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Chapter 676: Camus? Sounds Like a Woman's Name
Compared to the large passenger jets used in public transportation, the biggest difference isn't just their overall size, but also their internal structure.
Unlike large passenger jets that dedicate most of their space to the Aircraft Cabin to carry a large number of passengers, the seating area in a Private Jet occupies less than half the capacity. Even so, it still provides extremely spacious quarters. The remaining Space, besides the necessary Aircraft Cabin and Storage Area, is used for the Crew Work Area.
The Kitchen, in particular, is indispensable. After all, someone who buys a Private Jet wouldn't tolerate being fobbed off with a bag of cookies and a cup of jelly as an in-flight meal. They'd likely be cursed out and fired.
The increased area of the Work Area means the Crew can provide better service to passengers, but with the Culprit currently hidden, the complex environment makes finding the Target more difficult.
However, for Hayato, this wasn't a big problem.
While the Shaddoll Deck possesses considerable strength and a significant presence in the official lore. Numerous dead, carrying the unwillingness of rebirth, sink into the power of shadows to oppose almost the entire world. In subsequent plot developments, they contributed to the birth of other villain bosses, namely the Infernoid and **Tierra, the Genesis Monarch** that Hayato holds.
However, although the concept is "the dead" revive, fundamentally, the **Shaddoll** are actually "BUGs" that appeared in the reincarnation system due to the influence of **Tierra, the Genesis Monarch** on the dead who are about to undergo reincarnation. They do not possess the consciousness they had in their previous lives; they only have the instinctive desire for rebirth. Compared to monsters, "puppet" is a more suitable description.
This is also why most lower-level monsters in the Shaddoll Deck are Spellcaster Type rather than their respective types from their previous lives. After all, they are essentially just "shadows" holding the power of their respective prototypes from their previous lives.
Because they are "shadows," Hayato is able to make the **Shaddoll** monsters move within the shadows after being materialized by dark power, acting as scouts to search for his target. At the same time, although most of the **Shaddoll** monsters haven't awakened as Card Spirits, because Hayato awakened the "Controller," he is able to freely control these "puppets."
Beside Hayato, **El Shaddoll Nephilim**, whose size was controlled to be only one person tall, struck a pose similar to the Red Comet's shrug. Countless pale purple transparent threads extended from behind her, connecting to the shadow beneath Hayato's feet.
Within a range of twenty meters, Hayato used the power of **El Shaddoll Nephilim** to control the **Shaddoll** monsters moving within the shadows. As long as Hayato kept moving within the Rear Cabin, it wouldn't take long for the hidden Culprit to have nowhere to hide!
In fact, in the very next instant, the right hand index finger of **El Shaddoll Nephilim** behind Hayato suddenly trembled slightly. Hayato also simultaneously perceived that the **Shaddoll** monsters had found something abnormal not far ahead of him.
According to the previous employee list, there were two Stewardesses remaining in the Rear Cabin. Although he wasn't a saint who fantasized about eradicating all tragedy, Hayato felt that if it was within his ability, he should try his best to avoid more innocent people getting injured. He immediately turned back, called out to Marik, and started jogging forward.
After walking along the Corridor and turning just one corner, Hayato immediately saw a figure wearing a cloak standing in front of a slowly opening electric door. Just like how the most flamboyant dresser in a crowd is definitely a Stand User, dressing in such a disreputable appearance clearly indicated that this guy was the Culprit who had attacked the Crew Staff!
However, Hayato did not take action immediately, because just as he started running towards this spot, **Nephilim** sent Hayato a message. The moment Hayato began to move faster, this cloaked person seemed to know that Hayato had discovered them and had started pursuing, and immediately went to find a Hostage who was very close to them.
That is, the Stewardess who was currently beside the cloaked person, whose neck was being held by the latter with one hand, and who was casting a pleading gaze in Hayato's direction.
"A Hostage!?" Marik, who had followed behind Hayato, was also startled when he saw the captured Stewardess. He frowned, staring at the mysterious person whose entire body was covered by the cloak, and said in a cold tone, "Hmph, is this the guy? The one who added unpleasantness to this trip."
