Chapter 361: Gearfried the Iron Knight - Joey
Two hours passed in a flash, and the S.S. St. Ann successfully arrived above Domino City.
Hayato and Marik, who had changed back into his own clothes, emerged from the infirmary, each holding a paper airplane.
Although Marik was quite spirited when Hayato and Ishizu came to visit him, he himself stated that the physical damage he sustained was mainly concentrated in his brain. While it wouldn't significantly affect his intelligence or thought processes, compared to before, Marik would now tire more easily, and his willpower had been greatly weakened.
In other words, his stress tolerance was poor. He could still handle regular Duels, but intense activities like Shadow Games were out of the question.
In addition, perhaps because Dark Marik had died, Marik had also fully recalled his past forgotten memory, whether it was the crimes committed while his dark personality dominated his body, or the act of patricide during his childhood.
Marik said that after he returned, he would disband the Rare Hunters. Since he was fortunate enough to live again, he would dedicate the rest of his life to atoning for his sins.
In the hall, Hayato saw a crestfallen Joey and a disgruntled Kaiba, while Yugi's face bore its usual gentle smile. Even without asking, Hayato could tell from their expressions that their sparring session had ended with Yugi's complete victory, and Joey's defeat at Kaiba's hands once again.
Ishizu, who had suddenly left the infirmary for some unknown reason after confirming Marik's awakening, was also in the hall. Seeing Marik in his casual clothes again, Ishizu smiled softly, and then, upon seeing Hayato, she blushed slightly and turned her head, as if remembering something.
"Ah, we're finally back in Domino City. It feels like we've only been gone for a day." Leaning against the Airship's window, Joey's dejection came and went quickly as he gazed at the skyscrapers passing beneath the Airship and sighed.
Mai Valentine stood beside Joey, also looking at the scenery below, and said with a smile, "Perhaps it's because too many interesting things happened in just one day. Now that I think about it, we really did experience a lot."
Turning her head to look at Joey's profile, Mai Valentine hesitated slightly before speaking, "Joey—"
"Huh? What is it, Mai?" Hearing Mai call him, Joey shifted his gaze from the familiar yet strange scenery beneath his feet and looked at Mai.
After calling Joey, Mai Valentine merely glanced at him, shook her head, and said with a smile, "No, it's nothing. I don't know why I suddenly called you."
But did she truly not know?
The Airship slowly descended, and everyone returned to their departure point—Domino City Sports Center.
The hatch opened, and Marik's eyes narrowed slightly, adapting to the gentle sunlight outside, as he slowly walked down the stairs. But after only a few steps, he saw a person standing not far away.
With mysterious markings etched onto his dark skin and a gleaming bald head shining in the sunlight, it was Odion.
"Lord Marik, Ishizu Ishtar." Odion spotted Marik and Ishizu among the people disembarking from the Airship at first glance and bowed slightly. But before he could bend too far, Marik dashed to his side and gave Odion an extremely warm embrace.
"Odion!" Embracing the man who was like both a brother and a father to him, Marik's voice was choked with emotion. "It's so good, it's so good to see you again, Odion."
"Lord Marik—" Odion was a bit flustered by Marik's sudden enthusiastic embrace, not even knowing where to put his hands.
"Marik previously thought Odion was dead," Hayato explained, standing beside Ishizu. "They seem to have some kind of telepathic connection? Anyway, when something happened to Odion, he sensed something was wrong. Then, influenced by the Millennium Rod, he was led by Dark Marik to believe Odion had died, which is why his body was taken over."
"It was also fortunate that I was by Odion's side at the time. And before dueling Odion, Seto and I had been dueling Rare Hunters in Domino City. The rescue was relatively timely, and Odion didn't suffer any lasting health issues from almost dying."
Ishizu listened intently to Hayato's words, a gentle smile on her face. "Thank you very much, Hayato. I truly don't know how else to repay you."
"I wasn't helping for a reward; I merely extended a hand where I could," Hayato said, waving his hand. "Speaking of which, Ishizu, now that the three God Cards have been collected, do you have any plans?"
Ishizu tilted her head slightly, a thoughtful expression on her face. "My primary purpose in coming to Domino City was to follow the ancestral teachings of our Tomb Keepers and help the Pharaoh collect the Egyptian God Cards."
"However, my stated reason for coming to Domino City as a foreigner was the Egyptian Antiquities Exhibition. Although it's just a public excuse, I still have to make it happen," Ishizu said with a helpless expression, smiling at Hayato. "So, I'll have to stay in Domino City for a while longer."
As she spoke, Ishizu seemed to shed a burden, and uncharacteristically like a lively girl, she winked at Hayato.
