https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-317-Who-Else-Wants-to-Give-it-a-Try-/12557441/
Chapter 318: A Planned Approach
Chapter 318: A Planned Approach
With the issue of the team leader set aside, a prolonged silence filled the room, a stark contrast to the previous atmosphere.
No one dared to utter foolish statements like "I'll go and grab the first shot." The last person to say those words was Night Shadow, and he swiftly ended up as the first casualty, now reporting to their Lord Snake God.
While the remaining members didn't necessarily want to get up close and personal with the Snake God, they still valued their lives. Initially, when they heard that this person was a student of the Duel Academy, they held a certain degree of contempt. But now, that notion had long since vanished.
It only took this person a few turns to defeat Night Shadow, and throughout the duel, he used a bunch of comedic scorpions. There was ample reason to believe that he hadn't even exerted much effort.
The duel footage hardly offered any practical reference value, and their opponent's trump card remained a mystery. Who knew if they would be the next Night Shadow if they stepped up now?
"So, none of you are willing? Well, it seems we have no choice then." The black-robed team leader slowly stood up from his seat, capturing the attention of the others in the room.
Could it be that the team leader was about to take matters into his own hands? They had heard stories about this team leader's past.
Before joining Neo Domino, he was a rising star in the professional circle, winning consecutive victories and garnering high regard within the industry. However, the excessive praise and expectations caused him to become inflated with pride, believing that he was invincible and that even the legendary Kaiba Seto from the past was nothing special. If he had been born earlier, he thought, the title of Duel King would surely have been his instead of Kaiba's, and the three God Cards would have changed hands.
This mindset persisted until the day he got the opportunity to challenge the legendary Kaiba in a private duel.
An ace against an ace, a clash of the titans—it was supposed to be an epic showdown between the rising star of the professional circle and the old-time legend. Or so he thought.
But as soon as they started dueling, he quickly realized his naivete. There was never any question of aces facing off. If anything, the duel was more like a David and Goliath scenario.
He didn't even get a glimpse of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon and was utterly crushed by the XYZ-Dragon Cannon. From that day on, the team leader's performance plummeted, and he began to suffer consecutive losses in professional duels. Eventually, he withdrew from the professional circle and sank into a state of self-indulgence.
It was only when he encountered Neo Domino that he regained his former state and even surpassed his past self, becoming stronger than ever.
Now, in the underground world, he was revered as "Death Spirit" by the dark duelists, and his true name had long been forgotten. Each time he made a move, a powerful soul would be harvested.
The room held its breath. Was the Death Spirit about to take matters into his own hands and bring down this opponent?
"I have an idea," a voice suddenly spoke up. The group turned their gazes towards the speaker, a member with the codename Black Flame.
"You've all heard of the underground world's legend, the story of the legendary dark duelist Malik, right?" Black Flame said in a low voice. "Do you know about how he once manipulated Ryou Bakura to go against Yugi Muto, nearly taking the title of Duel King from him?"
The others nodded.
"Of course. But what of it?"
"Hehe, since we've found that Fujiki Youien is a tricky opponent, why don't we follow in our predecessor's footsteps?" The black-robed man chuckled with confidence.
"Oh?" The Death Spirit furrowed his brows, intrigued.
"What do you mean?"
"I've already conducted an investigation into the tournament," the black-robed man explained confidently. "Fujiki Youien didn't come to the tournament alone. He has a classmate from Duel Academy with him, reportedly a very close friend. According to my informant, Fujiki specifically requested the Obelisk Blue Administration Committee to grant this student a chance to participate."
"In that case, it seems they must be very close friends," the Death Spirit nodded, "If we can control that person, perhaps we can indeed replicate Mr. Malik's strategy."
Malik had once used the Millennium Rod to brainwash Bakura, causing a dark-sided Bakura to bet his life card against Yugi. Naturally, Bakura was no match for Yugi, but Yugi couldn't bring himself to strike down Bakura to win his own survival.
"But if this Fujiki Youien is difficult to deal with, will his friend be any easier?" Death Spirit asked.
"Rest assured, I've looked into it. This person's name is Yuugi Juudai, and he's a student of the Obelisk Blue dormitory at Duel Academy."
"The Blue dormitory," Death Spirit nodded.
He had heard that it was the academy's infamous 'boot camp' for underperforming students.
"Indeed. And from what I've gathered, he seems to be at the bottom of the class even in the Blue dormitory, so he shouldn't be a problem." Black Flame exuded confidence, patting his chest to assure the group.
"Taking control of this person will be as easy as pie. We'll capture him first, brainwash him, and grant him the power of Orichalcos. Then, we'll have him activate a barrier and duel Fujiki Youien."
"Good idea."
Several of his companions applauded enthusiastically.
"Once brainwashed, he'll attack without holding back, and Fujiki will be constrained by their friendship, unable to fight back. It's only a matter of time before he's defeated by his relentless friend."
"Exactly," Black Flame sneered. "And even if our plan fails and we don't capture Fujiki, he will have personally destroyed his friend, leaving a deep darkness in his heart.
And at that point..."
"We, the followers of the Snake God, are experts at exploiting the darkness within. We will use that as a breakthrough to shatter his defenses."
Death Spirit nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. Even if he survives this ordeal, his state of mind will be greatly affected, and the strength he can display will be but a fraction of his true power." Black Flame chuckled darkly. "By then, when we make our move, victory will be effortless."
"It's a decent plan, but I'd like to make a slight modification."
Death Spirit interjected.
"Since you know that Malik once used Ryou Bakura to go against Yugi, you should also be aware that it ultimately failed."
Black Flame pondered for a moment. "I'm not sure about the specifics, but I've heard that perhaps the power of the Millennium Puzzle broke the mental control?"
"I'm not sure either. But in any case, I believe that brainwashing and control are not the most foolproof methods. There's always a risk of the duelist regaining their consciousness during the duel, as was reportedly the case with Ryou Bakura."
"Then, Your Excellency, what do you suggest?"
"Let's be more straightforward and take his soul directly through a duel, and then we'll control his body to duel." Death Spirit smirked. "That way, there's absolutely no room for similar mishaps."
"Your Excellency is brilliant!"
"And this time, just to be safe..."
Death Spirit paused, and a dangerous green glint flashed in his eyes.
"...I'll take care of it personally."
"Elemental Hero, Winged Kuriboh, direct attack!" Juudai shouted.
"Waaahhh!!!"
[Professional Passerby, LP: 0]
A certain duelist from the lower echelons of the professional circle knelt on the ground, his face reflecting the harsh reality of his loss.
He had lost.
Even though he was from the lower echelons, he was still a professional. Yet, he had been defeated by a student of Duel Academy, and a Slifer Red at that.
He looked up at Juudai, bewildered.
Had the standards of the professional world sunk so low that even graduates of Duel Academy couldn't meet the minimum requirements?
However, even after reducing his opponent's life points to zero, Juudai didn't stop and continued his relentless pursuit.
"I win! What a fun duel!"
Juudai struck a classic pose.
The professional duelist clutched his heart, feeling a painful twinge in his chest.
"Ha, dueling is the best! Competitions are the best!"
The victorious Juudai stretched leisurely and walked out, feeling elated.
"I wonder how Youien and Kaiza are doing."
He shook his head and slapped his cheek vigorously.
"Okay, I can't lose either. Let's find the next opponent! Duelists, duelists, where are all the duelists?"
A sinister voice sounded from behind him.
"You are Yuugi Juudai, correct?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
