Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

[Hayato: 2000LP → 1500LP]

"At this moment, because my base score has changed, the effect of [Gigantification] needs to be judged based on the base score comparison. Since 1500 is less than 2000, the effect of [Gigantification] will double the attack power of [Atolis]!"

【Paladin Artorias】【ATK1800→3600】

"The target is a Disruption Token with 1000 Defense. Because of the effect of [Meteor Strike], when attacking a Defense Position monster, it can be inflicted with the [Atoris] Pierce effect. Take this 2600 Life Points!"

Under the trembling gaze of [Disruption Black], the invisible [Atoris] engaged in battle with it. The [Atoris], whose size had doubled, raised the equally gigantic greatsword in its hand and forcefully stabbed down at [Disruption Black], who was no bigger than its toes.

[Latchee: 2000LP→0]

"Oh my, what an interesting duel." Hayato said sarcastically as he calmly began to arrange the cards on the table, looking up at Lucky, whose face had turned pale from losing the duel, and at the revolver that Lucky had once again raised to restrain his forehead.

"Losing the duel, so you're getting angry? Your mental fortitude isn't all that great, is it?" Despite knowing he was being held at gunpoint, Hayato acted as if he didn't see it, continuing to tidy up the scattered cards on the table. "Are you going to shoot, Mr. Unlucky? Oh no, you seem to be having a bit of bad luck right now, Mr. Unlucky."

"Shut up, you brat! I don't want to waste bullets on a brat like you!" With a sullen, grim face, Lucky hissed, "Give me your bank card PIN, and hand over that [Gigantification]!"

Chapter 30 Yours is male, it won't work against mine, which is female.

"Hey, while Duel Monsters is indeed a trading card game and does have rules for trading cards, I remember Mr. Lucky, you were the one who lost, right?" Hayato glanced at the yard seemingly casually, then stretched.

"Kid, let me teach you a rule of the adult world today." Lucky grinned and brandished the revolver in his hand. "The world is reasonable, but might makes right."

“Mr. Lucky, your fist isn’t that big either?” Hayato raised his hand, clenched his fist, and compared his fist to Lucky’s fist from a distance. “It’s about the same size as mine.”

"Idiot, I have a gun, a gun!" Lucky was a little annoyed. This kid in front of him was sometimes incredibly smart and sometimes incredibly stupid. He was a real puzzle. "A gun is the biggest fist."

"Is a gun the biggest fist?"

Upon hearing Lucky's words, Hayato chuckled lightly, making no attempt to hide it from Lucky. He lifted his shirt and pulled out a white object from his waistband: "It's like nobody doesn't have a gun."

"What is this thing?"

Hayato looked down and quickly said, "Oh, sorry, I pressed down a little crookedly when I sat down. I'll straighten it."

Hayato picked up the white thing and fiddled with it a few times. The part that had been crumpled up was unfolded again, revealing the paper gun he had folded back in school.

"You idiot, are you kidding me!?"

Hayato quickly waved his hand: "Hey~ how did I mess with you? I was being very serious. This gun of mine is special. Your gun is male, and mine is female. Male guns don't work when they meet female guns."

"Nonsense, shouldn't it only work when a female meets a male?"

“I think you don’t understand at all, Mr. Lucky.”

"Understand? Understand what?"

"Where can you find a gentle woman in today's society who lets a man take the lead? This era is all about individuality, and women are all awakening to independent thinking." Probably, although some have gone too far and started boxing. "In a few years, there will definitely be no shortage of men who are afraid of their wives among the next generation of young people who get married."

"That makes sense. I've met several guys who say they're not afraid of their wives, but the moment they get a call from their wives, they rush home like their lives depend on it. Maybe they really are male... wait, I almost got tricked by you, you bastard. Guns don't have male or female versions!"

"Tch, almost there."

"I heard you!"

Seeing that Lucky was getting agitated, Hayato quickly said, "Let me put it another way. The gun you have is a Japanese-made police revolver, and the one I have is an American-made Smith & Wesson M1917. Yours is the son, and mine is the father. The son won't dare to utter a sound when he sees his father."

Yes, he dared not fart, because that son directly dumped sewage.

"...So you're a madman after all?" Looking at Hayato talking so confidently in front of him, Lucky glanced at the gun in his hand with some doubt, unsure if it was a real gun or not. Could it be a toy gun? Otherwise, why wasn't this kid scared at all?

“I’m not crazy, I’m perfectly normal,” Hayato retorted. “You probably think this pistol of mine is fake, right? You better stand still, I’m going to shoot you.”

