Chapter 1164: Shirley
Chapter 1164: Shirley
Just as Ox-Tail shouted in alarm, and everyone in the intelligence department was about to rush out—
"Everyone, there's no need to panic."
A voice echoed through the room.
It was a calm and steady voice, but it carried an almost magical quality, instantly soothing the frantic thoughts of everyone present.
Looking up, they saw the image of their chief, Rex Godwin, projected in mid-air, his expression serene.
"It was just a prank."
Youxuan spoke through the projection.
"There's no need to worry about it."
Ox-Tail hesitated, his face twisted in confusion. "But, sir, there was definitely an explosion."
"The other party only had one bomb, and it was placed in an inconsequential area. There was no real damage done", Youxuan said calmly.
"They only had one bomb, and it was just a show of force. I have specialists handling it, so there's no need for concern."
With that, the transmission cut off, and the image disappeared.
Ox-Tail and the others exchanged glances.
After a moment, he shrugged helplessly. "Alright, if the chief says so, everyone back to your posts."
Shirley Lublanc was feeling frustrated.
This was not at all how the plan was supposed to go.
Originally, Mizoguchi was supposed to infiltrate and plant a Trojan program, then use the bomb threat to force the people inside to evacuate, allowing her to slip in and "borrow" the Enforcement Bureau's supercomputer.
But Mizoguchi had not returned after his infiltration, and there was no word from him. She had to assume the worst—that he had been captured by the Enforcement Bureau.
So, she changed her plan and activated the bomb herself, intending to sneak in and, if possible, rescue Mizoguchi.
But the bomb threat had no effect—the Enforcement Bureau remained eerily quiet, which only made Shirley more agitated.
Don't you guys fear anything?
It's a bomb! I told you there's a bomb right next to you, so why are you so calm?
A deep, magnetic male voice sounded behind her. "Found you."
Shirley: "!"
The blonde woman turned around sharply, only to find that a group of people had silently approached her without her noticing.
Rex Godwin, the chief of the Enforcement Bureau, a beautiful young girl with rose-colored hair, and—
Mizoguchi?
Shirley was stunned.
Mizoguchi, why are you with the enemy?
Youxuan glanced at Mizoguchi. "There was only one bomb, and it was just a bluff, right?"
Mizoguchi's face was conflicted, but he finally said, "Yes, we only prepared one bomb. We never intended to hurt anyone. Our only goal was to borrow the Enforcement Bureau's supercomputer, so we tried to trick the people in the building into leaving."
"Mizoguchi!"
Shirley was shocked.
"Even you? You betrayed me too!?"
This was the man who had risked his life to save her from the enemy's guns, the man who had raised her and was almost like a father to her. Could even he betray her?
Shirley's heart turned cold.
If so, what in this world could she still believe in?
Mizoguchi's eyes were filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Miss, but I really didn't want to."
"You shouldn't blame him", Youxuan said with a light laugh. "The power of Darkness Yu-Gi is not something a mere human can resist. It's not his fault."
"What are you talking about?"
Shirley gritted her teeth, her fists clenched.
"If that's the case, I'll use force if I have to."
Youxuan shook his head. "Violence is so uncivilized. We're all civilized people here, and such primitive methods are long outdated. How about this—"
Youxuan activated his Duel Disk.
Autumn glanced at him, surprised.
Do we really need to Duel?
Is he getting a card addiction?
Shirley frowned. "Are you challenging me to a Duel?"
"You consider yourself a Duelist, don't you? And coincidentally, so do I." Youxuan smiled. "Duelists resolve their conflicts through Duels. Isn't that the basic principle?"
Shirley asked, "What if I win?"
"Of course, I'll do my best to meet your demands." Youxuan said straightforwardly. "But it's just borrowing the main computer for a bit. It's not a big deal. I can make that decision."
Shirley knew that the man in front of her was the head of the Enforcement Bureau. If he had the dignity of a Duelist, getting his permission would mean she wouldn't have to take a huge risk by breaking in.
So, Shirley nodded. "Alright!"
Regardless, she was confident in her card skills. She always believed her card skills were among the best in the world. She could have competed for the world championship if she wanted, but her true goal was revenge, not fame.
Through the original work, Youxuan also knew that she had such impressive skills. Her Dueling level was probably on par with Yusei's early in the series.
But that was all.
After all, Shirley didn't have a spirit backing her, no Red Dragon Imprint card machine, and no cheats. Yusei's growth from the early to the later parts of the series was significant, and Shirley was only on par with the early, uncheated Yusei.
"Duel!" (x2)
[Youxuan, LP 4000]
[Shirley, LP 4000]
Mizoguchi was worried. "Miss, be careful. There's something strange about his Duels."
"Are you worried I might lose, Mizoguchi?"
Shirley was incredibly confident.
"Have you ever seen me lose?"
Mizoguchi: "."
Indeed, since Shirley had mastered her skills, Mizoguchi had never seen her lose a single Duel.
But after his Duel with the chief, Mizoguchi had a bad feeling. Everything has a first time, and he feared today might be Shirley's first loss.
"I go first, Draw!"
Shirley made the first move.
"I summon 'Apprentice Knight' in Defense Position!"
A young knight with a youthful appearance appeared, wearing armor that seemed too heavy for him, holding a knight's sword and shield. The small face under the helmet was full of youthful vigor, yet there was a delicate quality that didn't quite fit the knightly image.
[Apprentice Knight, Defense 1000]
The background of the Apprentice Knight was a young girl who went to war in place of her ailing father, hiding her true gender. Everyone in the army thought she was a boy.
This card, while not yet real, was a crucial part of the knight-themed storyline in Shirley's Deck.
Initially, the young girl went to war in place of her father, disguised as a boy. As she gained experience and honed her skills through battle, she earned her own knightly title and became the renowned "Flower Knight."
The knight continued to achieve great deeds and was eventually promoted, becoming the modern Yu-Gi-Oh! player's familiar Level 10 Synchro monster, the "Flower Lady Baron."
Indeed, the powerful Synchro monster "Flower Lady Baron" was Shirley's ace, though it didn't appear in the anime. It was likely the evolved form of her ace, the Flower Knight.
This was one of the reasons Youxuan was particularly interested in Shirley.
If he could find a way to win her over, he could get a Flower Lady Baron printed early.
Shirley then inserted another card into her Duel Disk.
"I set one card in my back row, and my turn ends!"
(End of Chapter)
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