Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"That's what I was going to say, but their prices are just too good to pass up." Hearing Tenma Tsukiyuki's words, Hayato glanced at the cards he had bought. "A UR-rarity [Bitter Choice] card for only 250 yen, which is only the price of one Tamashi card. Who could resist that?"

"This price is indeed cheap," Tenma Tsukiyuki couldn't find any way to refute it, "but is it really necessary for you, Mr. Hayato, to go out of your way to queue up and buy it?"

Although Hayato could easily buy any high-rarity cards on the market for his own use if he wanted, buying cheap goods was a special kind of fun. He really didn't expect that the "Black Scorpion Cards" so-called "rare card promotion" would have such a big discount.

“You don’t understand. Of course, I have my reasons for doing this.” Hayato looked at the card in his hand. “The so-called ‘rare card promotion’ seems to be the biggest advantage and customer attraction of this newly emerged ‘Black Scorpion Card’. Even I can’t help but want to buy a couple of cards at such a favorable price. It’s only natural that it can attract a large number of customers to stay here and buy cards.”

"But the problem is that this can no longer be explained by 'losing money to gain publicity' or 'spending money to buy reputation.' The price of high-rarity cards has been driven so low that they can't even recover the cost price, let alone make a profit. If it were just one or two cards at a time, it would be fine, but they can easily produce a whole box of cards..."

"That does seem unreasonable. The business attracted by such methods is completely insufficient to cover the cost of acquiring rare cards." Tenma Tsukiyuki's gaze fell on Hayato's hand. "So, Mr. Hayato, what you're thinking..."

"It turns out I was wrong. Even these cards are genuine, not counterfeit." Hayato shook his head and put [Bitter Choice] into his card box. "My intuition as a duelist tells me that there is definitely something wrong with these cards, not with the cards themselves, but with their origin."

"And if you want to know the answer to the question, you just need to ask—"

Before Hayato could finish speaking, the silver-haired, one-eyed shopkeeper, Zarugu, appeared beside Hayato and Tenma Tsukiyuki without them noticing, and said mysteriously, "These two guests look quite familiar~"

"I have an average face." Hayato took a step back as he looked at Zarug who had moved closer. "Is there something you need?"

“Haha, because I feel that you seem to have some minor questions about our shop, and answering those questions is one of my responsibilities as the shop manager. Providing better service is the only way to keep more customers in our shop.” Zarug narrowed his only eye and said, “Don’t you think so, Mr. Duel King?”

Although Hayato didn't possess the cognitive interference ability of the [Quantum Cube], he still took basic steps to disguise his identity. He didn't admit to being the Duel King, but instead looked at Zarugu with suspicion: "The Duel King? Is he here?"

"Don't deny it, Mr. Hayato Kobayashi. I actually recognized you the moment you walked in. Someone as outstanding as you is dazzling wherever you are. I could never mistake you." Zarug said, looking at the countless powerful spirits behind Hayato that were invisible to ordinary people but clearly visible to him.

With that, Zarug walked away from Hayato and returned to the cashier, picking up the microphone again: "Dear customers, I have some good news to announce: the legendary duelist, the strongest man in the world, the master of monster release, the one who defeated the father of Duel Monsters, the one who submitted to the three Egyptian God cards, the one born of the storm, the Duel King Hayato Kobayashi, has also visited our Black Scorpion Cards!"

"When did so many people come to the store?"

The mover, Gao Ge, scratched his head, somewhat puzzled. Upon hearing this, the bespectacled man, Cliff, said irritably, "They're all the same person."

"Isn't his name a bit too long?"

Ignoring the Black Scorpion Card store staff for the moment, the customers in the store instantly erupted in excitement after hearing what the store manager, Zarug, said, even more so than when Black Scorpion Cards started its rare card promotion.

"Mr. Hayato is actually here? Doesn't Kameji Card Shop always advertise that it's more popular with those legendary duelists?"

"I used to really like the Black Scorpion card, but now I like it even more."

"Hahaha, I'm so excited I could practically wag a flag!"

Unexpectedly, after discovering him, Zarug decisively revealed his identity. The excited customers quickly noticed him, who was wearing sunglasses even indoors, following Zarug's gaze through his one eye. Hayato had no choice but to take off his glasses, crush them, and wipe his hair with his hand.

"I am the second Duel King, and now the only one."

Using Aizen's gestures and reciting Kenji's lines, Hayato revealed his true form to the customers.

Wow! It really is the King of Duel!