"Hmph, if that paper gun in your hand can fire bullets, I'll change my surname to yours." Lucky looked at Hayato raising his gun and aiming it at him with disdain, but didn't fire. He just smiled and watched to see what tricks Hayato could pull.

"Shoot?"

To everyone's surprise, Hayato raised the paper gun in his hand, frowned, and said, "No way, there's our TV behind you. What if I shoot it and break it? I want to watch the Duel Monsters Tournament recording. Move over a bit."

"You're not quite right in the head, but you've got a lot of trouble." Lucky took an impatient step and stood in front of the glass door leading to the yard. "Let me tell you this first, kid, if you can't fire a bullet, I'm going to fire. I didn't want to kill anyone in the first place."

"Don't worry, Mr. Lucky."

Hayato raised the paper gun he was holding again, pretending to aim. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he said, "Oh, right, Mr. Kobayashi Lackey, my bank card PIN is 030221, don't forget it~"

Before Lucky could react, he raised the muzzle of his paper gun as if he had fired a shot, and made a "bang" sound.

"puff!"

"Crack!"

"thump!"

Seeing that Lucky had been completely distracted by him and hadn't noticed the snipers who had quietly appeared on the opposite building, and didn't even know how he died, Hayato forced himself to swallow his deck and took it from him: "You want to steal my cards, so it's fair that I steal your deck too, right? After all, I'm under a lot of pressure too."

————Police help clean the floor————

That's how things were back then.

The group of gamers gathered around Hayato's seat, listening intently as he recounted the events of the previous night.

"Hayato, you're amazing!" Jonouchi exclaimed admiringly. "To be able to calmly stall for time even when faced with a criminal holding a gun. If it were me, I would have been sitting on the ground, unable to get up by now."

Oh, not at all. You're being too modest when it comes to willpower, Jonouchi. Not everyone can withstand the power of the sun god.

"And for Hayato to be able to put on such a wonderful match under those conditions is truly amazing," Yugi exclaimed, looking at the game recreated on Hayato's desk.

Kyoko, however, seemed a little puzzled: "But Hayato's [Gigantification] seems a bit different from the one we saw at the game house the day before yesterday?"

“Because International Mirage occasionally releases Duel Monster cards with the same name but different artwork and even effects. For example, I have a black version of the card ‘Dark Magician’ and another red version,” Yugi explained to Anzu. “I also have a ‘Magic Cylinder’ with a different effect from other cards. I think Hayato’s ‘Gigantify’ card is the same.”

"I see."

Honda nodded: "I didn't expect you to have gone through so much last night, Hayato. It was quite a thrilling story, except for that paper gun at the end, which took me out of the story a bit."

"Huh? I think the climax of the story was when I was holding the American-made Smith & Wesson M1917."

"That's not it!"

"Honda, you're so annoying! Have you decided when to confess your feelings?"

Honda fell silent.

Chapter 31 Confessions and Interviews: Hidden Turbulence Beneath the Ordinary

Hayato learned from the game that yesterday afternoon, the group of them had gathered together and thought for a long time, but they still couldn't come up with a confession that would satisfy everyone.

The game's message was: "I like you, little ribbon, please go out with me!"

Others criticized him for being too direct.

Honda's idea was: "Nosaka-san, I've liked you for a very, very long time. You're the only one in my eyes. I can't live without you. Please be with me!"

Others criticized him for looking like a criminal in reserve.

Kyoko's idea was: "Dear Miho-chan, if you are a pen, I would be your pen cap; if you are a sword, I would be your scabbard; if you are a lamp, I would be your lampshade."

Others criticized him for being long-winded and not understanding anything, and Jonouchi added, "Why are they all stabbed?"

As for Jonouchi, he couldn't come up with anything; he was too busy complaining yesterday.

To this day, Honda hasn't written a single word on that pure white puzzle piece. And the school festival is just a few days away. If Nosaka Miho accepts Manjoume Seiji's confession then, Honda might regret it for the rest of his life.

“That’s true, but I’m not exactly a writer of love letters.” Hayato rested his chin on his hand. “Unless you want to write something like ‘The gathered wishes will become the shining stars of new life, turning into a path of radiant light’ or ‘The king’s might will descend here, behold the power that shakes heaven and earth’ in the puzzle, I can come up with dozens of such cheesy lines for you.”

“We already know about this.” Although he can’t write love letters, Jonouchi is quite good at making sarcastic remarks. “No normal person has as many tamashi as you. They’re almost crushed to pieces.”

"Let me make this clear first, this is my skill level, so don't expect too much." After thinking for a moment, Hayato explained the situation beforehand and began to write in his notebook.

