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"Chapter 567: As Long as Preparations Are Perfect, the Reaper Won't Come
The initial purpose of the Organization Doma was to help Dartz gather enough power to revive the "Orichalcos God," which was injured and dormant ten thousand years ago, and to cleanse the Earth once again.
As for the "Orichalcos God," the power it needed was not ordinary energy like heat or electricity, but the darkness within human hearts, as it was born from it.
However, even with the continuous wars in the world today, the darkness collected from hearts is merely a drop in the bucket for the "Orichalcos God's" revival needs. But if supplemented with the tough Souls of Duelists, that would be a different story.
Regardless of a Duelist's personal character, the stronger they are, the more significant Dark Power they can actually unearth due to their tough will. As long as their Souls can be captured by the [Seal of Orichalcos], Dartz can use these sealed Souls as Tributes to accelerate the "Orichalcos God's" revival.
Although Hayato, who became the Duel King, and Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey Wheeler, who swept the Top 4 of Battle City, are all from Domino City, if you want to find the highest quality Duelist Souls, it has to be America, where the "Father of Duel Monsters" Pegasus first promoted Duel Monsters, where the Professional Duelist system is most mature, and thus has the largest number of excellent Duelists.
Hayato knew that the destination of this trip was America, but he was still somewhat surprised that the first target they sought out was someone he knew.
"Although the organization is prepared to be enemies with the entire World, we still need to act discreetly as long as it doesn't affect efficiency. Compared to the Star Duelists who attract attention in the current Professional Duelist circle, the Duelists engaging in Illegal Duels in the Underground Duel Arena are more suitable as our targets."
Rafael explained to Hayato, "In terms of strength, some of them are actually not much inferior to Professional Duelists, and even if they disappear, it won't attract much attention. The only trouble is that Underground Duelists mostly don't participate publicly under their real identity to avoid legal responsibility, making it slightly difficult to find targets."
"However, since the real owner behind 'Underground Duel' projects like this is actually us, Doma, even this sole trouble doesn't exist anymore. The former All-American Champion, 'The Bandit' Keith, is our target."
"There's a high possibility that 'The Bandit' Keith, who once stood at a considerable height, can be persuaded to join Doma. However, if he refuses, we will Seal his Soul." Rafael paused here, looking at Hayato, "Also, do you need a chance to make a move?"
Upon hearing this, Hayato's expression remained unchanged, and he said coldly, "Keith? Heh heh, he's most suitable as an opponent to test my new power. Then I'll take care of him."
With that, Hayato didn't wait for Rafael and the other two accompanying him to say anything, and stepped into the alley, walking towards where Keith was sitting.
Behind Hayato, Alister frowned, looking at his back, and opened his mouth to say something, but only to see Rafael raise his hand to block him, stopping him from calling out to Hayato.
Shaking his head, Rafael watched Hayato approach Keith, his gaze flickering, lost in thought.
Although Rafael said they would first invite Keith to join Doma, as he walked towards Keith, Hayato had already inserted a card into the Card Slot, and with a "click," unfolded his Duel Disk.
This sound also attracted the attention of the bad-mooded Keith. He turned his head to look at the figure who appeared in the alley. Although he wasn't drunk, the alcohol still had some influence on Keith, preventing him from recognizing the person's identity at first glance. After several glances, Keith's eye suddenly widened.
"You are, Hayato Kobayashi?!"
"Yo, Keith, I really didn't expect to see you in a place like this. I remember the last time we met was... well, the last time." Hayato started with a string of nonsense, a grin appearing on his face illuminated by the dim streetlights, "Why do you look so downcast?"
"Tsk, isn't this all thanks to you!" Keith, who had stood up from the ground, looked at Hayato with a grim expression, "Because of the damage you left on me before Battle City, I was stuck in the hospital for a full six months, completely missing Battle City, the opportunity I originally wanted to use to regain my fame!"
"Becoming the Duel King is quite impressive, Hayato Kobayashi! But why are you appearing before me now?"
Keith wasn't a slow-witted guy. Watching Hayato approach him step by step, his hairs stood on end. He felt as if he was being targeted by some fierce beast, experiencing a fatal sense of crisis.
The only possible source of this feeling was the very strange Hayato Kobayashi before him.
Before the opening of Battle City, on the day Ishizu gave Kaiba the [Obelisk the Tormentor] card she brought from Egypt to Domino City, Keith, after being kicked out of Duelist Kingdom Island by Pegasus, accidentally fell into the hands of Marik, who was then the leader of the Rare Hunters. He was used as a sacrificial chess piece and cannon fodder, controlled by the [Millennium Rod] to attack the Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition Hall.
