Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

Chapter 1307 What canned food, I mean?

"I'm so sorry I couldn't get Fubuki to use her full strength..."

The more flamboyant Riki was during the duel, the more depressed she became after being defeated. It was like a scene where "a shrewish little devil was turned into a cream puff by a raging scholar and could only show her ahegao face".

In Rachel Mackenzie's view, she had fought with all her might, yet she couldn't even last a single round against Fubuki. Even though she had become much stronger than she had been two years ago, she was still too weak and powerless.

What can someone like me achieve? Let alone proving my strength and growth in front of Fubuki, I can't even come close to her.

I can't do anything...

He must have disappointed Fubuki greatly, considering this was the Duel Academy Exchange Tournament, a prestigious event that brought together the strongest students from Duel Academies around the world, the most prestigious competition for this age group. Yet, he couldn't even make Fubuki feel satisfied...

"What an exciting duel, Riki-chan~"

"?"

Riki looked up in confusion at Fubuki, who, after winning the duel, was not in a hurry to leave or show herself to the surrounding audience to attract fans. Fubuki was standing right in front of her.

She wondered if she had misheard something, such as Fubuki saying something like, "I've never enjoyed dueling with you," or "I'll probably never forget a duelist as weak as you."

"Although two years have passed, you've changed a lot, but you haven't changed much either." Facing the kneeling Riki, Fubuki revealed his signature host-boyfriend smile. "If you admire me, you can just say so. But your arrogant and haughty demeanor actually scores a lot of points with me."

"Who, who's the tsundere?!" Riki Mackenzie panicked instantly. Seeing Fubuki reach out her hand to pull her up, she hesitated for a moment before pushing Fubuki's hand away, saying, "Are you mocking my weakness, mocking that I'm not as strong as you?"

“I know, for a powerful duelist like you, Fubuki, ‘women are a hindrance,’ right!” After a pause, without seeing any reaction from Fubuki, Riki revealed her true frustration. “In duels, I’m not even your opponent, am I? What right do I have to chase after you, and what can I possibly do?”

"I can't do anything..."

“For some duelists, there’s this idea that ‘I’m going to be the world’s number one duelist, and women are just a hindrance,’” Fubuki said, looking at the dejected Riki. She didn’t deny what Riki had said before, but nodded and said, “That’s true.”

“But those are just ordinary people. I’m ‘Ten Join’, you know. I’m different from ordinary people.” Fubuki said with a grin, pronouncing her surname “Tenjōin” in strange English. “In fact, I’m the odd one out compared to those duelists who pursue power and a glamorous yet peaceful and stable life.”

"Riki-chan, do you think that I, like other duelists, look forward to a duel so intense that it makes my soul roar? Is that why you put on such a cold, irritable, and determined attitude during the duel? Riki-chan, who is so considerate of others, is so cute."

"I...I didn't consider your feelings at all!" After a textbook display of tsundere, Riki cautiously added, "But, Fubuki, are you telling the truth?"

Fubuki nodded and said, "Because I think that in any relationship, giving willingly is the most meaningful, but loving yourself is the beginning of romance. This is my experience as a 'magician of love'. As I'm already getting soaked in the rain, there's no need for you to hold an umbrella for me, Riki. Not only will I be unable to walk fast, but you'll also get wet."

"It's alright if you don't need to be obsessed with greater power. If only the strong can form bonds with each other, wouldn't that mean all duelists can only date the headmaster?" Fubuki, jokingly unaware that Hayato was now staring at her with narrowed eyes, seemingly lost in thought, extended her hand to Riki again. "Miss Riki Mackenzie, would you be interested in going to the lakeside for egg tarts tonight? I have a cat that can do backflips, you know~"

"...You're still so unreliable. Who would fall for that kind of excuse? Only a love-struck fool would believe you." After a moment of silence, Ruiji managed to utter a sentence, which sounded rather reproachful.

Looking at Fubuki's outstretched hand, she instinctively took it and was helped up by Fubuki. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she turned her head to look elsewhere: "I'm not interested in cats that can do backflips—but I'm quite picky about egg tarts."

"What are they doing? Are they planning to perform some kind of 'fusion' thing right here in the arena?" Jonouchi raised an eyebrow, looking at Fubuki and Mizuki, who had inexplicably merged and were now holding hands on the field. "I came to watch the duel, what are they doing?"

"I hate to admit it, but this is probably the fate that Red-Eyes has made, binding me firmly to the blonde's gravity," Hayato remarked casually. "One person is obsessed with dueling, the other with romance; one plays Red-Eyes, the other plays Birdman. It's a perfect match, a perfect match."

