Chapter 361: Iron Knight - Gearfried · Joey Wheeler
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the S.S. Anne successfully arrived above Domino City.
Hayato and Marik, who had changed back into his own clothes, walked out of the infirmary, each holding a paper airplane.
Although Marik was quite spirited when Hayato and Ishizu Ishtar visited him, according to Marik himself, the damage to his body was mainly concentrated in his brain. While it wouldn't largely affect things like his intelligence or thinking, compared to before, the current Marik would tire more easily, and his willpower and similar attributes were greatly weakened.
In other words, his ability to handle pressure was poor. Ordinary Duels were fine, but intense activities like Dark Games were out of the question.
Furthermore, perhaps because Dark Marik was already dead, Marik had also completely recalled his forgotten memories, including the sins committed when the Dark Personality controlled his body, and the act of killing his father in childhood.
Marik said that after he returned, he would disband the Ghouls. Since he was lucky enough to live a second life, he would spend the rest of his life atoning for his sins.
In the hall, Hayato saw a dejected Joey Wheeler and an annoyed Kaiba. Yugi Mutou's face held its usual gentle smile. Even without asking, Hayato could tell from their expressions that their sparring had ultimately ended with Yugi Mutou's complete victory, and Joey Wheeler's defeat to Kaiba once again.
Ishizu Ishtar, who had confirmed Marik's awakening and then, for some reason, suddenly left the infirmary, was also in the hall. Seeing Marik changed back into a suit of casual clothes, Ishizu Ishtar smiled softly, and then, upon seeing Hayato, seemed to remember something, turning her head away with a slight blush.
"Ah, we're finally back in Domino City. It only felt like we left for a day," Joey Wheeler exclaimed, his dejection coming and going quickly as he peered out the airship's glass window, gazing at the tall buildings passing below.
Mai Valentine stood beside Joey Wheeler, also looking at the scenery below, and said with a smile, "Perhaps it's because there were too many interesting things that happened during this one day. Thinking about it carefully, we really did experience a lot."
Turning her head to look at Joey Wheeler's profile, Mai Valentine hesitated slightly and spoke, "Joey"
"Huh? What is it, Mai?" Hearing Mai Valentine call out to him, Joey Wheeler shifted his gaze from the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery below and looked at Mai Valentine.
After calling out to Joey Wheeler, Mai Valentine only glanced at him, shook her head, and said with a smile, "No, it's nothing. I don't know why I suddenly called you."
But did she really not know?
The airship slowly landed, and everyone returned to their departure point—the Domino City Sports Center.
The cabin door opened, and Marik's eyes narrowed slightly, adjusting to the warm sunlight outside, as he slowly walked down the steps. But after only a few steps, he saw a person standing not far away.
With dark skin carved with mysterious symbols and a shining bald head under the sunlight, it was Rishid.
"Master Marik, Lady Ishizu." Rishid immediately spotted Marik and Ishizu Ishtar among the people disembarking from the airship and bowed slightly. But before he could bend his waist too far, Marik rushed forward and gave Rishid an extremely passionate embrace.
"Rishid!" Holding the man who was like both a brother and a father to him, Marik's voice was choked with emotion, "It's great, it's really great to see you again, Rishid."
"Master Marik" Rishid was somewhat flustered by Marik's sudden passionate embrace and didn't even know where to place his hands.
"Marik previously thought that Rishid was dead," Hayato explained to Ishizu Ishtar, standing beside her. "He seems to have some kind of telepathic connection with Rishid? Anyway, when something happened to Rishid, he could sense that something was wrong, and then due to the influence of the Millennium Rod, he was led by Dark Marik to believe that Rishid had died, which is why his body was taken over."
"It was also fortunate that I was by Rishid's side at the time, and before dueling Rishid, Seto and I had been dueling Ghouls members throughout Domino City. The rescue was relatively timely, and that guy Rishid didn't suffer any lasting health issues from nearly dying."
Ishizu Ishtar listened to Hayato's words with a gentle smile on her face. "Thank you very much, Hayato-kun. Besides that, I truly have no way to repay you."
"I wasn't helping for repayment, just lending a hand where I could," Hayato waved his hand. "Speaking of which, Ishizu Ishtar, now that the Three Egyptian God Cards are gathered, do you have any plans?"
Ishizu Ishtar tilted her head slightly, showing a thoughtful expression. "My main purpose in coming to Domino City was to follow the ancestral teachings of our Tomb Keepers and help the Pharaoh collect the Egyptian God Cards."
"However, my stated reason for coming to Domino City as a foreigner was the Egyptian Artifacts Traveling Exhibition. Although it was just an excuse placed on the surface, I still have to make it happen," Ishizu Ishtar said with a helpless expression on her face, smiling at Hayato. "So, next, I still need to stay in Domino City for a while."