Hearing Ishizu's words, Joey also turned his head to look at Mai. "Mai, I remember you…"
"Mm, like most Duelists, my reason for coming to Domino City was the Battle City Tournament. Now that Battle City is over, I'll be returning to America," Mai Valentine said, forcing her voice to be calm, trying to appear nonchalant about leaving Domino City.
She couldn't possibly say something like, "I don't want to leave here, I don't want to go," which wouldn't fit her image as a "strong woman," could she? She wanted to hear Joey say a few reluctant words; perhaps then, she would stay in Domino City.
But, placing her hopes on Joey, she was destined not to be asked to stay.
"Is that so? All good things must come to an end, take care, Mai." Joey didn't hide his reluctance at all, but likewise, he didn't say anything to make her stay. "If I get the chance in the future, I'll go to America to find you. You'll have to introduce me to some fun places then!"
"Likewise, next time you come to Domino City, remember to give me a call! I know all the fun places!"
"Hiss—! Mai, why did you step on my foot! Hey, where are you going?!"
Watching Mai Valentine stomp off in a huff, Joey complained to Tristan with dissatisfaction, "Women are too fickle, aren't they? Why did she suddenly get angry for no reason? So hard to understand!"
Tristan, however, wasn't an emotional idiot like Joey. Hearing Joey's words, he sighed and patted Joey's shoulder. "Joey, you're pretty much saying goodbye to romance in this life."
"Huh? Why are you talking about romance?"
"So, feel free to leave Serenity Wheeler to me!"
"Don't even think about it!"
Second update, a double chapter!
(end of chapter)
Chapter 362: My Home Is Quite Big, Often Helping Runaways
Battle City ended, but not entirely.
At least for Kaiba, and KaibaCorp, this was the case.
Due to its unique charm, Duel Monsters was gaining popularity worldwide. The Duelist Kingdom that Pegasus hosted back then accelerated its promotion, and this Battle City tournament hosted by Kaiba even added boosters to it.
Duelists from both sides would combine their most trusted decks from cards collected daily, and with the help of KaibaCorp's Solid Vision, they would command powerful monsters to annihilate their opponents, using an endless array of Spell Cards and unpredictable Trap Cards to compete against each other.
Under the influence of the duel videotapes released during Battle City, it wasn't just boys, who already loved such passionate scenes and had strong competitive spirits, who fell for it; even girls were completely captivated. This was because, in addition to powerful monsters, there was an endless stream of cute Duel Monsters like Kuriboh and cool ones like Celtic Guardian. Not to mention, Mokuba was clever during filming, occasionally capturing the heroic bearing of the duelists in the footage as well.
Facing Marik's Slifer the Sky Dragon, Yugi's calm smile illuminated by lightning;
Kaiba's wild smile as he commanded an attack with Obelisk the Tormentor, whose Attack Power soared to infinity;
And Hayato's mysterious smile, subtly lifting his chin as he pushed his bangs aside.
In short, aside from Joey's foolish grin, the top 4 duelists became Mokuba's trump card for Battle City's promotion. And from the thousands of comments below the online videos, such as "Husband, scold me," "Hayato, my Hayato," and "Yugi is so cool, I'm dead," it was clear the effect was quite good, wasn't it?
While Battle City was immensely popular, KaibaCorp also received international trade orders from all over the world. Capital's sense of smell is incredibly sharp; they had already foreseen that over the next few years, or even decades, Duel Monsters would continue to explode in popularity at its current rate, provided nothing unexpected happened.
If they didn't seize the opportunity to get involved now while they still could, they would only be able to watch enviously when it came time to divide the pie later.
Looking at the thick stack of reports beside him, Mokuba sighed helplessly. He could foresee that KaibaCorp wouldn't be able to rest easy for a long time to come.
Kaiba, however, paid no attention to the thick stack of reports next to Mokuba. Standing in front of Mokuba, he looked at the data on his tablet and nodded with satisfaction: "Hmph, now that they've seen how popular Duel Monsters is, have they agreed to let KaibaCorp build Kaiba Land there?"
"With this, I'm one step closer to my small goal—Kaiba Land in every city nationwide."
"So what next? Should we host a few more duel tournaments? What would make a good gimmick then?"
Hearing Kaiba's soliloquy, Mokuba nearly fell off his seat.
"Big brother, you're my actual brother! Please, just glance at these documents, will you? We haven't even finished processing these yet. Can't you wait for your little brother to finish these things before thinking about stirring up trouble?"
"Heavens above, Earth below, can someone, anyone, help me? If worse comes to worst, find a woman to make my brother fall in love, so at least he won't be thinking about dueling and causing trouble every day!"
———— Mokuba decided if he couldn't beat them, he'd join them, and started dueling too ————
Kicking a small stone underfoot, Hayato walked home, with Marik by his side.
