"The Link System really is a wonderful thing."
Logging out and returning to the cabin of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon Jet, Yugen felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
"With this, I can duel opponents from all over the world at any time."
Moreover, travel time spent on a plane could now be utilized more effectively. By planning out these fragmented moments for leveling up, his overall efficiency would see a significant boost.
"See?" Mokuba said with a grin. "I told you it was a great idea."
However, Mokuba quickly mused that happiness in this world was a conserved quantity. If someone gained joy through the Link System, it usually meant someone else was losing it.
In today's case, the victim was that unfortunate newcomer to the professional circuit, Tomoki Saito.
The word was that he was a highly anticipated rookie, though he had yet to play an official match. Facing such a catastrophe just a week before his debutit was hard to say if his performance on stage would be affected.
Mokuba gave Yugen a complicated look.
As more and more pros crossed paths with Yugen through the Link System, it was difficult to predict what the future environment of the game would become.
He had a premonition that one day, Yugen's name would become notoriousno, legendarywithin the professional world.
He might even develop into a Great Demon King whose name the pros wouldn't even dare to whisper.
The future was uncertain, but the first professional victim had already been claimed. Even after logging out of the Link System, Tomoki Saito remained in a state of utter confusion.
That damn Kuriboh. That Lava Golem.
And then there was that ID...
"Happy Dueling."
Thinking back, when he first saw that ID, Saito had naturally assumed his opponent was just a hot-blooded youth who enjoyed the game. Looking at it now, he only wanted to mock his own naive ignorance.
Ha, Happy Dueling.
Saito tried to put himself in his opponent's shoes. It certainly would have been quite "happy."
The effect of the duel was to gain a refreshing sense of vengeance against society, but the activation cost was the opponent's absolute crisis of faith in life itself.
"..."
"I hope he's alright," Mokuba muttered to himself.
He was, of course, referring to the poor rookie.
"Who?" Yugen asked.
"Oh, nothing," Mokuba replied.
Mokuba had saved the recording again. Once they reached their destination, he would share it with his brother.
Though Seto Kaiba never said it out loud, the attentive Mokuba had long since learned to read his brother's mind. He realized that his brother actually loved watching duels just as much as he did.
Mokuba believed there were two reasons for this. First, at Seto Kaiba's heights, most duels could no longer spark his interest. Even the "super geniuses" hyped up by the media seemed like mere child's play to him. Even the best among them looked like "talented elementary schoolers"no matter how gifted, they were still just kids.
But Yugen was different. Putting aside his skill level or strength as a duelist, his duels felt fresh and, more importantly, interesting.
Second, Mokuba guessed that Yugen's stylesomething not seen on the stage for many yearsreminded his brother of an old acquaintance who had since retired.
"We're almost there. The plane should be landing soon," Mokuba said as he packed away his equipment. "The other party should be at the airport to meet us."
"Local friends?"
"A gang, I suppose. A Shadow Duelist club," Mokuba said casually.
Yugen was surprised. "You guys have friends like that?"
This was unexpected. His impression was that KaibaCorp and Shadow Duelists didn't exactly get along, especially after witnessing the President kick in the doors of a bar once before.
"We don't have problems with all Shadow Duelists, only the evil ones," Mokuba said as if it were obvious. "Shadow Duelists are just a group of people who possess extraordinary power; they aren't necessarily villains. If you want to get technical, the King of Games himself, Yugi Muto, counts as one of them."
Yugen thought about it and realized he was right. Of all the characters in the original series, the first one to use the power of darkness was indeed Atem.
"Don't worry. The people we're meeting may be Shadow Duelists, but they're good people. My brother and I have some history with their leader, so our relationship is quite good," Mokuba explained.
"Their organization is locally famous. they often use their powers to punish criminalsthings like evil duelists who use the power of darkness for harm, villains who slip through legal loopholes, or underworld forces that oppress the people..."
"A Duelist League, then?" Yugen quipped.
His mind immediately conjured images of a group in bizarre, skin-tight costumes, each wearing flashy masks and uniforms, perhaps even capes.
The only difference from the comic book heroes in his memory would be that these people all wore Duel Disks. No matter what their abilities or specialties were, their method of delivering justice always revolved around playing cards.
As they spoke, the plane began its final descent.
"Ha, anyway, you'll understand once we meet them," Mokuba said.
The jet touched down smoothly, and the scenery outside the window became clear. Buildings and roads rushed toward them. The air pressure in the cabin shifted as they neared the runway, and the cabin shook violently the moment the tires made contact.
After the impact of the deceleration, the plane came to a halt.
The cabin door opened, and the boarding stairs lowered. Yugen stood up and followed Mokuba out.
Based on Mokuba's description, Yugen had formed a mental image of the welcoming partytall, serious men, stern-faced and disciplined like elite assassins, with an aura like blades waiting to be drawn from their sheaths.
However, the moment he stepped out of the door, Yugen questioned if he had walked into the wrong world.
The men were indeed large. They were indeed tall. But the sight nearly blinded his 24K titanium dog eyes.
They were burly men with defined muscles, yet every single one of them was dressed in frilly, lace-trimmed Dragonmaid outfits. Their skirts swayed, and the lace trimmings seemed to shimmer under the airport lights.
No, it wasn't just the maid outfits. Each one of them had a white tail attached, a pair of decorative dragon wings on their backs, and a chibi Blue-Eyes White Dragon hat perched on their heads.
It was a Blue-Eyes White Dragon limited edition maid team.
"Welcome, President Kaiba!"
The White Dragon Muscle Maid Party bowed in perfect unison, their voices loud and synchronized. Heaven only knew how long they had rehearsed this performance.
Yugen: "..."
Mokuba: "..."
Yugen suddenly felt like offering a massive reward for a pair of eyes that hadn't seen this.
It was a total eyesore.
Yugen looked at Mokuba. "These are the... Robin Hood-style hero duelists you mentioned?"
Mokuba covered his face. "They aren't usually like this..."
Was I really opening the door the wrong way today?
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