Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

“I don’t think so, Uncle Keith. ‘Destiny’ is something that’s meant to be reversed. Besides, I haven’t even drawn a card yet. My turn.” Hayato drew a card and smiled. “That way, the possibility of me being sealed away is released once again.”

"what?"

"Let me show you the bonds I've forged with others, Uncle Keith." Hayato showed off the card in his hand, glanced at Mai Peacock in the audience, and said, "Activate [Harpie's Feather Duster]. This card can wipe out all the Spell & Trap Cards on your field as garbage."

In other words, your [Mechanical Modification Factory] and [Heart-Stopping Pot] will both be destroyed!

A giant feather duster appeared on the field, and with a gentle swing, a huge whirlwind destroyed both of Keith's cards in the back row.

"My [Mechanical Modification Factory]!" Keith was quite annoyed to see the equipment card on [Revolver Dragon] destroyed. "But even without the equipment card, [Revolver Dragon] still has a high attack power of 2600 points and three attack opportunities."

"The attack power of [Revolver Dragon] isn't my main objective, Uncle Keith." Hayato smiled and pointed to the two face-down cards in his back row. "Because [Heart Pot] disappeared from the field, these two cards of mine were freed up."

Chapter 122 My Lord, the Times Haven't Changed

"I remember one of them was [Goblin Thief]? So what? Even if it gives you a measly 500 more life points, you're nothing but cannon fodder against my machine monsters." Keith, after all, was a professional duelist who played gambling cards, and his memory was no worse than that of a dealer like Mai Kujaku. Naturally, he wouldn't forget the [Goblin Thief] he had seen Hayato in before.

But Hayato's first activation wasn't the [Goblin Thief] card, but the one he had previously set down [Goblin Thief] to use as a shield: "The card I'm activating is this one, [Reckless Greed]!"

“Because of its effect, I can draw two cards.” Hayato continued, drawing two cards from his deck, “Then, due to the effect of [Pot of Greed], I draw two more cards.”

Looking at the three cards in his hand, Hayato saw a path to victory revealed before him.

"Powerful cards often come with extremely high risks. Due to the effect of [Reckless Greed], I will skip the next two card draw phases."

"But it doesn't matter, because I'm going to end this battle right here in this round!"

"You think you can beat me in one turn by overdrawing your cards for the next two turns? Ha! Dream on!" Keith scoffed. "I have a Revolver Dragon with 2600 ATK on my field. With your Armed Dragon LV7 already destroyed by me, what monster with even higher ATK can you possibly draw?"

"Is it your [Dark Knight Gaia]? Or is it the fusion of him and [Cursed Dragon] [Dragon Knight Gaia]?" Keith seemed to have done a lot of research on Hayato's deck. He quickly went through the monsters that Hayato owned in his mind. Even [Dragon Knight Gaia] only had the same attack power as [Revolver Dragon].

This put his mind at ease: "So what if you draw that kind of monster? You can't summon it anyway. This duel will only end in my victory!"

"Don't look down on me. Who said I don't have a monster that can defeat [Revolver Dragon]?" Hayato knew that the information Keith had about him was outdated. He probably didn't even know about monsters like [Earth Spirit God] or [VtoZ]. "However, it's best if this guy settles his score himself."

"Activate the Spell Card, [Level Adjuster]!" Hayato played the card he had drawn, and several dice appeared on his field. "The effect of this card is to allow the opponent to draw two cards, and then I can Special Summon a monster with the [LV] field from my Graveyard."

The dice were thrown and came to rest on the dueling field, the final sum of which was 7.

"Rise, [Armed Dragon LV7]!"

The majestic dragon reappears, but this time, having been resurrected from the graveyard, it encounters the [Revolver Dragon] on the opposite side of the field, the one who killed it before. Enemies meeting again, their eyes blaze with hatred.

However, while it had the will to kill its opponent, it lacked the strength.

"Monsters revived by [Level Adjustment] cannot activate effects or attack this turn."

Keith, who was startled by the resurrection of [Armed Dragon LV7], breathed a sigh of relief when Hayato explained the final effect of [Level Adjustment]. [Armed Dragon LV7] has an attack power of 2800 points. If the attack succeeds and Hayato then activates [Goblin Thief], Keith's HP will not be completely depleted, but it will drop to only 800 points.

