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Chapter 568: Do you dare defy me, who possesses Baal?
"Activate Spell Card, Polymerization!"
Keith revealed the card he drew this turn. He activated the Spell Card Polymerization, using two cards from his Hand as Fusion Material.
On Keith's Field, the figures of two monsters appeared. One was Keith's ace monster, Barrel Dragon, and the other was Blowback Dragon, also modeled after a weapon.
"Using Barrel Dragon and Blowback Dragon from my Hand as Fusion Material,"
"Fusion Summon! Gatling Dragon!"
A massive machine appeared on Keith's Field. Its huge tires crushed the ground, and the spikes protruding from them looked intimidating. The main torso above the movement section had a triple-forked structure similar to Cyber End Dragon. From each of the three forks extended a metal pipe, and at the end of each of the three mechanical dragon heads was mounted a weapon of slaughter, their cold gun barrels pointed directly at Hayato.
Gatling Dragon [Level 8/DARK]
[Machine Type/Fusion/Effect]
[2600 ATK/1200 DEF]
"I change my BM-4 Blast Spider on the Field to Attack Position, then I enter my Battle Phase!"
BM-4 Blast Spider [DEF 2200 → ATK 1400]
Keith pointed at Hayato and sneered, "With this, the total ATK of the monsters on my Field has reached 4000 points! You're finished, Hayato Kobayashi!"
"First is BM-4 Blast Spider's direct attack, BM-4 Missile!"
Following Keith's attack command, the two missile pod hatches on the back of the BM-4 Blast Spider, which had changed to Attack Position on his Field, opened. Countless bombs with claws were fired from it, assailing Hayato.
Hayato, who didn't have even a single monster on his Front Row, had no cover he could use and was hit directly by BM-4 Blast Spider's attack!
"Boom!"
Seeing his monster's attack hit, Keith couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
In truth, he knew very well that although Hayato was related to his current situation, he wasn't the biggest cause. More than that, it was the consecutive losses in Duelist Kingdom and Battle City that made Keith lose confidence in himself, leading him to indulge in self-destruction.
First, he was subjected to humiliation by Pegasus through "Mind Reading" and instantly defeated by an Elementary School Student guided by Pegasus in a public event;
Then, even cheating without dignity or glory during Duelist Kingdom, he still couldn't win against the then-unknown Hayato;
Afterwards, he was tortured by the leader of the International Crime Organization Rare Hunters, which hadn't disbanded yet—a guy named Marik—with a Dark Game until he lost his body;
Finally, at the Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition Hall in Domino City, he was beaten by Hayato Kobayashi with an infinite loop chain until he was released from control.
In these numerous failures, even crushing defeats, Keith's absolute confidence in his strength as a Duelist was repeatedly trampled into the dust. But it was impossible for the proud Keith to admit that he had chosen this outcome, so Keith naturally shifted the responsibility onto Hayato.
What the hell, even if he's made a name for himself as the Duel King, Hayato Kobayashi is still just that same kid from back then. If I wanted to, couldn't I, Keith, still easily suppress him?
His aura before the duel was so intimidating, but now it seems there's nothing to be afraid of at all.
All I have to do next is—
"Crack!" After being hit by BM-4 Blast Spider's attack, a sudden sound of something breaking rang out from the smoke stirred up around Hayato, catching Keith's attention.
It was only now that Keith belatedly realized something: after BM-4 Blast Spider's attack just now, Hayato's Life Points hadn't changed at all!?
From beginning to end, he had only seen the attack explode and mistakenly thought it had been successful!
"Trap Card, Counter Gate! It negates your direct attack just now, and I draw a card from my Deck." Hayato, completely unharmed by Keith's recent attack, looked at the shattered Dimensional Wall in front of him, drew a card from his Deck, and said with a smile, "Don't think I haven't set up any defense just because I don't have any monsters on my Field."
"Don't limit the struggle of Duel Monsters to just the monsters, Keith."
Hayato glanced at the card he drew, showing a helpless expression: "If the card drawn by Counter Gate is a monster, I can Normal Summon it in Attack Position. Although I did draw a monster, unfortunately, the monster card I drew is a type that cannot be Normal Summoned."
Hearing Hayato say that, Keith's expression improved slightly.
"So, you still don't have a monster that can serve as a shield. In that case, you've only blocked one direct attack." Keith glanced at the two Set Cards in Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone and thought for a moment.
From the Nightmare's Mirage that Hayato activated earlier, it could be inferred that among the three cards he initially Set, there must be one that could actively send Nightmare's Mirage to the Graveyard to avoid its downside, Emergency Provisions. Then, he just activated Counter Gate.
There's still one card left, and he doesn't know what it is, but just thinking won't provide the answer. He should attack first.
"Using Counter Gate to defend against BM-4 Blast Spider's attack was your mistake, Hayato Kobayashi! Let's see how you'll block Gatling Dragon's attack now?" Keith pointed at Hayato, "Take this 2600 points of damage! Gatling Dragon's direct attack!"
"Bullet Storm!"
Gatling Dragon's three heads turned towards Hayato, locking onto the target. The metal gun barrels began to spin and warm up. The instant after receiving Keith's attack command, countless rain-like bullets flew out from the triple gatling guns, assailing Hayato!
"Pathetic, pathetic! An attack of this level isn't even a massage, Keith! I chain activate my Set Card, Spike Trap with Chain!"
"This card can be activated when an opponent's monster that was Summoned or Special Summoned this turn declares an attack. Destroy that attacking monster and inflict damage equal to half its original ATK to your opponent." Hayato pointed at Gatling Dragon on Keith's Field, "Anyway, it doesn't matter to you if your monster is destroyed, right?"
"Reap what you sow, Keith! I will destroy your Gatling Dragon, and then you will take damage equal to half its ATK!"