As she spoke, Ishizu Ishtar seemed to have shed a burden, and for once, like a lively girl, she winked at Hayato.
Hearing Ishizu Ishtar's words, Joey Wheeler also turned his head to look at Mai Valentine. "Mai, I remember you..."
"Yes, like most Duelists, the reason I came to Domino City was the Battle City Tournament. Now that Battle City is over, I'm going back to America," Mai Valentine's voice was deliberately calm, trying hard to appear as if she didn't care too much about leaving Domino City.
She couldn't possibly say something like "I don't want to leave here, I don't want to go," which wouldn't fit her "strong woman" persona, right? She wanted to hear Joey Wheeler say a few reluctant words. Maybe, just maybe, she would stay in Domino City.
But hoping for Joey Wheeler to hold her back was a lost cause.
"Is that so? All good things must come to an end. Take care, Mai," Joey Wheeler didn't hide his reluctance at all, but similarly, he didn't say anything to make her stay. "If there's an opportunity in the future, I'll go to America to find you. When that happens, you have to tell me about some fun places, okay?"
"Likewise, next time you come to Domino City, remember to call me. I know all the fun places here!"
"Hiss—! Mai, why did you step on me?! Hey, where are you going!"
Looking at Mai Valentine, who suddenly left in a huff, Joey Wheeler complained to Tristan in dissatisfaction, "Women are too fickle! Why did she suddenly get angry when everything was fine? They're too hard to understand!"
Tristan wasn't an emotional idiot like Joey Wheeler. Hearing Joey Wheeler's words, he sighed and patted Joey Wheeler's shoulder. "Joey Wheeler, your love life is pretty much over for this lifetime."
"Huh? Why are you talking about dating?"
"So feel free to leave Serenity Wheeler to me!"
"Dream on!"
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 362: My Place is Quite Big; I Often Help Runaways
Battle City ended, but not entirely.
At least, that was the case for Kaiba and KaibaCorp.
Duel Monsters was becoming increasingly popular worldwide thanks to its unique charm. Maximillion Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom tournament back then had accelerated its promotion, and Kaiba's Battle City Tournament this time propelled it even further.
Both players assembled their most trusted Decks using the Cards they collected daily. With the help of KaibaCorp's Virtual Projection System, they commanded powerful Monsters to annihilate their opponents, competing against each other with an endless stream of Spell Cards and unpredictable Traps.
Thanks to the Duel Recordings released from Battle City, not only were boys who enjoyed such passionate, competitive scenes captivated, but even girls were drawn in. This was because, in addition to powerful Monsters, Duel Monsters as cute as Kuriboh or as cool as Mystical Elf also made appearances one after another. Not to mention, Mokuba was clever when filming and occasionally captured the Duelists' heroic figures in the footage.
There was Yugi Mutou's calm smile under the lightning when facing Marik's Slifer the Sky Dragon;
Kaiba's maniacal grin when giving the attack command with Obelisk the Tormentor, whose ATK had soared to infinity;
And Hayato's mysterious smile as he brushed aside his bangs and slightly lifted his chin.
In short, except for Joey Wheeler, who was just grinning foolishly, the Top 4 players became Mokuba's ace in the hole for Battle City's publicity. And you could tell the effect was quite good from the thousands of comments below the Videos posted on the Network, like "Husband, scold me," "Hayato, my Hayato," and "Yugi is so handsome, I'm dead."
While Battle City was a huge success, KaibaCorp also received foreign trade orders from all over the world. Capitalists have a keen sense for opportunity; they already had a premonition that Duel Monsters, barring any unexpected events, would continue to explode in popularity at its current rate for the next few years, or even decades.
If they didn't seize the opportunity to get involved now while they still could, they would only be able to watch enviously when it came time to divide the cake later.
Looking at the thick stack of reports beside him, Mokuba sighed helplessly. He could foresee that KaibaCorp wouldn't be idle for a long time to come.
But Kaiba didn't even spare a glance for the thick stack of reports next to Mokuba. Standing in front of Mokuba, he looked at the data on the Tablet in his hand and nodded with considerable satisfaction. "Heh heh, after seeing how popular Duel Monsters is, have they agreed to KaibaCorp building Kaiba Land there?"
"With this, I'm one step closer to my small target—having Kaiba Land spread across every city in the country."
"So, next, should I host a few more Duel Tournaments? What kind of gimmick would be best then?"
Hearing Kaiba's soliloquy, Mokuba almost couldn't stay seated.
Big brother, you're my own brother! Please, just take a look at these documents, okay? We haven't even finished processing these yet. Can't you wait for your little brother to finish handling these matters before you start thinking about stirring things up again?
