Duels should be played with a smile.

No matter how many hardships and dangers lie ahead, a hero will never desert his post!

So as long as the battle is over, even if you run away immediately, no one will say anything, right?

In short, under the subtle gazes of countless viewers, Friend Hero unleashed the fastest speed of his life and disappeared from the dueling arena.

Even so, when he returned to the lounge, he felt somewhat embarrassed under the gazes of ATM and Rose players.

He was extremely grateful that his suit was of excellent quality and that Dark Claw's mask was large enough to completely conceal his expression.

"The next match seems to be between that Kaiba president and that Ameruda?" Friend Hero tried to ease the awkward atmosphere by recalling the match schedule.

"Don't worry, Kaiba's strength is beyond doubt, but Amelda... according to my memory, he is one of the Three Musketeers of Doma, and he is no match for Kaiba in terms of strength, but that was when he was wielding the legendary dragon... Now, hopefully Amelda won't use the power of Orichalcos."

ATM wasn't worried about the outcome of the match against Haima; he was only concerned about the impact of Orichalcos.

If possible, he wanted to resolve this incident while minimizing its subsequent impact, so that in people's minds, Duel Monsters would remain just Duel Monsters, an ordinary game that everyone could participate in and enjoy.

Rather than being a tool used to determine the fate of the world, such a heavy meaning should not be known or borne by those who enjoy the pleasure of games.

One pharaoh is enough to bear the dark side of this world.

"Don't worry, no matter what happens next, as long as we believe in our deck, we can defeat those with ulterior motives!"

With one hand resting on the dragon mark on her arm, Rose appeared remarkably calm.

A few days ago, based on his previous experience of unscrewing screws and his subsequent experience in repairing the D-Wheel, he found the materials in this era that could repair the D-Wheel. Now he can travel back to his original era—if the enemies here really exceed his expectations, he doesn't mind going back to call for help.

Saving innocent civilians is more important than disrupting the schedule.

Soon, the announcement of the competition was broadcast, but this time the next duelist was not Kaiba and Amelda, but Rose and another contestant.

"Due to a temporary illness of Ameruda, the order of the matches has been adjusted, and the next match will be played one place earlier."

Rose was slightly surprised to receive the notification, but she didn't pay much attention to it. She simply picked a deck that she didn't usually use and headed to the arena.

In his time, it was no longer the case that everyone used only their favorite deck.

Every qualified duelist will prepare at least three decks: one for regular use, one as a backup, and at least one secret weapon.

And he... he has a basic understanding of most decks.

This is what he learned from that cataclysmic crisis—when you know enough, your opponent can't target you.

In a battle for the survival of the world, any advantage is invaluable.

Although his teammates complained that his dueling style had changed too much afterward, he just smiled and responded to them, and then continued to study various decks, to understand the function of each card, and to understand every unknown combination.

If this can shield my companions from all hardships, then no matter how bitter or tiring it is, or even if it requires changing myself, it will all be worthwhile.

With a calm mind, and following the staff's guidance, Rose arrived at the arena for this duel.

A venue that seems...too coincidental.

The reason is simple: this is a very spacious arena, similar to a stadium, and it also has a track for high-speed duels.

“Mr. Rose, your opponent previously submitted an application to us, saying that he intended to duel you using a method he learned in Duel Links called Swift Duel. Considering that this rule might be unfair to you, after discussion, we have presented three options.”

"If you are familiar with the Rapid Duel, you can choose the Rapid Duel. We have prepared all the necessary equipment in advance. If you are not familiar with the Rapid Duel, you can also use the formal duel rules."

"Of course, if you are unfamiliar with speed duels but still want to enjoy the fun of speed, you can also use the official rules to conduct speed duels."

The people at Haima Group hadn't expected anyone to make such a special request. However, faced with their immense financial power and the D-Wheel prototype provided by the president of Haima from who-knows-where, the engineers still managed to produce many D-Wheels capable of being used for high-speed duels at an astonishing speed.

"Hmm... let's duel using the official rules, but I do really enjoy the thrill of speeding around."

In this era, no one understands speed duels better than him. Choosing the formal rules is actually taking care of his opponent.

Before even entering the arena, Rose could already feel the cheers of the audience. This strange yet familiar feeling reminded him of the joy of engaging in high-speed duels with his companions long ago.

