### Chapter 466: Rex and Marik Play Happily
Walking through the Backstage Passage, Joey suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason.
"Ah-choo!"
"Remember to cover your mouth when you sneeze, Joey!"
"My bad, my bad."
Facing Chumley's lecture, Joey apologetically chuckled, "I suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable just now and couldn't hold it in."
"But speaking of which, how much further until our destination? I have a feeling we should hurry up."
Chumley, leading the way, spread his hands helplessly. "I don't want to go at this pace either, but we're actually following the Magical Energy traces Marik left behind, like Theseus in Minos's labyrinth collecting thread as he went."
"However, we've pretty much reached the last Crossroads."
Turning a corner, another Staff Corridor appeared before them, with room numbers from 401 to 408 neatly arranged on both sides, leading to various rooms.
Chumley swept his hand across his chest, and though it was one of the Millennium Items, the Millennium Ring—whose primary function was navigation—had its five golden conical pendants float up from thin air, all pointing in one direction.
It pointed to Room 402.
Chumley raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have guessed that the person who secretly built this Basement was very likely an otaku. Or is it just a pure coincidence?"
Seeing Joey and Yugi's confused expressions, Chumley didn't bother to explain, but Leon, who came along, eagerly clarified, "Ah, I know this. Rei Ayanami's room in Neon Genesis Evangelion is Room 402."
"Well, that's indeed the meaning, but explaining a meme feels so strange." Chumley shrugged, then walked elegantly to the door of Room 402 and kicked it.
Inside the Kaiba Dome, all standards were meticulously set due to the President's lavish nature, and security was also quite comprehensive. So, theoretically, an ordinary human simply kicking the door would have virtually no chance of breaking it open.
However, Marik and Tristan's group had already entered ahead of Chumley and his companions, leaving behind an irreversible trace on the door lock — a footprint kicked into the door — which Joey's group could have found even without Chumley's Millennium Ring.
The heavy door was kicked open with a *boom*, revealing a Spiral Staircase leading to an even Lower Level before Chumley and his group of five — Chumley, Yugi, Joey, Leon, and Siegfried. They had no idea how much deeper it went.
And with the opening of the door, Chumley's group faintly heard some voices:
"...Armor... Punching..."
"...Powerful Monster... Wheel..."
"...This isn't a Duel at all... Direct Attack..."
"...Boxer shorts... Muda..."
Yugi frowned and strained his ears, but whether it was due to sound distortion from the long distance or some other reason, he couldn't discern exactly who the two voices belonged to, or if he knew them.
However, one thing was certain: the situation downstairs was far from peaceful. Tristan's group might have already clashed with potential gatekeepers or similar characters.
Normally, a minor conflict wouldn't be cause for Yugi and his friends to worry, but with the Anomaly still unresolved, Tristan's group could very well encounter life-threatening danger.
Without needing to say anything more, the three exchanged a glance and their communication was complete, prompting them to rush towards the stairs. Seeing this, Leon naturally hurried to follow. The only one suffering was Siegfried, whose hands were bound; Joey roughly pulled him, almost making him fall, forcing him to run to keep up with Joey and the others lest he tumble down the stairs.
——————Anomaly detected, call for Red and White——————
"You bastard, this isn't the Duel I wanted at all!"
At the very bottom of the stairs Chumley's group had just found, the source of the voices they heard, Marik was having a pleasant Duel with Rex.
However, from the "joyful" voice emanating from the armored figure standing before Marik, it was clear that this "pleasant" Duel was likely only "pleasant" for one side.
To some extent, the Duel between them was actually evenly matched; both players had five cards in their Hand, five cards on their Field, and even their Life Points were evenly split at 2000 LP each.
However, if Rex had a choice, he'd rather switch to an opponent who would completely crush him than endure this "evenly matched" situation.
On Rex's Field, a row of Monsters was neatly lined up. And just like his comrade Alister's (Machina) Deck, Rex's (Armor) Deck also consisted entirely of Machine-Type Monsters.
(Active Guard) [DEF1500]
(Mental Helmet) [DEF500]
(Black Hole Shield) [ATK0]
(Burst Gauntlet) [ATK0→1000]
(Overrun Boots) [DEF1000]
Unlike regular Duel Monsters, the (Armor) Deck's method of Dueling was extremely unique. All Armor Monsters appeared as Equipment on the Duelist's body. To activate an attack and battle, merely Declaring an Attack wasn't enough; the Duelist himself had to wear these Armor Monsters and punch to attack.
It was bizarre, but this was Rex's true Dueling style; only this way could he fully exert his power.
In addition, Armor Monsters had another characteristic: they were treated as a single entity, yet could also be seen as individual parts. A Duelist could only use one Armor Monster to attack per turn, but when attacked, they could choose which Armor Monster would take the attack.
This concept was so advanced that although the (Armor) Deck's Rarity wasn't high, nobody other than Rex wanted to use it. However, it was hard to say that the Meklord monsters, which appeared decades later, hadn't drawn inspiration from this interesting Setting.
Yet, while the Setting was interesting, and Rex himself particularly enjoyed Dueling with Armor Monsters, he was far from happy at this moment.
His left hand, the (Black Hole Shield), which had the ability to Tribute itself to protect other Armor Monsters, was tightly entangled by a (Fiendish Chain). The glowing pattern of (Spellbinding Circle) was etched onto the (Burst Gauntlet) on his left hand.
(Nightmare Wheel) snagged the (Active Guard), preventing it from changing its battle position or attacking, and even inflicting 500 points of damage each turn.
And for the (Mental Helmet) and (Overrun Boots), each was equipped with an (Axe of Despair), which, while increasing ATK, rendered its effect useless.
Dressed in his armor, and thus forced to be controlled along with his Armor Monsters, perfectly mimicking (Exodia the Forbidden One), Rex glared at Marik with extreme displeasure. "What kind of Duel is this?!"
"Hehehe, I don't even know where the end of the universe is, so how could I know the answer to that question?" Marik looked at his Duel Disk. Although his Monster Zone was completely empty, his Back Row was brimming with red and green cards, and he couldn't help but show a delighted smile.
"Duel Monsters is so much fun." He placed his hand on his Duel Disk. "My Turn, Draw."
"And now, I'm giving you this powerful Monster! Go, (Lava Golem)!"
Today I saw a movie review for "The Battle at Lake Changjin II: Watergate Bridge":
"Many people don't bother reading 'Records of the Three Kingdoms', so a 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' was created to draw more attention to that period of history. But then you make a 'Dynasty Warriors' movie and claim it's paying tribute to martyrs..."
