was still hiding information?

“A calm madman.”

The coach was genuinely panicking now. His fingers tapped frantically against his thigh.

If he had a choice, he truly did not want to send this foreign reinforcement out.

An ordinary foreign reinforcement would have been one thing. But Juliet was a reinforcement from the Fanalia Fortress.

Under normal circumstances, foreign reinforcements were restricted by the league. When supporting a fourth-tier fortress, their decks could not contain Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or Link cards. Fanalia, however, was an exception. The queen of that fortress ruled with an overbearing hand, and the league had no choice but to give her some face, creating a separate regulation for Fanalia.

As a result, Fanalia’s reinforcement fees were exorbitant.

And she was not someone they could easily pin the blame on.

A seasoned coach was already thinking about how to shift responsibility.

“You absolutely must win, Miss Juliet.” The old coach ultimately chose to send the foreign reinforcement into battle.

As long as she won, everything would be fine.

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If a marked numbered citizen swept all three of them, the blame would be enormous. A heavy stain would be carved into his record.

“I’ll do my best.” Juliet shrugged indifferently.

Before anyone else could argue, she placed her deck into her Duel Disk. The corners of her lips lifted slightly as she strode onto the dueling platform.

“Don’t worry.”

With her back to the others, she waved confidently.

“I’ll win.”

The second match had revealed one fact: by the end of the duel, Yubel had only one disruptive card, Dark World Lotus. That was crucial.

[Thousand-Gate Palace’s Final Player]

[Juliet Ancilica Margulis]

“Oh? Thousand-Gate Palace has sent out their foreign reinforcement!”

“As expected of Fanalia’s reinforcement. What an imposing presence.”

“Are they bringing out their trump card?”

“I hear Fanalia’s reinforcement fees are frighteningly high. Thousand-Gate Palace is really betting everything on this.”

“She’s probably their ace in the hole for reaching the playoffs. Who would have thought a numbered citizen would force them to reveal it in the sixth round?”

Juliet walked slowly toward the dueling platform. Her eyes remained fixed on Li Guanqi, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. Every movement radiated composure and elegance.

“After the match, would you like to become my servant?”

She gave Li Guanqi a light, dazzling wink.

“Servant?” The image of the Vampire’s Servant card flashed through Li Guanqi’s mind. He answered casually, “Isn’t that just a dog?”

“How mean. You’re being so direct.” Juliet’s face flushed slightly. She turned her head aside, displaying the shy embarrassment of a young girl.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Li Guanqi spoke with righteous conviction. “I’m Silver Princess’s dog.”

“Silver Princess? Who is that?” Juliet’s expression darkened. “How am I inferior to her?”

Li Guanqi’s gaze drifted slightly downward.

“Your chest.”

Critical hit!

“And your legs.”

Double strike!

Juliet clenched her fists. Out of aristocratic courtesy, she did not lose her temper, but her smile had become stiff.

[Courtesy period over.]

[Both players, select pain level.]

“Level six.”

“Level six.”

[Blue player, select first or second turn.]

“Second turn.” Juliet answered without hesitation.

[The pain level for this match is six.]

[The first turn goes to...]

[The blue player.]

[Duel start.]

The two exchanged a glance, sparks bursting between them.

“Duel!” (x2)