Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"You completely forgot about testing the strength of this Duel Links world from the very beginning when you started playing cards!"

Ignoring Hayato's retort, Kaiba continued, slowly shifting his gaze to the game on the other side: "However, before that, it's still quite necessary to clear the obstacles."

"Huh?" Yugi noticed that Kaiba was looking at him and was taken aback. He thought that Kaiba would stare intently at Hayato after the duel started, just like Jonouchi stared intently at Kaiba.

"The order of the duels isn't after Kobayashi Hayato, but after Muto Yugi, right? Even though I tremble with confidence in my Blue Eyes, I also believe that Hayato is definitely not an opponent who can be easily defeated. Even the full power of Blue Eyes wouldn't be enough to crush him in one go."

"I don't want to see Kobayashi Hayato, whose defenses I've painstakingly depleted and broken down, not be defeated by me but instead be picked off by Yugi, who's right behind me.

"I didn't have that idea at all. I also wanted to have a fair duel with Hayato, where we could both give it our all." After a pause, Yugi gave a slightly sly smile. "However, Kaiba, your idea is really good. How about I try to sneak up on Hayato while you're dueling with him?"

Even though Yugi's tone was clearly joking, Kaiba was serious because he didn't want to gamble on whether Yugi was really just joking or trying to lull him into a false sense of security: "Hmph, you're welcome to try, but I won't leave you that opportunity, because I'm going to eliminate the possibility before it happens—that is, to defeat you, Yugi, first!"

"Instead of fighting me first, you're thinking about defeating Yugi, and at the same time, you're thinking about dueling Hayato?" Jonouchi frowned. "Kaiba, you arrogant guy, do you think you can duel all three of us by yourself? Tsk, there's a limit to underestimating people!"

Yugi wasn't angry at Kaiba's declaration that he would defeat him first. He just smiled and said, "Kaiba, do you think I'm a weakling who can be easily defeated? Although the other me isn't here, the me who defeated him can't easily lose to others, because that would mean I've lost his share too."

"Don't want to lose to me? Hmph, you're the arrogant one, Yugi Muto. I think even Hayato Kobayashi is too much, and you think you can stand in a higher position than me?" Kaiba sneered. "Back in Duel City, it was a real pity that I wasn't matched with you but instead encountered that mediocre person, because I never had the chance to truly compete with you."

None of Kaiba, Jonouchi, or Yugi tacitly mentioned the "Pyramid of Light" incident. That incident stemmed from Kaiba's attempt to challenge Yugi to a duel to determine who was the second strongest duelist after Hayato, the Duel King. While the eventual outcome was relatively positive, Hayato genuinely "sacrificed" himself at that time. Even though he successfully returned to the human world afterward, that "sacrifice" was not fabricated.

For a long time afterward, Kaiba did not challenge Yugi to a duel to determine who was stronger. It was only on the eve of Atem's duel with Yugi that he dueled with Atem, thus temporarily resolving the competition between the two and arriving at a conclusion regarding their relative strength.

However, to be honest, he never really had the chance to duel Yugi. This was partly because Yugi's deck, which relied heavily on underhanded tactics, made it difficult for him to have a satisfying experience, and partly because his long-term duels with Hayato had made him less concerned about strength and weakness—after all, even if he beat Yugi, there was still Hayato above him. Rather than obsessing over who was the second strongest between him and Yugi, he figured he might as well fight Hayato a few more times and maybe one day he could beat him.

"I've always had a slight doubt about whether you're truly stronger than me." Kaiba struck the drawn card onto his Duel Disk and waved his hand, announcing, "Activate the Spell Card 'Critia's Fang'! Send my Trap Card 'Dead Destruction Virus' to the Graveyard, and Special Summon 'Death Virus Dragon' from any Deck!"

