Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Mi looked at Hayato's actions with some confusion: "But the condition for using [Rough Man's Expectation] is that you can only activate it when there are no monsters on your field, right? Even if you recycle this card now, you can't use it to summon monsters."

"Who told you my goal was to recycle [Rough Man's Expectation]? Sending two cards from my hand to the graveyard is my objective." Hayato continued playing his hand. "Spell Card, [Disruptor Magic Modified]. I'll show you [VW-Power Tiger]. Then I can banish [Disruptor] monsters from my graveyard equal to the number of Fusion Materials of [VW-Power Tiger] and Special Summon the Fusion Materials to the field."

As he spoke, Hayato displayed the two cards he had previously sent to the graveyard to retrieve [Rough Man's Expectations] – [Disruption Red] and [Disruption Blue].

"Come forth, [V-Jet Tiger], [W-Catapult Wing]!" Hayato summons two monsters from his deck to the field, then Special Summons them again. "And then, an even greater evolution, [VW-Strike Tiger]!"

"After that, came the combination of [VW] and [XYZ]. The final arrival! [VWXYZ-Dragon Power Cannon]!"

After Hayato used up most of the cards he had painstakingly replenished with the "Heavenly Treasure Card," and after a long and drawn-out explanation, what appeared on Hayato's field was the "VWXYZ-Divine Dragon Power Cannon," with an attack power of one Blue Eye.

【VWXYZ-Divine Dragon Power Cannon】【8☆/Light】

[Mechanical Race/Fusion/Effect]

[3000/2800]

"This is my full power! Everything that stands in my way will be crushed!" Hayato face down two cards in his hand, leaving only one [Rough Man's Expectation] that he had just retrieved. "Although I can't enter the battle phase, I can use the effect of [VtoZ]."

"Once per turn, banish one card from your field!"

Hayato pointed at the [Water Demon God - Saga] in the maze, "[VtoZ], banish that [Water Demon God]!"

"Malice, terror, anger, hatred, despair—master these five, and you've reached the perfect conclusion!"

Blood-red lasers shot out from all parts of the giant robot on Hayato's field, exuding an aura of death at a glance. Even underwater, the [Water Demon] didn't even have a chance to activate its special ability before being instantly vaporized by the death rays and eliminated from the game.

"My [Water Demon God]!" Mi never expected that the first time he was playing against someone else was not with two people, but with his brother against one. The first time he had summoned one of the three demon gods, [Water Demon God], in the first round with an incredibly smooth hand. This double joy should have been an extremely happy thing, but how did things turn out like this?

The removal of [Water Demon] from the game means that even if the other two Demons are summoned in the next turn, they cannot combine them to form the Labyrinth Brothers' ace monster—[Gatekeeper]. Furthermore, they will also have to face Hayato's menacing [VtoZ] on the field.

"My turn ends here." Unable to fight, Hayato ended his turn. "Alright, hurry up and start your turns. I don't have time to waste here with you."

Hayato hadn't forgotten his original purpose; he had planned to rescue Keihei and Kaiba ahead of schedule. However, since the Labyrinth Brothers had intercepted him halfway, it meant that Pegasus likely already knew his whereabouts and might even be watching him. Hayato could only hope that Pegasus wouldn't move Keihei and Kaiba from the dungeon where they were previously imprisoned.

[Hayato: 8000LP, 1 cards in hand]

【VWXYZ-Divine Dragon Assault Cannon】【ATK3000】

[Signature Card][Signature Card][Signature Card]

Now, it's Gong's turn: "My turn, draw a card!"

Miya's expression darkened as he drew a card from his deck and added it to his hand: 'This Kobayashi Hayato is such a formidable duelist! He summoned such a powerful monster in just one turn and even banished our ace!'

'Our deck only has one card that can destroy that monster, and that's [Gatekeeper], but now that [Water Demon] is gone, how can I defeat him?'

Thinking this, Gong saw the card he had just drawn, and a joyful expression appeared on his face. Without thinking, he turned to his brother "Mi" and exclaimed, "Brother, I've found a way to defeat this monster!"

"Is that so? Then you'd better avenge me, Miya!" Mi said through gritted teeth. "Also, don't forget that in Lord Pegasus's intelligence, this Kobayashi Hayato is very skilled in using all kinds of trap cards."

Chapter 128 Don't stop!

