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Chapter 570: The Death of Keith
What Keith was looking at wasn't the cards in his Deck, but the few cards hidden under his left wristband. Among them were cards that were heavily reliant on luck when used normally, but could almost guarantee victory if cheating was involved.
"My turn." As he placed his index finger on the top of his Deck, Keith's thumb subconsciously rested on his wristband. With his hand speed, he could effortlessly use a feint to swap the hidden cards with the top of his Deck, a perfect sleight of hand.
It should be simple, right? Just a slight movement of his finger, and he wouldn't have to worry about victory. Even against Hayato Kobayashi, he could defeat him if he was willing to abandon a Duelist's dignity.
But somehow, it wasn't until he had already drawn a card from the very top of his Deck that Keith belatedly realized what he had done. He had naturally chosen to draw from the top of his Deck, subconsciously resisting the urge to cheat?
"Draw!"
Despite subconsciously doing something irrational, Keith laughed, speaking excitedly.
For the first time in a long time, he found the fun of dueling. He wasn't cheating for victory; instead, he was entrusting his destiny to his Deck, enjoying the process itself.
Before becoming the All-American Champion, the former Keith was actually always a gambler. Relying on the Deck he believed in and coin flips whose outcome no one could predict, he battled his way to the peak. But after becoming Champion, he couldn't gamble everything on a coin like before and started fixating on winning and losing.
The 【Second Chance】 card on Keith's field was also a card he added to his Deck at that time out of fear of failure.
"Speaking of which, now that I've fallen into the mud, isn't this precisely a second chance to challenge the peak again?" Keith suddenly felt a sense of relief. He flipped the card in his hand, revealing a Spell Card.
He looked at Hayato: "Thanks to you, Hayato Kobayashi, I suddenly know what I need to do next. In some ways, you're absolutely right; I brought this upon myself. So after I defeat you, I'll go back and re-enter the tournaments, then climb back to my original position little by little."
"Before that, I'll use this card to defeat you!" Keith said, playing a card. "I activate the Spell Card, 【Iai Quickdraw】!"
Like a master swordsman drawing a divine sword from its sheath, Keith placed the card from his hand into his Duel Disk. Then Keith discarded a card from his hand: "【Iai Quickdraw】's effect requires me to discard a card from my hand to activate it. I send a number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard equal to the number of cards on your field, then I draw one card from the top of my Deck and reveal it to both players."
"Because you have a total of five cards on your field, I send five cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard, and then I draw a card." After pointing out the five cards being sent to the Graveyard, Keith's finger rested on the Duel Disk again.
At this moment, Keith moved the Duel Disk he was wearing on his left wrist to his left waist. His right hand, as if gathering strength, placed his fingers on the top of his Deck. Like a peerless swordsman about to draw his sword for a strike, his entire being was incredibly focused.
Hayato remembered the effect of the Spell Card 【Iai Quickdraw】: "If the card drawn is 【Iai Quickdraw】, I can send that card to the Graveyard and destroy all cards on the field, then inflict damage to you equal to the number of cards destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by this effect multiplied by 2000."
"Conversely, if the card I draw is not 【Iai Quickdraw】, I return a number of cards from the Graveyard equal to the number of cards previously sent from the Deck to the Graveyard back to the Deck," Keith added, maintaining his posture. The corner of his mouth curved up, "In other words, it's a gambling card that suits me perfectly, through and through."
The outcome of this Duel, Keith completely gambled on this single draw.
If he drew another 【Iai Quickdraw】 from his Deck, he could achieve a one-turn kill and instantly defeat Hayato, just like an Iai strike; if he didn't draw the card, Keith would have to return the cards in his Graveyard back to his Deck, completely wasting the previous resources.
Hayato didn't know Keith's mindset, but as the one who initiated this Dark Game, coupled with his previous understanding, Hayato already knew that Keith had cards hidden in his wristband.
After all, when talking about Keith, "hiding cards in his sleeve" is an unavoidable classic trope. Even years after the anime aired, there were professional players who paid homage to Keith with a "hiding a dragon in their pants" move in tournaments.
In the Shadow Realm, there are only three things that matter: fairness, fairness, and goddamn fairness. The fact that Keith had cards on his body wouldn't affect anything in itself; after all, Kaiba also wore a card around his neck every day.
However, if Keith dared to try cheating, Hayato could use the power of the Dark Game to punish Keith. In fact, the Duel Disk Hayato gave Keith was also a modified version.
