Chapter 396: Making a Shady Deal with Dark Forces
[Virtual Hayato: 4000 LP → 0]
The staggering 5200 points of Effect Damage, which had been countered by [Magic Cylinder] and subsequently negated by [Infernity Death Gunman], instantly wiped out Virtual Hayato's Life Points.
As the Virtual Projection was defeated, the operational logic, which had been running at high speed during the Duel, instantly overloaded, causing the red Millennium Ring, which combined information processing and Virtual Projection functions, to fall from above the Duel Field.
This, of course, had absolutely nothing to do with Hayato "slightly" utilizing some of the [Millennium Ring]'s magical energy while using [Infernity Death Gunman]. Nope.
Mokuba, through his headphones, received the staff's report: "The occupied information channel has been released; the problem is solved." He couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
"It seems the problem has been resolved, Mokuba-boy," Pegasus said to Mokuba, watching with interest as Hayato organized his Deck while walking off the Duel Field and up the stairs. "Another interesting Duel, Hayato-boy."
"On the contrary, it was incredibly boring; it wasn't even a warm-up." Hayato said with a helpless expression, reaching out and taking two Cards from his Duel Disk. Those two Cards were ones Hayato had Set during his very first Turn.
The Cards Flipped, and Pegasus smiled. "I see. Then it was indeed as you said, Hayato-boy, very boring."
"[Spiral Rebirth], and [Mystik Wok]?" Mokuba read out the names of the two Cards in Hayato's hand, looking speechlessly at Hayato. "So, the so-called 'Russian roulette' just now—you weren't going to lose from the very beginning, were you, Hayato-bro?"
The Damage from [Magic Cylinder] that [Infernity Death Gunman]'s Effect negated was as high as 5200 points. Neither Hayato, with 2400 Life Points remaining, nor the Duel Robot, with unharmed Life Points, could withstand such a high amount of Damage.
Only under such circumstances, where "there was no retreat for either side," would the "Russian roulette" scenario emerge, making Hayato, who bet the outcome of the Duel on the next Card of fate, appear so uninhibited.
Yet Hayato had Set a [Mystik Wok] in his back row!? Everyone else was taking gunshots with their bare bodies, but he was just cheating, hiding a bulletproof vest!
What was even more outrageous was that Hayato also had a Trap Card, [Spiral Rebirth]. The Card's Effect stated that he could Special Summon one Level 7 or higher Dragon-Type Monster from his Graveyard, and if [Dragon Knight Gaia] was Special Summoned this way, it could also gain the ability to not be targeted by the Opponent's Card Effects and not be destroyed by the Opponent's Effects.
From the moment the Duel Robot activated [Magic Cylinder] to counterattack, only to be blocked by Hayato's [Infernity Death Gunman]'s Effect, there were only three possible outcomes before him—
Either, don't bet with Hayato, and Hayato could use [Mystik Wok] to Release [Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion] and instantly Gain 5200 Life Points, then use [Spiral Rebirth] to revive it again for a second Attack opportunity;
Or, bet with Hayato, but whether he won or lost, Hayato could use [Mystik Wok] to ensure his Life Points wouldn't be wiped out by 5200 points of Effect Damage.
How was this Russian roulette? This was clearly just a one-sided threat with a gun pointed at someone's head! No wonder [Infernity Death Gunman] didn't even point its muzzle at Hayato just now; it clearly knew Hayato had no chance of being the loser.
"That's why I said, no wonder Seto chose to abandon that Duel Robot. Although there's a saying that 'playing a game means winning,' a machine that completely prevents people from using their true strength is simply too boring."
As Hayato spoke, he flipped open a few Cards from his Deck in front of both Pegasus and Mokuba. "See? [Earthbound Immortal], [Obelisk the Tormentor], and even [The Winged Dragon of Ra]. It's rare for me to use all those Cards, but the robot couldn't even force out my true strength."
"Compared to that, I'm more concerned if this Deck of yours is truly the 'pure [Gaia]' Deck you claimed, Hayato-bro?" Mokuba quipped, but he didn't dwell on it for too long. "Well, it's a good thing this incident was resolved. It's just that this project might need to be taken back and have its code modified before it can be reactivated."
"An accident?" Hayato didn't say anything upon hearing that, just smiled, and looked back again at the Duel Field, now covered by the Solid Vision system that had crashed to the ground. "Of course, of course it was an accident. After all, who could bypass KaibaCorp's complex network firewall and tamper with a Duel Robot?"
——————Noah: Anyway, rule me out first——————
Through the display screen, Raphael watched KaibaCorp staff clear the scene, and Hayato, Mokuba, and Pegasus leave. He said with a calm expression, "Hayato, the King of Games, his Bonds with his Cards are truly profound. A respectable Opponent."
"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't ask you to praise Hayato." A man wearing a grey hooded robe next to Raphael said, seemingly quite displeased with Raphael's remarks praising Hayato.
Although he was speaking, the grey-robed man kept hiding in the shadows, refusing to approach the brightly lit screen even a single step, seemingly unwilling to have his true appearance illuminated.
Pointing to another screen, the grey-robed man said, "Anyway, you've already seen the effectiveness of this KaibaCorp firewall program's vulnerability, haven't you? Although this vulnerability will likely be patched soon, I still hold a considerable number of security vulnerabilities of the same level."
The grey-robed man casually pulled over a nearby chair and sat down, saying confidently, "In this way, it somewhat proves that I have the qualifications to deal with your Doma, doesn't it? Even if you and the person behind you disagree, I will still approach your companion named 'Alister'; he'll definitely be very interested in this thing."
Raphael glanced at the grey-robed man, his brow furrowed slightly.
After following Hayato and Mokuba out of the Kaiba Dome, Raphael had originally intended to tail them to see what they were up to, and also to probe the true Power of Hayato, who had gathered the Egyptian God Cards.
After all, if one were to take the Power Hayato displayed in the Battle City Finals' video as the standard, it was, after all, outdated information due to an oversight and couldn't be relied upon.
But just as Raphael was about to follow, he was stopped by the grey-robed, secretive guy beside him, who even immediately called out the name of the 'Doma' organization he belonged to.