Although Keith at that time was completely reduced to a puppet freely dominated by Marik, he wasn't without consciousness. He was very aware of his experience at that time, being controlled in an unusually clear state. And at that time, Hayato was Keith's opponent, and it was Hayato's second Duel with Keith after Duel Kingdom.
In that Duel, Keith had already lost to Hayato, and what was even more humiliating was that Hayato used an Infinite Loop centered around [Gearfried the Iron Knight] at that time. Although Keith, whose Life Points were depleted by the infinite damage, successfully broke free from Marik's influence, he was also sent to the hospital and lay there for over half a year, perfectly missing the subsequent Battle City.
Although Duel Monsters is now increasingly popular, with large and small events constantly being held globally, the event with the highest value to date is still Battle City from back then. While Keith was lying in the hospital, missing that event, he could only watch helplessly as one Duelist after another surpassed him.
Naturally, Keith put the hatred squarely on Hayato's head.
"Don't be so vigilant, Keith, let's have a Duel." Hayato stopped at a certain distance from Keith, leaving enough space, and threw something he was carrying towards Keith, who caught it with one hand.
Keith looked down and saw it was a standard KaibaCorp mail-order Duel Disk, looking quite ordinary.
"Duel?" Keith held the Duel Disk in one hand and his Deck, which he had taken out earlier but hadn't put away, in the other. The corner of his mouth curled up, whether in contempt or self-mockery, "What made you think of coming to Duel me, Hayato Kobayashi?"
"Is there a reason needed for a Duel?" Hayato raised the Duel Disk unfolded on his left hand and said. Only then did Keith realize that the Duel Disk Hayato was using was not the standard mail-order one he had thrown to him, but a dark green disk. The unfolded Duel Disk part was shaped like a blade, looking much cooler. "However, to match the atmosphere here, what's coming up isn't just an ordinary Duel,"
"But a Dark Duel, wagering your soul."
As soon as Hayato finished speaking, before Keith could react, the "Orichalcos Fragment" on his exposed right hand wrist shone brightly. Green light filled the alley, and under Keith's horrified gaze, everything around them was replaced by a murky darkness!
Keith took a step back, wanting to distance himself from Hayato, but found that where there should have been air behind him, there was an air-like wall, preventing him from leaving.
"Dark Game, is it that mind-controlling stuff again!"
Unlike Kaiba's stubborn and even pigheaded belief in science, Keith, despite using a Machine-Type Deck, was quick to accept Dark Games. This might be related to his mind being controlled by Pegasus and Marik, both Millennium Items owners.
Pegasus had humiliated him with Mind Reading and almost killed him by controlling his mind, while Marik had taken control of his body through a Dark Game. He was already unwilling to have fallen to this point, and being controlled again? Absolutely not!
Keith gritted his teeth, his wrath almost overflowing. He glared fiercely at Hayato, "There's a limit to looking down on people, you bastard!"
"Don't think I'm the same person I was back in Duel Kingdom, Hayato Kobayashi! Anyway, as long as I defeat you, it'll be fine!"
Saying this, Keith put on the Duel Disk and inserted his Deck into it. "I've been wanting revenge on you for a long time, Duel King!"
"Duel!"
[Keith: 4000 LP]
Seeing that Keith accepted the Duel, Hayato nodded with a satisfied expression: "Hmm, that's the aura I want, Keith. That's more like the 'The Bandit' Keith I remember, who had no ability but acted like a complete idiot."
"Give it your full power and Duel me, but remember to be careful and cautious, otherwise, the flames of my Demon Deck will absorb you in an instant."
"Duel."
[Hayato: 4000 LP]
Seeing Hayato draw five cards, out of pressure, Keith unethically took the first turn and drew a card: "Don't be arrogant, Hayato Kobayashi, I'll take the first turn, Draw!"
Looking at the card he drew, Keith said, "First, I activate the Continuous Spell Card [Second Coin Toss], This card allows me to restart a Coin Toss effect once per turn."
"Then I summon [BM-4 Blast Spider] in face-up Defense Position, and finally set all four cards in my hand!"
On Keith's Field, a spider-like tank with retracted metal limbs in a defensive state manifested. Although it was a Level 4 monster, it had an excellent DEF of 2200 points, and from the multi-barreled rocket launcher on its back, it was clear that its attack capabilities also needed to be guarded against.