Even though Keith was already in a desperate situation, Hayato had expected Keith to definitely try cheating again in such circumstances. But what he didn't expect was that Keith's draw didn't trigger the punishment of the Dark Game, meaning he hadn't actually cheated just now!?
Hayato genuinely found it hard to believe that "The Bandit" Keith would change his ways. Even if he had just said lines that should belong to a reformed male supporting character, it was difficult to immediately change Hayato's impression of him.
"That's rare, Keith. You didn't seem to use cheating just now. What a pity for the little surprise I prepared for you."
"Little surprise? Heh, as expected, you tampered with the Duel Disk you gave me, didn't you? Not surprising at all." Hearing Hayato taunt him, Keith retorted, "Were you guarding against me swapping cards like in our Duel at Duelist Kingdom?"
"That's right. So, do you still have the guts to continue drawing, Keith?" Hayato said with a cold smile. "Do you have a 【Iai Quickdraw】 card hidden in your sleeve to replace the draw? Without the means of cheating, do you have the confidence to entrust your future to your Deck?"
Hayato's contemptuous tone didn't affect Keith in the slightest. His sunglasses hid his closed eyes: "Don't underestimate me, Hayato Kobayashi. I'm the All-American Champion, 'The Bandit' Keith. Drawing whatever card I want is no problem for me at all. It's not just kids like you who can do that!"
"Answer me, my Deck! Show the trajectory of my Tamashii under the guidance of destiny!"
Keith's right hand held a card, drawing an arc in the air. A faint golden light, like an illusion, gathered on the card at Keith's fingertips: "Draw!"
"Spell Card, 【Iai Quickdraw】!!"
As Keith revealed the card in his hand without even looking at it, the master swordsman in the card art of the 【Iai Quickdraw】 he had previously activated on his field also drew his sharp sword. An arc-shaped slash instantly swept across all cards on both players' fields!
The dejected aura that had been on Keith was completely swept away. He stretched out his hand and pointed at Hayato: "Send the drawn 【Iai Quickdraw】 to the Graveyard. Destroy my 【Second Chance】 on the field, and your [Infernoid Baal], [Infernoid Attondel], the Field Spell Card 【Lair of Darkness】, and those two Set Cards on your field, a total of six cards!"
Keith, who seemed to have transformed back into the glorious professional Duelist he once was, said in a deep voice, "Checkmate, Duel King!!"
For a moment, the only three audience members of their Duel—Rafael, Valon, and Alister—were all shocked, finding it hard to believe they were witnessing such a scene.
"That guy, he actually managed to draw 【Iai Quickdraw】 using the power of his Deck!" Valon cracked his fingers. "If six cards are destroyed, that will deal a total of twelve thousand points of damage to Hayato Kobayashi!?"
"Hard to believe. I thought that guy was just a small fry from the Underground Duel Arena who had given up on himself, but he actually defeated that Hayato Kobayashi!" Alister was also surprised. It should be known that if it weren't for Hayato, the person originally scheduled to duel Keith and seal his soul would have been Alister.
If he had been the one dueling, could he have possibly suffered a setback if he was careless?
Even Rafael hadn't imagined that Keith would successfully draw 【Iai Quickdraw】. However, compared to Valon and Alister, one who couldn't imagine Hayato losing and the other doubting his own judgment, Rafael was more concerned that if Hayato lost in the Dark Game, wouldn't they three have failed to protect Hayato Kobayashi as Lord Dartz instructed?
A high jumper once said that if a person is killed, they will die; that's only natural. If a normal person loses in a Dark Game, their life will end. Hayato Kobayashi is dead after taking this blow from Keith Howard!
With this thought, Rafael noticed that although Hayato's face also showed an expression of surprise, there was no fear of death at all. Instead, he wore a confident smile.
"I've witnessed a scene beyond expectation, bliss~" Hayato spread his arms, watching his cards on the field explode and shatter, the flames consuming his body.
Seeing his [Infernoid] monsters on the field and the field beneath his feet being destroyed by the effect of 【Iai Quickdraw】, Keith couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. His long-tense nerves relaxed slightly, and the accumulated fatigue surged into his heart.
However, he wasn't a kid who would get proud just because he gained some advantage. Looking at the raging fire where Hayato stood, he mocked, "What a guy with dark humor, Hayato Kobayashi. Do you want me to think you could defeat me with that level of counterattack?"