However, it can't be attacked? Heh, then there's nothing to be afraid of.

Unaware that he had set a flag, Keith thought: it didn't matter what card he drew next turn, because he always had three [7 cards] hidden in the sleeve he wore on his wrist. These were equipment magic cards exclusive to the Machine race, and he was doing this to cheat in the current situation and win.

Next round, take down the [Armed Dragon], and victory will be within your grasp! Next up is that guy Pegasus—

"Hey, [Armed Dragon]!" Hayato's voice brought Keith back to his senses, but to his surprise, Hayato wasn't talking to him, but rather to [Armed Dragon] on his field. "Right now, don't you really want to take down that [Revolver Dragon]?"

"Hmph, have you finally lost your mind? You're actually talking to Duel Monsters." Keith almost laughed out loud—no, he already was. "Hmph, hahaha, you idiot, the virtual projections of Duel Monsters are all pre-designed. How could they possibly communicate with you?"

But to his surprise, the [Armed Dragon LV7] on Hayato's field glared fiercely at the [Revolver Dragon], then actually lowered its head, met Hayato's gaze, and nodded seriously.

"To be killed by a little toy you despised, so utterly lacking in martial ethics, even if you were resurrected, you could only watch helplessly as the other swaggered around, unable to even move an inch. Remember this anger and rage deeply." Hayato held his last card above his head. "Then, turn that anger into fuel and embark on your final evolution!"

The final evolution? Keith exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, could it be?!"

"Unleash the [Armed Dragon LV7]! Time has honed the body and forged the weapon, making it an invincible killing machine, the ultimate and strongest dragon!"

"Come forth, [Armed Dragon LV10]!!!"

The light of evolution once again enveloped the Armored Dragon. Unlike the evolution from LV3 to LV5 and from LV5 to LV7, this time the radiance of evolution on the Armored Dragon was more dazzling and brilliant than ever before, almost like a small sun.

Before the light had even faded, Keith felt an extremely terrifying gust of wind approaching. The wind carried an overwhelming smell of death, as if some ancient demon god had descended.

"Roar!!!" A tremendous dragon roar tore through the light of evolution, and an imposing aura emanated from the smoke and dust. What appeared before Keith was a gigantic dragon head, its size even larger than the previous [Armed Dragon LV7].

While the armor on the Armored Dragon grows stronger with evolution, it also places an increasingly heavy burden on the monster. At LV3, it retains some ability to fly, but at LV5, it can only stand on the ground. By LV7, even with its strong body, the Armored Dragon can only crawl on all fours. This is evident in the fact that the Armored Dragon's defense at LV7 drops from 1700 points at LV5 to only 1000 points.

But Armed Dragon LV10, it has risen! Bearing armor even heavier than when it was LV7, Armed Dragon LV10, having evolved into its true "final form," stands tall on the earth!

[Armed Dragon LV10][10☆/Wind]

[Dragon Clan/Effect]

[3000/2000]

"Attack power... it's on par with the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" exclaimed Mai from the audience. Her Harpy deck wasn't known for its high attack power, and the appearance of Armed Dragon LV10 shocked her, but also left her with a slight unease—'That Hayato Kobayashi guy didn't seem to be using his full strength when he dueled me?'

"In the battle phase, unleash your fury to the fullest, [LV10]!" Hayato glanced at the [Armed Dragon] standing upright behind him and smiled. "The wind is quite noisy today~"

"Then, for my sake, use the Eight-Point Light Wheel on [Revolver Dragon]!"

[Hayato: 1000LP → 500LP]

From the abdominal armor of the [Armed Dragon LV10], several high-speed spinning cutting rings flew out at lightning speed, locking onto the [Revolver Dragon] on the field from three angles at the same time. In the blink of an eye, the three barrels of the [Revolver Dragon] were cut off simultaneously, and its entire body exploded instantly.

Looking at the destroyed [Revolver Dragon], [Armed Dragon LV10] flicked its long tail with satisfaction and snorted a hot breath, as if to say, "My lord, times haven't changed."

[Keys: 1900LP → 1500LP]

"And then, there's the [Goblin Thief], who's been sealed away for so long!"