Heaven and Earth, please, someone, anyone, help me out! If worst comes to worst, find a woman for my brother to fall in love with! At least then he won't be thinking about Dueling and causing trouble every single day!
---- Mokuba decided that if he couldn't beat them, he'd join them, and started Dueling too ----
Kicking a small stone with his foot, Hayato walked on his way home, with Marik walking beside him.
Marik, who had decided to turn over a new leaf, discovered something quite awkward not long ago: he had actually snuck into Domino City and had no Identity Document whatsoever. Besides him, Ishizu Ishtar was a legitimate official from the Egyptian Government, and even Rishid had a Passport.
Don't underestimate this point. You see, without an Identity Document, Marik couldn't even check into a hotel room.
A long time ago, it might have been somewhat possible, but ever since KaibaCorp successfully communicated with the Domino City Government and decided to host the Battle City Tournament, KaibaCorp had funded and oversaw the closure of various illegal businesses throughout Domino City. The goal was to root out the Ghouls, and incidentally, they also caught quite a few Illegal Inns that specifically harbored undocumented Runaways.
"Luckily, I have you, Brother-in-law."
Marik said, looking at Hayato with considerable gratitude. Hayato shrugged. "Mainly because I'm usually the only one home, and there's a Guest Room specifically prepared for visitors. I don't think there'll be any problem with you staying for a while while my parents are away."
"But let's confirm something first. You don't have any strange habits, do you? Like not liking chopsticks and eating rice with your hands instead, or sleepwalking, things like that."
"Brother-in-law, I admit I used to be a bit neurotic, but being neurotic and being insane are two different things."
Leading Marik to the front door, just as he was about to take out his Key to open it, Hayato noticed a Package placed on the lawn beside the door.
The Package was quite small, with no sender's name written on it. It was tightly bound with Packing Rope, and the outside was covered in a layer of waterproof Oil Paper, making Hayato wonder if it contained a German engineer.
Although he was very curious about what was inside the Package, Hayato still opened the front door first and led Marik into the Villa. Ever since the night before Battle City, Hayato hadn't returned home because he had fallen unconscious after Dueling Marik. It had been about three days until today.
Thanks to the automatic Sweeping Robot on the floor, there wasn't any dust on the ground at home, but it felt a bit deserted after being uninhabited for three days.
"Brother-in-law, your place is quite big," said the "Runaway" Marik, looking out from the living room. He immediately saw the expansive sea view. "And it's a sea-view Villa too. You're unexpectedly richer than I thought."
"Can't compare to your Tomb Keepers clan, all decked out in gold and silver." Placing the Package on the round table in the living room, Hayato picked up a pair of scissors to cut the package open, intending to see what was inside and who had sent it to him.
The moment he saw what was inside the Package, Hayato knew the answer to the latter question.
Inside the Package was just a Videotape. Of course, you couldn't tell anything just by looking at that, but Hayato figured that besides that guy Maximillion Pegasus, probably no one else would draw a Chibi Version of himself and a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in a Cartoon Style on the outside of the Videotape with a Marker Pen.
It was also fortunate that Kaiba didn't see this Videotape; otherwise, Hayato couldn't guarantee that Kaiba would be able to resist the humiliation of having his Blue-Eyes White Dragon taken right in front of him back then and wouldn't smash this Videotape.
Chapter 363: Hayato boy~
Turning on the television and putting the videotape into the VCR to play, the person who appeared before Hayato was, as expected, Pegasus.
"Yo, long time no see, Hayato boy~"
In the videotape, Pegasus was still wearing his perpetually unchanging dark red suit. It was as if he had dozens of identical outfits prepared at home, never seen wearing anything different all year round.
However, remembering that he himself also had a pile of completely identical outfits, Hayato decided not to comment.
"It really has been a long time, Pegasus. You seem to have recovered quite quickly."
"Let me guess, Hayato boy, you're not talking to the television right now, are you?" Just as Hayato finished speaking, Pegasus suddenly laughed like a child who had successfully pulled a prank. "Hahaha, you must have forgotten, me no longer have the Millennium Eye."
Marik also came to the television, looking at Pegasus laughing on the screen. "Is this white-haired guy Pegasus? The so-called 'Father of Duel Monsters'?"
As a descendant of the Tomb Keepers, Marik naturally knew that Duel Monsters were actually created by Pegasus using the monsters carved on the Ancient Egyptian stone slab as prototypes. That's why his voice sounded a bit strange when he referred to Pegasus as the "Father of Duel Monsters".
Hayato watched the self-entertaining Pegasus, leaning back on the sofa and shrugging helplessly. "Although this guy seems to have become a simpleton after losing the Millennium Eye, he is indeed the 'Father of Duel Monsters'."