As Hayato's Set Card flipped open, a large pit filled with dense spikes appeared beneath Gatling Dragon, which Keith had Special Summoned with Polymerization this turn. If Gatling Dragon fell into it, it would inevitably be destroyed as it has no destruction resistance, and Keith would then take damage equal to half its ATK, which is 1300 points!
This was much harsher than the 500 points Keith had inflicted on Hayato just now with Barrel Blast!
Watching his Gatling Dragon on the Field lose its footing, lean back, unable to continue aiming at Hayato, and about to fall into the pit and be destroyed, the somewhat sensitive Keith unconsciously clenched his fists because of what Hayato had just said.
Reap what you sow?
What does Hayato Kobayashi mean by that? Is he saying that my outcome is entirely my own fault?
That kind of thing, that kind of thing...
"I won't let you get away with that!" Keith activated the Set Card in his Spell/Trap Zone. It was a Quick-Play Spell Card he had Set with Dust Tornado during Hayato's previous End Phase, and it could be activated this turn. "I chain your Spike Trap with Chain! Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, De-Fusion!"
"De-Fuse Gatling Dragon on my Field! Special Summon the two monsters that were its Fusion Material from my Graveyard!"
Just before Gatling Dragon was pierced by the spikes, the power of De-Fusion caught up to it, causing it to instantly disassemble into two beams of light that flew out of the pit and returned to Keith's Field.
Because the target to be destroyed disappeared, Spike Trap with Chain's effect did not continue processing, and Keith did not take damage.
Looking at the two monsters that appeared on his Field, Keith took a deep breath and looked at Hayato, saying, "I told you, stop underestimating me. I am Keith Howard, don't treat me like some weakling you can find anywhere."
"Special Summon Blowback Dragon in Attack Position, and my ace monster, Barrel Dragon!"
Blowback Dragon, whose head is shaped like a Desert Eagle handgun, and Barrel Dragon, whose head and arms are composed of three revolvers, both manifested from the light, standing tall on Keith's Field!
Blowback Dragon [Level 6/DARK]
[Machine Type/Effect]
[2300 ATK/1200 DEF]
Barrel Dragon [Level 7/DARK]
[Machine Type/Effect]
[2600 ATK/2200 DEF]
Looking at the two monsters that appeared on his Field, Keith showed a smile: "Heh, it's been a while. I don't even know how long it's been since I was this serious in a duel."
In the Underground Duel Arena, most participants were Duelists trying to make a living through Duel Monsters but lacked the qualification to enter official duel events. Although there were a few strong players banned from official events for some reason, they were a minority. Most were just weaklings.
Duels between weaklings, or between strong players and weaklings, neither was very interesting. But what attracted people to the Underground Duel Arena was never just the duels, but the "gambling" outside of the duels.
Betting on whether the strong player could achieve an undamaged victory, or how many turns it would take them to win, and how weaklings struggling for victory in death duels full of excitement would survive.
Keith's skill level in the Underground Duel Arena was practically invincible. He could hardly find an opponent. Ordinary Duelists couldn't even last his second turn before being easily crushed by his monsters, then tearfully driven by the ruthless organizers into death duels to squeeze out their remaining value.
Effective attack and defense like what appeared in today's duel with Hayato, Keith didn't know how long it had been since he experienced this kind of excitement that Duel Monsters should have.
The former Keith, in a state like "The Bandit," swept through the prize money of major duel events. At that time, he gained countless victories and glory, but the more he had, the less he could accept losing glory, his heart filled with a longing for victory.
For victory, Keith could even resort to cheating. Even now, inside the wristband wearing on Keith's left hand, there were actually a few cards hidden for swapping during a duel.
Having fallen so far after so many incidents, Keith suddenly realized, did he truly desire victory that much in his heart?
Which kind of duel did his heart truly crave? A duel where a defenseless opponent was easily defeated by him, or a back-and-forth duel like the one Hayato was putting up?
Keith himself couldn't say for sure, but he knew his Battle Phase was still ongoing.
"Hayato Kobayashi, I'll return those words to you. A counter of that level is simply impossible to make me despair, someone who has already witnessed darkness." Keith glanced at the last card in his Hand and continued, "Your last Set Card should be Emergency Provisions, right? But it's useless! Witness the revenge of Bandit Keith, Duel King!"
"Because they were Special Summoned during the Battle Phase, both Barrel Dragon and Blowback Dragon can attack! First, Blowback Dragon's direct attack!"
"Fatal Shot!"
A bullet shot out from Blowback Dragon's head, flying across both players' Fields in an instant and piercing Hayato's body without obstruction under Keith's very eyes. Hayato's Life Points sharply decreased by a large amount.
[Hayato: 3500 → 1200 LP]
Seeing that Hayato didn't activate a Set Card and his Life Points had indeed decreased, Keith breathed a slight sigh of relief and said proudly, "How about that, Hayato Kobayashi? How does this pain feel?"
Looking at Hayato, who seemed to be hanging his head in pain, Keith said arrogantly, "You've tasted the stakes of underestimating me, Hayato Kobayashi, haven't you? It looks like I'm the strong player now. If you don't want to lose your life, just surrender yourself and release this domain."
But under Keith's gaze, Hayato raised his head and sneered, "Surrender? I say, Keith, you don't actually think you've won, do you?"
"No matter what kind of Duelist they are, they would never have the idea of 'surrender' or 'giving up'. How could someone who easily gives up on victory ever embrace victory?" Hayato said, glancing at Keith contemptuously, "Only someone like you would have such a thought."
Could Keith tolerate Hayato's words? He already disliked Hayato, and now provoked by his words, Keith's face darkened as he gritted his teeth and said, "You bastard, then get ready to have your Life Points cleared by this attack!"
"Barrel Dragon's direct attack, Triple Barrel Blast!"