Marik, who had resolved to turn over a new leaf, recently discovered a rather awkward fact: he had actually entered Domino City illegally and had no identification whatsoever. Apart from him, Ishizu was a legitimate official of the Egyptian Government, and even Odion had a passport.
Don't underestimate this. Without ID, Marik couldn't even check into a hotel room.
Long ago, it might have been possible, but ever since KaibaCorp successfully communicated with the Domino City Government and decided to host the Battle City tournament, KaibaCorp had invested resources to seal off various illegal businesses within Domino City. The goal was to root out the Rare Hunters, and in the process, many shady hotels that specifically housed undocumented illegal immigrants were also caught.
"Thank goodness for you, Big Bro."
Marik said, looking at Hayato with considerable gratitude. Hayato shrugged: "Mainly, it's just me living alone most of the year, and there's a guest room specifically prepared for visitors. Letting you stay for a while while my parents are away, I don't think it should be a problem."
"But let's clarify first, you don't have any strange habits, do you? Like disliking chopsticks and eating rice with your hands, or sleepwalking, things like that."
"Big Bro, I admit I used to be a bit neurotic, but neuroticism and insanity are two different things."
Bringing Marik to his doorstep, just as he was about to pull out his keys to open the door, Hayato noticed a package sitting on the lawn beside the entrance.
The package was small, with no sender's name written on it anywhere. It was tightly bound with packing string and covered in a layer of waterproof oiled paper, making Hayato wonder if it contained a German engineer.
Although curious about what was inside the package, Hayato first pushed open the front door and led Marik into the villa. Since the eve of Battle City, Hayato hadn't returned home, having been unconscious after his duel with Marik, until today—about three days.
Thanks to the autonomously running robot vacuum on the floor, there was no dust on the house's surfaces, but it felt somewhat desolate after three days of being uninhabited.
"Big Bro, your home is quite big," said Marik, the "runaway." Looking out from the living room, he immediately spotted the expansive sea view. "And it's a sea-view villa, you're surprisingly richer than I imagined."
"Can't compare to your Tomb Keepers, all decked out in gold and silver," Hayato retorted. He placed the package on the round table in the living room, then took a pair of scissors to cut open the packaging, intending to see what was inside and who sent it to him.
The moment he saw what was inside the package, Hayato knew the answer to the latter question.
Inside the package was only a videotape. Of course, looking at just that, nothing could be discerned, but Hayato figured that besides Pegasus, no one else would draw a chibi version of himself and a cartoon-style Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the outside of a videotape with a marker.
It was a good thing Kaiba hadn't seen this videotape. Otherwise, Hayato couldn't guarantee that Kaiba would be able to restrain himself from smashing it, given the humiliation of having his Blue-Eyes White Dragon mind controlled right in front of him back then.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 363 Hayato boy~
Turning on the television and inserting the videotape into the VCR to play it, sure enough, Pegasus appeared before Hayato.
"Yo, long time no see, Hayato boy~"
Pegasus, appearing in the videotape, was still wearing his usual dark red suit, which seemed to have remained unchanged for millennia. It was as if he had dozens of identical outfits prepared at home, never once changing it all year long.
However, Hayato, remembering that he himself also had a closet full of identical outfits, felt it best not to comment.
"It truly has been a while, Pegasus. You seem to have recovered quite quickly."
"Let me guess, Hayato boy, you're not talking to the television right now, are you?" Just as Hayato finished speaking, Pegasus suddenly laughed like a child who had successfully played a prank. "Hahahaha, you must have forgotten, me no longer has the Millennium Eye, you know."
Marik also came to the television. He looked at Pegasus, who was laughing on the television screen: "Is this white-haired guy Pegasus? The so-called 'Father of Duel Monsters'?"
As a descendant of the Tomb Keepers, Marik naturally knew that Duel Monsters was actually created by Pegasus, using the monsters engraved on the stone tablets of Ancient Egypt as prototypes. Therefore, his voice sounded a bit strange when he referred to Pegasus as the 'Father of Duel Monsters'.
Hayato looked at Pegasus, who was amusing himself, leaned back on the sofa, and spread his hands helplessly. "Although this guy seems to have turned into an idiot after losing the Millennium Eye, he truly is the 'Father of Duel Monsters'."
"Setting aside that the differences in rules between the 'Ritual of Duel' of Ancient Egypt and Duel Monsters stemmed from Pegasus's innovations, his ability to beautify those overly abstract designs from the Ancient Egyptian stone tablets into cool and cute Fiend-Type monsters means his contribution alone is immense."
Pegasus in the videotape stopped laughing and said seriously: "Then let us get back to business. Hayato boy."
"In the two previous major Duel Monsters tournaments, I believe you've also felt that a certain portion of Duel Monsters cards do not provide a good experience for duels, have you?"
