Chapter 366-370

Chapter 366: Yubel

Putting down the tablet in his hand, Hayato pushed up the glasses on his nose and looked through the glass in front of him at Manjoume Jun lying on the bed.

Beside him was a jellyfish head with a nervous and guilty expression, and Iso, who was silently waiting for Hayato to state his opinion.

"How many times has something like this happened recently?"

Hayato asked this out of the blue.

Iso thought for a moment: "In my memory, this is the second unconscious incident since President Seto's Virtual Projection System was widely put into use. The last time was Mr. Yugi Mutou's grandfather, Solomon Mutou."

"No, no, I'm not talking about Kaiba's Virtual Projection System. After all, that's just for assisting with playing." Hayato waved his hand, turned around to look at the jellyfish head, and squatted down so their eyes were level. "You're Jaden Yuki, right? Can you tell me, how many times has this happened recently?"

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Hayato!" The jellyfish head, Jaden Yuki, seemed quite nervous. "It's all because I desperately wanted victory, that Yubel..."

Jaden Yuki stopped mid-sentence, because he knew that not everyone could see his partner—Yubel. It was as if Yubel was an "imaginary friend", who had been by his side for who knows how long, and no one else could see them except for him.

Even the strongest duelist, Mr. Hayato, probably...

"Kurikuri~~"

Jaden Yuki suddenly heard a strange cry. Above Hayato's head, a Duel Monster that had appeared numerous times in Hayato's duel recordings had somehow appeared—Rainbow Kuriboh?!

"Th-That's!"

"As you can see, you're not the only one with unique talent, Jaden Yuki." Hayato showed a friendly smile. "I'm here to help you, so just trust me."

This was a lie.

Originally, Hayato had actually called Marik, planning to go to Kaiba Land to duel. Although they both had Duel Disks, after all, not everything had a field as spacious as Kaiba Land's duel field, prepared for Duel Monsters. Hayato mainly wanted to get those few Slime Cards from Marik.

Who knew, that guy Marik heard that Tristan had a car show today, and it was said there would be a new motorcycle released. His interest in this was stronger than in Duel Monsters, so he directly stood Hayato up. Helplessly, Hayato could only go to Kaiba Land alone to see if he could find some opponents with strength.

Then, not long after walking into Kaiba Land, Hayato saw Manjoume Shouji, who was enraged after being informed by a staff member that his younger brother had become unconscious due to an unexpected incident. Hayato still had a good impression of the little guy Manjoume Jun. Plus, Hayato himself was familiar with KaibaCorp's president and vice president. As a mediator between Manjoume and KaibaCorp, he also came to the hospital.

As soon as he saw Jaden Yuki, Hayato had actually already recognized Jaden Yuki's identity through that haircut which clearly indicated he was good at dueling. What's more, a blurry humanoid figure had actually been floating beside Jaden Yuki the entire time.

It seemed that the vast dark energy hidden within Jaden Yuki was gradually awakening as he grew older. Along with it, Yubel, who was given the mission to protect Jaden Yuki, also began to awaken. However, it seemed that because the awakened dark energy was not yet sufficient, although Jaden Yuki could now see Yubel, he was completely unable to communicate with them, nor could he control them to prevent them from harming others.

According to what Jaden Yuki said, situations like Manjoume's were actually not the first time. There had been several times before when, because he fell into a difficult situation during a duel or yearned to defeat his opponent, the others he dueled against would either become unconscious or injured. However, the people who became unconscious in the previous instances quickly woke up.

Moreover, ever since the list of cards Hayato had used was published online, Jaden Yuki had modified his deck based on the list. For a long time, he hadn't been at a disadvantage in duels, and thus he felt that perhaps such situations as before would no longer happen. So, he came to Kaiba Land and dueled against Manjoume Jun.

And this time, Jaden Yuki himself also confirmed that the previous incidents were not unexpected. Because although he didn't notice it during the duel, just as Gaia the Fierce Knight delivered the final blow to Manjoume, he also saw that it wasn't himself who was controlling Gaia, but Yubel, who had appeared beside him at some point.

After explaining the situation to Hayato, Jaden Yuki hesitated slightly, opened a card box at his waist, and took out his deck. The card on top of the deck was Yubel.

"Mr. Hayato, I believe in Yubel. I believe they actually have no malice. It's just because I wanted to achieve victory in the duel that they caused damage to others." Holding the Yubel card, Jaden Yuki looked at Hayato. "Please, I beg you, help me persuade Yubel, and ask them not to hurt others anymore!"

Saying this, Jaden Yuki bowed 90 degrees to Hayato.

A golden light shone from the Millennium Puzzle on Hayato's chest. Five hanging cones floated up out of thin air and pointed towards the Yubel card in Jaden Yuki's hand. After a brief observation, Hayato reached a conclusion.

"I can't be of much use in this matter. You should find a way to change yourself, Jaden Yuki."

"Huh?"

Jaden Yuki didn't understand what Hayato meant.

"Because you desperately want victory, that's why Yubel hurts others. In the end, it's because of the existence of the desire to win. There is only one way to change Yubel, and that is to change your thoughts about Duel Monsters."

A smile appeared on Hayato's face. He swept his hand over the card box at his waist, seemingly taking a card from the card box, but actually retrieving a deck from the system's inventory. "The fun of Duel Monsters isn't just about winning duels. Sometimes losing is also quite interesting. What's important shouldn't be the outcome, but the process."

"Try to understand what a truly interesting duel is, Jaden Yuki." Saying this, Hayato handed the card in his hand to Jaden Yuki. "Consider this deck a gift I prepared for you. Although Maximillion Pegasus hasn't released it yet, it will be soon."

Jaden Yuki was startled. He took the deck from Hayato's hand. The card at the very top of the deck depicted a masked man with a pair of wings on his back. His name was Elemental Hero Wingedman.

Feeling Yubel's reaction become increasingly intense with dark energy as Jaden Yuki received the new deck, Hayato showed a smile. "Then, Jaden Yuki, let me teach you what the fun of dueling truly is through a duel."

Chapter 367: Since Ancient Times, the Left Leg Kicks Always Lose

Manjoume Shouji looked at Hayato and the kid named Jaden Yuki standing on either side, frowning. His brain couldn't quite process why the plot had suddenly shifted to a Duel.

"Mr. Hayato, I'm ready." Securing the Duel Disk provided by Manjoume Shouji onto his wrist, Jaden Yuki placed the [E・HERO] Deck Hayato had just given him into the Duel Disk's Deck Zone. This included his Yubel Card.

According to Hayato, this Deck was set to be released soon and wasn't particularly rare. Yet, despite receiving it for the first time, Jaden Yuki felt quite familiar with it. Among the several Fusion Monsters, Jaden Yuki immediately took a liking to one in particular.

Of course, the reality was that Hayato had specifically unlocked the [E・HERO] entry from the System and spent all his DP Points to assemble an [E・HERO] Deck. The Deck he gave to Jaden Yuki wasn't the one he had perfected, but rather an extra Deck he had pulled.

The best proof was that Hayato had drawn three copies of Elemental HERO Stratos, while Jaden Yuki's Deck only contained the Elemental HERO Four Wastes and not even Elemental HERO Voltic.

Of course, Hayato had no intention of engaging in a HERO mirror match for this Duel. Instead, he brought out the Machine Type Deck he had unlocked recently by building a Deck focused on a specific Type. After all, if his opponent was using [E・HERO], this Deck was the most suitable choice.

Machine + Dragon, the answer wasn't the Drytron that Hayato had hoped for, but Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon. The Deck Hayato had unlocked was precisely the Ancient Gear Deck, hailed as the Nemesis of Stall/Burn Decks.

Although he had only unlocked up to Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon, and none of the three Fusion Monsters—Ancient Gear Chaos Giant, Ancient Gear Megaton Golem, or Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem—were unlocked, it should be enough for a Duel against Jaden Yuki.

Iso, who had been temporarily assigned to handle the negative news regarding "Kaiba Land's Virtual Projection System causing children to become unconscious," stood between Hayato and Jaden Yuki, calmly adjusting his sunglasses. He truly hadn't expected to find himself back in his old profession—Referee.

"Then the First Turn is yours, Jaden Yuki."

"Duel!" (Both)

[Jaden Yuki: 4000 LP]

[Hayato: 4000 LP]

Both players activated their Duel Disks, and Jaden Yuki drew a card from his Deck.

"Elemental HERO Clayman? Its Attack is so low, but its DEF is not bad." Glancing at the drawn card, Jaden Yuki looked at the rest of his Hand.

Since the first Turn couldn't involve Battle, Jaden Yuki's goal was simply to build the strongest possible defense to withstand Hayato's potential Attack and wait for a Counter on the Next Turn. In that case, Elemental HERO Clayman, with the highest DEF, was the best choice.

"I Summon Elemental HERO Clayman in Defense Position, then Set two cards. End Turn."

On Jaden Yuki's field, a clay figure nearly three times Jaden Yuki's height, and half a head taller than Hayato, rose from the card. Crossing its thick arms across its chest, it crouched in a defensive posture.

[Elemental HERO Clayman] [Level 4/EARTH]

[Warrior-Type/Normal Monster]

[800/2000]

"Elemental HERO Clayman looks so reassuring!" Seeing Elemental HERO Clayman on the field, Jaden Yuki seemed quite excited. He couldn't help but look down at the other Monsters in his Hand, wondering what heroic forms they would take.

