Chapter 57: Is Destiny Unchangeable?
Although Weevil appeared quite short, that was only when compared to tall individuals like Joey and Hayato. His actual height was 1.6 meters, coincidentally the same as a certain super clean-freak soldier. With his full-force tackle, Yugi had no time to react and could only desperately cling to the round table fixed on the ship's deck beside him, and the five cards in his hand.
Even so, one card, *Exodia the Forbidden One*, the one symbolizing the head and torso, slipped from Yugi's fingertips.
Both Yugi and Weevil lost their balance and fell to the ground simultaneously. However, Weevil, being the aggressor, was quicker to scramble up, about to rush towards Yugi to seize the cards again, when Hayato, who was standing nearby, landed a punch. A massive fist struck Weevil's nose squarely, making blood gush forth and his nose twist to one side. It was as if a sauce shop had exploded, with a medley of salty, sour, and spicy sensations gushing forth.
Just as Weevil was about to rise again, the Men in Black swarmed forward, pinning Weevil firmly to the ground, controlling his limbs. His head made zero-distance contact with the ship's deck, and muffled sounds came continuously from his mouth. This time, he couldn't bite anyone even if he wanted to.
"Are you alright, Yugi?" Joey's hand was bleeding from where Weevil had bitten him, but he was far better off than those who would cry and wail as if their life depended on it over a small cut, demanding bandages and a trip to the hospital. Enduring the pain, he came to Yugi, who was on the ground, and helped him up.
Yugi got up from the ground, one hand clutching the back of his head. "I'm fine, Joey."
Weevil's earlier attack almost knocked Yugi off the third level—just like Cruella's birth mother's dog killed Cruella's adoptive mother—but even though it didn't succeed, Yugi's large head had a violent collision with the railing when he fell, leaving him feeling somewhat dizzy now.
But when Yugi's gaze shifted to the Exodia cards he had been clutching tightly, he instantly snapped back to his senses: "Exodia! Grandpa's cards are missing one!"
At this moment, he held only four Exodia cards. The four limb cards were still there, but the most important "head" card had vanished.
Hayato suddenly realized something belatedly. He pushed aside the Men in Black, grabbed Weevil by the hair and lifted his head from the ground. He saw Weevil puffing his cheeks and chewing something. His face was stained with blood from his nose, yet he smirked at Hayato.
Hayato was no Mr. Nice Guy. Seeing Weevil look at him with a provocative gaze, he landed another punch on his eye, splitting Weevil's eye socket and making his eyeballs bulge out. It was as if a fabric shop had burst open, with reds, blacks, and purples all blooming forth. Weevil saw stars, his vision went black, and his mouth involuntarily opened, revealing what he had swallowed.
That guy, he still wouldn't give up! He had directly swallowed the *Exodia the Forbidden One* that Yugi had dropped. Now, half of it had already been gnawed off by his teeth. Even if they were to cut Weevil open to retrieve the card fragments, the card, shattered so thoroughly, could no longer be restored.
'Is this Plot Inertia? Grandpa Muto is destined to have his soul sealed by Pegasus, and Weevil is bound to break apart Exodia.' Hayato felt a deep malice from the world. Was everything in this world fixed? Were all people slaves of destiny?
He was furious but ironically laughed, slapping the unconscious Weevil across the face again, waking him up. The slap was like a symphony of chimes, cymbals, and gongs exploding all at once, stunning the unconscious Weevil into consciousness.
Grabbing Weevil's collar, Hayato unleashed all the frustration in his heart upon the person before him. His fist was about to rise again, but just as it was about to fall, someone grabbed it.
It was the Men in Black who had just helped Hayato restrain Weevil. One of them held Hayato's raised fist, while two others grabbed Hayato and Weevil separately, pulling Weevil away from Hayato's grasp and quickly creating distance between the two.
"Let go of me!"
The Man in Black heard Hayato's words but remained expressionless. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hayato. Although you are a distinguished guest, Mr. Weevil is also a participant invited by Mr. Pegasus."
