Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"At the moment [Cyber ​​Dragon] enters the field, I will activate the effect of [Flame Dragon] on my field."

In Katsuya's voice, Ryo Marufuji saw him remove the card "Flame Dragon" from his Duel Disk and insert it into the Spell & Trap Zone, right next to the "Flying Flame Dragon - Flying Dragon Flame" that existed as an Equip Card.

“Outside of the Damage Step during either player’s turn, I can activate the effect of [Flame Dragon] by targeting a Warrior-Type monster I control. The target I choose is [Extreme Flame Swordsman] on my field.” Katsuya explained the card’s effect. “[Flame Dragon] can be equipped to the targeted monster as an Equip Spell Card from my field or Graveyard.”

"When the [Flame Dragon] is equipped to [Flame Swordsman] or a monster whose card name includes [Flame Swordsman], the equipped monster's ATK increases by 700 points and it can attack twice during one Battle Phase."

【Swordsman of Extreme Flame】(Flying Flame Dragon - Flying Dragon Flame, Fighting Flame Dragon) 【ATK3500→4200】

"Attack power has actually increased again, and it's exactly 4200 points now." Mai said to Katsuya in front of her with a smile, "Although the initial attack power was 200 points lower than the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, it is now 200 points higher than the Obelisk the Tormentor. Well done, Katsuya...

"Hehe, if I wanted to, surpassing that guy would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?" Katsuya, hearing the encouragement from the person behind him, also became arrogant, laughing triumphantly, but he didn't easily become proud. "But I'm still 300 points away from catching up with [Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon], there's still a bit of a distance to go. However, I didn't say that this is my limit."

Turning his gaze back to Ryo Marufuji opposite him, Katsuya said, "Now that my [Extreme Flame Swordsman] attack power has risen to 4200 points, what are your thoughts, boy?"

By focusing all his brilliance on a single moment, Ryo Marufuji's [Electronic Terminator Dragon] certainly exudes a breathtaking aura. However, the price he pays is that at the end of his turn, he will suffer damage equal to the original attack power of [Electronic Terminator Dragon] due to [Power Welding], which is a full 4000 points. With only 2000 base points, he simply cannot withstand this.

When [Power Weld] is used, it almost means that the duel has entered its final stage. Either Ryo Marufuji's monster defeats his opponent and empties Katsuya's Life Points, or Ryo Marufuji's own Life Points cannot withstand the side effects of [Power Weld] and he loses. This is what is known as "powerful cards often come with great risks".

However, now that the [Extreme Flame Swordsman]'s attack power has been increased to 4200 points, even the [Electronic Terminator Dragon] with an attack power of 8000 points can only deal 3800 points of damage, leaving Katsuya with exactly 200 basic points.

Even though he saw the approaching defeat and the receding possibility of victory, Marufuji Ryo showed no sign of losing his fighting spirit. Instead, he shouted, "Sorewatoka na!"

"I'm entering my battle phase."

After declaring that the battle phase had begun, Ryo Marufuji glanced at the last card in his hand and played it without hesitation, saying, "Duel Monsters is a game where the outcome is never known until the very last moment. It's a battle against fate, and the predetermined future can be rewritten in the face of the duelist's resolve. Besides, I don't believe that the power of the [Cyber ​​End Dragon] that I trust can't bring me victory!"

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Concentrated Socket]: You can target one face-up monster on my field to activate this card. It gains ATK equal to the target monster's DEF. As a trade, during the turn this card is activated, my monsters other than the targeted monster cannot attack."

Ryo Marufuji pointed to his Cyber ​​Dragon on the field, "Cyber ​​Dragon's Attack will increase by 2800 points. My trusted old friend, forge victory!"

[Electronic Terminator] [ATK8000→10800]

An incomparably dazzling light burst forth from the [Cyber ​​End Dragon], and the attack power of the [Cyber ​​End Dragon] exceeded the 8000 points that usually appeared in Marufuji Ryo's hands, reaching a full 10800 points. Marufuji Ryo vaguely understood something about the duel he had always pursued, about what he truly craved in his heart.