"You seem quite satisfied with this Deck, Jaden Yuki. Alright, it's my turn. Draw!"

Drawing a card, Hayato smiled slightly: "On my backrow, I Set two cards, then I Activate the Spell Card, Heavy Storm!"

"Huh?!"

On Hayato's field, as he activated a Card, a violent hurricane appeared out of nowhere. After destroying the two Set Cards Hayato had just placed on his backrow, it swept towards the two Set Cards on Jaden Yuki's backrow.

Jaden Yuki's two Cards were flipped face-up by Heavy Storm. Clay Charge, used in conjunction with Elemental HERO Clayman, and Bottomless Trap Hole were destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.

"Aw, why like this?" Jaden Yuki felt quite regretful that neither of his two Set Cards on the backrow remained. But when he looked up, he found that somehow, Hayato's field had two extra Monsters.

"Huh? When did those two Monsters appear?"

Answering Jaden Yuki's confusion, Hayato revealed two Cards: "The Trap Card, Statue of the Wicked. It's a Trap Card that cannot be activated manually; its effect is only used when it is destroyed."

"When this Set Card on the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I Special Summon one Wicked Token on my field."

[Wicked Token] [Level 4/DARK]

[Fiend Type/Token]

[1000/1000]

"There are two Level 4 Monsters on the field, here I come, Jaden Yuki!" Hayato drew a card from his hand. "I Tribute Summon by Tributing the two Wicked Tokens on my field! The ultimate creation of ancient civilization revives here! Descend!"

"Ancient Gear Golem!"

As the two Wicked Tokens dissipated into golden light, accompanied by the sound of gears turning, a mechanical giant whose lower leg alone was taller than Hayato slowly stood up on Hayato's field. Although it seemed old, its exaggerated size destined this monster to be no common monster.

[Ancient Gear Golem] [Level 8/EARTH]

[Machine Type/Effect]

[3000/3000]

A full 3000 ATK, on the same level as Blue-Eyes White Dragon—standard rival Ace Card Combat Power. And unlike Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which is a Vanilla, Ancient Gear Golem has a very practical effect.

"When Ancient Gear Golem attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spell Cards or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step," Hayato said, raising his arm. "Furthermore, Ancient Gear Golem has the ability to inflict piercing damage."

"When it attacks a monster in Defense Position, the amount by which Ancient Gear Golem's ATK exceeds the Defense Position monster's DEF will be deducted from your opponent's Life Points!"

Hearing this effect, Jaden Yuki seemed quite surprised: "Nani!? That means—"

"That means, even if your Elemental HERO Clayman is in Defense Position, it cannot protect you from taking damage." Hayato waved his raised hand forward. "Enter the Battle Phase! Ancient Gear Golem, attack Elemental HERO Clayman!"

"Mechanical Fist Crush!"

Taking advantage of the fact that Duel Monsters' attack move names have no copyright protection, Hayato once again plagiarized the attack move of Obelisk the Tormentor.

Ancient Gear Golem raised its iron fist, which was slightly larger than the entire Elemental HERO Clayman, and smashed it down heavily. Without any card support, Elemental HERO Clayman was instantly destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, and Jaden Yuki thus took damage.

[Jaden Yuki: 4000 → 3000 LP]

"Set two cards. End my turn." Hayato Set a card from his hand, thus ending his turn.

"Whoa! Ancient Gear Golem is way too strong!" Jaden Yuki took a small step back due to the simulated impact, but his gaze towards Ancient Gear Golem was filled with fighting spirit.

The powerful Duel Monsters instead ignited Jaden Yuki's fighting spirit. He couldn't wait to defeat the powerful enemy before him, no longer remembering what Hayato had told him earlier about "finding the fun in the process of Dueling."

Because of his soaring fighting spirit, in Hayato's sight, even the blurry figure of Yubel beside Jaden Yuki became somewhat clearer. Keeping pace with Jaden Yuki's movements, Yubel and Jaden Yuki together drew a card from the Deck.

"My turn, Draw!" Jaden Yuki was completely unaware of what had just happened. Seeing the card he drew, he showed an excited expression.

"Yosh, I drew the card that can defeat Ancient Gear Golem!" Filled with joy, Jaden Yuki played a card from his hand. "This card is the stage for heroes' battle! I activate the Field Spell Card, Skyscraper!"

As Jaden Yuki activated the Field Spell Card, innumerable buildings rose within the Duel Arena. The towering buildings surrounded the massive Ancient Gear Golem, and Jaden Yuki then played the finishing blow card he had prepared.

"Activate the Spell Card, Fusion! I send Elemental HERO Burst Lady and Elemental HERO Avian from my hand to the Graveyard as Fusion Materials!" Jaden Yuki had a Fusion Monster Card in his hand, which he placed on the Duel Disk. "Come forth, my favorite Elemental HERO!"

"Elemental HERO Flame Wingman!"

Looking at Elemental HERO Flame Wingman standing tall on top of the high Skyscraper, Hayato felt a nostalgia hit. The only flaw at this moment was probably that Jaden Yuki's iconic Duel Theme wasn't playing around them.

[Elemental HERO Flame Wingman] [Level 6/Wind]

[Warrior-Type/Fusion/Effect]

[2100/1200]

"Elemental HERO Flame Wingman's ATK is 2100, but with the help of the Field Spell Card Skyscraper, when an Elemental HERO monster attacks a monster with higher ATK than itself, it gains 1000 ATK!"

Jaden Yuki waved his hand excitedly and commanded: "Here I go, Mr. Hayato! I use Elemental HERO Flame Wingman to attack your Ancient Gear Golem!"

"Skydive Scorcher!"

"Cha!" Receiving Jaden Yuki's attack command, Elemental HERO Flame Wingman leapt from the top of the Skyscraper. Gliding towards Ancient Gear Golem using a single wing, it adjusted its posture in mid-air, striking a flying kick pose.

[Elemental HERO Flame Wingman] [ATK 2100 → 3100]

But after glancing at Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, Hayato quickly shifted his gaze away from it, towards Jaden Yuki, who had an expectant expression.

"Although I am indeed very interested in classic reproductions, unfortunately, I also have no intention of being attacked by you just like that, Yubel."

Hayato was quite sensitive to dark energy. He immediately sensed that a portion of Yubel's power was wrapped around Elemental HERO Flame Wingman. If hit by this power, it would be no different from being injured in a Dark Game.

One should know that although the powered-up Elemental HERO Flame Wingman would only deal 100 Battle Damage to Hayato, Elemental HERO Flame Wingman's effect is to deal damage to the opponent equal to the destroyed monster's ATK after destroying a monster. The subsequent full 3000 damage was the main threat. Its nickname, "3000 ATK Slayer," wasn't given for nothing.

A professional Duelist like Hayato would be fine, but if an ordinary person like Manjoume Jun were hit by this attack, becoming unconscious would be a minor issue.

Since Yubel started playing rough, then it wouldn't be excessive for Hayato to "slightly" retaliate, right? Rather, Hayato dueling Jaden Yuki and teaching him to "enjoy the fun in Dueling" was secondary; "solving Yubel's problem" was his main goal.

"Well done, Jaden Yuki, it seems giving you the Elemental HERO was the right decision." Hayato gave a thumbs-up towards Jaden Yuki, then rotated his wrist, pointing his finger downwards. "But if you want to defeat me, you're still twenty thousand years too early!"

"Let me show you an adult's Duel! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Limiter Removal!"

Under Jaden Yuki's surprised gaze, Ancient Gear Golem's exposed, slowly turning gears suddenly began to spin faster. The movements of the originally heavy and slow Ancient Gear Golem suddenly became like a gymnast, nimble and light. Pushing off the nearby building, it also imitated Elemental HERO Flame Wingman by striking a flying kick pose!

[Ancient Gear Golem] [ATK 3000 → 6000]

As the old saying goes, when kicking against each other, the one on the left always loses. And from Referee Iso's perspective, Jaden Yuki was exactly on his left side.

Yubel, who had attached energy to Elemental HERO Flame Wingman and intended to take revenge on Hayato for harming her beloved Jaden Yuki, saw the situation was bad and wanted to retreat. But just then, the Millennium Puzzle on Hayato's chest shone brightly with light.

"You offended the abbot and still want to leave? At least entertain me with your wail, Person without Light!" Paying the last 500 Duel Points from his guaranteed stock to initiate a Dark Game, Hayato precisely captured Yubel's presence. Because of the Dark Game rules, Yubel was completely unable to escape at this moment!

Meanwhile, Elemental HERO Flame Wingman and Ancient Gear Golem, with a size difference as vast as between Kamen Rider and Ultraman, collided. Even with the boost from Skyscraper, Elemental HERO Flame Wingman was still destroyed immediately. While most of Yubel's energy was shattered, a massive amount of Battle Damage was also returned to Jaden Yuki.

"Eek!" Falling onto his rear, sweat dripped from Jaden Yuki's forehead. "So, so strong! As expected of Mr. Hayato!"

Although he had awakened the ability to see spirit presence, he was completely unaware that Yubel had just suffered a major setback.

