Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Chapter 32: Could Xia Di's hairstyle under her headscarf be bald?

"Hayato, you truly are a young hero." After seeing off the students, teachers, director, and interview crew who had successfully capitalized on Hayato's popularity, the principal mysteriously kept Hayato behind, seemingly wanting to say something to him.

However, he didn't get straight to the point. Instead, after the interview ended, he continued to exchange pleasantries with him, skillfully engaging in mutual business compliments.

"I owe it all to the school for nurturing me. Without the teachers' education, how could I be where I am today?" Hayato replied with a forced smile, but he didn't intend to continue beating around the bush with the principal. "But Principal, you didn't keep me behind just because you think I'm handsome and want to look at me a little longer, did you?"

“There’s a reason I called you over, Hayato.” The principal still had that mysterious smile on his face. “It’s because a very important person has entrusted me with something to give to you.”

"Big man?"

Hayato was puzzled as he watched the principal, who looked remarkably like Gabe Newell, struggle to bend down and take out a rather large box from his desk drawer, placing it in front of Hayato.

"This box is something someone asked me to give you, but they emphasized that only you can open it, so I don't know what's inside." The principal pushed the box toward Hayato. "Remember to open it after you get home, Hayato. That was one of their requirements."

"May I ask who that 'other party' is?"

The principal shook his head: "I can't tell you, it's their request. But he said you'll know once you open the box."

Seeing that the principal was surprisingly tight-lipped, Hayato didn't press the matter further and simply picked up the suitcase by the handle. The suitcase was surprisingly light.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head home now, Headmaster?"

"Okay, go ahead, Hayato, be careful on your way~" The principal's expression remained unchanged.

It continued until Hayato walked out of the principal's office and closed the door.

The closing door seemed like a switched switch; the principal's face suddenly became somewhat dazed, as if he had drifted off into thought. His hands, which had been resting on the table, fell to his sides, and with a chest-expanding motion, a button on the front of his suit jacket popped off, revealing his chest.

If Hayato were still here, he would be extremely surprised, because on the principal's chest, there is a faintly glowing Eye of Sycamore from ancient Egypt. In ancient Egyptian culture, this symbol represents punishment, but in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, this eye can also represent something else—the symbol of the "Dark Games"!

Somewhere unknown, a man dressed in Egyptian attire, with a white turban and a long white robe, opened his bluish-gray eyes and murmured to himself, "The being called Hayato, who is he, who is he, the one who is simultaneously entwined with the aura of the Pharaoh and Prana?"

"Hopefully, this won't become a variable in Pharaoh's return to the underworld..." The man's voice, along with his figure, was gradually swallowed by the void and disappeared.

————The Mastermind————

"Hey, what's inside the box?" After leaving the school, as soon as the number of people around had decreased, [Disruption Yellow] climbed onto the box that Hayato was carrying and curiously tapped on the outside of the box, wanting to find out what was inside.

"Alright, you have nine sentences left to speak today."

"Huh? Why do I have to calculate even when I'm asking a question? Alright~"

"8."

"I'll shut up!"

"7."

Counting down to "7", seeing that [Disruption·Huang] had indeed obediently shut his mouth, Hayato explained this time: "You all heard it when we were in the office earlier, that some guy, I don't know who, asked the principal to give it to me."

"Although the principal has been acting strange ever since the interview ended today, there's one thing I'm sure of: I'd better do exactly what that mysterious person said and open the box when I get home." Hayato paused here. "However, I plan to go see Yugi and the others first. I have a game planned with Jonouchi today."

"How could that guy, who's no different from a mortal monster, possibly be a match for Annie!"

"Ani-gei is the strongest, Ani-gei is the best~"

[Disruption Green] and [Disruption Black] also climbed onto the suitcase to join in the fun.

"You two have nine chances to speak left today. Don't forget, whoever speaks the fewest times will be my punching bag in the next duel," Hayato "kindly" reminded them. The disruptive brothers, who were just about to start arguing, immediately quieted down obediently.