Facing the three gun barrels pointed at him, Hayato said with a cold smile, "Now's the time, Keith! I've been waiting for this attack for a long time. Let your monster's attack be the final puzzle piece to complete my victory!"
"Chain Barrel Dragon's attack! Trap Card Power Wall activate!"
Following Keith's attack command, a bullet shot out from each of Barrel Dragon's three gun barrels. But just as they were about to cross Hayato's Field and hit him, they were directly stopped by a wall of light rising from Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone.
Keith, who knew Hayato's Deck quite well, naturally recognized the card Hayato activated. He stated its effect: "A card that reduces the damage you take from an opponent's monster's attack to 0, by sending one card from your Hand to the Graveyard for every 500 points of damage."
"Exactly, Keith! To maximize this card's effect, I specifically waited until your ace monster, Barrel Dragon, appeared before activating this card." Hayato placed his hand on his Duel Disk, grabbing a stack of cards. "Since Barrel Dragon's ATK is 2600 points, to reduce the damage to 0, I need to discard six cards."
Saying that, Hayato flicked his hand, pulling out all the cards he was holding,
"I'm tossing these cards!"
[Hayato: 1200 → 1200 LP]
The cards Hayato tossed merged into the wall of light, taking Barrel Dragon's attack. Keith's winning blow was ineffective, which made him extremely annoyed.
However, he noticed something—among the cards Hayato tossed into Power Wall's light wall, one was the Trap Card Sakuretsu Armor, but the other five cards were ones he had never seen before: one Quick-Play Spell Card and four monster cards.
No matter which of the four monster cards it was, just from the revealed card art, Keith felt an extremely ominous aura, as if he had seen some kind of enemy of humanity, filled with disgust and repulsion.
The wall of light, along with the six cards, entered Hayato's Graveyard and vanished. But Keith no longer had any monsters that could attack on his Field, and his Battle Phase thus ended.
Glancing at The Grim Reaper's Stroll on his Field, Keith's reason told him that he could continue using it next turn to lock Hayato's Summon and Flip Summon.
But the Duelist's instinct, awakened in Keith after a long time, warned him that it would be impossible to continue using this card to lock Hayato's Field.
Although he didn't recognize the cards Hayato had just sent to the Graveyard, Keith could feel a threat. After a brief thought, he activated a card from his Hand: "I send the Continuous Trap The Grim Reaper's Stroll on my Field to the Graveyard! I activate the Spell Card Magical Mallet! I draw two cards from my Deck."
"Then I Set one card. My turn ends."
[Keith: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[BM-4 Blast Spider] [1400 ATK]
[Blowback Dragon] [2300 ATK]
[Barrel Dragon] [2600 ATK]
[Second Chance] [Barrel Blast] [Set Card]
"Then it's my turn! Draw a card." Seeing Keith end his turn, Hayato drew a card and added it to his Hand, then said, "The monster I drew last turn using Counter Gate, I will now Special Summon it. By banishing two Infernoid monsters from my Graveyard—"
"Infernoid? And, a Special Summon performed by banishing monsters from the Graveyard?" Keith frowned, watching Hayato hold a card above his head, his pupils contracting as he looked behind Hayato.
There, a tall figure vaguely appeared, with blue light points scattered across its body, seemingly there and yet not.
And as Hayato raised the card high, a gale suddenly blew through the Alley. The hem of Hayato's coat danced wildly in the strong wind, and a ferocious expression appeared on Hayato's face.
"Seitsemas, meaning 7, named the Defiled One,"
"Demon of Plunder, enemy of 'Victory', descent with the flames of the abyss!"
"Infernoid Baal!"
The blue light points moved in front of Hayato. In an instant, the illusory figure transformed into a physical form, and a gigantic demon manifested on Hayato's Field. The demon held a lance in its right hand and a ball of lightning in its left hand. Its massive wings seemed to blot out the sky, capable of domination over death. Just its appearance alone made Keith feel like he was suffocating.
'Is that really a Duel Monster?'
Keith's hands and feet turned cold, only this idea remained in his heart.
Infernoid Baal [Level 7/FIRE]
[Fiend-Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[2600 ATK/0 DEF]
Matching the gigantic demon was the wild smile on Hayato's face as he stood behind it: "It's not over yet! The total levels of the Effect Monsters on my Field is 7, so I will banish two more Infernoid monsters from my Graveyard!"
"Attondel, meaning 8, named the Abandoned by God,"
"Demon of Deceit, enemy of 'Glory', descent with the continuous flames!"
"Infernoid Attondel!"
Closely following the lightning demon glowing with blue lights, Hayato instantly Summoned a second demon. Orange lights were arranged across the second demon's torso. The demon, dragging long tail feathers like a peacock, moved its claws, looking down at Keith opposite him.
Even though he had three monsters on his Field as obstruction, Keith could feel that the monsters opposite him seemed to have targeted his soul!
Infernoid Attondel [Level 8/FIRE]
[Fiend-Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[2800 ATK/0 DEF]
"He easily Summoned two powerful monsters without Tributes..." Keith looked at the monsters on Hayato's Field, glanced at the Set Card in his Spell/Trap Zone, and took a deep breath to calm his mood. "But, you're still far from defeating me!"
"Heh heh, don't be impatient, Keith. This is my first time using this Deck, and the Infernoids' power hasn't been fully displayed yet." Hayato drew a card and said, "Heroes have the hero's stage, and demons have the demon's world. You said you've seen infinite hell? Then let me show you more darkness with this card!"
"Spell Card Planet Pathfinder! I add one Field Spell Card from my Deck to my Hand! I add Lair of Darkness to my Hand, then activate it directly!"
