"Kaiba's trapped in this game world too?"
"Too?!"
Yuto immediately caught the keyword in Mai's sentence.
"That's right."
Mai nodded, her expression a mix of frustration and helplessness. "I was invited by KaibaCorp to test a new immersive game project; however, you can see how that went. Now I'm stuck in this damned place with no way to log out. This cursed 'game'!"
Before anyone could respond, the crowd in the stands—who had been waiting far too long—finally lost patience. Their shouts burst forth like a tidal wave.
"Hey—!! Are you gonna fight or what?!"
"Yeah! Stop stalling! Refund our tickets!!"
"Start already! We want blood! We want a duel!!"
Amid the roaring jeers and insults, Mai simply gave a graceful shrug. She turned to Yuto and the others, speaking with an almost casual tone—as if discussing the weather.
"You guys want to fight? I don't."
"But—!"
Joey pointed up toward the platform where the [Niwatori] card glimmered under the spotlight.
"If we don't fight, we can't get that card! Without it, we can't cross the desert to rescue Kaiba! We'll be—"
Before he could finish, Mai smirked, confidence flickering in her violet eyes as if she'd just heard something adorably naive.
"Get the card? Who said you have to win some dumb match for it?"
A sharp gleam flashed in her eyes as she raised an elegant arm, her voice ringing clear.
"That's easy! Come forth—[Harpie Lady]!"
Whoooosh—!
A powerful gust burst through the air as a graceful figure appeared with a fierce, shrill cry.
It was Mai's signature monster—[Harpie Lady]!
The moment she appeared, her keen gaze locked onto the [Niwatori] card displayed in the prize area atop the platform.
"Bring it to me!" Mai commanded.
[Harpie Lady] flicked her wrist. Her whip lashed out like a viper, slicing through the air with a sharp crack!
The tip coiled perfectly around the rotating [Niwatori] card, and with a single pull, yanked it free from the display!
The card soared through the air and landed neatly in [Harpie Lady]'s hand.
"Got it!" Mai's eyes flashed with triumph. Without a moment's hesitation, she turned and shouted to the stunned group:
"Run!"
Before anyone could process what happened, she was already sprinting toward the nearest exit tunnel like a golden arrow loosed from a bow.
"Huh?!"
Joey and the others snapped out of their daze.
"Go, go, go!"
Yuto was the first to react, grabbing Yugi and sprinting after the streak of golden hair. Joey let out a startled yell and bolted after them.
Moments later, the entire arena erupted into chaos.
"Thieves!! They stole the prize!!"
"Catch them! Don't let the thieves get away!!"
"Curse it! Refund!!"
The furious shouting, the whoosh of thrown debris, and the piercing whistles of the guards—all merged into a roaring wave of pandemonium chasing them down the corridors.
The five of them fled—messy, frantic, yet fast—vanishing into the shadows of the arena's inner tunnels.
Soon, Yuto and his friends stood once again at the edge of the desert.
Yet unlike before, they weren't beaten and exhausted. This time, they had a new ally—and more importantly, they held the key to crossing the sands: the miraculous [Niwatori] card!
"Mai," Yuto said, nodding to her.
"Mm. Leave it to me."
Mai smiled knowingly and raised the card high, channeling her Duelist's will into it.
Vrrrrmmm—!
A brilliant light flared from the card!
When it faded, five enormous, fluffy birds appeared before them—giant [Niwatori]s, their feathers soft as clouds yet their footing steady on the sand as if standing on solid ground.
"Whoa! Those are huge chickens!" Mokuba gasped.
"Quit gawking and get on!" Joey yelled, already climbing clumsily onto one of the birds. Its plush feathers nearly swallowed him whole.
The others quickly followed, each mounting their own feathery steed.
With a sharp command from Mai, the five giant [Niwatori]s lifted their heavy legs and began to run—astonishingly fast and smooth despite their size—gliding across the desert like skaters over water.
Thanks to the [Niwatori]s, the once-deadly tornadoes and sandstorms were no longer impassable barriers. The birds seemed to navigate instinctively, weaving through the currents of wind and grit as if guided by some built-in sense.
Even so, the ancient desert had no intention of letting intruders pass unchallenged.
"Look out!" Mai suddenly shouted.
Before the words had even left her lips, the seemingly calm dunes ahead erupted violently!
Sand exploded skyward in a geyser as something massive burst from beneath the surface—a monstrous form of rock and sand, its jagged head crowned with glowing red eyes locked straight on them.
It was the desert's savage guardian—[Sand Stone]!
The air itself seemed to shudder under its roar. The wind it exhaled flung sand and pebbles like shrapnel.
"The heck!" Yuto's eyes narrowed. Without a second thought, he grabbed a handful of his mount's feathers to steady himself and drew a card from his Duel Disk.
"You're not stopping us! Come forth—[MS-06 Zaku II]!!"
BOOOOM—!!
A towering Mobile Suit clad in desert-camouflage paint materialized with a thunderous crash, its mono-eye glowing crimson as it faced the rock giant head-on!
Steel met stone in a clash of titans.
The Zaku's pilot instantly raised its 120mm machine gun and unleashed a relentless barrage.
BRRRRRAAAATTTTT!!
The deafening rattle of gunfire filled the sky, a storm of armor-piercing rounds slamming into the [Sand Stone]'s massive body!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM—!!
The creature's rocky armor shattered like brittle cookies under the metallic onslaught. It barely managed a single guttural roar before its form disintegrated in a chain of explosions, scattering fragments and dust in every direction.
When the shockwave and smoke cleared—
"Look! Over there!!" Joey pointed ahead.
Everyone turned—and saw it. Beyond the last veil of drifting sand stood a colossal, ancient structure carved entirely from solid stone. It loomed in silence, vast and awe-inspiring, like a sleeping giant.
Their destination—The Giant Rock Temple!
"So that deadly sandstorm before…" Yugi murmured, staring at the massive crater left by the battle and then at the distant temple. "It was caused by that [Sand Stone] moving underground…"
He gently patted the feathers of his mount. The intelligent bird gave a soft chirp and shifted direction, striding firmly toward the temple revealed at last.
The other [Niwatori]s followed close behind, leaving behind a devastated battlefield—and the fading light of the mighty [MS-06 Zaku II].
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]