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Chapter 605 It's Normal for the Three Swordsmen to Have Four People, Right?
Under the escort of **Red-Eyes Dragoon**, Yugi and the others successfully broke through the "complex" Labyrinth.
As soon as they emerged, the group of four saw Joey Wheeler and Kujaku Mai walking from a distance, as well as Hayato and Rafael standing not far away.
"Is that person also one of Doma's?"
Téa and Tristan hadn't gone up to the roof with Joey Wheeler and Yugi during the recent battle at Industrial Illusions, but it wasn't the first time they had seen Rafael. At least during the KC Cup, they had seen him as spectators, though their impression was likely not deep.
"Everyone, be careful." Yugi directed **Red-Eyes Dragoon** to stand in front of him, looking seriously at Hayato and Rafael. "That guy is called Rafael. He's a very powerful Duelist, one of the 'Three Swordsmen' of Organization Doma."
Rex also had a serious expression: "I also have an impression of that guy. He acted together with someone named Valon, and at that time, whether it was Hayato Kobayashi, Valon, or another guy I didn't know named Alister, they all seemed like they were acting under this guy's command."
"Even among the 'Doma Three Swordsmen', that guy's identity seems like it's one of the top few. That means he's also an amazing and dangerous Duelist!"
"Yugi, and everyone!" While Yugi and the others were wary of Hayato and Rafael, Joey Wheeler was also brought nearby by Kujaku Mai. "Nobody's hurt, right? And what was that monster just now?"
"Joey Wheeler! You look like you've been through the wringer." While teasing Joey Wheeler, Tristan proactively took over from Kujaku Mai supporting the exhausted Joey Wheeler, answering him as he did so. "Just now, after you and Mai left, Hayato suddenly attacked us and trapped us in a Labyrinth."
"That monster just now, I remember it was called **Raviel, Lord of Phantasms**. It was chasing me like crazy in the Labyrinth, and I was almost taken out by it."
Recalling his experience in the Labyrinth before, Tristan felt lingering fear, and wanted to rant a little.
It was clearly a Labyrinth, and while there were many left and right turns, he basically just ran down one path the whole way with no branching paths at all. Also, while Yugi, Téa, and Rex all met up safely, why was he the only one being chased by **Raviel, Lord of Phantasms** when he found Yugi and the others?!
It was almost like a hastily completed Labyrinth game with insufficient funding, where the paths and enemies along the way weren't seriously designed at all. It was even like they just casually threw the only monster with overpowered strength into the Labyrinth as a perfunctory measure to save resources!
"Hoh hoh, Joey Wheeler, you finally managed to defeat Valon, but you're not cherishing this life you picked up. You actually came back here again." Looking at the six people gathered before him, Hayato took a step forward and said with an arrogant expression.
"Hayato..." Looking at Hayato, who was acting like Dio, Joey Wheeler took a deep breath and calmed his mood. "Even if you've been controlled by the Doma people, to actually try to kill your Companions, I definitely have to give you a good beating!"
"With my duel!"
Propping himself up, Joey Wheeler activated his duel disk.
[Joey Wheeler: 4000 LP]
Looking at Joey Wheeler, who needed Tristan's help just to stand, Hayato sneered: "Joey Wheeler, you don't actually think that after defeating Valon, you have enough confidence to defeat everyone else, do you?"
"Heh heh, I'll tell you the truth. There are three other duelists as powerful as Valon. He's the weakest of the Doma Three Swordsmen."
---Although in reality, the weakest should be Alister, it didn't stop Hayato from bluffing a little. Moreover, the phrase "the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings" was the fourth line Hayato wanted to say most in his life.
Facing the aggressive Hayato, Rex, who had been silent until just now, stepped forward and stood beside Joey Wheeler: "In that case, I'm here too! I'll help as well!"
"Rex?"
Glancing at Joey Wheeler, Rex still had a psychological shadow from Organization Doma. Even just looking at the standard Doma duel disks Hayato and Rafael were wearing made his legs tremble a little, but he still said firmly: "Even as a reward for you avenging me, I won't let you fight alone, Joey Wheeler."
"Besides, I'm 'Tough Guy' Rex. A True Duelist can't be deserting the post!" Saying this, Rex's duel disk was also activated.