When Valon and the other two watching saw Planet Pathfinder, they initially thought the Field Spell Card Hayato would search for was Seal of Orichalcos. But when they heard that what Hayato added to his Hand wasn't Seal of Orichalcos but another Field Spell Card, Alister frowned.
"That Hayato Kobayashi guy, are the dark monsters born in his heart called Infernoids? Just looking at them gives you a feeling of discomfort in your soul." After a pause, Valon tried hard to avert his gaze from Hayato's monsters.
Although just the act of "looking", Valon felt all sorts of discomfort, as if his body and soul were warning him to stay away from those Infernoid monsters from the DNA level. Yet, those monsters seemed to possess immense gravity; their mere existence made people unconsciously approach and offer their souls.
"As the Duel King, such powerful dark monsters are indeed worthy of the name. But he didn't search for Seal of Orichalcos?" Alister still harbored caution towards Hayato. "Is it that he can't bring himself to seal others' souls?"
"No, it's not like that, Alister." Rafael, who shared a heart-to-heart connection with him, felt the tremor transmitted by his card spirit at this moment, his expression extremely solemn. "What Hayato Kobayashi is about to unleash is probably a darkness even more terrifying than the power of Orichalcos!"
"That kind of thing, how could—"
Alister's voice was cut off by the twisted shadow that suddenly surged up from beneath Hayato and Keith's feet. An ominous power, dark with a sickly green tinge, completely surrounded both Keith and Hayato. The shadow that shot up into the sky made Rafael and the other two instantly feel their hair stand on end, wishing they could escape from here immediately, even from a distance.
And Keith, surrounded by the Field Spell Card, couldn't leave. He could only watch helplessly as the shadow that surged from the underground directly invaded all the monsters existing on both players' Fields!
Especially the two Infernoid monsters on Hayato's Field, the twisted shadow entered the demons' bodies, causing the radiance in the tube-like devices on their bodies to suddenly flicker. From their original blue and orange, they turned into an ominous dark green.
Infernoid Baal [Level 7/FIRE → Level 7/DARK]
Infernoid Attondel [Level 8/FIRE → Level 8/DARK]
"Lair of Darkness! What unparalleled dark power! Just activating this card makes my mood feel so good, I wish I could sing a song!" Hayato spread his arms, showing an expression of enjoyment. "While this card exists, all monsters on both players' Fields become DARK Attribute."
"We've been in battle until now, and our Hands are depleted. So I activate my last card in Hand, the Spell Card Graceful Charity! Both players replenish their Hands to six cards." Hayato said, drawing six cards. "Since my Hand was 0, I can draw six cards."
"Tsk, then I, with one card in Hand, can draw five cards." Keith reached out and drew cards as well. Although Hayato didn't know what cards Keith had drawn, from his expression, he likely hadn't drawn good cards.
Hayato, whose Hand was replenished to six cards, didn't play any more cards. Instead, he waved his hand and said, "Let me see your performance, Infernoid! I will use Infernoid Baal's effect!"
The demon, named after the main god of law and justice in Semitic mythology, raised the lance in its hand. The spearhead, wreathed in lightning, followed Hayato's movement, pointing at Barrel Dragon, the monster with the highest ATK on Keith's Field.
Its red wings spread open, and then, under Keith's astonished gaze, his Barrel Dragon suddenly shattered and disintegrated without warning, turning into a ball of spiritual light that flew into Infernoid Baal's lance!?
"Tribute one monster on my Field, targeting one card in the opponent's Graveyard, to activate the effect of Infernoid Baal, to banish that card. This is Infernoid Baal's effect! And under the power of Lair of Darkness, once per turn, if I tribute my own monster to activate a card's effect, I can use one DARK Attribute monster on the opponent's Field as a substitute for my monster on the Field!"
"Because of Lair of Darkness's influence, even the monsters on your Field will fall under my domination and become my playthings!"
"Do you dare defy me, who possesses Baal?"
Infernoid Baal held Barrel Dragon's spiritual light, and with a squeeze of its palm, crushed the soul. Keith then saw the De-Fusion card he had activated earlier in his Graveyard get banished.
The banished De-Fusion was a minor matter; without a Fusion Monster on the Field, that card would be useless even if it were still in Keith's Hand. But the effect that Hayato used, combining Infernoid Baal with Lair of Darkness, made his legs tremble uncontrollably.
How could a monster like that possibly be defeated!?
"Enter my Battle Phase! Next is Infernoid Baal's attack!" Hayato's finger pointed at BM-4 Blast Spider, the monster with the lowest ATK on Keith's Field, and he gave the order, "Crush that monster, Baal!"
"Extreme Evil Leap Crush Attack!"
Among the famous 72 spirit gods of Solomon, Baal is ranked first. As an enemy of God "Lord", it can even be called "Lord Demon". The gigantic demon swung the lance in its hand, and with just one strike, it completely crushed BM-4 Blast Spider on Keith's Field!
"Ugh!"
[Keith: 4000 → 2800 LP]
Taking 1200 points of damage, Keith couldn't bear the piercing pain. His legs buckled, and he almost fell to his knees on the ground, letting out a wail, his forehead covered in sweat.
This feeling of pain even reminded him of the suffering from being slowly tortured by Lava Golem in the Dark Game with Marik a long time ago. That humiliation and unwillingness surged into Keith's heart.
But Keith endured the discomfort and pulled out a card from his Hand: "When BM-4 Blast Spider, a DARK Attribute Machine Type monster on my Field, is battle destroyed, I activate the effect of Desperado Barrel Dragon in my Hand!"
Making the declaration, Keith slammed the card onto his Duel Disk, looking directly into Hayato's eyes: "Don't treat me like some soft persimmon you can just squeeze however you want, Hayato Kobayashi! Just some Infernoids? I'll show you a counter right now!"
"Come forth, Desperado Barrel Dragon!"
