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As the last three men fell, the entire bar had been utterly decimated by the president. Standing at the entrance, Fujimoto trembled uncontrollably as he gazed at the gruesome scene before him, inwardly grateful that he had switched sides quickly enough to avoid sharing their fate.
Facing three of the four Blood Moon Heavenly Kings—the strongest members of their organization—and defeating them all in one go was an unimaginable feat. This overwhelming display far surpassed what anyone had previously conceived as the "pinnacle of dueling."
Seto Kaiba hadn't participated in public duels for years, and rumors about his current skill level were rampant. Some even claimed that he had abandoned dueling entirely, focusing solely on business ventures and allowing his abilities to deteriorate. Many believed that in today's competitive environment, Kaiba might no longer be a dominant force.
But now, Fujimoto finally understood just how laughable those assumptions were.
The evolution of the dueling world over the years didn't mean that the gap between average duelists and the top tier had narrowed. On the contrary, the disparity had grown even wider than it was decades ago.
This man wasn't playing the same game as everyone else.
You Xuan, however, remained calm throughout.
Thankfully, President Kaiba's current lineup of Blue-Eyes variants were still recognizable to You Xuan. At least nothing absurd like pulling out a card from some obscure corner of history had occurred. While these cards would undoubtedly obliterate ordinary duelists in today's environment, they weren't quite at the peak of Blue-Eyes' potential.
Watching these two matches reinforced You Xuan's realization that destiny power allowed the strong to act with impunity. Moreover, having wealth, resources, and a team capable of developing new cards made such dominance even more absolute.
It seemed that moving forward, he would need to not only seek ways to enhance his own destiny power but also invest heavily in research and development.
With the duel concluded, personnel from Kaiba Corporation swiftly entered the bar to clean up the aftermath.
Kaiba approached the trio who had been defeated last.
"You... won," said Ryosuke, one of the three Heavenly Kings, weakly. "We admit defeat, Seto Kaiba. The Blood Moon is yours to do with as you please."
Though Kaiba had adjusted the Duel Disk's holographic output to spare their lives, the devastating nature of the beatdown still left them severely wounded.
"I have no interest in your ragtag organization," Kaiba replied coldly. "From the beginning, my sole focus has been on 'The Arbiter.'"
At the mere mention of that name, every dark duelist in the room shuddered involuntarily, as though hearing the whisper of a demon.
Aikawa, kneeling on the ground, stammered, "H-How do you know about the Master...!?"
"I know plenty," Kaiba said dismissively. "I also know that your so-called organization is nothing but expendable cannon fodder."
The faces of the dark duelists turned pale.
"Our knowledge of the Master is limited to that title alone... We rarely dare speak his name aloud," the female bartender added, her breathing finally stabilizing.
"Besides, if you truly understood how terrifying the Master is, you'd realize that even if we did know something, we wouldn't dare tell you."
"That remains to be seen," Kaiba responded icily. "I have my methods of making people talk."
Without further discussion, he turned away, leaving the cleanup to his subordinates, who began rounding up the captured individuals for interrogation later.
Once everything was settled, Kaiba strode toward the entrance.
Fujimoto, who had fully defected to Kaiba's side, hurriedly plastered a smile on his face and moved to greet him. "President Kaiba, magnificent as always! A triple knockout in one turn—I never saw that coming. Incredible..."
But before he could finish, there was a sharp click. His smile froze as he looked down to see a silver pair of handcuffs already clamped around his wrist, courtesy of a Kaiba Corp enforcer.
"Eh?"
Fujimoto stared blankly upward.
"Big bro, there must be a mistake! I'm on your side!"
No one paid him any mind as two enforcers dragged him out.
Outside, his protests continued to echo: "I'm on your side! I helped the president! I guided him here! Let me see the president..."
His voice faded into the distance.
Unbothered by the commotion, Kaiba walked directly up to You Xuan.
"You Xuan... correct?"
"Good day, President Kaiba." You Xuan shook his hand firmly.
"The matter has been reported to me, and on behalf of Kaiba Corporation, I extend our gratitude." Kaiba nodded solemnly. "Mokuba informed me of his plans, and I have no objections to his arrangements. The promised cash prize and cards will be delivered to you as compensation."
Pausing briefly, he narrowed his eyes.
"However, I have an additional condition."
With that, he flicked a piece of paper between his fingers, sending it floating gracefully toward You Xuan.
You Xuan couldn't help but admire Kaiba's card-flicking technique—his ability to launch cards like deadly projectiles was impressive enough to make one wonder if he'd secretly mastered some kind of martial arts fingertip strike.
Catching the paper, You Xuan found it wasn't a regular duel card but rather a peculiar card imprinted with a five-pointed star.
"What's this?"
"An invitation card," Kaiba explained, smirking slightly. "Six months from now, in Domino City, Kaiba Corporation will host 'Duelist Kingdom GX.'"
You Xuan immediately understood: "You want me to participate?"
The Duelist Kingdom tournaments weren't limited to just the first edition featured in the anime. Subsequent events had been held in the following years, though Kaiba himself hadn't competed since then. As a result, the overall quality of participants had declined significantly compared to the inaugural tournament, leading to waning interest.
Seemingly anticipating You Xuan's thoughts, Kaiba remarked coolly, "This time will be different. I plan to compete personally and invite only the most elite duelists."
Was Kaiba planning a comeback? You Xuan felt a twinge of surprise.
Rumors had long circulated that after Yugi's retirement, Kaiba had lost his drive to duel. For years, he hadn't participated in any tournaments, regardless of scale or type.
Perhaps without his ultimate rival present, winning against the rest of the world felt meaningless to him. But now, it seemed he was ready to return to the dueling stage.
Or perhaps it was simply his insatiable passion for dueling rearing its head once again...
The Duel Academy itself was supposedly founded under the pretense of nurturing the next generation of King of Games. When You Xuan first heard this, he imagined Kaiba, unable to find worthy opponents post-Yami Yugi, channeling his pent-up dueling addiction into creating a top-tier institution. By pouring vast resources into training the most talented individuals worldwide, he hoped to cultivate a new generation of duelists capable of satisfying his insatiable thirst for competition.
"Alright."
You Xuan nodded, accepting the invitation card.
If Kaiba himself was participating, the stakes—and rewards—would undoubtedly be astronomical. Recalling Pegasus' extravagant promise during the original Duelist Kingdom tournament (offering sixty percent of Industrial Illusions' shares to the winner), it was clear that victory in such high-profile events could lead to lifelong financial freedom...
By now, Kaiba had boarded the helicopter ladder descending from above. As the chopper ascended, he held tightly onto the rope, his trench coat billowing dramatically in the rotor wash like a battle flag. From his lofty vantage point, he smirked imperiously.
"If you're truly a duelist worth your salt, then overcome every obstacle, scale every wall, and claw your way through the merciless battleground of Duelist Kingdom GX until you stand before me!
Let's hope you don't disappoint me like that mediocre fool did!"
You Xuan: "..."
So, President Kaiba, when you issue invitations, why must you always take a jab at poor Jounouchi-kun?