Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

With a rather comical back-stretching motion, a thick laser beam swept towards Daedalus, which was still under the control of Rainbow Kuriboh.

If this attack succeeds, Anasis's life will be reduced to zero!

"I won't let you succeed!" Clearly, Anasis was literally "blasted apart" by the [Dragon Catapult Cannon] with such a bizarre motion. "Activate the face card, [Absorption Shield]! Turning setbacks and challenges into nourishment is a required course for adults!"

"The attack of the [Dragon Strike Cannon] is nullified, and my health will be restored to its attack power value!"

Anasis: 250LP → 3250LP

"Tch, it's recovered again." Hayato realized that he had missed the best opportunity to kill Anasis, which also meant that everything he had done to reduce Anasis's life was for nothing. "Set one card, end my turn."

[Hayato: 4000LP, 0 cards in hand]

【VWXYZ-Divine Dragon Assault Cannon】【ATK3000】

【GaiKa】

"Phew, I finally made it through. That was close, almost as close as that time I was in danger at sea years ago." Anasis wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Hayato's fearsome [Dragon Cannon] on the field. "Now it seems I'm at my wit's end?"

"Hahaha, just kidding! Young man, I'm about to use my last resort!" Anasis laughed, his beard trembling.

Hayato returned a confident smile: "The most interesting thing about Duel Monsters is that it's a back-and-forth battle, so bring out your best stuff!"

"Okay, then I'll offer one million for your 1000 LP!"

Anasis's words were so shocking that Hayato, who had finally mustered the will to fight and was quite looking forward to it, almost fell off the dueling platform: "Are you kidding me?!"

"Don't say that. The price is negotiable. I'm very serious, you know. How about this: three million for 1000 LP. You won't get another chance like this, will you?" Anasis didn't give up and continued to persuade Hayato.

Hayato did hesitate for a moment. Three million LP? Only 1000 LP? He already had the invincible [VtoZ] on his field, how could he possibly lose?

"This is an insult to me!" Hayato wanted to say, but he had already given too much.

Chapter 80 It seems the final trump card will always come my way.

After hesitating for a long time, Hayato finally made up his mind and reluctantly rejected Anasis's proposal.

"Sigh~ Why is he like this? He's such a stubborn young man." Anasis looked troubled. "I've already raised the price to three million."

"Don't tarnish the sacred duel with money! If you still have any honor as a duelist, defeat me in a fair fight!" Hayato said with an air of righteous indignation. What he didn't tell Anasis was that he rejected his offer because he felt his 1000 LP was still too low.

Furthermore, in addition to the two star chips wagered in this duel, the Millennium Wisdom Wheel is also at stake, giving Hayato a reason not to hold back.

“In that case, I’ll have to keep using Duel Monsters. My turn!” Anasis drew a card from his deck with great confidence, glanced at it, and laughed, “I’ll activate the effect of the Spell Card [Pot of Greed] and draw two more cards from my deck.”

"Then, activate the field spell [Sea]!"

The surging waves reappeared on the field, accompanied by rainbow light bands. [Sea Dragon - Daedalus] disappeared into the surging waves, while most of [VWXYZ - Dragon Catapult]'s body sank into the water.

[Hailong-Daedalus] [ATK2600→2800]

【VWXYZ-Shenlong Catapult Cannon】【3000→2800】

"Has the attack power been reduced to the same level?" Hayato looked at the field [Sea] that had reappeared. "But because of the effects of [Rainbow Kuriboh] and [Skill Drain], you still can't use [Daedalus] to launch an attack, nor can you destroy other cards."

“Sorewadokana?” Anasis chuckled and played another card. “The effect of [Skill Draw] ended after it stopped you from destroying my card. Now it still has one last bit of value. Activate the Spell Card, [Magic Flowerpot], send an opened Trap Card to the Graveyard, and I can draw two more cards.”

Although Pegasus introduced the new type of card, "Trap Cards," just like with Spell Cards, the current Duel Monsters game still lacks a clear distinction between Trap Cards, such as Continuous Trap Cards and Normal Trap Cards.

"Now, [Skill Drain] has left the field, and the power of [Daedalus] will be unleashed!" As Anasis spoke, a massive whirlpool appeared on the sea. "Once again, flood everything, [Daedalus]! Deep Sea Annihilation Destruction!"

The raging floodwaters once again swept across the field. Daedalus, like a sea god, sat atop the giant waves, submerging and crushing everything from Rainbow Kuriboh and Dragon Catapult to Hayato's backcourt card.

But that doesn't seem to be all of it?

As the floodwaters receded, [Sea Dragon Daedalus] took up residence on what should have been an empty field, but Anasis discovered that there was actually another monster on Hayato's field.