"Activate Spell Card, Polymerization!"
Keith revealed the card he drew this turn. He activated the Spell Card Polymerization, using two cards from his Hand as Fusion Material.
On Keith's Field, the figures of two monsters appeared. One was Keith's ace monster, Barrel Dragon, and the other was Blowback Dragon, also modeled after a weapon.
"Using Barrel Dragon and Blowback Dragon from my Hand as Fusion Material,"
"Fusion Summon! Gatling Dragon!"
A massive machine appeared on Keith's Field. Its huge tires crushed the ground, and the spikes protruding from them looked intimidating. The main torso above the movement section had a triple-forked structure similar to Cyber End Dragon. From each of the three forks extended a metal pipe, and at the end of each of the three mechanical dragon heads was mounted a weapon of slaughter, their cold gun barrels pointed directly at Hayato.
Gatling Dragon [Level 8/DARK]
[Machine Type/Fusion/Effect]
[2600 ATK/1200 DEF]
"I change my BM-4 Blast Spider on the Field to Attack Position, then I enter my Battle Phase!"
BM-4 Blast Spider [DEF 2200 → ATK 1400]
Keith pointed at Hayato and sneered, "With this, the total ATK of the monsters on my Field has reached 4000 points! You're finished, Hayato Kobayashi!"
"First is BM-4 Blast Spider's direct attack, BM-4 Missile!"
Following Keith's attack command, the two missile pod hatches on the back of the BM-4 Blast Spider, which had changed to Attack Position on his Field, opened. Countless bombs with claws were fired from it, assailing Hayato.
Hayato, who didn't have even a single monster on his Front Row, had no cover he could use and was hit directly by BM-4 Blast Spider's attack!
"Boom!"
Seeing his monster's attack hit, Keith couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
In truth, he knew very well that although Hayato was related to his current situation, he wasn't the biggest cause. More than that, it was the consecutive losses in Duelist Kingdom and Battle City that made Keith lose confidence in himself, leading him to indulge in self-destruction.
First, he was subjected to humiliation by Pegasus through "Mind Reading" and instantly defeated by an Elementary School Student guided by Pegasus in a public event;
Then, even cheating without dignity or glory during Duelist Kingdom, he still couldn't win against the then-unknown Hayato;
Afterwards, he was tortured by the leader of the International Crime Organization Rare Hunters, which hadn't disbanded yet—a guy named Marik—with a Dark Game until he lost his body;
Finally, at the Egyptian Artifact Traveling Exhibition Hall in Domino City, he was beaten by Hayato Kobayashi with an infinite loop chain until he was released from control.
In these numerous failures, even crushing defeats, Keith's absolute confidence in his strength as a Duelist was repeatedly trampled into the dust. But it was impossible for the proud Keith to admit that he had chosen this outcome, so Keith naturally shifted the responsibility onto Hayato.
What the hell, even if he's made a name for himself as the Duel King, Hayato Kobayashi is still just that same kid from back then. If I wanted to, couldn't I, Keith, still easily suppress him?
His aura before the duel was so intimidating, but now it seems there's nothing to be afraid of at all.
All I have to do next is—
"Crack!" After being hit by BM-4 Blast Spider's attack, a sudden sound of something breaking rang out from the smoke stirred up around Hayato, catching Keith's attention.
It was only now that Keith belatedly realized something: after BM-4 Blast Spider's attack just now, Hayato's Life Points hadn't changed at all!?
From beginning to end, he had only seen the attack explode and mistakenly thought it had been successful!
"Trap Card, Counter Gate! It negates your direct attack just now, and I draw a card from my Deck." Hayato, completely unharmed by Keith's recent attack, looked at the shattered Dimensional Wall in front of him, drew a card from his Deck, and said with a smile, "Don't think I haven't set up any defense just because I don't have any monsters on my Field."
"Don't limit the struggle of Duel Monsters to just the monsters, Keith."
Hayato glanced at the card he drew, showing a helpless expression: "If the card drawn by Counter Gate is a monster, I can Normal Summon it in Attack Position. Although I did draw a monster, unfortunately, the monster card I drew is a type that cannot be Normal Summoned."
Hearing Hayato say that, Keith's expression improved slightly.
"So, you still don't have a monster that can serve as a shield. In that case, you've only blocked one direct attack." Keith glanced at the two Set Cards in Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone and thought for a moment.
From the Nightmare's Mirage that Hayato activated earlier, it could be inferred that among the three cards he initially Set, there must be one that could actively send Nightmare's Mirage to the Graveyard to avoid its downside, Emergency Provisions. Then, he just activated Counter Gate.
There's still one card left, and he doesn't know what it is, but just thinking won't provide the answer. He should attack first.
"Using Counter Gate to defend against BM-4 Blast Spider's attack was your mistake, Hayato Kobayashi! Let's see how you'll block Gatling Dragon's attack now?" Keith pointed at Hayato, "Take this 2600 points of damage! Gatling Dragon's direct attack!"
"Bullet Storm!"
Gatling Dragon's three heads turned towards Hayato, locking onto the target. The metal gun barrels began to spin and warm up. The instant after receiving Keith's attack command, countless rain-like bullets flew out from the triple gatling guns, assailing Hayato!
"Pathetic, pathetic! An attack of this level isn't even a massage, Keith! I chain activate my Set Card, Spike Trap with Chain!"
"This card can be activated when an opponent's monster that was Summoned or Special Summoned this turn declares an attack. Destroy that attacking monster and inflict damage equal to half its original ATK to your opponent." Hayato pointed at Gatling Dragon on Keith's Field, "Anyway, it doesn't matter to you if your monster is destroyed, right?"
"Reap what you sow, Keith! I will destroy your Gatling Dragon, and then you will take damage equal to half its ATK!"