(end of chapter)
## Chapter 467: Next Time, Marik's Death
When Hayato and the others finally walked down the long Stairs and reached the bottom floor, they saw Valon panting, bathed in lava. The armor he wore to resist the lava was slowly turning transparent.
"Hehe, you were a good opponent. You were even close to turning the tables, but luckily, I was slightly better."
Facing the dishevelled Valon, Marik stood with his hands on his hips, grinning like a three-year-old, looking every bit the antagonist.
Wait, wasn't Marik already an antagonist?
"Marik, playing with your big toys again? How about taking a break and playing with a standard Deck?" Hayato teased, sizing up Marik, who stood proudly before Valon. He then stepped in front of Marik, turning his back to him, and looked at Valon.
"Hayato Kobayashi, I didn't expect you to be the second group to arrive here..." Valon looked at Yugi and Joey Wheeler walking down the Stairs, a frustrated expression on his face. "Honestly, if I'd known, I would have waited a bit longer. Dueling this annoying white-haired guy wasn't fun at all."
Valon didn't have many grand ambitions in life; he was quite content just living peacefully. His love for Duel Monsters was only average, not particularly fanatical. But if he was going to duel, he wouldn't easily surrender or give up. Instead, he would strive to gain enough passion and ultimately achieve victory in the duel.
For things that weren't important, like eating coarse, unappetizing food or sleeping under a bridge, Valon could completely accept them. Losing the duel against Marik, which he found unsatisfying, was also fine. However, if something truly ignited his passion, Valon might very well unleash all the enthusiasm he had accumulated over the years.
It was just that Valon had never encountered anything that could truly make him burn with passion. Even the close-quarters battle of dueling with his **Armor** Deck was only mildly interesting.
On the other hand, Kujaku Mai, whom he had only met twice, somehow made Valon feel a little concerned about her. This strange feeling was a first for Valon, who had been a bachelor for over twenty years, and it felt completely new.
"Hey, hey, you've said it several times now, who's white-haired?! My hair is clearly light gold, even if it's not very noticeable!" Marik yelled from behind Hayato, full of energy. "And I have a name! Malik Ishtar! Remember it!"
"Call yourself whatever you want, I'm too lazy to remember your name." Valon glared at Marik, annoyed. "In fact, I don't want to see you again. When it comes to disgusting tricks, you're truly rare in this world."
"Who are you calling rare?!"
Marik immediately retorted, "Let me tell you the truth, among the four people in my family, I'm the weakest. There are three others who are even more disgusting to duel against than me."
"Three?"
More than Marik's standard "I'm the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings" line, Hayato found it stranger where the other three people in his family came from. Even counting Rishid, Marik's foster brother, there were only three. Could it be his deceased father, whom Marik had dutifully sent to the grave?
"Me, Malik Ishtar;"
"My foster brother, Rishid Ishtar;"
"My sister, Ishizu Ishtar, and my Brother-in-law, Hayato Kobayashi."
Marik stood with his hands on his hips, smugly placing one hand on Hayato's shoulder. "The waters of Duel Monsters are very deep, you can't handle it. My Brother-in-law is invincible!"
Listening to Marik, who was standing behind him and wildly applying debuffs, Hayato's forehead veins bulged as if to form a "well" character. "So who's your Brother-in-law—"
"Boom!"
Just as Hayato was about to finish his sentence, a sudden loud noise came from the open door not far away, interrupting him.
Everyone's gaze turned towards that direction. Marik's expression became somewhat serious. "Tristan Taylor and Kujaku Mai went through that door just now. What happened?"
"What? Tristan and Mai are in there?!" Joey Wheeler exclaimed, immediately growing anxious. His body moved faster than his thoughts. "Hang in there, Tristan !"
Shouting, Joey Wheeler started running, charging towards the open door.
Because Joey Wheeler was so anxious, he completely forgot he was still holding the rope. Zigfried, who had just come down the long Stairs and hadn't had a chance to catch his breath, looked resistant but was forced to follow, being pulled along.
Seeing this, Yugi also wanted to follow, but he noticed that Hayato and Marik were still standing still. He turned back, looking at Hayato with confusion.
"You go ahead, Yugi." Hayato pointed to Valon, who was standing not far away and hadn't tried to stop Yugi and Joey Wheeler. "At least I need to stop this guy and prevent him from interfering with you."
Marik's hand was still on Hayato's shoulder, and he complained, "That's so mean, Brother-in-law. I already won a duel against him. You're just stealing kills."
Hayato ignored Marik's complaint and gave Yugi a reassuring look. Having great confidence in Hayato's strength, Yugi nodded without further delay. Leaving behind a "Be careful," he also followed Joey Wheeler, who wasn't far ahead.
Although Rayne knew his Brother was the mastermind, he followed out of concern.
The only ones left outside were Marik, Hayato, and Valon.
Valon looked at Marik, then at the well-conditioned Hayato, closed his fighting spirit-filled eyes, and sighed helplessly.
Logically, having a rare one-on-one opportunity with the Duel King, Valon should have felt a little happy. But having just finished a duel with an extremely poor gaming experience, he couldn't muster any interest in dueling.
And it wasn't just his emotional state. Marik had used the rules of the Dark Game in that duel. Although Valon didn't fall unconscious or have his soul sealed due to the protection of the Orichalcos Fragment on his chest, the physical fatigue and stamina loss Valon experienced were real.
"Let's make a deal, Duel King. I won't interfere with you." As Valon spoke, seemingly to prove he had no intention of dueling, he retracted the Duel Disk he had deployed earlier, pulled out his Deck, and raised both hands. "If you want to save your companions, go ahead and save them."
"After just having a duel, I really don't have the spirit to battle you right now. A duel where one side isn't in peak condition is very boring."
As he spoke, Valon started moving, walking towards the Stairs. "I'll leave here now, and as a gesture of sincerity to stop fighting, I can also give you some information about what's inside. It's not that I don't want to tell you more, but I was entrusted with this task, and I honestly don't know much more."
Looking at Valon, who didn't act like a Duelist at all, not only avoiding battle and surrendering but even voluntarily offering information, Hayato raised an eyebrow. "You're offering me information just to avoid dueling me? That's a good suggestion, but won't your companions, Alister and Rafael, have an issue with that?"
"This isn't a particularly important plan; no one really cares if it succeeds or not. Oh, wait, Alister seems pretty invested in it."
Valon shrugged indifferently. "Anyway, Doma isn't the leader of the plan, just a participant. Even Rafael himself knows that I wouldn't honestly Guard the door and stop everyone."
Valon continued walking as he spoke, and Hayato and Marik's gazes followed him.
