Is this the world of card dealers? Yada thieves!

"Haha, so you've lost!"

To everyone's surprise, Jonouchi confidently declared, "Hmph, you're kidding! This is exactly how I defend!"

"Because I threw two magic tokens, I used the special magic ability of the [Black Panther Warrior] to directly destroy a monster!"

"Die, you [God-Demon Ogre]!"

Otogi Ryuji, however, wore an expression of complete control: "Is this all your last struggle is? It's pathetic to be such a spendthrift. Let me shatter your delusions!"

"Use two defensive symbols to activate the effect of [God-Ghost Ogre], nullifying special magic attacks!"

"What!?"

After absorbing two magic symbols, the [Black Panther Warrior] threw his scimitar across the arena, but Yugi Ryuuji's [God-Demon Ogre] also absorbed two defense symbols at the same time, forming a magic barrier on his greatsword that completely blocked the attack.

"How could this be!"

Jonouchi's incredulous expression delighted Otogi Ryuji, who rolled the final die: "Three attack symbols! Then, [God-Demon Ogre], defeat this piece of trash and send him to the field!"

With a single swing of the sword, the city's health points were completely reduced to zero, and the match ended.

On the surface, Jonouchi seemed to have the upper hand in the first half, but in the second half, Otogi Ryuji lured Jonouchi into attacking with words, then unleashed a devastating attack that wiped him out. The game was completely under Otogi Ryuji's control!

Thinking this, Hayato turned his head to look at Otogi Ryuji, only to find that the guy seemed to have already discovered Yugi and himself, his eyes fixed on this direction.

Chapter 206 Oh no, I've become a traitor!

With the match coming to an end, Yugi and Hayato left Otogi Ryuji's enthusiastic fan club and headed towards Jonouchi, intending to comfort him after his defeat.

But to everyone's surprise, Hayato and Yugi were stopped halfway there by someone—it was none other than Ryuji Otogi, who had just defeated Jonouchi in the match. Behind them followed Jonouchi and Honda, both looking displeased.

"Oh my, isn't this the famous Duel King—Yugi Muto, and Hayato Kobayashi? Are you two also interested in Monster Lungmen Dice?" Ryuji Otogi said, lifting his bangs and revealing a smile that Hayato and Yugi looked very familiar to him.

That smile left a deep impression on them; wasn't it exactly the same as Pegasus's smile?

“Yugi, Hayato. I…” Jonouchi opened his mouth to say something, but Otogi Ryuji, who was standing next to him, suddenly made a move and elbowed Jonouchi in the stomach, making him swallow back the words he was about to say.

The game displayed an angry expression: "You bastard!"

"Are you angry because you saw your comrade injured, Yugi Muto?" Ryuji Otogi shook his finger. "Tsk tsk tsk, you have no reason to ask me to change the way I treat my 'lackeys' now."

"Lackey!?" Yugi looked at Jonouchi in confusion, only to find him just hanging his head and offering no explanation.

Honda then told Yugi and Hayato about what happened behind the scenes of the Monster Dice game—after being taken to the third floor by Honda and experiencing Monster Dice for the first time, Jonouchi's confidence swelled up, and he declared that the game "Monster Dice" was too easy and boring.

Just then, Ryuji Otogi appeared, saying he wanted to help him understand the true wonder of Monster Lungmen Dice. However, as he spoke, he constantly revealed a disdain for the four strongest players in the Duel Kingdom within the castle.

This alone would only slightly annoy Jonouchi, but on top of that, Otogi Ryuji's statement that both Kobayashi Hayato and Muto Yugi were despicable people completely enraged Jonouchi. He demanded that Otogi Ryuji retract his insulting remarks about his friends.

So, Otogi Ryuji took the opportunity to add a wager to their match—if Jonouchi won, he would take responsibility for what he said and apologize to Hayato and Yugi; otherwise, if Otogi Ryuji won, Jonouchi would have to serve as Otogi Ryuji's "lackey" for the next month.

“That’s right, a lackey, isn’t that a fitting title for him?” As he spoke, Yu Jialong waved his hand, and several shop employees came over with a rather comical-looking dog-themed onesie. “Now, Jonouchi Katsuya, put on this outfit and fulfill our bet, ‘spoiled dog’ Jonouchi.”

Such an insult to another's dignity! Yugi's eyes blazed with fury, and the Millennium Puzzle on his chest flashed, transforming him into Yugi. However, the two Yugi were of one mind; though it seemed like a different person, Yugi merely suppressed his rage, gritting his teeth as he glared at Otogi Ryuji: "You bastard! I challenge you to a duel!"

“However, I refuse.” To the surprise of both Yugi and Hayato, Otogi Ryuji glanced at Yugi with disdain and instead turned his gaze to Hayato beside him. “Although you are also one of my targets, Kobayashi Hayato is a higher priority.”