[Jaden Yuki: 3000 → 100 LP]

"What's wrong, Jaden Yuki? Are you scared? Because you can't achieve victory?"

Jaden Yuki shook his head: "Not at all. I think I finally understand, Mr. Hayato. You actually wanted to tell me that Duel Monsters isn't ultimately about becoming the victor, but about having a goal that allows you to become stronger by pursuing it."

Hayato raised an eyebrow: "Who told you that?"

"I was clearly trying to tell you that besides victory, there are many other interesting things in a Duel." With a smug smile on his face, Hayato flipped up his Set Card on the backrow. "Activate the Trap Card, Ring of Destruction! Destroy Ancient Gear Golem on my field, and deal 1000 damage to both players!"

"Now's the time! I've reached my limit of patience, I'm going to press it!"

Raising his thumb, Hayato aimed at Ancient Gear Golem, bending his thumb as if pressing a detonator button.

"Click!"

"Boom!"

[Hayato: 4000 → 3000 LP]

[Jaden Yuki: 100 LP → 0]

Chapter 368: KC Cup

The effect of **Ring of Destruction** took away Judai's last 100 Life Points, and at the same time, the Dark Game Hayato had set up also punished **Yubel**, who had been captured.

**Yubel**, who had reached out to Judai and stayed behind him like a Spirit, seemed to want to grab something, but was completely suppressed by the power of the Dark Game and Sealed back into their Card, unable to appear.

Because this Duel ended too simply, only 200 DP were obtained during the Settlement, which wasn't even enough for the cost of Hayato's Dark Game just now. However, it was better than nothing.

Putting away his Duel Disk, Hayato walked up to Judai, who was sitting on the ground.

Although the Dark Game Hayato initiated primarily targeted **Yubel** held by Judai rather than Judai himself, and **Yubel** also actively blocked a portion for Judai, it was still a Dark Game. Judai, who had Lost the Duel, had a slightly dazed Expression on his young face.

Manjoume Shouji, who was standing by the Duel Field, didn't understand why Hayato wanted to Duel this Kid until the Duel ended. Just as he was about to say something, his Mobile Phone rang in his pocket. After answering the phone, Manjoume Shouji couldn't help but smile. After hanging up, he excitedly said to Hayato, "Jun is awake!"

"You go ahead, Shouji. I still have something to say to this boy." Hayato waved his hand at Manjoume Shouji. He had expected Manjoume Jun's Awakening, after all, the culprit who caused Manjoume Jun to fall unconscious had just been Sealed by him.

However, Manjoume Jun waking up so quickly was somewhat of a surprise for Hayato. As expected, another person with a tough physique like Joey Wheeler.

"Manjoume-chan is awake?" Since he was the one who caused Manjoume Jun to fall unconscious, Judai couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing the news of his Awakening, looking somewhat happy. "That's great..."

"It's all because of me, Yubel..."

As he spoke, Judai suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Huh! Just now, it seems I was the same as before, only thinking about winning the Duel." Suddenly standing up from the ground, Judai looked at Hayato with a concerned Expression. "Mr. Hayato, are you okay?"

"Heh heh, I'm not that easy to Defeat, Judai." Hayato chuckled and rubbed Judai's Jellyfish Head. At the same time, he collected the residual Dark Magic Power from **Yubel** on Judai.

Because Hayato knew the truth about Yubel protecting Judai, when he initiated the Dark Game, Hayato chose not to Defeat **Yubel** but to Seal them back into the Card.

Although he didn't know how long this Dark Game could Seal Yubel, at least for a long time, Judai wouldn't harm others through Dueling, especially now that Hayato had also cleaned up the Dark Energy remaining on Judai.

However, it was ultimately only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

Yubel's Power source wasn't themself, but Judai himself, whose Dark Power from his previous life was gradually Awakening. As Judai grew older, the Seal on Yubel would eventually be re-Awakened by Judai's Power. Therefore, Hayato truly wasn't deceiving Judai; he genuinely wanted him to experience other joys in Duel Monsters besides Victory.

However, Hayato wasn't like Naruto, who was skilled with words. All he could do was teach Judai what he felt was the happiest thing.

So, after waking up and confirming that his Body was completely normal, Manjoume Jun, who had rushed to the Open Space downstairs from the Hospital, heard two Figures, one large and one small, sitting side by side at the edge of the Open Space, whispering with their heads bowed and holding something in their hands—

"Teacher Hayato, do you want **Mirror Force**? I feel like this Card doesn't seem like a Card used by a Hero."

"You have to think differently. A Hero's mission is to uphold Justice and protect the Weakling. This Blessing of the Moon Goddess is a Card that represents the Will to protect."

"Then what about **Solemn Judgment**?"

"What kind of Hero doesn't have the Means/Method to Counter Sin? The best way to uphold Justice is to Frustrate the Evil Forces' Plan before they can even set it up."

"I see! So I should put three copies of **Bottomless Trap Hole** and **Fiend's Chain** too, Teacher Hayato!"

"Congratulations, Judai-san, you've already learned how to answer questions before they're finished!"

Looking at Judai's 40-Card Deck, which was more than half Trap Cards, Hayato nodded with satisfaction. Hmm, although it wasn't the complete version, lacking the meta-defining **Karma Cut** and the Invincible **Book of Moon**, it at least had some elements of a "yin" Hero.

Hayato Kobayashi, you've done terrible things!

While Judai was adjusting his Deck, Hayato also took the **Yubel** Card, which Judai treasured, from his hand.

After being Sealed by Hayato, the **Yubel** Card became quite ordinary. Let alone the special feeling of an Awakened Card Spirit, there wasn't even a trace of residual Dark Power. It seemed that the Dark Magic Power remaining on Judai was the last thing Yubel left behind.

Although he was quite moved by **Yubel**'s "stalker-like" behavior of leaving Power on Judai to protect him even after being Sealed, this didn't mean Hayato planned to let Yubel off the hook. He didn't intend to change Yubel's original Destiny and planned to let them take the Rocket launched by KaibaCorp to space, just like in the original Plot.

Letting Yubel absorb the Power of the Light of Destruction, the Final Boss of the GX Era, and then having Judai persuade Yubel to return with his words—Hayato "Harm Others" Kobayashi felt excited just thinking about such a self-serving act.

What, the Final Boss of GX is Darkness? Sorry, who's that? Never heard of them.

Looking at the **Yubel** with 0 ATK/0 DEF and divine Stats, Hayato solemnly took out a Card Sleeve and sealed it, then attached a Chain similar to Kaiba's before returning it to Judai. "**Yubel** is a very powerful Monster. I can't solve the Problem with them for now. In short, if you don't want to hurt others, absolutely do not Use **Yubel** to Duel others, Judai-san."

"Even Teacher Hayato can't do anything about **Yubel**?"

Hayato looked at Judai, whose Expression was slightly dejected, and spread his hands helplessly. "Actually, I have an Idea, but I need to find someone to help me first."

"Unfortunately, that guy suffers from a severe Urge to Duel. If I ask him for help, it will definitely turn into his 'Revenge Match' in the end. I even suspect that guy is currently Dueling AI using my Duel Data."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

"I am the storm that's approaching~~"

Music full of Power rang from Hayato's Mobile Phone. Hayato looked at the caller ID, which was labeled AI King—it was Kaiba calling.

Answering the phone, Hayato heard Kaiba's deep voice from the other end. "Hayato Kobayashi..."

"Yo, Seto. Why do I feel like you're not in a good Mood from your voice?"

"Hmph, just now, I suddenly sneezed three times. The only way that could happen is if you were talking bad about me behind my back." Uncharacteristically, Kaiba, who was usually serious, made a joke following Hayato's words.

Contrary to Hayato's words, his Mood was actually quite good, but he usually didn't show his Mood on his face.

"Not at all, not at all. You know me, I never slander others behind their backs." Because I was stating facts, hmm.

"Hmph, whatever. Enough small talk, my Time is not abundant." Kaiba let out a stiff laugh, clearly not believing Hayato's words. "At this Time, you should have already seen the Videotape Pegasus sent to you and Yugi. He didn't Use the phone but insisted on sending a Videotape, I really don't know what that guy is trying to be mysterious about."

No, no, no, it's because that guy Pegasus thinks that phone calls aren't as convenient as direct video conversations. Hayato Ranted in his Heart. Knowing that Kaiba Believed in Science, Hayato was too lazy to explain to him that Pegasus still had some Power from the Millennium Eye.

"Yes, I've seen it. He said he plans to accept your invitation and come to Domino City next Saturday to discuss Industrial Illusions and KaibaCorp jointly releasing the Forbidden & Limited List. He also invited me along."

Speaking of this, Hayato Paused slightly. "Theoretically, even if it's just to discuss the specific Rules, there's no need for Pegasus to travel all the way to Japan, thousands of miles away. Moreover, he specifically invited me and Yugi to sign the Stock Transfer Agreement for Industrial Illusions."

"Plus, Seto, you specifically called me. Let me guess, the matter you're going to announce next Saturday is far more than just the Forbidden & Limited List, right?"

Kaiba's light laugh came from the other end of the phone. "Talking to you is indeed easier than talking to a Mediocre Person. Anyway, you'll know eventually, so telling you in advance doesn't matter."