Although the pain of the Dark Game was weakened by the pendant Valon wore, it was still enough to make someone with average willpower faint from the sheer pain. And while Valon looked very weak right after the duel ended, he walked quite normally.
Stepping onto the Stairs, Valon faced Hayato and walked up backwards. The expression on his face was very serious. "The information I got from Rafael is that throughout the Kaiba Dome Venue, there's a domain set up specifically to absorb life force. It seems to be concentrated in a Room behind this door."
"The collected life force seems to be used to boost a certain Duel Monsters card. That card seems to be the objective of the anomaly's leader. It apparently has some sort of mystical power that 'guides the world into darkness'."
"I don't know anything more specific. Anyway, good luck, Duel King. I hope we can have a proper duel next time we meet."
With that, Valon ascended the last Stair, his figure disappearing around the Corner.
After waiting several seconds and not seeing Valon reappear, Marik smugly snorted, "He lost to Marik in a duel and even lost the courage to duel you, Brother-in-law? Youngsters nowadays have such poor mental fortitude, hehehehehe."
Hayato didn't know what Marik was thinking, calling Valon a youngster when Valon was actually older than him.
"How many Soul Hall Elders do you eat for a meal?" Hayato ranted about Marik's new strange catchphrase, glancing at the weight of Marik's hand still on his shoulder. "Oh right, you can fall now."
"Oh yeah." Marik forced a smile, no longer trying to hold on. His body went limp and he fell forward, but Hayato propped him up, preventing him from collapsing completely. His face suddenly turned pale, and even his breathing became heavy and strained.
The characteristic of Valon's **Armor** Deck, besides fighting like someone from that Athena-guarding 'repeater nemesis' scene next door, was that the opponent dueling the **Armor** Deck would suffer vitality damage.
How high was the specific damage? In another timeline, the duel with Valon almost took the life of Joey Wheeler, who was more tenacious than a cockroach, which shows how significant the damage was.
Although Marik only took 2000 life points of damage in his duel with Valon, which was less than the damage taken by Joey Wheeler, that guy who only plays when he's at low HP, and Marik also had the protection of the Millennium Rod compared to Joey Wheeler, who had almost no defense and relied entirely on guts.
But don't forget, Marik's body wasn't as strong as Joey Wheeler's. Not only had his skin turned pale from constantly hiding in dark places, acting mysterious, and not getting sun, but there was also the damage left behind by Dark Marik before he disappeared.
Before getting the Millennium Rod from Hayato, Marik had also had a certain amount of life energy absorbed. After the duel with Valon ended, he was actually just forcing himself to not show any weakness.
Although Valon hadn't done anything to stop Tristan and the others before, no one could guarantee that his idea wouldn't change. If he were to fall and Valon were to chase after Tristan and the others
Chapter 468 Get Over Here!
In the basement of the Kaiba Dome, after Hayato walked through the gate and passed through a not-too-long corridor, a brightly lit room appeared before him.
From a distance, he saw Joey and Yugi blocked at the entrance.
"Damn it, what is this thing?"
He punched the transparent film in front of him, Joey attempting to destroy the film blocking his entry into the room with brute force. But the film, which looked as fragile as a soap bubble, was incredibly resilient. Even though Joey hammered it several times with force, he couldn't advance an inch. Furious, Joey could only shout loudly at the film, "Tristan, Mai!"
Beside Joey, Yugi also looked anxiously into the room: "Téa, Rebecca!"
Inside the room, separated by a layer of film, Yugi and Joey saw Rebecca and Mai Valentine all lying weakly on the ground. Even with Yugi and Joey shouting loudly, they received no response from them, as if they had already fallen unconscious.
Not far from the fallen group, a Duel Monster Card floated up into the air, glowing with light. It seemed this barrier blocking Joey and Yugi from entering the room was created by that card.
Inside the room, Duke Devlin, Téa, Mai Valentine, Mokuba, and Rebecca had already fallen unconscious. Only Tristan seemed to have heard Joey's and Yugi's calls; lying on the ground, he struggled to lift his head, looking towards the entrance: "Yugi... Joey..."
"Tristan?!" Joey saw Tristan was still conscious and quickly shouted anxiously, "What exactly happened, Tristan? Are you alright?"
Slightly raising his head, Tristan felt all the power drained from his body and said with difficulty, "I... I'm not entirely sure what happened..."
"I only remember, I touched that card, and then everyone fell."
"What exactly is going on, I'm not quite..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Tristan slumped back down weakly, as if those few words had exhausted his last bit of strength.
"Tristan! Hey! Snap out of it, Tristan!" Joey angrily punched the barrier in front of him. Witnessing his friend collapse unconscious before him, Joey's heart yearned urgently to reach Tristan's side, but was stopped by the barrier, unable to advance an inch. "Damn it, this thing is such a nuisance!"
Yugi watched Tristan's collapse and was also very anxious, calling out to Yami Yugi within the (Millennium Puzzle) in his mind: "Yami Yugi..."
However, the phantom image of Yami Yugi that appeared beside Yugi could only shake his head helplessly: "I'm sorry, Aibo, I'm powerless too."
"This barrier seems to be constructed by draining Tristan and the others' life points. If we forcibly break through the barrier, it's very likely to cause damage to Tristan and them. Unless the person who set up the barrier actively dispels it, otherwise, there's no way for us to enter the room without harming Tristan and them."
"How could this be..." Yugi was also very disheartened to hear Yami Yugi's words. "Does that mean we can only stand here and watch Tristan and the others collapse?"
"All this time, this is the expression I've wanted to see, Yugi." Siegfried leaned against the side of the corridor, looking at the vexation and unwillingness on Yugi's face, and said with a cold laugh, "It's precisely this helpless expression."
"Although my primary target was Kaiba, I've never forgotten that you defeated me once in a Duel. Watching your friends collapse before you, and you don't even have the ability to go to their side, that feeling must be great, right, hahahaha!"
"This is the punishment for being an enemy of me, the noble elite Siegfried!"
Overwhelmed with pride, he had even forgotten the fact that he was still a prisoner. If his hands weren't tied, Joey wouldn't doubt at all that this guy would put his hands on his hips or strike other strange poses while cackling.
Being mocked like this, although Yugi wouldn't react by getting angry and beating Siegfried up, Joey was equally displeased and naturally wouldn't miss such a good opportunity to vent.
Coincidentally, recently he had played a game called 'Mortal Kombat', and one character's move was perfect for this moment.
"Get Over Here!"
With a strong tug on the ropes on his hands, Joey looked at Siegfried, who was pulled towards him with a panicked expression. Joey showed no mercy to this sarcastic guy, slightly bending forward and swinging his fist.