"I'm going to give him a good thrashing!"

"Wuhu, take off!"

"Mr. Hayato, could you perform that again? You mean that one?"

Although some inexplicable people seemed to have mixed in with the excited customers, Hayato still put on a serious face and, hearing what the customers who suddenly crowded around him were saying, casually pulled out a card and said to the card with the name "Disruption - Yellow," "Sacrifice yourself for the greater good!"

"This is it, this is the taste!"

"That's awesome! This is exactly what I wanted to see!"

Seeing Hayato surrounded by customers, Zarugu's single eye gleamed with smugness. He seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, saying, "It's rare for Mr. Hayato Kobayashi to visit our shop. You all mustn't miss such a great opportunity. After all, this is a rare chance to get up close and personal with the King of Duels and even duel with him. Surely Mr. Hayato Kobayashi wouldn't have the heart to refuse such a duel invitation from his devoted fans, would he?"

After saying this, seeing that the customers were indeed starting to get restless and had their desire to duel the King of Duel as he had persuaded them to, Zarug immediately whispered to the shop assistants behind him, "Everyone, hurry up and pack your things and get ready to run away while that guy Hayato Kobayashi is being held up!"

"Yes, manager," the four employees replied in unison.

Those who come to the card shop to buy cards, even if they are not professional duelists, are still fans of Duel Monsters. Although Hayato has an extremely high reputation in the Duel Monsters world, even higher than Pegasus, the "father of Duel Monsters," it's not accurate to say that all the customers in the shop are his fans.

Most of them are just ordinary passersby who rarely see such important figures and want to join in the fun. It's like someone who doesn't usually listen to Jay Chou suddenly finding himself eating noodles at the same restaurant and table as him, so he'd definitely want to get an autograph.

Hayato also somewhat understood Zarugu's thoughts. This guy probably noticed him and Tenma Tsukiyuki as soon as they entered the store and recognized his identity. He deliberately started the rare card promotion after Hayato entered the store in order to attract as many customers as possible in a short period of time, and then delay Hayato after revealing his identity.

Seeing the shop assistants around Zarug leave one by one, and Zarug seemingly wanting to run away as well, Hayato decisively said, "That's right, I do want to duel with each of you, after all, I love serving my fans the most."

Tenma Tsukiyuki, who was being pushed aside by the crowd, raised an eyebrow. He couldn't help but recall the so-called "fan service" duel that Hayato had put him in after he claimed to be a fan. What kind of duel was that? It was clearly a massacre, too brutal.

Before the customers around him could get excited, Hayato changed the subject: "But there are just too many people in the store. No matter who I choose, I'm afraid the people who don't get a choice won't be satisfied. I can't show favoritism."

"So, although I am very reluctant, I cannot duel with you all." Hayato paused, then said, "However, my presence here has probably caused a lot of trouble for the shopkeeper's business, so I must think of a way to compensate him."

Upon hearing Hayato's words, Zaruge's heart skipped a beat, and he sensed something was wrong. He quickened his pace and walked out of the cashier's counter toward the small door leading to the back warehouse.

However, Hayato, who often had to act quickly to activate effects during duels, spoke faster. Before Hayato could leave, Hayato said, "Therefore, why don't I have a duel with the shopkeeper, Mr. Zarug?"

Zarug, who tried to manipulate public opinion to drag Hayato down, ended up suffering the consequences. In an instant, the crowd between Hayato and Zarug parted and all eyes turned to him as he tiptoed away. The exchange of glances between Hayato and Zarug became unobstructed.

'Zarug, you're a great store manager, but your store is a mess, hahahahaha!'

'Hayato Kobayashi, you tricked me!'

He desperately wanted to tear off his blindfold and throw it on the ground to vent his dissatisfaction, but Zarugu's outward appearance was impeccable. Despite being full of displeasure, he looked at Hayato with a delighted expression and said, "Really, Mr. Hayato? May I, a complete novice in Duel Monsters, duel with you?"

"But I don't think that's a good idea. I love Duel Monsters, but I haven't become a duelist because I don't have enough ability. I just opened this card shop to help capable young people play Duel Monsters and get stronger with my help. It's not my wish to duel a legendary duelist like you."

Who can't say a few nice words? Hayato can naturally steer the conversation towards Zarugu, making Zarugu his duel opponent, and Zarugu himself can cleverly refuse Hayato's challenge with a few lies. Does he not know that others don't? Kobayashi Hayato is capable of playing dark games; if you duel him, your only fate is death.