"For example, (Card of Safe Return), which allows for rapid draws when combined with a monster that has its own effect to revive itself; (Card of Demise), which simultaneously replenishes both players' hands to their maximum; (Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End) + (Yata-Garasu), which have an extremely high lockdown rate when going second; and other such cards."
Hayato was about to nod, but then he remembered that the videotape in front of him was just an ordinary videotape, so he promptly stopped himself. He wanted to hear what Pegasus intended to say next.
Marik, however, was counting on his fingers and muttering to himself: "I remember my brother-in-law seemed to have used (Yata-Garasu)? (Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End) was Seto Kaiba's card, then there's my (Card of Safe Return) and the (Card of Demise) that the Nameless Pharaoh almost always had in his hand..."
A hint of displeasure appeared on Marik's face: "What the heck, the cards this Pegasus guy is talking about are basically the ones held by us who were in the Top 4 of Battle City!"
"Hey, hey, why don't I remember you making it into the Top 4?" Hayato glanced at Marik: "Don't forget I was there. Yugi beat you like he was playing with his grandson. Joey was the one in the Top 4, wasn't he?"
"Hmph, hmph, who are you underestimating, brother-in-law? Even if I can't compare to you or the Nameless Pharaoh, I certainly wouldn't lose to that guy who only flips coins and rolls dice, would I?"
Although he had turned over a new leaf, that didn't mean Marik's personality had completely changed. He was still as arrogant as before.
"If I had still held (The Winged Dragon of Ra) then, and if, in the Top 8 elimination match to reach the Top 4, I hadn't faced the Nameless Pharaoh but instead dueled that commoner, you would have seen how I'd crush him, brother-in-law."
"That's not necessarily true. Joey is much stronger than you imagine, both in dueling power and willpower." Hayato smiled mysteriously, recalling that famous scene, "Joey's Death," which was moving yet also quite absurd.
Pegasus on the television continued: "Maintaining the balance of Duel Monsters is truly difficult. Me considers all cards my babies, wanting to make them all equally strong."
As he spoke, he spread his hands helplessly. If Hayato didn't know how ridiculous the effects of his exclusive Toon monsters were, Hayato might have believed him.
"Although me is quite reluctant, me also admits that a certain portion of cards in Duel Monsters are far too strong compared to others. If they are not weakened or limited, many people will likely lose the chance to enjoy the fun of Duel Monsters."
"Coincidentally, Kaiba boy approached me, intending to collaborate with Industrial Illusions and KaibaCorp to release a Forbidden & Limited List for Duel Monsters cards." He paused, then Pegasus finally revealed the true purpose of sending this videotape, looking with a smile at Hayato's location,
"So, me sent this videotape to you, Hayato boy, didn't me? After all, you and Yugi boy are both major shareholders of Industrial Illusions."
As he spoke, Pegasus picked up a document nearby and glanced at it: "Hmm, the date is next Saturday. Me will arrive in Domino City with Kaiba boy to announce the details of the Duel Monsters Forbidden & Limited List. You absolutely must come to the announcement venue then. Your and Yugi boy's share transfer agreement hasn't been signed yet."
At this point, Hayato also understood what Pegasus was trying to do. He hadn't expected Kaiba to have the same idea as him, planning to establish a Forbidden & Limited List.
Thinking there probably wasn't anything else, Hayato picked up the remote, about to turn off the television.
But just then, Pegasus on the television stretched tiredly and said lazily to Hayato: "Ah, Hayato boy, me has been so bored in the hospital lately. Especially without the Millennium Eye, me can't even read others' minds for entertainment."
"However, although me lost the Millennium Eye that could see through people's hearts, me has found that me sees certain things much more clearly." As he spoke, Pegasus's gaze shifted to the side, seemingly passing over Marik unintentionally. "Me wonders if it's because me used the Millennium Eye too many times in the past that some of its power actually still remains within me to some extent."
Hayato's eyebrow twitched. His intuition told him Pegasus was about to say something awful again.
"So, Hayato boy, after you and that Marik boy's sister get married in the future, you absolutely must let me be the godfather of your children~"
With an ambiguous and punchable smile on his face, Pegasus vanished from the screen before Hayato could turn off the television.
(end of chapter)
"Hmph hmph hmph, so that Hayato guy became the Duel King, did he?"
"Then I, who once Dueled him and pushed him into a dangerous situation, wouldn't I also count as a Duel King, roughly speaking? Hahahahaha!"
Standing at the entrance of KaibaLand, the older Chazz Princeton looked at the Duel Monsters promotional video on the giant screen above. Seeing Croquet announce Hayato's achievement as Duel King, he laughed proudly. Standing next to him, the younger Chazz Princeton looked at his increasingly goofy older brother with a helpless expression.