"Ugh-gah!!!"
Siegfried, having been heavily struck in the abdomen, let out a theatrical scream, his eyes wide as if they would pop out. His head tilted, eyes rolling upwards, and he actually fainted just like that.
"What a weak noble elite."
Joey clearly knew how to twist the knife, looking at Siegfried, who had fainted after just one punch, he commented sarcastically.
Being someone who often got into fights, he knew that a punch of that strength would usually only leave someone speechless with pain. Siegfried, fainting just like that, had a truly pathetic physique.
After silencing the annoying Siegfried, Joey turned to look at Yugi, just about to say something, like discussing how to bypass this barrier and enter the room.
But just then, Joey saw someone slowly standing up inside the room, pointing at the person in surprise: "Yu- Yugi, isn't that person inside—"
Yugi also turned his head at the sound, looking in surprise at the person who had just stood up and was dusting himself off.
"Well, well, meeting under such circumstances is truly fate, Joey, and Yugi." Bakura tugged at his hair with both hands, rearranging two tufts of hair into bunny ears. "No, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it luck, because this trap was originally specifically prepared for you, or rather, for you, Yugi."
"Trap?"
Seeing that both Yugi and Joey looked as if they hadn't understood him, Bakura calmly explained: "Isn't it obvious? This room is equipped with a barrier that absorbs life points, even more potent than the one outside, all to trick you, who would eventually make your way deep inside to dispel the barrier."
"However, it's clear these guys got ahead of you and ended up becoming your stand-ins." As he spoke, Bakura squatted down, grabbed Tristan's rough hair and pulled him up from the ground. "Especially that Tristan bastard, he even punched me. Karma catches up quickly, doesn't it?"
"So that's how it is!" Yugi's face was filled with shock.
Putting himself in their shoes, after breaking through layers of obstacles and reaching the final boss's room, and even defeating the final boss, the only thing left before you become a legendary hero who marries the princess kidnapped by the Demon King was just the lock on the princess's prison cell remaining unopened. Unless you're a hero so cautious you'd perform a finishing move and then overkill a slime ten times at the Starter Village entrance, who would be so careful?!
Putting himself in their shoes, Yugi felt that if he, not Tristan and the others, had entered the room first, he would have fallen into Bakura's trap as well.
"Wait a minute, if it's a trap," Joey said, somewhat puzzled, "why are you, Bakura, inside? And even though Tristan, Téa, and the others have collapsed, you're still moving normally?"
"There's only one answer: Dark Satoshi is actually the mastermind behind the scenes, connecting other forces and orchestrating this anomaly."
The voice that answered Joey didn't come from the room where Bakura was, but from behind Joey.
Hayato held the (Millennium Rod) he had taken from Marik. The 'Eye of Udjat' on the (Millennium Ring) on his chest flashed golden light, and he walked leisurely and calmly towards Joey and Yugi, like an old-fashioned noble strolling through a museum.
"Hayato."
"Mm." He nodded, a greeting to Yugi. Hayato also didn't explain to Yugi why Marik hadn't come in with him; Yugi, or Yami Yugi in the (Millennium Puzzle), could guess the reason.
He looked at Bakura: "Yo, Rabbit-Eared Devil King, long time no see."
"Hayato, what are you doing here?" Compared to Hayato, whose expression was calm as if greeting an old friend, Bakura frowned and asked suspiciously, "Don't tell me you're also planning to make a move here? Don't forget the promise between us."
"Ah, of course, my memory is quite good." Hayato nodded, glancing at the somewhat puzzled Yugi beside him, and explained:
"Under the witness of the Shadow Game rules, 'Hayato' cannot interfere with 'Ryo Bakura' and his accomplices' actions to overthrow KaibaCorp, and at the same time, 'Hayato' cannot actively disclose information to Seto Kaiba and other relevant personnel. That's roughly the agreement."
"However..."
Looking at Bakura, Hayato's lips curved into a smirk, and he said mischievously: "This agreement is only for 'Hayato'. What does your agreement with 'Ryo Bakura' have to do with me, 'Dan Kuroto', a Duelist participating in the KC Cup?"
As he spoke, Hayato raised the (Millennium Rod) in his hand, making a motion as if raising a weapon, ready to chop down.
"Wait a minute, Hayato, this barrier seems to be sustained by Tristan and the others' life points! Directly destroying the barrier would cause damage to Tristan and them!"
Yami Yugi had just explained it very clearly to Yugi through telepathy. Although now, due to the concentrated life points amplifying the Duel Monster Spirits, (Dark Magician) and (Dark Magician Girl) had gained the ability to manifest without a Ritual Summon, but simple Dark Magic had no ability to dispel this barrier, and neither did other Duel Monsters.
After Bakura heard that Yugi actually knew the truth about the barrier, he said with some displeasure: "Tch, you're quite sharp, Yugi, or did your Other Self discover it? I was originally looking forward to seeing Hayato's frustrated expression after he discovered his companions had been harmed because of him."
"But now, that you know the truth, what choice will you make, Hayato?"
Bakura paced proudly around the room, circling the card in the center of the room: "Will you watch Tristan and the others' life points slowly be completely drained by this card, or will you personally step in to end their burden?"
Looking at Bakura's triumphant smile, Hayato didn't seem to feel any pressure at all and returned a smile: "I'm definitely chopping down this barrier, but I'll absolutely save Tristan and the others' lives. That's what you call a healthy outcome."
At the tip of the (Millennium Rod) that Hayato raised, on the two sharp objects representing 'ears' that surrounded the spherical 'Eye of Udjat', two phantoms, one yellow and one blue, appeared.
"Look familiar, Bakura? This is a gift you gave me." Hayato extended his other hand, holding two cards, namely (Raviel, Lord of Phantasms) and (Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder). "Raviel, Hamon, lend me your power!"
"I'll change Tristan and the others' fate!"
Shouting with great aura, Hayato powerfully swung the (Millennium Rod) through the barrier in front of him.
Yami Yugi's assessment to Yugi was not wrong in the slightest, because the power of ordinary Duel Monsters truly couldn't break Bakura's barrier. And while the (Egyptian God Cards) possessed absolute power beyond ordinary cards, breaking the barrier would inevitably cause damage to Tristan and them.
However, the Sacred Beasts cards were the only exception.
The barrier that collected the life points of most people within the Kaiba Dome utilized the power of (Uria, Lord of Searing Flames) among the Sacred Beasts, and the life points of Tristan and the others, which formed the barrier, were also drawn out by the power of this barrier.
(Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder) and (Raviel, Lord of Phantasms)'s power converged at the tip of the (Millennium Rod). The barrier that Joey couldn't destroy no matter how hard he tried before, after the (Millennium Rod) passed through it, instantly dissolved and parted like a curtain of water!
"H-He can actually use the power of two Sacred Beasts?!" Bakura's face was filled with disbelief. "Sacred Beasts are only supposed to know pure destruction, why are they so obedient to your command?!"
Although Bakura had thought that the two Sacred Beasts cards in Hayato's hand also had the ability to destroy his plan, which was why he had specifically tried to win Hayato over, but he never expected Hayato to be so shameless, playing such word games.
And the Sacred Beasts, he had only managed to get his hands on the Sacred Beasts cards with great difficulty back then, but all three cards were like grandfathers, refusing to obey commands. Even the weakest among them, (Uria, Lord of Searing Flames), to persuade it to help him, Bakura had paid a huge cost.
Why could Hayato so easily command (Raviel, Lord of Phantasms) and (Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder), who were theoretically harder to deal with?!
"Hmph, of course, it's because I moved them with love and justice." Hayato sneered, glancing at the two cards in his hand. "If you don't believe me, you can always ask them if they're touched."
Surrounded by the (Egyptian God Cards) and Earthbound Immortals, the two Sacred Beasts, who willingly surrendered their power for Hayato's command, shook their heads frantically from a perspective unseen by others.
We dare not move. Absolutely dare not move.
(end of chapter)
"Where am I?"
Opening his eyes, Tristan sat up from the soft bed, clutching his temples, and looked around. White walls, clean light blue curtains, the arrangement of items on the bedside table, and a faint scent of disinfectant alcohol in the air – Tristan wondered with some confusion why he was in a hospital.
"Tristan, you're awake."
Joey, who was sitting opposite Tristan's bed, stood up quickly and walked towards him when he saw Tristan was awake. "The doctor said you need to rest properly right now, so lie back down obediently."
"Joey?"
A confused Tristan was gently pushed back onto the bed by Joey. "I remember before..."
"Oh right, I was trying to tell you guys to escape back then."
Recalling the previous situation, Tristan urgently asked Joey, "How are Téa and Mokuba?"
"Don't worry, everything has been resolved."
Seeing that Tristan seemed a little agitated, Joey soothed him, "The situation was perfectly handled by yours truly, Joey, along with Yugi and Hayato. Everyone is out of danger. Otherwise, how do you think you ended up in a hospital bed?"
"It wasn't just Téa and Mokuba; many other people in the Venue at the time were also rescued and are out of danger. Most of them have even recovered. You just happened to be closest to the center of the Anomaly, which is why you were unconscious for the longest."
Sitting by Tristan's side, Joey recounted the events that had transpired in detail, bit by bit.
"Argh, argh!" Seeing Hayato actually use the power of the Sacred Beasts to break through the Barrier, Bakura was both startled and enraged. But no matter how furious he was at Hayato, he couldn't reverse the fact that the Barrier protecting the room had been dispelled. "Hayato, you bastard!"
"Hehehe, that expression doesn't suit a mastermind, Bakura." Hayato, carrying the Millennium Rod, grinned menacingly as he approached Bakura. As he walked, he twisted his neck, making "crack" sounds.
"So, how about a thrilling Duel Monsters Duel?"
Hayato raised the Duel Disk on his wrist. His Deck had already been inserted, and within Hayato's Deck, an unprecedentedly powerful lineup was assembled. Both the Egyptian God Cards and the Earthbound Immortals had been added to Hayato's Deck, all for the sake of giving Bakura a grand show.
If Bakura accepted his Duel, he would be facing the full power Hayato could unleash. Although Hayato had no confidence in defeating Bakura with a Shadow Game, or rather, defeating Dark Bakura who was acting as "Bakura," he felt it would at least keep him quiet for a while.
However, regrettably, unlike those who lacked self-awareness, Bakura had a very clear understanding of his own strength in Duel Monsters.
"Duel Monsters? Heh, do you take me for a fool?"
Retreating, Bakura warily eyed Hayato and Joey and Yugi, who had followed Hayato into the room.
"Even though I know your strength is arguably the strongest in the World, and even Yugi and Seto Kaiba are no match for you, I don't have the kind of blind confidence to think I can compete against you, let alone defeat you."
Although Bakura always liked to use underhanded tactics and would rather resort to despicable means than obtain what he wanted through a Duel Monsters Duel, what do you think was the reason for that?
He didn't know when it started, but Bakura had almost no record of defeating others in Duel Monsters; it was as if he was cursed by Duel Monsters and could never achieve victory.
Knowing he would lose and still choosing to Duel in Duel Monsters? Bakura didn't like wasting his time on such meaningless things, even if his time wasn't precious.
Hayato, Joey, and Yugi advanced on Bakura in a 'pin' formation. Watching the three of them draw closer, Bakura gritted his teeth and snarled, "Damn it, you guys, don't celebrate too early!"
"Or what? Are you going to defy us?" Joey clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking as he approached Bakura. "Even if I don't know your reasons, the fact that you hurt Tristan and Téa is undeniable."
"I'll take good care of you, Bakura, with my fists!"
With that, Joey quickened his pace and lunged at Bakura.
Bakura glanced over his shoulder. The card floating in mid-air was only a few steps away, meaning he didn't have much of a retreat left.
In that case, it was time to fight back!
"Don't even think about it! Dark Necrofear, deal with them!"
Drawing a card from the Duel Disk on his wrist, Bakura slapped the drawn monster directly onto the Duel Disk and called its name.
He didn't seem to prepare a Tribute or special Summoning conditions like in a normal Duel. The very next second Bakura placed the card on the expanded Duel Disk, a blue, ball-jointed, icy arm shot out from the Shadow Realm beneath his feet, narrowly swiping past Joey's eyes.
Feeling the biting killing intent graze his nose, cold sweat broke out on Joey's forehead. After running two or three steps, Joey had inexplicably paused midway, and that slight delay saved his life; otherwise, he would have been impaled from bottom to top by that extremely dangerous-looking arm!
"T-that was close!" Joey involuntarily took half a step back in fright. Immediately, the sudden scare combined with his previous dissatisfaction transformed into rage. "Bakura, you bastard, you actually tried to kill me? In that case, I'm going to fight back too!"
"Come forth, Gilford the Lightning, Black Skull Dragon, and Red-Eyes Slash Dragon!"
In his haste, Joey drew three Monster Cards in one breath. Without even looking at what he drew, he slapped them all onto his Duel Disk. Just as Bakura's Dark Necrofear crawled out of the Shadow Realm, Joey's three monsters also materialized before him.