"Oh, it's nothing, Manager Zhaluge, don't be so polite."

"Oh, really, no need, Mr. Hayato, you're too kind."

Seeing that Hayato still wouldn't let him go, Zarugu realized that he probably had no choice but to duel. However, even if he was forced to duel, he still had an escape route so that he could avoid confronting Hayato.

His gaze fell on Pegasus Moonwalker not far away, and Zaruge said, "Mr. Hayato, you are so enthusiastic, I'm afraid I can't refuse any longer. But a duel with you would be like throwing an egg against a rock, and I wouldn't be able to put on an interesting show for the customers in the shop. How about I have a duel with the young man who came to the shop with you?"

"Oh, Yuexing? Manager Zaruge, you want to duel with the young man, right? Okay, no problem, then you can begin." Hayato turned around and looked at the bewildered Pegasus Yuexing, pulled him out from the crowd and stood him in his place, saying, "As for me, I'll be the commentator and referee for this duel."

"By the way, Yuexing, you brought your own deck with you, right?"

Although he didn't know why Zarugo's duel opponent had suddenly changed from Hayato to himself, after hearing Hayato's question, Tenma Tsukiyuki nodded and took out a deck from his waist, saying, "Well, as a duelist, it should be a basic courtesy to always have a deck with you."

As mentioned before, while there are Hayato fans among the customers, there are actually many more who are just there for the spectacle. This particular hobby is a characteristic shared by all mankind, regardless of nationality or ethnicity. Although they didn't get to see the Duel Kings' duel, they were happy to see something interesting. Besides, they might not even understand the Duel Kings' duel. The duel between the card shop owner and a seemingly ordinary young man would be more interesting.

The shelves in the store were moved aside, and the customers consciously made a large space for Zarug and Pegasus Moonwalker to duel. Both of them put on their prepared duel disks, and the duel was about to begin.

"Duel!" x2

[Zarug: 4000LP, 5 card in hand]

[Pegasus Moon Journey: 4000LP, 5 cards in hand]

"I'll take the first strike!" Drawing a card first, Zarug glanced at the shop assistants who had loyally returned to the store because he hadn't escaped. A bright smile spread across his slightly ferocious face as he played a card, announcing, "Activate the Spell Card 'Rough Man's Foresight'! When I have no monsters on my field, Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck! I Special Summon 'Sapphire Dragon'!"

"Next, Normal Summon [Azure Jade Dragon], set three cards face down, and end your turn!"

On the field of Zarug, two glittering gem dragons appeared. Just by looking at their appearance, they were simply gorgeous. They were also quite powerful in physique, both being noble dragon monsters that combined handsomeness, elegance, and strength. Moreover, Pegasus Moonwalker noticed the special effects when the two monsters appeared, indicating that they were cards of considerable rarity.

However, although the cards are visually appealing and the monsters are cool, both monsters are actually just low-level monsters. Although they have decent physiques, they're nothing special. As Zarug himself said, he doesn't have the talent of a duelist. Perhaps this level would be acceptable in a duel against an ordinary person, but Zarug's opponent at this moment is Pegasus Moonwalker.

[Zarug: 4000LP, 1 card in hand]

【Purple Jade Dragon】【ATK2000】

【Sapphire Dragon】【ATK1900】

[GaiK] X3

"Two excellent Dragon-type Normal Monsters as your starting hand, not a bad choice. But my angels are no worse than your monsters." Pegasus Moonwalker calmly drew a card. "My turn, draw."

"Then I activate the spell card [Planetary Transformation], adding the field spell card [Sanctuary of the Sky] from my deck to my hand, and I activate it immediately!"

Chapter 1095 This is the Black Scorpion Burglary Gang!

"Using the effect of [Hyperion the Overlord], I banish [Venus the Agent of Creation] from my Graveyard, target and destroy one card on the field, and then choose the face-down card on my opponent's back field!"

"What?! My [Explosive Armor]!"

"Furthermore, thanks to the Field Spell Card [Sanctuary of the Sky], the effect of [Overlord Hyperion] can be used up to twice per turn! Banish [Mysterious Agent Earth] from the Graveyard, and destroy one card on your opponent's field—[Leader Zarug] in Defense Position!"

"Finally, there's the direct attack from [Overlord Hyperion]!"

"Waaah!"

[Zarug: 2700LP→0]

Under Pegasus Moonwalker's smooth offensive, he easily defeated Zarug in just five rounds, and even until the end of the duel, his base score remained at full value.

