Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"Young people these days, why are they so hot-blooded? I've given him so many hints, didn't he get my eye contact? Even though I'm blind now."

'I finally came up with this reason: to test the strength of a modern person for the esteemed Pharaoh Abydos III, so as not to bore him with the prospect of a weakling. If this young man defeats me, then all my efforts will have been in vain.'

'Pharaoh Abydos III being defeated? No way! We should wait at least three thousand years!'

While feeling mentally exhausted, the priest mummy glanced at the distance and felt slightly relieved.

"Upon discovering two modern duelists, the Pharaoh hurriedly brought them to the Dark Sun Ship, but we priests could only hold off one at most. Fortunately, the Pharaoh himself, interested in the mortal realm, also came along, and helped relieve some of the pressure on the clearly stronger opponent."

Thinking of the human in blue robes, and vaguely hearing his arrogant and boastful laughter from afar, the priest thought to himself, 'His laughter is just too noisy. It feels... not as good as Lord Abydos III's.'

Chapter 1149 Caesar: The principal is one of the other side, how could I have such a strange dream?

[Ryo Marufuji: 500LP, 1 card in hand]

【? : 4000LP, 1 card in hand】

Monster A, Monster B, Monster C, Monster D

[Continuous Spell Card] [Continuous Trap Card] [Face Card]

[Field Spell Card]

Having barely survived the opponent's round, Marufuji Ryo, panting heavily, looked at the man opposite him who wore a lot of gold jewelry and very little clothing, revealing a well-defined but not overly muscular physique.

Despite his seemingly revealing attire, he didn't come across as an exhibitionist. On the contrary, he gave off an unusually harmonious feeling, as if there was nothing wrong with him exposing so much skin. "There is no part of the king's body that is shameful," that's probably the idea.

Marufuji Ryo remembered this style of clothing as being from ancient Egypt, and the spaceship beneath his feet further confirmed this—his opponent seemed to be a figure from ancient Egypt. However, what Marufuji Ryo couldn't understand was how people from ancient Egypt could reappear in the modern era? After all, ancient Egypt had long since perished and was no longer the same as modern Egypt; of the world's four great ancient civilizations, only one has successfully continued to this day.

Although he was unaware of Tanya's duel with Misawa, Titan's encounter with Manjoume, and Tenjouin Fubuki's transformation back into herself after Jaden removed her mask from "Darkness," Ryo Marufuji had at least witnessed Professor Chronos's duel with Camilla. Knowing of the existence of vampires, he was somewhat prepared for the situation of the other "Seven Stars."

However, when they encountered Misawa on their way to the Amazonian territory, they were still startled by the golden ship that suddenly appeared above them.

The "Golden Ship" doesn't refer to a racehorse, but rather literally to a glittering, golden ship made of gold that flies through the air. Just as they were still surprised by their unexpected encounter with Misawa Daichi, the golden ship suddenly appeared above them, emitting a burst of sun-like golden light. When the intense light subsided, Marufuji Ryo found himself, Misawa Daichi, and Maeda Hayato transported to the ship.

The owner of the spaceship sat on the throne in the center of the ship, making no attempt to conceal his identity. When Misawa Daichi and Marufuji Ryo noticed him, he immediately revealed his identity as Abydos III, who was known in ancient Egypt as the "God of Duel" and the "Invincible Duelist." He had also come to this island as one of the "Seven Stars" to collect the key to the "Seven Seals of Essence."

Abydos III had no interest in Maeda Hayato, who was clearly not a strong duelist and had no connection to the "Seven Essence Seals" key. Instead, after learning that Misawa Daichi and Marufuji Ryo were the key guardians of the "Seven Essence Seals" key, Abydos III immediately dispatched a large number of mummy soldiers stationed on his spaceship to surround them, declaring that he would duel them to seize the key.

However, before Abydos III could make a move, some of his priests suggested that the pharaoh's noble status should not be easily challenged by ordinary, uncouth people. They proposed that before dueling with Misawa Daichi and Marufuji Ryo, the priests should test the strength of their opponents first.

Out of fear of the seemingly dangerous mummies and for the safety of his classmates, Marufuji Ryo did not resort to the "basic duelist skill" of jumping directly off the spaceship. Instead, he decided to stay and fight the priests with Misawa Daichi. However, to Marufuji Ryo's surprise, his opponents changed when he dueled with the gaunt mummy priests who were constantly flexing their muscles as if trying to make some kind of expression.