At that very moment, Raphael wanted to activate [The Seal of Orichalcos] to drag the grey-robed man into a Shadow Game and silence him, to prevent the 'Doma' organization, hidden for many years in the world, from being exposed. But who knew, the grey-robed man actually possessed a mysterious Power capable of rivaling [The Seal of Orichalcos], and Raphael was temporarily unable to do anything about him.
And it was under these circumstances that the grey-robed man stated his purpose. He said he wanted to make a Deal with Raphael, one of "Doma's Three Swordsmen," and led him to this Basement not far from Kaiba Land.
Afterwards, Raphael personally witnessed, through the KaibaCorp cameras that the grey-robed man had infiltrated, the Duel between Hayato and "Hayato."
Although he had confirmed that the grey-robed man truly had some solid leverage in his hands, and also clearly knew that he genuinely couldn't use unconventional means to obtain KaibaCorp's backdoor vulnerability from him for the time being, Raphael genuinely did not want to cooperate with the man before him.
He, who had reached a state of deep spiritual connection with his [Guardian Eatos], could constantly feel a decaying aura emanating from the grey-robed man, which was extremely uncomfortable.
But Raphael also knew another thing: what the grey-robed man said was true. If he were to take the "backdoor vulnerability into KaibaCorp's internal network" to Alister for a Deal, Alister, eager for revenge against Kaiba, would absolutely agree to his Deal, even if its contents were harmful to Doma or even That Lord.
Rather than that, it would be better if he himself conducted the Deal; this way, he could somewhat control any potential danger to the minimum extent.
"So, tell me, what exactly is the content of your Deal?" Raphael looked up at the man, his eyes shining brightly as if to see through the man's true identity, even through the hood. "I will make my decision based on the content of the Deal you propose, and its compensation."
"Heh, your thoughts are truly easy to guess. Are you thinking that rather than leaving the Deal to Alister, who is unstable, only cares about his own hatred, and would even abandon Doma for it, it's better to take it on yourself to control the risk?" As if he possessed the ability of Mind Scan, the grey-robed man said with a smile, words that perfectly echoed Raphael's thoughts, which were in direct opposition to Alister's way of thinking.
"But don't worry, what I need will have no impact whatsoever on your Doma's plans. Rather, if our Deal is concluded, it might even be beneficial to your Doma's plans, you know~"
As he spoke, the grey-robed man gave a casual toss, and a Card spun and landed in Raphael's hands, who was always on guard, firmly gripping it with two fingers. Flipping the Card, Raphael saw the image clearly: it was a red Monster, its body coiled and spitting flames, looking more like a Demonic Dragon than a Divine Dragon.
"[Uria, Lord of Searing Flames]? What is this Card?"
"It's both the compensation and part of the Deal." The grey-robed man sneered. After manipulating something somewhere, the image displayed on a screen beside Raphael switched, revealing surveillance footage from inside the Kaiba Dome, where a Match was underway. The camera rotated and focused, soon finding Yugi, sitting in the Audience Seating, intently watching the Match on the Duel Field.
"Yugi?" As one of the Legendary Duelists whose Power was publicly second only to Hayato, the King of Games, Raphael naturally knew Yugi. Furthermore, Raphael, who was deeply trusted by That Lord, also knew that Yugi was on a list for That Lord's upcoming plans.
"As early as Battle City, that [Uria, Lord of Searing Flames] in your hand was used by someone to battle against Yugi, and a faint Aura of Yugi's Soul was left on it. Following the guidance of this Card, you can constantly track Yugi. Then all you have to do is deliver this Card into his hands and have him use it in a Duel."
As the grey-robed man spoke, his voice was full of laughter. Even through the hood, Raphael could imagine that the man's expression was probably one of wild laughter, as if he had already envisioned the scene that would unfold then.
"After delivering [Uria, Lord of Searing Flames] to him, our Deal will be complete. And soon after, you can retrieve that [Uria, Lord of Searing Flames]."
As the grey-robed man spoke, he seemed to recall something, and his voice grew somewhat grim. "However, as a limited condition, you need to keep your distance from that Hayato for a while."
"This Card was once used by me as a Cost to escape, left before Hayato, and taken by him. Although what he took was merely an Empty Shell I created, and it didn't last long, it unexpectedly left behind a faint trace of his Aura."
"If he were to get it, it would waste the good stuff I've prepared on this Card."
"In short, this is the Deal I want to make with Doma's Three Swordsmen: to deliver [Uria, Lord of Searing Flames] to Yugi and have him use it, that's all."
"How about it?"
Raphael frowned, neither agreeing nor refusing, just remaining silent and putting away the [Uria, Lord of Searing Flames] Card. But just as he was about to say something, suddenly, the screen beside Raphael flashed. The images on one screen after another changed, revealing a cold and arrogant face.
"Hmph, mere rats. It actually took me so long to catch you; what an obscure vulnerability." Seto Kaiba's face, which Joey had described as "so arrogant you want to stomp on it," was filled with icy coldness. He seemed to have seen Raphael and the grey-robed man through the screen. "How dare you infiltrate KaibaCorp, truly fodder monsters who don't know their place! And you dare to hide in such a close location!"
"Wash your necks and wait for—"
Kaiba hadn't finished his sentence when the screen suddenly went dark. The grey-robed man gripped a plug in his hand and casually tossed it aside. "Tsk, that bastard Seto Kaiba, he's so quick. He's interfering again."
"It seems we can't stay here anymore. Anyway, you seem to have agreed to the Deal, haven't you? Then this is as far as we go."
Saying this, as if fleeing for his life and not wanting anyone to know of his existence, the grey-robed man pulled down his hood slightly, then turned and started to walk towards the exit.
Raphael also knew it wasn't wise to stay here long. But looking at the grey-robed man's back, possessed by some strange impulse, Raphael asked, "If this Card, [Uria, Lord of Searing Flames], is used, what will happen to Yugi?"
Raphael hadn't originally expected to get an answer, but what he didn't expect was that the grey-robed man, in a hurry to leave, actually honestly stopped and replied, "Heh heh, it's nothing. It will have no effect on him personally."
"It's just to let him get a little glimpse of the scenery of Egypt, that's all."
From under the hood of the grey-robed man, who had slightly turned his body, Raphael vaguely saw a golden eyeball held in his mouth.