[Rex: 4000 LP]
As Rex activated his duel disk, Kujaku Mai showed a helpless smile looking at the two boys standing in front of her: "Honestly, you boys, don't act like you're the only ones who can step forward."
"Mai?"
Seeing Joey Wheeler call her name, Kujaku Mai raised her chin proudly like an arrogant peacock: "Heh heh, that guy Rex is the All-America Duel Monsters Runner-up, and I'm the champion. Don't underestimate me, Joey Wheeler. I'm not just a pretty face."
[Kujaku Mai: 4000 LP]
"Everyone..." Looking at everyone stepping forward one after another, Yugi touched the Millennium Puzzle on his chest. "Partner..."
'Yeah, believe in everyone's power, The Other Me!'
Even though he only called out softly, Yugi Mutou inside the Millennium Puzzle felt and understood Dark Yugi's idea at this moment, and encouraged him, 'I'll always be by your side too.'
The goal of Yugi and the others on this trip was to go to the Paradius Headquarters to find more clues about Organization Doma, and find a way to turn the passive situation into an active one, preferably by directly attacking the enemy's lair and solving the mastermind. Therefore, when facing interceptions along the way, the best course of action was to try hard to escape.
Especially the two people intercepting them now: one was Rafael, with whom Yugi had fought a battle that would have been too close to call if not for the burden of **Uria, Lord of Searing Flames**; the other was Hayato, whom Yugi and Joey Wheeler had teamed up to challenge but ultimately suffered a crushing defeat against.
Escaping is shameful but useful. Dark Yugi's initial idea was to leave this place with Téa and Tristan. Retreat was the best policy. This was the most suitable approach based on rational thinking, because there was no chance of victory fighting against Hayato and Rafael.
However, under the influence of Joey Wheeler, Rex, and Kujaku Mai, Yugi was touched and felt the will and courage to battle.
"Hayato, and Rafael, we won't surrender!" Walking to the front, Yugi threw off the school uniform he was wearing like a trench coat and raised his duel disk. "Darkness ultimately cannot absorb light. Our gathered will is indestructible!"
[Yugi: 4000 LP]
"The four of us," Joey Wheeler showed a face art smile, "Even if we're covered in wounds,"
Rex's expression was firm: "Even if the chance of victory or defeat is slim,"
"But our three-person team won't escape!" Kujaku Mai shouted boldly, "Come on, Hayato Kobayashi!"
(Joey Wheeler, Rex, Yugi: 'Three-person team?')
Looking at the several people activating their duel disks one after another, Rafael frowned. His hands behind his back subtly made a few gestures. The Organization Doma killers hiding in the houses near the Street received the command and quietly retreated.
According to his understanding of Yugi, or rather, of the Nameless Pharaoh Dark Yugi, although he was a person who valued honor, he was also a person whose rational thinking outweighed his emotions. In this situation, he should choose to escape with his Companions instead of foolishly staying to battle.
Based on this prediction, Rafael had specifically arranged personnel in the nearby houses, preparing to use sniper rifles equipped with riot control tranquilizer rounds to seize the opportunity to leave a few people behind as hostages when Yugi and the others escaped.
In that case, Rafael could use this to threaten the Nameless Pharaoh into acting alone with him, without having to get entangled with Joey Wheeler and the others. Although it was despicable, it was a necessary condition to complete the quests assigned by Lord Dartz.
The quests Dartz assigned to Rafael and the 'Doma Three Swordsmen' was to defeat the Legendary Dragon. Yugi, Joey Wheeler, and Kaiba were the users of the Legendary Dragon, but this didn't mean that defeating Yugi and the others counted as defeating the Legendary Dragon.
Either make the Legendary Dragon dissatisfied with its user and abandon the user;
Or seal the Legendary Dragon and the user's soul together with the Seal of Orichalcos in a duel. This was the method Rafael knew for defeating the Legendary Dragon.
Simply killing the user of the Legendary Dragon was like being afraid of guns and killing the person holding the gun but not confiscating the firearms – it was completely useless effort. The Legendary Dragon could still choose the next user. If it were really useful, Rafael wouldn't have planned so much; he would have just had the Doma personnel in the Town swarm and kill Yugi and Joey Wheeler from the start.