The scantily clad man, unlike the mummified priests and soldiers, and clearly possessing a living body like Abydos III, emerged from the back of the spaceship. He stated that although he hadn't come to the mortal world to find this brat, he would use this barely acceptable kid to kill some time before encountering the real Abydos III. Without even consulting Abydos III, he forcibly took Marufuji Ryo from the ship.

He even conjured a spaceship out of thin air, and judging from its configuration, it seemed to be even more advanced than Abydos III's golden ship.

Abydos III was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt. There were precedents like Camilla, a vampire who acted during the day. Marufuji Ryo could at least ignore the doubts about the dead who had been dead for many years reappearing in the world as living people. But what about this man in front of him? He had the body of a living person just like Abydos III, and he could even ignore Abydos III, who was a pharaoh, and act on his own.

"What, are you still amazed by my steed—this dark sun ship 'Mesektet'?" The man, arms crossed, spoke with an air of self-righteous pride, as if "it's time to exhale after inhaling." "This is a sun ship that only I, the supreme god-king, the greatest among pharaohs, the king of kings, can possess. Even the ship of Pharaoh Abydos III is merely a replica of my steed."

"This is the ship that the sun god Ra used to transport the resurrected pharaoh. Don't be amazed, just admire my glory."

After a pause, the man said with some regret, "It's a pity that Pharaoh Abydos III brought too many of his subjects this time. Otherwise, I could have brought the composite temple symbolizing my majesty, as well as the scorching sand sphinx within it. I remember that guy really hated the sphinx. It's a real shame I didn't get to see his distressed expression. Hehe, hehehehehehehe!"

Watching the man spouting incomprehensible yet information-packed words and laughing to himself, completely disregarding everyone else, Marufuji Ryo didn't relax at all. Instead, he glanced at his Duel Disk.

The symbol of the "Cyber ​​Dragon" style – in Ryo Marufuji's use and understanding – is a thoroughly aggressive deck. Its main goal is to unleash all its brilliance in a very short time, crush all of the opponent's defenses in an instant and seize victory, taking aggressiveness to the extreme.

However, the man in front of him easily blocked his strong attacks for several rounds and easily countered, destroying all the monsters on his field. Moreover, he did not show any pressure at all, as if he was just a weakling who could be easily defeated in the eyes of his opponent.

The loud laughter gradually subsided, and Marufuji Ryo met the man's golden eyes, which were scrutinizing him. The man's lips curled into a smile as he said, "Or perhaps, you're still thinking about my identity, the safety of your companions, and the like? But that's not the style you've always upheld. Shouldn't it be about fully displaying your brilliance, throwing yourself wholeheartedly into the battle, and defeating your opponent with 'dignity' and 'respect,' you, man of the glimmer of light?"

"How could you—!?" Upon hearing the man's words, Marufuji Ryo's eyes widened instantly, but he wasn't angry at the strange way the man addressed him as "the one of glimmers of light," but rather astonished at how the man knew his thoughts. After a brief moment of surprise, Marufuji Ryo took a deep breath to regain his composure and nodded slightly to the man, saying, "No, you're right. Thank you for reminding me of that."

"Dignity" and "respect"—these are the two points that encapsulate all the principles he received in his education. These are what Marufuji Ryo himself considers the fundamental qualities of a duelist, and the ideas he has always practiced. His opponent has given him much to consider; thinking about things outside of the duel is meaningless. At this moment, as a duelist in the midst of a duel, all he needs to think about is fighting with all his might.

However, as Marufuji Ryo realized this, he didn't notice that the man opposite him raised his eyebrows slightly, revealing a dissatisfied look in his eyes, while muttering to himself things like, "How pathetic how stupid he is, who taught him this?"

"My turn, draw!" Ryo Marufuji drew a card from his deck, paused for a moment when he saw the card he had drawn, and then activated the card in his hand, "Spell Card [Overload Fusion] activated! Banish the Fusion Material Monsters specified in a Machine-Type DARK Fusion Monster from my field and Graveyard, and Fusion Summon that Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck!"