*He's the same age as Hayato, so why is the gap between them so huge?*
Complaining inwardly, the younger Chazz Princeton didn't feel like bothering with his older brother, who was bursting with self-delusional optimism, and looked around KaibaLand.
Before his eyes could even complete a full scan, he noticed a prominent billboard hanging in a conspicuous spot in KaibaLand's ground floor lobby. It read, "To celebrate the successful staging of the Battle City tournament, children under 12 can use all facilities for free."
*Such a good deal?*
The younger Chazz Princeton glanced at his still-rambling older brother, leaned in, and told him he planned to go play in the Duel Monsters area. All he got in response was the older Chazz Princeton's mumbled, "If I told girls I'm actually a Duel King, would they confess to me voluntarily?"
*Is this guy an idiot?* The younger Chazz Princeton sighed helplessly, took out the tin box containing his Deck from his satchel, and excitedly took the elevator up to KaibaLand's Duel Monsters area.
With a "ding," the elevator reached the floor, and the younger Chazz Princeton was the first to step out. Seeing the other kids his age in the elevator, startled by the KaibaLand Duel Monsters area's abundant [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] decorations, looking somewhat hesitant to come out, the younger Chazz Princeton felt quite smug.
*Hmph hmph, what a bunch of cowards, truly immature. What's there to be afraid of a Normal Monster like [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], which is useless besides its high Attack Power?*
*Indeed, I, the great Chazz Princeton, possess extraordinary talent!*
With this mindset, the younger Chazz Princeton happily searched for an available Duel Field. As if by luck, as soon as he stepped out of the elevator, one Duel Field's status changed from "In Use" to "Available."
However, the younger Chazz Princeton's cheerful mood didn't last long. With a "What a pleasant Duel that was" echoing from the room, the younger Chazz Princeton remembered the first defeat he had ever experienced in his otherwise undefeated life.
*That Jellyfish's voice!*
He violently pushed open the Duel Field's door. Sure enough, the younger Chazz Princeton saw the "Jellyfish Head" he had been thinking about, standing on one side of the Duel Field, flashing a bright smile at the Duelist on the other side of the Field.
The younger Chazz Princeton's sudden intrusion visibly surprised Jellyfish Head. "Huh? Has the queue outside gotten that long already? When I first arrived, there weren't many people."
"Oh, sorry, sorry. Our Duel just finished, we'll leave right away."
Hearing Jellyfish Head speak so politely, Chazz Princeton instantly flared up. *This guy doesn't even remember who I am!*
"You bastard, I've been looking for you for a long time!"
Although he usually acted like a precocious adult, Chazz Princeton was still just a child, and his biggest pet peeve was being ignored.
Fuming, he ran to the Duel Stage opposite "Jellyfish Head." Chazz Princeton urged the disheartened Duelist who had just lost to "Jellyfish Head" to leave quickly. He placed his Deck on the Duel Stage and called out to "Jellyfish Head," who was tidying his Deck, preparing to leave.
"Hey, you, Jellyfish Head, stay right there!" Chazz Princeton said arrogantly, tilting his chin slightly. "The shame of defeat you once inflicted upon me—I've been waiting a long time for a chance to return it to you!"
"Duel me—Chazz Princeton—in a fair and square Duel!"
"Jellyfish Head" saw Chazz Princeton's expression and was a little surprised. He really didn't remember when he had Dueled Chazz Princeton. But...
"Since it's a Duel invitation, I won't refuse, Chazz Princeton." Happy that he didn't have to queue and could have another Duel Monsters match, "Jellyfish Head" also pointed a thumb at himself. "My name is Jaden Yuki, and I use a Warrior-Type Deck, mainly featuring [Dark Knight Gaia]."
After Hayato became the Duel King, busybodies on the internet released a detailed list of the Decks Hayato had used, so detailed it seemed like they had copied the Duel King's Deck card by card.
Because of the release of this list, a retro trend suddenly swept through Duel Monsters enthusiasts. Many Duelists specifically replaced some monsters in their Decks with monsters Hayato had used, including but not limited to [Death Stalker], the [Ojama] brothers, and [Dark Knight Gaia].
Of course, what these Hayato worshipers ultimately gained was a series of brutal defeats. After all, not everyone can pull off a God Draw.
The only beneficiary of this trend was probably Solomon Muto, who had received advice from the list's leaker—Hayato himself—and had preemptively stocked up on a batch of low-star Normal Monsters that nobody usually bought.
"Hmph, don't think that just because you beat me once, you're worthy of being remembered by me, the great Chazz Princeton."
Both sides simultaneously drew five cards from their Decks, shouting:
"Duel!"
[Jaden: 4000 LP]
[Chazz Princeton: 4000 LP]
"I'll take the first turn, draw!"