"Hey, you ugly ghost who dares not show your face, no one gave you permission to board this airplane, right?" Marik, whose eyes were fierce and fully displayed the demeanor of the former Rare Hunters Leader, said unkindly, "If you surrender honestly, we can still let you live. After all, now that you've been discovered by us, you have no chance of winning."
Just as Hayato was wondering why Marik was so brave today, Marik suddenly turned sideways and stepped aside, pointing at Hayato with his hand and saying, "Because standing before you is the Subduer of the Father of Duel Monsters, the Holder of the Three Egyptian Gods, the Former Commander-in-Chief of the Organization Doma, the Duel King, the Favored by Spirits, my Brother-in-law, Hayato Kobayashi!"
Listing a long string of names like a menu, Marik had an arrogant expression, acting fierce by borrowing someone else's power: "Now that you know how amazing he is, quickly release the Hostage in your hand, or you'll regret it."
However, after patiently listening to Marik's threat, the mysterious person in the cloak shrugged their shoulders slightly, and then let out a laugh: "Heh heh, heh hahahaha! How interesting. Are you trying to threaten me with such empty fame that I fundamentally don't care about? Threaten me, the noble Vampire Race?"
"However, since you have introduced yourselves, I must also inform you insignificant humans of my name as a return courtesy." As they spoke, the cloaked person's exposed finger, which was gripping the Stewardess, suddenly exerted force, piercing the latter's skin. Blood instantly gushed out, but upon touching the cloaked person's finger, it was instantly absorbed as if it had encountered a sponge!?
"Ahhh! Uhhh ahhh..."
The sudden pain caused the captured Stewardess to scream. As her blood was strangely absorbed by the cloaked person, the sound the Stewardess made strangely became somewhat faint, and her breathing also became somewhat rapid and heavy.
However, the mysterious cloaked person did not hold the Hostage for too long. After sucking blood for a short while, they easily lifted the Stewardess's body with one hand and casually threw her towards Hayato and Marik. Marik, who was standing closer, subconsciously reached out to catch her and was almost knocked over.
And the moment after the cloaked person released the Hostage, a hedgehog-like monster with a black-purple body and limbs connected by silk threads suddenly darted out from the shadow behind them. It fiercely rammed the cloaked person with the sharp spines on its back.
"Bang!" However, as if knowing that Hayato would attack the moment the Hostage left their hand, the cloaked person didn't even look back and easily dodged the attack launched by **Shaddoll Hedgehog**, which was being controlled by **El Shaddoll Nephilim**. They didn't forget to give the passing **Shaddoll Hedgehog** a kick, sending it flying towards the ceiling.
**Shaddoll Hedgehog's** attack missed and was kicked up to the ceiling, shattering into a mass of dark shadow and dispersing. At the same time, it also hit a light fixture on the ceiling, causing the wires to loosen and the light to flicker.
"Hmph, just as despicable as a hundred years ago, human." While expressing dissatisfaction with Hayato's sneak attack, the cloaked person extended their sickly pale hands under the flickering light and took off their cloak. A green-haired man appeared before Hayato and Marik.
"My name is Camus. However, as a noble Vampire Race, you lowly humans do not have the qualification to know my surname. Being able to call me by my first name is already a great honor," Camus, who called himself "Vampire Race," said with an arrogant expression and a contemptuous tone.
As Camus removed his cloak, a dark power that Hayato and Marik had already sensed instantly spread out. The Stewardess caught by Marik was stimulated by this power, coupled with having her blood sucked earlier, and instantly fell into a coma, losing consciousness.
However, for Hayato and Marik, although the purity of this dark power was decent, its strength was simply not worth mentioning. The supernatural airflow stirred up in the sealed Aircraft Cabin felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze to them.
Especially Marik, upon hearing Camus's arrogant self-introduction, he raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Camus? Sounds like a woman's name, but it turns out to be a man, huh?"
"None of your business! Is there something wrong with Camus being a man's name?!" Marik's casual rant seemed to stimulate the man who called himself Camus. He suddenly said excitedly, his pale expression instantly turning dark. "I'll return the same words to you. Thinking you can defeat me with that level of Card Spirit power is simply a delusion."