However, Marufuji Ryo was unaffected by those things. He was enjoying the moment of breaking through his limitations and was completely absorbed in the duel that was drawing to a close. With respect for the strong and his opponent, Marufuji Ryo pointed to the [Extreme Flame Swordsman] on the field—

"【Electronic Terminator Dragon】, attack 【Extreme Flame Swordsman】!"

Looking at Ryo Marufuji's attack, and the [Cyber ​​End Dragon] with an attack power of 10800, Katsuya said with some emotion, "With this level of skill, he could probably make a name for himself even in a world-class professional duelist tournament. For a student, this level of strength is really impressive."

“Well then, I can’t hold back either.” As soon as he finished speaking, Katsuya’s aura burned as fiercely as the flames around the [Extreme Flame Swordsman] on his field. “At the start of the [Extreme Flame Swordsman's] damage step in battle, its effect activates, doubling its attack power until the end of the turn!”

"Use offense as defense, defeat the enemy and protect your lord!"

As Katsuya spoke, his [Extreme Flame Swordsman] gripped both swords in front of him, with two fiery dragons coiled around his arms, fearlessly facing the charging [Electronic Termination Dragon].

【Swordsman of Extreme Flame】(Flying Flame Dragon - Flying Dragon Flame, Fighting Flame Dragon) 【ATK4200→8400】

Following "Cyber ​​Terminator Dragon", Katsuya's "Extreme Flame Swordsman" also broke through the level that regular Duel Monsters could hardly reach. The scorching flames almost burned away the air, making Ryo Marufuji's breathing become heavier.

The two looked at each other and shouted out their attack moves in unison—

"Eternal Evolutionary Flame!"

"Fire within the castle!"

The attacks from both sides collided, causing a violent tremor. So much so that Marufuji Ryo, who was completely absorbed in the battle, didn't even notice what move his opponent had just used.

Chapter 1214 The doctor said you're fine, but Robert Downey Jr., dressed as Iron Man and carrying a PS5, stood outside the ward.

The fiery slashes and the converging beams collided, creating a brief stalemate, like welding, where they rubbed and collided, attempting to cut or pierce each other.

However, even though they were evenly matched in terms of momentum, the final outcome of the Duel Monsters was ultimately determined by solid data. The flying slashes unleashed by the Blazing Blade with its dual swords were still unable to withstand the laser beams fired simultaneously from the three heads of the Cyber ​​End Dragon.

—It seems that the [Extreme Flame Swordsman] is still not working hard enough. Next time, he should try to learn the three-sword style where he can hold another sword in his mouth.

"I only regret that I can no longer fight for my master and defeat the enemy..."

The Blazing Swordsman's body was pierced by the missed laser beam, and he was forced to leave the field. His body turned into golden light and dissipated. The flames on Katsuya's field also gradually weakened.

Their monster was destroyed, and Katsuya suffered considerable battle damage, causing their life points to plummet. However, both he and Ryo Marufuji had already decided on the final outcome.

[Katsuya: 4000→1600LP]

The final attack power of [Electronic Terminator Dragon] is 10800 points. Although the attack power is already quite terrifying, the final attack power of [Extreme Flame Swordsman] is a full 8400 points. Although it is not as high as the former, it ensures that Katsuya will only suffer 2400 points of damage, so that his base score is only 400 points lower than that of Marufuji Ryo and will not be wiped out.

Moreover, as the orange-yellow flames gradually died down, Marufuji Ryo saw that on Katsuya's field, the golden points of light that the [Extreme Flame Swordsmen] had transformed into actually gathered again, drawing the flames together and sublimating them into blue, transforming into a warrior clad in golden armor, wielding two swords, appearing on Katsuya's field.

【Phantom Swordsman】【8☆/Flame】

[Warrior Race/Effect]

[2800/2000]

"If a face-up FIRE Fusion Monster on my field is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon this 'Phantom Swordsman' from my hand or Graveyard to my field."

Kage shook the Phantom Swordsman card in his hand and placed it on the Duel Disk, saying, "Among the cards related to the Flame Swordsman, the most famous is probably the Black Flame Knight, which is formed after fusing with the Dark Magician. Then there's the Phantom Knight, which can only be Special Summoned after the Black Flame Knight is destroyed."

