Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

While Jonouchi and Mai were "enthusiastically" interacting, Hayato noticed that Yugi's eyes were full of worry as he looked at the arena.

“Kaiba’s specialty is using powerful monster combinations to suppress enemies, but [Toon] monsters have the ability to not be destroyed by battle,” Hayato analyzed. “Although Pegasus will still suffer damage from battle overflow, it’s clear that his life points are decreasing faster than Kaiba’s when he’s directly attacked.”

The events in the stands had no effect on the duel between Kaiba and Pegasus, whose battle was fierce. Using a hidden trap, Kaiba caught the constantly moving [Cartoon] monster and then used both of his [Blue-Eyes] to attack and annihilate it. The overflowing battle damage caused Pegasus's health to drop to a mere 1000 points.

Pegasus had been using Toon monsters to attack directly, and although Kaiba blocked some of them with cards like Attack Nullification, Kaiba only had 1500 life points left.

After a fierce battle, both sides had almost exhausted their resources. The Dragon Ruler on Kaiba's field had been destroyed in the previous battle, while Pegasus's shameless Cartoon World was still there.

Looking at Pegasus's three face-down cards in the back row, Kaiba hesitated. In his usual style, he would have attacked with his two invincible Blue-Eyes monsters, but this duel was against Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters, and the stakes were his own brother. Kaiba had to be extremely cautious.

Kaiba was delighted as he drew his cards for this turn. He had drawn the third Blue-Eyes White Dragon in his deck, and he also had a Fusion, an Ancient Rule, and a Fusion Deactivation in his hand. He made up his mind.

'Pegasus has three face-down cards, so I'll start with a Blue-Eyes as a probe. If I get bogged down, I'll activate Fusion to dodge the trap and summon Ultimate Dragon. Even if Pegasus sets another trap, I can use Fusion Deactivate to dodge it again. After that, Pegasus is guaranteed to lose!'

Thinking of this, Kaiba's lips curled into a smile, and he was about to activate the [Ancient Rules] in his hand to Special Summon [Blue-Eyes White Dragon].

Just as Seahorse was about to play his cards, Pegasus on the other side suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

"Stop, Kaiba boy, don't move, don't let me see that card~" Pegasus laughed as he opened the face-down card on the field. "The card I placed face-down on the field is [Prophecy]. Regarding the card you just drew from your hand, the effect of [Prophecy] is for me to make a prophecy."

"I'll guess whether it's big or small, using 2000 points as the threshold. If I guess correctly, your card will be added to my hand."

Game's pupils contracted: "Oh no! Pegasus's [Millennium Eye] can read minds, which means this card's percentage effect will take effect!"

Pegasus confidently stated, "I predict that the attack power of your hand card will be over 2000."

"What?!" The seahorse looked utterly shocked.

He had witnessed Pegasus's duel in the past, at a monster-fighting tournament, where his opponent was none other than the thief Keith, who was now sitting in the stands. Back then, Pegasus hadn't even fought himself; instead, he had written a note asking a spectator to duel in his place. That spectator was less than ten years old.

Keith the thief was furious, thinking that Pegasus was looking down on him. But to everyone's surprise, the note Pegasus left behind contained all the possible reactions Keith would make. The boy followed the instructions on the note and actually defeated Keith, who was already the national champion at the time.

At that time, Kaiba witnessed everything, but he believed that it was all just a show put on by the two of them. After all, there were many betting odds surrounding that duel, and perhaps the thief Keith was bribed to put on a show in order to win a huge sum of money.

"Hey~ Seahorse boy, you seem quite surprised." Pegasus smiled, his eyes narrowing. "In that case, I'll make my prediction even more accurate."

"The card you just drew and added to your hand is a Level 8, Light-attribute Dragon-type monster with 3000 ATK and 2500 DEF. It's your ace monster,"

"【Blue-Eyes White Dragon】!"

"You bastard, you can't actually read minds?!" Kaiba was utterly shocked. Pegasus's prediction was beyond mere guessing; his hand was practically naked in Pegasus's eyes. Reluctantly, he placed [Blue Eyes] into the arena. The mechanism of the dueling ring flipped, sending the card to Pegasus's hand.

