Morning sunlight lit up the island. Standing by the window, Kisaragi watched the glittering ocean stretching to the horizon.
"So it's finally this day…" she murmured, gripping her deck. "I came to this world just wanting to duel for fun… but I never thought I'd end up dueling for someone's sake. Kaiba…"
Knock, knock.
The sound snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Come in!"
"Morning!" Yugi and the others filed into the room.
"Good morning, everyone," Kisaragi said with a smile.
"Looks like you're back to normal," Yugi said. "Yesterday you had us all worried."
"Sorry for making you worry," Kisaragi said apologetically.
"What's there to apologize for?" Jounouchi grinned. "Let's go to the arena together. From here on out, we fight with everything we've got!"
Kisaragi nodded and went with them toward the dueling venue.
When they reached a fork in the corridor, Honda, Bakura, and Anzu stopped.
"Yugi, Jounouchi, Kisaragi—we'll head upstairs and cheer you on," Honda said.
"Good luck, all three of you!" Anzu added.
"Yeah!" The three of them nodded, then stepped into the competitors-only elevator.
Mai and Bandit Keith were already waiting inside.
"I've been waiting," Mai said. "Yugi—let's have a good duel today."
"Yeah," Yugi replied.
Keith's eyes shifted to Kisaragi.
"Today, I'm going to give you exactly what you want—let you experience the darkness of the Duel Monsters world."
"Before that," Kisaragi said coldly, "I'll send you to hell first."
"Tch. Sharp-tongued brat," Keith spat.
The elevator descended slowly, then the doors opened.
"Duelists," a staff member announced, "thank you for waiting. Please enter the dueling arena."
The five stepped out. Directly ahead stood a single chair. Pegasus appeared with two bodyguards, stopping beside it. Each duelist's expression changed in their own way at the sight of him.
"Welcome, spirited duelists, to this sacred battleground!" Pegasus proclaimed. "Today, the Duelist Kingdom elimination round will officially begin!"
"The champion will receive an extremely generous cash prize!"
If I get that money… I can pay to fix Shizuka's eyes, Jounouchi thought.
"And the champion will also earn the right to challenge me!"
"Hey, Pegasus—can I ask something?" Honda called out. "If someone beats you, what do they get?"
"If you defeat me—the father of Duel Monsters—you will be granted the title of the First Duel King." Pegasus spread his arms theatrically. "Proof, recognized by the world, that you are the number one duelist!"
"Recognized by the world… number one…" Mai murmured. The five duelists all looked different now—each chasing something of their own.
"For all of you," Pegasus continued, "this honor is surely even more desirable than the money… isn't it?"
"Heh. Sounds fun," Bandit Keith said.
"Now then," Pegasus said smoothly, "which of you will fight through this elimination round—and earn the right to challenge me?"
Pegasus… I will defeat you, Kisaragi vowed, images of Kaiba and Mokuba flashing through her mind. In Yugi's mind, it was his grandfather, Sugoroku.
At that moment, the gray-haired steward stepped forward, and Pegasus seated himself in the chair.
"Then we will begin immediately. The first duel of the elimination round: Kisaragi Aoi vs. Keith Howard. Duelists, take your places!"
Kisaragi and Keith climbed onto the duel machines, facing each other head-on.
"Please present your entry cards!" the steward ordered.
Kisaragi held up 'Glory of the King's Left Hand.'
Keith produced 'Glory of the King's Right Hand.'
"Very good."
"Kisaragi, you've got this!" Anzu shouted from above.
"I'm not worried," Honda said confidently. "I can practically see the outcome already."
"Bandit Keith is seriously unlucky—running into Kisaragi in round one," Mai said as she walked over, a chill running through her as she recalled her previous duel with Kisaragi.
"Yugi, Jounouchi, Mai!" Anzu called out.
"Heh, the view's better from here," Jounouchi said.
"I wonder what strategy Kisaragi will use this time," Yugi said. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Then," the steward declared, "Round One: Kisaragi Aoi vs. Keith Howard—DUEL!"
"DUEL!" ×2
Kisaragi Aoi LP: 4000
Keith Howard LP: 4000
"Keith—going first means I'm taking you down immediately!"
"My turn—draw!"
"I activate the spell Pot of Greed! I draw two cards!"
"Next, I normal summon Flame Princess in attack position!"
A burst of fire rose on Kisaragi's field, and a girl stepped out of the flames.
Flame Princess (1300/1500)
"Then I activate the continuous spell Soul Absorption! As long as this card is on the field, every time a card is banished, I gain 500 Life Points!"
"That opening…" Mai's eyes widened, recognizing it.
"Yeah," Yami Yugi said. "It's Floowandereeze."
"I activate the Quick-Play spell Floowandereeze and the Advent of Adventure!" Kisaragi declared. "I can banish one Winged Beast from my hand or face-up field to add either one Floowandereeze monster or one Floowandereeze Field Spell from my deck to my hand—then I gain 500 Life Points!"
"I banish Floowandereeze × Ostrich from my hand, add Floowandereeze and the Magnificent Map to my hand—then I gain 500 Life Points!"
Kisaragi Aoi LP: 4000 → 4500
"At that moment," Kisaragi said sharply, "I activate Flame Princess's effect! Every time I gain Life Points, you take 500 damage!"
"What?!" Keith barked.
Flame Princess raised her staff and blasted Keith with a fireball.
Keith Howard LP: 4000 → 3500
"And since I just banished a monster," Kisaragi continued, "Soul Absorption restores another 500 Life Points—and then Flame Princess burns you for another 500!"
Kisaragi Aoi LP: 4500 → 5000
Keith Howard LP: 3500 → 3000
"Not only is she restoring Life Points through the synergy between Soul Absorption and Floowandereeze…" Yami Yugi said in astonishment, "she's also steadily draining the opponent with Flame Princess. That's terrifying."
"Does that mean… when she dueled me, she still wasn't going all out?" Mai's irritation surfaced for a heartbeat—then she exhaled and let it go.
Up on the platform, Pegasus clapped slowly.
"How interesting. I assumed Miss Kisaragi had already pushed her Floowandereeze deck to its limit when she dueled Mai… but it seems we've only seen the beginning."
Kisaragi's eyes narrowed.
"Bandit Keith—this is the price of running your mouth. Don't worry… I won't let you lose quickly."
…
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
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