Today isn't 4K words. There's been a small issue at home, busy moving things, and will probably have to continue moving tomorrow.
Let's just do 2K words today. I'll slowly make up for it (even though I just paid off my old debts yesterday).
(end of chapter)
Chapter 397: Such a Sluggish Chapter Number
After helping Mokuba defeat the runaway Duel Robot, Hayato had just left the Duel Monsters Game Area when he immediately ran into a scowling guy.
"Hmph hmph, instead of gathering information on other Duelists at the Match Venue, you're leisurely strolling around the amusement park. Is this the composure of a Duel King, Hayato?"
Kaiba, with his arms crossed over his chest, stood on the steps, looking down at Hayato and Mokuba as they walked up.
As for why Pegasus was gone? That guy, as he passed a dollhouse, claimed to have been struck by a sudden ailment and couldn't walk, and promptly hobbled into an amusement house. For a moment, Hayato found it hard to discern what the true purpose of Pegasus investing in Kaiba Land in the America region actually was.
Although that guy verbally claimed it was to atone for his past actions against the Kaiba brothers and because he saw the profits behind Kaiba Land, no matter how you looked at it, it was just to obtain shareholder status and then satisfy his personal desires!
"Yo, Seto, aren't you the same?" Hayato raised a hand in greeting. Honestly, after hearing Kaiba's insults so much, he had actually gotten used to it. "Weren't you also not at the Kaiba Dome watching the Match?"
"Hmph, a bunch of clustered together Third-rate Duelists wielding Fourth-rate Decks—how could they possibly catch the eye of I, Lord Kaiba? You were thinking that anyway, weren't you?"
Afterward, Hayato even deliberately imitated Kaiba's tone. Mokuba felt that the resemblance was at least seventy to eighty percent accurate.
"Is there something wrong with that, or do you think among the filler Duelists scheduled to Duel on the first day, there would be a Duelist with the skill to defeat me?" Kaiba retorted without backing down.
Mokuba quickly interjected, "Brother, Big Brother Hayato came to help! Just now, he defeated that runaway Duel Robot!"
He wasn't worried that Kaiba and Hayato would start arguing; if it were Joey and Kaiba, then it would be a bit... somewhat... highly likely. But it was completely normal for Hayato and Kaiba to exchange barbed remarks; that was just how the two of them interacted.
Mokuba mainly felt that his brother, who was very intelligent but completely lacked emotional intelligence, if he kept talking, would likely provoke Hayato and they'd start a Duel on the spot.
Interrupted by Mokuba like that, Kaiba let out a cold scoff. Though his face was still expressionless, his tone of voice had changed somewhat: "Hmph, you're just being conceited. Even if you hadn't moved to defeat it, I would have nearly completed reprogramming it. I've even followed the trail and found where that rat is hiding."
"Furthermore, it was just defeating that useless robot. If you couldn't even do something like that, it would only prove that you're only capable of that much."
Kaiba, with his arms crossed over his chest, added, "And if Mokuba hadn't repeatedly asked me to Recycle it, that incompetent machine wouldn't have even entered the gates of Kaiba Land."
"Ah, on that point, I agree with you." Hayato nodded. "Even the weakest Duelist has more faith in their Deck than that machine. Indeed, Duel Monsters is only fun when you have an Opponent."
"In that case, how about right now—" Kaiba heard Hayato's remark as if a strange switch had been Triggered. His hand went to his waist, seemingly intending to grab his Deck and Duel Hayato on the spot.
Just now, even Mokuba had learned about the runaway Duel Robot. Kaiba had known about it even earlier than him. Although he had the ability to defeat the Duel Robot, Kaiba disdained defeating the same Opponent a second time. Therefore, he didn't choose the simplest method of directly defeating the Duel Robot, but instead chose to use his fingers to exercise his genius mind.
However, disdaining to defeat the Duel Robot was one thing, but watching Hayato's Duel against the robot and getting Duel Addiction was another.
Hayato saw Kaiba's hand go to his waist. Immediately, the image that flashed through his mind was the exaggerated expression on Pegasus's face from a little while ago: "Oh dear, oh dear, I'm not feeling well, me might have caught some incurable disease~"
As he spoke, Hayato also put on an uncomfortable expression, clearly refusing Kaiba's unspoken Duel challenge.
Kaiba wasn't an idiot. How could he be fooled by Hayato's abysmal acting, which was clearly copied from Pegasus?
"Hah! Are you taking me for an idiot?"
Just as Kaiba seemed about to explode in anger at any second and pull out a (Shark Knight), Mokuba reminded him, "Brother, aren't you going to catch the hacker who infiltrated KaibaCorp's firewall? Go quickly, go quickly."
"Hayato, let's go back and watch the Match!"
As he spoke, Mokuba had a tired smile on his face, pulling Hayato and Kaiba apart.
At such a young age, I've had to bear such a heavy burden. It's truly too difficult.
"Hmph." Watching Mokuba lead Hayato up the steps, passing by him, Kaiba grudgingly pursed his lips and put away the Card he had already taken out.
He genuinely wanted to Duel Hayato, but it didn't matter that he didn't succeed. In his Deck, a brand new (Blue-Eyes) had recently been added. He needed to thoroughly test its strength and compatibility.
Kaiba was confident that after he finished tuning his Deck, his Evolved (Blue-Eyes) would definitely be able to defeat Hayato in front of countless spectators.
In that case, it wasn't a major setback that he didn't Duel Hayato now. After all, if Hayato knew about this Card's existence beforehand, there would be no surprise.
Thinking this, Kaiba was in a rather good mood. With a flick of his long trench coat, he walked down the steps.
Although Kaiba had lingered on the steps for a short while due to meeting Hayato and Mokuba, he had already sent people to apprehend the culprit earlier. There was no need to worry that the delay would allow that rat, who had infiltrated KaibaCorp's sewers, to escape.
What the hacker's identity was, Kaiba had no way of knowing, as the network on that side had been forcibly cut off, but they were likely just some insignificant nobody, and he wasn't particularly interested.
However, to be able to infiltrate KaibaCorp's firewall meant they still had some skill. Their mind should be pretty good, right? In that case, that little rat would make a fine Tribute for his new (Blue-Eyes)!