Hayato explained, "The card I have face down in the back row is still 'Destiny's Discovery'. If it is destroyed by you and sent to the Graveyard, I can draw the same number of 'Destiny's Discovery' cards from the Graveyard, which is two cards."

"It's not just adults who can make use of their past experiences, Uncle Anasis."

Hayato raised his hand, showing a card in his hand, and pointed to the monster on the field. "Because of the effect of [Destiny's Discovery], I drew [Cotton Ball] from my deck. This monster can be Special Summoned to the field when added to my hand by card effect."

【Cotton Ball】【1☆/Light】

[Angel Race/Effect]

[200/300]

"It's just barely clinging to life; I haven't even had a Normal Summon yet!" Anasis had deliberately saved his Normal Summon opportunity for now because he needed to activate the effect of [Sea Dragon Daedalus] to clear the field. "I Summon [Starfish Boy] in Attack Position. This monster can increase the ATK of all monsters I control and weaken your monsters!"

Opposite the seemingly fragile "Cotton Ball," a red starfish with a single eye and a large mouth appeared. Hayato was about to say, "You're talking nonsense again," but embarrassingly discovered that the effect description of Anasis's "Starfish Boy" card did indeed state "All monsters on my field" and "All monsters on the opponent's field," with no restrictions on attributes whatsoever.

"Hmph, a regular [Starfish Boy] will naturally have some limitations on its attributes, but my [Starfish Boy] is a special version. Its effects have no limitations whatsoever, just like a universal money!" Anasis said smugly. Clearly, his [Starfish Boy] was like the [Magic Cylinder] in the game—a special version with unique effects.

【Starfish Boy】【2☆/Water】

[Aquarium/Effect]

[550/500]

As soon as it appeared on the field, [Starfish Boy] began to recklessly spew water in all directions. The humid air greatly reduced the temperature and provided a boost to [Sea Dragon] and itself.

[Hailong-Daedalus] [ATK2600→3100]

【Starfish Boy】【ATK550→1050】

"【Starfish Boy】, take down that monster blocking your way, then 【Daedalus】, attack Hayato directly! Sea Dragon Torrent!"

Although "Cotton Ball" and "Cotton Candy" differ by only one character, that one character makes all the difference. "Starfish Boy" destroyed the defense-positioned "Cotton Ball" with just a simple impact, leaving no obstacle between "Sea Dragon" and Hayato.

Just when Anasis thought the attack would finally succeed, a familiar rainbow light shone from Hayato's graveyard—it was none other than the Rainbow Kuriboh that had just left the field.

"Again?!"

Hayato retrieves the card "Rainbow Kuriboh" from the graveyard: "You can activate this when your monster attacks me directly. The 'Rainbow Kuriboh' in the graveyard will be revived. Awaken, my warrior!"

"Kuri~" The Rainbow Kuriboh, having just revived from the graveyard, bravely met the attack from Daedalus. Water splashed everywhere, and when Daedalus's attack ended, Rainbow Kuriboh vanished again.

"When a [Rainbow Kuriboh] summoned by this effect leaves the field, it will be banished from the game." Hayato puts the [Rainbow Kuriboh] card, which was destroyed in battle, into his pocket. "Thanks, aibo."

“You’ve escaped death again, kid,” Anasis said, somewhat annoyed. “My turn is over.”

Anasis: 3250LP, 1 card in hand

【Hailong-Daedalus】【ATK3100】

【Starfish Boy】【ATK1050】

'I still have a [Machine-Sea Dragon Plesiosaurus] in my hand. Next turn, I can use its effect to summon it.' Looking at Hayato's empty field, Anasis thought to himself, 'No matter what monster you summon, I can use [Machine-Sea Dragon Plesiosaurus]'s effect to release [Starfish Boy] and destroy it next turn.'

'Then came the direct attack from the two monsters. I refuse to believe any more weaklings will appear. Victory is in my hands, and that golden disc is mine!'

"My turn, draw a card." Hayato drew a card, his face slightly taken aback, and turned to look at Bakura, who was watching the duel from the sidelines. When he turned back to the arena, a confident smile was on his face:

"It seems that the ultimate trump card will eventually come into my hands."

Chapter 81 Your Monster is Really Useful

Seeing the confident look on Hayato's face, Anasis laughed as well: "Looks like you drew some pretty good cards, huh?"

"I believe in my deck, and my deck responds to me." Hayato laughed as he played a card, "Uncle Anasis, let me show you the card that embodies the bond between me and my comrades! Activate the Spell Card, [Heart Change]!"

Hayato played the forbidden card he obtained from "Dark Bakura," and a half-red, half-black heart appeared on the field, flying into the body of [Sea Dragon Daedalus] on Anasis's field. [Daedalus]'s originally sharp eyes instantly became empty, as if sleepwalking, and it came to Hayato's field.