"At least he's better than Jonouchi, who can't even squeeze out a period." Hayato is Honda's last hope. While indicating that his current requirements are not high, Honda did not forget to make a sarcastic remark about Jonouchi, "I really don't know who will be with him in the future."

After quickly finishing writing, Hayato turned his notebook around to face Honda.

"What did you write?"

The group bent down to see what kind of confession lines Hayato had come up with.

"Being unable to let go is one of the root causes of life's suffering, especially in love. I can't imagine a future without you. Every day I see you is a sunny day. Without you, my life would lose its luster. Please go out with me, Nosaka Miho!"

Kyoko softly read the words from the notebook, looking at Hayato with surprise: "Isn't this written wonderfully? Hayato, are you perhaps a hidden master of romance?"

"Don't flatter me. Just hearing you read the sentences aloud makes me incredibly embarrassed, let alone actually talking about dating." Hayato rarely showed a shy expression. "I used a quote from an ancient Roman named Seneca in this sentence because I feel that 'Little Ribbon' is probably a literary girl, and maybe she would like this kind of artistic style."

"Actually, Honda thought the same thing, but what Honda ended up writing was basically a criminal declaration. Hayato, what you wrote is much better than what Honda wrote." Jonouchi patted Honda on the shoulder and laughed heartily.

"I've decided to write yours, Hayato! May the great god Okuninushi bless me and make my confession a success!" With his hands clasped together, Honda bowed devoutly to the window as if praying to the gods for blessings, and wrote the confession lines provided by Hayato on the puzzle as beautifully as possible with his best efforts.

"All we have to do now is send the puzzle out and leave it to fate." After asking Kyoko to pack the scrambled puzzle pieces and tie a ribbon in them, Honda started to hesitate again about how to send them. "Or, should I just leave them at her house?"

"Honda, you even scouted out their home address?" Hayato asked, looking surprised.

"Don't make it sound like I'm about to commit a crime!" Honda complained, but after Hayato's reminder, he felt that delivering the goods to someone's home might not be appropriate.

"Why don't you give the gift to her in person, Honda?"

“If it were really possible, Honda wouldn’t have needed to come up with an idea like ‘emotional puzzles’,” Jonouchi rejected the game proposal.

"How about we secretly put the puzzle in Nosaka's desk when no one's around? After all, Honda's signature is on the puzzle." Kyoko came up with a good idea, and the others all agreed. They decided to do it after school today, with Honda carrying it out.

————The burning passion in a young man————

The day passed quickly. The daily routine at school was both monotonous and fulfilling, and soon it was time to go home.

When the bell rang, the students gathered their homework to take home and left the classroom in small groups. Soon, only a few students remained.

Because of the punishment, Jonouchi had to go find his good partner, the cleaning lady. Yugi and Kyoko left the school, leaving only Honda, who was waiting to be the last to leave the classroom so he could slip his confession gift to her, and Hayato, who was called to the principal's office.

Although his homeroom teacher hadn't notified him, Hayato didn't need to think to guess why the principal wanted to see him.

As expected, in the principal's office, Hayato not only met the principal, who rarely appeared in front of students, and his homeroom teacher, but also a reporter with a microphone and several video cameras.

Last night, Hayato encountered the escaped prisoner, Lucky. Because it happened so late, it didn't make the headlines this morning. However, the police did promptly announce that a "helpful citizen" assisted in the "capture" of the escaped prisoner, but because the escaped prisoner fiercely resisted, the police were forced to shoot and kill him.

But precisely because they missed the morning headlines, the news media had ample time to prepare for interviews with the "enthusiastic citizen." Especially after discovering that the person assisting the police was actually the child of a diplomat, the media couldn't suppress their writing urges and were eager to create a 2000-word reading comprehension exercise based on the photos released by the police.

After learning that the "helpful citizen" was actually a student of their own school, the school enthusiastically cooperated with media interview requests. They not only found several students from other classes with connections to act as Hayato's classmates, but also arranged for several teachers Hayato had barely met to be portrayed as "heroic teachers."

Of course, how could the principal possibly let such a great opportunity to promote the school pass by?

The interview itself was uneventful, mostly consisting of expressions of gratitude for the school's nurturing, and the questions were all pre-arranged. What's noteworthy is that it seems the principal used resources he had previously acquired from the director Hayato had beaten up.

Even the director himself shamelessly came over and took a friendly photo with Hayato, as if he didn't know Hayato at all. For the sake of popularity and fame, he was willing to put aside hatred. Hayato couldn't help but marvel at how shameless this director was; he was sure to achieve great things in the future.