"【The Fang of Critia】!?" X3

Not only were Jonouchi and Yugi surprised, but Hayato was too, because he clearly hadn't seen this card in the previous gacha pool, yet Kaiba had secretly added it to his deck—it was practically cheating. No, ultimately, the fact that Kaiba could recreate the "Fang of Critia," one of the "Legendary Dragons," in this virtual world was nothing short of a miracle.

However, the group didn't expect to get any answers from Haima. It would just be some technical jargon they couldn't understand at all, and then he'd conclude with "Hima Group's science and technology are number one in the world." All they needed to know was that Haima was making his own unique cards again.

Or perhaps this is a common flaw among people with the ability to create cards. Kaiba, who took advantage of the fact that he created the virtual world to make special cards, was like this, as was Pegasus, who used to make special "cartoon" monsters for himself.

You've set such a bad precedent for those who come after you, it's unforgivable, Pegasus!

The jet-black "Legendary Dragon" appeared before Hayato and his friends after a long absence. Upon its appearance, the "Critia Fang," which was visiting the virtual world for the first time, was also stunned. However, after discovering that Kaiba's opponent was none other than Yugi and his companions who also possessed the "Legendary Dragon," as well as Hayato, an old acquaintance, he immediately realized that the current situation must be Kaiba's card addiction acting up again, looking for someone to play cards with.

The trident-like tail slammed into the trap card "Death Deck Destruction Virus" in Kaiba's hand. "Critia's Fang" absorbed the power of the trap card and turned it into an armor. Its jet-black armor was instantly dyed purple by the virus, and it landed on Kaiba's field in the form of a monster.

【Death Virus Dragon】【4☆/Dark】

[Dragon/Fusion/Effect]

[1900/1500]

Compared to the other two Dragon-type monsters on Kaiba's field, [Death Virus Dragon] looks much weaker. Not only is the card art not very cool, but its attack and defense are also just average. It seems like a waste to summon such a monster with two cards.

However, in reality, the three "legendary dragons" are actually the forms that the [Divine Dragon - Timaeus] split apart after dismantling its own power. Each has its own strengths. For example, Jonouchi's [Hermes Claw] can combine with monsters to become powerful equipment, Yugi's [Eye of Timaeus] can awaken new powers in monsters, and Kaiba's [Critia Fang] can absorb the power of traps and transform into different forms.

In other words, it means that Trap Cards that should have been set before activation can now break free from their original limitations and unleash their power directly in monster form!

"【Death Virus Dragon】is a poison dragon that has absorbed 【Dead Destruction Virus】. Although it's not as evil as Kobayashi Hayato's 【Hungry Poison】, it's still a dragon that has increased its danger to the extreme." Kaiba's lips curled into a smirk as he looked at Yugi with a provocative gaze. "The moment 【Death Virus Dragon】appears on the field, 【Dead Destruction Virus】, which originally required a set to activate, is already on the field!"

"If 【Death Virus Dragon】is Special Summoned, activate its effect! Check all monsters on your opponent's field, cards in your opponent's hand, and cards your opponent has drawn within the last three turns (calculated from your opponent's turn). Destroy all monsters with 1500 or more ATK among them!"

Pointing at Yugi, Kaiba declared, "Say goodbye to your monsters, Yugi!"

"Sekishiki Meikai Ha!"

The Death Virus Dragon, whose skin turned purple—almost synonymous with danger in the neighboring Knight movie—swung its wings, creating a whirlwind that swept across the field. Since there were no monsters on the field, it directly hit Yugi's hand and deck. Visible germs grew on the cards, and in just an instant, it destroyed three cards in Yugi's hand and sent them to the graveyard.

In a four-player free-for-all, the range of targets for the "opponent duelist" effect is quite wide, but like a regular one-on-one duel, only one target can be selected for this effect. However, the "both duelists" effect of cards like "Heavenly Treasure" can apply to all four duelists present. Therefore, neither Hayato nor Jonouchi were affected by "Death Virus Dragon".

However, seeing Kaiba's [Death Virus Dragon] destroy his hand down to just the last two cards, Yugi smiled and said, "You played [Death Deck Destroyer Virus] in the first turn, as expected of Kaiba."

