https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-312-The-City-Will-Transform-into-a-Dueling-Metropolis/12557436/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-314-The-Advancing-Black-Scorpion/12557438/
Chapter 313: The First Battle
Chapter 313: The First Battle
"The title of Duel King."
This came as a bit of a surprise to You Xuan.
Ever since Yugi Mutou retired, the title had remained vacant. After the conclusion of the first Duel City tournament, no other competition had used this title as a draw.
In fact, everyone knew that with the Pharaoh gone, Yugi had effectively retired. If Kaiba Seto wanted to, claiming the title of Duel King would be as easy as taking candy from a baby. There was hardly anyone left in the world who could rival him.
And yet, all these years he hadn't done so.
Perhaps Kaiba felt that if he didn't defeat "that person," even if he beat every other duelist in the world, he wouldn't truly deserve the title of King.
So You Xuan was caught off guard. Not only had Kaiba decided to come out of retirement and compete again, but he also intended to reopen the title of Duel King.
What did this mean? Had the CEO finally accepted that Atem had left this world and decided to step out of the Pharaoh's shadow?
As the opening speech came to an end, Kei stood up and stretched.
"Whew, I barely slept a wink last night with all the preparations for the tournament. I'm exhausted."
Kei yawned and turned to You Xuan.
"Well, now that the tournament has officially started, it's about time for your first match. Your opponents are all the duelists within the entire Domino area, so you'll have to hurry.
There are only a limited number of spots, and if you don't manage to grab one of the top eight places, you'll be eliminated."
You Xuan nodded in understanding.
Indeed, this replicated the rules of the original tournament in the Duel Monsters anime. Even highly skilled duelists who were confident in their abilities would now have to feel a sense of urgency, knowing that if they didn't act quickly, they might be beaten to the punch.
"But this tournament isn't going to be that simple," Kei warned. "You'll need to be careful. Our people have done some investigating, and it seems that members of Doma may also be trying to infiltrate the competition.
I think they must have something to gain from this tournament as well."
You Xuan understood the implication: "'The Seal Item,' is that it?"
"Yes, so be on your guard. The appearance of this artifact may signal the start of their final battle. But speaking of which, we've already spotted one of them."
Kei made a slight gesture, and a surveillance feed appeared before them.
The footage showed a sneaky man in a black robe, half-hidden in the shadows, as if he were looking for something.
"This guy has been lurking around for a while, just outside this building. We've cross-referenced our existing intelligence and confirmed that he's a Dark Duelist affiliated with Doma.
I think he's probably looking for you."
Kei smirked.
"He must underestimate the capabilities of the Kaiba Corporation. Does he really think our surveillance network wouldn't notice him?"
You Xuan studied the man in the footage and smiled faintly.
This was getting interesting.
"Thanks, Kei." He stood up. "It looks like my first prey—I mean, opponent—has been decided."
Night Shadow lurked in the shadows, his eyes fixed on the Kaiba Corporation building.
Then he frowned slightly.
Strange, where is that person?
The tournament had already begun, and by now, they should be rushing to start their first match.
Where are they?
Could they have exited from another door? With that thought, Night Shadow turned and prepared to leave the alleyway to search elsewhere.
This shouldn't be possible. He was certain he had been heading towards the exit.
A sense of foreboding crept over Night Shadow. He turned around, only to find himself facing what appeared to be an ominous mist. As he made his way through the dimly lit fog, taking only a few steps forward, the dark wall loomed before him once again.
Another dead end.
As someone who had some experience in the underworld, Night Shadow quickly realized something was amiss. He furrowed his brows, turned back, and stood quietly for a moment.
Soon enough, a figure emerged from the shadowy mist.
"Looks like you're looking for me," You Xuan said with a soft laugh. "Here I am."
"Quite confident, aren't you, brat."
Night Shadow narrowed his eyes, glancing around at their eerie surroundings.
"A barrier created by a Dark Game," he frowned. "I guess only one of us can get out of here, right?"
"Heh, you're indeed from New Doma. You catch on quickly," You Xuan smiled. "Yes, it's a Dark Game barrier. Since you came looking for me with this in mind, I'll save you some trouble."
He held up his Duel Disk.
"Shall we begin?"
"Interesting. That was indeed my intention. But since you're so eager to die, I'll make this quick and send you back to your superiors," Night Shadow replied.
Night Shadow also brought out his Duel Disk, but it was a custom-made model unique to Doma, distinct from You Xuan's.
You Xuan smiled but remained silent.
"Duel!" x2
You Xuan: LP 4000
Night Shadow: LP 4000
"I'll start by drawing a card," You Xuan said. "I'll set a monster in defense mode and cover it, then play three cards face-down. End turn."
A simple opening, but typical of the slow-paced competitive environment. It was rare for players to burn through their hands early on to summon a high-attack monster. In the past, there were hardly any monsters that could hold their ground, and sacrificing three to five cards for one monster, only to have it removed by a single removal card, often led to a swift defeat. So, aside from the anime, few players took such a risk.
"My turn, draw," Night Shadow said, drawing a card while eyeing You Xuan warily.
In truth, Night Shadow was no longer as confident as he appeared.
He had expected his opponent to be just a student from a Duel Academy, but now that they were face-to-face, he felt a sense of unease.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about this young man felt off.
Aside from anything else, he was supposed to be the hunter, and his opponent the hunted. Yet, in an instant, he felt as though their roles had reversed, and he was the one being hunted.
He hadn't expected his opponent to take the initiative and initiate a Dark Game.
Moreover, when had this person gotten behind him, and when had they cast this barrier?
Night Shadow soon realized that since his opponent had already detected his presence, if they wanted to slip away silently, he probably wouldn't be able to stop them.
And yet, here stood You Xuan, right before him.
What did that mean? Did it mean he didn't consider Night Shadow, an elite from Doma, as a threat at all?
"Heh, arrogant young geniuses always need to hit a wall before they understand how vast the world is," Night Shadow thought, a glint in his eyes.
"Very well, I'll teach you just how wide this world is through our duel!"
(End of Chapter)
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