"Leaving aside that the differences in rules between Ancient Egypt's Ritual of the Duel and Duel Monsters came from Pegasus's innovation, his ability to beautify those overly abstract things on the Ancient Egyptian stone slab into cool and cute monsters is a significant contribution."
Meanwhile, Pegasus in the videotape stopped laughing and said seriously, "Then let we get back to business. Hayato boy."
"In the previous two major tournaments in the Duel Monsters world, I believe you also felt that a portion of the Duel Monster Cards didn't provide a good experience for duels, right?"
"For example, the Card of Safe Return which allows for fast card drawing simply by combining with monsters that have a revival effect; the Card of Demise which replenishes both players' hands to the maximum; the Chaos Emperor Dragon + Yata-Garasu combo which has an incredibly high lockdown rate when going second; and other such cards."
Hayato was about to nod, but then remembering that the videotape in front of him was just a normal videotape, he decisively stopped himself, wanting to hear what Pegasus was going to say next.
Marik, on the other hand, was counting on his fingers and muttering to himself, "Yata-Garasu... I think Brother-in-law used that? Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End is Seto Kaiba's card... and then there's my Card of Safe Return and the Card of Demise that the Nameless Pharaoh almost always had in his hand..."
A trace of annoyance appeared on Marik's face. "What the heck, the cards this guy Pegasus is talking about are basically the cards held by us few people in the Top 4 of Duel City."
"Hey hey, how come I didn't know you made it into the Top 4?" Hayato glanced at Marik. "Don't forget I was there at the time; Yugi Mutou beat you like he was beating his grandson. Joey Wheeler was the one in the Top 4, right?"
"Hmph hmph, who are you looking down on, Brother-in-law? Even if I can't beat you or the Nameless Pharaoh, I don't think I would lose to that guy who only knows how to flip a coin and roll dice, would I?"
Although he had turned over a new leaf, that didn't mean Marik's personality had completely changed. He was still as arrogant as before.
"If I still had The Winged Dragon of Ra at that time, and in the elimination round from Top 8 to Top 4, I hadn't faced the Nameless Pharaoh but dueled that Commoner instead, you would have seen how I would utterly defeat him, Brother-in-law."
"That's not necessarily true. Joey Wheeler is much more powerful than you think, whether it's his dueling strength or his willpower." Hayato smiled mysteriously, thinking of that famous scene, "Joey Wheeler's Death," which was very touching but also quite absurd.
Pegasus on the television continued, "Balancing Duel Monsters is really hard, you know. Even though me regard all cards as me babies, thinking me want them all to be equally strong."
While speaking, he also shrugged helplessly. If Hayato didn't know how ridiculous his exclusive Toon Monster Effects were, he might have believed him.
"Although me am reluctant, me also admit that a portion of the card strength in Duel Monsters is much stronger than other cards. If they are not weakened or limited, many people will probably lose the opportunity to enjoy the fun of Duel Monsters."
"And as it happens, Kaiba boy came to me, planning to unite Industrial Illusions and KaibaCorp to release the Forbidden & Limited List that restricts Duel Monster Cards." After a pause, Pegasus finally spoke of the real purpose of sending this videotape, looking at Hayato's location with a smile.
"So, me sent this videotape to Hayato boy, didn't me? After all, you and Yugi Mutou boy are major shareholders of Industrial Illusions."
While speaking, Pegasus picked up the file next to him and glanced at it. "Hmm, the time is next Saturday. Me will arrive at Domino City and announce the matters related to the Duel Monsters Forbidden & Limited List with Kaiba boy. Be sure to come to the press conference then; your Equity Transfer Agreement with Yugi Mutou boy hasn't been signed yet."
At this point, Hayato also knew what Pegasus was up to. He didn't expect Kaiba to have the same idea as him, planning to create the Forbidden & Limited List.
Thinking that there were probably no other matters, Hayato picked up the remote and was about to turn off the television.
But just then, Pegasus on the television stretched tiredly and said lazily to Hayato, "Ah, Hayato boy, me was so bored in the hospital during this time, especially without the Millennium Eye. Me couldn't even read other people's thoughts to relieve boredom."
"However, although me lost the Millennium Eye that could see through people's hearts, me found that me can see certain things more clearly." While speaking, Pegasus's gaze shifted to the side, seemingly unintentionally glancing over Marik. "Me don't know if it's because me used the Millennium Eye too many times in the past, but me body actually still retains some of the Millennium Eye's power."
Hayato's eyebrow twitched. His intuition told him that Pegasus was about to say something annoying again.
"So, Hayato boy, after you and that Marik boy's Sister get married in the future, you absolutely must let me be the child's godfather~"
With a suggestive and punchable smile on his face, Pegasus disappeared from the screen before Hayato could turn off the television.