From the stands, Kyoko grumbled, "That kind of card must be one of a kind in the whole world, right? Making cards just to benefit oneself, how despicable!"

Seeing Pegasus add Blue-Eyes to his hand, Kaiba's face darkened. No longer concerned about the two face-down cards whose fates were still uncertain, he directly commanded Blue-Eyes to launch an attack.

"The Burst Stream of Destruction!"

With only one card, [Cartoon World], on the field, offering no defense, Pegasus faced the oncoming breaths of two white dragons without fear. He activated his face-down card in the back row, saying, "What a reckless attack, Kaiba boy~! With the effect of [Absorption Shield], I will restore [Blue-Eyes]'s attack power as health, which is 3000 points~"

[Bekas: 1000LP → 4000LP]

"Damn it, but I still have another one, the [Blue Eyes]!"

Seeing Pegasus's health points return to their initial state at the start of the duel, Kaiba said unhappily. But before he could feel smug, the breath of light heading towards Pegasus was suddenly broken by a series of chains. Those indestructible chains followed the direction of the attack and tightly bound the Blue-Eyes.

"【Dark Binding】, monsters bound by these dark chains will lose the ability to attack and change their attack patterns." Pegasus maintained his composed expression. "Furthermore, due to the conflict between light and darkness, your 【Blue Eyes】's attack power will decrease by 700 points, Kaiba boy~"

[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] [ATK3000→2300]

"My time, Draw!" Pegasus drew a card, a smile spreading across his face. "Kaiba boy, I've won this duel!"

Chapter 105 I Will Not Become a Memory

"Ugh, ughhhhh!!!"

Amidst an extremely foul-smelling scream, the seahorse was attacked by the "blue-eyed" creature, and its basic score was reduced to zero.

This scene, which makes one want to say "a bolt from the blue," appeared not long after Pegasus took away Kaiba's Blue Eyes.

Using the [Prophecy], Pegasus acquired Kaiba's [Blue-Eyes White Dragon], then activated a [Star Blast], selling a full 2000 Life Points in one go, reducing the level of the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] he had just acquired to 4 stars, and then summoning it.

Then, Pegasus activated a special edition of "The Force". The retail version of this card was used in a duel with Hayato. Its effect is to lower the attack power of one monster and then raise the attack power of another. It is a card that becomes stronger against stronger monsters, and is especially suitable for dealing with high-attack monsters.

Pegasus's card effect is to deduct half of the opponent's Life Points and then increase the reduced value on a monster. Although it can't be used to counter high-attack monsters like the original, it can directly reduce the opponent's Life Points, and the increased attack power has no turn limit. No wonder he's a shameless card manufacturer.

After the Cartoon World devoured the Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the seahorse, a chibi-style Blue-Eyes Cartoon Dragon emerged from it, and its attack power absorbed half of the seahorse's base points, which is 750 points.

Seahorse's backcourt no longer has any face cards to save his life. Of the two Blue-Eyed Beasts on the field, one of them is controlled by Pegasus with [Dark Binding], leaving it with only 2300 attack power.

Faced with this inevitable defeat, Kaiba, who had already resolved to sacrifice his life to save Keipai, instead showed a relieved expression. Turning back, his gaze locked onto Yugi, who was watching the game.

“Kaiba-kun…” Yugi looked at the field. Although he didn’t know what cards Kaiba had in his hand, judging from Kaiba’s style, he would never include a card like Kuriboh that could negate battle damage.

In other words, the defeat of the seahorse is already out in the open, and it is only waiting for Pegasus to launch an attack.

"What's with that expression, Yugi..." Amid Yugi's bewildered expression, Kaiba actually revealed a slight smile?

"Who are you trying to impress with that sad expression? You are a powerful duelist whom I acknowledge; that kind of look shouldn't be on your face!" Kaiba turned his back again. "Giyu, memorize everything Pegasus showed you!"

"I cannot defeat Pegasus simply by possessing the 'power' of the cards, and I do not yet understand what the 'Heart Card' truly is. Therefore, it is up to you to defeat Pegasus!"

"Please, help me rescue Guiping!"

