Duels should be played with a smile.

Without a doubt, the appearance of these three people meant that the man had also begun to take action. Even though this world was not the one he had experienced before, his sense of justice made it impossible for him to turn a blind eye.

"Does Game-san want to make a move?"

Seeing the game piqued his interest, Jaden, who enjoys dueling, was also eager to give it a try.

It's clear that Raphael left a deep impression on the game, so Jaden instinctively felt that such a person must be quite good at dueling.

"No, there's no point in taking action here. When we get offline... let's contact that guy then. It'll be awkward, but there are some things we need him to solve."

As a true duelist, Yugi's intentions were certainly not to have the organizers disqualify the Doma Three Musketeers from the competition. He wanted to use the duel to help these three unfortunate individuals see the error of their ways.

Just as the game was still pondering how to persuade the organizers to manipulate things behind the scenes and arrange the opponents offline, two more people entered the lobby, and it seemed that something very subtle had just happened between these two people.

Within the city, there is also a peacock dance.

Upon seeing the two enter, Yugi instinctively wanted to greet them. However, just as he raised his hand, he remembered that he wasn't actually in his original world. He could only give a wry smile and move closer to Jaden and Yusei, trying to hide himself as much as possible.

His current disguise might fool others, but for someone like Jonouchi who knows him well and sometimes acts entirely on instinct, the chances of him being recognized are quite high.

"Wu, you should have received an invitation to participate in the competition, right? Those who are invited can go directly to the offline competition."

"I did receive it, but even if I hadn't received an invitation, I could still qualify based on my own abilities."

Peacock Dance has never liked being looked down upon, and she has never liked being treated as a pretty face, even though she is indeed exceptionally charming.

"You should also have an invitation to the competition, right?"

"Ah, of course, I'm one of the top four in Duel City!" Jonouchi replied proudly, even raising his voice slightly in an attempt to get others' attention.

Seeing that Jonouchi was still the same as before, Mai, who was far away in the United States, suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She raised her eyebrows and deliberately raised her voice to ask, "So you mean that I, a top eight contestant, am not as good as you?"

She always felt that she had an obligation to keep this guy, who was prone to getting carried away, in check.

"Huh? No, that's not what I meant. I meant... ah, anyway, that's not what I meant."

The innocent young man was completely unable to resist the older woman's advances and could only react in a panic. When the people who had originally come over saw Jonouchi completely outmaneuvered, most of them burst out laughing. Some of the older duelists even gathered together and sighed that it was good to be young.

However, many people also focused their attention on the peacock dance.

As its name suggests, the Peacock Dance is indeed as proud, outstanding, and eye-catching as a peacock.

After their playful fight, Jonouchi, realizing how embarrassing their behavior had been, didn't dare to be too smug in front of Mai. The two found a corner and started chatting casually.

Mai was overjoyed. She had thought that after leaving alone, it would be difficult to have another chance to meet Jonouchi. However, she did not expect that the appearance of the Duel Link would allow her to see Jonouchi anytime, anywhere.

Hai Ma is usually quite annoying, but he's actually pretty good in this matter.

This conclusion was reached by Jonouchi and Mai Kongjaku at the same time.

Just as the Peacock Dancer rejoiced at their reunion, so too did the Castle.

After the Duel City ended and Mai left, even though Jonouchi was still somewhat confused about Mai and didn't quite understand his own feelings, or perhaps he understood but didn't dare to face them, that feeling of loss was truly lingering in his heart and wouldn't go away.

Are you in the United States now?

"Yeah, so what?"

"In that case, we'll be able to meet in real life very soon! We're planning to go there in a couple of days, and everyone will be coming!"

The tournament is being held in the United States, and considering that many duelists will be with their partners or family members, Seahorse is being very considerate by not only covering all expenses for the participants, but also allowing each participant to bring up to two family members.

Jonouchi will be bringing Kyoko and Honda along, while Yugi will be attending as a guest.

"Everyone...? That's great! Let's all have a get-together then!"

Recalling the events that occurred during her time in Duel City, Mai also felt a pang of longing for Yugi and Kyoko.

Although Jonouchi is a special case, they are still partners in the game.

It is precisely because she still cares about her companions that Mai Kongjaku does not feel lonely on her journey and on her path of training, and she does not lose her way forward. Her goal is very clear: to become stronger and then defeat Jonouchi.

Then...make Jonouchi fulfill his original promise and agree to his request.

Perhaps the outcome would be similar even after being defeated by Jonouchi, but Mai prefers to be the one in control.

"Alright, when the competition comes, don't lose to anyone before you meet me! Don't forget our promise, I will definitely use all my strength to defeat you head-on!"

"Then bring it on! I'm really strong now! I won't lose to you easily!"

After another round of casual conversation, the two shared their recent experiences and soon ran out of things to say.

"What's next?"

After chatting for a while, Kongquewu, feeling a bit tired from sitting, stood up and stretched. The climate in the virtual world was always the most pleasant, so Kongquewu, who usually dresses quite boldly, was dressed very lightly today.

It was enough to make a certain innocent young man's eyes water.

In that instant, Jonouchi seemed to realize that, in addition to dueling, he could also have some other kind of communication with a powerful female duelist.

"Hmm? I'm asking you, what's next?"

"Huh?" Jonouchi, looking somewhat dazed, seemed to have lost his mind, but his body responded faster than his brain: "Want to duel?"

"..."

"I'm not in a good mood today, I'm leaving now, goodbye."

Like a gust of wind, Kongquewu quickly left, walked outside the hall, and logged off in a second, giving Cheng Nei no time to react.