Chapter 364: Jellyfish Head
"Heheheh, so that guy Hayato Kobayashi became the King of Games, huh?"
"Hmph, then, I, who once Dueled him and pushed him into a dangerous situation, am also a King of Games by approximation, hahaha!"
Standing in front of the entrance to Kaiba Land, Shouji Manjoume watched the Duel Monsters promotional video on the large screen above. Seeing the scene where Iso announced Hayato becoming the King of Games, he laughed triumphantly.
And standing beside him, Jun Manjoume looked at his increasingly comical second brother with a helpless expression.
Even though they were the same age as Mr. Hayato, why was the gap between them so huge?
Complaining inwardly, Jun Manjoume didn't really want to bother with his second brother, who was overflowing with self-consolation. His gaze wandered around the first-floor Hall of Kaiba Land.
Before his eyes could even complete a full scan, he noticed a conspicuous billboard hung in a prominent spot on the first floor of Kaiba Land. It read, "To celebrate the successful hosting of the Battle City Tournament, children under 12 can use all facilities free of charge."
There's such a good thing?
Jun Manjoume glanced at his second brother, who was still rambling. He leaned over and told him he planned to go play in the Duel Monsters Zone, but only received Shouji Manjoume's monologue in return: "If I tell girls I'm actually a King of Games too, will they confess to me?"
Is this guy an idiot? Jun Manjoume sighed helplessly. He took out the Tin Box containing his Deck from his satchel and excitedly took the elevator to the Duel Monsters Zone in Kaiba Land.
With a "ding," the elevator reached the floor, and Jun Manjoume was the first to step out. Seeing the other kids his age in the elevator startled by the abundant Blue-Eyes White Dragon decorations in the Duel Monsters Zone and hesitant to come out, Jun Manjoume felt quite smug.
Hmph, a bunch of cowards, so immature. What's there to be afraid of about a Normal Monster like Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which is useless except for its high Attack?
As expected, Mr. Manjoume has extraordinary talent!
With this mindset, Jun Manjoume happily searched for an available Duel Field. As if by luck, just as he stepped out of the elevator, the status of one Duel Field changed from "In Use" to "Not In Use."
However, Jun Manjoume's happy mood didn't last long. With a "That was a pleasant Duel," coming from the room, Jun Manjoume remembered the first defeat he had experienced in his life, after being undefeated for so long.
It was that Jellyfish's voice!
He abruptly pushed open the door to the Duel Field. As expected, Jun Manjoume saw the "Jellyfish Head" he had been thinking about, standing on one side of the Duel Field, showing a bright smile to the Duelist on the other side.
Jun Manjoume's sudden intrusion seemed quite unexpected to the "Jellyfish Head." "Huh? Is the line outside that long already? There weren't many people when I just arrived."
"Sorry, sorry, we've finished our duel and will leave right away."
Hearing the "Jellyfish Head" speak so politely, Jun Manjoume couldn't help but get angry. This guy didn't even remember who he was!
"You bastard, I've been looking for you for a long time!"
Although he usually acted like a grown-up kid, Jun Manjoume was ultimately still a child, and his biggest sore spot was being ignored.
Angrily running to the Duel Platform opposite the "Jellyfish Head," Jun Manjoume urged the dejected person who had just lost the duel against the "Jellyfish Head" to leave quickly. After placing his Deck on the Duel Platform, he called out to the "Jellyfish Head" who was organizing his Deck and preparing to leave.
"Hey, you, Jellyfish Head, stay right there!" Slightly raising his chin, Jun Manjoume said with arrogance, "The shame of defeat you brought me back then, I've been waiting for this opportunity to return it to you for a long time!"
"Come and have a proper duel with me—Jun Manjoume!"
Seeing Jun Manjoume's expression, the "Jellyfish Head" was also a bit surprised. He really didn't remember dueling Jun Manjoume before. But...
"Since it's a duel invitation, I won't refuse, Jun Manjoume." Happy that he didn't have to wait in line and could have another Duel Monsters match, the "Jellyfish Head" also pointed his thumb at himself. "My name is Judai Yuki, and I use a Warrior-Type Deck centered around Gaia the Fierce Knight."
After Hayato became the King of Games, some busybodies published a detailed list of the Deck Hayato had used on the network, so detailed it was as if they had copied the King of Games' Deck card by card.
Because of the publication of this list, a wave of retro style suddenly swept through Duel Monsters fans. Many duelists specifically replaced some monsters in their Decks with monsters Hayato had used, including but not limited to Death Stalker, the Ojama brothers, and Gaia the Fierce Knight.
Of course, what these Hayato admirers ultimately received was one crushing defeat after another. After all, not everyone could pull off the Heart of the Cards.