Upon hearing Otogi Ryuji's words, King Yoshihiro's face revealed a knowing expression: "As expected, you had some purpose from the very beginning when you approached the castle."

"What—!" Jonouchi looked at Otogi Ryuji in surprise, but before he could say anything, Otogi Ryuji elbowed him in the stomach again.

"Dogs can't talk, Jonouchi—no, Castle Dog." Grabbing Jonouchi's hair, Otogi Ryuuji gave Hayato a defiant look and shoved the dog pajamas into Jonouchi's hands. "Listen to your master's orders. For the next month, you're going to wear these clothes and you're not allowed to talk to anyone. You're only allowed to bark like a dog, Castle Dog!"

Loosening Jonouchi's hair, Otogi Ryuji gave Hayato an arrogant look: "How does it feel to have your comrade bullied like this?"

"I'm just furious." Hayato's expression remained unchanged, as if he wasn't angry at all. However, from Otogi Ryuji's perspective, several Duel Monster card spirits appeared behind him, glaring angrily at Otogi Ryuji along with their master.

Although he couldn't see the card spirit, Otogi Ryuji had an inexplicable feeling of unease. To dispel that feeling, he continued to try to provoke Hayato: "Ha, is that all the anger you've got? I can't read anything on your faces. Your friend challenged me to uphold your dignity."

"Speaking of which, he's really an easy target. Not just in the competition, but he's so simple-minded that just a few taunts and he'll obediently follow the set route. He's so easy to deal with, City Dog." As he spoke, he slapped Jonouchi, who had just changed into his pajamas, twice. "Get down on your knees, you disobedient mad dog!"

Hayato, seeing Otogi Ryuji's continuous provocations, said, "Are you trying to provoke me and disrupt my reason? Well, congratulations, you've successfully angered me. I accept your challenge!"

"However, if I win, you must immediately release Jonouchi and apologize to everyone!"

Hearing Hayato finally accept the challenge, Otogi Ryuji couldn't help but laugh smugly: "In return, if I win, you will never be allowed to touch anything related to Duel Monsters again!"

“What a vicious bet, but I accept.” Hayato said, taking out his deck from his waist. “As the challenger, I’ll use Duel Monsters as the form of the game!”

Otogi Ryuji also took out a deck of cards from his person, reached out and pulled on the strap around Jonouchi's neck, as if he really owned a dog: "Hmph, just what I wanted, anyway, I was planning to 'crush you in your best area'."

"Here I go, my loyal dog!"

As he spoke, he pulled Jonouchi toward one side of the dueling ring, while Hayato, Yugi, and Honda walked toward the other side.

As they stepped onto the dueling platform, Honda warned, "Hayato, you must be careful of that guy's rhetoric traps. He seems to be very good at misleading people."

“Yes, I understand.” Yugi glanced at the two of them. Although he didn’t speak, their unspoken thoughts were written all over their faces. “Don’t worry, I will change the fate of Jonouchi.”

As the dueling platform slowly rose, Hayato noticed that several cameras had appeared beside it.

Ryuji Otogi explained, "After all, you are the Duel King, Hayato Kobayashi. A match against the Duel King must be witnessed by the public. That way, you can't use any underhanded tactics, right?"

"Hmph, I do have a question." Hayato looked at Otogi Ryuji on the opposite duel platform, "Why do you hate me more than the game?"

Hayato still remembered that Ryuji Otogi had come to him because Yugi Muto had defeated Pegasus, but what he didn't quite understand was why Ryuji Otogi was even more hostile towards him.

Could it be that I've been exposed for taking a few cards from Pegasus? That doesn't make sense. I avoided the cameras, and it wasn't broadcast that time.

Otogi Ryuji's face showed a disdainful expression: "Why don't you ask yourself this question? You were fortunate enough to enter the Duel Kingdom at the invitation of Lord Pegasus, and you should have owed him a favor. But you actually colluded with Yugi Muto, and the two of you used despicable means to defeat Lord Pegasus and even caused him to disappear!"

"Compared to a treacherous villain like Yugi Muto, a traitor like you is even more hateful!"

Chapter 207 Another cannon fodder swordsman died, how inhumane!

"Hmph, I wouldn't use any underhanded tricks in a duel. It's Pegasus who would do something like that." Hayato said, placing his deck on the dueling platform.

"But judging from your current state, you probably won't believe me. Well then, I'll use a duel to wake you up!"

"Duel!" x2

[Hayato: 4000LP, 5 cards in hand]

[Yuga: 4000LP, 5 cards in hand]

Otogi Ryuji: "First strike is mine, draw a card!"

