Chapter 123: This Card Wants to Go to You
As AI Yugi Mutou dispersed in light, at the final instant, Amano Rei seemed to experience some kind of hallucination.
He seemed to see Yugi Mutou give him a thumbs up within the light.
Vaguely, Amano Rei developed an unrealistic suspicion.
This AI—was it truly just AI?
Mizuki excitedly shouted in the stream room: "Family, we won! With our faith's support, Amano-bro defeated Kaiba Corporation's T30 AI!"
This little girl didn't forget to specially emphasize to stream viewers this was T30 AI. Afraid people might forget Kaiba Corporation's AI levels had bugs, huh?
Playing easy AI nearly exhausted Amano Rei to death.
But as debut battle, what should've been boring-to-death easy AI stream suddenly transformed into passion-filled daylight-player versus underworld-deck battle—stream room numbers reached 150,000.
Undoubtedly, premiere broadcast was unprecedentedly successful.
Once Mizuki edited this stream footage into video, combined with her magically-charged commentary, would probably become another ten-million-view work.
Then could earn a wave of money from video revenue.
Of course compared to awaited video revenue, streaming card games had another benefit.
Namely, receiving gifts brushed by viewers in real-time during streams.
During the duel after screen-filling [[Raise hands \(≧▽≦)/]] floated past, Amano Rei summoned Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon claiming victory—stream barrage completely exploded.
[[What did I just see—Kaiba Corporation President's ace monster?!]]
[[As expected, the real person who beat Kaiba Chiha—the fourth Blue-Eyes White Dragon is in his hands!]]
[[That final turn development was so strong—I've never seen such absurd reversal!]]
[[Too amazing! Just winning duel in one turn means no fear of Card of Demise's drawback after five turns!]]
[[Watching made my blood boil—exactly how to punish underworld card-playing AI.]]
[[So this AI definitely has problems, brothers follow me storm Kaiba Corporation's official website!]]
[[Even beating bug AI—streamer deserves my gifts!]]
[User "Pot of Greed Banished Wife" donated 1 Fireworks Show]
[User "Normal Summon Mezuki" donated 1 Beer]
[User "Draw Power SSR Certified" donated 1 Porsche]
[...]
Full-screen gift effects made Mizuki's eyes dazzle.
Streaming this long, this was her first time receiving so many gifts in stream room.
"Thanks Reverse Smoking's donation, thanks God Draw Dog Association's donation..."
Mizuki kept thanking gifts, but one person truly couldn't thank them all—simply pulled everyone together.
After all, this was also Amano Rei's stream. Viewers gifting her—Amano Rei thanking them was natural.
Rin Seiya questioningly pointed at herself: "I also need to thank... eh eh, thanks 'Loves Witch White-Stocking Little Feet' for donating warm socks! What kind of ID is this?"
Though mouth expressed confusion, Rin Seiya's body was honest—watching full-screen gifts, she also joined thanking together.
"Thanks 'Twenty-Year-Old Wants to Sleep with Childhood Friend' for donating yacht." Nanki'in Sakuya didn't even have confusion, followed along expressionlessly reading stream room's bizarre IDs. A contrasting-cuteness feeling made stream gifts brush even faster.
[[Stream room actually hides two super beautiful girl support staff?]]
[[You'd come out earlier—I'd have started brushing long ago!]]
[[I want to watch beautiful girls play cards—name your price~]]
"Oh my, oh my, Amano-bro, I just checked backend data." Mizuki quietly said excitedly. "Just today's one stream—gift revenue reached 10,000!"
10,000 gift revenue—even after platform's 60-40 split, her side could get 4000.
And watching stream room's currently colorfully dazzling gift effects—completely no rhythm of stopping, estimated could earn even more.
Yet next second, these colorfully small gift effects were all covered by one single screen-filling domineering large effect.
[Supreme User "Kaiba Chiaki" donated Super Carnival ×99]
"Th-this is—Super Carnival!" Mizuki's legs went weak, kneeling on floor.
Super Carnival—Bili Bili stream room's highest-value gift, 10,000 each.
And Kaiba Chiaki with big wave of hand, consecutively brushed 99.
Meaning...