As Hayato approached the vicinity of the game's house, he saw the "GAME" sign of Kameji Game House in the distance, but he sensed something was amiss.

The sky was getting a little dark. Usually, by this time, the old man who ran the shop would have already turned on the signboard light; he wasn't the kind of old man who was stingy and reluctant to turn on the lights at night. But today, why wasn't the "GAME" sign at Guiji Game House lit up?

Even when I was almost at the shop entrance, there wasn't a sound coming from inside, as if no one was home.

Hayato quickly walked to the door of the game room, pushed the closed door, but it didn't budge; clearly, the door was locked.

Isn't that strange? Putting aside Grandpa Sugoroku, I had arranged to meet Yugi and the others here today. Even if Jonouchi left a little late today, Yugi and Kyoko should still be here, right?

Something must have happened!

Without realizing it, Hayato thought of Sugoroku's amazing "thousand-year hostage" constitution, where he would be kidnapped whenever something big happened, which was almost comparable to Ayumi from the Detective Boys in the next movie.

With a direction of suspicion in mind, and considering the timing, it seems like it's about time for Shrimp Dumpling to kidnap Old Man Sugoroku for a card-gambling duel, right?

Turning his head to look at the towering Kaiba Corporation building that could be seen from anywhere in Domino City, Hayato couldn't help but smile wryly: "Looks like I'll have to play the role of Runner today. Hopefully, I'll make it in time."

I vaguely remember that Muto Sugoroku agreed to the duel in order to awaken Kaiba's misguided heart, thanks to his powerful draw ability, meticulous dueling skills, and perfect deck composition.

Then, just as the duel began, he was so frightened by the virtual image of the Duel Monster that he had a heart attack and lost the match.

Therefore, besides troublesome women and perfect hands, a duelist's greatest enemies are also heart problems. Not only Muto Sugoroku, but also another trash duelist in the future who likes to make whooshing noises, tells people not to blink, and struggles even when at full health, lost a victory that was within his grasp due to heart problems.

Chapter 33 [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] is now a collector's item.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Haima Group, Yugi and Kyoko, feeling tense, had just stepped out of the elevator when they saw Muto Sugoroku lying face down on the cold floor, his face deathly pale.

"Chicken sauce!" After returning home, Yugi didn't see his grandfather, Sugoroku. He only saw the empty Kamekichi Game House, which wasn't even locked. Immediately afterward, he received a call from Kaiba. "Your grandfather is with me. Could you please come to my company to pick him up?" Yugi immediately rushed to Kaiba Group.

But as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw her beloved grandfather in such a miserable state.

"Grandpa, cheer up!"

Hearing his grandson's voice, Muto Sugoroku barely mustered his strength and looked up at the game before him: "Yu-Yu..." He was covered in sweat, his words broken and in terrible condition, "...I'm sorry...I originally intended to teach the card's spirit to that boy..."

"Chicken sauce!"

Yugi quickly helped up Grandpa Sugoroku's body, feeling deeply saddened by his grandfather's miserable state, while also feeling an endless surge of anger in his heart—who on earth had turned his grandfather into this state!

He soon found out the answer.

"Hmph, you're too late, Yugi Muto." A voice laughed as it walked out of the door of a closed building, looking at Yugi who was holding his grandfather and looking very sad. It said sarcastically, "For an old man, your grandfather is still in pretty good health. It's just that Duel Monsters is still too exciting for him."

"Kaiba, Seto!" Yugi called out his name angrily, glaring at the laughing figure. "Is this the guy who turned Chicken Sauce into this?! What did you do to him?!"

"I'm not some barbarian, I just played a Duel Monster game with this old man, a Duel Monster game using the card gambling rules." The person who appeared in front of Yugi was none other than Seto Kaiba, who had tried to buy a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from Sugoroku a few days ago, and then resorted to force after being refused.

"The latest virtual imaging system completed by the Hikari Group can enhance the original fun of Duel Monsters by 1000%. However, it is obvious that the power of the impact simulation system is set too high. I only summoned one monster and it scared that old guy who is out of touch with the times so much that he fell down. He looked really funny, hehehe!"