As Hayato's Set Card flipped open, a large pit filled with dense spikes appeared beneath Gatling Dragon, which Keith had Special Summoned with Polymerization this turn. If Gatling Dragon fell into it, it would inevitably be destroyed as it has no destruction resistance, and Keith would then take damage equal to half its ATK, which is 1300 points!
This was much harsher than the 500 points Keith had inflicted on Hayato just now with Barrel Blast!
Watching his Gatling Dragon on the Field lose its footing, lean back, unable to continue aiming at Hayato, and about to fall into the pit and be destroyed, the somewhat sensitive Keith unconsciously clenched his fists because of what Hayato had just said.
Reap what you sow?
What does Hayato Kobayashi mean by that? Is he saying that my outcome is entirely my own fault?
That kind of thing, that kind of thing...
"I won't let you get away with that!" Keith activated the Set Card in his Spell/Trap Zone. It was a Quick-Play Spell Card he had Set with Dust Tornado during Hayato's previous End Phase, and it could be activated this turn. "I chain your Spike Trap with Chain! Activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, De-Fusion!"
"De-Fuse Gatling Dragon on my Field! Special Summon the two monsters that were its Fusion Material from my Graveyard!"
Just before Gatling Dragon was pierced by the spikes, the power of De-Fusion caught up to it, causing it to instantly disassemble into two beams of light that flew out of the pit and returned to Keith's Field.
Because the target to be destroyed disappeared, Spike Trap with Chain's effect did not continue processing, and Keith did not take damage.
Looking at the two monsters that appeared on his Field, Keith took a deep breath and looked at Hayato, saying, "I told you, stop underestimating me. I am Keith Howard, don't treat me like some weakling you can find anywhere."
"Special Summon Blowback Dragon in Attack Position, and my ace monster, Barrel Dragon!"
Blowback Dragon, whose head is shaped like a Desert Eagle handgun, and Barrel Dragon, whose head and arms are composed of three revolvers, both manifested from the light, standing tall on Keith's Field!
Blowback Dragon [Level 6/DARK]
[Machine Type/Effect]
[2300 ATK/1200 DEF]
Barrel Dragon [Level 7/DARK]
[Machine Type/Effect]
[2600 ATK/2200 DEF]
Looking at the two monsters that appeared on his Field, Keith showed a smile: "Heh, it's been a while. I don't even know how long it's been since I was this serious in a duel."
In the Underground Duel Arena, most participants were Duelists trying to make a living through Duel Monsters but lacked the qualification to enter official duel events. Although there were a few strong players banned from official events for some reason, they were a minority. Most were just weaklings.
Duels between weaklings, or between strong players and weaklings, neither was very interesting. But what attracted people to the Underground Duel Arena was never just the duels, but the "gambling" outside of the duels.
Betting on whether the strong player could achieve an undamaged victory, or how many turns it would take them to win, and how weaklings struggling for victory in death duels full of excitement would survive.
Keith's skill level in the Underground Duel Arena was practically invincible. He could hardly find an opponent. Ordinary Duelists couldn't even last his second turn before being easily crushed by his monsters, then tearfully driven by the ruthless organizers into death duels to squeeze out their remaining value.
Effective attack and defense like what appeared in today's duel with Hayato, Keith didn't know how long it had been since he experienced this kind of excitement that Duel Monsters should have.
The former Keith, in a state like "The Bandit," swept through the prize money of major duel events. At that time, he gained countless victories and glory, but the more he had, the less he could accept losing glory, his heart filled with a longing for victory.
For victory, Keith could even resort to cheating. Even now, inside the wristband wearing on Keith's left hand, there were actually a few cards hidden for swapping during a duel.
Having fallen so far after so many incidents, Keith suddenly realized, did he truly desire victory that much in his heart?
Which kind of duel did his heart truly crave? A duel where a defenseless opponent was easily defeated by him, or a back-and-forth duel like the one Hayato was putting up?
Keith himself couldn't say for sure, but he knew his Battle Phase was still ongoing.
"Hayato Kobayashi, I'll return those words to you. A counter of that level is simply impossible to make me despair, someone who has already witnessed darkness." Keith glanced at the last card in his Hand and continued, "Your last Set Card should be Emergency Provisions, right? But it's useless! Witness the revenge of Bandit Keith, Duel King!"
"Because they were Special Summoned during the Battle Phase, both Barrel Dragon and Blowback Dragon can attack! First, Blowback Dragon's direct attack!"
"Fatal Shot!"
A bullet shot out from Blowback Dragon's head, flying across both players' Fields in an instant and piercing Hayato's body without obstruction under Keith's very eyes. Hayato's Life Points sharply decreased by a large amount.
[Hayato: 3500 → 1200 LP]
Seeing that Hayato didn't activate a Set Card and his Life Points had indeed decreased, Keith breathed a slight sigh of relief and said proudly, "How about that, Hayato Kobayashi? How does this pain feel?"
Looking at Hayato, who seemed to be hanging his head in pain, Keith said arrogantly, "You've tasted the stakes of underestimating me, Hayato Kobayashi, haven't you? It looks like I'm the strong player now. If you don't want to lose your life, just surrender yourself and release this domain."
But under Keith's gaze, Hayato raised his head and sneered, "Surrender? I say, Keith, you don't actually think you've won, do you?"
"No matter what kind of Duelist they are, they would never have the idea of 'surrender' or 'giving up'. How could someone who easily gives up on victory ever embrace victory?" Hayato said, glancing at Keith contemptuously, "Only someone like you would have such a thought."
Could Keith tolerate Hayato's words? He already disliked Hayato, and now provoked by his words, Keith's face darkened as he gritted his teeth and said, "You bastard, then get ready to have your Life Points cleared by this attack!"
"Barrel Dragon's direct attack, Triple Barrel Blast!"