"You're still standing there, Hayato Kobayashi!"
"Nani?! After taking 12000 points of damage, how could Hayato Kobayashi still be alive?!" Alister was also somewhat surprised by the remark and looked into the firelight. To his surprise, Hayato's completely unharmed figure actually emerged from the flames that dispersed with a wave of his hand!
Valon, with his excellent eyesight, saw Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone hidden by the firelight: "That card is, [Fusion Guard]?"
"In chain to 【Iai Quickdraw】's damage effect, I activated [Fusion Guard], negating 【Iai Quickdraw】's effect, and then I send a Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck to the Graveyard."
Accompanying Hayato's voice, the "flames" on Hayato's field twisted and transformed into a long snake with black and white wings. Holding a black and white sphere in each hand, the snake's head had bull horns and coiled around Hayato. After roaring a sound incomprehensible to humans, the cards that had been destroyed by 【Iai Quickdraw】 reappeared from the flames, while the snake's figure dispersed like foam.
Watching Hayato send the [Infernoid Tierra] card to the Graveyard, Keith said helplessly, "It's that same old 'Necessary Sacrifice' routine again, Hayato Kobayashi."
"And I actually had the idea that 'maybe it could succeed' just now."
"Disappointed, Keith?" Hayato said with a light chuckle. Beside him, the revived [Infernoid Baal] and [Infernoid Attondel] became DARK Attribute again due to 【Lair of Darkness】, glaring menacingly at Keith, who only had one 【Second Chance】 on his field.
"Disappointed? A little, yes. But who can say for sure where the line between hope and despair lies? Being incredibly successful and full of hope for the future can turn into despair where everything is destroyed. Then, despair that can't get any lower also has the possibility of finding hope again."
Keith said, drawing a card from his hand: "I Attack Position Summon [Blowback Dragon], and use its effect. When it is Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, I target your [Infernoid Attondel] and activate its effect."
On Keith's field, a bipedal mechanical dragon appeared. The [Blowback Dragon] is the lowest-tier existence among Keith's "Revolver" monsters. [Blowback Dragon] also doesn't have the ability to activate its effect multiple times like [Barrel Dragon] or [Revolver Dragon].
Facing the Demon monsters on Hayato's field, the Level 4☆ [Blowback Dragon] seemed so weak, but it still aimed the gun barrels on its head at [Infernoid Attondel], which had the highest ATK.
The coin spun as it was tossed into the air, but neither of the two Duelists looked at the coin, as if they already knew the ending.
Hayato looked at Keith and asked a question: "Do you think you'll need to use the effect of 【Second Chance】, Keith?"
"Heh? Am I not already using 'Second Chance'?" Keith replied, dodging the question.
"Ding~"
The coin landed on the ground, revealing two identical [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] patterns.
Before [Infernoid Attondel]'s curse could be uttered, it was hit and pierced by two bullets shot from [Blowback Dragon]'s gun barrels, destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
Keith glanced at the four cards remaining in his hand and drew two of them: "I Set two cards. My turn ends."
[Keith: 2300 LP, Hand 2]
[Blowback Dragon] [ATK 1700]
【Second Chance】 [Set Card] X2
Seeing Keith end his turn, Hayato also drew a card from the top of his Deck: "My turn, draw. Then I activate the effect of my Set Card in the Spell/Trap Zone, [Reckless Greed]. I draw two cards from my Deck."
"As a cost, I skip my next two Draw Phases."
Seeing Hayato use [Reckless Greed]'s effect to increase his hand to three cards, Keith also pressed a button on his Duel Disk: "In chain, I activate my Set Card, the Continuous Trap Card [Call of the Haunted]. I Special Summon [Barrel Dragon] from my Graveyard in Attack Position."
"Not giving up yet, Keith? Then I also chain activate [Infernoid Baal]'s effect. I tribute your [Blowback Dragon] on the field as a substitute for tributing my monster, and banish [Barrel Dragon] from your Graveyard."
Keith, not surprised, sent his [Blowback Dragon] on the field to the Graveyard and took out the [Barrel Dragon] card to banish it. He had already anticipated the current situation; [Call of the Haunted] was purely just a struggle.
Hayato glanced at the cards in his hand. Because of [Reckless Greed]'s effect, he finally added the only [Harpie's Feather Duster] in his Deck to his hand and promptly drew and activated it.