This Town has had Doma's involvement since its establishment hundreds of years ago. It's not an exaggeration to say that America, a country only a few hundred years old, grew directly attached to Doma like a great tree's torso. Even having his Subordinates commit murder was not a big deal for Rafael, it was just useless.
To defeat the Legendary Dragon, Rafael needed to be able to seal them together with the Legendary Dragon using the power of the Seal of Orichalcos when the Legendary Dragon users like Joey Wheeler and Yugi unleashed their maximum power. Otherwise, even if the duelist's soul was sealed, it wouldn't influence the Legendary Dragon.
To achieve this, a one-on-one was very necessary. Otherwise, if more than one opponent covered for each other, it would be difficult for even Rafael to seize the opportunity.
And right now, Yugi and the others had a full four people. Rafael felt that if he let Hayato Kobayashi take on three people to create a one-on-one situation for him with the Nameless Pharaoh, let alone Hayato, he himself would feel it was unreasonable.
But facing two people alone, victory could certainly be achieved, but what was important was never victory but the Legendary Dragon. Only this was the necessary matter that must be completed first.
Rafael was troubled, but Hayato still looked arrogant: "Hoh hoh, not escaping but approaching me, Hayato Kobayashi? Then come closer."
"Kujaku Mai, Rex, Joey Wheeler, and Yugi. Even if there are four of you, what can you do? Nine turns? Eight turns?"
"No! To defeat you, I don't even need five turns!"
Laughing boastfully, Hayato glanced at Rafael beside him and said casually: "How about it, Rafael? You've seemed to be thinking about some question since just now. Are you troubled about which opponent to choose? No problem, take your time to think slowly. I can let you choose first. Anyway, for me, any opponent is the same."
"Do you dare to defy me, who possesses Infernoid?"
The arrogant Hayato laughed with his hands on his hips, but he only saw Rafael, who had finally made up his mind, take a step back: "Let's retreat for now."
"Oh, retreat for now, a good choice. Then I'll choose..."
"Hmm?!"
Hayato raised an eyebrow, looking at Rafael: "What did you just say?! Retreat? Are you humiliating my dignity as an Emperor, Rafael!"
"Yes, I said, retreat, unless you want to face four people alone." Rafael said calmly with an unchanged expression even while being stared at by Hayato. "Perhaps you don't care, but I think it's necessary to first report Valon's death to Lord Dartz, and to retrieve his body."
"Tsk, Dartz must already know about Valon's death. Are you choosing to escape to do such a boring thing?"
Hayato said, closing his duel disk, but inadvertently dropped a card on the ground. He glared at Rafael with an annoyed look, then turned back to Yugi and the others, who were standing ready, and said: "What a pity, everyone. Today's game time is over. Your lives will be spared until next time to be reaped."
Seeing that Hayato and Rafael were about to leave, Joey Wheeler was a little unwilling to let them go just like that and shouted: "Wait—"
However, at the instant Hayato finished speaking, a huge poison dragon manifested behind him. **Starving Venom Fusion Dragon** fiercely sprayed a sudden blast onto the ground. The explosion "boom" shattered the sandy ground, sending gravel and sand and wind flying, obscuring everyone's view.
Honda, who was supporting Joey Wheeler, immediately let go of Joey Wheeler for the time being and chased in. But when he rushed into the smoke, Hayato and Rafael had already disappeared and vanished.
"Did they escape?"
Joey Wheeler sat on the ground in a sorry state, looking at Tristan walking back shaking his head, and said with a slight disappointment. But Kujaku Mai poked his forehead from the side: "Don't forget your current condition, you idiot. Hayato Kobayashi left, do you want him to come back? Do you really want to achieve mutual destruction with him?"
"No way, I don't believe Hayato really joined Doma. He must have been brainwashed!"
"That's just your intuition, you guy! Don't use something without any evidence as a realistic basis for action!"
While Kujaku Mai and Joey Wheeler, these rivals, were interacting as if arguing, Yugi noticed that a card had been blown towards him from beside Hayato's feet when **Starving Venom Fusion Dragon** attacked the ground, landing not far away.
Picking it up with a slight confused look, Yugi looked at the monster on the card in his hand and said in surprise: "This is, **Gaia the Fierce Knight**!?"