[BM-4 Blast Spider] [4☆/Dark]
[Machine Type/Effect]
[1400/2200]
However, what was even more noteworthy was the full row of four Set Cards in Keith's Spell/Trap Zone. The only visible card back was so plain, yet impossible to ignore.
What a standard "T" Field Setup!
Hayato's mouth twitched, and he said helplessly to Keith, "What you mean by 'not the same person as in Duel Kingdom,' is this thing?"
"Heh heh, how about it, Hayato Kobayashi? You, who always likes to lay a bunch of traps for others to step on, how do you feel seeing a row of Set Cards on the opponent's Field?" Keith said proudly, "I can't wait to return those bad memories you left me back then."
"My turn ends."
Having laid out such a simple but full of presence Field, Keith declared the end of his turn.
[Keith: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[BM-4 Blast Spider] [DEF 2200]
[Second Chance] [Set Card] X4
It must be said that this move by Keith did make Hayato a little flustered, but not completely. A full row of cards in Keith's Spell/Trap Zone, why wouldn't I quickly draw a [Harpie's Feather Duster] and have a blast?
Hayato's finger rested on the Duel Disk, and he drew a card: "My turn, draw a card."
After drawing the card, before Hayato could even confirm it, he heard Keith on the other side say, "At this instant, I will activate a Set Card during your turn's Standby Phase, and then chain activate another Set Card!"
Saying this, Keith successively pressed the activate Set Card buttons on his Duel Disk. Two cards in his Spell/Trap Zone flipped open, revealing red borders. One card art depicted the Reaper with a scythe, while the other was clearly printed with Keith's ace card, [Barrel Dragon].
"Continuous Trap Card, [The Grim Reaper's Stroll]. During the opponent's turn's Standby Phase, I can toss a coin to apply its effect." Keith said, raising his hand and snapping his fingers. A phantom coin appeared on his Field, with Kaiba's heavily biased [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] avatar on the Heads side, and a skull on the Tails side.
The coin was tossed automatically without being touched, spinning in the air, flipping as it fell to the ground, revealing the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] pattern.
"Heh heh, the result is Heads. In that case, due to the effect of [The Grim Reaper's Stroll], you cannot Summon or Flip Summon monsters this turn until the End Phase. Without monsters, even you can't escape defeat, Hayato Kobayashi."
While saying this, Keith also glanced proudly at the card next to [The Grim Reaper's Stroll]. "My second card is also a Continuous Trap Card, [Barrel Blast]. If a Coin Toss effect is activated once per turn, I can apply an effect based on the number of times Heads appears."
"Because [The Grim Reaper's Stroll] resulted in Heads 1 time, I inflict 500 points of effect damage to you!"
"Witness my retaliation, Hayato Kobayashi!"
Keith made a handgun gesture with his fingers, and in sync with his movement, a loaded [Barrel Dragon] gun barrel extended from the opened [Barrel Blast] in his Spell/Trap Zone.
A "bang" sounded, and a beam of impact shot out, passing through Hayato's body.
[Hayato: 4000 → 3500 LP]
The shot hit Hayato directly. Keith expected to see a painful expression on Hayato's face, but to his surprise, Hayato merely lightly brushed off the dust from the spot where he was hit, and said casually, "Is the retaliation you mentioned an attack that doesn't even count as a touch?"
"What a pity for my twenty-thousand-dollar jacket."
Provoking Keith with words, Hayato finally had time to check what card he had drawn, but perhaps because this Deck was his first time using it, his opening hand wasn't great this time.
In other words, he seemed to have a bricked hand, not having drawn a single Monster Card, only red and green cards.
Hmm, a Per☆fect☆Hand~
It could be said that Keith's [The Grim Reaper's Stroll] restriction was pointless, because Hayato didn't have any Monster Cards in his hand at all, and couldn't Summon even if he wanted to. However, relatively, Hayato also failed to draw [Harpie's Feather Duster], which would have been the optimal time to use it.
However, not drawing it is understandable, because the Deck Hayato is using this time is not the standard 40 cards but the limit of 60 cards, and there is only one [Harpie's Feather Duster] in his Deck, which he won from Kujaku Mai back in Duel Kingdom.
Sometimes you can't draw one out of 40, let alone one out of 60.
Seeing Hayato checking his hand, Keith calmed down slightly, the corner of his mouth curled up, and he pressed the activate Set Card button again: "Hayato Kobayashi, your hand size is 6 cards right now, correct? Then, in this situation where your hand size is 6 or more, and my hand size is two or less, I will activate this Set Card."