At this moment, Kaiba didn't realize one thing—not all hackers were powerless shut-ins. And KaibaCorp's "Men in Black" organization, led by Croquet, if they went up against a Duelist with basic supernatural abilities, it would be hard to say who would be surrounding whom.
Of course, whether Kaiba would believe in supernatural phenomena was another matter. At least until now, he still believed that Pegasus using the (Millennium Eye) to Seal his mind in the past was merely psychological suggestion combined with hypnosis.
(end of chapter)
"Screech—!!"
Under the braking of the brake pads, the tires of the black luxury sedan screeched against the ground. From the stopped car, Croquet and a team of "Men in Black" from KaibaCorp's security department, under his command, stepped out.
As previously mentioned, the "KC Cup" hosted by KaibaCorp this time had garnered widespread attention. As the host city, the Los Angeles municipality naturally did its utmost to cooperate with the organizers, KaibaCorp, in all aspects of the event, from fire safety and power supply to overall security.
In this country where even the air seemed to reek of "freedom" and "gunsmoke," security personnel armed only with batons would pose no deterrent to those skilled at "zero-dollar shopping." Thus, with the mayor's assistance, every member of Croquet's security department was issued a gun permit and provided with firearms.
The armed "Men in Black" who stepped out of the black luxury sedan, honestly, if Croquet's subordinates were to cosplay Martian Assassins, their resemblance would be at least ninety percent.
As for whether the mayor's assistance was due to the sufficient influence of the newly emerging KaibaCorp and the established American veteran company Industrial Illusions, or if the smooth hosting of the "KC Cup" would leave a positive political achievement for his record, or if Kaiba's payment was substantial, it was unknown.
Due to KaibaCorp's "collusion" with the Los Angeles government, most of KaibaCorp's actions required very short reporting procedures, or, arguably, required no reporting whatsoever.
For instance, this time, after Kaiba reverse-traced the hacker who invaded Kaiba Land's firewall and hacked into the Duel Robot, he directly pinpointed his location via the network. He then ordered Croquet to lead a team to apprehend this hacker, merely giving the municipality a heads-up.
"This is the place." Croquet glanced at a semi-transparent tablet in his hand. His location displayed on it had already overlapped with a red dot, indicating he had reached the target location. The exact spot, he concluded, could only be directly beneath his feet.
With a wave of his hand, Croquet struck a cool pose. The "Men in Black" following him approached the building before them, kicked open the door to the room with a forceful stomp, and burst inside.
Although Los Angeles had laws allowing one to use lethal force against trespassers on private property, Croquet had confidence in his subordinates. If that hacker, audacious enough to invade KaibaCorp, dared to resist, KaibaCorp's security would fully leverage their President's greatest hobby: "Summoning their fists in Attack Battle Position and Equipping the Spell Card [Life Reset Device]."
Not at all worried about any unexpected situations occurring during the apprehension, Croquet even had the leisure to operate the tablet in his hand, updating the mission's progress online and casually reached to check the "apprehension completed" option.
Sure enough, Croquet watched as his subordinates escorted a black teenager with extremely heavy dark circles under his eyes from the house, although Croquet himself wasn't sure how he could discern the dark circles.
"This mission is really easy," Croquet thought, "Just come out in the car, wait for the subordinates to finish the job, and then call it a day. It's much more interesting than being a judge for Duel Monster matches." A slight smile involuntarily curved his lips. He was about to turn and return to the car, instructing the "Men in Black" to escort the black teenager into a cargo van that had arrived behind the sedan, when suddenly, the roar of his President, Seto Kaiba, echoed in Croquet's ears: "Croquet, what are you doing there?!"
Croquet was slightly stunned.
Looking around, he saw no sign of Kaiba's presence; everything was as calm as ever. There were only his subordinates subduing the black teenager, as if the shout he'd just heard was merely a hallucination.
Did I... hear wrong?
Croquet looked at his subordinates again, with a hint of doubt. But this time he noticed something amiss. Until just now, including himself, he had only brought four people, and even with the reinforcements from the cargo van, there were only seven. So why were there ten people present, including the black teenager?
"Croquet!"
He heard Kaiba's shout again. After this shout, Croquet suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, and his vision blurred with double images. Instinctively, his hand reached out to the side, and the dizzy and uncomfortable Croquet realized that he, who had just been outside the car, had suddenly found himself back inside the sedan, his hand resting on the car window.
Looking around again, two overlapping scenes appeared simultaneously in Croquet's vision: KaibaCorp's security personnel detaining the black teenager and preparing to leave, and the other three occupants of the car, whose vehicle had crashed head-on into a fire hydrant, who, secured by their seatbelts, had not been flung out.
"Croquet!"
Tilting his head, Croquet saw Kaiba, who was calling Croquet's name through the car window.
Like a fully inflated balloon punctured by a needle, at the first sight of Kaiba, Croquet suddenly remembered: he hadn't gotten out of the car at all.
Time rewound to a moment earlier.
Following the target location provided by Kaiba, Croquet sat in the black luxury sedan, and as they neared their destination, he was instructing the other three occupants of the car on important points.
"He's very aggressive offensively, finding and exploiting a vulnerability in Kaiba Land's firewall almost instantly, without any detours, thereby taking control of all the surveillance equipment, network access, and the Duel Robot within Kaiba Land."
"On the other hand, his defensive capabilities are almost nonexistent; it's as if his computer is riddled with Trojans, full of vulnerabilities. If it weren't for the lack of cameras, his true identity would have been captured immediately."
"Therefore, there's reason to suspect that he isn't a professional hacker, but rather an ordinary person who accidentally acquired KaibaCorp's vulnerabilities. We must control him and confirm whether he possesses any other backdoor vulnerabilities."
Reading the intelligence provided by KaibaCorp's analysis team, even Croquet, who normally wouldn't flinch if Mount Tai collapsed before him, couldn't help but feel the urge to complain: "This is a bit too ridiculous, isn't it? Kaiba Land's firewall program was personally led and coded by Vice President Mokuba. If it were breached, that would be somewhat understandable, but to say it was an ordinary person who breached it using a program's vulnerability?"