Drawing a card, Chazz Princeton was first stunned, then burst out laughing. "Hmph hmph hmph, I actually drew this monster on the first turn, how lucky!"
"But unfortunately, my luck is your misfortune!"
Saying that, Chazz Princeton played a card: "I activate the effect of the Spell Card [Star Blast]! I pay Life Points in multiples of 500; for every 500 Life Points paid, I can reduce the Level of one monster in my hand or on the field by 1☆ until the end of the turn!"
"I will reduce the Level of this monster by 4☆, therefore, I pay 2000 Life Points!" Boldly reducing his Life Points by half in one go, Chazz Princeton revealed the monster he had just drawn.
[Chazz Princeton: 4000 → 2000 LP]
"Although I don't know why this card, which I clearly gave to Hayato, appeared by my side once again. But since you're so eager to pledge allegiance to Chazz Princeton..."
"Dragon that negates all things, clear away all obstacles before me!"
"[Light and Darkness Dragon]!"
It was a devastating opening move; at the cost of 2000 Life Points, Chazz Princeton summoned the [Light and Darkness Dragon], which cannot be Special Summoned, on the first turn of the Duel!
[Light and Darkness Dragon][8☆→4☆/Light]
[Dragon/Effect]
[2800/2400]
"Wh-what a powerful monster! Its Attack Power is a staggering 2800, and he even summoned such a powerful monster on the first turn!" Jaden Yuki was quite surprised by the appearance of [Light and Darkness Dragon], and his exclamation made Chazz Princeton quite pleased.
"Hmph hmph, even if you flatter me so much, I won't hold back in this Duel." His tone was nonchalant, but Chazz Princeton's triumph was written all over his face. "My turn ends. Alright, Jellyfish Head, it's your turn."
[Chazz Princeton: 2000 LP, Hand 4]
[Light and Darkness Dragon][ATK2800]
"Eh? You're not setting any cards? You still have four cards in your hand," Jaden Yuki said, somewhat puzzled. "Also, my name is Jaden Yuki, not Jellyfish Head."
"Although I don't know what that monster's effect is, I won't hesitate because of it. My turn, draw!"
Drawing the top card of his Deck, Jaden seemed quite happy: "Yosh, I drew such a powerful card on the first turn!"
"I activate the Spell Card [Pot of Greed], and draw from my Deck—"
Jaden Yuki hadn't even finished speaking when [Pot of Greed] had just appeared on his Field. Chazz Princeton hadn't even given any command to [Light and Darkness Dragon] when the bi-colored divine dragon flapped its black and white giant wings. A chaotic storm instantly turned Jaden's [Pot of Greed] into [Fragment of Greed].
"Eh? Eh?!!!"
Clearly, Jaden completely failed to understand what had just happened.
"Let me clear up your confusion, Jellyfish Head." Chazz Princeton said proudly, explaining, "As long as [Light and Darkness Dragon] is on the Field, the effects of Effect Monsters, as well as the activation of Spell and Trap Cards, will all be negated."
"Struggle all you want; no matter your efforts, they won't work against my invincible [Light and Darkness Dragon]!"
Just then, the light wrapped around the twin wings of [Light and Darkness Dragon], which had just stirred up the storm, dimmed and shattered. Its wings drooped powerlessly, forcing [Light and Darkness Dragon] to land back on the ground, its two feet touching the earth.
[Light and Darkness Dragon][2800/2400 → 2300/1900]
"Hmm? [Light and Darkness Dragon]'s Attack Power suddenly decreased?" Jaden Yuki naturally noticed this. Although he didn't understand what was happening, his intuition told him this was a crucial point.
He had a hypothesis in his mind, but since it was baseless, Jaden didn't immediately develop his strategy according to that hypothesis.
"I Defense Position Summon [Death Stalker], then set two face-down cards in the Back Row. My turn ends here."
He didn't have a card combination in hand strong enough to defeat [Light and Darkness Dragon], so Jaden Yuki thought it better to set his monster in Defense Position first.
[Jaden: 4000 LP, Hand 2]
[Death Stalker][DEF800]
[Face-down Card]X2
(end of chapter)
Chapter 365: Classic Spiritual Ectoplasm
"Before this great me, you're only fit for cowering in Defense, huh? Heh heh, then I'll attack! My Turn, Draw!"
Chazz Princeton smugly drew a card, but then awkwardly realized that the card he drew this turn was the same one Jaden had used last turn: *Pot of Greed*.
Normally, *Pot of Greed*, which allows a two-for-one trade without cost, would be an excellent card. However, Chazz Princeton currently had a *Light and Darkness Dragon* on his field. Not only Jaden's cards, but Chazz Princeton's cards too, would have their activations negated by *Light and Darkness Dragon*.
"I Summon 'Hellbound Warrior' in Attack Position!"