Keith flipped open his third Set Card in the Spell/Trap Zone, another Trap Card. The card art showed a hand about to toss a coin.
"Trap Card, [Graceful Dice], activate! After activation, toss a coin, and I will predict the result." Keith, with empty hands, folded his arms across his chest and said confidently, "If I guess correctly, I can draw cards from my Deck in one go until my hand is 5 cards. If I guess incorrectly, I skip my next turn."
"Ho ho, powerful cards often come with great risk, huh? You always like to use these gambling cards to gain high benefit, Keith."
"Hmph, as long as I get a good result, there is no side effect." Keith cold snorted, extended his hand, and declared, "My predicted result is, of course, Heads!"
As Keith made his judgment, the coin was tossed and flew into the air, but perhaps because the previous [The Grim Reaper's Stroll] used up some of Keith's luck, this time, the more crucial Coin Toss resulted in the skull facing upwards when it landed on the ground.
The result was Tails, Keith's guess was wrong.
"Tsk, it doesn't matter. As long as preparations are perfect, the Reaper won't come. This [Second Chance] I activated earlier isn't just for show."
Keith had anticipated the current situation and decisively activated the effect of [Second Chance]: "Because of my Continuous Spell Card [Second Coin Toss] on the Field, I have one chance to re-toss a coin this turn."
"The future changes here! The result is---"
The coin that had already landed on the ground seemed to rewind time, returning to its state of flipping in the air, and then landed again. However, this time the result changed, and the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] pattern appeared on top.
"---It's Heads!" Keith said proudly, placing his hand on the Duel Disk, "Then, with an empty hand, I can draw five cards in one go, Draw!"
If [Graceful Dice] is guessed incorrectly, it skips the user's entire next turn, which is a huge risk. At the same time, it comes with extremely high benefit. Keith, who had emptied his hand in the previous turn, now replenished a full five cards, making his resources abundant again.
And Hayato, on the other hand, couldn't do anything because none of the cards in his hand were Monsters.
...Or could he?
"Well, well, I have to say you've improved compared to before, Keith." Looking at Keith's operation, Hayato nodded approvingly, "Let me show you a little praise."
"I activate the Continuous Spell Card [Nightmare's Mirage]. This card allows me to draw cards until my hand size is four during your Standby Phase, and then discard the number of cards drawn during my Standby Phase. Then, I set three cards, turn end."
[Hayato: 3500 LP, Hand 2]
[Nightmare's Mirage] [Set Card] X3
From Keith's perspective, due to the effect of his own [The Grim Reaper's Stroll], the suspected Monster Card in Hayato's hand was successfully sealed and couldn't be Summoned, forcing him to rely on Setting Cards for defense. Unable to do anything else, he simply ended his turn.
"Heh, [Nightmare's Mirage], huh? In that case, one of your three Set Cards must be [Emergency Provisions], right? That kind of outdated combo is long past its prime, Hayato Kobayashi!"
Keith pressed the activate Set Card button, flipping open his last Set Card in the Spell/Trap Zone: "During your End Phase, I will activate this card, Trap Card [Dust Tornado]!"
"I target your [Nightmare's Mirage] on the Field and destroy that card! Then I can set one Spell/Trap Card from my hand!"
Hayato didn't draw a back row destruction card, but Keith Set one. A swirling tornado moved towards the [Nightmare's Mirage] on Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone. Without having any use, this card was destroyed by the storm and sent to the Graveyard. At the same time, Keith also set a card from his hand in his Spell/Trap Zone.
Keith and Hayato were dueling, while Valon, who was hiding and watching them, frowned strangely: "That 'The Bandit' Keith, I remember the information said that due to multiple setbacks, he's basically just a guy scraping by in the Underground Duel Arena?"
"Looking at him now, he's unexpectedly got some strength. He can actually suppress Hayato Kobayashi for a while."
Alister looked at Keith and said faintly, "That's the power of 'hatred,' Valon. When people vent the resentment in their heart, they can perform beyond their usual level. It's not surprising for them to do things they couldn't originally do."
"The power of a Duelist's heart can create miracles, but for that 'The Bandit' Keith, that's all there is to it." Rafael reached into his chest and touched the Deck he kept close to his body, "The cards tell me that the flow of the Duel has changed. That Hayato Kobayashi, it seems..."
"My turn!" Keith didn't know the evaluation of the Field's situation by Rafael and the others who hadn't shown themselves. He looked at the card he drew, revealing a proud smile, "Heh heh, I drew a good card."