"【Phantom Swordsman】is another possible form of 【Phantom Knight】, with a similar effect of being almost invincible in the battle field, namely, destroying both monsters at the start of the damage step when battling an opponent's monster."

After a pause, Katsuya scratched his cheek somewhat shyly, muttering to himself so that Marufuji Ryo wouldn't hear, "Although it's theoretically derived from the [Phantom Knight], it happens to have the exact same effect as Baron's [Jet Gauntlets/Armor], making it seem like I'm copying him..."

"Even after being destroyed several times, it still has the power to stand up again?" Ryo Marufuji looked at the [Phantom Swordsman] who appeared on Katsuya's field, a opponent he was no longer able to destroy, and accepted his defeat in his heart.

Not to mention that the "Phantom Swordsman" card's self-destruct effect, which is considered the "King of Fighting," completely counters the "Cyber ​​Dragon" deck, which has no monsters with resistance. Ryo Marufuji can bet that the monster probably also has other effects that are triggered after being destroyed. After all, the duelist named Katsuya currently uses very few cards with short effect texts, and all of them have two or three combined effects.

Because of the desperate move of [Power Welding], Ryo Marufuji will suffer effect damage from [Electronic Terminator Dragon] on the field at the end of this turn. The effect damage of up to 4000 points will wipe out his basic points in an instant, and with his hand empty, he has no way to avoid it.

Even with my best efforts, I still couldn't defeat the powerful enemy...

Logically, having given his all in the duel, he should be satisfied, but Marufuji Ryo felt a strong sense of resentment. Once again, he had suffered another defeat, failing to achieve victory despite giving his all; it was the same last time.

In the last duel with that ancient pharaoh, he lost the key to the "Seven Essence Seal" and was defeated; and now, someone suspected of being related to Fubuki's disappearance has defeated him again, and he is about to lose the power to protect others.

That kind of thing is something I can't accept from the bottom of my heart. Dignity, respect—who are those things ultimately satisfying? Others or myself? They're all meaningless; in the context of a duel, they're just pure distractions, their purity is too low!

At this moment, Marufuji Ryo's hands, empty of any cards, hung limply at his sides, his fists clenched, and a resolute will was being awakened in his eyes, as dark as hell itself.

Yes, I understand now. I've never found dueling interesting. What I want is something I completely understand now: victory! I want to protect others through duels. Dignity and respect don't matter. What I need to do is not respect others, but respect victory!

I want to win! I want to—

Suddenly, Katsuya raised his hand, interrupting Marufuji Ryo's thoughts: "It's come to this, there's no other way, it seems I have no choice but to admit defeat."

"what?"

The almost solidified black flame in Marufuji Ryo's eyes flickered and was about to go out. He hadn't quite heard what Katsuya had said: "What...did you say?"

Katsuya, however, was patient. He raised his hand and placed it on the Duel Disk, covering the deck area. In Duel Monsters, this signifies surrendering and giving up the duel. He raised the Duel Disk to show Ryo Marufuji his action, and repeated, "I said, I give up the duel. I surrender."

At the same time, Katsuya's "Phantom Swordsman" disappeared along with cards such as "Flame Sword Domain," and the images released by the virtual projection completely disappeared from his side. The images of cards such as "Cyber ​​End Dragon" and "Cyber ​​Lighthouse" released by Ryo Marufuji's Duel Disk, which had lost its connection, also disappeared. This proved that Katsuya did not make any feints, but actually used his Duel Disk to confirm his surrender.

However, although Ryo Marufuji signed up for the qualifying rounds of the exchange tournament, the Duel Disk that Katsuya used was not the standard Duel Disk that Duel Academy had registered for. Instead, it was a classic Duel Disk from the Kaiba Corporation that was commonly sold outside the academy. Judging from the wear and tear, it seemed to have been used for quite a long time. Perhaps it was an original version that was released back in Duel City.

Therefore, Ryo Marufuji's duel board did not add to his winning streak despite his duel victory. His ranking did not rise, nor did it drop because of other duels during this period. It seems that he can stay in the number one position for a while longer.