How long has it been since I've enjoyed the pure pleasure of a duel like this?

"I'd really like to experience Series D funding."

"Understood. We'll go announce the rules of this duel now. Please come this way to enter the track. Other staff will guide you on how to drive the D-Wheel. Don't worry, there's an autopilot mode. You can fully enjoy the thrill of speeding and the duel."

The staff member kindly explained the situation and then quickly left. Rose listened to the cheers, smiled, and slowly walked towards the track.

Unexpectedly, I can relive the thrill of high-speed duels in this era. In that case, let's enjoy it to the fullest!

"This duel will be a high-speed duel! The two opponents are Rose and Hanazawa!"

After a long absence, Rose got to ride her D-Wheel for a duel. She familiarized herself with the unfamiliar D-Wheel before she had a chance to take a look at her opponent—a middle-aged man who looked somewhat slovenly and listless.

It seems that because female duelists appeared quite frequently in previous matches, this duel between two grown men did not generate much anticipation.

Until the engine of D-Wheel roared to life, until D-Wheel began speeding along the track.

When most people see a high-speed duel, their first reaction is, "How can you play cards on a motorcycle? That's weird, I don't want to watch."

But once the roar of the engine sent his adrenaline soaring, only one thought remained in Hot's mind—how could he play cards without riding a motorcycle!

[Hanasaburo: 6 o'clock]

[Rose: 5 o'clock]

"Hey, I'm in luck today, buddy! I've got the first strike going!"

The rushing wind couldn't interfere with the communication between the players. Rose sensed that the somewhat listless opponent's spirits changed the moment he mounted the D-wheel, the moment the race began, and the moment he drew his hand.

"Then I'll look forward to your duel! Enjoy this duel!"

"That's right! Young man, it seems you're someone who enjoys duels too! Then enjoy my duel to the fullest!"

Feeling the gentle caress of the wind and sensing the burning will emanating from her opponent, Rose took a deep breath and watched with anticipation as her opponent began his turn.

"Duel is life! Enjoy life, enjoy duels! Enjoy all the unknowns in life and duels!"

"I activate the Spell Card [Flower Union]!"

"You can only activate one of these effects per turn, with a maximum of one card of the same name. Special Summon 4 'Hanafuda Guardian' monsters with 100 ATK from your Deck in Attack Position, negating their effects. These monsters cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon!"

As soon as the duel began, four neatly arranged monsters appeared on Hanazaburo's field in a row, and the audience stared wide-eyed—because this was the most fake card they had ever seen all day!

Rose's lips twitched slightly; he hadn't expected to encounter this deck.

This deck is indeed quite suitable for people who enjoy dueling.

So he relaxed his body, sat up straight, thought for a moment, then simply let go of his hands, leaned against the D-wheel in autopilot mode, and closed his eyes to rest.

This is the best way to deal with people who use this deck.

"Then I activate the Spell Card [Hanafuda]! I select 3 types of 'Hanafuda Guardian' monsters from my deck and return them to the top of the deck in my preferred order."

This effect is generally referred to as stargazing.

"I enjoy the unknown, but I also enjoy the feeling of having everything under control!"

"The effect of 【Hanafuda Guardian - Yanagi-ono Michikaze-】 allows me to Special Summon 【Hanafuda Guardian - Yanagi-】 by releasing it from my field!"

"If a monster is successfully Special Summoned, you can activate this effect: Draw 1 card and both players reveal their identities. If it is a 'Hanafuda Guardian' monster, you can Special Summon that monster. Otherwise, send that card to the Graveyard."

"The card I drew is [Hanafuda Guardian - Cherry Blossom Curtain -], which can be Special Summoned!"

The subordinates of the Hanafuda Monster are all Hanafuda cards. It's only the beginning of the game, and Hanafuda already has five Hanafuda cards on his field, neatly arranged.

Just as the audience was waiting for him to create a Link 5 monster with five monsters, he stood up on the D-wheel and shrunk the three monsters on the field into his hands.

The 11-star monster transforms into two rings, while the other 12-star monster and a 3-star monster each transform into two stars, surrounded by rings.