"The hosting of Battle City was quite successful. Both KaibaCorp's Virtual Projection System licensing fees and Industrial Illusions' Card Sales have increased globally. Domino City also received a large sum of Tax Revenue due to the influx of many foreign personnel. I Plan to strike while the Popularity of Battle City hasn't faded and hold another Duel Monsters Tournament."

"However, given that there has already been a high-Quality Duel Monsters Tournament like Battle City, I Plan to modify the Rules to allow everyone to participate, maximizing the popularity of Duel Monsters."

Hayato Ranted, "In other words, isn't it just that KaibaCorp's Duel Disk Hunger Marketing is over, and now you can start mass distribution to recover costs?"

"Hmph, it's your business if you want to think that way." Kaiba didn't agree, but he didn't refute Hayato's statement either, as this was indeed one of his Goals.

Hayato thought for a moment. "But if it's a tournament for everyone, you can't just rely on the Ante Rule from Battle City to get free Popularity, right? If there isn't enough attraction, don't end up with a pathetic number of participants. After all, not everyone is satisfied just by Dueling like you."

"Also, you just said talking to me is easier than talking to a Mediocre Person. Did you call Joey Wheeler too? That's Strange."

"Although he's a Mediocre Person, he's at least a second-rate Duelist, stronger than some fourth-rate Duelists. He can somewhat Increase the Quality of Duels." Kaiba spoke with a tone of disdain for Joey Wheeler, but if he truly looked down on him, he wouldn't have sent Joey Wheeler a Card after the Semifinals. He was such a tsundere.

"Competing against Duelists with some Fame, and the Champion getting the Qualification to Duel the Duel King. I think these should be attractive enough for ordinary people who fantasize about reaching the top in one go."

Paused, Kaiba added, "Also, the Champion Prize Money is 5 million Yen, the Runner-up Prize Money is 3 million Yen, and the Third Place Prize Money is 1 million Yen."

"The last one is the most attractive, right?" Hayato Ranted. "I was just wondering what you used to tempt Joey Wheeler, and now I understand."

"Don't think you can order me around, Kaiba, I'm not your Subordinate!" Joey Wheeler probably wanted to say that at the time, but Kaiba offered too much.

"But Kaiba, you said the Champion of this Match can Duel the Duel King?" Hayato narrowed his Eyes, sensing an opportunity to extort. "I don't recall ever agreeing to this."

"If the Champion comes to you to fulfill the promise and finds out you haven't even discussed this with me, the Influence on KaibaCorp could be immeasurable."

Kaiba was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then laughed. "Did you forget something? I never said that I, as the organizer, wouldn't participate. Anyway, the first place will only ever be me. It doesn't matter what the Champion's Spoils are, because they will only fall into my hands."

This familiar overconfidence, it was indeed Kaiba. Hayato couldn't help but remind him, "You're the one who forgot something, right? While it's unlikely Joey Wheeler can beat you, where do you get the confidence that you can definitely beat Mutou Yuugi?"

Hearing Hayato's words, Kaiba on the other end of the phone sounded as if he had been waiting for this Question for a long time, and said proudly, "Even when I had **Obelisk the Tormentor** in hand, I couldn't be sure I could definitely beat Mutou Yuugi. But now, I am not the same as before. With the stronger Power I've gained in my Deck, I can be 1000% sure that I can defeat Mutou Yuugi!"

"By then, it will be you, I will absolutely take the Title of Duel King from your hands. Don't be afraid and avoid the Match when you see my great Power, Hayato Kobayashi!"

As he spoke, Kaiba looked at a Card placed beside him.

With this Card, I will possess the Power to decide the Future. Any misfortune I refuse to accept will stay away from me. Holding this Card, I will be in eternal and absolute Luck.

I will become the Duel King, and the Duel King will inevitably be mine, Kaiba's!

Hearing Kaiba's confident declaration, Hayato also smiled. "Since you've said that much, fine, I'll attend the Press Conference next Saturday to support you. But I'm not helping you for free. As a Deal, after I Defeat that lucky Champion, you'll have to do me a small favor, Kaiba."

"Hmph, you can make any request you want, but the premise is that you can defeat me, that you can defeat me, who will be the Champion of this 'KC Cup'."

Saying that, Kaiba hung up the phone.

"As expected, still the KC Cup. But from what Kaiba said, Industrial Illusions and KaibaCorp are combining forces? Although it's not the first time, it's hard not to Exclaim that two corporations that were fiercely competing against each other not long ago can cooperate so unitedly. As expected, still in the Business field, there are no eternal Enemies, only eternal Profit."

Putting away his phone, Hayato muttered to himself and turned his head, only to see Manjoume Jun and Judai Yuki looking at him with expectant Expressions.

"KC Cup..."

"Champion..."

"Duel the Duel King!"

Manjoume Jun, who had been quite Annoyed with Judai earlier, acted in perfect sync with him, saying in unison, "Mr. Hayato/Teacher, we want to participate in the KC Cup too!"

Hayato looked at Judai and Manjoume, who had sincere Expressions, as if they would evolve from "craftsman spirit" to "dogeza aliens" if he didn't agree. He rubbed his Chin, and the corner of his mouth curved slightly. "Participate, you can both participate."

Kaiba's words just now gave Hayato a good Idea.

---- Kaiba is Card Printing ----

Under the effect of King Crimson's Power, Time flew by, and several days passed in the blink of an Eye.

On Saturday morning, in front of the newly completed Domino City Sports Center, contracted by KaibaCorp, a Press Conference jointly organized by KaibaCorp and Industrial Illusions was officially held.

At the Press Conference, the two Champions of Duelist Kingdom—Hayato Kobayashi and Mutou Yuugi—attended and formally signed the Stock Transfer Agreement with Mr. Pegasus J. Crawford, the 100% Stock Owner of Industrial Illusions, Genius Game Designer, Father of Duel Monsters, one-eyed silver-haired childish foreigner (crossed out). They each acquired 30% of Industrial Illusions' Stock.

Subsequently, Pegasus and KaibaCorp Vice President—Mokuba Kaiba—jointly released a New Rule for Duel Monsters called the "Master Rule," which Restricted and modified the Effects of some Duel Monsters Cards. Cards like **Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End** and **Yata-Garasu** were listed as Forbidden Cards and were not allowed to be Used in official Duels.

Cards like **Graceful Charity**, which were powerful but didn't have as significant an Influence as Forbidden Cards, were listed as Limited Cards, with a maximum of one allowed in a Deck.

Just as the Press Conference was ending, and the Reporters were already organizing their drafts and preparing to leave, a wind suddenly picked up on the Venue, accompanied by the Roaring Sound of a propeller. The wind grew stronger and stronger.

Under the accustomed gazes of Hayato, Yugi, and Keipei, Kaiba stood by the cabin door of a Helicopter shaped like a **Blue-Eyes White Dragon**, holding onto the handrail with one hand and pressing the Headphones to his ear with the other. His voice came through the Speaker at the Venue: "The most important news cannot be left until the very end."

"Duelists watching this Press Conference, do you remember Battle City not long ago? Were you disappointed that you couldn't reach the Top 8 and compete with the Duel King for the supreme Throne?"

"Do you want to experience the wonderful feeling of a passionate Duelist Spirit clashing with a Top Duelist again? Then celebrate, your chance has come!"

"A fiery Duel Tournament will be held again! One week from now, the largest Duel Monsters Tournament in history, jointly organized by KaibaCorp and Industrial Illusions, will kick off in San Francisco, USA. So, celebrate the start of intense Dueling once more!"

Kaiba's white Trench Coat fluttered wildly in the wind as he stood by the Helicopter. Hayato really couldn't understand if Kaiba had some Strange preference for Helicopters, why did he always stand on a Helicopter when announcing a Duel Monsters Tournament?

But seeing Kaiba's Trench Coat, Hayato suddenly understood. It was probably because the Airflow from a Helicopter was strong, and his Trench Coat looked cool when blown by the wind?

While the other three at the Press Conference seats also focused on Kaiba's Vehicle, they felt the main point of ridicule was the Exterior Design. They probably also thought traveling by Helicopter was cool?

"Kaiba's aesthetic sense is, as expected, still... uh, unique?" It must be said that Yugi's words were extremely high in emotional intelligence.

Even Keipei had a helpless Expression. "I specifically reminded Brother not to Use that Helicopter before I left. KaibaCorp isn't without normal Helicopters..."

As for Pegasus, that guy was quite interested in the **Blue-Eyes White Dragon**-shaped Helicopter in the air. "What's this, Kaiba-boy's Helicopter is clearly super kawaii! Oh My God, me thinks such a Helicopter is simply a work of art, it makes people feel Funny!"

Kaiba in mid-air naturally couldn't hear the whispers of the people on the Ground. While enduring the cold wind, he began to introduce the KC Cup process.

First, compared to Battle City, the KC Cup had no Restriction on the Quality of a Duelist's Deck or their Dueling Prowess. As long as your Deck Composition wasn't wrong, met the 40-Card requirement, and you had a functional Duel Disk, you could register for the Match. However, at the same time, the KC Cup added a Qualifiers process. Only by winning enough Points through Duels in the Qualifiers could you qualify for the Main Tournament and appear in the Live Broadcasted Matches to gain Fame.