"However, the cards you destroyed and sent to the graveyard will activate their effects as a result!"

On either side of the game, two spheres, one gold and one silver, leaped out of the graveyard, their broken bodies casting beams of light from their cores onto the game field.

"If [Golden Gadget] is destroyed, Special Summon one Level 4 [Gadget] monster from my Deck, excluding [Golden Gadget]!"

"And if [Silver Gadget] is destroyed, Special Summon one Level 4 [Gadget] monster other than [Silver Gadget] from my Deck!"

Although Kaiba destroyed two of Yugi's cards in one go, this just met the conditions for Yugi's monsters to activate their effects. The two Gear Monsters used "Last Part" to directly summon two new "Tool" monsters from Yugi's deck.

【Three-color gadget】【DEF1100】

【Red Gadget】【DEF1500】

The monsters appearing on the field are the classic monster "Tri-Gears" that even Joey recognizes, namely "Red Gadget" and the cooperative form of "Tri-Gears", "Tri-Gears Gadget". This card was previously used in Hayato's duel with Yugi.

However, even Hayato was somewhat surprised that the game had already incorporated those new cards into his original deck so quickly after that duel.

"【Tricolor Gadgets】Can be activated when Summoned or Special Summoned, add one 【Golden Chest of Light】 or a Spell/Trap Card with the 【Golden Chest of Light】 card name to my hand from my Deck."

"And the effect of [Red Gadget] when it is successfully Summoned or Special Summoned is to add [Yellow Gadget] from my Deck to my hand."

Not only did he Special Summon two monsters on the field, but he also retrieved two cards and added them to his hand. Kaiba's card-bombing attack only reduced Yugi's hand by one card, and he did not gain the expected advantage at all.

"Hmph, new cards? But they're still just low-level monsters." Kaiba looked disdainfully at the [Gadgets] on the field. "Still can't shake the habit of hanging out with trash, Yugi Muto?"

"Before you worry about me, Kaiba, you only have one card left in your hand." Yugi didn't care that Kaiba said his monster was weak, he just smiled and reminded Kaiba, "With only three dragons on the field, don't let Hayato take the opportunity to break through and defeat you instead of defeating you."

"Or is your final card a [Heavenly Treasure Card] that will benefit everyone?"

The seemingly gentle words actually struck Kaiba right where it hurt the most. How was this any different from cursing Kaiba to lose? It just goes to show that the game is still the same game. The seemingly gentle but actually tough Kaiba has grown a lot in the past few years. He not only has an appearance that is almost identical to Atem, but he has also learned seven or eight tenths of the skill of sharp tongue. These words are simply a retort to Kaiba for calling his monsters weaklings.

Meanwhile, Hayato, upon hearing Yugi's guess, quickly said, "Don't tell me it's 'Heavenly Treasure'. Yugi, you've all used your cards, but I haven't played any yet. If it's 'Heavenly Treasure Card,' Seth can draw six cards, Jonouchi can draw five, and even Yugi can draw two, while I can only draw one?"

"It's even more upsetting to see you guys earn more from credit cards than I do to lose money on them!"

"Hmph, you think I'd give you a chance to grow your hand and attack me during your turn?" Kaiba said, flipping over the last card in his hand to show it off. "Spell Card [Life-Slaying Treasure Card] activated! Draw cards from my deck until my hand has five cards. Since my hand is 0, I can draw five cards directly!"

"Draw!"

With a rather imposing shout, Kaiba drew five cards from his deck in one go. Hayato, seeing this, retorted, "You might as well have used [Heavenly Descent] to draw six cards. 'Powerful cards often come with great risks,' but what is your [Life Slash]? It discards your entire hand during your fifth Standby Phase after activation. How shameless!"

Kaiba merely glanced at Hayato: "So, you don't have this card in your deck?"

"Oh yeah, I use it too, then it's fine."