"How can this even be matched? Isn't it a bit far-fetched?" the game player complained. "Although I was thinking of saying that, thinking back on Jonouchi and Mai's past... all that's missing is Baron to cause trouble."

"Yes, there is. That David Labbourne from before was a mechanical race user, just like Baron, and he also wanted to get entangled with a certain [Red-Eyes] user." Hayato, looking at Jonouchi in the back row sweating profusely under Mai's gaze, continued to stir things up, "What canned food, I mean?"

"What a coincidence. But does this mean that Jonouchi is actually a playboy like that kid named Fubuki?" Not only Hayato, but even Yugi said with a wicked sense of humor, "Is this going to repeat itself again, this hopeless cycle?"

With just a few words from Yugi and Hayato, Mai, whose jealousy had been successfully aroused, suddenly felt a little annoyed. She glared at Jonouchi, who was sitting next to her and who clearly remembered that she hadn't done anything wrong, but was inexplicably nervous.

"Quack! Wu, don't touch it!"

"Those two are such nagging wives, and they just happen to be my brothers. How pathetic!" Asuka remarked, watching Fubuki and Mizuki walk off the dueling arena together.

"In some ways, isn't this kind of talent even more terrifying than dueling skills? I'm even tempted to become Tenjouin Fubuki's apprentice," Manjoume said casually. "Unfortunately, there haven't been any women who have caught my eye yet. And before becoming the number one in the Duel Academy, I haven't bothered with such boring things as dating."

"But Fubuki's duel was also great, just like mine, we ended the battle in two turns." Jaden said with a smile, "It makes me a little excited to see if I can face Fubuki again in the semifinals, when she's using a different 'Smof' deck."

"By the way, Asuka, you haven't played yet either, have you?"

"Well, it's either this round or the next one." As one of the only four remaining contestants, Asuka wasn't nervous about her turn coming up soon. Instead, she confidently looked ahead at Judai and met the gaze of Manjoume, who had turned around.

"Huh? Aren't you nervous? You know there's at least a one-in-three chance your next duel will be with me, Mr. Manjoume, yet you're not afraid?" Manjoume taunted Asuka. "You even dare to look at me with that provocative gaze?"

"Don't forget, back in middle school, you never beat me, Tenjouin Asuka."

"The past is the past, and the present is the present. Have you not made any progress at all during your time at Duel Academy?" The competitive Asuka retorted sharply when she heard Manjoume's words. "Be careful not to be defeated by me and end up crying on the field."

"You really dare to say that, Tenjouin. I should be the one saying that." Manjou frowned. "I really wanted to face you in the first round. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if the students from other academies found out in the second round that one of the top four contestants was just coasting through and only had such weak strength."

"Do you think you're the only one who's gotten stronger? In this year at the Duel Academy, my strength has already increased to at least 1000% of what it was a year ago!"

"Ha, your deck has gotten stronger, but my monsters' swords are still effective!"

Seeing Asuka and Manjoume about to start fighting before the list of the next duel was even determined, Maeda and Marufuji quietly moved their seats away from the center of the storm and whispered, "Why do Tenjouin and Manjoume get along so badly? They're usually such nice guys."

“Tenjōin has the title of ‘Ice Queen’ in the Blue Dormitory, and Manjōme is also a very arrogant person. Their tempers aren’t exactly good either; they just become a little nicer in front of us.” Maeda also whispered to Marufuji Sho, “To be precise, in front of Judai, who is recognized by them and regarded as an important person.”

"Just like now, although they seem to be arguing about the past and the outcome of the upcoming duel, what they are really arguing about is the outcome of the 'future,' that is, who can become the victor and stand opposite Jaden to fight him."

"Why does it sound like a jealous rivalry?"

"Love is war, and so is a duel, so the arguments in a duel are probably similar to the jealousy in a relationship, right? That's about it."

Just as the two were talking with their heads down, Misawa, who was sitting in his seat, frowned and looked at the people in front of him: "What's wrong with me? I feel so uncomfortable that I'm the only one being excluded."

It's one thing that Manjoume and Asuka, who had been provoking each other and making threats before the duel, didn't come looking for him, and it's another that Judai, who was just watching the show and didn't understand what had happened, was left out. Even Maeda and Marufuji Sho, who were whispering and gossiping, formed a small group, while he was the only one who was forgotten.

