Chapter 395

The VIP suite on the second level of the underground dueling arena was situated directly above the dueling platform, offering a perfect view for spectators. The food and services were top-notch—some of which could never exist on the surface.

Of course, money alone wasn't enough to gain access to the VIP suite. Nouveau riche and ordinary wealthy merchants could at most mingle with the regular audience. Only those with absolute power and influence were qualified to enter.

"Oh? A one-turn kill on Leon. The Phoenix family, originally thought to have brought in a disposable pawn just to fill the numbers, actually brought someone unexpectedly capable."

An elegant, long-haired man holding a white rose looked down at the scene below where Vivian had defeated Leon in an instant, smiling meaningfully.

Behind the man stood a line of maids in matching, seductive uniforms.

The lead maid asked, "Lord Zigfried, I've never heard of a duelist named Vivian before. And judging by that odd outfit, it's clear she's hiding her identity. Would you like me to investigate?"

Zigfried von Schroeder—current head of the Schroeder family, one of the organizers of the underground dueling arena. A genius rivaling Kaiba, and KaibaCorp's biggest commercial competitor. The prime subject of Hoshino's current investigation.

"No need. A duelist with power can bring greater profits… so long as she truly has the strength."

The maid immediately understood: "You mean…"

Zigfried's smile deepened into something more sinister as his cold gaze swept toward Hoshino. "In the next duel, have that person face Vivian. The undefeated Cyberstyle against the mysterious powerhouse who crushed Leon—this will be exciting."

So-called random and fair matches were nothing more than bait for children. True power meant being able to easily dictate others' fates.

(***)

"Urgh—! Clara, take me to the bathroom... My stomach's killing me too..."

Unable to resist the nausea churning in her gut, Hoshino clutched her mouth and dry-heaved.

This was completely different from the time she defeated Marik and Dartz through Shadow Games. Right now, Hoshino felt the sickening weight of having personally taken someone's life.

Clara was caught off guard by the sudden request. "Eh? Um, the restroom… it's…"

Seeing the lady's confusion, a staff member stepped forward with a practiced business smile and gently took Hoshino's wrist.

"Miss Vivian, allow me to guide you. It'd be a pain to clean up if you threw up on the platform—especially with the next duel about to start."

In other words, battles where defeat meant death would continue, one after another, in this arena?

As Hoshino stepped off the platform, that thought randomly popped into her head.

Of course they would. This was an underground arena, after all.

And Hoshino's wasn't the only platform where deathmatches were taking place. The multi-ring underground arena hosted several duels simultaneously. It was just that Hoshino's match had more buzz, being her debut, which drew a larger crowd. And naturally, it ended the fastest.

After being guided to the restroom by staff member 9527, Hoshino's stomachache gradually eased.

9527 softly reassured her, "Miss Vivian, I might not have the right to say this, but… if you're feeling guilty over Leon's death, you shouldn't be. Every duelist who steps onto that stage has already accepted the risk of death."

She wouldn't have said something like that before the match started.

As a staff member assigned specifically to the Phoenix family, her performance was directly tied to their success.

At first, 9527 had no expectations for the unknown duelist Vivian. She seemed like one of those clueless rich brats sent by their families to die in the ring.

But after witnessing Vivian defeat Leon firsthand, she deeply regretted her misjudgment. This oddly dressed girl might very well be her ticket to climbing the ranks of the dueling arena hierarchy.

That was why she didn't want Vivian's mindset to be shaken by something like this.

"Leon had a five-win streak before being defeated by you, Miss Vivian. And records show that none of his opponents survived their matches—he'd already killed five people. So all you did was punish a murderer."

"A murderer, huh? But if I took his life using the same methods he did... can that really be called justice?"

In some ways, Hoshino's actions now mirrored the justice Kiritsugu once believed in—sacrificing the few to save the many. Leon, who had taken five lives, was executed by Hoshino. But in this death-filled battlefield, it was only a matter of time before Hoshino became the next Leon.

Splashing water from the faucet onto her mouth, Hoshino murmured to herself, "Being a hero of justice isn't so easy, huh? Kiritsugu… if it were you, you wouldn't be hesitating over something like this, would you?"

[Partner, let me handle the second duel today.]

Hoshino forced a small smile. "What, you think I'd back down from something like this? I'm not that weak. I'm not going to lose the next one either."

[No, I just think it's too selfish for you to bear this guilt alone. Since we've decided to do this, then let me share the burden with you.]

"I'll take that reason. I'm counting on you for the next battle—my other self."

Hidden beneath her cloak, the Pyramid of Light shimmered faintly. The other half of Hoshino's soul, sealed within, now officially took control of the body.

"Are you alright now, Miss Vivian?" The staffer barely managed to maintain her business smile, inwardly surprised.

Just a second ago, Vivian looked pale as a ghost. Now, she seemed like a completely different person—her aura even stronger.

Could that earlier weakness have all been an act? But for what purpose?

"What are you standing around for? Let's get going!"

Throwing the gray cloak behind her, Hoshino Alter—having regained control for the first time in a long while—wore an excited smile.

"Now, let those death-seeking duelists experience what it means to be dominated by absolute power."

.

..

...

"——A monster equipped with Blast Sphere will be destroyed during the Standby Phase and deal damage equal to its ATK!"

Back in the same arena where Hoshino had just dueled, Keith, who had been randomly selected for the second round, had already secured his second consecutive win, explosions echoing throughout the underground.