It's hard to imagine that the arrogant, haughty, and sullen Kaiba would say such things about games.

"Hehe, it seems Kaiba Boy has already accepted the outcome of this duel," Pegasus said with a laugh. "However, a duel must have an ending. Kaiba Boy has 750 life points, so my adorable Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, attack that Blue-Eyes White Dragon with 3000 attack power on Kaiba Boy's field!"

"Ugh, ughhhhh!!!"

The fading white light vanished in an instant, and Kaiba's life points reached zero. The virtual projections on the dueling platform disappeared one by one, and Pegasus took out a card, preparing to seal Kaiba's soul within it.

Before being sealed, Kaiba turned his head slightly and looked at the audience—everyone was looking at him with a worried expression, even Mai, whom he wasn't very familiar with, and Jonouchi, who usually disliked him, looked angry, as if he was resentful of his defeat.

Even the thief Keith had a rather unpleasant expression on his face, perhaps because he was reminded of his past experience of being treated as a plaything by Pegasus.

'I have no regrets about having my soul sealed away for my brother's sake.'

'So, having fought to protect something, have I come to understand the heart of the cards?'

'Am I any closer to you now, game...?'

The golden light of the "Millennium Eye" emanated from Pegasus's left eye. Kaiba proudly raised his head, ready to face his fate: "Bring it on, Pegasus! Even if I am defeated by your duel, your dark ambitions will never devour the light!"

"I, Seto Kaiba, will not become a memory!"

As the light faded, the seahorse, which had raised its head, seemed to have lost all its strength, its head drooping and its open eyes becoming empty and unfocused. Meanwhile, the image of a spirited seahorse slowly emerged from the blank card in Pegasus's hand.

Looking at the seahorse on the card, Pegasus raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the seahorse's arrogance even as his soul was about to be sealed: "What remarkable fighting spirit, seahorse boy~"

He took out another card, which depicted Keihei banging on a window. Like the card with Kaiba, this card contained Keihei's soul. Holding both cards in the same hand, Pegasus smiled.

"But as a loser in the duel, you couldn't even save your beloved younger brother. Even though your cards are so close together, the distance between you brothers is so vast."

Satisfied, Pegasus put the card away, looked at Kaiba who was still standing in front of the dueling platform, and then at the end of the passage behind him, where a dazed Keihei stood with his wrists chained: "In this way, the Kaiba Group is now in my hands."

"My wish, finally, finally can be fulfilled—"

"Don't get too excited, Pegasus!" A male voice interrupted Pegasus's subconscious murmur, and he looked up toward the source of the voice.

In the stands, Yugi stood on his seat, elevating himself as much as possible. His school uniform, which he had been wearing, was now draped over his shoulders like a trench coat, revealing a black, tight-fitting shirt underneath. His once childish face, now serious and angular, appeared remarkably mature. Looking down at Pegasus, who had just secured victory, Yugi calmly said:

“Pegasus, you have abused the Millennium Item, wantonly toyed with the souls of others, and defiled the sacred duel.”

"I'll join the seahorse in this, and use a duel to inflict the ultimate punishment on you!"

"Wash my neck clean, Pegasus!"

'Another game? Is that the effect of Yugi Muto's Millennium Item?' Pegasus, through the information he read with the Millennium Eye, realized that the game at this moment was not the original one, but the nameless soul in the Millennium Puzzle that he had previously dueled with.

“That was quite a powerful statement, game boy~. I’m also looking forward to our duel.” Pegasus said, but turned and left without looking back. Several men in black took away Kaiba and Keihei’s soulless bodies. “But if you want to duel me, now’s not an option.”

"After defeating the other top eight players, I await your challenge, game boy~"

Chapter 106 Pegasus, who investigates other people's favorite shades, is a piece of trash.

Watching Pegasus's figure disappear into the shadows, Yugi's face, which had just made a very assertive statement, visibly became rounder, or rather, more childish. Clearly, Yugi had gone out for a stroll and then returned.

The old deacon waited respectfully by the audience seats and said, "Fellow qualified contestants, Lord Pegasus's duel performance has ended. I have prepared rooms for you to rest in until tomorrow morning. You can relax and rest to your heart's content."