Facing the three gun barrels pointed at him, Hayato said with a cold smile, "Now's the time, Keith! I've been waiting for this attack for a long time. Let your monster's attack be the final puzzle piece to complete my victory!"
"Chain Barrel Dragon's attack! Trap Card Power Wall activate!"
Following Keith's attack command, a bullet shot out from each of Barrel Dragon's three gun barrels. But just as they were about to cross Hayato's Field and hit him, they were directly stopped by a wall of light rising from Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone.
Keith, who knew Hayato's Deck quite well, naturally recognized the card Hayato activated. He stated its effect: "A card that reduces the damage you take from an opponent's monster's attack to 0, by sending one card from your Hand to the Graveyard for every 500 points of damage."
"Exactly, Keith! To maximize this card's effect, I specifically waited until your ace monster, Barrel Dragon, appeared before activating this card." Hayato placed his hand on his Duel Disk, grabbing a stack of cards. "Since Barrel Dragon's ATK is 2600 points, to reduce the damage to 0, I need to discard six cards."
Saying that, Hayato flicked his hand, pulling out all the cards he was holding,
"I'm tossing these cards!"
[Hayato: 1200 → 1200 LP]
The cards Hayato tossed merged into the wall of light, taking Barrel Dragon's attack. Keith's winning blow was ineffective, which made him extremely annoyed.
However, he noticed something—among the cards Hayato tossed into Power Wall's light wall, one was the Trap Card Sakuretsu Armor, but the other five cards were ones he had never seen before: one Quick-Play Spell Card and four monster cards.
No matter which of the four monster cards it was, just from the revealed card art, Keith felt an extremely ominous aura, as if he had seen some kind of enemy of humanity, filled with disgust and repulsion.
The wall of light, along with the six cards, entered Hayato's Graveyard and vanished. But Keith no longer had any monsters that could attack on his Field, and his Battle Phase thus ended.
Glancing at The Grim Reaper's Stroll on his Field, Keith's reason told him that he could continue using it next turn to lock Hayato's Summon and Flip Summon.
But the Duelist's instinct, awakened in Keith after a long time, warned him that it would be impossible to continue using this card to lock Hayato's Field.
Although he didn't recognize the cards Hayato had just sent to the Graveyard, Keith could feel a threat. After a brief thought, he activated a card from his Hand: "I send the Continuous Trap The Grim Reaper's Stroll on my Field to the Graveyard! I activate the Spell Card Magical Mallet! I draw two cards from my Deck."
"Then I Set one card. My turn ends."
[Keith: 4000 LP, Hand 1]
[BM-4 Blast Spider] [1400 ATK]
[Blowback Dragon] [2300 ATK]
[Barrel Dragon] [2600 ATK]
[Second Chance] [Barrel Blast] [Set Card]
"Then it's my turn! Draw a card." Seeing Keith end his turn, Hayato drew a card and added it to his Hand, then said, "The monster I drew last turn using Counter Gate, I will now Special Summon it. By banishing two Infernoid monsters from my Graveyard—"
"Infernoid? And, a Special Summon performed by banishing monsters from the Graveyard?" Keith frowned, watching Hayato hold a card above his head, his pupils contracting as he looked behind Hayato.
There, a tall figure vaguely appeared, with blue light points scattered across its body, seemingly there and yet not.
And as Hayato raised the card high, a gale suddenly blew through the Alley. The hem of Hayato's coat danced wildly in the strong wind, and a ferocious expression appeared on Hayato's face.
"Seitsemas, meaning 7, named the Defiled One,"
"Demon of Plunder, enemy of 'Victory', descent with the flames of the abyss!"
"Infernoid Baal!"
The blue light points moved in front of Hayato. In an instant, the illusory figure transformed into a physical form, and a gigantic demon manifested on Hayato's Field. The demon held a lance in its right hand and a ball of lightning in its left hand. Its massive wings seemed to blot out the sky, capable of domination over death. Just its appearance alone made Keith feel like he was suffocating.
'Is that really a Duel Monster?'
Keith's hands and feet turned cold, only this idea remained in his heart.
Infernoid Baal [Level 7/FIRE]
[Fiend-Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[2600 ATK/0 DEF]
Matching the gigantic demon was the wild smile on Hayato's face as he stood behind it: "It's not over yet! The total levels of the Effect Monsters on my Field is 7, so I will banish two more Infernoid monsters from my Graveyard!"
"Attondel, meaning 8, named the Abandoned by God,"
"Demon of Deceit, enemy of 'Glory', descent with the continuous flames!"
"Infernoid Attondel!"
Closely following the lightning demon glowing with blue lights, Hayato instantly Summoned a second demon. Orange lights were arranged across the second demon's torso. The demon, dragging long tail feathers like a peacock, moved its claws, looking down at Keith opposite him.
Even though he had three monsters on his Field as obstruction, Keith could feel that the monsters opposite him seemed to have targeted his soul!
Infernoid Attondel [Level 8/FIRE]
[Fiend-Type/Special Summon/Effect]
[2800 ATK/0 DEF]
"He easily Summoned two powerful monsters without Tributes..." Keith looked at the monsters on Hayato's Field, glanced at the Set Card in his Spell/Trap Zone, and took a deep breath to calm his mood. "But, you're still far from defeating me!"
"Heh heh, don't be impatient, Keith. This is my first time using this Deck, and the Infernoids' power hasn't been fully displayed yet." Hayato drew a card and said, "Heroes have the hero's stage, and demons have the demon's world. You said you've seen infinite hell? Then let me show you more darkness with this card!"
"Spell Card Planet Pathfinder! I add one Field Spell Card from my Deck to my Hand! I add Lair of Darkness to my Hand, then activate it directly!"