Chapter 1268 Sending the card to another dimension? Sending you to another dimension!

Kaiba, who drew five cards from his deck in one go, clearly didn't take Hayato's taunts to heart. Glancing at the cards in his hand, he sneered at Yugi, "Hmph, so now, do you still think I don't have enough resources to set up a defense, Yugi?"

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card [Gathering Power], and then activate the Spell Card [Fusion]. Using one [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] from my hand and the Dragon-Type monster [Death Virus Dragon] on the field as Fusion Materials, I perform a Fusion Summon by combining the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] and the Dragon-Type monster!"

"Unite, [Fang of Critia], and Blueas!"

"What do you mean by 'combining'? You two aren't going to put on some gay act in front of me, are you?!" Jonouchi frowned and complained.

Instead of significantly reducing his hand size to limit his performance in the next turn as expected, [Death Virus Dragon] was immediately chosen by Kaiba as Fusion Material and sent to the Graveyard. The power of [Dead Destruction Virus] was released from [Critia's Fang], restoring it to its original form.

Then, instead of absorbing the Trap Card, it absorbed another fusion material, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, into its body, and the Fang of Critia began to release power in a different form.

The merged dragon has an appearance very similar to the Blue-Eyes, with its pure white body and blue eyes. However, it also retains the fangs that the Critia Fang spits out and the trident-like tail blade. But the most striking feature is the pair of extremely wide wings on its back that glow with golden light, which almost points to the point where its power converges.

Blue-Eyes Tyrannosaurus Rex [8☆/Light]

[Dragon/Fusion/Effect]

[3400/2900]

Since it couldn't enter the battle phase, Kaiba didn't intend to explain the effect of [Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon] to the other three. Instead, he pointed to the Continuous Spell Card [Gathering Power] on his back field and said, "If I successfully use [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] to perform a Ritual/Fusion Summon, I can target one card on my opponent's field or in their Graveyard and activate the first effect of [Gathering Power] to banish the targeted card."

"My target is, Yugi Muto, that [Three-Color Gadget] on your field!"

Just as Yugi was unaware of the effect of the Blue-Eyes Tyrannosaurus Rex that Kaiba first fused with in front of him, Kaiba was also unclear about the specific effects of the Tricolor Gadget from the Light of the Golden Chest series that Yugi had recently created.

The search effect that was just revealed was only the first effect. Even without confirmation, just by looking at the not-so-brief effect text in the card under the [Three-Color Tool], Kaiba could tell that there must be a second effect that had not been used. If possible, he did not want the game to use its second effect.

Just like the holy light emitted by the White Spirit Dragon before, the Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon also waved its golden wings and stirred up a storm that almost distorted space, precisely banishing the Three-Color Gadgets from the field. Yugi watched helplessly as the cards on his Duel Disk and the monsters on the field turned into golden specks of light and disappeared without a trace.

During the last duel with Hayato to test the cards of [Golden Coffer of Light], the effect of [Tri-Color Gadgets] failed to activate because Hayato's [Hellfire Machine - Decimal], which copied the effect of [Hellfire Machine - Lilith], negated the effect and banished it. This time, although the effect of [Tri-Color Gadgets] successfully activated, the outcome was still the same—it was banished.

"Wait a minute, why did the cards disappear when Yugi's cards were banished?" Jonouchi said in surprise, noticing the difference between the situation on Yugi's Duel Disk and his own. He also looked at Kaiba with suspicion. "Could it be that Kaiba secretly tampered with the duel, and the cards that were banished by Yugi went into another dimension from which they can't return?"

"Hmph, your brain must have been sent to another dimension, you mediocre person?"

"Then explain what just happened! It's obvious you were cheating!"

As he spoke, Jonouchi turned to look at Yugi and Hayato, but to his surprise, not only did he fail to get any support, but even Yugi looked at him with a somewhat helpless expression: "Actually, this is also part of the settings that can be made before using the Game Pod, regarding which state of cards you prefer to use during a duel."