"Huh? What happened? Weren't you just chatting and laughing? How come you're in a bad mood all of a sudden?"

Completely baffled, Jonouchi couldn't come up with an answer and simply gave up trying.

"So, let's have a duel! Wait, what was my original purpose for coming here today?"

……

A few days later, in the United States, at the super-large Seahorse Park, a subsidiary of Seahorse Corporation.

"Rejoice! Celebrate, duelists! Sixteen duelists will determine the strongest in this place!"

"Let us cheer for the new king who is about to be born!"

"The duels will take place after the draw. All duelists, please take your positions!"

"I hereby declare! The Tournament of the Strongest Duelists has officially begun!"

Chapter 135 Today's weather is snowy.

Damn it!

Siegfried von Schreidt, the brilliant heir of the Schreidt family, was currently in a state of impotent rage.

Zig slammed his fist on the computer keyboard, knocking several keycaps off. After calming himself down, he picked up his deck and headed towards Kaiba Park.

The competition will begin in an hour, and having wasted several hours here, he must get there as soon as possible.

He, who considered himself a genius, had recently experienced boundless fear at Dazhi's place. He never expected that this time, his proud computer skills would also fail in the face of Haima Company's firewall, which dealt a heavy blow to this self-proclaimed genius.

"That guy Kaiba... he must have gotten incredibly lucky! Otherwise, with my genius, I shouldn't be unable to break through this defense!"

Blaming his incompetence on the seahorse's good luck, he had no choice but to abandon his cheating plan and instead honestly play cards.

"I am a genius, a genius in every aspect! Even in a duel, I will be the strongest! Kaiba, I will defeat you and revive my family!"

The aerial target practice boosted his confidence, and the young master boarded his private helicopter with renewed vigor, heading to the Seahorse Park.

……

"Duelists! This tournament is not only a feast for duelists, but also a journey that will bring joy to everyone present! During the tournament, all facilities at Kaiba Park will be open to the public free of charge! Whether you are a Duel Monsters fan or not, you can find your happiness at Kaiba Park!"

"Of course, if you are a true duelist, you will reap double the joy! Enjoy spectacular duels presented by the world's strongest duelists!"

In the center of the main hall, Kaiba Keihei, with his hair combed like an adult and dressed in a handsome suit, was delivering the opening remarks on behalf of his brother. He was also explaining the rules of the tournament to all the duelists present in an orderly manner, showing a style quite similar to his brother.

"Although his older brother always has a stern face, the younger brother seems to be quite nice."

In the guest seats, Philwo casually commented on all aspects of the competition from a professional perspective. The occasional unintentional air of authority he exuded made the other guests feel a strange pressure.

"Kuihei must have it pretty tough, right? With such an outstanding older brother, it probably isn't easy for him as the younger brother..."

The game, which was attended as a guest, was sitting on the other side of Leyou. After hearing Philvo's comments, he also took the opportunity to express his own opinion.

"To be honest, it's true that Guiping's level of hard work is probably about the same as that of GamerSky's grandfather, right?"

"what?"

The simple-minded boy clearly didn't understand Leyou's teasing. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and began to mentally connect his grandfather with Guiping, trying to find similarities between the two.

Before he could think about it for long, Rebecca grabbed his arm and pulled him away to talk about other things.

As the youngest dueling tournament champion in the United States, Rebecca's strength is beyond doubt. However, due to some reasons, she did not receive a direct invitation and wanted to qualify through online tournaments. In this fiercely competitive ladder, she was successfully defeated by the weaker opponents.

The water in the fishpond is too deep. In addition, many duelists communicate with elves in the virtual world and strengthen their decks. In the Duel Links ladder, you may encounter all sorts of strange things.

Rebecca, who usually defeats her opponents with her self-destructive, blood-burning decks, encountered some strange decks in several key matches, such as the self-destruct switch deck, the Hua Tuo Reincarnation deck, the Chinese Pot Chef deck, and various decks that countered her. She was outmaneuvered and fell to the top ten in the ladder, missing out on the offline tournament.

Despite losing the game, she successfully secured a seat in the guest section alongside the game, thus winning in life.

Apricot? Apricot is right next to Rebecca. Apricot is a complete failure.

"Speaking of which, why did you choose not to participate in the competition this time?"

"Ah, well...it's because of some rather special reasons..."

The game's appearance clearly indicated that it was not worth discussing further, so Leyou didn't ask any more questions.

Because something more noteworthy has emerged.

In the center of the venue, the sixteen qualified duelists were taking the stage in the arranged order. Among them, the three female duelists, Yuki-onna, Ella, and Mai, were the most eye-catching. One was playful and cunning, one was taciturn yet alluring, and one was proud and powerful. Their three different temperaments were like three dazzling lights in the dark night.

The duelists soon returned after a long absence, and the moment the Three Musketeers of Dorma appeared, Leyou felt a sense of being watched from the heavens.

"You felt it too?" Philvo asked without looking up, his gaze fixed on the center of the field.

"Yeah, it feels like I'm being spied on. It's pretty strange. If nothing unexpected happens, it's that giant snake."

Leyou had to divert some of her attention to the crystal on her chest, which had been glowing ever since she felt that prying gaze.

This light was neither a warning nor a warning—to be honest, even Leyou himself felt a little confused. His intuition told him that he now really wanted to devour that giant serpent in the sky, its eyes and its body, and everything about it.

Isn't this a bit...?

Just as Leyou was feeling somewhat speechless, a faint phantom appeared behind him again, startling him so much that he immediately pressed the sprite back down, but the game still noticed it.

"Wow, you have so many Pokémon around you! You're really strong!"