"I will exclude the following eight monsters from my Graveyard as Fusion Material: Cyber ​​Phoenix, two Primal Cyber ​​Dragons, three Cyber ​​Dragons, Cyber ​​Twins, and Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon! The Fusion Material requirement is one Cyber ​​Dragon plus at least one Machine-Type monster!"

Behind Ryo Marufuji, one after another, the Machine-type monsters that had appeared in previous duels appeared as phantoms, then shattered and merged into the vortex of [Fusion] in mid-air. A vast number of mechanical parts were pieced together, modified, and transformed, finally forming a gigantic mechanical dragon on Kaiser's Field, with [Cyber ​​Dragon] at its core, its body resembling multiple tires!

"Break through the darkness with radiance, [Chimera Fortress Dragon]!"

[Chimera Fortress Dragon] [8☆/Dark]

[Mechanical Race/Fusion/Effect]

【0/0→8000/0】

Not long ago, Ryo Marufuji first used Chimera Fortress Dragon in a duel to defeat Ryuga, who used shameful cheating methods in the duel. It reappeared on Ryo Marufuji's field. Its attack power soared to a full 8000 points because it had obtained a total of eight materials. It was very aggressive!

Of the four monsters on the field opposite Ryo Marufuji, only one is in Defense Position; the other three are in Attack Position, with ATKs ranging from 3000, 2500, and 2400 respectively. While this subtly corresponds to the monsters often grouped together—Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Dark Magician, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon—there's no doubt that none of them have enough ATK to withstand the attack of Chimera Fortress Dragon!

After that, the man's base points will be wiped out by the attack of the [Chimera Fortress Dragon]!

However, at that moment, the man opposite Ryo Marufuji shook his head and said, "What's the point of summoning such a monster? It's not even worth calling it 'going all out.' What's the use of having high attack power if you can't hit it? It's completely useless to me!"

"Open the remaining face-down card! This card can only be activated when a monster is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned. [Torrent Tribute] activated! Destroy all monsters on the field!"

As the mysterious man opened the card, the devastating [Torrent Tribute] instantly swept across the entire field, causing indiscriminate destruction. The [Chimera Fortress Dragon], which had only appeared for a moment, had high attack power, but it had no resistance and was instantly swallowed by the surging waves and crushed under the terrifying water pressure.

The torrent came and went quickly. When the waves subsided, the Chimera Fortress Dragon had disappeared. However, Ryo Marufuji saw that the opponent's four monsters, which should have been destroyed along with the Chimera Fortress Dragon due to the indiscriminate destruction of the Torrent Tribute, were still on the field.

[A][B][C][D]

"Because of the effect of this Continuous Spell Card on the field, these minions on the field cannot be destroyed by the effects of cards that do not target themselves, so it's really pitiful that in the end only your monsters will be destroyed."

However, Ryo Marufuji already knew the effect of his opponent's Continuous Spell Card, and the appearance of [Chimera Fortress Dragon] was more of a test of his opponent's back row face-down cards. Seeing that his opponent's monster had not been destroyed, Ryo Marufuji smiled and said, "I see, the face-down card was [Torrent Tribute]."

"Quick-Play Spell Card [Cyber ​​Load Fusion] activated! Return the Fusion Material Monsters specified by the Fusion Monster from my field and banished monsters to their owners' Deck, and Fusion Summon the Fusion Monster made from the Fusion Material of a [Cyber ​​Dragon] monster from the Fusion Deck!" Playing a card from his hand, Ryo Marufuji pointed at the man opposite him and said, "If it were a Trap Card activated upon an attack declaration, it might give me a headache, but now, I've already seen the glorious path to victory!"

Hearing Marufuji Ryo's words, the man opposite him raised his expectations slightly again: "Huh? You haven't given up? After [Torrent Burial] destroyed the powerful monster you finally summoned, you still dare to approach me?"

"Has it been fueled by a thirst for victory?" The man glanced at Marufuji Ryo, then shook his head. "...No, it seems not. He's still fighting with a sense of boredom. In that case, there probably won't be any unexpected surprises, just..."

Under the man's knowing gaze, Ryo Marufuji retrieved the three Cyber ​​Dragons he had previously banished and shuffled them back into his deck. With a wave of his hand, he declared, "The three Cyber ​​Dragons I'm returning to my deck are the banished ones. Using them as Fusion Materials, I will perform my final Fusion Summon!"