"My [Daedalus]!" Anasis tried to awaken [Seadragon-Daedalus], which had been affected by the [Disloyalty] spell, but it was clear that he wasn't the kind of trainer who could heal a Pokémon just by shouting "Stand up," and could only watch helplessly as his ace Pokémon ran onto Hayato's field.

"That's... my card?" Bakura was slightly surprised to see Hayato play his card, but he quickly remembered hearing a voice asking him if he had any objections to "taking his card" before he woke up. That voice... it sounded like Hayato's?

However, since Hayato was the one who rescued Bakura from that "dark soul," Bakura was actually grateful to Hayato for taking his card.

Because Bakura himself wasn't very interested in Duel Monsters, much like Honda and Kyoko, most of his decks were collected and built by "another Bakura," and both the card art and effects were rather eerie. Compared to his father's gift, "Millennium Wisdom Wheel," Bakura felt that deck was more like an "ominous object."

Seeing the Sea Dragon turn its attention to his own field, Hayato smiled and said, "Uncle Anasis, your monster is pretty good, but it'll be mine in the next second."

[Hailong-Daedalus] [ATK3100→2600→2100]

Seeing his ace appear on the opponent's field and have its attack power reduced due to the effect of [Starfish Boy], Anasis felt like he had been NTR'd and replied unhappily, "But the effect of [Change of Heart] only lasts for one turn. When the turn ends, [Sea Dragon] will return to my side."

"In that case, I can just end the duel this turn, right?" Hayato said with a smile. "You have a Starfish Boy with 1050 ATK on your field, and you only have 3250 Life Points. I just need to gather a monster with a total ATK of 4300 on the field."

"That being said, it's a pity that I only have one [Inherited Power] in my hand." Hayato revealed the remaining card in his hand. "However, I will activate the effect of [Disruptor Modification] which is in the graveyard."

"A spell card activated in the graveyard!?" Anasis had seen cards that activated their effects after being destroyed, but this was the first time she had seen a card used in the graveyard. "But I remember the effect of [Disruptor Magic Modified] is to banish [Disruptor] monsters as materials to Special Summon Fusion Monsters, right? You shouldn't have any [Disruptor] monsters in your graveyard anymore."

“That’s its first effect. I’m going to use its second effect.” Hayato pulled the three [Disruptor] brothers that he had previously banished from his pocket, pressing down on the three unruly monsters that were trying to run around with a few fingers. “By banishing [Disruptor Modified] from the graveyard, I can return the three banished [Disruptor] monsters to the deck, shuffle them, and then draw a card.”

After adding three [Disruption] monsters to the deck and quickly shuffling it, Hayato couldn't help but smile as he sensed a familiar aura emanating from the top of the deck. "Speaking of which, Uncle Anasis, have you ever heard this saying?"

"A Duel Monsters deck has 40 cards, but the probability of drawing a card each time is not one in forty, but infinite."

“Possibilities, infinite?” Anasis looked at the boy opposite him and couldn’t help but smile. “Then show me your potential, boy, no, Kobayashi Hayato!”

"Draw a card!"

The moment Hayato drew the card, he felt a flash of light pass before his eyes. Even without looking, he could tell the card in his hand was [Dark Knight Gaia]. However, although the aura was the same, the power it exuded was completely different.

Looking at Gaia, whose appearance had changed, Hayato smiled knowingly: "I see..."

“I set a card to the side of my hand, and then I activate the effect in my hand!” Hayato placed [Inherited Power] on the field and revealed [Gaia]. “When I only have this monster in my hand, I can Normal Summon it without Tributes!”

"The swift wind that always accompanies me grows ever fiercer, surpassing its limits, come to my side! [Dark Knight of the Gale]—"

"[Gaia]!!!"

Although they looked the same, Gaia's aura became increasingly concentrated. Riding a warhorse faster than the wind, Gaia descended in a new guise!

【Gaia, the Dark Knight of Gale】【7☆/Dark】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[2300/2100]

"A brand new [Dark Knight]? As expected of a young man, he's full of potential." Anasis sighed as he looked at Gaia on Hayato's field, which had transformed from a Normal Monster to an Effect Monster and from an EARTH to a DARK monster. For the first time, he felt old.

He thought to himself, "I'm only just entering middle age."

"But Hayato, you haven't forgotten the effect of my Starfish Boy on the field, have you?" Anasis reminded him. "Although it came out later, your Gaia will still be affected by its effect!"

【Gaia, the Dark Knight of Gale】【ATK2300→1800】

"Of course I remember, after all, that was the last monster blocking my way. But you, Uncle, haven't forgotten that [Power of Inheritance] card, have you?" Hayato activated the [Power of Inheritance] card that had been applied earlier.

The body of [Sea Dragon Daedalus], which had stood firmly on the field, gradually turned to ashes, and the essence of its power turned into countless points of light, merging into the body of [Gaia] beside it.