"Doesn't the analysis team's report essentially say that the program Vice President Mokuba wrote is so full of flaws that people can just casually find them, archive them for later use, and not even worry about them being fixed?"
The others agreed with Croquet, not to curry favor with their superior, but because, like Croquet, they all highly admired Mokuba's talent and didn't believe that the vulnerabilities in the firewall program he wrote would be exaggerated to such an extent.
Casually flipping the page of the analysis, Croquet re-confirmed Kaiba's instructions: "Alright, I'll repeat it again. Although the analysis team's claims are hard to believe, let's proceed as President Kaiba instructed for now. Find that hacker, control him, and after the President arrives, test his abilities before making a decision."
If the analysis team was wrong, and the hacker had actually infiltrated Kaiba Land by his own abilities, then KaibaCorp would likely revoke any punishment for that hacker and instead recruit him, as capable individuals were highly sought after.
However, if the analysis was accurate, then the hacker's punishment would very likely be as the analysis team predicted: it would be highly necessary to compel him to hand over the program vulnerabilities he possessed.
Of course, all of the above would ultimately be decided by Kaiba himself. If he disliked someone, even if they were highly capable, he wouldn't accept them.
Turning at an intersection, the black luxury sedan grew closer to the target location. Croquet lowered his head, watching his coordinates quickly converge with the destination. When he looked up again, he and the other three simultaneously discovered—
Directly in front of the moving vehicle, a "youth" in a grey robe seemed to be about to cross the road, as if he hadn't noticed the car!
The reason "youth" was put in quotation marks was because the person in the grey robe had their head covered by the hood of the robe. Croquet could only guess their gender and age based on their flat chest and short, slender physique.
"Beep! Beep!" From a long distance away, the driving security personnel began honking to warn the youth to quickly get off the road. But no matter how loud the car sounded, the grey-robed youth's steps remained steady and slow, as if he was deliberately waiting in front of the vehicle to be hit.
"Damn, he's trying to stage an accident."
The four people in the car shared the same thought. The driver, without needing any prompting, moved his foot to step on the brake. But inadvertently, he caught sight of a golden lollipop without a stick, held in the grey-robed youth's mouth.
"No, wait, that color seems to be real gold, and I've seen that shape somewhere before!"
The driver, who had worked for KaibaCorp since the time it almost fell into the hands of Industrial Illusions, recalled once meeting the President of Industrial Illusions, Pegasus, under the leadership of Sawatari, then head of the security department. At that time, Pegasus, whose silver hair was being blown by the sea breeze as he sat by a window in Duelist Castle enjoying the sea air, he had caught a glimpse of Pegasus's concealed left eye.
It was exactly the same as the one in the grey-robed youth's mouth!
The driver, who wanted to call out and warn his colleagues in the car, didn't even have time to open his mouth. His vision was silently invaded by a surge of dark magic, his mind grew hazy, and he lost the ability to speak. Though he had clearly intended to step on the brake, he ended up pressing the accelerator instead.
In an instant, the black luxury sedan surged forward, and then, under the driver's chaotic control, the steering wheel was violently turned halfway. The black luxury sedan scraped against the roadside barrier, emitting an agonizing screech, and finally, its front end slammed hard into a fire hydrant.
"Screech—!!"
"BANG!!"
Croquet's consciousness stopped there. After the driver's mind was dissolved, the other occupants, including Croquet, followed suit, falling into a dazed state, remaining calmly unconscious in the sedan, immersed in a flawless illusion woven by an unknown entity.
It wasn't until Kaiba's arrival that Kaiba's repeated calls brought Croquet's consciousness back.
With an effort, he lifted his arm, placed his finger on the unlock button of the car door, and using the weight of his arm, unlocked it. The car door on Croquet's side opened, and Kaiba's hand grabbed Croquet, who was about to fall out of the car.
"Croquet! What's going on?"
Opening his eyelids to look at Kaiba's furious face, Croquet's voice was weak and faint: "A grey-robed youth... and Pegasus's eye..."
After uttering the two keywords he had racked his brain to remember, Croquet closed his eyes weakly, as if he had exhausted his last ounce of strength.
Kaiba quickly checked Croquet's breathing. Fortunately, Croquet's breathing was still steady; it seemed he had only fallen unconscious and was not dead.
After temporarily settling Croquet back into the car to rest, Kaiba finally had time to ponder what Croquet had just said.
"A grey-robed youth... and Pegasus's eye?"
The description "grey-robed youth" was far too vague; anyone could be a grey-robed youth if they bought a grey robe and found a youth to wear it. But Pegasus's eye...
Kaiba thought that the possibility of Croquet referring to Pegasus's currently intact eye was relatively small. Instead, the "golden eye" Kaiba had once seen – although Chumley had told Kaiba many times about terms like [Millennium Puzzle] and [Millennium Eye], Kaiba had always dismissed such items devoid of technology as having no power whatsoever – had a very high probability.
Especially after the events of Duelist Kingdom concluded, on the very day Kaiba left Duelist Kingdom, Pegasus's "golden eye" went missing, and Pegasus himself was hospitalized for a long time because of it.
At the time, upon hearing about Pegasus's misfortune, Kaiba had even gloated, thinking, "Serves him right for wearing a golden eye every day, flaunting his wealth as if he were afraid others wouldn't know he was rich."
Kaiba had never imagined that he would one day hear news of Pegasus's stolen golden eye again, let alone learn it from Croquet. Now, the basic clue was confirmed: even if the person with Pegasus's golden eye wasn't the main culprit behind this accident, he was at least one of the informed parties; otherwise, Croquet wouldn't have specifically mentioned it.
Kaiba, who had arrived at the accident scene on a motorcycle, immediately called for an ambulance when he saw the sedan Croquet was in stopped by the roadside, demanding that they dispatch quickly to save the people. However, in free America, even a major patron like Kaiba couldn't take away an ambulance's freedom; the call stated that reaching the scene would take at least half an hour.
Extremely displeased, Kaiba now had no mind to go after the hacker. All he felt was the rage over the harm to his subordinates, wanting only to find someone to vent his anger on.
Coincidentally, a blond-haired man, whose fashion taste was quite similar to Kaiba's and who was also wearing a long, ankle-length dark blue trench coat, emerged from around the corner under Kaiba's gaze. The Duel Disk on his wrist confirmed his identity as a Duelist.