Under the escort of **Red-Eyes Dragoon**, Yugi and the others successfully broke through the "complex" Labyrinth.
As soon as they emerged, the group of four saw Joey Wheeler and Kujaku Mai walking from a distance, as well as Hayato and Rafael standing not far away.
"Is that person also one of Doma's?"
Téa and Tristan hadn't gone up to the roof with Joey Wheeler and Yugi during the recent battle at Industrial Illusions, but it wasn't the first time they had seen Rafael. At least during the KC Cup, they had seen him as spectators, though their impression was likely not deep.
"Everyone, be careful." Yugi directed **Red-Eyes Dragoon** to stand in front of him, looking seriously at Hayato and Rafael. "That guy is called Rafael. He's a very powerful Duelist, one of the 'Three Swordsmen' of Organization Doma."
Rex also had a serious expression: "I also have an impression of that guy. He acted together with someone named Valon, and at that time, whether it was Hayato Kobayashi, Valon, or another guy I didn't know named Alister, they all seemed like they were acting under this guy's command."
"Even among the 'Doma Three Swordsmen', that guy's identity seems like it's one of the top few. That means he's also an amazing and dangerous Duelist!"
"Yugi, and everyone!" While Yugi and the others were wary of Hayato and Rafael, Joey Wheeler was also brought nearby by Kujaku Mai. "Nobody's hurt, right? And what was that monster just now?"
"Joey Wheeler! You look like you've been through the wringer." While teasing Joey Wheeler, Tristan proactively took over from Kujaku Mai supporting the exhausted Joey Wheeler, answering him as he did so. "Just now, after you and Mai left, Hayato suddenly attacked us and trapped us in a Labyrinth."
"That monster just now, I remember it was called **Raviel, Lord of Phantasms**. It was chasing me like crazy in the Labyrinth, and I was almost taken out by it."
Recalling his experience in the Labyrinth before, Tristan felt lingering fear, and wanted to rant a little.
It was clearly a Labyrinth, and while there were many left and right turns, he basically just ran down one path the whole way with no branching paths at all. Also, while Yugi, Téa, and Rex all met up safely, why was he the only one being chased by **Raviel, Lord of Phantasms** when he found Yugi and the others?!
It was almost like a hastily completed Labyrinth game with insufficient funding, where the paths and enemies along the way weren't seriously designed at all. It was even like they just casually threw the only monster with overpowered strength into the Labyrinth as a perfunctory measure to save resources!
"Hoh hoh, Joey Wheeler, you finally managed to defeat Valon, but you're not cherishing this life you picked up. You actually came back here again." Looking at the six people gathered before him, Hayato took a step forward and said with an arrogant expression.
"Hayato..." Looking at Hayato, who was acting like Dio, Joey Wheeler took a deep breath and calmed his mood. "Even if you've been controlled by the Doma people, to actually try to kill your Companions, I definitely have to give you a good beating!"
"With my duel!"
Propping himself up, Joey Wheeler activated his duel disk.
[Joey Wheeler: 4000 LP]
Looking at Joey Wheeler, who needed Tristan's help just to stand, Hayato sneered: "Joey Wheeler, you don't actually think that after defeating Valon, you have enough confidence to defeat everyone else, do you?"
"Heh heh, I'll tell you the truth. There are three other duelists as powerful as Valon. He's the weakest of the Doma Three Swordsmen."
---Although in reality, the weakest should be Alister, it didn't stop Hayato from bluffing a little. Moreover, the phrase "the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings" was the fourth line Hayato wanted to say most in his life.
Facing the aggressive Hayato, Rex, who had been silent until just now, stepped forward and stood beside Joey Wheeler: "In that case, I'm here too! I'll help as well!"
"Rex?"
Glancing at Joey Wheeler, Rex still had a psychological shadow from Organization Doma. Even just looking at the standard Doma duel disks Hayato and Rafael were wearing made his legs tremble a little, but he still said firmly: "Even as a reward for you avenging me, I won't let you fight alone, Joey Wheeler."
"Besides, I'm 'Tough Guy' Rex. A True Duelist can't be deserting the post!" Saying this, Rex's duel disk was also activated.