"Originally, I thought if you, an unknown nobody, were sensible enough not to be troublesome, I could take you into my Family and make you a blood servant, sparing your life. But now, I've changed my mind. Just wait to be sucked dry of your blood and die in pain!"
"However, that will be after you taste the pain of seeing your Companion die before you."
Taking his gaze off Marik, Camus looked at Hayato: "That kid just said you're Hayato Kobayashi, right? I heard you're an Important Figure in the Human World, huh huh, what a pity, because someone commissioned me to kill you."
"Kill me?" Hayato heard this, his mouth curved up, and he laughed contemptuously, "Sorry, for now, I have no idea of discarding my life again, so I'm afraid I can't complete your Commission. Also, are you really a vampire? You'd actually accept a human's Commission?"
"Not a vampire, but a noble Vampire Race, remember that, kid!" Camus corrected with an arrogant look. He glanced at Hayato, then at Marik, and gave a cold smile, "Although I look down on humans who are merely food for us Vampire Race, That Person's reward was simply too generous for me to refuse."
"Everything for the revival of the Vampire Race!"
As he spoke, Camus raised his left hand. From his originally empty left hand wrist, a large amount of blood suddenly surged out, and in Marik's shocked gaze, it coalesced into a Duel Disk out of thin air.
"Hey, that's a pretty good magic trick. Want to consider a job livening up parties?" Marik, supporting the Stewardess, looked at Camus and said, "But seriously, was that blood you sucked from the people you attacked? I should warn you, I heard the Stewardesses on Private Jets aren't exactly clean. Be careful of cross-contamination."
"Hmph, shut up, kid. The noble Vampire Race is not an existence you can imagine." Camus glared fiercely at Marik and looked at Hayato, saying, "My Client said that as a penalty for Hayato Kobayashi, who committed the sin of arrogance, I will kill you in the form of Duel Monsters, the most popular thing among you humans right now, using the method of a wicked and terrifying Dark Game."
"Weep and wail as you welcome death, kid, hahahaha!"
Camus originally thought that Hayato, whom he saw as just an ordinary person possessing some weak Card Spirits, would cry in fear upon hearing about the Dark Game. He even prepared to savor the incredibly sweet smell of fear emanating from Hayato.
But Hayato merely had an "As expected" expression and set up his Duel Disk: "It's exactly as I expected. Ultimately, it's still dueling, right? Heh heh, then you have even less chance of winning, because when it comes to dueling, I won't lose."
The fact that **Shaddoll Hedgehog's** sneak attack earlier failed to damage the person calling himself "Vampire Race" in front of him didn't surprise Hayato too much, because he knew very well. Although the **Shaddoll** possess potential close to the Infernoid, fundamentally, the time he obtained the **Shaddoll Deck** was too short. The current **Shaddoll Deck** alone cannot exert too much power.
As for Hayato's other Card Spirits, like **The Winged Dragon of Ra**, if he were to use them, he could naturally and easily defeat this target who seems to be his assassin. But while releasing the power of **The Winged Dragon of Ra**, Hayato must also be mentally prepared for the result of **Ra's** power destroying the entire airplane.
If the problem can be solved by dueling, then that's naturally for the best.
Seeing Hayato take out his Duel Disk, Camus gave a cold smile and was about to release his power to envelop both Hayato and Marik, who hadn't left. But to his surprise, the next second, a terrifying dark power was released from Hayato's body, one step ahead of him, instantly sweeping everything around.
In Camus's shocked gaze, the **Millennium Ring** hidden in Hayato's clothes emitted a golden light that penetrated his clothing. The surrounding environment instantly turned into a dark and deep Open Space.
"Such high purity dark power!"
Although Camus was secretly shocked, he said calmly on the surface, "Hmph, how flashy. Do humans really think they can contend with the noble Vampire Race by relying on items? You fundamentally cannot be an opponent for my invincible Vampire Deck..."
"I don't know, I've never considered that question. And speaking of which, this isn't the first time I've dealt with vampires." Hayato took out a Deck and crammed into his Duel Disk, saying casually to Camus, "Okay, this time the opponent is playing a Vampire Deck, but it doesn't matter, because this time we're playing a pure Cyber Style Deck."