"I activate the Spell Card, [Polymerization]!"
The initial purpose of the Organization Doma was to help Dartz gather enough power to revive the "Orichalcos God," which was injured and dormant ten thousand years ago, and to cleanse the Earth once again.
As for the "Orichalcos God," the power it needed was not ordinary energy like heat or electricity, but the darkness within human hearts, as it was born from it.
However, even with the continuous wars in the world today, the darkness collected from hearts is merely a drop in the bucket for the "Orichalcos God's" revival needs. But if supplemented with the tough Souls of Duelists, that would be a different story.
Regardless of a Duelist's personal character, the stronger they are, the more significant Dark Power they can actually unearth due to their tough will. As long as their Souls can be captured by the [Seal of Orichalcos], Dartz can use these sealed Souls as Tributes to accelerate the "Orichalcos God's" revival.
Although Hayato, who became the Duel King, and Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey Wheeler, who swept the Top 4 of Battle City, are all from Domino City, if you want to find the highest quality Duelist Souls, it has to be America, where the "Father of Duel Monsters" Pegasus first promoted Duel Monsters, where the Professional Duelist system is most mature, and thus has the largest number of excellent Duelists.
Hayato knew that the destination of this trip was America, but he was still somewhat surprised that the first target they sought out was someone he knew.
"Although the organization is prepared to be enemies with the entire World, we still need to act discreetly as long as it doesn't affect efficiency. Compared to the Star Duelists who attract attention in the current Professional Duelist circle, the Duelists engaging in Illegal Duels in the Underground Duel Arena are more suitable as our targets."
Rafael explained to Hayato, "In terms of strength, some of them are actually not much inferior to Professional Duelists, and even if they disappear, it won't attract much attention. The only trouble is that Underground Duelists mostly don't participate publicly under their real identity to avoid legal responsibility, making it slightly difficult to find targets."
"However, since the real owner behind 'Underground Duel' projects like this is actually us, Doma, even this sole trouble doesn't exist anymore. The former All-American Champion, 'The Bandit' Keith, is our target."
"There's a high possibility that 'The Bandit' Keith, who once stood at a considerable height, can be persuaded to join Doma. However, if he refuses, we will Seal his Soul." Rafael paused here, looking at Hayato, "Also, do you need a chance to make a move?"
Upon hearing this, Hayato's expression remained unchanged, and he said coldly, "Keith? Heh heh, he's most suitable as an opponent to test my new power. Then I'll take care of him."
With that, Hayato didn't wait for Rafael and the other two accompanying him to say anything, and stepped into the alley, walking towards where Keith was sitting.
Behind Hayato, Alister frowned, looking at his back, and opened his mouth to say something, but only to see Rafael raise his hand to block him, stopping him from calling out to Hayato.
Shaking his head, Rafael watched Hayato approach Keith, his gaze flickering, lost in thought.
Although Rafael said they would first invite Keith to join Doma, as he walked towards Keith, Hayato had already inserted a card into the Card Slot, and with a "click," unfolded his Duel Disk.
This sound also attracted the attention of the bad-mooded Keith. He turned his head to look at the figure who appeared in the alley. Although he wasn't drunk, the alcohol still had some influence on Keith, preventing him from recognizing the person's identity at first glance. After several glances, Keith's eye suddenly widened.
"You are, Hayato Kobayashi?!"
"Yo, Keith, I really didn't expect to see you in a place like this. I remember the last time we met was... well, the last time." Hayato started with a string of nonsense, a grin appearing on his face illuminated by the dim streetlights, "Why do you look so downcast?"
"Tsk, isn't this all thanks to you!" Keith, who had stood up from the ground, looked at Hayato with a grim expression, "Because of the damage you left on me before Battle City, I was stuck in the hospital for a full six months, completely missing Battle City, the opportunity I originally wanted to use to regain my fame!"
"Becoming the Duel King is quite impressive, Hayato Kobayashi! But why are you appearing before me now?"
Keith wasn't a slow-witted guy. Watching Hayato approach him step by step, his hairs stood on end. He felt as if he was being targeted by some fierce beast, experiencing a fatal sense of crisis.
The only possible source of this feeling was the very strange Hayato Kobayashi before him.
Before the opening of Battle City, on the day Ishizu gave Kaiba the [Obelisk the Tormentor] card she brought from Egypt to Domino City, Keith, after being kicked out of Duelist Kingdom Island by Pegasus, accidentally fell into the hands of Marik, who was then the leader of the Rare Hunters. He was used as a sacrificial chess piece and cannon fodder, controlled by the [Millennium Rod] to attack the Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition Hall.