“I will Normal Summon [Emperor Seahorse] and then activate the Spell Card [Double Summon].” Miya began his turn. “The effect of this card is that I can Summon one more monster this turn in addition to my Normal Summon. I can Tribute [Emperor Seahorse] on my field. When this monster is Tributed to a LIGHT monster, it can be used as two Tributes.”

"Come forth, [Thunder Demon God - Sanga]!"

Following the Water Demon God, the second demon god to appear is the Thunder Demon God Sanga, who serves as the head of the Gate Guardian. His strong arms and the lightning rings on his back, combined with the lightning around him, exude boundless domineering power. It would be even better if his head were a little bigger.

【Thunder God - Sanga】【7☆/Light】

[Thunder Clan/Effect]

[2600/2200]

"What's the point of summoning such a weak monster under these circumstances? It's just pointless resistance. When it's my turn, your [Thunder Demon] will meet the same fate as the [Water Demon], hehehehe!"

As he laughed, Hayato suddenly stopped, feeling a bit awkward. Why did he suddenly feel like he was making a classic villainous statement? Was he going to suddenly print a card and kill him instantly? But the Labyrinth Brothers on the other side didn't seem to care. After all, they were professional duelists, all with a card-playing mindset. Hayato's chuunibyou (delusional) statement didn't sound awkward to them; on the contrary, it was actually quite cool.

The younger brother, "Gong," gripped the card tightly in his hand: "We finally got lucky and won Lord Pegasus's forgiveness. We absolutely don't want to fail again!"

"【Thunder God】is more than just good-looking. This mere 【VWXYZ】will be destroyed before I even see it!"

With that, Gong placed a spell card on top of the [Thunder Demon] on the field: "Activate the spell card, [Unity Power], every monster on my field will gain 800 ATK for [Thunder Demon - Sanga]!"

【Thunder God - Sanga】【ATK2600→3400】

Hayato dismissed it: "It's just increasing attack power, what's the use?"

Due to the rules of this match, the battle phase can only begin in the fourth round, which is Hayato's next turn, to attack monsters and duelists. Therefore, increasing the attack power of [Raimajin] is of no use.

If Hayato summons other monsters, that's fine. With [VtoZ] on the field, Hayato can banish one card at will once per turn. Even if the [Raimajin] standing on the field has infinite attack power, it's useless because it has no effect resistance.

"Hmph, we haven't gotten serious yet. Now it's time for my counterattack!" Gong Gai played two cards, then played his last card. "I'll bury two cards, then activate this one. Let me show you the true terror of the [Thunder Demon God]!"

"Spell Card, [Magic Mist Rain]!"

"What?! How can something like this exist?!" Hayato exclaimed in shock. "Aren't you afraid of getting stuck with cards like this? Is this what they call top-tier understanding?"

Gong seemed quite smug: "Hehe, [Demonic Mist Rain] can destroy all monsters on your field whose DEF is lower than the ATK of one of my Thunder-Type monsters without battling. I increased the ATK of [Thunder Demon God] precisely for the purpose of activating this card."

"This is our Labyrinth Brothers' attack route, Hayato Kobayashi!"

A strange rain fell from the sky above the duel arena, and mist covered the sea. Even though it was underwater, the [Magic Mist Rain] that seeped into the water still accurately located [VtoZ]. The shiny metal surface instantly became rusty, and sparks occasionally flew out from inside the machine, clearly indicating that it was about to fail.

The lightning bolt emitted from [Raiden] became the final blow that [VtoZ] could suffer. The dazzling lightning dissipated, and Hayato's majestic [VtoZ] on the field was destroyed and sent to the graveyard.

"My VtoZ! My VtoZ!" Hayato's expression of grief and disbelief caused Miyabi, who had successfully executed his tactics and defeated the formidable enemy blocking his path, to reveal a smug smile.

Do you think I would say that?

The Labyrinth Brothers' joy was short-lived. Hayato's dejected expression vanished as he revealed a face-down card in his backrow: "Activate Spell Card, [Armed Dragon's Thunder]! Special Summon a Level 3 [Armed Dragon] monster from my Deck in Defense Position."

The remains left behind after the destruction of [VtoZ] were carried away by the water currents of the seabed of [Atlantis]. From the ruins, a bright yellow young dragon wearing light armor appeared on Hayato's field, steadfastly maintaining its defense position without fear of [Raiden] on the Labyrinth Brothers' field.