With Battle City as a test run, this time the KC Cup boldly expanded the number of participants in the Main Tournament to a full 64 people. The participants were divided into four groups, A, B, C, and D, with sixteen people in each group. Players would Duel each other in pairs to determine the strongest player in each of the four groups, followed by the Semifinals and Grand Finals to select the KC Cup Champion.

It could be said that Kaiba had completely mastered the art of running tournaments. Leaving aside the Benefit from the popularity of Duel Monsters, the Television broadcast during the KC Cup alone was a huge sum of money.

Furthermore, even if someone wanted to try their Luck to see if they could strike it rich and compete for the 5 million Yen Champion Prize Money, they would first have to buy a Duel Disk monopolized by KaibaCorp. This guy Kaiba was completely crushing it.

"Wait and hold Hope, Duelists!" Kaiba's speech reached its final sentences. "Whether it's Wealth or Honor, everything awaits you on the Duel King's Throne!"

"Bare your fangs towards the Throne!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh!!!"

Kaiba's **Blue-Eyes White Dragon** Helicopter flew away from the Press Conference, leaving behind the people at the Venue, stirred up by Kaiba, staring at Hayato like Hungry Wolves about to devour him. Even Hayato felt a chill down his spine from these gazes.

Belatedly, he remembered: Wait, I've never heard of any Honor or Wealth on the Duel King's Throne?

Damn it, that bastard Kaiba definitely took a Kickback!

This chapter is a three-in-one. Asking for Recommendations for the weekend (hinting to remember to vote for Recommendations on Monday, as they reset weekly).

# Chapter 369: Bringing Smiles with Duels

In front of the KC Cup registration desk, an Industrial Illusions Staff member, his glasses hidden behind sunglasses, squinted as he checked the Deck presented by the man in a neat suit. There were basically no issues.

It was a standard 40-card Deck, with no Limited Cards except for one copy of [Graceful Charity], and no Forbidden Cards included. Coupled with the Duel Disk, which was one of the requirements for participation, this person's eligibility to compete should be completely fine.

"Dan... Kuroto?" The Staff member struggled to pronounce the name the man in the suit had written on the registration form in broken Japanese. He stamped a piece of paper and looked suspiciously at Hayato. "I seem to have met you somewhere..."

"Hello small steamed buns sorry goodbye!"

The man in the suit had no intention of staying there and letting the Staff member recall who he was. He quickly retrieved his Deck and the stamped proof of eligibility and hurried away from the registration desk.

Although the Staff member found it strange who that very familiar-looking person was, there were many others waiting to register, so he quickly forgot about the person named "Dan Kuroto".

A pink-haired man in the queue for registration had the same feeling as the Staff member.

'That guy just now seemed to be East Asian. Dan Kuroto, huh?' The pink-haired man had good hearing and caught the name the Staff member had said. He was certain he had no impression of the name "Dan Kuroto", but like the Staff member, he felt as if he had seen "Dan Kuroto" somewhere before.

However, he didn't dwell on it, thinking it was probably because East Asian appearances all looked similar to him, which made "Dan Kuroto" seem familiar.

"Speaking of which, Amelda, I remember you really dislike KaibaCorp, so why would you think of participating in this tournament?"

A voice came from behind the pink-haired man.

"Hmph, you should know, Valon. My objective has always been only one person, and that's Kaiba Seto. The champion's Prize Money is a whopping 5 million. Although it's Yen and not US Dollars, I think even Kaiba Seto would feel the pinch losing such a large sum."

Turning his head slightly, the pink-haired man saw two men in strange outfits chatting. The red-haired man's words revealed a kind of hostility towards KaibaCorp, and even specifically towards Kaiba Seto.

'Hmph, you also dislike KaibaCorp? But you're too short-sighted. What's a mere 5 million Yen?' The pink-haired man turned his head back, ignoring the two.

In the middle of winter, one was wearing only a thin crew-neck shirt under an open trench coat, while the other was wearing studded armor that only people at anime conventions would wear. Neither of them looked like normal people.

To think that I, the dignified CEO of Schroeder Corporation, a genius inventor, a genius Duelist, Europe's "Undefeated Nobleman", Zigfried von Schroeder, have to queue up with such a bunch of inferior country bumpkins to register! Damn Kaiba Seto!

"Samejima, Iemitsu?" "Yeah, It's me, sir."

A middle-aged East Asian man in front of Zigfried von Schroeder finished registering and smiled politely at Zigfried behind him as he turned to leave. But Zigfried merely arrogantly brushed off his dark red suit and snorted, walking up to the registration desk.

He was a nobleman; not just anyone was qualified for him to greet.

Picking up the pen, he wrote the alias "Zig Lloyd" on the registration form. Zigfried felt like a genius. 'To think of using a fake identity to register for the tournament, my talent is truly terrifying!'

"To think of using a fake identity to register for the tournament, what's truly terrifying is my divine talent!" In an empty corner, "Dan Kuroto" smugly removed the cards like [Deathstalker] from his Deck that he used to conceal his identity and replaced them with cards like [Rainbow Kuriboh] that would immediately reveal his identity.

His figure blurred for just a moment. Afterward, a hollowed-out golden disk and a golden staff appeared on his chest and waist.

Casually lifting his hanging bangs, who else could it be but Hayato?

After taking out his cards from the Warehouse and adjusting them, Hayato revealed a smug smile. Since Kaiba was being unfair, he couldn't blame him for being unjust. If the organizer himself could participate, then it was only reasonable for one of the champion's "Prizes" to participate as well, right?

As for the fact that he, the Duel King, was very easily recognizable, that wasn't a problem either. Ever since Marik was diagnosed as unable to perform Dark Games anymore, his [Millennium Rod] was useless to him. Hayato directly took over the [Millennium Rod] from Marik, under the guise of rent.

The reason why Zigfried and the Staff member at the registration desk felt they had seen Hayato before but had no impression of his appearance was the effect of the [Millennium Rod].

As the [Millennium Item] symbolizing Mind, although it couldn't easily "control minds" like the [Millennium Eye], simply preventing others from associating Hayato's appearance with their impression of "Duel King Hayato Kobayashi" was effortless.

Because the target of this ability was Hayato's appearance rather than other people's brains, it could affect a considerable number of people at once, even influencing those who saw Hayato through surveillance cameras. Of course, when going through customs, Hayato used his real identity.

Quite a few people came to America with him: Tristan , Téa , Joey Wheeler , Yugi, Otogi, Keipei. Even Marik and Grandpa Solomon came. As for the mode of transportation to America? Of course, it was the rich dog Kaiba's new toy—a jet shaped like the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind that could revive when a card on the Field was Destroyed by Effect.

Unlike previous sightseeing groups, among the passengers who arrived in America on Kaiba's jet this time, besides the tool man Isono and his subordinates, everyone else, whether it was Marik, Otogi, or Grandpa Solomon , and even Téa , Tristan , and Keipei, planned to participate.

After all, 5 million Yen was just a drop in the ocean for KaibaCorp, but it wasn't a small sum for ordinary people. Of course, Keipei and Tristan had slightly different reasons for participating. Keipei intended to use "I'm participating too" as a reason to show his Duel-addicted Brother how many things need to be handled after organizing a tournament.

Honda purely participated because he was idle anyway, so he might as well join his good Friends and see how far he could go, having never touched Duel Monsters before.

Grandpa Solomon made a special trip to America, partly because he hadn't had a good Duel in so many years and felt the urge, partly because he was also very interested in the 5 million Prize Money for the champion, and partly because his old Friend, Professor Arthur Hopkins, invited him to meet recently, saying he had found some very interesting archaeological Data he wanted to share with his old Friend.

Just as Hayato was almost finished organizing his Deck, a voice came from behind him: "I didn't expect to run into an Important Person like you here, Hayato Kobayashi."

Turning his head, Hayato looked at the blond man in front of him and recalled slightly: "You are, Regulus?"

"Rafael, that's my real name. This is our second meeting, isn't it, Hayato Kobayashi." The blond man, Rafael, looked at the crowd around him. He didn't lower his voice, but no one else noticed them despite hearing the name "Hayato Kobayashi," a name that resonated loudly in the Duelist circle.

Looking at the green Light Cluster glowing in the necklace hanging on his chest, Rafael's gaze swept past the [Millennium Ring] on Hayato's chest and lingered on the [Millennium Rod] on his waist. "I see, is it the Power of the [Millennium Item]? Truly amazing."

"Likewise, you also have a strange Power that doesn't belong to you." Hayato looked at the necklace on Rafael's chest, which was emitting a strange green light. Was that a fragment of Orichalcos?

"So, Mr. Rafael, what do you want after recognizing my true identity?"

"Just to say hello to you, the currently recognized strongest Duelist, Hayato Kobayashi. Now is not the right time for me to reveal my purpose. After I win the KC Cup, I will state my objective then."

Rafael said, and was about to turn and leave. Just as he said, he seemed to have just come to say hello. But at this moment, he saw two people walking towards him from behind.

"Hey Amelda, over there, over there, I found Rafael." A blond man wearing a studded shoulder pad similar to Cloud's saw Rafael and loudly called out to his Companion beside him.

"I'm not blind, Valon." Beside the guy named Valon, the red-haired man named Amelda complained. After just glancing at Rafael, his eyes fixed on Hayato beside Rafael.