[Rex: 4000 LP]
As Rex activated his duel disk, Kujaku Mai showed a helpless smile looking at the two boys standing in front of her: "Honestly, you boys, don't act like you're the only ones who can step forward."
"Mai?"
Seeing Joey Wheeler call her name, Kujaku Mai raised her chin proudly like an arrogant peacock: "Heh heh, that guy Rex is the All-America Duel Monsters Runner-up, and I'm the champion. Don't underestimate me, Joey Wheeler. I'm not just a pretty face."
[Kujaku Mai: 4000 LP]
"Everyone..." Looking at everyone stepping forward one after another, Yugi touched the Millennium Puzzle on his chest. "Partner..."
'Yeah, believe in everyone's power, The Other Me!'
Even though he only called out softly, Yugi Mutou inside the Millennium Puzzle felt and understood Dark Yugi's idea at this moment, and encouraged him, 'I'll always be by your side too.'
The goal of Yugi and the others on this trip was to go to the Paradius Headquarters to find more clues about Organization Doma, and find a way to turn the passive situation into an active one, preferably by directly attacking the enemy's lair and solving the mastermind. Therefore, when facing interceptions along the way, the best course of action was to try hard to escape.
Especially the two people intercepting them now: one was Rafael, with whom Yugi had fought a battle that would have been too close to call if not for the burden of **Uria, Lord of Searing Flames**; the other was Hayato, whom Yugi and Joey Wheeler had teamed up to challenge but ultimately suffered a crushing defeat against.
Escaping is shameful but useful. Dark Yugi's initial idea was to leave this place with Téa and Tristan. Retreat was the best policy. This was the most suitable approach based on rational thinking, because there was no chance of victory fighting against Hayato and Rafael.
However, under the influence of Joey Wheeler, Rex, and Kujaku Mai, Yugi was touched and felt the will and courage to battle.
"Hayato, and Rafael, we won't surrender!" Walking to the front, Yugi threw off the school uniform he was wearing like a trench coat and raised his duel disk. "Darkness ultimately cannot absorb light. Our gathered will is indestructible!"
[Yugi: 4000 LP]
"The four of us," Joey Wheeler showed a face art smile, "Even if we're covered in wounds,"
Rex's expression was firm: "Even if the chance of victory or defeat is slim,"
"But our three-person team won't escape!" Kujaku Mai shouted boldly, "Come on, Hayato Kobayashi!"
(Joey Wheeler, Rex, Yugi: 'Three-person team?')
Looking at the several people activating their duel disks one after another, Rafael frowned. His hands behind his back subtly made a few gestures. The Organization Doma killers hiding in the houses near the Street received the command and quietly retreated.
According to his understanding of Yugi, or rather, of the Nameless Pharaoh Dark Yugi, although he was a person who valued honor, he was also a person whose rational thinking outweighed his emotions. In this situation, he should choose to escape with his Companions instead of foolishly staying to battle.
Based on this prediction, Rafael had specifically arranged personnel in the nearby houses, preparing to use sniper rifles equipped with riot control tranquilizer rounds to seize the opportunity to leave a few people behind as hostages when Yugi and the others escaped.
In that case, Rafael could use this to threaten the Nameless Pharaoh into acting alone with him, without having to get entangled with Joey Wheeler and the others. Although it was despicable, it was a necessary condition to complete the quests assigned by Lord Dartz.
The quests Dartz assigned to Rafael and the 'Doma Three Swordsmen' was to defeat the Legendary Dragon. Yugi, Joey Wheeler, and Kaiba were the users of the Legendary Dragon, but this didn't mean that defeating Yugi and the others counted as defeating the Legendary Dragon.
Either make the Legendary Dragon dissatisfied with its user and abandon the user;
Or seal the Legendary Dragon and the user's soul together with the Seal of Orichalcos in a duel. This was the method Rafael knew for defeating the Legendary Dragon.
Simply killing the user of the Legendary Dragon was like being afraid of guns and killing the person holding the gun but not confiscating the firearms – it was completely useless effort. The Legendary Dragon could still choose the next user. If it were really useful, Rafael wouldn't have planned so much; he would have just had the Doma personnel in the Town swarm and kill Yugi and Joey Wheeler from the start.