"Just as I expected. Pegasus won again." The speaker was Keith, who had recovered from the defeat of Kaiba and was now nonchalantly walking past the butler with his hands in his pockets, heading to the other side of the corridor.

"Keeth the thief, are you trying to run away?!" Jonouchi said to Keith.

The thief Keith tilted his head slightly and glanced at Jonouchi: "You brat, don't you understand the situation?"

“Although we’ve qualified for the quarterfinals, the quarterfinals haven’t started yet because Pegasus hasn’t set a 48-hour time limit, and only five people have collected all ten star chips,” Hayato explained to Jonouchi. “Furthermore, I don’t think the quarterfinals will be like the duels on the island, where you can choose your opponents freely. It’s more likely that Pegasus will arrange the opponents for each other.”

"That's how it is. You're pretty smart, aren't you?" Keith chuckled, glancing at Hayato before turning and walking away without looking back. "I'm not someone you can challenge as easily as you think. However, considering you're just a nobody, I'd actually quite like to face you, hahaha."

"That guy!" Jonouchi clenched his fist as he watched Keith's departing figure.

The highly professional old deacon remained standing to the side with a slight bow, unaffected by the conflict between Keith and Jonouchi.

“Butler, please take us to our room,” Hayato said to the old butler, then turned back to the game. “Although I really want to avenge Kaiba, Pegasus only accepts challenges from the champion. All we can do now is conserve our energy, right?”

The game nodded somewhat helplessly: "That's the only way."

“Now, I will lead the way for all the contestants. Lord Pegasus has arranged individual rooms for everyone, ensuring you all have ample space to rest.” The butler gestured for everyone to follow him. He didn’t forget Honda and the others, “As for these gentlemen and ladies, you are Mr. Hayato’s friends, and we have also arranged rooms for you. However, the two gentlemen may need to share a room.”

Honda and Bakura had no objections. Compared to sleeping in the open, having a room was already quite good. They had initially thought they would have to find Jonouchi, Yugi, or Hayato to share a room on the floor, so a double room was already good news.

Seeing that no one had any objections, the old deacon didn't say much, silently walking at the front to lead the way for everyone.

The journey was silent. Everyone was still somewhat immersed in the duel between Pegasus and Kaiba, and hadn't fully recovered from the shocking fact that "Kaiba's soul was sealed by Pegasus." Lost in their own thoughts, they followed silently behind the old butler. Ascending the stairs, the old butler led them to the third-floor corridor, assigned rooms to each person, and then withdrew.

"Then, I shall take my leave. If you need anything, please ring the bell in your room and we will do our best to meet your needs. All participants, please rest well and conserve your energy for tomorrow's competition."

After the old deacon left, Jonouchi, the most impulsive of them all, couldn't wait to open his room door. Looking inside, he was slightly stunned: "That Pegasus guy is really rich. He actually prepared such a luxurious room for us to stay in?"

His room was quite luxuriously furnished. Not only was there a separate bathroom with a wet and dry area, but there was even a large bathtub. Upon closer inspection, there appeared to be a massage device next to the bathtub. In addition to basic amenities like a coffee table, chairs, sofa, TV, bed, and computer, the room also included a refrigerator and a snack cabinet.

To put it dramatically, if you were to order some barbecue or something similar from the butler, this large room could practically be considered a small resort, since Jonouchi even found a bunch of sunbathing supplies and sunscreen.

Honda was about to go to his own room, but when he saw how nice Jonouchi's room was, he decided to stay and take over Jonouchi's big bed. Then Honda and Jonouchi put on a close-up 3D live-action version of "Strong Man Locking Man", "Man on Man", and "Full of Men".

No one went up to stop the two clowns' daily antics. Instead, they all returned to their assigned rooms to see what their rooms were like.

Hayato entered the room and was actually quite satisfied—the basic furnishings were not much different from Jonouchi's room, with a refrigerator, bathtub, TV, and computer, which seemed to be standard equipment in every duelist's room.

The only thing that really annoyed Hayato was—

Why are his bed sheets, pillows, and mattress all magenta?