"Whether it's the completely digital state that Kaiba used before, where you don't even need to touch the cards, or the feeling of using cards in the real world, it can be freely set. By default, it's a real card like Jonouchi's, but Hayato and I seem to have set it to a compatibility mode, so we can get the feel of real cards and also operate them as easily as digital cards."

"This isn't right, is it? I felt the same way when my face-down card was banished. Even though we're in a virtual world, why does it still default to the same way as in reality?" Jonouchi touched the banished face-down card in his pocket. He had subconsciously put the card in his pocket according to his real-world dueling habits, only remembering later that this was a virtual world. It's all Kaiba's fault, why did he make the simulation so realistic!

"Because someone as mediocre as you hasn't even fully mastered the most basic dueling techniques, a completely virtualized duel is still too difficult for you. And I'm too lazy to listen to you being beaten to a pulp by [Blue Eyes] and then using your lack of familiarity with completely virtualized dueling as an excuse."

Hearing Jonouchi's words, Kaiba glanced at him and sneered contemptuously, "I was wondering if it would be a bad idea to set the most realistic mode as the default setting, but your stupid performance has really made me realize that I didn't make a mistake. In this respect, I should thank you for your reckless actions, you mediocre person."

"Stop being sarcastic!"

After easily provoking Jonouchi's anger and then immediately ignoring it, Kaiba glanced at the three cards remaining in his hand and said, "The two effects of [Gathering Power] can only be used once per turn. Send any face-up [Gathering Power] on my field in the Spell & Trap Zone to the Graveyard, and target one Level 7 or higher Normal Monster in my Graveyard—[Blue-Eyes White Dragon], which was just sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material—and add it to my hand."

After retrieving the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card into his hand, Kaiba's hand was restored to four cards. He then drew two more cards from his hand and placed them face down in the back row, saying, "Be glad I can't enter the battle phase, otherwise you would have been defeated in an instant by my Blue-Eyes."

"I'll set two cards face down in my back row. My turn is over." Kaiba glanced arrogantly at Hayato, Yugi, and the others before declaring the end of his turn.

Seto Kaiba: 2600 LP, 2 cards in hand

[Blue-Eyes White Dragon] [ATK3000]

【White Dragon】【ATK2500】

[Blue-Eyes Tyrannosaurus Rex] [ATK3400]

[GaiK] X2

Jonouchi, whom Kaiba considered "waiting for someone," looked annoyed: "Even though Kaiba didn't say anything more, why do I feel like he's humiliating me again?"

"It must be Jonouchi's imagination, huh, maybe?" Yugi forced a smile, saying things he himself didn't believe to comfort Jonouchi, before placing his fingers on the deck and regaining his serious expression. "Well then, it's my turn now. Draw!"

Because of the effect of "Death Virus Dragon", Hayato and his friends saw that the card Yugi drew was the Spell Card "Pot of Greed", not a Monster Card with an ATK of 1500 or more, and therefore would not be affected by the effect of "Death Virus Dragon" and destroyed.

Yugi adds Pot of Greed to his hand and plays a card saying, "During my Main Phase, I activate the Continuous Spell Card 'Golden Coffer of Light,' which was previously searched by the effect of 'Tricolor Gadgets.' This card cannot be destroyed by monster effects as long as it is in the Spell & Trap Zone."

Yugi inserts a card into the Duel Disk and looks at Hayato, the only one among the four present who knows the effects of his new card set. They exchange glances and then smile at each other.

"Next, because of the [Golden Chest of Light], I can Special Summon this monster directly from my hand." Yugi placed the card on the Duel Disk and raised his hand, announcing this.

"Platinum Tyrannosaurus Rex, break the taboo that seals the mortal realm and the underworld, and bring destruction to my enemies! Come forth, the Destroyer Dragon in a new form bearing the forbidden name of 'Geas,' [Destroyer Dragon - Gandora G]!"

【Destroyer Dragon - Gandora G】【8☆/Dark】