Chapter 396: As a Champion
Chapter 396: As a Champion
"Cough, cough, cough."
In the Duelist's ship, in the players' lounge, Xiang Hongye leaned against the wall, coughing violently.
He took out a tissue to wipe his mouth, then stood up, ready to leave the room. As he passed a full-length mirror in the room, he paused unconsciously and turned to look at his reflection.
He saw the man in the mirror.
A frail and fragile man, who looked like he could be blown away by the gentlest breeze. His pale complexion was like the first snowfall of winter that had never seen the sun, devoid of any hint of color, and with a faint shadow under his eyes.
He looked less like a duelist and more like a patient.
He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"I'm really in bad shape," he chuckled sarcastically. "I should be showing my best as a duelist in front of my important juniors."
He composed himself, took a deep breath, and put his glasses back on.
But when he turned around, he found that his sister, Xiang Lu, had somehow appeared at the door, blocking the lounge's only exit.
"Sister," Xiang Hongye said softly.
A few seconds of silence ensued.
"You haven't really recovered, have you?" Xiang Lu asked. "Not since that duel."
Xiang Hongye pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes," he replied.
It had happened last year.
On the very night Xiang Hongye won the World Championship in the United States, a mysterious duelist appeared before him.
"Congratulations, Champion Hongye," the stranger said, a strange smile spreading across his face.
Then he raised his Duel Disk and inserted a deck into it.
"Would you accept my duel request?"
The duel was unexpected, but Xiang Hongye, a card enthusiast similar to Yugi, was still reveling in the joy of his victory and didn't think much of it at the time.
He felt that as a champion, accepting challenges was also part of his responsibility.
So he accepted.
And that was when the nightmare began.
The man's dueling skills far exceeded his imagination. He was not only absurdly strong but also peculiarly sinister.
This was also the first time Xiang Hongye had encountered the legendary "Dark Duel." Every time he took damage and lost life points, he could feel his very life force draining away as if an invisible black hole were slowly sucking out his soul.
And then he lost.
Or, at least, he should have lost.
In the final round, he had exhausted all his resources, his life points were hanging by a thread, and his consciousness was blurred.
He could no longer see his opponent clearly; he only heard the man's sinister laugh: "As expected of the World Champion, you are indeed stronger than most duelists of this generation.
Then, I shall take your soul and this planet without hesitation."
But just then, two beams of golden light pierced through like swords, and the sound of a motorcycle's roar drew closer at breakneck speed.
The man's face suddenly changed.
"Tch, to have chased me all the way to this place, you are truly persistent. Never mind, my power has not recovered enough yet, it is not the right time."
With that, he put away his Duel Disk and gave Xiang Hongye a cold glance.
A malicious smile curved his lips.
"You've regained your life, Champion," the man sneered. "But don't be too quick to rejoice. You've essentially lost the duel to me. Though I'll leave your life in your possession for now, it already belongs to me.
From this day forward, every time you duel, your life will diminish along with your deck, which is as precious as your 'life.' Hmm, this description may still be a bit abstract, but it doesn't matter.
Xiang Hongye lost consciousness and fainted.
Just before his awareness faded, he heard a motorcycle pull up nearby, and someone running towards him at full speed.
"Hey! Are you okay over there?"
". "
"So, I was right. You were lying to me?"
Xiang Lu looked at him.
"Talking about how you've recovered and can return to the dueling world."
"I'm sorry, sister," Xiang Hongye said.
"But why? Your body is still so weak."
Xiang Lu walked up to him.
"And now, there's only one match left in the quarterfinals. The only ones who haven't dueled yet are you and that bizarre man.
You must have realized it too, right? This opponent..."
"May be similar to the opponent in the United States who defeated me, both possessing the legendary 'dark power'?" Xiang Hongye nodded, "I know."
"You know, and yet two people have already fallen in this round.
In your current state, even a regular duel would be a stretch. If you fight someone like that, you might not even make it to the end of the duel."
"I know," Xiang Hongye acknowledged.
"If that's the case, why are you still going through with this?!?"
Xiang Lu hurriedly stepped forward, her hands on his shoulders.
"Just listen to me this once, Hongye. Forfeit the match. It's not too late to back out of dueling that kind of guy."
But Xiang Hongye lifted his head and smiled gently.
"I've already prepared myself for whatever may come this time, sister. If that's the case, is there really any difference between a regular duel and a dark duel?"
"Hongye!"
"I am a duelist," Hongye shook his head. "Especially in front of important juniors, I want to show the posture of a duelist, not a deserter."
Xiang Lu: ". "
She lowered her head, at a loss for words.
"You're really going to go, no matter what?"
"Yeah."
Xiang Hongye smiled casually and patted her shoulder.
"And don't worry, sister, I'm very strong." He said confidently.
Xiang Lu took a deep breath.
"Alright, I understand. Just this once, and don't make it a habit. And..."
She took a step back, making way for the room's exit.
". You have to win."
Xiang Hongye left the room and made his way down the corridor towards the arena, leaving his sister with a thumbs-up gesture without looking back.
"Of course."
". "
"Okay, so we've finally reached the last match of the quarterfinals!"
The referee, Kajino, stood in the center of the field. The duelists, Xiang Hongye and the self-proclaimed incarnation of the Snake God, stood facing each other on either side of the field.
Xiang Hongye warily sized up his opponent, while the man simply stood there with his hands behind his back and his eyes closed, looking completely uninterested in his rival.
Xiang Hongye recalled the events of the previous match, just before Loren fell.
He didn't know the man's origins, but there was no doubt that he was a formidable opponent, both in and out of the duel.
But no matter who he faced, he never backed down.
"World Champion, the strongest hero, Xiang Hongye."
The adjudicator looked at him meaningfully.
"Let me see what you're made of."
(End of Chapter)
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