The 【Second Chance】 card in Keith's Spell/Trap Zone was torn apart by the storm along with his Set Card [Sakuretsu Armor]. With this, Keith's field was completely clear, leaving him with only his remaining 2300 Life Points to face Hayato's [Infernoid Baal] with 2600 ATK.
"What a majestic monster. Although using words that describe natural scenery to describe Duel Monsters is very strange, that is indeed the only word I can use to describe the monster on your field right now," Keith said with emotion, looking at the spirit god on Hayato's field, now completely without any means of resistance.
"Heh heh, that's right. This is the monster I manifested with the dark power within my inner thoughts after joining the 'Doma' organization. Through dueling you, I've tested out some of its power."
Hearing Hayato's words, Keith showed a strange smile.
"A monster born from your heart? Then I can only say it suits you perfectly. But are you the kind of guy who would join some strange organization, Hayato Kobayashi?"
"As long as it brings me power, you, Keith, who was once the All-American Champion, should understand, right? You can abandon anything for victory. How about it, want to join 'Doma', Keith?"
Even though Rafael had asked Hayato to invite Keith before the Duel began, it wasn't until now, having secured the outcome through the Duel and having victory within reach, that he invited Keith.
"Heh, I'll just assume you're telling the truth." Keith clearly didn't believe Hayato's words. "You probably still have things like 'join the organization or die' left to say, right? But saying it won't change anything. I personally have no interest in joining any organization, whether it's 'Ghoul' or 'Doma'."
"And I despise you. An organization joined by someone with your personality will definitely not have a good outcome. I don't want to be one of those 'sacrificed for the greater good' by you."
"Is that so? Then that's a pity. I activate the Field Spell Card [Seal of Orichalcos], then I enter Battle Phase."
The 【Lair of Darkness】 that Hayato had previously activated was replaced by a green ring. The dark green shadow in [Infernoid Baal]'s light tubes faded, returning to a blue light, but the power of the [Orichalcos] attached itself again.
[Infernoid Baal] seemed to look down on the power of the [Orichalcos] somewhat. It stomped its long spear on the ground, pushing away the power clinging to its body, but it didn't completely resist it. It still collected a portion onto its weapon, increasing its ATK slightly.
[Infernoid Baal] [ATK 2600 → 3100]
"[Seal of Orichalcos] has the ability to increase the ATK of all my monsters on the field by 500 points. I enter Battle Phase, and then [Infernoid Baal], direct attack 'The Bandit' Keith Howard!"
Wind and lightning were controlled by the spirit god and converged at the spearhead. Looking at the attack launched by the giant demon from above, Keith's face showed some nervousness, but only that, without any unwillingness towards failure or fear of death.
[Keith: 2300 LP → 0]
On the spear that pierced Keith's body, the power of the [Seal of Orichalcos] attached to it captured Keith's soul, pouring into the card.
And as Keith's soul left his body, the [Seal of Orichalcos] beneath the two, which had only been active for a short time, began to shrink. In a trance after leaving his body, Keith seemed to see something entering the card along with his soul.
Without any mercy for life, Hayato completed the finishing blow on Keith without hesitation, achieving victory in this Duel. He lowered his head and took out the [Seal of Orichalcos] card placed in the Field Zone. In the green ring on that card, Keith's soul's likeness was clearly added.
"The seventh Sephirah of the Qliphoth, the enemy of 'Victory', [Ba'al]." Hayato's mouth curved upwards, muttering to himself, "If the one who killed Keith was Ba'al, the enemy of 'Victory', then perhaps Keith can be considered..."
Hayato's voice was very quiet. Rafael and the other two, who were approaching him as the Duel ended, didn't hear what he said, nor did they care.
Under their own eyes, Hayato completed his first sealing of another Duelist's soul. This was like a corrupt police officer colluding with a gang and shooting someone on camera for the gang. Hayato Kobayashi had now completely stepped onto a path of no return and was a "partner" they could truly rely on.
Seeing Rafael and the other two approaching, Hayato casually threw the card that sealed Keith's soul over, which Rafael caught. Although [Seal of Orichalcos] immediately seals the soul of the defeated person in a Duel, the "Orichalcos God" doesn't have a remote upload function. Offering the soul as a sacrifice still had to wait until they returned to the "Doma" headquarters and handed it over to Dartz.