"Duel!" X2
[Camus: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
End of Chapter
Compared to the large passenger jets used in public transportation, the biggest difference isn't just their overall size, but also their internal structure.
Unlike large passenger jets that dedicate most of their space to the Aircraft Cabin to carry a large number of passengers, the seating area in a Private Jet occupies less than half the capacity. Even so, it still provides extremely spacious quarters. The remaining Space, besides the necessary Aircraft Cabin and Storage Area, is used for the Crew Work Area.
The Kitchen, in particular, is indispensable. After all, someone who buys a Private Jet wouldn't tolerate being fobbed off with a bag of cookies and a cup of jelly as an in-flight meal. They'd likely be cursed out and fired.
The increased area of the Work Area means the Crew can provide better service to passengers, but with the Culprit currently hidden, the complex environment makes finding the Target more difficult.
However, for Hayato, this wasn't a big problem.
While the Shaddoll Deck possesses considerable strength and a significant presence in the official lore. Numerous dead, carrying the unwillingness of rebirth, sink into the power of shadows to oppose almost the entire world. In subsequent plot developments, they contributed to the birth of other villain bosses, namely the Infernoid and **Tierra, the Genesis Monarch** that Hayato holds.
However, although the concept is "the dead" revive, fundamentally, the **Shaddoll** are actually "BUGs" that appeared in the reincarnation system due to the influence of **Tierra, the Genesis Monarch** on the dead who are about to undergo reincarnation. They do not possess the consciousness they had in their previous lives; they only have the instinctive desire for rebirth. Compared to monsters, "puppet" is a more suitable description.
This is also why most lower-level monsters in the Shaddoll Deck are Spellcaster Type rather than their respective types from their previous lives. After all, they are essentially just "shadows" holding the power of their respective prototypes from their previous lives.
Because they are "shadows," Hayato is able to make the **Shaddoll** monsters move within the shadows after being materialized by dark power, acting as scouts to search for his target. At the same time, although most of the **Shaddoll** monsters haven't awakened as Card Spirits, because Hayato awakened the "Controller," he is able to freely control these "puppets."
Beside Hayato, **El Shaddoll Nephilim**, whose size was controlled to be only one person tall, struck a pose similar to the Red Comet's shrug. Countless pale purple transparent threads extended from behind her, connecting to the shadow beneath Hayato's feet.
Within a range of twenty meters, Hayato used the power of **El Shaddoll Nephilim** to control the **Shaddoll** monsters moving within the shadows. As long as Hayato kept moving within the Rear Cabin, it wouldn't take long for the hidden Culprit to have nowhere to hide!
In fact, in the very next instant, the right hand index finger of **El Shaddoll Nephilim** behind Hayato suddenly trembled slightly. Hayato also simultaneously perceived that the **Shaddoll** monsters had found something abnormal not far ahead of him.
According to the previous employee list, there were two Stewardesses remaining in the Rear Cabin. Although he wasn't a saint who fantasized about eradicating all tragedy, Hayato felt that if it was within his ability, he should try his best to avoid more innocent people getting injured. He immediately turned back, called out to Marik, and started jogging forward.
After walking along the Corridor and turning just one corner, Hayato immediately saw a figure wearing a cloak standing in front of a slowly opening electric door. Just like how the most flamboyant dresser in a crowd is definitely a Stand User, dressing in such a disreputable appearance clearly indicated that this guy was the Culprit who had attacked the Crew Staff!
However, Hayato did not take action immediately, because just as he started running towards this spot, **Nephilim** sent Hayato a message. The moment Hayato began to move faster, this cloaked person seemed to know that Hayato had discovered them and had started pursuing, and immediately went to find a Hostage who was very close to them.
That is, the Stewardess who was currently beside the cloaked person, whose neck was being held by the latter with one hand, and who was casting a pleading gaze in Hayato's direction.
"A Hostage!?" Marik, who had followed behind Hayato, was also startled when he saw the captured Stewardess. He frowned, staring at the mysterious person whose entire body was covered by the cloak, and said in a cold tone, "Hmph, is this the guy? The one who added unpleasantness to this trip."