Originally, Kaiba had merely given him an indifferent glance, but the blond-haired man uttered a sentence that made Kaiba glare at him furiously:
"Are you looking for the one who attacked them?"
(end of chapter)
Someone once said that when eyes meet, it's a signal for a battle to begin.
In any case, Kaiba and the blonde man who had appeared before him—Raphael—faced off, activating their respective Duel Disks. Even without a clear reason, it was perfectly normal for Duelists to settle things with Duel Monsters, especially now, when Kaiba was convinced that Raphael was an eyewitness to the car accident. Furthermore, while Kaiba had believed the car accident was an unfortunate incident, Raphael's question, "Are you looking for the people who attacked them?", made Kaiba realize it was no accident at all.
The noble Angel Warrior engaged in an intense battle with the (Dragon Spirit of White).
Meanwhile, inside the Kaiba Dome—
"Hmm, I didn't expect it to be my Turn already?" Rex, who had already finished his popcorn, had been bored watching the ongoing Duel on the Field when he suddenly learned that the next Duel was his. This made Rex quite happy. It wasn't because he was happy to Duel. Although Rex's name contained "Dragon," he wasn't like a certain Dragon Enthusiast; he wasn't addicted to Dueling, only having a minimal interest. Commanding Monsters to attack and defend held no meaning, and the clashes of (Spell Card) and (Trap Card) were incredibly boring to Rex. He was still more interested in simple, direct physical confrontations—meaning, fighting. Because of this preference, the Deck Rex used was quite unconventional; it could even go to another setting to protect Athena.
The reason Rex was happy was because after this Duel, his next Duel wouldn't be until the day after tomorrow. He wouldn't have to waste time watching boring Duels at the match venue anymore. Rex's mood was as relaxed as an office worker who gets a month-long vacation after their last meeting. Since Rex's Duel was immediately after the current one, he also learned who his next Opponent would be: Mai Valentine.
"Hmm? That name..." Rex recalled "Mai Valentine." She seemed to be an acquaintance of Hayato. Because of their need for the Egyptian God Cards Hayato possessed, Raphael had once analyzed the strength of the people around Hayato for Rex and Alister. The ones most needing attention were Yugi, Seto Kaiba, and Joey Wheeler. Of course, Alister completely disregarded the others, only thinking of Seto Kaiba, and Rex had no interest in anyone. However, at that time, Raphael seemed to have mentioned the name "Mai Valentine."
Looking in the direction where he remembered seeing Hayato, Rex quickly found Yugi's striking spiky hair sitting over there, and a blonde woman standing near him, seemingly preparing to head to the Duelist Prep Room before the Duel, to adjust her Deck and prepare for her Duel.
"That's Mai Valentine? She's quite well-built."
Rex raised an eyebrow, watching Mai Valentine's graceful curves with interest. Even Rex appreciated beautiful women, and Mai Valentine's physical appearance was truly excellent, prompting even him to take a few extra glances. But to say he fell in love with Mai Valentine because of that was a stretch, because Rex didn't believe in things like love at first sight. He appreciated beautiful women, but he preferred independent women with strong will and firm ambitions. Mai Valentine, from her appearance, looked just like a card dealer on a Cruise Ship, and Rex wasn't particularly attracted.
A few minutes later, on the Duel Field.
Having finished adjusting her Deck, Mai Valentine confidently walked onto the Duel Field and saw Rex, her Opponent for this Duel. She, who was quite perceptive to men's gazes, immediately spotted the contempt in Rex's eyes. Mai Valentine's first impression of Rex was not very good.
"Mai Valentine."
Simply stating her name, Mai Valentine said nothing more. Rex wasn't the first man to look down on her; Mai Valentine, who often lived in America, had seen plenty of chauvinistic men. Anyway, Mai Valentine had enough confidence that she would prove she was no weaker than any man using (Harpie Lady) and (Amazoness).
"Rex, my name is Rex." Rex, with his European appearance, unexpectedly spoke extremely standard Japanese, even more standard than Joey Wheeler, who had a slight accent.
Looking at Mai Valentine, who was filled with confidence and determination, Rex nodded approvingly: "Hmm, your gaze is quite good. It looks like this will be a Duel worth watching. However, it's a pity that the victor will only be me."
"Hmph, stop looking down on me, you arrogant fool."
Mai Valentine had no intention of continuing the conversation. Without waiting for the Judge to declare the start of the Duel, she immediately inserted her Deck into her Duel Disk and activated it, indicating there was nothing more to be said between her and Rex.
Seeing that Mai Valentine had already deployed her Duel Disk, Rex stretched his arms and also deployed his Duel Disk: "Instead of just trying to get the upper hand with words, you chose to let the actual Duel speak? It seems I might be able to raise my opinion of you. You're not the talkative woman I initially took you for."
"Then..."
"Duel!" both said. As the Judge announced the start of the Duel, Rex and Mai Valentine simultaneously made their Duel Declaration, and simultaneously drew five Cards from their Decks.
[Rex: 4000 LP]
[Mai Valentine: 4000 LP]
"I'll take the First Turn! Draw!"
Mai Valentine had thought that with her experience, few Opponents would be faster than her in taking the First Turn. But she didn't expect the seemingly nonchalant Rex to be quick with his hands, even drawing a Card one step faster than her.
"Just so you know, I'm not some chauvinist; I'm an egalitarian. I treat all Opponents equally, regardless of who they are." Rex added the drawn Card to his Hand, with a confident smile on his face, as if he had drawn a good Hand. "As for 'arrogant statements'..."
"They're just a pre-announcement of the Duel outcome."
As he spoke, Rex had already finished planning his strategy, and drew two Cards from his Hand: "As a probe, these two Cards will be enough."
"I Normal Summon (Marauding Captain) in Attack Position. Then I activate its Effect. When (Marauding Captain) is successfully Summoned, I can Special Summon another Monster from my Hand with Level 4 or less."
"The one I will Summon is another (Marauding Captain)!"
On Rex's Field, two identically equipped Warrior-Type Monsters, like twins, appeared, standing shoulder to shoulder, forming a defensive formation.