[Goblin Attack Force destroyed]

Giving a thumbs-up to the fallen duelist, Keith grinned wickedly.

"Someone like you thinks you can challenge me? Go rot in hell!"

[Pandora LP 2300 → 0]

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!"

A familiar scream rang out. With his Life Points dropping to zero, Pandora's pupils went blank as he met the same fate as Leon.

[Duel over. Winner: Keith of the Phoenix Family!]

Commentator: "As expected of the former U.S. champion and bounty hunter, Keith Howard! His terrifying dueling skills leave opponents no room to breathe—a perfect victory!"

"First that Vivian, and now the national champ! The Phoenix Family might be newcomers, but with this momentum, they're undoubtedly the dark horse of the tournament!"

"From now on, should we just bet on Phoenix without thinking?"

"Betting on Keith the bounty hunter is probably safe. But that Vivian still needs some watching."

Even though both were debuting in underground duels, Keith's popularity surprisingly overshadowed Hoshino's. Duelists with prior fame clearly held more favor, especially in the eyes of gamblers.

Hoshino Alter, returning from the restroom, caught sight of Keith's easy victory as she re-entered the arena. That brought his cumulative points to 3. Everything was progressing perfectly, right on schedule.

Clara asked with concern, "Vivi, you're back! Are you okay now?"

Hoshino Alter gave Clara an "OK" sign and smiled.

"Don't worry, my lady. I'm in perfect condition. Actually, I don't even know how I'd lose at this point."

Akasha tilted her head, puzzled, and circled around Hoshino Alter a few times.

"Hey, Nee-chan, why do you feel completely different than before? Did something happen?"

This girl… her intuition's way too sharp! Even though Hoshino Alter and Hoshino had swapped, they were originally the same soul—there shouldn't have been any noticeable difference.

Hoshino Alter awkwardly scratched her cheek and laughed it off.

"Heh… maybe it's just a mindset shift? I feel different because I changed my outlook."

"Oh really?" Akasha squinted suspiciously.

"Your vibe's just like during Duel City… especially that deep, cool-guy tone you're using now."

Is she some kind of Hoshino radar?! She picked up on such a tiny difference. Please don't let her grow up to be a yandere like Kiyohime…

Hoshino Alter shivered at the thought, a cold chill crawling up her spine.

Just as she was trying to figure out how to fool Akasha, Keith jumped down from the ring after his victory and jeered.

"You fell apart just because someone died in a duel. If you want to reach my level, you've got a long way to go, sweetheart."

Hoshino Alter shot back without missing a beat.

"Oh? Reach your level? You mean the level of absolute scum? Then yeah, I might never catch up."

"You little… You wanna fight!?"

Clara quickly stepped in.

"Okay okay! You're both safe and victorious—that's what really matters. No need to argue over something like this. Who knows, you might both be up next."

Clara's jinxing mouth struck again. As soon as she finished speaking, the screen above Keith's arena changed, displaying:

[Phoenix Family – Vivian VS Kelvin Family – King]

Hoshino Alter's ahoge curled into a question mark.

"King? That's his name? Sounds so over-the-top and chuuni…"

"Oh! King is finally up! Going against Vivian! This one's gonna be intense!"

"King's odds probably won't be low either. That Vivian doesn't look easy to deal with."

"Don't be ridiculous! I can't even imagine King losing. I'm betting everything, even my underwear!"

The announcement sparked even more buzz than the first match with Leon and his five-win streak.

Clara nervously asked,

"Excuse me, Miss 9527… Who exactly is this King? Could he be even stronger than Leon?"

Logically, Leon's five-win streak should've been the ceiling for this regular venue. After six wins and 21 points, a duelist qualifies for the higher-level arena. But some aimless duelists usually just cash out and leave instead.

9527 answered seriously.

"King only joined two days ago and currently holds a four-win streak. While that's one less than Leon, King has won every duel with overwhelming dominance—he's never lost a single Life Point. Based on current data, we can't even gauge his true strength."

Clara rubbed her hands uneasily, casting a worried glance at Hoshino Alter.

"He sounds really scary… Is it dangerous? Vivi, do you think you can win?"

Vivian had indeed instantly killed Leon in one turn—but her own LP had nearly hit rock bottom. Now a completely unscathed, four-win powerhouse shows up out of nowhere—it was understandable for Clara to be nervous.

"Just trust me, my lady. Like I said earlier—I don't even know how to lose."

But unlike Hoshino, Hoshino Alter wouldn't be careless about hiding her identity or use a half-baked patchwork deck. Her full-power Alter deck, in peak form, could absolutely crush every duelist present.

Seeing her so confident, Clara nodded firmly.

"Mm! I believe in you, Vivi! You got this!"

[Phoenix Family – Vivian: Odds 1:3.1]

The betting odds were announced. After showing her strength, Vivian didn't get the exaggerated 1:10 odds like before.

But the fact that she still had odds over 3-to-1 after killing Leon only highlighted how terrifying this King really was.

"Well then, I'm off~" Hoshino Alter waved behind her and walked up to the arena without looking back.

Well… the not-looking-back part was just for show. Before stepping up, she subtly glanced at Clara—and sure enough, as she expected, the noble lady had vanished again after the odds were posted.

"So I was right… She went to place a bet, huh… I'd been getting some odd vibes already. This lady might not be as saintly as she looks."

(*****)

If you'd like to read 25 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!