Chapter 958: Ceremony Ground
Chapter 958: Ceremony Ground
The duel image vanished, and both duel disks retracted, leaving Malik and his sister in silence.
Malik remained motionless, deep in thought, replaying the duel in his mind. It was a mixture of contemplation and the crushing weight of defeat, leaving him disheartened.
Isis, noticing her brother's demeanor, wanted to offer words of comfort, but as she opened her mouth, she struggled to find the right thing to say.
She had anticipated Malik's loss, and Malik himself likely knew the odds were against him. He had engaged in this duel to gauge Yu Xuan's strength for future plans and to satisfy his curiosity about the current Duel King's capabilities.
However, Malik had been in seclusion for years, and his occasional duels were limited to sparring within his clan. He had rarely ventured out, and his dueling skills had become rusty due to lack of practice. His understanding of the current dueling environment was limited to occasional hearsay, and he was not well-versed in the latest strategies. Losing was, therefore, expected.
What troubled Isis was the manner of Malik's defeat—being burned to death by his own Lava Demon, a card he had reclaimed from his opponent using Brainwash Release. She couldn't help but wonder about the psychological impact on her brother.
"Mr. Malik?" Yu Xuan suddenly asked.
Malik looked up, startled by the question. "Ah? Oh, yes, I'm here. What's up?"
"Nothing much," Yu Xuan replied with concern. "I just noticed you were in a daze after the duel. Are you alright?"
Malik gave him a meaningful glance.
He exhaled a long, heavy breath and shook his head. "It's nothing. It was just a friendly duel. What could possibly be wrong? Ahaha, ahahaha."
In his mind, he repeatedly reminded himself that it was just a friendly duel, not to take it too seriously.
Malik turned to Isis, "Sister, what do you think?"
Isis nodded, "Mr. Yu Xuan is indeed worthy of his title as the current Duel King. His reputation is well-deserved. As a duelist, his presence and strategies are among the world's best. It's no wonder that even Kaiba Seto couldn't match him."
Her words were meant to reassure Malik and alleviate the importance of the outcome. If even Kaiba Seto couldn't compete, their loss was understandable.
Yu Xuan, on his part, had also sensed that Malik's skills had not improved since the days of DM; in fact, they might have regressed.
This wasn't surprising, given the principle of 'Dark Mode: Power +3x, Light Mode: Power -3x.' Malik, in his villainous role, often relied on his alter ego as a proxy. Now that the proxy was permanently sealed, and without the deceptive tactics of someone like Yugi Muto, Malik's true abilities were exposed.
Additionally, Malik's entire deck had been built around the Winged Dragon, emphasizing its individual strength rather than the overall deck's power. With the Winged Dragon gone, his strength had diminished significantly. While he remained a legendary duelist among ordinary players, competing with the top-tier gods as he once did seemed unlikely.
"I'm starting to believe that if it were you, you might have a chance to subdue those Abyss Gods," Malik said, only to pause, leaving the rest unspoken. He believed in the principle of fighting evil with evil, and only a duelist as unorthodox as Yu Xuan could possibly make those gods submit.
"I was just lucky," Yu Xuan humbly replied.
Malik's expression darkened, "If Pharaoh was still here, he would surely..."
Isis interrupted, "Pharaoh has wandered for three thousand years to save this world. Now, he has completed his mission and found the peace he deserves."
What remains is the task for us, the living, and we can't think of everything as our predecessors did."
Malik laughed. "That's what my sister said."
He walked towards the now-ruined remains of the Collapsed Combat Ritual, explaining to You Xuan, "This matter was never made public, so not many people in the Dueling World know about it today.
But it was right here, three thousand years ago, that the ancient king and the First Generation King, Kotsubuki Yuugi, engaged in a sacred duel.
Yuugi, in his mortal body, faced the Pharaoh, who had the power of the Three Legendary Gods, and defeated him head-on, becoming the true Duel King."
Malik looked up at the now empty arena, as if lost in memories of the past. Even though ten years had passed, the image remained vivid in his mind, and he could almost see the Three Legendary Gods gathered under the Pharaoh, their majestic presence, and that seemingly timid boy who fearlessly challenged the Legendary Gods with his small frame.
Time had changed everything, and yet, the memory of that earth-shaking duel became clearer in their hearts.
"Yuugi's skill in defeating the Legendary Gods was indeed remarkable, and his tactical thinking as a duelist was also crucial. But more importantly, it was his resilience and the heart of a king that made the difference."
You Xuan looked at the arena, and his eyes also showed a newfound respect for the past.
"The king was like a close companion to Yuugi back then, perhaps even more important than his own life. To have to fight such a companion with all his might and then part ways—just this determination and perseverance showed that he already possessed the 'power' of a king."
Malik and Isis exchanged glances, both surprised by his words.
The king's deeds were never fully disclosed, and although students at the Duel Academy, including Jou and others, had heard rumors about the Pharaoh and knew that another soul resided within the First Duel King, their knowledge was not detailed, and they certainly couldn't know about the shocking battle at the Collapsed Combat Ritual in the DM finale.
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But the boy before them, who was clearly a novice in the rules of dueling ten years ago, now spoke of Yuugi as if they were long-standing friends, which was truly unusual.
If it weren't for the fact that Malik and his sister had also interacted with Yuugi and were familiar with the main characters from that time, they might have thought that You Xuan was one of Yuugi's companions back then.
Malik and Isis looked at each other, seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes.
Malik asked, "It sounds like you, Mr. You Xuan, were acquainted with the Duel King, Kotsubuki Yuugi?"
"Not exactly."
You Xuan smiled and explained, "I did want to befriend that First Duel King, but I imagine nine out of ten duelists in the world probably feel the same way. After all, he is the undisputed ace of the Duel World. It's just unfortunate that I never had the chance.
However, many of my classmates at the academy have always looked up to him as a role model, often motivating themselves with stories of Mr. Yuugi's past deeds. So, I guess I have some understanding of him as well."
Malik and his sister both thought that if one were to only rely on public records, it would be impossible to gain such a deep understanding of Yuugi. Perhaps You Xuan had indeed crossed paths with Kotsubuki Yuugi. But since he didn't elaborate, they didn't inquire further.
(End of Chapter)
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