"Lost? Lost?"
Ryuzaki knelt in a pose reminiscent of a criminal suspect exposed in Detective Conan, hands on the ground, his face still somewhat bewildered.
It seemed unreal to him.
He had spent years honing his skills, meticulously secluding himself, and finally decided to stage a grand comeback as a king.
And the result? He was defeated by a novice?
He couldn't accept it!
A few seconds of delayed applause from around the venue shattered his illusion, dragging him back to harsh reality. At first, it was scattered claps, as if people were just recovering from the shock of the duel. Then, led by someone, it turned into a roaring, earth-shaking cheer, accompanied by shouts of the duelist's name.
Yes, clearly, they weren't calling out "Ryuzaki," but the name of the rookie who had just crushed him.
The legendary duelist Ryuzaki, his king's comeback failed, instead becoming a stepping stone for a rising star.
"Congratulations to Fujiki Yugen, who successfully defeated Dinosaur Ryuzaki and claimed the champion title of our Lunar Flower Cup this year!"
Commentator Owatari shouted excitedly.
"What an incredible duel! A rookie's debut, winning against the returning duelist Ryuzaki in their very first competition, and even maintaining a stable upper hand throughout the duel.
No, not just that, his LP remained completely untouched at 4000 points until the very end! It can truly be called a literal 'no-damage clear'!"
Ryuzaki: "Please don't rub it in."
"Indeed. And based on my many years of commentating experience, I dare say that this might not even be the limit of this duelist." Commentator Sasaki added, "'Card Trooper' has another effect. When it's destroyed, its controller can draw one card from their Deck.
Machine-Type monsters that receive the effect of 'Limiter Removal' will self-destruct afterwards, meaning Yugen the duelist can draw three more cards due to Card Trooper's self-destruction.
Whereas Ryuzaki's side, both his front and back rows are empty, and because he activated 'Reckless Greed' in the previous turn, he has to skip two Draw Phases. So..."
He didn't say any more, but the meaning was clear.
In other words, even if Ryuzaki had another trick up his sleeve and managed to survive this turn's total attack from Card Trooper, his chances of winning would be extremely slim.
Not to mention Yugen's Graveyard still held two Machina Fortress, which could always be revived as long as he had Machine-Type resources in hand, ready to jump back onto the field.
At this stage, the difference between the two sides was simply too vast.
Ryuzaki: "..."
"Truly a formidable young man," Commentator Owatari couldn't help but feel even more admiration for this rookie, "But regardless, let us first congratulate Yugen the duelist on claiming the championship."
He had a premonition.
This wouldn't be the last time he saw this duelist on the arena.
Or perhaps it should be said, for Yugen, this might just be the beginning.
"He... he actually won?"
Sato Koji, the senior disciple of the dojo who had already taken his seat in the audience, looked at this outcome, stunned, blinking twice. Then he pinched himself hard.
Hiss~ It really hurt.
It wasn't a dream.
His junior disciple really defeated the legendary duelist.
Suddenly, all the anger and frustration he had felt earlier when his junior disciple had ruthlessly defeated him, leaving him with cards he couldn't play, vanished completely, replaced by a surge of pride.
"My junior disciple is so awesome, I actually got beaten by him!"
His back involuntarily straightened a few inches.
As Yugen claimed the championship, the duel dojo was instantly filled with jubilation. Thinking that this news would undoubtedly make the front page of "The Duelist Times" tomorrow, a group of apprentices immediately felt a surge of pride. From now on, when they mentioned their dojo's name outside, they would feel honored.
And if one were to say who was the most excited, it would definitely be the Dojo Master.
The moment the champion was announced, Master Takeuchi's eyes rolled back, and he leaned back, almost falling over.
But when his disciples frantically rushed to support him, he immediately waved his hand, indicating that he was fine, just a little too excited.
Then, while the excited apprentices weren't paying attention, Master Takeuchi stood up and walked into the deepest part of the dojo. He reached out, his palm gently tapping a seemingly ordinary wall.
The action seemed casual, but his fingertips concealed a specific rhythm. A moment later, the wall seemed to come alive, trembling slightly, then slowly split open from the middle, revealing a hidden door.
No one in the entire dojo, except him, knew of this door's existence.
He stepped into the tunnel, and the hidden door automatically closed behind him. At the end of the tunnel, all the light converged on a single point.
A transparent display case, within which was stored a single card.
The Dojo Master muttered to himself.
"The one who can inherit it... Is he finally going to appear?"
"He really is the champion! Even a great demon king like Ryuzaki was handled by you, Junior Brother, you're too amazing!"
Sato Koji, the senior disciple, seemed like a completely different person compared to the start of the match, enthusiastically stepping forward to help him carry his things.
"Ah, Junior Brother, why are you still carrying it yourself? Let Senior Brother do it!"
Yugen tried to decline, but couldn't resist his senior's overwhelming enthusiasm.
"Oh right, I heard someone say that learning knows no hierarchy. How about starting today, you're the Senior Disciple, and I'll be the Junior Disciple."
Yugen: "..."
"Also, your mental fortitude is really strong. How come you don't show any reaction after winning the championship?" Sato Koji couldn't help but say, "If it were me, I'd probably be floating on air right now."
In reality, Yugen certainly wasn't unhappy; it was just that this outcome was something he had foreseen from the beginning, so it wasn't too surprising.
Compared to that, he was actually more concerned about when the prize money for the competition would arrive.
The deeper he understood this world, the more he realized that money was by no means omnipotent in the Yu-Gi-Oh world, but without money, it was absolutely impossible.
Forget about money-wielding warriors like Kaiba and Manjome. A protagonist like Yugi's family ran a card shop, and the second-generation, Yuki Judai, also seemed to be a rich kid.
The third-generation, Yusei Fudo, might have come from the slums, but he was a heavyweight figure who could salvage scrap to build permanent engines. Not only did he salvage a top-tier deck of his era, but he also had his own Crimson Dragon card printer and could print cards himself.
Even the anime protagonists, as the plot progressed, would have their decks continuously modified and new cards added endlessly.
So playing cards really is a bottomless pit; besides a few grandmasters with card-printing talent, ordinary people can only burn money.
This further emphasizes that Duel Academy, with Kaiba's strong financial backing, is truly a great place.
"..."
The two left the venue, one behind the other.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, a black-robed figure stood in a corner, watching Yugen's receding back from afar.
Under the black hood, a corner of a mouth stretched, forming a dangerous curve.
Immediately following, a green glow flickered under the hood, and those eyes in the darkness seemed to briefly flash with a green light, like ghost fire burning within them.