"This will be the last monster you see, don't blink!"

"【Electronic Terminator Dragon】!"

A familiar old friend appeared on Marufuji's field for the second time. Although it no longer possessed the exaggerated 8000 attack power of the previous [Chimera Fortress Dragon], [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon] had an effect that Marufuji trusted implicitly—the ability to create victory in this duel.

“When attacking a Defense Position monster, Cyber ​​End Dragon inflicts damage to the opponent's duelist equal to the attacking monster's ATK exceeding its DEF, while there is one monster with 0 DEF on your field.” Ryo Marufuji pointed at the man and said, “Checkmate! I've won this duel!”

Marufuji felt genuine joy at finally ending the duel with the principles of "dignity" and "respect" after giving it his all. However, he couldn't discern whether the joy surging in his heart came entirely from the duel of "dignity" and "respect," or whether it was mixed with something else, or whether he had mistakenly attributed the source of this joy to the so-called "respect" and "dignity" from beginning to end.

"Enter the battle phase! I use [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon] to attack your Defense Position monster!" Ryo Marufuji commanded, waving his hand. "Eternal Evolution Flame!"

After a brief charge, the three-headed mechanical dragon unleashed a beam attack! The mysterious man in the back row, who had no face-down cards left, still had full Life Points, but in Marufuji Ryo's eyes, he was already as fragile as a candle in the wind!

But at the very instant the attack was launched, a rainbow-colored light screen suddenly flew out from the man's hand, blocking the attack power of the [Electronic Terminator Dragon]!?

Seeing these familiar special effects, Marufuji Ryo, who had felt something was off from the beginning, stared at the mysterious male protagonist's black hair, which was pulled back by the airflow from the [Electronic Terminator Dragon] attack. After scrutinizing him for a few moments, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Principal Kobayashi!?"

The principal is actually a member of the "Seven Stars" organization? Why would I have such a strange dream?

Chapter 1150 is grayed out and cannot be searched!

No wonder Marufuji Ryosuke suddenly addressed the mysterious man in front of him as "Principal Kobayashi," because the man looked remarkably like Hayato.

Clothing and appearance can be ignored for the time being, but when the man's hair stood up against gravity as if he had applied hair gel because he was so engrossed in playing cards, the expression on his face was too similar to that of Kobayashi Hayato. Moreover, after careful observation, Marufuji Ryo also found many similarities between him and Hayato.

However, there are so many people on Earth. It's not impossible for someone who is an ancient Egyptian from thousands of years ago to look exactly like someone from the far east of Asia. If you're lucky, you might even see several of them in a row.

—For example, in a class that graduated from Tongshiye High School a few years ago, four out of forty students had a significant connection with ancient Egypt.

However, the rainbow light that appeared in the man's hand was the final evidence, because Marufuji Ryo recognized that the source of the light was clearly the rare card that only his principal, Kobayashi Hayato, possessed in the entire world—

(So ​​cute!)

"Nefertari, my beloved Queen, your radiance is always with me." Looking at the card in his hand and the rainbow screen blocking the [Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon], the man said, "When an opponent's monster declares an attack, I equip this [Rainbow Kuriboh] card to it as an Equip Card, and the monster equipped with [Rainbow Kuriboh] cannot attack!"

Even the powerful attacks of the [Electronic Terminator Dragon] could not cause the slightest damage or destruction in front of the [Rainbow Kuriboh]'s light screen. They were all intercepted, and the light screen deformed and contracted, binding the [Electronic Terminator Dragon] to it, preventing Ryo Marufuji from launching any further attacks with the [Electronic Terminator Dragon] that he had originally intended to use to deliver a finishing blow.

Seeing that the [Electronic Terminator Dragon] had lost its ability to attack, Ryo Marufuji turned his gaze back to the man opposite him.

They even brought out the principal's signature Rainbow Chestnut Ball. Who else could it be but the principal?

But before he could say anything, he saw the man opposite him shake his head and say with dissatisfaction, "Foolish! Although I do look very much like that guy, I'm not so bad as to be unable to tell the difference. Are you not only stupid, but also have poor eyesight?"

