Chapter 1172: The So-Called King
Chapter 1172: The So-Called King
Zone directly called out Paradox's name, but Youxuan wasn’t particularly surprised.
In fact, when he first arrived in this dimension, he had already considered whether his every move might be under Zone’s surveillance.
The entire storyline of the 5D's dimension, from beginning to end, should logically be under Zone’s control. From Rudger being consumed by the Yeshen Power, the Zero Reversal, the growth of Yusei and his friends in the Satellite, to the Dragon Signers defeating the Dark Signers, and then forming the "5D's Team" to participate in the Wrpg World Tournament—every step of the way was under Zone’s watch.
As Zone had said to Yusei in the final battle, he was the god of this timeline. The direction of everything, the fate of all beings, was determined by his will and controlled by him. The entire dimension was under his dominion, and nothing could escape his notice.
So, the probability that Youxuan, who had brazenly stolen Paradox’s D-Wheel and used the enemy’s equipment to enter this dimension, would be detected was quite high.
But Youxuan had anticipated this and wasn’t concerned. He even thought it might be beneficial if the other side approached him directly. He knew Zone’s ultimate goal, and there should be no direct conflict between them. A face-to-face conversation could help him better understand the current dimension’s situation and perhaps even lead to a collaboration.
Unfortunately, the other side never reached out to him, which was a bit of a shame. Among those under Zone’s control, the only one who had direct contact with Youxuan was Daiichi, one of the Three Emperors, and even he had no intention of having a proper conversation. He immediately started ranting about "anomalies" and was ready to attack.
But Youxuan knew that the Three Emperors, at this stage, had limited knowledge. They didn’t have direct communication with Zone; their minds were only implanted with their respective missions, and their memories might be incomplete.
In the anime, the trio didn’t even recognize Antinomy, who should have been on their side. They often received Zone’s commands through "divine revelations", indicating their low clearance.
Meeting the mastermind himself would be much better.
"Paradox, is he also your companion?"
Facing Zone, Youxuan no longer hid his intentions. A wave of magical energy rippled through him, and he returned to his original form.
"I come from another dimension. Your companion might have taken a wrong turn and ended up in my world. We had a bit of a conflict, but he’s fine and is staying in my world for now.
I came here to prevent the destruction of both worlds."
Zone stared at him through the thick armor for a long moment before speaking slowly.
"Yes, I know."
Indeed, Zone knew.
Youxuan wasn’t surprised. Zone’s technology transcended dimensions and time, and he was aware of everything in this dimension, so it made sense that he would have noticed.
Zone continued to look at him for a moment, then let out a light sigh.
"Has a 'king' already been born in that other dimension?"
"King?"
Youxuan was taken aback. He felt that Zone was referring to him, but he hadn’t revealed his identity, so Zone shouldn’t know about his world. How did he know that he was a Duel King?
"Duel King, it’s more than just a title bestowed from the outside."
Zone explained calmly.
"A king transcends the limits of ordinary humans and reaches the pinnacle of a Duelist after a hundred victories."
"I have seen countless timelines and countless possibilities. Many powerful individuals don’t seek fame or wealth; they achieve the highest realm through a hundred battles but remain obscure, unknown in their own era, yet they are genuine 'kings.'"
On the contrary, there are also strong Duelists who are good people, who gain the title of ‘King’ by defeating powerful opponents in tournaments, yet they do not truly possess the heart of a king and have not reached the realm of kingship.
Zone paused for a moment, providing an example.
"Jack Atlas had never lost a single duel until the Lucky Cup, and was widely acknowledged as the King of Duels, but it was all just a hollow title. Even to this day, he is still far from what could be called a true Duel King."
Youxuan began to understand.
The "Duel King" that Zone referred to was not just a title given by others, but more like a state of attainment. Once one's strength reached a certain level, even if they never sought recognition from the outside world, Zone would still consider them a king.
Jack Atlas, who had been hailed as the Duel King for so many years, was not seen as a true king by Zone. The world's empty titles held no meaning; only true strength could earn the title of king.
This reminded Youxuan of the Ultra Fusion movie, where Paradox, upon meeting the first three main protagonists, addressed them as "the previous Duel Kings."
But upon closer reflection, among the three protagonists, Yugi Muto was undoubtedly the most deserving of the title of Duel King. Yusei Fudo earned the title of Duel King after defeating Jack at the Lucky Cup.
As for Jou Tenchi, he did not participate in any major tournaments to win the title of Duel King in the GX storyline. After the series ended, Jou embarked on his own journey as a Ranger, clearly not the type to be interested in tournaments or empty titles. So, strictly speaking, Jou never officially earned the title of Duel King.
However, when Paradox referred to the Duel Kings, he clearly included Jou.
According to Zone's criteria, the "Duel King" Paradox mentioned might refer to a state of attainment rather than a title. At that time, Jou had reached the pinnacle of his strength and was undoubtedly in the realm of a king.
Zone's acknowledgment of Youxuan as a "king" also likely referred to his state of attainment rather than any title he had earned in his own dimension.
Youxuan was taken aback.
He and Zone had never directly faced each other, yet Zone could somehow judge his level of strength.
The most direct way for Duelists to gauge each other's strength is to duel. Beyond that, strong Duelists can sometimes sense each other's "aura" to some extent, but this usually only provides a rough estimate of "this person is very skilled", without revealing the exact level of strength without a duel.
Could Zone possess some divine technology that can directly observe the strength of one's destiny, similar to the devices in Dragon Ball that measure battle power?
Zone sighed lightly. "If there were a Duel King in this dimension, the future might be different."
From Zone's words, it seemed that he believed there was not a single Duelist in this dimension who could be called a king.
Youxuan asked, "What about Yusei Fudo?"
"Yusei Fudo? According to the historical records I have, his talent will eventually lead him to kingship, but unfortunately, he has not reached that level yet. By the time he grows into his full potential, it might already be too late for this dimension", Zone said coolly.
"Of course, even so, Yusei Fudo is already the man closest to becoming a king in the world today."
Youxuan frowned slightly.
According to Zone's standards for a "king", even the current Yusei had not yet reached that level?
(End of Chapter)
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