As he spoke, the seahorse took his hand out of his pocket and showed the game a card he was holding.

"That card is... Chicken Sauce's [Blue-Eyes White Dragon]!" Yugi helped Grandpa up with Anzu, and his pupils contracted slightly as he watched Kaiba pull out the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] card.

"This Blue-Eyes isn't your grandfather's, it's mine. Since I'm the winner of the duel, I'm allowed to do whatever I want with the loot." With a wicked smile, Kaiba gripped the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card with both hands, holding it from top to bottom.

"You bastard, are you trying to stop me right now?!" Yugi quickly realized why Kaiba was taking out the Blue Eyed Jewel he had won from Sugoroku-sama, and shouted nervously, trying to stop Kaiba's next move so as not to cause any further agitation to Sugoroku-sama, who was already in a bad state.

"The strongest card like [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] only needs three copies; a fourth is completely unnecessary." Despite hearing Yugi's words, Kaiba's movements didn't falter for a second. "What 'mind' and 'emotion'? It's disgusting! You want me to give up on pursuing power?"

"But I refuse!"

"Tear!"

The Duel Monsters cards were of excellent quality; even if they got wet, a simple wash wouldn't damage them, and their softness and elasticity were perfect for holding. However, a card is still a card, and under Kaiba's merciless attack, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, of which only four exist worldwide and each costs a staggering 15 billion yen, was easily torn in two.

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon! My Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Watching in despair as Kaiba casually tossed the torn Blue-Eyes White Dragon aside, Sugoroku Muto finally succumbed to the double blow of shock and despair, closing his eyes and fainting.

"Chicken sauce!"

Ignoring Yugi's agonizing cries, Kaiba turned to leave. He had collected all three Blue-Eyes, and destroyed the last one. Now, he possessed the three strongest Duel Monsters in the world, and no one could defeat him.

"If you're going to do something, do it the best." This is something he learned from his adoptive father from a young age, and it's a principle he has always adhered to. Having inherited the most powerful arms company—the Haima Group—he had no interest in further penetrating the arms industry; the only challenge was transforming an arms group into an entertainment company.

Duel Monsters is the development direction that Kaiba has chosen for his company. However, if the Kaiba Corporation successfully surpasses International Illusion Company to become the strongest Duel Monsters company, then he, as the president, will also have to become a "Cyber-Q" duelist.

"Kaiba, I challenge you!" Kaiba turned to leave when a resolute voice suddenly sounded behind him. Instinctively turning around, Kaiba saw Yugi holding a deck he had taken from the unconscious Sugoroku Muto, glaring at him with an expression of unprecedented seriousness.

“I have a lot of things to do at the Haima Group, and my time is quite valuable. However,” glancing at the deck in the gamer’s hand, which seemed to have transformed into a completely different person, “want to avenge that old man? I’m happy to oblige. Anyway, you can’t survive long against my invincible deck, hehehe!”

Watching the seahorse's laughing figure disappear at the building entrance, Yugi gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly.

"Tata, Game," a man's voice rang out, followed by a hand on his shoulder, causing Game to turn around.

Sweat beaded on Hayato's forehead as he nodded to Yugi: "I saw it all. Go, Yugi, use the Sugoroku-sama's deck to defeat that Kaiba. So, move out!"

"But Grandpa..."

"Grandpa, leave him to us. Go fight, Yugi." It was Kyoko who spoke. Seeing how kind Grandpa Sugoroku was treated like that by Kaiba, Kyoko and Yugi were both filled with rage.

As Hayato watched as Yugi unbuttoned his school uniform, revealing a black short-sleeved shirt that had inexplicably grown longer, resembling a trench coat, and whose height had also subtly changed, Hayato knew that the person appearing now was none other than Yami Yugi, who was now respectfully addressed as "King Yugi".

Hayato draws a card from his deck and hands it to Yugi, giving him an "Olive nod": "Take our share with you, and don't stop tap-ta-ka, Yugi."