The only beneficiary of this trend was probably Solomon Mutou, who had received advice from the revealer of that list—Hayato himself—and had previously stockpiled a batch of low-Level Normal Monsters that no one usually bought.
"Hmph, don't think that just because you beat me once, you have the qualification to be remembered by This Great One."
Both sides simultaneously drew five cards from their Decks and shouted:
"Duel!"
[Judai: 4000 LP]
[Jun Manjoume: 4000 LP]
"I'll take the First Turn, Draw Card!"
Drawing a card and looking at it, Jun Manjoume was first stunned, then burst into laughter. "Hehehehaha, to actually draw this monster on the first Turn, I'm so lucky!"
"But unfortunately, my luck is your misfortune!"
Saying this, Jun Manjoume played a card. "Activate the Effect of the Spell Card Star Blast! I pay Life Points in multiples of 500. For every 500 Life Points paid, I can decrease the Level of one Monster in my Hand or On the Field by 1 Star until the End of the Turn!"
"I will decrease this Monster's Level by 4 Stars! Therefore, I pay 2000 Life Points!" Boldly decreasing his Life Points to only half in one go, Jun Manjoume flipped over the monster he had just drawn and revealed it.
[Jun Manjoume: 4000 → 2000 LP]
"Although I don't know why this card, which I clearly gave to Hayato-nii, has appeared by my side again. But since you want to serve Mr. Manjoume so much..."
"O Giant Dragon that denies all things, clear away all obstacles before me!"
"Light and Darkness Dragon!"
Starting with a bang, at the cost of 2000 Life Points, Jun Manjoume summoned Light and Darkness Dragon, which cannot be Special Summoned, on the first Turn of the duel!
[Light and Darkness Dragon] [Level 8 → Level 4 / LIGHT]
[Dragon-Type / Effect]
[2800 / 2400]
"S-Such a powerful monster! Its Attack is a full 2800 points! To summon such a strong monster on the first Turn!" Judai Yuki was also quite surprised by the appearance of Light and Darkness Dragon, and his exclamation made Jun Manjoume feel quite pleased.
"Hmph, even if you praise me like that, I won't go easy on you in this duel." His tone was indifferent, but Jun Manjoume's smugness was written all over his face. "My Turn ends. Alright, Jellyfish Head, it's your turn."
[Jun Manjoume: 2000 LP, Hand 4]
[Light and Darkness Dragon] [ATK 2800]
"Huh? You're not setting any cards? You still have four cards in your hand." Judai Yuki said, looking a bit confused. "Also, my name is Judai Yuki, not Jellyfish Head."
"Although I don't know what that monster's effect is, I won't hesitate because of it. My turn, drawing cards!"
Drawing the card from the top of the Deck and looking at it, Judai seemed quite happy. "Alright, I drew such a strong card on the first Turn."
"I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed, I draw from my Deck—"
Judai Yuki didn't even finish speaking. The Pot of Greed had just appeared on his field, and Jun Manjoume hadn't given Light and Darkness Dragon any command, when the two-colored divine dragon flapped its black and white giant wings behind it. A chaos storm instantly turned Judai's Pot of Greed into a Shard of Greed.
"Huh? Huh?!!!"
Clearly, Judai completely failed to understand what had just happened.
"Let me answer your confusion, Jellyfish Head." Jun Manjoume said, looking triumphant. "As long as Light and Darkness Dragon is On the Field, whether it's an Effect Monster's Effect or the Activation of a Spell/Trap Card, they will all be Negated."
"Struggle to your heart's content! Anyway, no matter what kind of effort you make, it won't have an effect in front of my invincible Light and Darkness Dragon!"
Just then, the light wrapped around the wings of Light and Darkness Dragon, which had just whipped up a storm, dimmed and shattered. Its wings drooped weakly, forcing Light and Darkness Dragon to land back on the ground, its feet touching the ground.
[Light and Darkness Dragon] [2800/2400 → 2300/1900]
"Hmm? Light and Darkness Dragon's attack suddenly decreased?" Judai Yuki naturally noticed this point. Although he didn't understand what was happening again, his intuition told him this was a very key point.
He had a guess in his heart, but because it had no basis, Judai didn't immediately develop his strategy based on that guess.
"I Summon Death Stalker in Defense Position, and then Set two Set Cards in my Backrow. My Turn ends here."
He didn't have a card combination in hand sufficient to defeat Light and Darkness Dragon, so Judai Yuki felt it was better to put his monster in Defense Position first.
[Judai: 4000 LP, Hand 2]
[Death Stalker] [DEF 800]
[Set Card] X2
(End of Chapter)
## Chapter 365: Classic Spiritual Energy Absorption
"In front of This Great One, all you can do is turtle up and defend, huh? Heh heh, then I'll attack now. My Turn, Draw!"