—Do you feel like you've missed reading two or three chapters? How come the duel ended so quickly after it had just begun?

If Tenma Gekko is like Jonouchi, who can fight on par with world-destroying bosses and go toe-to-toe with newbie Duel Monsters who have just built a beginner's deck, then the main character is a reverse-attribute Pokémon O Dream Master and a 50/50 persona.

Alternatively, Zarugu's strength is stronger. It doesn't have to be on the same level as Keith, Ryuzaki, and the others who are always vying for the top spot in the professional duelist circle, but at least it should be at the level of Marufuji Ryo.

In that case, the duel between Pegasus Gekko and Zarugu might have been more interesting and longer. However, Zarugu's strength was really only at the average level of a second-year student at the Duel Academy, while Pegasus Gekko, who had regained his memories, was the so-called "Perfect Duelist." This duel could only be described as an overwhelming victory for Pegasus Gekko at first glance.

It was a pure bullying match. I don't know if it's because Tenma Gekko's personality is such that he goes all out in any duel, or if he heard Hayato say that this was a so-called "fan service" and remembered his own experience, so he took revenge on Zarugu and made him experience what he felt.

In short, it should be the former, probably...

"Rejoice! A new star is rising in the world of Duel Monsters! He is the 'Perfect Duelist,' the duelist wielding the powerful Fairy-Type 'Agent' deck, Pegasus Moonwalker. Now, he has defeated yet another 'powerful' opponent!"

As the referee, Hayato dutifully declared the outcome of the duel and even celebrated Tenma Gekko's victory. Under his influence, even the customers around him who didn't know Tenma Gekko well applauded for defeating Zarug.

However, as the one being celebrated, Tenma Tsukiyuki was not particularly happy about winning the duel. After all, finding a hundred dollars would be a very happy thing for an ordinary person, but even finding ten thousand dollars wouldn't excite a billionaire, unless it was someone like Hayato who felt like he had made a profit even if he got a free bowl of noodles.

Rather than noticing how easily Zarug had been defeated, the astute Pegasus Moonwalker sensed something amiss: during the duel, Zarug and the Black Scorpion Card shopkeepers all seemed to instinctively want to rush onto the field whenever Zarug used the card called "Black Scorpion Burglary."

Furthermore, after that, Zarug also used members of the Black Scorpion Burglary Gang, such as Black Scorpion - Mina the Thorn and Black Scorpion - Gogo the Powerful.

“If I remember correctly, Manager Zarug, the names of those Black Scorpion Duel Monsters you just used correspond to the names of every employee in your store, and even the appearance of each monster is exactly the same as your employees.”

Once she had an idea in mind, she didn't hide it at all and said it directly. Tianma Yuexing looked at Zarug who was surrounded by the shop assistants and said, "And you yourself, whether it's your appearance, hair color, figure, or even your one eye, are exactly the same as the leader with the same name as you, [Leader-Zarug]. Combined with the fact that your shop's name is 'Black Scorpion Cards,' this is definitely not a simple coincidence."

Completely oblivious to the darkening expression on Zarug's face as he was helped up by the shop assistants, Tianma Yuexing said, "From this, I've deduced an answer, which is—"

Zarug gritted his teeth, looking at Tenma Tsukiyuki who was about to confidently reveal the result, and finally sighed regretfully, saying loudly, "As expected of Tenma Tsukiyuki, the 'Perfect Duelist' praised by the Duel King Kobayashi Hayato, you actually saw through our perfect disguise. It's a real pity that we can no longer maintain this kind of daily life."

Zhaluge and the other four shop assistants stood together, grabbed their clothes, and ripped them off!

"That's right, our true identity is—"

After removing their white shop uniforms, Zarug and his four companions were only wearing tight-fitting short-sleeved shirts, revealing their strong arms, and each of them had a conspicuous black scorpion tattoo on their right arm.

[Black Scorpion - Powerful Gao Ge] stood at the very back, arms outstretched at his sides with elbows bent and palms outstretched behind his ears. In front of him was [Black Scorpion - Escapee Qi Ke] in a "praise the sun" pose, while [Black Scorpion - Trap-Removing Cliff] and [Black Scorpion - Thorn Mina] squatted on either side of him. Zarug, no, [Leader - Zarug] was in the very front, half-squatting in the center position.

[Black Scorpion - Mina the Thorn]: "I won't kill anyone!"