Rafael glanced at the card, said nothing, and put it away. Then he spoke, "Alright, let's continue searching for the next goal. First is—"
What Keith was looking at wasn't the cards in his Deck, but the few cards hidden under his left wristband. Among them were cards that were heavily reliant on luck when used normally, but could almost guarantee victory if cheating was involved.
"My turn." As he placed his index finger on the top of his Deck, Keith's thumb subconsciously rested on his wristband. With his hand speed, he could effortlessly use a feint to swap the hidden cards with the top of his Deck, a perfect sleight of hand.
It should be simple, right? Just a slight movement of his finger, and he wouldn't have to worry about victory. Even against Hayato Kobayashi, he could defeat him if he was willing to abandon a Duelist's dignity.
But somehow, it wasn't until he had already drawn a card from the very top of his Deck that Keith belatedly realized what he had done. He had naturally chosen to draw from the top of his Deck, subconsciously resisting the urge to cheat?
"Draw!"
Despite subconsciously doing something irrational, Keith laughed, speaking excitedly.
For the first time in a long time, he found the fun of dueling. He wasn't cheating for victory; instead, he was entrusting his destiny to his Deck, enjoying the process itself.
Before becoming the All-American Champion, the former Keith was actually always a gambler. Relying on the Deck he believed in and coin flips whose outcome no one could predict, he battled his way to the peak. But after becoming Champion, he couldn't gamble everything on a coin like before and started fixating on winning and losing.
The 【Second Chance】 card on Keith's field was also a card he added to his Deck at that time out of fear of failure.
"Speaking of which, now that I've fallen into the mud, isn't this precisely a second chance to challenge the peak again?" Keith suddenly felt a sense of relief. He flipped the card in his hand, revealing a Spell Card.
He looked at Hayato: "Thanks to you, Hayato Kobayashi, I suddenly know what I need to do next. In some ways, you're absolutely right; I brought this upon myself. So after I defeat you, I'll go back and re-enter the tournaments, then climb back to my original position little by little."
"Before that, I'll use this card to defeat you!" Keith said, playing a card. "I activate the Spell Card, 【Iai Quickdraw】!"
Like a master swordsman drawing a divine sword from its sheath, Keith placed the card from his hand into his Duel Disk. Then Keith discarded a card from his hand: "【Iai Quickdraw】's effect requires me to discard a card from my hand to activate it. I send a number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard equal to the number of cards on your field, then I draw one card from the top of my Deck and reveal it to both players."
"Because you have a total of five cards on your field, I send five cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard, and then I draw a card." After pointing out the five cards being sent to the Graveyard, Keith's finger rested on the Duel Disk again.
At this moment, Keith moved the Duel Disk he was wearing on his left wrist to his left waist. His right hand, as if gathering strength, placed his fingers on the top of his Deck. Like a peerless swordsman about to draw his sword for a strike, his entire being was incredibly focused.
Hayato remembered the effect of the Spell Card 【Iai Quickdraw】: "If the card drawn is 【Iai Quickdraw】, I can send that card to the Graveyard and destroy all cards on the field, then inflict damage to you equal to the number of cards destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by this effect multiplied by 2000."
"Conversely, if the card I draw is not 【Iai Quickdraw】, I return a number of cards from the Graveyard equal to the number of cards previously sent from the Deck to the Graveyard back to the Deck," Keith added, maintaining his posture. The corner of his mouth curved up, "In other words, it's a gambling card that suits me perfectly, through and through."
The outcome of this Duel, Keith completely gambled on this single draw.
If he drew another 【Iai Quickdraw】 from his Deck, he could achieve a one-turn kill and instantly defeat Hayato, just like an Iai strike; if he didn't draw the card, Keith would have to return the cards in his Graveyard back to his Deck, completely wasting the previous resources.
Hayato didn't know Keith's mindset, but as the one who initiated this Dark Game, coupled with his previous understanding, Hayato already knew that Keith had cards hidden in his wristband.
After all, when talking about Keith, "hiding cards in his sleeve" is an unavoidable classic trope. Even years after the anime aired, there were professional players who paid homage to Keith with a "hiding a dragon in their pants" move in tournaments.
In the Shadow Realm, there are only three things that matter: fairness, fairness, and goddamn fairness. The fact that Keith had cards on his body wouldn't affect anything in itself; after all, Kaiba also wore a card around his neck every day.
However, if Keith dared to try cheating, Hayato could use the power of the Dark Game to punish Keith. In fact, the Duel Disk Hayato gave Keith was also a modified version.