Manjome drew a card smugly, but awkwardly discovered that the card he drew this turn was the same as the one Jaden used last turn: Pot of Greed.
Normally, Pot of Greed, which lets you draw two cards for no cost, would be a pretty good card. However, Manjome currently has Light and Darkness Dragon on the field. It's not just Jaden's cards whose activation can be sealed by Light and Darkness Dragon; Manjome's cards are the same.
"I Attack Position Summon Infernal Warrior."
Not wanting to waste a card, Manjome Summoned a Monster Card onto the field. Beside the giant black and white dragon, a fully armed warrior holding a scimitar appeared.
[Infernal Warrior] [4☆/DARK]
[Warrior-Type/Effect]
[1200/1400]
"Now, enter the Battle Phase!" Manjome excitedly raised his hand and pointed at Death Stalker in Defense Position on Jaden's field, "Go, Infernal Warrior! Attack Death Stalker!"
At the same time, Jaden, across from Manjome, Activated his Set Card in the Backrow: "Then I'll Chain to your Attack Declaration, Manjome-chan! Activate Trap Card Sakuretsu Armor!"
"This card can directly Destroy the Monster that Declared an Attack!"
"First, it's not Manjome-chan, call me Mr. Manjoume!" Jaden's somehow cute way of addressing him annoyed Manjome, who considered himself a mature adult. "Second, don't forget the Effect of Light and Darkness Dragon so quickly!"
The Set Card in Jaden's Backrow flipped open, and a dangerous red light shot towards the attacking Infernal Warrior. Just as it was about to hit, Light and Darkness Dragon, standing on the ground, turned and swung its tail. Its black and white tails whipped out like whips, instantly shattering Sakuretsu Armor and protecting Infernal Warrior.
However, at the same time, just like its wings before, the light on Light and Darkness Dragon's tails dimmed and shattered.
[Light and Darkness Dragon] [2300/1900 → 1800/1400]
Infernal Warrior's scimitar easily cut off Death Stalker's head, Destroying it and Sending it to the Graveyard. But Jaden looked at Manjome's Light and Darkness Dragon and showed a look of understanding, muttering to himself, "Oh, so that's how it is."
Manjome didn't hear Jaden's muttering. Seeing that Jaden's Monster on the field was Destroyed and Sent to the Graveyard, he couldn't help but laugh smugly: "Heh heh, heh ha ha ha, now you have no Monsters on the field! Prepare to receive This Great One's Direct Attack!"
The two-colored giant dragon opened its mouth and began to gather its attack. But looking at Light and Darkness Dragon, Jaden smiled and said to Manjome, "Manjome-chan, Light and Darkness Dragon is indeed a Monster with a pretty good Effect. But its Effect requires its Attack and Defense to decrease by 500 points, and it's a Mandatory Activation, right?"
"It's Mr. Manjoume!" He instinctively retorted, then Manjome belatedly realized that Jaden had accurately stated part of Light and Darkness Dragon's Effect. "How the heck do you know that!?"
"Huh, so it really is like that." Jaden scratched the back of his head somewhat sheepishly. "I wasn't entirely sure before, but is it really like that?"
"As for how I found out, it's because when I used Pot of Greed earlier, I didn't hear Manjome-chan give Light and Darkness Dragon any command; it just moved on its own. It's just like Slifer the Sky Dragon used by Player Marik in the Duel City Top 4!"
"Hmph, so what if you found out?" Manjome raised an eyebrow. "Light and Darkness Dragon, Direct Attack the Opponent Duelist! Twin Polar Dragon Breath!"
The two-colored dragon breath spewed from Light and Darkness Dragon's mouth, hitting Jaden, who had no Monsters on the field, in an instant. His Life Points decreased accordingly.
[Jaden: 4000 → 2700 LP]
Looking at Jaden's decreased Life Points, Manjome frowned: "That's not right. 4000 - 1800 should be 2200 points, shouldn't it?"
"Of course, it's because I Activated this card," Jaden's voice came from the opposite side of the field. Manjome looked up and saw a card in Jaden's Backrow being Destroyed by Light and Darkness Dragon and Sent to the Graveyard.
"Absorption Shield. It normally has the Effect of absorbing an Attack and converting it into my Life Points, but because of your Light and Darkness Dragon, Manjome-chan, its Effect was Negated."
Jaden's face showed a helpless expression, but then he smiled: "However, because of this, Light and Darkness Dragon's Effect was Mandatorily Activated again, decreasing its Attack and Defense by 500 points."
[Light and Darkness Dragon] [1800/1400 → 1300/900]
"Why is your Deck full of Mr. Hayato's cards?" Manjome frowned. "Hmph, even if you use Mr. Hayato's cards, it's useless. The truly powerful one isn't the card, but the Duelist! I'll finish you off Next Turn!"