[(Marauding Captain)] [Level 3/Earth Attribute]
[Warrior-Type/Effect]
[1200/400]
"(Marauding Captain)? Is he using a Warrior-Type Deck?" Mai Valentine, who knew nothing about Rex, seeing Rex Summon two (Marauding Captain) at once onto the Field, began to guess the Type of his Deck.
"While (Marauding Captain) is on the Monster Zone, it can use its Effect to protect other Warrior-Type Monsters from being targeted for attack. And when two (Marauding Captain) are on the Field simultaneously, unfortunately, you won't be able to declare an attack on me."
Rex explained the defensive formation of (Marauding Captain), revealing a confident smile.
Mai Valentine slightly frowned: "I see. A single (Marauding Captain) on the Field acts like a magnet, drawing attacks directed at Warrior-Type Monsters. But with two (Marauding Captain) on the Field, the two magnets present simultaneously cause the attracted attacks to be held in the middle instead."
"However, is this level of defense your only source of confidence?"
Rex shrugged: "This level? Anyway, it should be enough to deal with you. I recall your Deck seems to be (Harpie Lady) and (Amazoness), right? If you can break through it, go ahead and try."
"I Set two Cards in my Backrow. My Turn ends."
[Rex: 4000 LP, Hand 2]
[(Marauding Captain)] [ATK 1200]
[(Marauding Captain)] [ATK 1200]
[Set Card] x2
"Then I look forward to it." Mai Valentine proudly lifted her head, just like a peacock, befitting her name, and drew a Card from her Deck: "My Turn, Draw!"
The Card Mai Valentine drew this Turn was (Elegant Egotist), a (Spell Card) which, if there is a (Harpie Lady) Monster on the Field, allows you to directly Summon another (Harpie Lady) from your Deck. But the problem was, if her Opponent had two (Marauding Captain), it wouldn't matter how many (Harpie Lady) Mai Valentine Summoned, because the (Harpie Lady) Deck Mai Valentine used was best at clearing Backrow Cards. Direct Battle was too crude for the elegant (Harpie Lady).
However, this didn't mean Mai Valentine had no way to deal with (Marauding Captain). She did have Cards other than (Harpie Lady).
"I activate the Continuous Spell Card, (Swords of Concealing Light)."
As Mai Valentine inserted the Card into her Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone, three massive black swords of light suddenly flew out from her Backrow, firmly pinning themselves onto Rex's Field. From the black swords, waves of darkness spread out, flipping both (Marauding Captain) face-down!
"As Effect resolution for the activation of (Swords of Concealing Light), all Face-up Position Monsters on your Field are changed to Face-down Defense Position. Demagnetized magnets are just two fragile stones."
Mai Valentine said smugly, hoping to see surprise and dismay on Rex's face. But Rex's lips still wore that calm, casual smile; he didn't take Mai Valentine seriously at all, not even considering commenting on Mai Valentine's counterattack.
"Hmph."
Being ignored felt even worse than being looked down upon. Mai Valentine drew a Card: "I Normal Summon (Amazoness Fighter) in Attack Position, then I activate the (Spell Card), (Mystic Clover)!"
"From my Hand, Send one Level 4 Plant-Type Monster to the Graveyard, and (Amazoness Fighter) can Attack twice during this Battle Phase!"
(end of chapter)
Chapter 400 Mai Valentine: This Monster Isn't Worth Noticing
"I activate the Spell Card 「Mysterious Clover」, discarding one Level 4 Plant-Type monster from my hand, to grant one monster on my field the ability to attack twice in one Battle Phase!"
Mai Valentine revealed a card from her hand: "The card I'm discarding is this one, 「Mystic Tomato」, and then the 「Amazoness Fighter」 on my field in Attack Position will gain the ability to attack twice."
「Amazoness Fighter」 [Level 4 / EARTH]
[Warrior/Effect]
[ATK 1500 / DEF 1300]
"Because of 「Swords of Revealing Light」, both of your 「Command Knight」s on your field have been switched to Face-down Defense Position, and due to the effect of 「Swords of Revealing Light」, as long as this card remains on the field, your monsters cannot change their Battle Position."
(Face-down Defense Position: 「Command Knight」) [DEF 400]
"Next, I will use my 「Amazoness Fighter」 to crush your monster and enter the Battle Phase!" Mai Valentine said, gesturing to the 「Amazoness Fighter」, "Go, sweetie, let that arrogant guy over there see our power!"
"Attack the face-down monster!"
Following Mai Valentine's order, the 「Amazoness Fighter」 began to run, charging towards the card covered by 「Swords of Revealing Light」, reaching it in mere moments.
Although it seemed the 「Amazoness Fighter」 had no weapon in her hands, she actually didn't need such hindrances to her combat, as her body was her most powerful weapon!
"First strike!"
"Haaah!!"
Her iron fist, trained to be full of muscle, swung out. It was a strike unlike a girl's, and with just one blow, it shattered the sword of the 「Command Knight」, who was in a defensive stance. Her palm strike landed on the metallic armor, creating an exaggerated dent. The 「Command Knight」 spat blood, was sent flying, and was then completely destroyed, entering the Graveyard!
Seeing this, Mai Valentine let out a less-than-ladylike cheer: "Nice! Well done, beat him up like that!"
"Keep up the momentum, there's still a second monster, go!"
The 「Amazoness Fighter」 nodded, looking at another card not far away. Taking a deep breath, she retracted her hand and executed a forward flip, pushing off the ground to leap up. Her heel, wrapped in fighting bandages, descended like an unstoppable battle axe!
The card hiding the 「Command Knight」 was flipped open. A shield was held by the 「Command Knight」, meeting the 「Amazoness Fighter」's downward chop. Originally, Mai Valentine was dismissive of the 「Command Knight」 wielding a shield for defense.
After all, whether the equipment is a laser sword or a force shield, no matter how flashy it is, in Duel Monsters, it ultimately comes down to the actual ATK and DEF values. The 「Amazoness Fighter」's ATK is 1500, while the 「Command Knight」's DEF is only 400. Even if it were holding up a city wall, it wouldn't be able to block the attack.
However, Mai Valentine then saw that the shield equipped by the 「Command Knight」 not only perfectly blocked the 「Amazoness Fighter」's ATK, but the spikes of the shield, adorned with a unicorn emblem, actually pierced the 「Amazoness Fighter」's defense, causing her heel to bleed profusely!