But seeing Joey's three monsters appear, Bakura gave a cold smile. "What an idiot, Joey."
Joey heard Bakura's words, but before he could understand what he meant, his Gilford the Lightning and Red-Eyes Slash Dragon attacked Dark Necrofear.
With an ATK of only 2200, Dark Necrofear was naturally no match for Gilford the Lightning and Red-Eyes Slash Dragon, both with 2800 ATK. In just one clash, it was jointly defeated by the two monsters.
However, as Dark Necrofear was Destroyed, an incredibly eerie dark mist drifted from the doll's remains, coiling around Gilford the Lightning and Red-Eyes Slash Dragon. Joey's breathing became ragged, and his body felt so heavy he almost collapsed to his knees.
"This is..."
"That's why I called you an idiot. You didn't actually think that Duel Monsters materialized out of thin air had no cost, did you? Even a basic understanding of the law of conservation of energy would prevent such a thought, you idiot Joey."
Bakura said triumphantly. Two red lights glowed within the dark mist swirling around him. Then, from within the slightly receding dark mist, Joey's Gilford the Lightning and Red-Eyes Slash Dragon emerged, one by one, and stood on Bakura's side?!
Hayato wasn't surprised by this. Since Duel Monsters had materialized into real-world entities, they naturally couldn't continue to follow the rules of the Duel Monsters Game. Dark Necrofear itself had the Effect to take Control of an opponent's monster after being Destroyed. It seemed Joey's reckless Attack had fallen right into Bakura's Trap.
"The life force drawn from ordinary people, filling the air, is the key for Duel Monsters to manifest as physical entities. However, for Duel Monsters just to appear already drains the surrounding Life Points, and for them to move, the Duelist must contribute their own power."
Bakura smiled triumphantly. "In other words, the monsters sustained by your life force, after Destroying my monster, have become tools under my Control due to my monster's Effect."
"Reap what you sow, Joey!"
Waving his hand to command the two monsters to Attack Joey, Bakura maliciously looked at Yugi and Hayato. "Go ahead and try to stop me, Hayato, Yugi. After all, if you Attack these two monsters, only Joey will be harmed."
Hearing this, Yugi said unwillingly, "Damn it, why is it always the same trick? Using this method every time is just too disgusting!"
Yugi's negative comment made Bakura happy instead. "No, it's not disgusting at all. This is what they call 'one trick pony, but a winning one'!"
Just like the Barrier previously formed by Tristan and the others' life force, Bakura was once again using the same old trick: "Monsters controlled by Joey's life force." It really offered no novelty.
But Yugi had to admit, the move was still disgusting, and if what Bakura said was true, he indeed couldn't Attack the two monsters Bakura controlled.
Watching the two monsters, previously controlled by Joey, about to Attack Joey's last Black Skull Dragon in a "suicidal" move, suddenly two pink lights flew out from the side and landed on Gilford the Lightning and Red-Eyes Slash Dragon.
Seeing Bakura's gaze turn towards him, Hayato shook the card in his Hand. "Change of Heart. Since it's no longer a proper Duel, taking Control of two monsters at once is no big deal."
"Have you forgotten, Bakura-kun? This is a card you gave me."
"That was clearly a card you bastard stole from me!" How could Bakura forget Change of Heart? Including Soul Absorption, several cards that Hayato had snatched from Bakura during the Duelist Kingdom period were still being used in his Duels even today.
"Go, Yugi."
Joey had suffered a setback due to his momentary recklessness, and Hayato was busy controlling the two monsters he had just acquired. Now it was Yugi's turn to act. Conveniently, Bakura currently had no monsters to block in front of him.
Yugi nodded, drawing from the top of his Deck. Without even looking at the drawn cards, as if he hadn't shuffled, he slammed them directly onto his Duel Disk, calling out their names: "Go, Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl!"
"Dark Magic Attack!!"
"Damn you, Hayato!" His plans were so perfectly intertwined, one leading to the next, yet this time, Hayato had once again ruined his scheme. Watching Yugi command the Dark Magician and his apprentice with potent magical energy spheres to Attack him, Bakura gritted his teeth.
However, the grimace on his face suddenly turned into a sneer. "You still missed one thing, Hayato. You specifically let Yugi deliver the final blow against me!"
"If I'm not mistaken, Raphael specifically appeared before you all and lost the card Uria, Lord of Searing Flames to you, or rather, to Yugi, didn't he!"
"Too bad, too bad, too bad! I already tampered with that card, anticipating it would fall into Yugi's Hands! You're finished, Yugi! No, Nameless Pharaoh!"
"Once I Activate the power of the Millennium Eye hidden within it, triggering Uria, Lord of Searing Flames' magical energy rampage, your Millennium Puzzle will be sealed as a result!"
"Now! I've reached my limit, I'm going to press it!"
Bakura, speaking incredibly quickly like a time-stopping narrator, rattled off a long speech just before Yugi's Attack could hit him. He then put his hands on his hips and watched Yugi expectantly, wanting to see him fall in agony.
To his surprise, however, even after the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl's Attack struck him, Yugi's condition remained completely unchanged.
It was Joey, barely standing, who, under Bakura's wide-eyed glare, pulled a card from his pocket. "What a shame. Raphael already told us about that."
"Not even your own collaborator chose to help you. You're quite the failure, aren't you, Bakura!"
"Bwahahaha!!!"
Blasted away by the Dark Magician and his apprentice's Attack, even spewing a large trail of blood in mid-air, Bakura laughed maniacally as he flew backward. "You fell for it, Hayato! This is my escape route!"
Using the momentum of being struck back, Bakura seized the opportunity to grab the card that had previously been some distance from him. Then, his entire body was enveloped by the Shadow Realm. "When it comes to schemes, you still can't compare to me, Bakura!"
The Shadow Realm instantly swallowed Bakura and the blank card in his Hand. The very next second, Dark Knight Gaia's lance missed its target by mere millimeters.
The moment Bakura and the blank card vanished, the Duel Monsters that had appeared before Joey, Hayato, and Yugi rapidly faded away, and Joey felt the pressure on his body lighten.
The Anomaly, thus, concluded.
Amidst Seto Kaiba's busy post-event cleanup, the first KC Cup was thus terminated. No one secured the Champion title, nor did anyone qualify to Duel the King of Duels.
However, many participants were unaware that the person named Dan Kuroto, who had blocked their path to rising through the ranks, was actually the King of Duels himself, whom they wished to challenge.
(end of chapter)
Chapter 470: Marik is Super Bold!