"I wasn't quite sure just now, I thought it was my imagination, but isn't this Duel King Hayato Kobayashi?" As he spoke, Amelda inserted his Deck into the Duel Disk on his Left Hand wrist, his face full of Fighting Spirit. "I'll take this opportunity to take from your hands—"

"What are you doing, Amelda!"

To Hayato's surprise, Rafael saw Amelda's action, took a step, and blocked the space between Hayato and Amelda, shouting sternly.

When Hayato saw Amelda inserting his Card into the Duel Disk, he was already prepared to start a Dark Game.

Although his DP Points had dropped to zero not long ago, with the help of enthusiastic American citizens who were overly confident—referring to the thugs who thought they were invincible at Dueling and tried to rob him—his DP Points had returned to four digits. Although it was just a drop in the bucket for drawing Cards and opening packs, it was enough to start Dark Games for a long time.

"Get out of my way, Rafael." Amelda looked at Rafael blocking him and said unhappily, "Anyway, there will be a day when we have to face him. Don't forget, Hayato Kobayashi has—"

"Since you know that's 'someday', don't do anything unnecessary before the time comes, Amelda!" Rafael had no intention of backing down either. "Or are you planning to betray that Important Person and ruin his Plan!"

Hearing that Rafael had already mentioned "that Important Person," Amelda glanced at Hayato behind Rafael, snorted coldly, and reluctantly put away his activated Duel Disk. "For... that Important Person. I'll listen to you this time."

"You got lucky, Hayato Kobayashi. Hmph!" Saying that, Amelda turned around and left first, without waiting for Rafael and the guy named Valon.

"Hey, Amelda, don't walk so fast by yourself!"

Rafael watched Amelda leave on his own and Valon follow him. He had no way to deal with this most extreme Companion. He turned his head and looked at Hayato. "Then, until we meet again, Hayato Kobayashi."

Watching the three leave, Hayato frowned and took out three Cards from the Card Box on his waist—[Slifer the Sky Dragon], [Obelisk the Tormentor], and [The Winged Dragon of Ra].

Although Rafael kept interrupting Amelda's words at crucial moments, Hayato knew that their goal was the [Egyptian God Card] Cards he held.

Besides being surprised by the appearance of the Doma Three Musketeers—that is, Rafael, Amelda, and Valon—Hayato was also a little confused about what Dartz, their leader, was plotting.

However, things would work out when they came to it. Hayato felt that he shouldn't think too much ahead now and just focus on the task at hand. Just then, a nearby broadcast began announcing: "No.114514, Dan Kuroto, Please go to challenge arena 4."

"Number 114514, Player Dan Kuroto, please proceed to Duel Platform 4."

Currently, it was the preliminary stage of the KC Cup. Participants who registered freely entered the queue Passage after completing their registration and having their Data entered into the System. After a certain waiting period, the System would automatically arrange Duels between Players with similar Points. The winner gained one Point, and the loser lost one Point. Players with negative Points were eliminated and could not participate again.

After the three-day preliminary round, the 64 Duelists with the highest Points would advance to the Main Tournament. Because of this, the later one registered, the lower the Probability of qualifying. Therefore, shortly after the preliminaries began, the registration desk had a line as exaggerated as a CP convention.

When Hayato arrived at Duel Platform 4, he found that his Opponent was already ready, and there seemed to be many fans of his Opponent around, shouting his name:

"DD!" "DD!" "DD!"

If it weren't for the fervent Expressions on the faces of the Audience around, just hearing the pronunciation of "DD," Hayato might have thought the Audience was actually calling the man with glasses on the Field a "did" (younger brother).

Watching Hayato walk onto the Duel Platform step by step, the "did" who was enjoying the Audience's cheers turned his head and saw that this guy named "Dan Kuroto" was just a Kid who was slightly taller than average. He couldn't help but reveal a contemptuous smile.

"How Strange, you seem a little familiar, Kid? Well, it doesn't matter, because you are about to face Defeat, defeated by me, D.D.!"

"D.D.? Never heard of you." Hayato felt like he had heard this name somewhere before. Perhaps it was [D.D. Crow]? Why would someone be called "Different Dimension"?

"You haven't even heard of my name, D.D.? Tsk, looks like you're not from the circle. I really don't know why I was matched with someone of your level." D.D. arrogantly lifted his Chin and extended five Fingers. "In five Turns, I'll finish you and get my next consecutive Victory!"

"Duel!" X2

["Dan Kuroto": 4000 LP]

[D.D.: 4000 LP]

"I'll take the First Turn! Draw a Card!" D.D. seized the First Turn Right and drew a Card first. Seeing the Card he drew, a smug smile appeared on his face.

"Activate Magic Card [Unexpected Dai]! Since I have no Monsters on my Field, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck!" Playing a Card from his Hand, D.D. Searched his Deck for a Card and Summoned it onto the Field. "I Special Summon [Deathstalker]!"

Hayato on the Field didn't feel much, but the Audience outside the Field became excited.

"It appeared, it's [Deathstalker]!"

"I heard it's an Ace Monster Card that the Duel King started using very early on!"

"As expected of Mr. D.D., who is rapidly rising in the professional Dueling world!"

Although it was partly due to Hayato hiding his identity, it was full of drama that the Audience was fervently cheering for another Duelist using a Card that Hayato had used, while Hayato, the Duel King, was standing right there.

[Deathstalker]

[Warrior Type/Normal]

[ATK 900/DEF 800]

"Hey Kid named Dan Kuroto, looking at your Expression, you don't seem to care much about this [Deathstalker]?" D.D. noticed the helplessness in Hayato's eyes and spoke. "Let me teach you the Dueling style of a mature professional Duelist."

"Any Monster has its unique purpose!" As he spoke, D.D. played a Card from his Hand. "Magic Card [Bond of Brotherhood]!"

"I Pay 2000 Life Points! I can Activate this card by targeting 1 Level 4 or lower Monster on my Field. Special Summon two Monsters from my Deck that have the same Type, Attribute, and Level as that Monster, but different names!"

"Come forth, [Warrior Dai Grepher] and [Marauding Captain]!"

[D.D.: 4000 → 2000 LP]

As D.D. lavishly spent half of his Life Points, two more DARK Attribute Warrior Type Level 3 Monsters were Special Summoned onto his Field after [Deathstalker].

[Warrior Dai Grepher]

[Warrior Type/Normal]

[ATK 1000/DEF 500]

[Marauding Captain]

[Warrior Type/Normal]

[ATK 900/DEF 700]

To be honest, Hayato could somewhat understand D.D.'s Special Summoning [Deathstalker] with [Unexpected Dai] as him using [Deathstalker] as material for a Tribute Summon. But spending a full 2000 Points just to Summon two more Vanilla Monsters onto the Field? Hayato truly didn't understand this Operation.

But D.D. didn't notice Hayato's confusion and mistakenly thought the young Kid was stunned by his flashy Operation. "Although after Activating [Bond of Brotherhood], I cannot Special Summon again until the End Phase. However, I haven't performed a Tribute Summon this Turn."

"I Tribute [Marauding Captain] and [Warrior Dai Grepher] on my Field to Tribute Summon [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast]!"

As the two Monsters were Tributed, the Rare Card [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast], which Manjoume Shouji had once used, was Summoned. At the same time, Hayato also noticed that the man named D.D. had a somewhat unhappy Expression when Summoning [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast].

It wasn't out of some kind of dislike, but more like the frustration of wanting to punch a street boxing machine but being stopped before the fist landed, the kind of frustration from wanting to unleash Power to see how strong one is but being unable to exert force for various reasons.

[Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast]

[Beast-Type/Effect]

[ATK 2800/DEF 2500]

Hayato also knew the Effect of [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast]. It was nothing more than Special Summoning the Monsters Tributed for its Tribute Summon from the Graveyard during D.D.'s next Standby Phase, with their Effects Negated. It wasn't weak, but it wasn't very strong either.

Having the ability to Special Summon three Monsters in one Turn and then Tribute them to Summon a Powerful Monster, honestly, if the [Egyptian God Card] weren't currently in Hayato's Hand, he would really think this guy named D.D. was actually hiding the Power to Summon a Divine-Beast.

Of course, the Monsters Summoned by Tributing three Monsters weren't only Divine-Beast Cards. Joey Wheeler 's [Gilford the Lightning] could also be Special Summoned by Tributing three Monsters. Besides that, [Raviel, Lord of Phantasms], Summoned by Tributing three Fiend-Type Monsters, and the [The Wicked Gods] from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga world were also Summoned by Tributing three Monsters.

So, the question was.

Hayato looked at D.D., whose unhappy Expression had subsided, his Eyes slightly narrowed. He remembered there was one more Monster that could be Summoned by Tributing three Monsters, and he also remembered where he had heard the name D.D. before.

"Activate Magic Card [Price of Horse Bone]! I Send [Deathstalker] on my Field to the Graveyard and Draw two Cards from my Deck. Then I Activate Continuous Spell Card [Tribute Evolution Zone]." D.D. didn't notice Hayato's gaze towards him gradually becoming dangerous. Instead, he smugly Activated a Card. "I Set two Cards from my Hand. My Turn ends."