Others always mispronounce his name, which makes Misawa feel awkward, and others feel awkward too. As a result, others gradually "isolate" Misawa. It's not that they bully him, but when there are group activities, others will pretend to have forgotten about Misawa and not try to call his name in order to avoid embarrassment. After all, if they don't call his name, there is no possibility of mispronouncing it.

I was isolated in the yellow dormitory, and I was still isolated in the audience of the red dormitory. Did I come here for nothing?

Frowning, Misawa wanted to make his presence known, so he stood up from his seat and tried to strike up a conversation with Judai: "Judai, I'm also very confident in my deck—"

"The contestants for the third match have completed their group assignments!"

The sudden sound of Professor Chronos's voice startled many people and interrupted Misawa's unfinished words. The audience members all turned their attention to Professor Chronos, including Manjoume and Asuka.

"Although I expected this situation when I learned that there were only two exchange students from other branches in the top eight, it is really hard to watch the students fight among themselves."

Professor Chronos muttered to himself quietly, but because of the microphone next to him, his voice was heard clearly by everyone in the audience, "Ahem, the contestants for the third match are, Marufuji Ryo, a third-year student from the Duel Academy headquarters, from the Obelisk-Blue dormitory."

"And also first-year students from main campus—"

Upon hearing that Caesar would be appearing next, Manjoume, Asuka, and Misawa all fell silent, waiting for Professor Chronos to announce the name.

Although all circumstances indicate that Tenjouin Fubuki is a strong fighter on par with Marufuji Ryo, their different personalities and usual behavior mean that they would not feel much pressure fighting Tenjouin Fubuki. However, if they were to fight Marufuji Ryo, even the arrogant Manjoume would have to take it seriously.

Moreover, the names announced next will not only determine who will duel Caesar, but also reveal the final fourth match group in advance, allowing the remaining two who are not immediately participating to start thinking about how to deal with their opponents.

Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Professor Chronos announced his name with some regret:

"—Jun Manjoume, also from the Obelisk-Blue dormitory."

Seeing everyone's eyes turn to him, watching him intently as he was about to enter the arena, Manjoume walked towards the dueling ground without saying a word.

'I'll fight Caesar... Wait! Really?'

That was definitely not what Manjou-moku said. He was more surprised that he had faced Caesar so early. In his mind, it would have been better to fight Caesar when he reached the semi-finals, because that way the final would be left to him and Jaden Yuki.

However, plans can't keep up with changes, but Manjoume doesn't care. On the contrary, he's excited because he's encountered Caesar, whom he's always wanted to defeat.

Even before Caesar, Manjoume stepped onto the dueling arena, ignoring Professor Chronos, the referee beside him, and struck a pose as if no one else was there, pointing his finger to the sky: "Cheers!"

"ten!"

"Hundred!"

"thousand!"

Just as Manjoume was counting, Judai and the others noticed that the group of blue dormitory students who usually liked to crowd around Manjoume, flatter him, and act as his underlings had somehow gotten hold of a banner. It was unfurled as Manjoume counted and was fully revealed when he shouted "thousand".

The voices of the tenth generation students unconsciously reading the words on the banner rang out simultaneously with the shouts of other students—

"Manjoume-sensei/Sangda/Lightning!"

Chapter 1308 title? Doesn't exist.

"Is Wan Zhangmu that popular in the academy?"

Seeing that among the students, besides Manjoume's underlings, there were also quite a few people who seemed to have no interaction with him normally calling his name, Judai and the others found it hard to understand.

It gives the impression that they've been paid.

Jonouchi scratched his itchy scalp: "Manjoume... I feel like I've heard that surname somewhere before?"

"The one in the class next to Honda in high school, who was Honda's love rival."

Upon hearing Hayato's reminder, Jonouchi had a look of sudden realization: "Oh right, that young master of the Manjoume Group, Seiji's surname is Manjoume. Wait, is it what I'm thinking? Is that kid posing on the field the one who sold duel disks with Seiji back then?"

"I thought it was obvious, Jonouchi, and you're only just realizing it now?" Hayato retorted. "Shoji is working in Domino City right now, haven't you run into Manjoume Shoji or the grown-up Manjoume Jun on the street?"

“Hayato, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about the mayor? He’s not a patrolman on the street. If you can just run into that guy Seiji on the street, it just means he’s slacking off every day.” Jonouchi paused. “Besides, that bastard Kaiba’s Duelist Agency has my schedule packed with commercial performances, endorsements and ads. I don’t have much free time all year round. If I can spend a month in Domino City a year, that’s considered good.”