Not wanting to waste a card, Chazz Princeton summoned a monster card to the field. Beside the black and white giant dragon, a fully armored warrior wielding a scimitar appeared.
'Hellbound Warrior' [Level 4/DARK Attribute]
[Warrior/Effect]
[ATK 1200/DEF 1400]
"Now, enter Battle Phase!" Chazz Princeton excitedly raised his hand, pointing at Jaden's "Death Stalker" in Defense Position. "Go, 'Hellbound Warrior', attack 'Death Stalker'!"
At the same time, Jaden, facing Chazz Princeton, activated his Set card in the back row: "Then I will chain to your attack declaration, Chazz-chan, and activate the Trap Card *Sakuretsu Armor*!"
"This card can directly destroy the monster that declared an attack!"
"First, it's not Chazz-chan, call me Mr. Chazz Princeton!" Jaden's inexplicably cute address annoyed Chazz Princeton, who considered himself a mature adult. "Second, don't forget *Light and Darkness Dragon*'s effect so quickly!"
The Set card in Jaden's back row flipped open, and a dangerous red light surged towards the attacking 'Hellbound Warrior'. Just as it was about to hit, *Light and Darkness Dragon*, standing on the ground, turned and swung its tail. Its black and white tails, like whips, instantly shattered *Sakuretsu Armor*, protecting 'Hellbound Warrior'.
However, at the same time, just like its earlier wings, the light on *Light and Darkness Dragon*'s tail also dimmed and shattered.
*Light and Darkness Dragon* [ATK 2300/DEF 1900 → ATK 1800/DEF 1400]
'Hellbound Warrior's' scimitar easily cut off 'Death Stalker's' head, destroying it and sending it to the Graveyard. But Jaden looked at Chazz Princeton's *Light and Darkness Dragon* with a knowing gaze and muttered to himself, "Oh, so that's how it is."
Chazz Princeton didn't hear Jaden's muttering. Seeing Jaden's monster on the field destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, he couldn't help but let out a smug laugh: "Hmph hmph, ha ha ha, now you have no monsters on your field! Prepare to face this great me's direct attack!"
The two-colored dragon opened its mouth, beginning to gather its attack. But looking at *Light and Darkness Dragon*, Jaden smiled and said to Chazz Princeton: "Chazz-chan, *Light and Darkness Dragon* indeed has a good effect. But its effect requires it to lose 500 Attack and Defense Points, and it's a mandatory activation, right?"
"It's Mr. Chazz Princeton!" he reflexively retorted. Chazz Princeton then belatedly realized that Jaden had precisely stated part of *Light and Darkness Dragon*'s effect. "How do you know that?!"
"Eh, so it really is like that." Jaden scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed. "I wasn't entirely sure, but it really is true, isn't it?"
"As for how I found out, when I used *Pot of Greed* earlier, I didn't hear you, Chazz-chan, give *Light and Darkness Dragon* any commands, but it moved on its own. It's just like the *Slifer the Sky Dragon* Marik the Duelist used in the Battle City Top 4 match."
"Hmph, what if you did find out?" Chazz Princeton raised an eyebrow. "*Light and Darkness Dragon*, direct attack the opponent duelist, Bipolar Dragon Breath!"
Two-colored Dragon Breath spewed from *Light and Darkness Dragon*'s mouth, hitting Jaden, who had no monsters on his field, in an instant. His Life Points decreased accordingly.
[Jaden: 4000 LP → 2700 LP]
Looking at Jaden's decreasing Life Points, Chazz Princeton frowned: "Wait, 4000 minus 1800 should be 2200, right?"
"Of course, it's because I activated this card." Jaden's voice came from the opposite field. Chazz Princeton looked up and saw a card in Jaden's back row being destroyed by *Light and Darkness Dragon* and sent to the Graveyard.
"'Absorption Shield' normally has the effect of absorbing an attack and converting it into my Life Points, but because of your *Light and Darkness Dragon*, Chazz-chan, its effect was negated."
Jaden wore a helpless expression, then suddenly smiled: "But because of that, *Light and Darkness Dragon* was forced to activate its effect again, and its ATK and DEF decreased by 500 points."
*Light and Darkness Dragon* [ATK 1800/DEF 1400 → ATK 1300/DEF 900]
"Why is your Deck full of Mr. Chumley's cards?" Chazz Princeton frowned. "Hmph, even if you use Mr. Chumley's cards, it's useless. The truly powerful one isn't the card but the duelist. I'll finish you off next turn!"
In Chazz Princeton's hand, there was a *Lightning Vortex* and a "Blue-Eyes White Night Dragon" with 3000 ATK. Next turn, he planned to Release *Light and Darkness Dragon* and "Hellbound Warrior" to Tribute Summon "Blue-Eyes White Night Dragon", then use *Lightning Vortex* to destroy all monsters on Jaden's field and use a direct attack to clear his Life Points.