Even though Keith was already in a desperate situation, Hayato had expected Keith to definitely try cheating again in such circumstances. But what he didn't expect was that Keith's draw didn't trigger the punishment of the Dark Game, meaning he hadn't actually cheated just now!?
Hayato genuinely found it hard to believe that "The Bandit" Keith would change his ways. Even if he had just said lines that should belong to a reformed male supporting character, it was difficult to immediately change Hayato's impression of him.
"That's rare, Keith. You didn't seem to use cheating just now. What a pity for the little surprise I prepared for you."
"Little surprise? Heh, as expected, you tampered with the Duel Disk you gave me, didn't you? Not surprising at all." Hearing Hayato taunt him, Keith retorted, "Were you guarding against me swapping cards like in our Duel at Duelist Kingdom?"
"That's right. So, do you still have the guts to continue drawing, Keith?" Hayato said with a cold smile. "Do you have a 【Iai Quickdraw】 card hidden in your sleeve to replace the draw? Without the means of cheating, do you have the confidence to entrust your future to your Deck?"
Hayato's contemptuous tone didn't affect Keith in the slightest. His sunglasses hid his closed eyes: "Don't underestimate me, Hayato Kobayashi. I'm the All-American Champion, 'The Bandit' Keith. Drawing whatever card I want is no problem for me at all. It's not just kids like you who can do that!"
"Answer me, my Deck! Show the trajectory of my Tamashii under the guidance of destiny!"
Keith's right hand held a card, drawing an arc in the air. A faint golden light, like an illusion, gathered on the card at Keith's fingertips: "Draw!"
"Spell Card, 【Iai Quickdraw】!!"
As Keith revealed the card in his hand without even looking at it, the master swordsman in the card art of the 【Iai Quickdraw】 he had previously activated on his field also drew his sharp sword. An arc-shaped slash instantly swept across all cards on both players' fields!
The dejected aura that had been on Keith was completely swept away. He stretched out his hand and pointed at Hayato: "Send the drawn 【Iai Quickdraw】 to the Graveyard. Destroy my 【Second Chance】 on the field, and your [Infernoid Baal], [Infernoid Attondel], the Field Spell Card 【Lair of Darkness】, and those two Set Cards on your field, a total of six cards!"
Keith, who seemed to have transformed back into the glorious professional Duelist he once was, said in a deep voice, "Checkmate, Duel King!!"
For a moment, the only three audience members of their Duel—Rafael, Valon, and Alister—were all shocked, finding it hard to believe they were witnessing such a scene.
"That guy, he actually managed to draw 【Iai Quickdraw】 using the power of his Deck!" Valon cracked his fingers. "If six cards are destroyed, that will deal a total of twelve thousand points of damage to Hayato Kobayashi!?"
"Hard to believe. I thought that guy was just a small fry from the Underground Duel Arena who had given up on himself, but he actually defeated that Hayato Kobayashi!" Alister was also surprised. It should be known that if it weren't for Hayato, the person originally scheduled to duel Keith and seal his soul would have been Alister.
If he had been the one dueling, could he have possibly suffered a setback if he was careless?
Even Rafael hadn't imagined that Keith would successfully draw 【Iai Quickdraw】. However, compared to Valon and Alister, one who couldn't imagine Hayato losing and the other doubting his own judgment, Rafael was more concerned that if Hayato lost in the Dark Game, wouldn't they three have failed to protect Hayato Kobayashi as Lord Dartz instructed?
A high jumper once said that if a person is killed, they will die; that's only natural. If a normal person loses in a Dark Game, their life will end. Hayato Kobayashi is dead after taking this blow from Keith Howard!
With this thought, Rafael noticed that although Hayato's face also showed an expression of surprise, there was no fear of death at all. Instead, he wore a confident smile.
"I've witnessed a scene beyond expectation, bliss~" Hayato spread his arms, watching his cards on the field explode and shatter, the flames consuming his body.
Seeing his [Infernoid] monsters on the field and the field beneath his feet being destroyed by the effect of 【Iai Quickdraw】, Keith couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. His long-tense nerves relaxed slightly, and the accumulated fatigue surged into his heart.
However, he wasn't a kid who would get proud just because he gained some advantage. Looking at the raging fire where Hayato stood, he mocked, "What a guy with dark humor, Hayato Kobayashi. Do you want me to think you could defeat me with that level of counterattack?"
"You're still standing there, Hayato Kobayashi!"