When Valon and the other two watching saw Planet Pathfinder, they initially thought the Field Spell Card Hayato would search for was Seal of Orichalcos. But when they heard that what Hayato added to his Hand wasn't Seal of Orichalcos but another Field Spell Card, Alister frowned.
"That Hayato Kobayashi guy, are the dark monsters born in his heart called Infernoids? Just looking at them gives you a feeling of discomfort in your soul." After a pause, Valon tried hard to avert his gaze from Hayato's monsters.
Although just the act of "looking", Valon felt all sorts of discomfort, as if his body and soul were warning him to stay away from those Infernoid monsters from the DNA level. Yet, those monsters seemed to possess immense gravity; their mere existence made people unconsciously approach and offer their souls.
"As the Duel King, such powerful dark monsters are indeed worthy of the name. But he didn't search for Seal of Orichalcos?" Alister still harbored caution towards Hayato. "Is it that he can't bring himself to seal others' souls?"
"No, it's not like that, Alister." Rafael, who shared a heart-to-heart connection with him, felt the tremor transmitted by his card spirit at this moment, his expression extremely solemn. "What Hayato Kobayashi is about to unleash is probably a darkness even more terrifying than the power of Orichalcos!"
"That kind of thing, how could—"
Alister's voice was cut off by the twisted shadow that suddenly surged up from beneath Hayato and Keith's feet. An ominous power, dark with a sickly green tinge, completely surrounded both Keith and Hayato. The shadow that shot up into the sky made Rafael and the other two instantly feel their hair stand on end, wishing they could escape from here immediately, even from a distance.
And Keith, surrounded by the Field Spell Card, couldn't leave. He could only watch helplessly as the shadow that surged from the underground directly invaded all the monsters existing on both players' Fields!
Especially the two Infernoid monsters on Hayato's Field, the twisted shadow entered the demons' bodies, causing the radiance in the tube-like devices on their bodies to suddenly flicker. From their original blue and orange, they turned into an ominous dark green.
Infernoid Baal [Level 7/FIRE → Level 7/DARK]
Infernoid Attondel [Level 8/FIRE → Level 8/DARK]
"Lair of Darkness! What unparalleled dark power! Just activating this card makes my mood feel so good, I wish I could sing a song!" Hayato spread his arms, showing an expression of enjoyment. "While this card exists, all monsters on both players' Fields become DARK Attribute."
"We've been in battle until now, and our Hands are depleted. So I activate my last card in Hand, the Spell Card Graceful Charity! Both players replenish their Hands to six cards." Hayato said, drawing six cards. "Since my Hand was 0, I can draw six cards."
"Tsk, then I, with one card in Hand, can draw five cards." Keith reached out and drew cards as well. Although Hayato didn't know what cards Keith had drawn, from his expression, he likely hadn't drawn good cards.
Hayato, whose Hand was replenished to six cards, didn't play any more cards. Instead, he waved his hand and said, "Let me see your performance, Infernoid! I will use Infernoid Baal's effect!"
The demon, named after the main god of law and justice in Semitic mythology, raised the lance in its hand. The spearhead, wreathed in lightning, followed Hayato's movement, pointing at Barrel Dragon, the monster with the highest ATK on Keith's Field.
Its red wings spread open, and then, under Keith's astonished gaze, his Barrel Dragon suddenly shattered and disintegrated without warning, turning into a ball of spiritual light that flew into Infernoid Baal's lance!?
"Tribute one monster on my Field, targeting one card in the opponent's Graveyard, to activate the effect of Infernoid Baal, to banish that card. This is Infernoid Baal's effect! And under the power of Lair of Darkness, once per turn, if I tribute my own monster to activate a card's effect, I can use one DARK Attribute monster on the opponent's Field as a substitute for my monster on the Field!"
"Because of Lair of Darkness's influence, even the monsters on your Field will fall under my domination and become my playthings!"
"Do you dare defy me, who possesses Baal?"
Infernoid Baal held Barrel Dragon's spiritual light, and with a squeeze of its palm, crushed the soul. Keith then saw the De-Fusion card he had activated earlier in his Graveyard get banished.
The banished De-Fusion was a minor matter; without a Fusion Monster on the Field, that card would be useless even if it were still in Keith's Hand. But the effect that Hayato used, combining Infernoid Baal with Lair of Darkness, made his legs tremble uncontrollably.
How could a monster like that possibly be defeated!?
"Enter my Battle Phase! Next is Infernoid Baal's attack!" Hayato's finger pointed at BM-4 Blast Spider, the monster with the lowest ATK on Keith's Field, and he gave the order, "Crush that monster, Baal!"
"Extreme Evil Leap Crush Attack!"
Among the famous 72 spirit gods of Solomon, Baal is ranked first. As an enemy of God "Lord", it can even be called "Lord Demon". The gigantic demon swung the lance in its hand, and with just one strike, it completely crushed BM-4 Blast Spider on Keith's Field!
"Ugh!"
[Keith: 4000 → 2800 LP]
Taking 1200 points of damage, Keith couldn't bear the piercing pain. His legs buckled, and he almost fell to his knees on the ground, letting out a wail, his forehead covered in sweat.
This feeling of pain even reminded him of the suffering from being slowly tortured by Lava Golem in the Dark Game with Marik a long time ago. That humiliation and unwillingness surged into Keith's heart.
But Keith endured the discomfort and pulled out a card from his Hand: "When BM-4 Blast Spider, a DARK Attribute Machine Type monster on my Field, is battle destroyed, I activate the effect of Desperado Barrel Dragon in my Hand!"
Making the declaration, Keith slammed the card onto his Duel Disk, looking directly into Hayato's eyes: "Don't treat me like some soft persimmon you can just squeeze however you want, Hayato Kobayashi! Just some Infernoids? I'll show you a counter right now!"
"Come forth, Desperado Barrel Dragon!"
