Chapter 353: Competition Halted
Chapter 353: Competition Halted
As Yuxuan suddenly appeared, Kaiba furrowed his brows, remaining silent but filled with intrigue.
Could that scoundrel be afraid of him?
He's not afraid of me, Kaiba Seto, but he's afraid of this kid?
With these thoughts, Kaiba crossed his arms and a meaningful smirk tugged at his lips.
Interesting.
Yuxuan, unaware of what had just transpired, also had no idea what the CEO was thinking. All he saw was Kaiba staring intently at him, and after a while, a cryptic smile appeared on his face, which somehow didn't feel reassuring.
"Ahem, what just happened?" Yuxuan asked.
"What's with the sudden doomsday atmosphere? What's going on?"
"It's those New Doma guys," Kyp responded. "As expected, this Duel City competition isn't as simple as it seems. Those guys you asked me to investigate in the local branch were probably just cannon fodder. The real enemies have already infiltrated this Duel City."
"The real enemies, the experts from the New Doma headquarters?" Yuxuan's understanding aligned with what he had heard before.
"We just encountered one of the Three Swordsmen of New Doma, and let me tell you, he's formidable," Kyp continued. "He uses an 'Alien Insect' deck, filled with endless reversals and an ever-growing swarm of insects. And there's also that 'Alien Insect Zero' that didn't fully make its appearance—it seems like an incredible monster as well."
The Alien Insect deck. Yuxuan was familiar with it, possessing a couple of cards himself. However, he had never seen a complete deck built around this theme.
If one were to specialize in that direction, this deck would definitely mess with your opponent's psyche. Hearing this, Yuxuan immediately became intrigued.
If he got the chance to face this Swordsman, he'd have to test his skills and then discuss deck strategies afterward.
"That person's name is Luka, and he doesn't seem to have participated in many competitions before, so we have limited information on him," Kyp added.
"But I'll send you all the known intelligence and information about his deck. Be careful if you encounter him."
"Thanks," Yuxuan nodded.
Many top experts rarely participated in competitions or revealed themselves publicly. The Three Swordsmen of Old Doma were like that too—their skills were top-notch, but they seemed to have appeared out of thin air, never making public appearances or gaining any fame beforehand.
Kaiba remained silent, his brows furrowed in thought, perhaps replaying the unfinished duel in his mind.
The three of them walked along the pier and back onto the city streets. The storm of catastrophe had passed, but the atmosphere remained heavy. The air was filled with the damp scent of soil and the rotting smell of fallen branches and leaves, weighing on everyone's spirits.
The windows of the tall buildings were caked with sand and rainwater, left with mottled traces. The streetlights flickered in the dimness, casting a patchwork of light and shadow.
"I've already contacted the committee to halt the tournament for now," Kyp sighed.
"With the extent of the disaster, we can't continue right away. We'll have to take a two-day break."
He looked up at the sky again. Although the rift had healed, he still felt a lingering fear when he gazed at the spot where it had appeared.
"But it's truly terrifying. That thing just showed its face and brought about such a disaster."
"The evil god of Orichalcum?" Yuxuan asked.
"Probably. It seems like the leader of New Doma is that very being, or its incarnation, calling itself the 'Judger'."
As expected, the ominous power, the hurricane, and the thunder were all brought about by that damned snake.
"Things could have been worse," Keiping muttered to himself. "It was about to clash with my brother's Blue-Eyes, and if they had fought here, the city would have suffered even more.
But strangely, it changed its mind at the last moment, saying something about leaving the outcome to the finals in Duel City. I wonder what that's about...
Though it's probably for the best. At least we don't have to worry about the city being reduced to rubble if it's settled through a duel."
The damned snake changed its mind suddenly?
You Xuan thought back to Kaiba's scrutinizing gaze and dared to make a bold guess.
Could it be that it's afraid of me?
If it had been before, You Xuan would have dismissed the idea, thinking of himself as just an ordinary student of Duel Academy. How could a devil king of destruction, who doesn't even spare Kaiba any regard, feel threatened by him? But after the previous conflict in the Spirit World, he may have guessed the reason.
What that snake fears isn't him, but the "Seal Vessel" in his possession—the Millennium Puzzle's derivative form.
After all, the damned snake had been at its most arrogant during its heyday, only to be suppressed by Pharaoh Atem's three God Cards. It must have some psychological shadows from that experience. So, when it sensed the presence of the God Cards, it probably turned tail and ran after uttering a threatening remark.
However, while that might be true, he didn't actually have any God Cards. What emerged from the Puzzle's derivative form was merely a residual force without a card medium for him to control. No, even if he had possessed the cards beforehand, it was uncertain if the God Cards would acknowledge him.
The God Cards are no joke. Duelists who attempt to summon them without the qualifications will literally be struck by lightning.
Accompanying Keiping back to the Kaiba Corporation building, Kaiba personally ordered a temporary halt to the competition. The reason given was "extreme and dangerous weather conditions," and for the sake of safety, they had no choice but to pause the tournament.
Although this was the official explanation, many of the duelists in the competition were high-level experts. Through the bizarre hurricane and the strange phenomenon in the sky, they could more or less guess that the situation might be related to some higher supernatural power.
"The committee has issued a notice, and we are monitoring the duelists throughout the city. The outcomes of any duels during this suspension will not be acknowledged by the tournament."
Keiping walked over and handed You Xuan a bottle of water.
You Xuan, who had been dueling for quite some time, felt thirsty and accepted the water with a word of thanks. He gulped down a large mouthful.
"But you're really efficient, You Xuan. It's only been a short while, and you've already collected all six Puzzle Cards to advance. Impressive," Keiping said as he sat down beside him. "According to our data, only three participants have collected all the Puzzle Cards and advanced so far."
"Oh? Who are the other two?" You Xuan asked casually.
"One is you, and the other is, of course, my brother."
Keiping smiled.
It was natural that the CEO wouldn't allow himself to be eliminated.
"Who's the third one, then?"
"That one's also a strong seed player with a well-known reputation."
Keiping explained.
"The world-renowned user of 'Elemental Heroes' and last year's World Champion from America—Kurebayashi Syun."
(End of Chapter)
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