At the KC Cup, a large-scale fainting incident involving over ten thousand people occurred. How did KaibaCorp, the organizer of the KC Cup, co-organizer Industrial Illusions, and the governor, who didn't want his political career to end there, ultimately suppress this matter?
The answer was, a gas leak.
What "Materialization of Duel Monsters"? That was all an illusion, caused by gas poisoning. The few casualties were also because they inhaled too much gas and died. How perfectly logical and reasonable.
What's more, they even found a scapegoat. That was Schroeder Corp's President, Siegfried, who participated in the KC Cup under an assumed name.
As for his reasons for doing so, "jealousy of KaibaCorp" and "conflict of interest" were sufficient. Furthermore, he participated in the KC Cup, which was open to everyone, while concealing his name, leading to unusually high suspicion against him.
Not to mention the uninformed onlookers, even Kaiba himself, who issued such a public statement, believed it.
New York, on the streets of Times Square.
"I never thought Siegfried would actually do something like that."
"Heh, those rich people are always like this. For their own jealousy, they don't value other people's lives. A capitalist and an aristocrat, that guy has all his Buffs stacked."
"But KaibaCorp is really unlucky. They invested so much here, yet they encountered something like this. And to make it worse, it was Schroeder Corp that acted. It's completely unavoidable."
"Fake business war: Strategizing, seizing opportunities, short-selling the stock market using economic disparities. Real business war: The President himself directly participates in poisoning; if the poisoning fails, he gets caught."
"But after this, KaibaCorp probably won't conduct business in America anymore, right?"
"You're thinking too much. How could capital abandon an unoccupied market? I even think there's a good chance KaibaCorp will use this incident to play the victim..."
Chumley, sitting at a plastic table at a roadside snack stall, watched two passersby walk further and further away. He brought the fries he was holding to his mouth, savoring the interweaving aromas of potato, buttery richness, and the sweet and sour taste of ketchup.
Unlike Chumley, who preferred to slowly savor each fry, Marik, sitting across from him, was more inclined to grab a large handful and stuff them into his mouth, enjoying the crispy texture of the fried food more than its seasoning.
Swallowing the huge mouthful he'd just crammed in, Marik turned his head, looking at the two people who had just passed by and were now walking away behind him. He scoffed, "They're so self-important, pontificating about KaibaCorp and Schroeder Corp, yet their own shoes are so dirty you can't tell if they're real or fake."
"They're probably real, considering those two seem to be going to play basketball? Being told your shoes are fake on the court is pretty nasty." Chumley clapped his hands indifferently, dusting off the salt grains clinging to his palms. He looked at Marik, "And you, you actually snuck out of the hospital."
"Hehe, I couldn't stand being cooped up in a hospital bed. I ran off while my sister wasn't looking." Marik grinned triumphantly, grabbing another handful of fries.
Although Marik's smile was quite flamboyant, Chumley hadn't forgotten the disgruntled expression Marik had when Ishizu lectured him after he was sent to the hospital.
Among Marik, Odion, and Ishizu, Odion was the eldest.
Although there's a saying, "an elder brother is like a father," Odion's upbringing had always instilled in him the status of a servant. Even though Marik had always regarded him as his own elder brother, and Ishizu, as the head of the Ishtar Family, had already bestowed upon Odion the formal surname "Ishtar," he still considered himself a subordinate.
Although he was deeply grateful for Ishizu's forgiveness and Marik's treating him as a brother, Odion always harbored an inferiority complex. It was fine for him to obey the siblings' orders, but asking him to point out and scold Marik's recklessness and mistakes was simply too difficult for him.
However, just because Odion wouldn't criticize Marik, didn't mean Ishizu wouldn't.
Although Ishizu's personality was gentle, gentleness didn't equate to weakness. Having already lost Marik once, and even nearly watched her brother die, Ishizu was now quite strict with the reformed Marik.
It wasn't that she would get angry. She would simply point out the errors in Marik's actions again and again. Though without sharp edges, it was like a dull knife slicing through flesh, using Marik's own guilt to make him suffer.
One could say it was very much in the Tomb Keepers' ancestral Shadow Realm style. Not only must their Duels be Shadow Realm style, even their speech must be Shadow Realm style. Only then could it be considered complete.
Marik's reckless act of staking his own life this time, although the outcome was good, and everyone was saved, with no casualties except for a few accidental sacrifices, and Marik himself was not in danger, he was still thoroughly lectured by Ishizu.
Marik, having started his second life, understood the preciousness of family bonds far more than his rebellious former self. Thus, he naturally accepted Ishizu's lectures obediently, without any resistance. However, even though he could clearly feel the concern in Ishizu's words, it didn't prevent Marik from feeling annoyed internally.
"Speaking of which, isn't it your fault, bro-in-law? You actually snitched to my sister, making her come to America too." Marik made a pouting face. "If you had helped me keep it a secret, it would've just been a secret between the two of us. Maybe I'd even help you pursue my sister later! Hmph, I got lectured, and it's all your fault!"
"How many times do I have to tell you? Who's your bro-in-law? Nothing's even happened between us yet."
Chumley stopped mid-sentence. His phone, in his pocket, vibrated softly. A mischievous smile involuntarily appeared on his face, but he quickly suppressed it. Standing up from his seat, Chumley, imitating Marik, also stuffed the last handful of fries into his mouth and ate them in a few bites. He said to Marik:
"Never mind. But since you're out, want to come with me somewhere? I'll take you to see something interesting."
"Something cool? Is it a new Game?"
"Nah~, it's even cooler than a new Game. Just come with me, and you'll see."
Chumley pulled his hand out of his pocket. He held up a slip of paper between his fingers. Written on the paper was "177A Brick Street, Greenwich Village, New York."
Although the KC Cup was held in San Francisco, which was more than just a little distance from New York, where Chumley and the others currently were, this had to be explained by the changes that occurred during the KC Cup.
KaibaCorp's public relations stance on handling this "gas leak" Anomaly was quite sincere. They not only publicly announced that their KaibaLand theme park in America would be open for free to all citizens for a month, but also stated they would be responsible for the health of all affected audience members.
KaibaCorp pledged that victims who had purchased tickets on the day of the incident could receive medical assistance provided by KaibaCorp using their tickets, or directly claim a compensation fee for emotional distress, the value of which was less than the quoted medical service.
In other words, they threw money at people to settle the matter. And as luck would have it, KaibaCorp was precisely not short on money.
Of course, among the simple and honest American people, there were not a few opportunists with nimble minds who wanted to extort KaibaCorp for a large sum of money. This was when KaibaCorp's legal team came into play.