In Manjome's Hand, he had a Lightning Vortex and a Blue-Eyes White Night Dragon with 3000 Attack. Next Turn, he planned to Tribute Light and Darkness Dragon and Infernal Warrior to Tribute Summon Blue-Eyes White Night Dragon, then Use Lightning Vortex to Destroy all Monsters on the field, and then Direct Attack to Deplete Jaden's Life Points.
Hmm, no matter how he thought about it, it was a super~ perfect plan! This Great One is indeed a Duel Monsters genius!
"My Turn, End Turn."
[Manjome: 2000 LP, Hand 4]
[Infernal Warrior] [ATK 1200]
[Light and Darkness Dragon] [ATK 1300]
"You're going to finish me off Next Turn? It seems, Manjome-chan, you have quite a powerful strength in your Hand." Hearing Manjome's threat, Jaden instead showed an excited smile.
"It's Mr. Manjoume!"
"What, are you already trembling with fear? But I won't accept your surrender."
Jaden shook his head: "Not at all. I just realized something, which is that I'm actually only one step away from completing the puzzle for victory. Everything depends on whether I can Draw that key card this time."
"One Draw can create a whole new future. Duel Monsters is really interesting, isn't it?" Giving Manjome a smile, Jaden Drew from his Deck. "My Turn, Draw!"
"Alright, I Drew it!" Putting the card into his Hand excitedly, Jaden Drew another card. "I Activate Spell Card Monster Reborn!"
"Hmph, I thought you were going to Use some kind of card. Muda da muda da muda da! I told you, as long as Light and Darkness Dragon exists on the field, your resistance is Muda da!"
"Roar!"
Light and Darkness Dragon swung its claws, and the Ankh symbol of Monster Reborn that had just appeared on the field was instantly torn apart. It was Sent to the Graveyard before it could Take Effect.
[Light and Darkness Dragon] [1300/900 → 800/400]
Just as Manjome was about to mock him, Jaden excitedly said, "Alright, this means my victory."
"Manjome-chan, your Light and Darkness Dragon's Defense is already less than 500 points. This means it can no longer Use its Effect, right?"
"Na, Nani?" Manjome was also stunned, only then remembering that Light and Darkness Dragon's Effect could only be Used a total of four times, and after four times, it couldn't Use its Effect anymore.
But he felt that he couldn't lose his momentum, so he retorted stubbornly: "I, I naturally know that, but so what? Can you still Summon a Monster with over 2800 Attack to defeat me in one Turn?"
"A Monster with over 2800 Attack, that's a bit too difficult," Jaden chuckled. "However, a Monster with 2300 Attack is possible."
"Set one card from my Hand. Because I only have one card left in my Hand, I can Normal Summon this Monster without Tributing!"
Hearing this familiar Effect, Manjome's eyes widened. Because he suddenly remembered that this jellyfish head had said before the Duel started that he was using a Gaia the Fierce Knight Deck?
"The Monster with this Effect is—"
"That's right! It's Mr. King of Games's early Ace Monster! Come forth, the Dark Knight riding a warhorse faster than the wind! Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight!"
On Jaden's field, the figure of Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, whose price had soared recently due to Mr. Hayato's publicity, appeared. As soon as it appeared, it spurred its warhorse and charged towards Manjome.
Jaden didn't notice that there was anything wrong with his Monster activating its Attack on its own without being given a command. He said excitedly, "Enter my Battle Phase! Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, Attack Light and Darkness Dragon! Spiral Spear Strike!"
The two-colored giant dragon, whose Attack had been reduced to only 800 points, only had the presence of a high-level Monster but lacked actual power. It was easily pierced by Gaia's spear and Destroyed, Sent to the Graveyard.
"Ugh!" Along with this Attack, Manjome felt a pain much stronger than a normal Virtual Impact. He staggered back two or three steps before standing firm.
[Manjome: 2000 → 500 LP]
"Then, in my Main Phase 2, I'll flip the card I Set earlier." Before Manjome could recover, Jaden impatiently flipped the card he had just Set in his Backrow.
"Continuous Spell Card, Psychic Feel Zone. This card's Effect is that during each player's End Phase, they can Tribute one Monster on the field and inflict damage to the opponent equal to half the Tributed Monster's Attack."
"This is the final blow, Manjome-chan!"
"It's Mr. Manjoume! Uwaaa!!!"
Manjome, who had just regained his footing, looked up and saw Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight transform into a phantom image and crash into him. He only had time to retort to Jaden before being hit by Gaia.
In the instant before being hit, Manjome vaguely saw a blurry humanoid figure with wings on its back next to Jaden.