"I understand, Hayato, Kyoko!"

After watching Wang Yang walk into the gate where the seahorse disappeared, Hayato said to Kyoko, "Old man Sugoroku is in terrible condition right now. I found a means of transportation when I came here, so let's get him to the hospital as soon as possible."

Chapter 34 Sai Q Doragon

After taking the elevator to the first floor, Hayato carried the unconscious Sugoroku and jogged away from the Kaiba Building. As soon as they left the entrance, Kyoko saw a black luxury car parked directly in front of the building.

“That’s the car,” Hayato said, raising one hand and waving it. “Hey, come over here and give me a hand!”

As soon as Hayato called out, Kyoko saw a guy with a low-key hairstyle get out of the black sedan and say to Hayato, "Don't order me around!"

"Manjoume Seiji?" Kyoko had thought that Hayato might find an expensive taxi, his own car, or a hospital ambulance, but she never expected that Hayato would find Manjoume Seiji, with whom she had a rather unpleasant duel before.

"Call me Mr. Manjoume!" he corrected reflexively. Manjoume stepped forward, looking at the horrified expression on the face of the old man Sugoroku being carried by Hayato. "Hey, hey, hey, Hayato Kobayashi, that guy on your back isn't Yugi Muto, is he?! Is Kaiba Corporation researching some kind of life-absorbing weapon? How did Yugi Muto turn into an old man?!"

"No, this is Yugi's grandfather. He fainted because the Duel Monsters video was too exciting." Kyoko didn't expect Manjoume to have such a vivid imagination, actually mistaking the white-haired Sugoroku Muto for Yugi Muto, who was being subjected to evil experiments.

"Don't say so much now. The most important thing is to get Sugoroku to the hospital. It would be terrible if we were late!" Hayato said firmly to Manjoume Masaji. "Manjoume, we still need to ask you to get us to the hospital."

"So why should I, your great lord, have to listen to your orders?" Because of Hayato's tough attitude, Manjoume Masashi was in a bad mood, but when he looked at the unconscious and weak Mutou Sugoroku, he curled his lip unhappily, "Tch, this is the only time, hurry up and get this old man into the car."

Together with Hayato, he helped Sugoroku into the back seat of the car and fastened his seatbelt to prevent further injury from sudden braking or acceleration. Kyoko sat next to Sugoroku, and Manjoume sat in the front passenger seat. But just as Hayato was about to get in, he awkwardly discovered that the car was already full.

"This place is already full, and the car is a bit cramped." Wan Zhangmu fastened his seatbelt, sat in the passenger seat on the left, and turned to look at the back seat. "Kobayashi Hayato, how are you getting to the hospital?"

“You guys go ahead, I’ll get a taxi and then—” Hayato was interrupted by Kyoko halfway through his sentence, “No, Hayato-kun, you stay here at the Kaiba Building.”

"But Grandpa Shuangliu needs to be taken care of."

“Manjoume and I will take good care of Sugoroku-sama.” Ignoring Manjoume’s expression of “When did I say such a thing?” as he looked at the back seat, Kyoko stared intently into Hayato’s eyes. “Kaiba said that his virtual imaging system has been equipped with impact simulation. I’m worried that he will also get injured in the duel, so someone has to stay behind as insurance.”

Seeing Kyoko's serious expression, Hayato knew that Yugi would inevitably win the duel with Kaiba, but he couldn't convince Kyoko, who was worried about Yugi. "I understand. I will take good care of Yugi."

Turning to look at Manjoume in the front seat, Hayato said, "Then I'll leave Kyoko and Sugoroku in your care, Mr. Manjoume."

"Ah~" Although he had emphasized it countless times, finally someone had called him "sir" for the first time in history. Manjoume Seiji could hardly contain the comfortable expression that was about to overflow on his face. "I am Manjoume Seiji. Leave such a small matter to me!"

Watching the black luxury sedan carry Mr. Sugoroku away around the corner in the distance, Hayato stopped watching and turned back into the Haima Group building.