[Armed Dragon LV3] [DEF900]

"Tch, so they were holding back?" Gong said somewhat unhappily. "But it's just a level 3 monster, it can't pose any threat to my [Thunder Demon God] at all."

Mi warned, "Be careful, Mi. This monster is the [LV] monster mentioned in the previous information, and it will evolve into its next form during its preparation phase."

"Oh? As expected, Pegasus provided you with my information. My duel with Keith just ended, and you've already memorized the effects of [Armed Dragon]?" Hayato wasn't surprised that his information about [Armed Dragon] had been leaked. He had been prepared for this ever since he used [Armed Dragon] in his duel with Keith.

"But, unable to enter the battle phase and having exhausted all destructive means, can you stop the evolution of my [Armed Dragon]?"

"Tch, my turn is over." Just as Hayato said, having exhausted all other options, Miyashi reluctantly ended his turn.

[Miya: 4000LP, 0 cards in hand]

【Thunder God - Sanga】(Power of Unity)【ATK3400】

【Signature Card】【Signature Card】

"My turn begins, draw!" Hayato drew a card, but instead of immediately deploying, he activated the effect of [Armed Dragon LV3] on the field. "During my Standby Phase, the effect of [Armed Dragon LV3] activates. Send it to the Graveyard, and Special Summon [Armed Dragon LV5] from my Deck!"

The light of evolution enveloped the body of [Armed Dragon LV3], causing it to expand and grow larger. The originally petite [Armed Dragon] became nearly two stories tall in just a few breaths. However, before the light of evolution could dissipate and reveal the [Armed Dragon LV5] inside, Hayato played the card he had just drawn.

"I'm going to accelerate my evolution again! Activate the Spell Card [Level Up!] to send [Armed Dragon LV5] to the Graveyard. Don't stop, evolve again! [LV5]... no, [Armed Dragon LV7]!"

Chapter 129 As long as we don't stop, the path of evolution will continue to extend.

"【Armed Dragon LV7】!"

The evolutionary light swirling around [Armed Dragon LV5] surged once more, and in an instant, its already massive body grew even larger, almost bursting through the dungeon. Fortunately, this was a virtual projection of a Duel Monster; otherwise, [Armed Dragon LV7] wouldn't have needed to attack at all. A few slight movements would have easily created a collapse, burying Hayato and the Labyrinth Brothers underground.

[Armed Dragon LV7] [ATK2800]

"It actually skipped LV5 and went straight to LV7?" Miya's expression was not good, because all they knew from the video of Hayato's duel with Keith was the evolution conditions of [Armed Dragon]: LV3 was "Time", LV5 was "Experience of Destruction", and LV7 was "Fate" of drawing LV10.

With the Armed Dragon already evolved to LV7, information about the evolution conditions is no longer of much value.

However, the Labyrinth Brothers knew nothing about the special abilities possessed by the [Armed Dragon] monster. Almost all LV monsters possess their own unique abilities; for example, [Ultimate Insect] has the same attack reduction ability as the [Great Moth] card, and [Silent Swordsman] can directly destroy monsters in face-down defense position, and so on.

Unfortunately, information on the [Armed Dragon] is completely blank. However, judging from the [Armed Dragon] monster's appearance, it must possess some extremely dangerous ability, because these giant dragons clad in sharp blades and armor don't look like harmless creatures at all; it couldn't possibly be an ability like restoring basic points, could it?

"Grandma said my evolution is faster than light, and my speed is unmatched in the universe." He pointed a finger at the ceiling above his head; from the Labyrinth Brothers' perspective, Hayato's finger was precisely pointing at a lamp on the dungeon ceiling, and his tone was quite arrogant. Behind him stood the enormous [Armed Dragon LV7], glaring menacingly at the [Thunder Demon] on the Labyrinth Brothers' field.

Although both are Level 7 monsters, for some reason, the Labyrinth Brothers felt that their three Prime Monsters were a level lower in terms of presence compared to Armed Dragon. More importantly, it's clear that both the attack and defense of [Thunder God Sanga] are currently higher than [Armed Dragon LV7].

Facing the majestic Armed Dragon, Mi suddenly realized the difference—while their three demon gods were equally imposing, they felt somewhat rigid, since all their reactions were pre-programmed in the virtual projection system of the Seahorse Group.