[Keys: 1500LP → 1000LP]

[Hayato: 500LP → 1000LP]

"Ha, ha, ha..." After having his base score reduced twice in a row, and with his health repeatedly nearing its lowest point, the simulated impact put a tremendous strain on Keith's body. Panting heavily, a smile appeared on Keith's face: "You wretched brat, you're helpless now, aren't you? You've treated me like this time and time again."

"What are you saying? You still haven't managed to end the duel this round."

Hayato looked at Keith and shook his head: "No, the laws of victory have been determined, and my formula for victory is far more perfect than you can imagine."

"Activate the Spell Card, [Summoning Exophysis], then end my turn." Hayato played his last card. This card, along with [Zombie Goblin], [Transformation Jar], and [Mind Change], was one of the cards he had stolen from Bakura. The effect of this card is—

"At the end of each player's turn, there is only one chance to release one of their monsters to activate the effect of [Spirit Exophysis]." Hayato sent [Armed Dragon LV10] to the Graveyard, and looked up, "Half of that monster's original ATK will be applied to the opponent."

"Go, [Armed Dragon], deliver the final blow to the opposing duelist!"

[Armed Dragon LV10] [ATK3000]

Seeing the massive [Armed Dragon LV10] begin to run and charge towards the dueling ring, Keith's face contorted with despair: "You...you stay away from me!!!"

[Keys: 1000LP → 0]

Just as Keith's dueling ring was engulfed by the self-destruct attack of [Armed Dragon LV10] and the numbers on the panel displaying the Life Points were completely reduced to zero, the old butler made his timely appearance:

"I hereby announce that the winner of the second match of the Duel Kingdom Top 8 Selection Tournament is Hayato Kobayashi!"

Chapter 123 Keith almost became Polpo

"I won! What an interesting duel!" Hayato smiled happily as he watched his own image zoom in and Keith's image dim on the big screen, confirming his victory.

As a former All-American champion, Thief Keith is incredibly strong. Although he likes to use various underhanded tactics, Hayato was ultimately a cut above the rest and secured a spot in the semifinals. What made Hayato even happier was that, although it was the first time he had used the [Armed Dragon] card in a duel, judging from [Armed Dragon]'s previous response to him, it seemed that awakening the card's spirit was not far off.

Just as Hayato put away his cards and was about to return to the audience, a roar suddenly came from the duel stage opposite him: "I can't accept this!"

Keith lost the match and stared at Hayato's position, his eyes filled with rage: "You're just a novice duelist, how could you possibly defeat me? I'm the All-American Champion! You must have cheated!"

Hayato sneered, about to say something to the still-unable-to-accept Keith, when a male voice came: "Your protest is invalid, Mr. Keith. Hayato boy is a true duelist. He did not cheat in this duel. I can vouch for him with my reputation."

Even without looking up, Hayato could tell who was speaking. Sure enough, the thief Keith's mind was completely drawn to the silver-haired man who had appeared in the stands. He gritted his teeth and said, "Onorebecas!"

Sometime later, Pegasus, who should have been staying behind the scenes waiting for the top eight to determine the Duel King, appeared in the audience, looking down at Hayato and Keith on either side of the dueling platform. Looking at the defeated Keith, Pegasus wore a bored expression: "I thought Mr. Keith could test Hayato-boy's limits for me, which is why I came here myself. After all, I'm quite interested in Hayato-boy."

"As a result, I didn't even see half of Hayato's strength. This is really a headache." As he spoke, Pegasus opened his mouth and yawned. "Yawn, I can't stop."

His words were filled with disappointment at the duel, which reignited Keith's already bad mood and fueled his anger: "Pegasus, there's only one you I'll never forgive!"

As he spoke, Keith reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pistol. Seemingly considering the possibility that Pegasus might try to escape and create distance, Keith stepped onto the armrest of the dueling platform and leaped high into the air. He grabbed the edge of the platform with one hand, performed a graceful somersault, and landed on the railing, pointing the pistol directly at Pegasus who was right in front of him!

