Chapter 346: He Should Be The One Saying Thank You
Chapter 346: He Should Be The One Saying Thank You
Under the suicidal attack of the Evil Emperor, LP was reduced to zero. Marufuji Ryo knelt on the ground, his head hung low as he remained motionless for a long moment.
He seemed to be pondering the meaning of life or philosophical questions like, "Why do people feel compelled to gamble when they're already full?"
"It's over."
The student broadcasting the duel swallowed hard. Though he couldn't pinpoint the reason, he felt too intimidated to utter a word.
It was as if speaking would disturb some terrifying presence.
That was too frightening.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but after the "Evil Emperor, Gaius" made his appearance, the student felt as if a disturbing dark aura surrounded the man in yellow. This aura lingered even after the projection disappeared, leaving an unsettling feeling in its wake.
The man in yellow seemed even more unnerving than before.
For a moment, the students were silent, quietly taking in sharp breaths.
In just a few days, the man in yellow seemed to have broken through to an even higher realm, giving off the impression that he had become stronger than before.
How many people in this world could stop this guy now?
Though they weren't checking the forums, they imagined that the academy's internal forum must be in an uproar by now.
"Sad news! A new king has emerged," "The end of Caesar's undefeated legend," "The man in yellow is now unstoppable." These were probably the kinds of comments flooding the forum.
The future of the academy was looking grimmer by the day.
You Xuan approached Caesar and extended his hand.
Marufuji Ryo, still kneeling, hesitated for a moment before taking You Xuan's hand. You Xuan pulled him to his feet.
"Are you alright?" You Xuan asked with a smile.
"No, not really," Marufuji Ryo thought to himself. But after a moment, he nodded and said, "I'm fine."
After a brief pause, he added, "You are indeed very strong, as I could sense during the duel. It seems the rumors were true."
"Rumors?" You Xuan asked.
"They say you're already far beyond the rest of us," Marufuji Ryo said with a resigned smile. "It doesn't seem like an exaggeration to say that no one in the Duel Academy can match you anymore. You are the undisputed king of the Duel Academy."
Out of habit, he had wanted to say, "It was a splendid duel," but the words stuck in his throat.
Perhaps from You Xuan's perspective, or from the viewers' point of view, it might have been a splendid duel. However, as the victim, all he could sense was the overwhelming strength of his opponent.
"You flatter me. It was just luck," You Xuan said modestly.
Marufuji Ryo fell into deep thought before asking, "I heard from Asuka that you've been researching the Digital Style. I didn't expect you to have made such rapid progress."
"That's how card research goes," You Xuan smiled. "Once you find the right direction, and you firmly believe in the existence of the monster you envision, it will come to life."
Marufuji Ryo suddenly recalled that the legendary Duel King, Mutou Yugi, was said to have left behind similar words.
It was said that when Mutou Yugi and Kaiba Seto first encountered the legendary Five Emperor Dragons, Yugi fused his Chaos Warrior with Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to create a new ace monster, "Ultimate Dragon Knight."
Kaiba had been surprised, saying that he hadn't even known those two cards could be fused, and asked Yugi how he knew about the existence of "Ultimate Dragon Knight." Yugi had replied that he, too, hadn't known about the card, but that duelists must always maintain their belief. If you believe in its existence, it exists; if it doesn't appear, it's because your belief isn't strong enough.
Was this the true essence of card sealing?
Marufuji Ryo turned to You Xuan, his expression growing more complex.
He suddenly realized that not only in dueling but in many other aspects as well, this man might have already progressed far beyond their reach. The rest of them could only look up to him in awe.
In comparison, he, Marufuji Ryo, had been stagnant, content with his title of Academy Caesar for the past three years, not seeking change and stuck at a bottleneck without any breakthrough.
Perhaps the years of effortless dominance in his environment had made him complacent, leading him to believe that he had already found his path to becoming one of the very best.
"I concede. According to the rules of Duel City, this is my Puzzle Card."
Marufuji Ryo handed the puzzle card to You Xuan and then revealed another card.
You Xuan raised an eyebrow.
"Wow, an Electron End Dragon?" He was a little surprised himself and glanced at Caesar quizzically. "Electron End Dragon? But it's not..."
"Yes, it's my trump card, my soul, and my most important old friend. Up until now, we've overcome countless challenges together."
Marufuji Ryo gazed at the card in his hand, a faraway look in his eyes.
"But perhaps, at some point, I became too reliant on my old friend. I used to think that this was my dueling style, always relying on my old friend to achieve victory. But my duel with you made me realize that it might have just been an excuse.
The truth is, I may have been too dependent on it. So maybe it's time for me to stand on my own two feet and seek a new path as a duelist."
You Xuan pondered for a moment.
Hmm, this card seems to have a decent effect. It looks like Caesar has finally had a breakthrough, but I wonder if it's a bit too much for him to handle.
I hope his mentality doesn't crumble from this.
"The tournament rules state that the loser must hand over a rare card, and this is my most precious one." Marufuji Ryo said seriously, "I want you to have it."
You Xuan looked him in the eye, acknowledging the weight of the moment.
However, he pushed Marufuji's hand away gently.
"No, you keep it."
"Huh?" Marufuji Ryo was taken aback.
"The fact that you've realized this is enough. As a duelist, I'm sure you'll go even further from here." You Xuan offered a reassuring smile.
"If you insist, then let's compromise. Give me that one instead."
He pointed to Marufuji's deck.
"The Electron Twin Dragon."
Marufuji Ryo was stunned.
He didn't want the End Dragon but asked for the Twin Dragon instead? Both duelists had more than two copies of the End Dragon and the Twin Dragon, but in terms of rarity and value, the Twin Dragon paled in comparison to Marufuji's Electron End Dragon, the crown jewel of the Electron style.
"Yes, just the Electron Twin Dragon." You Xuan smiled gently, "If you find your own path and become stronger, then we'll duel again someday.
If you win, I'll return this Twin Dragon to you. How about it?"
Marufuji Ryo felt like he finally understood what You Xuan was getting at.
In fact, during the duel, he had felt it more than once—his opponent seemed to be deliberately trying to convey something to him through their duel.
The thoughts he was having now and the realizations he had come to seemed to be the result of You Xuan's deliberate guidance.
Perhaps he was trying to impart wisdom through their duel?
And now, his proposal might be a way to encourage Marufuji to improve.
Indeed, Marufuji could sense that You Xuan was already far beyond his reach, and throughout the duel, he had felt You Xuan holding back, almost as if he were toying with him.
It didn't feel like a fierce battle between equals but more like a seasoned mentor guiding a promising student.
The frustration that had built up within Marufuji during the duel suddenly dissipated, and he felt a surge of gratitude.
He took out an Electron Twin Dragon and handed it to You Xuan, nodding firmly. "You have my word. I will become stronger, and one day, I'll come back to win it back."
You Xuan accepted the Electron Twin Dragon with a satisfied smile.
Electron Twin Dragon, acquired. World Champion Deck completion rate +1.
What? Electron End Dragon?
Isn't that a useless card aside from being expensive?
Caesar should be the one thanking me.
(End of Chapter)
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