"Nani?! After taking 12000 points of damage, how could Hayato Kobayashi still be alive?!" Alister was also somewhat surprised by the remark and looked into the firelight. To his surprise, Hayato's completely unharmed figure actually emerged from the flames that dispersed with a wave of his hand!
Valon, with his excellent eyesight, saw Hayato's Spell/Trap Zone hidden by the firelight: "That card is, [Fusion Guard]?"
"In chain to 【Iai Quickdraw】's damage effect, I activated [Fusion Guard], negating 【Iai Quickdraw】's effect, and then I send a Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck to the Graveyard."
Accompanying Hayato's voice, the "flames" on Hayato's field twisted and transformed into a long snake with black and white wings. Holding a black and white sphere in each hand, the snake's head had bull horns and coiled around Hayato. After roaring a sound incomprehensible to humans, the cards that had been destroyed by 【Iai Quickdraw】 reappeared from the flames, while the snake's figure dispersed like foam.
Watching Hayato send the [Infernoid Tierra] card to the Graveyard, Keith said helplessly, "It's that same old 'Necessary Sacrifice' routine again, Hayato Kobayashi."
"And I actually had the idea that 'maybe it could succeed' just now."
"Disappointed, Keith?" Hayato said with a light chuckle. Beside him, the revived [Infernoid Baal] and [Infernoid Attondel] became DARK Attribute again due to 【Lair of Darkness】, glaring menacingly at Keith, who only had one 【Second Chance】 on his field.
"Disappointed? A little, yes. But who can say for sure where the line between hope and despair lies? Being incredibly successful and full of hope for the future can turn into despair where everything is destroyed. Then, despair that can't get any lower also has the possibility of finding hope again."
Keith said, drawing a card from his hand: "I Attack Position Summon [Blowback Dragon], and use its effect. When it is Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, I target your [Infernoid Attondel] and activate its effect."
On Keith's field, a bipedal mechanical dragon appeared. The [Blowback Dragon] is the lowest-tier existence among Keith's "Revolver" monsters. [Blowback Dragon] also doesn't have the ability to activate its effect multiple times like [Barrel Dragon] or [Revolver Dragon].
Facing the Demon monsters on Hayato's field, the Level 4☆ [Blowback Dragon] seemed so weak, but it still aimed the gun barrels on its head at [Infernoid Attondel], which had the highest ATK.
The coin spun as it was tossed into the air, but neither of the two Duelists looked at the coin, as if they already knew the ending.
Hayato looked at Keith and asked a question: "Do you think you'll need to use the effect of 【Second Chance】, Keith?"
"Heh? Am I not already using 'Second Chance'?" Keith replied, dodging the question.
"Ding~"
The coin landed on the ground, revealing two identical [Blue-Eyes White Dragon] patterns.
Before [Infernoid Attondel]'s curse could be uttered, it was hit and pierced by two bullets shot from [Blowback Dragon]'s gun barrels, destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
Keith glanced at the four cards remaining in his hand and drew two of them: "I Set two cards. My turn ends."
[Keith: 2300 LP, Hand 2]
[Blowback Dragon] [ATK 1700]
【Second Chance】 [Set Card] X2
Seeing Keith end his turn, Hayato also drew a card from the top of his Deck: "My turn, draw. Then I activate the effect of my Set Card in the Spell/Trap Zone, [Reckless Greed]. I draw two cards from my Deck."
"As a cost, I skip my next two Draw Phases."
Seeing Hayato use [Reckless Greed]'s effect to increase his hand to three cards, Keith also pressed a button on his Duel Disk: "In chain, I activate my Set Card, the Continuous Trap Card [Call of the Haunted]. I Special Summon [Barrel Dragon] from my Graveyard in Attack Position."
"Not giving up yet, Keith? Then I also chain activate [Infernoid Baal]'s effect. I tribute your [Blowback Dragon] on the field as a substitute for tributing my monster, and banish [Barrel Dragon] from your Graveyard."
Keith, not surprised, sent his [Blowback Dragon] on the field to the Graveyard and took out the [Barrel Dragon] card to banish it. He had already anticipated the current situation; [Call of the Haunted] was purely just a struggle.
Hayato glanced at the cards in his hand. Because of [Reckless Greed]'s effect, he finally added the only [Harpie's Feather Duster] in his Deck to his hand and promptly drew and activated it.