"O-o-o-one million!" Kneeling on ground Mizuki was already stuttering speechless.
Kaiba Chiaki's donated 990,000, plus other miscellaneous 18,000+ donations, truly reached one million revenue.
After split, could get 400,000.
Amano Rei's several years' living expenses no longer needed worry—could even use money to buy some powerful cards at Eva market.
Mizuki directly prostrated herself: "Thank you, thank you Boss Kaiba Chiaki for reward, I'll kowtow to you."
What Amano Rei didn't expect was Kaiba Chiaki would actually donate to Mizuki's stream room.
After all, stream barrage rhythm earlier was all unfavorable to Kaiba Corporation. Thinking Kaiba Corporation's launched AI duel had bugs, deck too underhanded, absolutely didn't want to touch it.
But watching following barrage rhythm, Amano Rei felt he was still too young.
[[Kaiba Corporation truly big handwriting!]]
[[So President Kaiba was also watching this duel.]]
[[Donating this much—compensation to streamer? Should be admitting their AI has problems.]]
[[990,000 compensation? I want it too—had I known I'd go fight this bug AI!]]
[[Family who understands—discovered one bug rewards 990,000, then I also want to stream fighting AI!]]
[[I take back earlier slander. You know—I've always been Kaiba Corporation's loyal supporter.]]
Stream room's rhythm atmosphere—with Kaiba Chiaki's heaven-defying 990,000 donation, instantly changed direction.
Even quite a few people started bootlicking female President.
This was genuine money power.
Truly worthy of you—woman with "billion" in her name.
President's office inside, after brushing gifts Kaiba Chiaki's slender fingers left operation screen, watching barrage's calming rhythm, tightly-furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
Just spending 990,000 to quell rhythm that might impact corporation stock price—actually very cost-effective.
But President Kaiba Chiaki could guess—behind this matter definitely had other hidden circumstances. AI system couldn't inexplicably mix up T30 difficulty with T2 difficulty in one stream. Had to investigate who tampered.
Business rival? Internal spy? Or those within-Tower century-old family power-grabbers?
Regardless, anyone wanting to attack Kaiba Corporation through such methods must pay heavy price!
But one more point made Kaiba Chiaki extremely concerned.
Exiting stream room, Kaiba Chiaki opened system's internal data playback.
This data playback differed from stream playback—was AI system's built-in playback function, requiring Kaiba Corporation authority to use.
Its difference from stream playback—stream perspective only fixed on stream-recorded footage, couldn't see other angles clearly.
But data playback could freely select duel perspective for playback viewing.
Kaiba Chiaki dragged progress bar to the end.
She always felt AI Yugi Mutou's expression after final Kuribandit draw was very strange.
Though smiling expression, yet completely different from AI's preset smile—giving Kaiba Chiaki a feeling of soulful living person.
Kaiba Chiaki's intuition told her—possibly everything's cause stemmed from that final drawn card.
After dragging progress bar, enlarging perspective screen until clearly presenting AI Yugi Mutou's final-moment draw in the frame.
This instant, Kaiba Chiaki's tightly-staring dark purple pupils rapidly contracted.
"This card is..."
Completely different from other normal Duel Monsters cards—its unique card surface seemed declaring its position standing at myriad duel spirits' apex.
Within crimson card surface, clearly presented divine form.
One of legendary three God Cards—Slifer the Sky Dragon.
"AI data would have this kind of card?"
AI data brought back from external Tower exploration by Kaiba Corporation—though highly compatible with Kaiba Corporation's programs, plug-and-play.
But with Kaiba Corporation's current talent technical capability, still couldn't decrypt all contents from this three-thousand-year-old data.
T3 and higher AI's used deck cards were all highly encrypted, even restricted to one person one challenge per day.
This was also why Kaiba Corporation quietly launched AI battles—under testing name, opening to all duelists on network.
Since one person could only challenge once daily, then thousand people could challenge thousand times.
Using Eva network to capture massive data from countless AI battle sessions as support point—perhaps could decrypt encrypted deck contents within data.
Even if couldn't completely decrypt, borrowing entire Eden's dueling experts' hands to clear AI duels completely was enough to see decks hidden in high-level AI hands.