"That guy Keith actually brought a handgun?!" Jonouchi, who was not far away, was a little flustered. He had never seen a handgun before in his life. Mai and Samejima, on the other hand, seemed relatively calm, especially Mai. Perhaps because she had been living in the Free Country for a long time, she had seen plenty of shootings, let alone handguns, and was not surprised at all by Keith's actions.

"Pegasus, let's see where you can run to!" Keith was extremely smug, the pistol almost pressed against Pegasus's forehead. "All these years, I've been yearning for revenge against you, to repay you for all the humiliation I've suffered!"

"Now, I've finally got my chance. Hand over the entire prize money, or I'll shoot you dead!"

Keith completely lost control of his facial expressions, staring at Pegasus in front of him with a ferocious look.

Since his defeat in the last duel with Pegasus, especially at the hands of a mere child, the corporations that had supported Keith's dueling careers withdrew their funding. He also found himself burdened overnight by the various contracts he had signed and the gambling stakes he had placed in duels. The more carefree he once was, the more destitute he became after that duel.

As a result, he even had to participate in underground duels. To stimulate the audience's senses, the underground duelists wore dangerous devices that released powerful electric currents as their Life Points decreased. Keith barely managed to pay off his debts in the dangerous underground duels, but he also suffered a lot of torment as a result.

Keith blames all of this on Pegasus. He vows to inflict all the suffering he has endured on Pegasus as revenge, and now he is only one step away from achieving his goal.

“You’re really annoying, Mr. Keith.” Even with a gun pointed at his head—a gun that could easily take a human life—Pegasus remained calm and composed. Glancing at Keith before him, Pegasus’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold, stern expression. “Keith Howard, unable to accept your defeat and choosing to resort to force, you are not a duelist.”

"Hmph, Duel Monsters is just child's play. If it brings me profit, I'll certainly play a couple of rounds. But who would follow the rules if there's a bigger reward?" Keith, despite Pegasus's contemptuous label of "not a duelist," wasn't ashamed at all; on the contrary, he was proud of it. "Whoever wants to be a duelist can be one. Now, I'll repeat myself: hand over the bounty!"

"Or I'll shoot you dead right now!"

Hayato had no doubt that Keith, being an American, would fire, but the instant Keith finished speaking, he sensed a well-controlled dark power surging from Pegasus's left eye through the "Millennium Eye," striking Keith, who was right in front of him.

Keith, who had been holding the gun outstretched and threatening Pegasus, suddenly trembled. His face contorted with terror, as if he had witnessed something utterly unbearable. His hand gripping the gun trembled and bent, the muzzle of the gun moving away from Pegasus and slowly shifting towards his own head!

Hayato frowned. He had thought that Pegasus might activate some hidden mechanism, like in the anime, and banish Keith to the sea off the island. But the way he was acting now, it was clear that he was using the power of the Millennium Eye to bewitch Keith's mind and wanted to make Keith commit suicide by shooting himself, just like in the manga.

The Millennium Wisdom Ring on his chest glowed faintly to prevent himself from being bewitched by the magic of the Millennium Eye. Hayato followed Keith's example, leaping high onto the dueling platform and climbing onto the audience seats. Before Keith could pull the trigger and commit suicide, Hayato delivered a flying kick that knocked him to the ground. The gun in his hand fell to the side and was taken away by the black-clad men accompanying Pegasus.

Keith, who nearly became Polpo, had already passed out. Hayato turned to Pegasus, a forced smile on his face: "Oh dear, that was dangerous, Mr. Pegasus. Uncle Keith almost shot you. I saved your life, so don't forget to thank me properly~"

"You've had quite a haul on the island, Hayato boy." Pegasus glanced at the Millennium Wisdom Ring on Hayato's chest. He hadn't paid much attention to it during their last encounter on the island, but this close contact with the real Hayato had made him realize the extraordinary nature of the Millennium Wisdom Ring.

Author's Note on the Launch of Chapter 124

It's about to be released, um.

I'm not good at sentimental writing, I just hope you readers can make a first-day subscription. It will be available for purchase tomorrow at 12:05 PM.

Ten chapters will be released after the book goes live, then I'll resume the three chapters per day update schedule from before the contract was signed. If there are many donations, recommendation tickets, or monthly tickets, I'll start adding extra chapters.

And the usual preview:

"The guardians of the gate are more than just pretty faces."