Although Keith at that time was completely reduced to a puppet freely dominated by Marik, he wasn't without consciousness. He was very aware of his experience at that time, being controlled in an unusually clear state. And at that time, Hayato was Keith's opponent, and it was Hayato's second Duel with Keith after Duel Kingdom.
In that Duel, Keith had already lost to Hayato, and what was even more humiliating was that Hayato used an Infinite Loop centered around [Gearfried the Iron Knight] at that time. Although Keith, whose Life Points were depleted by the infinite damage, successfully broke free from Marik's influence, he was also sent to the hospital and lay there for over half a year, perfectly missing the subsequent Battle City.
Although Duel Monsters is now increasingly popular, with large and small events constantly being held globally, the event with the highest value to date is still Battle City from back then. While Keith was lying in the hospital, missing that event, he could only watch helplessly as one Duelist after another surpassed him.
Naturally, Keith put the hatred squarely on Hayato's head.
"Don't be so vigilant, Keith, let's have a Duel." Hayato stopped at a certain distance from Keith, leaving enough space, and threw something he was carrying towards Keith, who caught it with one hand.
Keith looked down and saw it was a standard KaibaCorp mail-order Duel Disk, looking quite ordinary.
"Duel?" Keith held the Duel Disk in one hand and his Deck, which he had taken out earlier but hadn't put away, in the other. The corner of his mouth curled up, whether in contempt or self-mockery, "What made you think of coming to Duel me, Hayato Kobayashi?"
"Is there a reason needed for a Duel?" Hayato raised the Duel Disk unfolded on his left hand and said. Only then did Keith realize that the Duel Disk Hayato was using was not the standard mail-order one he had thrown to him, but a dark green disk. The unfolded Duel Disk part was shaped like a blade, looking much cooler. "However, to match the atmosphere here, what's coming up isn't just an ordinary Duel,"
"But a Dark Duel, wagering your soul."
As soon as Hayato finished speaking, before Keith could react, the "Orichalcos Fragment" on his exposed right hand wrist shone brightly. Green light filled the alley, and under Keith's horrified gaze, everything around them was replaced by a murky darkness!
Keith took a step back, wanting to distance himself from Hayato, but found that where there should have been air behind him, there was an air-like wall, preventing him from leaving.
"Dark Game, is it that mind-controlling stuff again!"
Unlike Kaiba's stubborn and even pigheaded belief in science, Keith, despite using a Machine-Type Deck, was quick to accept Dark Games. This might be related to his mind being controlled by Pegasus and Marik, both Millennium Items owners.
Pegasus had humiliated him with Mind Reading and almost killed him by controlling his mind, while Marik had taken control of his body through a Dark Game. He was already unwilling to have fallen to this point, and being controlled again? Absolutely not!
Keith gritted his teeth, his wrath almost overflowing. He glared fiercely at Hayato, "There's a limit to looking down on people, you bastard!"
"Don't think I'm the same person I was back in Duel Kingdom, Hayato Kobayashi! Anyway, as long as I defeat you, it'll be fine!"
Saying this, Keith put on the Duel Disk and inserted his Deck into it. "I've been wanting revenge on you for a long time, Duel King!"
"Duel!"
[Keith: 4000 LP]
Seeing that Keith accepted the Duel, Hayato nodded with a satisfied expression: "Hmm, that's the aura I want, Keith. That's more like the 'The Bandit' Keith I remember, who had no ability but acted like a complete idiot."
"Give it your full power and Duel me, but remember to be careful and cautious, otherwise, the flames of my Demon Deck will absorb you in an instant."
"Duel."
[Hayato: 4000 LP]
Seeing Hayato draw five cards, out of pressure, Keith unethically took the first turn and drew a card: "Don't be arrogant, Hayato Kobayashi, I'll take the first turn, Draw!"
Looking at the card he drew, Keith said, "First, I activate the Continuous Spell Card [Second Coin Toss], This card allows me to restart a Coin Toss effect once per turn."
"Then I summon [BM-4 Blast Spider] in face-up Defense Position, and finally set all four cards in my hand!"
On Keith's Field, a spider-like tank with retracted metal limbs in a defensive state manifested. Although it was a Level 4 monster, it had an excellent DEF of 2200 points, and from the multi-barreled rocket launcher on its back, it was clear that its attack capabilities also needed to be guarded against.