"Hey, you ugly ghost who dares not show your face, no one gave you permission to board this airplane, right?" Marik, whose eyes were fierce and fully displayed the demeanor of the former Rare Hunters Leader, said unkindly, "If you surrender honestly, we can still let you live. After all, now that you've been discovered by us, you have no chance of winning."
Just as Hayato was wondering why Marik was so brave today, Marik suddenly turned sideways and stepped aside, pointing at Hayato with his hand and saying, "Because standing before you is the Subduer of the Father of Duel Monsters, the Holder of the Three Egyptian Gods, the Former Commander-in-Chief of the Organization Doma, the Duel King, the Favored by Spirits, my Brother-in-law, Hayato Kobayashi!"
Listing a long string of names like a menu, Marik had an arrogant expression, acting fierce by borrowing someone else's power: "Now that you know how amazing he is, quickly release the Hostage in your hand, or you'll regret it."
However, after patiently listening to Marik's threat, the mysterious person in the cloak shrugged their shoulders slightly, and then let out a laugh: "Heh heh, heh hahahaha! How interesting. Are you trying to threaten me with such empty fame that I fundamentally don't care about? Threaten me, the noble Vampire Race?"
"However, since you have introduced yourselves, I must also inform you insignificant humans of my name as a return courtesy." As they spoke, the cloaked person's exposed finger, which was gripping the Stewardess, suddenly exerted force, piercing the latter's skin. Blood instantly gushed out, but upon touching the cloaked person's finger, it was instantly absorbed as if it had encountered a sponge!?
"Ahhh! Uhhh ahhh..."
The sudden pain caused the captured Stewardess to scream. As her blood was strangely absorbed by the cloaked person, the sound the Stewardess made strangely became somewhat faint, and her breathing also became somewhat rapid and heavy.
However, the mysterious cloaked person did not hold the Hostage for too long. After sucking blood for a short while, they easily lifted the Stewardess's body with one hand and casually threw her towards Hayato and Marik. Marik, who was standing closer, subconsciously reached out to catch her and was almost knocked over.
And the moment after the cloaked person released the Hostage, a hedgehog-like monster with a black-purple body and limbs connected by silk threads suddenly darted out from the shadow behind them. It fiercely rammed the cloaked person with the sharp spines on its back.
"Bang!" However, as if knowing that Hayato would attack the moment the Hostage left their hand, the cloaked person didn't even look back and easily dodged the attack launched by **Shaddoll Hedgehog**, which was being controlled by **El Shaddoll Nephilim**. They didn't forget to give the passing **Shaddoll Hedgehog** a kick, sending it flying towards the ceiling.
**Shaddoll Hedgehog's** attack missed and was kicked up to the ceiling, shattering into a mass of dark shadow and dispersing. At the same time, it also hit a light fixture on the ceiling, causing the wires to loosen and the light to flicker.
"Hmph, just as despicable as a hundred years ago, human." While expressing dissatisfaction with Hayato's sneak attack, the cloaked person extended their sickly pale hands under the flickering light and took off their cloak. A green-haired man appeared before Hayato and Marik.
"My name is Camus. However, as a noble Vampire Race, you lowly humans do not have the qualification to know my surname. Being able to call me by my first name is already a great honor," Camus, who called himself "Vampire Race," said with an arrogant expression and a contemptuous tone.
As Camus removed his cloak, a dark power that Hayato and Marik had already sensed instantly spread out. The Stewardess caught by Marik was stimulated by this power, coupled with having her blood sucked earlier, and instantly fell into a coma, losing consciousness.
However, for Hayato and Marik, although the purity of this dark power was decent, its strength was simply not worth mentioning. The supernatural airflow stirred up in the sealed Aircraft Cabin felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze to them.
Especially Marik, upon hearing Camus's arrogant self-introduction, he raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Camus? Sounds like a woman's name, but it turns out to be a man, huh?"
"None of your business! Is there something wrong with Camus being a man's name?!" Marik's casual rant seemed to stimulate the man who called himself Camus. He suddenly said excitedly, his pale expression instantly turning dark. "I'll return the same words to you. Thinking you can defeat me with that level of Card Spirit power is simply a delusion."
"Originally, I thought if you, an unknown nobody, were sensible enough not to be troublesome, I could take you into my Family and make you a blood servant, sparing your life. But now, I've changed my mind. Just wait to be sucked dry of your blood and die in pain!"