"Under the flowers and moon! Drinking fine wine! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 6! [Hanafuda Guardian - Moonlit Flower Viewing -]!"

Amidst the high-speed journey, a woman resembling a Japanese geisha, holding a folding fan to partially conceal her face, drinks the fine wine from her saucer against the backdrop of flowers and the moon.

The appearance of Tsukikami was like a catalyst; her novel entrance, which was novel to most viewers, completely ignited the atmosphere of the duel.

This also ignited the beginning of Hanazawarou's duel.

Under Hanazaburo's control, one Hanafuda card after another was drawn out and summoned, then rapidly transformed into stars, summoning powerful Hanafuda monsters, drawing gasps of amazement from the audience.

They weren't watching a duel; they were watching a dance, a theatrical performance.

"Swift as a wild boar, brave as a stag, beautiful as a butterfly! Synchro Summon! Level 6! [Hanafuda Guardian - Ino-Shika-Cho -]!"

The spirits of nature possessed the warrior's body, aiding him in his conquests.

"Tears, rain down, transform into light! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 8! [Hanafuda Guardian - Rain of Light -]!"

In the drizzle, a nobleman walked slowly with an umbrella. Lightning struck the umbrella, but did not harm him in the slightest.

"This sacred light, now transformed into heaven, earth, water, soil, and gold, radiates light! Synchronous Summon! [Hanafuda Guardian - Five Lights -]!"

The gods, who govern the power of heaven and earth, shower blessings upon the land amidst a kaleidoscope of colors.

Another series of complex operations left the audience dazzled, and Hanazawa's formation took shape amidst these operations.

The Ino-Shika-Cho combo activates its effect to seal the Rose's graveyard, then uses it as material to summon other monsters. Rain of Light grants all Hanafuda monsters a powerful resistance and can also deal damage. Meanwhile, the other two monsters on the field, each with a combined 5,000 ATK, are an impenetrable fortress. They can not only negate and disrupt the activation of Spell & Trap Cards, but also seal monster effects during the Battle Phase. Even if they are defeated, they can still summon other Hanafuda Synchro Monsters to defend.

Three incredibly powerful monsters stood behind Hanazaburo after a full ten minutes of storytelling.

At this point, he only had six cards left in his deck.

"Young man, I've thoroughly enjoyed my duel. Now, please allow me to properly enjoy yours!"

Rose, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them and nodded subconsciously before beginning to observe Hanazawa's situation.

After a moment's thought, she drew her card for this turn, and the speeding Rose accurately threw a card from her hand onto Hanazawa's field, kicking one of the Five Lights cards into the graveyard.

"Eat your darkness, and I'll recruit a turtle."

"Use the Normal Summon [Fairy Princess - Kaguya] to search for another Kaguya. Kaguya's effect: Return Kaguya and Turtle to their owners' hands."

The turtle, who had gone out to play and had a good meal, returned to the field in the blink of an eye. This turtle, which instantly defeated the super monster, has appeared countless times today.

Those viewers who watched all the duels in their entirety have already started asking around for news about Turtle, hoping to get their hands on a few copies.

"Turtle, keep eating your second five-star monster, and then you can Special Summon [Beastmaster Alpha] when the opponent's total ATK is higher than mine."

"【Thunderbird of the Uncharted Territory】's effect: You randomly discard one card from my hand. If it's not Thunderbird, I can Special Summon Thunderbird and draw 1 card."

Hanazawa was stunned. My two monsters with 5000 attack power on the field are gone just like that? He had lost his ability to think and just randomly picked a card to discard.

"You discarded [Machine Serpent - Murakumo Orochi], so I can Special Summon Thunderbird, and then use the effect of Beast King to return Beast King and Thunderbird to my hand. Without targeting, I can return Turtle and Rain Light on your field to my hand. Turtle is returned to my hand, and Rain Light is returned to the Extra Deck."

By this point, the scene that Hanazawa had created with most of his deck, which had taken him a full ten minutes to tell, had been completely cleared.

One minute later, with attacks from Bigfoot, Thunderbird, and Machine-Snake, the high-speed duel ended in a very dramatic way.

Hanazaburo lost the match, but he wasn't too upset. Instead, he acted very nonchalantly. Rose, who won the match, didn't seem too happy either. Instead, she seemed thoughtful.