After glancing at the card he had drawn, Ryuji Otogi added it to his hand: "No one can deny that the man is the strongest duelist. I will use Duel Monsters to expose your true colors, right now!"

"Attack signal summons [Hyperspace Fighter - V-Snake]!" On Otogi Ryuji's field, a space fighter designed based on the arcade game "Gradius" appeared, its cannon aimed at Hayato's dueling ring.

[Time-Space Fighter - V-Shaped Serpent] [4☆/Light]

[Mechanical/Normal]

[1200/800]

“Then, I activate the effect of the [Sub-machine] in my hand.” After revealing the card in his hand, Otogi Ryuji summoned it to the field. “If I have [Chronofighter-V-Snake] face-up on my field, it can be Special Summoned, and then its ATK and DEF become the same as its DEF.”

【Slave】【1☆/Light】

[Mechanical Race/Effect]

【？ /？ →1200/800】

Just like a shadow clone, the V-shaped snake suddenly split into two, becoming two identical fighter jets.

"Cover three cards, my turn is over."

After placing his three cards face down, Ryuji Otogi looked at Hayato provocatively: "It's your turn, Duel King."

[Yuga: 4000LP, 1 cards in hand]

[Time-Space Fighter - V-Shaped Serpent] [ATK1200]

[Sub-machine] [ATK1200]

[GaiK] X3

It's clear that while Ryuji Otogi's character isn't great, and could even be described as quite despicable, he still possesses considerable skill. With three set monsters in one turn plus two monsters as walls, he's at least stronger than most people who simply "summon Earth Warrior in Attack Position and then end the turn."

"Then, it's my turn. Draw a card."

Hayato drew a card and activated its effect: "Activate the Spell Card 'Rough Man's Expectation'. Since there are no monsters on my field, Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck. Come forth, 'Paladin - Artorias'!"

Amidst the holy light, a knight with a slightly youthful face appeared on Hayato's field, his hands resting on a holy sword stuck in the ground.

【Paladin - Artorias】【1800/1800】

“Then, I activate the effect of [Heart Change], which grants me control of one of your monsters until the end of this turn.” Hayato pointed to [V-Snake]. “I choose you, [Chronofighter - V-Snake]!”

Otogi Ryuji opened his back row card: "So this is the kind of underhanded trick you used to defeat Lord Pegasus? As long as I'm here, you won't get away with this easily! Open your face-down card!"

"【Force Field】! Its effect is to negate and destroy the activation of a Spell Card that targets 1 monster on the field!"

On Hayato's field, the angel of [Heart Change] had just appeared when a powerful aura suddenly erupted from the [V-shaped Serpent] that was chosen as the target, instantly destroying the [Heart Change] card.

Hayato was a little annoyed after losing to the Minotaur's monster and drew two cards from his hand: "If I can't bully it over, then I'll just fight it over."

"I Normal Summon [Swordsman], then activate the Spell Card [United Forces], which increases the ATK of my Warrior-Type monsters by 200 points equal to the number of Warrior-Type and Spellcaster-Type monsters."

The cannon fodder swordsman... I mean, the [Elf Swordsman] made a graceful entrance, and at the same time, a battle flag fell behind the [Elf Swordsman] and [Atoris], boosting their morale.

【Paladin - Artorias】【ATK1800→2200】

[Elven Swordsman] [1400/1200→1800/1200]

"At this moment of battle, I will subdue you!" Hayato waved his hand forward, pointing directly at the [V-shaped Serpent] on the field in front of Otogi Ryuji. "[Elf Swordsman] Attack [V-shaped Serpent], unleash the Dance Slash!"

The Elf Swordsman silently obeyed his master's orders, slashing at the fighter jets on the field with a technique that was not even his own.

With an attack power of 1800 against an attack power of 1200, and a flying dragon charging in, how could he possibly lose? The Elf Swordsman thought confidently, then watched helplessly as a suction force suddenly appeared beneath his feet, pulling him in.

Hayato looked at Ryuji Otogi, who proudly revealed one of his face-down cards: "At the moment you attack, [Dimensional Confinement] is activated, banishing the monster that launched the attack from the game."

At the same time, because the Elf Swordsman left the field, the attack power of Paladin Artoria also decreased.

【Paladin - Artorias】【ATK2200→2000】

"Another trap? I hate people who create traps more than anything in my life." Hayato grimaced, then gave [Atoris] the command, "But [Paladin-Atoris] hasn't attacked yet, I'll use it to attack [V-Serpent]!"

[Atoris] glanced at Hayato, as if to say, 'Boss, there's another trap over there. I don't want to step into it. That cannon fodder swordsman didn't even leave a last word.'

Hayato nodded confidently at him: 'Don't worry, I'm a professional duelist, okay? There's definitely no trickery on the other side.'