However, the feeling of [Armed Dragon LV7] is like that of a living dragon. Although it is a projection, you can clearly feel its breath and its emotions. It is as if it is alive, only different from creatures in nature. [Armed Dragon] is an existence that lives in the card.

Thinking this, Mi patted his face. What was he thinking? Duel Monsters was just a game, and the cards were just mass-produced goods from a factory. How could any life exist in them? He must have been so angry about [Water Demon] being banished from the game that he lost his mind.

Gong, however, didn't think as much as his brother. With [Thunder Demon] blocking his way, he didn't feel much pressure from [Armed Dragon LV7]: "You make it sound so nice, but in the end, the [Armed Dragon LV7] you painstakingly summoned is just a monster with 2800 attack power. How can it compare to my [Thunder Demon]?"

"What's more, my [Thunder Demon God] has an almost invincible effect; no matter how high your monster's attack power is, I can still intercept it." Of course, Miyako didn't foolishly say this out loud; he only thought it to himself. He still planned to conceal the effect of the [Thunder Demon God] so he could outmaneuver Hayato.

“Indeed, the attack power of [Armed Dragon LV7] is only 'a mere 2800' points, but who has ever stipulated that 'a monster with low attack power cannot defeat a monster with high attack power'?” Hayato revealed a smile that left the Labyrinth brothers puzzled. “[Armed Dragon LV7], for me, attack [Thunder Demon]!”

"Ultraman Galaxy Phantom Super 44 Caliber Magnum Limit - Jab!"

Despite its long name, Hayato's [Armed Dragon LV7] attack could hardly be called a "jab," but rather a flying spike attack. The spikes mounted on the armor were launched instantly upon receiving the command, propelled by a small thruster at the tail of the spikes, and hurtled towards [Raiden] on the palace grounds.

"Summer is over, there's no lingering heat of autumn, and the sunlight is weak enough not to burn your brain," Gong said with a smug smile. "Since you dared to launch such a reckless suicidal attack on the [Thunder Demon God], I'll just add another boost to your efforts!"

"Open the face-down card, [Shield Spear], this card increases [Thunder Demon]'s ATK and DEF by 400 points!"

【Thunder God - Sanga】【3400/2200→3800/2600】

"Then I'll use the effect of [Thunder Demon God - Sanga]. This card can only be used once while it's face-up on the field. Reduce the ATK of your [Armed Dragon LV7] to 0!" Miya laughed and waved his hand. "Take this 3800 points of counter-damage, Kobayashi Hayato!"

"Lightning Barrier!"

Instantly, boundless electric current coiled around the [Thunder God], spreading forward and forming a wall of electricity composed entirely of energy, yet seemingly possessing a tangible form, which slammed into the [Armed Dragon LV7]. Along its path, the electric barrier encountered no resistance, easily striking the [Armed Dragon LV7] behind Hayato.

Under the influence of the electric current, even the robust body of the [Armed Dragon LV7] couldn't help but let out a painful howl, and its attack power dropped rapidly like it was diving.

[Armed Dragon LV7] [ATK2800→0]

Just as the spikes shooting through the air were about to hit [Thunder Demon] and a counterattack was imminent, Hayato finally activated the face-down card he had set up the previous turn: "Spell Card, [Beast Charge] activated! I declare that it is a [Light] attribute card!"

The instant Hayato declared his Light attribute, a sliver of electricity flashed across the spikes fired by Armed Dragon LV7, striking Raiden's body directly. Raising its powerful arm to retaliate, Raiden was horrified to discover that all the electricity it had generated was absorbed by the spikes that had pierced its body without leaving even a scratch.

The lightning of the [Thunder God] accumulated, and the spikes suddenly became dazzling. After a brief pause, they exploded with a bang, and the [Thunder God] was directly destroyed by the exploding spikes and sent into the graveyard.

Witnessing his ace monster being destroyed for the second time, Miya angrily looked towards Hayato, who calmly placed the [Beast Charge], which had served its purpose, into the graveyard, explaining, "This card's effect targets one of my monsters. After declaring an attribute, if this monster battles a monster with the declared attribute, it can destroy the other monster without taking damage."

"Well, have you witnessed the power of a monster with 'a mere 2800 points'?"

Chapter 130: A classic three-for-one exchange, but the result is still a blank slate.