"However, that will be after you taste the pain of seeing your Companion die before you."
Taking his gaze off Marik, Camus looked at Hayato: "That kid just said you're Hayato Kobayashi, right? I heard you're an Important Figure in the Human World, huh huh, what a pity, because someone commissioned me to kill you."
"Kill me?" Hayato heard this, his mouth curved up, and he laughed contemptuously, "Sorry, for now, I have no idea of discarding my life again, so I'm afraid I can't complete your Commission. Also, are you really a vampire? You'd actually accept a human's Commission?"
"Not a vampire, but a noble Vampire Race, remember that, kid!" Camus corrected with an arrogant look. He glanced at Hayato, then at Marik, and gave a cold smile, "Although I look down on humans who are merely food for us Vampire Race, That Person's reward was simply too generous for me to refuse."
"Everything for the revival of the Vampire Race!"
As he spoke, Camus raised his left hand. From his originally empty left hand wrist, a large amount of blood suddenly surged out, and in Marik's shocked gaze, it coalesced into a Duel Disk out of thin air.
"Hey, that's a pretty good magic trick. Want to consider a job livening up parties?" Marik, supporting the Stewardess, looked at Camus and said, "But seriously, was that blood you sucked from the people you attacked? I should warn you, I heard the Stewardesses on Private Jets aren't exactly clean. Be careful of cross-contamination."
"Hmph, shut up, kid. The noble Vampire Race is not an existence you can imagine." Camus glared fiercely at Marik and looked at Hayato, saying, "My Client said that as a penalty for Hayato Kobayashi, who committed the sin of arrogance, I will kill you in the form of Duel Monsters, the most popular thing among you humans right now, using the method of a wicked and terrifying Dark Game."
"Weep and wail as you welcome death, kid, hahahaha!"
Camus originally thought that Hayato, whom he saw as just an ordinary person possessing some weak Card Spirits, would cry in fear upon hearing about the Dark Game. He even prepared to savor the incredibly sweet smell of fear emanating from Hayato.
But Hayato merely had an "As expected" expression and set up his Duel Disk: "It's exactly as I expected. Ultimately, it's still dueling, right? Heh heh, then you have even less chance of winning, because when it comes to dueling, I won't lose."
The fact that **Shaddoll Hedgehog's** sneak attack earlier failed to damage the person calling himself "Vampire Race" in front of him didn't surprise Hayato too much, because he knew very well. Although the **Shaddoll** possess potential close to the Infernoid, fundamentally, the time he obtained the **Shaddoll Deck** was too short. The current **Shaddoll Deck** alone cannot exert too much power.
As for Hayato's other Card Spirits, like **The Winged Dragon of Ra**, if he were to use them, he could naturally and easily defeat this target who seems to be his assassin. But while releasing the power of **The Winged Dragon of Ra**, Hayato must also be mentally prepared for the result of **Ra's** power destroying the entire airplane.
If the problem can be solved by dueling, then that's naturally for the best.
Seeing Hayato take out his Duel Disk, Camus gave a cold smile and was about to release his power to envelop both Hayato and Marik, who hadn't left. But to his surprise, the next second, a terrifying dark power was released from Hayato's body, one step ahead of him, instantly sweeping everything around.
In Camus's shocked gaze, the **Millennium Ring** hidden in Hayato's clothes emitted a golden light that penetrated his clothing. The surrounding environment instantly turned into a dark and deep Open Space.
"Such high purity dark power!"
Although Camus was secretly shocked, he said calmly on the surface, "Hmph, how flashy. Do humans really think they can contend with the noble Vampire Race by relying on items? You fundamentally cannot be an opponent for my invincible Vampire Deck..."
"I don't know, I've never considered that question. And speaking of which, this isn't the first time I've dealt with vampires." Hayato took out a Deck and crammed into his Duel Disk, saying casually to Camus, "Okay, this time the opponent is playing a Vampire Deck, but it doesn't matter, because this time we're playing a pure Cyber Style Deck."
"Duel!" X2
[Camus: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
[Hayato: 4000 LP, Hand 5]
End of Chapter