Not only did the extortion fail, but these people were also labeled by Kaiba's legal team as "looting during a fire" and "instigated by malicious individuals," which ironically helped KaibaCorp escape the crisis more quickly.
Of course, such people were a minority after all. Most people thought that simply fainting for a short while, losing nothing, and then receiving a large sum of money was an incredibly satisfying outcome. And among them, only a portion, suspicious and uneasy about their own bodies, chose to undergo extremely comprehensive medical examinations.
Although some people also felt that the value of medical services was higher than simply taking the money, which is why they chose that option.
However, it's well-known that although KaibaCorp used to be an arms manufacturer, in fact, long before Kaiba took over, when the corporation was still in Gozaburo's hands, KaibaCorp had already expanded its business into the medical field. It just wasn't overtly merged into KaibaCorp but was run as a separate front company.
Although Gozaburo's original goal was to study the human body, specifically the connection between the brain and electronic signals, he actually never expected that the medical industry, if a little unscrupulous, could generate such immense profits, especially since KaibaCorp's primary business was selling weapons that harmed people.
Selling weapons that harmed others with one hand, and medicines for those harmed with the other, was literally like a malt sugar vendor also selling insulin. Truly exorbitant profits.
After Gozaburo's death, KaibaCorp fell into Kaiba's hands. That medical group did as well, and now it came in handy. Although the quoted price for medical services was high, Kaiba's actual expenditure was merely the cost price, even cheaper than giving direct monetary compensation. Kaiba was also happy for those patients to boost his hospital's business.
Another reason why the hospital's quote was so high was that the hospital controlled by this medical group was not actually in San Francisco, where prices were already high, but in New York, where prices were much higher than in California. Many people, including Tristan and Marik, were sent here to receive medical services.
Before Marik was sent away, Chumley had also sent a message to Ishizu, telling her what had happened at the KC Cup. So, not long after Marik was sent to a New York hospital, Ishizu also arrived in New York by flight.
This is how, at the very beginning, Marik, suffering greatly from guilt and thus escaping from the hospital, found Chumley, who was eating fries in Times Square.
Chumley wasn't simply idle with nothing to do. The slip of paper in his hand was actually his purpose for the day. This slip of paper was given to him by Sheppard, whom he had also met at the KC Cup, telling him to go to this address.
Manhattan, where Times Square is located, isn't too far from Greenwich Village. Taking a tram, Marik and Chumley arrived at Brick Street, where Chumley was headed, in less than an hour.
Walking on the street, Marik looked at Chumley, then looked at the indifferent passersby around them who paid no attention to Chumley's presence. He said somewhat strangely, "I remember Duel Monsters are quite popular here in America, right?"
"Yeah, just look over there." Chumley pointed a hand towards a park on the side of the street. In the park, which should have been occupied by couples and resting passersby, there were now many Duel Monster enthusiasts standing on the Duel Arena within the park, Dueling with their Decks.
"For victory, I will Forfeit my old friend *(Skull Stalker)* and Tribute it to Summon a Divine being! Appear, *(Lion Sorcerer)*!"
"What?! It's the invincible *(Lion Sorcerer)*! Damn it, you won again!"
"Hmph hmph, that was an interesting Duel."
Although some Duelists in the park were overly enthusiastic, to the point that their shouts could reach Marik, standing far outside the park, he was more inclined to complain about something else.
"If that's the case, these people should have at least seen your Duel recordings from Battle City, bro-in-law. Why doesn't anyone recognize you on the street!"
Chumley pushed up the glasses on his nose. "Of course, it's because of my perfect disguise."
"What kind of disguise is just a pair of glasses!?"
"That's where you don't understand. Americans are just like that. A pair of glasses is enough to prevent people from connecting a suit-wearing reporter with an alien who wears his underwear on the outside. Similar disguises include: even if your chin looks like a pair of buttocks, as long as you cover the upper half of your face, no one will recognize the raspy-voiced, bat-suited weirdo."
Chumley bluffed Marik, who was playing the role of the professional 'tsukkomi'. The two walked side-by-side down the street, searching for house number 177A. Before long, they arrived in front of a Dojo with a distinctly Oriental aesthetic. A "Cyber Style" plaque hung outside the Dojo, though it was an odd trilingual plaque in Chinese, Japanese, and English.
"Hmm, I think this is it." Putting the slip of paper back into his pocket, Chumley, while Marik was looking at the Dojo in front of them and not paying attention to him, secretly glanced at his phone, whose screen was still lit up.
"Cyber Style?" Marik eyed the Dojo in front of them. "Is it that Sheppard guy's 'Cyber Style'? Interesting."
Marik also knew Sheppard. They had met during the KC Cup preliminaries. It could be said they were rare kindred spirits who wished they'd met sooner. When the two Shadow Realm Duelists clashed, it was incredibly perilous. One chipped away at the other's life points, the other Countered the opponent's Cards; even the grand laws of the universe were worn down.
"But is this place really 'Cyber Style'? I thought Sheppard said 'Cyber Style' had been passed down for many generations, but this place looks pretty new." As he spoke, Marik stepped closer to the pillars in front of the entrance, ahead of Chumley. "Even the paint is new, it hasn't even dried yet."
"It seems that recent Duelists aren't too willing to pursue the 'Cyber Style' training that emphasizes hardship and rigorous practice for apprentices anymore. That Sheppard guy got inspiration from some novels and, as the current Master, divided it into the Inner Faction and Outer Faction." Chumley shrugged, not mentioning that it was actually his suggestion to Sheppard.
"The Inner Faction consists of core disciples willing to endure hardship. The Outer Faction just collects tuition fees and teaches some non-core content casually. After all, apprentice tuition fees are a major source of income for the Dojo."
"Making money isn't shameful."
Marik pouted. "It *is* shameful, damn shameful. This Sheppard is too lame."
Marik, who had personally disbanded his own organization, had a look of disdain.
Just then, a hand gently rested on Marik's shoulder. A female voice entered his ear: "So, you're quite bold, huh?"
"Of course, I'm super bold!" Marik replied instinctively. Then he realized something was off.
That voice didn't seem to be Chumley's playfully arrogant voice. It sounded like a woman.
He turned his head, and Marik's soul nearly flew out of him. "Si-sister?! What are you doing here!?"
Watching Marik, whose shoulder was gently held by Ishizu with a friendly smile, Chumley stood aside and casually turned off the Location Sync on his phone. He whistled innocently, ignoring Marik's pleading gaze, and walked into the "Cyber Style" Dojo.
Just as Marik had seen earlier, Chumley, with his back to Marik, waved his hand.
(end of chapter)