Just what Kaiba Chiaki never expected—the secret hidden in high-level AI decks.
"Actually God Card cards?"
Thinking here, Kaiba Chiaki's delicate brow slightly furrowed again.
"Then why didn't AI summon at final moment?"
If AI Yugi Mutou's final-moment draw was card Slifer the Sky Dragon, just Special Summoning in Defense Position to block Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's third attack—this duel's victory was uncertain.
Unable to summon, or other reasons?
Kaiba Chiaki distressedly rubbed temples.
Recently occurring events were all too incomprehensible.
Originally after returning from external exploration, Kaiba Chiaki planned to spend relaxing leisurely academy life.
Result—first moment returning, learned own sister caused trouble making corporation stock price plummet.
Afterward, another series of events.
But this entire series of events all related to that person.
—Amano Rei.
All these incomprehensible variables—final spearhead all pointed toward that man from bottom-district 32 slums.
"President, President!"
At this time, Kurosaki's anxious voice transmitted from President office's dedicated communication device.
"Speak if matters."
"That, you just asked me to investigate stream room AI level bug—I've already traced it."
"Oh, this fast—Kurosaki, when did your efficiency get so high? Seems I should consider raising your salary."
Cold sweat dripped from Kurosaki's forehead.
Could it not be high?
You know your house is haunted?
Kurosaki originally assembled investigation team, planning to start from tech department, using hacker intrusion or virus planting as investigation direction for thorough investigation.
Result—just asking tech department, they said Second Miss Kaiba Chiha ordered it.
Still investigate what—directly report.
But Kurosaki knew—reporting this matter up, own President would definitely rage, then Second Miss's outcome would certainly be quite miserable.
Just as Kurosaki was agonizing over what attitude to use for reporting to reduce President's fury and minimize Second Miss's punishment.
Kurosaki's side received second message needing reporting.
Could only say—came just in time.
"President, one more matter."
"Why report halfway then suddenly switch to other things. Kurosaki, I praised you for nothing."
"I think this matter President would be more interested in. The Amano Rei sample data you asked me to test yesterday—laboratory report has come out."
"Send it over!"
Kaiba Chiaki was just thinking about Amano Rei—data about Amano Rei immediately came out.
Truly just in time—like fate's arrangement perfectly coincidental.
At same time, Mizuki's club room inside—after ending stream gift-thanking session, everyone collapsed exhausted on sofa with dry mouths and parched throats.
This felt more tiring than playing cards!
Thanking gifts for full half-hour before finding chance to officially end stream.
Noon revenue totaled 1,008,000—of which 990,000 was Kaiba Chiaki's contribution, 18,000 was random viewer donations.
Even discarding that 990,000, one noon's 18,000 revenue was sufficiently astonishing.
But that 990,000 absolutely couldn't be discarded—that was 990,000 donation, enough for Amano Rei to live extravagantly in mid-tier district for quite a while.
"S-so tired~" Rin Seiya stuck out somewhat stiff little tongue, trying to move it several times.
"Mizuki-kouhai, if you don't treat senpai to lunch today, I'll post on social media saying you're stingy brat."
"Eat, must eat, eat the best!"
Already buried in money fantasies, Mizuki's pupils nearly turned into $_$ shape.
Distance from lunch break ending still half-hour—honestly Amano Rei was also hungry.
Though before coming supplemented half-block Nanki'in's leftover bread, had to say—battling Yugi Mutou's intensity was too high, half-block bread's energy long consumed.
"Without further ado, depart now." Mizuki beckoned everyone.
Officially ending stream, Amano Rei finally had time to organize Duel Disk, removing deck from Duel Disk.
Yet just as Amano Rei organized Duel Disk, discovered his banish zone surprisingly had one card.
Strange—he remembered this duel, he seemingly didn't banish any cards.
Then what would the banished zone card be?
Curiously, Amano Rei pulled that card from Duel Disk, flipping card surface to look.
[Kuribandit]
"???"
Amano Rei full of question marks.
This card—wasn't it the card AI Yugi Mutou banished at final moment?
Why would it be in his Duel Disk?
****
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