This Town has had Doma's involvement since its establishment hundreds of years ago. It's not an exaggeration to say that America, a country only a few hundred years old, grew directly attached to Doma like a great tree's torso. Even having his Subordinates commit murder was not a big deal for Rafael, it was just useless.
To defeat the Legendary Dragon, Rafael needed to be able to seal them together with the Legendary Dragon using the power of the Seal of Orichalcos when the Legendary Dragon users like Joey Wheeler and Yugi unleashed their maximum power. Otherwise, even if the duelist's soul was sealed, it wouldn't influence the Legendary Dragon.
To achieve this, a one-on-one was very necessary. Otherwise, if more than one opponent covered for each other, it would be difficult for even Rafael to seize the opportunity.
And right now, Yugi and the others had a full four people. Rafael felt that if he let Hayato Kobayashi take on three people to create a one-on-one situation for him with the Nameless Pharaoh, let alone Hayato, he himself would feel it was unreasonable.
But facing two people alone, victory could certainly be achieved, but what was important was never victory but the Legendary Dragon. Only this was the necessary matter that must be completed first.
Rafael was troubled, but Hayato still looked arrogant: "Hoh hoh, not escaping but approaching me, Hayato Kobayashi? Then come closer."
"Kujaku Mai, Rex, Joey Wheeler, and Yugi. Even if there are four of you, what can you do? Nine turns? Eight turns?"
"No! To defeat you, I don't even need five turns!"
Laughing boastfully, Hayato glanced at Rafael beside him and said casually: "How about it, Rafael? You've seemed to be thinking about some question since just now. Are you troubled about which opponent to choose? No problem, take your time to think slowly. I can let you choose first. Anyway, for me, any opponent is the same."
"Do you dare to defy me, who possesses Infernoid?"
The arrogant Hayato laughed with his hands on his hips, but he only saw Rafael, who had finally made up his mind, take a step back: "Let's retreat for now."
"Oh, retreat for now, a good choice. Then I'll choose..."
"Hmm?!"
Hayato raised an eyebrow, looking at Rafael: "What did you just say?! Retreat? Are you humiliating my dignity as an Emperor, Rafael!"
"Yes, I said, retreat, unless you want to face four people alone." Rafael said calmly with an unchanged expression even while being stared at by Hayato. "Perhaps you don't care, but I think it's necessary to first report Valon's death to Lord Dartz, and to retrieve his body."
"Tsk, Dartz must already know about Valon's death. Are you choosing to escape to do such a boring thing?"
Hayato said, closing his duel disk, but inadvertently dropped a card on the ground. He glared at Rafael with an annoyed look, then turned back to Yugi and the others, who were standing ready, and said: "What a pity, everyone. Today's game time is over. Your lives will be spared until next time to be reaped."
Seeing that Hayato and Rafael were about to leave, Joey Wheeler was a little unwilling to let them go just like that and shouted: "Wait—"
However, at the instant Hayato finished speaking, a huge poison dragon manifested behind him. **Starving Venom Fusion Dragon** fiercely sprayed a sudden blast onto the ground. The explosion "boom" shattered the sandy ground, sending gravel and sand and wind flying, obscuring everyone's view.
Honda, who was supporting Joey Wheeler, immediately let go of Joey Wheeler for the time being and chased in. But when he rushed into the smoke, Hayato and Rafael had already disappeared and vanished.
"Did they escape?"
Joey Wheeler sat on the ground in a sorry state, looking at Tristan walking back shaking his head, and said with a slight disappointment. But Kujaku Mai poked his forehead from the side: "Don't forget your current condition, you idiot. Hayato Kobayashi left, do you want him to come back? Do you really want to achieve mutual destruction with him?"
"No way, I don't believe Hayato really joined Doma. He must have been brainwashed!"
"That's just your intuition, you guy! Don't use something without any evidence as a realistic basis for action!"
While Kujaku Mai and Joey Wheeler, these rivals, were interacting as if arguing, Yugi noticed that a card had been blown towards him from beside Hayato's feet when **Starving Venom Fusion Dragon** attacked the ground, landing not far away.
Picking it up with a slight confused look, Yugi looked at the monster on the card in his hand and said in surprise: "This is, **Gaia the Fierce Knight**!?"