"Also, because I performed a Tribute Summon this Turn, the Effect of [Tribute Evolution Zone] Activates during the End Phase." D.D. pointed to the illusory grid that appeared beneath his feet. "Based on the number of Monsters I Tributed for a Tribute Summon this Turn, I can Activate different Effects."

"If two or more Monsters were Tributed, I can choose one Set Card on your Field and Destroy it, and Draw a Card. Since you have no Set Cards, I Draw a Card."

[D.D.: 2000 LP, Hand 3 → 4]

[Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] [ATK 2800]

[Tribute Evolution Zone] [Set Card] X2

In one Turn, he Summoned [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] with 2800 ATK onto the Field, Activated a somewhat powerful Continuous Spell [Tribute Evolution Zone], Set two Set Cards, and in the next Turn, two Monsters in the Graveyard would Revive. The Stakes for all this were merely a reduction of two Cards in Hand Size and 2000 Life Points. Hayato grudgingly admitted that this guy named D.D. had some Strength.

However, having good Strength didn't necessarily mean having good character. After all, being both skilled and virtuous was rare, and even international superstars occasionally needed zero-sugar cereal, right (tactical lean back)?

If this guy named D.D. was indeed the guy from Hayato's memory, Hayato felt it wouldn't be too much to be a little more serious in the upcoming Duel.

Dueling, after all, is something that brings "laugh"ter, isn't it?

"Kid, it's your Turn." D.D. looked at Hayato, arrogantly extended his palm, and slightly bent his thumb. "You have four Turns left until your complete Defeat."

"Duelists who give a Countdown beforehand to declare their Victory usually have a pretty miserable Outcome." Hayato stated, absolutely not referring to Bakura, who had disappeared since Battle City. "But since you're rushing me, then. My Turn, Draw a Card!"

Drawing a Card and looking at it, Hayato looked at [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] on D.D.'s Field and commented in a feigned manner: "If I remember correctly, [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] has the ability to Special Summon the Tributed Monsters during the next Standby Phase after a successful Tribute Summon, right? It's a pretty good Card."

"Its ATK and DEF are also quite Balanced, and its Level is a noble 8 Star. Its appearance is also very cool, combining the wildness of an animal, the dominance of a magical beast, and the beauty of machinery." As he spoke, Hayato revealed a mysterious Smile. "Personally, I think [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] is not only suitable for staying on the Field, but also a good choice for food?"

"So, is it D.D.? I'm going to Tribute the [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] on your Field and grant you this Powerful Monster!"

"What!?" D.D.'s eyebrows shot up, and an unexpected Expression appeared on his face. "Tribute my Monster?!"

[Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] on D.D.'s Field suddenly felt like a rabbit being Targeted by a lion. Although it didn't detect any visible danger, its sixth sense told it that it was being noticed by some terrifying predator. Its Body trembled uncontrollably from fear, and it even panicked and wanted to leave its current position.

But almost as soon as it finally overcame its fear and took a step forward, the ground suddenly cracked open. A gigantic Sea Turtle of terrifying size burst out from underground, accompanied by a flood rushing into the air. And the position of [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] just happened to be right at the mouth of the giant Sea Turtle, being swallowed whole and turned into turtle food.

Seeing the appearance of the giant Sea Turtle, many enthusiasts in the Audience who were familiar with Japanese tokusatsu exclaimed in surprise:

"A... a giant Sea Turtle that can fly?!"

"Gamera, it's Gamera!"

"Monsters are descending into the real world!"

"It's not Gamera, it's Gameciel!" Seeing the appearance of the giant Sea Turtle, the Audience was quite terrified, but Hayato was quite excited. "Yabai, what's truly terrifying is my divine talent, hahaha!"

The appearance of the giant Sea Turtle—"Gameciel"—also startled D.D., who almost threw down his Duel Disk and ran away. But when he noticed that the [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] Card on his Duel Disk had been replaced by [Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju], which had appeared at some point, he finally understood that this giant Monster was also a Duel Monster.

[Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju]

[Aqua Type/Effect]

[ATK 2200/DEF 3000]

"The Effect of [Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju] is that it can be Special Summoned from my Hand to the Opponent's Field by Tributing one Monster on their Field," Hayato explained. "As a [Kaiju] with a massive size, its Negative Effect is that only one [Kaiju] can exist on one side of the Field."

D.D. was very unhappy because he had originally planned to use the Effect of [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] in the next Turn to Tribute it and the two revived Vanilla Monsters to Summon [Gilford the Lightning] from his Hand to Clear any Monsters that might be on Hayato's Field, and then use an Equip Card from his Hand to boost its ATK and finish Hayato in one go.

But now, [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] had become turtle food, and the Effect to revive Tributed Monsters from the Graveyard required [Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast] to be on the Field. His Plan had fallen through, which was quite frustrating.

At the same time, he also noticed the Keyword in Hayato's words: "You said, one side of the Field?"

He looked at [Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju] that had appeared on his Field. The massive size brought with it a DEF of up to 3000, and a Level of a full 8 Star. To Normal Summon a Monster of this Level onto the Field required two Monsters. D.D. didn't think an unknown Kid could have this kind of Strength.

"Yes, because as you saw, [Kaiju] are very large. Animals of comparable size in nature also compete for territory when they meet, and [Kaiju] are the same." Hayato said, drawing a Card. "Speaking of which, do you believe in gravity?"

"There is an invisible gravitational force between matter, attracting each other. This is called 'universal gravitation'. And precisely because of this, [Kaiju] and [Kaiju] will attract each other!"

"Because [Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju] exists on your Field, I can Special Summon [Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju] from my Hand!"

Beneath the water surface created by the appearance of [Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju], a red light glowed. Accompanied by a roar, a gigantic Dragon-Beast with huge wings, like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, appeared right after the [Sea Turtle Kaiju]. It breathed scorching crimson Breath from its mouth, fully displaying the demeanor of a King!

[Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju]

[Dinosaur-Type/Effect]

[ATK 3000/DEF 1200]

Seeing the appearance of [Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju], D.D. instead revealed a smug Expression. "You fell for it, Kid! This is the opportunity I was waiting for!"

"Activate my Set Card, [Adhesion Trap Hole]! It can be Activated when you successfully Summon, Flip Summon, or Special Summon a Monster! As long as that Monster remains on the Field, its original ATK becomes half!"

D.D. smugly looked at the giant Dinosaur Monster, intending to witness the pathetic scene of this giant beast falling into the Trap. But before the [Adhesion Trap Hole] he Activated could take effect, a red light flew out from Hayato's Hand and Set the [Adhesion Trap Hole] he had just flipped back face-down?!

"Muda da! I Activate [Red Reboot] from my Hand! Your Trap Activation is Negated!" Hayato had no intention of giving D.D. a pleasant Dueling experience. He smugly put his hands on his hips. "This is my divine talent!"

# Chapter 370: Hero?

Under the effect of Red Reboot, the Trap Card D.D. had flipped on the field was suppressed and set back down. As D.D. looked on in disbelief, Hayato explained smugly:

"While a conventional Trap Card needs to be set from the Hand onto the Field and wait a Turn before it can be activated, don't try to gauge a God's talent with ordinary thinking!" Hayato lightly tapped the side of the Red Reboot card.

"By paying half my Life Points, I can activate 'Red Reboot' directly from my Hand. This negates the activation of your Trap Card and sets it, and you can set one Trap Card from your Deck onto your Field. Also, until the end of the turn, you cannot activate Trap Cards."

"If Duel Monsters is a game, then this is a 'Reset' I, as the Game Administrator, am imposing on you! All conditions unfavorable to me will disappear!"

Hearing this, D.D.'s expression turned ugly. The Adhesion Trap Hole being negated was secondary. Besides the Adhesion Trap Hole, the other Set Card in his backrow was the simple yet effective Sakuretsu Armor.

But now, not only was the Adhesion Trap Hole set back, but the Sakuretsu Armor also couldn't be activated due to Red Reboot's effect. What was the point of being able to set a Trap Card from his Deck?

Feeling annoyed, D.D. searched his Deck for a Trap Card. Upon seeing Misoperation, he decisively chose to set it.

*"Misoperation" has the effect to negate the activation of a Trap Card and return it to its original state. This is giving him a taste of his own medicine! Learn the power of an adult, you damn kid!*

Smugly setting Misoperation, D.D. sneered inwardly, while outwardly feigning helpless rage.

"Don't think you can be smug with that kind of trick for too long! Your Monster is destined to be defeated by a Hero, and that Hero is me, D.D.! Bring it on, Dan Kuroto!"

"It's not Dan Kuroto, it's Kuroto Dan God!" Hayato crossed his arms. "In the presence of a God, there's no need for a Hero to exist! I'll use this move to bring you despair!"

"First, I equip the Equip Spell Card, Demotion, to Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju. Then, I activate the Normal Spell Card, Tail Swipe Attack!"

As Hayato played the two Cards from his Hand one after another, D.D. noticed that while the ATK/DEF of Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju on the field hadn't changed, its aura visibly diminished significantly.

If the previous Gameciel could somewhat confront Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju, now, in front of Dogoran equipped with Demotion, it could only tremble and bow its head in submission.

"I can activate this Card by targeting one Dinosaur-Type monster with a Level of 5 or higher on my field. It returns up to two Monsters on the opponent's field that are in face-down Defense Position or have a Level lower than the targeted Dinosaur-Type monster to their owner's Hand!"