The 【Second Chance】 card in Keith's Spell/Trap Zone was torn apart by the storm along with his Set Card [Sakuretsu Armor]. With this, Keith's field was completely clear, leaving him with only his remaining 2300 Life Points to face Hayato's [Infernoid Baal] with 2600 ATK.
"What a majestic monster. Although using words that describe natural scenery to describe Duel Monsters is very strange, that is indeed the only word I can use to describe the monster on your field right now," Keith said with emotion, looking at the spirit god on Hayato's field, now completely without any means of resistance.
"Heh heh, that's right. This is the monster I manifested with the dark power within my inner thoughts after joining the 'Doma' organization. Through dueling you, I've tested out some of its power."
Hearing Hayato's words, Keith showed a strange smile.
"A monster born from your heart? Then I can only say it suits you perfectly. But are you the kind of guy who would join some strange organization, Hayato Kobayashi?"
"As long as it brings me power, you, Keith, who was once the All-American Champion, should understand, right? You can abandon anything for victory. How about it, want to join 'Doma', Keith?"
Even though Rafael had asked Hayato to invite Keith before the Duel began, it wasn't until now, having secured the outcome through the Duel and having victory within reach, that he invited Keith.
"Heh, I'll just assume you're telling the truth." Keith clearly didn't believe Hayato's words. "You probably still have things like 'join the organization or die' left to say, right? But saying it won't change anything. I personally have no interest in joining any organization, whether it's 'Ghoul' or 'Doma'."
"And I despise you. An organization joined by someone with your personality will definitely not have a good outcome. I don't want to be one of those 'sacrificed for the greater good' by you."
"Is that so? Then that's a pity. I activate the Field Spell Card [Seal of Orichalcos], then I enter Battle Phase."
The 【Lair of Darkness】 that Hayato had previously activated was replaced by a green ring. The dark green shadow in [Infernoid Baal]'s light tubes faded, returning to a blue light, but the power of the [Orichalcos] attached itself again.
[Infernoid Baal] seemed to look down on the power of the [Orichalcos] somewhat. It stomped its long spear on the ground, pushing away the power clinging to its body, but it didn't completely resist it. It still collected a portion onto its weapon, increasing its ATK slightly.
[Infernoid Baal] [ATK 2600 → 3100]
"[Seal of Orichalcos] has the ability to increase the ATK of all my monsters on the field by 500 points. I enter Battle Phase, and then [Infernoid Baal], direct attack 'The Bandit' Keith Howard!"
Wind and lightning were controlled by the spirit god and converged at the spearhead. Looking at the attack launched by the giant demon from above, Keith's face showed some nervousness, but only that, without any unwillingness towards failure or fear of death.
[Keith: 2300 LP → 0]
On the spear that pierced Keith's body, the power of the [Seal of Orichalcos] attached to it captured Keith's soul, pouring into the card.
And as Keith's soul left his body, the [Seal of Orichalcos] beneath the two, which had only been active for a short time, began to shrink. In a trance after leaving his body, Keith seemed to see something entering the card along with his soul.
Without any mercy for life, Hayato completed the finishing blow on Keith without hesitation, achieving victory in this Duel. He lowered his head and took out the [Seal of Orichalcos] card placed in the Field Zone. In the green ring on that card, Keith's soul's likeness was clearly added.
"The seventh Sephirah of the Qliphoth, the enemy of 'Victory', [Ba'al]." Hayato's mouth curved upwards, muttering to himself, "If the one who killed Keith was Ba'al, the enemy of 'Victory', then perhaps Keith can be considered..."
Hayato's voice was very quiet. Rafael and the other two, who were approaching him as the Duel ended, didn't hear what he said, nor did they care.
Under their own eyes, Hayato completed his first sealing of another Duelist's soul. This was like a corrupt police officer colluding with a gang and shooting someone on camera for the gang. Hayato Kobayashi had now completely stepped onto a path of no return and was a "partner" they could truly rely on.
Seeing Rafael and the other two approaching, Hayato casually threw the card that sealed Keith's soul over, which Rafael caught. Although [Seal of Orichalcos] immediately seals the soul of the defeated person in a Duel, the "Orichalcos God" doesn't have a remote upload function. Offering the soul as a sacrifice still had to wait until they returned to the "Doma" headquarters and handed it over to Dartz.
Rafael glanced at the card, said nothing, and put it away. Then he spoke, "Alright, let's continue searching for the next goal. First is—"