"So, Jonouchi, you deliberately didn't participate in the competition this year, just to avoid the endorsements and other things that would come with winning the championship affecting your honeymoon with Mai, right?" Yugi said with a smile. "This year's Pro Duelist World Championship was finally won by Ryuzaki."

"He's been hoping to win the championship for years, and this year he finally got his wish—although he said that the championship he won without defeating Jonouchi was not very valuable, but if he hadn't been so smirking when he was interviewed by reporters, his words would have been more convincing," Hayato said. "It's also because an old veteran like Jonouchi isn't taking up a spot anymore, that this year's World Championship has returned to the intensity of the first two World Championships. Many people wanted to try to compete for the championship while Jonouchi wasn't participating."

"Just like you said to me before, 'It won't be the old people who create the new era.' Unlike just hoping for stronger fighters to emerge and Kaiba, a Duel Monsters environment like this World Championship, where excellent duelists constantly emerge, is a better environment for the vast majority of people."

Hearing Jonouchi's words, Hayato nodded: "That's why I didn't refuse Kaiba and eventually became the principal of the Duel Academy. Seeing the students being trained into one excellent duelist after another, even I can't help but feel excited."

"I am truly the most compassionate duelist than I am, showing such care for the next generation of Duel Monsters."

Upon hearing Hayato's words, Rebecca subconsciously asked, "Whether it was that kid named Jaden Yuki in the first match, or that crazy guy named Fubuki Tenjouin in the second match, their final moves to win were all coincidentally about releasing monsters, and they even shouted your catchphrase, 'This is a necessary sacrifice.'"

"Could it be that it's because you, Hayato Kobayashi, became the principal of the Duel Academy that... ugh—!"

"Shh—Rebecca, this is a topic you absolutely mustn't touch," Kyoko said quite seriously. "Hayato is petty; be careful he doesn't scheme against you because you spoke ill of him."

"Ahem, I'm not that petty. Let's watch the match." Hayato coughed lightly, gesturing for the others to look at the dueling arena. "Let's take a look at the next generation of Duel Monsters. Speaking of which, the professional duelist scene is about to welcome a new batch of newcomers this year, including someone on the field."

While Hayato and the other guys in their twenties (lol) were chatting, amidst the cheers of Manjoume's fans, Caesar walked onto the stage, looked at the audience around him, and asked in confusion, "A few days ago, someone approached me and said they wanted to hire me to enthusiastically shout your name when you go on stage to duel?"

"Although I don't want to admit it, the people who approached you are most likely my brothers." Looking around at the audience, Wan Zhangmu noticed that some people were carrying rather professional recording equipment. He sighed and said helplessly, "I was surprised to find that there were more people calling my name than the people I had arranged."

Without Manjoume's authorization, his underlings would not have taken it upon themselves to put up banners. His purpose in doing so was to make as much of a splash as possible in this competition, and then, combined with his outstanding performance in the duel, let others know who the No. 1 of the Duel Academy truly is.

Coincidentally, his two older brothers thought the same thing.

In the anime's timeline, Manjoume's two older brothers caused trouble at Duel Academy twice, with the same goal: to achieve their ambition—that the three brothers become the strongest in their respective fields and dominate in all aspects, so that the Manjoume Foundation can grow bigger and stronger and achieve new glory.

With Samejima as the principal, the brothers, despite their mild temperament, acted with considerable arrogance and domineeringness, even harboring ambitions to incorporate Duel Academy into their Manjoume Foundation's business empire. However, that was a possibility from another world.

Hayato didn't even need to do anything; his very existence created a butterfly effect that changed many things. Back in school, Manjoume Seiji had already met legendary duelists like Yugi, including Hayato, and had experienced the difference between top duelists and amateurs.

Meanwhile, the speed at which International Illusion and Kaiba Corporation promoted Duel Monsters to the world was accelerated many times over due to Hayato's numerous influences. Today, Duel Monsters is no longer a huge industry that the Manjoume Foundation can easily swallow. The Duel Academy, which plays an important role in producing excellent duelists, has become an entity that the Manjoume Foundation dares not touch because of Hayato's presence.

How difficult it is to surpass Hayato Kobayashi in the realm of Duel Monsters is something that Masashi Manjoume, an old classmate of the three Manjoume brothers, knows very well. If it weren't for his younger brother Jun Manjoume insisting on becoming a duelist, Masashi Manjoume would have even considered changing the plan his eldest brother had set up years ago for the three brothers to dominate the business and political card games, and had Jun Manjoume switch careers to performing manzai or Noh.