Chapter 424: Choosing a Card
Chapter 424: Choosing a Card
The scorching lava fell, signaling the end of the duel. The spectators looked on with bizarre expressions or their mouths agape. For a moment, the entire arena fell into an eerie silence.
This duel, a clash between the world's top duelists, could undoubtedly be considered a battle for the pinnacle of the dueling world.
Who would have thought it would end like this?
The Lava Demon God, and as the duel concluded, just before You Xuan put away his Duel Disk and the holographic projection disappeared, the burning Iron Hero seemed to turn and glance back at Kaiba. Its expression seemed almost apologetic.
Perhaps it was saying, "Sorry for eating your dragon, but a duel isn't about personal grudges."
Then the Lava Demon God vanished.
Kaiba exhaled a long, raspy breath.
He had defended against the Dragon Tribe's Yin Yang Pot, the Light-Attribute-slaying Mirror, and the deep pits his opponent had dug with every two steps.
Damn it, he had even fended off the "Dragon Racially-Specific Reporter Dragon Destroyer Swordsman," a card specifically designed to counter Dragon-type monsters!
He had defended against everything, or so he thought.
But then came the Lava Demon God.
Of course, he remembered this card. After all, he had been present when Mr. Mao first played it during the Duel City tournament, gifting it to Joey Wheeler and creating memorable moments like "Joey's Death" and "Joey's Flame." Back then, everyone had been astonished by the existence of such an infernal monster.
In fact, compared to its early days, You Xuan's Lava Demon God had improved slightly. Initially, when Malik had possessed the Lava Demon God, its effect activated during the possessor's preparation phase, inflicting 700 points of damage. But a decade had passed since then, and the card had undergone some development—the damage had been upgraded to 1000 points, matching the effect of the physical card version of Lava Demon God.
Of course, a mere 300-point difference in damage was usually not something to be concerned about.
However, Kaiba, having experienced it firsthand, could sense that it wasn't just the monster that had been enhanced.
You Xuan's mastery over the Lava Demon God card had surpassed that of its original owner, Mr. Mao, the founder of this dueling style.
Mr. Ameruda, who had also suffered through the Lava Demon God's relentless assault in their previous duel, would surely agree. Compared to him, Malik was like a ray of sunshine—and this was no exaggeration or sarcasm.
"Ahem, the winner—Yugi Moto!"
It was the seasoned judge, Isono, who first broke the silence to announce the result. Having witnessed countless duels alongside Kaiba, he knew his boss's temperament well. Regardless of the process, Kaiba only acknowledged victory or defeat.
If it were another judge from the Kaiba Corporation, they might have glanced at Kaiba for approval before declaring the outcome, especially if he had lost. But Isono knew better than to expect any leniency or special treatment.
"Big brother!"
Kaiba's little brother, Mokuba, jumped onto the stage. Kaiba signaled to him that he was fine.
Then he turned to face Yugi.
"In just half a year...well, to be honest, when I invited you to participate in this tournament half a year ago, I didn't expect you to reach such heights in such a short time."
"It's a fluke," Yugi acknowledged with a nod.
Indeed, that was what he thought as well. During the duel, he had subtly sensed that his condition was stronger than usual, and he attributed it to the "Seal Vessel's" influence to some extent.
Although the divine artifact didn't seem to exhibit any obvious signs of activation, he could feel its amplification of his "momentum" or its assistance in resisting his opponent's formidable "momentum."
Take the Seal Vessel, for instance. You Xuan had possessed it for quite some time and had played many life-or-death duels, yet its effects remained subtle until this very duel.
Perhaps it was because his opponent was Atem's millennia-old rival, Kaiba, or maybe it was the fact that this duel determined who would face the final boss, the Adjudicator, that the divine artifact finally revealed its true potential. After all, its sole purpose was to aid in confronting that ultimate adversary.
"You have proven your worth as a duelist. Congratulations." Kaiba said calmly.
"According to the rules of Duel City, you can choose any card from my collection as your prize."
"Thank you, President Kaiba," You Xuan replied. "However, I only participated in this tournament because of your invitation and the gifts you bestowed upon me. Over the past six months, I've received so much support from you, Keiping, and the Kaiba Corporation.
So, let's forget about the card selection. I've already chosen the cards I wanted a long time ago."
He sincerely meant it. If he were to calculate all the rare cards he had received from Kaiba, it would be more than just one. Throughout the past six months, he had regularly visited Kaiba's warehouse and returned with boxes upon boxes of cards. He had lost count of the favors he had received.
One could say that the rare card from this duel had already been advanced to him.
However, Kaiba snorted in response.
"You won, so don't be modest. Choose a card. Even if you pick the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I won't bat an eyelid."
You Xuan felt Kaiba's magnanimity. Kaiba always stood by his word, and if he insisted on declining or choosing an inexpensive card, it might even offend him.
But even with Kaiba's righteous declaration... You Xuan felt helpless.
"I don't even have a regular White Dragon, what use would I have for your Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" He thought. "As a mascot, maybe? The same goes for the other cards in the White Dragon system. The entire set revolves around the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, so without it, even the rarest and most powerful cards would be nothing but mascots."
You Xuan was at a loss for what to ask for, but then a sudden idea flashed through his mind.
"By the way, President Kaiba, I was just wondering..."
You Xuan asked after some thought, "I heard that there were originally four 'Blue-Eyes White Dragons' in the world. Is it true that you possess the fourth one?"
Kaiba raised an eyebrow.
Then he chuckled.
"Oh? So, you desire the power of the Blue-Eyes?"
"It's just a question," You Xuan shrugged. "I've only heard rumors, and I don't know if they're true. If it doesn't exist..."
"Hmph, even if it doesn't, what's wrong with giving you a Blue-Eyes? Do I, Kaiba Seto, look like a sore loser?"
You Xuan remained silent.
No, he had no doubt that Kaiba could be a sore loser. He knew that even if there were only three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, Kaiba would still give him one if he asked.
However, doing so would mean never-ending trouble in the future. Kaiba would never rest until he won that card back.
But if the legendary fourth card truly existed... "Indeed," Kaiba acknowledged. "That card does exist."
(End of Chapter)
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