[BM-4 Blast Spider] [4☆/Dark]
[Machine Type/Effect]
[1400/2200]
However, what was even more noteworthy was the full row of four Set Cards in Keith's Spell/Trap Zone. The only visible card back was so plain, yet impossible to ignore.
What a standard "T" Field Setup!
Hayato's mouth twitched, and he said helplessly to Keith, "What you mean by 'not the same person as in Duel Kingdom,' is this thing?"
"Heh heh, how about it, Hayato Kobayashi? You, who always likes to lay a bunch of traps for others to step on, how do you feel seeing a row of Set Cards on the opponent's Field?" Keith said proudly, "I can't wait to return those bad memories you left me back then."
"My turn ends."
Having laid out such a simple but full of presence Field, Keith declared the end of his turn.
[Keith: 4000 LP, Hand 0]
[BM-4 Blast Spider] [DEF 2200]
[Second Chance] [Set Card] X4
It must be said that this move by Keith did make Hayato a little flustered, but not completely. A full row of cards in Keith's Spell/Trap Zone, why wouldn't I quickly draw a [Harpie's Feather Duster] and have a blast?
Hayato's finger rested on the Duel Disk, and he drew a card: "My turn, draw a card."
After drawing the card, before Hayato could even confirm it, he heard Keith on the other side say, "At this instant, I will activate a Set Card during your turn's Standby Phase, and then chain activate another Set Card!"
Saying this, Keith successively pressed the activate Set Card buttons on his Duel Disk. Two cards in his Spell/Trap Zone flipped open, revealing red borders. One card art depicted the Reaper with a scythe, while the other was clearly printed with Keith's ace card, [Barrel Dragon].
"Continuous Trap Card, [The Grim Reaper's Stroll]. During the opponent's turn's Standby Phase, I can toss a coin to apply its effect." Keith said, raising his hand and snapping his fingers. A phantom coin appeared on his Field, with Kaiba's heavily biased [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] avatar on the Heads side, and a skull on the Tails side.
The coin was tossed automatically without being touched, spinning in the air, flipping as it fell to the ground, revealing the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] pattern.
"Heh heh, the result is Heads. In that case, due to the effect of [The Grim Reaper's Stroll], you cannot Summon or Flip Summon monsters this turn until the End Phase. Without monsters, even you can't escape defeat, Hayato Kobayashi."
While saying this, Keith also glanced proudly at the card next to [The Grim Reaper's Stroll]. "My second card is also a Continuous Trap Card, [Barrel Blast]. If a Coin Toss effect is activated once per turn, I can apply an effect based on the number of times Heads appears."
"Because [The Grim Reaper's Stroll] resulted in Heads 1 time, I inflict 500 points of effect damage to you!"
"Witness my retaliation, Hayato Kobayashi!"
Keith made a handgun gesture with his fingers, and in sync with his movement, a loaded [Barrel Dragon] gun barrel extended from the opened [Barrel Blast] in his Spell/Trap Zone.
A "bang" sounded, and a beam of impact shot out, passing through Hayato's body.
[Hayato: 4000 → 3500 LP]
The shot hit Hayato directly. Keith expected to see a painful expression on Hayato's face, but to his surprise, Hayato merely lightly brushed off the dust from the spot where he was hit, and said casually, "Is the retaliation you mentioned an attack that doesn't even count as a touch?"
"What a pity for my twenty-thousand-dollar jacket."
Provoking Keith with words, Hayato finally had time to check what card he had drawn, but perhaps because this Deck was his first time using it, his opening hand wasn't great this time.
In other words, he seemed to have a bricked hand, not having drawn a single Monster Card, only red and green cards.
Hmm, a Per☆fect☆Hand~
It could be said that Keith's [The Grim Reaper's Stroll] restriction was pointless, because Hayato didn't have any Monster Cards in his hand at all, and couldn't Summon even if he wanted to. However, relatively, Hayato also failed to draw [Harpie's Feather Duster], which would have been the optimal time to use it.
However, not drawing it is understandable, because the Deck Hayato is using this time is not the standard 40 cards but the limit of 60 cards, and there is only one [Harpie's Feather Duster] in his Deck, which he won from Kujaku Mai back in Duel Kingdom.
Sometimes you can't draw one out of 40, let alone one out of 60.
Seeing Hayato checking his hand, Keith calmed down slightly, the corner of his mouth curled up, and he pressed the activate Set Card button again: "Hayato Kobayashi, your hand size is 6 cards right now, correct? Then, in this situation where your hand size is 6 or more, and my hand size is two or less, I will activate this Set Card."