"A Monster with a Level lower than the targeted Dinosaur-Type monster..." Hearing this, D.D. subconsciously turned his head to look at his Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju on the Field, only to find that it was coincidentally looking back at him with ill intent.

[Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju][8☆→6☆]

After being equipped with Demotion, Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju's Level decreased by 2 Stars, making it just enough lower than the Level of Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju, which it had just been equal to!?

D.D. recognized the Card 'Demotion', but in his impression, hardly anyone would include this Card in their Deck because its effect is "Decrease the Level of the equipped monster by 2 Stars." If it was like Cost Down, which directly decreases the Level of a Monster in the Hand by 2 Stars, that would be understandable. Decreasing the Level of an equipped monster was completely meaningless.

"How could anyone include this Card!?"

Amidst D.D.'s roar of complete incomprehension regarding Hayato's strategy, Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju let out a skyward roar. With a speed that didn't match its massive body, it quickly turned around. Its long, thick tail behind it broke the sound barrier in an instant, forcefully striking the shell of Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju.

Then, Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju displayed an extremely exaggerated expression of pain, letting out a low wail as it was bounced back into Hayato's Hand.

It ate my Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, and it still ran away?! D.D.'s mind was now filled with classic American curses like "SOB" and "MF" that he wanted to send to "Dan Kuroto".

Can this guy even let people Duel properly? What I want to experience is Monster Attack and Defense, not being unilaterally beaten by your Monster!

Now, Hayato has Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju on the field, with an Attack equal to the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Facing its towering 3000 Attack, D.D.'s field is empty, and his three Set Cards are sealed by Red Reboot.

"This is the punishment brought upon you for opposing me! The final finishing blow! Go, Dogoran!" With an exaggerated backbend, Hayato commanded, "Super Flame!"

Although it was also a giant Dinosaur that breathed flames, Dogoran couldn't breathe out a sphere of compressed flames like Greymon. It simply raised its head and unleashed its Radiant Heat Ray towards the defenseless D.D., depleting D.D.'s remaining 2000 Life Points in an instant.

"Ugh, ahhhhh!!!" The high temperature of the flames and the radiation contained within the breath brought intense pain to D.D.'s nerves. Although it was a Solid Vision and not a Dark Game, so the Duel Monsters didn't cause him actual damage, it was enough to make this guy with weak willpower wail uncontrollably.

[D.D.: 2000LP → 0]

By the side of the Duel Platform, the wail of one of the players attracted the attention of the referee hiding beneath the Duel Platform. He poked out a shiny bald head, and his gaze met that of "Dan Kuroto" and Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju.

"Win... Winner, No.114514!"

Not everyone had the strong heart of Iso, who thought, "God Cards fighting in front of me? How awesome, but what does that have to do with me, an emotionless tool person?" The bald referee stammered a bit, quickly declared Hayato the Winner, and immediately pulled his head back to avoid being targeted by Hayato's gaze.

Looking at Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju, which disappeared from the field as the Duel ended, Hayato looked at D.D., who had collapsed unconscious in a highly embarrassing manner due to the intense pain, with disregard. He scoffed, "What a weak Hero. As expected, I am the God who dominates this game of Duel Monsters!"

"Wahahaha~~!!"

Perhaps "Dan Kuroto"'s laughter was too infectious. The onlookers who witnessed "Dan Kuroto" using a giant Monster to OTK his opponent, after recovering from their brief panic, quickly transferred the adore they had previously placed on D.D. to "Dan Kuroto".

"So... so powerful! And both the Monster and the duelist himself are so cool!"

"Lord Dan Kuroto!"

"Incorrect!" Just as someone in the crowd shouted "Dan Kuroto"'s name, Hayato suddenly turned around, pointing his finger at the blonde woman who had just shouted his name. "It's not Dan Kuroto, it's Kuroto Dan God!"

As he was being carried off the Duel Platform by the medical team prepared at the Qualifiers Venue, D.D., who had fallen unconscious from pain, was momentarily woken up by the surrounding audience's cheers. Listening to the surrounding shouts of "Kuroto Dan God!", D.D.'s eyes were fixed on "Dan Kuroto" on the Duel Platform, who was enjoying the pursuit of his fervent fans, his gaze filled with jealousy and malice.

This should have belonged to me! I had already won three winning streaks, why is it that an unknown minor character can become so popular just by defeating me once?!

He reached into his pocket and felt a Card protected by a metal piece. D.D. made a decision—the person who defeated me has no need to exist in this world!

————King Crimson!————

After finishing a day of Qualifiers and raising his points to a relatively high position, Hayato managed to politely decline his fervent fans and left the Qualifiers Venue with his DP Points back in the five-digit range.

Although only the first opponent, D.D., had noteworthy strength among his Duel opponents, and the later opponents were rarely professional duelists, the sheer number of matches throughout the day, even low-quality Duels, brought Hayato a terrifying amount of DP Points.

However, in contrast, due to the excessive number of Duels, Hayato also felt quite tired. All he wanted now was to return to the hotel he had booked near the Qualifiers Venue and rest.

His current points ranking was tenth, securing his qualification to advance was practically guaranteed. There was no need to push himself as hard in the next few days of Qualifiers as he did today.

This meant Hayato could even start thinking about how to make the Official Matches more interesting.

Just as Hayato was considering whether to buy Simorgh, Bird of Darkness, Alien's Final Warrior, Macro Cosmos, and Anti-Spell Fragrance from a shop to bring joy to other duelists, a masked man wearing a cloak slowly emerged from the quiet street he was walking down.

"I've been waiting for you, Dan Kuroto." The masked man seemed to be using a voice changer, his voice having the characteristic static of electronic equipment. Aside from a pair of glasses perched on his nose, Hayato couldn't find any other distinguishing features on the masked man.

However, appearance could be disguised, and voice could be changed, but the ominous energy residing within him was impossible to conceal.

"Blocking a God's path is a great disrespect. But if you are an adorer who wishes to admire, a God is tolerant, D.D."

Hearing Hayato call out his name, the masked man visibly panicked. "Impossible! How did you see through my perfect disguise?!"

"Damn it, I originally just planned to prevent you from participating in the match. Now, I have no choice but to take your life, Dan Kuroto!" His disguise exposed, D.D. angrily tore off the cloth covering his face and extended his hand from beneath the cloak, already wearing his Duel Disk. "Blame yourself for being too smart, Kid!"

"Go, The Ultimate D!"

As D.D. played a Card on his Duel Disk, a strangely shaped bloody hand quickly materialized from illusion and attacked Hayato.

But just as D.D. leaned in, ready to listen for Hayato's scream, he was surprised to find a sharp lance flying out from Hayato's card box at his waist. It accurately pierced the hand, repelled it, and pinned it to the wall by the road, even causing actual cracks in the wall?!

"No... impossible! What's going on?"

D.D. had been full of confidence in this attack, but this kid, "Dan Kuroto", also showed signs of possessing supernatural power. Besides being surprised, his mood worsened. "Just who the hell are you?!"

"Just a fake passing God who happened to pass by. Remember that."

Although "Dan Kuroto" was just a disguise for Hayato, Hayato cared quite a bit about his persona and tried hard not to let it twist into another guy who offended his hairdresser.

Looking at the face-down Card D.D. had placed on his Duel Disk, Hayato's eyes narrowed. While he didn't understand much about technology, judging by the exposed wires and distinctly different coloring of the Duel Disk D.D. wore on his wrist, his Duel Disk had definitely been modified.

Other functions were hard to say, but just from the action of playing the Card face-down without showing its front, the modification of that Duel Disk was likely aimed at disconnecting it from the KaibaCorp Data Collection Network, specifically to avoid revealing the true identity of the Card he held.

"Even someone like you can possess supernatural power. It's only natural for me, a God, to possess miraculous power." Lifting his chin proudly, Hayato tried to glare at D.D. with his nostrils. "But I'm very curious, what reason could you possibly have for attacking me, someone you've only met once?"

"Too much nonsense, Dan Kuroto!" D.D. had no intention of answering Hayato's question. Instead, he inserted the Card from his Hand into his Deck, reflexively shuffled it quickly, and then inserted it into the Deck Zone of his Duel Disk. "If the easy way doesn't work on you, I'll deal with you through a Duel."

"Don't think that what you saw during the day was my full strength. If it's to silence you, I don't mind using this Card!"

As D.D. placed his Deck into the Duel Disk, Hayato also took out his Deck and unfolded his Duel Disk. At the same time, an invisible energy, completely different from the Dark Energy Hayato had felt in the past, began to spread outwards from D.D.'s Deck.

Before Hayato could activate a Dark Game, as if encountering an enemy, Hayato's Millennium Puzzle on his chest and the Millennium Rod tucked into his waist simultaneously manifested. Dazzling golden light burst forth, instantly suppressing the force that had almost spread to Hayato's side.

Compared to Hayato, who had sensed it, D.D. acted as if nothing had happened, saying arrogantly, "I've heard enough nonsense about Gods and ghosts. Let me show you what an adult's romance is—a Hero, Dan Kuroto!"

"Fall into a sea of blood and perish!"

"I refuse! As a God, I am indestructible!" Hayato drew five Cards into his Hand, striking a pose. "Keep going until I clear the game!"