"Moreover, compared to your status, as you see your victory gradually slipping away, have you ever felt resentment and disappointment?"

Upon hearing the other party's words, Marufuji Ryo replied without hesitation, "I have done everything I could in this duel. Although I failed to protect the key to the 'Seven Essence Seal,' I have upheld my principles in this duel and I do not feel any 'resentment.'"

Yes, I have never cared about the outcome of a duel. What matters to me is the process rather than the result. Therefore, I will not feel regret or resentment in this duel, which I have already done my best in, even though I am destined to lose.

...Absolutely not.

Subconsciously placing his palm over his heart, Ryo Marufuji felt his heart, which had been beating faster before the appearance of the [Electronic Terminator Dragon], but now slowed down as victory receded.

Does one truly not feel a hunger for victory?

Unable to give an answer, Marufuji Ryo fell silent, while the man opposite him had already lost interest in him and looked in another direction, because something more interesting was approaching.

No, a more accurate way to put it is that the man, having seen his target from the beginning, shifted all his attention to that target and lost interest in Marufuji Ryo, who was just there to pass the time!

Looking up, Ryo Marufuji saw the man looking elsewhere. He followed his gaze and saw Hayato Kobayashi leaping off the materialized Duel Monster "Cursed Dragon" and boarding the Golden Spaceship in a "superhero landing" pose.

Staring wide-eyed at Hayato, then at the mysterious man with his arms crossed and a "I've finally waited for you" smile, even Marufuji Ryo couldn't figure out what was going on: "Principal Kobayashi, there are two?"

"Darze will probably be ecstatic to hear you say that, but even though I do look a lot like that guy over there, I'm not so bad that I can't tell the difference, am I? Stubbornness is one thing, but Ryo, why are your eyesight so bad?" Hayato stood up and looked at the spaceship beneath his feet. Hearing Ryo Marufuji's words, he said with some dissatisfaction, unaware that he had coincidentally said something almost exactly what that man had just said to Ryo Marufuji.

Finally, Hayato looked at the mysterious man and said, "Besides, this ship is pretty cool."

"Hmph, isn't that only natural? My vehicle must be the most magnificent and prestigious, befitting my glory as the King of Kings." Hearing Hayato's words, the man said with some pride, "However, anyone who trespasses into my vehicle without permission is punishable by death. So, as punishment, I'll have you duel with me, Kobayashi Hayato!"

"Is playing cards the ultimate punishment? I'm too embarrassed to call you out on it. Besides, your name isn't on this spaceship, so I could just take it and it wouldn't matter."

The appearance of two "Kobayashi Hayatos" had already left Marufuji Ryo somewhat bewildered, and seeing Hayato interacting with that man as if they were old acquaintances only made him more confused. However, he didn't have time to ponder for long, because after hearing that Hayato didn't seem to have much intention of dueling with him, the mysterious man smiled at Hayato and said, "Hmph, I knew all along that you wouldn't duel with me, but it doesn't matter, I had already anticipated this."

"Thud—" He lightly lifted his toes and stepped down onto the golden ship below. His shoe made a soft sound as it hit the gold. Marufuji saw that the field spell cards that had surrounded him earlier had been recalled before the duel ended. This also happened to the monsters and spell/trap cards on his opponent's field. Even his own "Cyber ​​End Dragon" was forcibly dismissed and disappeared, as if the duel had been stopped.

Ordinary duels can be interrupted at will by the duelists, but Ryo Marufuji remembers very clearly that he was touched by his opponent's materialized monsters more than once during the duel. Although they clearly held back when attacking and did not actually attack Ryo Marufuji's body, there is no doubt that this duel was a dark game with substantial damage.

"Can a dark game be interrupted at will?"

Upon hearing Marufuji Ryo's words, both the mysterious man and Kobayashi Hayato looked puzzled: "Things like Dark Games, aren't they supposed to be manipulated at will? They can't possibly kill people, can they?" x2

Seeing the confused expression on Marufuji Ryo's face, the mysterious man gently raised his arm and said, "A duel ceremony that is merely a simple illusion cannot bring enough pressure and tension. If it is not exciting enough, it will be meaningless. I was thinking of giving some pointers to those who are trapped in the fog and unable to move forward when I had some free time, but I was so stupid that even I have to sigh with regret."