"「Chained Spiked Shield」. In the last battle, I used your attack to flip the 「Command Knight」 face-up, and then activated this 「Chained Spiked Shield」."
Rex said calmly, watching the 「Command Knight」 flip back to its front face, then forcefully push its shield, repelling the 「Amazoness Fighter」 back to Mai Valentine's side of the field, "After this card is activated, it becomes an Equip Card that boosts ATK by 500 points, equipped to the 「Command Knight」 that was flipped face-up."
"When a monster equipped with 「Chained Spiked Shield」 battles in Defense Position, that monster's DEF increases by its ATK value during damage calculation only."
「Command Knight」 (equipped with 「Chained Spiked Shield」) [ATK 1200 / DEF 400 → ATK 1700 / DEF 400 → ATK 1700 / DEF 2100 → ATK 1700 / DEF 400]
During the recent Damage Calculation, the 「Command Knight」 temporarily raised its DEF to a full 2100 points using the Equip Card's ability. It's no wonder the 「Amazoness Fighter」 couldn't break through its defense and defeat it.
Mai Valentine grumbled unhappily, "You've got some tricks up your sleeve. While theoretically, if the attacking monster's ATK is lower than the defending monster's DEF, I would take battle damage equal to the difference, due to the 「Amazoness Fighter」's effect, any battle damage I would have taken from this card becomes 0."
If not for this effect, Mai Valentine's attack would have failed and she would have also taken 600 points of battle damage from the difference. Although the damage wasn't high, it would have put Mai Valentine at a disadvantage in terms of momentum.
However, Mai Valentine was a bit puzzled: "Since both your monsters are 「Command Knight」s, 「Chained Spiked Shield」 should be usable on either monster. Why didn't you use that card when the 「Amazoness Fighter」 attacked the first time?"
"Well, the answer to that question is probably that I'm kind-hearted and can't stand seeing others look disappointed." Rex tilted his head, revealing a subtle smile. "You just spent a hefty four cards from your hand to gain the ability for your monster to attack twice against mine. If such a great cost was met with a wall on the very first attack, well, I'm just helpless when girls start crying."
Rex's words seemed to pour oil on the fire, further enraging Mai Valentine, who was already upset about her attack being blocked.
"Next turn, I'll definitely make you take back those condescending words." She shot Rex a fierce glare, and Mai Valentine angrily set two cards face-down. "Then I'll set two cards and end my turn!"
Mai Valentine: LP 4000, Hand: 0
Field: 「Amazoness Fighter」 [ATK 1500], 「Swords of Revealing Light」 (Active), 2 Set Cards
"Hmm, I'll be waiting." Rex said with a smile, drawing a card, an undisguised smirk on his lips. "However, I think the possibility of you being able to do that is far too low."
"My turn. Draw."
"Next, I'll activate this card, 「Double Summon」, allowing me to perform a second Normal Summon this turn!"
Mai Valentine recognized the card 「Double Summon」. Because this card increases the normal summon count, which is normally once per turn, to twice. If one's hand is decent, they can prepare Tributes and perform a Tribute Summon, directly Normal Summoning a High-Level Monster to gain control of the field, making it quite a practical card.
At this moment, Rex already had a 「Command Knight」 on his field. Due to 「Swords of Revealing Light」, even though it had been flipped face-up and equipped with 「Chained Spiked Shield」 to boost its ATK to surpass the 「Amazoness Fighter」's 1700 points, the 「Command Knight」 could still only defend with its shield, unable to attack.
In that case, Rex could summon a monster, and then use that monster and the 「Command Knight」 as Tributes to summon a powerful High-Level Monster.
While Mai Valentine speculated on Rex's next possible move, Rex had already drawn a card and placed it on his Duel Disk to perform a summon.
"The monster I intend to summon is this one, 「Evo-Knight Chevalier」."
As Rex placed the card on his Duel Disk, a ball of flame appeared on his field, blooming beside the 「Command Knight」.
From within the flames, a sharp steel blade swung out, cleaving the fire apart, revealing a knight completely covered in armor, with only a pair of sharp eyes visible through the helmet.
The split flames did not dissipate; instead, they gathered neatly behind the 「Evo-Knight Chevalier」, like a cape fluttering in the wind.
「Evo-Knight Chevalier」 [Level 4 / FIRE]
[Warrior/Normal]
[ATK 1900 / DEF 900]
Upon seeing that the cool-looking 「Evo-Knight Chevalier」 was a Normal Monster, Mai Valentine was momentarily surprised. She had expected this Warrior-Type monster, with its special entrance and unique aura, to have some powerful effect and had been cautiously wary, only for it to be a Normal Monster?
To be honest, Mai Valentine hadn't seen Normal Monsters in play for a while. Of course, it wasn't that she'd never seen them; as Duel Monsters grew more popular, countless Normal Monsters were sold in card shops on the streets. Mai Valentine just hadn't often seen Duelists using such low-level Normal Monsters in their Decks.
After all, the Duelists she usually encountered were either like Chumley and Yugi, whose Decks were full of ever-changing effect cards, or Joey, who was incredibly lucky. Normal Monsters rarely appeared in their Decks anymore.
Of course, monsters like 「Summoned Skull」, 「Red-Eyes Black Dragon」, 「Gaia the Fierce Knight」, 「Dark Magician」, and Kaiba's 「Blue-Eyes White Dragon」 are no longer considered ordinary Normal Monsters.
However, Mai Valentine didn't dwell on the fact that 「Evo-Knight Chevalier」 was a Normal Monster for too long. After all, this monster would only serve as a Tribute for Rex's Tribute Summon of other monsters, so it wasn't worth worrying about.
However, what Mai Valentine didn't expect was that after Rex summoned 「Evo-Knight Chevalier」, he didn't immediately play the card in his hand. Instead, he pointed to the ready 「Evo-Knight Chevalier」: "Next, I will summon 「Evo-Knight Chevalier」 again!"
"Summoning a monster a second time?" Mai Valentine's eyes widened, looking at 「Evo-Knight Chevalier」, "This monster is actually a Gemini Monster!"
(end of chapter)