Come forth!
Horus the Illustrious — Imsety!
Horus the Guardian — Qebehsenuef!
Horus the Herald — Hapy!
Horus the Blessed — Duamutef!
With Billmu's shout, four golden statue-like Horus monsters appeared. One held a staff, one bore a sword and shield, and another gripped an enormous bow. Their arrival alone pushed back the surrounding black mist with a fearsome divine pressure.
"Not done yet, right? Four Horus monsters are strong, sure—but that alone isn't enough to defeat me."
Yu Ye glanced over the quartet of Horus monsters, then smiled at the proud Billmu.
"As expected of the man, the Organization labeled the 'King-Rank duelist with the widest knowledge base.' You caught it instantly."
Billmu's lips curled upward as he spoke slowly:
"Yu Ye, let me teach you your first lesson. Once your strength reaches a certain level, concealing your real power becomes necessary."
"I overlay the Level 8 Imsety and Level 8 Qebehsenuef!
Xyz Summon! Rank 8 — Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord!"
A black whirlpool erupted in the mist, swallowing the two Horus monsters. With an explosive burst, a blue-armored warrior wielding a photon sword and shield descended onto the field.
Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord
Warrior / Xyz / Effect / LIGHT / Rank 8
ATK 2500 / DEF 3000
"Oh? So we've got 'Galaxy,' 'Galaxy-Eyes,' 'Photon,' AND a Number monster? Looks like you beat a Galaxy-Eyes/Photon duelist in a previous Dark Duel."
Yu Ye was unsurprised; in the past life's "vanilla Horus" decks, Rank 8 engines were extremely common.
"You even guessed that right…"
Billmu stared at Yu Ye. Up to this point, Yu Ye had shown zero surprise—just mild curiosity—and even deduced Billmu's previous Dark Duel opponents.
What he didn't know was that Yu Ye had completely guessed at random.
"Then I won't hide the rest either!
I overlay the Level 8 Hapy and Level 8 Duamutef!
Xyz Summon! Rank 8 — Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy!"
As he spoke, the black mist briefly shifted into a star-speckled cosmos. Within it, a massive armored dragon with radiant blue wings stepped forward, and the oppressive darkness weakened under its presence.
Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy
Dragon / Xyz / Effect / LIGHT / Rank 8
ATK 3000 / DEF 2500
"…Two LIGHT end-board bosses in a Dark Duel? Only you would pull this."
Yu Ye commented helplessly.
A proper Dark Duel should use ominous, eerie cards. Who brings Photon Lords and Hope Harbingers? Ridiculous.
Billmu shrugged: "Doesn't matter what it looks like—what matters is whether it shuts down your Runick board or Naturia Runick board."
"Uh… yes. This end board is pretty oppressive for Runick."
Yu Ye nodded honestly.
With Prohibition calling Runick Fountain, plus one spell negate and one monster negate—Runick and Naturia Runick would indeed be miserable.
But…
He wasn't using Runick.
This duel, he was using the Wheelchair Turbo Tearlaments build. With three "Yu Ye movement cards" in hand, he only needed the mills not to be atrocious.
"Want to surrender? Horus has a lot of potential—I'd rather not become your enemy."
Billmu asked seriously.
Although confident, he knew Yu Ye was dangerous. If he could persuade Yu Ye to concede politely, that was ideal.
In the spectating room, the clan heads tensed.
This Dark Dueler was ruthless.
Prohibition? TWO Rank-8 negation bosses? That absolutely strangled Runick.
Yu Ye himself had admitted the board was hard to crack.
"Don't worry. Night can't lose."
Mu Ning spoke softly, eyes locked on Yu Ye's hand. She sensed something they didn't.
"Can't lose? How's he winning this?"
White Lingtian frowned.
Mu Ning continued calmly:
"Because he's not using Runick."
"…Not Runick? Then Naturia?"
The clan heads looked even more confused.
Naturia was even weaker. Once monster effects got negated, it just collapsed.
Mu Ning shook her head. She knew from Yu Ye that Naturia was bloated and inconsistent. There was no way he brought that.
"Mu Ning, you're talking about the Tearlaments archetype, right?"
Wang Cheng's voice sounded from behind.
Everyone turned—and immediately froze.
Standing there was a man in grey robes, harmless-looking, and beside him a beautiful woman, wielding a silver fan, wearing a silver dress. They exuded no aura, yet the moment they appeared, the clan heads felt suffocated.
Mu Ning's face tightened—these two were a threat even to her.
"Silver Princess… Eternal King… You honor us with your presence…!"
White Lingtian and the others almost collapsed to their knees.
The "Eternal King" waved dismissively.
"I heard everything. This isn't your fault. As for the Zeng Clan—we'll discuss that later. For now, watch the duel. It's Yu Ye's turn."
The clan heads could only nod bitterly.
Two pinnacle King-Road duelists had arrived.
Hang City's sky was about to change.
—
"My turn. Draw."
Yu Ye drew, checked the card, and entered Main Phase 1.
He started immediately:
"Since I control no cards, I activate the Trap Infinite Impermanence from my hand, targeting your Hope Harbinger!
Its effects are negated until the end of the turn."
"Infinite… Impermanence?"
Billmu blinked.
Runick decks didn't run that. Naturia Runick didn't either.
What was this?
But he reacted instantly:
"I chain! Continuous Trap Guardian of Kanopys! Its effect: each Chain I can Special Summon a 'Horus' monster from my GY—and then I can only summon Horus monsters afterward!"
A black flame flared, and he revived Horus the Black Flame Deity in attack.
Chain resolved:
C2 Guardian → Black Flame Deity revived.
C1 Impermanence → Hope Harbinger's effects negated.
Yu Ye smiled faintly and continued:
"I activate the Spell Reasoning!"
"…Another card not in your intel."
Billmu was growing uneasy. Runick decks with Fountain locked shouldn't be using these.
Still, Reasoning was common in mill strategies.
He promptly chained again:
"I activate Guardian of Kanopys again!
I Special Summon Horus's Servant from my GY in defense!"
Chain resolves:
C2 Guardian → Servant revived.
C1 Reasoning → Billmu calls Level 3.
Yu Ye Mills:
D/D/D Slavator Kepler
Triple Tactics Talent
Tearlaments Murli
Billmu: "???"
None of these were Runick.
None was Naturia.
Not a single card matched his intel.
"Tearlaments…? This is your main archetype?!"
"Correct."
Yu Ye smiled.
"You should feel honored. You're the first to witness the Ultra-Incomplete Wheelchair Turbo Tearlaments."
"You're using an incomplete archetype in a Dark Duel…?"
Billmu frowned—not in contempt but confusion.
Yu Ye wasn't someone who underestimated opponents. If he brought this, then it meant—
"Of course. If I had the full Tearlaments core, do you really think you'd be allowed to make that entire Turn 1 uninterrupted?"
Yu Ye replied seriously.
Fully powered Tearlaments didn't let the opponent play.
"…?"
Billmu's face darkened.
But before he could speak—
Yu Ye chuckled:
Relax. As thanks for your excellent milling, let me remind you—
What I just milled now activates its effects