Keith flipped open his third Set Card in the Spell/Trap Zone, another Trap Card. The card art showed a hand about to toss a coin.
"Trap Card, [Graceful Dice], activate! After activation, toss a coin, and I will predict the result." Keith, with empty hands, folded his arms across his chest and said confidently, "If I guess correctly, I can draw cards from my Deck in one go until my hand is 5 cards. If I guess incorrectly, I skip my next turn."
"Ho ho, powerful cards often come with great risk, huh? You always like to use these gambling cards to gain high benefit, Keith."
"Hmph, as long as I get a good result, there is no side effect." Keith cold snorted, extended his hand, and declared, "My predicted result is, of course, Heads!"
As Keith made his judgment, the coin was tossed and flew into the air, but perhaps because the previous [The Grim Reaper's Stroll] used up some of Keith's luck, this time, the more crucial Coin Toss resulted in the skull facing upwards when it landed on the ground.
The result was Tails, Keith's guess was wrong.
"Tsk, it doesn't matter. As long as preparations are perfect, the Reaper won't come. This [Second Chance] I activated earlier isn't just for show."
Keith had anticipated the current situation and decisively activated the effect of [Second Chance]: "Because of my Continuous Spell Card [Second Coin Toss] on the Field, I have one chance to re-toss a coin this turn."
"The future changes here! The result is---"
The coin that had already landed on the ground seemed to rewind time, returning to its state of flipping in the air, and then landed again. However, this time the result changed, and the [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] pattern appeared on top.
"---It's Heads!" Keith said proudly, placing his hand on the Duel Disk, "Then, with an empty hand, I can draw five cards in one go, Draw!"
If [Graceful Dice] is guessed incorrectly, it skips the user's entire next turn, which is a huge risk. At the same time, it comes with extremely high benefit. Keith, who had emptied his hand in the previous turn, now replenished a full five cards, making his resources abundant again.
And Hayato, on the other hand, couldn't do anything because none of the cards in his hand were Monsters.
...Or could he?
"Well, well, I have to say you've improved compared to before, Keith." Looking at Keith's operation, Hayato nodded approvingly, "Let me show you a little praise."
"I activate the Continuous Spell Card [Nightmare's Mirage]. This card allows me to draw cards until my hand size is four during your Standby Phase, and then discard the number of cards drawn during my Standby Phase. Then, I set three cards, turn end."
[Hayato: 3500 LP, Hand 2]
[Nightmare's Mirage] [Set Card] X3
From Keith's perspective, due to the effect of his own [The Grim Reaper's Stroll], the suspected Monster Card in Hayato's hand was successfully sealed and couldn't be Summoned, forcing him to rely on Setting Cards for defense. Unable to do anything else, he simply ended his turn.
"Heh, [Nightmare's Mirage], huh? In that case, one of your three Set Cards must be [Emergency Provisions], right? That kind of outdated combo is long past its prime, Hayato Kobayashi!"
Keith pressed the activate Set Card button, flipping open his last Set Card in the Spell/Trap Zone: "During your End Phase, I will activate this card, Trap Card [Dust Tornado]!"
"I target your [Nightmare's Mirage] on the Field and destroy that card! Then I can set one Spell/Trap Card from my hand!"
Hayato didn't draw a back row destruction card, but Keith Set one. A swirling tornado moved towards the [Nightmare's Mirage] on Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone. Without having any use, this card was destroyed by the storm and sent to the Graveyard. At the same time, Keith also set a card from his hand in his Spell/Trap Zone.
Keith and Hayato were dueling, while Valon, who was hiding and watching them, frowned strangely: "That 'The Bandit' Keith, I remember the information said that due to multiple setbacks, he's basically just a guy scraping by in the Underground Duel Arena?"
"Looking at him now, he's unexpectedly got some strength. He can actually suppress Hayato Kobayashi for a while."
Alister looked at Keith and said faintly, "That's the power of 'hatred,' Valon. When people vent the resentment in their heart, they can perform beyond their usual level. It's not surprising for them to do things they couldn't originally do."
"The power of a Duelist's heart can create miracles, but for that 'The Bandit' Keith, that's all there is to it." Rafael reached into his chest and touched the Deck he kept close to his body, "The cards tell me that the flow of the Duel has changed. That Hayato Kobayashi, it seems..."
"My turn!" Keith didn't know the evaluation of the Field's situation by Rafael and the others who hadn't shown themselves. He looked at the card he drew, revealing a proud smile, "Heh heh, I drew a good card."
"I activate the Spell Card, [Polymerization]!"