But Ryo Marufuji wasn't happy at all. Instead, he got angry and glared at Katsuya, saying, "What do you mean by that? Are you trying to humiliate me by surrendering?"

"You should be able to see that my base score will be zero by the end of my round, but you chose this moment to surrender?"

Seeing the agitated Ryo Marufuji, Katsuya helplessly spread his hands and said, "Can this be considered an insult? I don't know how many times I've been humiliated. Some bastards won't even duel with me, making it impossible for me to embarrass them even if I want to."

"I told you from the beginning, didn't I? I wanted to see just how strong the students from Duel Academy really were, which is why I challenged you to a duel. Otherwise, we wouldn't even have a reason to duel. And the moment your [Cyber ​​End Dragon] attacked—no, rather, the moment the [Cyber ​​End Dragon]'s attack power reached 10800 points—my goal was already completely achieved."

"And what happens next is pretty much the same to me whether I lose or win. It's just that I was somewhat moved by your passion, so I attacked with [Extreme Flame Swordsman]."

Upon hearing Katsuya's words, Mai, standing behind him, immediately contradicted him, saying, "That's true, but I remember the effect of that [Extreme Flame Swordsman]. When equipped with an Equip Spell Card, it can use that destruction effect once per turn during the opponent's turn, right? Why not just use that effect to destroy the opponent's monster from the very beginning?"

“Oh dear, what kind of interesting duel is that, Mai? The most interesting part is the exciting battle.” After saying a few words back, Katsuya turned to look at Ryo Marufuji and said, “Anyway, at least up to the battle phase, it’s still an interesting duel.”

"But clearly, I was already in an undeniable defeat during the battle. Even if it was because I wasn't taking it seriously enough, the fact that I was at a disadvantage was indisputable. Under such circumstances, to win by waiting because of my opponent's own reasons would be truly embarrassing for me."

Approaching him, Jonouchi patted Marufuji Ryo on the shoulder and said with a smile, "So, accept this longed-for victory, boy."

Marufuji Ryo was taken aback. He hadn't expected that the man in front of him had noticed his desire for victory so quickly, even though it had only arisen when the battle was about to end. Was it from his eyes? His perception was far too sharp.

Did the opponent sense his desire and willingly concede victory? The opponent is undoubtedly a true duelist, and for every duelist, not giving up easily should be an instinct ingrained in their body, yet the opponent was able to so easily give up victory that was within reach.

Jonouchi, you are so gentle, you are simply the gentlest person in the world...

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Marufuji Ryo suddenly frowned, sensing something amiss. He looked at the young man before him: "Jonnouchi? Wait a minute, you're that legendary duelist, Jonnouchi Katsuya!?"

"Huh? Hayato's disguise effect is gone?" Upon hearing Marufuji Ryo's words, Jonouchi touched his face in surprise, not expecting that the other party had recognized him. "That Hayato guy said that this effect, which would prevent others from recognizing me, would last until the afternoon. How come it's gone so quickly?"

"It's all because you've been dueling with people the whole time, and the cards you've been using are highly related cards like [Flame Swordsman], and the [Fighting Flame Swordsman] card even looks exactly like you." Looking at Jonouchi, Mai said helplessly, "When Hayato said it would last until the afternoon, he meant if you didn't interact with other people, but you've been constantly dueling, making others associate you with that card. Of course, it can't last long."

Not only did Katsuya Jonouchi's "cognitive impairment" disguise disappear, but Ryo Marufuji also recognized the identity of the woman accompanying him. She was clearly Mai Kujaku, a legendary duelist with a world-class reputation in the professional duelist world.

There had long been rumors that these two legendary duelists had an unusual relationship, and now that I saw them both appearing together, it seems they do indeed have a special relationship that is unknown to outsiders.

After recognizing Jonouchi, Ryo Marufuji realized just how much his opponent had held back in the duel. Jonouchi Katsuya's most famous ace monster was "Red-Eyes Black Dragon," and while he vehemently denied it, other duelists unanimously stated that dice and coins were the things duelists should be most wary of against him. Yet, in this duel, Jonouchi had only used a single "Flame Swordsman" derivative deck to fight him.