"Hmm, no matter how I look at it, it's a super perfect plan. This great me truly is a genius at Duel Monsters!"
"I end my turn."
[Chazz Princeton: 2000 LP, 4 cards in hand]
'Hellbound Warrior' [ATK 1200]
*Light and Darkness Dragon* [ATK 1300]
"You're going to finish me off next turn? It seems, Chazz-chan, you have some incredibly powerful cards in your hand." Hearing Chazz Princeton's threat, Jaden instead showed an excited smile.
"It's Mr. Chazz Princeton!"
"What, are you already trembling with fear? But I won't accept your surrender."
Jaden shook his head: "No, not at all. I just realized something: I'm actually only one step away from completing the puzzle of victory. Everything rests on whether I can draw that key card this time."
"One draw can create a whole new future. Duel Monsters truly is interesting, isn't it?" Jaden smiled at Chazz Princeton, then drew a card from his Deck. "My turn, Draw!"
"Yosh, I drew it!" Jaden excitedly put the card into his hand, then drew another card. "I activate the Spell Card *Monster Reborn*!"
"Hmph, I thought you were going to use some great card. It's useless, useless, useless! I told you, as long as *Light and Darkness Dragon* exists on my field, all your resistance is useless!"
"Roar!"
*Light and Darkness Dragon*'s sharp claws swiped, instantly tearing apart the Ankh symbol of *Monster Reborn* that had just appeared on Jaden's field. It was sent to the Graveyard before it could take effect.
*Light and Darkness Dragon* [ATK 1300/DEF 900 → ATK 800/DEF 400]
Just as Chazz Princeton was about to scoff, Jaden excitedly exclaimed: "Yosh, this means it's my victory!"
"Chazz-chan, your *Light and Darkness Dragon*'s DEF is now less than 500 points. This means it can't use its effect anymore, right?"
"Wha—What?!" Chazz Princeton was also stunned, only then remembering that *Light and Darkness Dragon*'s effect could only be used four times in total, and after that, it couldn't use its effect anymore.
But he felt he couldn't lose face, so he stubbornly said: "I-I knew that, but what of it? Can you even Summon a monster with 2800 or more ATK to One-Turn Kill me?"
"A monster with 2800 or more ATK is a bit difficult, huh." Jaden chuckled. "But a monster with 2300 ATK is possible."
"I set one card from my hand. Since this is the last card in my hand, I can Normal Summon this monster without Tributing!"
Hearing this familiar effect, Chazz Princeton's eyes widened. He suddenly remembered that this Jellyfish Head had seemed to say before the duel that he was using a "Gaia the Fierce Knight" Deck?
"The monster with this effect is—"
"That's right, it's the Duel King's early ace monster! Come forth, Dark Knight riding a warhorse faster than the wind, *Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight*!"
On Jaden's field, the figure of *Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight*, whose price had soared recently due to Chumley's promotion, appeared. As soon as it appeared, it spurred its warhorse and charged towards Chazz Princeton.
Jaden didn't notice anything unusual about his monster attacking on its own without being commanded. He excitedly declared: "Enter my Battle Phase! *Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight*, attack *Light and Darkness Dragon*, Spiral Spear Strike!"
The two-colored giant dragon, whose ATK had been reduced to only 800 points, had the aura of a high-level monster but lacked actual power. It was easily pierced by *Gaia*'s spear, destroyed, and sent to the Graveyard.
"Ugh!" Along with this attack, Chazz Princeton felt a much stronger sense of pain than a normal virtual impact. He staggered back two or three steps before regaining his balance.
[Chazz Princeton: 2000 LP → 500 LP]
"Then, in my Main Phase 2, I will activate this card I Set earlier." Before Chazz Princeton could recover, Jaden impatiently activated the card he had just Set in his back row,
"Continuous Spell Card, "Spiritual Ectoplasm". This card's effect is that during each player's End Phase, I can Tribute one monster on my field to inflict damage to my opponent equal to half the Tributed monster's Attack."
"This is the final blow, Chazz-chan!"
"It's Mr. Chazz Princeton, uwaaaah!!!"
Chazz Princeton, who had just regained his footing, looked up and saw *Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight* transform into a phantom image and crash into him. He only had time to retort to Jaden before being hit by *Gaia*.
Just before he was hit, Chazz Princeton vaguely saw a blurry humanoid figure with wings on its back beside Jaden.
The main content of this chapter can actually be inferred from the synopsis.
I've combined the KC Cup and Super Polymerization into this volume.
The transitional chapters are almost done, and the main story will begin soon.
So, please recommend votes.
(End of this chapter)