https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-380-Playing-Cards-to-Conquer-the-World/12557530/
Chapter 379: A Trap Lies in Wait
Chapter 379: A Trap Lies in Wait
"Ah, I lost."
Yusei fell flat on his back, sprawled out on the ground.
"Can't be helped. Mr. Akiza is just too strong," he admitted.
Akiza Izinski walked over and sat down beside him with a smile.
"I'm the one who was surprised," she said. "You're truly remarkable, Yusei. I never thought there would be someone like you in this world, a Duelist with such a deep bond to the Signers and such passion for Dueling."
"To be honest, even I feel a little inferior," she added with a touch of self-deprecating humor.
"Ahahaha, people often say that," Yusei chuckled, scratching his head. But then, he seemed to remember something. "Oh, and Mr. Akiza, did you feel a bit unwell during the Duel just now?"
Akiza fell silent, her gaze averting to somewhere else. In her ears, a whisper like a hallucination echoed, a voice that seemed to belong to a demon.
"Duel and burn away what little life you have left, World Champion Akiza Izinski," the voice hissed. "With every draw, your Deck of Fate brings you one step closer to the end."
It felt as if a pair of evil eyes were watching her from the depths of a dark abyss, their owner wearing a sinister grin.
"But even so, you can't stop, can you?" the voice continued. "Not when you're a Duelist..."
". . ."
Akiza closed her eyes gently.
"Mr. Akiza?" Yusei sat up, a hint of concern in his voice as he called out to her. Akiza snapped back to reality.
"Sorry, I'm fine," she assured him.
She quietly took off her glasses and put on a new pair from her inner coat pocket, then reached out and patted Yusei's shoulder gently.
"It was a delightful Duel, thank you, Yusei. It's truly wonderful to meet a young Duelist like you in my final tournament."
"I'm glad to have met you too, Mr. Akiza," Yusei said, a bit perplexed. "But what do you mean by 'final tournament'?"
Akiza offered a faint smile but didn't elaborate.
"You'll undoubtedly grow into a top-notch Duelist in the future. Always remember this moment," she said earnestly. "No matter when or who you face, don't forget how you feel today. Cherish Dueling, spread joy through it, and become that kind of Duelist."
"Yeah, okay," Yusei nodded, a bit dazed.
To him, though, it seemed like a given.
Wasn't Dueling supposed to be the most joyful thing in the world?
"Well then," Akiza straightened up, her spirits lifted. "I'm feeling a bit hungry after the Duel. Are you hungry, Yusei?"
"Now that you mention it, I am a bit," Yusei admitted.
"The other qualifying Duelists haven't gathered yet, so let's go get something to eat and wait for them."
The first few Duelists who had completed the puzzle card challenge and reached the designated location had already registered for the quarterfinals and received the list of the top eight Duelists. However, the remaining spots were yet to be decided, and there was no point in those who had already registered lingering here indefinitely.
"Alright! Let's eat!" Yusei exclaimed excitedly.
Dueling and eating were probably the happiest things in his life at this stage.
"What would you like to eat? I'll treat you," Akiza offered.
"Eh, is that really okay?"
"Ahahaha, it's fine. Don't worry about it."
". . ."
The two figures walked away, their backs gradually moving further into the distance.
But they seemed oblivious to the fact that not far behind them, in the shadows just beyond the corner, a pair of eyes with ill intentions silently watched them, their owner sizing them up.
"The Planetary Series, Earth. Just as the intelligence suggested, it's in Akiza Izinski's possession," the man narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Akiza's retreating back as he whispered coldly. "The world's strongest Signer, World Champion Akiza Izinski, is indeed in the hands of a troublesome individual.
"Unless, of course, I get rid of that meddlesome Yusei first."
But this shadow didn't notice that, at some point, another figure had appeared behind him, almost as if they were glued to his back.
A calm and gentle voice suddenly spoke from right behind him, "Oh? And why would you want to get rid of him?"
Startled, the shadow jumped back, his instincts kicking in as he spun around, resembling a startled rabbit now on high alert, warily eyeing the newcomer.
And there stood You Xuan, having appeared like a ghost behind him.
You Xuan sized up the figure before him.
It was a girl, with golden hair and emerald eyes, her tall and curvaceous figure now in a defensive stance, her arms crossed over her chest as she warily watched You Xuan.
"Don't make it seem like I've done something to you," You Xuan said helplessly. "Others might misunderstand and think I've wronged you somehow."
The woman realized that her reaction had been a bit excessive, so she coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness and resumed her calm and collected demeanor, the puppeteer pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
"Is this what they teach you at the Duel Academy's headquarters—to secretly tail girls?"
However, even as she spoke, she didn't relax her vigilant observation of You Xuan, not for a single moment.
Despite her strength, she hadn't noticed when this person had snuck up behind her, nor did she know when he had become aware of her hidden surveillance.
"Are you Reki Mackenzie?" You Xuan asked.
"!" Reki was taken aback. How did this person know her identity?
"So, it is you," You Xuan confirmed his guess.
Reki Mackenzie, the right-hand man of the manga's boss, Tragadia, but also someone who was being coerced.
She was the daughter of Professor Mackenzie from the American Duel Academy. Reki had discovered that Tragadia had possessed her father, and to keep her quiet, Tragadia had separated a part of himself and forcibly entered her body, turning her into a puppet under his control.
However, Reki was a formidable duelist in her own right. Based on the manga's records, she had easily defeated Asuka. Later, in her duel against Misawa, she had intentionally thrown the match due to her personal calculations, but throughout the duel, she had maintained a relaxed and confident demeanor, indicating that her true strength was likely far superior to Misawa's.
Following the original story, You Xuan immediately surmised that she was probably one of Xiao Longxia's vanguard.
"Hmm? You Xuan, what's wrong?"
At that moment, Guiping approached and saw You Xuan facing off against Reki.
Guiping, of course, didn't recognize Reki, but after giving her a quick once-over, he noted her pale skin and above-average looks.
Reki averted her gaze from You Xuan and walked towards Guiping.
"I've collected all six puzzle cards," she said. "I'm here to advance."
"Oh, a contestant," Guiping acknowledged with a nod.
He pointed towards the coastline. "Go over there to register. The staff there will give you a participant card as proof of your qualification for the quarterfinals."
"Okay," Reki replied.
She put away her contestant card and turned towards the indicated direction, ready to leave.
For some reason, staring into You Xuan's eyes made her feel extremely uneasy, as if she were being watched by something dangerous.
As Reki walked away, Guiping asked, "So, is she with Doma?"
"Probably not," You Xuan replied, a slight smile playing on his lips as he watched her retreating back.
"This elimination round might turn out to be even more interesting than we expected."
(End of Chapter)
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