"This participant just used dishonorable means to tear up someone else's cards!" Hayato pulled his hand away from the Man in Black's grip, trying to get to Weevil, but was blocked by a human wall formed by several Men in Black. He could only see Weevil being carried downstairs by two Men in Black, supported under his armpits, through a gap.
"You should have just disqualified that insect bastard," Joey said, his face equally grim. His current mood was a mix of anger and guilt, because if he hadn't let go due to the pain, Weevil would have had no chance to succeed.
"We do not have the authority to revoke a player's qualification, regardless of what he does on the ship. As long as he does not directly endanger the lives of other players, we must follow Mr. Pegasus's orders and take him to the 'Duelist Kingdom'," the Man in Black said to Joey, his tone so cold it was as if he held no regard for human life.
Yugi clutched the back of his head. Even with his Mr. Nice Guy personality, he was quite angry now. "Wantonly destroying someone else's treasured Duel Monster Card, that Weevil guy fundamentally doesn't understand the Heart of the Cards. If Pegasus were here, he would definitely—"
"Definitely disqualify Weevil-boy, right, Yugi-boy?" The Man in Black suddenly interrupted Yugi. However, the voice that came from his mouth sounded incredibly odd, and yet very familiar to Yugi. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he looked at the sunglasses-wearing Man in Black in disbelief: "Pegasus!?"
"Yes, I am!" The Man in Black, who had just been so serious, suddenly acted like a lively child, giving Yugi a thumbs-up and saying playfully. After the Man in Black pushed aside his bangs, Yugi and the others saw a Millennium Eye tattooed on his head, faintly glowing gold in the night.
"These Exodia cards are indeed quite precious, aren't they? Seeing them bitten and damaged by Weevil-boy through this puppet, me also felt quite regrettable, just like when Kaiba-boy tore up the fourth Blue-Eyes. Should me say, it truly lives up to Weevil the 'Insect' who eats plants?" The Man in Black, controlled by Pegasus, spoke in Pegasus's characteristic peculiar intonation. "But unfortunately, me will not cancel Weevil-boy's qualification for such a small reason."
"Although me cares quite a lot about Duel Monsters, my love for Duel Monsters is all-encompassing. In my eyes, this 'Duelist Kingdom' tournament is far more important than a mere Card."
"Because it's the only 'love' you have left, you pour your entire being into it, and as a result, you no longer care about anything else at all, right, Pegasus?"
"Completely correct, Hayato-boy. To understand me so well, me wonders who truly is the owner of the Millennium Eye?"
Listening to Pegasus's strange verbal tic, Hayato looked at the Man in Black controlled by Pegasus. "I heard you plan to implement new Rules in this Match, right? To prevent other Duelists from misunderstanding, why not hold a demonstration Duel in front of your castle?"
"Just like an official Match, wagering our respective stakes. I've even found the players for you: me and that Weevil Underwood."
Everyone is a slave of destiny, but they are 'sleeping slaves.' As long as they are sleeping slaves, after awakening, they can open up a meaningful path. (My reflection after watching JoJo Part 5)
Warning: The Duelist Kingdom arc officially begins, Protagonist vs. Weevil.
Let's review the special rules of Duelist Kingdom (this book only), so I don't get accused of padding chapters:
1. Player going first draws one card.
2. 4000 LP (Key point).
3. Direct attacks are allowed. No monsters on the field at the end of a turn does not affect the outcome.
4. Fusion Summons can only use monsters on the field.
5. Field effects grant fixed (not percentage-based) ATK/DEF bonuses to specific monster Types.
6. Spell and Trap Cards exist, but all can be activated during the opponent's turn (as there is no distinction between Normal/Quick-Play for now).
7. Improvised rulings are allowed (e.g., "Although it's not written on this card, it can Special Summon.jpg" / "I'm attacking the Equip Spell Card 'Demonic Moon'.jpg").
8. Monsters from Levels 1-4 do not require Tributes (except for special types). Monsters from Levels 5-6 require one Tribute. Monsters from Level 7 and above (except for special types) require two Tributes.
9. If an Attack Position monster is destroyed by a card effect, no Life Points are deducted.
10. Battle Replays and similar operations are allowed, but card effects (Spells, Traps, and Monsters) can be chained to them to circumvent.
(end of chapter)