Chapter 123: Leading the Betrayal
Chapter 123: Leading the Betrayal
And so, the disciplinary committee's decision to change the punitive duel was happily decided.
You Xuan and Judai, the two "masterminds," would team up to accept the punitive duel.
Judai readily accepted this outcome. Firstly, Judai was just happy to be dueling, and secondly, it had been only a short time since he enrolled, and although he roomed with Sho Marufuji, they weren't particularly close. In fact, he had never even witnessed one of Sho's actual duels.
Compared to that, You Xuan, with whom he had faced life-and-death situations in the Sprit World, was undoubtedly a more suitable partner.
Sho, for his part, was thrilled. He was already nervous about the duel, and now that he heard he had been replaced, his relief was palpable. He no longer had to worry about holding his brother back.
Everyone was pleased with this change, and a world without injured parties was achieved.
However, as the duel opponent still needed to be contacted and scheduled, the duel couldn't be arranged immediately. Thus, the disciplinary committee's notification left the timing undecided, giving them time to get to know each other and adjust their decks specifically for the team duel.
Judai, true to form, had no intention of adjusting his deck. He figured that whoever his opponent was, he would just play as he usually did.
Even if his opponent had some special tactic or combination that needed to be countered, he didn't need to exert himself mentally. A true duelist trusts in their deck, and there is always a chance, no matter the circumstances.
In other words, a mature deck should learn to adapt to the opponent independently, without the duelist needing to exert extra effort.
But You Xuan disagreed.
Although the opponent hadn't been publicly announced, You Xuan knew it was most likely the Labyrinth Brothers from the original story, who claimed to have dueled the first King of Games, Yugi Muto.
In the GX anime, this duo used a Gate Guardian deck. Although this deck mysteriously received a wave of reinforcements over a decade later, the Labyrinth Brothers in the anime should not have access to those advanced cards.
From the perspective of the anime world, the future reinforcement cards would be considered the deck's yet-to-be-discovered potential.
Teaming up with Judai, You Xuan's thoughts immediately became active. In his opinion, Judai's destiny power should overwhelm the Labyrinth Brothers, and this duel should provide ample opportunity for some divine draws.
So, if he could reasonably borrow Judai's divine draw power, perhaps he could devise some happy combinations that would be difficult to achieve on his own.
There was no need to rush this, as the duel date had not yet been announced, and they should still have a few days to prepare.
Meanwhile, the Duel Club's freshman exchange tournament was about to begin.
The same senior who had been in charge of the previous tournament was presiding over this one as well. She seemed pleased to see You Xuan there: "You're here. I heard about the team duel. I thought you might be busy preparing for that and would have to skip this one."
"How could I miss this? It's a fun duel and a great opportunity to get to know the new members. There's no way I'd skip it," You Xuan replied with a smile.
Besides, there were credits for participating in the tournament, and the champion could even choose cards from the Duel Club's exclusive collection. He wouldn't miss it for the world.
However, the new members who heard this exchange had varied expressions.
Scram! Who wants to hang out with you?
The senior girl was beaming, her legs pressed tightly together to hide her excitement: "That's good. I was worried you wouldn't come."
She didn't finish her sentence.
If you didn't come, how much less fun would this year's tournament be?
"Alright, then let's begin the Duel Club's Freshman Cup. Everyone can now prepare for the first round according to the list."
And so, the happy dueling time began again.
You Xuan's first opponent was another student from the Yellow Dormitory.
He remembered dueling this student during the dormitory exchange tournament, but the style was different this time.
Hmm, this situation seems vaguely familiar.
The Yellow Dormitory student laughed loudly, "I'm not the same as last time! Go ahead, don't hold back! If you can, break through my defenses and attack me directly! Aim for my face!"
You Xuan, baffled by such a peculiar request, could only oblige.
"I activate the Continuous Trap, 'Royal Decree'!"
The Yellow Dormitory student spat out a mouthful of blood, reaching several feet into the air.
He glared at You Xuan, his eyes filled with disbelief.
How can you have that card?! Are you betraying me now?!
". . ."
Winning the first duel with ease, You Xuan felt that it had been even simpler than his previous encounter with this opponent. The combination of 'Royal Decree' and "Abyss Soldier" was overwhelming, bringing back memories of his pre-enrollment days when he would effortlessly defeat newcomers at the gym.
The friendly intra-club duels continued, with the senior girl watching intently from the elevated stands, her attention mostly focused on You Xuan's duels.
On the field, bicycle-riding monsters trampled over opponents, causing them to scream in agony, while the one-eyed leader, Zarug, fired his revolver. Submarines launched torpedoes, and Abyss Soldiers danced with their tridents, relentlessly attacking the opponent.
Though others might not understand, the senior girl's joy grew with each move.
She knew that with this newcomer, the tournaments this year would never be dull.
Looking around, she noticed that the Freshman Cup was attracting more attention than in previous years. Many upperclassmen from the club had come to watch, pointing and commenting on the newcomers' wails of anguish. The seniors' cheerful smiles stood in stark contrast to the gloomy expressions on the newcomers' faces.
Among the spectators, the senior girl even spotted Watanabe Shuichi, one of the main victims of the hazing during the club entrance exam. Shuichi couldn't take his eyes off You Xuan as he watched duel after duel, his smile brighter than any of his peers'.
". . ."
With consecutive victories, You Xuan advanced to the semifinals, facing a female duelist from the Obelisk Blue Dormitory.
"I activate the Equip Spell, 'Blast Held by a Tribute,' equipping it to your 'Dark Demon, Gilfar Demon' on the field.
Then I activate the effect of my 'Abyss Soldier' Number 1, discarding 'Venom Cobra' from my hand to return 'Blast Held by a Tribute' to my hand.
Due to the secondary effect of 'Blast Held by a Tribute,' 'Dark Demon, Gilfar Demon' is removed from the game!"
Female Duelist: ". . ."
"Now, I activate the returned 'Blast Held by a Tribute' again, equipping it to your 'Warrior Raiser' on the field.
Then, I use the effect of 'Abyss Soldier' Number 2 to return 'Blast Held by a Tribute' to my hand once more, removing 'Warrior Raiser' from the game as well."
Female Duelist: ". . ."
You Xuan: "For the third time, I activate the returned 'Blast Held by a Tribute' from my hand, equipping it to my own 'Abyss Soldier' Number 1, increasing its attack by 400 points."
[Abyss Soldier (1), ATK 1800 -> ATK 2200]
[Abyss Soldier (2), ATK 1800]
"Both Abyss Soldiers, attack directly!"
[Female Duelist, LP 4000 -> LP 0]
The female duelist, overwhelmed by the consecutive exclusions and the final blow, slumped to the ground, her expression as disheveled as her hairstyle.
Who am I? Where am I? Why am I dueling?
Mommy, I want to drop out.
Watching this unfold, Manjoume Jun, who had also reached the finals with consecutive victories, clenched his fists tightly.
This was his long-awaited second chance.
This time, things would be different.
(End of Chapter)
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