If Jonouchi Katsuya were to use his full strength against me, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to last a single round.

After all, while the Red-Eyes deck may seem like an aggressive deck like other Dragon monsters, it actually has an absurd number of ways to reduce the opponent's life force, making it more suitable for defensive counter-attack tactics. Dice and coins are also often dangerous tools.

The victory, surrendered so easily by the castle, somewhat lessened the obsessive thoughts that had surged within Marufuji Ryo earlier. As he calmed down, the mindset instilled in him by his past education made him realize how terribly flawed his initial idea was; the idea of ​​sacrificing everything for victory was simply—

“I’ve met people with that kind of will to give up everything, even their own lives, to achieve their goals more than once in the past. Hayato called that kind of will ‘dark will,’” Jonouchi said suddenly, looking at Marufuji Ryo. “Although I don’t have that kind of obsessive idea of ​​sacrificing everything, I don’t think that kind of idea is wrong either.”

"After all, as I said at the beginning, everyone has their own path. Even in the deepest, eternal darkness, there may be people who can shine with a brief but brilliant light." Nodding his head and then gently tapping his chest, Jonouchi said with a smile, "Don't use your thoughts to decide which path you should take; you should listen to the voice of your heart."

Upon hearing Jonouchi's words, Ryo Marufuji suddenly remembered what Hayato had mentioned about "Lesson 2" during the "Spirit Coexistence Lesson." At the time, he couldn't even understand "Lesson 1," let alone "Lesson 2." But now, he suddenly understood a little from Jonouchi's words.

"Lesson 2, don't let the brain detect it?"

"Ah, Hayato does seem to have said something like that. But even we old friends can't understand many of what he said. I'm afraid only that arrogant guy Kaiba can understand some of it? It's normal that we can't understand it."

As Jonouchi casually remarked, he lightly patted Marufuji Ryo's shoulder. Although there was a five or six-year age difference between the two, Jonouchi considered anyone who had played cards with him to be on good terms with him. This was what was known as "playing cards together." Despite being a world champion, he was very approachable and pulled Marufuji Ryo away as if he were a friend, saying, "It's a little late, but it's okay. Let's go to the infirmary and find that boy named 'Tenjōin Fubuki'."

Having learned Jonouchi's identity, Marufuji Ryo no longer suspected that he was related to Fubuki's disappearance. After all, who didn't know about his relationship with the Duel King, their principal, Kobayashi Hayato? However, Marufuji Ryo didn't understand why Fubuki wanted to contact his friend, Tenjouin Fubuki.

According to Jonouchi, although he didn't quite understand the specific theories, the researchers at Kaiba Corporation analyzed that the physical phenomena that the power of the card spirits could interfere with, besides pure destruction, could also be used in the medical field. In fact, for most card spirits, protection is easier than destruction. After all, it's rather counterintuitive that weaker cards have a much higher probability of awakening a spirit than powerful cards.

Even a seemingly wild dragon-type card like Red-Eyes Black Dragon can protect its master and help them recover, but only to its master; it can't help others recover. However, Duel Monster cards seem to have a unique "contagious" effect: with the help of a card that has awakened, other cards can also accelerate their awakening process, and the acceleration is even greater for cards of the same type.

The theory that can be summarized is that although the "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" used by Tenjouin Fubuki did not awaken the card spirit, with the help of Jonouchi's "Red-Eyes Black Dragon," although it could not directly awaken it, it could at least help Tenjouin Fubuki recover faster from the aftereffects of everything she had experienced before.

However, while this plan is theoretically sound and highly feasible, it encountered a minor problem during its implementation.

After receiving the results of her routine check-up from the school doctor, Ms. Ayukawa Megumi, Tenjouin Fubuki was relieved to see that "she was fine." However, she then saw her idol, Jonouchi Katsuya, preparing to visit her outside the ward.

I couldn't help but think of that meme where "the doctor said you were fine, but Robert Downey Jr. dressed up as Iron Man and stood outside the ward carrying a PS5." Tenjouin Fubuki suddenly went black and passed out on the hospital bed again.